Dragon’s Den contestant releases life-changing book

Comedian, teacher and Dragons’ Den contestant, Gavin Oattes, is set to launch his first solo life-changing book on 20 February, entitled Life Will See You Now.

Now an international keynote speaker, his on what ‘making it’ in life actually means, his struggles with anxiety from a young age and for the first time, his breakdown in 2018.

Gavin’s focus in life is to make sure having fun is intertwined in everything we do, which in his case includes everything from playing hide and seek with his work colleagues and posting oranges to people to attempting to set a World Bouncy Castle Jumping record and entering the World Beard & Moustache Championships – where he came fourth!

In 2004, disillusioned, he gave up teaching, a job he always wanted to do after attending a motivational workshop by training specialists, Tree of Knowledge, which would change his life forever. He went on to lead a management buy-out of the company five years later, appeared in Dragons’ Den in 2010, turning down investment from Peter Jones, and now after recently celebrating a successful 10 years in business, employs over 20 inspiring speakers worldwide.

In 2018, whilst organising the UK’s first independent school careers day at The SSE Hydro where 10,000 pupils attended and heard from some of the world’s most influential, motivational speakers, including John Loughton, global youth leader and founder of Dare2Lead, Gavin experienced an all-time low which – as written in his book – he now believes to have been a nervous breakdown.

Gavin, who has co-written three books, talks from the heart in his new book on growing up in Ayrshire, travelling the world as a stand-up comedian, teaching, his goal to help school children ditch tech and get outside and play and the difficult times, including when his father passed away in 2012, the same year he was awarded Young Entrepreneur of Year.

Gavin Oattes will be at Waterstones talking about Life Will See You Now (Photo: Greg Macvean)
Gavin said: ‘Life Will See You Now is different from any other book I’ve written – it is more personal, emotional and straight from the heart.

‘I’m hoping that it will inspire people to put down their phones, rediscover what truly matters and completely rethink what ‘making it’ in life actually means.”

‘It would make me incredibly happy even if just one person who struggles with anxiety in the same way I did and still do occasionally, reads it, laughs at the funny bits, and there’s a lot, mostly at my expense, and feels even a little bit better and can see light at the end of the tunnel.’

Gavin has sold out his forthcoming launch Q&A and signing event at Waterstones on 25 February in Edinburgh in 48 hours, where he’ll be interviewed by John Loughton. Proceeds on the night will go to Tiny Changes, a mental health charity started in memory of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison.

Life Will See You Now is published by Capstone, a Wiley brand, priced £10.99 and is available wherever books and ebooks are sold. It will also be available on audio by Recorded Books from 31 March.

• Click HERE to read more book news and reviews from Scottish Field