Celebrating Women's Day with Catherine’s Inspiring Career Journey!
In honour of Women's Day in South Africa, we're excited to present the second feature in our interview series at Path Start. Our mission is to inspire and guide individuals towards fulfilling career paths, and what better way to celebrate than by spotlighting remarkable stories! In this series, we're thrilled to introduce you to Catherine Cartwright, the dynamic force behind "Mama Alles" – crafting delectable dehydrated meals for every adventure. Join us as we dive into Catherine's unique journey, exploring her academic background, career twists, and empowering insights.
Get ready to be inspired by Catherine Cartwright, the visionary behind "Mama Alles," crafting delicious dehydrated meals for every adventure, indoors and out. With a trailblazing academic background, including a Bachelor's in Social Science and a Master's in City Planning, Catherine's career path defies convention. Her journey showcases the power of adaptability and the pursuit of passion, proving that success often comes from embracing change. Stay tuned as we explore Catherine's remarkable story and uncover the invaluable insights she's gained along the way. Discover more about Catherine's inspiring journey on @catherinecartwright and @mama_alles.
1. Can you briefly describe who you are and your career path to us? What did you study after school? What jobs/roles have you had before or since then?
I have a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in Environmental Geographical Science and Social Anthropology and a Masters in City Planning. Throughout university, I worked as a production coordinator and production manager in film, an industry that I continued to dip into until I chose my current career path. After university I worked for a couple of spatial justice organizations, using my masters degree in City Planning. I really enjoyed the work but I felt like I needed a more efficient way to create change. I strongly believe that creating employment in South Africa is the most important thing that we can do to instigate real change and to truly empower people. I have worked in many industries and have had many jobs, and while I haven’t followed a traditional career path I am happy to continuously reinvent myself and try new things.
2. Was your tertiary education in the field you are currently working in? How has your tertiary education or the tools you gained there helped you in your career path thus far?
No, I am currently running a small FMCG / Food Manufacturing business, Mama Alles. I have no business education or experience in running a business but the common thread in all of the work that I do is project management. While this isn’t what I studied one learns many transferable skills regardless of the degree you study. For example; systems thinking, which is the foundation of project management. You learn to be resourceful, to communicate with people, to research how to do things (whether that’s a medical procedure, how to design a school syllabus, or how to build a bridge). I never worked in the exact fields that I studied but I have incorporated what I learned in every job that I have had.
3. How have you incorporated your personality/values/strengths and other personal aspects of yourself into your career? If so, can you briefly explain what those are and how they relate to your career?
I have many Type A personality traits, I am extremely driven, determined and organized. These have been very valuable across my jobs, but most importantly in starting a new business which I have been running for over two years. There are also some negative traits such as being impatient which I need to work on as things don’t always go as planned.
4. Did you feel pressured to study something specific by your friends, family, teachers or even yourself?
Absolutely. I went to a private school and have traditional parents so there was plenty of pressure. There still is pressure as I am not working in the field I studied and haven’t followed a career path that has led to home ownership and a husband with two kids. I am happy that my path has been more adventurous and has taken me to some interesting places and I have met some extraordinary people.
5. What advice would you give your younger self about your tertiary education and career path after school?
Considering what I am doing now I would have liked to have studied some type of project management or business degree. These are such transferable skills and you can use them whether you are interested in being a therapist or an engineer. But I was a stubborn person and my values at the time were very anti-business so I would not have listened to the advice. There is a great book called Range, by David Epstein. The concept of the book and his research is that, in the long term, those who have a wider range of education, knowledge and experience are more likely to succeed in whichever career path they choose, than those who specialize from an early age (disproving the Malcom Gladwell theory). Change is inevitable, being willing to embrace it and adapt is what will keep you going.
Follow Catherine's journey @catherinecartwright and @mama_alles.
What Catherine studied:
Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in Environmental Geographical Science and Social Anthropology at UCT
Studies that would have been beneficial for Catherine’s current career path:
Food Science:
Food Science is an exciting and interdisciplinary field that focuses on converting raw agricultural produce into safe and appealing food products for human consumption.
To explore the full scope of Food Science and its impact on our daily lives, as well as more information on the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees visit the Stellenbosch University website for more information.
Project Management
A project management course equips individuals with essential skills and techniques to effectively plan, execute, monitor, and complete projects, ensuring successful outcomes within defined scope, time, and budget constraints.
Find out about Red and Yellow’s online Project Management course here.