Fontein Coaching - Life & Business Coach

11/09/2026

I’m so excited to be speaking at Te Ara Wāhine 2026 in Rotorua this October. 🤍

I’ll be opening day two with a session on Balancing Business and Wellbeing—a topic that’s incredibly close to my heart.

When you’re building a business, leading others or working in a demanding industry, it can be easy to place your own wellbeing at the bottom of the list. But success shouldn’t require us to constantly run on empty.

I’ll be sharing practical, honest tools to help women recognise overwhelm, protect their energy and create a version of success that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Te Ara Wāhine is a three-day experience bringing together women across trades, infrastructure, engineering and business to connect, learn and be inspired.

📍 Rotorua
📅 14–16 October 2026
🎤 My session: Thursday 15 October at 9.30am

I’d love to see some familiar faces there. Bookings are open now—come and invest in yourself while growing your impact. 🌿

25/08/2026

🥹❤️

SOLD OUT. Six weeks out.

I don't think I'll ever get used to this feeling.

He. started as this little idea in my head because I wanted to do something that mattered.

I didn't have a big organisation behind me. I didn't really know what I was doing 😂 I just knew there were too many people struggling quietly, and I wanted to create a space where they could walk into a room and realise they weren't alone.

And somehow… people believed in it.

They believed in me.

That's probably the part that gets me the most.

Because behind every He. event is me at my laptop sending hundreds of emails, asking people to take a chance on an idea, worrying about ticket sales, chasing sponsors, packing goodie bags, changing things at the last minute and constantly wondering how I can make the next one better.

There have absolutely been moments where I've wondered whether I have the energy to keep doing it.

And then today happens.

150 tickets gone. Six weeks before we even open the doors.

F**k. 🥹

To the people who have backed me from that very first He. event, to those who have only just discovered what we're doing, and everyone in between — thank you.

To every speaker who has trusted me with their story.
Every sponsor who has said yes.
Every person who has donated something.
Every friend who's listened to me talk endlessly about He. 😂
And every single person who has bought a ticket and chosen to be part of these conversations...

Thank you for believing in this little dream of mine.

What started as one event has become something I genuinely couldn't have imagined.

And through some of the hardest years of my own life, this kaupapa has given me purpose in ways I don't think I'll ever be able to properly explain.

So yeah… this one feels pretty bloody special.

He. Bay of Plenty 2026 is SOLD OUT.

Six weeks out.

I'm emotional. I'm proud. I'm grateful.

And mostly, I'm just thinking...

Look what we created. ❤️

17/08/2026

❤️

13/08/2026

Today's the day. ❤️

Our very first He. Waikato.

Months of work, a whole lot of heart and one pretty big idea...

Tonight we get to see it come to life.

Taking He. into a new community feels bloody special.

Waikato, let's see what we can create. ❤️

Watch this space... 👀

09/08/2026

This Friday is He. Waikato.

And as it gets closer, there’s the usual mix of excitement, nerves, overthinking and holy s**t, are we actually doing this?

Someone said to me recently,
"I love how you just get s**t done, Cass."

And I laughed because, from the outside, maybe that's what it looks like.

What you don't see is the stress behind the scenes. The second guessing. The things that don't go to plan. The moments I question myself. The ridiculous amount of overthinking.

I'm definitely not fearless.

I've just learnt to do things while I'm afraid.

Because somewhere along the way, I stopped needing things to be perfect.

I grew up a perfectionist. Get the highest grades. Get it right. Don't fail.

Now?

Show up. Do your best. Be authentic. And remember why you're doing it.

And with He., the why is bigger than any fear I have.

If one man walks out of that room this week feeling less alone, it's worth it.

If one conversation happens that wouldn't have happened otherwise, it's worth it.

If someone hears another man's story and thinks, "F**k, maybe I'm not the only one," it's worth it.

Because I genuinely believe community and conversation can save lives.

That's why I keep doing this.

Not because every event is perfect.

Not because I have everything figured out.

Not because I don't get scared.

But because it's real. It's authentic. And it comes from the heart.

It's about putting people in a room together and creating a space where something real can happen.

And maybe that's something I've learnt about life in general too.

Stop waiting until you're ready.

Stop waiting until you've perfected the idea.

Stop convincing yourself someone else could do it better.

If something matters to you, start.

You'll learn. You'll adapt. You'll probably f**k a few things up along the way.

But you'll grow.

I'd rather get to 80 knowing I gave the things I believed in a bloody good go than spend my life wondering what might have happened if I'd just backed myself.

So this week, I'll show up.

I'll do my best.

I'll probably overthink a thousand things between now and then.

But I'll keep coming back to my why.

Let's change someone's life for the better ❤️

22/07/2026

❤️❄️❤️

Winter often encourages us to slow down, but there's a difference between taking time to recharge and quietly withdrawing from the people and habits that keep us well.

In our latest issue of UNO magazine, Cass Hogan from Fontein Coaching - Life & Business Coach shares simple ways to navigate the cooler months with intention, reminding us that sometimes the smallest daily habits can make the biggest difference.

Learn more in our latest Winter issue of UNO magazine

19/07/2026

I wish more kids grew up knowing that it's okay to cry 🤍

Something that's been coming up a lot in coaching lately is this...

So many adults can remember exactly what happened when something hard hit their family.

A death.
A divorce.
Financial stress.
A huge argument.
A diagnosis.

But when I ask them what they remember about their parents...

They often say, "Nothing."

"Dad just carried on."
"Mum kept herself busy."
"No one talked about it."

Somewhere along the way, many of us learnt that emotions were meant to be hidden.

That being strong meant keeping it together.

The problem is... we don't stop having emotions just because we don't show them.

They still live inside us.

And years later, so many of us are sitting in coaching rooms trying to learn something we were never shown...

How to actually feel.

How to cry without apologising.
How to say, "I'm not okay today."
How to ask for help.
How to sit with sadness instead of running from it.

If you're a parent, your children don't need to see you get it right all the time.

They need to see that it's safe to be human.

They need to know that tears aren't weakness.
That anger can be expressed without hurting people.
That grief is normal.
That joy deserves to be celebrated.

You don't have to protect your children from every emotion.

You just have to show them that emotions can be felt, talked about, and moved through.

Because maybe that's how we raise a generation that doesn't spend decades trying to reconnect with the parts of themselves they learnt to hide 🤍

07/07/2026

I'm incredibly honoured to be speaking at Te Ara Whakamua: Give to Gain next month alongside an inspiring group of leaders including Jazz Thornton, Ezra Schuster, Jonathan Usher and Juliana Carvalho. The event brings together directors, business owners and emerging leaders to explore how we create meaningful impact by investing in others through leadership, mentorship and courageous conversations.

When I was asked to speak, I knew exactly what I wanted to share.

Not the polished version.
The real version.

The moments that tested me.
The lessons I've learnt through building businesses, navigating loss, leading community movements like He. and She., and discovering that leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about having the courage to show up authentically and create spaces where others can thrive.

Because the leaders who have had the biggest impact on my life weren't the loudest in the room.

They were the ones who believed in people.
Who opened doors.
Who challenged me.
Who saw potential before I saw it myself.

I'm looking forward to an afternoon of honest conversations, practical insights and genuine connection.

If you're a leader, business owner, director, or simply someone passionate about creating positive change, I'd love to see you there.

🎟️ Tickets are available here:
Te Ara Whakamua: Give to Gain

21/06/2026

🌱 Growth and Fear 🌱

Lately I've been sitting in a place that feels both incredibly exciting... and incredibly uncomfortable.

I'm making decisions in my business that, if I'm honest, scare me.

The kind of decisions that mean letting go of what feels familiar. Investing money before there's a guaranteed return. Asking for help instead of trying to do it all myself. Building something that's bigger than what I've created before.

Every part of me knows it's the right next step.

Yet I'd be lying if I said it didn't come with moments of doubt.

Growth has a funny way of doing that.

We often imagine growth as this exciting, empowering experience, but what people don't talk about enough is that it can also feel vulnerable. It asks you to trust yourself before you have all the evidence. To make decisions before you feel completely ready. To believe in a future that doesn't exist yet.

I've learnt that fear isn't always a sign you're making the wrong decision.

Sometimes it's a sign that you're standing at the edge of something that has the potential to change your life.

The mistake so many of us make is waiting for the fear to disappear before we take the next step.

But confidence rarely comes first.

It usually arrives after you've been brave enough to begin.

If there's something you've been putting off because it feels scary, maybe don't ask yourself, "Am I ready?"

Instead ask, "If I don't do this, where will I be a year from now?"

Sometimes staying where we are feels safer.

Until we realise that staying the same has its own cost too.

Growth will always ask something of you.

The question is whether you're willing to back yourself enough to answer ❤️🔥

09/06/2026

🤍 I know I need to rest, but I feel guilty when I do 🤍

This is one of the most common things I hear in coaching sessions, especially from women.

What's interesting is that very few people argue with the fact that rest is important. We understand the science. We know sleep matters. We know stress impacts our health. We know we can't pour from an empty cup. Yet when it comes to ourselves, many of us still struggle to stop.

I don't think the challenge is actually rest. I think the challenge is what we've attached to it.

For many women, productivity has quietly become linked to worth. Being the one who holds everything together, remembers all the details, supports everyone else, and keeps moving no matter what becomes part of our identity. When that's how we've measured our value for years, slowing down can feel uncomfortable. Not because we're lazy, but because we're stepping away from the very things that have made us feel needed, useful, and successful.

What I often encourage my clients to consider is this: if someone you loved came to you exhausted, overwhelmed, running on empty, and clearly needing a break, would you tell them to push harder? Would you tell them to just get through one more week? Or would you encourage them to take care of themselves before they reached breaking point?

Most of us offer compassion to everyone except ourselves.

One of the simplest mindset shifts can be moving from "Have I done enough to deserve rest?" to "What do I need right now to be at my best?" They are very different questions. One is driven by guilt. The other is driven by self-awareness.

Rest isn't a reward waiting for you at the end of the to-do list. Because if we're honest, the to-do list never ends. There will always be another email, another load of washing, another responsibility, another person needing something from you.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop waiting for permission.

Your worth is not measured by how much you can carry.

And you don't need to earn the right to rest 💖