ABOUT GARY
"The most elegant solutions elude us
when common knowledge overrides common sense" Gary Wilde
BREAKING RECORDS BY BREAKING THE RULES
A Wingman who feels like an army at your side
Gary Wilde has an astonishing ability to unravel the root cause of problems and craft robust solutions quickly. His unique skills and unconventional methods have a reputation for yielding exceptional results in record time, but honing his diverse and powerful armoury of abilities did not come easy.
Gary’s life story reads like a gripping novel, from learning how to thrive at school amidst terrifying life circumstances at home, defying doctors’ dooming odds of recovery from a paralysing spinal injury, recovering from bankruptcy at the hand of a greedy business partner, to keeping a level head and surviving an armed robbery, are just a few examples of the tough life challenges he rose triumphant over.
For Gary, failure is not an option and his determination to not only overcome adversity but succeed in the face of it, taught him to question the norm, challenge assumptions and formulate an unconventional approach to solving problems that gets results and slices through the toughest of situations, fast.
Gary’s uncanny ability to help business leaders achieve exceptional results is not only due to his intellectual prowess, problem solving dexterity and deep understanding of human behaviour, it’s drawn from experience and a long track record of achieving extraordinary business results.
Still in his 20’s Gary spearheaded the record-breaking turnaround of an ailing SABMiller branch, becoming a sought-after transformation specialist who has since helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives achieve extraordinary results, in both their business and personal lives… and continues to this day nearly 20 years later.
As a powerhouse of divergent knowledge, experience and skills, as well as an incredible artist with a keen sense of fun, Gary’s a rare blend of intellect and creativity wrapped up in one person. While he’ll tell you he needs many more lifetimes just to touch the surface of all there is to know and learn, you’ll be hard pressed to find a question he doesn’t have a simple or profound answer to, or a problem he isn’t able to find an elegant solution to!
When Gary’s your Business Wingman it feels like you have an army at your side. He won’t rest until he’s found the best solution and is as passionate about your success as you are. He’s the sincerest and most honourable man I know, who you can trust to watch your back! Having him as a business partner and best friend, is a privilege and treasure beyond compare!
Written by Carmen Wilde
BEHIND THE SCENES
Gary Wilde is as multi-faceted in his private life as he is in business, spanning a broad spectrum of keen interests, from philosophy, ancient history, spirituality, healing, art, music, poetry, writing, neuroscience and quantum physics, to wilderness adventures, exotic travel destinations, fast cars, adrenaline sports and an ever-growing collection of techno gadgets, cameras, movies and console games that would be the envy of any ‘man cave’! Gary’s a very capable guitarist and singer, with a special love for the piano. His fine-art pencil drawings are truly exquisite.
THE INCREDIBLE TUTOR OF LIFE
Finding light in dark places
My early childhood is a tale of stark contrasts, staring daily into the face of terror and the violent torment of my father, and being enveloped in the infinite and unconditional love of my mother. By the time I was eight years old, it took more than one crunching fist to the face to render me unconscious, but I was still too small to defend my mother and sister from my father’s unrelenting wrath. We were imprisoned in a dark and petrifying world with little promise of escape.
My mind and thoughts were my only sanctuary, where I found solace and inspiration venturing into wondrous worlds of colour and beauty. Worlds where men were valiant knights who stood for all that was honourable, true and just... guardians of the light, protectors of the realm!
While it may smack of a stereotypical fantasy or cliché today, back then, as a young boy, this was my salvation. I yearned for a hero, someone I could look to for guidance... a beacon of light I could follow when all around me was dark.
Back then, I had no idea what a powerful role this metaphor would play in shaping the course of my life adventure and influencing the decisions I make to this day.
A welcome reprieve… a new journey begins
On the eve of my graduation into my teenage years, fate liberated us from my father’s tyranny and fortune soon blessed my sister and me with a strong, wise and loving step-father, who welcomed us into his world as if we were his own... bearing an uncanny likeness to the valiant knights of my fantasy worlds. Our prayers had finally been answered!
But the experiences of my formative years were not forgotten and my vision of the man I strived to be (and not be), began to crystallize in earnest. I had long since vowed to never become my father’s son, but the question remained, “Who exactly DO you want to be Gary?”
Like turning a key that would unlock a chest of treasures, the moment I asked this question, I was suddenly filled with anticipation to discover the answer.
And so began my apprenticeship into discovering the value of well-crafted questions as an essential ingredient to effective problem solving, as well as the powerful role of clarity, desire, focus, determination and action in consciously crafting the specific outcomes we desire.
"A Dark Knight" by Jonathan Earl Bower
The forging of Wilde Knight
Drawing inspiration from both timeless old-school values I resonated with, and pioneering modern-day thinkers I admired, I dedicated hours to sculpting in words, the many qualities, traits and facets of the man I wished to become.
As the pages mounted, the essence of my ‘aspirational self’ began to take shape as a powerful and commanding presence, standing in the shadows of my mind like a Sentry watching over me. The comparison left me as daunted as I was inspired, realizing how much I had to learn and experience to achieve what I so passionately wanted. From that moment, my life was infused with a sense of purpose I found exhilarating.
Every day, I checked in with my aspirational self, failing miserably most of the time, and once in a while, taking one step closer. As I grew up and experienced more of life, I continued to add to, refine and crystallize this image even more, until finally I decided to give my abstract mentor a name.
With almost no effort or thought, the name spilled onto the page as if already known... “Wilde Knight” the pioneering rule breaker and guardian of timeless values... the best of the old and the new, in one.
More than 30 years later, I still measure myself against Wilde Knight every day, and while I still fall hopelessly short, I count the many lessons learned and steps I’ve taken forward as a rewarding sign I’m on the right track.
About 20 years ago I stumbled across this image online (painted by Jonathon Earl Bowser). The resemblance in this imagery to the metaphor of Wilde Knight, is truly serendipitous, right down to the play on words in the title... a somewhat bedraggled Dark (read imperfect) Knight in a gnarly world, pausing to reflect on his quest and draw inspiration to forge on.
People and Profits… my Passion
Nothing energizes me quite like a good ol’ challenge. I was introduced to chess and the power of strategy early in life, winning my first chess championship when I was seven. I loved school and refused to settle for less than top marks and I leapt at the first opportunity to write the MENSA exams in my late teens. I simply love figuring stuff out and I’m constantly pushing myself to get better at it.
But when I was 15, I confronted what I call a ‘snowball riddle’... the more answers you find, the more the problem compounds with new questions begging for answers!
I was reflecting on my life as a young child, trying to make sense of my father’s destructive behaviour and three questions came to mind:
- Why do people do the things they do?
- Can they change?
- If so, how?
My ensuing efforts to figure out the “Why” and the “How”, set me on a life-long mission to unravel the mysteries of human behaviour, because beneath each layer of understanding, a new layer of discovery is revealed.
So where do Profits join the foray of alluring challenges in my world? Well, one week into my first full-time job with a Coca Cola Bottler, and I was hooked on business. Everywhere I looked there was another problem, conundrum, puzzle, dichotomy, conflict, paradox or challenge to solve. After three weeks of ploughing through various problems in and around my department, I got my first promotion.
One of the secrets to solving business challenges quickly and effectively, is to never approach the problem in isolation of people, because efficient business is built on human efficiency!
Which is why helping progressive business leaders solve nagging problems and achieve breakthrough business results is what I do and love. Each engagement is immensely rewarding and we have a lot of fun and quite a few good laughs in the process.
QUALIFICATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS
- IBG Certified Business Coach
- IBG Certified Executive Coach
- IBG Certified Sales Coach
- IBG Certified Guerrilla Marketing Business Advisor
- Certified Eriksonian Psychotherapist
- Certified NLP Practitioner
- Certified Hypnotherapist
- Demartini Method Facilitator
- Certified Timeline Paradigm Techniques Practitioner
- EFT Practitioner Training