Turning a New Leaf: Clare on Growth, Work and Becoming

Change, for Clare McAlpine , hasn’t come through one defining moment. It has arrived gradually, through motherhood, career shifts, relocation, and a growing willingness to trust herself before everything feels certain.

“I’m becoming someone who trusts herself more,” Clare says. “Not because I have everything figured out, but because I’ve learned that I can handle uncertainty.”

For a long time, she held onto what she describes as the “safe” version of herself — the one who followed predictable paths and waited until she felt ready. “Between motherhood, study, career shifts, and big decisions that felt equal parts brave and terrifying, I’ve had to let go of waiting until I felt ready,” she says. “I’m learning that growth often happens in motion, not in preparation.”

That shift — choosing movement over certainty — has shaped how Clare now understands identity, work and success.

Feeling at Home in Herself

Clare says she feels most at home when she is fully present rather than performing or overthinking. “When I’m present and engaged,” she explains, “whether that’s with my children, building something meaningful in my business, or rowing with my surf boat crew where everyone is slightly exhausted but deeply connected.”

Those moments, she says, are when she is not trying to be anything else. “Just showing up fully as I am.”

For years, others saw her as “the reliable one” or “the organiser” — the person behind the scenes making things work. While she recognises those traits as strengths, she also knows she has outgrown the limits they placed on her.

“I’ve grown into someone who creates and leads, not just supports,” Clare says. “I’m learning that it’s okay to take up space and step forward.”

Survival Skills and Self‑Knowledge

Asked what has helped her navigate change, Clare points to qualities that developed quietly rather than dramatically.

“Adaptability, humour, and a quiet (or not so quiet) stubbornness,” she says. “I’ve never felt particularly fearless, but I’ve always been willing to try anyway.”

That willingness has carried her through periods where life felt unstable or unclear. “The ability to keep taking the next step without needing everything mapped out has been invaluable.”

Her understanding of self‑knowledge has also evolved. Earlier in life, she measured it by professional capability. “Knowing myself meant understanding what I was capable of professionally,” she reflects.

“Now it feels deeper. It’s knowing what matters to me, how I want my life to feel, and being honest about what no longer aligns. It’s less about achieving more and increasingly about living intentionally.”

Redefining Success

Clare’s definition of success now looks very different from the one she once chased.

“Success looks like building a life where work supports who I am rather than defining me completely,” she says. “It’s flexibility, meaningful impact, and being able to pick my kids up from school without feeling like I’m failing somewhere else.”

She describes this version of success as quieter, but richer. Work, for her, must fit within the life she is building — not override it.

What work has taught her most, she says, is that resilience often looks ordinary. “It’s studying while raising young children, relocating without a support network, balancing full‑time work with personal growth, and starting again when plans change.”

“It’s less about dramatic moments and more about consistency,” Clare adds. “Showing up again and again, even when things feel uncertain.”

Balance, she believes, is not something that can be achieved once and held. “I don’t think balance is a fixed state,” she says. “It’s something I adjust constantly. Some days ambition takes the lead, other days family does.”

Reinvention in Layers

Clare has reinvented herself more than once — but never all at once.

“Reinvention comes in layers,” she says. Becoming a mother was the first major shift. “Suddenly the version of myself I knew no longer fit, and I had to rediscover who I was alongside raising two beautiful humans.”

Holding a premature baby forced her to confront identity in a way she hadn’t before. “Questioning who I was becoming,” she says, “changed everything.”

Later, moving to a regional town without an existing support network meant rebuilding confidence and community from scratch. A three‑month family trip last year created space for deeper reflection.

“I realised that I didn’t want to return to what felt safe if it no longer felt right.”

Starting her own business wasn’t impulsive, she says. “It’s the natural outcome of years of personal growth, small brave decisions, and gradually stepping into a life that felt more aligned.”

Motherhood and Legacy

Motherhood, Clare says, reshaped her in ways nothing else has. “It’s taught me patience, resilience, and perspective — especially during those early years when everything felt overwhelming and uncertain.”

She hopes to be a role model who shows her children that growth doesn’t follow a straight line. “I want to show that it’s okay to change direction, to start new things later than planned, and to build confidence gradually.”

She is consciously trying to move away from perfectionism. “I want my kids to grow up seeing that it’s okay to learn publicly, to make mistakes, and to keep evolving.”

What she wants them to remember most is not achievement, but presence. “That I showed up with love, humour, and encouragement,” she says. “That I tried new things even when I wasn’t sure I could.”

For Clare, building a meaningful life is not about being extraordinary. “It’s about continuing to say yes,” she says, “even when you feel unsure.”

If you are looking for help with your business check out Clare’s business New Leaf Business Solutions.