About Hayley

Get to know me, before I get to know you!

I believe many of us find ourselves within our careers unexpectedly, then suddenly it’s 25 years later & you wonder what happened! That’s exactly what happened to me.

My entry to the hospitality industry wasn’t one of clarity, I left home at a young age and needed to find full time employment at the age of 16. I previously had a ‘Sunday’’ job working as a waitress, so it was an obvious choice to continue this path while I figured out my life plans and I found employment in a local restaurant.

During this time, I found comfort in the types of people who work within the industry, finding them to be warm, kind, funny and compassionate. I was also fortunate enough to have a boss who valued growth both for his business but also for his employees and he sent me on various courses, including an NQF qualification in hospitality management.

Fast forward a few years and I realized that I could combine my skills and knowledge within the industry with my passion for wildlife and nature and I became a lodge manager in Greater Kruger National Park. I totally thrive in this environment and having elephants in my garden will never be boring.

I consider myself to be very compassionate and gravitate towards helping others and around 8 years ago I was finding myself helping people within the industry find employment in my spare time. That feeling of truly helping people was like nothing else I had experienced before, and my company Wild Dreams was born. It wasn’t long before I could hire my first team member and one of my proudest achievements is that I have built a team of amazing, and values-aligned recruiters & trainers who are just as passionate about helping people in this way as I am.

My role progressed into a CEO role, but I missed the personal connection of helping people and I became a certified career coach which I love & I will always remember one day sat in a backpackers in Bali, I just got off a coaching call with a client & I said to myself ”this is how your career is meant to make you feel” & I’ve never looked back. Since then, I have completed an additional 5 coaching certifications & you will always fine me busy with some form of self-development.

My company has a strong conservation & community focus & we have partnered with various nonprofit organizations offering ‘’work-ready’’ workshops for the unemployed. It lights me up each time I see someone benefit from our help whether this is through employment, a coaching session or a workshop and the vision for our impact has only just begun. I believe every business should be creating some form of positive impact in the world & I support businesses that are doing just that.