Behind the Label: Meet Catherine
How did you come to be a small business owner?
When the ban on single-use plastic bags came in to place, I was frustrated at the options available to me. I could buy ugly supermarket bags that feel and look horrible or pay for single-use plastic bags and harm the environment. So OKIKOKI evolved out of a need really. I am a person who acts to change things rather than moan, so I moaned and then I did something about it – I started to create what I needed and wanted. And when I was mentioning it to my friends, everyone offered to help me make this a reality because they too wanted the type of Okikoki bag I was envisioning.
So we ladies all got together over some wine and champagne and came up with the perfect shopping bag design - see for yourself!
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I wake up and head to the nearest café for a coffee before work, my only treat for myself. I rarely go out to dinner because I have food allergies and I don’t drink, never have liked the taste. It seems ordinary and boring but in reality I live a varied, interesting, happy and content life.
Once at work, every day is a little bit different. I work for a globally recognised brand and as such I take a lot of meetings with people across the country and around the world. I oversee the production of various print, video, brochures, radio, online and TV campaigns. I especially like Fast Food Friday and Dumpling Thursdays at work.
Tell us about your family
I live with my partner Mike, my daughter and two fur babies, Lauchie a dog and Henry our cat who thinks he’s a dog.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Those that have been before me. I collect quotes, comments, tweets, poems, stories from people that inspire me. I have created a scrap book of these quotes that I read when I need to ground myself and escape the trappings and stress of this world. It is ever evolving, I have been collating for over a decade now. I will leave to my family when I am gone so they too can gain inspiration and contentment.
What do you keep in your Okikoki bag?
Yes I use my Okikoki bags for shopping, I have one for loose items in the car. I actually use my Okikoki bags for storage! I know it sounds weird, but I have them in cupboards and wardrobes full of my things – easy to find what I need, pull out to see what I have and carry if I need to move things around.
Which bag is your favourite?
I love all the designs of the bags, which is no surprise I suppose but my favourite Okikoki bag is City Scape – this bag has come out even better than I predicted. I love the toning and the pattern is more subtle than I expected.
When you aren’t working, where are you most likely to be found?
For me life is about evolving. I promised myself years ago that if I ever got the chance to recover from a major disabling illness, I would not waste a day of living. I will admit some days are slower than others, but when I am well, I apply myself 100% to work and family. If you have ever not been able to work and support your family, you see everything as a gift – even work.
When I have time for me, I like to learn – you are never too old to learn new things. I am currently studying my fifth university degree in medical health science and loving the challenge of it all, despite the hard work and the feelings of being overwhelmed. At times when I need a brain fade, I enjoy watching a good quality TV drama or an online comedy, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver
What advice would you have given yourself 20 years ago?
I live by two mantras, one that was most relevant to me when I was young is:
Feel the fear and do it anyway – the only difference between you and successful people is they feel the fear too but they act anyway and are not stopped by their anxiety.
And as an older person, I live by the mantra:
Accept things the way they are OR
Act to change things OR
Get out.
And learn to know the difference and when best to act.
Not my own words, taken from the wisdom of Reinhold Niebuhr, St Francis Xavier, Plato, Aristotle and St Thomas Aquinas.