Dragons’ Den contestant Gavin Oattes addresses meaning of life with new book

Former comedian, teacher and Dragons’ Den contestant Gavin Oattes, now an international keynote speaker, will this week launch his first solo “life-changing” book.

Oattes has sold out his forthcoming launch Q&A and signing event at Waterstones in Edinburgh. Picture: Greg Macvean

Life Will See You Now addresses what “making it” in life actually means, his struggles with anxiety from a young age and his breakdown in 2018.

In 2004, Oattes gave up teaching after attending a motivational workshop by training specialist Tree of Knowledge. He went on to lead a management buy-out of the company five years later, appeared in Dragons’ Den in 2010, turning down investment from Peter Jones, and now after recently celebrating a successful ten years in business, employs some 20 inspiring speakers worldwide.

In 2018, while organising the UK’s first independent school careers day at The SSE Hydro where 10,000 pupils attended and heard from some of the world’s most influential, motivational speakers, including John Loughton, global youth leader and founder of Dare2Lead, Oattes experienced an all-time low which - as written in his book - he now believes to have been a nervous breakdown.

Oattes, who has co-written three books, said: “I’m hoping that [the new book] will inspire people to put down their phones, rediscover what truly matters and completely rethink what making it in life actually means.”