It has been 20 years since I said “hell yeah’’ to the job offer as Executive Director of BNZ Kiwi Recovery Trust. It was three years after I had landed in New Zealand, and only a couple years after the Trust had been formed as a legal entity.
In an era where people chop and change jobs every 3-5 years, why have I stayed? On the surface it seems pretty obvious, as I have a job with deep purpose. But it is so much more than that.
There are many, but here are my top 10 reasons for staying for 20 years.
- A role with purpose. This is the obvious one and worth repeating. I started my career in the corporate world, where the goal was ‘sell more product, keep shareholders happy’. Now, if I do my job well, an endangered species thrives.
- Entrepreneurial spirit. The Trust has grown from one employee to now a team of more than 20. Along the way I’ve been given the freedom and support to build this ‘business’ to what it is.
- The team! I love the people I work with. There is a saying that people join organisations but leave managers. So true. I have been fortunate to have a supportive board to guide and support me and a kick-arse team that are not only great at what they do but are awesome and fun people to work with.
- Nature-based. I grew up on a farm, spent summer holidays camping and I love the outdoors. Although 95% of my work is done behind a desk, I still consider this a nature-based job because the outcomes are beneficial for the natural world.
- Tangible difference. Save the Kiwi has made a measurable impact on reversing the decline of kiwi. This has made the journey highly gratifying and rewarding, as all the hard work is showing results.
- Because I could. As women we seem to be judged for career and family-based decisions, whether we choose to have kids or not, and if we do have kids, whether we return to work, and if so when. I chose to not have kids, a deliberate lifestyle choice which meant I could have an ‘uninterrupted’ career path.
- The variety and the challenges. I have had the same title but a different role almost every year. I now have broad experience which includes being a media spokesperson, raising funds from private and public sector, managing millions of dollars in funding grants, developing and implementing a strategic pathway, working with a board of directors, and so much more.
- The cultural exposure. Growing up in Canada, I had very little exposure to our indigenous people. The language and customs are not integrated into daily life as they are here. I feel incredibly privileged to have the exposure to the deep and rich perspective of te ao Māori through this work. The blending of indigenous and western knowledge makes for a much more powerful outcome.
- Rubbing shoulders with NZ’s ‘greats’. I have met/worked with some incredible high achievers including NZ’s most decorated Olympian, two ex-Prime Ministers, All Blacks coach, Animal Planet host, award-winning author of kids’ books and more. Kiwi are our national bird, and this work draws a high calibre collection of people to help support our work.
- I have been paid fairly. This is a big one, because the combination of not-for-profit and conservation does not typically make for a lucrative career. I accept that in the corporate world I would likely earn more with the same level of experience and responsibility, but I have earned enough that I can enjoy life in NZ and for that I am grateful.
I am not a huge fan of a strict ‘five-year plan’ for my career. This has left me open to seizing opportunities and contributed to me landing this role. There is no way, growing up in small town Canada, that I could have dreamt up this job – leading a charity to save a flightless bird, in a country on the bottom of the planet. I am grateful for the path that led me here, and the journey I have been on. Who knows what the future brings but I am certainly grateful for the past two decades with Save the Kiwi.
