Lessons learned from the late Sir Edmund Hillary will be shared with Ōmokoroa business owners in the lead-up to Mental Health Awareness Week.

The famous mountaineer’s niece Hilary Carlile is a therapist on the Western Bay of Plenty peninsula and will speak to members of Ōmokoroa Business Network at a breakfast event.

“The theme this year is community, and I love this focus,” says Hilary.

“To me, community is about belonging. If we don’t feel we belong, we feel more isolated, and that impacts our mental health and wellbeing. Often, someone running a small business can feel isolated, but there’s a lot of support available.”

Ōmokoroa Business Network chairwoman Karen Hind says the suburb is growing fast, with a lot of residents launching small businesses.

“We estimate a high percentage of businesses in Ōmokoroa would be classified as sole-trader or small businesses with fewer than four employees,” says Karen.

“The stress of running a business can spill over into private life, but we have a good support network here. It’s about recognising the signs that you need help; then reaching out for it.”

Hilary says: “What I’ve learned from growing up and participating in adventures with my uncle is that everyone has their strengths.”

“I observed that he was good at pulling together a team and using each member for the job they were best at.

“In a small business, we tend to try to do everything, but you may not be an accountant or may struggle with legal contracts. There are experts who can take that stress away, providing a good foundation for a business.”

Hilary will talk about growing up with the influence of Sir Edmund’s long-term commitment to the Sherpa community and the tools it gave her to manage her own mental wellbeing.

“I’ll also share how I translated this into my two passions - working in commissioning mental health and addictions services, and the focus of my own complementary health practice.”

With Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from September 23-29, Karen says business owners will often just keep ploughing through “even when they’re struggling”.

“Put your hand up - we’re all here to help. We want to foster that community support and make new people feel welcome. Our community is passionate about their success.”

Hilary will speak at Ōmokoroa Business Network’s breakfast event, which starts 7.30am on September 12 at Ōmokoroa Boat Club. Get tickets at: https://events.humanitix.com/obn-business-breakfast-with-speaker-hilary-carlile.

- SunLive