Behind the bushes
Life Collab was born out of a desire to pass on what I learned from her to the people I relate to most, the internet generation. We’re navigating the fastest-changing reality we’ve ever seen while being the most connected humans of all time. The external noise we deal with is immense, and if we’re not careful, we can get lost in the sea of distractions without anything to anchor us.
Coaching with me isn’t just about grinding through tough emotions, (though yes, we’ll face them together). It’s also about finding joy and lightness in the work. I believe personal growth can be taken seriously, without always being heavy. There’s more room for play than we often realize, and here at Life Collab I aim to bring that spirit into every session and piece of content I create. You might have noticed this with Phil, the little guy in the logo.
If you look behind the bushes of Life Collab, you’ll find four core values. Honesty, Compassion, Acceptance and Playfulness. If you ever see something that doesn’t align with those, please sing out.
Life Collab wouldn’t be possible without the influence my mum had on me. Growing up, she played the lead role in me learning how to understand what was going on inside, a skill that’s at the heart of the work I do today.
She had this one question she used to ask: ‘what’s behind the bushes?’.
As a kid I hated it. It felt like it forced me to look right in the direction of all the things I wanted to hide. But it taught me what it feels like to contend with the vulnerability that lies within us all. Since then, I’ve learned that looking behind the bushes is actually just being curious about what’s on the inside, and that’s what helps us grow. I’ve been practicing it from then until now - with, let’s be real, plenty of denial and dishonesty along the way.
More about me
I’ve found that the more human someone seems, the easier it is to connect with them. So here are a few things about me that might inform your decision on whether we’d be a good fit.
Throughout my life I’ve dealt with a lot of feelings of inadequacy, shame and anxiety. I’ve been diagnosed with cyclothymia (also known as bipolar III), a condition that has led to periods of depression where I did not want to exist and periods of substance use that weren’t healthy for me.
I attend my own therapy. It helps me manage my cyclothymia, understand what’s going on inside me and is an important reminder that I’m still learning too.
Though I’m from little old New Zealand, I’ve done quite a bit of traveling, spending over a year experimenting with the digital nomad life and living in Hong Kong for nearly seven years now. Having new experiences and meeting new people has been a huge catalyst for my growth over the years. Hong Kong is also where I met my wife (pictured here).
I love playing and watching sports, especially basketball, rugby and skateboarding. I also grew up gaming - A LOT. Runescape, Call of Duty, Minecraft, Counter-Strike and League of Legends all had a big place in my life. I don’t play as much these days, but I still keep that part of me close.
While I’ve been a coach for over three years now, there are still many things for me to learn and I’m increasingly more accepting of my imperfection. I consider it my badge of humanity.
At the end of the day, I just really love connecting with people and helping them grow.
I hope I get the chance to help you :)
