Dozens of Parkes residents celebrated International Women’s Day on Wednesday with a free barista-made coffee and a muffin at Cooke Parke, courtesy of North- parkes Mines. The breakfast was an opportunity to network, be inspired and to raise funds for the Ochre Health Women’s Health Services.
International Women’s Day is a celebration of what women have accomplished, and an opportunity to recognise what remains to be achieved.
Michelle Wetherell, the Northparkes Mines Superintendent of HR and Organisational Development, invited local author and interior style guru Karen Creith to speak on how being bold was a tool for change in her own life.
Karen shared the highlights – and low- lights – of her career, from leaving school as the Dux of year 12, to leaving university after failing her first exam. Life followed, and Karen found herself married with two children, living back in Parkes and running a retail business with her husband, John. It was at a business seminar that she was introduced to the concept of a SWOT analysis – a technique for identifying your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Karen applied the SWOT analysis to herself, and realised that she had more talents than she had realised. After sub- mitting photos of her home to a national style magazine, Karen was amazed by the opportunities that followed. First, she was given a column in the magazine, then made editor of her own magazine. Not all was smooth sailing though, Karen’s book idea was rejected by multiple publishers, despite the endorsement of a respected agent. Not to be deterred she opted to self-publish, and is now the author of two books. Karen gave the attendees two pieces of advice. The first is to consider applying a SWOT analysis to yourself to unlock your own strengths and confidence. The second is when an opportunity comes, have the courage to take it.
By Raen Fraser