Hello! I am James Wright, Founder and Principal Coach at HiR

I turn people on — to themselves, their potential, and what’s possible next.

I use the transformative power of positive psychology and strengths-based coaching to help people think clearly, act deliberately, and live more fully.

I could pretend to have all the answers.
I could act like a guru.

But that’s never been who I am — and it’s not what great coaching requires.

What shapes my work most isn’t a polished façade.
It’s experience — the highs, the failures, the reinventions, and the willingness to be honest about all of it.

Before you commit to working together, I want you to know who you’re choosing.

Where I Come From

I grew up in London and studied Politics at the University of Manchester before beginning my career in people development — designing and managing support programs for underprivileged young people aged 16–25 in the north of England.

That work changed me.

Coming from a comfortable upbringing, it opened my eyes to the complexity of motivation, opportunity, resilience, and what it really takes for people to thrive. Those questions — what drives behaviour, what creates change, and what makes people genuinely happier — have stayed with me ever since.

Business, Leadership, and Reinvention

Curiosity about human behaviour led me into advertising, marketing, and business strategy. I worked closely with founders and CEOs, including helping prepare a business for a successful stock market flotation.

In 2007, I moved to Sydney and joined one of Australia’s most recognisable entrepreneurial success stories, working alongside Naomi Simson during a period of extraordinary growth. I became a speaker on employee engagement and saw firsthand what happens when organisations take people seriously.

I’ve also scratched my entrepreneurial itch — more than once.

I’ve built businesses, shut them down, pitched for capital, declined funding offers I later wished I’d taken, scaled too fast, and learned some very expensive lessons along the way. My dad calls it an “alternative MBA”. He’s not wrong.

Those experiences matter — because coaching isn’t about theory. It’s about judgment, perspective, and knowing how progress really unfolds when things don’t go to plan.

Identity, Health, and Humanity

I’m a proud queer gay man (he/they).

In 2014, I was diagnosed with HIV. Thanks to Australia’s healthcare system, I live a healthy, undetectable life — but it took many years to feel comfortable speaking about it publicly. That journey taught me more about shame, resilience, self-trust, and compassion than any textbook ever could.

I’ve also lived with depression and anxiety, which I manage through therapy, movement, medication, and reflection. I don’t hide this — because mental health isn’t separate from performance, leadership, or ambition. It’s foundational.

A New Chapter: The Body Teaches Too

In 2025, life offered another profound lesson.

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and within a short period underwent major spine surgery followed by a hip replacement. It was confronting, disorienting, and deeply humbling — not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically.

Recovery forced me to slow down in ways I hadn’t before. It stripped away any illusion of control and reminded me — again — how resilient human beings can be when we’re supported, self-aware, and willing to adapt.

Those experiences reinforced something I see daily in my coaching work:
strength isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about understanding yourself well enough to work with reality rather than against it.

Pain, limitation, uncertainty, and change are not signs of failure. They’re invitations to respond differently — with honesty, patience, and self-trust.

That insight now lives quietly but powerfully in how I coach.

Why I Coach the Way I Do

After two decades of prioritising achievement above everything else, I realised something important:

Success without wellbeing isn’t success.

In 2021, I stepped away from a senior corporate role and eventually refocused my work entirely on coaching and development. I wanted depth, not scale. Impact, not noise.

Strengths-based coaching became the natural centre of my practice because it gives people language for:

• what energises them

• what drains them

• where they’re overusing or underusing themselves

• how to move forward without burnout or self-betrayal

I’m an Accredited Strengths Profile Practitioner and a professional member of the Institute of Learning & Performance, but what matters more is how this work lands in real life.

That’s why everything now starts with Foundations — a focused, human, strengths-based entry point that creates clarity before commitment.

Beyond Work

Outside coaching, I find joy in cycling (especially after rediscovering it through recovery), cooking, painting, writing, travel, and time in art galleries. I’ve ridden the AIDS/Lifecycle in California and continue to fundraise and advocate where I can.

Travel feeds my creativity and perspective — and I’m grateful to work with clients globally from my home base in Sydney.

What You Can Expect From Me

I bring:

• commercial realism

• emotional intelligence

• lived experience

• curiosity, honesty, and care

I don’t promise quick fixes.
I don’t tell you who to be.

I help you understand yourself well enough to make better decisions — and stay with you as you act on them.

If that’s the kind of partnership you’re looking for, we’ll do good work together.

I invite you to schedule a relaxed 20-minute video call with me so we can chat and see if we connect before moving forward with a program together.

"I turn people ON Using the transformative power of positive psychology and strengths-based coaching"