How nearly losing my life from a petrol bomb attack shaped my mission to help others face their challenges
Did you know I was the first Australian woman to be booked to speak on the Million Dollar Round Table main platform two years in a row?
For those outside the speaking and events industry, that may simply sound like a wonderful career achievement. Within the industry, it is significant. MDRT generally brings new speakers to its main platform each year, so being invited back told me that my first keynote had made the kind of impact they wanted their audience to experience again.
I spoke in Nashville to 6,500 professionals and returned the following year in Dubai to an audience of 5,000. I was later invited to submit again, which remains an extraordinary acknowledgement of my work on stage.
These experiences are career highlights, but they also connect deeply to the work I now do: showing people that some of our most meaningful contributions can emerge from circumstances we would never have chosen.
From Crisis to Contribution
Years ago, at around 4 a.m., I found myself in a moment of unimaginable fear and despair. Petrol bombs had been thrown at my bungalow with the clear intention of burning me and my team alive. The overwhelming cocktail of emotions – shock, shame, guilt, fear, and rage – flooded over me.
At that moment, the idea that anything good could ever come from such a harrowing experience seemed impossible. But over time, life has a way of surprising us.
Turning Trauma into Tools
The journey from that dark chapter to where I stand today hasn’t been linear. It has taken time, therapy, medication, and, yes, many late-night dates with a block of chocolate. Eventually, though, I was able to process the lessons from that adversity and transform them into something meaningful: practical frameworks to help others navigate their own moments of crisis.
I call these “petrol bomb moments”. They aren’t always as literal as my experience – they can be grief, redundancy, bankruptcy, harassment, or any unexpected and overwhelming challenge that life throws our way. While we can’t control these events, we can learn strategies to move forward, step by step.
Helping Others Build Resilience
The frameworks I’ve developed are designed to empower professionals to handle unpredictable business challenges and unrelenting change with grace and grit. Whether it’s association members, conference attendees, or workplace teams, my goal is to equip others with tools to face their own petrol bomb moments and emerge stronger on the other side.
Standing Ovations: A Testament to what I share
One of the most humbling moments in my career came while sharing these frameworks on those big stages that I mentioned earlier. At the MDRT conferences, I spoke to 6,500 professionals in Nashville, USA, and another 5,000 in Dubai, UAE. In both cities, I was honoured with standing ovations after my keynote presentations from the audiences…plus I had hundreds waiting to have selfies with me when I came off stage. I felt like Beyoncé! Ha ha. But when I put my ego aside, it is these moments that reaffirm why I do what I do. How lucky am I to have that kind of impact on people – not just to inspire, but to leave them with practical, life-changing tools to face their own challenges with strength and hope. Again, this is not what I ever thought would come from that awful crime.
From Adversity to Opportunity
Looking back, it’s humbling to see how life has transformed those darkest hours of mine into a purpose-driven career. Speaking at global events like MDRT is not just an honour but also an opportunity to share these insights with professionals worldwide.
So, as I prepare for what’s next, my message is this: resilience isn’t about avoiding challenges or bouncing back – it’s about learning, growing, and ultimately bouncing forward.
If you’re looking for a speaker who can inspire and equip your audience to handle work (and life’s) unpredictable challenges, let’s have a conversation. I’d love to help your audience build their professional resilience so they can thrive in this ever-changing world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can overcoming adversity help us support others?
Living through adversity can deepen our understanding of pressure, uncertainty and difficult choices. The most useful lessons come when we turn those experiences into practical ideas that help others respond to their own challenges.
What does professional resilience mean?
Professional resilience is the ability to keep thinking clearly, making considered decisions and moving forward when work becomes difficult, uncertain or disrupted. It is a practical capability that can be developed over time.
Can resilience be learned?
Yes. Resilience develops through experience, self-awareness, useful frameworks and repeated practice. We may not be able to control what happens around us, but we can improve how we respond when circumstances test us.
How can keynote speakers inspire resilience in an audience?
A keynote speaker can make resilience feel relevant by combining credible lived experience with practical ideas the audience can use afterwards. The story may capture attention, but the value comes from helping people connect those lessons to their own work and decisions.
