Life Coach, Speaker and Podcast Host
New Zealand
This conversation was originally published in 2018 as part of the original Careering Conversations series.
We've lightly edited it for readability while preserving the original conversation and advice, and added an update on what Kirsty has been doing since we first spoke.
Kirsty Sailsbury's career is built around helping people recognise what's possible. As a coach, speaker and podcast host, she's spent years encouraging others to step outside their comfort zones, but her own journey began with significant personal challenges that reshaped the direction of her life.
Kirsty was candid about her own willingness to experiment. Rather than waiting until she had complete certainty, she researched her market, worked with a coach, tested different pricing models and gradually built confidence in the value she offered. Like many business owners, she didn't start with all the answers. She learnt by doing.
That approach extends well beyond business.
Kirsty believes growth usually sits on the other side of discomfort. If an opportunity feels exciting and slightly intimidating at the same time, it's often worth exploring rather than avoiding. Confidence isn't something that magically appears before you act—it grows because you acted.
She also spoke about the changing nature of work and the opportunities technology creates for greater flexibility. Building strong networks, collaborating generously and supporting other women have become central themes throughout her career, along with helping people design lives that reflect what matters most to them rather than simply following conventional expectations.
Since we first spoke
Since we first spoke, Kirsty has taken her work in an entirely new direction. Today she works as an end-of-life doula and funeral celebrant, hosts the podcast Let’s Talk Near Death, runs the Auckland Death Cafe, and is a Co-Facilitator of IANDS Down Under. She’s also published two books, A Life by Design and Dying Well: An Approachable Guide to Embracing Death.
What Kirsty taught us
You don't have to eliminate fear before taking the next step. Growth comes from trusting yourself enough to try, learning as you go and recognising that confidence is built through action, not waiting.
