The golden thread in a wiggly career — and what comes next
For as long as I can remember, I never chose easy. I rarely chose obvious.
My career has been fantastically wiggly, non-linear, and full of unexpected turns. And yet, there’s a golden thread running through it — my key skills, the things I do best, and my approach – how I show up.
I’ve spent my career in rooms where decisions mattered, untangling complex problems and providing guidance colleagues could trust. Over time, I’ve built a reputation for strategic thinking and sound advice — persuading others, winning hearts and minds, and helping leaders make decisions that actually work in the real world.
From corporate boardrooms to government corridors, I’ve advised, presented, and negotiated in situations that demanded confidence, credibility, and clarity. I’ve worked across multiple countries, systems, and cultures, and the constant has always been the same: showing up with insight, empathy, and clear communication earns trust.
For the people I work with, this experience translates into real outcomes: I help those who are stuck, uncertain, or facing a leap in their career to cut through the noise, find clarity about what’s next, and build the confidence to step forward.
Together, we uncover the story they need to tell—one that positions them with impact, credibility, and authenticity—so they can navigate change with purpose and take the next step with certainty.
While getting into the right rooms has never been a problem for me, how I feel when I’m in them, is more of a challenge. I felt this recently, at a business networking event I attended, where I found myself in a very fancy room, with around 50 very brilliant women – successful business owners, speakers, strategists and soulpreneurs. Women who had set aside the day to work on their businesses, scaling, evolving and stepping up.
But then I looked again, and I saw something else. I saw mums who had rushed to make it after school drop off, having dealt with the stress of an anxious child for whom the mornings are fraught with big feelings. Women at that sticky stage of life where temperature control and an inability to get comfortable has become the daily norm. Others, who like me, had embraced the grey, and for whom dressing up meant a pair of jeans and well-loved jumper. I saw small business owners preparing to take their businesses to the next level, all the while wondering, “Is this really possible for me?” And “Could I really charge that?”
Deep down – and I know this to be unequivocally true – we are all the same. Fragile, and navigating the dualities of life.
I came onto an interview coaching session this morning with a client, who was saddling up for her final round interview for a CEO position. This is a client I admire deeply – a true expert who has made a mark in her sector and a name for herself. I shared with her what a hard start to the day I’d had dropping my anxious 6-year-old at school, and the toll that his morning tears take on me. And she got it – her son is a good 10 or so years older, but she’d been there, and only recently had been able to breathe a sigh of relief as he had re-engaged with school.
Sometimes you need a reminder that you’ve earned your seat. I received this message after the networking event, from someone I’d followed on LinkedIn for a while, who only recently met me: “It was so good to see you yesterday, and a bonus to be on the same table as you! Man, you drop some pearls of wisdom!”
There is almost always more than one view of the room. The important thing to remember is, if you’re in the room – you probably deserve to be.
Knowing who you are, what you’re good at, and having the confidence to articulate it — on demand, on the go, on repeat, even on a bad day — will take you places you never imagined and open doors you never dreamed of. Honestly, in today’s unpredictable, chaotic market, that level of self-awareness and confidence isn’t a luxury — it’s essential.
One of the most common challenges my clients experience is an inability to identify and articulate what they are truly great at – or at least a level of discomfort in doing so. There are two parts to this – one, the knowledge and two, the expression. You cannot sell yourself without being able to do both.
A simple place to start is this: ask yourself three questions.
What problems do people consistently come to you to solve?
What do you do well that feels almost second nature to you?
When have you had the most impact in a role, team, or organisation?
Patterns start to emerge very quickly when you reflect in this way. Those patterns are rarely accidental – they are often the very things others already see as your strengths. The work is learning to recognise them, own them, and talk about them with clarity and confidence.
If you’d like support finding that clarity and shaping the story you want to tell next, you can book a Call with me. It’s a chance for us to talk about where you are now, what’s feeling uncertain, and what might help you move forward with confidence.