The Joy Rebellion

Why I believe joy is strategy — and what I’m standing for now, without apology.

There have been times in my life when I’ve chosen joy quietly. Gently. Almost apologetically. As if it needed justification. As if it were a treat, or a side note, or something to tuck in once the “real” work was done.

This isn’t one of those times.

This is a time for clarity. For courage. For rebellion.

The world is aching. People are tired. Leaders are stretched so thin they can barely remember what it feels like to breathe - let alone lead with any sense of soul.

And in the midst of it all, one question keeps rising:

What are we actually doing all this for?

The cost of performing leadership

I work with founders and leaders who are doing big things. Scaling. Exiting. Surviving. Holding it all together for everyone around them.

And when the noise dies down and the armour softens, I often hear the same quiet truth:

“I’ve lost something. Not just time. Not just balance. Something like… myself.”

That’s where the real work begins.

You can’t grow something meaningful if you’re disconnected from yourself. You can’t lead others well if you’re disappearing inside your own role. And you can’t call a business “successful” if it’s built on burnout, silence, or joylessness.

Joy is not a luxury. It’s a strategy.

We’re told joy is the reward - the thing we earn once everything else is sorted.

But this is what I’ve come to believe, fiercely.

Joy is not soft. Joy is not fluffy. Joy is strategic. And joy is subversive.

Joy dismantles high-functioning numbness. It reclaims presence in the face of pressure. It interrupts the systems that want you to disappear inside the performance of leadership.

Joy is punk. Joy is power.

I keep coming back to the image that hangs on my wall: A lion. Regal. Radiant. Rainbow-maned. Resting in its power. Not asking for permission to exist in full colour.

That’s what joy feels like to me now. Not performative. Not naive. Just true.

This is what I stand for

So this is me putting my flag in the ground:

Joy is not a by-product of good business. It is a condition for it.

We’ve had enough of leadership that feels hollow and soulless. Enough of people burning out in silence. Enough of high-performance cultures that reward disconnection.

Joy isn’t a distraction from the hard stuff. It’s what makes us strong enough to face it — and still come back tomorrow.

This isn’t about toxic positivity. This is about power. About presence. About choosing to feel, and lead, from a place that’s real.

If you’re still here…

If you’re a leader who’s tired of grinding through. If you’ve built something that looks brilliant on paper but feels empty inside. If you’ve forgotten what it means to love your life — not just your work — then:

This is your permission to come back to yourself. To lead differently. To reclaim your joy.

Joy isn’t optional. It’s the most powerful, strategic force in the room — especially now.

This is my rebellion.

This is what I stand for.

Will you join me?

The Joy Manifesto

We choose people over performance. Substance over show. Depth over display.

We believe clarity is a kindness. That truth moves faster than spin. That presence beats performance, every time.

We don’t do hollow success. We don’t reward burnout. We don’t lead with fear.

We speak honestly. We move with intention. We hold space — not control.

We build cultures where people are seen, not squeezed. Where joy is not a perk, but a sign of health.

Because joy is not soft. It’s strategic. It’s what makes the work worth it.

This is how we lead. This is Meraki. This is the rebellion.