Friends combine their wellbeing skills

Suite 9, Wicksteed Terrace, is a haven, a calm space in the CBD where Carla Langmead and Julie Dean have combined their unique personalities to create Evolv Wellbeing Centre. It’s a large room, complete with kitchen, perfumed, lit with a soft glow and furnished with colour and taste.

“We figured Evolv covers everything that we do, really,” says Julie. She goes by the moniker The Local Dispensary, but her talents cover a range of life-enhancing skills.

“I’m a herbalist,” she says. “I’ve been a naturopath for more than 20 years, then I studied herbal medicine after that, because I’ve got a fascination with plants.”

She says she also has a fascination with feet — in a good way — which has led her to practise reflexology.

“It’s a really good form of healing.

“So I combine all of that together. On top of that, I also love yoga, and I have noticed around here there is no lunchtime yoga.” She says local office workers might appreciate a half-hour of bliss in the middle of the week.

“What I’m really excited about is ‘Wild Weeds’: just showing people that these wild weeds have so many health benefits and they live [and grow] all around us.”

Julie held a Wild Weeds Spring Workshop on Saturday, October 8, where people learned how to forage and identify plants, discover how to recognise medicinal plants and how to make a spring tonic.

“We went across to the Whanganui Learning Centre — they’ve got a garden filled with amazing weeds.

“Any time is a great time to be spring cleaning the body. There were a few weeds that I focussed on, but the main one was dandelion, which is a great spring cleaning herb, and they took home the remedy they made.”

Julie and Carla got to know each other when working together at Redi-Mix Concrete in Hamilton when they were in their late teens. Even though they went to different parts of the world — Julie to Argentina, Carla to London — they stayed in touch and kept a strong connection.

In March of 2022, Julie and Carla did a workshop called Backyard Reflections.

“We all offered very different things but had a really good turnout ... it inspired us to do more together.” Carla is a health coach.

“It’ll be in the workshops where we combine,” she says. “Or future events like movie nights, we’ll work together.” By movies, they mean things like inspirational and educational documentaries. While Wild Weeds is Julie’s workshop, Carla sees them working together on things like a sleep clinic or weight loss workshops.

“I can bring in a belief change segment so that will be the point of difference ... trying to meet that market.

“I can see the trends and patterns in my job so I know what people are looking for, what’s not working for them.” Carla is hoping to fill a need with her belief change work in combination with Julie’s herbal medicine, nutrition knowledge and her work through the natural lens.

“Between us I am hoping we can plug a gap,” says Carla. “And HeartMath is going to be part of my korero here.”

Carla has studied under the HeartMath Institute in the US, learning techniques based on the fact that our feelings and emotions affect not only us, but those around us. It’s about connecting with your heart — and a lot more besides.

“That’s stress management, how to reset the nervous system and shift baselines, so it gives you sustainable internal shift so you’re not affected by stress anymore. I’ll keep it simple and stick to the stress management role.” By Paul Brooks

Friends Carla Langmead (left) and Julie Dean have formed Evolv Wellbeing Centre. Photo / Paul Brooks

Property Brokers Whanganui has won the largest volume of sales for any New Zealand real estate brand for a medium residential office, for the sixth time in a row.

Branch manager Ritesh Verma said the award was massive, this award is nationwide and against every other real estate brand.

“It’s all because of our clients. We can’t do anything without them,” Verma said.

“When you’re selling volume, it means you’re dealing with a lot of people and we’ve got absolutely loyal supporters from Whanganui folk, they’ve been absolutely great to us.”

He said the award Property Brokers Whanganui won was for an office with up to 20 agents.

“In a tough market, still being able to sell real estate is exciting for us, and means we’re doing the right thing and we have the right processes.

“It also means our staff are doing their job. That’s from the guy putting up the sign, to me, the boss, and everyone in between. Our sales team are second to none and its been proven over and over again, you simply have to look at the recent Property Guides”

He said the Whanganui branch had won the award six years in a row, and seven of the last eight years.

“So, we have a special team and a special branch, and one day we’ll reflect on that because we won’t always win the award.

“But also, as a company and a branch we give back to the community a lot, and that’s what it’s all about. The community have done things for us and we do things for them.” He said this included the branch’s Pack the Bus initiative - an annual event which collects food and toys for City Mission and Birthright Whanganui and distributes it to families in need.

In the 2021 event received donations from nine schools and 18 businesses around Whanganui and estimated more than $10,000 worth of toys and $5000 worth of food donated.

The award was by The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) Awards for Excellence, announced on September 7, 2022.

Ritesh Verma pictured with the award. Photo / Supplied

“It’s all because of our clients. We can’t do anything without them.”