So let’s start at the beginning. I was a chubby child. I grew up always loving food (in particular I had a weakness for Galaxy Cookie Crumble). Whilst not being “overweight” I always remember hating my stomach and often compared myself to the smaller girls in my year.
Fast forward to secondary school, maybe puberty had a part to play in shifting my “puppy fat” but I slimmed down. I remember Tumblr playing a huge part in a slight obsession with being thin. These days I’m more of a Pinterest gal and obsessed with pretty bowls of oats!
Fleeing to stage school in London
In year 8, I left the all-girls state school in Hertfordshire to pursue my dream of musical theatre and study full time in central London. This meant that for half of the week, I wore a leotard and tights. The pressure was on.
My relationship with food deteriorated and I would often skip lunch, or have a bowl of cucumber or cocopops all day in an effort to stay slim or lose more weight. It’s only when I look back now do I realise my relationship with my body and food was so deeply dysfunctional. I’m not blaming theatre school, in fact I don’t think anyone is to blame other than media pressures that praise women to be thin. The world has come a long way, and I feel like now I have got to what I consider a happy place with my size and confident in my body that I make it my mission to help women un-learn so many toxic messages that I once believed.
Leaving the stage behind
Sadly, I fell out of love with musical theatre but strongly believe the skills I learned along the way have benefited me in so many ways in my career today. Such as: public speaking, creativity, retaining information and generally being a confident and passionate woman that I am.
After finishing sixth form and in-between jobs I jetted off to visit my family in Spain for 4 weeks (1.5years later I return). I worked in a bar part time as well as a for a lifestyle magazine. A whole lot of living and growing up but what an experience.
When I moved back home at aged 20, my love of exercise grew and I began to fuel my body better and explore healthy recipes (thank you Instagram). I started working as a fitness instructor part-time and the two went hand in hand. I became that girl who was into her fitness and health and to be quite honest, I quickly grew to love that part of my identity.
Back then, I never thought I could ever turn that into a career. I still have to pinch myself now that I can call it that. I was just a young girl who thought climbing up the corporate ladder was the only route to “success”. Yes I worked out in my spare time and always brought the healthiest lunch or snacks into the office, but that was never going to be related to my career surely?
2020 – a time of universal reflection
During the pandemic, like so many people, I had time to reflect and explore what truly brings me joy. At the time, it was making healthy snacks I’d seen on the internet, keeping fit and going out for delicious food. But something wasn’t in alignment. My job was centred around: working 8am-6pm in a corporate firm in London, with structure and targets and probably a little too much drinking (because it’s Thursday duh?).
As well as a series of controlling and abusive boyfriends, that added to the list of reasons why I wasn’t thriving back then. My self-esteem was low and I was really unfulfilled.
So I left my job, ended my relationship for the 3rd and final tim, started working part time in marketing roles whilst I made the biggest and most important investment in myself – to study nutrition. I loved (and still do) learning about food and the way it interacts with our unique bodies. How it can fuel us to perform at our best and hinder us in negative ways too.
Fast forward to now
At 27, I can proudly say that my career is built up of many different facets but all within the wellness space.
I work closely with Jade as the nutrition coach at EmpoWerMe
I coach my private 1:1 clients in the UK & Dubai
I support women in low-income areas access nutritional support for weight management through a council-funded programme
I work as a freelance marketer & nutrition consultant for an online fitness and retreats brand
I collaborate with brands including organic supplements and meal prep companies that I truly believe in All of which has given me the freedom and flexibility to do a little bit of everything that I love, where no day is the same and I can do from anywhere in the world!
Which is partly the reason why I live in Dubai. My digital nomad lifestyle means all I need is wi-fi and my laptop (and some good food obv) and I’m ready to change people’s lives through my passion for healthy eating and wellness.
My love of food, feeling energised when I wake up in the morning, the endorphin rush after a workout, my commitment to having a growth mindset is what keeps me so focused on living my most authentic life.
My mission is to help other women to realise just how powerful a good diet is to them living out their best life – that paired with regular movement and mindset practises.
I am proof that you can move through very low points of mis-alignment and come out the other side with more wisdom and excitement for what the future holds as ever before.
Now… I want to focus less on the goal, as I’m so grateful to where I am that I already feel successful. So let’s just see what the future has in store.
H x
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