The belief that consultancy needs collaboration and that difficult does not mean impossible drive Michélle Booyson in her aspiration to help others.
What’s your story?
My story has been shaped by curiosity, movement and willingness to discover what comes next. I studied economics, law and business because I wanted to understand how organisations work and why some ideas gain momentum. In 2002, I co-founded Pétanque NXT, beginning a journey across industries, countries and cultures. Travel has broadened my perspective and reinforced my belief that there is always more to learn. I thrive on energy, new conversations and solving problems. I love what I do: building, connecting ideas and helping people see possibilities. Today, I remain curious, engaged and selective about where I make a difference.
What excites you most about your industry?
I work in management consultancy, although I see the work less as consulting and more as collaborating with clients to understand how their organisations really operate, where value is being lost and what needs to change. What many people outside the industry may not realise is that the answers often already exist within the business. Our role is to ask the right questions, bring people together and help turn insight into action. The industry is becoming more practical, technology-enabled and results-focused. AI will support faster analysis and better decisions, but judgement, trust and genuine collaboration will remain central.
What drives you in your career to push beyond what other people consider normal?
What drives me is the belief that every challenge has a solution waiting to be found. I am motivated by planned results, not activity for its own sake. I want to understand the destination, define what success should look like and identify what must change to achieve it. Once that is clear, I bring energy, discipline and persistence to the journey. I enjoy working through complexity, finding the practical way forward and keeping people focused until the result is visible. I push beyond what others may consider normal because I do not accept that difficult means impossible.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
The most useful skills I have learnt are listening closely, asking the questions others may not yet be asking, and finding the truth beneath the noise. The lawyer in me wants to understand the facts, test assumptions and reach clarity before conclusions are made. That clarity matters because it allows plans to be built, decisions to be taken and action to follow. I have also learnt to see the whole system, connect people, process, technology and results, and remain persistent when the answer is not obvious. These skills help me move from uncertainty to practical, planned and measurable outcomes consistently.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
The best advice I received was: you cannot foresee every risk, but you can prepare, remain agile and keep moving. The second was that you cannot control everything that happens, and not everything is personal. There is often more happening than you can see. Together, these lessons have helped me avoid becoming paralysed by uncertainty or reacting too quickly. In business and life, I focus on what I can influence, accept what lies outside my control and keep sight of the result. They have taught me resilience, perspective and the value of responding thoughtfully.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired less by one particular person than by people who use their knowledge, influence and determination to solve difficult problems. I admire those who apply themselves fully, especially when an issue is complex, unpopular or appears impossible. They do not wait for perfect conditions or recognition; they take responsibility, bring others with them and keep working until progress becomes visible. What inspires me most is not status, but purposeful action: people who use their power well, create opportunities, improve lives and leave something stronger behind. They remind me that meaningful change begins when someone decides to act.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away?
Recently, I learnt that I can move overseas – solo – , make a life work against the odds, find a place that feels right and adapt by using what is available. I learnt to be resolute, but also to accept when something is not meant to be. In every change, you lose and you gain: people, places, certainty, freedom, perspective and strength. Life is a yacht. You set a course, read the conditions, adjust the sails and keep moving. Sometimes the destination changes, but the journey still gives you something valuable.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
If I had my time again, I might have become a professional dancer, a scuba-diving instructor, a top cyclist, or owned a yacht and sailed the world with my dogs and someone beside me. But I do not see my life as missed chances. I have lived, loved, travelled, adventured, failed and succeeded. Caroline Myss’s Sacred Contracts expresses this well: our lives carry purpose, lessons and encounters that shape who we become. Each choice opens one path and closes another. A full life is not doing everything; it is embracing what unfolds and being at peace with the life created.
How do you unwind?
I unwind through movement, nature and simple renewal. Cycling gives me space simply to be and to connect with Deity. A spinning session at the gym or in my home gym, a run on the treadmill or along the beach, and walking my dogs all help me reset. I am not very good at doing nothing; I relax best when I am engaged in something.. Gardening, changing something in the house or having a good chat on the phone restore me. Sometimes, it is a quiet evening and a glass of red wine.
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your career?
A major mindset shift has been accepting that youth gives way to the next phase, and then the next, each with its own purpose and way of being lived. The clock seems to move faster every year, which has made me more conscious of where I place my time, energy and experience. I have also learnt that looking in the rear-view mirror is not about living in the past. It helps me understand the road already travelled, the choices made and the lessons earned. That perspective gives me clarity and confidence to adjust my course and move forward with intention.
Everyone in business should read this book:
Traction – Gino Wickman
Triggers – Marshall Goldsmith
The Back of a Napkin – Dan Roam
Sacred Contracts – Caroline Myss
Shameless plug for your business or career:
Leaders reach out to Pétanque NXT when they need clarity, momentum and measurable results. We work alongside leadership teams to UNDERSTAND what is really happening, ask the questions and FIND & IMPLEMENT practical solutions within complexity. Our strength is connecting strategy, people, processes, technology and accountability, then turning insight into a clear plan with defined actions and outcomes. We bring more than two decades of experience across industries, but never assume we know the business better than the people in it. We collaborate, challenge constructively and remain focused until meaningful, sustainable change becomes visible for clients.
How can people connect with you?
WhatsApp +27 824452192
drmich@petanquenxt.com
michelle@drmich.tech
Social Media Links?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichb/
https://www.lionessesofafrica.com/dr-michelle-booysen
This interview is part of the CallumConnects series.