I chose being liked over being me.

But this illusion was as fragile as my sense of self and I always felt different. I felt like I was on the outskirts looking in and for years I believed there was something wrong with me.

Other people found it so easy to be themselves.

Why couldn't I?

All of this inner conflict happened in my own private space - my head.

Home, school, work and social situations took every bit of my energy. Yet no one knew how I felt and I couldn't admit the truth.

I feared humiliation and rejection if I dared to admit that I found things hard.

When I went to university to study a degree in Psychology, I wanted to help others and make a difference.

But the truth is I was searching for ways to understand myself better.

I needed to understand why I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere.

The version of me I’d created wasn’t really me - it was who I believed I ‘should’ be to fit in.

It took so much work to maintain the façade.

When in reality, I was experiencing chronic worry, self-doubt and never believing I was good enough.

Deeper than that, I believed that if people knew the real me, they wouldn't like me.

It affected my sleep, in my late teens / twenties I started taking drugs and would binge drink. I overate to numb my pain and I spent money I didn't have. All to try and feel better. But none of it worked longterm.

I often felt like I was suffocating under the pressure of the life I was living.

Maybe you can relate?

As I began my working career, I dreamed of doing meaningful work. But I didn't believe I could create what I wanted.

For years, I suppressed an inner desire to live a life of freedom and instead chose the safety of a corporate career.

I worked in Marketing for 10 years and despite being very good at what I did, I never had the confidence to put myself forward for promotions.

I also found it impossible to say no to the increasing demands being placed on me.

I consistently felt like I was an imposter and that soon enough, people would start to realise the truth.

Without realising, I’d put an invisible cap on my progress, fearing that failure was just around the corner.

My strategy back then:

• Fly under the radar

• Stay invaluable by always offering more help (even if I didn't have capacity)

• Never ask for anything in return.

In fact, I did such a good job of being invisible that one manager even used to forget my name!

I laugh about it now, but back then my confidence was so fragile that I saw it as a sign that I wasn’t valuable enough to be remembered.

Despite all this, I still managed to have a successful career.

On the outside, I looked like I had most of the boxes ticked:

• A successful job

• My own home at 24

• A nice car

• Nice clothes/shoes

….And all the other material things that everyone told me I should want.

But inside it felt empty.

I worked all the time, never stopping to breathe or enjoy my life - even on holidays.

I couldn't afford to stop or let anything slip. I was exhausted from holding everything together.

At my lowest point I felt like I had nothing left to give. It was at this point that I decided enough was enough.

I couldn’t continue living the way I’d been living and something had to change.

I set about on a journey of change.

Learning, growing and then implementing what I’d learned day-by day. I muddled through trying to make life easier and more bearable.

It wasn't easy, pretty or perfect, but looking back, it was the start of a new chapter.

I began meditating, took up yoga and started to care about my body and my mind.

Over time, I started to feel happier and I could breathe again.

And then, I had an experience that changed my life forever…

In one month I experienced the sudden death of my Dad and a terminal diagnosis for my Mum. Both were in their early 50's.

I instantly saw how fragile life is and that we never know how long we might have to do the things we dream of doing.

This was so significant for me, that I knew I couldn’t delay my life any longer.

I decided I’d rather be defeated, than give up before I knew what I was capable of.

It wasn't enough to be watching the clock every day, doing a job that sucked the life out of me and had no meaning.

The material things no longer mattered. I wanted more passion and more freedom.

It took the death of both my parents to make me appreciate life.

I realised it was my responsibility to make my life great, for as long as I possibly could.

So that’s what I did...

I decided to take a leap of faith. To believe that there was something bigger and better available to me.

I decided to put my own dreams first and start living.

It’s one of the reasons I became a coach and why I believe it’s entirely possible to change your life at any point.

So many of us are living lives that are unfulfilling. Completely disconnected from the joy that ignites us and makes us come alive.

I want you to experience that joy. Every day.

Because life is a long hard road without it.

If you’re reading this then chances are you might relate to some of my experiences and maybe you’re going through your very own life-changing moment right now.

I want you to know that it’s ok to want more. To give yourself permission and to really lean into what your life can look like.

For me it was escaping the corporate chains and carving a different path. It was having a reason far bigger than the fear of change, to finally commit to myself and back myself.

But you don’t have to wait for something terrible to happen.

All it takes is deciding you deserve to have whatever you want. Just because you want it.

THAT IS REASON ENOUGH.

Many people told me my dreams weren’t possible, but I believed so passionately that there had to be more than I was living and I wasn’t prepared to stop until I created it.

I didn’t have pots of cash lying around or any real clue where I was going at the start, but after my Dad died, continuing to live my life as if nothing had changed felt completely impossible to me.

So give yourself permission to claim the life you want. And if that feels terrifying, a coach who can help you find the courage to take action.

Here's just a few of the things you'd get from working with me:

• The resources to overcome any hurdle that might come your way.

• The confidence to weather emotional storms and make bouncing back look easy.

• The courage to be bold with your life and your dreams, and to believe in yourself and what’s possible.

• Freedom from the patterns that get in the way of your happiness and keep you stuck.

• The self-belief that allows you to blossom into who you were always meant to be .... you know, before life got in the way.

Fast forward to the present day and my life looks very different now.

I took a year to travel, explored my creativity and eventually retrained as a coach. I invested in myself and my growth.

Today, I make choices from a place of desire rather than desperation. I believe in my ability to create my dreams and I root for myself and back myself no matter what.

Challenges haven’t ceased to exist, but I learned to replace my anxiety with resilience and courage.

I don't sacrifice myself to please others. I don’t filter myself to be more likeable. I allow myself to be seen and heard and I enjoy the freedom and liberation that this brings.

As a result, I met the love of my life after 12 years living the single life.

I have healthier relationships and I know that my needs are as important as anyone else’s.

I now have the resources to show up as the best version of me, both for myself and for the people I care about.

And I finally escaped the corporate world to be the captain of my own ship, whilst relocating and starting a new life in Colombia.

This journey was messy and complicated, but it’s what led me to where I am now and made it possible for me to do the work I do.

I want to make it quicker and easier for you to make changes, so that you can live your life right now instead of waiting for the all the balls you're juggling to drop.

I want you to know that it's possible to navigate changes quicker and easier than I did.

All it takes is a decision to put your happiness first.

so what are you waiting for?