Experiencing first hand the joy and difficulties of balancing parenthood with a career, it was during Covid lockdown that Theresa got to slow down, explore the beautiful outdoors, spend more time with her son, and experience the rejuvenation she so badly needed. She felt inspired to begin writing about New Zealand and the areas of glorious nature and peaceful experiences everywhere. At Little Pocket, they inspire and empower people to flourish by exploring and immersing in the abundance of New Zealand. Bursting with amazing ‘little pockets’ of paradise to help you feel more connected, fulfilled and refreshed, they are here to let you in on these local, awe-worthy spots for soulful experiences to relax, adventure and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul. Here Theresa talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind her business, how she balances work and family time, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
This is multifactorial – I have a background in nursing and worked through the Covid-19 pandemic. I had a unique viewpoint and I saw the very raw and real difficulties of individuals and their families’ during this time. Stress was high, caused by heavy inconveniences in a healthcare system trying to keep everyone safe, and terror at the thought of catching Covid-19 when they’re already unwell, all while going through some of the hardest times of their lives. So tough.
At this time in 2020/21, one of the resounding, collective cries from all countries across the world is how overworked, over-committed, undervalued, stressed and burnt out everyone is – it just took the whole world to stop, to slow down and take breath to realise this. The pandemic, as cruel, heartbreaking and life changing as it was for many, was also largely seen as a wake-up call for many others, to re-evaluate their lives and ultimately make some changes to support a healthy lifestyle and support their overall wellbeing.
I too had a busy little life, and the lockdown (as bad as it sounds) was SUCH a welcome break. I got to continue working (lucky me, I could step outside of the house while everyone else was stuck at home for 6 weeks), but everything else stopped. I got to spend so, so much more time with my little son, who was 15 months old when it all began. We spent our days taking walks (close by) in the gorgeous New Zealand bush, countryside and parks. We played outside in the paddling pool under the trees and had slow days, just enjoying our family. It was bliss. It was the break, the slowing down of everyday life and rejuvenation I’d so been needing – and having spoken to many others, I was not alone.
This whole experience inspired me to begin writing about how fantastic our country is and how there are just so many ‘Little Pockets’ of glorious nature and peaceful experiences everywhere here – even if it’s just a bush walk on your back doorstep! As I have also extensively travelled and experienced New Zealand for myself, I was compelled to share my thoughts and experiences to help others reconnect, value themselves and continue to strive for a slower, healthier, overall more satisfying and less stressful life.
As a nurse, mum and human, I have a love for people and I genuinely want to see them thrive – the website is for locals and faraway travellers alike, and my hope is they find little pockets of Aotearoa New Zealand that are good for their soul, and can spread the Kiwi word and the Kiwi love.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
It’s been a change in lifestyle! Practising what I preach, my biggest challenge with this has been creating space for an overall, well-balanced lifestyle, which has space for (and boundaries with) family, friends, all-of-life’s chores and work.
An equally important part of the launch of my site was setting out to create a beautiful website for users to feel welcome, special and inspired. This has taken a lot of time and educating myself, but I’m very happy with the result! Making the website go live was a great achievement, and I haven’t looked back.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
This is ongoing for me, and it’s education – in every area! I’ve had so many breakthroughs with this, but the lessons keep on coming, too: learning about the online world, how it all works, marketing and branding effectively and honestly, figuring out how to best portray and articulate the Little Pocket concept for people to relate to, understand and feel inspired by, as well as my own personal growth.
Growing a business requires taking a good look at yourself, and personal growth is a huge part of making a business successful – for me, the main factor has been confidence and self-belief. Confidence to step out and start a real and tangible business has been both my biggest mountain to climb, and is slowly becoming my biggest breakthrough.
