By Lynn Whyatt – RRR Network Story-Teller
The only consistent thing in this world is change: landscapes put on a show of colours with the changing seasons; our oceans dazzle with glassy waters or walls of waves with the flow of the tides; our parents’ smiles begin to radiate up to the little creases by their eyes with age.
Do you find yourself meeting change with trepidation or excitement? Whether we are changing the décor of our living room or the place we call home entirely, change is often accompanied by the end of one chapter and an opportunity for something new. Geraldton resident Katarina Smelikova reflects on her story thus far fuelled by changes, some by choice and others uncontrolled, and shares some lessons learnt along the way.
She began her journey in Central Europe, born and raised in the Czech Republic, but settled in Sydney and married her Aussie soul mate, Rob. When her husband accepted a job in Geraldton, they made the move from the most populous city in Australia to the Mid West’s regional hub of Geraldton. Katarina had changed the place she calls home for the third time and chose to embrace the new opportunities before her.
While it is often challenging to find our people in a new place, Katarina saw an opportunity to establish a new network in her capacity as a qualified Pilates instructor, building her business, Active Pilates, and the foundation of a “Pilates family” as she endearingly refers to them as, some of whom have been with her since the very beginning.
Due in part to her husband’s line of wok in regional economic development, Katarina began to focus on the economic changes within Geraldton and the implications for the wider Mid West region. “We are living in a time where everything is evolving,” Katarina marvelled when describing her growing region and the unique process of future-building it is currently navigating.
Changes in population and evolving industries is unexpectedly accompanied by some challenges. Katarina highlighted issues with reliable internet and digital connectivity, especially in the more sparsely populated shires of the Mid West. Not only do residents in rural and remote areas rely on equitable access to telecommunication services to support their businesses, but they also rely on these connections to sustain their social networks.
When we notice issues in our communities, we are presented with a choice: do we remain passive, or do we actively try to facilitate positive change that can help improve our community? As a small business owner herself, Katarina wanted to gain more insights into the current and emerging issues hindering small business owners as the economic climate of the region shifted.
She chose to try a co-working space at Pollinators Inc. – a social enterprise that facilitates opportunities for networks to grow innovation and capability in the Mid West. Many solopreneurs work from home for convenience and cost, but a co-working space provides opportunities to network with other small business owners and access to common use infrastructure like meeting rooms or event spaces.
Already benefiting from the communal environment, Katarina chose to become a key trainer for government-funded initiatives within Pollinators Inc. Soon, she extended her reach to learn from and assist more small businesses by becoming involved with RSM Business Local, which provides many free services for new and established business owners, supported by the Small Business Development Corporation.
Building her networks and establishing an understanding of her region, Katarina started her second business, Flash Marketing, that provides marketing and strategy support, as well as photography, for small businesses and a range of other industries. She chose to invest her time in getting to know her region and learning from other residents not only as a newcomer to the region, but ultimately to also assist and give back to the community that welcomed her.
After years of establishing a new home in Geraldton with her husband and two dogs, Katarina felt the need for change calling once again; she was ready to take her work on the road and expand her horizons even further, hoping to finally nurture her heart’s desire to photograph stories throughout the regions and exhibit them in a documentary-style exposé.
However, sometimes life confronts us with changes that are out of our control, forcing us to make difficult choices. In April this year, Katarina experienced a week that changed the trajectory of her next chapter. The devastating news that her mother had passed away in the Czech Republic made all time stop. The loss of a loved one is always wrought with grief, but being overseas a world way compounds that grief. While in mourning, she and her husband faced two fires that threatened their home and her Pilates studio. The anxiety and uncertainty for those of us who have experienced the threat of bushfires leave a lasting impression, even if they were lucky enough to have only suffered minimal damages.
These life-changing experiences forced Katarina to make a choice. She decided to just stop and give herself space to breathe, refocus, and reprioritise what was important to her in that moment. Sometimes the best choice to make is to remain where you are.
“It’s life,” she exhaled as she recounted her experiences only a short time after they occurred, opting to share them with the hope that anyone else facing similar situations would realise that they are not alone. While the emotions and the reactions are raw and real, Katarina acknowledges them and reframes them in her mind: It is difficult and everyone goes through difficult times, we have plans and dreams and sometimes they get waylaid, but that does not mean they are gone.
Katarina’s dad in now her priority and she is doing all she can to ensure he is being looked after in her home country. The immediacy of the present situation requires her attention, so she has chosen to park her photography road show – for now.
We can often feel alone in challenging times, lost in grief, or overcome with self-doubt about the choices we made or didn’t make, but this is when our resilience and our networks come into play – two pillars of many regional communities. Katarina chose to remain in Geraldton supported by her husband and her community. She chooses to focus on the everyday joys of walking her dogs, spending time with her husband, listening to jazz, and coaching tennis.
For Katarina the dream is still there, but she finds comfort and necessity in her present. There is courage and strength in dreaming and making plans for our futures, but there is no failure or shame if our plans change or get reprioritised. It’s life. It’s full of changes, but the beauty of it all is reflected in the choices we make in response and in the time we take to pause and reflect.