What was the inspiration for your project / company and how long had you been working on it before launching?
The inspiration for starting Hikotron came from my husband and my experience living and driving an electric vehicle in London and living in an apartment with no off-street parking. What that meant is that we had to become very familiar with and relied heavily on the public electric vehicle charging network.
My husband being an engineer and car enthusiast then came up with an idea of starting our own EV charging network in New Zealand when we planned to emigrate here and we naively jumped into the start-up life…the rest is history 😊
The entrepreneurial spirit also runs through my veins as my father is a self-made business man and so I have always been drawn to the idea of starting a business of my own!
*Can you share with us what a typical day looks like for you?
I don’t think there is a typical day for a start-up founder!
But I am either having meetings and networking, doing general business admin and wearing all of my many hats for sales, marketing, pitching for investment, legal, supply chain management, to name but a few.
A fun day would be when I am at a networking event or having an exciting meeting with new and interesting people.
A not so fun day would be when I get roped into supporting in the manufacturing process of the EV chargers…I don’t think Lego was one of my favorite past times as a kid so building stuff doesn’t come naturally as it does for my husband and the rest of our very capable team!
*The industry that you’re in now, was that always a career pathway you wanted to explore? And if not always, what sparked your initial interest?
No way! I have definitely fallen into this. I had to very quickly become and EV & EV charging expert. I have loved this journey as I now love electric cars and specifically how it changes our driving habits and it is a gateway to living more sustainably in general I think.
I also love that women are doing great things in this space and I want to be a part of and support women in electric vehicles in any way I can.
*Do you have a highlight experience from your years of work in this space?
It was great to be on the Women in Electric Vehicles panel at the Fully Charged – Everything Electric Show in Sydney. It was great to speak alongside so many other amazing ladies doing super things in this space.
As a founder I do live and breath every success big or small that the company has so it has been a real privilege to be on this journey together with my husband. You really do have to try and enjoy each stage as it comes and not live too much in the past or future.
That being said it is also very hard not to take the losses personally, start-up life is a definite rollercoaster. Trying to separate personal from business has definitely been a big learning for me.
*Can you share something that may surprise people about what could go on behind the scenes of your work?
As I mentioned, I do sometimes (on rare occasions) get recruited in, to support with the manufacture of the chargers – this could involve things like soldering or assembling certain parts. That has also been a big learning curve for me and gives me a really deep understanding of how things get built! As we scale and grow these occasions get rarer (thankfully as I am not sure I have the patience or engineering spirit for this), but I am glad I have gone through this process as it gives me confidence about understanding the amazing technology we are making right here in NZ.
*Where would we find you in your spare time?
Ideally travelling or on holiday
Eating and spending time with friends & family – I am a foodie!
And I love the nature walks all round NZ & keeping fit running/cycling and in winter skiing.
*Best advice you’ve ever been given?
From my Dad: Work hard and play harder
*Social media handles or links
Instagram:
@stephocall
@hikotron
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