Chandu Bickford
I live and work on Dharug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains,
a place of extraordinary beauty that continues to teach, inspire and sustain me.
I acknowledge the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples as the Traditional Custodians of these lands
and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
I honour their enduring connection to Country, culture and community,
and the wisdom carried through generations.
Starting Out
I was born and raised in the beautiful Blue Mountains World Heritage National Park, outside of Sydney, Australia. I studied nursing and in my seven years of practice learned the value of asking good questions, helping people through challenging times and how important it is to have a courageous mindset if you want to live a healthy and rewarding life.
In my spare time I wrote poetry and dragged an easel out to rugged cliff tops where I painted landscapes in oils. My creative work and heart have always been inspired by the vast wilderness around me.
In my early twenties, I felt challenged by life’s bigger questions
Who am I?
Why am I here?
What am I doing with my life?
Un-settled and unable to find answers in my home or heart, I set out on a seven-month journey overseas. I didn’t return to live in Australia for twelve years.
Journeys & Learning
New Eyes, New Beginnings
Eventually I settled in a remote & traditional East African village. I lived in a mud hut, without electricity, telephone or transport for many years. Water was carried from a village tap half a kilometre away & crops of corn & beans were sown, grown & harvested by hand.
It was here, living intimately with the seasons, & in isolation, watching the struggles of the local village women, that I discovered & began to understand the importance of business as a means of survival & self-empowerment.
The indigenous women of the region had a daily challenge to educate, feed, clothe and house their children. Money for simple lifesaving medications for malaria was hard to earn.
To support income generating opportunities I created a fledgling international fair-trade enterprise. This provided pathways for the local women to continue their fast-disappearing traditional tribal arts & crafts while also helping them earn the much-needed income to support their families.
To compliment my grass roots enterprise work in Africa, I also established myself as a Cultural Educator in Australia – creating a range of lively and interactive cultural workshops and performances for the Early Childhood Sector and Primary and High Schools. Through storytelling, speaking, performance & education, I explored the challenging subjects of culture, diversity, inclusivity & prejudice through fun & creative programs for children and young adults.
As these workshops and performances grew in popularity, I began working in collaboration with local councils, NGO’s and community groups who wished to deepen their knowledge and skills in communication, culture and diversity.
My love of business & communication led me onto further studies in business and leadership and I began a life that straddled Africa and Australia – two continents & two unique worlds of business, nature, art, communication and change.
Now
I now live in Australia full time, settled once again among the rugged and beautiful bush of my childhood in the Blue Mountains. The seasons, the landscape and the quiet continue to shape me and show me that change is a natural part of life.
My work today draws together more than twenty-five years of experience in education, business, leadership and human development. I also draw on decades of lessons gathered through a life that has taken me across cultures, careers and many seasons of change.
I work with individuals, leaders, groups and organisations, creating spaces for people to slow down, think deeply, listen to themselves and find greater clarity when the way forward isn’t obvious. My work takes many forms and includes private mentoring, leadership education, group programs, speaking, facilitation and conversations that invite us to see ourselves, our work and our lives a little differently.
At the heart of it all is a deep interest in how we know what we know.
Alongside intellect and knowledge, I draw on emotional awareness, intuitive intelligence, lived experience, reflection and contemplative practice to help people develop greater discernment, self-trust and the quiet authority to make wise decisions.
I am a mother, writer, poet and long-time meditation practitioner. Writing, nature, reflection and stillness are not separate from my professional work; they are part of the way I live, learn and make sense of the world.
Increasingly, I find myself working with thoughtful, experienced people who have already lived and achieved a great deal, but who sense they are standing at the threshold of something new. They may be navigating change, questioning what matters now, stepping into greater leadership or simply hearing the quiet pull towards a different way of living and working.
I don’t believe we need to have all the answers before we begin.
Sometimes we simply need enough space to hear what we already know and enough courage to trust where it might lead.
We can’t always change our environment.
But we can change how we look at things.
Sometimes it’s not the place or situation that needs to change.
It’s us.
And this is something we can take charge of.
Our attitude.
Our perception.
Our perceived possibilities.
Our sense of hope.