Originally from New Zealand, Jamie literally ran away to sea after selling his Health Retreat in The Coromandel Peninsular. Having visited some amazing dive sites in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tonga, on one of these trips, he came across an advert from the UKSA offering a Professional Yacht Captain Qualification, and this set Jamie firmly on his destined path.

Jamie tells me how he has raced yachts and been in Search and Rescue for many years and had pretty much all the miles he needed but “….just had to get a few more deep blue sea miles.” So, Jamie then headed to the Isle of Wight and did his Zero to Hero, Ocean for Power & Sail, and Commercial courses, plus a few more to get him a little higher up the ladder.

How did you end up in Mallorca and what was your first job here?

“After completion of my courses, I bought a camper van. I then headed to the south of Europe and ended up in Palma de Mallorca. I am sure I did my research into campsites in Spain. But must have missed out on the page that talked about Mallorca! There were no campsites here! Something to do with the hotels’ monopoly over accommodation on the island, I am told.”

Jamie tells me how he opportunely arrived just two days before the Palma Boat Show started, and within two days of the start of the show, he had his first yachting job.

“It was in the Club de Mar on a sailing yacht, Salaia, on Quay 3. At that time, the Club de Mar Bar was the main office, meeting point and social gathering place for one and all associated with the yachting industry. It was a fantastic place for any information you needed, and some you didn’t really need as well!”

How did your career progress from there and did you encounter any difficulties along the way?

“After Salaia, I moved to ‘Paraiso’ on Quay 6 and worked with a fellow Kiwi Derek Prosser who was Captain, Jim Hance, First Mate, along with Scottish Graeme and Chef Steve. Although Paraiso didn’t move much, we did get to a couple of boat shows around the Med, and I got plenty of training in deck work, maintenance and engineering.”

After that, Jamie became Captain of MY La Dolce Vita, a 26-metre Moonen that was based mainly in Malta. His last Captain job was on MY Tauro. Based in Puerto Portals, he was on her for about 10 years before the owners decided to sell her. And with this sale came a not uncommon scenario.

Jamie explains, “Like so many other stories I have heard, and after 10 years of going above and beyond my duty, it ended in a very disappointing way. Unfortunately, it culminated in me having to call in lawyers to sort out the issues of pay and compensation. This left a very bad taste in my mouth that no amount of peppermint tea would take away!”

It seems that both diversity and destiny are the things that helped get you to where you are now. Can you tell us more?

“So, after feeling a little disillusioned with the yachting industry, and taking a break, then came the onset of the Covid Plandemic. I was called back to the Wellness and Healing world – let me explain. Before the Health Retreat, I had been involved in 20 other occupations. My mindset was, if a door opens and it looks good on the other side, then heck – go for it! So, I had a lot to fall back on. From working on Oil Rigs off the Taranaki coast to milking cows, and a number of other jobs in between! But my main area of employment was within the Health, Wellness and Fitness Industry.

I was an Aerobics Instructor, Circuit Training Instructor, Personal Trainer, Sports Teams Fitness Coach, and the Owner of a Gym and Fitness Center in Taranaki, New Zealand. I had also started treating clients with sports massage and energy healing (Reiki) when I was 20. I then moved into the Mental Health side of Sports Psychology and Clinical Hypnotherapy, and worked with many international athletes who represented their countries at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and World Title events. I trained and worked in places such as Los Angeles, USA, Edmonton, Canada and London, England, to name a few. During this time, I was introduced to and began learning about Crystal Therapy, Herbal Medicine, Clearing Spaces and more.”

Wow, that’s a lot of different and interesting stuff – what came next?

“After moving back to New Zealand (again!) we opened our Health Retreat and began more studies in Natural Therapies including Holistic Animal Therapies, and Canine and Equine Massage. I love working with animals. It really is so satisfying and rewarding. Most of the time, more so than working with humans. But that is another story.”

Jamie is now back working as a therapist – shore-based and loving it. He explains how he was originally introduced to the world of Shamanic Energy Medicine a long time ago, but only in the last decade has he embraced it fully.

Jamie explains, “As a Shamanic Wellness & Energy Medicine Practitioner, I empower clients and loved ones to create exceptional health. It incorporates all my previous training which also includes Meditation and Mindfulness Instructing. This gives clients a well-rounded approach and the tools necessary to rid the past, live in the now, and build the future they want.”

Is there anything you miss about being on board and did you find the change to shore-based difficult?

“For me, the transition from Ship to Shore was not difficult. I wanted time out to reflect on what had happened. The most challenging thing was the drop in pay. Yes, I am my own boss now, but starting my own business again takes time, resources and money. I had my Rainy Day fund, but it’s not quite the same as that nice pay cheque every month,” Jamie tells me.

There’s that number one piece of advice again: “Make sure you have enough to live on for your transition to shore.” Jamie goes on to say, “If you can start a second or even third source of income while you are still in the yachting industry, then that is great. For more information on this, contact me.”

Jamie tells me that the best thing about moving back to shore is being able to spend more time with his wife and daughter. “Time away from them is something you can never get back. Especially as our daughter grows and changes so quickly. No amount of money is worth that. But we all have our priorities in different areas,” Jamie insightfully states. He tells me that he does miss being on the water, going into different countries and marinas, but not a lot of the other things to do with being a Captain.

So who is your clientele these days? Do you still work with people in the yachting industry?

“I do work with a number of people in the yachting industry. There are so many areas that need addressing, with many crew facing some major mental health, as well as physical and sexual abuse issues. There are many people offering varied therapies to help, but I feel there needs to be more done in this area. If you are one of these, please do not hesitate to reach out. All treatments are carried out in a safe and comfortable environment.”

Jamie tells me how he is on a personal mission to empower 10,000 people of all ages to create exceptional health by building a community that makes physical, energetic, emotional, nutritional and lifestyle transitions. He further expands, “We all have the resources we need to make our health span equal our lifespan. The ability to choose how we live, how we age, how we face disease, and how we die. It’s time to stop the negative self-talk, the feelings of not being good enough, and take action to create the best, most authentic, confident version of ourselves – EVER!”

Jamie works from home, either in person or remotely via Zoom – the results are the same. He has clients from all over the world. For more information on Jamie and the full list of treatments he uses, you can visit his website www.jamievida.com or email him at info@jamievida.com. Jamie adds, “As a special gift to you if you send me your name and best email address, I will send you a Free digital copy of my book “Taking Control Of Your Financial Future”. And stay tuned for our New Podcast “Beginnings” starting soon.”