MY JOURNEY TO BUILD MONDAY HR: WHY I AM OBSESSED WITH WORK

Ever since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by the way people work. My dad was an air traffic controller and a manager, and I was captivated by the world he operated in. The control tower, the constant communication, the teamwork, the pressure, and the leadership it demanded. Even as a child, I could see that work wasn’t just about tasks; it was about people.

At 13, I landed my first job at Boost Juice. I couldn’t wait to earn my own money and feel independent. From there, I never really stopped working. Cafés, bars, private nannying, and even a ski season in Canada selling lift tickets. These jobs gave me incredible memories, but more importantly, they built my curiosity about workplaces and what makes them tick.

When I started university, I studied Communications, which combined marketing and management. It was the management side that hooked me. The theories, the models, the role of people leaders in shaping workplace culture. I couldn’t get enough.

My first professional role was in a corporate law firm as a HR and marketing coordinator. It was fast-paced and high-pressure, but I loved it. I learned how to manage my time, present myself, and thrive in a professional environment. From there, I joined a HR consulting firm and, at just 23, I began honing my skills as a consultant. That was over ten years ago and I’ve never looked back.

Along the way, I completed a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management, studied while working full time, and constantly looked for ways to stretch myself further. For years, I worked under senior consultants before stepping up to lead my own projects.

Eventually, in 2019, I took the leap to start my own business: Monday HR. Building Monday HR from the ground up has been one of the greatest challenges and rewarding feats of my life. Over the past six years, I’ve worked alongside hundreds of managers across industries, coaching them to become confident, capable people leaders. I’ve seen every type of HR issue under the sun (think grievances, harassment cases, salary decisions, hiring and firing).

In growing Monday HR, I’ve also had the chance to build and lead my own team, creating a workplace where we all look forward to Mondays. I have 4 employees currently (a small team – just the way I like it!). I’ve had to walk the walk and negotiate pay rates, delegate work, give constructive feedback and foster a positive culture.

The same year I started m business, I met my husband (funny story – he was actually my first client but that’s a story for another time!). He was in the middle of opening a large hospitality venue in Perth while running a retail liquor store. Together, we’ve since expanded that retail business to three locations, now employing around 100 staff across the hospitality, retail and HR businesses. Between the two of us, we’ve seen firsthand the responsibility of managing livelihoods, weekly payroll processes and workplace culture at scale.

Through it all, one obsession has remained constant: people at work. I’ve devoured countless books on leadership and culture, tested theories in consulting, and gained firsthand experience as a business owner and manager. I’ve completed coaching courses and many weeknights absorbed in content from creators and leaders in this space, from all around the world.

Over the last decade, I’ve (unknowingly) been working on crafting a complete toolkit for growing and nurturing leaders.

And soon, I want to share that knowledge with you.

Stepping into your first people leadership role can feel overwhelming. Suddenly, you’re expected to be a mentor, counsellor, coach, recruiter, and problem-solver, all while doing your day job. Most managers are thrown into the deep end without training or support.

That’s why I’m creating Master of Mondays. This will be a self-paced course which distils ten years of lessons, experiences, and strategies into the essentials. No fluff, no jargon, just practical tools to help you build confidence, clarity, and capability as a first-time manager.

It will be your secret weapon. Inside the online course, I’ll guide you through the fundamentals of people management: how to set expectations, hold feedback conversations, establish your leadership style, and build a rhythm that supports your team. You’ll also get scripts, models, and real-world examples you can apply straight away.

Because leadership doesn’t have to feel like guesswork. With the right tools, you can step into your role with confidence and maybe even start looking forward to Mondays.

This course is due to launch in late 2025. Sign up to the Monday HR newsletter to be the first to hear about it.