‘A Journey to Peace and Fulfilment’
On Thursday 14th September Mrs Claire Bourne was the first of our Careers Speakers this term to visit and advise Upper V and Priory 6 girls. Founder of Eden Organic, Mrs Bourne describes herself as “Married. Mum. Health Club Owner”, and began her talk by letting the girls know that she appreciates the journey they have ahead of them, and that they can learn so much and explore so many avenues on their way to finding out what they love to do. “We’re so blessed to have guidance from lots of backgrounds”, she said, and reminded the girls that when deciding on a career, it is more important to give than it is to receive.
Mrs Bourne studied Industrial Psychology at university, exploring the improvement of people’s enjoyment at work, and went on to study Human Movement Science. Her mother is a very active person, running marathons when possible, so Mrs Bourne has found her presence motivating and inspirational. Mrs Bourne started her career as a Medical Representative in the pharmaceuticals industry when she was just twenty one. She constantly reminded herself to check in on her ethics and morality and was determined never to buy a doctor’s loyalty. She noted that sales jobs seem to scare people as a profession – that the idea of selling something to people doesn’t appeal to everyone – but also told the girls that even if they aren’t interested in sales, they need to learn to sell themselves.
After exploring many paths, including training to become a hypnotherapist, Mrs Bourne was head-hunted by a start-up company in the surgical industry, where she spent time in theatres observing procedures. Although she often felt overwhelmed by the things she saw, she was determined to get the most from the job, noting that if an opportunity presents itself it is important to seize the moment, go with your gut and learn along the way.
Although Mrs Bourne found this line of work fascinating, she often felt without purpose, which led to high levels of anxiety and the feeling of being stuck in a ‘hamster wheel’. Following a bad reaction to a vaccination in 2009, Mrs Bourne found herself fighting for her life – she temporarily lost her vision and was unable to talk or walk for months. On her journey to recovery, Mrs Bourne used prayer to help her to focus on her faith in Jesus, and believes that he blessed her with the right information at the right time on her journey back to full health.
Her new path to her current success as owner of Eden Fitness in Ealing Broadway involved family team work, support and learning to ‘captain the ship’. She saw a gap in the market for natural, organic and GMO free skincare products and supplements, and launched her product Eden Organic in harmony with her passion and beliefs.
Her advice to the girls was to learn how to convey their ideas in the kindest and most professional way possible, so that they can be understood in the workplace, and to:
- Stay true to yourself and your passion
- Remain ethical, ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’, Romans 12:2
- Pray, ‘Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him’, Colossians 2:7
