“All the hubris of one of Benedict Allen’s video diaries – but funny, funny, funny.”
- The Times

Corporate – Motivational –‘NINE LIVES - A RISKY LIFE’

Having made virtually every mistake under the sun, Oliver has unfortunately already lost his nine lives and draws on these misadventures to inspire, motivate and entertain audiences from board-rooms to conferences, from product launches to sales meetings. From walking across the Gobi desert to living with cannibals in darkest New Guinea, Oliver’s takes his audiences on a whirl-wind tour of the world’s most inhospitable and dangers corners to inspire them with stories of how he lost his 9 lives and survived. Each ‘life’ tells a different story about motivation, failure, risk-taking, success, overcoming adversity and teamwork.

Schools & Charities

“Enthral your grandchildren”
- BBC Radio Times

Oliver has spoken to thousands of school-children around the world (and apologises to most of them) – kids always make the most challenging and fun audience, and with schedules permitting, Oliver will always try and find time to speak at as many schools and charitable events as he can.>

The Story behind Oliver’s public speaking

As unlikely as it must sound, public speaking is something that Oliver can actually do. As a student he pranced the boards as an actor, including performing at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival, where amongst brilliant talent young Oliver was recognised as giving one of the worst performances ever. The Scotsman wrote ‘Steeds is an appalling young actor, taking himself far too seriously’.

Devastated, Oliver returned to basics and rebuilt his acting career through exhaustive displays of amateur historical reinactments, and as the mascot (a dancing Chicken) for his local football team, where he found he was able to fine-tune his poultry impressions. And then came his big break to play David Hasslehoff’s chest wig. When that fell-through he briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a preacher in Pueto Rico and when that fell through, the voices became so loud that he had to start consistently talking to block them out. To hide this affliction, Oliver started talking to anyone that would listen. Remarkably people listened.

Oliver has now given hundreds of speeches around the world, from the Royal Geographical Society to the Explorers Club, from schools to charities, from board rooms to lecture halls.