MEET THE FOUNDER
AND DIRECTORS
THE POSITIVE CHANGE CATALYSTS
Passionate about helping individuals develop mental strength and 'positive mental health' to thrive!
ABOUT DEE ...
After a series of multiple personal tragedies and professional setbacks, Dee started coaching while living in New York. Being resilient after so many challenges made her realise that she wanted nothing more than to help others 'get back on track', to develop a strong state of mind and work on achieving goals. She is passionate about being part of a process that works with people in pursuit of personal and professional advancement.
“My professional experience, over 24 years, stems from the corporate world, with 10 of those years running a successful marketing business. I have worked with a wide variety of CEO's, directors, executives and other personnel, as well as managing and developing a large number of employees, coaching them on leadership skills, effective communication styles, team work, goal achievement and personal and professional development.
My professional life was thriving, but my personal life was crumbling. I experienced personal tragedies such as the sudden suicidal death of my father, a failed marriage and financial betrayal by people I trusted. I drowned myself in work, but when the global financial crisis hit, my biggest client left a debt that crushed my business. I felt beaten and directionless in every area of life ... I felt alone with no escape.
DEE RAQUEL JOMA
Founder - Executive Director
ICF Professional Certified Coach
Trainer - Facilitator - Speaker
Despite having the talent to rebuild the business and recover from the loss, I no longer had a fire burning inside me ... the passion that created the successful business in the first place had died. In order to think about my next move, heal my mind and heart, and plan my future, I moved to New York. This was a turning point for me.
Spending hundreds of hours in Central Park, writing, reflecting, self-analysing and general soul searching, led me to a bookstore. I read books and journal articles about positive psychology, happiness, the law of attraction, counselling, psychology therapy and coaching. After almost a year, with effective self-treatment, I had released a lot of anger and resentment and forgiven many that hurt me. My mind was strong and I was ready to make some big decisions and changes. So, I closed my marketing business, sold my property and settled my debts. I started afresh with a clean slate.
I started coaching people as a way to pass-on what I had learnt, helping them view issues in their life from a new perspective, set goals, create plans and support them along the way. Being a positive change catalyst for these people was so fulfilling to me, that once again, I noticed that familiar feeling coming back ... passion!
I returned to Sydney to study a Bachelor of Coaching and Counselling with a focus on Positive Psychology, at the Australian College of Applied Psychology, to have a solid theoretical foundation to complement my personal and professional life experiences. Coaching came naturally to me, partly because I had managed so many people during my career, but also because I had empathy for so many situations. Coaching was rewarding, and I felt a huge surge of satisfaction and pride in being a part of someone’s success and development.
Having spent over two decades working with executives and teams of all sizes, I knew that my coaching skills could help many individuals, organisations and teams improve by strengthening their mindset, understanding their own psychology and the triggers for emotions and behaviour, teaching them skills for self empowerment, leadership and positive work cultures, and helping them focus on getting the best out of themselves and their people, to meet and exceed personal and business goals.”
Dee Says ...
"My passion for helping people further developed over the past decade while working with my business, BE UNSTOPPABLE COACHING. So many individuals who sought my help were experiencing either personal or professional circumstances that created 'adverse mental health', compounded by the pandemic, which sadly, added this problem to children of all ages. I saw a huge need for an organisation that can offer more than an ear to listen to... I saw a need for an organisation that teaches the fundamentals of the psychological causes to 'adverse mental health' and the proven strategies to apply to combat those illnesses, coupled with the development of both knowledge and application of the practices to develop mental strength and 'positive mental health'. That insight and awareness was the reason I founded the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION. An organisation I am highly passionate about, that can help everyone live a mentally healthy and happy life, using my skills to lead a wonderful and equally passionate team, that can create a positive legacy for all.”
Dee is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach, signifying high coaching competence and her commitment to professional standards in the coaching industry, earning the credibility conferred by the only globally recognised professional coaching credential. Dee is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Positive Psychology Groups, where continuous professional development is sustained and applied with all clientele. Dee has worked with numerous organisations on complete culture change and skill development of executives and staff, employee and customer-focused rewards programs, company vision and mission statement development, one-on-one executive coaching for personal and professional development, as well as a multitude of life coaching clients, to develop mental strength and 'positive mental health', to enhance certain life areas and achieve personal goals.
INSPIRATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKING
Personalised to suit your needs and objectives.
Dee is a voice of inspiration, a model of strength and a true positive change catalyst to all who have crossed her path. Her extensive life, professional and educational experience is the foundation for her ability to effectively engage a crowd, creating an environment of reflection, learning, humour and motivation for positive change.
Inspirational keynote speaking is tailor-made to client or event requirements, with personalised topics addressing mental health and the development of mental strength. Topics that can be covered include, but not limited to, the following:
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Building 'Positive Mental Health'
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Strengthening One's Mindset
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Resilience
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Dealing with Trauma or Disappointment
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Dealing With Change
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Creating a Mentally Healthy Work Culture
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And more ...
ABOUT SIMONE ...
Simone is a qualified Counsellor registered with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and currently studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of New England. She has profound knowledge in dialectical behavioural therapy and a certification in providing people with the four core skills of DBT which are mindfulness, interpersonal communication, distress tolerance and emotion regulation.
Simone has volunteered her time mentoring and coaching young adults in high schools to assist them on their journey of self-discovery and equip them with skills to reach their full potential in their academic endeavours and beyond. She has a deep-seeded passion to support people in their journey to develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others, fostering each person's pursuit of understanding themselves and their place within their community.
SIMONE DE MARIO-HENRY
Director
Certified Counsellor
Program Facilitator
With a combination of mental, physical and spiritual wellness, paired with a holistic approach, Simone helps people to recognise that they themselves have the ability to unlock their true authentic self, to live a life of purpose, ultimately resulting in them living a fulfilled life.
Previous to becoming a Counsellor, Simone worked for Qantas for 15 years as an international flight attendant, gaining many personal and professional attributes that assist her current profession. Working with Qantas gave her the opportunity to work with a diverse range of cultures, ages, sexual orientations and a wide range of personalities, gaining knowledge of people's differences and similarities, worldly views and much more. Simone is able to draw upon her own lived experience of a colourful upbringing paired with post-traumatic stress in her late 20’s due to a workplace near-death experience that led down the road of depression and anxiety, to then receiving professional support to achieve and maintain positive mental well-being. She now assists others through their journey to achieving positive mental health and the life that they desire.
As a mother of two young girls, Simone has engaged more than ever, the drive to help assist the younger generations in achieving positive mental health with the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION, and is a valuable part of our team.
ABOUT BENITA ...
Benita has enjoyed a career in the advertising and marketing industry spanning over two decades. Her expertise lies in understanding human psychology and human behaviour, with the impact these influences have on organisational brands and campaign results.
Benita is highly passionate about helping people overcome the adverse effects of mental health, having personal experience of the impact of this disease with the suicidal death of her father, as well as the suicidal death of two other friends, knowing first hand the ripple effect that outcome has on oneself, family members, friends and the community at large.
Benita's passion about helping people develop mental strength and ask for help resulted in her organising multiple fundraises and a gala, to support Suicide Prevention Australia.
BENITA SAMAHA
Director
Support Coach
Program Facilitator
The black-tie event was a huge success, inclusive of silent and live auctions and raffles, that raised thousands of dollars for the cause. Benita said, "I can't change what happened with my dad, but if the funding raised at the event saved the life of one person, then it was worth it". Benita is an active advocate for the awareness of adverse mental health, with a desire to support, educate and facilitate a space to combat this illness in all people, stating "it's critical for me to raise awareness about suicide and adverse mental health, to talk about it, to remove the stigma and identify the signs of people who need help".
Benita is a woman who has high levels of compassion and empathy, volunteering herself regularly to help and support organisations including FoodBank Australia and The Starlight Foundation. Her generous nature and kind heart enables her to connect with people easily, building relationships and helping others feel heard, valued and understood.
Benita is a valuable director for the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION, working on completing her training to be certified as a collaborative coach, undergoing the BE UNSTOPPABLE Professional Collaboration Program. Benita is a strong advocate for the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION, who works as a program facilitator to cultivate 'Positive Mental Health' in adults and kids.
ABOUT TONY ...
In the early 1980’s, Tony nurtured his first career in the financial services sector, focusing on superannuation as an accredited Financial Planner, and eventually selling his practice in 1992. During that time, he utilised his studies in psychology to carve out a parallel career in personal and business development, commencing as an Instructor with Dale Carnegie Training in the late 80’s.
With extra study in neuroscience and behavioural profiling, Tony launched his own consultancy in the early 1990’s and developed it into its current form as the Value Selling Academy. Tony’s has personally trained thousands of salespeople, sales managers, and other executives to help them achieve sales excellence and exceed business goals.
TONY BONANNO
Director - Secretary
Business and Life Coach
By understanding his clients’ business purpose and the factors surrounding their business growth, he assists in the creation of the right development strategies to aid the business to achieve greater performance. Tony’s experience provides a multitude of valuable skills and expertise for his clients; Coaching, Sales Management & Leadership Development, Strategic Business Thinking, Maximising Sales & Account Potential, Sales Opportunity Management, Leveraging Social Media, Developing Business Acumen, Deal Reviews as well as Win / Loss Reviews. Some of his more recognisable clients include global businesses such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Oracle Corporation.
Tony is a devoted husband of 23 years, and a father to two young adults, well connected in his local community, and a proud Rotarian, most recently in 2018 as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Gregory Hills. Tony is Accredited as a Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (2012) and an Accredited Consultant & Trainer in Extended DISC ® (2013).
Tony's passion for helping people stem far beyond his professional achievements, with tireless contribution to community causes, volunteering to help young adults develop leadership and being a valuable director for the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION, to work towards a cause that will positively impact the lives of so many people.
ABOUT RON ...
Ron Browne brings a unique combination of Business Development, General Management, Governance, Sales, Marketing and Training skills, honed over four decades focussed on developing people and businesses, improving governance and management processes and increasing market share in various industries. Having worked in agriculture, retail, environment, vocational education and hospitality, Ron brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the table.
Due to his lifelong passion for Governance and Education, Ron represented the Club Industry on the Industry Reference Committee working with SkillsIQ on updating Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Packages nationally from 2013 to 2019. He is an experienced Non-Executive Director, specialising in not - for - profit organisations and currently sits on 3 boards.
RON BROWNE
Director
Foundation Support
Governance
With over 45 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Ron has consulted to clubs, pubs and restaurants on operations, marketing and governance to ensure optimal operation and compliance. Ron is also an active member of the community, has been a Rotarian since 2004, and is the 2024-25 District Governor for Rotary District 9675. On a personal level, Ron is a father to two grown boys and understands the importance of managing mental health and wellbeing within his family. Ron has joined the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION to offer his extensive professional experience relating to business operations and governance to the board, working together to guide the charity to new heights.
A TEAM FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
Unstoppable in their 'drive' to help people develop 'Positive Mental Health' and live well.
The directors of the BE UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDATION are blessed to have a team of passionate, talented,
qualified and experienced individuals, who work together to create positive change in the lives of others.