Gill Fielding

"When I agreed to particpiate in the Secret Millionaire I had no idea it would be so hard and so life changing! I mistakenly thought that the programme would be an easy doddle where I could zip in, give money away and zip out.

My emotional involvement
While I was always looking for somebody I could impact over a long time I didn't think that I would become so emotionally involved. I started off thinking that the programme was basically about the change for the recipients, but what I hadn't realised was what a significant change it would involve for me.

The programme made me challenge, and reaffirm, all my beliefs about money and how to accumulate it, and it also made me expand my own attitudes to people and to giving. I started the programme determined to evaluate the opportunities presented to me as I would a business, in a fairly cold analytical way, but I soon realised that I needed to approach the giving in a more emotional and intuitive way as the onus of responsibility I had for the recipients hit me very hard. These people didn't ask me for help and yet I was intending to plonk my money on them an hopefully change their lives   it was a massive responsibility for me.

How the programme has affected me
Since the programme I have changed my life - becoming much more focused and embracing the learnings I gained from the experience. I have set up four new businesses since then - and all of them include a 'giving to others' element - so I can continue to impact people in the way that I discovered when making The Secret Millionaire. I am so grateful for the experience and I have received far more in learnings than I ever gave away. Thank you".