Print HERStory Month 2026: Michelle Henry

Michelle Henry
Consultant/Trainer
Make It Happen Signage Academy www.signageacademy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-henry-90002024/

What does “making your move” mean to you at this stage of your career?

“Making your move” for me means stepping back into self-employment, but this time with deeper purpose, clarity, and impact.

As a fourth-generation signwriter, I didn’t just enter the industry; I grew up in it. My childhood was immersed in screenprinting, traditional signpainting, engraving, acrylic fabrication, and eventually digital print. The smell of ink, the precision of brushwork, and the evolution into large-format print aren’t just parts of my career; they are very much part of my DNA.

In 2010, I made my first big move and started my own business in the UK. Building that company taught me resilience, leadership, and commercial strength. Selling it to move to New Zealand was another big move, but less scary as I already had a job (or three) lined up.

Now, I am making my move once more… but in a different way.

Today, my move is about giving back to the industry that shaped me. Through training and workshops in the sign and print sector, I help businesses build stronger teams, greater confidence, and better profitability. I share not just technical knowledge, but real- world experience delivered in a way that is practical, engaging, and genuinely fun.

Making my move now isn’t about building something for myself alone. It’s about building capability in others. It’s about empowering the next generation of sign and print professionals (especially women) to feel skilled, confident, and commercially aware.

At this stage of my career, making my move means stepping forward as an educator, mentor and industry advocate. It means turning decades of hands-on experience into impact. And it means proving that reinvention isn’t starting over – it’s moving forward with everything you’ve learned.

2) Can you share a moment when you took action that moved your career forward?

One defining moment was when I chose to stop simply observing gaps in the industry and instead do something about them.

After moving to New Zealand, I was working for a well-known sign company. There was talent, passion, and strong “Kiwi ingenuity,” but I couldn’t help noticing that many things weren’t always done most logically or efficiently. Processes varied, training was inconsistent, and often decisions were based on “how we’ve always done it” rather than on tested and proven knowledge.

Coming from a multi-generational background in the trade and having previously run my own business in the UK, I knew how powerful structured training, fabrication, and product understanding could be. I could see the potential for lifting standards, building confidence, and improving profitability across teams.

Then an opportunity appeared.

Sam, the creator of Make It Happen in the UK, reached out and asked whether I would be interested in bringing her workshops to the ANZ market. It wasn’t a small decision. It meant stepping away from security and stepping back into self-employment. It meant putting myself forward as a leader and educator.

But I didn’t hesitate. I jumped at the chance!

That decision moved my career forward in a completely new direction. Instead of working within one company, I began working with many by hosting them in workshops across Australia and New Zealand, helping businesses improve their knowledge, strengthen their teams, and shift from “Kiwi ingenuity” alone to knowledge-backed best practice.

Taking that action transformed me from employee to industry advocate. It allowed me to combine my heritage, my business experience, and my passion for training into something that creates real impact.

Sometimes the move isn’t changing industries but is deciding to raise the standards within it.

3) What helped you recognize the right time to make that move?

Timing is rarely perfect, but I knew it was the right time.

The business I was working for began experiencing a downturn in work. Like many companies, it was feeling the pressure of a shifting economy. For some, that uncertainty signals caution. For me, it signalled opportunity.

I have always believed that a recession can be the best time to start a business. When I launched my company in the UK in 2010, it was during a recession and it worked. Challenging markets force businesses to focus, improve efficiency and think differently. They also create space for new ideas and new solutions.

I knew stepping out again would be harder in a tightening economy. Budgets would be scrutinised. Spending would be questioned. But I also understood something critical: when margins are squeezed, companies need support more than ever.

They need better systems. They need confident, well-trained teams. They need smarter ways to protect and grow their bottom line. And that’s what our Make It Happen Bootcamps provide. We show delegates how to “be the difference.”

So rather than seeing the downturn as a barrier, I recognised it as validation. The industry didn’t need less training, it needed more. Businesses needed practical, proven strategies to operate efficiently and profitably.

The timing wasn’t comfortable. But it was right.

Sometimes the best moment to make your move is when others hesitate, because that’s when real impact can be made.

4) What advice would you give women in print who are considering their next move?

Be brave.

“Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more action, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills.” ~ T. Harv Eker

Pressure creates diamonds and our industry will test you, stretch you and sometimes push you outside your comfort zone. But that pressure is often shaping you into something stronger than you realise.

The print and signage industry has traditionally been male-dominated, yet there are now so many capable, generous and supportive women within it. You are not stepping forward alone. There is a network of women who will share knowledge, open doors, answer questions and champion your success.

Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Confidence comes from action, not before it. Back yourself. Invest in your skills. Put your hand up.

Say yes to opportunities that scare you a little.

When women support women in this industry, the impact is powerful. The world really is your oyster, but you have to be willing to pry it open.