Meet the co-founders,
Our Mission

2002

THE STORY - TWO PATHS

I don’t know about you, but when I see very long paragraphs of text, I zone out after a couple of lines… zzz

So rather than bore you and possibly send you to sleep, I thought it best to tell THE STORY in a brief and efficient timeline.

It starts with two people travelling along different paths, so sit back and I will begin….

2008

NUNO'S PATH

It was 2002 and Nuno left Portugal for England, he was working long hours, firstly in factories, then driving people around, he then went all over the country and the continent driving lorries. This was a lonely and isolating time for him.

In December 2008 his love for England saw him return and a chance meeting saw him enter the care sector, firstly as a carer then as a senior team leader.

It was then he started to develop thoughts of wanting to help more people… but in what form would this take?

2009

WHICH WAY NOW?

That was when he went to see a Careers Adviser, through his answers she came up with two suggestions, either:

1. DIY
2. Counsellor

Both appealed but it was the counselling and the potential it held for helping people that made Nuno choose the second option.

It was 2009 and 4 years of hard work had begun…

2012

4 YEARS ON... AND QUALIFIED

Nuno was studying part time as he need to work full time to pay for the course. During his studies he volunteered part-time and gained counselling experience.

Finally, and many trees later, there was a lot of course work! He completed The Diploma in Integrative Counselling in 2013

2013

FULL TIME COUNSELLOR

As a counsellor, he saw many people suffering the consequences of their addictions and how it also affected those around them.

An opportunity to work exclusively with Compulsive Gamblers came available in Ipswich.

This was the start of him developing his unique counselling style, he became passionate about this complex subject, and soon gained better knowledge and understanding.

2016

BREAKEVEN... AND ANOTHER MOVE

It was June 2016 when Nuno enrolled in Ryan Ellison’s Visionary Business school. Ryan believes in empowering people to be world changers, and from this beginning, a small seed started to grow….

Breakeven recognised his abilities and so he moved to Norwich!

Nuno started developing his Gambling Program while seeing his clients.

Did you know Nuno has moved over 40 times in his life… !

2017

SOMETHING WAS MISSING ?

Working and studying filled Nuno’s days and evenings, he filled his flat with vision boards, a seed was germinating and starting to grow.

2016 ended and it was then he realised something was missing…

?…can you see the question mark!?

2015

KAREN'S PATH

Over the last couple of years life had dealt Karen a few blows.  She lost her mother, her brother and her partner of 25 years. He died Christmas 2015, and while sitting beside his hospital bed every evening, she began playing on her tablet… although not for money!

It was not all bad she had her lovely family… her twin grandsons were now 5, learning to cope with their difficulties and growing into beautiful loving boys (they had been born prematurely at 25 weeks).

2016

LIFE GOES ON

Karen was turning 59 at Christmas and decided that she still had so much she wanted to achieve in life, she had never been abroad and missed having a significant other.

It had taken bereavement to realise there had to be more to life!

Weekends seemed to stretch ahead and she found herself playing online games more and more… soon they started to fill all of her time, even when she was at work!

2017

ONLINE DATING

Then an alert came up: ‘You have been playing this game for 3 months 10 days and 6 hours’.. so much time wasted! This realisation was a wake up call.

Her friend suggested she try online dating.  It didn’t work for her, she wanted more!  Another website, a more defined objective, maybe if she tried local and someone looking for a relationship?

It just so happened that her first day on was Nuno’s last… his subscription was up for renewal.

2017

EASTER SUNDAY - THE MEETING

They got on so well that they ended up texting all day, they arranged to meet the next day in Norwich, it was cold and deserted… Karen left early disappointed things had not gone very well, she thought he had not liked her!

A couple of hours later Nuno sent her a message – “I have just met a beautiful lady but I don’t think she feels the same about me, she has the most gorgeous eyes and I would like to see her again, but the next chapter is up to her”.

2017

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Overwhelmed and flattered, she messaged him back. How could she not!

They met the following Friday and went to the theatre in Norwich.

When it was time to go home, Nuno invited Karen back to his for coffee, the next morning he gave her the key to his flat and his heart!

2017

TWO PEOPLE ONE PATH

Nuno was working on an online program and started to think that maybe he had found someone to share his ideas and passion with, she loved his vision boards! Was Karen the missing ?

For Karen, a trip to San Diego was a good reason to finally get a passport!  What a great first trip! They met with Ryan Ellison’s and 600 other Therapists and Visionaries.

Over the next year and two more trips to San Diego, Nuno finally saw his vision, later it would become the ‘Life Beyond the Horizon’ Retreat.

2017

SHARING A VISION

Nuno and Karen worked long hours developing this concept, when it was shared with people, everyone thought it was an amazing idea, well needed, but wasn’t it too ambitious…? How would it possibly ever work?

But they knew that quitters never win and winners never quit.

They were enjoying being in each others company, their time together was very precious, they hated the long periods apart when Karen had to go away for her work…

2017

LETS MOVE IN TOGETHER

Nuno helped Karen to see she had choices, that is why, in November 2017, she became her own boss and started a cleaning company, giving her more freedom and flexibility.

Both energised the vision was taking shape.

During Christmas 2017, they moved permanently in together, cutting costs enabled them to move to the next level.

Scott Cole came onboard and started developing the websites.

2018

ENDING THE YEAR ON A HIGH

It was on a visit to Portugal, that Nuno’s son, Daniel, mentioned an English couple were thinking of selling their holiday accommodation business, Casa Sulo.

Although lovely, it turns out, that the property for sale next to the recommended one, ended up being perfect. Being set in the mountains, was ideal and so peaceful.

Money was an obstacle!  But why should that stop them talking to the owner, Selda?

2018

HOW 20 MINUTES CAN BE LIFE CHANGING!

Karen and Nuno hopped on a train and a few hours later they were drinking coffee with Selda and her husband Antonio.

They shared their concept, their vision and their passion, she loved the project and Karen and Nuno.  There and then she made it possible for her property ‘Cabeço’ to become the place for ‘Life Beyond the Horizon’ Retreat!

Amazing people enter your life and everything changes. To be touched by such kindness is humbling. Tears and hugs were exchanged!

2018

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

Since the very beginning, Karen and Nuno knew that something big had to happen to give their project the push it needed to become a reality.  Getting the property in that beautiful location of the Caramulo mountains was that catalyst!

Great things happen, when great people come together!

Both co-founders have great love and gratitude for all those who have been involved with the project, and feel that everyone’s contribution, large or small, have helped make the project a great success.