How I Got Here: Woman of Spirit Adele Auva’a
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Admit it, we’ve all been there—deep dive stalking social media and LinkedIn profiles, trying desperately to figure out how the hell someone got their dream job.
It seems impossible and yet there they are, living out your career fantasy (minus the itchy business suit). It might seem hard to believe, but once upon a time, they were also fantasising about their future career, and with some hard work, they made it.
Welcome to How I Got Here, HerCanberra’s series that reveals everything you wanted to know about the secrets of career success.
Here, the energetic Lifeline Woman of Spirit, wellness coach, and domestic violence survivor Adele Auva’a shares how she got here.
Existential crisis time: Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Adele, a Samoan woman born and raised in Canberra and proud single mama to two incredible children. I work in the health and wellness industry coaching at an interval workout franchise and share my experiences regarding current topics including sibling grief, domestic violence and consent at local high schools. I also MC and promote events in the music industry across Canberra and Sydney for a bit of fun and run online businesses.
Let’s go back to when you were a kid, have you always dreamed of working in this industry?
I always wanted to be a lawyer because my perception as a child was that was where the money was at and coming from a low socioeconomic household, money would have been helpful in mending lots of the issues we had. I now live a life I choose to design and part of that is creating income around having fun and sharing ideas and empowering other people particularly young minds and millennials.
Tell us about when you were first starting out, what set a fire in your belly to get here and how did you do it?
I worked in the health and wellness industry for a long while and wanted to try an office job. After working in for community services for many years I knew that my loud voice and animated hand gestures when speaking couldn’t be confined to an office. What set fire to my belly was when my sister passed away aged 29 and I knew I needed to live my life as I wanted—to best honour her. I quit my public service job within months of returning from bereavement leave and trusted myself to fly.
Recall a time when you wanted to chuck it all in; what did you tell yourself when it got too hard?
I was in a violent and abusive relationship for 15 years and the height of when it seemed too hard was when I had my two babies under 3 looking at me when I’d be crying my eyes out not knowing how or who to ask for help. I then realised my babies were my biggest reasons to break the cycle and paired with the passing of my sister I found a newfound strength at the bottom of the barrel and clawed my way out. Now when anything seems hard I always say to myself YOU HAVE HURDLED OVER WORST!
What was your biggest break?
Probably when a long-time friend and local Canberra high school teacher asked if I’d come and chat to her students to—for better use of words—talk some life into them! So I tailored some of the content I had used for retreats I’d helped co-facilitate to a younger audience and spoke to them as if they were my younger siblings and it was unexpectedly a hit. Since then I’ve had referrals one after the other and bookings to speak at many high schools and events to help empower or showcase the real and rawness of what is happening in some households all around the county.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t ever let a moment when you weren’t your best define you. This has carried me through many times and also served as a self check for when I subconsciously judge someone when it’s not my place to do that to anyone.
What is it about your industry that you love and what makes you want to pull your hair out?
I love how the health and wellness industry has helped so many people globally to take back their life—confidence, happiness, ease of mobility, sexually free, sleeping better—the range is endless. As to pulling my hair out? Grinds my gears when businesses sell a short term product/service for a longterm fix and don’t set the standards in advance or speak into the reality that health is a long-term game.
Tell us how you ‘stay in the know’, what media do you consume?
Every single day I speak to others in the industry whether it’s bouncing ideas of injury prevention, new exercises, breath work, looking into mentors in other spaces that can help me level up. I read excerpts of medical journals, watch Instagram rehabilitation of injury workouts, listen to podcasts of self exploration and development and aim for two retreats a year.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I will be over 40 and I hope to be in a financial position where if I chose to I could retire. I am a single mum so my aim is to work hard now so I have time on my side with my kids to attend all of their school and sporting experiences and never have to worry how much is in the bank. This would also free up my time to volunteer more which is something I already do but would love to be able to dedicate more time towards. I also hope to have a brand that speaks globally into the empowerment I currently share with others.
Why should people follow in your footsteps?
I share what has worked for me. And what hasn’t. I don’t claim to be a this or a that, I am who I am and I come as I am. I have overcome many hurdles and definitely used to be a less-than-desirable friend and person. If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps it would because I only wish for the best for others and always with love and kindness and know what it’s like to hit absolute rock bottom and come back up.
What advice would you give your past self?
If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t. So many red flags in friendships, personal acts, life events, my marriage, that I just brushed aside. They all came back to bite me in the butt big time. Lesson learned for sure. But trust your instincts.
