Russel Treasure said he wasn’t prepared with a “plan b”
A man has told how he bounced back after “losing everything” and having to declare bankruptcy. Russell Treasure was in the eighth year of running his property business when the 2008 financial crisis hit.
The 61-year-old, from Preston but living in Warrington, was at the “top of his game” and was “extremely successful”. He had an Aston Martin, two Lamborghinis and Bentleys, “a handful of Lotus’” as well as a house “that oozed luxury”. Russell wasn’t shy about his success and said he “bragged” about it like a “daily ritual”.
However, as property prices and rental income dropped with the crash, his business suffered greatly. He managed to keep it afloat for another few years, but eventually, the entrepreneur was unable to repay his debts and “fell from his throne”.
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The business owner told the ECHO: “I didn’t have a plan B – I thought my business would’ve been fine forever. If I had been better at running a business, we probably could’ve survived. But it was my responsibility and my actions that failed us. The failure affected me in every way – my sleep, my relationships, my family and financially. The problem spilt into every aspect of my life.”
Russell explained how, in the space of two years, his “mental health went to nothing”. He recalled how he was easily drinking two bottles of red wine every evening – without fail. One night, Russell said everything got too much for him.
He said: “My mental health was down the pan. I lost everything, and I wasn’t making great decisions. I walked to the railway lines with the intention of taking my own life.
“I walked up and down the lines for an hour when I decided I wasn’t going to do it. My body and mind just wouldn’t let me. Something within in me just said ‘no’.”
Knowing he needed to make a change, Russell reached out to a counsellor he had previously met at a business event. From this, he went to weekly sessions and explained how “off-loading” every Friday helped him regain control of his outlook on life.
Wanting to pass on what he learnt from his first-hand experience, Russell gave up his position as a motorcyclist instructor and became a mindfulness coach. Russell said becoming more aware of his own thoughts, feelings, and surroundings had “transformed his life”.
He said: “It’s the ability to notice what you’re thinking about at that moment – to think about what you’re thinking about. If you can do that, you can make a change because it’s likely you’re thinking about something bad in the past or something worrying in the future, and you need to be ok at the moment.”
Russell is now helping others, including the Warrington Wolves, “unlock their true potential”. Whether it be through personal sessions or workshops or connection to the subconscious, Russell believes everyone can benefit from mindfulness techniques.
