Helping change lives

Baldivis Health and Fitness co-owner Ted Blackshaw spoke with HAYLEY GODDARD about his motivations and love of helping others achieve their health and fitness goals.

Q: What does leadership mean to you?

A: It means the ability to create something which makes a difference to other people’s lives. Making sure you are the best in what you do and create something you can be proud of.

Q: How has your leadership style changed over time?

A: In the early days of starting a business a lot of focus is still on yourself, to grow as a person, as a business owner and a leader. Over the years the focus has moved more to others. Teaching others, delegating to others and passing your knowledge and experience on to others.

Q: Which business leader do you most admire?

A: Richard Branson. I love many of his quotes but one of his quotes is me to a tee — “I never get the accountants in before I start up a business. It’s done on gut feeling.”

Q: What is the best advice you were ever given?

A: To genuinely care for others, be good to others and look after other people. A good leader should be genuinely interested in people and strive to see the best in them.

Q: What do you wish someone had told you when you first started out?

A: No-one gets to the top on their own, every single person needs the support of others.

Q: What is the biggest business challenge you have ever faced?

A: Expanding the business to more than one location and keeping it all running exactly how you intended it to be, while also attempting a healthy work-life balance.

Q: What is the most important moment in your career so far?

A: There are a few, but starting Baldivis Health & Fitness, a brand new business here in WA from scratch is right up there and then winning the Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award in 2012 was just amazing.

Q: Which technology can you not live without?

A: I am not a huge technology dependent person, but without my phone I feel pretty much amputated.

Q: What are your interests outside of business?

A: Golf, cinemas and eating out.

Q: How do you relax?

A: Playing golf and watching movies.

Q: What do you hope Rockingham will be like in five years’ time?

A: I love where we live. We are a growing city with an active community and with many really good things such as beautiful parks, beautiful beaches and OK shopping centres. However, a more attractive, vibrant foreshore would be great.

Q: What would you do to improve Rockingham?

A: Improve health and fitness. The body and the mind working closely together. Fitness is so much more than just weight loss and muscles. I strongly believe that health, fitness and wellbeing should be part of everyday life and should be an enjoyable experience too.