we are
bold + brave
MY 2020
= maternity leave + COVID-19 + redundancy + starting a new business by Carly Zanini Owner, Carly Zanini Consulting & 2018 Sarah Constructions Crystal Vision Award Winner (SA)
2020 was always going to be a big year for me. It began with our first baby and when I was on maternity leave from the job I had worked hard to get. Suddenly it was April and COVID-19 had hit our shores. I was getting ready to return to the office when the unexpected happened. There had been a restructure and my position had been made redundant. Initially there was shock, then admittedly panic. Suddenly I had to navigate the demands of a baby, plus an uncertain future in both my career and finances. The first thing I did was contact some recruiters I knew. I put the word out and I tried to feel optimistic. But in all honesty, I didn’t feel ready to dive into a brand-new role that would require a lot of extra effort, as they all do when starting out. There was also the uncertainty of COVID-related working from home versus the office. Additionally, I knew that given the COVID-19 situation, the types of roles I’d be suited to may no longer be available, as businesses were navigating the dire circumstances and holding back on recruiting new staff members. I’d always wanted to start my own business. I had a lot to offer with experience in many areas, from estimating to business development to digital engineering. I wanted to stay in the construction industry as I had dedicated a lot of time and effort to industry committees, councils and boards. Just before I went on maternity leave, I was on seven, varying from advocacy for women in construction, as well as technical groups and government boards. I was Chairperson of a couple, including NAWIC SA Education Chair. I’d also been inducted to the South Australian Women’s Honour Roll for my advocacy work. I attended the ceremony just five weeks after giving birth. Suddenly I felt like I was adversely 64
affected by having a baby, even though a number of factors were at play. With the support of my husband and family and a great network established over many years, I took the plunge. I was genuinely excited. Redundancy can be difficult to take. It can be hard to not feel like it’s your fault. But this was the push I needed to take this next step in my career - ‘business owner’. I have always had so much ambition and drive to succeed in my career and this was now amplified by having children, as I wanted to be a great example to them. So, I established Carly Zanini Consulting. I made my way through the ‘to-do’ list of starting a business. I gained my first clients and got started. In summary, Carly Zanini Consulting works alongside businesses to develop high quality construction tender responses valued anywhere between $1.5M and $230M. I also provide business development services, including marketing collateral, award and grant submissions, that help South Australian companies succeed in their field of expertise. THE STEPS I TOOK TO ESTABLISH MY OWN BUSINESS 1. I embraced the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and create my own business (once I was over the redundancy panic). 2. I spoke to people doing similar things – sole traders, consultants and subject matter experts. 3. I embraced my network and mentors for advice and support. 4. I spent significant time on my brand identity. I created my own logo, website, social media accounts and marketing collateral. As a piece of advice, if this is not in your skillset, engage a professional to help.
THE NAWIC JOURNAL
