My Passion

I have always had a passionate interest in what makes people  'tick' while pursuing their favourite leisure, recreation, or sporting interest. My own experiences made me realize there was more to it than simply having a good time. It provides nature's solution to stress, it heightens self esteem, self confidence, creativity and many other goodies essential to livingthe good life. Not just on the spot but ongoing, rippling through everything else we do in life, including work.

I have now had more than 40 years of professional experience in recreation/leisure development, observing and helping thousands of people from all walks of life as they come alive while pursuing their preferred leisure interests - physical, intellectual, manual, social and spiritual.

I am a Life Member and Past National President of the Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation (now Parks and Leisure Australia). My tag line "Australia's People Gardener" emanates from my love of parks and gardens and the relationship between plants and people. People are part of - not above - nature and our natural growth has much in common with the growth of any other creature of nature.

Perhaps my core battle in my professional career has been to change peoples' perceptions about the life-expanding values of leisure-related interests. The work ethic has had a lot to answer for, not because it emphasised the importance of work but because it demeaned leisure as being unimportant and even wasteful.

The ultimate proof of my beliefs came to the fore only a few short years ago, at probably the lowest point of my life, when I joined a choir to escape from my problems for two hours a week. That decision brought about an amazing turnaround in my life. My sense of self worth, self esteem and self belief grew rapidly, culminating in my rather bold decision, at the ripe young age of 63, to establish Work Leisure. 

Facilitating Skills

The only person who can resolve your issues is you. The most consistent compliment I get from my many clients is my ability to listen with purpose. "He makes me feel I am the most important person in the world".  This enables the client to hear what they are saying about themselves, their natural-born talents, passions and potential to enjoy life to the full.

The Aha Factor

“Aha!” is what you exclaim when suddenly you see the relevance of a point to your particular situation. I get great pleasure out of triggering as many “aha's” as possible in the course of my workshops, personal consultations and discussion groups.

Working the Group

I really enjoy and understand the nature of the group dynamics that occur in business gatherings and working them to the benefit of the individuals and the group.  My clients comment on my relaxed, easy approach which encourages them to relax and enjoy a positive discussion on what makes them feel good about themselves. Positive Peter is another name often coined of me by clients.

Mosaics and Melting Pots

When it comes to corporate development of people, I see a successful team as a mosaic, rather than a melting pot. Each person is a unique, discrete individual with unique skills, talents, abilities and experiences. I work to maximize the dignity of individuality in a way that benefits the group and strengthens individual commitment to group goals.

Gender Equality

Gender equality is a major work life balance issue . I work comfortably with men and women alike – in mixed groups or separately. Indeed because enjoyment is a matter of emotional feelings, I find it easy to quickly gain the confidence of female clients as much as male clients .

All of this and a great public speaker too!

Testimonials

“Peter is a very genuine man, who's truly interested in helping people regain control of their lives and who they authentically are. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience but I find his integrity, patience and listening skills a delight to be around in this hectic world.” Joanna Outhwaite Senior Consultant, Marketing Angels, Sydney, May 2009

“Peter has proven himself to be one of those extremely rare individuals who work with amazing passion and dedication in the field of helping people to achieve some Work/Life balance. Peter has the knack of being able to get clients to firstly identify that they have a real need to look at this critically important part of their lives; and the knowledge and experience to provide the appropriate tools which will lead to that life-changing balance most of us hope for, but don't quite know where to find it!” Phil Evans: Master Life Coach | Exec Coach , Owner , People Stuff, Sydney January 1, 2008

As an executive and business coach , I have always been impressed by Peter’s passionate determination to succeed in business and, importantly, to put into practice agreed actions arising from our meetings – a quality often found wanting in new business people.

Peter has shown courage in going into a business based on an “outside the square” - but very important - principle of personal development benefits to work productivity, gained from passionate leisure interests.  He has worked hard to articulate these benefits in ways that business minds can respond to positively.

As you work with Peter, you will quickly appreciate his energy and determination to go the extra mile in helping you or your staff grow and develop in business or personal life.

I am delighted to be asked to put a testimonial together for Peter and if you need anything further, please do not hesitate to call me on 0415 418 645

Richard Levy, Business Behaviourist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it