Can you describe your business in one or two sentences?
Smart, Savvy Financial Advice for Kiwis but particularly women. We can help with all aspects of financial advice – personal risk insurance, health insurance, general insurance like home, contents and car cover, business insurance, mortgage and home loan advice, Kiwisaver and investment advice.
What drove you to start your business/get involved in this industry?
I have always thought personal risk insurance is so important and as a country NZ is very low in the amounts of insurance we hold, even when compared to countries such as Turkey, Finland, France and other parts of the world! But importantly I think women are very underinsured and now manage most of the household’s buying decisions but in particular the finance decisions and basically run the show there! So they need to know there is the right protection in place for them, their partners and children.
What do you love about running your business?
I have been in finance in NZ for 30 years and have been a self-employed insurance adviser for the past 20 years. I ally enjoy insurance, which makes me sound crazy I know! But I have seen so many instances of cover I have put in place for people really being a god-send when the S*&Y hits the fan. I really believe Kiwi’s lack financial knowledge and don’t really know where to ask for help, and so continue on the same lines as their parents and gradparents – but the finance world is now a very different place.
What have been some of your biggest challenges?
As a woman in finance, when I was younger my biggest challenge was getting people to take me seriously and not just assume I was the nearest man in the room’s secretary! I was a Branch Manager for the ASB at age 23 and I had a little old lady ask for the manager to sign her UK pension transfer. When my staff member introduced me to her and I started to complete the form, she leant over the counter and whispered, “Aren’t you going to get in trouble for pretending to be the Branch Manager?” It’s got easier as I’ve got older, and wiser (haha), but I am really passionate about women in financial advice roles, as I believe the ‘stale, pale and male’ financial adviser profile of the past is on its way out.
What is your biggest ambition?
To educate women and their families to make sure they have the best protection in place, so families are protected well in the event of illness, injury or death. I love to review client’s insurance policies as the industry changes so quickly, as do our personal lives and I can always find a way to improve on their cover, save them money, or find better terms so they have more insurance coverage.
What does success look like to you?
Having a huge database of really happy clients that know they have me on their side. I have 3 principles I adhere to, and I am successful if I tick off each of these for my clients:
1. It’s my job to help you find the insurance you need, so that you can sleep at night knowing you’re properly covered
2. But this has to be affordable – I can’t have my clients freaking out when the premium comes out of their bank account
3. I have to balance point 1+2 along with finding an insurer that has a robust, ethical and common-sense claims process. Cheap and cheerful insurance is not what we want, if it’s impossible to then make a claim on.
If you had to walk away from the company tomorrow, what would you be most proud of?
The number of clients I have helped. I have written more than $2.50 million of insurance premium throughout my career and I like to think I have helped each client to be more educated and more protected.
Who inspires you and why?
Successful women in business inspire me – those that are not afraid to take risks, not afraid to stand up for themselves and their clients, not afraid to function outside the norm and push their levels of success all the time.
What growth have you experienced being in New Zealand Businesswomen?
I have been a member of NZBW for more than 16 years and I owe a lot of my business to the people I have met through NZBW. Ladies I met back in 2010 are still my friends, my accountant and other important women in my life and it definitely has helped to grow my business. I see a NZBW meeting as a chance to educate the other members around the table so I have 10-15 other salespeople out in the world telling their friends and clients how I can help them, and this has helped my business 10-fold over the years, plus I have made some amazing friends along the way.
What’s your favourite pastime when you are not working?
I have got back into reading books, as I work long hours and like to do something that doesn’t involve staring at a screen. I read 52 books in 2024, and almost 40 in 2025. There are some incredible stories around at the moment. I also love walking my dogs through the bush and helping my kids to climb trees as we go.
