About Abi
The story I once hid now sits at the heart of my work.
I was privately fostered at five weeks old by a white working-class family in Hastings, East Sussex.
For much of my life I carried questions about identity, belonging and where I fitted. I learned to keep parts of my experience quiet, believing it was safer that way.
Personal Storytelling & Leadership CoachTEDx SpeakerAuthor of Becoming VisibleRetreat facilitator featured in BAFTA-winning White Nanny, Black Child
The turning point
When the story I carried met a room willing to hear it.
Years later, an invitation to speak about my childhood at a Black History Month event changed something. I shared my story through tears. When I finished, the room stood and applauded.
I began to understand that the story I had been protecting could also become a way to connect. That experience did not erase what happened. It changed the meaning I chose to carry forward.
Today
Story and leadership belong together.
Alongside my lived experience, I bring decades of leadership and management practice. Today I speak, coach and facilitate with one belief at the centre: connection comes before expression. You do not need to tell everything. You need to understand what matters, what belongs to you, and what you choose to share.
I am a TEDx speaker, the author of Becoming Visible and a retreat facilitator featured in the BAFTA-winning documentary White Nanny, Black Child. My work has taken me into organisations, intimate circles and retreat spaces, always returning to the strength in our lived experience.
Organisations and stages
EY · Metropolitan Police · Bright Network · Cvent CONNECT Europe · TEDx Richmond
Your next step
What story are you ready to lead from?
Whether you’re organising an event or exploring your own next chapter, I’d love to hear from you.
There is power in your story.
Connection comes before expression. Step forward with intention.
A story worth sharing, from time to time.
Reflections on story, leadership and human connection. The newsletter is on its way. Until then, email Abi and ask to join the list.
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