I felt overwhelmed with gratitude – for the sun on my face, the salt in my hair and the man I loved more and more every day. After we came out of the ocean, I took a selfie of our smiling faces and posted it on my Instagram page. I decided not to care that people would know I wasn’t at the office, that I’d taken the afternoon off (shock horror), and that our kissy-kissy couple’s photograph was kind of soppy. I’m so grateful for this life, even if I have had to work hard to get it. A life where I can choose to take Friday afternoon off to refresh, rejuvenate and search out inspiration in nature, because is there any better place to brainstorm? At that moment I realised the book I really wanted to write was a book about love, joy, happiness, family, friends, community, laughter, purpose, authenticity, gratitude and all the things that mean so much when all the glitz and glam is washed away. I could write a guide on how to build successful businesses from the ground up. I could teach you how to balance a budget, plan a marketing strategy and harness some serious staff culture (and I probably will one day soon so watch this space). But the most valuable lessons I have learned don’t fit within a standard business plan.

      The real reason I am able to be daring and disruptive, to chase my dreams and search out profit in the seemingly impossible, is because I’ve spent years developing every pillar of my life – relationships, attitude, health and vitality – and exploring what it means to be a real human being in the business world. Wearing my heart on my sleeve, warts and all.

      Let’s be honest, I’ve f**ked up every area of my life at some point, but then I’ve rebuilt it to be better than ever. I’ve doubted myself… and then discovered confidence. I’ve been estranged from my family… and then learned no one is more valuable than your mother. I’ve had countless failed romances as I’ve struggled to juggle love and power… and then I allowed myself to be vulnerable and found love as a consequence.

      Here’s the truth: I spent years as a basket case, trying to discover who I really am via many (many) modes of personal development and spiritual camps in many pockets of the world. Now that I’m finally at the point where I’m comfortable with myself and I have nothing to prove anymore, I feel like it’s my turn to pass the baton of knowledge, the map for self-exploration, on to you.

      That’s why I launched The Collective magazine in the first place, to build a community where we could inspire each other. My latest books – both Daring & Disruptive and Life & Love, which you will see are vastly different – are just another way to reach out to even more people at once. It can be a bit of a pain writing a book. It’s a lot of time, energy and effort. Financially, I could invest my time in projects that are far more cost-effective. But as I always say, your core purpose shouldn’t be all about profit.

      While Daring & Disruptive was about identifying your business dream and finding your business purpose, this book is about putting the pillars in place – relationships, health and spirituality – to support your journey as an entrepreneur. It can be a relentless, exhausting road and you’ll need self-love and support to sustain you.

      Those of you who’ve read Daring & Disruptive might notice a difference in the tone and look of this book. This one is purposefully much softer, more feminine and more vulnerable. It’s about family, friends, relationships, love,