Starting Amovita

Why did you start Amovita?

At the time I was a senior ministerial advisor and loved what I was doing. It was the perfect job to positively impact thousands of people's lives at the one time. Whilst I was working crazy hours particularly when Parliament was sitting, the role was important and could make a real difference in the world. When I left the role I began to think that instead of going to another executive role, perhaps with my experience and skills I could a difference in many workplaces and that was when I started to dream a lot bigger about what I wanted to do. So for the next few years, I worked lecturing in public and social policy etc and started the business working one day a week. Within six months there was such a large need in this consulting area I was working two jobs, starting the business and still lecturing.

What does Amovita stand for?

Amovita means ‘I love life’ and that is how our team lives the values and principles about what Amovita stands for. We have never compromised our values and loving life is crucial in our team. You cannot be successful in life whether it is focusing on your wellbeing, family, relationships, career or job without having a love of life and all that comes with it. I can remember when I was a leader in a government department and a client said to me one day, ‘look at you, you would not know anything about hardship or doing it tough’. That was not quite the reality. I have experienced homelessness when our children were young. I have experienced being broke at the hands of other people who were dishonest. So, hardship and doing it tough really gives you a sense of the importance of loving life, forgiving those who have done wrong by you, and building a life that you love no matter what. So it made sense to name the organisation Amovita as that is what we stand for, that is what we do, we inspire people and business excellence even during the tough days.

What did your parents teach you?

Like most kids, growing up I was taught respect, to be kind and do the right thing by others. My parents were decent, hardworking and kind people. I grew up in a loving family who believed in giving to others. There was always someone we were helping. My father was the President at the local Rotary Club and loved by his community. So, we were taught at an early age to help those less fortunate. We had to work in the family business Alpha Electrics and Alpha Irrigation at an early age including our cousins and we grew up as a large family together, camping and being in nature. We had a great childhood. My father passed away from cancer at 42 and I was only 22. My father was very organised. We wrote down everything he wanted to happen after he passed and that red leather book included every aspect of his life to support mum in the days after he left. When my mother decided to sell the farm they had, everything was organised and it seems like the whole community came out for the auction just to have a small piece of a man that was much loved and respected by everyone.

What has 15 years of Amovita taught you?

To have joy in your heart, it links to my purpose in life. Amovita has given me the opportunity to work with thousands and thousands of people from all walks of life, across the globe and to deliver varied consulting services. It has taught me to be innovative in providing consulting services. I am truly blessed, as a CEO I get to be alongside the people, not sit in a board room and be out of touch with what is happening in workplaces. I meet with nearly 50-60 leaders, staff, business owners a week and am privileged to provide quality consulting services that show workplaces how to be effective, how to engage neurocare for high performance in the workplace. It is has given me the opportunity to leave a legacy for the future and have a shared vision, I am keen to see our team not have to struggle and do it tough, but grow in having principles of helping others.

How do you maintain balance?

Trust is important to have balance. It is true, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. That is true of myself. It is a lifestyle, so I don't tire of what I do. Once of my objectives in life is to meet as many people as possible, to make a difference, so trusting what you do is what you are meant to do is important. My adult kids are amazing, they keep me in balance and are wonderful adults who inspire me. When I am writing I find balance, it is crucial to find time to write from our enteric brain for that is where we also find balance in ourselves. Having a wellbeing plan, time to be in peace, and connect with ourselves helps to find balance.

What is your next project?

I am enormously proud to bring this new project to life, MyBio.life. After my loved one passed many years ago and was not that well organised, my adult kids asked me to ensure that I did something to help others so that when others loved ones passed, all their life information and documents, legal requirements, photos etc were secure in one place. So I got to work and we have recently launched MyBio.life. It is something that will help every person on the planet, every couple, family and individual. It is about having a lifestyle that is organised so that when loved ones pass, the family can start the most important process, not finding documents all over the place or worrying where the most recent Will is or if the person had one, but allow the grieving process to start, for that is what is important.

What would you tell other leaders and business owners?

Make a difference, start with your own team, make a difference in their lives, be the change. The strongest workplace culture come from staff values. Values come from the leader. Using positivity, being kind, seeing work as part of a daily lifestyle and not counting the minutes or hours at work, but how you choose to live each day is important, honour yourself. Be with your team, try not to sit in the board room and forget where you came from. Talk to your team often, find out what holds them back, what inspires them, how they are part of the workplace village, for it is true, it takes the whole workplace village to make the difference, stay strong, resilient and true to the values that inspire you every day.?