Hi, I'm Justine, and I'm grateful you're here
I am on a mission to grow the next generation of strong and kind managers and CEOS who lead with purpose.
So who am I? I wanted to be a criminal psychologist (I've always been fascinated with human behaviour), decided to be a secretary and hated it. After being made redundant within a year I tried out hospitality until I came across human resources and fell in love.
So I took myself off to uni. After uni I found it hard to get the right job so went backpacking in Europe. The Guardian Newspaper London was my first real HR role.
Back in Australia and in my late 20s I took contract roles to fast-track my career which landed me in my first HR State Management role before I was 30.
When my mum was diagnosed with cancer, I took a sideways move to help care for her. It was one of the best things I ever did because I found coaching with Comm Bank.
After a number of HR roles (grab my bio for more details) I jumped into operations management to challenge myself. And to test out what I had been preaching in HR. I wanted to see if it worked.
That experience made me simplify things and focus on the handful of things that actually made a difference. I realised that trust and relationships were key to getting teams to succeed. Along with having a system so that you could juggle all the balls without burning out.
I know that leading people can be challenging, stressful, and lots of work. It is also incredibly rewarding and enables you to have influence and impact beyond what is possible as a sole contributor.
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When you work with me, expect me to live my values:
Integrity - This is how I aim to show up every day. Doing what I say I am going to do, doing what I believe is right, and always being honest. This is how I build trust.
Growth - This is my goal. I am always looking to grow, aiming for each day to be a little better than the day before. Reflecting to understand how I can be at my best more often. This is how I inspire change.
Making a difference - I believe we all have a responsibility to leave the world a little better off because we were here. To leave a legacy we are proud of and to always pay it forward. This is how I live my purpose.
Justine :)
P.S. I am also Mum to Nash, a lover of books and an intrepid traveler. When I'm not working you will find me:
- On the beach (sunshine, sand and water make me smile)
- Reading (I always have a book on the go and a few in waiting)
- In the cinema on my own (I love the solitude)
- Planning my next trip (Nash and I are going to spend 3 months of each year experiencing a different part of the world)
- Moving (pilates, walking, SUPing, at the gym, playing with Nash)
- Eating out with friends (I love good, fresh flavours and a glass of bubbles or two).
- Taking a break (I am an extrovert who needs a little more me time as I get older with regular journalling, meditation, facials, massage, and infrared saunas)
- Volunteering (I sit on a local board who's purpose is to 'help our locals build better lives)
I support Managers, Leaders, and HR to unlock their leadership potential and grow high-performing managers no one wants to leave.
When you get leadership right people are happier and everything else is easier. And the best bit, you don't need expensive software or special technical knowledge, you have everything you need - your ability to be human.
If you are responsible for a team of managers, small or large, you're in the right place.
You've worked hard, built your expertise and a successful career. Congrats, that's what happened for me too.
And I know that your people take up way more time than you expected. Everyone seems to need or want something from you and there's no time left for your work. And maybe you've lost your mojo - there is never enough time and you can't get ahead.
It doesn't have to be this way. I developed The Sandpit Strategy - to reduce your overwhelm and help you focus on what actually makes a difference. Most importantly you will enjoy what you do because you will be getting consistent results as a team.
I will only share what I know works because I have tested it and helped other leaders put it into action.
My leadership journey has been interesting. I got my first leadership role aged 8 of my netball team and it taught me that being a leader does not mean being bossy. I won my first State Management role at 28 in HR and l learnt that trying to control people does not work. I jumped into operations and managed 2 states, a territory, 450 people and a budget of over $80M before heading back to HR which taught me the true value of relationships.
I've worked with 100s of managers in many sectors and studied leadership, neuroscience, change, positive psychology and management - I understand your challenges and have successfully overcome them and I can help you do the same. I love helping people to lead with strength and kindness - they are not mutually exclusive.
I often get asked what I really do.
I help managers build better relationships. Equal relationships built on strength and kindness.
