About Me
In typical ADHD style, I have a few spoons on the table.
I’ve been a content creator and marketer for over two decades and while I’ve enjoyed the ride, working with every type of business imaginable, from micro businesses to large multi-nationals, my calling is to work with people in burnout.
So, in addition to writing my upcoming book: Too Much: ADHD Burnout and You, I’ve gone back to uni to do my Masters in Counselling (am half-way through) and I’ve started up a little side project via my 180Selfcare platform called Soul Spa Days.
It’s a completely novel way to do therapy. Soul Spa Days are personalised one-day retreats curated for you when you feel burned out, overwhelmed, or just in need of a reset. These nourishing one-day retreats are currently offered in person here on the Sunshine Coast, and my future plans include offering them online or in various locations I visit in my travels.
My journey
At 9 years old, I walked into a shop filled wall to wall with handmade calico dolls. The owner smiled and said, “Would you like some felt? If you make something, I could sell it in my shop.”
I took the felt and started a lucrative enterprise making bookmarks, small dolls and teddy bears. Sometimes I’d make $20 in a week! That was the start of my journey as an entrepreneur.
Growing up as a child with ADHD in a time when there was no support for children on the spectrum, I had a lot of enthusiasm but was always getting into trouble and told I didn’t listen. I heard it so much, I literally thought I had a listening disability.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that a lot of the setbacks I’ve experienced in life have been because my brain is not wired for a neurotypical world. After writing my bestselling book about starting a micro business, I wanted to debunk my story that I was unemployable, and so I ventured into the typical world of work. It’s taken me a few years to gain clarity on how to work with work. To fit into a system that doesn’t support your way of being in the world can lead to cumulative burnout, as I found out the hard way earlier this year.
The things that take little energy for an allistic person can take a lot for a neurodivergent person. However, there is hope, and that’s why I’ve written my upcoming book. To stay up-to-date on Too Much: ADHD Burnout and You, and be part of my bubble of reviewers and feedback-givers, subscribe to my FREE (ignore the pledge paywall) Substack.
The power of radical self-care
In 2021, I hit a wall, but instead of sinking into the burnout I took on a personal challenge, to do one act of radical self-care a day for 75 days. That daily practice continued for over a year, and it wasn’t easy.
A month into the challenge my partner died suddenly in a truck accident and at the same time I found myself out of work and dealing with complex PTSD and grief.
It was literally the hardest year of my life but because I consistently practiced just one act of intentional self-care a day, I was able to get through it.
If you want to learn more about looking after yourself, check out 180Selfcare.com and join our community on Facebook.
Transformation
Last year, my grief turned a corner and I felt able to face the world again. I began reevaluating my priorities.
The biggest shift has been self-love and self-acceptance. Yes, much has transformed after many years of self-development and growth. I can now listen without anxiety (which is good given I want to be a counsellor) and I am more in tune with my body than ever before. This year, I’ve taken on my health in a way I never have before and over the past six months, I’ve reversed ADHD burnout and created a life I love. I have released a lot of weight, started a healthy relationship with food, and found ways to navigate my executive function traps during hyperfocus mode, preventing me from falling into the burnout cycle again.
I no longer hide my neurodivergence. I am now proud of my ADHD brain, even though I still experience a myriad of challenges. The difference is I now have the support and tools at my disposal to effectively pull myself out of a hole whenever I feel stuck or overwhelmed.
And I’d like you to experience that too. If you’d like to connect with me about navigating life in the face of big challenges, reach out for a free 15-minute discovery session.
My Irons in the Fire
Marketing services
I am currently contracting in a comms role, but with the support of my team, I still offer support for marketing projects including building onboarding platforms, client education, copywriting, video, audio and book marketing.
Creative Projects and Books
My creative projects range from books on Amazon, including my #1 bestseller Your Brilliant Un-career, art and physical products on Etsy and Redbubble and original music.
Entrepreneurial Projects
My current focus is 180Selfcare, a social enterprise and movement empowering people to make small but significant lifestyle changes through the power and magic of radical self-care.