Hi, I’m Anna Tomsett.
You may be wondering why you should trust me with this part of your leadership.
The simple answer: this work is personal.
Two years after moving our family of four children and a dog from New Zealand to Austin, Texas, I was with my husband in the emergency room at the Heart Hospital of Austin. We were both scared and unsure what the outcome would be.
It turned out, after a coronary angiogram, that his heart was fine.
What wasn't fine was his nervous system.
Looking back, the move had been tough on both of us. We divided and conquered. I learned new school, banking, government, sports, and health systems. He kept the business growing, traveling between two countries to make that happen.
Then the world shut down for COVID.
We'd been in our new country for only nine months. Not long enough to build a new life. We'd already lost our usual leisure activities, which were mostly beach-based. Now we were isolated too.
The kids were home full-time. Financial pressure on the business multiplied. Keeping the team connected and motivated became even more challenging.
Our relationship became strained.
Our bodies were carrying a load we didn't recognize.
Until they crashed.
We no longer felt capable. We couldn't push through a global pandemic, and being more disciplined wasn't going to fix these problems.
As a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, I had focused my work on what was good about people and teams, helping them understand their strengths and work better together.
I loved that work.
But I needed something different here.
So I started learning about the nervous system.
Why do the things that worked for so long stop working?
What is burnout, and can it be prevented?
How does my nervous system communicate with me?
What I learned, and what I walked through alongside my husband, a founder and CEO of a global tech startup, is what I now share with founders, executives, and organizational leaders.
You can lead well without sacrificing your relationships or your body.
When you understand what's happening, you have more room to choose what happens next.
That is where sustainable leadership begins.
Ready to understand what's really driving your reactions?
Whether you're looking for support for your leadership team or for yourself, let's start a conversation.
What it’s like to work with me
We start with the soft stuff: compassion.
Yes, it really is necessary.
When we judge ourselves, our nervous system can move into self-protection, making change harder.
So I'll be compassionate. I'll remind you that your reactions make sense in the context of your story, and I'll help you get curious about the story behind them.
I've done my nervous system science homework so you don't have to.
I love understanding the science, but you don't need another textbook. Everything I share is meant to be used in real life, so the work doesn't stay in the workshop or the coaching session.
I'll challenge you.
You wouldn't be working with me if you didn't want something to be different or better.
I'll bring an outside perspective, ask the questions that need asking, and invite you to do the brave work of looking at what's really happening.
And most of all, I'll hold hope.
I believe there is always a way forward, even when you can't see it yet. Nervous systems can change. Patterns can shift. You can build greater capacity for pressure without living in a constant state of self-protection.
A sustainable way of leading, and living, is possible.