Kirsty Boag joins the Brecon & Radnor Express from Adelaide after her husband had a job offer in Brecon back in January.

She travelled with him and her children halfway across the world.

“We fell in love with the place instantly,” she said. “We love it. We were told we would be living in a little place in Wales.”

Brecon isn’t the first move for Kirsty. Instead, she has travelled throughout different states of Australia, each time following her husband. “I’m from a very similar small town back home. For me, it was a no-brainer to come here. We left the city of Brisbane and moved to Brecon. We went from 35 degree heat, to minus 7.”

Despite the change in temperature, Kirsty wouldn’t change it: “I love the community. Everyone has been so welcoming and so lovely, which has been wonderful.

“We’ve found our friends instantly. It feels like home here. It’s a home away from home.”

Her career is vast and varied, with a job back home with Australia’s News Corp. Her sales and media background has taken her through different stages in her career. She had a goal, once in Brecon, to work for a community newspaper. “I worked for huge newspaper corporations back home, so wanted to work for a smaller newspaper here. One morning I found this job and applied straight away. It was on my bucket list. I was happy when I found it.”

Being new in the area, Kirsty wants people to know who she is, so that people can feel confident in approaching her and discussing their own business needs.

Kirsty is also keen to ensure representation is at the forefront of what she does. “I really do want people to be able to see me.

“I want people to speak to me about an ad, or tell me about an anniversary coming up. I think it’s important that there is a face of the Brecon & Radnor Express, and that they can approach me.”

Kirsty’s job is to help local businesses thrive, with the support of the Brecon & Radnor Express.

Not only does she have valuable skills and experience, but she has also been a small business owner in the past, understanding the challenges local businesses may face.

“I owned a children’s clothing company back home,” she explained. “When my kids were smaller, I loved fashion, so I had an online small business. With Covid, I shut that down, but I think that’s where I can understand a small business owner. I can understand the struggles that come with owning a small business. I know from experience what it’s all about.”

Kirsty hopes that she can meet as many small business owners as possible, and is encouraging people to get in touch with her to discuss working partnerships: “Everyone I have met has been lovely, but I’m still making my way around to meet everyone. I’m making friends as well, being out there.”

Working with Kirsty, and coming up with a detailed and effective marketing campaign will be very beneficial for local businesses in the area: “It’s an exciting time. We have a team who are keen to be involved with local businesses. It’s an exciting time because we’ve got a digital platform to advertise on, as well as the paper, so they have a much bigger audience to get in front of now. They’ll be reaching so many people, and we can help their business grow with the two platforms.”

If you’re a small business, get in touch with [email protected] for more information. Whether it’s just a chat, or something more, Kirsty will be around to greet you.