“So we’ll just start off with some simple questions like who are you; who is Zoe Hayes?”
A question I’ve found so daunting in the last few weeks. I don’t really know where it came from or how I ended up here but here I am, making my small impact on the world and it’s humbling to say the least.
Hi I’m Zoe Hayes a ’94 model originally born in Norfolk, United Kingdom raised in Perth, Western Australia. An only child and by the age of twelve a child of divorce. A passionate animal lover it’s a no brainer I ended up working with animals in my career. Now a full time Jillaroo working in North/ West Queensland on a cattle station, a self made entrepreneur with two small businesses & dreams of one day becoming a public speaker.
As many of us know in early January of 2018 our rural industry was shocked with the devastating loss of a young girl Dolly Everett bullied so traumatically she took her own life. See I’ve heard of hundreds of suicides over the last few years of people I never knew, never heard of before but when scrolling through social media & seeing how many hearts Dolly touched; including my own I knew it was my time to do something. Having previously written small women empowering women article for a friend’s blog it was picked up by a few journalists who then saw my connection with mental health & suicide. In September 2012 my mum took her own life after years of struggling with depression. Having gone through a lot of this all on my own I too was left feeling like I had no hope. Its now 2018 and somehow with an incredible network of people surrounding me I’m stronger than ever & wanting to share my experiences & story with whomever is willing to listen.
Being out on remote properties can sometimes leave you bored in your down times so I turned on my creativity creating two small business when I heard about Dolly’s death I wanted to help in anyway I could so that when I decided to donate 10% of my proceeds from Made By zoehayes_eaton towards Beyond Blue raising money & awareness for mental health & suicide; well it seemed to just blow up over night I was inundated with orders & people reaching out to me wanting to know “who is Zoe Hayes” “what is your message” my idea for the #DollupDepression came in wanting to create vibrant & colorful creations to be a conversation starter.
Its simple really I’m just your average twenty three year old who had a bit of a tough upbringing & lost my mum when I was seventeen years old. Now working in an industry I’m extremely passionate about & have the urge to help others in the world that may be suffering like my mum & I have. Ever since the day police informed me of my mothers death I’ve always said, “If I can prevent just one other family going through the pain I’ve felt; then all my suffering would be worth it”
I’m human, real, raw & as authentic as it comes, I have flaws and make mistakes, I have good days & I have some really below average days but that’s ok because I know that every time the sun goes down its just a chance for a new day to rise again.
Its so cliché but honestly if I can get to where I am today, believing in myself then you reading this right now can too!
