FHEA
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Advance HE
LIVED TRANSITION
When life changed the plan
For years, Betsy believed that being strong meant carrying everything without complaint. In her career advising leaders through career progression, organisational shifts, and high-stakes decisions, she quietly placed her own wellbeing at the very bottom of the list. Outwardly composed, inwardly depleted.
When her daughter Sienna was diagnosed with autism and complex needs, the neat corporate playbooks ceased to apply. Caring responsibilities completely changed everyday life. During those intense years, Betsy experienced firsthand how easily a woman's own identity, energy, and voice can be postponed until there is almost nothing left.
That period taught Betsy how easily your own needs can disappear beneath responsibility, and why making space for yourself is where genuine resilience begins.
Real momentum did not return from pushing harder or trying to do more. It returned when Betsy gave herself permission to pause, set clear boundaries without guilt, and rebuild steady, sustainable rhythms that respected her energy. That lived experience reshaped how she views change, resilience, and self-trust.
