Sarah Clare Brown and Ngaroma Crown are sisters who first met when Ngaroma was four years old. Inseparable ever since, the pair recently started their own communications agency, Sister Sister, where they specialise in strategic campaigns for the non-profit sector.
Ngaroma
I was four and Sarah was 16 when we met. We have the same biological mother, but neither of us were raised by her as Sarah was adopted out and I was raised by my dad. One night he was hosting a karaoke night and a friend said to him, “I know your daughter’s sister, I’ll introduce you.”
Sarah had moved out of home and was looking for her biological parents and Dad invited her to move in with us. He’s always been there for her since we met. It’s a weird story that everyone tries to piece together.
Even though I was so much younger than her, Sarah always made a lot of effort and would take me out on little dates or take me shopping. When I got to intermediate school, I would spend the holidays at her house and we’d binge watch Gilmour Girls and do a lot of girly fun things together.
I ended up living with her for a few years while I was in high school in Auckland and then when she moved to Christchurch I kind of followed her down. While we had worked together before, this is our first business together. She pitched the idea to me while I was on maternity leave and I was like, “Sure, why not.”
Sarah’s very creative, with all the ideas, while I’m more organized, thinking about how we are going to make things work. It’s a good balance, as we know how the other thinks. I know she’s always got my back and I’ve got hers, so we just go for it together.
Sarah is crazy talented with an amazing wealth of knowledge. She’s really funny, very nurturing and thoughtful, and she loves to celebrate people. She’s so loyal, and we’re pretty much best friends in spite of our age gap. She is the most amazing person ever and like no one else I’ve ever known.
Sarah
Ngaroma was only four when we met, so she doesn’t really remember a time without me. She was always a beautiful little girl and I fell in love with her instantly. Because I helped raise her from when she was little, we always felt so close to each other and I always say she was like my first baby before I had my own kids.
We love working together. We can just look at each other and know what the other is thinking. I also love the fact that I’m investing in my little sister. I’ve taught her all the marketing skills that I’ve learnt and she’s been amazing and has picked it all up and run with it.
She’s definitely better with all the financial stuff, while I absolutely hate anything to do with numbers. I have a new idea every day and she’s very methodical and works hard to make everything work. When I thought of starting a business, there’s literally no one else I’d rather do it with than her.
We love to be together and find things to laugh at. It’s such an easy and fun relationship and she’s definitely the joy of my life. She really is the most caring, loving person in my world other than my husband and she’s so fiercely loyal. We’re closer than any sisters I know; I guess because we never grew up with our mum.
When she was eight years old, I was pregnant with my first daughter and she was worried that she would be replaced. I said, “No one’s ever going to replace you, you’ll always be my favourite.” We are just best friends who are sisters and as she was my first big baby, it’s always been like that for us. I just couldn’t imagine my life without her.
