On Mondays we like to share a short format interview with one of our wider Gather community members. Just a handful of questions with a generous helping of everyday inspiration to tuck into over your morning cuppa. This week, meet Grace.
Grace Marjorie Winstone Edy
(Yes, I have two middle names and yes, one of them is a boy's name - my parents have a cruel sense of humour!)
"There would be a million things I could tell my younger self, but she wouldn’t listen, fully hear or understand what I told her. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I had not taken the bumpy road to get here."
What part(s) of the world do you call home?
For me home is where the heart is so South Africa, Bermuda and England. If I'm being honest, I would throw Australia in there too. I'm a born and bred South African but I knew there was a big wide world waiting to be explored, so in my mid twenties I jetted off for some remote island living. Bermuda life was great fun with its pink beaches and turquoise waters but it always felt like a bit of a pit-stop. After getting myself some sidekicks in a dog (yay!) and a husband (eurgh! ;) ), we found ourselves settling down in Shalford in the UK (it's just outside Guildford) which is where you can currently find us. Aus will always be in my heart as my sister lives there. So while I've never lived there per say it feels like home whenever I visit - a space of complete love and support. What is your industry, hustle, current project or passion?
I am a Life and Leadership Coach but prior to that I was an accountant working in reinsurance. Over the last couple of years, I have been actively pursuing my passion (to become a coach) and now my passion is my career and I could not be happier! What’s an important moment that signified a first step towards where you are today? When I worked in finance I battled to prioritise myself and the things that were important to me. I kept promising myself I would have better work-life balance and kept trying to break bad habits, but I kept slipping back into old patterns that kept me feeling disconnected and directionless. I worried that I would wake up in 5 years still not having made progress with the things that truly mattered to me. On top of that, I was frustrated because I was trying and trying and trying to move forward but no progress was being made. One day when I was overworked, unfulfilled, and frustrated, I hit rock bottom. It makes my heart sink even typing that out. I was exhausted and lost. Then, after engaging with a personal coach, I found I needed a total shift in my way of thinking! And with that, I started to work on building my own self-worth from the inside out and from there I was inspired to start taking action towards owning my life and the direction it was going in.
Now I am confident in who I am and know that the choices I make support my dreams and happiness, and I think that is pretty amazing. And that’s why I focus on helping women in finance who are successful, but feel unfulfilled, so they too can step into their confidence and dreams. What is a moment you are proud of? I am not 100% sure when this moment was but the moment I realised that I wasn’t who I wanted to be and decided to do something about it.
What advice would you give your younger self today? There would be a million things I could tell my younger self, but she wouldn’t listen, fully hear or understand what I told her. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I had not taken the bumpy road to get here.
If I had to give 'advice' it would be this -
"You are braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Pooh.
In one word, what is the most important thing to you in life?
Faith.
P.s Faith, for me, is not religious; it's about trusting the world and trusting the journey that each of us is on.
Where can we find you?
I love connecting with others so please feel free to add me as a friend/connection on FB/LinkedIn: