For Joanna Wickham and Nigel Corbett, the soul of Wild Forest Estate isn’t just found in its 35 acres of moss-draped forest, the meeting place of three rivers, or the charming Kauri cottage nestled deep in the trees. It lives in the quiet, a stillness that calls out to those ready to unplug, to sit, and to truly listen. Not just to the chorus of birdsong, but to themselves.
Joanna describes it as “a place where magic becomes real” — a landscape shaped by time, rich in untouched beauty, and steeped in stories waiting to unfold. After years immersed in Auckland’s fast-paced photography scene, she longed for a way of life that felt more grounded, more aligned with the natural world. Wild Forest Estate offered exactly that.
But as passion evolved into a business, Joanna and Nigel found themselves grappling with questions that no amount of stargazing or bush-bathing could quite answer.
Confidence over control: Letting go to grow
Despite the beauty they had built, Joanna and Nigel found themselves standing at a crossroads. The dream was alive, the retreat welcomed guests, the forest whispered its magic, and the offerings were rich with meaning. Yet, the path ahead felt uncertain. It wasn’t a matter of lacking ideas or inspiration; what they needed was the confidence to step forward, to grow deliberately, and to ensure the business could thrive without losing the quiet, soulful essence that made Wild Forest Estate so special.
Chris Mercer, their Business Mentor, quickly saw that the ingredients were all there. “They knew what they needed to do,” he recalls. “They just needed the confidence to push ahead.”
Rather than coming in with a list of prescribed business tactics, Chris worked as a sounding board, creating a space for Joanna and Nigel to hear themselves clearly.
Through regular conversations, Joanna says they gained the quiet reassurance they had been missing. “Chris helped us realise we weren’t lost,” Joanna reflects. “We just needed permission to trust ourselves, and suddenly, everything felt more achievable.”
The right guests, the right story
One of the most transformative shifts came when Joanna and Nigel, with Chris’s support, began to see their business not just as a retreat, but as a story. Who was it for? Who truly needed what Wild Forest Estate had to offer?
Chris helped them unpack these questions, gently steering them to re-examine their market, not just the “who” but the “why.”
“It wasn’t about chasing bookings for the sake of it,” says Joanna. “It was about finding guests who resonated with what the forest offers, people who were ready to slow down, to listen, to heal.”
With a clearer sense of their target audience, they reworked their communications to focus on what made Wild Forest Estate special: the invitation to experience genuine solitude, creativity, and connection. Marketing, pricing, and guest engagement flowed more naturally after that.
Clarity without compromise
In each mentoring session, Joanna and Nigel returned to the same challenge: growing without losing the magic.
Chris encouraged them to think practically without diluting their values. Financial planning, clearer offerings, and even small but important tweaks like simplifying booking systems and refining guest packages all became part of the journey, but never at the expense of the deeper purpose.
“They really wanted to preserve the integrity of the place,” Chris says. “My role was just to help them align the business side with that vision.”
The result? A business that not only feels more sustainable but actually brings Joanna and Nigel closer to their own ideal lifestyle, one built on meaningful work, connection to nature, and the ability to share their sanctuary with others.
