From running boot camps for locals on her front lawn to becoming an online fitness sensation, Kate Ivey is inspiring thousands of people to move their bodies and embrace a holistic view of health and wellbeing.
The busy mum of three has built an online empire with her DediKate platform, all from the family’s farm near Twizel, proving location is no barrier to success.
DediKate is an online health and fitness community and app for busy women. They have members throughout New Zealand, and recently launched in Australia.
The philosophy of DediKate is built around improving overall health and wellbeing, not weight loss.
“Think about yourself as a whole. Nutrition, looking after yourself, and mental health are all a massive part of exercise. When you focus on your health in general, rather than weight loss, and create good habits you’re more likely to succeed long term. It’s about a positive approach to life and your body. At the end of the day, how you feel is so important, and we all want to feel good,” Kate explains.
DediKate stemmed from Kate’s own experiences, particularly fluctuations in weight and self-confidence after having children. Living on a sheep, beef and deer farm near stunning Aoraki, Mount Cook with her husband Mark and three children Olivia, 11, Gus, 9, and Immy, 6, Kate knew that any meaningful changes to the way she approached exercise had to be sustainable.
Kate’s story of business growth, and making it happen with a young family, are truly inspiring and show that with grit, determination and thinking outside the square, anything is possible.
Describe yourself in 3 words? Ambitious, genuine (I’m pretty straight up, what you see is what you get) workaholic!
Was there a lightbulb moment for you? I’d always wanted my own business, I didn’t really see my role as being on the farm. I’d really fluctuated in weight between children and, one day, after my third child I was driving home from a friend’s wedding and it suddenly clicked – far out, I’ve been doing this all wrong. I had learned all these things through my experience and qualifications in fitness, but to be successful I had to drop the ‘all in’ or ‘all out’ attitude. I’ve learned I don’t get success by focusing on weight loss. With a young family I need to be efficient and effective in my workouts and eat for energy, not to be skinny. I thought if I felt like that, there must be others in the same situation needing help. It was obvious to do it online because of where we live.
Best advice you’ve ever received? It takes 10 years to be an overnight success. That advice just encourages me to keep grinding and keep working hard. You can’t expect to conquer the world in a day, you have to keep putting in the effort day after day.
What’s your message to other women around health, wellbeing and fitness? To be successful it’s about accepting you are not going to be perfect. Lots of people view fitness as always fit, healthy and smashing your goals. But you will miss workouts and eat unhealthy food sometimes - don’t be too hard on yourself. Ask how fitness can fit into your life, rather than trying to adjust so fitness works and then you can’t maintain it.
Even if you miss a workout or two, just pick up where you left off. Establish the right amount for you, what’s realistic, and build up from there.
Focus on all the benefits, not just weight loss. We don’t always want to lose weight, but we do always want to feel good – focus on that.
Believe in yourself. So many people doubt themselves and that’s why they give up when they miss a workout, because they think they can’t do it. Just refocus and go again. You are only ever one workout and a decent meal from being on track. We’re not trying to go to the Olympics, we’re just trying to make our lives better – we don’t have to be perfect.
What are your daily habits/routines? Exercise. For me it would be non-negotiable four times a week, ideally more, but my days are pretty jam packed, so it’s about balancing everything.
Advice to other women starting out in business? If you’re going to make a proper go of it, you have to back yourself 100%. If you just kind of do it, you won’t go anywhere. You have to be completely focused on what you’re doing. I remember at the beginning, Mark was really busy on the farm and wanted help, at that stage I wasn’t making much money, but I had to stand my ground!
I have learned a lot with hiring people and the launch into Australia. It’s a big thing taking on people in your business, but it’s crucial if you want to expand.
Get a cleaner (seriously!) Knowing that at least the bathrooms will be clean once a week and the house vacuumed is a game changer. I don’t get done what I get done by vacuuming every day.
Dream way to spend a day? Daytime relaxing at the beach or lake with friends and family. Sunshine, laughter, being around people and a drink or two.
What’s one thing you can’t live without? Exercise. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I can’t be bothered, but it’s like that saying – every time you do it, you go ‘that’s why I do it’ - that feeling you get afterwards. It’s not like I jump out of bed and say ‘yea, let’s exercise’ though!
What are you listening to/reading? I think everyone should follow Mel Robbins on Instagram. She doesn’t believe in the word motivation, she’s about getting people to achieve things. I initially found some of her videos on YouTube. I do a lot of scrolling, but I tend to stick in my own lane and focus on myself.
I’ve just started writing notes to myself when I have self-doubt. I write things on a note like ‘you can do it’.
I also do the guided meditations from DediKate and aim for three times a week. It empowers me, reduces anxiety, and allows me to take control of my own thoughts. I did a lot before the Australian launch.
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