ONE faithful day in 2017, Bendigo businesswoman Kimberley Furness was in the magazine aisle of her local supermarket and realised she didn't see herself reflected in any other publications - and she decided to do something about it.
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Ms Furness was named runner-up in the AgriFutures 2022 Rural Woman of the Year awards for her work with OAK Magazine - the name of which was inspired by ancient mythology of the tree that believed it to be a depository of wisdom - which shares the stories of rural and regional businesswoman.
Within six weeks of convincing the idea (including a moment in the foetal position in week three questioning her decision), she put out the first edition of the quarterly magazine.
Ms Furness, a former journalist, firmly believes "you cannot be what you cannot see".
"I wrote the magazine to share the stories of regional and rural women in business, and it's about giving women from those areas visibility," Ms Furness said.
"We're largely missing from the media and we're underrepresented. By having this magazine that amplifies our voices, other women can feel like they're seen and heard, and see what's possible."
The magazine grew into the podcast Take Me Somewhere, recorded in a mobile studio in a remodelled van, inspiring hundreds of rural women along the way.
"There's a confidence that comes from reading about someone that's been there and done that, then harnessing that confidence," she said.
"An example is this lady who would listen to the podcast, and she got the confidence to then open up her own little art gallery in rural NSW, off the main drag, supporting local artists and bringing in tourism dollars."
Ms Furness said the stories of previous finalists, who she had interviewed for the magazine, had inspired to enter the awards.
As the Victorian finalist, she received a $15,000 grant from Westpac, which she put towards an audio version of the magazine and employing a radio journalist based in the bush to create and produce content.
Bigger and better things are on the horizon for both the magazine and the podcast. The next item on the bucket list is to take the van around Western Australia and the Northern Territory to uncover the stories of more women, particularly Indigenous women and those in male-dominated industries.
"Hopefully, I can build this beautiful network - not just a magazine, but something that does so much more out in our regional communities," Ms Furness said.
"If we can share these stories and give rural women a voice, it shows that our postcode isn't a barrier."
* ACM Ag is a proud media sponsor of the Rural Womens Award
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
