Having always worked in property and with a great eye for design, starting a home staging business seemed a natural career move for Megan Feneridis. Becoming a mother, however, shifted her perspective and now she works as a freelance stylist and photographer, which allows her to not only do what she loves, but also spend time with her son. Verve chats to Megan about her career pivot.
What is your career background?
I studied a Bachelor of Property at Auckland University and then went straight into property management of one of the largest residential property portfolios in Auckland. It was hectic and never stopped! While I was working in residential property my husband and I bought, renovated and sold a couple of properties and everyone started asking who the home stager was – it was me! So, I started my own home-staging company, completely green and with no experience in running a business, let alone in the logistics involved with home staging. It made for some steep learning curves but was a superb way to get into working for myself and having some career independence.
Since becoming a mother, you’ve had a career pivot, please tell us about that?
I’ve become super interested in styling homeware, interiors and still life for photographic purposes, so I’m now working on picking up work as a freelance stylist and photographer. My dream would be to get continuous work where I get to tinker around creating beautiful looking table settings, outdoor picnics and beautiful homeware items for magazines and advertising!
I think as women in business we offer so much in terms of being ethical and efficient. We are in tune with the needs of our clients and staff, are resilient, and emotionally intelligent.
How has motherhood changed the way you work?
I think my whole approach has changed. I continued working right through my son’s first few months and I soon realised that I wasn’t enjoying either. I came to the realisation that I didn’t actually want to continue juggling both, so I re-framed my mindset. Previously I thought becoming a mother necessitated a ‘step back’ from my career and worried that it would hold me back. Instead, I have since realised that it has helped launch me into a completely new and beautiful chapter in my career. Rather than taking a step back, becoming a mother has actually helped me take a number of steps forward in terms of finding my next working chapter.
How do you maintain a balance between home life and work life?
I really appreciate the ability to freelance outside of normal work hours. Currently my son takes up the entire day – outside of an hour or so when he naps – and then I fit any work around that. I’ve recently had a bunch of time freed up since he’s started kindergarten, so I have a much more structured schedule and am finding it easier to have a home/work balance now.
Do you work with a team?
Just by myself currently. It has been liberating for me not to have the responsibility of working with others after owning my home staging business.
How do you find being a woman in business?
Women in business bring so much to the table in so many ways but I know personally I always have a little inner voice which doubts whether I’m capable of achieving something. I truly don’t think a lot of men have this same self-doubt when it comes to business – it’s something that’s ingrained in us as women very young. It’s crazy! I think as women in business we offer so much in terms of being ethical and efficient. We are in tune with the needs of our clients and staff, are resilient, and emotionally intelligent.
Do you have a mentor?
I admire many women in many different industries, but I’ve always had male mentors, isn’t that classic!
Proudest achievements?
I think the first couple of paid jobs you book when you start something new are always a huge ‘pat on the back’ moment. Otherwise I would count almost everything my son does on a daily basis as my proudest achievements! Kids are the hugest leveller. I always feel like you could win a Nobel Peace Prize and then come home and be just as proud that your kid has learned how to wash their own hands or something equally ridiculous!
What does success look like to you?
This is something I started thinking about recently – I believe this may be because the years have started running away from me! My vision of success has completely changed since I had my son. Previously, I would have said it was being highly paid, running a large and successful business and ‘having it all’. Now I think it involves a balance of creative career challenges, lots of time to spend with my son as he grows up, a happy and healthy relationship with my husband, and being financially comfortable enough to have limited worries. Talk to me again in a few years and I’m sure it will have changed again!
The beauty is in the journey, not the perfect result.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I was an incredibly diligent and anxious child obsessed with being perfect. I would love to tell my younger self that my self-worth isn’t dependent on perfection – that this is an illusion. The beauty is in the journey, not the perfect result. I wish I had been able to enjoy myself more on the journey.
Any inspirational books or podcasts you’re currently loving?
I have just started Heaven by Mieko Kawakami. She’s a Japanese writer and this is her first novel to be translated into English. It’s beautiful and quite a different experience to read a translated novel and see how that changes the way ideas and sentences are communicated and constructed. Other than that, I’m obsessed with the Shameless podcast on Spotify for all things trashy pop culture and I listen to lots of NTS Radio.
How do you switch off outside work?
The quickest way to shake off work is to get some good music on, sprint around the house like a maniac with my son and cook up something delicious for dinner. I love cooking because it gives me something to do with my hands and mind that isn’t work related. It helps to wind me down if I feel tense. My son is currently going through an AC/DC obsession and while I wouldn’t class them as personal favourites previously, there’s something delicious about watching him run around with a tiny ukulele pretending to play guitar riffs like he’s Angus Young. I also try to work out regularly as I figured out a while ago it helps to alleviate any anxiety or worries I have been carrying around with me and I feel a lot more relaxed afterwards.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I would be ecstatic if my family were happy and healthy, enjoying our time together up north in the house we are building, experiencing all that nature has to offer and loving on each other in the same way we are currently. If I have bag loads of money and an unlimited wardrobe because I’m a world famous stylist and photographer then I wouldn’t be too mad about that either!
Megan is the photographic talent that captured Verve editors Fran and Jude as seen earlier in this feature.
