Day My Life Changed: ‘I was made redundant from a job I loved’

Jayne-Anne Power was left wondering if she would ever work again after losing her job. But she dusted herself off and started her own business that’s now thriving. Here’s her story.

I was made redundant from a job that I really, really loved in a way that was a very painful experience. I was about to turn 50 and I was thinking “what am I going to do with the rest of my career?”.

The day after, I went for a walk along the beach – from Henley to Grange – and I realised a number of things, all at once.

I was living in a way where I was waiting. To be chosen. Hoping my employers would value my talent. Leaving a lot of my future to other people, all the time.

Saying to myself “if you still want to work in apparel, it’s going to be really hard for you to find a job that uses the skills that you have”.

Jayne-Anne Power worked for Rossi Boots from 2014 to 2020. Picture: Calum Robertson

Asking, “How am I going to find a role?” and saying “I don’t want to move. I want to be here in Adelaide. This is my home, but I still see myself as being on a career trajectory”.

I had been all over the world with my work and trained by some great people, whether that was in PR, marketing, clothing or footwear; beautiful experiences, wonderful knowledge, contacts and exposure to things that you don’t usually get in Adelaide. When I worked for Rossi Boots (from 2014 to 2020), I went to Italy to study with a master shoemaker. I stepped up to everything … I just could not face the idea of letting all of that go.

It wasn’t that I was worried I wouldn’t find another job. I was worried I wouldn’t find another job I loved.

I had worked since I was 13 and my first full-time job after school was in Miss JM at John Martin’s. I’ve always been in retail, even when I was a professional singer.

Adelaide, do you remember... the John Martin's Christmas Pageant?

John Martin's in the early 1980s. Picture: Dick Joyner

Jayne-Anne Power performing. Picture: Supplied

I bloody love working. That’s always been my vibe and I’ve thrown myself into every job I’ve ever done and I always work for my employer like I’m working for myself.

Being made redundant made me face all of my limiting thoughts about who I am, what was possible, how much blessing I needed from other people to be able to shine … or why I even thought I needed my employer to notice me.

The dynamics of everything that happened at the time completely shifted my mindset in a radical and transformative way. I saw myself and my situation and thought “oh, hang on, you could change this. You actually don’t need to feel at the mercy of your life. You could take control”.

I realised that if I wanted to keep growing as a person and growing professionally, having my own business was really the only way.

There’s no guarantees when you start a business. It may or may not work out, but at least I could start by deciding that I was going to be in control of my life and who knew where that would lead. It was just this whole epiphany.

I already had Kennedy Parker as a sidehustle but I hadn’t really thought of it as a full-time gig. I had the product and had thought through the brand.

Jayne-Anne Power. Picture: Supplied

As I was walking on the beach that day, I thought “you need to get back to your roots. Have a shop, serve people, fit them properly”.

I realised what I really want is a positive environment … kind and good energy … and I had the power to create (that). So that’s what I do now. I enjoy the time that I have with people when they come into the Kennedy Parker store (which opened in November 2022) – customers, browsers, friends … It’s up to me to create that positive energy.

One of the other beautiful things is that Adelaide Arcade is a community. I love the camaraderie. I get a lot of referrals from other businesses, and they get them from me.

My business is still growing. With Kennedy Parker, I’m offering something that customers like, that they’re coming back for. An investment shoe that you have in your wardrobe for a long time … a lot of men are looking for that quality shoe. They like that I’m selling something a bit different to the other brands and that the service is very personal.

Jayne-Anne Power at her Kennedy Parker store, Picture: Supplied

I’m very grateful that it didn’t feel good (when I was made redundant). I was told face-to-face, but I didn’t get to say goodbye to all of my team. I was escorted out of the building.

If I had a nice farewell dinner I probably would have just said to myself “I can just go find another job”. But it felt so painful that I thought “What are you doing? You could be in charge of your own life”.

One of the cool things that came out of it was that for many years I lacked the confidence to be a leader or a business owner, because I always thought I was too nice and I wasn’t tough enough.

That moment made me realise that just because I’m not tough, or mean, or a bully, or whatever, it does not mean that I don’t have what it takes to be a great leader.

Great leadership is about putting people first and approaching things with kindness, even things that are hard.

I’m so glad that it all happened because I am experiencing more freedom than I’ve ever had in my life to be myself. I’ve never felt more relaxed and I’ve never felt more like myself than I feel now. It was a blessing.

As told to Anna Vlach as part of SA Weekend’s new column, The Day My Life Changed, featured every Saturday.

The Kennedy Parker store is in Gays Arcade off Adelaide Arcade

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