About Us 
Making the complex simple and productivity easy
About GettingAGrip.com
If you're looking for help with time management and productivity, licensed training programs, seminars and workshops, keynote speeches and conference break-out sessions; books, coaching, free articles and time tips, you've come to the right website.
Our clients and 'GettingAGrip' family of readers and members are to be found on nearly every continent, spreading out from an initial base of New Zealand and our near neighbour Australia, where Robyn Pearce lived for some years.
These days Robyn, the founder of the company, is located in rural South Auckland, 45 minutes from the Auckland CBD but a world away from the hustle of New Zealand's largest city, right on the shores of a river estuary. From her purpose-built home office she's inspired daily by the flow of the tide, the seabirds and the sunsets.
Our team is based in various parts of New Zealand. The rest of the team work also from their homes - we're a virtual company and all love the efficiency and lifestyle this way of working gives us all.
The GettingAGrip.com team
Jill Gimblett 
Customer Services Manager
Sandie Blair 
Technical Administrator
Sandie's career began in 1986 with the RNZAF as an administration clerk. After three and a half years with the RNZAF Sandie travelled and worked in Europe before returning to New Zealand. After stints in both NZ and the UK Sandie and her husband returned to New Zealand to enjoy New Zealand's lifestyle, climate and to be closer to family. She had two fabulous years in Clarks Beach near Auckland, where she met Robyn and subsequently became part of the GettingAGrip team, and has recently purchased a lifestyle property in Canterbury where she plans to spend many years to come with her husband and two beautiful little girls.
 Sanchia Kumalija
Project Manager
Sanchia spent the last five years as a diplomat in the foreign service but has now come on board as our Project Manager. Her writing skills have already been put to quick use but she may find it is some time before she needs to use any of the other 4 languages she can speak! Sanchia lives at the beach near Robyn with her partner and two children. After spending two years living on the 18th floor of a high-rise in Taipei and keeping some pretty demanding work hours, Sanchia and her family are now enjoying the work/life balance that the beach environment provides them.
 Paul Atkinson
Website Guru!
Paul, the youngest member of our team, joined the GettingAGrip team in 2009 as our part-time web wizard. He started building websites as a 15 year old and has now gone to University for some light relief! Paul is currently working towards a BA in Political Studies and History. When he gets a break from assignments and the case load our team throws him, he'll give us a snippet of information about himself. We all think he's AMAZING!
James Parsons 
Trainer
James Parsons, Robyn’s third son, owns a farm business near Kaitaia, in the Far North of New Zealand. He is also a director of the New Zealand Meat Board, Meat and Wool New Zealand and Kaitaia Veterinary Services. In 2008 he was a Nuffield Scholar, touring the world for 5 months looking at the business side of agriculture. Supply chains and farm efficiencies were his study focus.
An accomplished public speaker both in New Zealand and internationally, James is passionate about helping people improve their effectiveness in life so it was a natural extension to join his mother's business.
He and wife Janine have three small sons and live in the beautiful seaside village of Ahipara.
About Robyn Pearce CSP
I teach time management because I used to be bad at it!
My path has taken some interesting turns. First I was a librarian, then a farmer's wife and mother of six (including an intellectually handicapped foster son until he was 16). Next I was a solo mother on
government benefits. A few long years later I climbed out of the poverty trap (with a dabble in tourism along the way) and become a very successful real estate agent, (a not so obvious career path!)
In real estate I had to learn better time management skills - or sink!
- For years no one else in the house would answer the phone.
- I was kicked out of meetings because I was late.
- I burnt out numerous times from overwork and poor time habits.
Frustrated with my complaints about lack of time, a wise friend pointed me in the direction of a decent diary and a few key time management principles. Since then, through much study, trial and error, that great weakness has transmuted into a major strength and an international business.
I reckon this is the best possible background for running a time management business - I really do understand how it feels to be out of control! It's a huge buzz these days to help others make the same change as they learn and practice the many simple and practical productivity habits that changed my life so dramatically.
You'll find more about my speeches, books and other products, and the training system now available for other trainers, by following your chosen links.
Professional Speaking Credits
- CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) - first in New Zealand. Less than 10% of the speakers who belong to the Global Speakers Federation, the body representing professional speaking associations worldwide, hold this professional designation. CSP is the international standard they agree represents competence in the speaking profession.
- Past President NSANZ 2002-3 (National Speakers Association of New Zealand).
- Spirit of Excellence award winner 2003 - to honour both excellence in the speaking profession and contributions to the speaking industry of New Zealand.
- Past President 2006/2007, Global Speakers Federation. Member countries: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, Holland, candidate member France.
Who are our customers?
Anyone who wants to achieve a positive bottom line result through effective and efficient work practices, less stress, better work/life balance, higher profitability, and happy employees. They include:
- Corporates in almost every industry
- Government and community sector organisations
- SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises)
- Schools and educational groups
- Franchise groups
- Many individuals.
You'll find here a partial list of our past and present customers with comments from speech and training clients and more from very happy coaching clients.
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