Seven years ago, I packed up my car and set off on what I called a “one woman road trip”—11 days from Dunedin to Auckland. It wasn’t just a relocation; it was a quiet personal pilgrimage. For the first time in over 20 years, I had real space—space to breathe, reflect, and ask: What’s next?
With one son at Auckland Uni, one at Otago, and my daughter boarding in Dunedin, the day-to-day rhythm of family life changed overnight. I was already working as a Professional Coach and slowly building my practice, but I found myself dreaming wider. I wondered:
Could coaching in Aotearoa grow to embrace health and wellness in a meaningful way?
Could I help shape that future?
Following a Nudge, Not a Map
I had stayed behind in Dunedin to help settle our two younger children into their new environments—one into university, one into boarding school—and to finalise the sale and packing of our home. Brett was already back in Auckland.
To outsiders, it may have looked a bit unconventional. But we’ve always wholly trusted each other’s capacity to get a job done—independently or interdependently.
In fact, when I debated whether to fly instead of drive, Brett gently said:
“It would be the easiest thing in the world to get your car put on a transporter and you hop on a plane—but you might never get this opportunity to do this road trip again.”
And he was right.
That drive gave me the space I didn’t even know I needed. Space to feel the shift in seasons, to grieve a little, to hope a lot, and to imagine a new chapter.
What’s Unfolded Since Then
Looking back now, I could never have predicted what would unfold from that quiet, solo drive:
- Helping train some of New Zealand’s first Health Coaches
- Being named Health & Wellness Coach of the Year
- Serving on the Board of HCANZA
- Becoming the only NZ Supervisor in the Australasian Association of Supervision
And along the way:
→ Over 1200 hours of coaching
→ Countless hours of mentoring, supervision, and clinical reflection
→ A front-row seat to growth, transformation, and impact
From Ironing Boards to Boardrooms
If you’d looked for me a few years before all of that, you’d have found me at the ironing board—tackling the weekly pile of 20 school and work shirts, listening to another business or strategy podcast. I didn’t have a crystal ball. But I had a flicker. A sense. A calling.
And it turns out, if you’re brave enough—or just persistent enough—to say yes to the next small step, the path unfolds.
Now, It’s Time to Pause Again
Seven years later, I’m heading off again. This time with Brett by my side. Not for a move—but for a sabbatical of sorts.
Time to rest.
Time to reflect.
Time to make space for what’s next.
I don’t know precisely what the next seven years will look like. But I do know this:
- I didn’t build ZEAL to be a transactional business.
- I built it as a mission-driven endeavour.
- People over profits. Impact over ego.
There have been seasons where my only goal was for ZEAL to wash its face. But somehow, I’m still standing. Still planting and growing ideas, still showing up. And deeply grateful.
Grateful for the work.
Grateful for the people.
Grateful for the kind of purpose that gets your hands—and boots—dirty.
And Maybe That’s the Invitation for All of Us
To honour our own rhythms.
To rest when the land calls for rest.
To trust in the quiet guidance of the next small step.
To build something not just for today but for the generations to come.
Thanks for walking with me.
💭 What might unfold if you gave yourself permission to pause, reset, and reflect?
