How it all began...
Huge breakthroughs in your life don't always come in the form of a long peaceful yoga retreat...
Sometimes they come in the form of a breakdown after years of squeezing yourself into boxes to please other people and with the number one frustration I hear from brides/bridesmaids being the same thing, I'm here to prevent that happening to you.
Wedding & Hen Party planning is HARD WORK and it's so easy to become overwhelmed with it all. Trying to please other people is absolutely the number one frustration I hear from brides or bridesmaids but it doesn't have to be this difficult.
The majority of my events experience is from a corporate environment and if you've ever worked in the same kind of environment, you'll understand how restricted it can feel. It's very traditional and limiting and if you're a creative person with lots of exciting ideas, it can lead to burnout trying to get your voice heard.
It's the same scenario with wedding/hen party planning and although we've broken a lot of traditional barriers, there's still a long way to go. Pleasing traditional parents being the number one barrier I think we need to break?
The general opinion in the corporate world seems to be breakdowns don't happen to happy, positive people but it's because of these outdated beliefs we feel like we need to put on a brave face when we're really struggling underneath. Mental health isn't selective and unfortunately it does affect happy, positive people.
It took me a long time to recover and don't think it's something you ever fully get over but holding onto it never did anyone any favours either. You can choose to live in a dark place forever or you can pick yourself up in the best way possible for you.
My recovery started with a fire walk and will be forever remembered as the day my life turned around for the better.
I can't remember how I discovered Mindshift Experiences but when I did, I wish I'd found them so much sooner because I've never been more impressed with a form of counselling in my life.
Before you walk over 100 degree hot coals, you're given a super powerful speech and asked to write down goals for yourself to reach in 6 months and I remember listening to Zoe and Paul, thinking I wanted to make people feel the same way - empowered.
So...feeling refreshed & revived with my new vision to make people feel empowered to be themselves with no apologies, the idea for Hen-Do was born...
Determined to prevent anyone experiencing what I did and on a mission to make people feel appreciated for what they love, I launched Hen-Do with the core value being to create personalised events with no rules. Full freedom to be yourself and celebrate everything you love with no added stress or judgement.
And so far it's been a great success! Every day I search for new activities to encourage you to fully be yourself and every day, I meet another incredible lady looking for a special experience created individually for them. And believe it or not, after almost 3 years, I still love waking up every day to such an amazing job!
I'm not saying a breakdown is going to turn your life around and I'm not saying a fire walk will fix all your problems...but if you step outside your comfort zone and start living life for you, you'll realise that you were actually pretty amazing all along. You just needed someone to remind you of your fabulousness.
If you don’t live for you, it drains your energy and then you’re exhausted by the time your hen party or wedding comes around and we all know planning a wedding is hard enough without any unnecessary stress added.
Everyone copes differently and this may not resonate with you but I still believe it's important to speak openly about my experience so you can understand the core values behind the brand and give yourself a little reminder it's ok to be yourself.
If you do feel like you ever need someone to talk to, message me anytime. Or if you ever fancy doing that fire walk...
Lesley x