FOUNDER’S STORY

My name is Shelley. If we haven’t met yet, I am an organiser at heart, an avid reader, and a lover of good food, meaningful conversation, travel and adventure. I value connection, health and joy-though it took me longer than I expected to truly understand what those words meant for me.

I am a mother to four incredible young men. For years, my husband and I poured our energy into raising them and guiding them towards adulthood. Then, gradually, the house grew quieter. As the nest emptied, I discovered that the ways I once escaped and recharged in my thirties no longer worked. Instead of feeling energised, I felt anxious and wired. Sleep became elusive. Brain fog, headaches and a constant underlying unease crept in. I didn’t feel like myself anymore.

At first, I told myself this was simply a natural life transition. But when I slowed down enough to listen, I realised my body was changing too. Perimenopause was quietly reshaping my nervous system, my hormones and my emotional needs. What I needed now wasn’t more intensity or pushing harder - it was regulation, steadiness and something that gently lifted my mood instead of draining me.

Around this time, Neo, our black Labrador arrived.

Walking with Neo changed everything. Suddenly, I didn’t have to wait for friends to be available.  I walked every day. He gave me purpose, routine and a reason to step outside no matter how I was feeling or what the weather was like, On quiet rural footpaths, he made me feel safe and confident to explore further and walk longer.

Nature, movement and companionship worked together-boosting my mood, regulating my nervous system and gently restoring my energy. I finished walks feeling refreshed rather than drained, grounded rather than overstimulated.

Walking became my dopamine boost. It calmed my stress response, softened anxiety and helped quiet the constant background tension I hadn’t realised I was carrying. Even short walks made me feel clearer and lighter, as though my thoughts had room to untangle. I felt happier, more optimistic and more emotionally steady.

Walking has given me confidence, resilience and a renewed appreciation for my wellbeing. Walking with women in the same stage of self-discovery has given me honesty, belonging and freedom. At a time when society often expects women over 40 to shrink or fade quietly into the background, I found strength, friendship, independence and adventure.

Circle of Steps was born from those walks - with Neo, with friends, and eventually with a growing circle of women who wanted something gentler, steadier and deeply nourishing.

It is a space for women to walk together - to boost dopamine naturally, regulate the nervous system, feel calmer and clearer, and remember that this stage of life can be expansive, not diminishing.

I would love for you to join us, as we step into midlife together.