| About Us |
 |
 |
 |
|
We met sixteen years ago when we were thrown together on a plane to present an aromatherapy lifestyle workshop for over sixty women in Wellington, New Zealand. All we knew of each other was that we were both well-skilled at running and presenting workshops. During the journey we briefly discussed the workshop as we both flicked through the same airline magazine. Ironically, we turned to the same page at the same time — something we have come to appreciate is not so ironic anymore — and almost on cue, without saying a word, we got the giggles big time. There was a ‘Dot’ cartoon in the magazine. Dot is a neurotic, sarcastic, multi-tasking woman who is not at all fazed by what other people think, or say or do. The picture had her standing at the head of the dinner table with her husband and four guests. She had this blank, quizzical look on her face as her guests all looked to her, wondering when dinner would be served. At the bottom it read: ‘Dot did not want to ruin the dinner party by serving food!’ It really tickled both our fancies and it was obvious in that moment we shared a similar sense of humour. Wellington was typically cool and windy, but sunny. According to the rep who picked us up from the airport the workshop was all organised with a great number of women attending and a good support team of four people to help. It was going to be a great day. All Fleur had to do was set up the logistics and Kim to present the material on stage. We were told to go for it and do what this lady had heard we do best. It sounded great. How wrong we were! Smiling participants arrived as we did. ‘Where can we get our free aromatherapy oils and book?’ they asked. What oils and books? Fleur then asked the rep where the footbaths were. She looked at us. ‘What footbaths?’ ‘What time will the lunch break be?’ we asked. ‘Have you organised the food?’ she replied. Oh, that little word ‘assumption’! How wrong we were to assume these details would have been addressed! It was in that moment we turned to each other and in unison said ‘Kim and Fleur didn’t want to ruin the participants’ day by doing a workshop!’ We cracked up, each realising the other would support them to get through what was going to be a crazy day. We worked our butts off, never knowing what was going to happen next. We ad-libbed, made things up, told jokes and stories, anything positive to keep the flow. We led the participants through a day of aromatic surprises, often not knowing what the surprises were ourselves. How relieved we were to have the powerful therapeutic and psychological effects of the oils. They were put to full use on us and our audience! By the end of the day we were exhausted and over it. Somehow it worked though — everyone had a great day and thankfully the positive comments were testimony to that. Finally, as we sipped on a well deserved brandy and dry in the airport’s departure lounge, we recounted the day. In true ‘neurotic, sarcastic, multi-tasking Dot’ fashion, we realised this day was in fact really a taste of what women all around the world experience — days full of challenges and surprises, obstacles and demands, laughter and tears. However, we both also agreed women can get through days like this with a good attitude, the right tools, friendship and, if nothing else, a really good sense of humour! Through our business relationship our friendship grew … we shared many an adventure, including pregnancies at the same time. Oh the planning, the excitement! We’d talk about having time to do Chai Lattes, go for walks, and hanging out together with our little ones … ah, those days of innocence! Little did we appreciate how our lives would be turned inside out by a maelstrom of nappies and the never ending challenge of juggling preschoolers, husbands and their hectic lives, our own careers and the zillion little daily tasks and touches of the domestic goddess holding a family home together. Not to mention touring the country hosting aromatherapy and self-care workshops, speaking and promoting our books! We really had to practice what we preach. And we had a whole new appreciation for the word ‘busy’. When we shared our story with women at workshops we came to appreciate just how many other busy women absolutely relish — crave! — a little more time to indulge, recharge and find a way to transform themselves in their everyday busy and sometimes stressful life. That’s how this book and our website was born. We began with a vision of combining our professional know-how with ideas and real-life situations, plucked from both our own lives and those of our clients and friends, to write our first book that we hoped would benefit thousands of women just like us. We did, and it was received with great excitement. We toured and spoke to women in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to find that all women identify with the same needs and desperately want tools to help them achieve the balance and happiness they crave in their own lives. Now, ten years on and four books later, we find ourselves re-writing Like Chocolate for Women, but this time with twenty years of experience and a few more books behind us, taking the knowledge of all the work we have done and combining all our written work into this easy dip-into book. It’s a book that can be your tool, your support and even your refuge as you face life’s many challenges. Since working together over the years we have faced many challenges. Many a time the steep learning curve of motherhood has had us pick up the phone and call each other for support. When we each lost loved ones in our families we learned the true meaning of friendship and what it is to be there for someone in pain. We have faced hard financial times together and recently moved countries and had to pull on all our resources to settle children, make new friends and re-establish ourselves and husbands in the business world. Through all of this we have learned to truly appreciate the amazing tools that we have preached about for twenty years. We live and breathe what we write about in the book and say on this website, yet we too are students of life, forever open to learning and adjusting our sails. We don’t know it all and don’t pretend to — that’s what the journey of growing older is all about! We simply look forward to continuing to soak up new things and sharing what we can with others. It has been the feedback of women in our workshops and from our books that has helped us to grow and fine tune our message — a message we all need to be reminded of constantly: self-care is not selfish. It’s essential. Welcome to Like Chocolate For Women!  Kim and Fleur Click here to buy a book Click here to check out the next workshop |
