Hey Wellington, it’s time to get our buzz back
Hey Wellington,
Who’s up for doing something different?
Everywhere I go in this city, I hear my fellow Wellingtonians saying a version of the same thing: let’s get our buzz back. We love our capital and it’s been a tough few years that’s left us shrunken and not what we used to be. People are tired, stretched and wondering how they can feel hopeful and energised again.
I genuinely believe this can be one of the best cities in the world to live and work. Not as a marketing line, but as our daily reality. We already have so much going for us. I’m writing this from a place of real love for Wellington and its people, my people.
In the last few years we’ve weathered shocks, uncertainty and change that have left many of us feeling depleted and anxious about what’s coming next. Reflecting on it from here, we’ve slipped into waiting mode: waiting for the economy to recover, waiting for distant wars to settle, waiting for our politicians to decide what they will or won’t do.
But here’s the thing: we don’t have to wait.
We don’t need to wait for an economic recovery that may or may not arrive on the timeline we hope for. We don’t need to wait for far‑away conflicts to resolve, or for the perfect policy package. We don’t need anyone’s permission to start designing better ways of living and working in this city. This is something we can decide for ourselves, right now, if we choose the kind of city we want to be.
Here in Wellington, we have excellent people, exciting businesses, inspiring not‑for‑profits and the beating heart of our public service. We’re rich in arts, culture and creativity, with a depth of talent and ideas that any other global city would envy.
Yet we’ve lost that vibe and that buzz we used to know and feel around us. It’s hard to be proud hosts to the rest of the country and the world when we ourselves feel under threat.
That’s why I believe our way back isn’t just about big projects or major announcements. It’s about how we design work and life, together.
In my work across Aotearoa, I’m partnering with bold, thoughtful leaders who are reshaping how work is done so people and businesses can both benefit. They’re experimenting with new ways of working that create more focus, more autonomy and more trust. Most of my work is happening outside Wellington.
I love the work that’s happening in other parts of the country, I want it for Wellington too. My heart is here. I want my city to be part of this next chapter, not watching from the sidelines. Wellington has always had a spirit of creativity and we can bring it back this time in how we design work and life.
So, this is an invitation to Wellington leaders, employers and business owners who feel that same mix of tiredness and hope.
I have space to partner with a couple of organisations who are ready to pilot new ways of working that:
Lift productivity in a sustainable way
Support a healthy, less stressed workforce
A mature, future‑fit way of working that is always evolving, by design
This isn’t about quick fixes or shiny initiatives. It’s about doing the careful, practical work of redesigning how work happens so that people have more agency, more energy and more room to do the best work of their lives.
My hope is that those organisations are Wellington organisations, so that together we can show what’s possible here. That’s how we start to get our buzz back: by changing how we work and live, without waiting for the perfect conditions, and by creating real examples we can point to and celebrate.
That’s how we grow back into a vibrant capital city that people are proud to live in, work in and share with the world.
Hey Wellington, it’s time to get our buzz back. We don’t have to wait. Who’s in?
I am!
gillian@gillianbrookes.co.nz