I Didn’t Learn Presence From a Book.
I learned it through breath, performance, pressure, burnout, and coming back to myself.
Where It Began (Breath + Voice)
I began studying the mechanics of breath at thirteen — not through meditation, but through classical vocal training.
Breath control wasn’t optional. It was everything.
Understanding the diaphragm, intercostals, airflow, muscular support — this was the foundation of my singing career.
Interestingly, around the same time I began deeply studying breath mechanics, my lifelong asthma symptoms disappeared.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it.
Looking back, I understand: breath was already teaching me something bigger.
It wasn’t just about performance.
It was about regulation. Capacity. Power.
And access.
The Shy Introvert Who Learned to Be Visible
I was not the loud child.
I was thoughtful. Observant. Introverted.
Acting training in Melbourne and later in London changed everything — not because it made me “more confident,” but because it gave me tools.
Tools to steady the breath under adrenaline.
Tools to quiet the mind before stepping on stage.
Tools to let visibility feel safe — at least for a moment.
That training took a shy young woman and taught her how to access presence when it mattered.
Not by becoming someone else.
But by learning how to work with the body instead of against it.
That distinction would shape my life’s work.
Pressure in the Real World
In my twenties, I moved to London without knowing a single person.
Within a week, I had a place to live, an agent, and a job.
Over the next five years, I worked across theatre, film, and television — constantly stepping beyond comfort, constantly navigating nerves, rejection, performance, and visibility.
This wasn’t theoretical pressure.
It was real.
And I learned something critical:
Confidence isn’t a personality trait.
It’s access.
Access to breath.
Access to voice.
Access to self.
Teaching, Leadership, and Service
In 2011, I moved to Florida with my husband and began a new chapter — motherhood and teaching.
At the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, I worked with young performers, underserved communities, and all-abilities organizations.
This season shifted me.
I began to see that the tools that helped performers regulate nerves were the same tools leaders needed in boardrooms.
The same tools teens needed when speaking up.
The same tools facilitators needed when holding space.
This work expanded into speaking for leadership organizations, universities, and teens.
And yet — behind the scenes — life was building pressure.
Burnout and the Turning Point
When Covid hit, I was raising two small children while trying to sustain work, leadership, and identity.
The pressure compounded.
And yet — during that same period — I chose to deepen my craft. From 2020–2022, I completed my Master Teaching Artist Certification, refining my ability not just to perform or speak, but to train others at the highest level.
It was an intense season — personally and professionally.
And eventually, the weight of doing everything at once caught up with me.
In 2022, my husband and I made the difficult decision to leave our jobs and move to Stockholm, Sweden for a year to recover from burnout.
That year changed everything.
It was in Sweden that I experienced structured breathwork for the first time.
For the first time in a long time, I felt connected to myself — not the performer, not the achiever, not the “strong one.”
Just me.
Underneath the armor.
Underneath the roles.
That experience led me to train with Hale Center, where I completed an intensive 10-month program and continued through all levels of their training.
Today, I serve as a Trainer in their Breath Coach Certification alongside founder Johnny Oduya, with my focus being on facilitation and embodied leadership.
Engage Breathwork
When we returned to South Florida in 2023, Engage Breathwork was born.
Not as a trend.
Not as a spiritual bypass.
But as a practical, science-informed platform to help people access themselves again.
Since then, I’ve spoken and facilitated workshops for leadership organizations, schools, and professionals on finding your authentic voice and stepping into your power — using the most underutilized tool we have: the breath.
Why This Matters for You
Everything I teach comes from lived experience.
From being the introvert who learned to step into visibility.
From navigating performance pressure.
From teaching thousands of students.
From burnout.
From rebuilding.
If you’re here, you likely don’t need more information.
You need access.
Access to your voice when adrenaline hits.
Access to your authority when the room is watching.
Access to your authentic self — not the version you think you should be.
This work isn’t about adding something to you.
It’s about removing what blocks you.
So you can lead, speak, facilitate, and show up in a way that feels aligned — and powerful.