Meet my speaking coach, dear friend and serial achiever, Greg van Borssum

As I reflect this week on another presentation at the Women in Real Estate (WIRE) conference for 2022, I'm so thankful for the people I have in my corner.

It's my firm belief that in life and business, you need friends and colleagues who consistently push you to be greater and achieve your full potential. They should be firm, kind and possess a strong character. They should want the best for you, and steer you in the direction of your passions and dreams with purpose.

I'm lucky enough to have a number of these people in my life, and amongst them is my speaking coach, Greg van Borssum. We first met when I was looking for some help preparing my presentation for the Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC) 2021. As I learnt more about Greg and all he'd achieved, I was shocked to find that he was living right around the corner from me the whole time.

We met for coffee, discussed some of the hurdles I was facing when it came to public speaking, formulated a plan and got to work. Over the next six months, our friendship grew, and it was clear that we had a lot more in common than just speaking. Greg is passionate about his work, thrives on success, and lives to give back to his communities.

When he was a child, though, Greg wasn't one of those kids that fit well in the school system. He was distractable and at times disobedient, and his teachers told his parents that he'd never amount to much. He managed to get kicked out of three preschools by the time he started primary school, where his kindergarten teacher confessed that if she quit the profession, Greg would be to blame. Greg was deeply misunderstood and bullied, however when he turned 12 and hit high school, it was time for change.

He started delivering newspapers and used the money he earnt to join a gym. He channelled his abundant energy into weight training and martial arts, going on to become a multiple-time Australian Bodybuilding Champion. He was the world's youngest professional natural bodybuilder by 20, and became an Okinawan Karate Master. Greg started to realise the value of hard work, and the rest was history.

He developed a passion for film that would take him around the world over the coming years. Most recently, he was the Second Unit Director for Happy Feet (both films), and worked on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road as the Principal Fight Choreographer and Weapons Advisor over a period of several years.  Greg applied his skills in shooting and fighting, whilst also developing these in the rest of the cast. Along the way, he also became the World Action Pistol Champion (2 Man Teams) in 2014.

When filming took a forced break in the same year, Greg witnessed a tragic incident at his work, inspiring him to speak on mental health. This is where Greg truly found his calling, and is how we came to meet. In 2019, Greg became the first internationally accredited public speaker in the Southern Hemisphere. He has since built a thriving business built around mindset mastery, public speaking and leadership – GVB Mind Warriors.

Since working together on AREC 2021, I've engaged Greg as a contractor within my businesses regularly. His wide and varied skill set combined with his grit and mastery of mind has proved to be invaluable in executive meetings, staff training, planning sessions and the development of staff culture. We’ve developed a strong friendship, and I’m so thankful to have Greg as part of my greater ‘team’, keeping me accountable and pushing me toward my goals.

To learn more about Greg and his services, you can visit his website here. To be part of my journey, and that of my team, you can follow us across our socials - @teamcathybaker, @bellepropertycentralcoast, @belleescapes_centralcoast and @centralcoastlifeandstyle.