My Story – from burn out to thriving

I live in Falmouth with my family, where I’m happiest being curious about life, sea swimming, creating, and spending quality time with the people I love.

Like so many working mums, I spent years balancing multiple roles — building a career, raising a family, being a partner, a friend, a daughter — all of which mattered deeply to me and all wanted my time and attention.

I’ve always been someone who wants to make things okay for everyone else. And somewhere along the way, my own wellbeing slipped quietly to the bottom of an ever-growing list of shoulds and must-dos.

Over time, I also realised I wasn’t fully living as myself. A deeply expressive and creative part of me had faded into the background. I was still creating with my children, encouraging their imagination and joy, but I wasn’t creating for me. I had lost touch with the part of myself that felt most alive, playful and free.

That realisation became a turning point. It led me to reconnect with my creativity, my wellbeing, and ultimately my truest self — and it’s this journey that now shapes the work I do with other women.

My Family

My family means the world to me. I have a wonderful husband, a 16-year-old son, and a 13-year-old daughter. I strive to provide them with love, safety, and consistency, supporting them as they grow into confident individuals ready to make their own impact on the world.

Though they’re teenagers, constantly testing boundaries, knowing my values helps me set healthy limits and navigate the challenges with resilience. My husband is my best friend, and our partnership is built on mutual respect, allowing us both to grow individually while supporting each other. We balance time together as a couple with time for our own interests, which strengthens our relationship.

Losing Myself in the Juggle

Over time, I began to lose sight of who I was beneath all the roles and responsibilities. I wasn’t sure what truly made me happy anymore, what my purpose was, or why I was doing what I was doing.

Life felt like a constant juggle — and I was terrified that if I let one ball drop, everything else would come crashing down. So I kept going. And going. Until my body and mind eventually told me I had to stop.

I burned out — emotionally and physically. Life began to feel monotonous, heavy, and grey. The colour and lightness I once felt had faded, and deep down I knew I had lost my sparkle.

When Life Got Even Heavier

The lead-up to my burnout wasn’t simply the usual demands of a busy life.

I became a special guardian for my young niece, stepping into a role that carried deep emotional responsibility. I was navigating trauma, complex family systems, and the realities of care — often without the level of support from services that many people assume exists.

Alongside this, I was closely involved in supporting the transformation and long-term sustainability of our family business. This meant working through challenging family dynamics, ethical questions, and the weight of wanting to create a business aligned with my values — one that could become a positive legacy for future generations.

I felt a profound sense of responsibility to hold everything together: my niece’s future, my family’s wellbeing, and the success of the business — all while trying to stay strong myself.

There was no space to pause. No room to ask what I needed. And it didn’t feel possible — or even acceptable — to carve out time for creativity purely for myself.

That part of me was quietly put aside, so I could be there for everyone else.

My Turning Point

In October 2021 I hit breaking point, overwhelmed by the emotional and physical toll of what we had taken on and the responsibility I had put on my self, I knew I had to make a radical change.

We made some tough decisions and put everything we had learned into practice.

We took an unexpected sabbatical and moved to the jungle in Costa Rica for a few months. It was a bold decision, but it was exactly what we needed. We reconnected as a family, rediscovered joy, and simplified our lives, letting go of responsibilities that weren’t ours to carry.

That time allowed us to realign with our core values and return to a life that was more fulfilling and sustainable. It was a life-changing experience that taught me the power of simplifying and focusing on what truly matters.

Understanding My Saboteurs

Through coaching — and later through Positive Intelligence — I began to understand what had really been driving me.

My Judge was loud and constant, fuelled by worrying about what other people thought of me, how I was parenting, whether I was doing enough, or doing it “right”.

My Pleaser had me saying yes far too often, always trying to make others feel okay so I could feel accepted and safe.

My Restless saboteur kept me endlessly busy, avoiding stillness so I didn’t have to face difficult emotions or decisions — leaving me exhausted and overwhelmed.

And when so much of my life felt out of my control, my Controller stepped in, desperately trying to create certainty and safety by holding everything (and everyone) together.

What I realised was that many of these patterns came from natural strengths — care, responsibility, leadership, commitment — but I had been overusing them, and they were quietly working against me.

Learning a New Way

Positive Intelligence gave me the awareness and tools to work with myself rather than against myself.

I learned how to:

• Recognise my saboteurs without judgement
• Reduce their negative impact on my wellbeing, relationships, and decisions
• Strengthen my Sage brain
• Use the 5 Sage Powers — empathy, curiosity, creativity, navigation, and action — to meet life with clarity and compassion

Instead of being driven by fear, pressure, or obligation, I began responding with intention.

I discovered that I could still make a positive impact in the world without sacrificing myself.

Coming Home to Myself

I gave myself permission to pause.
To rest.
To rediscover who I was and what I needed — not what society said I should need.

I learned to set boundaries, reconnect with my true self, and prioritise my wellbeing — not as a luxury, but as a necessity. From that place, I was able to show up more positively and sustainably for the people I love.

I gradually rediscovered my enthusiasm, creativity, and playfulness. I began making time for art again — taking courses, trying new crafts, and gently experimenting without pressure or expectation. I set small creative challenges simply for the joy of it. To see what worked. To notice what I loved. To explore what made me feel energised and alive — and to let go of what didn’t.

It wasn’t an overnight transformation. It was a slow, steady unfolding. But it was joyful, freeing, and deeply life-giving.

Through creativity, I stepped outside my comfort zone. I learned to be braver, bolder, and more playful. I allowed myself to experience more joy and express myself more fully.

Today, I live far more in alignment with who I truly am. Life feels freer, more joyful, and more abundant — and I feel able to share my light with the world in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.

Why I Do This Work

Today, I support strong, capable busy, women — to gently reconnect with the parts of themselves that often get buried beneath responsibility and expectation.

I help them understand themselves more deeply, soften the noise of inner critics and unhelpful patterns, and build mental fitness in a way that feels compassionate, creative, and sustainable.

Through creativity, reflection, and spacious thinking, I guide them to rediscover what makes them feel alive — so they can move through life’s inevitable challenges with more ease, flow, and self-trust.

Because thriving isn’t about doing more.

It’s about expressing more of who you truly with confidence, joy and creativity.

My Approach

I approach life and coaching with resilience, curiosity, and a deep belief in possibility. I trust there is always a way forward — even through challenge — and that every experience has something to teach us.

This mindset has earned me the nickname the Queen of Possibility. I guide women see what’s possible for them again: uncovering their potential, understand what’s holding them back, take aligned, meaningful action and express themselves fully so they feel alive.

At the heart of my work is creativity — not as a hobby, but as a vital part of who we are. When women reconnect with their creative essence, they feel more alive, more confident, and more themselves. Creativity brings clarity, softens the inner critic, and restores energy, joy, and self-trust.

My mission is to support strong capable women to rediscover who they are beneath the roles they carry — so they can lead, parent, and live with authenticity, confidence, and ease, without burning out.

Because thriving isn’t about doing more.

It’s about being more you.