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PERSONAL GROWTH: Tony Dada, centre, talks to one of the attendees at the Best You Expo last month

LAST MONTH thousands of personal development enthusiasts descended on to the Best You Expo which took place at the London Olympia.

Over the two days hundreds of exhibitors and speakers displayed their products and services as “the solution” you need to have in order to enhance your life.

Speakers flew in from all over Europe and the US.

However, despite the event being in its fourth year, the number of exhibitors and attendees from the black and minority ethnic (BAME) community was low.

DEVELOPMENT

The Best You Expo is the brainchild of Bernado Moya who has been working in the personal development field for a number of years.

He initially worked with some of the pioneers of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP).

This two-day event provides a space for attendees to immerse themselves in all things relating to personal development, from health and lifestyle, mindfulness and wellbeing, and business with sessions such as The Inspiration Zone, Passion to Profits, Best for Business and Empowering Women.

Members of our community are only just coming into the full awareness of the value of personal development having previously considered this area taboo.

Often they are not willing to share their challenges with others and appear vulnerable in order to receive support, or they are reluctant to take personal responsibility for their lives and individual growth.

Having had a mentor for over 35 years I know that personal development can literally be a lifesaver. This is why my online TV show, DADA TV, spent the two days speaking to and interviewing some of the few members from our community who did step out of their comfort zone to exhibit at the Expo.

I spoke to people like Dr Sonia Stribling who flew in from the USA to attend the Best You event for the second time.

She shared her powerful personal story of how she found herself broken after her marriage ended in divorce after 18 years.

But in just four years she went from thinking about taking her life to being an inspiration to others, particularly women, through helping them discover their purpose and true identity.

She now speaks all over the globe and commands a seven-figure annual income through the power of her story.

I also spoke to Sam Onigbanjo who has been in business in the UK for many years and whose passion is to support small businesses navigate the pitfalls of starting or running a business, a process which is full of challenges and setbacks.

In fact, a recent report from Natwest Bank confirmed that more than 80 per cent of new business start-ups do not make it to their third birthday.

The areas of personal and business growth that both people spoke about are very important to the black community because we can all see that the world is changing at an incredible speed and if we are not equipping ourselves with the right knowledge and skills to compete in this rapidly changing world we once again will find that we are left behind.

Traditional education is beginning to lose its grip on our young people as they, in increasing numbers, find themselves saddled with debt after obtaining a degree but unable to secure a job because they’re told they do not have enough experience.

At the other end of the spectrum many adults approaching, or in their 50s are finding that they are being made redundant after years of service.

Personal development is the only way that we stand a chance to be able to make the quantum leaps required in our minds so as to live meaningful and fulfilled lives.

People who have experienced the power that personal development and mentorship have had in their lives are not surprised by the popularity and influence that the field has enjoyed over the last five or six years.

As well as helping people in their lives it offers a great opportunity to would-be entrepreneurs.

It is an industry that is set to keep growing in the next few years.

People who can establish themselves as an authority in the personal development field could find it incredibly rewarding as well as providing opportunities to help other people in our community to become successful business owner.

If you would like to participate as an exhibitor at next year’s Best You Expo contact me at info@tonydada.com to receive a free report on how to prepare and position yourself to maximise on the opportunities this event provides.

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