This week “CityNews” talks to two winners of the 2022 Altitude Awards: Kylie James, owner of Kylie James Coaching, and Victoria Pearce, founding director of Endangered Heritage.

LOCAL businesswomen – Kylie James and Victoria Pearce – have won two 2022 Altitude Awards.

Of the 12 award categories, 11 Canberra businesswomen were nominated across nine categories at the 10th awards night in Sydney earlier this month.

Founded by Andrea Turner-Boys, of Women With Altitude, the awards honour the achievements of everyday people across business, leadership and community sectors.

Empowering career women in their mid-life

KYLIE JAMES, owner, Kylie James Coaching, won the “On My Way Award”.

IN January last year, Kylie James turned away from her career in the public service to start her own coaching business.

She says her “successful and fulfilling 20-year career” in the corporate career had left her “burnt out and exhausted because I wasn’t living in alignment with my personal values.”

Kylie yearned for a role that made use of her “connection superpower”, embraced her “open-minded curiosity” and promoted “balance and rhythm in life”.

She opened Kylie James Coaching as “a thriving hub of men and women who want to springboard their careers, grow their businesses, or feel less stressed out.”

Kylie says she specialises in transition coaching, noting “change as the only constant in life”.

“I facilitate the journey of change by giving my clients the space to unpack every part of themselves without judgement and work towards sensible plans,” she says.

“Setting down the load, opening up in a safe space and collecting their thoughts is the reprieve that keeps burnout and exhaustion at bay.”

Kylie aspires to “reinvent the modern-day workspace and empower women in their mid-lives.”

“Women in their mid-lives, between the ages 40 and 60, are in the prime of their lives,” Kylie says. 

“But going through so many things at once, like menopause and workplace stress, makes the mid-life difficult.

“Mid-life women tend to struggle with their confidence and feel as if they are unseen and unheard.”

Kylie wants to empower women in their mid-lives to “go beyond what they think their limits are, explore what’s possible in life and embrace the challenges of the mid-life, without feeling embarrassed, guilty or apologetic.” 

Kylie James Coaching hosts “The Mid-Life Mayhem and Magic Community” Facebook group for women to come together and seek comfort through shared experience.

Kylie James Coaching, kyliejamescoaching.com.au

Building the future by caring for the past

VICTORIA PEARCE, founding director, Endangered Heritage, won the “Brave Rising Star Award”.

ENDANGERED Heritage is well known in Canberra, but less so in Sydney, says founding director Victoria Pearce.

“This is why it took me by surprise to be awarded the ‘Brave Rising Star Award’ at the 2022 Women with Altitude Awards,” she says.

On awards night Victoria said: “Winning a Brave Award is recognition of my determination to establish and build a centre of excellence for heritage conservation for Australia and overseas. 

“This award is validation from women in business who, without exception, are extraordinary. 

“Doing business in collaboration instead of competition delivers better equity and economic returns for all.”

Since the win, Victoria says she is now recognised locally as a leading businesswoman.

“I am internationally recognised for my work in heritage conservation, beginning as a textiles conservator, with further training in paintings conservation,” she says. 

“Like all assets, art depreciates unless cared for and managed. Conservation ensures these assets appreciate.”

Victoria says she is backed by a team of internationally recognised experts, delivering conservation services to national collections, regional museums, corporate collectors, families and individuals. 

“The team works on objects, metals, paper, textiles, paintings, glass and archeological material as well as caring for complete collections, both public and private,” says Victoria.

“Conservators work to preserve what is important, helping us sustainably manage our assets so they can be sources of economic growth for the entire community.”

Victoria is an organiser of the National Endangered Skills and Trades Show, lobbying to reverse legislation preventing these professionals taking apprentices.

“Everyone has something they want to last forever, Endangered Heritage is making sure we have a past to build our future on.” 

Endangered Heritage, Shop 8 Paragon Mall, 20 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6280 or visit endangeredheritage.com