Twelve months ago, I waved goodbye as my daughter boarded a one-way flight to the UK. She was excited, scared, and stepping into the unknown – and it reminded me how most of us approach change in business: cautiously, often reluctantly, but deep down knowing it’s necessary.
Change is hard because it makes you uncomfortable. It creates uncertainty. But more often than not, change also opens the door to clarity, structure, and opportunity.
Why We Resist Change
There’s an old but relevant formula from psychologist David Gleicher that helps explain why we struggle with change. It goes like this:

- D = Dissatisfaction with the current state
- V = Vision of a better future
- F = First steps toward action
- R = Resistance to change
If the dissatisfaction, vision, and first steps are powerful enough, we overcome resistance. If one is missing – we stay stuck.
It’s the Same in Business
Maybe you’ve outgrown your systems. Or maybe you’ve been running on hope and instinct instead of data and process. You feel the pain of it – but change still feels like the harder option.
But what if it wasn’t?
What if you could map out a better future, make a plan, and take the first steps to get there – with support?
Real Change in Action: Back2Nature Childcare
Jenny from Back2Nature Childcare had a clear passion: delivering high-quality, home-based education in Te Atatū and Ōrākei. But as her business grew, the structure didn’t keep up. Everything was manual. The finances felt fuzzy. The business felt fragile.
That’s when she chose to change.
With support from Oxygen8, Jenny created clarity around her numbers, learned how to set goals, and implemented systems to make her childcare network sustainable – not just meaningful.
“I didn’t start this to make money – I just wanted to give tamariki quality care. But now I have the business skills to make it sustainable, too.”
– Back2Nature Childcare