Conversation with Solicitor/Zumba Instructor Neda Buckland

Life Designer with Jingyu Chen

Growing up watching movies every day, Neda developed her initial desire to become an actress. She did drama courses and played in school, which she enjoyed. But she met an actor who told her it takes a burning desire to become an actress, which she didn't see herself possess. Then her stronger desire to be involved in the filming industry behind the scenes drove her to study a bachelor in media specializing in television and filming. The process was fun and creative where she got travelled around Australia and made shot videos, working with industry insiders. Even back then, the media industry was just as harsh as today to break in, and the reality was that she couldn't find a paid job. On top of that, she knew, deep down inside, her desire to pursue a career in television and filming got out of her system somewhere along the way already.

For a while, she felt like a silly dreamer, wanting to be a film director/Screenwriter, or late bloomer, wondering what path she could stick to. Sometimes, it takes more time and a bit of soul searching to figure out the true path. In Neda's case, watching a documentary about the animal activism of Henry Spira became her life-changing moment. This time, she finally found her burning desire to save animals in suffering and torture. Just overnight, she made two major decisions: stay vegan and apply to study law the very next day morning. She aimed to make a fundamental change in animal protection and welfare through a proper avenue which is the legal avenue. When there was a burning desire applied, Neda stuck through her law study which was tremendously difficult. She also joined the animal law committee for years, which directly contributed to wildlife conservation. But any revolutionary change through law and justice is a daunting process which takes even more than one generation to achieve.
Practically speaking, as a law graduate now, Nada was given more career choices. She was a suburban lawyer for a few years. Then she became a mum of two kids. Being a stay-home Mum for years, she realized getting back to a corporate law firm will no long serve her needs. Her strong attachment to kids prompted her to make another bold decision: Set up her own practice as a sole practitioner. It allowed her to stay at home with kids as well as continuing her profession. It seems that She perfectly strikes that life-work balance, but one thing you need to know about Neda is she always plans and prepares. Her life motto 'always step out of comfort zone' guided her entire journey. She started small and got the office all set up even before her first client came. Stepping out of her comfort zone also helped her find the niche market, which was the key factor of her business success. Due to her religion, she has an advantage in making a will for the Baha'i community, which got her to hit the ground running. Knowing her expertise and service can contribute to her community serves as a sustainable drive force of her practice. This year is her 10th year as a sole practitioner.
As her kids grew up a bit, she embarked on a new chapter in fitness. It all started with her unexpected love for Zumba dancing after the first try. Gym or workout is not a natural fit with Neda, and she never pictured herself in dancing, let alone being an instructor. She enjoyed so much and committed to studying again, becoming a Zumba instructor. Her philosophy of ‘constantly pushing herself out of comfort zone' continues working on her to be up against new change, and she is about to become aquatic instructor! Teaching Zumba or aquatic may still be her side hustles at this stage. She is already planning her retirement life as a full-time instructor. She is a great fit in this podcast because she truly designs her lifestyle that serves her needs at different stages.
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