Your Say: Lisa Booth on Gender Stereotypes
Lisa Booth
CEO and co-founder of Kete Kai
The gender stereotype I can’t stand… That women are too emotional. Emotion is physiological, and it’s such a powerful tool. If we lean in to that, we can see and feel situations before they happen. I say we should embrace emotion, and allow ourselves to feel the feelings.
To me success means… Ending hunger in Aotearoa. Seeing that communities are having access to food solutions they want.
Best advice I’ve been given… “Don’t let others rent space in your head they didn’t earn.” In other words, don’t worry about what others think.
I made my first dollar… Doing a paper run, but after doing the math I quit two weeks later, put together a CV and landed a job at the netball courts’ canteen. I was 12.
The most rewarding part of my job… Meeting whānau and hearing their stories. Working with my incredible team who share our Kaupapa – I could not feel more grateful for their mahi.
My life motto is… Everyone is good. With some people, you have to dig a little to find it, but fundamentally people need and want good.
My goals for the next 12 months are… For Kete Kai to expand, and to have at least ten community centres up, running and empowered.
The women who inspire me: I come from a line of female powerhouses- my mother and nana spring to mind, but also my daughters who have found their voices. I’m proud and in awe of them – they inspire me everyday to do what I do.
The main challenge for women in business is… I don’t think this space is big enough to list them all. Funding availability is a huge one, and the stats are overwhelming for women in tech. I also think one of the hardest challenges is we don’t value ourselves: we need to own our power and be bold because we can’t rely on anyone to value us if we don’t value ourselves. I have seen the most incredible transformations, including my own when I started to value myself and believe in myself. Having said that, I acknowledge that this is a generalisation, and everyone’s journey is individual.
We need pay equality because… We no longer live in caves and know better as a human race.
Diversity in the workplace is… Not just needed because we should, but because it’s the only way a business will really succeed. Diversity brings a richness to business success, and I think those who don’t embrace it will be left behind.
I advocate for change by… Walking the talk. If I don’t like something, I speak up or seek change or talk about it openly and with curiosity. I steer clear of bureaucracy.
The change I want to see in the next 12 months is… I want to see more women stepping into their power. There is nothing more inspirational than seeing someone stepping up.
