All of you made your dreams come true. A lot of us dream. What was the tipping point for you to go chase your dreams?
Kate Reid, Lune: Our working lives and our careers form the most active, healthy, intelligent, ambitious years of our lives. If you are going to get out of bed every morning and go to work, or be a mother, or run a business or travel or whatever you do, we’ve got one shot to do it. I don’t want to get to the age of 80 years old and look back on the best years of my life and think I really took them away not doing something I could jump out of bed every day and absolutely love. For me it’s never really been a question of (what, when, how)…When I started Lune I didn’t even really think about it, I thought I just make the best croissant I possibly can and if I want a really good croissant there must be other people out there that do. Hopefully those people will find you and they do tend to.
Kristina Karlsson, Kikki.k: Two things: one there is two discomforts in life. There is discomfort of having dreams and aspirations and goals and things you want to do in life. If you know and you have them, and you don’t do anything, that’s discomfort. Because there is more to life than what you are doing right now. Then there is making all those dreams come true. That’s also discomfort. So then you have to choose which discomfort that you want to be in. And when you ask yourself a question if I was to die in three years’ time, what would I do differently today. Often you will hear you wanted to do all these things you want to do. And it’s not just about starting a local businesses, it’s about maybe spending more time with your family or take a year off, whatever it is, but it’s really what makes your heart sing and choose which discomfort you want to be in and realise that.
Kate Russell, Lululemon: I didn’t’ really want to have a work life and a personal life. I understand boundaries, but I just want to live a life that I enjoy all the time. I was clear on what I wanted but I didn’t know the how, so for me it was about creating something that didn’t exist. And even the role I am in now is doing the same thing. What are my values, what does the business need and how do I work to that. A big thing is choice. I’m reading an amazing book on essentialism and it’s around choosing things that are going to have the highest contribution. It’s not about doing less or saying no. But what are the things you want to do to have the highest contribution. It’s around having a choice. Saying I want to do this versus I need to do this and that is a big thing for me.
How do you maintain your passion and your drive for what you do? Especially when life gets really busy, how do you recuperate?
Kate Russell, Lululemon: For me it’s planning. I plan my week, my months, my quarter and then my year and then every day I will replan again. I think that is the only way that I personally know that I can balance work and life. I have two non-negotiables every week. One of them is I’m really into Pilates most days. And second I have two adorable nieces, so I try and finish work every Wednesday and I try and spend about five hours with them in the evening. It’s in my diary and everyone knows that when planning meetings, the time is blocked out and I can either do it before or after. Being someone that has a passion for connection with others, if I can get the time with my family that for me is what I find is balance.
Kate Reid, Lune: I actually have to work really hard at balance. I’m a bit of a control freak and I thrive on something to obsess over and really throw myself into. But it does lead to an unhealthy balance with life, which isn’t good for our health and wellbeing, so I have to work really hard at it. I discovered yoga about 11 years ago. I think finding something physical to do that you really love, that you are inspired to do motivates me and inspires me to do it. I find time for about four yoga sessions a week. It’s gotten a lot easier since I had staff, but that’s been a bit of a challenge as well because I’m a control freak I find it really hard to let go of all the tiny little minute details of the business. I think challenging yourself in that space, I feel really uncomfortable letting somebody else do this, but then discovering my weakness and not being a good trainer and then pushing myself to learn those to train and encourage other people and allow them to grow has given me a bit more space in my life.
The other thing that gives me space is, I’ve got the most beautiful black Labrador ever and I now start every single morning with at least a 1-1.5 hour walk with her. It’s our time, I don’t take my phone with me. We just wonder along the streets and I know that she knows that that’s her 1.5 hours. I have to work really hard at making that time for myself but I feel really good when I do it. So it’s about prioritising and finding those things that you love.
Kristina Karlsson, Kikki.k: I think we should mention that everyone’s balances are different. Some who start a businesses might have to work in imbalance for a little while and then as you grown you might be able to take more regular time off. But I have a rule, I never speak work, and when I say never I break that sometimes as well of course, but I don’t speak work on Sundays and I never book anything. If it’s not like a family birthday or something that I have to do in terms of family. But normally on Sundays is a day when I have nothing planned. And that, if I have a really full week, I know that I can actually cope with that, because on Sunday I don’t even have to get out of my PJs. That really helps. I do everything that I love, spending time with the family obviously, but also I could spend hours just drinking tea and looking at a cookbook. I don’t cook from them but I look at them because it’s a creative way and it gives me lots of ideas and I write and I walk and I really do the things that I love which includes obviously spending time with the family.
But I do think that everyone needs to write down what’s important to you in terms of balance because I think what is important to me might not be important to you and I have a thing where on certain days I pick up the kids and that is important to me.
The Panellists
Kate Reid – Lune Croissanterie
Kate trained at Parisian boulangerine, Du Pain et des Idées, in 2011, in the specific field of viennoiseries. In June 2012, she established Lune Croissanterie. For Lune, Kate developed a unique recipe and laminating technique for creation of the croissant pastry. Before Lune, Kate qualified as an Aerospace Engineer and worked as an aerodynamicist at Formula 1 team Williams F1 in the United Kingdom.
Kristina Karlsson – Founder and Creative Director, Kikki.K
Kristina Karlsson is a passionate learner, self-improver and the proud mother of two children, Axel and Tiffany, with her partner, Paul. After growing up on a small farm in country Sweden, at the age of 22 she found herself in a new country, half a world away from family and friends, with little money and no idea what to do with her life. So what was a girl to do? Imagine what her dream life could look like – and then make it happen.
Kate Russell – Strategic Sales Manager, lululemon Australia
Kate spent over five years at n2n communications (Sydney PR firm) where she led strategy and execution of public relations and events across Telco, IT, Government, Business and Consumer. After years in the corporate sector, Kate landed her dream job as Regional Community Manager in 2014. Today Kate is now the Strategic Sales Manager for AUS, looking after the wholesale business.
