Wendy in the black Billie dress with her own accessories.

The Sunday Projects Journal is a chance for us to share some inspiring people (and their own ‘Sunday Projects’) with you. In honour of Mother’s Day, I thought it would be timely to interview Wendy McGuinness, a ferociously determined woman who also happens to be my beautiful mother.

Wendy began work as an accountant and over time this has progressed into a (much harder to define) colourful career in public policy. Wendy is the founder and Chief Executive of the McGuinness Institute, a non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank working towards a sustainable future for New Zealand. The Institute applies hindsight, insight and foresight to explore major challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand over the long term.

This Institute began as a project in 2004 as a one-woman-show when Wendy realised that no-one else was analysing the impacts of different policies and actions over the long term. Since then, Wendy and her team have produced some amazing publications which have achieved tangible results for New Zealand. As well as producing these works, Wendy has bravely stood up in court against genetic engineering, run workshops with hundreds of young people on New Zealand’s future and has advised Government on a number of issues. What a woman!

Wendy is a real example of finding work you are passionate about to contribute to the greater good of the world. Wendy is passionate, creative and kind and I am proud to share her answers to my questions below. Hope you find her as inspiring as I do.

If you could put a quote in every school, what would it say and why?

“Never, never, never give up” - Winston Churchill.

Apparently this is not exactly what Winston said, but when I feel up against it – I often recite the above words quietly to myself. The quote is thought to be shortened from something Churchill said on 29 October 1941 in a speech at the school he attended as a boy (Harrow School just outside of Central London) “…never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

What was the last thing that made you chuckle?

Netflix’s ‘After Life’ with Ricky Gervais. I laughed so much I almost cried.

What is your top tip for good health and looking after yourself?

Porridge – oats, almond milk and raisins – sprinkled with chia. It sets me up for the whole day!

What are some things you wish you knew in your twenties?

That you are better than what you think you are and more unique – that your life and what you do with it ‘counts’. That if you are going to take risks, sometimes you will fail – but occasionally you will win. This means you need to save a little bit of energy to pick yourself up and keep going or try something different.

You need to nurture a little bit of you – for you. You will get both good and bad luck in life; navigating these events are tricky but what you learn about yourself and others when things are messy or tricky – is worth gold in the long term.

Knowing yourself and what makes you tick and what makes you happy is a great gift.

What is a book you have recently recommended? Give us a little run down of its contents.

I have just purchased ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman for my mum on mother’s day. It is pure escapism but contains some great insights and twists. I am currently reading ‘Every Third Thought’ by Robert McCrum. It is autographical and is about a man’s observations on the journey to old age and death. Sounds depressing but the first few chapters read great and I have had a few chuckle’s on how absurd it all is.

What do you think the world needs more of?

Empathy. Understanding other people’s actions and behaviours is so critical if we want to tackle big issues like climate change and tackling poverty.

What is your favourite way to help out the planet?

Empower young people; they are the future and deserve our support. The earlier we can move our young people from the back seat of the car and into the passenger seat and let them have a hand on the steering wheel – the quicker and wiser they will be when they are sitting in the drivers seat.

What is your favourite question to ask people?

‘What keeps you awake at night?’. It is one of seven questions from a Harvard Professor. There is something in this question that enables you to get to the heart of an issue.

What a groovy lady! Follow more of Wendy’s work on her website here.

Thanks for reading X