Building Thermomix® Wellington from one Consultant to a team of 30+.
After 14 years in Dubai, Thermomix® Consultant Julia and her family decided to swap life in the desert, making Kiwi Fruity Dream desserts, for a fresh start in her hometown of Wellington, New Zealand.
“We always joke that we arrived in Dubai as newlyweds, with one suitcase each, and left with three kids, a 40ft container of belongings, and a Thermomix®!”
It was 2019 when they arrived in Wellington and one of the first things Julia did was contact Thermomix® to see if there were any local Consultants she could connect with.
“To my surprise, there was only one part-time Consultant in the entire Wellington region, serving a population of over 400,000! My immediate reaction was ‘Wow, this is a great opportunity to help so many people who don’t even know Thermomix® exists!’ Then immediately I realised, ‘Oh my goodness, we need a whole team of people doing this and I needed to go and find them!’
“I was fortunate to connect with some really awesome people, and now we’ve got a great team of Team Leaders and Consultants and a growing community of like-minded people, getting together, sharing a passion and helping each other.”
In her new role as Business Development Manager, Julie now looks after Wellington, the lower region of the North Island and the top of the South Island.
Celebrating the women leaders who created the unique ‘Kiwi Mix.’
“We have so many incredible women leaders here at Thermomix®, all leading with passion and purpose, being authentically themselves, and really valuing what different people bring to the mix.
Take Jess Mitchell for example. When she came over from Thermomix® Australia, she brought a ray of sunlight to show me the way forward in those early days in Wellington. But rather than trying to show us Kiwis how they do things in Australia, she really took the time to understand the New Zealand way and what's important to us. Jess helped us build something special here that inspires others to come and be part of what we now call The Kiwi Mix!”
Taking pride and joy in the power of connection.
“The thing I love most about my job is going out and being with people. Towards the end of last year, I was responsible for organising the Thermomix® roadshows for the launch of the Ovana pizza oven. I invited our National Sales Manager and Chief Operating Officer, and it was just great getting all our local Consultants together to connect and celebrate.
“I remember looking around the room and seeing all the woman who were stepping out and doing something for themselves and their families. Seeing us all together was one of the proudest moments for me.”
Success is taking it at a pace that makes you happy.
“In my early career in marketing and sales, I saw success as setting goals and busting a gut to smash them, then doing it again and again. But now, success to me is more sustainable than that. It’s about changing your lifestyle, doing things for the long-term gain, celebrating all the little wins along the way and being happier in that space, taking it at your own pace.
Which Thermomix® function best describes you?
Multi-level cooking with the Varoma setting. There’s lots of things going on all at once, but it’s efficient and resourceful. It’s very satisfying to have all your things going all at once and come out with something quite simple but delicious at the end!
What's your no.1 Thermomix® recipe recommendation?
Chiang Mai Noodles. It’s fast, packed full of tasty and healthy ingredients and makes dinner time quick and easy. The family love it too.