Click here to read about 3C Works and how I became an entrepreneur

My career background before 3C Works

I’ve always loved interacting with different cultures which makes sense given my nomadic upbringing. Before I was ten, my family had moved from the UK, where I was born, to Brazil, Dubai and back again. As an educator, I spent over a decade teaching in Britain, Ghana and Canada and I helped to host visiting teams of educators from as far apart as Wales and Namibia.

For five years, I worked with refugees from over 70 countries at an amazing school, Byrne Creek. Some of my experiences there are included in David Starr’s “From Bombs to Books” available on Amazon.

I loved my job, but I was stuck… really stuck

Back in 2007, much as I adored my job, I often felt like I was walking through treacle to try and complete things. If you’ve ever achieved a goal and then thought, “Is that all there is?” you will know what I mean. There was a hollowness to my accomplishments that was sucking the life out of me.

It took a long time, but eventually, I realized I wanted to leave the job I thought I loved. At a core level, I knew the public school system wasn’t right for me and that I wanted to work for myself. This was a confusing realisation, however, as I also passionately loved teaching and interacting with people from all over the world.

I decided to take a big leap

I began experimenting. I tried new activities and accepted every invitation to speak at meetings, workshops and conferences.

The more I spoke, the more my life and heart opened up. I convinced others to join me on the podium and discovered that believing in a community, idea, business, message or movement can transform even the shyest of speakers into someone who can’t wait to get up on stage. I also realized we are not all Tony Robbins! Even though his style is wonderful, you don’t necessarily need to be loud and bold to deliver a powerfully moving speech, but you do need to be brave enough to be authentic.

It sounds obvious now, but it took me a long time to realise if you want to share with someone, you have to admit you have something to give! If you want to write and speak powerfully you have to first connect to your own power.

Click here to read about the students that changed my life and why I decided to become a Coach

I feel lucky when I can immerse myself in community through my public speaking opportunites, blogging and as a featured columnist with BCBusinessBeat.com and Greenster Magazine. I’ve been lucky to be able to still stay connected to the school community that I used to love being a part of. Recently, an article of mine printed in Teacher Magazine was included in Byrne Creek’s winning application for the 2012 Vision In Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award. I’m continually blown away by how interconnected everything is and how clear self-expression is an amazing catalyst for social change.