I am many things….

My inspiration comes from travel, fashion, recipe books, cooking, sunshine and reading. Everyday I try to move my body in the form of a run, hot mat pilates or a dog walk, because I know movement brings me joy and sanity. I love deep, beyond the surface, conversations and I’m always ready for a good laugh. My energy flows in the morning and you’ll find me snuggled on the couch at night with my family and a show. I am a seeker - I’m learning what makes a good life - one shaped by connection, purpose and freedom. It’s an ongoing process, and for me, it starts with self awareness and the choices I make everyday.

For 30 years I was part of one of the most uniquely diverse industries; hospitality. It was my playground for challenge and growth. It’s an amazingly fun and social environment. I met my husband. I was a Head Chef. I became a business owner. It taught me how to lead people, to be in the messy when the pressure is on, to be a voice of calm, to know that service ends and tomorrow is a new day, to offer customers an experience of things I love. It was about connection and relationships.

For 22 years I have been a Mum. Here I have found my greatest learnings in raising 3 young women, a sisterhood. I never could have imagined the depths of this journey. It shined a light on my strengths and weaknesses. The highs and the lows. The joy and exhaustion. It opened my eyes to the true meaning of unconditional love, patience, selflessness, letting go and resilience. As a Mum I have used my creativity and problem solving skills daily. Motherhood has been a huge part of my personal transformation.

Uncovering my darkness

For as long as I can remember I’ve struggled with my mental health, this mostly showed up in the form of depression. As someone who has always been highly self motivated, combined with a people pleaser and perfectionist, I was able to keep going even at my lows, but it wasn’t enjoyable for me or those people around me. In my mid 40’s I started to recognise that I was living in a three month cycle where I was able to go full on doing it “ALL”, then I would crash into a wall and wonder what was wrong with me. To start with I didn’t know that this was burnout. I knew I was giving my everything to my business, job and kids. But that was the problem. I had no boundaries, no balance, no self care or compassion. From the inside it was dark and messy. I was exhausted, angry, resentful and unhappy. I felt frustrated, sad and alone - I had no idea how to voice these feelings. I was in the trenches and couldn’t understand why this vicious cycle kept repeating.

One of the best things that came out of the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 for me was that it acted as a circuit breaker from my life. It gave me time to breathe, to stop working, to be at home with my kids and husband, to stop doing. It gave me time. I got to move my body and run. I got to rest. There was connection. When the pandemic ended and life went back to normal, things quickly went back to how it was before. It probably felt harder. I knew deep down something had to shift so, in an effort to make a change, I made a commitment to myself that I had to move my body for ten minutes everyday and that small act changed everything. It opened me up again to possibility.

Over the next few years my curiosity led me to dive into personal development, something I’ve always loved, and a journey back to myself. I was hungry for information and understanding. Why was I the way I was? What were the events that shaped me? What was the impact of my upbringing? What did I want, need and desire? What brings me joy?

The reality is that looking in the mirror to truly see ourselves for who we are, the dark and the light, takes courage. Accountability is confronting and liberating. Questioning our thoughts and asking “Is this true?”, takes deep awareness and self compassion. I’ve learnt through my own journey that our mindset is everything, change is a choice and there is always time to start something new!

So, to the woman who has landed here, I want you to know I stand for truth, not performance. For women choosing themselves without guilt. For real over perfect, and aligned over expected. I stand for slowing down so you can hear yourself again. For unlearning the roles you never chose. For living a life that feels good on the inside, not just one that looks good from the outside. I stand for midlife as a beginning, not an ending — a time to stop settling and start remembering who you are, and what actually matters to you. Because I believe when a woman comes back to herself, she doesn’t just change her own life — she changes everything.