Girlboss: Carly Stewart Landmark Homes

Carly Stewart, owner of Landmark Homes Bay of Plenty

Name: Carly Stewart
Occupation: Business owner
Place of work: Landmark Homes BOP

What does your job involve?
My day job entails looking after the marketing of our business while also assisting in sales and client liaison. I also oversee all our show home projects. After business hours, I morph back into mum mode to our five children and play taxi, coach and nurse plus all the other hats mums get to wear.

What is the main thing you want to achieve professionally?
To continue growing our business and to ensure that everyone knows who we are and what we stand for, a business that builds dream homes here in the beautiful Bay. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance and a strong sense of culture with our team is important to me. So is building relationships with our clients and the wider team, who are fundamental to us continuing to deliver our superior Landmark Homes.

Why did you get into this profession?
My husband Logan and I have always wanted to be in business together. Logan's passion is in the building industry and he has extensive knowledge and experience in the industry. I, a Tauranga Hospital theatre nurse, have always based my life around caring for others whether it be in healthcare, my family and children, as well as the friends I've made along the way. I've always dreamt of owning a Landmark of my very own since I was young and walked through a Landmark show home as a schoolgirl with my sister. We both were in absolute awe. It was a no brainer that Logan and I would be taking on a dream when the Landmark Homes opportunity arose.

What do you like about your job the most?
Tricky to choose just one! I love working with the incredible network of people we've built around us right from the contractors and suppliers to the people we are building beautiful landmark homes for, through to our amazing team we've and the laughs we have along the way. Work should be fun, and here at Landmark Homes there's no shortage of it. The other favourite is being able to guide and support people through one of the biggest journeys they will take undertake in their lives. It is a real privilege!

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?
Work/life balance! Five kids and a business to run is no easy undertaking, but I'm so fortunate to love what I do. People that know me well have always joked that if you want something done just ask the busiest person you know ... (that's Carly!) I love a challenge. I welcome it and I'm not afraid of hard work.

What is your proudest work moment?
Seeing our frames go up on our spectacular new show home site in Omokoroa after putting a lot of time and planning into this latest project that we look forward to opening later this year, I have poured a lot of my passion for design into this project and look forward to showcasing it to the Bay!

Where does your strong work ethic come from?
I come from a strong culture of family and hard workers. I was born in the Bay and raised on my family's strawberry farm in Oropi, which has definitely helped me in my strong work ethic. I gained my nursing degree as a young solo mother, and it was then I learnt that if you want something enough, with hard work and determination you will get to where you want to go and you can achieve anything you put your mind to. I am also a big advocate of the cup is half full mentality and I'm not afraid to step out of the comfort zone. Positivity will lead you to great places, and I use this mantra every day.

What is the most important thing your current role has taught you?
I've learnt that building, nursing and motherhood have much more in common than you would realise. People really do appreciate the old-fashioned art of caring and it's important to bring the human side to any well-oiled machine business, whether it be building a home or fuelling up your car. People still appreciate that human contact and the extra effort.

Would you recommend your career to other women?
Absolutely! Women are incredible they can do anything they set their minds too! Back yourself, and it helps if you have a stubborn streak which hubby will tell you I do! The sky is the limit.