It’s been two years since Cassie Roma hit the reset button on her life. Following the death of her best friend, she ended her marriage, packed up her life in New Zealand and moved into her parents’ home in California with her teenage daughter.
After spending her entire adult life in a relationship, Cassie was determined to take time for herself and figure out who she was without a partner. But when she speaks with the Weekly, she coyly admits there is a new love in her life.
“The second I found myself and was living the life I want, I went and did something silly – I fell in love,” the former The Apprentice Aotearoa advisor grins.
“I was happy being single and thought I’d be on my own forever. The next week, I met Maia.”
Cassie and her partner, former Football Fern captain Maia Jackson, reconnected at a speaking workshop last August. They first met 15 years earlier through a mutual friend but hadn’t seen each other since. When Cassie saw Maia again, she instantly remembered the connection they once shared.
“When she walked in the room, I was so excited to see her again,” she shares.
“I got nervous – I didn’t know what was going on. But when I said hello, she had no idea who I was!”
Once Maia remembered her and they began chatting, there was an instant spark.
“We started talking and haven’t stopped since,” enthuses the 43-year-old.
“We share similar values and ethics. She’s so much fun and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”
Cassie had arrived in New Zealand with just two suitcases, expecting to return to the US once she had finished filming her new documentary. But by November, she knew she was home. Now she lives happily with Maia and Maia’s 10-year-old daughter, while her own daughter, Chelsea, is thriving at university in America.
“When Chelsea was 10, I was busy with my big corporate career,” recalls Cassie.
“It’s nice to feel like I have a second shot raising a daughter. This time slower and more intentional.”
Returning to our shores, Cassie is certain this is where she’s meant to be.
“It’s that old cliché, sometimes you have to leave to realise how beautiful this country is,” she explains.
“There was always a little tickle in the back of my mind of, ‘Are there better opportunities abroad? What am I missing?’ When I was in America, I realised what I was missing was Aotearoa and my chosen family. There’s no question now of where I’d rather be.”
Upending her life has also helped Cassie gain clarity in her career. Once focused on climbing the corporate ladder, she is now dedicated to purpose-driven work. Cassie recently released her first documentary, Heal the Hauraki, co-created with her friend Mandy Kupenga. She’s also more committed than ever to mentoring the next generation of leaders, and will be part of the Business Women’s Network Speaker Series in Tauranga, alongside Robyn Malcolm, Toni Street and Kiri Nathan.
Stepping away from corporate hustle has also allowed her to find her place in New Zealand’s queer community.
She started working with Gingers Lesbian Pop-ups – founded by Tauranga events professional Lisa Rooney – which organises everything from speaker events to bar night and camps for queer women. Through Gingers, Cassie found the connection she’d been missing.
“I have lots of friends, but as an elder millennial queer woman, a sense of community is something I’ve always longed for,” she tells.
“Gingers has become that.“ The amount of people I have met in the past year that I now consider whānau has made my life so much happier. It’s a fraught time for the rainbow community – my intention is to sow seeds of hope so we can imagine a better world.”
Though the journey of self-discovery over the past two years hasn’t been easy. Cassie knows the final destination has made it all worth it.
“The past two years have been a coming home,” she reflects. “Not only to Aotearoa, but to myself. I feel like all the parts of my life are finally coming together.”
For tickets to the Business Women’s Network Speaker Series on June 25, visit tauranga.org.nz/bwn. To watch the documentary, follow @healthehauraki
