Our Story

Exciting Times

There is no doubt that we are living through exciting times - depending of course on how you look at things! Never before in human history have people had such an opportunity to live lives of their own design. At the same time, people are increasingly driven towards living apparently secure lives; by towing the line and being endlessly obedient to what they have always done - whether or not it serves them, or those around them.

The point is that as much as people have access to a life of their own design, this does not mean that such a life is automatically available to them. There is a journey that is called for in order for them to gather the insights and then to make the necessary changes.

Our story is one of alternating insight with the struggle to live it; and then passing it on to others. Along the way we have literally come ‘face to face’ with ourselves and the pressure that society inadvertently puts on us to stay in our little cages and not to interfere with its plan for us.

Launch of Full Colour

John Dickinson, the founder of Full Colour, embarked on an African Journey 17 years ago, in an effort to discover his ‘mojo’. At the time he was faced by a number of life crises, both physical and mental. He was still recovering from a paragliding accident and a failed marriage, as well as questioning the meaning of life and his struggle to live the corporate existence.

After a few weeks on the road, in a flash of insight, he understood the journey that he needed to embark on for the rest of his life. What followed was a frantic dash for his home town, a resignation from the company he was working for, and then years of celebrating the struggle for personal freedom and peace of mind, and for making a difference out there.

To date John has played a role in changing the lives of thousands of individuals, and inspiring many companies to look at their business through new eyes.

Early Years

Having left University with a Master of Science Degree in Plant Hormone Physiology, and a Higher Diploma in Education, it was obvious where my life was headed. But, it was not to be. I began my career in Packaging Development within Unilever. Even then, it was quickly obvious to those around me that my talent lay in developing people, rather than packaging. A fortuitous move into People Development unleashed my passion.

I left Unilever in 1989 when my obsession with flying found an unlikely outlet. Paragliding was in its embryonic phase. We taught ourselves to fly - amongst the first in South Africa to do so. Most importantly, I was soon able to teach others to fly. This indulged my top two passions - for flying and developing people. It was so much more than flying. It was about celebrating life and possibility, and challenging people to indulge their own passions. It was about this time that I was struck by how cautiously people live, and how resistant they are to doing things differently. I honestly believed that we would take the world by storm, and that it wouldn’t be long before every South African had a paraglider stowed in their cupboard. I mean, why not - it was the most incredible sensation, to soar with eagles, and to experience the sheer exhilaration of free-flight.

“It’s too dangerous”, they said. They were soon proved right. My friend killed himself, and I came close to doing the same - showing off and stalling an English glider over the edge of a cliff, and plummeting. I returned to corporate life like a prodigal son.

But, for me, everything had changed. I knew that, as soon as I could summon up the courage, I would leave my job and spend the rest of my life challenging others to celebrate their talents, and to live their lives fully. During my 8 years in traditional business, I was fortunate to work as a Facilitator within a People Development Consultancy. Apart from running workshops, my richest experiences were in developing other facilitators. A few years later, and it was all systems go. I had by then grown my own approach to facilitating, and had developed unique material in the areas of communication and leadership.

But, I hadn’t yet summoned up the courage to make the big move. A trip into Africa, a walk up a spiritual mountain in Southern Malawi, and suddenly I was ready. I returned to South Africa, resigned from my job and began this intriguing journey, with the words of one of the company’s directors singing in my ears; “John, what makes you think that you are going to succeed, when all the people who have applied for your job are consultants who have failed?”.....

Closing the door firmly behind me, I teamed up with my good friend Rupert Nanni (an environmentalist and computer geek), and prepared to change the world! We’re into our eighteenth year now, and so much has happened. We have worked with many thousands of people in close to a hundred companies, including a number of blue chips.

A legacy

Over the years affirmations have poured in, probably the most astounding for me being the phone-call that I received from George. It happened a month after spending a week having my car repaired in Newcastle, South Africa - after it flamed-out en route home from Botswana. A young man called Wally had worked on my car at the Newcastle Gearbox Centre. He was gifted, but quite disillusioned about life. I would like to think that his mind-set shifted in the 5 days that I spent learning his trade, whilst he listened to mine.

The phone-call from George went something like this; “Hello John. It’s George here. You probably don’t remember me (which I certainly didn’t!). I’m phoning from my Gearbox Centre in Somerset West. I was on a workshop that you ran for McCarthy’s sixteen years ago. I was so inspired that, a couple of years later, I resigned and started my own business. It’s going brilliantly. Last night I was speaking to my nephew, Wally, in Newcastle. He started telling me about this guy, John, who had spent a week in Newcastle whilst his car was being repaired.....”

Lessons from my friends

Ten years back I was facilitating in the region of 200 days a year. It was amazing work, but it was too much. I was burnt out and exhausted, and I can remember suggesting to my friend Mike that I was going to stop. His response to me was; “You can’t John. It’s not about you anymore; it’s about the people whose lives you change”. I was astounded. In many ways he was right. It was, by then, so much more than just making a living. It was about a way-of-life, and making a difference.

At the time I was facilitating within a company called Q Data Dynamique. Their KZN MD, Liz Cunningham, was a remarkable woman, recently returned from working in Russia, and on a meteoric career path. And so, you can imagine how surprised I was when she gave me a call one day and asked whether she could join our business. She said that, for her, it represented what she was looking for. Whilst her business life had been enormously successful, she was ready to move on - to live differently and meaningfully.

Her hope was that, together, we could pass on this message to the businesses that we were working with; that it’s possible to stay in business and to live a balanced and meaningful life. Her husband, Keith, who was working with SAB, soon followed suit, and shortly thereafter I was inundated with a flood of enquiries. It never ceases to amaze me how, when we ‘surrender ourselves to something bigger’, that our universe literally conspires to give us what we need.

Now

This is an exciting time for Full Colour, as we partner with Forever to change people’s lives...forever.