Nine Years in
On building a business, becoming a mother, and finding a version of success that might only be possible in Tasmania.
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Nine years ago, my now husband Russ and I were strolling the streets of Nipaluna/Hobart, dreaming up what our lives could look like here. It was January, we were on holiday, and we were so taken by the glorious Tasmanian summer weather, the mountain, the food … we lapped it all up. A few more visits and a Hobart wedding later, we drove on to the Spirit of Tasmania in October 2017. We were drained from life in a big city on the Australian mainland, and ready for a new start - somewhere slower with clean air, great wine and unlimited oysters. Tasmania beckoned from across Bass Strait, and when Russ was offered a job in Hobart we thought, why not?
“Settling down” was on our minds. I imagined small children at my feet, slow-cooked meals bubbling away on the stove, and a neutral-toned wardrobe. My trad wife-adjacent hallucinations were in conflict, however, with the very real need to earn a living. A quick search on seek.com revealed precisely zero local prospects in public relations and communications, the fields in which I had been working for a number of years. In time, my good friend and chef David Moyle put me forward to manage the inaugural Flinders Island Food & Crayfish Festival, and another friend who worked at RACT engaged me on a contract to help with publicity around the launch of a new accommodation offering. From there, I began gradually building my own portfolio of PR and events clients.
But it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my daughter that I really decided to lock in on growing an actual business following a meeting with a prospective (male) client. “I remember what it was like for my wife,” he said, questioning my ability to take on a new project with a baby on the way.
I can still feel the rising hot feeling of rage I felt in response. Being told that something was now out of reach for me because I was on the cusp of becoming a mother angered me beyond belief.
“I’m not your wife,” I replied.
Ultimately, it was this specific moment that inspired me to keep working, and to build the business that I am so proud to have today. Maybe I should thank him?
Two years after that interaction, Covid hit and the client roster I had built as a sole trader disappeared overnight. The forced time off and the sleepless nights worrying about our financial future made me appreciate more than ever the work that I had been doing prior to the pandemic. I realised that having the ability to work and earn money for my family is a privilege and not something that should ever be taken for granted because, as Covid demonstrated for many, life can throw a curveball at any moment that takes it all away. So, as soon as I had the chance to start working with clients again, I said yes to every opportunity that came my way - even if it meant breastfeeding my son while on conference calls.
Fast forward to 2026, and I’m so proud of the business I have built, together with my incredible all-female team of six. We work hard, but we get to do some pretty cool things along the way. Some highlights include travelling to Slovenia to research pagan winter feasting traditions for Dark Mofo, a team trip to Lord Howe Island, winding through an ancient rainforest on a steam train in Tassie’s remote North West, waking up at sunrise at Piermont on the Freycinet Coast, flying in to Flinders Island on a six-seater plane, and wandering through The Agrarian Kitchen’s garden on a late summer’s day.
And then there is the day-to-day stuff that I honestly don’t think would be possible anywhere else but Tassie. I drop my kids at school after 8:30am most days of the week, and then I walk to the office taking in the views of Kunanyi and the Derwent River on the way. Our kids climb over the back fence for playdates, and we open our front door many days to fresh eggs from our neighbours. I walk to most of my meetings and I don’t have to factor in a big commute as part of my day. Life is full and busy, but I’m able to balance a family life that I am present for alongside a demanding yet fulfilling work life - something that I’m proud to model to my kids.
Nine years in, the slow-cooked meals on the stove are more of a weekly thing than a daily thing, and chicken nuggets make an appearance more than I care to admit, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
