In this episode of FlowZone, I sit down with Nerida Bint — a fitness entrepreneur-turned-coach whose journey reveals the powerful connection between personal healing and business success. Nerida opens up about her remarkable transformation — from building Newcastle's biggest women's only gym to watching her business crumble during the pandemic while simultaneously experiencing heartbreak.
She shares the raw, emotional breaking point that changed everything, describing her "dark night of the soul" with unflinching honesty. But her story didn't end in that darkness. Nerida reveals how fully feeling her emotions became the catalyst for profound change, how she reconnected mind and heart, and why embracing vulnerability became her superpower in both business and relationships. If you've ever felt disconnected from your authentic self, struggled with perfectionism, or found yourself succeeding externally while crumbling internally, this episode offers a roadmap to genuine fulfillment and flow.
00:01:23 — What "flow" means to Nerida
00:02:36 — Building Newcastle's biggest women's gym
00:04:00 — The "divine storm": Covid & heartbreak collide
00:05:39 — Selling the gym & finding a new purpose
00:06:35 — The rock-bottom moment that changed everything
00:08:10 — "The morning after": Waking up to sensory awareness
00:08:45 — "You can't reach the heights without touching the depths"
00:10:13 — The painful truth about her relationships
00:14:02 — How childhood shapes adult emotional patterns
00:15:55 — The masks we wear for love & acceptance
00:19:08 — The four emotions driving all human behavior
00:21:29 — The path from shame to authenticity
00:23:54 — Perfect on the outside, crumbling on the inside
00:24:35 — Her suicide attempt while "having it all"
00:26:11 — How her father's pain became her burden
00:28:41 — The revelation: She built a gym to heal her own isolation
00:33:31 — "Business is about overcoming yourself, over and over again"
00:36:36 — Learning to be a "loving witness" instead of a fixer
00:39:04 — The body never lies: Tuning into physical wisdom
00:43:11 — Finding the middle path between people-pleasing & isolation
00:46:41 — Advice for those in their own dark night of the soul
00:48:22 — Final reflections & gratitude
Follow Nerida Bint:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neridabint
Follow Mark Kentwell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_kentwell
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mark_kentwell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkentwell1
Mark’s Businesses:
Presence Real Estate: https://presence.realestate
Nexr: https://nexr.com.au
