Nicky lane had ticked all the boxes that she had been told with the essence of a good life qualifications a good job marriage motherhood. So why at 33 did she find herself disillusioned and disappointed? Living what she described as a mediocre life and feeling guilty about how she felt?

Nicky decided to ask herself different questions, questions that led her to tapping into not just logical choices, but heart led feelings and desires. And that's where she found her why that became the catalyst for her brave and expansive change journey in business and life.

I'm sure you'll find this conversation about personal evolution and possibilities, both inspiring and enjoyable.

Show Notes

• Your life may not be “bad” – you’re not homeless, so you “should” be happy – that’s not a universal truth. The actual truth is that you don’t have to accept mediocrity.

• Give yourself permission to not accept the status quo, to be brave, to back yourself and create your own path

• Conduct a Head and Heart exercise – my head wanted me to focus on the logical challenges of change, the negatives, how I should stay in my comfort zone, but my heart, my heart told me the truth about how I felt, and how I would always feel if life continued in the same way.
  
  
• One of the easiest and most revealing paths to self-awareness is the simple act of journaling
  
  
• The next step in the journey is the willingness to change

• In my own journey, I realised that my spirituality has been pushed right down, but it’s such a part of me, so inbuilt, it only needed to be rediscovered and set free. I know when you believe in a higher purpose, a richer, more purposeful life is available to you

• I wrote The Change Journey Book in flow – it wasn’t easy coasting, but the work felt light and enjoyable

• The book and the accompanying deck of cards are a handbook and guidance for life, stepping you through the 10 stages of building self-awareness. The characters and their floral counterparts are character traits that will be of service depending on where you are in your own journey.

• The core principle characters are Grateful Great, Optimistic Olivia, Zealous Zelda, Confident Carol, Empowered Emma and Joyful Jill

• All you need is to start with small changes to tap into happiness – that energy is life-changing

About the speaker

In 2005 Nikki Lane left her marriage for no other reason than she wasn’t happy. She wasn’t being abused, they didn’t fight, and they didn’t hate each other. She just looked at her life one day and wondered, ‘How on earth did I end up here?’ This wasn’t the life she wanted to live and neither was her husband the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She decided that living a mediocre life wasn’t enough for her, and so she left.

Turns out, it was the best decision she ever made and since that time, Nikki has travelled on a Change Journey of self-awareness. A journey that has led her to discover who she is and what she wants from life, which has brought joy and happiness into her world, more than she could have ever imagined.

Nikki now shares her experiences and teaches her Change Journey learnings to women from all around the world so that they too can gain self-awareness and choose to live a life they love. These teachings are available via The Change journey book, a set of oracle cards and personalised coaching programs.

www.thechangejourney.com.au

It was one day in 2012 when Fiona Redding really woke up. She was 37, at home with two tiny kids, drinking every day, overweight, unfit and unhealthy. She had financial issues, could not find employment and felt deeply disconnected and very, very alone staring down the barrel of a future life that she could just not imagine living. She sat with one burning question that she could no longer escape – “How has this become my life?”.

Something really needed to change.

It’s now seven years after the day when she started the journey to become the person she wanted to be. Fiona decided to get out of her own way and her life has completely transformed in every single area. Through the Happiness Hunter, she is now focused on helping you get out of yours, as she teaches and shares everything that she's learned. I had the chance to speak with Fiona to hear about that journey and I'm delighted be able to share her insights with you.

Show Notes

• You start with a decision – my life is no longer acceptable to me. I need to change. It can be years in the making, but a moment HITS you and it begins.
• It’s about life integration not balance, taking personal responsibility and focusing on contribution, reciprocity and community
• Take a DATA perspective not a drama perspective!

• I’ve found that overcoming obstacles and challenges is what can lead to happiness and definitely develops resilience, such an essential character trait. The gift IS in the struggle.  

• If you can learn to change your mind about things then you can literally change your world.

• The three pillars are 1/ Enhancing your mindset, 2/ prioritising wellness and 3/ creating connection/building community

• Action trumps everything

About the speaker

Fiona Redding is the founder of The Happiness Hunter, a mindset coach, facilitator and speaker, creator of The Steps for Change and Good Morning Sunshine programs, producer & host of The Happiness Hunter Podcast, co-host of the Business Addicts podcast, author of The Happiness Hunter's Guide to Meditation and the soon to be published It Is Possible: Radical Transformation Through the Power of Belief.

She lives by the beach in Melbourne, Australia, with her two children Ariston and Vivi.

Her mission in life is to share everything she has learned – and is continuing to learn – about turning her own life around and to really help us understand that happiness is to be found in the overcoming of obstacles and challenges in our lives, and not in the absence of them.  

By her own admission, Fiona's journey into business has been an interesting road. It would have made much more sense logically to just go and get a "real job" at many points.

Yet it was an unshakable faith and trust in the path she had chosen that kept her metaphorically and literally putting one foot in front of the other.

Fiona's belief in her mission and purpose continues to be rewarded. With The Happiness Hunter community and walks, coaching, speaking and healing business helping other people change their lives. Fiona also runs programs, retreats and workshops catering to clients locally and internationally.

www.thehappinesshunter.com.au 

Sophie Andrews had created an award winning highly successful bookkeeping business. Her background of fashion and gemstones in the UK led itself brilliantly to her focusing on the needs of people in creative fields, and the business flourished.

But after 15 years of dedication, the demands began to take their toll, physically and emotionally. Sophie's priorities had shifted. She was becoming bored, the desire for the work was no longer there. And to be honest, she knew that burnout was waiting just around the corner. It was time for significant change, and as many of us realise, letting go of the known to step into the unknown can be hard.  But we can do hard things! In this conversation Sophie and I talk about reframing our thoughts, letting go of old stories that keep us stuck, and choosing to swap striving for space so new ideas can make themselves heard.

Show Notes

• The bookkeeping business was never my passion, but as a divorced, single Mum, control over my future was paramount, and I knew I could build a strong business in this area

• I did actually begin another side business, the SOHO Agency (small office, home office agency) but the bookkeeping business demand exploded and I had to leave that one on the shelf

• I realised the value of niching – I was the first bookkeeper who niched into a certain area, in my case, creative businesses, and it really paid off

• I began to feel trapped. I had a big office, staff and all the responsibilities that went along with it

• It was a meditation retreat, a new experience, that opened my mind to the fact that change was a non-negotiable. Once I had made my choice, I found a buyer within 3 months

• Self-doubt still kicked in and I felt like I had failed in some way, had been so held back for 15 years. I had to reframe my attitude from resentment to gratitude, gratitude for all the business had delivered to me

• I took time out, 4 months overseas to completely switch off and find my next idea. But it wasn’t long enough and another year followed. I realised I couldn’t strive to come up with a new idea from my logicalmind

• It was during another meditation retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland where I found myself in complete flow and the answers just popped into my brain during meditation
• Meditation had helped me to recover from burnout. My own experience with this and creating a beautiful spot I my home in which I practiced became the inspiration for my new business, the Meditation Hunter

• If you are contemplating change, we very aware of the stories we tell ourselves and remember our decisions are a choice

About the speaker

Sophie Andrews is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, with close to 30 years’ experience in small business.  

After a decade long career in the fashion and gemstone industries, she launched and then spent 15 years growing a successful and high-profile business that was not her passion.   Lack of passion led to the majority of those years being spent in an ever-increasing cycle of burnout and in 2019 she sold the firm and spent several months overseas before launching her current business, The Meditation Hunter.

The Meditation Hunter is both an online store as well as having a retail space in Sydney.  Sophie has personally put together a wonderful collection of ever evolving unique pieces, both antique and artisan, to help you create a space to inspire meditation and elevate your practice.  She also passes on ancient teachings & wisdom through open soul meditation, powerful breathwork and Kriya Yoga to provide clients with the tools needed to breathe life back into their lives.

www.themeditationhunter.com.au 

Deb Vawdrey knew she had given her all in her marriage. Her realisation that she needed to move on after almost 30 years was not a snap decision. Although she was filled with fear, she was absolutely clear - it was time to step into a new chapter. And when Deb released herself from the paradigm she had known for so long, she absolutely blossomed. In this conversation, Deb shares her experiences, the role that spiritual connection and community played in her growth, her ability to listen to her inner voice, and how these all combined to transform her the multi-dimensional Yogi and businesswoman that she is today. I hope you find this episode as encouraging and energising as I did.

Show Notes

• I gave myself permission to pursue what most called me
• I’ve not had an immediate aha moment – my change arc has been, and still is, a slow burn which is fine as I don’t have a use-by date!
• I know the emotional exhaustion of being the only person making the effort in a relationship, feeling like it’s an uphill battle to connect, living parallel lives. There is no joy in that.
• I restarted my own bookkeeping business with my own clients – taking that step – no salary, no guarantees was scary
• Immersion in yoga helped me to get through. I’m a Yoga Teacher now and that has helped me to connect to my own true work.
• I’m living where I am now, not where I want to be be. That’s the definition of presence to me.
• I sit with questions, really tune into my body and get curious about how potential options feel, asking myself “what’s asking to be seen?”. With the right intention, you’ll always be ok
• I believe you can choose your identity – I have new powers of adaptability now!
• The book I most recommend is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

About the speaker

The youngest of 6 to two working parents I learned at a young age that I had to make my own way and carve my own path. Leaving home at 16 and jumping into full time work at the same time I have never taken a back step or expected others to clear the way. From working in legal, computational and admin roles then to hospitality while my 2 beautiful kids were young I then took the leap to start my own financial services business which I still run today.

As my kids grew and started to carve out their futures I realised my marriage was well and truly over and my next chapter was about to begin, this included becoming a qualified yoga teacher and also now a health coach. Blessed to have lived most of my life on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Australia in 2015 I moved to what many call “god’s country” the beautiful rural region of Gippsland Victoria to be with my new partner.  Grateful for all the lessons, experiences and people that have been part of my journey and shaped who I am today…courageous, compassionate and connected – serving others personally through yoga and health coaching and professionally through my financial services. You can contact me at connect@youryay.com.au

In 2005, Tamara Agnew was working as an executive assistant in a law firm in Edinburgh. It was a good job, but she knew that there was more waiting for her. She had a young daughter and a strong yearning to be a great role model, to show her daughter it was possible to choose and change to create your path the life that you want. And so Tamara went back to university as a mature age student and discovered the benefits of having lived before she chose to study. In this conversation, Tamara and I discuss her experiences and her choices for future study beyond her undergraduate degree, and the paths and opportunities this has opened up for her. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Show Notes

• My Mum worked in my Dad’s business, she could not contribute to my world. I have no judgment around that, I just know I wanted something different for my kids
• I was carrying a hangover from school, of feeling not good enough
• My husband became my “Belief Buddy”, he encouraged me to just do it and balanced me with the knowledge that if I didn’t like it, if it wasn’t working out, I could always choose to leave, so I enrolled
• I realised all of the skills I had created over the years helped, that nothing we learn or experience is ever wasted
• The life confidence I had allowed me to hold court in tutorials and be a catalyst for others
• My thinking has been opened up – going back to University has been enlightening, I’ve learned so much about myself
• I started a Podcast - Podcast – careersessions.com – designed to help others find their place
• My next chapter is setting up a consultancy with my PhD Supervisor
  
  

About the speaker

When Tamara Agnew finished school, she had no idea what she wanted to do. Riddled with angst and self-doubt, but full of energy and wanting to live my life to the full. Tamara did not want to go to university, did not want to enter into any more learning contracts. So she lived and worked in Sydney where she met her future husband, and they moved to Scotland. Tamara was working as an executive assistant in a law firm in Edinburgh, but was so unhappy. When her first daughter was born, she wanted a change, and this was driven by a strong yearning to be a strong female role model to her. Tamara knew she didn’t want to be in the same place 5 years later, unhappy, bored with her job. So, she decided, at the age of 34, to go to university. Little did she know that this was the start of a long, and extremely rewarding academic journey! She now knows – it is never too late to make a big change in your life.

Business – http://www.aluialtumconsultants.com.au/  

Show Notes

• When our son left home I became an empty nester and wondered, who am I now? I was feeling disconnected from my life and told myself I had no right to feel that way – after all, I had a great home, son, husband and career
• I began to ask myself the hard questions, starting with “why am I feeling this way?”
• I knew I needed a significant lifestyle change– my background of all or nothing thinking was simply not sustainable
• I replaced mindless social media scrolling with a mindset upgrade and decided to prioritise me
• I needed replace the automatic stories in my head that “I couldn’t change”, and that focusing on my own fitness and health “was self-absorbed”. I also needed to change my relationship with food which was very black and white – there is good food and bad food and very little in between
• I bought an apple watch, a bike, joined a gym, enrolled in a program that focused on mindset and gradually things began to change
• As my positivity and confidence reappeared, I began to question my career too – my identity was so tied to my 30-year employment, but perhaps there was something different for me now
• I sat and reflected on who I was, my skills, my strengths, what engaged me and I realised I wanted to be more purposeful, I wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives. That’s where my new business came from, this desire.
• I’ve always had self-doubt, but I don’t fight it, I go with it, one step at a time

About the speaker

In 2020, Tania worked on changing her life through getting her health and fitness on track. Through this process, she was able to rebuild her confidence, motivation and ask herself THE important questions about who she really wanted to be during the next chapter of her life.

After a 30-year career in higher education, Tania left the sector and has spent 2021 reinventing her professional life by adding coaching certifications to her leadership qualifications and 10+ years as a senior leader.

Tania has real passion for people and her greatest satisfaction comes from helping others clarify their purpose, values and goals so they can unlock their full potential. 

Through her business, Advantage Coaching and Consulting, she works with leaders to help them discover their strengths and provide the tools, skills and strategies to embed sustained change so they can confidently manage challenges and lead themselves and their team their way. The result is a more confident, approachable and influential leader who creates real change.

For more information about her work and to schedule a discovery call, head on over to www.advantagecoaching.com.au

It was the contrast between weekdays and weekends that made such an impact on Gary and Lisa. During the week they ran a family daycare service where they took care of small children who were dearly loved, wanted and cherished. But on the weekends when they were crisis carers in the foster system, they saw a very different reality. They also saw how babies and small children were easy to find placements for, but for teenagers, happy endings were far rarer as adolescents were shifted from placement to placement, with no stable family influences. Their outcomes were bleak. Although Lisa and Gary felt overwhelmed by the size of the systematic problem, they couldn't walk away from it. And an early 2020 they began to put their plan into action step by step. Today they've established and run a foster farm home for teenagers in rural New South Wales, alongside a charity “Give them a chance”. Their young charges are flourishing in an environment of acceptance, love, and clear boundaries. This is a beautiful story of next chapters that will fill you with warmth and hope.

About the speakers

Gary and Lisa Rayner are the founders of Give Them A Chance Inc. They owned a successful child care business in Sydney's Northern Beaches, spending their weekdays with very loved pre-schoolers with dedicated parents. On the weekends, they were Foster Crisis Carers for The Department of Community Services. The disparity between the weekday children's lives and the weekend children's trajectories was heartbreaking. Lisa and Gary have fostered more than 40 children and dreamed of doing more to help foster children. They decided to live out their passion of helping as many disadvantaged children as possible by relocating to the north coast of New South Wales to open "Treehouse Farm".

They have collected many pertinent, encouraging supporters along their way, and the community has grown. Supporters include school principals, psychologists, social workers, other child advocates and major supporter, Wesley Mission.

Show Notes

• We felt overwhelmed when we looked at the size of the challenge but we’re committed. We’re making a difference. We’re turning lives around.
• We’d talked about the idea for 2 years, lockdown spurred us on.
• Once you follow your path, it opens up for you
• We followed the signs, our hearts and our passion and like-minded people kept appearing to help
• We wanted to look after the kids who really needed our love
• The alternative for too many teens are group homes with often really negative outcomes – they don’t have the chance to develop emotional connections because they are always being moved on
• Tree House Farm is a foster farm home for these teenagers who don’t have a permanent placement. We provide discipline, boundaries, love and attention. We give them self-efficacy and empowerment. They become a part of our village.
  They’ve had pretty awful role models in the past – now they have the chance to learn to trust with grandparents and mentors from the community - this gives our volunteers a strong sense of purpose too
• We’re a test model for the Foster Care system – the government are watching us to see how it works. Our vision is for more Farm homes around the state and eventually, across the country, we just need more Mum’s and Dad’s to choose this
• How did we start? We just did! Time is the most valuable asset you have – how will you use it? How long do you wait before you live the life you really want to?
• We had plenty of doubt, plenty of “those days” when it just didn’t feel like it was going to work. Just persevere. Understands there will be ups and downs, but stay connected to your vision, your why and then change direction, try a new angle, there is always a way through
• Don’t listen to the negative people, don’t let them distract you from your dream
• Just be kind. Be loving. You never know what someone has gone through.

Jennifer Gwyn Jones knows what it feels like to keep pushing down a yearning for change. She knows how easy it is to become constrained by what you can do what you think you should do. How you can become easily stuck in “it's okay, it's going okay” land. But now Jan also knows what it feels like to break free, to be bold and brave and leave a 17-year career to strike out in a new direction that just kept on calling. If you've ever wanted to stop what you're doing now and begin something new, especially if you're currently in a corporate role, or other profession, you will get so much inspiration from this conversation. We talk about the vital role that self-compassion plays when you step out of your comfort zone, how to tap into your own internal wisdom, how to design a rich fulfilling business and life and so much more in this mini guide to courageous change.

Show Notes

• When you ignore the thing that’s calling you, that you’re yearning for, eventually your health suffers
• If you journal, revisit what you’ve written in the past and you will see the same cycles repeat themselves
• Even if “it’s” good, it might not be good for you
• I realised there was such a close interweaving of my identity and my work performance and that want healthy
• I’d spent too much time looking for external validation from people who had different agendas to my own
• I was living from the head up; my body was just there to walk my head around!
• Burnout gave me the space to consider “I could be a business owner – what might that look like?”
• My identify started to shift and I became open to the potential of being something other than the corporate employee
• Self-compassion did not come easily to me – I liked the idea intellectually, but was unsure of how to actually practice it. I’ve now come to understand that it’s a comfort when things don’t go as you planned
• Ask yourself in this moment, what’s most important to me?
• There are so many choices and options available to us, but there are unique “hot tracks” that show up for each of us – get curious, tune into how things feel for you
• With practice, even if fear does come up, you’ll still be able to feel the sweetness

About the speaker

As a Life Coach, speaker and writer, Jen has helped women all over the world break free from their “shoulds” and find ways to say YES to their yearning.

Jen helps women feeling stuck or confused in their professional or work routine find their true path and tap into the magic of life in practical and meaningful ways.  She came to Life Coaching through studies with the Martha Beck Institute and also training in Acceptance Commitment Training (ACT).  Jen’s focus on helping professionals find their magic is informed by her 17-year career in the Australian civil service and extensive studies including Bachelor degrees in Microbiology and Anthropology and a Masters in International Affairs from the Australian National University.

https://www.jengwynnjones.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JenGwynnJonesCoaching/

https://www.instagram.com/jen_gwynn_jones/