The serious business version of me.

• 2012 – 2014 Work to champion the need for more wellbeing/mental health resources targetted at small business owners.
• 2004 – 2012 Founded from a kitchen enterprise to household brand sold in over 2000 retail stores around the country.
• 2009/2010 Billie Goat Soap awarded the NSW Business Chamber President’s Prize for Business of the Year.
• 2010 Billie Goat Soap awarded Myer Supplier of the Year (general cosmetics).
• 1980′s (ish) Degree and Masters in Adult Education (UTS) and various senior OD positions for large corporations.

I’m often sought out to give comment on the realities of entrepreneurship and I’m not afraid to talk about the challenges failure can bring. I had quite a journey building Billie Goat Soap, and for a glimpse of that, check out the compilation below (ignore the shocking hair styles!).

The not-so-serious (yet much juicier) candid version of me.

Up until a few years ago you would have branded me a bit of an obsessive workaholic. That obsession (naively labelled “passion”) nearly killed me, and in 2011 I was diagnosed with situational depression triggered by extreme work pressures. In fact, I was unable to work at all for several months.

With the help of a great counsellor and wonderful, supportive family I have made a steady recovery and in the process learned a lot about myself and life in general. I have always been a very self-aware person, but there’s nothing like a breakdown to truly challenge your beliefs about yourself!

I’m very grateful to have the BEST office in the world, and spend my days (with my furry entourage) working on ways to share my business/life experiences in the hope of helping others. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of acceptance, self-compassion and mindfulness, and how these areas need to intersect with entrepreneurship to produce business resilience.

I’m often still introduced as the Goat Lady even though I sold Billie Goat Soap in 2012.