About
our founder
Carey-Lyn Kurten
My energy is contagious and my most rewarding hours are spent with others, unpacking ideas. Through my skilled facilitation, I create a space where people feel safe and respected enough to share their ideas and reach solutions together. I can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues in situations and bring perspective to those I engage with.
Behaviour change is fascinating and I am always on a quest to discover new concepts that add depth to my understanding of why and how people change. My interest and passion for learning and sharing with others has been the thread through my life and I use these gifts in focused way to get the best from those who cross my path.
I enjoy photography and appreciate the beauty in small things. Hiking is a new interest and has become an exciting way for me to enjoy the outdoors and experience the world.
clients
creating safe spaces for people to take route
I work across a broad range of industries, including engineering, automotive, financial services, retail and education. My client engagements range from strategic planning, organisational design and change management to leadership development.
projects
changing people’s lives
My most rewarding and memorable project is a current Talent Pool project, where we are developing thirty seven emerging leaders to be used within the organization for succession planning. Entering its third year, this projects duration has enabled me to see the powerful impact that a combination of emotional intelligence, performance coaching and tracking can have on both organizational productivity and in changing people’s lives.
qualifications
Professional Qualifications and Accreditation
BEd Honours Degree in Leadership & Management (Cum Laude)
HDE – Edgewood College
Six Seconds EQ Assessor – SEI Leading Through Change
Six Seconds EQ Practitioner – Change Map©
Six Seconds Network Leader – EQ Cafe’s
Whole Brain Practitioner – Neethling Brain Instrument
Denison Culture – High Performance Organisations – Culture Change
Growing Resilient Leaders.
Helping you channel your full potential.
Take route & grow
our story
My family and I spend many weekends walking the remote beaches in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. From the rugged shoreline with crashing waves, to deep into the dunes in places like Mgwalana and Cintsa. I am always intrigued that despite the harshest conditions, the sand dunes are home to some of the most incredible plants. In hostile conditions, with gale force winds and hardly a drop of water, these plants take root and grow. How do they do this? Their adaption to stress and disturbance continues to fascinate researchers who study their response to limited resources like water and nutrients. They do not simply survive, they actually thrive. Their resilience is astonishing.
In the Xhosa language of the region, this can be described as i-ya-mila. “to take root and grow”.
We too, use this word – Mila – to describe the remarkable journey of human growth against continual change and resistance.
In a turbulent world, the route we follow often requires a tenacity and determination that seems impossible to imagine.
Mila programmes are the catalyst to enabling both individuals and organisations to find their meaningful roots, uncover their limitless potential, and thrive and adapt positively on a clearly mapped journey to success.
“Only I can change the world I created”
~ Irwin Yalom
Take route & grow
our approach
Transformation, at a personal or organizational level, requires that you hold up a mirror and have the courage to be honest. Our process involves reflection, perspective taking, engagement, collaboration and action. And all the emotions that go with that.
We use the Six Seconds Change Map developed by Josh Freeman as the framework for all our interventions.
driven by
our values
growth
creating safe spaces for people to take route
I leverage the fundamental principles of Emotional Intelligence to create safe spaces for people to take route. My interest and passion for learning and sharing with others has spanned my whole life and I use these gifts in a focused way to get the best from those who cross my path.
connection
drawing strength & inspiration from positive connections
When reflection, hard work and good strategies, are combined with an enabling support network, I have seen ordinary people achieve great things – as individuals, as teams and as organizations. I have worked across industries in sectors like engineering, automotive, mining, finance and education. The organizations that are thriving in those sectors have resilient leaders who value connection and see their people as gifts with possibilities.
I am an advocator of the power of community and believe that relationships are the foundation to high performance. I draw strength and inspiration from connecting positively with others in all areas of my life.
vulnerability
discovering strength in vulnerability
I grew up to believe that vulnerability was a weakness. Only in my early forties, when I was pushed into a space where I could not tackle the world on my own, did I discover the strength in vulnerability. In surrendering to vulnerability, I opened new doors. Practicing this value daily means reflecting on my behaviours when I feel at risk or uncertain and being comfortable, not only that I can never master this, but that it makes me human.
authenticity
talking about real stuff with confidence
Showing up in an honest and courageous way, for me, means sharing some of my darkest moments. We all have stories of every day choices and being authentic allows me to talk about real stuff with confidence. I use stories from my own life to shape my material.
gratitude
challenging myself to be thankful
I challenge myself to find one new thing every day that I can be thankful for and this filter gives me perspective. I love to take long walks on the Eastern Cape beaches where I choose to live. Our beautiful oceans and their endless shorelines are a great source of energy for me.
