Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54854
her last word abhowout... by Jane Sweeney Jane is the Managing Director of leading PR consultancy, Porter Novelli, a director of Parachute Music, and Trustee of the New Zealand Trio. Jane has also worked in the not-for-profit sector and was formerly Trade Commissioner to France, living in Paris. …indulging a fetish. OK, I admit it! I can't get by without my Kathryn Wilson shoes and have spent the kids' inheritance at Heavenly Soles. Shoe of the Week in Sunday Magazine is my "go to" column of the week and then I'm on it – phoning stockists and pre-ordering if necessary. I've been known to walk miles in the pursuit of dream footwear. Other fetishes are fresh flowers, smelly cheese, and bulldogs. www.heavenlysoles.co.nz , www.kathrynwilson.com ... hanging out with little kids more. My nana became a gran in her early 40s and that isn't going to happen any time soon for me, so I love squishing and snuggling all the littlies that come to the office, or my friends' wee ones. I especially love it when they paint me pictures and make me stuff. I have a fabulous angel a wee girl and her mum made me that hangs beside my desk. I still have all the cute things my boys did when they were young stored away. I love going to little kids' movies like Despicable Me and Wall-E. Seeing life through the eyes of a small child is a gift. They are so creative and uncomplicated and often have pearls of wisdom that stop me in my tracks. www.despicableme.com …taking an art class. There's nothing like unleashing your creativity by taking a weekend art class. I've done drawing and painting classes, including mixed media, learnt to cast glass through the lost wax method and went to mosaic class with my mum, who is an artist. I just loved getting lost in the "flow" of producing something awesome. We ran art classes at work for team building and to decorate our office, and it was amazing to see that what talent people had so rarely has an outlet. www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/arts/artstation/default.asp …walking regularly on the beach or in the bush. It's a ritual for me to do one or the other each week, preferably both! I used to live at the beach and walk it each day, and the sense of wellbeing that results is terrific. These days I'm in love with Piha and the Kitekite track, which is part of the Hillary Trail. Just put your brain on hold and breathe in the fresh air, or tussle with a problem or issue as you walk – it's amazingly restorative. www.tramper.co.nz 140 | February/March 2012 | HER MAGAZINE …finding ways to stay in touch with your teens. My boys are so busy and have really interesting lives and I love it that they still want to hang out with me. Just "being" with people can often be overlooked when there is so much to "do", so I try to practise stopping, being still and being with people – making time to really share what's going on in our lives. There's nothing like a simple coffee catch-up, or movie night, or renting "Buzz" from the video store to play with the kids, or just planning to have dinner together to help you re-connect. We have family night once a week to ensure we all make contact. www.parentsinc.org.nz …giving back to a not-for-profit organisation or good cause. My work day became more pleasurable when I gave some of my time away to do some good in the community. I don't know what it was, whether it was just balancing up a stressful, busy life with a little more inspiration … or just hearing from other people who aren't normally in my circle of contacts … but it was so fantastic that now I seek out the opportunity to give back and pay it forward. I choose one or two major involvements and take on little one-offs like a mentoring or strategic planning session to make sure I don't get overloaded on the pro bono front. www.volunteeringnz.org.nz …taking stock of it all. Optimists like me can get overloaded. I regularly check in with family or friends and review my week or my commitments. My executive assistant (current and last) are fab at sorting out my overload and taking me in hand. I find I'm better if I have some thinking and inspiration time alongside the go-go-go part of my lifestyle. I'm good now at building in treats like a massage with my favourite therapist at East Day Spa. www.eastdayspa.com