Full time House & Pet Sitter, Mobile Hairdresser, Reiki Healing & Massage

Being self-employed gives me the flexibility and the choice to live the lifestyle that makes me happy. For the past 20 years I have been working my ass off working for others, and as a sole trader I was still working my ass off and paying high Sydney rent.

Working for others was something that I never enjoyed but the security of knowing that I would have a wage coming in each week was what kept me going. Self-employment is extremely rewarding, but it can also be a hard and unsettling journey that you must be very self-disciplined, otherwise you start to neglect your social life and your hobbies because your working hours are no longer 9 to 5. I was okay with this, but I think once you reach a certain part of your life, you start to question yourself and this is where a revaluation starts to take place.

My revaluation happened in 2018. I just got back to Australia from England. I said goodbye to my dear friend who suddenly passed away. The industry that I was working in no longer made me happy. I had lost my mojo and I wanted a change. Change is something at which I am very good at. I can adapt very easily to new situations, and I make things happen.

So, I moved back to Sydney, rented a space, and rebranded with a fresh look, new name, and new services. I usually give myself a three-year goal, but after two years and ten months I decided that I no longer wanted to continue with what I was doing. I was unhappy, unfit, and miserable. I felt stuck and I was not getting anywhere. Growing the business was something that I thought I wanted but to do this you need a team, which means responsibility for others, and this was not the path I wanted to go down.

In July 2022 at the flick of a switch, I started to think and see things differently. I closed the business, gave my rental notice and I started to make changes. I had so much to do and organize. I was so excited and scared but all this kept me busy and once again my happiness came back.

My original plan was to move to the beautiful Blue Mountains in NSW, but things happened along the way and then one morning I woke up and said to myself, “Wait a minute, I don’t want to move there, it’s not calling me, I am not ready”. So, this is where plan B came in. I would need to make a few changes. I wanted a new lifestyle where I did not have to pay rent so I could save to see my family as well as do some travelling. I knew that the cost of living in Sydney and paying the ridiculous high rent was stopping me from saving and even if I did move to the mountains, I would still be paying high rent and because the majority of my work was based in Sydney, I would have to drive into the city a few times a week, which is something that I was not prepared to do.

I remember about 10 years ago a friend of mine introduced me to House and Pet sitting. He would tell me how he stays in beautiful homes and travels to amazing locations and looks after people’s pets. At the time I thought what a fantastic way to live and how I wished I could do the same. So, I contacted my friend and ask him for advice and that is when I decided to investigate it further.

Growing up we always had dogs, cats, chickens, budgies, parrots, rabbits, guinea pigs you name it. I especially grew fond of cats; I understood them well. I always thought that one day I would end up as a cat lady looking after stray cats.

Since I moved out of home at the youthful age of sixteen, I have lived in shared accommodations where housemates have either a dog or cat, manly a cat. I have looked after other people’s animals many times while they go away on holidays. So, looking after pets is not a new thing to me.

On August 2022 I decided that I will take things on a professional level and paid for a one-year membership on a House and Pet sitting website. My next step was my work. I knew I did not want to go back to working for others. I still wanted to work as a hairdresser but not in a salon. I have a few close friends who I visit at their homes and cut their hair, so I thought why not do it professionally, so my next step was to go mobile.

This is where I am right now. I am now saving up to buy a minivan, so I have enough room to fit all my tools of the trade as well as my personal belongings.

So far, I have met some really lovely pet owners and have stayed in beautiful homes and of course I have really loved looking after their pets.

I am also a Reiki Master where I am still pursuing my training with the ASHATI Institute.

I acknowledge the traditional custodians and cultures of the lands and seas on which I live and work. I pay my respects to all First Nations peoples, elders and ancestors. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and stand in solidarity towards a shared future.