The Pomegranate Circle – Mentoring to Flourish

Changing lives and changing the world together

That’s not a slogan. It is a journey I’ve experienced firsthand. I invite you for your own journey.

At the age of 47, I had the delight, honor, and privilege of being part of a women’s group mentoring program at the University of Canberra. It was during this time that I truly understood the power of women supporting women and believing in one another. For the first time, I recognized that there was a path for personal and professional development that could lead me to the places I wanted to go. This realization was a big eye-opener.

Over the next ten years, as I took on various management roles, I discovered that my skills and passion lay in helping others excel. I loved working with my team members to help them become the best versions of themselves in their roles, whether that meant enhancing their strengths or reshaping their positions to better suit their needs. I wanted them to take pride in their work and contribute to the world in ways that fulfilled them.

However, like many people, I faced a major health crisis that forced me to step away from my management role. I turned down lucrative contracts because I needed to focus on my health and reflect on what I truly wanted to do next. In that vulnerable state, I realized I wanted to work with women.

Working with Women

Thus, the first iteration of my business was born, aptly named “Working with Women.” During this time, I served on the National Board of UN Women Australia, where I had the opportunity to engage with young women at leadership conferences, facilitate workshops, and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Through public speaking, political activism, and coaching, I provided, not only hope, but practical pathways to help them realize those dreams.

This was when I truly embraced the magic of coaching and mentorship. I witnessed the profound impact it could have.

I worked with incredibly capable young women who went on to earn prestigious positions and awards. Yet, every one of them faced moments of self-doubt and the need for support.

I remember one exceptionally high-achieving woman who, after having her first two children, came to me terrified about returning to work after maternity leave. My role was to rebuild her confidence and help her navigate her unique challenges.

This experience highlights one systemic issue: stepping back into the professional realm can be extremely difficult for women, particularly after pregnancy, childbirth or with carer responsibilities. It’s not a reflection on their capabilities but rather a commentary on the barriers we face as women.

Some of us do have built-in support systems through workplace mentors or strong friendships. I’ve heard of one Mentoring group where each year they shine the light on a different woman. The whole group that year worked together for the benefit of that particular woman’s major thing. They also supported each other in the interim, but that was her year to really shine and fly and things like that, I think are brilliant. And if that happened all over the world, and women had access to support like that, I’d be like “Amen.” If such initiatives were widespread, I would happily find myself out of a job!

But many women lack the support, making it essential to create nurturing environments where they can thrive.

Often, despite having positive inner narratives and abundant capabilities, systemic barriers continue to cause frustration and hinder our progress. These barriers can come in many forms—whether it’s being overlooked for promotions, experiencing workplace harassment, or facing punitive attitudes from bosses who feel threatened by talented women. Having tools to understand and address the barriers we face is essential for vitality, personal and professional fulfillment.

Femtor: Supporting Women to Flourish

What ignites my passion and gives me purpose is providing the opportunity for women to embrace the growth they need for the changes they desire. Fulfillment comes in different ways for each of us. Not all aspire to grow into tall poppies. But for those who do, we benefit from standing together, sharing resources and supporting each other.

Rather than cutting down tall poppies, encourage them to grow and flourish together! Let’s demonstrate an abundance mindset!

Coaching, mentoring or guidance is something we all benefit from and it can look different for each woman. As a Femtor, women come to me for a variety of reasons. They might say, “I don’t want to waste your time, but I’m feeling a little anxious about this situation.” I assure them that nothing is a waste of time. If our conversation can nourish and empower them to feel better, then we’ve accomplished our goal.

Ultimately, my aim as a Femtor is to make myself redundant. I do not envision working with one woman for the rest of her life; rather, I hope to empower them to thrive independently. However, I cherish the relationships I build with my clients, many of whom return at various points in their lives, saying, “I wonder if you’re still coaching. I’d love to chat.”

Accessibility and affordability no matter what your circumstances is one of my core values, which is why I have deliberately created a sliding fee scale. And why I provide services online.

Working with Ruth

I understand that we are all different. I bring compassion, care and insight into each conversation and all the work I do. What that work will include:

Building trust so you feel comfortable and confident working with me.

Co-creating a space for growth and change at your pace.

Tailored tools and strategies for motivation, mindset, and lifestyle.

Providing a confidential sounding board.

Finding ways that work for you to turn opportunities into options.

Your next adventure should be exciting. Approach the
unknown with confidence.

About the Femtor

Hi. I’m Ruth,

I am passionate about empowering women, working collaboratively and building community. These are some of the crucial building blocks of future-steading.

I live on Tanglewood Farm with my husband, our dog and cat, and a lively bunch of chooks and ducks. We’re nestled in an environment where Australian wildlife wanders through our lives intermittently, and we embrace a future-steading mindset rooted in permaculture and biodynamic living.

My experiences living in a variety of cultures has grounded me in the challenges for women globally. This allows me to connect, reflect, and understand women from diverse cultural paradigms.

In addition to my work with women, I’m an ADHD advocate and co-host of the podcast ADHD: Women Exploring the Neuroverse, where I connect with fellow neurodivergent women and share insights on navigating life with ADHD.

In addition, I am passionate about re-dressing the negative stereotype of age bias through pro-aging activism.

On a different note, music is another important part of my life. Trained as a classical violinist, I now play alternative viola and have explored styles from Ragtime to Brazilian music. Fun fact: I met my husband when we shared a music stand!

Curiosity and a joy for life keep me flourishing as I continue learning, growing and sharing the journey—whether it’s in the garden, on the podcast, or through mentoring.

People who are flourishing

Sue (Senior Academic - Griffith University, Queensland)

“Who do I want to be? How am I going to lead? What is a ‘good life’, full of meaning, and how am I going to live it? These are the things I talk about with Leonie-Ruth. She always challenges me to think about the things that matter and helps me through my integrated life issues with her warmth, wit, and wisdom.”

Leila (Public Servant, Artist, Musician)

“Leonie-Ruth helped me push my boundaries in imagining what I might do and achieve. She has an amazing capacity to focus in on important issues and help one play with them in new ways. Leonie-Ruth has a beautiful uplifting and positive attitude which at the same time is anchored in reality. She helped me to work with both the bigger picture and long-term visions, the here and now and next step at hand.”

Kathryn (Project Manager/Graphic Design, Melbourne)

“Coaching with Leonie-Ruth changed the direction of my life. Throughout the coaching experience I leant the skills which I needed to confidently craft a terrific CV; apply for jobs that I really wanted without self-doubting, and land the job of my dreams.”

Joyce (Retail, Melbourne)

“Working with Leonie-Ruth has been an interesting and very worthwhile experience. We talked about what I wanted, and she listened, asked pertinent questions, pushed me to think about things I hadn’t considered before and helped provide clarity with other issues. Leonie-Ruth’s knowledge and insight is remarkable, and I highly recommend coaching with her.”

Emily (APS, Canberra)

“After working with Leonie-Ruth on my CV I felt really good about myself and my abilities. I am now confident that I can handle the ongoing process of keeping my CV fresh, up to date, and informative. Time spent with Leonie-Ruth was a worthwhile investment in my career.”

Sarah (NGO Founder, Sydney)

“Over the past few months Leonie-Ruth has provided valuable personal direction and strategies through her coaching. With great insight into my “unknown unknowns” she was able to guide and highlight areas of needed development as well as using her skills and experience to provide mechanisms and strategies to best address these issues. Her commitment to my development proved that geographical location would not hinder the growth of our coaching relationship and therefore my personal development. It has been a pleasure working with Leonie-Ruth.”

Sue (Self-employed, Bowen Therapy Practitioner)

“During our one-to-one sessions Leonie-Ruth took the time to actively listen, guide, and assist in the preparation of a newspaper editorial to promote my business. She provided clarity through her insightful questioning and advice which included additional marketing advice to assist with revenue growth. The newspaper article generated great interest which led to additional appointments and increased my client base. I sincerely thank Leonie-Ruth and highly recommend her as a coach.”

HG (Masters Student, Oxford University, UK)

“Leonie-Ruth’s approach to coaching focuses on individual goals and development, not exclusively on the job market. Working with her has allowed me to better tailor my career ambitions to my life goals. With a revitalized sense of purpose and confidence my resume and interview skills have naturally developed to a level which I’m satisfied with, and which is attractive to potential employers.”

CS (Academic, Worster State University, USA)

“Leonie-Ruth provided me with coaching to help me get a clearer idea of where I want my life to go over the next 5 years. Her approach is holistic; we discussed all aspects of my life from careers to health and relationships to identify areas that needed attention. I found that working with her to set short- and medium-term goals has given me much more direction and confidence to pursue my ambitions. Importantly, she also helped me to identify and articulate my strengths and values. Leonie-Ruth is very perceptive, honest, and focused on getting the best results for her clients. I highly recommend her services.”

ML (Librarian, ACT Government)

CD (CEO-Not for Profit, Canberra)

“Whilst overcoming self-doubt has been an ongoing challenge that I have confronted, Leonie-Ruth has demonstrated a patience, persistence, and positivity that has enabled me to maintain momentum and persevere. I believe Leonie-Ruth’s qualities of insightfulness, compassion, and enthusiasm would enable her to guide and motivate others in overcoming challenges and attaining their best. Leonie-Ruth is a gifted and inspiring communicator; she is a patient and empathetic listener, and provides support and guidance in ways that enlighten, enthuse, and motivate. Through her ability to intuit and creatively problem solve, she has helped me to crystalise professional goals, identify obstacles, and to break down seemingly onerous tasks into achievable steps.”

Senior Scientist (World Bank)

“I started working with Leonie-Ruth after experiencing some frustrating years of several unsuccessful interviews for a promotion. She helped me to identify the most positive attributes of my experience and together we worked on focused interview techniques and the use of positive language, including body language. I then applied these techniques at an interview and was offered the promotion. I am now very happy in this job, finally working at the level to which I have aspired for so long.”