Dr Tom Hitchcock, Mr Purple
When you know you are different, you have something to offer the world.
Entrepreneur, investor, TEDx speaker, best-selling author and creator of Mistakeology. I help owners and leaders spot what they are not seeing yet, and turn the wobbles, blind spots and the odd useful mistake into clearer decisions and healthier businesses.
- Founder, Mr Purple
- TEDx speaker
- Mistakeologist
- Podcast host
- Best-selling author
- Investor
- Dad (jokes included)
The Mr Purple family
One purple thread, several useful places to start
Everything I run comes back to the same idea: start with the people and the room, not the label, and treat mistakes as data rather than ammunition. Pick the door that fits.
Mr Purple Coaching
Business coaching for NDIS, aged care, allied health and human-services owners. Fewer wobbles, healthier habits.
mrpurple.com.auNeuroChamps
Neurodiversity as a business strength, with James Loveday. Different was never the design flaw. The room was.
mrpurple-neurochamps.comMr Purple Assistive Tech
Seenyor fall detection and practical tech that helps older and disabled people stay safe and independent at home.
mrpurple-assistivetech.com.auMistakeology
The systematic study of mistakes: why they happen and how leaders and teams actually learn from them.
mistakeology.comThe GOAT PowerHour
Growth. Objectives. Action. Free, practical sessions with people who know their stuff and leave the sales pitch at home.
the-goats.coBald Guys Alliance
Less hair. More hello. A light-hearted community with a serious point about men, connection and loneliness.
baldguysalliance.comAlso from Tom: Purple Patch Consulting (Omnirecruitment), The Write CV, The 28 Days Later Formula, Mettle, the science of validation and the Mr Purple podcast.
Speaking
Keynotes that leave people lighter and a bit braver
From the TEDx stage to boardrooms and conference halls, I have coached, trained and presented to more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, leaders and organisations, including SMEs, ASX200 companies and federal and state government departments. I talk about mistakes, leadership and the human side of business. Expect real stories, a few laughs at my own expense and ideas people can use on Monday morning.
Popular topics: why we need to embrace mistakes; leading different minds; the habits behind a calmer business; recruitment and the future of work.
Ways to work with Tom
How can I help?
Coaching
For owners who are busy, capable and quietly wobbling. Fifteen honest minutes, no surprise proposal ambush.
Book a chat →Speaking and workshops
Keynotes, panels and hands-on workshops for teams, conferences and associations.
Ask about a date →The podcast
Relaxed, unscripted conversations with people who have built something worth hearing about.
Listen on Spotify →Partnerships
Got an idea that fits one of the Mr Purple brands? I like a good collaboration.
Start a conversation →
The story so far
From a bucket in Essex to a purple business
I was born in Essex and raised by a single parent. We were so poor that for much of my early years we used a bucket for a toilet. (No Monty Python jokes, please.) One of my earliest memories is being traumatised by Postman Pat: how could anyone be that happy driving round in circles achieving nothing?
I was never academic, so naturally I went to university for the experience, graduated in Sociology, Psychology and Health in Bath, and ran club nights on the side. Since then I have lived in 11 countries, climbed Kilimanjaro for charity with the then West Ham keeper Rob Green, run the London Marathon, stepped into a boxing ring a few times and, at one point, owned five call centres and a nightclub, all built on a shoestring.
The lessons came the hard way. In my experience there are three ways to learn:
- Being broke
- Being heartbroken
- Being hungry
Mr Purple is what I built from all of it: a family of businesses that help people and organisations get better at the human stuff. My philosophy is simple: know yourself well enough to never live an act. And yes, West Ham are in my blood, whatever happened at the weekend.
The book
The Tail that Wags the Dog
Unconscious Influence: How Our Hidden Mind Shapes Our Lives. A best-seller about the influence our subconscious mind has on our everyday choices, behaviours and results, and what to do about it.
As featured in
Latest articles
From the blog
- Who gets the benefits of learning from failure?
- How to choose a business coach in Australia (and the questions that save you money)
- The two-minute morning plan that actually survives the day
- How to reach out to a mate who has gone quiet (without making it weird)
- Fall detection for elderly parents and people with disability: a plain guide for Australian families
- The Questions Mistakeology Must Survive
Get in touch
Let’s talk
Coaching, a speaking date, a podcast idea or a partnership: tell me a little about it and I will come back to you personally, usually within a working day.
Prefer to grab a time straight away?