I was standing backstage at a live TV show, staring at a fire exit, seriously considering running.
Let me rewind.
When I was 20 I won a £100,000 shopping spree on a Saturday night game show. At the time it was the second biggest prize on TV after Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
It was a Chris Evans produced show called Boys and Girls, hosted by Vernon Kay, and it went out live to millions of viewers. I was one of 200 contestants and somehow found myself in the final with two other guys.
The final challenge? Perform an Austin Powers style dance routine on stage with professional backing dancers.
I am not a natural performer. During the ad break before I was due on stage I spotted the fire doors backstage and genuinely considered bolting through them and never looking back.
Instead I fought every instinct I had, walked out onto that stage and for what felt like an eternity, gave it everything I had.
The audience voted. I won.
What followed was a televised week of me running around London spending the money and completing challenges.
A week later a 40 foot lorry arrived outside my family home loaded with everything I had bought. A Porsche 993 Carrera, Savile Row suits, widescreen TVs, five star holidays and much more.
I sold the lot and used the money to co-found NEOM Wellbeing.
So technically Chris Evans became my accidental first angel investor. Thank you Chris, I owe you one.
I tell that story because almost every significant thing I have done started with a moment where running felt like the smarter option.
The people who win are not the ones without fear. They are the ones who feel it and go anyway.
What is the thing you have been thinking about doing but keep finding reasons to delay?
- Oliver Mennell co-founded NEOM Wellbeing in 2005 with £15k of personal savings. Over 18 years he built it into a global wellness brand with over £50m in revenue. He transitioned from CEO to chair in 2023.