Who am I?
I have an accounting and commerce degree and started working for Tamahine Knitwear in Dunedin as soon as I graduated. That led to a career in management in a variety of companies in the knitwear and production industry. With major shifts in the industry and involvement in business closures, mergers, and start-ups, my coaching career began as a natural transition from working as a business consultant for 15 years.
I’ve had breast cancer twice. Last time they told me I was terminal and I had a year to live. That was 14 years ago. I’m alive and, without being too trite, I want to help people live their best life - both in business and in every other aspect of life. Let’s not delude ourselves, it’s all connected. Business is my true passion and I’m much, much more than a cancer story. It just so happens cancer gave me a ripping yarn and some good life lessons.
Coaching, for me, is about giving people a perspective shift and making them understand life's too short to sweat the small stuff. We should be doing cool things with the time we have.
The cancer story.
I have a cancer story, but I’m a lot more than that. Still, if you haven’t heard it yet, it goes something like this.
At age 31 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Had chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a mastectomy, and was cancer-free for seven years. Then it was back, in my lungs as terminal, secondary, breast cancer. Fuck. They said I had less than a year to live. That was 14 years ago. I turned my back on traditional treatment and healed myself. I experienced a radical remission.
There. Cancer in one paragraph and a happy ending to boot.
My talks and my story revolves around sharing my cancer journey. It gives me credibility and is a powerful way to shake people up. The question I often ask myself is, “Why does cancer give me credibility?”
It’s a life experience that has taught me how to live authentically. You don’t have to get cancer to get the learning though, that’s the good news.
I've watched others who have had cancer surgeries now claim they've ‘beaten’ it or they’ve ‘won’ and have all the answers. That’s fine, that’s their journey. For me, it's different. And I use those lessons in my coaching.
Get started.
Sometime is the enemy of now. Check my rates, evaluate your problem and get in touch so we can get started.