9 years of On Format
On 28 August 2017, I started On Format, meaning I’m about to enter my 10th year of self-employment 🤯
Here’s some reflections on the last 9 years, lowlights, highlights and what’s to come for Year 10!
How did I get here
After highschool I went to uni, not really knowing what I wanted to do for a career. I got a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in Geography. I loved studying (and the student life at Waikato!) but once I graduated I was still unsure on a career direction. I began working in consultancies and developing skills over the next 10 years. I realised that I particularly enjoyed the challenge of organising information and presenting it in a way that aided understanding.
But corporate life in inner-city Auckland was unfulfilling. I dreamed of focusing on projects that aligned with my skills, managing my own schedule, and working from a home office with a dog at my feet.
Making the dream a reality
I set up a company and dived into all the learning. Creating a website, getting an accountant, networking, all the things. After a couple of years I relocated from Auckland to Christchurch.
Enter Marco, who has been my loyal co-worker for the last 7 years. If you’ve had a video call with me, chances are you have seen his big, bearded face pop up. Aswell as being my best friend, he helps me with work! He’s the star of my most popular LinkedIn post, this carousel from 2024.
Some self-employment lowlights
IT troubles, a dead laptop and an exploding charger! – It was the last working week of the year and I was putting the final touches on a very important deliverable for a client. A warning flashed up that the internal battery was about to die! Frantic calls to HP Support revealed there were no replacement parts in NZ and it would be a 6-week delivery timeframe at the earliest. I quickly purchased a new laptop and met the work deadline. Phew!, but a few months after that stressful experience, sparks flew out of my laptop charger. I immediately unplugged and phoned HP Support. Their advice ‘try plug it back in’. Umm absolutely not. I took it to their suggested repairer who plugged it in, and as I warned and predicted, sparks shot out and got him in the face. Luckily no serious injury but omg, it was a nightmare to get a replacement charger. My next laptop purchase will not be from HP 👩💻
Irregular income – still haven’t solved this problem in my business. I have times of looking for salaried jobs again when the rollercoaster feels a little too much, but on the plus side, it has made me so much better at budgeting! Business ownership quickly exposes your money mindset and one of the best investments I’ve made is coaching in this area.
Some self-employment highlights
I’m a happier healthier human - Past office-bound me had chronic sinusitis and needed to wear glasses. Now colds are pretty much a thing of the past, and my Optometrist asked what had changed in my life to explain my improved eyesight. I shared that I no longer spend my days sitting under an air-conditioning vent and fluorescent lights. Now I’m taking regular breaks from the screen and getting out in nature. Being in control of managing my energy enables me to maximise productivity and cultivate the relationships that matter.
My favourite way to take a reset break away from the screens
Kind and inspiring people – I’ve worked on some great projects over the years and I’m so grateful when clients place their trust in me. Special thanks goes to Jade, Director of Wikaira Consulting who is my longest serving client. Not only does she challenge me with interesting projects, we also have a close friendship which means our weekly catchups often digress from ‘work’ topics 😂
Looking Ahead – Year freakin’ 10 🤯
PERSONAL GOALS
With 4 months remaining, I still have a few 2026 goals left on my list. I’ve ticked off all the fun ones, including summiting a +2000m peak. I’m still to complete the seemingly simple goal of reading a novel! I’ve unfortunately ruined my attention span over recent years (eek too much phone time). I used to be such an avid reader, now I struggle to make it past a few pages. It’s sadly an experience shared by many. Our attention spans are shrinking due to digital devices and our capacity for deep reading has been severely impacted.
So I will keep this short!
WORK GOALS
Recently I’ve committed to a co-working space and I’m enjoying that it provides both solitude and socialisation (I just joined their social sports team).
I’m launching a newsletter, better late than never right! Sign up to ‘The Clearer Brief’ below, a monthly dose of visual communication insights.
I’m looking forward to more interesting projects, great clients, creative work, and collaboration.
Thanks for reading!
As a reminder, I help New Zealand professionals transform their complex information into high-quality, engaging visual communications that provide clarity for your audience, strengthening your brand and reputation.
Here’s a recent presentation design project I enjoyed.
Always happy to have a chat if you have a project you’d like to discuss, email me zoe@onformat.co.nz and I’ll send you a link to my booking calendar 😊
