How Well Do We Know People In Our Community?

Lindie and Mike are the two talented designers who own “Dustyandlulu”. They work from home serving the community and beyond. Every month they bring our Martinborough Star to fruition.

Lindie was originally a Wairarapa girl, who couldn’t wait to leave home. After finishing a three-year Design degree, working a summer job for the Yellow and White Pages as a proofreader, where her eyes were falling out of their sockets due to the thick cigarette smoke, she went to Tokyo to teach English. “It was a totally new experience, definitely diving in the deep end. I couldn’t speak Japanese. The age range in my class went from 2 years old to 70.  But the attitude was “Here you are, Away you go, Just teach English, so I did”.  

As a child Lindie had travelled extensively with her parents.  Her father was a pastor undertaking missionary work. When she was 10 the family travelled in a motor home for 9 months, visiting 31 of the States of America. And at age 14, a VW van transported them throughout Europe for 5 months. 

Returning from Japan, Lindie worked for the Dominion Post, which proved to be a steppingstone to working in an Advertising Agency in Dublin. “I loved Dublin, the friendliness of the people, the relaxed working hours from 9.30 to 5.30pm, the hour and half for lunch and who can forget the pubs? I once worked till 5.45 and found myself locked in. Work finished at 5.30pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Back in New Zealand Lindie joined Moxie Design in Wellington.

Meanwhile Mike grew up in Whanganui. His sister is an artist, his brother a musician, and Mike was no exception to the rule. A 4-year Art Degree with First Class Honours paved the way for travelling to London. “For the first 6 months I slept on someone else’s couch,” he said. “But I found accommodation and worked in the UK for 5 and a half years. My first job at the Science Museum in South Kensington involved making displays, exhibits, posters, and publications.  In my spare time I played rugby and cricket.

Another leap and a position became available at Paling Walters, a global agency which specialised in pharmaceutical advertising. “It was fun. I have never ever worked in another firm where you left after a Thursday client lunch and didn’t come back until Monday morning. It was a different culture. We were working for big companies, where clients and advertising account managers interacted. There were a lot of perks.”

Despite the perks, New Zealand was pulling at the heart strings. The thought of having a motorbike, learning Karate, and creating screen prints was alluring.  I applied for a position at Moxie Design, where Lindie had become the Manager.  After all the normal interview questions Lindie asked me “What sort of biscuit would I be and Why?” “A Squiggle Top”, replied Mike. Lindie laughed and Mike was hired.

A change in ownership at Moxie made Lindie and Mike question where they really wanted to live and work. Martinborough topped the charts. Space, their own home, a great place to bring up their son Dusty and no commuting won the day. We are fortunate to have them here in our town.