I have written and rewritten this post many times at different stages of my return to New Zealand, and never thought my advice had any real meaning until now. In the run up to leaving London and during the first few months after my decision, my thoughts changed daily depending on my mood. I originally was quite worried about what people thought of my concerns and moving back to New Zealand, and whether they would ask ‘why are you even moving back?’ However, I now feel confident that I have made the right choice and that I have something to share with those who are also struggling with this decision.

The Business Book Club Brunch provides a forum for members of the network to get together and discuss a selected book over a relaxed kiwi brunch. The books selected aim to both inspire and challenge us on our journey of self-development. The Book Club has an informal, open discussion about the book which leads to a very rewarding engagement on shared thoughts and experiences.

The selected book for December was ‘Big Magic’ written by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love). The books main theme centred on “creative living beyond fear” which referenced to Elizabeth’s own thoughts and experiences around inspiration and how to harness our own creative potential. The Book Club met at Ozone to discuss their thoughts on the book and the reviews were mixed; some found the book inspiring and liked the unconventional manner in which the book was written which provoked thoughts rather than giving practical guidance, others however felt that it lacked substance.

The first seeds of entrepreneurialism were planted in Hana McEwan when she completed an elective paper during her studies at Auckland University. The paper required teams to come up with a business idea and present it to judges in a 'Dragons Den' type scenario. Hana put a lot of energy into the paper and noticed it “didn’t feel like work”, with her team subsequently coming runner up. From there her interest in start-ups grew, leading to her opening our favourite South West café Flotsam and Jetsam.

Hana graduated with a BCom (Marketing) and BA (Employment Relations) in 2005 and started her career in the Brand and Marketing team at ASB Bank in Auckland. She recalls ASB being “the perfect place to start the first few years of her career”, and was lucky to learn a lot from inspiring managers and work on exciting and innovative campaigns.