The Growth Mindset Company
ThinkingBigger Ltd is the Growth Mindset Publishing Company dedicated to inspiring and motivating thinking, learning, growing, developing, and promoting positive change in children, adults and society as a whole.
Based in Southsea, Portsmouth (UK), but working internationally, ThinkingBigger publishes meaningful texts, provides personal and professional coaching, supports campaigns for positive change through creating promotional materials and delivers school workshops with foci of reading, writing, poetry and story-telling - all with a Growth Mindset theme for motivation and self-esteem.
Started in 2023, by experienced educator and children's author and illustrator, Gary Fyles, ThinkingBigger began as a company simply to provide low-cost author visits and workshops about his books; 'Think Big Playroom - Just Try', and 'Grey'.
ThinkingBigger instantly became a beast that would grow, almost independently, as it consistently developed, following its own ethos. It was started with the desire of being NFP (not for profit) and a social enterprise.
Now, as a publishing company creating books for Gary Fyles and a wealth of new authors and illustrators in 2024, ThinkingBigger is still demonstrating its Growth Mindset (undoubtedly making mistakes and learning along the way), as it has started to spread its message broadly, with others seeing the company as having a unique voice, hoping to encourage positive change.
In 2024, ThinkingBigger Ltd is hosting Business Networking Events to promote the Growth Mindset message, starting in Portsmouth and Southsea, to inspire local business and enterprise.
We are also returning to the roots of working as a social enterprise by working with charitable groups to promote non-political and socialist campaigns.
ThinkingBigger has a working class background and wants to support and inspire all, especially those that need it most.
ThinkingBigger really is for everybody! You will notice, unlike most publishers, there are no recommended reading ages. This is because we Think Bigger and don't judge a book by its cover. ThinkingBigger Books are appropriate for children and adults, including those that are learning to read. ThinkingBigger Books makes meaningful texts that everyone can enjoy!
Please note that ThinkingBigger Ltd is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. In the event that this changes, it will be advertised. In the meantime, if you think that your work would be suitable for the strong 'ThinkingBigger' brand, you are welcome to check out our books, to see.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN
CALLING ALL WORKING CLASS POETS
For the first time, ThinkingBigger Books are open for submissions. We are seeking poets with working class, state-educated backgrounds for our series of poetry compilations 'The Working Class Trumpet'.
We would like to give a voice to the poets out there that may not feel their voice will be heard.
Lets work together, THINKINGBIGGER, united for a better tomorrow.
Please read the submission guidance carefully, and if you feel you would like your work considered for inclusion in WCT1, please send it with an introduction to yourself to:
Social enterprise: supporting non-Political campaigns
Beginning January 2024, ThinkingBigger Ltd will begin directing a percentage of time to charitable, good causes. This has begun by supporting the #HerNamewasChloeHolland campaign to make a statutory offence of manslaughter by coercive or controlling behaviour.
Unfortunately as a small team, this has been funded initially by ThinkingBigger Ltd, but we need your help. With funding from our Patreon account, we will be able to do more, direct more energy towards charity and campaigns, and even employ more local talent to support causes in the local area and nationally.
Support the Cause
#HerNameWasChloeHolland
The Campaign... We want the Government to create a specific statutory offence of manslaughter by coercive or controlling behaviour. The legislation creating this offence should make it clear that it applies in cases where coercive or controlling behaviour cause someone to take their own life.
Sign the Petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/648948
Support by donating
For more information, email [email protected]
Links to ThinkingBigger store @ SumUp
Click on image to be taken to purchase at https://thinkingbigger-ltd.sumupstore.com/
Think Big Playroom: Just Try
When Cuddles the Puppy hears beautiful music in the playroom, he thinks he couldn't possibly be a musician like the other clever toys. Luckily Old Turtle and the other toys hatch a plan to help him overcome his fear of failure.
Think Big Playroom: Aim High
Cuddles the Puppy returns once more and, this time, he teaches the other toys the benefits of aspirational thinking, although not without Old Turtle showing them all the strength gained through teamwork.
Grey
An illustrated poem written to inspire questions and thinking. An ode to the colour and an appreciate of the beauty found in the mundane. Covering many topics, such as; perceptions, prejudice, negative connotations
What's Up With Ishaq?
DUE FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 2024 ON 'GROWING ZOMBIE FOOD'
Can (pronounced Jan) is a wannabe detective and is worried about his best friend, Ishaq. He was fine yesterday, before something happened to his Dad, but today he's been acting very strange...
Think Big Playroom: Great Mistakes
DUE FOR RELEASE SUMMER 2024
The next book in the series is the much awaited 'Great Mistakes'. A new toy, Koala Lala, joins the plushies in the playroom and they help her to embrace the growth mindset that Old Turtle has been teaching them all this time.
Why book a ThinkingBigger Author Visit?
ThinkingBigger Author Visits are more than the usual book presentation and sale.
Our powerful Growth Mindset message separates our workshops and assemblies from standard author visits.
The EEF identify Growth Mindset interventions as the one of the most effective and best value for money for improving student progress and, with his twenty years of teaching experience, Gary has proven expertise in inspiring students with this message through his his story-telling.
Growth Mindset improves student progress, aspirations and self-esteem. Embracing and reflecting on mistakes, challenges and growth allows students to be comfortable with their unique learning journey.
Tight budgets? You could possibly get a FREE Growth Mindset Intervention.
Email [email protected] for more information.
What people say about ThinkingBigger
“Gary really motivated our pupils with his books and Growth Mindset message. We’ve never seen our children sit and listen so well! His workshops inspired the children, who couldn’t wait to write their own books. I’d highly recommend his visits!”
Tara, Maidstone
“Gary visited my daughters school on Thursday. This morning she has sat down and written her first book, she said she did it because of his talk with her year group. He truly inspired her. She is 7 years old and can’t wait to show it to her teacher at school!”
Sam, Parent
“Gary's visit was such an inspiration to our students. The way he shared his journey as an author was very insightful for our young learners. Gary really captivated their imagination, so much so that many went home eager to write and brought their own pieces in to share. Gary has left such a positive impact on the pupils!”
Katherine, Nottingham
"Gary visited our school and promised an inspirational and creative day. He certainly delivered! The children were truly inspired by his workshops and were keen to continue with what he had started with them. He worked with all year groups, engaging everyone and getting them all to think creatively. The assembly with parents at the end of the day to share what had been going on in classes was a big hit with many parents also commenting on how inspirational he was. We would definitely recommend a day with Gary!"
Claire, Dorset
"Gary was inspirational, great with the children and incredibly enthuastic! The children and staff all loved their time in your workshops and came away discussing 'growth mindset' concepts.
Anisa, Herts
"Gary made an enormous impact on the children, sharing his strong 'Growth Mindset' message that resonated with children and staff. His story truly inspired and we're thinking of getting him back again already!"
John, London
"Gary came to my son's school for just one day - and I'm not sure what he said or did, but my boy wouldn't stop talking about it and has really started trying. He's read 'Just Try' so many times already."
Melanie, Parent
"I bought both 'Just Try' and 'Aim High' for my granddaughter and I'm sure they really helped her to be a bit more confident. She really got the messages. I'm waiting for the next one!"
Wendy, Oxfordshire
To book an author visit or workshop or enquire about a date, email us at [email protected]
ThinkingBigger Ltd is looking to fund 50 free school visits in 2024... Will you help us do it? Tell a school!
With just 100 books preordered, ThinkingBigger Author, Gary Fyles, will provide a free Growth Mindset intervention.
Growth Mindset interventions are identified as one of the most cost-effective things a school can do to improve results and progress.
This is even better value when there is no cost, other than travel expenses.
Download the order forms below. Choose which deal you'll offer your parents. With a minimum of 100 books ordered, contact us and book the date.
The visit will comprise of an inspirational Growth Mindset assembly and book signing / sale.
ThinkingBigger Ltd is helping to grow mindsets - not just for children!
ThinkingBigger Professional Services
Gain control of your life or your business
Professional and Personal Coaching and Mentorship
Design and Creativity
ThinkingBigger provides support for businesses, designing and producing logos, animations, printable documents, illustrations and more
Supporting local and small businesses
In 2024, ThinkingBigger will be organising and leading networking events in Portsmouth and the South.
UPCOMING
NETWORKING EVENTS
Supporting local business, start ups and creators
ThinkingBigger also offers one-to-one coaching. Email us to find out more!
ANIMATED LOGOS AND DESIGN
THINKINGBIGGER IS ABLE TO HELP YOU TO MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS BRAND MORE DYNAMIC!
ANIMATED LOGOS ARE CHEAP AND INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE FOR MAKING YOUR WEBSITE OR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES EXCITING AND PROFESSIONAL.
THINKINGBIGGER CAN CREATE YOUR ANIMATED LOGO FOR AS LITTLE AS £40
Gary Fyles
Director, Author, Illustrator, Coach
Gary Fyles, the Director of ThinkingBigger Ltd, a primary teacher and leader of over twenty years, is a published children’s author (Bumblebee, ThinkingBigger) and illustrator and a growth mindset coach.
Gary supports individuals providing both personal and professional coaching. He draws upon his experience as a teacher of growth mindset and metacognition and his Buddhist teachings.
Gary supports businesses with coaching and professional consultation services, even producing animations and logos. He doesn't just talk about manifestation - Gary gets things done!
As an international speaker, Gary has spoken about Primary Science, metacognition and Growth Mindset. Gary is also a musician and singer: he might even bring his 'little guitar' along on school visits or you might see him performing live, either solo or with the funky 'ThinkingBigger Band'.
Not content with that, he is also a magician, scientist, and kung fu teacher...the list goes on, truly modelling his message of life-long learning!
Book Gary for Growth Mindset author visits, writing workshops, and story-telling.
JT Bavangila
Author
JT Bavangila is a civil-war survivor turned Professional Footballer, Public speaker, Mentor and Businessman.
Originally from the Congo, the second poorest country in the world after Haiti, JT moved to England for a chance of a normal life. His upbringing in England was rather tumultuous in his early years. However, despite being a victim of harassment, racism, bullying, and unconscious bias, JT managed to turn his trauma into truimph and is regarded today as an inspirational role-model in his community.
JT went on to have a football career where he represented clubs such as Charlton Athletic, Southampton FC, AFC Tubize and so many more! He became the first member of his entire lineage to become a Professional Footballer.
Outside of Football, JT has a passion for supporting & empowering young people and has gone on to mentor over 100 young people in London through his social enterprise 'The Art of Survival UK', now known as The MABA Group CIC. His work has been recognised by the president of the Congo Democratic Republic (Felix Tshisekedi) and he was named Head of Youth Mobilisation for Congolese political party UDPS UK. He has also featured in the Presidents official magazine.
With a gift of speaking and motivating others, JT transfers that skill into his writing in order to concentrate people's minds to the concept of what can be achieved when you refuse to be limited by age, background, race or even the events of your life.
ThinkingBigger Ltd is thrilled to be working with JT and looks forward to bringing information regarding his first book very soon!
-1920w.jpeg)
Natalia Tamara
Author, Illustrator, Coach
Nati Tamara is an incredibly talented artist with a background of studying fine art, illustration and animation.
Originally from Colombia and the coastal town of Cartagena De Indias, but having lived in the UK for much of her life, Nati's unique story is as inspirational as her artwork. As a child, she had a dream of telling stories through her drawings, an accomplishment she achieved at a very young age - a story in itself!
Nati has been working as a Teaching Support with SEND children for the last few years and has enormous compassion towards helping children to start ThinkingBigger!
It is an honour to have Nati as part of the team. Nati's Story will be shared widely soon, we hope!
FREE DOWNLOADS FOR SCHOOLS AND HOME LEARNERS
(Download files using links below images)
This beautiful inspirational poster is by the incredibly talented ThinkingBigger artist, Nati Tamara. Originally produced as a commission for someone else, but unpaid for and unused, rather than leaving this beautiful artwork to languish on her hard drive, Nati would love to have it inspiring and bringing strength to students everywhere.
Please do send us pictures if you have it on your classroom walls!
Nati will be bringing out her first projects on ThinkingBigger Books later this year.
A ThinkingBigger Growth Mindset Story!
ThinkingBigger is quite literally the Growth Mindset Independent Publishing Company. Learning from mistakes is how it came about, with a sprinkling of self-belief, a dusting of aspirational thinking and a good helping of hard work.
The ThinkingBigger story starts in 2016 in Vietnam, where Gary was teaching his students about Growth Mindset and metacognition. At this time he was asked if he would illustrate a book. Initially, he turned the job down, saying "I'm not an illustrator..."
His students heard about this and reminded him to use the word 'yet', "You're not an illustrator YET!"
With that, he had no choice but to agree and illustrate, the now out of print, 'What Have Animals Ever Done For Us?' by Phil Clay.
The children loved it and then said his writing was as good as his drawing and he would deliver the BEST author visits, if he was to start visiting schools. They told him that his message should be shared with more students.
Gary returned to the UK in 2020 with the intention of publishing a book. He thought he was writing a story about Growth Mindset, inspired by and about his students. He was wrong: his book about the fear of failure was inspired by his students... but it was always about himself!
Now about to release his fourth book and realising his student's vision of him presenting to schools as an author. Gary is now supporting other writers and small business owners to develop Growth Mindsets to manifest their aims.
