Women at Groov reflect ahead of International Women’s Day
Groov wāhine reflect on their favourite words of wisdom, as well as celebrate their proudest moments to-date.
International Women’s Day (March 8, 2023) is a day to celebrate and advocate for women all around the world.
Here at Groov, we’re kicking the celebrations off a little early by inviting some of our incredible women to share:
The best piece of advice they’ve ever received
Their proudest achievement to-date
How they plan on celebrating IWD 2023
Read on for some inspiring words of wisdom to reflect on ahead of International Women’s Day!
“Think about what YOU want.”
– Cindy Gunawan, Accounts & Operations Manager
Best advice you’ve ever received: “Think about what YOU want. I grew up thinking ‘life isn’t about me, other people must come first’. I’m learning to ask myself the following questions before I say yes to anything: If I say yes, will this be good for me? Is this what I want? Would it make me feel good? It felt really selfish to do this in the beginning, but over time I’m slowly gaining more confidence and it actually creates space for me to be more considerate of others.”
Proudest achievement: “Work used to be my everything, it was my identity, my priority, and how I determined my self worth (if I succeed at work, I succeed in life). I'm slowly managing to 'decouple' myself from that view and focus on a more holistic view about myself, which helps me notice my other qualities, interests and potential outside of work.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “I’m going to go get a new house plant!”
“Anything I put my mind to, I can achieve.”
– Cleo Akaroa, Email Marketing Specialist
Best advice you’ve ever received: “That anything I put my mind to I can achieve, I’ve proved this to myself time and time again and now my focus is going to be on putting my mind to bigger and better things to achieve. Such as, seeing more brown girl magic (Pasifika & Māori women) in leadership positions so my own daughter can grow up and see faces like hers represented in leadership roles.”
Proudest achievement: “I think in this day and age, a great achievement to be proud of is hitting that sweet spot between surviving and thriving. The last few years have been difficult on a global scale for humans of the world. To come out the other side with hope, determination and stamina to keep pushing is something we should all be proud of. In terms of my proudest achievement to date, I have to say it was becoming degree-qualified before the age of 21 and as a young teenage mum. Behind every strong, independent woman are other strong independent women! I couldn’t have achieved that without the help and support of the wonderful women in my life, such as my mum.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Celebrating the wonderful women in my life that make my life special.”
“Live life fully.”
– Gina Ramsay, Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Best advice you’ve ever received: “I am part of everything and everything is part of me. Live life fully.”
Proudest achievement: “Living by my values every day.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “I will take stock of all that women-kind have and continue to achieve. Empowered women empower women, so I will keep working on that too!”
“Focus on what gives you joy.”
– Hansini Gunasekara, Psychology & Wellbeing Specialist
Best advice you’ve ever received: “I am enough. I grew up with the weight of expectations of those around me. I have always been a perfectionist and have been extremely hard on myself since I was a kid. It was always what I 'should' be doing rather than what gives me joy. I am slowly learning that I am good enough as I am and I don't always have to strive for more. It has helped me take a more holistic approach to life and prioritise my wellbeing.”
Proudest achievement: “I’m proud of the person I'm growing into. I've navigated through many barriers/challenges and did not give up. I believe I've learnt to live graciously, be kinder to myself and hold fast to my values while building a life that brings me joy.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “I will acknowledge and appreciate the inspirational women in my life and probably buy myself flowers.”
“Be a best friend to yourself.”
– Jamie Wise, Office Manager
Best advice you’ve ever received: “Be a best friend to yourself. It’s amazing how much kinder and compassionate we are to others. Treating our own selves as a best pal can help give some of that love back to ourselves.”
Proudest achievement: “Being a 2023 recipient of the Nōku Te Ao grant through the Mental Health Foundation. As a queer Pasifika woman, being able to create a project that will platform those who experience mental distress is honestly such an honour. The more diverse voices in this space, the more impactful change we can create!”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Listening to my favourite women-led podcasts (Binchtopia, Normal Gossip) and telling all the wāhine in my life how and why they’re so incredible.”
“Nothing is ever wasted.”
– Jess van Roekel, Writing & Tone of Voice Lead
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: “Nothing is ever wasted. No detours or mistakes or hard experiences – there’s always something we can carry forward that helps shape the person we’re becoming.”
Proudest achievement: “Seeking support with my own mental health and wellbeing while raising two kids. Asking for help was so hard, but looking after me has been the best gift I can give to my partner and children.”
How you plan on celebrating IWD 2023: “I plan on spending the day with my daughter – having fun and creating memories together!”
“You’re enough.”
– Lotta De Smet, Marketing Coordinator
Best advice you’ve ever received: “You’re enough – you don’t need to change.”
Proudest achievement: “Professionally, I’m proud of being admitted to the bar as a lawyer, because it took so much work, time, and effort. In saying that, I’m grateful that I found the courage to leave the legal industry and join the tech start-up world. Change is scary but I knew that I couldn’t mould myself to become the best lawyer. Life’s too short to try to live up to other people’s expectations and lose yourself in the process.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Saying thanks to my mum for being a disruptor by refusing to give in to stereotypes. Mum was one of two women in her engineering class at university and she joined the tech industry in the 90s. She’s always used humour, straight talking and empathy to move mountains - which is something I seriously admire. ”
“Just go for it!”
– Lucia Afanasy, Product Marketing Manager
Best advice you’ve ever received: “A very wise and good friend who I worked with in London taught me to just go for it. Apply for that job, voice your opinion, ask for that promotion or pay rise you deserve. It can be harder for women to be assertive or vocal, especially in the workplace. Get confident and comfortable having those conversations and back yourself all the way.”
Proudest achievement: “Becoming a mum. The hardest and most rewarding job I’ve ever had!”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “I’ll be celebrating by connecting with the incredible women in my life and telling them how amazing they are.”
“You can learn anything.”
– Maya McNicoll – Senior UX Designer
Best advice you’ve ever received: “You can learn anything.”
Proudest achievement: “Teaching myself how to throw pots on the wheel.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Throwing some pots.”
“Embrace your uniqueness.”
– Natalie Brookes, Email & Content Specialist
Best advice you’ve ever received: “Embrace your uniqueness – it makes you, you! There are many parts of me I wasted a lot of time being insecure about. I try to embrace them rather than apologise for them now.”
Proudest achievement: “The birth of my son, Jack. I will celebrate myself, I am a great mum. There are of course many, many moments of self-doubt and I experience a lot of ‘mum guilt’, especially since returning to work. So I try to remind myself that I’m a great mum.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Snuggling up and starting a new book from my current fave female author.”
“Regress to progress.”
– Raquel Chavez-Nguyen, Market Development Manager
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: “Regress to progress. Sometimes we need to step back and return to our foundations in order to move forward.”
Proudest achievement: ”At 35 years old, I am the owner of a small business in Auckland. I founded Kanuka Yoga Space 4 years ago. Alongside the amazing teachers who are on my team, I'm able to manage this business remotely while also working 9-5 in my dream job with Groov. Living in alignment with my values between my corporate job and community job is one of my proudest achievements.”
How you plan to celebrate IWD 2023: “Check in with all the women in my life who allow me to be my most authentic self.”
“You can have it all, just not at the same time.”
– Rebecca Hine – Product Owner
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: "You can have it all, just not at the same time." There are many reasons why I think this is great advice. Firstly, I feel like this gives me permission to not be a superwoman and put myself under too much pressure. It also helps me to think about what out of the 'all' I want to be prioritising right now, which helps me to feel calmer and cultivate patience.”
Proudest achievement: “I'm proud of my whole career, given that I didn't go to University and had to find my way through trial, error and hard work. I entered the workforce as an Office Junior for a law firm and made my way from there. It’s been a ride!”
How you plan on celebrating IWD 2023: “I have a son and it’s important to me that he grows up seeing and experiencing the capabilities of women. He loves the Little People, Big Dreams biographies, and learning about the natural world, so I’m going to get him the Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg books. These women are both great role models, and deserve a place alongside his treasured David Attenborough biography!”
“Show up every day for yourself.”
– Simone Fernandes – Community & Events Manager
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: “People’s opinions of you are none of your business. You won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. So long as you stay true to yourself, advocate for what you believe and what you're worth, and show up every day for yourself, that's all that matters.”
Proudest achievement: “Writing and publishing my very own book about my fertility journey, to inspire and help many other women out there who are struggling, all while building a career on my own merits, hard work and dedication.”
How you plan on celebrating IWD 2023: “I will be doing something for myself, that makes me happy - going to the gym to give back to my body and mind, pampering myself or going for a massage.”