She did receive job offers for “production manager or marketing manager, etc etc”, she says.
But she saw a huge opportunity to expand the work she had been doing in educational publishing and revolutionise the way we teach children to read.
Now listed on the NBR Rich List as worth well north of $100 million, Pye started with nothing.
In her memoir, Teaching the World to Read: My multimillion-dollar story, she recalls the childhood thrill of finally getting a second-hand bicycle.
“There wasn’t a lot of pocket money,” she says. “It was tough but it taught me resilience.
The autobiography looks back on her journey from the farm to the head of a multinational publishing empire.
Despite many challenges, there’s not a lot of space devoted to self-pity, she tells the Money Talks podcast.
“I really get rather tired of people telling me: ‘I can’t make it because I was impoverished’ or whatever.
“What a load of rubbish. Just get out there and make it happen. And I think that what I’ve proved is, you can.”
The Wendy Pye Group is now considered one of the world’s most successful educational export companies.
It has sold 300 million Sunshine Books across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
Pye’s current focus is China. She sees a huge opportunity to deliver classic Kiwi children’s books - like the work of Joy Cowley - to the world’s largest market using the latest digital technology.
It seems that, as she heads into her 80s, Pye has no plans to slow down. Has she never felt like cashing out and stepping back?
“Oh, I might one day if I feel like it,” she says.
It’s not a need for money that drives her anymore, she says.
“I’ve got a lot of champagne so I don’t need to worry too much. At the moment I’m enjoying what I’m doing. You get a bit tired, but really, what do you need.
“I don’t need to go on famous houses of New Zealand or whatever it is, with 3000 bedrooms or something. I’ve got a lovely apartment in New York, I’ve got an apartment in London.
“I’ve got lots of racehorses. I wish they’d win, but, you know, what else do you need? You can only eat so much in a day anyway. And I work with wonderful friends around the world.”
In the end, it is the “challenge of the hunt” that keeps her driven, she says.
“I like to think I’m developing a new product that will benefit a lot of people ... and I feel it’s ethical as well. I also help a lot of people as well. But I think that there’s nothing wrong with making money out of helping people.”
Dame Wendy’s book Teaching the World to Read is available from her website, with all proceeds going to charity.
Listen to the full episode to hear more from Dame Wendy Pye on her huge success in educational publishing and children’s reading.
Money Talks is a podcast run by the NZ Herald. It isn’t about personal finance and isn’t about economics - it’s just well-known New Zealanders talking about money and sharing some stories about the impact it’s had on their lives and how it has shaped them.
The series is hosted by Liam Dann, business editor-at-large for the Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.
Money Talks is available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.