Let’s Play but Play for Real – Interview with David Wood CEO ‘Play for Real’

‘I’m investing in myself by investing in others’ Ivan, Charlie and Fredrik are in conversation with David Wood CEO of ‘Play for Real’ His own real-life game spans snowboarding, paragliding, comedy and coaching for high performing entrepreneurs and prisoners, helping them to play for real and live regret-free lives. Having completed coaching calls from a phone booth in the wilderness of Thailand, David has lots to say and shares some incredible experiences and advice in this interview which has something for everyone.   KEY TAKEAWAYS What do you do? I help high performing entrepreneurs, executives, teams and even prison inmates to play for real and live a regret-free life. I want everyone to get the most out of their life, for some this will be a great business success and for most people, it will include deep connections with other people, more expression more authenticity and more daring What do you really mean by ‘play for real’? Life is the best game there is, there is something that happens when we play we can achieve a flow state and have fun. You can fit many things into life both good and bad and we need to play but play for real as if our lives depend on it because it does. Why were you sceptical about personal development prior to trying it? When I first discovered personal development,  I held the view that self-help was for weak people, people who couldn’t get their act together. My first experience of personal development was a RYLA camp (rotary youth leadership awards) it completely changed my viewpoint and understanding. I was able to connect with other people, I cared about people and people cared about me. I am drawn to people who are making an impact and am fascinated by those who are on massive missions to change the world, it seems such a great game to play. What do you enjoy most about your job? It is a  privilege being trusted by people and helping them to move their ideas forward. Working with prisoners and changing their views so they can look at living their lives constructively has a positive impact on both them and me. What is your greatest strength? I can take thousands of pieces of information about someone’s life and identify the key points and patterns. I can combine this with the emotional depth of being able to hold space for anything that someone is going through.   BEST MOMENTS ‘I’m investing in myself by investing in others’ ‘Part of my brand is that I want people to know I’m an absolute straight shooter with a high level of integrity’ ‘If they are having an impact in the world is it any of my business what their motivation is?’ ‘I thought I could use finding out about who I am but they were are wearing name tags and smiling, so I figured I’d get in and get out but they soon cracked my cynicism’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Invest In You Podcast Trust is the New Currency book by Sheila Holt & Fredrik Sandvall Are you playing for real? Take the 5-minute Life Assessment at http://www.playforreal.life   ABOUT THE HOST Serial entrepreneur Fredrik Sandvall loves sharing ideas and interviewing world-class entrepreneurs and influencers. Invest in You is about investments, entrepreneurs, personal development and doing fun things. He hopes to ensure you take action, helping others and yourself, plus enjoy the journey we call life.   CONTACT METHOD Contact Fredrik Sandvall – Invest in You  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/?originalSubdomain=uk  https://sandvallinvest.com/  https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/investing-skills/id1445899547?mt=2    Contact Charlie Sandvall  Charlie Sandvall LinkedIn    Contact Ivan Sandvall  Ivan Sandvall Instagram