Getting Our Lives Back

In 1992, Nigel Bennett co-founded Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc. The business’s mission: protect water, the world’s most precious resource. For over twenty years, the company has designed, fabricated and supplied marine oil spill response equipment and provided related services to 3,000+ clients worldwide. Aqua-Guard’s patented oil skimming technology has been used to clean up spills from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico and from Egypt to China. Nigel and Aqua-Guard have received multiple awards for their innovation, business excellence and entrepreneurialism.

Whether he’s talking with business leaders, not-for-profit groups or a student audience, Nigel is committed to positive change. An active philanthropist, Nigel donates all profit from his book sales and speaking engagements to organizations that support poverty alleviation, human rights, social services and the environment.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• How Nigel views Founder versus CEO and why you don’t need to be both

• What it was that Verne Harnish said that stayed with Nigel to this day

• Travel stories from Nigel, including an Ethiopian tea ceremony, and why it’s such a gift to have the opportunity to travel, visit other cultures, and learn

• Why Nigel works with a business coach 

• The morning routine that has grounded Nigel, helped him out of anxiety attacks, and given him a new outlook throughout COVID

• How he was able to leave his business and travel for a year with his wife and children

• What you should look for within your own business - organically grown leaders are there

• Why attitude and interests are more important to Nigel on a CV than skills

• Why getting your life back and letting go of your business are not the same thing 

• The firm belief that you should never sacrifice your family for your business

In this episode….

Nigel Bennett has been an active member of MIT’s Gathering of Titans for over 10 years and of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization for 15 years. He values travel, learning and the privilege of having a platform to leverage to do good in the world. He has dedicated much of his life to philanthropy and positive impact. As such he also has learned how to have balance, or what he calls “life rhythm” and freedom.

Nigel and his wife Rieko have travelled the world with their daughter and two sons to develop themselves as global citizens. The entire Bennett family supports the efforts of the Pachamama Alliance to inspire people to bring forth a “thriving, just, and sustainable world.” 

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter dives into what Getting Our Lives Back really means when you’re the CEO or Founder of a business. Nigel and Martin discuss how to grow your business healthfully, bring talent from within your business to the forefront, build in time away devoted to your own innovation and creativity, and the importance of family. They discuss the morning routines that ground them and motivate their days. This episode will inspire you to seek balance and flow in your business and life.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO

• Contact email: info@urgeo.com

• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn

• Nigel Bennett

• Nigel’s book ‘Take That Leap: Risking It All For What REALLY Matters’

• Nigel Bennett on LinkedIn

• Entrepreneur’s Organization

• Tim Ferris’ ‘Four Hour Work Week’

• Verne Harnish’s ‘Scaling Up’

• Jim Collins’ article ‘Get the Right People on the Bus’

• Ben Greenfield

• Wim Hof breathing techniques

• Foundation Training by Dr. Eric Goodman

• James Nestor’s ‘Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art’

• Richard Branson’s ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons in Life’

• Sebastien Nault episode ‘How to Incorporate Freedom Into Your Business’

• Lynne Twist’s ‘The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life’

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