Like creativity, the best business ideas form when inspiration and action collide. Rebecca Cockburn knows the art of shaping market demands into thriving, design-lean, beautiful businesses. Her business story is one of natural evolution, masterfully nudged along by carefully listening to the customers, sound partnerships, ambitious progression and as she best describes, “a little magic”.
How it started
Let’s start at the very beginning; it’s a very good place to start. Rebecca grew up on a station in the south, and then went to Victoria University to study Interior Architecture. Following a stint in London and time seeing the world, Rebecca returned to New Zealand to set up and run Lucid Interior Architecture. Setting up offices in Dunedin and Queenstown, she eventually set up her studio at the home she had purchased in Jack’s Point, Queenstown. This smart little business hummed along nicely for 18 years, but Rebecca needed to scratch a creative itch, so she set up Jack’s Retreat.
Jack’s Retreat is nothing short of stunning. Clearly, design, creativity and nature is at the heart of this project. This sophisticated accommodation offers its guests peace, opulence and a serious taste of Queenstown landscape. Rebecca managed to capture the essence of the offering in the website and marketing and the retreat took flight. The business was cranking along nicely when a guest enquired about weddings, and hello, wedding venue venture.
An interest in holding weddings at Jacks Point (and the loss of the Jack Point Clubhouse venue due to a fire) and a flourishing little wedding venue business emerged; Wonder & Full was born. A “little photo shoot”, the power of social media, and some key collaborations with WildHearts and Estelle Flowers, set the business alight.
The offering includes a unique black frame clear marquee that brings the surrounding landscape into the room. The events are intimate, beautiful, and well…..design-led.
Rebecca has an eye for evolution and the next phase of progress is in full swing. Rebecca has formed Jack’s Loft, a smart little commercial venue with shared workspaces and one-bedroom apartments above, incorporated into the business as a larger wedding venue offering under the Wonder & Full brand. The sky is the limit!
Supporting the journey
McClean and Co have enjoyed supporting Rebecca on her business journey. Rebecca says the best thing about working with McClean and Co is that she can always ring, adding that they are extremely helpful, and they have ironed out the details in the background as the business has evolved. The team make her feel comfortable, and they are encouraging, down to earth and easy to talk to.
Rebecca says, “This was never planned!!” and she goes on to describe the joy of being surrounded by ambitious and creative people every day, the close friends she has made and the satisfaction of creating something beautiful. Rebecca marvels at the organic nature in which the enterprise unfolded. She is full of wonder and her heart is full: Wonder & Full.
Rebecca also laughs as she tells us she has the longest engagement (18 years); she says she is too busy having fun to tie the knot. We have loved her enthusiasm, joy at watching her own business develop and her strategic and creative approach to business. We look forward to the next steps in this creative journey.