Get to Know - Nick Elston

GET TO KNOW

NICK ELSTON

Nick has shared his words of wisdom in our previous issues, as well as assisted the SK team with what we call our ‘Mind Gym’. For this issue, we thought it would be great to get to know a bit more about Nick.

Tell us more about what you do

I am an inspirational speaker on the lived experience of mental health and a transformational speaking coach. Having lived my own journey of ‘transformation through speaking’, my mission is now to help as many people as possible achieve development, inspiration and empowerment through the use of ‘emotional storytelling’ and creating the courage to be vulnerable, in the most positive way.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The most enjoyable part of what I do has to be to see the transformation in people that I am coaching or speaking to, as they see their own lives reflected in a wholly different viewpoint than they had before. It’s not about me, it’s about them. My ‘job’ is purely to sow the seeds of as many questions as possible – we have all the answers we ever need, we just need to ask the right questions, then move the hell out of our own way.

How have you seen attitudes change over the course of the last two years in terms of mental health?

I have to say, one of the silver linings of the last couple of years, that have been brutal for many, has to be the rise of mental health awareness solutions and initiatives – coupled with a shift in perspective that many of us have not had before. We started to see everything through new eyes. Even though we are not there yet, we seem to be heading in the right direction.

What coping mechanisms do you use and how do you switch off?

I like to picture my general wellbeing as a battery. So, out of ten – how do I feel today? Very rarely is it a 10! Which means it’s essential for me to know what nourishes me, what depletes me – even who nourishes me and who depletes me. The awareness of this allows me to be able to bring my energy up by doing what is right for me at that point – what I call my ‘playbook’. Some days it’s gaming, sometimes it’s walking in nature – my most positive mechanism that I have started again this year is a morning swim, it really invigorates me. I also like to listen to as many audiobooks and podcasts as possible when travelling – usually I listen to people or subjects that are not like me, to avoid the echo chamber effect.

What’s your favourite quote?

‘Every storm runs out of rain’ – a quote I use every day when speaking, it resonates with me so much and it’s also the title of a great country music track by Gary Allen. Every storm you have ever been through, you have at least survived and wherever you find yourself now, this will pass.

What would you now like to have known that you didn’t know before?

I’d like to have known how fast time flies. I don’t have many regrets in life, as every lesson – win or lose – has led me to where I am now. However, I will probably never shake the regret of losing decades to mental illness, mental health challenges, anxiety and subsequent bad life choices. It’s one of the few things that can really make me sad. I try not to go there too often.

Would it have been important for you to have learnt about personal finance at school?

Absolutely, yes – 100%. My relationship with money was skewed. My parents were entrepreneurs and I wanted for nothing, we weren’t mad millionaires, but we did and had nice things. When I started work, I realised how lazy I was and I had little respect for money – easy come, easy go. This led to credit, debt and financial problems for many years. Thankfully those days are behind me – plus, with there being such a strong link between money and mental health, it’s always been a roller-coaster area for me.

GET TO KNOW

What is the best money tip that you have been given?

When I launched my self-employed journey as a professional speaker, the first time someone asked me what my fee was, I felt frozen. To me, £200 was a lot of money, but I had no point of reference – even though that is a fraction of my fee today – my confidence, self-worth and personal value were not yet in a great place. So, I called my first mentor, Brad Burton, and asked him, as he had been speaking for many years prior. He asked me how much I would be happy with, I said £200 and he said, well, charge £500 and at worst you can use it as point. I told the client £500 and they booked me straight away. The next week I had the same conversation with a London firm, I quoted the same and got declined, as I wasn’t charging enough. The thinking was I would not be a good enough speaker. So the message is this – don’t allow your lack of confidence to drive your pricing, build up the value in your offering, be bold and have a set menu of prices that you get comfortable saying, even if at the start of your journey it triggers that imposter syndrome.

NICK ELSTON

• Inspirational Speaker • Award Winning Mental Health Engagement • Transformational Speaking Coach • Founder of Forging People

www.nickelston.com