A Moment to Pause (and Feel Proud)
This year, Volare was named a finalist in the 2025 Waikato Business Awards – Marketing Award.
While awards are never the goal, moments like this invite reflection — on the work, the people, and the quiet consistency it takes to build something meaningful over time.
For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Marketing Manager Holly and the wider Volare team, supporting all things marketing, design, and photography. What began as a maternity leave cover for Holly, grew into a long-term partnership — one with momentum, and a shared vision for where the brand could go.
↑ On location for the Volare Merchandise Shoot 2024
Earlier this year, Volare was named a finalist in the 2025 Waikato Business Awards – Marketing Award.
While awards are never the goal, moments like this invite reflection — on the work, the people, and the quiet consistency it takes to build something meaningful over time.
For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Marketing Manager Holly Phillips and the wider Volare team, supporting all things marketing, design, and photography. What began as a maternity leave cover for Holly, grew into a long-term partnership — one with momentum, and a shared vision for where the brand could go.
What We Set Out to Do
Across that two-year period, the focus wasn’t flashy campaigns or quick wins. It was about building solid foundations and showing up consistently. Together, we worked to:
Roll out a fresh, cohesive brand identity
Strengthen recognition across every channel — in-store, online, wholesale, and beyond
Support growth into new markets
Improve consistency at every customer touchpoint
Drive multi-channel sales through considered marketing
Attract younger audiences and deepen engagement
Share more of Volare’s story — the people, the process, the partnerships
Celebrate and support the local businesses that Volare works alongside
None of this happened overnight. It came from thoughtful planning, strong collaboration, and a willingness to evolve as the brand grew.
Highlights Along the Way
There were plenty of memorable moments — some strategic, some delicious.
Eating the baking — obviously a major perk at Volare. When a baker hands you a hot cross bun fresh from the oven, there truly is nothing else like it, and you thank your lucky stars you were in the right place at the right time.
Professionally, a major highlight was leading the rebrand rollout — from store fit-outs and vehicle signage to print and digital campaigns spanning retail stores, wholesale, and stockists. Seeing that work live in the world, across so many touchpoints, was hugely rewarding.
I leaned into documentary-style photography and videography, capturing the rhythm of the bakery, the behind-the-scenes moments, and the real people behind the brand. Interviewing founders Ed and Ryan, telling their story, and celebrating 16 years of Volare felt especially meaningful.
Collaborating on quarterly campaigns across all sales channels, working both remotely and in-store, and feeling genuinely part of an energetic team — that’s a rarity as an independent contractor, and something I’ll always value.
Recognition That Quietly Lands
While the finalist recognition wasn’t something I was personally acknowledged for, it still landed deeply. Knowing the work — the hard mahi — resonated within the community, and stood alongside some of the very best marketing in the region, felt incredibly affirming.
It reinforced something I already believe: when marketing is done with care, clarity, and consistency, people feel it — even if they don’t always see the work behind the scenes.
What This Work Represents
This experience reflects the way I approach my services today:
Crafting marketing strategies that boost revenue, amplify brand visibility, and grow customer bases — without losing soul or substance.
My work spans:
Campaign development and content creation
Brand-aligned photography and storytelling
Media management and paid media allocation
Email marketing and customer journeys
SEO, analytics, reporting, and optimisation
Website updates and ongoing digital care
Internal communications that keep teams aligned
Strategy-led. Human-centred.
Gratitude
To Holly, Ed, Ryan, and the Volare team — thank you for welcoming me into your foodie world, for the trust, the collaboration, and the shared energy. This chapter meant a lot.
Sometimes it’s worth pausing, looking back, and acknowledging just how far a good partnership can take you.
Behind the Shoot: Lucy’s GF Blueberry Thyme Tart Recipe
This photoshoot came together so organically — from last-minute “props” like Lucy’s grandmother’s heirloom plates and a couple of bottles of local fizz gifted by the brewery next door. Minimal planning, keeping things as close to reality as possible — and that’s exactly what I strive for: honesty. Oh, and did I mention the sun came out just for us… and it rained shortly after we wrapped up? Talk about luck.
I’ve been working alongside Lucy’s Gluten Free for over two years now — telling cuisine stories through photography and design across the digital landscape.
2025 marked the release of her Gluten Free Bread Mixes, which have proven to be so much more than anyone anticipated — lending themselves to a colourful collection of incredible recipes. Recently, I’ve been collaborating with Raglan-based independent recipe developer Zasha Skye to bring these beautiful ideas to life for Lucy’s audience, and it’s been such a heartfelt creative endeavour.
This photoshoot came together so organically — from last-minute “props” like Lucy’s grandmother’s heirloom plates and a couple of bottles of local fizz gifted by the brewery next door. Minimal planning, keeping things as close to reality as possible — and that’s exactly what I strive for: honesty. Oh, and did I mention the sun came out just for us… and it rained shortly after we wrapped up? Talk about luck.
But Mother nature truly set the scene: Christmas pōhutukawa flowers in full bloom, on Cliff Street overlooking the Whaingaroa harbour, and Lucy and her lovely friends chatting away, sharing blueberry–thyme tart with a passionfruit spritzer in hand.
I wanted to capture a little of the prep to give recipe readers a sense of the process — but ultimately, this shoot was about honouring a French classic with a festive edge. A summery Christmas gathering, good food, good people, and an inclusive, mind-blowingly beautiful dessert made for sharing.
