Her Way: Doing business with heart

A new book by business owner and professional business coach​ Jacqui Thomas celebrates New Zealand’s female business founders who are doing good as well as doing well – and leading the way for a post-Covid world.

The world around Jacqui Thomas as she wrote her latest book Her Way could not have been more aligned to her project.

While New Zealand was grouping together and focusing on kindness and community during the global Covid-19 pandemic, Thomas was researching and writing a collection of authentic stories of New Zealand businesswomen from around the country, across a diverse range of industry sectors, age groups and ethnicities, with the common theme being they are all ‘doing business with heart’. 

Exploring these business journeys through a female lens, questioning if there are still specific challenges women are facing in the business arena in 2020, and curious to see if more culturally “feminine” attributes are being harnessed and utilised in a business capacity, Thomas wanted to confirm if it’s possible to succeed in business, and to do so in a way that also treats people well and is mindful of the planet – to explore the notion of “doing good, whilst also doing well”.

Thomas believes doing business with heart makes good commercial sense for both men and women, and as many of these more “inherently feminine” attributes – such as sharing, caring, collaborating, nurturing, helping – come to the fore, it’s natural that women have been leading the way.  As we rebuild our economy in the new world ahead, post or living with Covid, in her view, this ethos is vital for a better future.

Her Way shares the authentic stories of a collection of New Zealand female business founders, who have each started their own businesses, defined their own rules, and demonstrate that it is absolutely possible to do good, and also do well, by bringing their hearts as well as their heads into the game.

Some of the women featured have brought a female perspective to sectors still largely male dominated such as aviation, beer brewing, gaming and agri.  Others have created lucrative businesses solving uniquely female issues such as menopause and periods.  Many are tackling and solving various social, environmental, and financial challenges in their communities – for example, removing plastic bottles from the beauty industry, feeding hungry children, and creating new pathways to funding.  Maori businesswomen are also using their businesses to keep their Maori culture and kaupapa alive in a way that is respectful and also gives back to their heritage and communities.

The women featured in the book are:

Lisa King, Eat My Lunch – Auckland; Brianne West, Ethique – Christchurch; Hannah Duder, Indigo & Iris – Christchurch; Anna Guenther, PledgeMe – Wellington; Kiri Nathan, KIRI NATHAN – Auckland; Chloe Van Dyke, Chia Sisters – Nelson; Ranjna Patel, Tāmaki Health – Auckland; Sue de Bièvre, Beany – Hawkes Bay; Theresa Gattung, SheEO – Auckland; Philippa Wright, Wright Wool – Hawkes Bay; Hiria Te Rangi, Whare Hauora – Wellington; Georgina Langdale, Archeus – Hawkes Bay; Tracy Banner, Sprig & Fern Brewery – Nelson; Louisa “Choppy” Patterson, Over the Top – Queenstown; Maru Nihoniho, Metia Interactive – Auckland; Robyn McLean, The Hello Cup – Hawkes Bay; Jan Hellriegel, Songbroker & Aeroplane Music Services – Auckland; and Kimberley Ramsay, All Star Cheerleaders & CheerBrandz – Auckland.

The author, Jacqui Thomas, is herself a SME business owner and professional business coach / consultant with a core philosophy around doing business with heart.   Her Way builds on the success of her previous best-seller, Go Girl Go – Real Stories of New Zealand Women in Business, published in 2001.

Her Way is written in a chatty, informal style, endeavouring to retain the authentic voices of each businesswoman, allowing the reader to feel like they’re having a friendly conversation with each business founder.  The book will be of interest to budding entrepreneurs, professional business people, and armchair enthusiasts who simply enjoy the opportunity to gain a rare insight into interesting people’s lives.

Her Way is available now at RRP $39.99, published by JT Publishing.  The book is available from local bookstores or online directly from www.jacquithomas.com/herwaybook