The Sweet Life

The nature of Christine’s job means that she doesn’t need to dress in formal workwear, but she still finds it important to be well-dressed as first impressions do count. “They say dress for the job you want, and I think that’s so true.” As the founder of lifestyle website Honeycombers, we take Christine’s word for it when she says it’s important to find something you are passionate about, even if it’s at the expense of a good salary or free time. “Working on something you truly enjoy is one of life’s greatest pleasures,” she says.  “If you have to work for free, or take a low paying job to get there, or beg to get the job — do that.” She survived three years without a salary when she first started the site, which now includes sister sites for children and brides, but says that her job is almost perfect. “I get to meet people, work on creative projects, try amazing experiences, and create and craft content in multimedia formats,” she says. “It’s fun, challenging and exciting — no two days are the same.” Still, she admits that being so involved in her work does detract from the quality time she gets to spend with her family. “I spend time with the kids each morning before work, and I make sure it’s quality time — undistracted from the phone or work,” she says. “My husband and I also make an effort to get some time without the kids too, to make sure we can have an uninterrupted conversation, which is really important as well.” It is clear that family ranks high on Christine’s list of priorities, something which probably stems from her childhood growing up on her parent’s large cattle station in rural Australia, 1.5 hours away from the nearest town, a far cry from the digitalised, urban life she’s living now. “My folks still own a property with cattle, but it’s 15 minutes away from one of the most beautiful beach towns in Australia, Byron Bay, so it’s nice to visit them, get some country air, and then hit the beach for a swim and ocean breezes,” she says. Now, as a parent herself, Christine sees the importance of living every day to the fullest. “Seeing your kids grow up is one of life’s greatest gifts, but it makes you realise life is short,” she says. “The kids grow up so quickly, so without sounding too clichéd, it does make you think that you have got to enjoy it, and make sure every day is great.”