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1.NAME:
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Jenene Freer
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2. DATE OF BIRTH:
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3/7/78
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3.HOME TOWN:
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Auckland, NZ
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4. HOBBIES:
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Running, quiet nights in, lazy dinner parties with close friends, drinking good wine, heading to the Hawke’s Bay
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5.GOAL:
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Retire with enough money to never have to work again past 35!
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6. My Favourite Time of the day is…(and why)
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First thing in the morning when I’m about 5kms into my run. It’s just my time, me and the road and I’ve found my stride, it feels good and my mind is at its peak performance.
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7. I really enjoy…
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Working in the digital industry – it’s fast paced, close knit and made for people like me (who love big hairy arsed challenges and moving on them very quickly to outpace the competitors)
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8. List a few of your recent accomplishments that you are proud of:
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- Launched www.nzgirl.co.nz nine years ago at the very tender age of 21 – now the biggest online magazine in NZ
- A collection of marketing awards including a Gold Lion at Cannes Advertising Festival / Gold Axis & Best in Show at Axis Advertising Awards
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9. Did you celebrate them? How?
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I’m a big believer in celebrations. My birthday recently lasted a whole week! I gather my team together regularly for toasts to achievements – cake and champagne are our favourites. We also have monthly breakfasts to celebrate results. We’re an office full of women, there’s a lot of laughter and enjoyment in what we do.
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10. I am busy at the moment doing:
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The roll out of the Flossie Media Group, with our imminent launch of Flossie.com. It’s an incredibly large job with many different publishers, advertisers, audiences and shareholders to be pulled together to make this successful. Most definitely the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced – but one that I’m relishing.
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11. My big hairy audacious goal this year is to:
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Make Flossie.com the biggest media channel for women in NZ – not just online, but in any media. Next is Australia…!
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12. I knew I was onto something when:
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We started to sign media sales agreements before we even have a site to show! The response has been over whelming, the online market is really ripe for consolidation and we’re bringing FMG into the market at the perfect time to make life easier for our audience and advertisers.
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13. My secret for getting things done is to:
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Just get on with it. I recognise what I can influence and I set about doing it. I don’t believe in ‘can’t’ and I keep my end goal in mind constantly. I focus on achieving better results and always encourage my team to think about constant improvements. We’re about being the best, not just number one.
I tend to frighten people at the pace I move, but I just don’t see the same obstacles that other people do. I see the path to getting what we need done and then set out on it. Frequently the path moves, but our business mentality enables us to move quickly. That is what I love about what I do!
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15. My darkest hour was when:
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We had some almighty highs and some pretty tough lows in the last year. I’ve had to climb down off clouds and dig deep inside to remember why I’m here doing this. Dark hours are good for you though, I came to the beginning of this year with a renewed vision for the business and I know this will be bigger (and is already proving to be) than anything we’ve ever done before and if it weren’t for my soul searching, it wouldn’t be happening. It’s a powerful feeling being the master of your own domain.
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16. I came through it by:
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Taking the opportunity to step back and review what was not working for us and then ask what’s working for us, what are our opportunities and what do we need to do to make them happen. It has been an incredible journey and I’m very proud of myself for being able to pick myself up, dust myself off and come out fighting stronger than ever.
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17. How old were you when you …….
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I was 21 when I started www.nzgirl.co.nz, how incredibly young! I was so green, but so full of enthusiasm. I can’t quite imagine any of my younger team starting their own businesses and not because they don’t have enormous talent (because they absolutely do!), but because it is just so young. I guess I had the added bonus of having left school at 16, so really I had a lot of real world experience already. Goes to show what self belief can do for you!
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18. What would do if you were not …….
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I like the idea of being able to give back to young, talented people who need a bit of guidance and support to achieve their goals. I think once I’ve completed this journey, that’s exactly what I’d like to go and do – give back and share the knowledge with other passionate people about to start theirs!
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19. What do you do to cope with stress?
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I run! It’s my way of venting and working through the hurdles in my head. I take it out on the pavement (and my poor hips and legs!) and always feel better for it after. I also love a good massage to work out the tension in my shoulders – which frequently end up close to my ears!
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20. How many hours do you work each week?
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It depends, but generally I’ll be at work around 7am and not be home until after 7pm. It is a lifestyle choice, you tend to work 7 days a week – if not physically but mentally, as you’re always thinking about ways to improve the strategy.
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21. What do you do when things aren’t going your way?
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Throw a big fat wobbly! Just kidding – I learnt to give that up a long time ago! More bees with honey than vinegar is what my mum taught me. And she was right. You lose all credibility as soon as you start shouting or lose your cool. I’ve learnt over the years to try and take a step back and look at the other person’s perspective to find a solution that is win-win. I think if you have the mentality that you want to reach the end goal, you’ll find ways to make it happen to suit everyone. We work in a service industry and plenty of times we don’t get our own way – you have to swallow your pride and get over yourself and be there to add guidance / support when requested.
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22. What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to people who are struggling to create a positive change in their lives?
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The first change has to happen in your heart and then in your mind. I’m hugely driven by my passion for what I do and know that it impacts every touch point in the business – it’s the motivation for staff to work that extra bit harder, the reason for brands to want to be associated with us and why agencies enjoy working with us. They know we wholeheartedly believe in what we are trying to achieve and I think that’s infectious. If there was ever anything I could pass onto others it would be to find the thing in life that makes you feel that way and then live it.
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23. What is the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn in life?
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Sometimes things won’t pan out the way you expected them to and what you truly believed in. That can be a real kick to your gut instincts. But life’s tough lessons are there for a reason – making mistakes is part of the process; the key is to try to avoid making them twice!
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24. What separates successful people from unsuccessful people?
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The mentality that life owes you nothing. The only way I’m going to achieve anything is to go and get it for myself. I really despise the “hand-out” mentality that we have created in this country where it’s your right to have xxx. The only rights we have are our human ones; when it comes to happiness, health, wealth and success, these are things that we need to create for ourselves. That’s why I don’t buy lotto tickets!
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25. Do you have any daily rituals that help you keep focused and in the right mental state to succeed?
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Running! I keep saying it, but really it’s my addiction.
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26. What inspired you to become a professional speaker in addition to everything you do?
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I think I was born a speaker; I was apparently having full conversations by the age of 1. I was never shy of speaking up and I have to admit that one of my favourite past times is talking! .I do love public speaking (www.speakerlink.co.nz ); it’s a rewarding experience to know that you’ve passed on knowledge and information that has enriched someone’s life. It’s very humbling and the younger audiences bring you down to earth and remind you that you’re really not very cool and you’re definitely getting older!
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27. Do you have any school/study qualifications?
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I left school at 16 after a year of glandular fever left me with an aggregate pass of the school certificate. I was horrified! I decided to try my luck at working for a while with the view of going to university later. Typical me, really. But definitely one of the best decisions I ever made. I’ve never sat an exam in my life, I’m completely self taught – but it has come with some tough lessons and learning curves! Not for the faint hearted this path…
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28. What are the three most important personal qualities you’ve had to develop to become ……..
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…the CEO of Flossie Media Group. I’ve had to think bigger and be bold enough to think bigger. Previous to this venture I don’t think I ever felt like I had ‘permission’ to think BIG, but then I worked out (with a little encouragement from my new directors) that I didn’t need permission. I could think BIG, I could be BIG. It’s been a good personal journey. I’ve had to learn to let go and put trust in others to do their jobs well – but give them the guidance and support they need to achieve them. And lastly I’ve had to learn a whole new meaning to the word brave. I thought I was before – but this is a whole new world.
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29. What are the three most important skills that you would advise up and coming youngsters to develop?
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1) Relationship skills – the ability to listen, to learn from others and to find ways to get on with all types of people.
2) Intuition – develop a good understanding of your comfort zone, what makes you feel good, bad and ugly. Understand who you are as a person, what motivates you, turns you on / off, and then listen to that ongoing. This will be invaluable in business
3) Confidence in Communication – the best asset I have are my selling skills and ability to stand up and talk to a room full of total strangers. It may scare the living daylights out of you, but it is a valuable skill.
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30. Who inspires you the most and why?
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My team! They are hard working, loyal and passionate about what we’re trying to achieve. They keep me humble and honest and they make me very very proud. I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by people who believe in this as much as I do and they inspire me to keep going, even when it’s pretty hard.
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31. Do you have a formal goal setting process?
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Absolutely. It used to be more ‘casual’ and as a result we didn’t always achieve what we wanted to. By putting very solid processes in place, it enables us to continuously revise our strategies whilst keeping an eye on the prize.
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32. Have you ever been scared to ………? What did you do about it?
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I’m constantly scared, but I fight it! If I wasn’t nervous or concerned when you’re flying as fast as we are, you’d be over confident and probably miss some really obvious things in front of you. We have a lot of discussion at home and at work about our challenges and how we’re facing them. Feel the fear and do it anyway, right?
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33. What comes first...success or confidence?
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Absolutely confidence. Success couldn’t exist without confidence and whilst I understand it’s a bit ‘chicken or the egg’, I guess it depends on your view of what success is. Success to me is not about earning money, the big house, car or boat – it’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyway, figuring out who you are as a person, finding the thing that you love / are really good at. I think my personal confidence really shone through when I stopped worrying about what others thought of me and recognised that I would achieve lot more in life treating others the way I wanted to be treated and being okay with who I was. Bossy britches and all!
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34. The Parting Shot: When I feel frustrated that things are not coming together as I wish, I proceed to:
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Let it out….I have a couple of good sounding boards who are there for me to let those things out when I need. They usually help me see some perspective if it’s really got me worked up. I personally find that having some other good ‘heads’ helps you work through those frustrations.
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