ABOUT US

We help people, teams and businesses find their unique purpose & unlock their full potential.

Why?

Because we’re just like you - we don’t want to go to our deathbed with regrets and unrealised potential. We’ve been at the bottom - burnt out, stressed and un-inspired by life.

We tried ticking all the boxes that society had told us = success and we were left feeling empty, stuck and lost.

The truth is, it takes courage to find another way and follow your dreams. It’s counter-cultural and it’s risky, but if we’re not shooting for our dreams, we’re just waiting for our time here to be up and that is no way to spend this one wild and precious life.

Meet the team

  • Matt Defina

    FOUNDER & CEO

    I’ve always been driven by one question — how do we live and lead with purpose?

    That question has taken me from boardrooms to mountain peaks. As a qualified Organisational Psychologist, I began my career at PwC before leading national programs at The Man Cave, helping young men build emotional intelligence and confidence. But after years of chasing success, I hit burnout — and it changed the direction of my life.

    Today, through Another Way, I help leaders, founders, and professionals find clarity, purpose, and courage to create lives that truly feel like their own. My work blends psychology, somatic leadership, and nature-based wisdom to help people reconnect with what really matters.

    Outside of work, you’ll usually find me hiking a mountain, around a campfire, or exploring a new coastline with my partner, Francesca.

  • Nicola Hopwood

    OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

    I’ve always been fascinated by what helps people and teams thrive. Over the years, that curiosity has taken me from wilderness therapy and ropes courses, to teaching snowboarding, leading HR initiatives, and even founding two businesses of my own. Each chapter gave me new tools, resilience, and perspective.

    I’ve lived and worked across the U.S., Australia, and the UK, and travel has always been my teacher – reminding me of how many different ways there are to live and lead. What I’ve learned is that when teams are aligned and purpose-led, they don’t just succeed, they create ripples of impact far beyond themselves.

    Today, my focus is simple: to help people and organizations see more clearly, connect more deeply, and achieve more together.

  • Angelica Avila-Lemos

    CLIENT RELATIONSHIP COORDINATOR

    I was born in Colombia and raised in Australia, so I’ve always felt like I belong to two worlds. In 2022, I came back to Colombia to reconnect with my roots — planning to stay for a year. Three years later, I’m still here, and it feels like home.

    Back in Australia, I worked as a Program Manager at The Man Cave, where my favorite part was being the bridge between our facilitators and the schools we served. I love playing that role here at Another Way too — supporting Matt and making sure our clients and communities feel cared for, heard, and supported.

    Outside of work, you’ll probably find me salsa dancing, in a pilates class, or hiking in the mountains. Those are the spaces where I feel most alive.

  • Elli Norris

    RETREAT & BREATHWORK FACILITATOR

    My journey into healing began when life brought me to a full stop. After years of pushing, numbing, and running on overdrive, a broken wrist became the moment that changed everything — forcing me to slow down, feel, and finally listen to my body.

    What followed was a deep unraveling — shedding layers of old patterns, fear, and grief, and learning to meet myself with compassion. Through breathwork, movement, and ceremony, I discovered the medicine that would transform my life and ultimately become my calling.

    Today, I guide others through that same journey as a breathwork facilitator, creating safe and powerful spaces for people to reconnect with themselves, release what’s been held, and return to a deeper sense of clarity and aliveness. My approach weaves six elements — breath, movement, touch, sound, emotion, and meditation — to help people meet and integrate the parts of themselves ready to heal.

    At Another Way, I support our retreats and community experiences by guiding breathwork journeys that open the heart, clear the mind, and reconnect people to their truth.

  • Peter Wroblewski

    ADVENTURE CLUB GUIDE & LEAD

    Hey, I’m Pete – and nothing makes me feel more alive than being outdoors. Hiking, four-wheel driving, cycling, or snapping photos in wild places – it’s where I feel most at home.

    By 27, I’d spent over a decade in sports management, coaching high-performance hockey and running education programs. But despite all the wins, something was missing. I wanted to serve in a way that brought people closer to nature, to themselves, and to each other.

    So I leaned back into what had always mattered to me: adventure. Since then, I’ve trekked the fjords of Norway, the Dolomites in Italy, the glaciers of Iceland, and the trails of New Zealand. Now, leading Adventure Club, my role is to create space for people to get outside, move, connect, and just enjoy the moment.

    Adventure Club isn’t about being the fastest or fittest – it’s about showing up as you are and letting nature do its work. I can’t wait to meet you out on the trail.

  • Trent Monck

    TECH YOGI

    Technology has been the common thread in my career, but my journey has been anything but linear. I’ve worked across telecommunications and resources, solved high-stakes incidents, and even ran my own IT support business in Perth. Each experience taught me to adapt, stay calm under pressure, and keep people connected.

    These days, I juggle a few plates - building a yoga business and community, supporting Another Way’s systems and platforms, and working in the mining sector to keep operations running smoothly.

    For me, technology isn’t just about fixing problems - it’s about helping people flow, whether that’s in their work, their practice, or their everyday lives.

  • Hayley Jessup

    RESIDENT STORYTELLER

    I’ve been weaving stories for as long as I can remember — through words, film, and song — capturing the moments and meanings that make us feel alive. Storytelling has always been my way of exploring the human experience, and over time it’s become my way of helping others connect more deeply with theirs.

    As YANA The Storyteller, I create films, content, and narratives that help people see the beauty and meaning in their own journey. My work lives at the intersection of creativity, healing, and transformation — blending artistry and truth to reveal what’s real, raw, and resonant.

    At Another Way, I help capture the magic and story of our retreats, clients, and community — distilling the essence of human transformation into powerful creative expression. I also support The Another Way Podcast, helping bring stories of courage, purpose, and awakening to life.

    Through everything I create, my mission is simple: to tell stories that heal, awaken, and remind us of our shared humanity.

  • Laura Poole

    RESIDENT MEDITATION TEACHER

    I’m Laura - a Vedic Meditation Teacher and guide. At my core, I believe our truest gift is waking up to who we are, and then living in service to that truth.

    For over 15 years, I’ve walked the path of Vedic meditation, Vedanta, and embodiment practice — studying deeply with masters across Australia and India. Laura Poole. Over that time, I’ve cultivated a feminine-led meditation collective called Mahasoma, where I support meditators and teachers to integrate wisdom, community, and grounded practices.

    I teach not just from books, but from life: growing a food forest on our Noosa homestead, leading retreats in India and Australia, and holding space for awakening through meditation, community, and embodiment.

    At Another Way, I’m honoured to walk with this community — offering meditative wisdom, leading embodied practices, and helping our people pause, see deeper, and realign with their soul path.

    If your heart is calling for clarity, stillness, and connection to what’s beyond the surface, I’d be honoured to share that journey with you.