Team Member Profile | April Twyford
April is our resident natural healer! Not only is she always surprising us with her knowledge of natural remedies, she’s your go to for a laugh and a good chat on days where you’re not feeling like you really want to be working and need a pick me up. April is rarely seen sitting still and it feels as soon as she gets in, she’s just as quickly leaving to go and pick up he little ones from school.
A woman balancing it all, work, motherhood, and study; we are so lucky she spends a good chunk of her week developing WorkLife as a business, and welcoming our new members with open arms.
In a miraculous turn of events, April had a spare ten minutes in her diary which Community Manager Jess claimed very quickly for an informal outdoor chat amongst Berry’s changing Autumn colours.
Welcome April! To get us started can you please tell us about your local story, what brought you to the South Coast?
I grew up down here in Berry, and then headed to the big smoke when I finished high school, and spent most of my adult life in Sydney. But just before COVID hit, I decided I wanted to come down and have a bit of a change of lifestyle with my two babies. I wanted to buy a house and renovate, have a garden, get my hands dirty, and just have a full reset. So that’s what I’ve done.
What cosmic alignment led you to work with us here at WorkLife?
Luckily for me, my sister is quite the social butterfly about town. She knew Kate and had been working here herself part time, so she suggested to me that it might be a good fit to come in and meet Kate. As soon as I did, and spent some time in the Berry space and got inside Kate’s hectic, creative brain, I knew I wanted to be part of the team. Luckily, there’s been a spot for me here.
Your position is designed to compliment your main business or life role, can you tell me a little bit about that?
This role allows me massive flexibility and has also given me some pretty good organisational skills to help me out with my studying as I’m studying full time to be a naturopath. So this fits in with that, as well as being a mama and allowing for the times when I have to deal with sick children.
Although I can imagine you’re very busy with work, study and raising kids, but what do you enjoy doing in your spare time where you can find it?
Gardening. I have a pretty good medicinal garden at the moment, which gives me much joy. Other than that, I do like to have a little visit and a beach walk or even a swim in the ocean in winter. And just spending time with my family really.
What is your best productivity hack that you would recommend to our members?
It would be having some form of a default diary or some type of time blocking system in your week. So I use that throughout my whole life, so my work life, and my personal life as well. I’m also obsessed with lists, written lists, lists on my computer, lists on my phone, lists on my fridge, lists on my hands, anywhere that I can put a list I will.
When people come to visit you, what is the one place you recommend they eat locally?
South on Albany would be my favourite, although I do also love a cozy pub lunch in front of the fire at the Berry Hotel.
Looking at your bookshelf at home, what’s the one book you suggest people read?
For a bit of a slap in the face and education, I would say Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari, it kind of changed my life reading about the war on drugs and the damage that that’s done to society. I also love rock biographies of rock stars. Keith Richards memoir or Stevie Nicks memoir is probably my favourite, or Marianne Faithfuls as well for entertainment and interest in like the past. Then you’ve got more based around self development, like Start with Why would be another one which I think if you haven’t read it, you probably should.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture in your home?
My bed. I’m obsessed with my bed. I have a king size pink velvet bed, and it is my favourite place in the world. I’m in the process of upgrading it even further with lots of nice new sheets and one of those fancy pillow toppers that makes you feel like you’re staying in a hotel.
What is your favourite part about working for WorkLife?
The banter. It’s the conversations that are had across the room or around the coffee machine that end with roaring laughter or a bit of education and also a way of keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in town.
If you were to wake up tomorrow and live your perfect local day, what would it look like?
It would start with a gigantic sleep in and very quiet children. Followed by probably grabbing some breakfast at Milkwood Bakery. Getting some coffee and beautiful pastries to take away, for a walk around the town especially at this time of year with the beautiful leaves. Then I would head up to Kangaroo Valley and go to the Pub there. Stick the kids in the play area and drink a bottle of red wine and eat some yummy food. Followed by coming back and having a walk along Gerroa Beach and then home to read, garden, and sleep.
