Anna shares her career journey with us and provides an insight into governance opportunities.

Learn more about Anna here: www.annabolland.com

Kelly Lynch and the Made North Canterbury team support and promote North Canterbury food producers.

Learn more about Kelly here: www.madenorthcanterbury.co.nz

Mel Eaton and her fellow artist Laura Hewetson want to connect and inspire communities through their murals. We discover the inspiration behind their artistic endeavours.

Learn more about Mel here: www.offthewallmurals.nz 

Cinnamon Laubscher of Wild Skin has created a sustainable business which honours her culture while helping us to care for our cuticles.

Author Jo Bailey shares her research for a new book on a New Zealand nurse who worked at Brockenhurst hospital during WW1.

Margot Korhonen’s new book “Creating Connected Communities” provides a practical guide for successful community-led projects.

Discover the inspiration behind Jamie Prouting's cake creation business and learn how she combines interesting flavours to blend into her delicious cakes.

Learn two seemingly unrelated career paths have converged for veterinarian and irrigation entrepreneur Penny Robinson.

Farm environmental consultant and Nuffield Scholar alumni Rebecca Hyde shares how collaboration between the agricultural sectors and industry can improve environmental outcomes.

Trish Coleman is a successful entrepreneur, business coach and mentor. She shares techniques that she uses to help business owners achieve success.

Learn more about Trish here: www.trishcoleman.com

Kathleen Crisley is New Zealand’s first fear-free certified canine massage therapist. She will share her career journey and tips for ensuring that your dog is healthy and happy.

Learn more about Kathleen here: www.balanceddog.co.nz

We welcome back Lisa Dooling to learn how her start up Sought is progressing.

Learn more about Lisa here: www.sought.co.nz

All of the profits from 27 Seconds Wine are used to help combat human trafficking. Co-founder Alanna Chapman shares her inspiring story with us.

Learn more about Alanna here: www.27seconds.co.nz

Maria Pio transformed her life when she moved from Brazil to New Zealand by taking up a butchery apprenticeship as a mature student. 

Learn more about Maria here: www.instagram.com/labutcher_mariapio

Karyn Chalk's journey to becoming a brain health coach has uncovered a wealth of knowledge about how our brain type can influence the relationship we have with ourselves and others around us.

Learn more about Karyn here: www.changingways.co.nz

Discover how to set up a healthy workspace and the impact this can have on your wellbeing. Occupational therapist Randa Abbasi shares her expert knowledge with us.

Learn more about Randa here: www.workspaceiq.co.nz

Learn how twin sisters Alisha and Jasmine have created a thriving raw and wholefoods treats business which shows that delicious can also equal healthy.

Learn more about Alisha and Jasmine here: www.buytwintreats.co.nz

Staying fit and healthy as we age is vital. Arvida Good Friends moving well manager Laura Organ shares her tips for fitness and wellbeing.

Learn more about Laura here: www.goodfriends.co.nz

Katie Jenssen hails from a long line of artists and loves sharing the joy of pottery and ceramic art with others.

Learn more about Katie here: www.katiejenssen.com

Wendy Cross specialises in healing touch therapy which balances wellbeing. She shares some of the benefits of this therapy with us.

Learn more about Wendy here: www.relaxationplus.co.nz

Food safety is a passion for Food Safety NZ director Lynda Fulton. She shares her story with us along with some tips for food safety at home.

Learn more about Lynda here: www.foodsafety.nz

Lisa Dooling has created Sought - a personalised estate management business which helps people organise household possessions when loved ones pass away or when people are looking to downsize.

Learn more about Lisa here: www.sought.co.nz

Speaker and coach Di Foster has overcome huge health challenges in her life.  Be inspired by her journey.

Learn more about Di here: www.difoster.com

Zumba teacher Sandra Carabali brings the rhythms and flavours of her native Colombia to life in her dynamic classes. 

Learn more about Sandra here: www.zumbacaribe.com

Elisa Leach, owner of Fools of Desire Café, shares her quest to become a fully sustainable business operation.

Learn more about Elisa here: www.foolsofdesire.co.nz

Rebecca Davison helps people live abundantly. Learn more about her journey and the importance of evolution in our lives.

Learn more about Rebecca here: www.rebeccadavison.life

With a career spanning the police force and property management, Quinovic Property Management Riccarton owner Tessa Keeling loves working with people.

Learn more about Tessa here: www.quinovic.co.nz/riccarton

Charlotte Johnson manages a French-themed café located in Kaiapoi’s former railway station building next to the river. Charlotte joins us to discuss her passion for the redevelopment of Kaiapoi and all things French.

Learn more about Charlotte here: www.parisfortheweekend.co.nz

Learn how living in Nepal inspired Helen Townsend of The Rubbish Whisperer to reduce New Zealand's waste and replace single use plastics. 

Learn more about Helen:

www.rubbishwhisperer.co.nz

From choreographing a section of the 1990 Commonwealth Games to co-owning and managing an exclusive wedding and events venue, marriage celebrant Marina Arps has a fascinating story to share.

Learn more about Marina www.harpershomestead.nz

How can we use art to connect communities? Artist and graphic designer Margot Korhonen brings people and communities close together through inspiring murals. To connect with Margot visit her website. 

Learn more about Margot www.sprucedesign.co.nz

Learn how to make holistic wellbeing a priority for 2019 with tips from nutritionist and personal trainer Kiera Joblin. Kiera shares her own personal journey with us along with practical advice for living a balanced life.

Learn about Kiera www.kierajnutrition.com

How can you turn a hobby into a thriving business? Herbalist Cathy Bouma will share how she turned her passion for herbs into a boutique business.

Learn more about Cathy www.tuahiwibotanicals.co.nz

An intuitive approach to life coupled with a desire to help people of all ages led Amanda Staniford to become an expansion coach. She helps people of all ages from toddlers through to mature adults to live their best lives.

Learn more about Amanda: https://www.facebook.com/KidsLifeAcademyNZ/ 

Accountant Lisa Mead has created Social Currency - a purpose-driven accounting service which focuses on generating lasting social impact. We’ll learn about her career journey and her philosophy of business for good.

Learn more about Lisa: https://www.socialcurrency.co.nz

Thanks to all the wonderful Thrive supporters who attended our final event on 30th January.

All ticket sales have gone into the Thrive fund to support local female-led businesses making a difference in our community. 

Special thanks to leadership coach Alison Hood who provided a dynamic overview of ways to thrive during changes in our work and personal lives.

Thanks to Fools of Desire for the beautiful platters and the locusts which took us out of our comfort zone but sparked interesting discussions on sustainability. 

While we won't be holding Thrive events on a regular basis, I will hold pop up events so we'll still be able to enjoy our special Thrive community vibe.

A passion for helping students overcome maths anxiety led Karen Benn to start her own maths tutoring business. Learn how she is boosting students’ self- confidence and self-worth.

Learn more about Karen: https://www.zest4maths.co.nz/

Beck Parnham is an inspiring example of how to create positive change from grass roots movements. We’ll learn about two of her life-changing initiatives – Krama and Co. and Giving Seeds of Love.

Learn more about Beck: 

www.krama.nz

www.givingseedsoflove.com

Join us for a special event to celebrate the first year of Thrive - Inspiring Women on Plains FM. Show host Gina McKenzie discusses vision and sustainability with Fools of Desire Café owner Elisa Leach in this session which was recorded live at the celebration event held in November.

Learn more about Elisa www.foolsofdesire.co.nz

Entrepreneur Sarah O’Connell has a fascinating career path which spans the coaching, health and safety, hospitality and tourism sectors. 

She shares her story and tells us what inspires her to keep learning and growing.

Learn more about Sarah: https://www.triex.co.nz

Award-winning communications professional Chelsea Halliwell is passionate about making a difference to as many people as possible through her work. We learn about her career path and a very important communications campaign which is saving the lives of New Zealanders.

Learn more about Chelsea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-halliwell-58051267

Suffering from hair loss can be very stressful. Hair Therapy Wigs owner Diane Watson is joining us today to share her own hair loss journey and how this inspired her to take up a new business opportunity in her 60s.

Learn about Diane www.hairtherapy.co.nz

Self-employed for over 30 years, accountant Raelene Rees breaks all stereotypes about accountants being dull and conservative with her sporty, outgoing personality. She discusses how she has grown Raelene Rees Accounting while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Learn about Raelene www.reesaccounting.co.nz

Guest speaker Anita Jackson helped us boost our confidence levels and shared her uplifting life story with us.  Special thanks to the Fools of Desire team for the amazing food and for allowing us to be the first people to experience their breathtaking new meeting space.

Is it possible to have two very different careers at once? Health and safety manager Stephanie Cerpa will share with us how she balances her day job and a singing career.

Learn more about Steph's music www.facebook.com/steffanybeckmusic

Mortgage adviser Maria Thackwell of Maria Thackwell Mortgages is driven by helping people find financial freedom, while supporting their lifestyle choices. Learn about her journey.

Learn more about Maria mariathackwell.co.nz

Stylist Holley Bamlet is passionate about empowering people to make a strong first impression that helps them achieve their goals. She’ll share the story of Holley Ebony Styling along with providing us with tips and tricks to look our best.

Learn more about Holley www.holleyebony.co.nz

Overcoming her own health issues led Tray Mortensen to set up Tray Wellness; a holistic healthcare practice. We’ll learn more about Tray’s journey and how we can create sustained improvements in our own wellbeing.

Learn more about Tray www.traywellness.com

Connecting people and creating communities drives entrepreneur and café owner Clare Giffard. Learn how she keeps people at the heart of everything she does while running two successful cafes  - Flat White in Pegasus and Urban Revival in Silverstream. 

Learn more about Clare www.flatwhitecafebar.co.nz

In July, Uniting Canterbury Women hosted over 600 women at its inaugural event designed to bring women of all backgrounds together. Founder Jo Bailey tells us why she created this space for women, and we’ll learn about the group’s plans for the future.

Learn more about Jo www.facebook.com/UnitingCanterburyWomen

Bringing joy to people through art and design inspires Kyla Kuzniarski of Kyla K Design. Find out how Kyla’s authenticity and positivity inspires her art and design.

Learn more about Kyla www.kylakdesign.com

A chance meeting with a touring Brazilian dance group changed Becky Crystal’s life after she fell in love with a new style of Brazilian dance. She shares her story of moving to Brazil to dance and then travelling around the world as a professional dancer before starting

Brazilian Beatz dance studio in Christchurch.

Learn more about Becky www.brazilianbeatznz.com

Focusing on the “why” behind fitness goals and creating personalised exercise programmes has helped Energise Health and Fitness founder Lorraine Heffernan create a community-focused fitness centre. 

Learn more about Lorraine www.energisehealthandfitness.com

Bringing back the skills of gardening and working with others inspires Kaiapoi Food Forest co-founder Shirley Cairns. Together with trustees and volunteers, Shirley has turned 1.5 acres of red-zoned Kaiapoi land into a thriving food forest.

Learn more about Shirley www.kai.net.nz

How can you turn a hobby into a thriving business? Herbalist Cathy Bouma will share how she turned her passion for herbs into a boutique business.

Learn more about Cathy www.tuahiwibotanicals.co.nz

Business for good has soared in popularity but what does it really look like? Communications consultant Hannah McKnight shares her story with us and gives us an insight into how she incorporates this philosophy into her business.

Learn more about Hannah www.ngatahi.co.nz

How do you capture the true essence of people through photography? Award-winning photographer Juliette Capaldi shares some of her secrets for creating the perfect photograph with us.

Learn more about Juliette www.ettaimages.co.nz

We learned how to support and empower 16–25-year-olds to make better career choices through an insightful presentation from Tracey Beard of Career Matters. Tracey uses psychometric testing and personality tools to help young people uncover career paths.

Overcoming challenges in her family’s bakery business led former accountant Jann Meehan down an interesting path to becoming a business coach. Find out how she turned challenges into opportunities for growth.

Learn more about Jann www.jannmeehan.co.nz/about/

More women than ever are joining New Zealand’s construction industry. National Association of Women in Construction Canterbury Chair Rebecca Hodges tells us what her organisation is doing to ensure that women enjoy a thriving career in construction.

Learn more about Rebecca www.nawic.org.nz

What do dentistry and personal training have in common? More than you may think. Dentist and personal trainer Emma Courtney shares her story and shows us how two different professions can complement each other.

Learn more about Emma www.lumino.co.nz/dentists/lumino-the-dentists-lincoln-dental/our-team/dr-emma-courtney

A passion for sharing people’s stories drives Metropol editor Melinda Collins to uncover the unique aspects of each person she interviews. Find out where she gets her inspiration from as she shares some of her most memorable stories with us.

Learn more about Melinda www.metropol.co.nz/author/melinda-collins/

What is emotional intelligence and how can it help you be your best? Leadership and team development coach Alison Hood will share her tips on how to tap into emotional intelligence for a successful life.

Learn more about Alison www.alisonhood.co.nz

Are you feeling stuck in your life? Breakthrough coach and author Carol Chessum will share her transformational journey with us today. We’ll learn how to move forward and have the life we want.

Learn more about Carol www.carolchessum.co.nz

Does your self-confidence need a boost? Find out how to build your confidence levels with life coach Anita Jackson. Anita will share her story with us and provide practical advice for developing authentic confidence.

Learn more about Anita www.anitajackson.coach

We learned how to make small changes which will improve sustainability with guest speaker Lesley Ottey of Eco Educate. Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas and getting involved in a lively discussion on reusing and reducing waste.

Can we create a property development structure which puts the local community at its heart? OHU founding partner Camia Young and her team have done just that with their holistic approach to delivering high quality urban developments with heart.

Learn more about Camia www.ohu.nz

What do car racing and marketing have in common? Find out more when I interview entrepreneur and motorsport champion Darlene Mathieson of Traction Business Acceleration.

Learn more about Darlene www.traction-business.co.nz

How important is it to develop your own personal brand? Coach, author and speaker Lorraine Taylor believes that in a global world being able to develop your unique brand is the key to living your best life.

Learn more about Lorraine www.lorrainetaylor.com

Sometimes the process of hitting the reset button on your own life can open up new opportunities. Learn more about Bronwyn Sheehan’s journey and how she transformed her personal learnings into a new business.

Learn more about Bronwyn www.moreofyou.co.nz

More women than ever are working in senior roles in the agricultural sector. Kirsty Martin of Dairy Farm Management Services is using expertise gained from her PhD in agricultural science to try and reduce nitrate leaching on farms.

Learn more about Kirsty www.dfms.co.nz

Suffering from hair loss can be very stressful. Hair Therapy Wigs owner Diane Watson is joining us today to share her own hair loss journey and how this inspired her to take up a new business opportunity in her 60s.

Learn about Diane www.hairtherapy.co.nz

Healer and yoga teacher Kayo draws from her own healing journey to help people overcome problems in their lives. Today, we’ll learn more about Kayo’s journey and we’ll also have a special Tibetan singing bowl experience.

Learn about Kayo www.kayogill.com

Rochelle Faimalo is the community team leader at Hurunui District Council. Today we’ll learn more about her passion for connecting and strengthening communities and how she rose to a leadership position at an early age.

Learn more about Rochelle www.facebook.com/rofaimalo

Discover how numerologist, mentor and author Rosina Bond helps people find their strengths and purpose by highlighting their natural alignments. We’ll also learn more about her latest book “Reset with Power”.

Learn about Rosina Bond at www.rosinabond.com

Northern Outlook newspaper editor Emma Dangerfield is a passionate advocate for unsung heroes in our communities. She’ll share some of her most inspiring stories with us. To read the Northern Outlook online click the link below. 

Read the paper www.neighbourly.co.nz/e-edition/northern-outlook/35264

How can we use art to connect communities? Artist and graphic designer Margot Korhonen brings people and communities close together through inspiring murals. To connect with Margot visit her website. 

Learn more about Margot www.sprucedesign.co.nz

Thanks so much to all the lovely ladies who attended Thrive last week. It is wonderful to see the event growing and to welcome lots of new faces to our community of like-minded women. Special thanks to our wonderful guest speaker Kate Brandram-Adams of Mindfulness North Canterbury for her insight into mindfulness and for the practical exercises which really brought mindfulness to life for us.

What is mindfulness really about? Registered mindfulness teacher Kate Brandram-Adams provides us with a deeper insight into mindfulness. To learn more about Kate's mindfulness offerings please visit her website. 

Learn about Kate www.mindfulnessnorthcanterbury.wordpress.com

How can we create more compassion for each other by sharing true stories of war time? Author Jo Bailey hopes her new book "Never Forget" will start a conversation about how we can do things differently as a human race.

Learn about Jo www.jobailey.com

Learn how to make holistic wellbeing a priority for 2019 with tips from nutritionist and personal trainer Kiera Joblin. Kiera shares her own personal journey with us along with practical advice for living a balanced life.

Learn about Kiera www.kierajnutrition.com