Redefining Success: My Journey to Creating Soulful Co
My name is Hannah Tyers, I am 25 and I am on a mission to create a lifetime support network for anyone to refer to when life happens.
For much of my life, I believed success was about achievements and hours and hours of work to impress others, the money, the promotions, the awards. And for a while, I chased those milestones.
In 2023, I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management from the University of Westminster. I went on to become the 13th youngest female chartered surveyor in the world which I still find surreal. I was named Trainee of the Year, highly commended in the Rising Star category at the CN Awards, and twice recognised as Most Valued Contributor at my company and raised £150,000 for NACOA and The Lighthouse Charity, I was always after the next goal.
Everything sounds amazing right? But behind the scenes, life was teaching me a much deeper lesson. I grew up through a divorce, my mum being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer,losing my two aunts to cystic fibrosis, mums relationship with alcohol deteriorating, moving out alone at 19 and losing her to Alcoholic Ketoacidosis the Christmas of 2021.
Trying to balance this grief, a job, a social life and my own mental, emotional and physical health pushed me to burnout.
Nothing prepares you for that kind of loss.
A lot of people that lose a parent to alcohol describe it as losing someone twice; first to the drink and then when they actually pass. On paper, it looks like I have it all but what is success without your mum to see all you achieve. It made me question everything.
My family support network still remains so strong however not everyone is this fortunate.
That was the seed of Soulful Co. What started as personal healing grew into a mission: to create a free platform where people can feel seen, supported, and equipped with tools for life.
I began to share my story at work, in schools, and within wider communities. The response was overwhelming. People stepped forward, quietly admitting, “I thought I was the only one.” It was clear the silence around struggling needed to be broken.
The reality is stark:
1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. (Mind).
75% of mental health problems are established by age 24. (Mental Health Foundation)
Yet only 34% of young people with a disorder receive the help they need. (Children’s Commissioner, 2023)
mental health issues cost the UK economy at least £118 billion a year — around 5% of GDP. (The Times)
When I redefined what success meant to me, I realised it wasn’t just about climbing the career ladder, it was about helping others build stronger foundations for life. From that realisation, the areas I wanted to support became clear:
Small Moments – Awareness, calm and Presence.
Open your mind – finding strength in setbacks and growing from them.
Understand Yourself – building genuine, supportive relationships and boundaries
Listen and Learn – aligning our choices with what matters most.
Fulfilment– nurturing skills, knowledge, and emotional intelligence for purpose.
Unstoppable – protecting wellbeing and energy in a busy world building resilience
Love Yourself – Self belief and confidence.
I believe these skills are not optional extras they’re essential for life.
These pillars are at the heart of everything Soulful Co does, from workshops in schools to wellbeing sessions in workplaces and I have already reached half a million people with my story.
For me, success no longer looks like certificates on the wall or proving myself to others. It looks like:
A person interacting with Soulful and realising they are not alone.
A person feeling safe enough to open up about a hidden struggle.
Taking a step back to rest and look after myself so I can be present to help others
Watching the Soulful Seven make a tangible difference in schools, businesses, and communities.
My greatest achievement isn’t becoming one of the youngest chartered surveyors in the world it’s that I never gave up, even when life felt impossible. Soulful Co is proof that from the hardest chapters, something meaningful and transformative can grow.
Success isn’t about what you achieve. It’s about who you become, the lives you touch, and the difference you make along the way.