Recently I reached a few personal / business milestones… things I’ve always dreamt of doing but had never really been caught up in the ‘how’.

To have done these by the age of 48 leaves a big big smile on my dial and I started thinking about how I define success and how this has changed over the years.

It’s funny, as when I think back I realise that attitude wise I’ve always thought of myself as successful. My resume reads well, I’ve achieved things in my life that I found out weren’t for me such as owning property, living in the suburbs and 9 – 5 (or should we say 8 – 8 ) jobs, working for large well renowned companies, having a huge network of client relationships nationally that became currency in the job world of media and marketing and basically every job I went for, I got.

Through all of these successes I still never had enough money, relationships came and went, I had all the personal highs and low’s a perfectionist goes through and I dealt with a lot of health blows. All of these things have helped shape me and while going through them has been painful, I never thought of myself as unsuccessful … even when my marriage broke down after 20 years.

The other people in my life however didn’t seem to have the same faith in me as I did.

My parents being quite religious were appalled that I wouldn’t settle for a “normal” job I was always trying a new business, then I found my true passion “Life Coaching”  yet they still didn’t see the appeal or understand my success.

I had an aunty say when a friend left a job ‘why don’t you go for that job, I heard it’s a really great job’… when I replied because ‘I really love my work and I’m actually really good at my job’ the astonished but a little unbelieving look on her face was priceless.

From a young age I’ve always been an over achiever and with that came rising expectations. I’ve never won a trophy… I remember my sister could dance, was a top hockey player and I was uncoordinated… I was so looking forward to finally winning some kind of acknowledgement… and I didn’t. This has happened to me my whole life and it taught me that the outcome is what matters not the acknowledgement.

As such I have been an extremely hard worker and an unacknowledged high achiever.

I don’t really care what others say about me, which has been quite handy coming from a small city like Townsville where people don’t believe in you until you leave.

I have set my goals and I have reached and surpassed them time and time again.

Maybe the beauty has been in setting very easy goals! Lol.

So in the last month I have set up my company internationally with a business entity in Hong Kong and another offshore company James Bond style. I have set up International banking with multi currency accounts in Hong Kong and what was meant to be Singapore until I realised they were a lot more restrictive to deal with than Hong Kong… so now I have various accounts in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia.

ChocolatenChilli International Enterprise Ltd. Is REAL!

And I am about to embark on looking for an investor so I can grow the company at the rate I need to maintain the lead I have in a unique business that hasn’t been done before and set it up globally.

This has all been me from Woah to Go.

The me that didn’t finish university because I couldn’t see the point.

The me that had no financial support from anyone… ever.

The me that left home at 17 and have literally paid rent for over 20 years.

The me that worked out rent money might be dead money but it’s much better than interest paid to banks and the threat of a declining housing market … luckily I only made money in property.

The me that worked out renting and maintaining cash flow can be empowering and create a huge freedom in life to follow my dreams.

The me that when my marriage ended, I licked  my wounds and realised it wasn’t all my fault.

The me that has started countless businesses on the side with various entrepreneurial projects, most of them successful but not something I totally loved long term.

The me that has had no help, no mentors and has educated myself throughout every single day of my life to be better at what I do and how to create outcomes and get things done.

The me that has turned an upbringing that money is evil into a knowledge about how the financial system works and creating a belief that money is energy that can be used for so much good.

The me that has created something … something unique that gives back to the world and contributes to the women of the world.

So yes I do feel I am successful and I always have been.

I make my money to help my family, friends & charities not to live in the biggest house or drive the flashiest car,  … and in the meantime I live a rich life by my rules and nobody elses. My lifestyle is ridiculously amazing living in the beautiful countryside of “Daylesford” with my soul mate  “who get’s the creative side of me”  and my border collie “Sam”. I am at the start of an extremely exciting chapter of my life with ChocolatenChilli Coaching.  I am able to support my favourite charity Olivia Newton John Cancer & Wellness Centre.   I inspire women who are searching for their passions, their purpose and to be true to themselves and I have found my one true love……ME 

There is nothing better than having the self confidence to fail in other peoples eyes but know you are only at one stage in your life that will pass. To know that success is defined by others according to their values and it’s ok to create my own to live by.  To have the freedom of an amazing lifestyle without owning anything tangible… I really don’t see the point. We live for less than 100 years. The wealth of experience and changing people’s lives in a positive way is the currency I live for which is why I am successful and will be truly wealthy in every way… heart, mind and soul.

What I care about the most in life is my heart.

The love I put into everything.

The heart that strives on through the pain.

The heart that is open to a depth of character and courage of my convictions.

A heart that sees past other people’s expectations and believes in my own.

The lions heart of courage.

And with that knowledge as part of me I can only be successful.

Whether bereaving my personal loneliness and physical pain.

Whether celebrating massive milestones that create the hugest excitement and adrenalin.

I am still successful as a person making a difference in the world with a great heart.

And I am successful in business… within my own set of values that are all based around ‘being true to myself”