Short Version
Sometime school teacher, taxi driver, public sector senior executive Australian and New South Wales governments, started his own business - communications consultant - in late 1980s.
Discovered multimedia and the world of online communities in the 1990s.
Became a business coach in 2002 - via Coachville.com Founding member and for a time member of the Board of Governors, International Association of Coaching
Started blogging 2003, which morphed over time into role of social media strategist for small businesses and freelance professionals. Chairman, Social Media Club Gold Coast. One of the Founders' Group of Social Business One, part of the CustomerThink thought leader community and one of the Top 100 authors on the CustomerThink site.
Co-author of LinkedIn for Recruiting. Author of e-book, 7 Step Business Blog (also translated into Mandarin Chinese).
Manager, Sales, South Pacific region, for PitchEngine – PR 2.0 social media release platform.
More details at LinkedIn
Longer Version
Des Walsh is a business coach, social media strategist, author, blogger and international speaker
His mission is to be a coach for business owners, entrepreneurs and freelance professionals who are ready to take their business or career to the next level. He specialises in helping them play the "inner game" that separates champions from the rest. And he helps them make effective use of social media.
A bit of background
Before he went into business for himself over 20 years ago, he already had a range of diverse work experiences, from teaching high school English and History in Australia and England and teaching English in Germany, to being a taxi driver in Sydney and then working his way up the public service from base grade clerk to the senior executive ranks, in the process being responsible for many exciting State and national level projects in education, the arts and public event planning.
In 1988 he set up his communications consultancy and spent the next 14 years on various consulting, research and industry training projects for government agencies, businesses and non-profit organisations, together with an occasional stint as a temporary executive.
Along the way he became increasingly interested in how technology can help us all communicate more effectively, more globally. In the 90s he became fascinated, and involved, with online groups and how they could link people around the world, in real time.
Coaching
In 2002, wondering what his next challenge was to be, he took a friend's advice, enrolled for a coaching course, discovered he loved it and launched a new phase of his career, as a business coach.
As a coach, he sees his special skill as being attentive listening. Colleagues have told him that the key thing he brings to his coaching is wisdom.
“Des Walsh brings an enormous depth of wisdom and insight to his work with individuals and organisations. He is able to see way beyond boundaries and limitations, with a lifetime of experience enabling him to help you combine big visions, dreams and goals with pragmatic business and lifestyle management.” Catherine Palin-Brinkworth International speaker, author, consultant, mentor
Des loves the fact that through his coaching he can help business owners grow their businesses and thus create value in myriad ways for their clients, their employees (and employees' families) and themselves.
Social Media
In 2003 Des started blogging, which subsequently led him into the wider, rapidly expanding world of Web 2.0 and social media. His main blogs currently are at Des Walsh dot Com and Thinking Home Business .
Not being a technologist (at university he majored in History), he has had to learn a lot, quickly, the hard way. One benefit from that is an ability to explain in plain language how social media technology can work for business.
“Des Walsh is, hands down, one of the frontrunners in the digital landscape - nationally and globally. To say 'he knows his stuff' is frankly an understatement. His complementary skill set - that of a coach and social media strategist - gives him the ability to communicate and work with a wide array of clientele, regardless of age, industry or sector." Edward Harran, Attention Philanthropist
To help business owners blog, Des wrote the e-book 7 Step Business Blog, subsequently translated into Mandarin Chinese. With his colleague Bill Vick he co-authored LinkedIn for Recruiting, as well as the audiobook Big Biller.
He is currently developing a range of products and services to help companies develop and implement effective social media strategies. On January 25, he launched his 12 month program of Social Media Roadmap webinars.
Des also manages sales and support in Australia and New Zealand for the social media platform PitchEngine.
Speaking
With many years of speaking and presenting to small and large groups, Des relishes opportunities to work with like minded people internationally, across industry sectors and geographical and cultural barriers.
Listed as social media specialist with the prestigious China Global Speakers group.
Volunteering
- Member of the Founders Council, Social Business One
- Chairman, organising committee, Social Media Club Gold Coast
- Founding Moderator and Owner of the LinkedIn Bloggers Group
- Past Member of the Board of Governors of the International Association of Coaching - IAC
Specialties
Social media, social networking, coaching, blogging, podcasting, online networking, business vision, government enterprise, business
Contact
Find Des, with lots of links on the social web, at http://xeeSM/deswalsh
