Taking the bull by the horns

Career horizons

“I loved every minute of my career as a journalist, as a PR consultant, and then ultimately as a business executive, working in a range of fields with so many incredible people,” Gray said.

“I've always had a huge passion for animals – everyone calls me the 'home vet' because I’m not afraid to deal with major injury or administer medications – and I knew I'd regret it in the future if I didn't work with them in some capacity. I then began investigating my options.”

She'd already had a similar moment at the age of 35, wondering whether to become a vet – the only other career option she'd ever considered – but, due to family and other life commitments, she stayed put.

And very successfully.

“I've always absolutely loved writing and was a voracious reader as a child. My big dream was to become a playwright and have my own library, but I soon realised that journalism may be a better career choice. It then became my mission,” Gray said.

“I completed a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree as my passport into the profession and got my first job on a local newspaper within a matter of weeks after graduation.

“I was soon doing the police rounds in rural England, studying the requisite journalism course on the side, and quickly progressing in the newspaper industry, moving to Fleet Street in London and then Melbourne, Victoria.

“I was then hand-picked as one of the founding members of the Sunday Herald Sun with my own weekly gossip/news/social column, which kick-started my television career on Melbourne Extra plus radio presenting on the ABC and 3AW, which later led to a public relations career in Brisbane.

“All my best career opportunities have come by taking a punt – and I’ve been offered some amazing jobs in my time – it's about making the most of them."

Career success

Moving to Queensland in the mid-1990s, Gray saw a city “just beginning to blossom” and, after short stints at The Courier-Mail and Vink Publishing, took the opportunity to branch out into public relations.

“I felt I could use all my journalistic skills, combined with an understanding of business, and would be learning something new. I've always been one to take opportunities as they present themselves and I found that I loved the energy of the industry,” she said.

“It's good to take risks in life and get out of your comfort zone – that's when you're at your most creative and productive and can really make a difference.”

With a young son to care for, Gray relished the chance to work from home as a sole trader but soon found her client load growing too big to manage alone. On the spur of the moment, she decided to secure office premises and then began employing staff.

“The business just exploded,” she said.

At its peak, Graymedia was recognised as one of Queensland’s top 400 companies, providing PR and marketing services to a broad range of clients and winning several industry awards. In 2014, a merger with Red Agency saw it become part of the global communications group Havas, the fourth largest marketing and communications company in the world.

Appointed Executive Director, Queensland, for Red Havas, Gray continued to hone her human-resource and financial-management skills, while also providing advice to clients across 5 practice areas: consumer, corporate, technology, health care and government.

She also became a mentor and consultant, as well as taking on several Executive and Non-Executive roles on company boards. One highlight was her time at Baseball Australia, where her hard work and dedication helped support some landmark achievements, including the first ever Major League season opener staged outside the US (at Sydney Cricket Ground in 2014) and the return of baseball to the Olympics in Tokyo, 2021.

“I strongly believe in the strength of positive and effective communications and, above all, the importance of always putting people first,” Gray said.

Career change

After spending a lifetime teaching others that everything is possible, the time had finally come for her to take her own advice and follow her heart.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved but there comes a point when you have to know when to leave,” Gray said.

“I knew I wanted to do something a bit different: change is healthy and makes you feel alive; and it's important to keep learning. I needed to be stretched so I started to look for a new career passion."

“From my work experience, I knew I had transferable skills in people and business management; and from my personal experience, I knew I loved animals. I used to breed Jack Russells; my husband and I have a 20-acre mini-farm on Brisbane’s outskirts with goats, horses, chickens and dogs; and as a child I’d spend all my school holidays at the local riding school helping to look after the horses. I also love being outdoors.

Fortunately, Gray’s honours degree and secondary maths and science studies meant she had the necessary qualifications; and she was prepared to move away from home during the week to study on-campus (she currently lives in a student complex at Gatton from Monday to Friday). She’d also been saving for many years to give herself a sound financial base to cover 3 years out of the paid workforce.

The veterinary technology program appealed because students train alongside vets and do a lot of similar courses, but graduates are prepared for the field 2 years sooner.

“Although I won’t be able to diagnose, prescribe medications or perform operations like a vet can, I’ll be able to do pretty much everything else,” she said.

“The in-depth scientific training we receive means we understand animal anatomy; we learn technical skills such as suturing and animal handling; and we get hands-on experience in clinics and other animal facilities.”