Anthony Bennett

Interview with Anthony Bennett

Why do clients typically hire you to speak?

Clients usually hire me to speak due to positive feedback and referrals. The themes and lessons taken away from my talks can be appreciated by school pupils as young as 9 years old, to CEO’s of companies. It has a universal message and can be translated across many industries, age ranges and classes.

What are your biggest goals in your life or career currently?

My biggest life goal I currently have is to start a family over the next couple of years. I really want a mini-me to love. My biggest career goal is to complete my first book. As a person with dyslexia,  I’m choosing to climb out of the box that is labelled ‘Dyslexics don’t write books’ and to give hope to people with dyslexia to not let a label define us. Sure, it may take us a little longer to do certain things, but it’s not impossible!

Describe yourself in 3 words – why these words?

Positive – Energy is transferable. A simple smile has the power to make someone who witnesses the smile, smile too… so does a yawn! Seeing people happy or ‘glowing’ is a beautiful thing to experience, and we all have the ability to make it happen. I enjoy focusing my positive drive to help others.

Approachable – Many times after a talk I’ve been approached by members of the audience, people I’ve never met before and they feel that they can trust me to the point they openly talk about their lives and things they have overcome or are going through. It’s a beautiful moment when two strangers trust each other enough to share moments that have otherwise been bottled up.

Reflective – Life is a temporary experience that will come to an end it’s a beautiful journey. One of my favourite things to do is think, about the journey of life, the present moment, what makes people happy, how everyone sees the same world but each individual sees it altered, based on their experiences. Going off on thought trails and connecting dots in my mind really is one of my favourite things to do.

Who or what inspires you most?

Simply put, my inspiration comes from seeing progress over time. This can be from any aspect of life. Seeing a bird patiently building a nest twig by twig as I walk down the road inspires me to be patient and work towards my goals bit by bit. Seeing people happy, doing things they love inspires me to work hard on my craft and to keep learning and enjoying the journey. Inspiration can be found in all aspects of life if you choose to look at things from a range of perspectives/angles.

What do you gain personally from being a public speaker?

What I gain personally from being a public speaker is having the opportunity to share a powerful energy with lots of people at once. The energy shared in a session has the power to make people cry, get instant goosebumps, feel like they are a new and energised person. Seeing the excited glow on a person’s face after listening to you speak gives you an incredible feeling.

Do you have a favourite experience from your speaking career?

My all-time favourite experience to date has to be when I spoke at the Convention Centre in Sydney Australia. 1500 audience members took part in a Mexican wave for me to record from the stage and send to my mum, as I forgot to ring her to let her know I had landed safely on the other side of the world… She forgave me quite quickly once she saw the video!