Rebecca
“I think you can achieve anything you set your mind to, whether you are male or female. I want to show my daughter that it makes no difference if you are a man or a woman. Being a woman did give me the gift of a child, carrying her and giving birth to her. It kind of breaks you into tiny pieces and then you put yourself back together again, you’re still the same person, but you are changed forever, in a good way.”
Rebecca is a sheep farmer and a mum; she is also a passionate writer who is determined to tell the stories of those who inspire her. When Rebecca started out her career in journalism, she was driven by a desire to get on the front page, but a traumatic experience in the field drove her in a completely different direction. Now she has left the news to write about what makes her happy. This led her to create her new project 'Five Minutes With' - where she aims to empower rural women and honour their experiences by sharing their stories. Meet Rebecca. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
R: My name is Rebecca Greaves. I'm a freelance journalist, mum and sheep and beef farmer. Writing is my happy place, and the things I most love to write about are the things I hold dear - horses (which are my hobby and passion - some might say obsession!) and farming. I grew up on a farm in Hawke's Bay and it is part of who I am. I regard it as a privilege to visit farms and talk to the people who work and care for the land. The opportunity to tell their stories is an honour and I feel so lucky people trust me to tell their stories. I live in a small, remote rural community and the ties that bond us all together are so special. We are like a family. I recently launched a new project called 'Five Minutes With' where I am interviewing and profiling incredible rural women who inspire me.
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
R: I'm an all in kind of person. I do things with my whole heart and I am passionate about what I do, and what drives me. Becoming a mum has been one of the toughest, and single most rewarding things that has ever happened to me. I wouldn't say I was the world's most maternal person, but it changes you for the better. All I do now is driven by wanting to provide opportunities for my daughter, to give her the rural upbringing I had and loved, and to demonstrate that you can achieve anything in life, while still making time for the things that make me 'me'. I am not good at relaxing, I have to be doing something. Having my own business and connecting with people outside our farmgate is important to me. I admire people who are happy and content being stay at home mums, but that is not for me. I want to be a mum, wife and a businesswoman. Though most people would look at me and see a social, outgoing person, I also love to spend time alone. I need space to think and quiet time.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
R: My ability to connect with people and tell their stories.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
R: Becoming a mum. I was a fairly selfish person. I was used to doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Having to give that up, to put someone else first, was hard, I'm not going to lie. But I think it has made me reevaluate what is important to me, what I want to leave behind, what I want my legacy to be. We have worked so hard to create a successful farm business and also my own writing business, but it doesn't mean a lot of you don't have people to share that with.
A defining moment for me, when I was a young journalist working in daily news, was attending a coolstore explosion where a fireman was killed. It really affected me, I suffered from PTSD and anxiety after that, and I realised daily news was not for me - I had got to the point where I could not leave work at work. It was affecting my life. I still loved writing and wanted to be a journalist, but I chose to focus on writing about things that made me happy, not sad, and so here we are writing about horses and farming. I don't regret that decision at all. I loved aspects of daily news, and it taught me so many skills, but I didn't want to define my success by whether I got the front page lead story anymore.
P: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
R: I think the biggest thing would be - you don't have to please everyone. Not everyone will like you, and that's okay. Don't waste time and energy trying to be something you think someone else wants you to be. You will find your people, and they will love and value you just how you are - those are the people you hang on to.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
R: Anything. I don't think we are defined by our gender. I think you can achieve anything you set your mind to, whether you are male or female. I want to show my daughter that it makes no difference if you are a man or a woman. Being a woman did give me the gift of a child, carrying her and giving birth to her. It kind of breaks you into tiny pieces and then you put yourself back together again, you're still the same person, but you are changed forever, in a good way.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
R: My mum. I'm sure I didn't appreciate her as much as I should have growing up - I apologise for all those times I told you I didn't like the dinner you'd spent ages preparing mum! Mum is caring and always thinks of others before herself, I think that is her most admirable quality. She has always worked hard and sacrificed a lot for my brothers and I. I would say to her - thank you for everything you have done for me, for always being there, I love you.