FINDING FOUNDHER: HOW I CONNECT WITH WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO

Today I’m sitting down in my home office filled with sunlight to write my first blog post from Foundher.

And I’m so grateful you’re here. <insert deep sigh of gratitude and happiness!>

Given my business is all about connecting who you are with what you do and, from that place, leading and creating success, I thought I’d start with my why. And I’d love to share my journey with you, and what that has created for me.

The journey of Foundher didn’t happen overnight. Far from it!

Over the last 4 years, I’ve made moves from a 20+ year financial services career that I loved, led disruptive innovation products to market and invested in my educational and personal transformation to re-imagine how good life can get. 

Through doing this, I landed firmly in living my purpose by putting my ‘everything’ into building a business that lights me up daily, and helps others to do the same.

I believe when who you are is connected with what you do, the greatest transformation can happen. More than I ever thought possible!

It’s been an incredible journey as Foundher grew from an idea to a business. And today, I’m really proud of our community and the genuine success my clients are seeing.

Today, I’m going to tell you the story of when my (aka Foundher’s) “why” came knocking, how to spot yours, and what to do next. 

Because I truly believe that inspired, intentional action always creates greater results.

My story will hopefully be of interest if you’ve pondered what (really) makes you tick, and how you can connect that back to building a business that lights you up every day, and creates meaningful change. 

My story might also be of interest if you are really wondering what this whole ‘purpose and authentic leadership’ and ‘finding your why’ stuff is (really) all about. 

And my hope is to perhaps create a response inside of you, if you feel disconnected from what you’re doing and you’re not sure exactly why, but something is missing and all the usual resolutions are feeling like band-aids that don’t last long.

So if you are feeling a little lost in your career direction or business, but not knowing any other way, I get you! I’ve been there too, and here’s what I’ve learnt along the way.

Here is my number one tip:

Start paying attention to the persistent ideas that keep bubbling up.

You know the ones that keep surfacing and you keep pushing away or ignoring… over and over? 

When these ideas come to visit you again, instead of brushing them off or moving onto something else, start writing them down. 

Let them out.

Because it’s likely these ideas are visiting you for a reason. And that reason could be deeply connected to your (real) purpose.

You see, before starting Foundher I’d been in the corporate world, banking and commercial and personal insurance in fact, for 23 years.

I was managing challenging IT projects, product design, navigating compliance and legislation incoherence of what customers needed and what rules had to exist, leading teams across multi-national and international locations.

My career was stable and relatively predictable. I was, you know... successful, receiving promotions, never bored … and you know what?

I was happy.  (A little exhausted, constantly, sure, BUT… nevertheless, happy.)

Fast forward to 2015, and I worked for a brilliant leader (and human) who was the EGM of Strategic Innovation. This is probably when the pieces of the puzzle started to really form.

I was becoming more inspired by how global disruption was beginning to open up more positive change in the world, and the growing movement of companies who put purpose at the heart of everything they do.

I was inspired by the difference they were making socially, environmentally and how they were inspiring people who worked for them. 

I could see the conviction of their leadership, and the flow-on motivation to their team and customers.

These businesses were aiming not to be the best “in” the world, but the best “for” the world. To me, it was truly energising.

And I remember the first edition I read of BCorp’s B Magazine in 2016, showcasing honorees, awaiting it to be shipped from the US as a special import. 

Seeing how new business models and approaches were creating opportunities over the traditional industrialised models of business and leadership, completely fascinated me.  It lit me up. 

So I began experimenting, by applying many of these principles to my corporate work, projects and teams. 

I began truly observing myself and others, getting deeply curious around long-held beliefs, and allowing new ones to surface.

In particular, human behavior and the power of ‘choice’ fascinated me. 

I was watching the rate of change in the world around us, and how some colleagues seemed to thrive, finding more energy, possibility and motivation by navigating constant unknowns; whilst others just wanted to ‘get off the ride’ and make their way back to safer ground. 

This experience of navigating through the unknown, making new choices and being passionate about how humans behave in systems of change led me on a path of massive curiosity, and so I completed my executive post-graduate in leadership and coaching. 

As I worked towards an international coaching qualification, I began to see a pattern emerging.

I was meeting and working with founders and business owners who had brilliant ideas.

But many needed help getting clear on their purpose. 

Purpose was coming up as THE thing that kept people going; when their teams around them were exhausted, or money was tight, when pitching rounds never ended, when feedback was harsh, when they got scared, when there was infighting with the Board….  knowing unwaveringly THE thing that made this all worth it, and how it could change the world for the better?

That’s what kept them resilient.

That’s what allowed the passion to shine through.

That’s what anchored them and gave them clarity on how to lead the next steps, the next rounds, and the next strategy. 

Put simply, purpose was the fuel. Purpose was the joy. Purpose was the deep knowing and the uncertain possibility, all in one. 

I also noticed the need for more people – women in particular – to embrace a more feminine leadership style and address the limiting beliefs that may be holding them back and not only allowing, but elevating the importance of compassion. 

Purpose, planning, and potential… all these mini-recognitions were like pieces in a puzzle.

Then, slowly, a very clear picture began to form.

And that’s when it happened.

I found my why. I knew what my purpose was, and best of all I found it myself. And so, Foundher was born.  Today, it’s my honour to help other business owners and leaders connect to their real purpose, and lead with more intention. 

And I am constantly inspired by the people I help. People who are launching a new venture, maturing their business, or stepping forward into the role of CEO.  All have one big thing in common: they want to feel more connected to what they do.

So my number one piece of advice from my journey to launching my coaching business and community?

When what you do is connected to your why, extraordinary things unfold.

They shouldn’t be disconnected. When they’re fused together, that’s when you’ll create the greatest impact.

Be brave enough to find yourself.

Listen to the ideas that whisper to you. 

Know that businesses can (and will) thrive when they’re an extension of you and your values.

Tune in to what feels right, because from that place, your direction and strategy can become crystal clear. 

From that place you will think more intentionally, feel more joyful, act with more impact, and go forward with the confidence in knowing deeply,

Why you’re doing it. 

So over to you - is what you’re doing connected to who you are? Do you feel connected to your core purpose, or are you on a journey of discovery? 

Feel free to join a good community and conversation on Instagram too.