why did you begin thought evolution?

 Thought Evolution Pty Ltd represents my passion – to bridge health and business  - by creating business-savvy health professionals. I believe successful health professionals must not only possess first-class clinical skills; but have the business skills to go with it.  And that we must collectively resist the wave towards corporatism.  Family-owned, independent practices, are the key to patient-led practices that focus on preventative health and not the bottom line.

I learned first-hand that our health degrees do not provide this education.  Nor do practice management firms who offer conventional solutions for a healthy sum.  Let’s revolutionise the way healthcare works. Let’s avoid a healthcare industry led by corporates and health insurers.  Let's change the way we think about business.  Join me to create a better world of healthcare.  

evolve –{because evolution works}.   back

Dentistry is my second career path; having previously worked around the globe as a business analyst.  I've had some amazing life experiences throughout my business career.  I've lived abroad for 8 years seeing country after country.  I've redesigned businesses to run more efficiently and effectively.  I've optimised workflows by designing, building and delivering technology solutions.  I've led multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual, internationally dispersed teams in the pursuit of excellence.  I've consulted to the world’s 5th largest corporate investment bank, seen the mania of energy trading desks and delivered projects in partnership with the Big Four.  I've represented my profession as a Director for the International Institute of Business Analysts Australian Chapter.  I've built and delivered business case after business case.  And so it goes.

I was fortunate to find these successes as a young woman; moving into business after completing Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Business Management straight from school.  As my career grew, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should be helping people lead better lives rather than helping powerhouses grow their bottomlines.  I couldn't stop thinking about my childhood dream of becoming a dentist and the path not chosen.  

I’m not sure what drew me to dentistry as a child. Perhaps it was my own horribly crowded dentition which my parents thankfully remedied - giving me the confidence to pursue my executive career.  Or maybe it being a teen with lock-jaw for one whole year after a family camping trip gone wrong.  I had lots of days off school, lots of mashed vegetables and lots of help from health professional after health professional - especially dentists.   For their help, I am forever grateful and eager to pay it forward.    

By the time I had my two beautiful children, I was sure that I needed to change paths.  I sat the next available UMAT, applied to UQ School of Dentistry – my first and only preference – and got accepted.  But before I could accept, overnight I unexpectedly became a single mother of two children under two.  I found myself impossibly torn: unable to accept and unable to decline.  So, I did something in between.

I deferred for 12 months while I worked out how I could make bread-winning, mothering and studying work.  The plan I devised seemed crazy,  My friends told me it was possibly a little crazy.  My family told me that it was definitely certifiably crazy.  I paid no regard.  I knew it was possible - because the only real barrier in life is yourself.  The plan? To put myself through a dental degree in tandem with a doctoral degree - full-time.  And that's what I did. 

I secured a corporate partner. I secured a world-class supervisory team. I secured a tertiary scholarship.  I secured an industry scholarship.  And I secured government funding.  I went on to develop an evidence-based model for innovation.  My model was nominated in the top 5% of theses at QUT for my year.   At the same time, I put myself through dentistry.  

And I did well.  I survived the first two years of general science without knowing how to yield a scientific calculator or work a pipette.  By third year, the HABS Faculty recognised me as their highest performing dental student that year.  My two greatest honours came in my penultimate year; with the Pierre Fauchard Academy recognising me as an outstanding future leader of the dental professional and my classmates electing me as their student representative.  

I told all those who would listen the virtues of a business education for health professionals.  I took notes at Fostering Executive Women events, networked with dental greats, and volunteered my time to Brisbane Youth Services.  And then I created Thought Evolution Pty Ltd.   Thought Evolution represents my passion – to bridge health and business  - by creating business-savvy health professionals.  For anything is possible as long as you want it badly enough and work for it. 

In case you are wondering, I still go camping.  I can open my mouth all the way.  I don't duck and hide whenever a high velocity object comes my way - any more.  But I didn't get away scot free.  I suffer from daily headaches, tinnitus, vertigo, myofascial pain, cervical pain, TMD and the occasional visual oddity.   

I would love to be free of these ailments but never will be.  But, with all things in life, perspective is everything.   I take cheer from the constant reminder they provide of how health professionals help people lead happy and healthy lives.  I take cheer from the constant reminder of why I do what I do.

evolve –{because evolution works}   back 

2018 Future leader of the dental professional - Pierre Fauchard Academy

2018 Outstanding Thesis Award - QUT

2017 Highest Performing Health Student - UQ

2015 Accepted as speaker at the Better Business Conference (Improving from Within - Leveraging the Positive Deviant) - Las Vegas

2014 People's Choice 3MT - QUT

2014 Accepted to Medici Summer School - Italy

2003 Accepted at Academy of Management Conference (Diversity in the Boardroom) - New Orleans

2002 University Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement - UQ

2001 Golden Key Honour Society - UQ

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2016 Dean's Honour Roll - UQ back

I've been fortunate enough to have a fabulous business career. I've worked all around the globe in all manner of industries as a business process re-engineer - that's jargon for analysing businesses to maximise their efficiency and effectiveness.  Along the way, I've done an MBA and a PhD.  My PhD focused specifically on evidence-based techniques for business innovation and growth.  Working with industry partners, I developed a model to strategically leverage innovation like you would any other corporate resource.

I am a certified CBAP ® , PMP ®  and Prince2 Practitioner ®  - meaning I am qualified in business analysis and project management.  These helped me deliver solutions to my customers en-pointe, on-time and on-budget.  Having moved into healthcare, I can see how valuable a business education is for healthcare professionals.  Thought Evolution is my vehicle to share my skills and experience with my health colleagues; and together change the way we think about business and health.   back

I do my best to give-back.  This involves volunteering my time, skills and expertise to those who might find it valuable.  Past and present volunteering activities include local schools and kindergartens, Brisbane Youth Services for homeless youth, UQ School of Dentistry, QUT Business School and International Institute of Business Analysts.    back

The Australian health industry is on the cusp of major change.  We are seeing an influx of corporates buying up and pricing out traditional private practices over a range of disciplines.  Private health insurers are establishing their dominance by buying practices and incentivising consumers to be PHI-loyal.  

These changes do more than threaten private practice.  They jeopardise the all important separation of profit and healthcare.  We only need look at the US healthcare industry to see where these changes go.  One of the major obstacles the Australian health industry faces in resisting these changes is to have a business-savvy workforce capable of resisting corporate powerhouses.  We need to see a step-chance in the business education of our health professionals.  And we need to see it now.  That's the guiding mission of Thought Evolution - to create business savvy health professionals through courses, education and consulting.

-evolve {because evolution works}  back