In a nutshell, my job description is…
Holistic Health Coach. Which means I assist individuals, families and workplaces improve their health and wellbeing through empowering them to make simple healthy lifestyle choices across three main pillars of health – nutrition, movement and mindset. Each person I work with requires something a little different, a little unique which is what I love about my job. There is definitely no ‘one size fits all approach’ when it comes to health and wellbeing. I pride myself on being able to provide individualised holistic health support for each and every person I meet, relying on all of the wisdom and experience I have acquired along the course of my 20+ years or working in the wellness industry.
The best part of my job is…
Seeing people take back ownership of their own health and wellbeing and becoming empowered to make great healthy choices for themselves. I love seeing the difference in each client between each session, watching them grow and thrive through improved health and wellbeing. I feel so very privileged to witness the transformation that occurs in people’s lives when they make good lifestyle choices to support their own health, and I also love seeing the flow-on affect in their family lives, friends and local community. The ripple effect is incredible….and it all starts with just one person taking the action to take their health into their own hands.
I chose this kind of work because…
It makes such a positive difference in people’s lives and hence the world. The better people feel, the more they show up in life. The more people show up and truly live their lives the more they will influence others to do the same, making for a better world for everyone.
I achieve work/life balance by…
Scheduling! I ensure I balance time with my family, time with my friends, self-care time and work time by planning my week, and sticking to a set structure of work days each week. This is something I used to previously struggle with, but now see this as paramount to my overall health and wellbeing.
I also ensure I am regularly checking in with myself, tuning in to the subtle signs my body is giving me each day to know when it is time for action and when it is time for rest and I honour this deep body wisdom and act on the messages I receive. This is also something I teach each and every one of my clients to do (no matter how young they are), as I believe it is imperative to develop a deep relationship with ourselves and our body to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.
I’m inspired by…
People who are passionate. People who are kind. People who value and invest in their own wellbeing. People in general!
The nicest compliment I’ve received from a customer/client was…
‘Your energy is contagious. When I am around you my energy soars and I feel inspired’.
What better complement could there be than to know you have lifted another’s energy?
My one piece of advice is…
Self-care is not selfish, it is the most important thing you can do to ensure you live the life you want/deserve. The more you focus on achieving your own self-care needs, the better version of yourself you will show up with each and every day in all your life roles.
I couldn’t get through my work day without…
Feeling inspired and passionate about the work I do. When the passion is gone, it is time to change direction for me. Oh and my ‘green smoothie’ and morning ‘check-in’ meditation!
The best word to describe me would be…
Passionate. Curious. Inspired. Excitable. I couldn’t pick one!
Something you would never guess about me is that I once…
Rowed surfboats (you know the big, dangerously cumbersome ones!) in the open men’s league when womens surfboat rowing was not an ‘accepted’ sport. I am not one to be told ‘no’. If you saw the size of me at the time, you would see that this was a ridiculous dream, but one I achieved anyhow.
When I was 5, I dreamt of being…
A nurse or a doctor – so I could meet heaps of people and help them get better and stop them suffering. My poor younger brother was bandaged up, told to drink various herbal concoctions I made from the garden (poor thing!) and splinted from head to toe many, many times as I honed my skills! Thanks Scottie!
The biggest challenge for me has been…
Motherhood. It was extremely difficult for me to fall pregnant and the intensive fertility treatment I underwent left me feeling completely discontected from my own body. I lost trust in my body and felt as though it was something I had to ‘wrangle’ into submission or ‘control’. This took many years to overcome and has now left me with a deep appreciation for how sacred my body is and how important it is to work ‘with’ my body to achieve optimal wellbeing, rather than ‘override’ it or ‘wrangle’ it into submission. This lesson is something that I pass on to each of my clients too.
I was then lucky enough to have a beautiful son, however he then went on to be diagnosed with chronic sleep apnoea, silent reflux, motor dyspraxia, and then later went on to be diagnosed with a variety of food intolerances causing anxiety, so my introduction to motherhood was not smooth. It was painful. Sleep deprivation, chronic screaming and a husband working away from home made for a very difficult time. On top of managing this I also struggled with my loss of ‘independence’ and loss of ‘control’ over the course my life was taking. I grieved the loss of my highly successful and rewarding corporate career and I became resentful, playing the game of being ‘life’s victim’ for a while until I picked myself up and got on with things.
Wow…that was a bit to unpack!
Whilst motherhood remains my biggest challenge, I now see it as a positive challenge. One that I was made for. One that will allow me to grow and thrive as I step up to the challenge each and every day.
The best community experience I’ve had was when…
I was welcomed into my local community Food Co-operative like an old family member returning. I presented myself one day asking to volunteer, and the next thing I knew I was one of the team. I love that everyone, regardless of their age, gender, occupation, social situation etc is accepted by the community Co-op as equals and work together to keep the Co-op going. I love this sense of community.
My next holiday will be…
Byron Bay. We go twice a year, every year. It is my spiritual home.
If I were stranded on a desert island, the 3 things I’d need to survive would be…
Food and water (obviously they would be the first two things) and a ‘challenge’ to keep my mind active (what better challenge that to work out how to survive or find my way off a desert island!)