Rarely do we come across leaders who, in spite of facing personal pain, go on to inspire positive change in others. Joni Peddie, the CEO of Resilient People, defies this rarity. Joni's journey of overcoming adversity and loss has made her a leader who encourages people to find resilience and purpose in the face of challenges. Whether advocating for purpose-driven leadership or lending her time as a mentor to young women, Joni encourages people to face obstacles head-on and overcome them with grace and resiliency.

Embarking on a distinctive exchange with The Global Woman Leader magazine, Joni divulges the intricate facets of her transformative journey as a prominent leader in South Africa. Let's explore further.

Tell us about the key areas of expertise that you have developed as a leadership coach and career development coach.

I have been running my own company for 28 years and this has enabled me to sharpen my skills as a leadership and career development coach. One of the most crucial experiences that shaped my coaching style was studying Enneagram in New York. It helped me to understand personality types and human behavior through a four-week intensive series of seminars with Don Riso and Russ Hudson.

Another pivotal moment was receiving accreditation from Six Seconds, which is the world's largest EQ network. I have several emotional intelligence accreditations for various EQ Assessments for individuals, teams, and entire companies. This has proven tremendously fulfilling for me on a personal as well as professional level.

"Making-a-difference, cherishing real connections, & bringing my best self to situations motivates me to make sure that all our behaviour change initiatives are meaningful, practical, & implementable"

Introduce us to Resilient People. What was the underlying idea behind the venture?

I started Resilient People, along with my late husband, 28 years ago. It was known as The Bizcomm Group then, and we specialized in business communication. My husband tragically passed away 17 years ago due to an aortic aneurysm, and this loss and the responsibility of raising our two daughters (who were only seven and nine years old at the time), made me aware of the profound impact of grief and the trauma of dealing with change.

As I processed my grief, I realized that a lot of people face adversity and this motivated me to support others in developing resilience. Therefore, I changed the name of our business to Resilient People 'Bounce Forward'. As humans, we never ‘bounce back’ after trauma but are fundamentally different after navigating through difficult times. As a result, in our business we look at the four pillars of resilience: mental, emotional, physical, and a sense of purpose, which are all essential to enable us to 'Bounce Forward'.

What are your current focus areas in terms of driving growth for Resilient People?

Our business is focused on addressing the needs of CEOs and Senior Leadership Teams (mostly in multinational organizations) to offer them Keynote Talks (for Conferences), Workshop Facilitation, and top-tier Coaching. We are also about to embark on developing online courses to expand our reach and impact to those who may not be in a senior leadership position, but they still seek to advance personally and professionally.

Tell us about the major challenges that you encounter in your current role. How do you overcome the said ‘roadblocks’?

One of the biggest challenges over the years, has been having to deal with associates (contracted employees) who quit after being trained, and then on top of this, steal the Intellectual Property of our offerings and programs, in order to sell under their own name. The theft and fraud regarding Intellectual Property has been distressing. However, instead of adopting a legal approach, I chose to confront these individuals in face-to-face meetings. I am an ardent believer in Karma and believe that the Universe will take care of people who choose to steal!

In your opinion what have been the biggest ‘wins’ that you have achieved so far in your professional journey?

Being recognized as a leading authority and expert on ‘Resilience’ and ‘Sleep’ has been a tremendous accomplishment. The ‘Sleep is your Superpower’ journey stemmed from my personal experience. Unfortunately, I was addicted to sleeping pills after my husband’s death. As a result, I started doing a lot of research on sleep. I am now an accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapist for Insomnia. I am accredited both in London and in South Africa. This, plus speaking on stage with Arianna Huffington in 2017 ignited this passion and enthusiasm to help Leaders to harness Sleep as a Superpower.

Another major victory for me is being the forerunner in South Africa in teaching the Enneagram of Personality Strengths to both leaders and their teams. It has been an incredibly rewarding and exciting journey introducing this powerful three-dimensional system with people in South Africa and globally over the last 30 years.

Awards and Recognitions: South African Educator Hall of Fame Award, President's Award from the Global Speaker Federation, and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) Award.

A business leader you admire and why: Sundar Pichai from Google, Bill Gates, and Indira Nooyi from PEPSICO, amongst others. They have all been trailblazers in their own sectors.

Message for aspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs: I believe entrepreneurship is about networking and the law of reciprocity, so entrepreneurs should not only work for profit in growing their business, but they should also volunteer since it can benefit both our mental, and emotional health.

Joni Peddie, CEO, Resilient People

Joni Peddie is a seasoned professional with a background in psychology and economics. She's an expert in Human Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Enneagram Facilitation, and ‘Sleep as your Superpower’. Joni has extensive experience in marketing and sales roles at multinational corporations such as Unilever, Kimberly Clark, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.