Nicole built her own business from the ground up. A chronic illness diagnosis forced her to give it all up

Sudden illness forced small business owner Nicole Tait to “quickly wind up” the company she had built.

She is far from alone.

Based in Newcastle, Nicole had a lengthy career history in marketing and management, including stints working for not-for-profits.

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When Nicole was suddenly made redundant, over a decade ago, she decided to branch out and try something new.

“I was thinking … I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at something else,” Nicole recalled.

“[So] I started my own business where I made healthy energy snacks, little bliss balls. I had a production kitchen, I had staff and did all the things you do in a small business. It was hard work and lots of fun.”

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But Nicole had to “quickly wind up” the company she loved when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness.

“I did put some feelers out there to sell but it was going to take a while … it was quite a physical role as well, and I just couldn’t continue it,” she said.

“So, unfortunately, I had to close that up and sell off what I could.”

While Nicole’s specific circumstances are unique, she is also far from alone.

She is one of the millions of Australians who live with a chronic illness or chronic health conditions. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 12.6 million Australians have at least one long term illness.

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Australia’s Health Minister Mark Butler has spoken about the prevalence of enduring health issues in society.

“Because as a country, we are getting older and living longer, with more of our years spent in chronic conditions … Today, one in two Australians have a chronic condition and one in five have multiple conditions,” he said.

After several years of working part-time and focusing on her health, Nicole was ready to increase her workload once more.

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But when she started looking for jobs, she struggled to progress through to interviews. This took a toll on her confidence.

“I applied and got interviews with a few not-for-profits because of my past experience [working in that sector] but wasn’t successful getting those roles,” she said.

“[I was] up against people that are stepping out of those same roles and into the next one … I got down to the last two candidates but it was people with current experience [who the employers wanted].”

It was at this point, while frustrated and unable to find jobs she was suited to, that Nicole enrolled in FW Jobs Academy.

FW Jobs Academy is a nationwide program, funded by the federal government, that supports women who face barriers to work by helping them to build the skills and networks to find meaningful, secure and flexible jobs.

Nicole was immediately impressed with the program.

“When I started it, I thought: ‘Wow this is really good’,” she said.

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For Nicole, one of the most invaluable elements of Jobs Academy was its one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Nicole regained the confidence to start applying for roles after she received tailored help crafting a CV and cover letter from one of Jobs Academy’s mentors.

She is only halfway through the program, but she has already secured work.

She described Jobs Academy as having “restored her belief in herself and her abilities”.

“It just gave me the encouragement and support I needed … it rebuilt my confidence and reinforced that my experience and skill set were still of value to employers,” she said.

Jobs Academy is a FW initiative supported by government funding. It’s a free, fully virtual program designed to boost women’s workforce participation and economic security. Find out more about FW Jobs Academy here.

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