From Personal Struggle to Purposeful Solution: The Story Behind DAWWN

Great programmes are often born from a mix of passion and pain — and the DAWWN programme is no exception. Its roots lie in a chapter of my life that was both professionally successful and personally challenging. It’s a story I’ve carried with me, and now it shapes the work I do to support organisations and their people.

A Thriving Team, A Silent Struggle

At the time, I was leading a high-performing department. The team was thriving, and we were delivering excellent results. I was proud — not only of the outcomes but of the culture we had built. The management team, in particular, were exceptional. To show my appreciation, I took them out for lunch and wrote each of them a personal card, expressing what I valued most about their contribution.

It was during that lunch that one of them said something that stuck with me: “It’s nice to have a boss that smiles every day.” It was meant as a compliment, and at face value, it was. But inside, it stirred something deeper.

The Truth Behind the Smile

Just days later, my son came to me visibly upset. His words broke me open: “It’s hard to see your mum in a hole you can’t get her out of.” That moment held a mirror to my reality.

The truth was, behind the smile my team saw every day, I was battling a season of intense struggle. The increasing demands, the fast-paced environment, and the weight of responsibility were taking a toll. I loved my job, I loved my team — but burnout was slowly creeping towards my door. And perhaps, like so many leaders, I was in quiet denial that it was happening at all.

The Birth of DAWWN

That season — the passion for my work and the pain of my reality — is what gave birth to DAWWN. It’s the programme I wish I’d had back then. It’s the intervention that would have given me a healthier, more sustainable way to navigate leadership and wellbeing.

A Threefold Approach to Workplace Wellbeing

DAWWN isn’t a one-size-fits-all wellbeing initiative. It’s a carefully designed, threefold intervention that addresses the individual, the team, and the organisation as a whole:

• 1:1 Coaching: Time and space for personal reflection, offering leaders the opportunity to acknowledge, process, and work through the reality of their experience. Coaching supports both performance and wellbeing — two things that should never be in opposition.

• Group Coaching: A space to unearth and explore the unspoken — the dynamics, challenges, and unvoiced tensions that often shape a team’s culture and performance. When these conversations are held with care, they unlock powerful transformation.

• Workshops: Practical, hands-on sessions that provide tools and techniques for everyday wellbeing. These workshops build both self-awareness and social awareness — equipping people to care for themselves and each other.

A New DAWWN for Organisations

DAWWN is more than a programme — it’s a metaphor for what’s possible when we take workplace wellbeing seriously. It’s about bringing light to the often-hidden struggles within teams, creating space for real conversations, and equipping people with the skills to thrive — not just survive — at work.

In essence, DAWWN is exactly what its name suggests: a new beginning. A new way of approaching workplace wellbeing. A new commitment to ensuring that behind every smile — there’s a person who feels genuinely supported, seen, and well.