Wake-up call to "win-win"
The turning point came following a client meeting when she experienced a panic attack so severe that she had to pull over on the side of the road, struggling to breathe and see. It was a stark wake-up call. Determined to understand what was happening to her, she enrolled in a Master’s program in psychology which quickly led to the realisation that she was far from alone in feeling so burnt out.
With the central aim of improving mental health and wellbeing in corporate environments, and ensuring it was no longer an afterthought, Davies launched Mind Your Grit, with the belief that "organisations needed to invest in the wellbeing of their teams not just for the greater good, but to improve performance and reduce turnover and absenteeism. A win-win".
Defining grit as "passionate perseverance," but with a twist—it's not about pushing through at all costs, but rather about prioritising your wellbeing and persevering in taking care of yourself, Davies challenges the glorification of extreme busyness and burnout, advocating instead for a more sustainable approach to success.
"We should always persevere for our wellbeing first and everything else second," she says.
The approach
The core of Davies' business ethos lies in the blend of lived experience, scientific research, and practical tools. As someone who has sat in the corporate seat, facing the same pressures as those she now helps, she knows firsthand what it’s like to juggle high expectations from leaders while managing personal responsibilities. Creating a program that offers advice that is both actionable and impactful is her ultimate goal.
"I used to work in banking, where people are motivated by data," she says. "So it's important that the advice I give is science-backed. I'm not just going to tell people to do something because it worked for me—I do deep research to ensure that what I'm recommending is based on current, credible studies." This approach has set Mind Your Grit apart in a crowded market of wellness programs. Davies doesn't just want her clients to feel inspired; she wants them to leave her sessions with a tangible toolkit they can use to improve their wellbeing.
The outcomes
Since starting the business, she's experienced some special moments where the value of this approach has become patent. Citing one example, she reflects on an interaction that occurred with a participant after she'd run a virtual workshop. Staying back after the session, the woman shared how she had taken a year off work because her wellbeing had hit rock bottom. She told Davies that if she had attended the workshop a year earlier, she might not have needed to take that leave. "She said one of her colleagues was in a similar place, and now she felt equipped to help her avoid the same fate," Davies recalls. "That’s what it’s all about—empowering people not just to improve their own lives but to help those around them as well."
Looking ahead
Yet, running a business in a volatile and remote environment comes with its own set of challenges. For Davies, who had always been surrounded by smart, collaborative teams in her corporate career, the transition to being a sole entrepreneur was marked by loneliness. "The biggest challenge is not having those daily interactions where someone can challenge your ideas or offer a different perspective," she admits. To combat this, she makes a conscious effort to reach out to her network, take part in community business gatherings and challenge her independent mindset to ask questions of those who might be able to help her take the next step.
On the topic of the future, Davies has hopeful plans to deliver a TED Talk and potentially write a book, but her primary goal is to expand her reach within the corporate world.
"I just want to get into as many businesses as possible and help them create a culture of strong mental health and wellbeing," she says. "It's about making it okay to prioritise your mental health, to say, 'I can't come to that meeting because I need to take care of myself.'"
What has surprised her most is how willing many leaders are to embrace these ideas. Initially, she feared that wellbeing programs might be seen as just another box to tick. But instead, she has witnessed a genuine commitment from many leaders to not only improve their own wellbeing but to foster a culture of openness and support within their teams. "When leaders share their vulnerabilities, it creates psychological safety," she says. "And that can literally save lives."
This article was written in partnership with and originally published by Women's Agenda.
