Two years ago, Katy Glenie and her husband Mike welcomed their daughter Rosie into the world. The family loved living in Wellington and had built up a strong network of friendships and professional contacts. However, the busy city life and the long drive north was starting to take its toll. “Before Rosie arrived we would spend most weekends travelling out of Wellington to go tramping and climbing” says Katy.
“Crawling along the coast in heavy traffic on a Friday night was a frustratingly common occurrence.”
The couple had often talked about moving to somewhere a little closer to the hills and mountains, so when a job opportunity came up for Mike in Taupō they grabbed it. “We had visited the area many times on rock and alpine climbing trips, and we both loved it. The thought of swimming in summer and alpine climbing in winter was a big drawcard.”
Katy was keen to have flexible working hours so she could spend more time with her young daughter.
Rather than waiting for the perfect job opportunity, she decided to utilise her 18 years of marketing and communications experience to start a consulting business. “It was a bit of a leap of faith at the start. I’d always worked for an employer and had no idea how to run my own business. I wasn’t sure if there would be enough work to sustain an income, or if I could fit things in around being a parent.”
It’s now a year since Katy started consulting, and things are going well. “I have built up a base of clients in Wellington and Taupō and have loved becoming part of the local community here.
When we first moved north the team at Amplify were great. They connected me to potential clients and helped with links to mentors and small business programmes. They made me feel really welcome.”
The family now spend their weekends exploring the many local walking tracks and enjoy paddling in the lake on warm summer days. “Rosie just loves it here. Daycare arrangements are so easy and she can spend lots of time outside exploring. We’ve met lots of wonderful people too. It’s a pretty special way of life.”
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