PN/ Please tell us the story behind the founding of your business Angela?
A/ I set up Halo Communications almost 20 years ago to provide quality strategic
communications planning, support and advice. At that stage I wanted a better work/life
balance and to be the boss. It was scary leaving a secure job and leaping into the unknown
– but how bad could it be!
Throughout my career I’ve had to fight many fires having previously worked as a journalist
and then as a communicator in the health sector, as national media manager for the
Department of Corrections and as a senior advisor in the local government sector.
I figured the skills I’d picked up along the way would be useful for running my own business
–keeping a calm head, strategic thinking and a solid sense of humour.
PN/ What sets your business apart from others in the community?
A/ Let’s face it – any communications professional will have the same set of basic skills but
ironically not all of them know how to build longstanding relationships with clients. I’ve been
working with some of my clients for 15+ years. The more I know about my clients and what
they need, the easier it is to deliver a great result.
I love working in the local government sector for the diversity it brings and also have
wonderful private, and not-for-profit clients as well.
I’ve adopted a business model that allows me to scale up or down easily, without the
overheads that come with employing a large team. I collaborate with key business
associates, including graphic designers, web strategists, photographers and videographers,
to deliver on my clients’ needs.
PN/ How do you engage with and give back to the local community?
A/ It’s important to me to pay it forward – I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and I love helping
out others on their communications and/or business journey.
I’ve been a member of the Chrysalis for Women Advisory Board since 2019. This is a
fabulous business networking group supporting women to grow their business, and it’s
based right here in Porirua.
Currently I’m also supporting the Porirua Women and Family Centre on a major event they
are holding later this year – Porirua Has Talent! This event provides a platform for our young
people to showcase their talent.
For more on Halo Communications see: https://halocommunications.co.nz/