Natasha MacKenzie, Brand PR Manager for DB Breweries, On The Most Rewarding Part of Her Job
I’d name my autobiography…
‘The fine art of telling the truth’ or ‘Beer with me’.
Best advice I’ve been given…
Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
I made my first dollar:
Selling strawberries on the side of the road. The money wasn’t good, but the product was delicious!
The most rewarding part of my job…
When I get to help people with their passion projects. This month, I helped an amazing guy from Nelson who is making sustainable toilet paper out of rocks to reach over 700% of his kick start fundraising target. Life changing stuff!
Favourite book:
Anything by fantasy writer Terry Pratchett. Reading science fiction is like meditation for me!
My goals for 2019 are…
I just had a surprise wedding three months ago (complete with a Romeo and Juliet drag queen performance, bagpipes and a miraculous break in the rain for the ceremony), so there’s one big item crossed off the to-do list! Now I’m in planning mode for my dream house so I can start working towards making it happen. I’m keen to build on my family farm up north and I’m thinking semi-off-grid fully sustainable farm-functionality, with an effortless modern design that makes the most of the gorgeous country views. I can already see the soft rolling hills when I shut my eyes!
The women who inspire me:
Over the last 10 years I have been lucky to have had a string of incredible female bosses who have been inspirational in balancing boardroom effectiveness with powerful vulnerability. But my biggest inspiration would have to be my mother. She’s just published her second book and the last few years have seen her travelling to Tokyo and hiking Machu Picchu in Peru while researching for these. She inspires me to remain obsessively curious about the world, to not be afraid to try new things, and she reminds me that life should be fun. Every time we speak I feel lighter and ready to take more on.
The gender stereotype I can’t stand:
When waiters offer me a wine and offer the man with me a beer.
The main challenge for women in business is…
Being taken seriously. This is especially true for younger women. During my time in PR agencies I often found myself tasked with giving strategic advice to men in executive roles who were sometimes twice my age. I could immediately tell by their expression if it was one of those occasions that I would have to work harder to be taken seriously, and often cursed the fact that I looked young.
I advocate for change by…
Talking about the issues. Things are harder to ignore when they are the topic of the day.
The change I want to see in 2019 is…
More love!
