Celebrating Women’s Achievements: Aha! moments from Suzy and Kristie

Aha! moments can come in various forms. From small personal achievements to solid pieces of advice, to a genuine lightbulb moment. Being a woman in business can come with a multitude of aha! moments, some inspiring and positive, others may be born from frustrations that can sometimes feel like a glass ceiling or a seemingly unmovable rock.

At Helping Solutions, we love to see incredible women thriving in business and achieving their goals and do what we can to celebrate their wins, big and small. From frontline staff, to the nursing team, to our office and leadership team, there are women doing great things throughout our organisation.

Let’s take a few moments from our day to learn from Suzy and Kristie and their experiences…

SUZY SERAGSANA | NDIS Operations Manager, Helping Solutions

Suzy’s career journey in the disability sector spans over three decades! This is hard to believe when you come to meet her and see her cheeky youthful smile. Suzy began as a ward domestic at a disability organisation and her ‘aha!’ moment came when she was quickly seconded to their nursing team, as Suzy had unwittingly made an impression on the company director with the way she showed acceptance and empathy to all the children that came through the ward, regardless of the severity of their disability.

Advice that Suzy received early on in her career, to be accepting of all cultures and beliefs, is something that she has carried forward and extended beyond these bounds to be inclusive and accepting of all individuals.

She emulates this same level of respect and empathy to all the members of her team. She notes that her favourite part of being the NDIS Operations Manager is watching her team “grow and develop in their individual roles.” Suzy has also mentioned that she loves working alongside the management team who have the same goals as her to the benefit and “inclusion of everybody we provide a service to”.

Suzy draws on inspiration from renowned author, model and activist, Waris Dirie; Nobel Peace prize winner and activist Malala Yousafzai; and the incomparable Rosa Parks, whose arrest made her an inspiration to many and subsequently prompted the dissolution of segregation in the U.S.

KRISTIE LISTER | HR Advisor, Xanadu Group

“There is no dumb question when you’re learning.” This is a piece of advice that has stuck with Kristie from the early days of her career, back when she would ask a particular manager for help, she was often met with this response. She likes to pass on the same wisdom to anyone who turns to her for support or guidance, as she likes to, in her words, ‘create a positive and enjoyable work environment’.

Kristie comes from humble beginnings, living in the Wheatbelt of WA before moving to Perth. She still enjoys the country life when she gets a chance to escape the city. Kristie fondly recalls an elderly community member of her country town talking to her high school class about inclusion, with solid resolve “diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice we make every day”. This is bang on, and so applicable in our approach to day-to-day decisions in the workplace.

Kristie has overcome many barriers in her life including homelessness, mental health and epilepsy, which is what has shaped her to the resilient and strong woman she is today. Kristie is also inspired and passionate about the Body Image Movement, a 2023 campaign launched by Taryn Brumfitt, Australian of the Year 2023, teaching individuals to embrace and accept their bodies and reject unrealistic beauty standards. So relatable Kristie!

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Thank you to these women for their vulnerability in sharing their stories, and a shout out to all the inspirational women in our organisation. These women exemplify the power of resilience, empathy, and determination, showing that no challenge is insurmountable when met with passion and purpose. Let’s continue to #InspireInclusion in all our endeavours going forward.