EPISODE 9

Navigating the road of trauma with Jo Muirhead

Research indicates that people who have lost their purpose in meaningful work don’t live as long. My next guest has spent her career helping others to get their lives back on track, reclaim their health and return to paid work. 

In this episode, I’m joined by the inspirational Jo Muirhead, founder of Purple Co. Purple Co. is a consulting company of allied health professionals working with organisations, government departments, and individual clients to help people return to work following injury, illness and trauma. 

Jo openly shares her own story of rehabilitation recovering from bilateral breast cancer. She discusses the lessons she learned from working with clients that motivated her in her own health recovery. Her mindset centred around how she could contribute her own experiences to the existing body of knowledge of breast cancer. She created a journal where she honestly and candidly shared her insights to help others create a deeper understanding of living with cancer. 

I’m very grateful to have Jo on the show today. This is an amazingly powerful conversation that I know will impact how you view your purpose in life.

Topics discussed:

[2:00]: Purple Co is a truncation of “purpose for people”. Jo shares the ethos behind what they do and how research shows people without purpose don’t live as long. 

[3:45]: What Purple Co does to help people regain a sense of purpose following injury, illness and trauma. 

[4:55]: The types of people Purple Co works with and how she removes herself from working with people recovering from drug addiction to avoid judgement. 

[6:00]: A lot of people have romanticised life before Covid. In the same way, a lot of people romanticise their life before their trauma/disability. Jo talks about how they give people permission to be curious about their future opportunities.

[8:29]: Jo talks about a client who used to be a merchant banker who had a stroke. 

[9:32]: Jo is very creative and helps people think outside the box. They explore what truly matters in their lives. 

[10:22]: Helping people to redefine what type of parent they want to be is a great place to start. Show people how to take little steps so they can progress to a bigger goal. 

[10:45]: Jo talks about a client who used to be a CEO of an international organisation. His recovery goal setting included getting the wheelie bin from the side of the house to the street.

[12:27]: When a trusted staff member leaves we, as business owners, have the urge to fill it with the same type of person immediately. 

[13:39]: At the heart of resilience is post-traumatic growth. 

[15:30]: In February 2020, Jo was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. 3 months before this her husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer. They’re both now healthy and feeling well. 

[16:56]: Jo had been working with post cancer survivors before her own diagnosis. She learned common traits from these survivors that she wanted to embrace. She stood on the shoulders of the women that came before her. 

[17:45]: Jo’s mindset was about how can she contribute to the existing body of knowledge. There were many things about breast cancer that aren’t talked about. She recorded a journal that detailed everything about her experience to share with others. 

[19:59]: It’s so easy for us to move on to the next thing and the next thing. Jo made a decision that she didn’t want to go back to the way she was prior to her cancer diagnosis. 

[21:02]: With her experience at Purple Co., she was able to find her worth and see herself slip into controlling habits. 

[23:43]: Jo welcomed a puppy into her life after her surgery. He helped her with her recovery, physical therapy and finding joy. 

[26:40]: Where to find Jo. 

[27:20]: Jo encourages people to sit down with themselves and know that one day this experience will be history. Reflect on what would you would like your future to look like.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Jo: 

• Website: https://purpleco.com.au/ 

  Linked in: Jo Muirhead - Founder & CEO - Purple Co | LinkedIn

  Instagram: @jo_muirhead

  Facebook: @jo.muirhead

Thank you for listening!

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About the Show:

The Rebecca Saunders Show is your place to discover how to build resilience, craft confidence and have a huge impact on the world. This podcast is for female business owners wanting the skills and knowledge they need to show up and stand out in a noisy, digital world.

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