An introduction to ME

There are so many things I could, and will write about in this blog, but I thought it would only be appropriate to make the first one about me so that you have a little bit of a background...

I was born in Zimbabwe in 1980. Of course, then, it was called Rodesia. My mom was born in England and my dad in Holland and they met and married in South Africa. When I was 1 we move to Pretoria, South Africa where I attended school and built my life as a child, a teenager and a young adult. Life in South Africa while I was growing up was amazing, I couldn't have asked for a better upbringing. Weekends were spent riding bikes, climbing trees, having bbq's (braai's as we call them) and spending hours in swimming pools! My parents parted ways when I was about 7 and my dad moved to Namibia where my older brother Jason & I were to spend many happy holidays!

My brother moved to Holland when I was 19 and shortly after my mom and I moved to Johannesburg where I completed my course in Graphic Design. I had also received a diploma in PR & Marketing a couple of years earlier, but it was something I never really enjoyed and I never took it any further. My passion was in Graphic Design and I found myself glued to my computer every chance I got!

Johannesburg is renowned around the world as a violent place and this is a very true statement. In 2001 I was involved in a terrifying and violent crime that changed the course of my life and started me on a journey that has brought me to where I am today. It was a night that I'll never forget and one that I was lucky to escape, with my life. I know you are probably wondering what happened but I'll leave that up to your imagination as it's not an event I feel the necessity to give details about. There was an angel on my shoulder that night and I prefer to concentrate on the good that has come from it...

After this event, I started to wonder about the value of life and I started to get a sense that there was more to MY life. I started to feel that there was something so much bigger out there for me, yet, I couldn't figure out what it was. I wasn't prepared to 'settle' for who I was, which was an unconfident girl with little self-esteem. It was really hard for me to figure out how to know what my 'purpose' was and how I would go about becoming someone with unshakable self belief...

In 2003 I met my now husband, Warren. It is through my relationship with him that I discovered true love, acceptance, support and the most amazing friendship. I still hadn't discovered 'my purpose' but I did discover the meaning of love. We were married in 2006 and shortly after that we move to the UK. Sadly though, the move conjured up so many negativities for me. I felt alone, lost and in territory that was so different from what I was used to. Having to 'grow up' took it's toll on me and I longed for the safety of my friends and my mom back in South Africa (and the sunshine). The grass was not greener on the other side and unfortunately moving back home was not an option for us, I had to find a way to make it work...

8 Months after we arrived I made the decision to freelance. A very scary decision yet I knew it was the right one. I thought, for a long time that I had found 'my purpose'. That working for myself and not someone else was what I needed to build my confidence and give me the fulfillment I craved. I enjoyed it so much, for a while. I enjoyed the freedom, I enjoyed the independence and the maturity that came with freelancing..I hated the debt collecting and the high expectations of clients which eventually became a normal occurrence and eventually, turned my passion for graphic design into 'chore' and 'just a job'. Again, I found myself longing for more...

The universe must have been listening because I found 'my purpose' in WH Smith while I was waiting for a delayed train. I came across a book on NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and my life and my story started to take shape. I enrolled in a practitioners course and shortly after a master practitioners course. Within a year I managed to build myself back up, I faced those ghosts in the closet and I let go of all the anxiety, frustration and anger I had built up over the years. I learnt valuable lessons about myself, about other people and about the world in general that I will hold on to and cherish for the rest of my life. I realised that every event happened for a reason and moving to the UK was the best decision we've made and I'm grateful for all those sad days. Without them I wouldn't be in the position I am in today which is helping woman who are going through what I went through and teaching them the valuable lessons I have learnt. I get inspiration from helping woman get the exact thing I wanted for so long and now have...unshakable self belief.