An audience of more than 400 clapped and cheered as the Salamander Bay-based business run by the wife and husband team of Kathy and Josh Rimmer was declared the Overall Business of the Year for 2018 at Shoal Bay Country Club’s convention centre last Wednesday night.

For Kathy, the creative genius behind the venture, the enormity of the win was still sinking in one week after the announcement.

“It [the experience] was quite surreal and a little overwhelming,” she said. “I woke up that night about 3am and I got up to check that it wasn’t all a dream.

“Now, on reflection, I do feel both humbled and honoured and I can’t thank my husband, Josh, and two children enough for their continued support and strength.”

Having moved to Port Stephens some 20 years ago after Mr Rimmer, who enlisted in the Air Force at age 20, was posted to Williamtown RAAF Base, Kathy has endeared herself to the community in the business and social worlds.

She worked at both Australian Defence Credit Union and the Greater and has at some time or other been a member of Nelson Bay Rotary (where she is now president), Tomaree Business Chamber, Port Stephens Women in Business and BNI Horizons.

However, nothing was to prepare Kathy Rimmer for the news in 2013 that would turn her world upside down and test the family’s resilience and fabric. 

“I was diagnosed with [the chronic illness] Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I was in my mid-30s … so I took 12 months off to re-evaluate my life,” she said.

“My priorities changed dramatically around family, business and lifestyle, even my view on success changed.”

The sabbatical proved to be life changing for Kathy, who soon took on the Ray Bradbury mantra ‘love what you do and do what you love’.

“Looking back I now feel the diagnosis was a blessing in disguise. I have learned to listen to my body and to be happy within myself,” she said.

She also had time to upskill her qualifications in the finance business while understanding the meaning of balance, which became the cornerstone of the Rimmer’s business, hence the name Yin Yang Consultancy.

In addition to her mental and physical well-being, Kathy decided to pursue a career in her passion – helping out small business owners.

“I have always loved working with small business and my connections with specialists in this area helped me to not only establish my business in Port Stephens but to also grow in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne,” she said.

“These specialists share my vision, values, ethics and culture and provide the backbone for the regular workshops we conduct in and around Port Stephens.”

Kathy and Josh Rimmer said they could not thank enough the many people who took time out to vote for their business in the awards.

Yin Yang Consultancy also won the Examiner’s Learning, Training or Recruitment award.