Chetan Walia I Business & Life Coach I London I Global

At an academic conference on Creativity, a professor once asked me, “What makes you qualified to turn around people’s lives and businesses?”

I replied, “For starters, I have a relentless curiosity about human potential. That curiosity fuels my ability to see beyond the obvious and craft creative, common-sense solutions that truly work.”

But it hasn’t always been this way…

I’ve ventured into all sorts of things:

• A chemical factory

• A stockbroking firm

• Photography (as a business)

• Graphics

• Restaurant

• A call center

• An art gallery

I made a ton of money.

Then lost all of it.

And all of this happened before I turned 24.

At my lowest, I found myself doing something unexpected: writing a book on Breakthroughs.

At 24, I began my consulting career. Armed with confidence and a few strands of grey hair, I pitched myself to people and established businesses— I was speaking to those way over my league, but they listened.

I went on to create what I believe is still the most powerful training method in the world—the Breakthrough Achievement Program. Over the next six years, it led me to work with more than 100 corporations, giving me invaluable grounding and insights.

Through those experiences, I sought and discovered answers to the challenges that people and businesses struggle with.

Today, I get to do what I love, with people I love working with. Helping individuals and businesses create their fastest turnarounds ever isn’t just my work—it’s my passion.

That excitement and drive are what I bring to your business and your life, creating solutions that truly transform.

None of this is to brag—it’s to illustrate that when I say, “You can turn it around quickly and have what you want,” I’m speaking from experience, not just repeating a fancy catchphrase.

Since the year 2000, I’ve invested over 25,000 hours working with more than 200 businesses and close to 100,000 people. Along the way, I’ve written 10 books, a textbook on strategy, and around 200 articles (here and here). I’ve defined creativity for academia, earned a PhD, and traveled the world.

I’ve been published by three of the world’s top five non-fiction publishers—Springer, Sage, and Routledge. I’ve helped develop consulting partners at renowned firms like Ernst & Young and McKinsey, and I’ve had the privilege of teaching Management Consulting to the next generation at the University of Bradford.

I’ve been honored with three major awards:

Recognized among the Top 50 Thought Leaders by Empower Now, Canada, for my writings on breakthroughs.

Named one of the Top 100 Educators in the World for my contributions to the corporate sector.

Awarded as a Global Education Leader for the curriculums I’ve developed in management consulting and business strategy.

I have unwavering belief in my methods of consulting and coaching. Over the years, I’ve seen the profound impact they’ve had—not just on my clients (some of their success stories are shared here) and other coaches’ clients, but also in my own personal journey.

Other things about me:

I’m a compulsive learner.

If there was something like learning OCD, I would have it.

I am calmest person I know.

Also patient.

I don’t drive in UK. I don’t like to.

I realised that I am creative only when my colleagues told me that about 20 years in.

I don’t like stock markets.

I love odd books.

I read (a lot).

I am in the ‘flow’ at will.

I love to cook.

I love humour.

I am always saying something funny. At least it’s funny to me.

I am straight honest. Always.

I am not always happy, but I am mostly.

My extreme confidence is sometimes seen as putting other people down.

I only ever and always aim for brilliance. Not excellence, not perfection.

I don't believe in ‘this or that’ world. I believe in ‘and’.

For example I believe materialism and spirituality can coexist and must.

I am the kind of person who will point the problem out to you in a flash.

My clients have almost always benefitted from me. Some realise it 2 years later and call back.

I know very little or nothing about most things, but I know a few things exceptionally well: people, the field of personal development, male-female dynamics, and the psychology of success and winning.

I am a great conflict resolver.

I am in love with discovering Win-Win

I am married. I am a father.

Family to me is a rock.

I could die for fighting for equality — racial equality, sexual orientation equality, religious equality, and equality, period.

5 People (Dead or Alive) I would love to meet are Mahatma Gandhi, Barack Obama, John Lenon, Hellen Keller, and Roger Federer.

In my early career furore, my parents never thought I’ll make it to anything in life. Funnily enough I helped more people (than most) become a whole lot more than they ever thought possible. I always wish my Dad was around to see it.