Working for someone else made it hard to care for my daughter. So I quit
"I come from an Indian family background, anyone who knows a lot of Indians knows there is always a push for engineering or being a doctor," says the 44-year-old from south-east Queensland.
"But I was horrendous at maths … and really enjoyed legal studies."
Eventually specialising in property law, Niti enjoyed the "boring document stuff".
But having her daughter changed how she felt about the work she was doing.
Niti's daughter was born with multiple disabilities, which has required a lot of her focus.
"Working as a lawyer in private practice, you don't always get the understanding you need to take time to go to appointments.
"I couldn't do a lot of things my other colleagues could, like attend evening networking events.
"That was really tough."
That inflexibility, along with her growing passion for the disability sector, is why Niti recently made the decision to leave law and her work in the disability sector, and focus full-time on her own independent disability consultancy.
We spoke to Niti about a career change in her 40s, and what taking the leap into self-employment has been like, while also being the sole carer for her now tween daughter.
These are her words.
Every milestone with my daughter has had challenges.
She is my everything and as a single parent, I have walked every step of this journey with her; navigating those complex systems, fighting for every inch of support.
And learning firsthand how daunting the NDIS [National Disability Insurance Scheme] can be for families like mine ... juggling that with work hasn't been easy.
My husband and I separated when our daughter was three.
That separation threw my world, because I originally wanted to drop down to part-time work to manage all her appointments.
Suddenly I had to maintain all the finances, so I went back to full-time work.
COVID forced a lot of law firms to realise people can work from home, and they're not watching Jerry Springer. But back then things weren't as flexible.
And medical specialists don't work according to your schedule — you take the appointment when it's on offer.
I had to ask for a lot of unpaid leave to manage those.
Even though no-one would tell you that is the reason they are annoyed, you just felt the heat: "Oh, she's taking another carer's day off."
Do you have a unique job you often get questions about? We'd love to hear about it lifestyle@abc.net.au
I've been a lawyer forever and a day. I went from big firms, to small firms, to in-house and government.
In one of my jobs I was working as property lawyer, and was advising on specialist disability accommodation.
I felt really passionate about it because of my daughter, so I decided to see if I could step into the disability sector.
I was successful getting a role in that space and on the side started my own consultancy.
Just recently I've gone full-time with my business, and I've been loving it so far.
At the start I felt sick about it. I had — and still have — imposter syndrome.
And I do have fears about making enough money to make ends meet.
I am keeping in the back of my mind that I may have to accept going back to employment part-time or full-time, but am giving it a few months and seeing what comes from that.
One of the biggest shifts is I don't feel guilty anymore.
No-one ever made me feel that way, but I always felt like I wasn't giving 100 per cent to my job.
Just recently I took my daughter to get a new hearing aid, and it felt so freeing.
I wasn't going to have to explain the situation to anyone. I just took her out of school early, and simply didn't answer any business calls during that time.
This morning, I was able to make pancakes for my daughter, and she was so happy.
That's one of the benefits of working for myself, I can do more things with her.
That gives me a lot of joy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Come and say G'day': Anthony Albanese revamps iconic Aussie tourism campaign in pitch to Chinese holidaymakers
An iconic Aussie campaign urging tourists to 'Come and say G'day' is being revamped as Anthony Albanese spruiks the country's postcard-perfect tourism offerings to prospective tourists in Shanghai. The Prime Minister landed in China's biggest city on Saturday, kicking off an unusually lengthy state visit at the invite of counterpart Li Qiang. Mr Albanese hopes to convince the Chinese that Australia has more to offer than the world's best tariff-free beef and lobster, amid the spectre of an increasingly militaristic regional rivalry looming large over the Australia-China relationship. But Mr Albanese appears otherwise keen to focus on other areas, such as the billions of dollars vacationing Chinese pump into Australia's thirsty tourism sector. He is expected to sign a deal with Chinese travel giant to promote Australia as the place to see. The 'Memorandum of Understanding' between and Tourism Australia - our peak government agency promoting Australian travel destinations - will come with a revamp of the 'Come and Say G'day' ad campaign. Like the original campaign in 2022, it will star Rosy the Kangaroo welcoming Chinese tourists to Australia. It will also feature Yu Shi, a young A-list actor leading an explosive career since his 2023 break-out role in a major Chinese epic fantasy franchise. 'Not only is Australia's beef, barley, red wine and lobster the best in the world – we're the best place in the world to come for a holiday,' Mr Albanese said. 'Expanding our tourism relationship with China will mean more jobs for Australians and a boost to Australian businesses.' Chinese holidaymakers are Australia's highest-paying visitors. Making up some 860,000 visits, tourists from mainland China splashed a whopping $9.2bn in the 12 months to March, according to official figures. Both the number of visits and the amount spent were up on March 2024 figures by 26 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. Still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic and blindsided by devastating natural disasters in recent years, it is a welcome trend for Australia's tourism industry.
SBS Australia
4 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Australia's hermit crabs are in demand globally but some want the trade banned
A push to export hermit crabs from Western Australia has sparked criticism, with one political party calling to ban the trade over concerns about animal welfare and environmental impact. Merv Cooper runs Crazy Crabs in Western Australia — a business operating since 1979, specialising in the sale of Australian land hermit crabs. He sells these to Australian pet stories, and also exports them internationally to locations including Hong Kong and the United States. But his export permit expired late last year and the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is now assessing a three-year extension — a move the Animal Justice Party says would be "reckless and short-sighted". SBS News attempted to contact Cooper for comment but he was unavailable. Experts say it's difficult to know whether harvesting the crustaceans is sustainable, due to regulatory gaps in Australia's hermit crab trade. A little-known industry The species — Coenobita variabilis — is endemic to Australia, found only along the north-western coast of Western Australia and in parts of the Northern Territory. In its proposal to the DCCEEW, Crazy Crabs said the business collects on average 30,000 crabs each. In summer, he and a small crew head out for four to six days at a time, collecting crabs at night on foot using torches and buckets. "Really small" crabs are left on the beach. It says collections happen "only a couple of times a year" and these don't "appear to have any detriment on populations". But reliable data on hermit crab harvesting is scarce. During a typical year, Merv Cooper collects 30,000 crabs from Western Australian beaches — which he sends off to pet shops across Australia. Source: Getty / Jamie La Australian states and territories are responsible for domestic trade, including licensing requirements. This makes it difficult to determine the exact number of active hermit crab export operators in Australia, the quantity of crabs they collect, and the potential impact of this activity. According to an ABC report in 2022, WA Fisheries data indicated around 80,000 land hermit crabs were collected by two active operators that year. At the time, they estimated the commercial value of a hermit crab licence to be between $1 million and $5 million. A DCCEEW spokesperson said the federal government "strictly regulates commercial trade in wildlife and wildlife products from Australian native species, such as hermit crabs. Animal Justice Party MPs say the application highlights a lack of scientific rigour in how such trades are assessed — and could open the door to further exploitation. "This proposal is a stark example of the federal government's failure to uphold rigorous scientific and environmental standards," said Victorian upper house MP Georgie Purcell, "Allowing the commercial export of a native species without comprehensive ecological assessments is reckless and short-sighted." WA upper house MP Amanda Dorn said she is concerned that if the trade is allowed to continue with little regulation, "fragile ecosystems" could be "irreversibly" damaged. In its proposal, Crazy Crabs said WA's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development does not consider Coenobita variabilis to be in need of formal management plans for protection. It said the number of crabs and the locations where they were collected are reported monthly, as required by state licensing laws. "I have been collecting Hermit crabs for over 50 years and have never seen any need for restrictions," the proposal reads." I don't go to all places every year, hence there is always plenty of hermit crabs." Tim Nichols, a manager at WA Fisheries, told the ABC in 2022 the species was abundant and their population was unlikely to be affected by the current level of fishing. 'Relying on self-reporting': Expert raises concerns Kim Feddema, a wildlife trade expert and lecturer at Edith Cowan University, said the trade relies heavily on licence-holders to assess their own environmental impact, with no baseline population data or independent monitoring. "We need to understand how many hermit crabs are actually in those locations and what role they play in the broader ecology," she told SBS News. "Without baseline data, there's no way to judge the sustainability of this kind of trade." While the international export of native species is subject to federal regulation, hermit crabs are not formally listed as protected. Invertebrates often fall through regulatory gaps, Feddema said, because they're harder to monitor and traditionally not perceived as sentient. Kim Feddema, a wildlife trade expert, said more regulation is necessary in the industry to ensure the welfare of hermit crabs and to understand the environmental implications of their removal. Credit: Stephen Heath / Edith Cowan University Globally, land hermit crabs are harvested for both the pet and shell trade. While shells are often sold as decorations, Feddema notes they once housed live animals. "People often perceive [shells] to be empty, but there is a live animal within them before that stage," she said. Across Asia, including Thailand and Japan, this dual trade has already been linked to population declines. While Australia requires permits to collect hermit crabs at a commercial level, enforcement is limited and operators are not independently monitored. "We're relying on self-reporting here," Feddema said. "There's no verification of what's being collected or the long-term impact on local populations." Are hermit crabs suitable pets? Hermit crabs play a vital role in their native ecosystems, Feddema said, acting as "ecosystem engineers". They recycle shells that would otherwise be buried by sand, creating homes for algae, sponges, and other small organisms. They also help with nutrient recycling by scavenging on waste and decaying animals. But despite this ecological importance, hermit crabs are often marketed as low-maintenance pets — sold in pet stores and online — a characterisation Feddema said is misleading. She said in the wild, they can live for over thirty years. In captivity, however, their lifespans are often significantly shortened — sometimes surviving only a few months or years. She compared the industry to the "cut flower trade", where high mortality rates are treated as inevitable. "People sometimes treat pets the same way they treat cut flowers — that they'll have them for a short period of time and then accept a certain level of mortality," she said. In its proposal, Crazy Crabs said its experience in taking, holding and transporting hermit crabs "has reduced the mortality rate during transit to practical zero for the last ten years". Demand for rare and large individuals is also growing, raising concerns about overharvesting ecologically important crabs that produce a high number of offspring. Studies have shown hermit crabs exhibit signs of sentience, including problem solving, memory and a response to pain — which Feddema said challenges assumptions that invertebrates do not require additional welfare standards. "There is a question about how appropriate they are to be held in captivity," she said. "If the owner doesn't have the particular needs and they're not able to recognise the complexity of owning a hermit crab." She said reforms are urgently needed to assess population health and establish long-term data. "It is very possible that this is a trade that is sustainable, but we just can't make that decision without the data behind it."
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Arts Centre builder's family home sold in Burwood
A Burwood home built by the man who helped supervise works on Melbourne landmarks including the Arts Centre and RMIT has sold to a local family who plan to preserve its character. The four-bedroom house at 30 Leopold St changed hands for $1.775m, with buyers drawn to its spacious floorplan, 836sq m block, and original features, including a spa, sauna and swimming pool, which were ahead of their time when built in the early 1970s. Buxton Mount Waverley's Peter Serafino said the home attracted strong local interest and was never seriously considered for demolition. Melb property market tipped to hit new record 'The buyers are a family from the area who fell in love with it,' Mr Serafino said. 'They're planning to renovate rather than rebuild, which is the perfect outcome. It's rare to find a home like this in such great condition.' Seller Leonie Vella, who grew up in the home with her sister Kim, said their late father John Vella was a construction supervisor who worked on the Arts Centre and the RMIT building. 'Dad was a builder through and through, but he also had heart,' Ms Vella said. 'He built this house for us. Every brick was perfectly placed, and Mum made sure it was always immaculate. 'It still has her curtains hanging from the '70s.' Ms Vella's late mother June played a major role in the home's interior and garden design. 'Mum had so much flair. She planted flowers along the brick walls and kept the formal lounge for Christmas only,' she said. 'It was pristine, but always warm. 'She took pride in every detail, right up to the end.' The property features two large living areas, a bar, terraced gardens, and an undercover alfresco area that once hosted pool parties, family milestones and holiday celebrations. 'We had every kind of event here, engagements, Christmases, sleepovers,' Ms Vella said. 'It was the kind of house that was always full of life and joy.' Ms Vella said knowing the home would be loved again gave the family comfort. 'That's what Dad would've wanted,' she said. 'There is this warmth that never left, like the love stayed in the walls.'
