Mothers
Author & Entrepreneur
About Jenny
Journalist, author, consultant, entrepreneur.
Several of her books have been best sellers. She has been published internationally.
After gaining a degree at The University of Waikato, Jenny became a journalist - at various times a news journalist and feature writer (Waikato Times, Sunday Times), sub–editor, editor and women’s editor (Capital Visitor, Straight Furrow) and columnist. She was writing a daily column –The Phillips File – for Wellington’s Dominion newspaper, at the age of 21, in 1971. This was seen as ground-breaking for women at the time.
She opened her first business, a boutique, in Hamilton, moved to Wellington after its sale, then in the early years of marriage and children, freelanced as a writer. Having also trained as a group facilitator, she led group sessions in areas such as Life/Work Planning and Assertiveness for Women.
Her book Mothers Matter Too – was published in 1983, to critical acclaim. There was a television documentary, it was a bestseller and remained in bookshops for many years, as well as being one of the most borrowed books in libraries. Jenny wrote 10 books in total, one every couple of years, that were published in New Zealand and overseas.
She was the founding entrepreneur of Clarity, the communication and management consultancy, in 1981.
She was managing director for many years until 2003. The successful business pioneered better attitudes to communication within New Zealand organisations and an ethical approach to public relations. Clarity provided many opportunities for skilled and talented women with families to return to and contribute to the workforce at a time when this was unusual. The company was a pioneer in innovative social practices such as job sharing and the family friendly workplace. The business went through several transformations to match changing times over the years, but always remained true to its original vision.
Jenny Phillips won a MORE Businesswoman of the Year award and Clarity’s successful franchisee, Clarity Christchurch Ltd, led by Felicity Price and Heather Ellen, won several business and communication awards.
We all, most satisfying of all, achieved high levels of customer satisfaction. Felicity has subsequently also become a best-selling author
Jenny later became a judge for other business awards such as the Business Enterprise Award, and Her Magazine Businesswoman of the Year awards.
For a number of years she acted as a New Zealand Qualifications Authority monitor for business and communication degrees, and was subsequently made an Honorary Fellow of the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand.
Jenny has been living with brain injury, re-learning the tasks of everyday life, and rebuilding her life for over 15 years. She closed her company, Clarity, in 2003. She would like to write another book, about brain injury. Never say never!
Meanwhile Jenny’s children, Doug and Shona Riddell, have followed in their mother’s footsteps by writing books, for children, young adults and adults themselves. Doug writes under the pen-name Doug Riker.
