INTERVIEW WITH ERIC

What has made you so passionate about your chosen topic? 

“Tragedy can either be debilitating or it can be a facilitator for movement and progress. If you surround yourself with community, a good strategy and a great plan then you’ll go far and you can actually build upon it in the future.

“In the face of tragedy, my whole mission was centred around how I could convert that all to a form of motion, moving physically and emotionally from something that is the biggest loss, to something positive with a strong, almost a happy outcome. I struggled a lot.

But eventually, I got to wondering ‘actually, what happens if I change the struggle into something positive? What if I change the torment and drama into motion?’” 

Why is it so important for you to share this topic with a wider audience?

“When I heard this year’s TEDxAberdeen theme was movement, I thought to myself ‘Yeah, I’ve got a story about moving forward. I’ve got a story about trying to move and falling down.’ I felt that it was worth sharing with an audience because I know tragedy can stop you in your tracks, and I know people that are still really struggling with loss 10/15 years later – it’s a huge weight on their shoulders.”

What do you think people will gain from listening to your talk?

“I’m hoping people will be able to find an ability to take things for what they are, process them and find a way to move forward.

“I’d like people to get a little bit of an insight into the fact that we’re very powerful as humans. Sometimes we don’t give credit to ourselves about how powerful we are both physically and mentally. If you want to swim that lake, climb that mountain, jump out of that plane, do that big cycle or race, or whatever it is, it’s probably in you. 

“Life is short, so why not give things a go? We get stuck in this little cycle of being trapped in Zoom calls and meetings all day, and then at the weekend, you’re just hoping for a bit of downtime when in fact, the world is huge and we are powerful little things that can take on the challenges it presents to us.”

What made you want to apply to TEDxAberdeen?

“I am a huge TED fan – it’s changed my domestic and commercial life. I’ve changed jobs because of TED talks, so it’s a massive thing for me. I thought I had a story to share, but I never believed I would be on a TED stage ever. But I applied and it happened, so it just goes to show that if we don’t apply, we don’t get in, so take your chance.”

How has your TEDxAberdeen journey been so far? 

“I came into it with a completely open mind and it’s been amazing so far. For people who know me and follow me, I do a lot of presentations and public speaking as it is, but I am so thrilled about the experience of doing the business storytelling process with Derrick and Bob supporting us! It’s also been such a thrill to work with the team at TEDxAberdeen and to be around the candidates and speakers from this year.” 

What are you most looking forward to? And what do you wish to achieve from presenting your TEDx talk? 

“Right now I’ve got a story, and I’m looking forward to being able to present that story in an engaging way – and learning how to do it properly from the experts. I’m taking my little weirdly shaped story and turning that into something TEDx worthy which is so exciting.

“I’m also looking forward to just being able to share a story with people. I don’t want anything from it, I’m not just doing this in the hope that something good will happen for me as a result. I have no interest in that whatsoever. I’m just interested in sharing my story and seeing what conversations come from that.”

What does being part of TEDxAberdeen mean to you? 

“I started working in Aberdeen in 1990 but I moved here officially in 2000, so I’ve been here for 22 years and look upon Aberdeen as being home. The ability to give a TEDx talk is wonderful on its own, but the ability to deliver one in Aberdeen – the place that I call home and a place that I love – is just so extra special.

“I’m still struggling to believe that I’m going to be able to say I’m a TEDx speaker and be able to just even be mildly associated with the amazing giants who have done this. If I had to put it into a few words, I would say that it’s thrilling. Being associated with the TED world is an honour and an absolute delight!”