Donna is a wife, a mother, a friend, an advocate for women and social justice, a wellness warrior, an environmentalist, a netball coach, a surfer, a yogi, a runner, a soccer player, a Managing Director and an author. 

She is also a sport mad, fitness focused, middle-aged rock chick who loves opera, ballet, theatre, reading, cooking, travelling, netball and the Parramatta Eels football team. 

During the day she can be found on infrastructure construction sites around Australia, in high-vis outfits advocating for superior community, sustainability and environmental outcomes on behalf of her consultancy business clients (and ultimately the communities they serve). 

Donna survived a difficult childhood and a disastorous first marriage, only to find herself a single mother at 26 raising two children under five. She studied at night, and built her business in the day through sheer grit and determination, not to mention desperation. Having to provide for two children is a powerful driver. She pushed herself to the brink often, her body protested with not one but two life threatening illnesses, but finally– the success and security she had craved was hers. 

Donna found love again, relocated to Victoria with her new husband, had her third child, built her dream home and watched her business grow. She had it all. It nearly killed her. 

She broke. She faced the mirror, and it shattered in a thousand pieces. You can call it a reckoning, a dark night of the soul, a mid-life crisis or a nervous breakdown. Whatever it was, she found herself in a thousand little pieces. 

She sees the silver lining in Melbourne’s long COVID lockdowns – it gave her the time and space to look at her life and do the hard work to make the necessary changes.

SHINE is the story of that journey back. Not just to herself but to a better version of herself. It is the story of a woman who found the strength to face her demons, to learn to live with her grief, to sooth her inner child and to make the changes necessary to begin the long, hard journey back to herself. To be present. To truly live. To be a better mother, wife, friend and leader. It is about accepting our imperfections. It is the story of a deeply flawed woman who wants to be the best version of herself.  

There are no miracles in this story, it is about doing the hard work. It’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and of understanding that the obstacle is the way. It isn’t about surviving, it’s about thriving.

No one is coming to save us – we are our own saviours. It is the story of finding unapologetic self-love and of self-forgiveness. It is about giving yourself permission to be your authentic self. It is, ultimately, the story of finding your purpose in life and living a life that is consistent with that purpose. It’s about shining – from the inside.