Our Story
Hearth began with a conversation
Michelle and Clare met through a mutual friend — one of those rare people who gathers others with genuine depth and care. At the time, Michelle was living in Bali and Clare had returned to her hometown of Perth. Across distance and time zones, something sparked: a shared recognition that too many exceptional leaders were breaking down, not from lack of talent or courage, but because the conditions required for them to truly thrive were missing.
We had both witnessed it, repeatedly. Brilliant, committed people fracturing under the weight of systems that demanded more than anyone could sustainably give.
What began as quiet observations and what we first called ‘tiny taps’ — small signals, subtle patterns — revealed themselves over time as early tremors of something much larger. Across years of working with senior leaders, executives, governments, and complex systems under pressure, the same story kept repeating: interventions focused on strategy and behaviour, while the deeper foundations of human performance went untouched.
Alongside our work with leaders, there was something else shaping us — a shared love for animals and the wider web of life. We had both seen what happens when systems fail the vulnerable, whether in organisations, communities, or the natural world. The pattern is always the same: when foundations are neglected, fragility spreads.
Neuroscience confirms what we were witnessing firsthand. Under sustained pressure, our nervous systems adapt in ways that narrow perception, increase reactivity, and contract capacity. Over time, burnout stops feeling like a crisis — and starts feeling normal.
We knew that leadership needed a different kind of space. One grounded in ancient wisdom yet fully engaged with the realities of today — technological acceleration, systemic fragility, relentless change. A space that could hold tension without collapsing it.
So we built one.
Hearth was created to tend the foundations. Because when those foundations exist, leaders can hold complexity without fragmentation, carry responsibility without sacrificing themselves, and act boldly without eroding trust.
This is why Hearth exists.
meet our founders
michelle halsall
MA Urban Regeneration, Diploma in Creativity Theory,
Philosophy & History
Michelle brings a futures-oriented, regenerative lens to leadership and systems change — grounded in philosophy, creativity, and a deep belief in human agency.
Her work helps leaders rise above noise and polarisation to see their context with greater perspective and possibility. Drawing on a background in urban regeneration, large-scale programme leadership, and creative philosophy, she has worked across government, corporate, and entrepreneurial environments in the UK, New Zealand, Singapore, and beyond.
Michelle is the founder of Beyond the Static, a sanctuary for change-makers to connect, recalibrate, and collaborate during periods of global uncertainty.
Her particular strength is in helping leaders release abstract or idealised views of the world and re-enter reality with imagination, courage, and agency — as shapers of circumstances, not reactors to them.
dr. clare sarah goodridge
Doctorate of Business Leadership, MA Arts Management & Cultural Policy, BA Communications
Clare brings deep expertise in leadership, performance, and human flourishing. Over the past decade, she has coached hundreds of senior leaders, executives, founders, and leadership teams across multinational organisations — supporting sound decision-making under pressure and sustained performance through change.
Clare is the founder of The Future of Flourishing and holds a doctorate in leadership and human flourishing. Her work integrates cognitive science, human performance, and dynamic leadership practice into systems leaders can actually use. Previously, she served as Head Performance Coach and Head of Experience at the Flow Research Collective, working alongside Steven Kotler and advising organisations including Accenture, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Disney.
Her particular strength lies in translating complex science into clear, actionable leadership capability — one that drives both performance and long-term sustainability.
