Creating a new path forward

I believe we are capable of far more when we stop trying to be who we think we are supposed to be.

In 2017, I was sitting at my kitchen table, working from home, when I hung up from a meeting with my leader and asked myself a question that would change the course of my life: “Why are you still doing this?”

On the outside, I had made it. I was a successful professional with further career opportunities ahead of me. I was a single mum to two beautiful girls. We had our own home, a dog, a cubbyhouse in the backyard, and loving connections with family and friends. I had built the life I thought I wanted.

And yet, I was frustrated, dissatisfied and deeply discontent.

I felt almost ashamed to admit it. How could I possibly feel this way when I had so much to be grateful for? I had success, security, opportunity and a life that many people would have considered a dream.

But that question at the kitchen table forced me to stop and look honestly at my life. What I discovered was uncomfortable. I had become very successful at living a life that was not entirely my own. Throughout my career, I had been fortunate to have leaders who believed in me before I believed in myself. They gave me opportunities I had not asked for and was not expecting, and one of those opportunities introduced me to leadership. AndI fell madly and deeply in love with it.

Interestingly, I also became a mother around the same time I became a leader. I quickly saw the parallels between raising a family and building a high functioning team. Both require trust, connection, boundaries, courage, communication and, above all, an understanding that people are human.

I made plenty of mistakes along the way and I still do. But I became fascinated by people and by what drives us, what holds us back, how our beliefs shape our choices, and what becomes possible when we understand ourselves more deeply.

I developed a reputation for “fixing broken teams”. The truth is, the teams were never really broken. They needed clarity, connection, and honest conversations. They needed someone to see them as human beings rather than simply as people responsible for delivering results.

As my career progressed, I moved from a first line leader to middle management  to executive leadership; leading people, teams, and transformational change in complex environments. All the while, I was raising my girls, pursuing adventure, learning, growing, and trying to live a life that felt meaningful.

So why was I still unhappy?

Because somewhere along the way, I had stopped consciously choosing my life.

I had allowed expectations, beliefs, fear, and other people's definitions of success to influence decisions that should have been mine. And I realised I was not just talking about leadership. I was talking about me. I was not being fully myself. I was out of alignment with who I was, what I valued, and what I knew I was capable of.

That realisation changed everything.

Since then, I have consciously unpacked the beliefs and expectations that no longer serve me and built a life and career that are far more aligned with my strengths, values, purpose, and potential.

Today, I work with leaders, aspiring leaders, and organisations to do the same.

My work sits at the intersection of conscious leadership, confidence resilience, authenticity, and transformational change. I particularly love working with women who are successful on paper but know there is more of themselves waiting to be claimed.

I do not believe leadership is about having all the answers. I believe it starts with knowing yourself. It is about understanding what matters to you, recognising what drives you, having the courage to challenge the stories you have inherited, owning your strengths and your success, and making conscious choices about the leader and the human you want to be.

I also believe some of our most powerful leadership lessons are not found in another framework, strategy, or leadership program. Sometimes they are found when we slow down, step outside, and create the space to think differently. This is why nature has become such an important part of my work, alongside my leadership, and speaking practice.

As a leadership expert, facilitator, mentor, speaker, author, and certified nature and forest therapy guide, I create experiences and conversations that invite people to pause, reflect, and see themselves and what is possible differently.

Because ultimately, this is not about becoming a better version of someone else.

It is about becoming more fully yourself.

And that is where real confidence, meaningful leadership, and lasting change begin.