Mackay business owner proves women can have it all

Mackay NightOwl Convenience Store owner Kirsty Sivyer believes young working mums can have it all – if they take Governor-General Quentin Bryce’s advice.

Earlier this month the Governor-General spoke of how she managed a stellar career and raising five children, stating that young women can have it all. She said it was very important for women to balance home and work life.

Mrs Sivyer, 34, is balancing life as a wife, mother-of-two and growing her convenience retail franchise business.

“I left school after year 11 and knew I wanted to work in retail – so I went to TAFE and did a course in Tourism Catering and Hospitality,” she said.

“Upon meeting my husband Ken, we knew we needed to manage our work lives with raising a family.

“We had to make some decisions, like postponing our honeymoon – which we took 10 years after we walked down the aisle.

“I worked in various retail establishments, saving money to buy a franchise, while juggling the demands of being a mum to Samantha and Mitchell.

“It took some time to reach my business goal of owning my own store – but I did achieve it, in February last year.”

Mrs Sivyer has also managed to pick up accolades along her journey to success.

“In our first year with NightOwl we were recognised as ‘Best Debut by a New Franchisee’ in 2007 and also won the ‘Frost Bite Champion’ Award last year,” she said.

“This is such a great adventure. I am able to put my life skills into a challenging career while being my own boss and spending quality time with my family.

“The best thing about taking small steps to reach your dreams is that when the rewards come – for instance when we went to America last year for our honeymoon – it makes you appreciate the effort you put in to get there.

“At just 34 years of age, I am happy with what I have achieved so far and that my business hasn’t blossomed at the expense of my family or vice versa – it’s nice to be able to manage both responsibilities and to be able to enjoy them as well.”