The Butterfly Experience
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Deborah Morandin was a senior manager in training for a well-known company. On the first day of her first holiday in ten years in February 2003, she was surfing and was hit by another surfers' board, leaving her unable to walk. |
Fred Purdue CFO of Pitney Bowes US
Deborah Morandin was a senior manager in training for a well-known company. On the first day of her first holiday in ten years in February 2003, she was surfing and was hit by another surfers' board, leaving her unable to walk.
The effect the accident had on her life was huge - the cost of the accident wiped her out and she was left with nothing. Her partner left and Deborah found it difficult trying to survive on Centerlink payments.
"Professionally as it turns out," said Deborah, "it was the best thing that could ever of happened to me, from being a senior manager in training for a number of years, I had always wanted to make a difference in training and this accident ended up being a blessing in disguise."
While undergoing six months of rehabilitation, Deborah wrote her book "The Butterfly Expereince". Her personal circumstances inspired Deborah to use the last 15 years of her experience in training, and become a life & business trainer. She saw an article about NEIS on television and began to research the program, starting with Sarina Russo in Brisbane in November 2003. Passionate about helping people, Deborah further developed the Butterfly Experience and with the assistance of NEIS her business, Squiggly Training with "The Butterfly Experience" as its signature program, truly took flight.
When asked how NEIS helped her to set up her business, Deborah explains:
"My Mentor was fantastic, putting up with my disability at the time so I could complete the program, and the full year of mentoring was very comforting for me, as I had no family or industry support while setting up my business and my mentor was there to brainstorm with, encourage me and congratulate me on my successes."
"The year of payments was also a life saver, it allowed me to pay essential living costs while I spent time setting up a strong foundation for the business," she added.
Deborah branded her company Squiggly Training, as she wanted to help her clients turn over the rocks and deal with all the squiggly bits in their lives.
The business originally started as a soft skills training company for corporate businesses focusing on training, life and business coaching. However while rehabilitating Deborah met more and more people (primarily women) who were truly struggling with self-esteem and trying to get into the workforce, so she decided to take her book and rather than publish the book, turned it into a program. She now has: The Butterfly Experience - Squiggly Skills for Life, a ten week program for struggling unemployed women; The Butterfly Express, a four week program specially tailored program for job networks; The Butterfly Experience Power Weekends, for everyday women to CEO's, to feel great, inspired and thinking outside the box about life; as well as Squiggly Life and Business and Celebrity coaching.
Since commencing the business, Deborah has worked with over 5000 women through her different programs, and has an 80-90% success rate depending on the program and demographic group with which she is working. She has ten contractors who work with her and her business is going from strength to strength with a number of accolades being awarded to her, including:
- Winner of Quest Business of the year 2006 & 2005 for Training, finalist for 2004
- Top 3 finalist for Role Model in Training for the Pride of Australia Medal Award 2006
- Nominated for Queenslander of the Year 2006 & 2007
- Nominated finalist for the Prime Ministers Community Excellence Award 2005
- Finalist for Shine Business Awards in 2004 & 2005.
Chosen by QLD Premier Peter Beattie to be one of the Ambassadors for Queensland for the Australia Day honours for regional Queensland 2007, for my outcomes with assisting women and supporting small business.
- Named in the " 2007 Queensland Women in Business Annual"
Her original project, the book "The Butterfly Experience" book is complete and while was originally written to publish as a book, is now a large part of the Intellectual Property of the program Deborah runs. The book (which is dedicated to her Mentor Michael Rodger-Bell from NEIS SRJA) will be published when she no longer teaches the IP as a program.
So what does a life coach and inspiration to so many have to say about NEIS?
"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the NEIS programme for people at all levels of life," said Deborah. "It was a great support during a very difficult time in my life."