In addition to being Carol, I’m also a leader, coach, parent, wife, friend, lifelong learner, speaker, mentor, writer. And a fan of restorative blank space. For me, that looks like journaling, yoga, meditation, a good book, or a perfectly curated playlist.

My journey has been delightfully squiggly from shopfloor to boardroom - 28 years in retail and hospitality across three continents. I started part-time at 15, worked throughout university, joined a graduate programme, and went on to roles in field and central operations, commercial, procurement, administration, and transformation.

Along the way, I’ve worked for global names like ALDI, Woolworths, Walmart, Wickes, and Stonegate Group, where I took up my first C-suite role. I’ve held fancy titles like Managing Director, Vice President, and Head of…

So what?

Well, the golden thread through all of it has been developing people, leaders, teams, and organisations to unlock performance, engagement, wellbeing, and potential. The step into coaching was a natural progression, especially after experiencing its transformational impact myself. I completed the Henley Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching in 2021.

What I’ve learned across my career is simple: retail and hospitality are people businesses, from start to finish. In any people business, and in this beautifully complex world, we have to be excessively human. We need to consciously build sustainable communities of future leaders who will take over from us, and that starts by leading from the inside out.

That’s what my work and my upcoming book, Blank Space: The Inside Job, are all about.

Watch this space. Are you ready to create some space for yourself?