​One morning, I stood on a train platform, paralyzed by fear. I couldn't bring myself to get on the train. I felt like people were watching, judging me, and in that moment, I thought, “I just can’t do this anymore.” I was trapped. Trapped in a life I didn’t want. Trapped in my head. But in that moment, I realized something, I had a choice. I could either continue letting life control me, or I could fight to change it.

 

I chose to fight.

 

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t quick. The journey was slow, filled with doubt, uncertainty, and second-guessing myself. But with every step forward, something amazing happened: I began to feel hope, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

 

I dove into personal development; books, videos, events and I immersed myself in learning everything I could about the people who seemed to exude confidence. I studied their mindset, their energy, the way they carried themselves, the way they spoke, and how they navigated life. And piece by piece, I started to apply what I was learning. Not all at once, but one small step at a time. And as I did, I began to shed the fear, the doubt, the limitations. I began to build the confidence I had only dreamed about.

 

Then one day, while still in my corporate job, I had a conversation with a friend who had just come back from India. We were sitting together, and she showed me a £20 note, and said, “We spend so much of our lives working for money when there’s a whole world out there waiting for us to explore.” That conversation hit me like a lightning bolt.

 

My life looked great on paper, I had more money each month than I knew what to do with, I was working for a big banking corporation, I was 'successful' but inside, I felt hollow. I knew it was time to make a change. So, within two weeks, I handed in my notice, booked a one-way ticket to China, and decided to teach English.

 

You should’ve seen the look on my friend's face when I told her!

 

China was nothing short of life-changing. It wasn’t just a challenge, it was a “What am I doing?” moment that forced me to confront everything I’d learned about myself. I wasn’t just teaching English, I was teaching myself about my potential. I had no idea what I was doing, but it ended up being one of the most transformative experiences of my life.

 

The real turning point came one afternoon when I was teaching a group of older students. A 14-year-old girl, Martha, came up to me, tears streaming down her face. She said, “Laoshi! No one likes me. I’m fat. I don’t love myself. Can you teach me how to be beautiful?” In that moment, I felt her pain deeply. And I knew that I had to help her. I didn’t have all the answers, but I had one thing that mattered: everything I had learned about building my own confidence.

 

So, I started teaching Martha and the others the same tools and techniques that had transformed my life. The crazy part was, there was still a language barrier. I could teach them the words like ‘confidence,’ but the real transformation wasn’t in the words, it was in the experience.

 

Every Friday, I would set aside time to help them with their confidence and self-love. It wasn’t just about teaching English anymore, it was about something much deeper. By the end of our time together, Martha walked into the classroom with her head held high, a hand on her hip, and declared, “Laoshi, I’m beautiful. I’m confident. I love myself!”

 

She had transformed right before my eyes. And in that moment, I realized something profound: Confidence isn’t just something you teach, it’s something you embody. It’s something you feel. Something an audience needs to experience.

 

And here's the game-changer: Public speaking is the same. It’s not about the words. It's about the energy behind them. It’s about the connection, the presence, the engagement. It's not about talking at people, it’s about letting them feel the change.

 

When I returned to the UK, I couldn’t go back to the life I was living. I launched my first business Complete Confidence Makeover to help women break through their self-doubt, build unshakable confidence, and embrace their true potential.

 

From there, I co-created The Inspiring Futures Academy a global leadership programme for vulnerable and disadvantaged women and girls. What started as a single workshop became a movement with The Inspiring Leadership Foundation working with vulnerable and disadvantaged women and girls from around the world.

 

After delivering over 700 workshops and talks across the world and working closely with women from all walks of life I realised something deeper: it’s not just about teaching skills. It's about embodiment. It’s about remembering who you are before the world and your experiences told you otherwise.

​​

I’ve sat across from women who have survived trauma, overcome impossible circumstances, and rebuilt their lives piece by piece. And I saw a pattern: so many of us get stuck in survival mode. We become warriors out of necessity; it’s how we’ve made it this far. But we’re not meant to live in survival forever.
 

At some point, we have to remember who we are.

What we’re capable of.

And reignite the version of ourselves that’s been pushed aside just to make it through the day.
 

Because true confidence isn’t about putting on a brave face.

It’s about coming home to yourself and choosing to rise, fully and unapologetically.
 

I’ve used charity services myself. I’ve battled my own demons, fought my way through depression, and stood in the middle of rock bottom wondering if things would ever change. 

And that’s why this work means so much to me. I don’t just teach confidence, I help others embody it. 
 

These workshops and exerpeicens are not just from strategy. They're from survival. From the deep knowing that confidence isn’t about pretending to have it all together it’s about choosing to rise, again and again unapologetically.
 

And now, whether I’m working with charities, vulnerable women and girls, young people in schools, or teams in the boardroom, the mission is the same:
 

To help people break through fear, create unstoppable confidence within themselves and remember who they are.

 

​