What is your professional background?

I started my professional dance training at the Royal Ballet School aged 11 and continued training there until I was 18. I had a brief career dancing with The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet companies, but it was sadly cut short by injury. I subsequently read politics at Durham and did a master’s in arts administration at City University. During my university years, I continued to work as a choreographer and started my Pilates teacher training. Over the years, I have been fortunate to be able to combine ongoing training, running Pilates studios and travelling as a choreographer and teacher. I am a trained yoga, classical Pilates and barre teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience. It’s been quite the journey. About seven years ago, I founded Silver Linings Retreats, now Silver Linings Wellbeing, which is a holistic wellbeing company offering exclusive retreats and bespoke events around the world – and more recently a digital wellbeing studio and app, as well as a brand-new corporate wellbeing programme.

How does your background as a professional ballerina inform what you do today?

I am grateful every day for the training I received and how that has allowed me to pursue a really varied career. I think the greatest gift is the focus and drive that training in an elite institution like The Royal Ballet gives you. While perfectionism isn’t always positive, it does drive me to refine and improve the offering at Silver Linings every day. I am also able to assimilate new techniques and physical information quickly, which is a huge advantage and I have been fortunate to be able to channel this into more holistic practices, which has been great for me and for my clients.

What advice would you give to someone in a workout rut or struggling with motivation?

Change it up. I am a big believer in creating the unique mix that is right for the individual. Wellness isn’t “one size fits all”, which is why we have a variety of disciplines, modalities and experts on our app and in the digital studio, Silver Linings Live. There will always be something to suit your mood and schedule, and it never gets old because we always have live sessions and a fresh drop of new sessions in our on-demand library. The integration of wellness into your everyday life is key to seeing real transformation. Finally, make it fun. If it’s a chore, if it’s difficult, then it will not become a habit. Ultimately, we want wellness to become a habit and if it’s enjoyable, you are much more likely to stick to it.

Speaking of your new app, how does it work?

I am so excited to finally be able to share the app with our audience. It’s deliberately designed to look simple, clean and easy to navigate. You will see all the live sessions there and you can add them to your calendar or use our 48-hour catchup, so that you can do the latest sessions at a time that suits you. It’s great to screen-share if you have a large TV screen at home (or work) and equally brilliant to use on-the-go for short meditations, nutrition talks and those all-important workouts. It’s perfect for hybrid workers or those who travel a lot for work.

I love the new community feature where our clients can connect with experts, share their journey and become part of a global group of wellness lovers. It’s available on Apple and Google Play and if you subscribe to our desktop version, you automatically get free access to the app. I think it’s a truly transformational tool because it’s just so easy to engage with. We are getting some great feedback already.

Did you see a gap in the market for something like this?

I think Covid really created a huge shift in the wellness sector. We have embraced technology, but there are big variations in delivery. When I launched our digital fitness and wellbeing studio, Silver Linings Live, it was after having tried a number of different digital fitness offerings. Myself and the team have worked really hard to refine everything, from how we present on-screen to how the site and app present all the modalities, disciples and experts clearly, so it’s easy to navigate. Our holistic approach is pretty unique and the range of brilliant experts and sessions mean there is something for everyone and something to suit your mood, your schedule and your goals. The community aspect is also really exciting and I have all kinds of plans for digital events and partnerships that will further elevate the online experience.

What’s your go-to exercise when you’re having a stressful day?

Meditation is my go-to. That could mean just a few mindful deep breaths or a led-meditation on the app. I always say meditation and breath are like superpowers that we all have.

How do you maintain a good work-life balance?

With difficulty! As a busy mum and business owner, it’s a daily challenge. I work hard to carve out time to train and move for myself every day. I try to lead by example and encourage everyone in my team to take time out for their own wellbeing. Setting boundaries for my work and for my team – so that we respect weekends and evenings as family time – is super important, but I think the blurring of the lines is almost inevitable. The good news is that I love my job and since I am passionate about helping people with their wellbeing, I don’t mind working at weekends or during the evening if it takes us closer to our goals.

What’s your go-to healthy snack?

I love some hummus and flatbread, or a sweet treat in the afternoon would be some apple and nut butter. I really try hard to avoid processed snack foods as I feel much better when I eat well and fuel my body properly. Again, nutrition is super personal and I try not to be too prescriptive with it and also to allow myself the odd treat. 

If people are strapped for time, which one exercise would you recommend they try?

Planks are the best! It’s a full-body workout, which utilises all the big muscle groups. There are so many fun variations and you really don’t have to do it for very long before you feel the burn, ignite all the postural muscles and get the blood pumping. 

Download the Silver Linings Live app here.