About

Hi! I’m Kirsten. I started Shine so I could help people grow, and live their dream lives.

Here’s a bit about me and where I’ve come from, so you can see how I got to Shine and why I’m excited about helping people like you to create the life you dream about.

I’m a happy and positive person, and for years that was all I showed to the world. But in my 5th decade, I’m finally learning to be more vulnerable and show the real me… so here goes!

As a youngster, I was always singing, dancing, and generally showing off. I was loud & chatty, and always getting into trouble for talking in class, and various other scrapes. Music and laughter were my ways of escaping from bad times in my life, and while I played the happy child, I was often feeling like I didn’t fit in.

The school days

Despite not always being the best behaved at school, I got good grades and enjoyed some subjects – Geography, Drama and languages were where I excelled, and I still believe language is so powerful: the way we are taught to speak to others and ourselves, and the impact changes in speech and tone can have on any situation.

I found this aspect was more fascinating than the actual language learning! Which I guess explains why I chose to do Psychology, Sociology and English Literature at A-level instead of French or German. But I did learn a lot about people and human interaction by choosing these, and I realise now I was always passionate about how people behave and interact

My first job in catering

I rebelled against the advice of my parents and sacked off Uni to go and work in the Oxford institution Maxwell’s, as a waitress. I made friends who became like family here, and realised I enjoyed the buzz of people enjoying themselves enough to turn hospitality into my first career. Working in Contract Catering after a move to London, I found that I had a natural flair for managing people and – bonus – I loved it. I worked with around 40 staff from all walks of life and nationalities, and learned that investing time and treating every person as an individual was the key to success. It really helped me understand how to respond to different peoples’ needs and it was a lot of fun too. I also adored working in Events, and managed many for friends and contacts – great events and fun times are definitely my bag!

Career changes and then HR

As I moved through different roles, I found that being around others, getting to know them, improving their experiences and them improving mine, really helped me to deal with my own problems. It was a great escape watching people enjoy themselves, creating an incredible event or serving delicious food. Seeing people dance, sing, and have fun with friends filled me with joy.

I experienced some real trauma through my 20s and 30s as I lost friends, dealt with tricky family situations, and generally attempted to navigate the day-to-day difficulties that seem to go with being an adult! As I grew older though, I realised only I could change my situation, and began to work on my own problems and issues, becoming a huge fan and advocate for self-development. One of the reasons I became passionate about my next career, HR, was that I was always growing and changing as a person as a result of every situation I dealt with. I gained new knowledge, new ideas and new ways of working. I loved helping others to get more from themselves and their teams too, but I truly believe that you can’t do that without working on yourself.

I was already hooked on self-development when I discovered coaching in my 30s, after I’d been through a painful divorce, facing life as a single parent. Coaching truly changed my life! I’ve also had great success with meditation, cold water swimming, breathwork and by finding like-minded souls and talking all night. I truly believe people come into your life at the right time, and often a “chance” meeting can set you on a different path.

As I move into this new phase of my life, I’m so excited to bring the tools and tricks that have changed the game for me to others, and create spaces that enable women to grow and develop.

Shine like a star

I have designed a life for myself where I love the work I do, and live a life I adore. I’d love to help you do the same!

The life bit of work-life

Outside of work, I live in the beautiful Norfolk countryside with my amazing son and crazy Ragdoll cat. I love cooking, eating out (hmmm food), kayaking, travel, weekends away, music and dancing as often as possible. If you want to know more (or tell me about yourself – I’ve gone on a bit, to be fair), contact me.