In this episode, Nick Grantham, a performance enhancement specialist and consultant, delves into his expansive career in sports performance. With expertise ranging from netball and gymnastics to premiership football and downhill mountain biking, Nick has a lot to share about the industry.
He discusses his early background in banking, which he quickly realized was not for him, and how this led him to return to university and invest in a career in Sport Science. The experience in banking actually fueled his determination to pursue opportunities in his field with tenacity. Nick talks about his time at Lilleshall, working with gymnastic and netball teams as part of his first strength and conditioning roles.
Nick also touches on the importance of non-technical skills in career development, such as balancing workloads, management, diversifying income streams, and even side hustles. He candidly discusses the notion that everyone is replaceable, explaining why he chose to leave the English Institute of Sport and the rewards he’s found in working with the general population.
The episode delves into the world of consultancy, where Nick has learned to balance self-promotion with genuine confidence in his abilities, skills, and experience. His motivation to write “You’re Hired” comes from a desire to help aspiring professionals, a goal that aligns with the show’s own ethos.
Nick emphasizes the value of being a “specialist generalist,” someone with both a deep and broad knowledge base, capable of making a significant impact across a variety of domains while knowing when to seek additional expertise.
Concluding with career highlights and what he would change about the field—namely, eliminating negativity or “Negatrons” as he calls them—Nick offers a comprehensive overview of his professional journey and insights into the performance enhancement industry.
Show notes:
Nick’s background, education, short lived rubbish career in banking, night school and university.
Early career in Sport Science and the small community of like-minded people delivering applied work in the field.
Having experienced a career in banking it gave Nick the determination to be tenacious in the pursuit of opportunities at university.
Working at Lilleshall, gymnastic team, and the first strength and conditioning netball team role.
Investment in the non-technical career skills, balancing work loads, management, income sources and side hustles
Everybody is expendable and you will be replaced
The reasons Nick left the English Institute of Sport
The rewards of working with the general population and learning humility
Consultancy and the balance of selling yourself and the development of confidence in his own abilities, experience and skillset.
The motivation to write ‘You’re Hired’
Making personal connections
Being comfortable with being a specialist generalist, having a depth of knowledge and being able to work with diversity and making an impact, but know when you need to refer out
Career highlights
The one thing to change: the Negatrons!
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Youre-Hired-Nick-Grantham-ebook/dp/B00MENQMEE
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