#GIRLBOSS Kim Pengelly returned to work this week as General Manager of QMusic after taking six months maternity leave to welcome and introduce her beautiful baby boy Phoenixx to the world. To say her career has been ‘up in lights’ would be an understatement with the beautiful mumma rising through the ranks to General Manager of ‘Woodford Music Festival’ at an extremely young age. By 26, Kim's impressive #GIRLBOSS bio had seen her manage teams of over 800 and in a strategic Commercial Manager role, contribute to an annual economic impact of $34.5M. We chatted to Kim about her inspirational approach to motherhood and were fortunate enough to sneak a look into the sanctuary filled with great imaginings, colour and sound that she so purposely created for her son. What a beginning to childhood....and what a MUMMA! Here is what she had to say....
How would you describe your career pre-kids to now?
My career has been fairly all consuming for the last seven years but I have enjoyed every moment. Sleeping under my desk has been replaced with coffee dates and walks on the beach. Taking maternity leave has been a real change of pace and felt like the longest holiday I’ve ever had. I’m definitely far more rested as a mum (on leave) than I ever was when I was working. I had initially planned on taking nine months off but have since accepted a new role with QMusic and will be starting work when Nixxy is six months old.
Has becoming a mum influenced your career choices?
Since having Phoenixx I have had more of a fire inside than ever to continue pursuing my career goals. I’m not sure if it’s because I gave birth to a little boy that shaped my views or if it’s just ingrained in me; but since having Nixxy I have felt more than ever that I have a responsibility as a mum to not only talk about females being able to uphold senior roles in the workforce but feel it is my duty to show him. I have been able to negotiate in my new role some work from home which will allow me to continue to spend quality time with our little man as well as including him in any work travel. I’m excited for him to experience all of the exciting things that are associated with being in the music industry.
What is living the dream to you and how will you make it your reality?
Living the dream to me is to not have a separation between work and life. I have always dreamt of my career being an extension of myself where weekends are weekdays and weekdays are weekends. I dream of building a lifestyle where my family and I work on projects that allow us to enjoy all seven days not just two and showing my son the world in an authentic way – consciously loving all aspects of this magical life.
What inspired the style of the nursery?
My fiancé and I are both passionate about space and design. When we discussed what space we wished to create for our new bubba, we decided we wanted a gender neutral happy place that inspired creativity. We have been lucky enough to support Australian designers with everything that was purchased, but almost all of the items you see have been hand crafted by us or close friends.
What are your top 5 key (must-have, can’t live without) items in a child’s room?
- Beautiful artwork
- Colourful, thoughtfully designed toys
- Musical instruments
- Dallas Clayton “An Awesome Book”
- Treasures that are an offering from family and close friends
Phoenixx favourite piece/s in his room?
Definitely the art on his walls (Kim chose our Little Critters collection and Midnight Blue prints) and hot air balloons hanging from the roof - they’re a fairly symbolic representation of a moment in my life that makes me smile each time I see them. I loved searching high and low for them when I fell pregnant.
What has surprised you most about becoming a mum?
How incredibly powerful and intuitive our bodies are. I have dedicated my life to planning parties and the truth is, I realised I didn’t know enough about my body. I feared while I was pregnant that I wouldn’t know what to do. I craved a manual and checklist so badly. Once we got through our epic three day labour all of my fear was removed, I knew we were a team and could tackle anything head-on together. Nixxy has been the leader through the entireprocess, he knew what to do all along I didn’t need to worry about any of it.
Your favourite time of day and why?
Since having Phoenixx it is between at 4:30 and 5am daily. He wakes us up by rolling over and grabbing my nose, then mouth and cheeks. His gentle touch is so sweet as he makes baby noises in attempt to speak. I lay there for a while before opening my eyes and take in each moment. When I open my eyes he greets me with the biggest happy smile and it feels like the whole world stops.
What values do you wish to instill in your children?
To be confident in your own skin, open, understanding and to embrace all people. All I dream is that he is nice to all of the children he meets. I want him to value getting to know and understand those around him and celebrate all of the things that make each individual unique.
What day to day ‘story and world’ are you creating for your child with their nursery/room design (what are you surrounding them with and why)?
Art, musical instruments and as many handcrafted items as possible. Having walls lined with beautiful art is so important in our house. It’s amazing watching his attention span develop while he stares at the Little Critters big eyes. I always wonder what’s going through his mind. We have musical instruments everywhere in our house. We start each day with a guitar and ukulele session with dad while I make coffee. It’s a special ritual we look forward to daily. It’s amazing to watch his cognitive development while he explores the instruments and respond to the sounds.
Prints: Little Critters & Midnight Blue