Hi! I'm Laurinda
I’m a business owner, leader, TetaMap facilitator, mentor and mother. I’m also a born people person!
I’ve worked with a number of high-profile organisations throughout my career including the New Zealand Police, New Zealand Blood Support, and Harbour Sport. I started women’s wellness brand FunFit, and have decades of experience as a seasoned leader.
I also know what it is like to start over (several times) in order to thrive in life and business, because I’ve had my struggles along the way. Body image, burnout, overwhelm, consistently putting in more than I had to give at work, and failing to nurture myself.
Then I got sick.
My cancer diagnosis was like a truck running over me, my life, and everything that mattered. But it also gave me absolute clarity over what’s important. It helped me learn that when I prioritise myself first, I really am unstoppable.
You can be, too.
I grew up like many Kiwi women do – a bit of a tomboy in a sports-mad family. I loved playing sports (especially netball). I was carefree, and it felt good just being me.
But somewhere along the way, I lost my way.
I first started struggling with body image in my teens, and by the time I was in my 20s I felt like I was always pretending. I wanted to be someone else because I never felt good enough. I thought that people would love me if I was different. Cooler, smarter, prettier, skinnier. Definitely skinnier.
I wore a lot of masks, and underneath them, I was pretty miserable.
Although I was miserable at times, my career was always strong. I found myself climbing the ‘corporate’ ladder in every organisation I worked for, and naturally falling into my strength as a leader. Within five years of joining the New Zealand Police as an Intelligence Data Entry clerk, I had progressed up the ranks to the role of Intelligence Supervisor.
During my time at the Police, I found myself crying more and more, reaching a turning point when I started listening to myself again (or, perhaps, when I couldn’t ignore myself any longer). I wanted to do something different, and I was naturally drawn to helping other women because I knew all too well the pressure we can put on ourselves. I trained in coaching, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and hypnosis, then studied to become a personal trainer so I could offer all-round wellbeing – body and mind.
I loved my work. I had my own business and my own free time, and I loved it.
At the end of 2013, I decided to close my business so we could start a family, and took up the role of Team Leader Donor Recruitment with the New Zealand Blood Service. Again, what set me apart from others applying for the position was my strong ability to build teams and bring people together to thrive in the workplace.
December 2014 I left on maternity leave to have my beautiful daughter Caitlin, and a year later I accepted another exciting position at Kelly Group as a Relationship Manager. I supported Franchisee Owners to grow their businesses, and coach and lead their teams. It meant I got to talk business all day every day, and I loved every second of it.
Then, in 2017, my world was turned upside down. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma (a form of blood cancer). I had to leave my job, and underwent six months of chemotherapy before being given the all-clear. I was a “survivor”, and I had to learn what my ‘new normal’ was going to look like.
In 2018, I got a job working at Harbour Sport – another dream job, which gave me the ability to once again inspire communities of people to look after themselves and make health a priority. I got to lead a team of 10-12 people who were passionate about making a difference. Within 12 months, I had joined their Leadership Team.
Then it happened again.
In September 2019, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (another form of blood cancer). I had to start my healing journey over, with more chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant.
Today, I’m a “survivor” once again – and while I’m still healing, inspiring communities of people to be and do better at their own pace remains my passion. Now more than ever, I want to do what I love every day.
I look forward to meeting you, listening to your story, and helping you work out “where to next”.
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