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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2019
Bell St Early Learning Centres
Ana Gudsell & Lisa Pugh OWNERS
Family atmosphere creates a feeling of home for Bell St children The Bell St Early Learning Centres in Featherston and Martinborough offer high quality care and education for South Wairarapa children and their parents.
in Wairarapa, she is also well known in hockey circles and has recently represented the New Zealand Master’s team.
In June this year, the Featherston centre in Bell Street, celebrates its 10th birthday, while Martinborough opened four years ago, at 14 Kitchener Street.
Ana established the Featherston centre in 2009 and met up with Lisa, when she was completing her early childhood training. The two found they clicked immediately, worked well together, and shared similar teaching philosophies.
Ana Gudsell and Lisa Pugh, along with their husbands, are the centres’ owners. While there is some cross over, Ana bases herself in Martinborough and Lisa at Featherston. They are both supported by highly-qualified teams, some of whom have been with the pair since the centres opened. “We really want to create a family atmosphere in the houses we’ve chosen,” says Lisa, who along with Ana, is proud of the centres they have created with both having sheltered covered verandas, large sandpits, play equipment, trees, and a definite feeling of ‘home.’ Ana did her early childhood qualification at Victoria University. Born and bred
Lisa is originally from Porirua. She was drawn to South Wairarapa with her husband and together with their children they moved to Featherston 17 years ago and love the lifestyle Wairarapa has to offer. Ana and Lisa are proud of the ‘home away from home’ atmosphere they have created, along with the close relationships they create with children and their families. Their centres are small with a maximum of 23 children a day with high staff ratios. There is a range of parents using their centres too – from commuters travelling to Wellington, to farming families from within the wider community.
DIRECTOR
A juggler with an international business flavour Sharon Garrett is a busy lady and one who loves juggling projects. She has been Acting General Manager and Spa Manager of Brackenridge Country Retreat, outside Martinborough, for the past few months, while running her own marketing business. Relatively new to Wairarapa, Sharon most recently resided in the Middle East where her management skills were honed and the ability to manage multiple projects, at the same time, was developed into a fine art. A self-confessed citizen of the world, Australian-born Sharon has spent the greater part of her adult life abroad. She is well travelled having ticked off her first 50 countries before she was 30 and now dreams of travelling to space, having run Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic UAE office during her time in the Middle East. Her career started in banking in Australia, then London, where she was a member of the team to do the largest management buy-out of the 90s for British Petroleum’s Consumer Products Division. She returned to Australia’s unique and wild Northern Territory where her passion for the tourism sector was ignited. Sharon has also worked in Hong Kong and most recently the United Arab Emirates, where she remained for 16-½ years.
“I asked my Kiwi born husband to follow me to Abu Dhabi, and he did so without complaint. But, it was based on the agreement, that he would choose our next destination, and that unfolded as New Zealand.”
children’s well-being and belonging is fostered.
06 308 8110
Sharon Garrett
Her relocation with her husband to Wairarapa was as a result of a deal with him.
Providing a fun and caring learning environment where
74 Bell Street Featherston
Wairarapa Marketing
Three years ago they purchased a house online, packed up their lives and the dog, and relocated. She admits it was a culture shock at first but has grown to love Wairarapa, eventually accepting a role with the Chow Group in Wellington.
14 Kitchener Street Martinborough
06 306 8990
“I absolutely loved working with Vicki Chow. It was a baptism of fire into New Zealand business with the sheer scope of the Chow family’s interests across various industries from home building to banks; clubs; law firms and property. It was fantastic.” But, Sharon says mismatched values, combined with the Group’s
move to Auckland, was the catalyst to starting her own consultancy, Wairarapa Marketing to offer marketing and PR support to local businesses. “I’m proud to work in Wairarapa and have met some truly inspirational women. Some young and starting out while others are older turning a passion or hobby into a thriving business. There’s so much entrepreneurial activity out there.” “I still had some clients dotted around the world from my business in the Middle East, and I contracted some local businesses and not-for-profits. Then came the opportunity at Brackenridge Spa.” During her international hotel career, she had senior level experience driving sales, marketing and revenue but had little in-operation experience and saw the position as Spa Manager as the perfect new hands-on challenge. Over time, and with the support of a great team she grew the business and started to make some real impact. Later due to unforeseen circumstances for a colleague, she was invited to take on the role of Acting General Manager. “I was very flattered. It wasn’t the first time in my career that I had been given this level of responsibility. I am very proud to have been asked to be the caretaker and work with some really terrific people,” Women in business roles are of intense interest to Sharon. She abhors hearing women being turned down due to gender, or women talking themselves down. She keenly promotes workforce equality and is now exploring Board positions where she can give back to business with a wealth of experience gained across multiple industries and sport. Wairarapa Marketing provides content creation, storytelling, marketing strategies, social media and general no-nonsense guidance to businesses who want easy options to market their business and drive sales. www.wairarapamarketing.com Phone Sharon on 027 550 5486 sharon@wairarapamarketing.com