The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I think the biggest hurdle, which I’m still navigating, is moving over the other side of the world! When I first launched, I’d been living in Guernsey for almost a decade. It was always the plan to move back home to Aotearoa at some point, but I had hoped to establish the business in Guernsey first. However, for a few different reasons, the timing was right for us to move in the second half of 2023, so I have been going through the process of building CuedIn back here in New Zealand whilst also putting our roots down as a family and figuring out where we want to be!
Before we moved, I was also very excited to have someone who was passionate about what I was doing and wanted to come on board to take the lead in Guernsey to allow the business to grow where it had all begun. However, I have recently found out they are no longer able to do this, which has been a big blow on quite a few different fronts for me. I’m still keeping things open that end with things to come up as and when, but my primary focus has already shifted to New Zealand.
Word of mouth is such an important factor and I’ve been out of Aotearoa for a decade so I know it will take time to re-establish myself here again. We’re also settling in Canterbury, whilst being where I grew up, my professional ties here have been in Otago and Manawatu so it’s all still new.
For some reason, I feel quite relaxed about the whole thing. Maybe it’s the stage of life I’m in. But I do feel confident about it growing at a pace that fits the season I’m in with my family and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it progresses over time. Watch this space!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Running my own business has always been something I’ve wanted to do but nevertheless it has also been a big step with a lot of learning to take away as I go.
The pros are that I get to be flexible with how, when and where I want to work; I’m able to spend meaningful time with my family alongside having a career I love; I can focus on areas that interest me and imbed my learning straight away into my practice; I get to support clients the way they need; and choose service direction instead of working within the limitations of a bigger organisation.
The cons are less about clients and more about the practicalities involved with having a business. It’s definitely been a big risk financially which is quite scary; it is only me so it can definitely feel like a lot to do and it can be quite isolating at times not having colleagues to connect with in the same way I had in an office environment; and it has been a big transition into private practice where I now have to put myself and the business out there publicly.
I also think there’s stigma around social work as a profession, not overly helped by the media and portrayals on TV. I’m hoping that I can help in some small way dispel some of those misconceptions.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My main goal at the moment is to continue to build up my connections and start embedding myself in New Zealand and the local community. I’m also very keen to grow the birth trauma service, which will hopefully include areas like trauma informed birth planning and a free listening/debriefing service, amongst other things!
Find out more at cuedin.co.nz and cuedin.co.uk. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
