Where it All Began

Most seven-year-olds pick up sticks and rocks.

I picked up a Blue-tongued lizard and rested it on my shoulder

I don't remember exactly why. Perhaps I was curious. Perhaps I wanted to make sure it was safe. More likely, I was simply drawn to it. Whatever the reason, that single moment sparked a fascination with animals that has shaped every stage of my life.

Like many Australians, I grew up captivated by David Attenborough. I dreamed of becoming a zookeeper—and I was fortunate enough to achieve exactly that.

Working with Australian native wildlife taught me far more than husbandry. It taught me how to observe. To slow down. To pay attention.

Animals don't use words, but they communicate constantly.

They show us.

Whether it's a subtle change in behaviour, a shift in body language or simply something that doesn't feel quite right, observation is often the difference between recognising a problem early and missing it altogether. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my entire career.

My passion and admiration for animals naturally led me into veterinary nursing. I wanted to do more than care for them—I wanted to help them heal. What drew me to nursing wasn't just the medicine. It was the connection. Every animal has its own personality, its own way of communicating and its own relationship with the people who love them.

I've celebrated recoveries with families, and I've sat quietly beside them as they said goodbye to lifelong companions. Those moments never become routine. They remind me that veterinary medicine is as much about people as it is about animals.

What I didn't expect was that some of the greatest challenges inside a veterinary practice weren't clinical at all.

They were human.

Communication.

Leadership.

Trust.

Confidence.

Team dynamics.

Burnout.

Over more than twenty-five years spent working across wildlife conservation, veterinary nursing, leadership, business ownership, education and consultancy, I began to notice a pattern. No matter the size of the organisation or where it was located, many of the same challenges kept appearing. They weren't caused by a lack of knowledge or technical skill. More often, they came down to people trying their very best under increasing pressure.

The turning point in my career came when a veterinary practice owner asked for my help—not as a veterinary nurse, but as someone who could observe, listen and offer a different perspective.

At first, I wasn't sure I was the right person.

Like many of us, I underestimated what years of experience had quietly taught me.

Throughout my career, incredible mentors and leaders saw strengths in me that I hadn't fully recognised myself. They encouraged me to step into leadership, trust my judgement and back my ability to make a difference. Their belief gave me the confidence to say yes when opportunities appeared.

When I walked into that first consultancy role, I quickly realised something important.

Practice owners don't always need someone to tell them how to run their business.

They already know their practice.

What they often need is someone independent who can see what has become difficult to see from the inside.

Someone who isn't caught in personalities or politics.

Someone who listens without judgement.

Someone who sees the whole picture.

Someone who can connect the dots.

By quietly observing daily workflows, listening to every member of the team and understanding different perspectives, I discovered that many of the answers already existed within the practice. They simply needed someone to uncover them.

That's when Frog Rock Consulting truly began. Not because I wanted to build another business. Because I realised I could help create meaningful change.

One practice.

One team.

One conversation at a time.

Today, I don't walk into practices pretending to have all the answers.

I walk in with fresh eyes.

I observe.

I listen.

 I ask questions.

Because the people closest to the work often hold the answers—they just need someone independent to help bring them to the surface.

That's what I love most about this work.

 Every practice has a story. Every team has strengths, challenges and untapped potential. I simply have the privilege of helping people see what's already there. Because when one practice changes, the ripple effect reaches every team member, every client and every animal that walks through its doors.

Looking back, I think everything began with that Blue-tongued lizard. Not because I picked it up—but because I needed to understand it.

More than forty years later, that's the first thing I do when I walk into a veterinary practice.

I observe.

I listen.

I ask questions.

Because real change begins with understanding.