We recently connected with Leanne Ross and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Leanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I quit my high paying job and bought a one way solo ticket to another country. I switched my 2 bedroom house to live in a 20 bed dormitory in a hostel with people I did not know. I switched my Kurt Geiger heels to Havana flip flops and my designer handbags were exchanged for a backpack. I dramatically altered everything in my life. I knew all of what I was giving up but had no idea what I was looking to gain as a result.

In the grand scheme of things, and in the moment, I felt that I had given up everything for nothing. And after making this huge life changing decision, risking it all, I was able to realise that I had made a huge mistake in my judgement; I didn’t give up everything for nothing… I gave up nothing for everything.

I lived a fairly lucrative life in 2016, having graduated from University, working in a high paying graduate job where I met my two best friends. I had been on the property ladder for several years and had everything going for me at that point.

One night, however, all of that changed.

I remember what happened before, what happened after but the actual incident is still a bit of a blur. I guess the brain will do anything to forget such an incident. When someone intentionally sets fire to your hair it hits you on many different levels. Your sense of safety firstly. My sense of identity was also tarnished. My self worth, my trust in humanity. My faith. It all changed after this incident. It broke me. I was diagnosed with acute stress disorder. I kept reminding myself that I was extremely fortunate where, although damage was done to my hair, I did not go up in flames myself. The bleach in my hair and flammable hairspray made me an inevitable fire hazard and, to this day, I count my blessings that not only my hair survived but so did I.

“The fire could have burnt all of your hair and its follicles in a matter of seconds and your hair would never have grown back” – said my hairdresser.
“You could have been burnt alive” – said my family.
“Someone was watching over you that night” – said my Reiki Healer.
“If you can’t handle situations like this, then you aren’t a very good social worker” – said the devil. (Seriously – someone did actually say this to me!)
“It was like someone blew out the flame as soon as your hair caught fire” said my friend, who had witnessed the assault.

Why had I not gone up in flames that night? Why could I not move forward? Why did I feel that this was changing my perspective on things? Why did my life not feel enough anymore?
Why did I feel I needed to leave my life, knowing that it meant leaving some of the most important people in my life behind?
It made no sense but somehow it did. I couldn’t follow common sense, I couldn’t follow the advice of people who were trying to ‘talk sense’ into me. I needed this. I needed to drastically leave the broken part of me behind. And in order to do that I needed to give up everything in my life so I could try and make sense of this sudden urgency to do so. But I was so numb. So detached from everything after the incident. I knew I needed to do something drastic. Something that would allow me to feel again. And this helped me to see what a pivotal moment in my life this was. It was a time where I had to consider what path I needed to take moving forward. Things felt different now.

This situation broke me in many ways. But the fire actually sparked more than my hair that night. It ignited my desire to live. To truly live. To really understand what happiness was. I began to recognise that I wasn’t truly happy in my life. My job was extremely stressful, my mental health was crumbling and the money felt no longer of value. Designer labels no longer felt essential, things that had once brought me joy now felt superficial and unimportant. I was constantly in my head. Desperately trying to figure out how, on paper, my life was great but why I still felt miserable. This traumatic incident put things into perspective; how valuable life really is. Superficial happiness was no longer enough for me.

6 months later I had left my high paying job, house, family, friends and lucrative lifestyle and embarked on a one way ticket to the furthest place I could reach; Australia.

Being in Australia gave me space to breathe. It gave me a place to understand what I was looking for and how I wanted to move forward. I wanted to be the creator of my own life and stop settling for a lifestyle that didn’t make me happy. I recognised that I also wanted to completely change my career. Being a social worker was a rewarding job but I wanted to support people in a deeper, more expansive way.

I remember lying on the beach one day, immersed in the Australian sunshine, feeling fully present. I gave myself permission to pursue happiness at that moment.
“I want this for others too” I thought. I decided to be a Life Coach in that moment.

It’s hard to put into words how much Australia changed my whole perception of the world. It’s truly a humbling experience when you travel around such a beautiful country. You share your space with people you don’t know but connect with the majority of people because everyone who is backpacking seems to be soul searching. You learn about love, culture and values on such a deep level that it is impossible to revert to your old way of life. Your appreciation for nature grows and your understanding of being truly present in the moment expands so much so that you yearn for moments of self reflection and peace every day. Australia was a totally different way of life and created a unique, impressionable and beautiful experience for me. I learnt the true value of living and the need to follow your heart. Me risking it all did not make sense to some but, for me, it made all the sense in the world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Leanne Ross and I am the Founder of Happylieuya Coaching and Mentoring. I support people who have experienced high stress, burn out and are ready to live the life they never thought possible. I support people to heal in a way that feels right for them and engage them in techniques to redefine themselves after experiencing adversity. My coaching model includes 1:1 and group coaching programmes, workshops, training and intricate analysis strategic planning. My framework focuses on exploring dynamics, holistic modelling, mindset shifting, stress management, emotional regulation and setting your stage to success through effective goal setting and achieving. I ensure that my approach is personalised to individual needs and caters to all different perspectives and preferences.

My social media is full of tips and tricks for wellbeing and I am about to release my new podcast ‘Turning Moments into Movements’ which aims to explore how to take small steps which contribute to creating bigger changes in your life.

I got into the coaching space because I was on my own journey of healing and recovery. I’d spent many years researching, exploring and learning many different ways to heal and grow. I’m also a Social Worker, Certified Coach, Law of Attraction Practitioner, Trauma Trainer and have a Counselling certificate. This helps me to bring many different styles and expertises to my coaching space; which is what makes my programme so unique!

I’m really proud of the business that I’ve built. It is an honour to support so many people and walk alongside them during their healing journey.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Self limiting beliefs were my biggest lesson to unlearn when building my business. We are all conditioned, as humans, from birth, and this can impact our beliefs about ourselves. We learn how to be, what to be, what not to be, how to present in certain situations, what to say, what not to say and what is realistic and unrealistic in our lives.
We are taught that, in order to fit in we need to blend in. Having so many beliefs about what I needed to be, do and even feel as a woman made it really hard to break away from the limits that had been instilled within me. I began to learn about the process of challenging my self limiting beliefs, how to reframe my thoughts and how to use self compassion and self love to break down my internal barriers.

Challenging other people’s beliefs about myself was also a struggle. The more I developed and changed, the further I moved away from my broken self. Being confident, showing up, making bold decisions, taking risks and shifting away from the social norms that I no longer felt aligned with, brought newfound challenges. I lost friendships, relationships and quit my social work career because so much had shifted within me.

Unlearning self limiting beliefs can lead to uncertainty, rawness and humility. But I promise you, if you keep going you will get to know yourself on a level that you have never experienced before. Being your authentic self is one of the most beautiful gifts you can ever give to yourself. Which is why it is one of my main pillars within my coaching framework!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is all about manifesting what you want to bring into your life. It inspired me to undertake my certification in the Law of Attraction and is still one of the most powerful books I have ever read. I’d also recommend The Power, The Magic and The Hero; all fantastic philosophical concepts to explore and consider.

Whole Again, by Jackson McKenzie, is one of the most profound books that I have read in respect of understanding the process of healing and recovery. This book really helped to pave the way to my own healing journey and allows me to support others in a similar space.

Whether it’s reading, watching, listening or observing, I love expanding my knowledge and understanding, for my own self development, but also to ensure that my clients receive the best level of support that they deserve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://happylieuyalifecoaching.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happylieuya/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085000058398
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/happylieuyalifecoaching/

Image Credits

Scott Baxter/DC Thomson Press and Journal