I am a life alchemist who guides and supports women and men to embody their Courage & Vulnerability to live life their way
I love guiding and mentoring clients to embody their unique qualities and to feel their courage & vulnerability to bring their desires, dreams, and intentions alive. It is an incredible experience to witness their confidence grow as they step into who they are born to be.
My superpowers are my intuition and capacity to see and celebrate a person’s strengths. I see their powers and intuitively guide them to embrace and embody these qualities. I have the ability to move between different worlds - corporate and community, mental-emotional-physical-spiritual body, logical and ethereal, light and shadow. I help to make sense across these worlds and support individuals and communities to grow and shine.
For a professional bio, click here.
Charlen Vandervalk
The Australian
National University (ANU makers)
“Jean’s ability to take vague concepts and frame them into a structured conversation, as well as weave in her personal experiences and perspectives into the narrative without detracting from the conversation is something seasoned professionals still can learn from.
Every step of the process that required Jean’s involvement was a pleasure.”
Credentials
Trainee Coach of the Year - Beautiful You Coaching Academy, selected from 400+ coaches globally
Beautiful You Life Coach - Beautiful You Coaching Academy
Biodanza Facilitator - International Biodanza Federation
Bachelor of Commerce & Bachelor of Actuarial Studies - Australian National University
Advanced Diploma of Management - Wisdom Learning
Using my skills of intuition, strategy, and seeing the strengths of individuals, I support and guide my clients through life and career transformations
With this superpower,
I help women and men:
Feel their Courage and Vulnerability
Connect with their courage and move into action
Transition through career changes
Embrace their unique qualities and skills
Ignite their inner fire
Embrace and harness their cultural identity and qualities
Embody their yin & yang qualities and integrate with their brilliant minds
Move through internal dialogues that may be holding them back from their full potential
Dive into their shadows and expand into the light
My Personal Story of Transformation
I was a shy little girl from Hong Kong who came to Australia at a young age. I was scared to try anything new, or climb higher a chair. The courage fire was not very alive in me.
Coming to Australia with little English meant I had to draw on the little pocket of courage very quickly. Being bullied from the age of 7 to 16, I learnt to be resilient and to excel not only academically but also in sports and languages.
It was my ticket out
I was a good Asian daughter following a safe path of studying Actuarial Studies and Commerce. Deep down I wanted to work in international development. I longed to work overseas, and landed a graduate position in Asia as a Technical Writer.
It was the best time of my 23 year old life - meeting many new friends from around the world and living MY life for the first time.
Returning to Australia I came back to being a good daughter and became a banker for 5 years. It wasn't my true life’s calling. Shortly after my brother’s suicide, I realised that life was too short to be in a career I didn’t love, so I followed my university dream and worked in international development - travelling to Asia and the Pacific regularly. It was a dream.
But that dream costed me
I burnt out and became sick from the long hours and 3am conference calls with the US and Europe.
I longed for more, and the fire to be boss of my own time burned stronger. I dreamt of being a digital nomad. Harnessing the depths of my Courage & Vulnerability, I quit the job and took my first self-funded sabbatical to Argentina studying tango and Spanish. A long held bucket list.
Life was a dream again
I have been leading an unconventional life for most of my adult life
While on the outside I was in the perfect relationship with my then-partner of 11 years, something in me was dying. I could feel my inner calling to develop my intuition and spirituality, but the eco-factors did not enable me to. It took me 2 years of personal work through life coaching and Biodanza to help me live my own life and to leave the relationship.
For 5 years, I supercharged my personal growth journey, moved to a new city with no job, no home, and took my second self-funded sabbatical
I cultivated my love of travel, meditation, and dance. I also lived solo for the first time in my 35 year life.
I felt liberated, scared, excited, and my healing journey began. I felt my Vulnerability & Courage which made me stronger. I longed and dreamed to be in sacred union with a man whom I loved and where we would grow individually and together.
Returning to work 1 year later, I worked in family violence and built high-level partnerships across the community, public, and private sectors. I catapulted into the world of public speaking on the underrepresentation of Asian-Australians in leadership positions. I created my passion project of mentoring young Asian women to support them to be
Seen, Heard, and Felt
It was during this time that I began my 4 year journey to studying to become a Biodanza Facilitator. Biodanza, or “Dance of Life” is a beautiful movement based system designed to awaken our human potential, move through internal blocks and fears to live the life that we desire. Every month, I drove 16 hours to immerse myself into the training and my community. It cracked me open, and every time it did, I integrated different parts of myself.
I reconnected with my love of guiding and coaching and formally studied Life Coaching. My love of learning shone through, and through this intense period of growth, I started my work as a Life Coach and was awarded Trainee Coach of the Year by the Beautiful You Coaching Academy.
It was incredible
Fatima
Biodanza Participant
“Biodanza brings me joy, fun, freedom of movement, connection with others, creating community, and shared love.
Jean, I love your gentleness and determination
I love your explanations/education and the growth/transformation that you foster without us even noticing it.”
When I turned 40, my sacred rebel called me to leave Melbourne which had been undergoing the harshest lockdown in the world. I travelled 2,000km through dark country roads with no mobile reception and millions of potholes. It was my initiation.
This became the start of my digital nomadic journey. I travelled for several months, exchanging work for accommodation and meals. Living in connection with mother nature and in exchange. I asked my friends in Melbourne to pack up my home. I didn’t return for another 6 months.
I was location-free for 2 years. This lifestyle literally brought to life my values of freedom, courage, vulnerability, fun. It wasn’t easy, but I was manifesting the life that I had desired in my 20s and 30s. I was largely based in Canberra, where I had the opportunity to heal from the traumas I’d experienced in Melbourne and to reconnect with my vitality. I was grateful to be invited by my teacher to facilitate Biodanza in Canberra which enabled me to complete my Biodanza Facilitator accreditation, and writing my thesis “The role of the Facilitator when a student goes into chaos”.
Then, I moved for love
During this time, I fell in love with a man, who ironically, lives in Melbourne. The city called me back! After my dramatic escape, I moved back. We grew and learnt a lot from each other. While our relationship has since ended, the relocation has allowed me to start and grow Biodanza Community in Melbourne once again. Being with community has shown me how impactful my love, presence, offering as Biodanza Facilitator, Courage & Transformation Coach is to the people here and how I can support them to courageously embrace their own identity with vulnerability, grace, and humour.
I share my story as I know that if I can bring my dreams and desires into reality through Courage & Vulnerability, anyone can. I truly believe this.
My Archetypes
I embody my 3 archetypes when I guide my clients
Lovingly called Corporate, Chinese Goddess and Latina - they play an equal and integral part of my services and offerings.
Corporate provides structure and strategy - she provides a container for my clients to feel safe in my presence, knowing that they are held and seen.
Chinese Goddess is the playful mystic - she is creative, cheeky, loves playing in the liminal space, and gives her loving embrace.
Latina - she is the fire! She is a fierce protector, boundary holder, and is all about action.
These 3 are quite the trio!
They provide a strong container and an alchemy of yin & yang qualities for all the clients that I serve.
10 things you may not know about me ..
1 - I’ve traveled to 41 countries
2 - I love luscious fabrics - silk, cashmere
3 - I don’t drink alcohol (unless it’s an amazing drop) and I’ve never smoked
4 - I can’t eat capsicums!
5 - I’d been in the Guinness World Records as part of the longest Dragon dance in the world (10,000ft) (at the time)
6 - I have not 1, but 2 black belts
7 - My first full time job was in a country where I didn’t speak the language
8 - I’m a 6/2 Splenic Projector in Human Design, which means I’m both a role model and hermit
9 - I’m a massive introvert (surprised?)
10 - I have abseiled down Derby Cathedral, UK
And . . .
Bonus - I love love love dancing - Biodanza, tango, zouk, bachata, swing, anything! I may not be able to run 5km, but I can dance non-stop for 5 hours.
