Hello, new beginnings! I’m Norita Omar and I empower heart-centred coaches and solopreneurs on how to build a heart business with resilience and make an impact in this world.

My Previous Beginnings in 2016

I would never have thought that my personal tragedies will lead me finding my purpose in January 2016 when we started Strive and Thrive which is a social platform to inspire and empower the community to strive through challenges and thrive into a positive and resilient life. It all started after losing my friend to suicide at the end of 2015 and realising there is nothing I could do to bring her back. But perhaps I could do something for those who are still around battling similar struggles. Sometimes I wonder why should I care for those people so much since I myself was still in stages of trying to rebuild my life after multiple adversities. That was My Why…because I knew what it was like feeling hopeless after being challenged with tragedy after tragedy.

These tragedies have shaped me to be the person that I am now. In the past, I enjoyed the fast-paced lifestyle which kept me busy so that I didn’t have a moment to feel my true emotions. Since a child, I experienced traumas but it was not until Friday 13th, 2006, when I fell off the stage and hit my head on the ground did my world changed indefinitely. I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury from that fall.

The struggle of recovery led me to depression and anxiety which nearly made me lose hope and almost attempted suicide. Somehow, I found the courage to strive through all the challenges and found supportive tools and therapies to overcome my challenges and conditions.

Shortly after my recovery, I was once challenged again when Christchurch, New Zealand where I was living then was hit with an earthquake. I got injured trying to escape from my apartment and within weeks, I decided to move to Australia with few pieces of clothing.

Due to overcoming my traumas, I have gained a new me. I have graduated from University, something which I never thought I could do (being someone with a brain injury). I have found a new meaning in love and happiness with my partner. Then in 2015, I gathered all the courage and left my flamboyant VIP International Gaming career in the casino industry to start my event business.

Start of Strive and Thrive

Strive and Thrive was built with no business plans or directions but all it had at that time was HEART. Heart to make a positive difference in this world we’re living. I am blessed that I have a Bachelor in Business Management plus my 15 years of extensive experience in event management, marketing, communication working for big brands like Hilton, Disney, Christchurch Casino and Crown Resorts has given me the strategies on how to build the brand.

I started winning awards and doing interviews within months after starting Strive and Thrive. I remember at that time not knowing or thinking I didn’t know what I was doing. But one clarity I had was, I just wanted to share my story as I was told that my story had given people strength and hope. 

While navigating my way through this new entrepreneurial journey, other small business owners started coming to me asking me for help in their business. I spent many hours mentoring these business owners at no cost because they claimed to be broke. But after many months, I found out they are paying thousands of dollars to other programs. I was hurt but I thanked The Universe because that hurt got me asking myself what my self-worth was? That was how in early 2017, I started having the courage to mentoring for a fee to selective heart-centred businesses who like me are wanting to make an impact in this world.

My New Beginnings in 2020

So it has been four years since Strive and Thrive was born and I have been so blessed with all the adventures, learning and growth, it has given me. I thoroughly enjoyed my time especially during the period of running Positive Life Expo and Workshops, a community event at no cost for the public to attend. This is where I get to be with my tribe of heart-centred businesses, guiding and promoting their services and products which contributes to the healing of this world. These businesses ranged from life coaches, health and wellness coaches, health practitioners and creative makers. I have been told by most of them that I am like a ‘bridge’ between them and the community who needs what they are offering. It was a one-day event which took many months of prep work organising the event itself and also working with businesses to get them ready for it.

Besides business coaching, I empowered them with the tools to build their resilience into their business. I believe that an entrepreneur can all have all the business tools but if they haven’t done their own inner work, they will still struggle in building their business because honestly, it is not easy to build a business. And to some, it is also not easy to put yourself out there with your business and this is due to blockages like fears and self-doubts. When that happens, no amount of business tools or marketing knowledge can propel them to their business growth. To be successful, we need to take action and when you have those personal blockages, they will hinder you to take actions!

Now after three years, watching how these businesses grow and how I was part of it, has led me to my new calling. It took me three years to finally believe that I am actually very good at what I do. And how amazingly awesome it is that I could do this work from the comfort of my own home office as most of my work is online-based. Apart from the convenience, I love the fact that with my digital products, I could be watching TV and then ping came an email “You Got a Sale!” These digital products took me only one time to create them but they continue selling even when I wasn’t working…so I love how I wasn’t trading time for money like how I used to. 

Some of you knew about my health challenges which I got since my brain injury and the earthquake. When I was building the business trading hours for money, I had to work really long hours and I burnt out at the end of every year. I had chronic pains in my shoulder mostly every week and migraines will keep me in bed at least 2-5 days each month. Since I moved my work to more online-based, I now have more time to incorporate my self-care and brain rehab practice into my daily time management. Hence why all these led to me bidding farewell to Strive and Thrive previous business model and rebrand into Norita Omar, my personal brand where I will be mostly online based.

I’ve had this guidance since a year ago but I didn’t have the courage to say goodbye to Strive and Thrive as that business was started from something which was very personal to me. I feel that the community needs that platform and I have been juggling growing that platform with my business clients. But it is time now for me to be in my truth and to shine with my truth. The truth is, through Strive and Thrive I was merely sharing my personal stories and strategies which have helped my own healing journey. It is powerful as it has inspired many people in seeking their own healing path and strategies which works for them. However, the practitioners whom I worked with in my business mentoring has more expertise, knowledge and qualifications to help these clients especially those struggling with traumas and mental health issues. Therefore me working with them, in fact, is making me part of that healing chain as well and collectively we are making a bigger impact in this world. I have always preached about doing what you love and what makes you happy…so this is me walking my talk!

Please know this hasn’t been an easy decision for me and though it is sad to say goodbye to Strive and Thrive the good news is, I am still taking the main heart of Strive and Thrive’s key message which is RESILIENCE with me in this new platform. I strongly believe resilience is the superpower which has helped me overcome all my challenges and also it is what gives me the drive in my business to keep going despite some hardships that come with building a business. I strongly believe that this new beginning will create a bigger impact in this world as I collectively join forces with other heart centred coaches and entrepreneurs!

Here’s a look back on what went down for me last 2019. I am filled with joy that I have achieved my goals like being invited to be part of the Australian delegates at the Women Economic Forum in India, winning the award Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All, flew to Michigan USA to filmed my interview for the Broken Vessels which is a US featured film on brain injury survivors. And committing myself to monthly therapy, spiritual mentoring and so much more.

I have broken down my strategies on how to make your own goals into reality via my 17 Steps to Create Your Most Spectacular Year planner which you can access below from The Vault.

Here’s to new beginnings this 2020!