"This journey didn't start with a plan to become an author."
It began in conversations, in moments when someone I was mentoring asked for a book recommendation. I would pause, knowing I could point them to titles on storytelling, personal growth, or leadership, but none that truly reflected what I felt was missing. I wanted something rooted not in theory or celebrity memoir, but in real life. Something that spoke to the lived experience of ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances. That thought stayed with me for years.
Looking back, the threads were there long before I saw them. Every role I have taken involved writing in some form, from training materials to help people learn software, to reports unpacking complex systems, strategies for health and social care, and research into mental health, social mobility, and digital inclusion. Over time, the words accumulated, scattered across projects, thought leadership and research. The more I wrote, the more I saw that stories, whether about a process or a person, could change how people understood the world.
Collecting Stories and Voices
I am now the author of two forthcoming titles, Mindset to Mastery: Navigating Your Journey to Purposeful Leadership and Forged: A Modern Day Moral Compass. Both are in the final stages of development after several years of research, interviews, and writing. When I first set out, I intended to write only one book, but the work naturally evolved into two distinct projects. This is the story of how that happened.
When I began this writing journey, my intention was simple. I wanted to create one book for people stepping into leadership for the first time, often without formal training and sometimes without confidence that they belonged there. It would be the kind of advice you would get from a trusted mentor, practical, realistic, and informed by lived experience. But the stories I gathered began to grow beyond the frame I had imagined. Some were short, sharp examples that illustrated a leadership principle in action. Others were long, layered narratives that could not be condensed without losing their truth. I realised I faced a choice. Keep everything in one volume and risk weakening both, or give each its own space to breathe.
I drew on my own experience of mentoring hundreds of people over the years. I had a bank of lessons I regularly shared, and I knew the book needed to be grounded in real circumstances. Many of those circumstances were connected to people I knew, relatives, friends, and colleagues, and I began collecting their stories alongside my own. Some were based on memory, but I wanted to go further, to hear these stories in the voices of the people who lived them.
To bring those voices forward, I began working with an experienced author who had a background in working with people who had experienced trauma and abuse. Her sensitivity and understanding helped us ensure the process was kind and respectful for everyone involved. She carried out interviews, helping to capture details and navigate the emotional complexity of these accounts. Some of the interviews became chapters, others were set aside when contributors felt their stories were too raw to share. We developed a style guide, agreed on how to anonymise identities, and worked to make the chapters accessible to an international audience. The process was collaborative and layered. She would start the chapter, I would add my memories and insights, and together we would refine them. This process made the journey of creating these stories as important as the final words on the page.
When One Book Became Two
It was during this process that the material began to outgrow the original book. The personal stories, intended initially as supporting examples, had such depth and resonance that they deserved their own space. The more we worked on them, the clearer it became that they were not just case studies for leadership lessons, but powerful narratives about resilience, identity, caregiving, and transformation. What had started as one book naturally evolved into two.
I had never imagined that one project could expand into two volumes. For me, it was always one title, one story to tell. But as the chapters developed, it became clear I faced a choice: keep the stories tightly tied to leadership, or allow them to stand alone with the space they required. Pursuing both meant committing to twice the work and twice the uncertainty, but I knew that publishing one without the other would leave something important unsaid.
Mindset to Mastery: Navigating Your Journey to Purposeful Leadership
| Mindset to Mastery: Navigating the Journey to Leadership is the practical companion, a deeply human leadership guide for those stepping into new responsibility. It blends reflective storytelling with actionable strategies, covering essential but often untaught skills like building trust, listening deeply, managing focus, and adapting without losing your values. It includes over one hundred case studies across industries from hospitality and agriculture to technology, healthcare, public service, and more. It is designed for an international audience and has been reviewed by editors from multiple countries to ensure its accessibility and relevance across cultures. |  |
Forged: A Modern Day Moral Compass
| Forged: A Modern Day Moral Compass is the narrative counterpart, a collection of deeply human stories about resilience, identity, caregiving, and transformation. These are the lived experiences of people who have faced adversity, cultural barriers, sudden tragedy, and long journeys of recovery. Some live with Emotional Dysregulation Disorder, Autism, or ADHD. Others have endured loss through illness, injustice, or events beyond their control. Each story reveals intrinsic motivation and the moral choices that shape who we become. Forged was developed with the support of a professional author experienced in handling trauma narratives and reviewed by a mental health specialist to ensure kindness and care in every telling. |  |
Letting the Work Find Its True Form
By separating them, each book could breathe in its own space. Mindset could remain a clear, practical guide for those stepping into leadership, while Forged could become a profoundly human exploration of resilience and values. Together, they offer both the tools and the perspective to lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose.
What started as just one project naturally expanded into two because the incredible people, the heartfelt stories, and the valuable lessons needed more space than I expected to give. I have discovered that often, the most remarkable results come when you let a project develop its form and truly listen to the voices guiding you along the way.
Together, the books can be read in any order. Mindset to Mastery gives you the tools to lead with clarity and empathy. Forged gives you the lived experiences that deepen your moral clarity, resilience, and understanding of others.
Why Now
We are living in a time where leadership readiness and moral resilience are tested daily, in workplaces, in communities, and in private moments that are unseen by others. The tools to lead effectively are essential, but so is the understanding of what it feels like to keep going when circumstances are at their hardest. These books bring both into focus.
They are the product of years of listening, observing, and working alongside people in vastly different worlds. They carry the trust of those who shared their stories and the intention to meet readers where they are, whether stepping into a first leadership role or seeking proof that resilience is possible.
Not the End, Just the Beginning?
Completing these manuscripts has been one of the most enriching creative processes. Shaping ideas, listening to stories, and refining words into something others can hold has been both humbling and deeply satisfying. Yet reaching this point does not feel like a conclusion. It feels like the start of a much longer journey.
The work has also been personal. Writing these books has acted as a form of therapy. There were moments when I questioned my decisions, times when I learned more about the people in these stories than I ever expected, and occasions when the process helped me see my past through a different lens. Conversations with other authors have drawn me into a community I did not realise I needed. That sense of belonging is its reward, even if the books never become bestsellers. I will know they carry meaning, and that in itself is enough.
There is still much to learn. Publishing is a craft that combines creativity, strategy, and considerable patience. I recognise that I am still in the early phases of it. I often imagine how it will feel when I see my books out in the world, knowing they are being read, reviewed, and thought about by people I may never meet. That moment will bring a sense of vulnerability, because once published, they no longer belong solely to me. Instead, they will be interpreted, questioned, and hopefully appreciated for what they offer.
What steadies me is the knowledge that every chapter is built on real experience. Years of listening, observing, mentoring, and working alongside others through the kinds of challenges these books explore. They are grounded in real work and real lives. Whatever the reviews may say, I will know they carry truth, and that truth will find the people who need it most. And that is what keeps me moving forward. There are more stories to hear, more voices to honour, and more ways to help others see what is possible. That journey is only just beginning.
"Your moral compass is not forged in moments of comfort. It is shaped in the fires of challenge, loss, and the choices you make when no one is watching."
In Forged: A Modern Day Moral Compass, lived experience and intrinsic motivation is the focus. The book shares the journeys of people who have endured profound trials, confronted life’s most brutal truths, and discovered in themselves a resilience and clarity of values that could only be forged through experience.
A Guide to Moral Clarity in a Changing World
This book is for readers who want to understand how values are tested and refined in real life. It speaks to anyone who has faced crossroads where the easy choice was not the right one, and to those who seek examples of courage, empathy, and transformation in action. Whether you are reflecting on your journey or seeking insight into the lives of others, Forged offers perspective on how to live with purpose and navigate complexity with integrity.
What the Book Covers
The stories span themes of identity, caregiving, resilience, and recovery. You will meet a former performer who reinvented her life after personal loss, an advocate who turned early hardship into a lifetime of service, a parent balancing professional ambition with the care of a disabled child, and individuals who confronted cultural barriers to live authentically. Each account shows how decisions, both large and small, can strengthen or compromise a moral compass.
My Journey to Forged
The creation of Forged grew from my work on Mindset to Mastery, where shorter examples brought leadership principles to life. These stories deserved more space to breathe, and the format was inspired by Tales from the City and other works of social narrative nonfiction. Their depth, complexity, and emotional truth could not be condensed without losing what made them powerful. Some accounts were so raw, even after careful anonymising, that they could not be included, yet they still shaped the spirit and intent of the book. In gathering these narratives, I have had the privilege of listening to voices that might otherwise have gone unheard, and of sharing them in a way that honours their truth.
Who This Book Is For
Forged is for anyone building their resilience and wanting to know if others have faced challenges like theirs, and how they found a way through. It is for those who value empathy as much as achievement, and who understand that strength is often built quietly over years rather than in moments of applause. At its core, it is about intrinsic motivation. The inner drive that helps you get up in the morning, make a brew, and keep going. It speaks to anyone reflecting on their values or seeking insight into the lived experiences of others. It is especially relevant for those who have faced adversity, navigated social or cultural barriers, or are preparing to support others through moments of profound change. This book celebrates the moments that shape us and, in some cases, the moments that forge us.
An Intentional Collection of Stories
The book explores stories of survival, self-discovery, and service. You will hear about people living with Emotional Dysregulation Disorder, Autism, and ADHD, and other complex chronic conditions and terminal illnesses. You hear how they adapted, persevered, and redefined what success meant for them. Not every challenge was of their own choosing or part of their biology. Some faced sudden tragedies, from fatal lightning strikes to violent environments where lives were lost. Others endured loss through illness, injustice, or circumstances beyond their control. These are individuals who broke cycles of disadvantage, rebuilt after devastating setbacks, and navigated systems not designed for their needs. You will learn what it means to stand up for others, to let go when it is the most loving choice, and to rebuild identity from the ground up.
How It Complements Mindset to Mastery
Forged began as part of Mindset to Mastery, but its stories became too layered to condense. While Mindset offers more than one hundred case studies and practical strategies across industries from hospitality and agriculture to technology, education, and public service, Forged provides the deep, personal narratives that show those principles in action. Reading both together gives you the tools to lead with purpose and the lived experiences that deepen moral clarity, empathy, and the confidence to act with integrity.
Final Stage Before Publication
The book is now in its final publishing stages, developed with the support of professional authors experienced in working with traumatic and challenging life stories. Every account has been reviewed by a mental health specialist as part of a sensitivity assessment, ensuring that kindness and care are embedded in how these stories are told. The work is being refined alongside Mindset to Mastery so that each book can be read on its own or as a companion to the other, offering complementary perspectives on resilience, values, and purposeful living.
"Leadership rarely begins with perfect preparation. It begins the moment you say yes to responsibility you have never held before, and discover you must grow into it while already on the journey."
I have long searched for a book written for those stepping into new responsibilities, influence, and opportunities without a clear roadmap. This is for readers taking on a restaurant management role, starting a small business, managing subcontractors, forming a harvest team, or overseeing a territory of salespeople. It is a guide for navigating the unexpected leaps that leadership demands. Along the way, not everyone will listen to you, conflicts will arise, toxic behaviours will surface, and there will be moments when you feel close to burning out. People older than you may question your authority, while those younger than you may expect more than you have ever felt prepared to give. Yet within these challenges lies the opportunity to grow into someone who earns trust, inspires confidence, and shapes a culture where both you and your team can thrive.
A Guide for Real-World Leadership
Mindset to Mastery: Navigating your Journey to Purposeful Leadership is a practical and deeply human guide that resonates with a wide range of readers. It is for early career professionals eager to develop their leadership skills, mid career professionals seeking a refresh after burnout or role transition, career changers moving into guiding roles for the first time, and individuals without formal leadership training who want accessible and realistic guidance. It is especially relevant to those taking social mobility leaps, navigating uncertainty, and finding their voice in environments that may not have been built with them in mind.
What the Book Covers
It blends reflective storytelling with practical techniques, exploring the psychology of motivation, resilience, and performance. It examines themes such as imitation and behavioural modelling, inclusive leadership, emotional well being, and building trust. It provides tools and perspectives to help each reader develop their own grounded, adaptable, and emotionally intelligent leadership style.
My Journey to Mastery
My path has been far from conventional. I began in hospitality, working night shifts as a waiter and chef, before moving into retail, recruitment, technology, education, healthcare, and eventually public sector transformation. I have worked in fifty countries and delivered projects across one hundred, collaborating with leaders in settings from small start-ups to government departments. I learned by doing, adapting to challenges, and building a career rooted in empathy, inclusion, and practical problem-solving.
Who This Book Is For
Mindset to Mastery is not for everyone. It is written with the 18 to 30 stage of life in mind, as this was the time I most needed it, but it is for anyone ready to take ownership of their growth, to lead with clarity and care, and to navigate change with courage. It offers a path that meets readers where they are, respects their reality, and helps them grow into leaders who value connection, purpose, and resilience as much as results.
An Intentional Learning Journey
The book takes readers through an intentional journey, with each chapter building on the last to deepen understanding and capability. As a sample flow, it begins with Awakening Potential, which helps you uncover your motivations, strengths, and growth areas to develop greater self-awareness. It then moves to The Foundations of Change, showing how to recognise and model positive behaviours while avoiding harmful patterns, a skill essential for shaping healthy team culture. In Leading with Trust and Connection, it examines how trust, loyalty, and genuine connection influence performance and resilience. The Focus Advantage offers practical ways to manage your own attention and guide teams toward greater concentration, reducing distraction and inefficiency. Finally, Intrinsic Motivation explores how to tap into the deeper personal drivers of commitment, enabling you to inspire yourself and others beyond external rewards.
How Forged Complements Mindset to Mastery
The content of Forged was initially written to be part of Mindset to Mastery, adding real-life stories that brought the principles to life. Shorter stories do remain in Mindset, yet the longer narratives in Forged proved too rich and layered to condense. Mindset to Mastery offers over one hundred case studies from industries including hospitality, agriculture, retail, sales, technology, education, healthcare, government, manufacturing, finance, transport, and non profit work, giving readers practical insight into leadership challenges and solutions. Many of these references draw on office environments where success is often framed as reaching the C Suite. It recognises that success takes many forms and can be found in a far wider range of roles, settings, and personal achievements.
Forged goes further by immersing the reader in detailed, personal accounts of resilience, identity, caregiving, and transformation. These stories explore how values are tested, refined, and applied in real situations. Together, the two books provide both the tools to navigate leadership and the lived experiences that deepen understanding, empathy, and moral clarity. Reading both together gives the reader not only the principles to lead with purpose but also the lived experiences that deepen moral clarity, empathy, and the confidence to act with integrity.
Final Stage Before Publication
The book is now in its final publishing stages, reviewed by editors from different countries to ensure it is accessible and relevant to an international audience. It has been carefully refined to combine practical strategies with reflective storytelling in a way that meets readers with grounded, provable reality. It is being finalised alongside Forged so that each book can stand alone or be read together, offering both the tools to navigate leadership and the lived experiences that bring those principles to life.