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