I am an accredited Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher on a mission. A mission to improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyday Australians living in a stressful world that can often feel overwhelming.
Why am I on this mission? First of all, when I help others, it makes me feel good. Secondly, when I am compassionate to others, I treat myself more kindly. Also, each time I help my clients overcome their mental health and wellbeing challenges, the more insight I get into my own. It’s good for me, and it’s good for the world.
I use techniques that are straightforward, relatable and scientifically-backed, to take individuals and organisations from stressed and overwhelmed, to relaxed and focused.
My journey from CEO of multimillion-dollar businesses to Mindfulness Coach was a rocky one. Certainly, on the face of it, I had a great life. With 360 degree views of Sydney, high-performance cars in the garage, travelling the world business class, 40 staff in Sydney and abroad, I certainly looked the part.
Unfortunately, how I felt on the inside didn’t match how it all came across on the outside. Meanwhile, I was stressed, I was depressed, and I didn’t want to be here any more.
With hindsight, my poor mental state was unsurprising. That is to say, there were several challenges in my private life. For example, a split with the mother of my child; a two-year custody battle; struggles with addiction; court appearances; good behaviour bonds; and the tragic death of my best friend.
Similarly, in my work life, there were hostile divisions with business partners; attacks on my company; regulatory audits; negative press articles; and mass redundancies of my staff.
Subsequently, my life as an impressive CEO of a cutting-edge healthcare company ended with the failure of my business in full view of the public – and a mental breakdown in private.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in a cycle, and I didn’t understand how to break it. I didn’t know how to turn my life around; unable to move. However, as far as the outside world was concerned, I was keeping it together.
Looking back, I don’t know how I survived that time. I indeed wasn’t meditating on a cliff face over sunsets observing my thoughts, feelings and sensations with a relaxed awareness.
Moreover, I didn’t know how I felt or how to figure it out. Certainly, I knew I was missing pieces, but I didn’t know how to get them back.
It was then that I crossed paths with mindfulness. Mindfulness was the resource I used to put myself back together again.
As a result, I dedicate my life to improving the mental health of others, using the tools that I developed to overcome my mental health challenges.
