I saw, firsthand, what a bad job can do to a brilliant person.
My mother was an SEN teacher (or “special teacher” as we called her then), and my father was a social worker. They built their lives around selfless service raising four children, adopting two, and fostering others, all while juggling home renovations and setting up businesses. They did it without the generational financial or physical support many others rely on.
But I also saw the pressure cook the good out of them. I watched my Dad hate his job, burst into tears from the strain, and my Mum develop seiures from stress.
It was a painful lesson in the profound truth: A job is never just a job.
The Gift of Resilience and Purpose
Despite the immense strain, they were the best parents a child could ask for. They were there at my football matches, cheering me on, they built us a beautiful (if not entirely finished!) home, and they gave us a magical childhood every kid deserves.
They pushed through the pain and decided to build something for themselves that was better. That determination and drive to overcome the broken system and build a sustainable, better life is what drives Glass Octopus.
Their efforts showed me that the right job – the job that provides purpose, stability and fulfilment is the foundation of everything. It’s the difference between burnout and brilliance, the ability to live fully.
It’s the simple, critical things:
- Being present with your friends and family.
- Being on time for your children’s football match, and having the energy left over to cheer them on.
- Putting food on the table and ensuring your family has a safe, warm house.
- Creating time for loved ones and sparking conversations at the dinner table full of energy, laughter, and joy.
For me personally, the right role gave me the opportunities in my 20s to fly to New Zealand, gain permanent residency, go dune bashing, boating, and swimming in the sea (even in winter!). The right role gave me the passion and the freedom to travel, see the world, and help others.
This leads directly to the core mission of Glass Octopus.
Glass Octopus Core Mission
I’ve had the enormous privilege of learning from incredible mentors throughout my career, who put up with my ambition, fueling a trail of admin chaos, and my endless questions: from Matt, Paul and Sharni at Hays, my Marketing Mentor Amelia at Campfire, and my maverick Head of Recruitment Alex at UBT. They gave me the confidence and knowledge to operate from the C-suite to the shop floor in any industry.
This is the power of the right professional environment. This is why we exist:
“I want companies to be able to grow with purpose, and I want every person seeking a new role to find their purpose, too.”
We want to help the companies that are able to nurture them, to give them what they need to fulfil their potential. We want to help these types of companies grow with the right people, the ones who will help them deliver on their promises and grow with confidence, knowing they have the right talent on the bus at the right time.
- What This Means in Real Life
- Because when work goes wrong, it rarely stays at work.
- It shows up at home.
- In tired conversations.
- In missed moments.
In the quiet weight people carry without always realising how heavy it’s become. I’ve seen what happens when good people give everything to jobs that give nothing back. I’ve also seen what’s possible when people feel supported, trusted, and aligned with the work they’re doing. That’s why I believe hiring is one of the most important decisions a business ever makes – not just for growth, but for the lives behind every role.
Glass Octopus exists to help build those environments.
The kind where people can do their best work and still have something left for the rest of their life. Because when the right people are in the right roles, everything changes.
What’s Your Growth Story?
If this resonates with you, whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or quietly questioning whether work has to feel this hard I’d love to talk. Not about recruitment first. But about people, purpose, and building something better.
Book a discovery call and let’s start with a conversation.
