Janelle's Bio

Much of what I offer you in the way that I do comes from my own life experiences which include eating issues as a teenager, periods of depression and intense loneliness, high achieving, being an exchange student in Germany, marrying a widower and taking on the 3 children, fertility issues, miscarriage losses, offer of surrogacy, parenting 6 children with one with a disability, separation, divorce, financial humblings, sole parenting and running my first ever marathon in New York and I still have a smile on my face, a positive attitude and I make things happen! What I offer you from these experiences and from my own character and passion is:

Energy and enthusiasm to live a great life (not a lousy one)
Motivation and courage to branch out and step up
Creative ideas and solutions to any problem or obstacles
Greatly improved self confidence and confidence in your body
Massive support, a compassionate listening ear and a shoulder to lean on
Someone that believes in you and knows that everything is possible and that can become your reality.

Professional bio

Presenters Platform with Paulus Romijn (confidence in presenting especially in front of a camera
Presentation and Platform Skills with Christopher Howard
Breakthrough to Success and Performance Revolution Leadership programme
Sally Anderson Stepping Out Coaching programme
Diploma of Occupational Therapy
BA (Languages) and Post Graduate Diploma of Language Teaching
RSA Cambridge Certificate TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language)
Aquarian Healing
NZ First Light Flower essences
Natural Fertility (Francesca Naish)
Post Abortion Healing (PATHS)
Celebrant studies (AUT)
Other short courses and workshops – particularly in personal and spiritual development

Over the years, I have worked in Occupational Therapy, teaching, counselling and group facilitation roles – predominantly focusing on women’s health, well-being, self empowerment, quality information and educational resources and personal and spiritual growth.

I worked in Psychiatry at Auckland Hospital particularly in the acute area and also with the eating disorders team. At the Bethany Centre in Auckland I worked in a counselling role and ran the residential life-skills programme for young pregnant women and facilitated groups for prospective adoptive parents. I have also taught in Community Education with a variety of cultures and have balanced this with a very busy family life.

In 2004 I founded and created Vital Peace and since then I have predominantly worked with women in a coaching and healing capacity, facilitating group work and workshops and I was also the leader of a small, but lovely Vital Peace community – supporting other health and wellness professionals in a personal and professional capacity. Since 2004 some of the resources and workshops I have created include:

Feminine identity – discovering and loving the real woman in me
Still blossoming – allowing your true essence to bloom –personal and spiritual development
Stillness and Simplicity – simplicity in a complex world
From Motherhood to Loverhood / Intimacy starts with “I”
The Confidence Club

I have also written for online magazines, networking groups and other publications including Her Business and Family Health Diary. Click here for my articles that are part of the Confident Me series plus other articles and poems.

2009 was a year of marking new lines in the sand – both personally and professionally, hence my rebranding under Janelle – the essence of being yourself. This has been my own professional “marker” of stepping up as leader, speaker and confidence coach and writer which has grown out of me continuing to re-define and refine myself and my life.

During 2010, I began public speaking particularly within the health, wellness, fitness, creative arts and beauty fields, but also supporting business people who I had coached previously. I also facilitated a very successful Confidence Club - with participants experiencing huge shifts in their confidence. My more recent Reinvent Yourself fundraiser for my New York marathon charity CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust was a winning event.

2012 is about my stepping up more in my speaking, MC work and a series of Reinvent Yourself and What's possible events featuring myself, a special guest and emerging creative talent. The focus is on turning points and changes for the better. Themes include dealing with depression, disability, drug issues, grief and loss, stepping up with confidence. You name it.....there are huge possibilities here. Where I am wishing to make a difference is with charities, not for profit organisations, wellness centres, gyms, weight loss centres, beauty clinics, Women's Refuge and other women's groups ...in fact anywhere where people are undergoing change, transition or even tragedy and who want to see not only light at the end of the tunnel, but get light whilst going through it! These events are also about people getting through the tough stuff and emerging out of that stronger, more confident and willing to make a difference in the world.

Defining the wealth of who I am and how I can help you

My key strengths are my creativity, intuitive abilities, and resourcefulness, my “let’s make it happen attitude” and the honesty and integrity that I bring with my own self-awareness – allowing others permission to open up, enquire into their lives and to make life-enhancing changes. Known for my enthusiasm and inspiring nature, my approach is a lot of fun, very personal and compassionate, yet highly challenging!
I am a visionary and a leader. I tend to lead rather than to follow and see the big picture as well as the individual steps.
I am a “zagger” rather than a “zigger”. I don’t typically fit the “norm”. In fact I have felt largely displaced all of my life but now feel at ease with “being myself”. My “place” now is supporting people to challenge the “status quo”, helping them define themselves and their individual path and supporting them walk that path.
I am a solution finder rather than a problem solver. I am highly creative, an ideas person extraordinaire and have a quick-thinking mind. I often see different perspectives on a situation and help people find “out of the square” solutions.
I love questions and the art of enquiry. I help people really dig deep by asking the questions that will help them get to the core and find their own answers to their “problems”. I work in a self-reflective way with people, rather than in a prescriptive way.
I like forward momentum. My expertise and ongoing commitment is to people who are serious about addressing “the hard stuff” and who want to get real and honest about their situation and who are willing to make changes and take new action. This is in contrast to someone who lacks commitment, has more investment playing “victim” and who finds excuses for not “moving on”.
I enjoy simplicity. From years of busy-ness, playing superwoman to the extreme and “suffering” the costs of that, I now choose a simple, quieter life doing things I enjoy doing - filling my soul with experiences that make me laugh and cry and having people in my life who see me in my greatness and inspire me to be great.
I am a down-to-earth and intuitive woman. A very grounded, practical, hard-working and intelligent Virgo, I am also very intuitive and enjoy a relationship with “Spirit” – this relationship being a very beautiful and unique part of the way that I work with people.
I am a hurdler of obstacles. My determined streak has given me the ability to jump the hurdles of my life with relative determination, courage, calmness and finesse and I help others do the same.
I am very resourceful, versatile and adaptable. My skills lie in determining individual or collective needs and creating the environment and resources, both material and personal, which will best support the desired outcome. I comfortably fit into many different situations with a variety of people.
I am a connector of people. I believe when people share connection and a common belief and intention, everything is possible and change can happen on a grand scale. Building and providing strong communities that support people holistically is an important foundation for people to grow, develop and shine.
I speak my mind and demand the best of myself and others. This has placed me in a very open firing range for attack because these qualities can be misinterpreted as “judgemental and critical”. I choose however to see people’s potential, to help them do things to the best of their ability and to see expansive possibilities rather than a more limited view of life.