Sandy’s mantra? It’s never too late to live your dreams. Sandy became an author in her fifties. In addition to writing, an allergic reaction to a treatment for intimate dryness during perimenopause launched Sandy out of semi-retirement to become the formulator and founder of award-winning HappyPause™ Balm. When not writing and heightening menopause awareness, Sandy enjoys helping others and hunting nautilus shells along the fringing reefs on the edge of The Coral Sea. Her latest book The Power to Rise Above about resilience and teenage bullying is out now.

Thank you for joining us here at The Corporate Escapists. Please introduce yourself to our reader. They love to know about you, your passion, and how you came to find and follow your passion.

G’Day! Its Sandy here. I was happily semi-retired on the edge of paradise until menopause hit. I struggled during perimenopause and as a result created a product to ensure other women wouldn’t struggle with the lack of a natural solution like I did. Now it is my mission to destigmatise menopause and open up conversations around midlife being our time to thrive.

Bob Proctor once quoted ‘To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all. But to believe in the unseen is both a trimuph and a blessing”. How important is it to you to have the belief within ones self?

Trust and belief in yourself is paramount. We all have moments of self-doubt, but we can’t let that diminish our secret mojo and the magic we have to offer others through what we do. The secret is to find a way to push through and kick that negative chatter to the curb. For some it is running, others yoga. For me it is simply creating a quiet space to sit, breathe, rest and recharge.

Tell us what the word “Trust” means to you?

Trust to me means do the work. Yes, we have to have a certain degree of trust in the universe, but we can’t just trust the universe then sit back and wait for everything we ever dreamed of to magically appear. The universe has our back, but only if we put the hard yakka in to make our dreams materialise.

What has been one of the biggest business ideas you have had and how did you have the trust and hope within yourself to implement it?

When I entered perimenopause, there were no natural solutions for dryness, which impacts over 70% of women over 45. NONE. So I created one. I did it because I had to. Desperation can be a powerful driving force. My innovation gave me my groove back.

Running your own business can be scary.  Success requires moments of trust and hope to push through to the next level. Tell us one of the moments you have had to push through to take your business to the next level?
Of course there are moments when you’re scared, we all have them, but you have to buckle up, hold on, and press the accelerator nonetheless. The hardest for me has been the financial hard times. In those moments, you have to press on with what you’ve got, but never stop believing in the good you are doing and the difference you are making. Cut back on non-essentials and keep shining through.

What is your favourite quote about trust and hope?
Way back in the 1980s I was having one of those usual teenage drama fueled meltdowns about a deadline or a project. My insightful glass-ceiling breaker Mum put this sticky note on my mirror: “Dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong.” To this day, it still drives me to action. That sticky note in her handwriting is one of my most treasured possessions.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start their own business
Leap! If you have a burning vision for a business that will make a difference to others, don’t hesitate, jump in and get going. The worst that can happen is you fail. Then, take in the lessons learned, pick yourself up, put your skates back on and try again. The only thing worse than not taking the leap? Regret.