Empowering women to change their inner dialogue

After nearly four decades working in high-level strategy and facilitation, Helen found her true calling in helping others rewrite their inner stories. As a Writer’s Mindset Coach through BALAB Australia, she empowers women to overcome self-doubt, shift limiting beliefs, and unlock their creative potential.

Tell us about your organisation, how long you have been there and your role within it.

Presently, I’m focusing on being a Women Writer’s Mindset Coach. Through my business, BALAB Australia, I self-publish, run coaching workshops and training sessions, locally in Canberra and online, mainly to the US and France.

Can you share your career journey so far and how it brought you to your current role?

I’ve been a Business Analyst for almost 40 years, in South Australia, Queensland and the ACT, in federal government departments, such as Defence, Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister & Cabinet. What I loved most was facilitating over 1000 workshops and working one-on-one with people to achieve the desired outcomes.

I’d also been mentoring colleagues and friends personally, but still felt like something was missing in my career. So, I took on a Part-Time Lecturer role at the UNSW School of Business, where I taught third-year Defence students Strategic Management.

This experience, together with my last contract as a Strategic Advisor at a leading federal government agency earlier in 2025, completed the puzzle. The skills I’d built over the last four decades transitioned from strategic mentorship to certified coaching.

Nothing excited me more than watching a room of people who might be shy, unsure or sceptical, with limiting beliefs about their own capabilities, transform into being confident and motivated architects of their lives.

So, this is what I decided to do: enabling others by helping them change their mindset. Since my whole life has been immersed in the world of writing, I decided to focus on helping women writers, in particular, to improve their inner dialogue, so that they can better look after themselves, their families and ultimately positively impact society. 

What advice do you have for the next generation of women in business?

Don’t be so hard on yourself: You’ll always be learning and you’re doing the best you can. Keep going!

It’s OK to ask for help: Believe you can do whatever you set your mind to but remember that the knowledge of others is invaluable to your success. Utilise it wisely.

Take a breath before making big decisions: If your gut says no, think carefully. It could be right, you could be “dodging a bullet” if you decide not to proceed, but don’t let fear guide every decision.

Invest in being as self-aware as you can: Operating from a centred position is not only healthy, but advantageous to your strategic goals.

Protect your power: So many people would gladly make your life “easier” by taking the difficult tasks from you for a handsome fee. But beware, they don’t always have your best interests at heart. First, learn how to do each business task yourself before outsourcing it. Understanding the required quality of the work, because you personally know how it should be done, is the best safeguard I can recommend for your business.

BALAB Australia

• E: [email protected]
• W: lifeunlimited.substack.com
• LinkedIn: Helen McCandless

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