I have danced from a very young age, I would even go so far to say, in the words of T. REX – I danced out of the womb! Here I am in the early 80’s, with my mum and the local mayor, collecting my first certificate, and with my Dad, in 1991; I was 15, had just finished a dance presentation, and he was so proud. I didn’t realise, until I lost him in 2022, that I didn’t need to conform or graduate to make him proud, he already was, and my happiness, and safety was what really mattered to him. I do not have any pictures of my martial arts training, but I really loved the time I spent doing Karate.

I was happy and training towards the NATD teaching qualifications before a combination of bullying from other dancers, getting shin flints and moving abroad drove me away from the love of my life, and set me on a different path…

Moving to Tenerife as a 16 year old was an education in many ways, I spent the best part of eight years there, with a short period back in the UK between London and Bridgend; both holding fond memories – but in Tenerife there was a 12 hour day, 7 day week work culture. I was a videographer and filmed Wales and Dolphins – editing, selling and delivering the ‘cassettes’ to the holiday makers on board! This gave me a VERY strong work ethic, and I see Tenerife as a home from home, hence choosing it for the annual Labeada dance break! I was shocked on my return to the UK how divided people could be, as I only saw the best of the brits out there, where being human was the only necessary common ground. I was also shocked by Council Tax, Rates, and other Taxes! I did not have a secure home to return to, so as a young woman my private high rent, high interest debt and depression journey began.

The next decade was probably the period of my life where I was most lost, aged 24-34 was confusing, depressing, scary, lonely, that is why it is important that the younger age group know that they are welcome to Labeada, it a safe space, were young and wise mix. You may recall the song ‘God is a DJ’ – this is how I see the Labeada dance dojo. I worked in various roles during this period, and gained some useful tools, working for a patent attorney, managing public houses, gaining a book full of certificates in all things business and health and safety, and keeping my toes dipped in various dance classes, various forms of martial arts, running, and qualifying in A&P & Holistic Massage, but I was so lost, and consequently a terrible wife, as I was unfulfilled with my path and believed it was too late to be who I wanted to be. It is never too late for us. If I can do it, so can you.

Just as I had convinced myself by the age of 35 that I was not meant to be a mum or a wife, along came my beautiful daughter, a true gift from the heavens! All of a sudden my clock reset to zero, it wasn’t about my timeline, it was about hers! It was about the kind of life I wanted to give her (knowing from the beginning I would be a single mum). I embarked on a law degree, designed the KIH Bed Pregnancy cushion, worked part-time in accounts, cleaning & more, but my eyes were OPENED. The barriers to work that I never had before, the need for help when I expected to always contribute tax, never need it. The stigma, the hate speech towards single mums, the repossession of my home, the ruined credit score, the consequent barriers to finance, the judgement, the shame! but I fought through it, I graduated, I worked in civil litigation, I won awards for my business, I lived off beans on toast, learned about organic marketing with zero marketing budget, sold my KIH Bed internationally and refused to quit. A personal highlight was being interviewed by Daniella Genas – you can watch that here.

I had started blogging to vent my frustrations about what I had experienced, and I penned ‘Finding Happiness and Freeing Your Spirit’ and self-published it to Amazon as I was quite excited to have learned how to heal my own depression and to be able to hopefully help others do the same. This is another driver behind Labeada, which is so good for mental health. I also launched the Single Mums Business Network Aka the SMBN – because I really wanted to help my community. I wanted to share my marketing skills, pay for print advertising as a collective expense, and to campaign against barriers to work, homes, and finance. I have implemented the best of the SMBN into Labeada, and learned from, and removed, the mistakes.

I felt really passionate about to Barriers to Finance, and I was extremely grateful to Purple Shoots for offering me micro finance when I was rejected (in bars 4 to 6) by every other lender in the UK, due to my status and history. Only Purple Shoots took a human approach and could see where I was going, rather than where I had been. I was satisfied that positive changes were underway with respect to Barriers to Work and Barriers to Homes, given updated legislation (flexible working and renters rights), but I actively (and still actively) contribute(d) towards discussions within Government around barriers to work and finance and the economic impact of not helping people help themselves. You can read more about this work here. This also led me to deciding I wanted to offer Labeada licences; to open doors and support the economy throughout the UK.

As the SMBN neared the end, I published ‘Breaking out of Benefits Jail’ to ensure that I could transfer my knowledge, and continue to support those trapped in benefits, to succeed in business and break away, from what is a very dehumanizing period of life, that sometimes results in trying to escape it (life). I needed to publish something to feel as though I was not abandoning my community by closing the SMBN.

In 2023/4 I refreshed my training with a Level 2 Exercise to Music course, trademarked Labeada®, took out a start-up loan with the British Business Bank and opened my dance studio ‘Wye Valley Dance and Wellbeing’ but it was the wrong place, with a health setback, and it wasn’t quite the right time, so I used the domain to signpost to others whilst I trusted the process of quiet contemplation. As a philanthropic project I also launched ‘Project 100 Angels’, as the issue of barriers to finance impacts so many hardworking and driven people throughout the UK. I know that with the right funding, Purple Shoots will help many more to get out of relative poverty and be economically active.

2025 was really about bring Labeada together, testing the market and ensuring that it was ready for licence, and here we are!

All of those steps, offering insight, mistakes never to be repeated, challenges, triumphs, transferable skills and market testing – Labeada® is ready for you. All it takes is 8 bars, in any direction! and sliding doors will bring you back.

Business is never linear, if it was, everybody would do it. It took thirty years to find the dance, work and business format to blend, but Labeada® is back on track, and here we are – and here you are! at last. I hope that Labeada® is good for your life, whether as a member or as as a licensee, and that the next 8 bars of life are full of joy, health, and happiness.

Labeada® HQ is now situated in it’s new home, ‘The Centre’ aka ‘Wye Valley Dance and Wellbeing’ where I continue to business network and help others functions alongside running Labeada®.