Today and every day is always about supporting women. We wanted to focus on starting a decent conversation about women in business and helping others achieve their goals.

We were lucky enough to speak to women who own cafes, and members from our Marketing, Production and Accounts teams. Read below to learn about how each of them got into their roles, the advice for other women in a similar field, other women owned businesses you can support today and more...

Sarah - Gula, Christchurch. 

What does being a woman in hospitality mean to you?

Being a woman in hospitality is very exciting for me as it used to be a largely male-dominated scene. It’s starting to turn around, being a woman in hospo myself, and that’s really cool.

What is the best advice you would give to someone wanting to start their own business?

Personally, fake it till you make it, especially when it comes to being confident. There will never be a perfect time to start so just go right ahead and start your business and ask everyone around you for help and questions. I also think setting boundaries and putting yourself first is very important.

What has been the biggest change you’ve noticed in Hospitality over the past few years?

People are treating other businesses in hospitality less as a threat/competition and more like friends in the industry and I think we owe social media a lot for that. Sending someone a friendly message or replying to their stories, maybe because you can relate to it or it’s just funny, seems a lot less creepy now and it helps forge a bond between many small biz owners and hospo workers. I think it’s great!

Anna - The Farmhouse Deli, Clevedon.

What does being a woman in hospitality mean to you?

I started in hospitality at a young age, and had always thought it must have taken a village to start any of the small businesses I worked in. I always had a passion for creating food and beautiful meaningful spaces, and am so grateful of what was taught to me from both male and female role models, and what I managed to teach myself over the years. I've never thought my gender would hinder me from creating what I wanted to do, but I am so proud of what I have achieved and love that I can now teach what I do and why I do it to the other young females around me! Unintentionally, we have a largely female team (with some incredible males in there also) and am so proud of how well we all work together and the amazing team I've been lucky enough to lead.

What is the best advice you would give to someone wanting to start their own business?

If I could go back to the start and had to give myself my own advice, it would be to not try and do everything yourself. it's okay to ask for help and not be perfect in every angle of the business. Owning a business is hard and will have constant challenges and pressures, and I don't think it's worth trying to take on those pressures solo. Even if you know you can, your time and effort could be used in a different aspect of the business, or focused on one or two really important parts of the business rather, than scattering yourself too thin. Be proud of what you've created, but don't be too proud to ask for help.

What has been the biggest change you’ve noticed in Hospitality over the past few years?

Probably not the most unsurprising, but covid has obviously created some of our biggest challenges to date. Not necessarily from a sales or financial perspective as we had some of the most amazing, loyal customers (although this obviously suffered also), but the constant changes we've had to make over the last few years to suit the changing rules during the height of covid, staff shortages and supply chains. The Farmhouse opened only 3 months before the very first lockdown and although we were so grateful to make it out the otherside, business has never quite been the same and will continue to change with the times.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into your role?

Sure thing! So, a bit of background: I grew up in Poland and have always had a deep appreciation for nature, different cultures and .... food. After studying in Germany and in NZ, I worked for a chartered accountancy in Auckland, after 4 years as a business accountant I set off on an adventure to London, where I worked my way up from finance assistant to a finance manager . It was a great experience, but after 6 years, I felt the pull of my adopted motherland - New Zealand and decided to return. That's when I joined Decent - I was drawn to the company's mission to "unmake everything we make" .  As a Finance Manager, I get to use my expertise in finance to help support that mission and ensure that we're making smart financial decisions. I love being part of a team that's making a real difference.

What does being a woman in a leadership role mean to you?

Being a woman in leadership definitely comes with a lot of responsibility, but it's also incredibly rewarding. I feel privileged to be part of the decision-making process and to have a say in shaping the financial strategy for our company. It's exciting to see more and more women being promoted into managerial positions, and I hope to inspire others to pursue their goals.

What is the best advice you would give to someone wanting to move into a management role?    

Listen to your team and maintain regular one-on-one meetings. This helps building strong relationships with your team members, understanding their individual needs and concerns, and ultimately improving team performance.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into your role?

I'm the Global Marketing Manager for decent packaging. We'd been supplying my partners cafe's for a number of years so I'd always had them on my radar and knew the good mahi they're doing. I joined the business approximately three years ago looking after social media. My role continued to grow with the business, I had a bubba and came back from maternity leave in April last year to work with an amazing marketing team across the UK and NZ. 

What does being a woman in a leadership role mean to you?

When I think about the type of leader I want to be, I think of my younger self. She's seven years old, loves dogs, playing bullrush and her idea of fine-cuisine is pikelets. She doesn’t know that there are glass ceilings; her dreams are boundless. I am passionate about setting an example for other young women, permanently shifting mindsets about female leaders (especially working mums out there!) and contributing to a safe, inclusive, fun and caring environment for everyone.

What is the best advice you would give to someone wanting to move into a management role?

Throwaway the 'handbook' on business and build authentic relationships with people in areas you're interested in. Know your personal values and stick to them, if you apply yourself, everything will fall into place. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into your role?  

I started my career in the fashion industry working in product planning, buying and supply chain management. As much as I loved this work after 16 years in the industry it was time for a change. I have always been passionate about sustainability and wanted to work in an industry that supported my personal values. A lot of the learnings and skills I had acquired in my previous roles over the years were transferable, so when the opportunity arose for a role at decent it was a no-brainer for me.

What does being a woman in a leadership role mean to you?

I feel a strong sense of pride being a female senior leader, for me it is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. It represents years of hard work, determination, successes, failures, some tricky balancing with family life, and a huge amount of growth and learning both professionally and personally.

What is the best advice you would give to someone wanting to move into a management role?

I would say if you are deeply passionate about the work you are doing and it aligns with your values, you can become a successful role model and leader. I believe being genuinely passionate is something that is hard to fake, so if you truly love the work you do, your team will recognise this and you will be winning.

We've put together a list of a few of our incredible women owned business. Feel free to support where you can.