I've often wondered where my belief in people comes from. The more I've reflected on it, the more I've realised it began long before I ever started a business.
Growing up in the 1980s, with ADHD and dyslexia was trying to say the least. At that time, there wasn't the understanding there is today. To many people, I was simply the hyperactive kid. The noisy kid. The child who couldn't sit still, talked too much, touched everything, and was constantly being told to settle down.
That was how many people saw me.
But my godfather never did.
He owned one of the most well-known bakeries on Norton Street in Leichhardt, Sydney, and from as early as I can remember, he saw something very different. He didn't see a child defined by labels or diagnoses. He saw a young boy with potential.
When I was eight or nine years old, he invited me into his bakery and gave me opportunities that most adults probably wouldn't have trusted a child with. He put me behind the counter serving customers, encouraged me to speak with people, and welcomed me into the mixing room where I watched skilled bakers work together with discipline, pride, and purpose.
Looking back, I realise the greatest lesson had very little to do with baking.
He taught me to see myself differently.
While others focused on what I struggled with, he focused on what I was capable of becoming. He taught me that my ADHD and dyslexia didn't define my future. He helped me understand that I had ability, not disability. He believed I could achieve anything if I was prepared to work hard, remain disciplined, keep learning, and never give up.
He didn't lower his expectations because I learned differently. He raised my belief in myself.
He gave me responsibility. He trusted me. He allowed me to make mistakes, learn from them, and keep trying. He understood that confidence isn't something people are born with. Confidence is built through experience, through responsibility, and through having someone believe in you before you fully believe in yourself.
That experience changed the trajectory of my life.
It shaped the way I lead people, the way I build businesses, and ultimately, the reason Capital Dignified Care exists.
