Why I am on a mission to help the woman I was ten years ago.

I’ve been ruminating for a long time on the best way to make a meaningful impact in the health and wellness space and in the last few months I have had some epiphanies. I had been thinking a lot about all the things I have learnt and all the ways I have grown in the last fifteen years. During that time I had a cancer diagnosis, had three rounds of IVF and three miscarriages. My husband and I finally had our long-dreamt-of baby boy but had to navigate his first three months of life in the NICU during which he had two life saving surgeries, including open heart surgery. During this time I continued to build a legal career in two different large offshore law firms with all the pressures and expectations that come with the lawyer lifestyle.  For those years I worked hard, kept my head down, flew under the radar, said yes to everything, tried to please everyone, didn’t ask for anything and simultaneously attempted to be the best mother, wife, daughter and friend I could be.  I thrived on the short deadlines and quick turnarounds and urgent nature of the work product I had to deliver. I embraced the culture I was expected to uphold and frequently cancelled personal social plans (family) to meet client deadlines, responded to emails late into the night and took my laptop on vacations. I didn’t think about my own wellness. Who has time for that? I loved my job, enjoyed my colleagues and wanted to be successful. I was defined by my job…..  Until one day I woke up and realised… I didn’t want it any more. 

My spiral downwards had in fact been slow-burning for many months, possibly years. Initially I didn’t even recognise the daily challenges I was experiencing. I had afternoon slumps and then morning slumps too and eventually felt exhausted constantly. I began to find it hard to focus and started to feel disconnected from my work and my colleagues. I was essentially powered by stress hormones, caffeine and sugar. Looking back now, I recognise the signs of burnout. My health and wellbeing had deteriorated. I had high blood pressure and bad cholesterol. I developed symptoms of endometriosis, a chronic illness and felt physically weak and frequently in terrible pain. I had surgery and found the recovery very difficult. The energy and effort it took to function and to continue to perform well was enormous. The high standards I set for myself and my innate perfectionism, initially useful traits in a lawyer, began to work against me. I became anxious and frequently experienced imposter feelings and loss of confidence at work. The tiniest criticism shook me.

I began to feel that something had to give and one day on “vacation” I admitted to myself and my husband that I couldn’t continue as I was. I was in such a sorry state that I had spent half the vacation either on my laptop (more work), in bed sleeping or crying in pain. I had hit rock bottom and I knew it. Turns out my family had seen it coming a mile off.  I resigned from my job that week and spent the next year recovering. I battled with a loss of identity, shame and questioned how I had got to this place. It was a slow process but I worked on my nutrition and self development intensively and eventually I became strong and resilient again. It was during this year that I trained as a health coach and started on a personal wellness journey which has brought me to the vibrant and energised place I am today. Ultimately, after returning to work as an attorney part time for a few more years, the Universe threw in a global pandemic and I eventually decided that enough was enough. I made the decision to leave the law for good so that I could pursue my new found sense of purpose in the wellness and nutrition field. I am working hard to fulfil my dream to become a certified nutritional therapist, writer and educator on womens’ wellness. 

Why am I telling you this story? Certainly not for sympathy.  I was very well paid as a lawyer and had numerous opportunities and privileges for which I will always be grateful. It is not to tell you to do the same. Leaving the financial stability was extremely hard and I am very lucky to even have had the option. I know that most people do not. But what I do want you to take away is that if you recognise even a little of yourself in the downward trajectory described above, I want to offer you an opportunity that might change the way you live your life. Sounds dramatic right? However, I strongly believe that if only I knew ten or fifteen years ago what I know today, I think my story may have been very different. If I had known even 10% of what I now know, I would have have had the knowledge and wisdom to make better choices. That is why I am working on a very special project that is aimed at supporting professional women in law who are ready to empower themselves to take control of their health and wellness BEFORE they burnout or hit rock bottom like I did. 

My aim is to share all of the science and evidence-driven knowledge I have gained in the areas of mindset, behaviour change, nutrition and stress management so that female lawyers are armed with the tools that I believe everyone should have at their disposal. It may sound trite but the saying “if you do not make time for your wellness, you will have to make time for your illness” has never been more true. Why am I focusing on women in law? It’s what I know, who I was….I know that life. I am best equipped to help the woman that I used to BE.   I know the specific pressures and idiosyncrasies of working in a law firm. I know what women have to do to reach the peak of the profession, the sacrifices they have to make. All the hats they have to wear. I know that these are women who put everyone else first: their clients, their colleagues, their partners, their children, their pets, way before themselves. These women don’t have time to work out which diet, self help or wellness regime to follow from the millions that they see on their social media feeds all day every day. These are women who, due to professional expectations, have to outsource much of their personal admin to others. I would like to help so that they learn before it is too late that they cannot outsource their own health and well-being. I would love to see far more women, far more mothers, in leadership roles within law firms. I am passionate about providing the wellness toolkit required to support their career goals, whatever these might be. 

So this is why I am talking to you. The 35+ kickass professional female, who has it all….almost….

I believe that with a few small adjustments you can thrive in the high speed, stressful environment of managing a career, a family and a personal life. I want to help you become the superhero on your own path to a healthy and nourishing life. Don’t wait for rock bottom to hit before making a change. Make your wellness a non-negotiable part of your success plan. Self care is a business strategy. Everything you need is inside you and I can’t wait to be your guide.