I was brought up in a strict but deeply caring British Pakistani household. My parents were protective and loving, wanting to keep me close to home and within the family environment. Their concern came from love, but it also limited what they believed was possible.
It was a teacher at my specialist school who changed everything. They recognised my potential and insisted that I needed independence, opportunity, and belief. They worked closely with my parents and ultimately helped convince them that Ishould leave home to attend the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford.
That decision became the foundation for my confidence, independence, and ambition.
At the age of 23, following an accident while cycling, I lost my sight completely. What followed were two of the hardest years of my life. Outwardly, life continued. Inwardly, I was rebuilding my identity,confidence, and purpose.
There was no accessible technology at the time. No smartphones. No digital support. I was forced to adapt.
During this period, I also made a decision to become physically strong. At my lowest, I weighed just 8½ stone and felt vulnerable. I began training in the gym, lifting weights consistently, determined that nothing would overpower me again. Over time, I rebuilt my body to around 13½ stone of muscle. That physical discipline mirrored the mental resilience I was developing.
With no access to technology, I developed an exceptional memory skill. What started as necessity soon became mastery. I memorised over 800 internal telephone extensions, along with policies, procedures, legislation, leadership models, and professional frameworks entirely in my head. Memory became my competitive advantage.
Alongside my professional role, I held senior elected and advisory positions and contributed at a national level. I advised the Home Office on disability legislation and spoke at the House of Lords on barriers within employment and organisational culture. This was not theory. It was leadership informed by lived and professional experience.
My professional career began in customer service, where communication and empathy were essential. I progressed into Human Resources and then into organisational development and training within West Mercia Police, where I spent 23 years of my career.
During that time, I became:
The first British Pakistani in the UK to deliver professional diversity training entirely from memory One of the first people nationally to deliver diversity training without notes, slides, or prompts The first blind British Pakistani to deliver Chartered Management Institute leadership and management training by memory to frontline supervisors.
My work covered complex legislation, leadership frameworks, behavioural change, and real-world application, delivered with credibility, accuracy, and impact.
At the age of 43, my career was interrupted by a diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease, leading to kidney failure. During this period, I dropped back to around 8½ stone and once again had to rebuild my health from the ground up.
In 2012, despite these challenges, I was awarded the Quality People Award for Outstanding Contribution, one of the proudest moments of my professional life.
While undergoing dialysis for four to six hours at a time, a colleague suggested I use the time to write my life story. That decision led to my autobiography, Chasing the Bean, an honest account of resilience, mindset, identity, and refusing to be defined by circumstance.
After three years on dialysis, I received the ultimate gift: a live donor kidney transplant. This year marks 11 years since my transplant. I remain committed to fitness, health, and discipline, living proof of what is possible with the right mindset and consistency.
Following my transplant, I redirected my focus once again. Using the same discipline, memory, and analytical thinking that shaped my leadership career, I entered the world of property investment. Today, I have built a successful six-figure property portfolio.
The principle remains the same: mindset, strategy, and resilience create results.
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WHY I SPEAK
I do not speak for sympathy. I speak about performance, leadership, resilience, and possibility.
My work today includes motivational and keynote speaking, leadership and mindset development, resilience under pressure, mental discipline and focus, and mentoring and coaching professionals and leaders.
My sessions are honest, engaging, and practical, designed to challenge thinking and inspire action.
