Hi, I'm Hayley.
I know that feeling. The one where you're standing in a life you worked so hard to build in a new country, but you catch your reflection and wonder, "Who is that person?"You're still the same capable, ambitious professional you were back home. But here, something is missing. The easy confidence, the sense of belonging, the feeling that you are truly seen for who you are.I know this because I've lived it. For over 20 years, from the UK to Australia, I navigated the complex journey of being a first-generation immigrant from South Africa. I built a career as an educator and leader, raised a family, and ticked all the boxes of "success." But for years, I struggled with that quiet, persistent feeling of being an outsider in my own life.My work was born from that struggle. It's not just about helping you "succeed." It's about guiding you through the profound process of reconnecting with your roots so you can finally, truly, thrive. It's about helping you build a life abroad that isn't just successful, but is deeply and authentically yours.Because you don't need to choose between honouring your heritage and building your future. You can have both.
The Day I knew something had to change:
For twenty years, my heart belonged to education. I poured everything I had into my roles as a teacher, a leader, and eventually, an Assistant Principal. The next logical step was a promotion I had worked towards for years. I was confident. I was ready.
And I didn't get it.
Â
Sitting in my car after that meeting, I felt something I hadn't experienced since my early immigrant days: the crushing realisation that maybe I didn't belong where I thought I did. That rejection was more than just a professional disappointment; it was a profound identity crisis. It forced me to stop and ask the questions I had been too busy to face: Was I just chasing titles? Did I still believe in the system I was working so hard to climb?
And in that quiet, uncomfortable space, I realised the part of my job that truly lit me up had nothing to do with my title.
It was the conversations in those multicultural school grounds with parents and staff who, like me, were professional immigrants. The brilliant engineer working as a teaching aide. The former marketing director struggling to translate her experience. The doctor retraining because her qualifications "didn't count here." It was seeing their incredible talent and ambition dimmed by the daily struggle to fit in. It was recognising my own story in their eyes—the feeling of being a stranger in a new professional world, the exhaustion of explaining yourself in rooms where you used to command respect, the challenge of raising children between two cultures, the deep ache for a community that just gets it.
In that moment, everything clicked into place. My true calling wasn't just to lead a school; it was to guide the people who reminded me so much of myself. I realised this was still teaching—just a different kind of classroom, with students who needed what I'd learned to survive and thrive as an immigrant.
My work today honours every part of this journey. My deep passion has always been to make a real difference in people's lives, to truly help them transform. I've learned that the most powerful coaching happens when strategy meets deep understanding—when someone who has walked your exact path can offer both the map and the encouragement for the road ahead.
For years, I thought I had to choose between the person I was and the person I was becoming. I thought I had to quiet my South African spirit to fit into a British or Australian mould.
I was wrong.Â
The most beautiful and powerful version of you isn't one or the other. It's the one that learns to hold both. It's the one that weaves the threads of your heritage into the fabric of your future. My work isn't about helping you "fit in." It's about giving you the tools to expand, so you can build a life that has enough space for every part of who you are.
Beyond the Work...
You can usually find me navigating the beautiful chaos of motherhood, fueled by my daily latte. My life is a blend of quiet moments and loud ones—from walking the nature trails here in Perth with my cavoodle, Milo, my constant shadow and walking buddy, to singing along to my favorite songs in the car.
A piece of my heart will always live in the mountains of the Drakensberg, but I've learned to find peace in the new landscapes of my life. These are the things that keep me grounded. They are the reminders that building a life abroad isn't just about the big, strategic moves; it's about finding joy, faith, and connection in the small, everyday moments. It's about turning strangers into friends, and slowly, surely, making a new place feel like home
Â
Find Your Place in the Founding CircleAfter walking this path for over two decades, I've learned something important:The journey from surviving to thriving doesn't have to take years when you have the right support. That's why I created Rooted & Rising — to be the community and guidance I wish I'd had.
If my journey resonates with you, please know that you don't have to navigate yours alone. The confusion, the self-doubt, and the search for belonging are all part of the path—but they don't have to be the destination. I created Rooted & Rising to be the map and the community I wish I'd had all those years ago.Â
Get Your Free Guide:
FROM LOST TO FOUND:
Rediscovering Your Identity Abroad
We won't send spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
I
For daily guidance on the journey,
 Join me on Instagram ⤵
