We all have a unique story, here’s mine

Named by John Mattone as one of his Top 3 Master Certified Executive Coaches in the world. Nick Roud is a multi Global Award winning executive leadership coach and is hired in confidence by very successful CEOs, Executives and Emerging Leaders.

This is now, but how did I get here?

Born to Roy and Diana Roud in Surrey, South East England 1974, I had the greatest childhood anyone could ask for. My dad was an electrician and my mum did the hardest job in the world, raise me and my sister Emma in our wonderful home 55 Elmwood Close, Wallington (the best playground any kid could have asked for). My grandparents were Louis & Eda Halom (my mums parents) and Bill & Chris Roud (my dads parents). Louis & Eda were Hungarian’s who escaped during the war and moved to the UK.

I hated (a strong word but the only way I can describe it) school, always behind, always struggling to make sense of everything, always being laughed at for being ’thick’ but I loved the rugby playing fields – my place to excel and escape.

At the age of 8, I was diagnosed with the greatest gift any person could be given apart from my wife and kids…….’dyslexic’ which is basically a difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols. Why do I call it the greatest gift I will ever receive? Because it allows me to see things differently and this has absolutely helped me be the successful coach I am today. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

After joining a prestigious Chartered Accountancy Firm in London and then moving into one of the oldest Global Exhibition Organising Companies I moved to New Zealand in 2006 but it was in 1995 that I had the opportunity to spend time in NZ the most beautiful country in the world. This is now the place I call ‘home’. I married a beautiful kiwi women Nicola in 2012 and we have two wonderful kids, Louie (named after his grandad) and Willow.

“Life is not a dress rehearsal, enjoy it”

– My Dad

In 2009 a personal challenge was needed for me, so I found a coach #Barb Kramer and together put a plan in place for me to cross the finishing line at Ironman New Zealand 2011. I have since raced a number of Ironman events and without my amazing coach barbs next to me it would have been a real challenge!! Having played rugby in the 90s I tore my ACL and since 1994 I have had 6 knee operations (soon to be number 7) and 3 ACL reconstructions. My message is simple – don’t let anything or anyone stop you from doing what you must do!

Our bodies are amazing its our minds that are the only things that hold us back! Training, competing and getting mentally ready for Ironman has to this day been the most important lessons of my life!

“It’s only when we are in the deepest darkest places that we really find out who we are”