Staff blog interview: Co-Founder Miranda

Meet Miranda, Our Co-Founder

Welcome back for our third staff series blog. This time we caught up with Miranda our Co-Founder and Director. You can learn more about her below.

What's your role at Dignity?

Co-founder and Director! 

What's the favourite part of your job?

Seeing the change and impact free menstrual items has on people! I remember the first time we got feedback on the impact Dignity initiative - it was awesome to see how much difference in people’s lives.

The huge amount of learning has also been amazing. Jacinta and I started Dignity when I was still at University - Dignity was my first experience in the corporate world and it was a baptism by fire! 

I’ve had to dip my toe into things I never would have expected - supply chains, sales, impact reporting, and endless amount of packing boxes ;).

What does Dignity mean to you?

Being able to live your life as you want to and be supported to do so

What's been the hardest/funniest thing to happen to you during your time at Dignity?

The late nights and early mornings we spent sending out orders in the hallway of our storage unit, listening to the breeze, eating freddo frogs and thinking ‘what is our life’?

Why do you think businesses should have Dignity at their workplace?

I think it’s such a cool way for businesses to show they care about their staff. 

Talking about periods in the workplace can be incredibly awkward, and the easier option is definitely to leave it alone. But by leading by example, showing your staff you care about them and the effect of menstruation, it shows that you do care about them. 

How can we make periods more normal?

Continue to talk about it more! The more it is talked about - the cost, the pain, the funny stories - the more normal it can be, and the more open people will be about women’s health in general. 

What do you do outside of Dignity?

I am a Community Investment Specialist at NZ Post. A very cool job within the Sustainability Team. In this role I’m working to develop and refine our Community Investment’s to create social impact for NZ communities. Watch this space in 2020 to find out what we are doing! 

In my spare time I enjoy making bad art, walking other people’s dogs, tramping and eating food with the people I love. 

I’m also currently training for a half marathon - hopefully by putting this in the blog I will have to hold myself accountable (ah!)

Who do you admire?

Fridah Kahlo - she was authentically herself, found her space in the world and broke ground for women who want to take a road less travelled.

What is a quote you live by?

“I have no idea what I'm doing”  - Anonymous 

Or

“He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata”

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

What would be advice to yourself 5 years ago?

Don’t stress out so much.