About Ame-Lia

My Story

I’m Ame-Lia, CEO of Hum Consulting and host of the Circle of Change Podcast. It is my mission to give millions of change-makers the skills, confidence and community of support to make their biggest impact. 

I am fascinated by human connection, passionate about creating spaces for everyone to be seen and heard, and unwavering in my belief that we are all made of love on the inside - no matter our exterior actions.  

My main business fascination is gathering together the people who are in the arena moving the dial forward to hear from each other and be heard, to restore faith in what they are doing, and to hone the skills they need to create the change that is needed now.

This heart’s work stems from decades of life’s work.

From pain to passion

My life began with conflict and court battles, addiction and abandonment.  To survive in that context I armed myself with stories that kept me safe. Stories like, “It’s better to be quiet than speak my truth.” “Be like a boy because obviously they are preferred.” “The greater your achievements, the more you will be loved.” 

These stories ran my life unbeknownst to me.  I overachieved in sports and academics resulting in some awesome awards - National Triathlon Champion and Governor General Award-winning Masters Thesis - to name a few. 

But it was impossible for me to celebrate those accomplishments because the minute before the announcement, I was off to achieve the next thing. 

In relationships, I avoided conflict at all costs, holding in my voice to keep the waters calm thinking I was being nice. Eventually, I’d explode with rage and all the resentment I’d built up. I called myself a Feisty Italian.  It was who I was.  

The truth is, I had no idea who I was. 

The game-changer

In 2013, my father passed away and another long-term relationship came to an abrupt end.  In that grief, something cracked open in me - a deep yearning for something else. 

What ensued was an adventure through hills and valleys with guides by my side.  Skilled life coaches, a multi-year immersion program with Gary Zukav and Linda Francis, and spiritual deep dives into philosophies I had up until then, very intentionally avoided.  

My big take-away -  I was not taking responsibility for my life experiences. 

I had blamed my partners for the dysfunction, my bosses for the lack of satisfaction, my parents for everything else. Sorry parents - you do tend to get the short end of the stick. 

The inner work helped me see that none of that was true.  It helped me look into the mirror and see myself in everything I had experienced, and gave me the tools to create a fulfilling life.

Taking responsibility gave me freedom. 

Gathering communities together  

During all of this time and beyond, I was facilitating conversations with communities all over the globe.  From the Arctic, across Turtle Island, to Mongolia, Africa and India - I helped bring the voices of rural, remote and Indigenous communities to the ears of decision-makers so that they could improve the quality of life of those most in need.  

In observing these conversations it became clear that we generally lack skills to express what is true for us and hear perspectives that differ from our own. I recognized it because I knew the struggle well. 

However, something else caught my attention.

In some settings, people would leave divided and decisions were made on the defensive to appease the loudest voices in the room.  In other settings, understanding would deepen, people would leave connected and decisions improved the lives of those most in need, and therefore, everyone. 

The way we gathered together, mattered. 

This became the focus of my company, Hum Consulting, until…another wake-up call.

From facilitator to leader

It was December 2019.  I was just about to open the doors of Hum. Using up benefits from my previous job, my massage therapist suddenly stopped. 

“You should go get this lump checked out.” 

No one wants to hear those words. 

Cancer.  Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Ruh roh. 

I heard once that when you get to face your own mortality you can make two choices - victim or victor.  I choose the latter. 

Not in an “I want to conquer this thing” kind of way.  But rather in an “I’m going to use this experience to birth the leader that I know is in me” kind of way.

And so I did. 

Surrounded by a new community and expert guides, I found my way through the trauma in my own life, and emerged as the most authentic, integrity-rooted, joy-filled version of myself. 

Everything transformed, especially my relationships.

This allowed me to expand what I offered to the world.  Bringing people together wasn’t just about connection anymore, it was about healing.  Healing our personal wounds, but also the collective trauma caused by colonization.

I know now this is the only way forward if we truly want to create a harmonious world. 

The Circle Way

The circle way found me in 2015 and again in 2019. Training with Masters I learned what was happening all those years I had spent in community circles. Everything about the teachings resonated with what I had learned from Indigenous Elders and my own understanding of the world. 

Circle was not just a facilitation tool, it was a way of life. 

In circle, everyone became a leader, everyone had a voice, and everyone remembered how interconnected they were.  Divisions melted and equity bloomed.

I had come home.

Moving Forward Together

I have come to know that when I own my power to create what I want, the world around me transforms. The beauty is that everyone, no matter their life experience, has that power within them.  

Whether I’m working in restorative justice, facilitating a community conversation, or guiding change-makers through their own transformation, nothing lights me up more than seeing harmony restored, unity ignited, and people gaining momentum toward a future that wasn’t possible before they gathered together.  

I love that my life journey has given me everything I need to create those experiences.

Thanks for listening to my story; I can’t wait to hear yours.  

Xo

Ame-Lia