Lead in Many Ways

Regardless of your role or ambition, you can lead and make a difference at Kennards Hire. 

Kimberley (Kim) White, a member of the Marketing team based in New Zealand, says she’s gained confidence in herself and her abilities since beginning her journey with Kennards Hire. 

“My need to know, grow, learn and take the lead has been nurtured,” says Kim. “I’ve been empowered to share my ideas, no matter how small they may seem, and it’s been a really rewarding experience.”

Back in 2017, while on parental leave from teaching, Kim was seeking a new challenge. She wanted the creativity she loved as a teacher and the flexibility to be a mum to her three children but was keen to push herself in a different space. Her opportunity came in a marketing role for Kennards Hire. 

“When I first started, I was new to marketing so there were no expectations,” she says. “Teaching is about being creative and finding ways to improve understanding by creating environments or experiences your students will enjoy.  Marketing is similar because you’re always thinking about the customer, what they enjoy and what experience you can create to make them feel valued.”

However, despite the similarities between teaching and marketing, she still suffered from imposter syndrome. “It creeps in, so you have to really believe in yourself,” she says. “But I’ve never felt like I didn’t belong in this role or had nothing to contribute. I've always felt part of the team.”

 

Ken Oath, that’s loud!

It’s that sense of belonging at Kennards Hire that gave Kim the confidence to dream big and pursue a passion project that was to become a game changer for her personally and for the team in New Zealand. 

While attending an Ed Sheeran concert at Auckland’s Eden Park with her teenage son, Ricco, Kim realised he wasn’t coping with the sound level. Over-stimulation to noise, particularly in higher sound intensive areas of stadiums (like front of stage) is a common trigger for sound sensitive individuals. 

“Ricco had his hands over his ears and was telling me his brain was hurting,” says Kim. “I was gutted because he loves music and I remember thinking, ‘what can I do to help?’. By the end of the night, I would have given anything for a pair of ear plugs for him.”

That was her lightbulb moment.

“There are tampon dispensers at the venue so why not ear plug dispensers?” she says. “At Kennards Hire, we're about safety, inclusion and community so wouldn’t it be cool if we sponsored some dispensers and put them around the stadium?”

She sat on the concept for a while, worried that nobody would think it was a good idea, until she was encouraged by her husband, Richard, to speak to New Zealand General Manager, Tom Kimber.

“I'm always wanting to show my kids that it's not just you,” says Kim. “So, while I was nervous to share my idea with Tom, I was also passionate about the project. I wanted to be an advocate for my children and other children with diverse needs and that's what helped me overcome any feelings of being an imposter.”

“This wasn’t about me; it was about them.” 

Tom was onboard with Kim’s idea from the outset. He could see the value; knew she could deliver and gave her the confidence to take the next step and talk to the Marketing team in Sydney. They also got behind the concept immediately, encouraging her to speak to Eden Park management who instantly said yes.

 

You’ve got this

Getting the go-ahead was one thing…Kim then had to make her concept a reality.

“I was told by Marketing, ‘you’ve got this’,” she says, “and although I was taking the lead, I wasn’t scared because I knew I wasn’t alone. I had support locally and the Marketing team were completely behind me. They were also good at reminding me to keep going.”

Kim worked on the project for 12 months in collaboration with Eden Park and key suppliers, including Esko Safety, with whom Kim negotiated to provide the ear plugs free-of-charge. 

A year later, sustainable, long-term sound sensitivity stations for Eden Park were unveiled on the concourse, just in time for a major music event. They were a resounding success with 2,000 pairs of ear plugs issued from the vending machines in one night.

For Kim’s son Ricco, it was validating, showing he was just like so many others.

“Lots of people struggle with sound because they find it uncomfortable,” says Kim. “I wanted to show him that it’s normal to wear earplugs and it doesn't make you different.”

 

With Kennards Hire You Can

With the stations now a permanent fixture at Eden Park, it’s a source of great pride for Kim.

“I was able to do something that made a positive difference, not just for my son, but for other people like him,” she says.

She attributes the success of the project to the ‘can do’ attitude of Kennards Hire which gave her the space to share her idea and have it taken seriously.

“Whatever you do at Kennards Hire, you’ll grow as a leader and a person in terms of your learning and understanding and grow in confidence from working within the Kennards Hire environment,” says Kim.

“It’s about who you are and what you bring to the table in terms of your attitude because no matter where we are or what position we hold, we can all make a difference.”