Purpose-led leadership rarely begins with a carefully designed career plan. Instead, it often emerges from moments of pressure, discomfort and deep questioning. Purpose-led leadership sits at the heart of Celia Gaze’s work today, yet its origins trace back to a time when wellbeing was anything but present. This story is not about overnight success or polished strategies. Rather, it explores how lived experience, curiosity and courage shaped a conscious founder whose work now influences business leaders, policymakers and communities across the UK and beyond.
Purpose-led leadership matters because the old measures of success no longer serve us. Profit alone does not sustain people. Growth without meaning creates burnout. In contrast, Celia’s journey shows how imagination, integrity and commercial reality can coexist when leaders choose to build businesses that genuinely care.
From high-pressure leadership to a different way of working
Returning from maternity leave, Celia stepped into a demanding NHS turnaround role focused on cost reduction and performance. Responsibility came quickly. Pressure followed just as fast. Over time, stress stopped being something to manage and became something her body could no longer ignore.
Eventually, during a boardroom meeting, everything came to a halt. That moment marked the end of one professional chapter and the beginning of a much deeper exploration. Time away from work did not lead to rest in the traditional sense. Instead, curiosity took over.
Stress became a subject of study rather than something to suppress. Learning followed naturally. Instead of skimming articles, Celia chose to understand stress properly, asking fundamental questions about how environments affect human wellbeing. What happens when colour, nature and space work with people rather than against them? Why do so many workplaces ignore the human nervous system altogether?
That thinking formed the basis of an academic project. Shortly afterwards, the project evolved into something tangible. A run-down farm offered both challenge and possibility. Without a detailed business plan or prior entrepreneurial experience, Celia made a decisive move and resigned from the NHS.
Purpose-led leadership did not arrive neatly packaged. It arrived through action.
Passion, creativity and the discipline of focus
In the early stages, the business model reflected everything Celia loved. Learning featured prominently. Cooking mattered. Animals felt essential. Events and celebrations brought energy. Ideas flowed constantly, especially with an ADHD brain that thrives on creativity and possibility.
However, enthusiasm alone does not create sustainability. Renovation costs escalated. Financial pressure mounted. Focus scattered across too many directions. At that stage, purpose existed, but clarity did not.
A mentor introduced a simple yet powerful insight. Each day can only be sold once. That single sentence reframed the entire model. Choices became necessary. Focus followed constraint.
By narrowing attention to weddings, income stabilised and momentum returned. Purpose-led leadership remained central, yet now it sat within a structure that allowed the business to survive and grow.
Purpose as a lived experience, not a marketing message
Walking away from a meaningful NHS career to chase profit alone never felt aligned. From the outset, the intention was to build something human. Corporate sameness held no appeal. Even small details reflected that choice.
Sustainability featured from the beginning, not as an afterthought. Second-hand sourcing became a creative practice rather than a compromise. Spaces developed character. Guests felt difference immediately.
Purpose-led leadership became visible through experience rather than explanation. Visitors did not need to be told what the business stood for. They felt it.
Leadership through trust, culture and opportunity
Culture offers one of the clearest mirrors of leadership values. Within hospitality, challenges around pay and retention are common. Despite this, staff feedback consistently highlighted freedom, creativity and enjoyment as reasons for staying.
Instead of limiting young people, opportunities expanded early. Job titles carried meaning. Responsibility came with trust. Career conversations happened regardless of age.
A teenage waitress became a Cyber Officer. Another team member designed and delivered a large-scale themed event that sold out rapidly. Some ideas exceeded expectations. Others missed the mark. Learning always followed.
Transparency shaped everyday practice. Financial information remained visible. Processes evolved continually. Systems ensured consistency while preserving individuality.
Purpose-led leadership does not mean absence. Instead, it creates space for others to step forward.
Stakeholders, community and shared value
Leadership does not operate in isolation. Customers, staff, suppliers, local authorities and collaborators all shape outcomes. Each project brings different stakeholders into focus.
Sustainability extends beyond recycling. Suppliers align with shared values across food, entertainment and design. Local partnerships thrive through transport, accommodation and hospitality networks.
Events draw thousands of visitors annually, supporting local pubs, B&Bs and services. Hospitality often plays an underestimated role in community economies. Purpose-led leadership recognises that ripple effect and nurtures it intentionally.
Rethinking success and how it is measured
Traditional metrics rarely capture what truly matters. Reviews provide insight. Memories matter. Re-bookings signal trust. Invitations to speak reflect influence.
Awards feel validating. However, feedback from guests and teams carries deeper meaning. Success appears when people return, recommend and remember.
Purpose-led leadership shifts attention from annual figures to long-term impact.
B Corp as framework rather than destination
Becoming a B Corp offered structure and accountability. The process clarified what responsible business looks like in practice. Staff wellbeing gained sharper focus. Sustainability moved from intention to action. Charitable work expanded naturally.
The assessment journey delivered insight comparable to extensive consultancy, while preserving independence. Importantly, evidence replaced assertion.
Purpose-led leadership requires proof. Frameworks support consistency without diluting authenticity.
Growth, technology and staying intentional
Expansion does not always mean scale. For years, accommodation remained off-site to support local businesses. Recently, glamping became part of the picture. Solar ambitions continue despite frustrating market practices. Grant structures influence timing.
Technology supports efficiency, including AI systems that improve enquiry responses. Speaking engagements broaden reach. Recognition through awards and festivals brings visibility.
Yet the core intention remains unchanged. One special place holds more meaning than multiple replicas. Lifestyle matters. Choice matters.
Purpose-led leadership prioritises depth over duplication.
Llamas, creativity and the courage to be different
Research into stress reduction led to animal-assisted experiences long before they became mainstream. Llama trekking emerged through curiosity rather than strategy. Early reactions ranged from scepticism to concern.
Financial pressure peaked. Bankruptcy loomed. Then creativity intervened. Bow ties appeared. A single image travelled fast. Demand exploded.
Joy connected instantly. Uniqueness cut through. Purpose-led leadership allowed playfulness without apology.
Failure played a role at every stage. Professional meltdowns led to reinvention. Financial struggle sparked innovation. Global disruption created reflection.
Every challenge shaped the story.
Conscious Day and intentional pause
Conscious Day emerged from contrast. Time spent without constant connectivity highlighted how rarely people pause. Returning home revealed a culture of constant distraction.
The initiative invites individuals and organisations to stop intentionally. Reflection replaces reaction. Values take centre stage. One hour matters. One day transforms.
Planned celebrations focus on modelling behaviour. Nature walks without devices. Quiet reflection. Shared meals. Open conversations. Collective exploration of what it means to be a force for good.
Longer-term ambitions include collaboration with councils, integration into B Corp Month and exploration of global recognition. Movements often begin quietly.
Purpose-led leadership invites pause rather than performance.
The realities of building a purpose-led life
Choosing purpose adds complexity. Decisions take longer. Research replaces shortcuts. Conversations require patience. Impact reports sit alongside financial ones.
Resilience remains essential. ADHD fuels creativity and energy. Burnout appears occasionally. Recovery follows. Strong teams anchor everything.
Freedom grows alongside trust.
Wellbeing as an ongoing practice
Wellbeing remains imperfect by design. Support comes through reiki, daily walks, cooking and travel. Freedom replaces guilt. Inspiration guides choices.
Some days stretch long. Others remain empty. Work blends naturally with passion. Presence replaces pressure.
Purpose-led leadership aligns work with life rather than separating the two.
Guidance for leaders seeking purpose
Differentiation matters. Values must shape systems, not slogans. Sustainability belongs alongside pricing and processes. Trust builds through evidence. Documentation empowers teams.
One final test remains powerful. Could the business continue without the founder? True leadership creates that possibility.
Purpose-led leadership does not remove the leader. Instead, it frees them.
