by Carly Zanini, Carly Zanini Consulting

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 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.

Booking a session with a photographer meant Carly had professional photos to support her new business

Carly often takes Florence to client meetings

Carly was inducted to the South Australian Women’s Honour Roll 2019 for her work advocating for women in the construction industry.

5. I had a professional photo session in a style that suited me and my brand. I used the photos on my website, social media accounts and on my marketing collateral. 6. I utilised LinkedIn as much as possible, sharing updates about the business, events I attended and industry information. 7. I invested in the right equipment and technology for the services I was offering. 8. I took my time. I didn’t want to rush the website, branding or social media, I wanted them to make a good first impression to the industry and potential clients. 9. I challenged the norm. I often take my daughter

Florence to client meetings when appropriate.

We were also recently on the front cover of

Civil Contractors Federation SA magazine Civil

Connect. 10. I continue to work extremely hard to provide a high-quality service that I’m proud of.

MY POSITIVES STEMMING FROM THE CHALLENGES OF 2020

1. Family. Our family life changed dramatically by welcoming our first child. The redundancy and ultimately starting my own business means I have more time to spend with my family and I am incredibly grateful for that. 2. Flexibility. Starting my own business has certainly meant more flexibility. This doesn’t mean I don’t work harder than ever before. It means I am able to create my own schedule. It often means working at night so I can take my daughter out during the day, taking her along to a client meeting or doing more via Zoom meetings. 3. Ambition. I am able to focus on the future of my business and shape the way that looks, always evolving and continuously inspired. 4. Control. Both in my business, as well as the work/ life balance we all seek. 5. Learning and development. While I am not able to

attend as many industry functions as when I was an employee, I continue to learn and develop my knowledge and skillset via other opportunities and research. 6. Diversity of projects, clients and tasks. 7. Finally starting my own business. A concept that was forever at the back of my mind. 8. Channelling my energy in the right direction for

the business.

9. Developing my own brand. As a creative person, this aspect was wonderful and will continue to evolve. 10. Repeat and referral clients. An amazing feeling!

WHAT’S NEXT?

My husband and I are about to have our second baby; two under two. New challenges will present themselves, but we will take it all as it comes. I will continue to nurture the business into something I am proud of, while constantly evolving and striving for more. I believe my recent business success comes down to the relationships I have established with my clients. I genuinely want to see people succeed and they get that sense from the get-go. I believe in the outstanding quality of Australia’s construction sector and love seeing the built environment develop around me. I would like to think I provide a great example of what can be achieved in minority groups and following challenging circumstances. I will also continue to advocate for women in the construction industry, contributing to conversations around attracting, but also retaining, women in our sector. I believe that more information can be provided to construction-related employers via their industry associations. I’d like to help these businesses establish their parental policies, help them understand how they can support their female colleagues in various situations and encourage their staff to seek mentorship outside of their organisations. There is a long way to go but I am proud to be involved in this industry and proud of associations such as NAWIC for their valuable contributions.