The nine-to-five of the daily grind does not work for everyone, and these days it doesn’t have to. More and more people are opting for self-employment, finding their own groove and creating a niche, and while this does require a lot of determination, organisation and may be stressful at times, there are many benefits and positive things to be said of working just for you.
Meet the Cocktail Queen
Jackie Gillies is more than a Real Housewife of Melbourne. She is a businesswoman, an entrepreneur, a psychic medium, a presenter, and a wife (her hubby Ben hails from Silverchair). As the founder of La Máscara Beverage Company, Jackie knows what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. But she did it with a film crew following her around!
From taste-testing, to branding, to securing national deals with liquor giant Dan Murphy’s, Jackie’s name is synonymous with the La Máscara brand and the #shineshineshine goddess is ready to take the next step, launching a range extension for La Mascara in 2014 as well as filming her own project Your Journey.
Career pathways can be forged and changed, but studying is one way of ensuring you’re ahead of the competition, or to add an additional boost to your CV.
Meet the Mistress of Reinvention
Romina Raso is many things. An event manager, a DJ, a business owner, a creative, a 25-year old Melbournite, but she is also a student. Currently enrolled in a Diploma of Business at Ducere Centre of Management, Romina enrolled to achieve a greater knowledge of business and help her start her own company and gain skills that will take her further with her business.
Despite studying previously, Romina says the difference in the course she is doing now is that the units and modules are concise and very easy to follow. The course tests your thought process and teaches you to relate all aspects of the teachings to yourself, your business or the organisation you work for. The learning is applicable directly to real-life business situations as the faculty is made up of elite world leaders and business folk with incredible experiences that you can learn from. That’s one way to do it, learn from the best.
Meet the Creative Savant
Artist, designer and founder of Melbourne design label LoveHate, Geneine Honey had a different break in business. A creative at heart, and an artist by trade, Geneine started selling her handmade jewellery at markets before being spotted and commissioned by large retailers like Dangerfield and Allanah Hill, which got her a head start in the industry!
Ten years later, Geneine has seen her brand grow and enjoys the freedom that comes with working for her own nationally-stocked brand. As a designer, Geniene takes inspiration from the world around her and her range is often a result of a spontaneous thought or spark of creativity – a recent trip to Turkey is the inspiration behind her new spring/summer collection. The LoveHate range showcases beautiful ceramic home wares, leather accessories, jewellery and more, a nod to Geneine’s artist aesthetic inspired by the world around her.
Becoming your own boss provides a world of opportunity and allows you the freedom and flexibility to choose how your time is spent, and work around other important aspects of your life such as the need to be a great parent, great partner, keep fit, stay social and so on. Whether you take your passion and turn it into a career, take the next step to advancing yourself professionally through study, or purely want to take over the world with your enthusiasm and drive, the first step is believing you can.
360 Immerse is a commercial partner of RESCU.com.au