KAREN'S STORY

As a self-confessed human behaviour nerd, people have always fascinated me and never more so than when they take on things bigger than they know how to accomplish or when they come together to realise a shared vision.  Only Expect Miracles was born from my passion for enabling people to live a life of meaning and purpose and a deep commitment to contribute to the lives of others.

Born into a working class family in Central Queensland in the 1970's, I grew up around the business table.  I observed my entrepreneurial parents chase their business dream up and down the east coast of Australia and experienced the highs and lows of running a business while learning about leadership and influence from my parents.  A charismatic leader with a tenacity many envied, my father was a risk taker with the gift of the gab.  He was known for his army of volunteers who devoted much of their life to supporting his vision.  My mother was a true servant leader, methodical, organised, kind and dependable. I watched them constantly grapple with how to balance a bold vision, keep customers happy, manage a seasonal workforce and make money.  It also meant I attended nine schools in 12 years so my early life was a heady mix of volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity and I had to learn to adapt fast or find myself very, very unpopular, which is something any teenager wants to avoid at all costs!

I breezed through school despite the disruption and once I hit university, a whole new world of discovery and opportunity opened up.  I spent five years falling in and out of uni degrees, forever curious about where I could make the biggest impact.  Then I discovered, and fell in love with, the intersecting worlds of human behaviour and organisational performance. Years of study and primary research followed, where I enquired into the factors most influential in creating a happy, healthy and engaged workforce.  I’ll give you a hint on what I discovered - it had nothing to do with money!

Two beautiful children disrupted my plan of pursuing a corporate consulting career and upon finding myself feeling like a fish out of water raising children in Central Queensland, I made a move to the conscious living hub of Byron Bay.  I spent six years raising young children surrounded by a community committed to making a difference in the world, however what became clear is that many people weren't enabled to take action on the things that mattered most to them.  Three kick arse business mentors and a journey of transformational self-discovery later (that saw me launch my own parenting consultancy and eLearning company!) and I was ready to emerge from the cocoon I had been weaving.

I hung up the bikini and put on a suit, moving to the city to work for a technology services consulting company as an Organisational Change and Communications consultant.  Almost 10 years on and I’ve had the privilege of making a real difference to individuals, organisations, customers and shareholders via my strategic involvement in multiple business and technology transformation programs in some of Australia’s biggest companies, including BHP Billiton, Westpac and Suncorp.  I’ve bumped up against some of the toughest problems facing Australian companies as they navigate transforming themselves into responsible 21st century organisations and have a unique insight into these challenges from my roles as both a consultant and full-time employee.

In addition to this, I have also carried the invisible load of managing a demanding corporate job, parenting young children, the breakdown of a marriage, while doing my best to stay healthy, sane and happy.  I've fallen down many times yet am unwavering in my commitment to find a way through and continue making the difference I know I was born to make.  I noticed  people around me, particularly women, were dealing with the same issues and my natural tendency to contribute, coupled with my passion for solving problems, fuelled my ongoing enquiry into how to have people connect with their purpose and fulfil on the things that mattered most to them and not burn out in the meantime!

What I discovered along my journey is:

• Having a clearly defined purpose and vision for your life or organisation enables effective action.
• Every part of being human will accompany you along whichever path you choose to take in life so you may as well get up to something BIG.
• Human beings have an unlimited capacity for love and contribution, if they're willing to just keep showing up.
• Having a coach elevates performance.
• The world of work has changed dramatically in the last decade yet the fundamental principles of business have not.
• Expecting miracles in your life is a playful and effective access to high performance.

So whether you're a high performer wanting to expand your game or a leader in an organisation undergoing change, my services are grounded in my lived experience and are designed to have your vision realised with velocity.  Contact me today to find out how my unique, fun and engaging approach to elevating performance will support you in defining and realising your vision.