NZBW After 5 - Chaos to Calm (Member only event)

Name: NZBW After 5 - Chaos to Calm (Member only event)
Start: 2026-09-24T16:30:00+1200
End: 2026-09-24T18:30:00+1200
Location: Axis Building

Thu, 24 Sep, 4:30pm - 6:30pm NZST

Axis Building

Auckland, New Zealand

Carolyn Banks

28 followers · Contact host

Description

The kitchen is more than a place to cook. It's where conversations happen, families gather and everyday life unfolds. Join us for an inspiring evening as three local experts share practical ideas to help create a calmer, more enjoyable home.

You'll discover:

Creating calm through thoughtful renovation

How renovation can reduce daily chaos
Designing a kitchen that actually works for your life
Tips for low-stress renovation decisions

with Kitchen Renovation Expert - Maree de Latour

Maree’s experience in hotel design drives her desire to provide clients with a design solution that reflects both their personality and lifestyle. She feels strongly that our homes should be unique to our way of living and not be a cookie cutter solution.

With years of sourcing all types of products both in NZ and overseas she has a huge product knowledge and has specialist solutions at her fingertips. Maree works closely with her husband John to deliver solutions to client’s renovation needs. Together, they hope their customers will get the solution that is truly reflective of their unique wants and needs. They deliver this using a consultative approach and proven processes.

Creating calm through connection

Confidence in communication at home and beyond
Reducing stress through better conversations
Strengthening connection in everyday life

with Communication & Acting Coach - Elena Stejko

Elena Stejko is an award winning actress with extensive experience on stage and screen. Elena has worked in the industry for over 25 years and has over 30 years of international teaching experience. Elena is regularly invited to teach and direct at the Unitec Performing arts school, Toi Whakaare drama school, Actor’s Program and South Seas film & television school.

Creating calm through simple food systems

Reduce the daily mental load around meals
Simple planning, prep and real food habits
Simple ideas to elevate everyday food

with Kitchen Confidence Coach - Stephanie Johnstone

Steph Johnstone is the founder of Living Well with Steph, and creator of the Kitchen Reset™ concept. She believes the kitchen should be the heart of the home—not a source of stress—and helps people create simple systems that make everyday cooking, entertaining and sharing food feel easier and more enjoyable. Steph is also an independent Thermomix® Consultant, using this versatile kitchen tool to demonstrate practical ways to simplify everyday cooking and help people build confidence in the kitch

Included - Welcome cocktail (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), nibbles, opportunity to meet local experts

Giveaways

Kitchen Concept Design Consultation (valued at $1500)

Steph's Kitchen Social (For you and 3 friends - Value $350)

Creating Confidence, Presence & Voice Session (one hour session - $180)

Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

Hostinformation

Carolyn Banks

28 followers

Contact host

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Relationships Are a Business Strategy: Why Carolyn Banks Is Passionate About Helping Women Succeed

Carolyn Banks has spent more than four decades building businesses, leading teams, developing people, and helping organisations grow. Today, as CEO of New Zealand Businesswomen and New Zealand Business Academy, she leads two organisations dedicated to helping women build stronger businesses, stronger leadership capabilities, and stronger professional networks.

What makes Carolyn uniquely qualified to lead these organisations is that she understands the realities of business ownership firsthand.

Before joining NZ Businesswomen, she spent almost two decades running her own successful technology business, helping organisations implement solutions that improved performance and efficiency. Throughout that journey she experienced the challenges familiar to many business owners: making difficult decisions, managing growth, building teams, navigating uncertainty, and carrying the responsibility that comes with leadership.

Since becoming CEO in 2017, Carolyn has helped grow the NZ Businesswomen community, established the New Zealand Business Academy as its education arm, transitioned the organisation into a not-for-profit, and focused on building an organisation designed to create long-term impact for women in business throughout New Zealand.

She also serves on the EMA Members Advisory Board and as a Judge for Best Places to Work, giving her valuable insight into business leadership, workplace culture, organisational growth, and the challenges facing New Zealand businesses today.

But qualifications and experience are only part of the story.

At the heart of Carolyn's leadership philosophy is a simple belief:

Relationships are a business strategy.

In a business world often focused on transactions, Carolyn believes that genuine relationships are one of the most valuable and underutilised assets a business owner can have.

The strongest businesses are rarely built alone. They are built through trusted relationships, meaningful conversations, strategic partnerships, referrals, collaboration, mentoring, and communities of people who are willing to support one another's growth. Carolyn often talks about the fact that networking should never be about collecting contacts. It should be about creating opportunities. Opportunities that emerge through trust, authenticity, generosity, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.

Over her career, she has learned that some of the most important business opportunities begin with a simple conversation. A new client. A strategic partnership. A fresh idea. A word of encouragement. A valuable introduction. These moments often happen because someone took the time to build a relationship first.