How to run the world from Raglan

Thousands of skilled Kiwis are returning home after years away. Entrepreneur Lucy von Sturmer explains why. Uma Ahmed reports.

Lucy von Sturmer made a pact with her husband Giulio Venier this year: to go on an adventure.

With the uproar of the pandemic, lockdowns and social distancing have prompted people and companies to realise it’s possible to work remotely, and have more flexibility to run businesses from afar.

While living in Amsterdam for 10 years von Sturmer founded The Humblebrag, a boutique communications company with a difference, focusing on positive social impact, training visible and effective leaders, running courses for individuals, and helping organisations tell their own stories.

Launched in 2017, The Humblebrag has worked with businesses to achieve sustainability, including helping the ZDHC Foundation, a sustainable fashion initiative, to write the world’s first book on detoxing the fashion industry. They came up with the idea to explain the complicated issue through an official ‘‘ For

Dummies’’ book.

Come March, all of von Sturmer’s clients were having to reinvent how they do business, and she was no exception.

The couple realised they’d prefer to be closer to family in their respective home countries – Giulio is from Italy – during uncertain times, and with the world embracing the virtual office, there was no better time.

‘‘It was prompted by Covid – but not only. I don’t think Covid’s enough of a reason to leave your life, but it certainly provided more opportunities to realise, wow, I can probably do this. A lot of the work that I’m doing is diversity, inclusion, and female leadership but particularly sustainability, and being over in the Netherlands I just kept referencing what was happening here down under, as a sign of progress and progressive politics.

‘‘So there was another level for me which was, I feel like a lot of cool and relevant innovation is happening here, and a lot of

conversations that I want to be having.

‘‘From an outsider’s perspective it felt like New Zealand was constantly being held up as an example. So, I guess it was a growing curiosity for me to reconnect and to be able to engage with what’s happening here.’’

They’ll be opening online courses soon, with von Sturmer running The Humblebrag from New Zealand. As she is finishing up projects from the Netherlands, she isn’t planning on taking any new local clients until March.

Husband Giulio, who has a background in mechanical engineering, works in sustainability and innovation and, along with von Sturmer, is also running his Netherlands business from New Zealand.

Born in Auckland, von Sturmer left New Zealand in her early 20s after completing her undergraduate and masters degrees in international relations, media and politics.

After a year in Italy teaching English, she fell in love with European culture. ‘‘ I was so enamoured. I thought, this is me set for life. I love it here so much.’’

Returning to New Zealand, she threw herself into learning Dutch as she’d decided her next destination would be the Netherlands. To be able to emigrate, she had to study for a Dutch integration test,

which consisted of a series of language and cultural tests.

Throughout the next decade, von Sturmer met her future adventure partner in a Dutch language class, married him, bought a house and built their businesses.

In 2017 came the career epiphany: she’d achieved everything she could ever hope for. It was time to take a risk, and start her own business, The Humblebrag.

The couple returned in December and have just finished their mandatory twoweek quarantine. Now, they’re working upside down hours, adjusting to running their businesses away from the Netherland, toiling from a coworking spot in Wellington, and getting reacquainted with Kiwi culture.

Von Sturmer says she had forgotten how friendly Kiwis can be. ‘‘You wouldn’t be making conversation with total strangers all the time back in the Netherlands.’’

Driving again is an adjustment. They were used to cycling everywhere in the Netherlands.

As for whether she’ll be setting up her global business in any of the top cities, von Sturmer is hoping to be somewhere more low-key.

‘‘I have my heart set on Raglan. The idea that you can actually have a career and live a full life and live by the beach in somewhere like Raglan would be so amazing. So, we’ll see.’’

‘‘From an outsider’s perspective it felt like New Zealand was constantly being held up as an example.’’ Lucy von Sturmer

Lucy von Sturmer says a ‘‘growing curiosity’’ about what was going on in New Zealand led her and her husband to up sticks from Europe and see if they could run their business from here.