"This is the ultimate combination of my goals and skills to create a truly unique enterprise that serves the yarn community."

​I bring the variety of yarn that can be found at major trade events out to the regions that would otherwise only be able to view/purchase online. It is also a great opportunity for the dyers to get their product directly in front of their customers when they can't be there themselves.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

I love knitting with quality yarn, I love meeting fellow yarn lovers and I love driving around our country. This is the ultimate combination of my goals and skills to create a truly unique enterprise that serves the yarn community.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

Cashflow. I can only be on the road so many days of the year so I run another business to keep things ticking when I'm not running yarn events. Anyone in this industry isn't in it to make millions (and neither am I) but we all need to eat. It will take longer to build this into a truly viable business but this is where the support from WE has been invaluable. The ideas and learnings gained from those on the same path and who are willing to see fellow female entrepreneurs succeed is fantastic.

Website: Wool On Wheels
Facebook: woolonwheelsnz
Instagram: @woolonwheelsnz

"I love to inspire women to reach their potential and arm themselves for the day ahead by feeling confident in the clothes they choose to wear."

What’s the core problem that your product or service is solving?

A woman’s confidence in getting dressed everyday. If you have to wear clothes, why not make it count!

What makes you passionate about what you do?

Helping women feel more confident in themselves! I love to inspire women to reach their potential and arm themselves for the day ahead by feeling confident in the clothes they choose to wear. I know the power that a great outfit can provide. By offering personal styling, through shopping trips, wardrobe edits and style workshops, I help women to feel excited by their own wardrobes, not feel they have to spend spend spend or be a slave to fashion. I give them confidence in their personal style and help make them feel confident to wear the clothes that make them happy. I may push them outside of their comfort zones, but only to the point they feel comfortable. This is about their style, their wardrobes, not about making them a cookie cutter of my own style.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

The hardest part has being only available 1 day a week to work on my business for the last two years. This year, I am taking the leap to give more time to it, so I can build my client base and work in driving income through other income streams. I am so passionate about stylin as a confidence tool for women, I truely want to create a sisterhood of stylish women - all looking and feeling like the best version of themselves.

Website: Sisterhoodofstyle.com
Facebook: @sisterhoodofstylenz
Instagram: @sisterhoodofstylenz

"I've learnt that life is long and it's not a race." 

With their broad responsibilities - at home and work - and high personal expectations, modern women can often become stressed and overwhelmed with the pace of life.

My services help women to recognise their authentic selves and nurture themselves on a deeply on many levels, physical, mental and emotional. When we go on this journey of self discovery, day-to-day life becomes more enjoyable and worries about time dissipate.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

The incredible - positive - transformations I've witnessed in others and myself through practising certain techniques. The inspiring women I've met on my journey who have taught me as much as I've taught them.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

Having my children - & being their main carer - at the same time as starting a business has meant that my business hasn't grown like I thought it would. However I've learnt that life is long and it's not a race. The experiences I'm getting with my children inform the person I am becoming and the teacher I'm developing in to. I am just at the beginning of my story.

Online Program: A Diamond In A Rush 
Website: www.ayogafiedlife.com 
Facebook: ayogafiedlife
Instagram: ayogafiedlife

Needs More Cushions provides an ethical alternative to mass produced, trend-driven homewares that harm the planet and its people. Shopping for ethical interiors shouldn't mean compromising on style, and it should be possible to buy unique, quality, one-of-a-kind pieces that look good and tell a story without having to remortgage your home.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

I love the idea that something so simple, like making cushions, can help make the world a better place. By using artisan-crafted textiles, we help to keep alive ancient weaving traditions and support employment in remote parts of the world, and by employing former refugees we create opportunities for financial sustainability and increased confidence for women that often struggle to find meaningful work due to language barriers and lack of transferable skills. I hope that this alternative way of creating stylish homewares also has a positive environmental and social impact on the world - and that more Kiwi homes end up with unique, stylish cushions that tell lovely stories and start conversations for years to come.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

It's all been hard! Setting up a product-based business from scratch with no prior experience and whilst holding down a busy day-job has been a steep learning curve. But it's taught me a huge amount, including helping me to realise how much I can be capable of if I put my mind to it! The biggest lesson for me has been to keep showing up, even when it seems like no-one cares - just when you think it's all doomed, a new opportunity almost always arises! Oh, and when estimating your start-up costs and the time you think it will take, double it.

Website www.needsmorecushions.com
Facebook: needsmorecushions
Instagram: needsmorecushions
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What’s the core problem that your product or service is solving?

To empower women with knowledge about the differences in chemical and natural Makeup and Skincare, to help educate women with their Skincare choice and Makeup application. To nourish their skin with natural products that are vibrant, intense, and pure.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

Women - or as I like to call us Goddesses. We are all different, we all have our own unique qualities. I love to empower women to become truly confident in their own skin, to have the knowledge to make an informed decision about their Makeup and Skincare choices and to understand the difference between chemical based products and my truly Vibrant, Intense, Pure products that are packed with natural ingredients that feed your skin, and your soul. No matter our back story we are all truly stunning and to bring that to the surface and help women shine is bloody awesome.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

My self chatter - is the hardest. My back story is part of that, and part of who I am, it is also part of why I do what I do. I am learning that I need to just bloody get on with it, I need to listen to the advice I give to other women and to trust, in myself.

Website: www.vipme.co.nz
Facebook: vipmecosemtics
Instagram: vipmecosmetics

At The Food Tree, we are passionate about bringing joy back to the family meal! Whether it's helping you find confidence in your food choices or supporting you to raise a child that has a great relationship with food and their body.

What makes you passionate about what you do?
​
Seeing a change in the families I work with. I've spent years working with families with nutrition issues and a lot of the time people just need some compassionate listening and structured advice for where they're at now. There is so much conflicting advice out there about nutrition I see myself as offering kindness and non-judgement for parents in need struggling with feeding and meal times.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?
​
Learning to accept that things take time. I'm a very optimistic person. My husband always says I think everything just needs "a lick of paint". I have the same approach to my business setting unrealistic timeframes and thinking things will happen quickly. I'm learning to be more realistic and expect setbacks and struggles/challenges.

Website: www.thefoodtree.co
Facebook: Thefoodtree.co

When people send a Happygram it's always about kindness and caring for someone else. I love that and I'm so passionate about creating a platform that encourages people to do nice things for others. Big hearts don't always need big budgets!

Happygram makes it easy and affordable to make others feel special and loved with sending little gifts designed to bring happiness and create smiles.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?
​
Testing out different marketing ideas and what works and doesn't work. I thought by doing it all myself would've been cheaper and it has actually been expensive.

I should've enlisted help from a marketing expert earlier to help me with my direction. I could've been further along to where I am now.

Thank goodness for Rachel Geebee - she's ace!

Website: HappyGram
Facebook: gohappygram
Instagram: gohappygram

I'm on a mission to help reduce New Zealand's highest rate of skin cancer in the world!

Kiwi's love the outdoors and this is not about to change. Lissyclothing provides a stylish versatile alternative from the rash shirt. I have designed sundresses which are made from Eco-friendly fabric that protects skin from 98% UV rays, and they are manufactured here in NZ. Now women have a dress that takes them from the beach to sidewalk, they look good, and their skin is protected from sun damage.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

I am incredibly excited to be combining my two loves, health and fashion. Coming from a medical background I feel very driven to educate about the effects of the sun while also offering a solution. If I can help reduce a number of skin cancers through women adding sun protection clothing to their wardrobes then my job is done.

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?

Changing from one career to another has been the greatest challenge for me. I was previously nursing for over 16 years so I’ve had to require a whole new skill set to work on this business. Learning about fabrics, design, manufacturing, branding, marketing, website design and the list goes on. I've learnt to ask lot's of questions, thoroughly research everything and have benefited hugely from my VIP WE membership. The wealth of knowledge and support I have received has been incredibly helpful.
​
Website Lissy Clothing
Facebook: lissyclothing
Instagram: lissyclothing

"Since starting my first business, I have been so focused and dedicated to growing it that I haven't had much focus on my personal life. I can't say that I quite have the balance yet, but I'm actively pursuing my ultimate."

I help clients to funnel their ideas and get clear on what they want to visually communicate as well and how and why. People tend to shop with their eyes first and some businesses have such a great business but aren't growing to their full potential because they have neglected the importance of concise, consistent, and quality visual communication.

I work closely with clients to ensure that they're communicating the right message, to the right audience and to a high standard. I also pass on helpful information to help them effectively communicate visually, long after my billable hours are finished.

What makes you passionate about what you do?

When someone comes to me and trusts my skills and asks me to use them to contribute to their businesses, I get a rush of energy, particularly if I can feel their enthusiasm. When I feel this rush, I call it creative energy or a creative high.

When I have creative energy, I get excited, my thoughts become clear and focused and I get in the 'zone' (where time seems to pass by quickly). I get such a warm feeling when I produce something that the client loves, but I also love. I love working with people and the challenge of taking their vision and expectations to the next level!

What's been the hardest part about your business journey and what have you learnt from that?
​
The hardest part of my business journey so far has been balancing my work and personal life. Since starting my first business, I have been so focused and dedicated to growing it that I haven't had much focus on my personal life. I can't say that I quite have the balance yet, but I'm actively pursuing my ultimate.

In the last few days, I have refined the message on repeat in my head to this: "Your businesses can't function without you, so take care of you first". I am literally in the middle of planning how to manage my week so the urge to work overtime and during weekends disappears. My weekends will now be spent relaxing more and nurturing my personal relationships :) As a result, both my businesses will inevitably benefit.

Website: Design by Cheyney​ 
Facebook: designbycheyney
Instagram: @designbycheyney

Santosa was created in response to a frustration with the ‘natural’ products available for our bodies + homes.

The brands I loved and trusted, were actually contradicting my principles of a healthy lifestyle with unpronounceable ingredients, hiding behind fancy labels.

I’m passionate about going back to basics and making sure our ingredients are as natural and nourishing as possible. I’m enthusiastic that I can create a range of products in which I feel confident sharing with the wider community, that has their health and well-being as our number one priority.

Santosa meets the need for honest, nourishing ingredients within everyday body + home products. Our carefully selected blends of essential oils encourage mindfulness and a slower pace of life.

We believe in turning simple tasks, into moments of self care.

There have been so many incredible learning opportunities since starting out - where do I even begin?

Probably having more of an idea around pricing / costings / profit / loss - this is the area I’ve done the most learning in (and still have a fair way to go).

I’ve learnt to believe in yourself, people will pay for quality, you can’t please everyone and to allow enough of a margin to make it worth your while! It’s an incredible journey and one I wouldn’t change at all.

(Can I just say the WE Network has been an incredible area of learning for me - thank you Rachel for creating this supportive community!).

Name: Katie Higgins
Website: Santosa
Facebook: santosalifestyle
Instagram: santosa_lifestyle