Running a half marathon – how Charlie's Angels changed my life.

By Jane Comben

Much to my Mum's disappointment I'm not a natural athlete. My body works fine but I lack a competitive spirit and hand-to-eye coordination.

So how did I, and my team mates, make it smiling over the line in a tidy 2 hours 14 minutes?

Well, it's all down to Charlie. She's young, she's beautiful and like the 70s TV character, we've never met. She's also very sick.

Charlene (based in Scotland) changed my small corner of Aotearoa when I said "yes" to a walk.

The walk was the Cancer Society's Relay for Life and I joined a team of people I vaguely knew. Charlene's friend wanted to show her support from NZ so organized the "Charlie's Angels" team.

Two years on and those people are now good friends. Inspired by Charlene, we've challenged ourselves and grown in confidence. Confidence to raise money, complete a duathlon, shave our heads, run a half marathon and make a small difference to those around us.

Was it easy?
Yes and no.
Saying yes to the first walk was easy. I'd wanted to do the Relay and this opportunity saved me the hassle of organizing a team. Walking and talking through the night certainly helps you get to know new people. From there saying "yes" to the next incrementally mad idea was fine. We were growing together and that was fun.

And No, getting up on dark, cold, winter mornings at 5.45am to train was hard. Knowing someone else was waiting for me was the only thing that got me out of bed. We also knew that our challenge was nothing compared to what Charlene was going through.

Would I have done it by myself?
Nope! Like I said, personal competitiveness does not drive me. Whereas being part of a team does. For me, getting across the line together was the prize. Having our children watch us do it was even better.

Strategies for success

• A great team of different personalities that compliment each other.
  We relied on our different strengths to pull us through.
• A plan.
  We blindly followed this training schedule, although there are many other options to try.
• Finding the right motivation.
  It's a mind game and what stops us is mostly in our head.

And now?
I'm really glad I ran a half marathon but I'm in no rush to do another. I'd walk one maybe. Most of that hard-earned fitness faded fast. We still meet for walks and we're working on finding the next challenge that inspires us.
In fact, the biggest reward has been friendship and knowing that we're actually far more capable than we might believe.

Thank you Charlie!

Finding the Balance at Sea

Guest Post by Brenda Webb, intrepid sailor and part-time freelance writer.

Six years ago I left behind a well-paid, secure job and comfortable lifestyle in Marlborough for an unpredictable life at sea.

My husband and I wanted to expand jaded horizons, explore the world and get some ocean miles under our belts.  We packed our belongings into a container, found homes for the animals and worked for 18months in the superyacht industry to earn the money to buy a boat.  Now we’re living the dream, sailing the world on our 46ft yacht Bandit.

Early this year we sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean two handed after five seasons in the Mediterranean.  We’re now about to sail down to the Venezuelan Island of Los Rocques, then Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba and Guatemala where we will leave Bandit for hurricane season.

But…back to the beginning.

After 30 years working fulltime as a journalist…..with just the odd year off to produce and raise two sons……I wanted a better work/life balance.  In essence, I was stale and completely over work – asleep at the wheel if you like.  A two month stint sailing from Italy to the Caribbean in 2004 convinced us there was a better life out there.

We dreamed, planned, schemed and worked our butts off until we felt ready to go. We rented out the house, put a manager on our small vineyard and headed off.  People tell us we are lucky but believe me, luck had absolutely nothing to do with it.  It was all about careful planning, making some sound financial decisions and most of all, having the courage to do it.

Don’t get me wrong - I still work.  I write for various publications and for the past five winters we’ve worked in England as animal and house sitters.  Work opportunities constantly arise.  For instance, this New Zealand winter we are heading to Golden Bay for three months to caretake a motel. 

Living cheaply on a boat is pretty easy – there are no cars to run, no rates to pay and our food bills are probably a third of what they were in New Zealand. We live on far less than ever before – our wants and needs are minimal, our lifestyle is simple and we’re both the happiest we’ve ever been.

Deep down I had a fear that I may go running back, cap in hand, to my former employers asking for my job back.  But you know what?  There hasn’t been a day go by when I’ve thought that.

My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.  Being a working solo mum was tough on my two boys and I missed out on precious time with them.  But there was a mortgage, school fees and bills to pay!

In the past few years we’ve made up a bit and had some wonderful times together.  In October I had a fantastic week in Thailand with my youngest son and my oldest is on board with us right now.

We’re often asked if there is anything we miss about our previous lifestyle.  As I write this it’s 30 degrees outside, the sky is clear blue and the Caribbean water crystal clear.  The answer is a definite no!

If you'd like to find out more about Brenda's travels check out her blog.

The Joy of Networking: 5 Reasons to Bother

By Jane Comben

Imagine you're relaxing after a potluck dinner with friends. The host's husband comes home and catches the end of your conversation about how you're pondering a change in career direction. How wonderful if he offered you a personal introduction to the owners of an internationally recognized, local company. And simply because he knows you through the kids and thinks you'd be a perfect fit.

I witnessed this scenario recently. It highlighted just how powerful fairly mundane social connections could be.

Or in other words, it's probably worth passing the time of day with people.

So why bother networking?

1) "It's not what you know, but who you know"
Dispiriting as this cliche is to school leavers, it's fantastic for those with more acquaintances under their belt.

Perhaps you're looking for a lawyer or a new job. Just think of all the people you've met at work, through sports or hobbies, at the church or marae, at school or through your children. That doesn't even include your close friends and family and all the people they know!

2) Pay it forward
Networking is a two way street. You don't need to get all mercenary and only socialise with people who are useful to you. Help others with a happy heart.


3) The 6 degrees of separation theory (or less depending where you live and long you spend on Facebook)
Fact: when I was starting my business my Mum insisted I contact her friend's daughter's friend (4 degrees of separation and 376000km). Anyway; this generous stranger kindly welcomed me into her home and design studio. She shared how she did everything from invoicing to getting business. She even gave me copies of her excel files!

4) Mind your Ps and Qs
In a small country such as ours, It's worth considering how your actions today may impact your social or professional life tomorrow. Play nice, resign well.

5) It's fun!
Find interesting people you like and spend time with them. It's networking, I promise.

Click here for our free "Mine my Network Gold" worksheet.

Turning a Great Idea into Business Reality

Guest post by Jane Hyde, former Director and Marketing Manager of TranzSkills

Hi Jane Hyde here.  It’s great to read about yourself on WorksWonders and then realise just how epic the journey has been from a humble beginning.  Without the help and guidance from Ange (Bensemann), the journey may not have reached its pinnacle for us.



Looking back, it would be reasonable to ask “how did we come up with an idea and then turn it into reality – what were some of our challenges?”...
Winton (the husband) came home from work complaining about his boss three times in two weeks, this was out of sorts for him as Winton is such an easy going guy.  I suggested he leave and work for himself.  Sounded good at the time but we soon realised there were many challenges to overcome.

A marketing plan outlining our strategy was developed to get us underway and keep us on track (thanks Ange for saving me).  This was the most critical point in setting up the business along with keeping my job as this provided a steady income for us.  At this stage I was feeling great until someone said to me “you’re brave, setting up a business in a recession!”  Just as well I am a very driven individual with a passion for completing what I start.

Brainstorming was on top of our agenda to sort out a company name.  What we did was thoroughly research existing businesses in the same field through the company’s office, internet, yellow pages etc.  We looked at how we could link ourselves to the industry leaders.  The company name we came up with was a huge success - TranzSkills. 

Our next thoughts were to set up a brand.  Fortunately for me, I was working in the communications and marketing area at my job so this did not prove too hard a task to develop.  Winton left me alone to get on with this side of the business.  The challenge I had was getting feedback on my ideas.  Having Ange as my work mentor, gave me the perfect platform to discuss my business ideas.  Ange was instrumental in steering me in the right direction through gentle persuasion most of the time. 

It is important to note, designing is a job for a designer, too many people waste their time and energy on trying to do this themselves.  From my experience, the time I saved engaging a professional designer (thanks Jane Comben for the fabulous brand we developed, it is still going strong) meant I could focus on other tasks on hand. 

The challenge to find a suitable premise within our desired area and budget took a lot of planning as we lived an hour from the location.  We utilised the internet and yellow pages ensuring to setup viewings all on the same day if possible.  Negotiating the price came easy as there were so many empty buildings at the time, it was a buyers’ market.

Overall, our budget was small to set up.  We managed and grew the business over the next 12 months to the stage where we had to consider having staff.  This was our biggest challenge since our initial setup.  This is where having a business/marketing plan proved its worth over and over.  We always reviewed this to make sure we were keeping on track.  Rather than engage staff and take on the added pressure, we decided to engage contractors to pick up the slack for us.  Eventually our business grew to where I was able to finish my job and work 100 per cent within the company.  Another big tick for me, working from home for myself, a very satisfying feeling.

Keeping in mind all the hard work we put into setting up and growing our business, when an opportunity came up three years later to better ourselves, we decided to take the plunge again.  Selling a business in a recession!  I didn’t consult my mentor as I have grown with confidence and felt I could do alone.

I put a sales plan together and approached a number of what I considered potential buyers.  It didn’t too long to find an interested buyer and settle on a price.  The challenge in amongst all of this was to actually value the business.  I did seek professional help and yes again this proved valuable.  There were knock backs in the process but the secret to success is to get back up and not be put off by anyone.

Where to from here?  We have settled nicely into Australia, my desire to experience more of the world is stronger than ever but this is another blog.  We are happy to have a better work life balance at the present before I start our next plan. I wonder where I will take us next time.

Thanks Jane for this great guest post. Anyone thinking of setting up their own business can get a good head start by checking out www.business.govt.nz. 

Shop for Free: How to Host a Clothes Swap

By Jane Comben

Back to work and feel like updating your work clothes, wanting something new for an interview or just want to boost your confidence with some snazzy new gear?

Call it a Clothes Swap, Swap Meet or Swishing, it's a great way to clear out and update your wardrobe... without spending a cent. 

How does it work?
You and your friends pool the clothes you no longer wear and take a new outfit home for free.

Why a Clothes Swap?

• It's fun.
• It's free.
• It's a good activity to bring your different groups of friends together.
• It caters for all shapes and sizes.
• Recycling is good for the planet.
• It's a brilliant excuse to clear out your wardrobe. (You know those things that don't quite fit or you never really liked but paid a fortune for?)
• You can try out new looks with no risk.
• It's completely guilt-free

Making the Move – Resigning

By Angela Bensemann

It’s amazing how many of us fantasise about resigning from our job over the holiday period.  There’s nothing like a good break away to clear the mind and get a taste of what life is all about.  Of course it usually pays to think through resigning carefully and not just to do it on a whim.

Things to consider:

• Do I really hate my job or am I just in a rut and need to take on new challenges?
• Do I really hate my boss/work colleagues or could I try harder to get along with them?
• Do I have another job to go to?
• Do I have a plan for a new venture I want to embark on?
• Is now the right time?
• If it’s not the right time but I still want to make the move what steps do I need to put in place to be in a position to resign? (Check out our previous post on goal setting).

Once you’ve made the decision to leave it’s important to get the timing right. First thing to consider is what works best for you and then what you need to finish up before you can move on.  Also take note of the ‘notice’ period in your employment contract.

Regardless of why you are moving on it’s critical to leave on a good note – it is not a good idea to tell your boss to shove it.  The village is too small! You can guarantee that word will get around that you left under a cloud or that your employer wasn’t happy.

Go out on a good note.  Give your manager a heads up that you will be resigning.  Follow this up with a formal resignation letter.  This letter can be the difference between moving on gracefully and leaving a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

I recently had a client who needed to start within two weeks but his formal notice period was one month and his boss was adamant that he work out the four weeks.  A well-crafted resignation letter helped smooth the waters and my client finished up within the two weeks.

More importantly there were no hard feelings – you never know when you are going to need a referee from a previous place of work.

If you’re wondering how to craft your resignation letter check out the information on Careers NZ resignation page.

(AB)

Back to School: Transition Time?

By Jane Comben

The holidays are over and maybe this is transition time for you.

Maybe your youngest has finally got to school and it's time to re-enter the workforce. Or you're a working solo parent and you can't see how you'll manage 13 weeks of holidays along with before and after-school care.

I REALLY wanted my son to walk to the local school rather than keep commuting to the city. I looked for part-time jobs but had no joy. In the end I took the plunge into working for myself from home. I was terrified. I got help and advice from various generous souls and a friend offered me a small project to get me going. It was 6 months sooner than I planned but I've been Pogo Design ever since.

Another friend in my position managed to get a 4 day week at work and had a wonderful and reliable private caregiver to provide cover before and after school.

Childcare
For more help and information about childcare check out OSCAR (Out of School Care and Recreation, it's also Ministry of Social Development approved). You may even be eligible for a subsidy as part of Working for Families. If you prefer something more informal, there may be friends or people in your community that could help you out.

Getting back to work
Is now the time to get back to your career or start a new one?

Career NZ is a good place to start and they have some CV and cover letter templates. If your confidence and skills need a boost first, perhaps volunteering is an option. You might be like my friend who stumbled on something that she really loved and is now training in that area.

Starting a business
New Zealand is a nation of small businesses, fancy joining them?

Here's an article with a few home based business suggestions. Avon, Tupperware and other party plan products are a popular choice but don't suit everyone's personality, lifestyle or budget. You'll need a wide network of friends to draw on and may require buying stock upfront.

Find your local Chamber of Commerce here or check out business.govt.nz for the basics. BNZ have  loads of online resources that may help.

Good luck!
(JC)