The Gray Matter Mission: Helping Organisations Remember They’re Built Around Humans

Over 15 years ago, I made the decision to leave behind a secure, well-paid career and become a mature-age psychology student. At the time, I didn’t realise it would be the beginning of a career-long fascination with one question: Why do humans behave the way they do and how can our systems better support them?

My first role in community services was as a support worker in a behaviour change program, working with men who chose violence in their relationships. Over the next few years, I worked across domestic violence, alcohol and other drugs, homelessness, and mental health services. I worked alongside incredible people navigating incredibly complex circumstances.

But I noticed something. The people I supported weren’t just facing personal challenges. They were often battling systems that weren’t designed around their experience. Finding the right support, at the right time, shouldn’t feel like another obstacle to overcome.

That observation stayed with me.

After finishing my undergraduate psychology degree, I moved into aged care, delivering workforce and sector development projects. Looking back, this role changed the trajectory of my career. It was where I discovered co-design and co-production and it lit a fire in my belly that has never gone away. Suddenly I had a framework for something I had felt for years: The people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.

Co-design showed me what happens when organisations stop designing services for people and start designing them with people. This passion eventually led me to author Australia’s first co-design toolkit for the aged care sector (which you can download for free on my website).

Then came my entrepreneur era.

Together with my business partner, we created My Care My Choice, a TripAdvisor-style platform designed to help people navigate aged care, disability and mental health services. We built a directory of providers across Western Australia, incorporating ratings and reviews to give people greater transparency and choice. I ran the business for two years before selling it to an investor. At the same time, I launched Gray Matter Training & Consulting, specialising in co-design and client engagement.

And because apparently I enjoy making life complicated, I also completed my postgraduate degree in psychology, completing my thesis on transformational leadership. Sucker for punishment? Possibly. But it sparked another question: What if the biggest opportunity to improve services was changing organisations?

So I went looking for my next challenge. Then decided to make it slightly harder by packing my life into a suitcase and moving halfway across the world.

Enter my UK era.

Starting again professionally was humbling. I went from being established in my sector to being an unknown person in a new country, with no local networks or experience in the UK system. My first role was one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had. But it reinforced something I believe deeply: Culture matters. Leadership matters. The environment we create around people shapes what becomes possible.

So I decided it was time to pursue the leadership impact I had been looking for. Oh, and then COVID arrived. Perfect timing!

Enter my public servant era!

My next chapter was as a senior leader in adult social care with Staffordshire County Council, responsible for leading services and over 300 people through a global pandemic.

This role shaped me as a leader. I led transformation across workforce structures, digital systems, governance, quality improvement, practice models and service development, most of it done completely remotely.

But the thing I am most proud of? The changes lasted after I left. When I recently returned to Staffordshire, I saw teams continuing to build on that work. That’s when you know change has become embedded. Not when people comply, when people truly believe in it.

After six years overseas, it was time to come home to Perth. I returned with new experiences, new skills and a passion for strengthening community services in Western Australia. But my next chapter also reminded me of something important: Even passionate, capable people struggle in systems and cultures where humans are not supported to thrive.

Healthy organisations don’t happen by accident. They are intentionally built.

Which brings me here - Re-launching Gray Matter Training & Consulting.

My passion for co-design remains. But today my mission is broader: Helping organisations remember they are built around humans.

Because behind every process is a person. Behind every behaviour is a story. Behind every system is a human experience. I want to help organisations create cultures, systems and services where people can do their best work, and communities receive the best outcomes.

And because I apparently still love a challenge… My next one begins in 2027 when I return to university to study my Masters in Organisational Psychology. It feels like the perfect next step for me, and for Gray Matter.

If you’re passionate about leadership, human-centred organisations, co-design, or creating better systems, I’d love to connect. And if you’re in Perth, coffee is always welcome.