Meet me in milestones

1979 – As I made my grand entrance into the world my Mum found herself deserted in the birthing suite as the news broke that the Yorkshire Ripper had been arrested. This apparently was infinitely more interesting to the midwifes. It was also the birth of my need to be independent and just get on with things.

1985 – I have always been one to tread a different path - literally. Other little girls went to ballet lessons. I decided to be an Irish dancer.  This was way before Riverdance made it cool. And yes, I shall take to the grave my conviction that Riverdance was, and will continue to be, cool.

1989 – My family emigrated from England to Australia in search of a better life.  I felt like I was being torn away from my friends and the only world I knew.  I asked my Mum why everyone at my new school was calling me Alex when my name was Alexandra.   She said it must be the Australian way.  It’s been Alex ever since.

1993 – I developed a weird obsession for Judy Garland the Hollywood movie star from the 1940s.  Yes, the one from the Wizard of Oz.  I spent my lunchtimes in the library photocopying pictures of her for my scrapbook.  Other fourteen year olds were photocopying pictures of a young Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Priestly, Scott Wolf and at a pinch Fred Savage. So weird! 

1996 – Overlooked and underwhelmed by the education system I dropped out of high school and tried my hand at rebellion by successfully blagging my way into nightclubs.  I left home and needed to earn some money.  Thought it might be glamorous to become a Nutrimetics party planning consultant.  It wasn’t!

1999 – Got my first real job at a football club as the Office Manager.  I had no idea what I was doing but it was fun getting up close and personal with a player or two. 

2001 – Was gifted a copy of Dale Carnegie’s classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People by one of the oldies who propped up the bar at the footy club.   It was smack in the face life advice about how to deal well with people and started brewing a deep curiosity about human connection.   

2003 – Started my first career in recruitment and figured out I was great with people.  This led to my big break with a transfer to their London office.  The next few years are a bit of a blur and totally off the record (mainly because I don’t want my kids reading about it.)  

2006 – I dragged myself out of a nightclub in Ibiza and walked across burning hot coals at the “Awaken the Giant Within” extravaganza.  You can say what you want about Anthony Robbins, but he certainly knows how to create a space for questioning your hidden beliefs and making decisions about what you really want from life.

2007 – Moved to Sydney.  Worked for a boss who told me that with my background and lack of education I would never amount to anything of significance.  “YOU DON’T KNOW ME!” I yelled back.   Within a month I was enrolled in an MBA and my passion for learning and growth was unleashed and the giant within was well and truly awakened. 

2009 – Got curious about Buddhism and meditation and swear that I manifested my dream husband.   I met him at a New Year’s Eve party and knew immediately he was “the one.”  After a long-distance relationship I followed him back home to Perth to settle down and start a happy family.

2011 – Landed in a corporate job at big mining company. Putting a maverick in an environment hell bent on stability and efficiency was like caging a lion.  Despite this, my development went through the roof.   I honed my skills in solving complex business problems and figuring out how to create a work environment where people thrived.

2013 – Within five-years I brought three little humans into the world and the book Save our Sleep became my bible.  My husband decided to be the stay-at-home Dad and I became the family breadwinner.   We both think we won the lottery, so happy days. 

2018 – Read Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux and realised my gut feeling on the mess we were making of running organisations was bang on.  There were pioneers out there cracking the code for a new way of working and I was ready to bring it on.

2020 – COVID happened and the world for most of us turned upside down.  It was period of broadening my horizons, connecting with like spirited humans and figuring out how I could make a positive impact on the world. 

2021 – Landed a job helping open a new mine site with a culture built on care, connection and trust.   Imagine for a moment me in a dusty hot maintenance workshop in the middle of the Pilbara facilitating a session with my “Connection Cards.”  I wasn’t sure if I would be chased off site for asking big burley blokes in high vis questions like “What are three things you want to be remembered for?” and “How do you feel about cheese?”  To my relief they loved it.

2022 – I escaped the corporate juggle and started my company Possibility Arena with a mission to make the way we work fit for humans.   Stay tuned for the next part of the adventure.