Your Say: Jenny Drury On Pay Equality

Jenny Drury is the Founder and Designer of NZ fashion brands Ketz-ke and LEO + BE

We need pay equality because… when you’re doing the same job as a man, you should be getting paid the same amount, and it is as simple as that.

I’d name my autobiography… Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today!

To me success means… finding calm in the chaos. I’ve realised that (as cheesy as it may sound) every day is actually a blessing and not to be taken for granted. Success to me means being healthy, happy, surrounded by family and friends and loving what I do on the daily. 

Best advice I’ve been given… Treat everyone how you’d like to be treated. 

The most rewarding part of my job… It sounds very corny but honestly seeing women wear my designs would have to be the most rewarding thing. It always brings a smile to my face when I’m out and about and see women who are radiating confidence while wearing Ketz-ke and LEO + BE.

The women who inspire me: My lovely friend Tania Dalton, who sadly passed away over three years ago, is a constant inspiration to me. She had her life taken away from her too early but what she accomplished in her time here is truly incredible and it’s very special to see her memory live on in the incredible work of the Tania Dalton Foundation. 

She was a friend of the world and a people magnet. Loosing Tania made me realise that there is no point in sweating the small stuff and we need to live for today, not for tomorrow.

The main challenge for women in business is… There are plenty of frustrations in business, but being a woman isn’t one of them for me. I’m naturally an ambitious person and am always striving to show how successful women can be – and I don’t intimidate easily! I hope to instil this confidence in the young people I mentor too, especially the young women.

I advocate for change by… never settling. I’m always striving to do better and be better, and I’m never satisfied. A willingness to adapt always is so important and the work is never done. 

The change I want to see in the next 12 months is… more businesses giving back to the next generation. We need to give our young people hands-on experience and education that will set them up for success and what better place to do this than in the workplaces they will one day become an integral part of! The value of what we can learn from our young people is often dismissed or overlooked – while we are teaching them, they are also teaching us and helping us to grow. You should never stop learning.

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