From magazines and fashion to organics
When Lisa Deken was unexpectedly made redundant from her role at Bauer Media over a Zoom call in April, she had no idea what her next career move would be.
Five months on, and the Taranaki woman is now running an organics store with friend Leeanne Snowdon, the wife of former All Black Conrad Smith.
Deken, who was an account manager for Fashion Quarterly, was on the job hunt when she saw Down to Earth Organics in New Plymouth was on the market, and ‘‘kind of as a joke’’ sent it to her friend, who she knew dreamed of owning an organic store.
‘‘I had no intention of having anything to do with it. Next thing I was in the office with my lawyer and it just happened and I don’t even know how I’mhere. It’s bizarre,’’ Deken said. ‘‘I had to have a giggle the other week because I usually would have been sitting at Fashion Week and it was New Zealand Organic Week.’’
When Snowdon, who currently lives in France, first broached the topic of the two taking over the business together, Deken’s immediate thought was ‘‘no way’’.
‘‘I didn’t respond to her for a few days because I was like how amI going to really nicely say ‘no way, are you insane?’ I’d been working in fashion, advertising, media for the last eight years.’’
But six weeks in and Deken is loving it. Depending on her husband’s work, Snowdon, who has a background in yoga, skin therapy and wellness, eventually plans to move back and help Deken with the day-today running. But until then Deken is taking care of the store.
Deken said the business, which when opened in 1979 by David Marshall was one of the first organics stores in New Zealand, was also busier than she expected. ‘‘We’ve just taken on a new staff member, probably need another one. It’s a very active industry, even some people might not be into fully organic, but they’re into sustainability, so they’re bringing in their glass jars or looking for an ecofriendly deodorant.’’