Tommy Hughes
Transform team performance with Tommy Hughes, speaker and resilience expert. Tommy works with high-pressure organisations to enhance decision-making and wellbeing, delivering research-backed strategies from military, leadership, and motorsport experience.
Leicester, United Kingdom
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His career spans the British Army, senior leadership roles in the Middle East, and the fast-paced world of motorsport. He has led teams through complex challenges and delivered results in some of the toughest environments.
Tommy’s experience isn’t purely theoretical. He has worked at the highest levels, from commanding teams in critical operations to shaping performance strategies in elite motorsport. Now, as a PhD researcher focused on well-being in high-performance organisations, he combines real-world leadership with the latest research to help individuals and teams thrive.
His insights are highly relevant for organisations navigating uncertainty, building resilience, and strengthening team performance. Tommy’s talks are engaging, practical, and filled with strategies that can be applied immediately. Audiences walk away with a clear understanding of how to sustain high performance while maintaining well-being.
Book Tommy Hughes for your next event if you want to unlock potential, build stronger teams, and achieve lasting success.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
In high-performing organisations—whether in business, elite sport, or the military—success hinges on the ability to perform under pressure. The difference between those who stagnate and those who rise isn’t talent alone—it’s mindset. Specifically, how we interpret setbacks: do we see them as threats that paralyse us, or as challenges that fuel our performance? This fundamental distinction—the challenge vs. threat mindset—determines whether we react with fear or rise to prove why we are the best in the business.
The challenge vs. threat framework stems from performance psychology and stress research. When faced with adversity, our brains assess whether we have the resources—knowledge, skills, or resilience—to handle the situation. If we believe we do, we see it as a challenge, activating a physiological state that enhances focus, motivation, and cognitive function. But if we perceive the situation as overwhelming, we view it as a threat, triggering a stress response that can lead to tunnel vision, poor decision-making, and ultimately, failure.
This distinction is critical in high-performance environments—where marginal gains and split-second decisions separate victory from defeat. In business, sports, or military operations, the best teams and individuals don’t just endure adversity; they thrive on it.
In military operations, plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. The ability to adapt and overcome is drilled into soldiers from day one. You are taught to expect the unexpected, embrace the chaos, and view setbacks as opportunities to demonstrate capability. The same principle applies to business and elite sports. Strategies fail, products underperform, and markets shift unexpectedly. What separates elite organisations from the rest is their response.
When an unexpected failure occurs, an organisation can either catastrophize—spiralling into blame, frustration, and paralysis—or shift into challenge mode, seeing the adversity as an opportunity to showcase resilience, intelligence, and speed of adaptation. The best organisations thrive under this pressure, proving time and again why they lead their industries.
History is filled with triumphs born from failure. Thomas Edison saw 10,000 failed lightbulb attempts as learning, leading to a world-changing invention. NASA turned the Apollo 1 disaster into vital safety improvements, enabling Apollo 11’s moon landing. Michael Jordan credits his success to past failures. Setbacks are not incompetence but the foundation for breakthroughs. The best organisations embrace failure as a learning tool, fostering innovation rather than fearing mistakes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.