INSIGHTS, IDEAS & THOUGHTS

Energy isn’t about hype. It’s about execution.   I learned that early in two very different arenas. In the cockpit, flying at high speed with no margin for error, and on stage under hot lights where presence is everything. In both worlds, energy wasn’t something you waited for. It was something you generated deliberately.   The good news is this: your energy is not random. It’s biological, neurological and trainable. And science gives us some powerful, practical ways to boos

We’ve all had a vision of who we want to be in a moment where it matters. The kind of moment from which a character is forged, or careers are made or broken, whether it's leading our team through a critical decision, or flying a four-ship through wild weather.   We prepare ourselves to be calm, clear and strong – the kind of operator that is trusted to perform under personal and professional pressure. And yet many of us have also experienced moments, or even days, when a chal

Influence is not being a peacekeeper. It’s not sanding away our edges, softening uncomfortable truths, or silencing our worth.

If there’s one thing my years of flying have taught me, it’s this: pressure doesn’t break you. Poor preparation does. I'm not talking about the preparation of the sequences required to complete the flight. I'm talking about the failure to prepare your body and mind for the pressure of the moment. Rehearsing a skill in a 1G environment is not an accurate simulation of the skill under the pressure of flight and G-forces. It's true in the stormy skies of a challenging day in avi

When I think about peak performance, I think about that razor-sharp moment in the cockpit — heart racing, focus narrowed, every decision counting. I also think about the hush before the curtain rises, the moment I step into the light. Both demand precision, confidence, and presence. And both taught me something profound: success isn’t just about what you do — it’s about how your mind is trained to respond under pressure. The Mental Game of High Performance The science behind

Stress gets a bad reputation. But in the correct dose, it sharpens us. Focuses us. Prepares us to perform. The keyisn’t avoiding stress—it’s learning how to ride the curve. And at the heart of that curve is a powerful hormone:cortisol. Unlike epinephrine, which spikes quickly and fades fast, cortisol is the body’s longer-term stress signal. It rises in the morning to get us going, peaks with challenge, and ideally tapers off by night. But if it stays elevated—or never rises a

Today is all about a brain hack that is both fun, and a highly effective programming tool! Celebrating!!! Do you understand the power of your brain? If you do, how much time do you spend optimising your brain’s computing power? Or reprogramming old patterns (habits) that no longer serve you? “….the human brain is much more advanced and efficient and has more raw computing power than the most impressive supercomputers ever built.” [i]  John Staughton Even the most powerful sup

When we think about motivation, we often look outside ourselves—deadlines, pressure, praise. But one of the most potent drivers of action...

The demand for “High performance” is everywhere—in boardrooms, workplaces and the hustle of entrepreneurial business. It sounds good. It...

Sleep is often the first sacrifice and the last priority in high-performance environments. But here’s the truth: if we’re serious about...

When we talk about resilience in Defence, we often think of toughness, grit, and pushing through when thingsget hard. But resilience...

Who in your professional life consistently lifts your energy, sharpens your thinking, or anchors your sense of purpose?

If dopamine is our motivation molecule, epinephrine acts as our on-switch. Also known as adrenaline, this chemical surges when we're...

You had to be a “natural” – An instinctive, high-speed decision-maker under pressure. You had to work hard. Relentlessly. With unshakable...

I am a woman and I am a master of camouflage. Like many of us, I learned camouflage to protect myself from the dangers of being seen.  ...

What is high performance? When we think of high performance, images of peak physical condition, mental sharpness, and exceptional skills...