After leaving school, I served as a full-time missionary in California for two years (1986–1988) before returning to the UK and starting a career in sales. A promotion to run a factory took me to the Midlands, and in 2002 I moved my family to New Zealand to run a training company.

Emigrating wasn’t straightforward. I didn’t actually have enough points, but I knew it was the right move for us, so I pushed ahead anyway. Then came a phone call from the immigration department: my application had been declined. Two hours later they called back to say they’d push it through after all!

I remember telling my then-employer I was leaving on 11 September 2001.That day the Twin Towers were hit, and I remember thinking, “Have I done the right thing?”

Almost 25 years on, I can honestly say we have never looked back.

In 2003 I started my own training company which I sold in 2014. I then founded LearningPlanet, a microlearning company where I’m Managing Director. We work through global partners, and today 75 partners in 19 countries resell our content library (LearningPlanet TV )

Along the way I’ve authored 12 books, and the training companies I’ve run and owned have won 15 business awards. I also completed a diploma in creative writing and became certified in LEGO® Serious Play® and the Team Management Index.

In my spare moments I do some part-time acting and voiceover work (yes, I have an IMDb and Amazon author profile link below)

My eldest daughter, Ashleigh, was scouted as a model while waiting at a bus stop in Auckland and went on to become one of the world’s top 50 models between 2012 and 2015 walking the runways of New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo and London. Look up Ashleigh Good!

One thing from school has stayed with me: In my first year, our class tutor Mr Makinson told us that if there are ever two dates to go to something, always go to the first. Choose the second and something might come up, and you’ll miss it altogether. I’ve never forgotten that advice, and I still use it today.

Derek's links:

Derek Good - IMDb 

Amazon.com: Derek Good: books, biography, latest update 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-good-717368 

https://www.instagram.com/derekgoodnz/ 

https://www.facebook.com/derekgoodnz