Bubbles and Benevolence with Marisa Vecchio
Marisa Vecchio in conversation with some inspirational people we have met through Hanworth House. We wanted to create a place where we can collect and share their experience, knowledge and advice to you. Talking all things business, family and fundraising.
Bubbles and Benevolence with Marisa Vecchio
Amateur to Anniversary - Celebrating 10 Episodes with Stories of Generosity, Success and Glimpses Into Our Podcast's Journey
Pour a glass of your finest bubbly and join us in a heartfelt celebration of 'Bubbles and Benevolence,' as we reminisce on the captivating tales and generous spirits that have adorned our first ten episodes. Today, we're strolling down memory lane, revisiting the twists and turns of our cherished guests' lives, like Fleur's leap from radio to Thermomix chef, and chuckling at revelations such as Lorillie Cunningham's hidden accounting past. As Hanworth gears up for its 160th lap around the sun, we're sharing the evolution of our beloved podcast, from humble beginnings to establishing our very own studio—a testament to our passion for sharing and community.
This episode doesn't just mark a milestone; it's an ode to the incredible impact of collective philanthropy. We'll explore the journey from a modest fundraiser to the triumphant Labels on the Lawn event, now proudly amassing over $200,000 for Women's Legal Service Queensland. Feel the weight of choosing causes that resonate, the trust required in partnerships, and revel in success tales like the Dancing CEOs, whose dedication led to a new office in Ipswich. It's a narrative of commitment, community, and the little victories that bring massive changes.
Step inside a world where authenticity and deep connections thrive, where the spontaneous beauty of unscripted podcasting meets the profound lessons from "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse." Today, we acknowledge the nerves and technical stumbles that come with starting a podcast, and how embracing the process has led us here. We extend a warm thank you to our past guests and wrap up with eyes sparkling for the future voices that will shape 'Bubbles and Benevolence.' So, raise your glass to the stories told, the laughter shared, and the journey ahead.
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Welcome to Bubbles and Benevolence, the podcast where we pop the bubbles to success and dive deep into the benevolent hearts of those who have achieved it.
Speaker 2:In this podcast, we'll sit down with successful business leaders, philanthropists, non-profit workers and more to discuss their journeys, the lessons they've learned along the way and how they're using their success to make a positive impact on the world.
Speaker 2:So grab a glass of bubbles and join us as we explore the intersection of business and benevolence and discover what it truly means to be successful. Welcome everyone to episode 10 of Bubbles and Benevolence. We've got a bit of an interesting episode for you today. You're sitting down with Marisa and Jamie and we're just going to do a little bit of a recap of how the podcast has been going over the last nine episodes. So welcome, marisa again to your own podcast.
Speaker 3:I love being a guest on my own podcast and, wow, it's a milestone, Jamie 10 episodes. Apparently, you told me recently that most podcasts don't get beyond three.
Speaker 2:Yep. So we're like the top 1% or something like that.
Speaker 3:So yeah, we did it Where's our favourite bubbles that we should be celebrating this milestone today. Instead, we've got you and I with our glasses of water today. Let's just make sure it's mineral water so we can actually have our own bubbly celebration for 10 episodes.
Speaker 2:Yay, absolutely. We just want to go through some of the podcast episodes that we've had so far and all of the amazing people that have joined us. We've just had some really incredible people that we've actually mostly known for quite a while, as well as some people that only recently joined us at Hanworth. But we've learned some really amazing things about people that we didn't really know before. Like Fleur's been one of your best friends for such a long time and I always knew Fleur as the foodie, the food lover, the chef, always cooking these beautiful things, dressing up at the Hanworth kitchen to do little videos and presentations. But she was actually a radio host prior, which I thought was incredible. I didn't know that about her, but it does explain her bubbly personality, would be perfect for it. And she was one of the first residents at Hanworth, which is amazing because Hanworth is celebrating 160 years next year. So tell us a little bit about what we've got in store for you.
Speaker 3:Well, before I do that, I was just going to say I remember that episode of the podcast because it's the only one that we've done offsite at Noosa and it was hilarious because I can still hear the gardener with the whippersnapper in the garden, which obviously he decided to do his job at exactly the wrong time of our podcast. But you did a great job tempering that. But I thought that was us in the wild, wasn't it? The podcast at Noosa?
Speaker 2:It was, and I know there was a lot of trepidation with that one because technology's not your strong suit.
Speaker 3:No, that's true. I have you to rely on. You and Sophia are the ones that do all the technical stuff. But I'm looking and reflecting at us being in our own custom built studio now, with the beautiful bubbles and benevolent signs. I feel like we've really grown up.
Speaker 2:We have. It's very exciting. If you haven't seen it yet, you can jump onto Instagram and we've got this beautiful sign that was made up and we're very excited to have our own little studio.
Speaker 3:So, talking about milestones, of course, yes, 160 for Hanworth next year, and it seems like yesterday that we opened Hanworth on the 150th birthday. So, if you recall, we purchased Hanworth in memory of Mother, whose birthday it is today actually. So it's kind of nice to do this reflection podcast on a very special day, because we did renovate Hanworth in her honour in 2012, when she passed away, and 2013,. Of course, we lost most of Hanworth in the arson fire and we opened on the 150th birthday in 2014. Birthday in 2014.
Speaker 3:So we're going to fast forward 10 years to 2024, and we will be definitely offering a wonderful celebration of Hanworth's 160th birthday, because there's not that many homes in Brisbane that get to be this old, and so we should be creating opportunities to celebrate that. I know that we've been scheming in the office for some incredible events on the week of the 16th of July Mark it in your diaries the week of July 16, 2024, when we will definitely be celebrating in a big way at Hanworth, which is a lovely and iconic crystallization of our achievements. Much like this podcast has been celebrating the people we've met along the Hanworth journey In that vein yes, fleur was a great guest people we've met along the Hanworth journey.
Speaker 3:In that vein. Yes, fleur was a great guest and she was a resident of Hanworth. Continue my wonderful friendship with Fleur. What did you learn about Fleur after that podcast episode, jamie, that perhaps you didn't know?
Speaker 2:Well, other than her previous career choices. I also, I guess, learned or really enjoyed the story that she shared about how Verve was special to her, just this kind of connection that you both had and this feeling that she needed to be there for you. So, without even having to ask, she up and drove to I think it was the Gold Coast where you were to help, be there and support you, and I thought that was really, really special. That was a lovely thing that I didn't know about that situation at all.
Speaker 3:And that's how the Clicquot became the Champagne of Hanworth House. Yeah, and I similarly learned in the episode with Laura Lee Cunningham about the fact that she was an accountant. And for those of you that know Laura Lee, she's more colourful than ever and my typecast view of an accountant is not Laura Lee Cunningham. Would you agree with me on that?
Speaker 2:note 100%, I would agree. I think when we were there recording that episode, when she said that I think there was a brief moment that was edited out where we both kind of just went hang on, Can you say that again?
Speaker 3:It's true. It's true, but in the 2024 planning mode, laura Lee and I, after that episode, we launched our formal partnership in becoming contestants in the Dancing CEOs 2024. Big year also for Women's Legal Service next year. My very first charity, of choice in terms of it, was there when I opened Hanworth and is still there now. And we are collectively seven of us have teamed up and are hoping to break all records about the amount Dancing CEOs has raised for women's legal service in a single event, and we're all madly going to our dancing lessons at the moment.
Speaker 3:We've got our fundraising hats on. We've been lucky to have had a couple of great events already that have boosted our fundraising total, but that's less important to me than the collective total of everyone at the end of the day and celebrating 40 years of Women's Legal Service being in existence in Queensland, the hundreds and even thousands of people they have helped escape domestic violence and the incredible work they're doing now in the Financial Abuse Prevention Unit, helping discard debts that have been racked up in women's names without them knowing. And I think Jamie was Women's Legal Service telling us last week that over $3 million worth of debts have been eradicated against women's names who were escaping domestic violence with the help of one dedicated officer in Queensland and I believe they opened the Ipswich office just recently and that's what we're fundraising for in 2024 to get at least another two officers that can do this really important work. It's wonderful to see the impact they have.
Speaker 2:It is really wonderful. I think they only have two staff members total for the Financial Abuse Prevention Unit, which is crazy because it's such a huge amount of money and huge amount of work that goes into trying to reverse all that that's gone into it. But I also think that having this focus on the financial abuse prevention unit is really important because it's not something people have often associated with domestic violence. I think the whole battered and bruised which I know. Changing that perspective was what Women's Legal Service Queensland came to you originally to do a photo shoot at Hanworth. Women's Legal Service Queensland came to you originally to do a photo shoot at Hanworth was to change the perception that that's not always the case. And bringing in all this attention to the financial aspect of it is really important because traditionally women haven't been necessarily taught how to do finances and understand finances properly.
Speaker 3:So it's a really, really important initiative and also, as they've explained to us, often the reason women return back to the home because they don't have the financial means to be able to stay away. So it's often the number one I think they're quoting reason that returning back to a home that you're looking to escape is often as a result of not being able to afford to not be there. Look, we are obviously big supporters of Women's Eagle Service Queensland and they celebrate 40 years of doing the important work they do and it's 10 years since Dancing CEO. So even more reason to celebrate, and you have a real relationship with them as well.
Speaker 3:That's true.
Speaker 3:So it's lots of decade celebrations, lots of huge milestone celebrations, that's true, and one of my most poignant moments in the last week is I was asked by James Curtin, who sold me Hanworth from Place, a real estate agency, to come and talk to their staff recently at Woolloongabba. They've got a beautiful office in that lovely little Woolloongabba precinct and I played the Great South East episode that was formed by Sophie Formica when we opened in 2014, celebrating the 150 years, and she interviewed Natalie Davidson, who is still at Women's Legal Service Queensland, and Natalie was very proud to say that we had just had a rummage at Hanworth a few weeks before this episode and was so excited to announce that we raised nine and a half thousand dollars for Women's Legal Service Queensland. And I looked at this episode that we were playing at place and I thought, oh my goodness, I hadn't seen that episode for so long. And I said to the 25 people that were assembled talking about the Hanworth history and the journey.
Speaker 3:I said to them well, you'll be very pleased to know that that meek rummage that earned us a huge $9,500 has now become labels on the lawn and last month raised Women's Legal Service $201,000. So I felt so proud in that moment that I forgot from humble beginnings. Big things grow and Natalie is as excited these days to announce 201, as she was 10 years ago announcing 9,500. So that's a real commitment, isn't it? And a great testament to the community that supported not only Hanworth but also that initiative to become so big.
Speaker 2:It's absolutely incredible. The Women's Legal Service team have just been so engaged in Labels on the Lawn from the beginning and they're just so passionate about it. So incredibly helpful whenever we need a helping hand, along with all of the volunteers that help us out throughout the year, which is truly amazing.
Speaker 3:And people often ask you know lots of charities are doing it tough these days. And people often ask you can't support everyone, even though you'd like to. How do you decide who you're going to support and who you don't? And we face that a lot in the early days of Hanworth because it seems to me if you have one successful fundraising event, everybody else wants to hold one as well and you can't spend your whole life fundraising because we do have a day job. We do have to run Hanworth, we have to run the accommodation. That's its main business and I always say it's cash cow. We need a financial benchmark against which to run the entire. You know, keeping an old house running and not falling down it takes considerable efforts and resources, as you know, jamie, because you do all the finances at Hanworth. So I always say to people obviously you have to be passionate about what you're doing, but I also think it's about having a lot of trust in the teams you're working with and what can they contribute back to you in terms of manpower, resources, prizes. You know, bums on seats at events, because it just can't be a one-way street. We don't have the resourcing. We're a small team, we're three. We don't have the resourcing. We're a small team, we're three. We don't have the resourcing to be able to pull off a million-dollar event to fundraise for. But in collaboration with others you can actually collectively harness your resources and create a great event. But I think a lot of the time these days it's really important to actually think about what can you bring to the table.
Speaker 3:I say to a lot of younger people who are getting into fundraising don't be afraid to ask. You know this charity sounds like such a great thing. You know, what do you do with the money that we raise? And have an outcomes measure that you can actually raise. For instance, I was so excited to hear from Women's Eagle Service that for the first time they had answered every call to their helpline, and for years we've been fundraising to help that helpline not miss a call. Well, that's ticked off. Now they can answer every call with the resources that Dancing CEOs has raised. So now it's time to turn our attention to something else that's not yet resourced. But similarly, if we're choosing a charity, what are they going to do with the money? And I think sometimes it's even nice to have an outcome measure. You know, we're going to build a roof at Hummingbird House for the children to enjoy that are there with their families, you know, or something like that. I think that's a really good question sometimes.
Speaker 2:When we went to the launch of Dancing CEOs for this year, Nadia was mentioning that the Ipswich office that we'll be opening is completely funded by dancing CEOs and fundraising projects, so there's no grants or anything like that that's gone into building that, which is incredible that they've been able to build this community of people that will help fundraise to achieve such an amazing thing. Going back a little bit to labels, I think one of the things I'm proudest about with labels is the amount of people that say to us this event is so well organized, it runs so smoothly, it's just nice and easy. I think a lot of the time people don't realize that the smoother an event goes and the easier it looks, the harder it was.
Speaker 3:That's absolutely a very, very correct comment, isn't it?
Speaker 2:And so having a team that is almost as passionate about it as we are, that we fundraise for, to give us a helping hand and all the volunteers that have come through us actually quite a lot from Loralee and her connections. They joined in with Hanworth and have been huge, huge supporters of us over the last couple of years. It really does take that, that energy, that passion and hours and hours and months of hard work to make one day seem seamless almost exactly and I think that was a testament to all of the teams this year, I can honestly say.
Speaker 3:But I guess, like all good things, we have to obviously always be looking forward. So we've had some really good discussions about five years since Labels on the Lawn, next year and shaking things up a little bit.
Speaker 2:Another milestone.
Speaker 3:Another milestone. How many milestones can one girl?
Speaker 2:endure. One has endured 2024, it's going to be a huge year.
Speaker 3:So we are going to shake it up and step it up with labels next year. I don't know if you want to divulge any of that on the podcast.
Speaker 2:I don't know how much do we want to spill today to our dedicated listeners. I think maybe we can give them the name I think so. Because we're going to have not a permanent rebrand but a little bit of a rebrand for next year and, rather than labels on the lawn, we will be hosting labels lux, still on the lawn still.
Speaker 3:Yes, we'll still be on the lawn. It could be labels on the lawn lux edition, who knows? We thought it's a good way to brand a milestone. Five years a milestone. 10 years since hanworth opened, milestone 40 years since we've had a relation. Or, you know, 40 years since women's legal service formed, 40 years since we've had a relation. Or 40 years since Women's Legal Service formed and 10 years since Dancing CEOs I think all of those get. So I think Labels Lux can just be open to interpretation at the moment.
Speaker 3:Stay tuned for more details about what this looks like, but it might go for a little bit longer in terms of you might see some Labels Lux announcements a few weeks before. Labels on the lawn itself and a few things. Hopefully some more au Lux announcements a few weeks before. Labels on the lawn itself and a few things. Hopefully some more auctions and a few more interesting things happening around us. So let's just keep it at that, shall we? And keep the lid on all of our secrets. We can't divulge them all today, Otherwise there'll be nothing to look forward to.
Speaker 2:Oh exactly, we need to leave something for 2024. So everyone will have to wait and see what next year's like. But we're just as excited about it, and we hope that all of our partners are as well, because we've got some really incredible people on board who have been really, really generous with time and with donations, which includes our beautiful friend Kylie from Styling Station, who we interviewed on episode three, I think it was and it was really lovely to get to know a little bit about her background and her personal life rather than just the business relationship we had prior.
Speaker 3:I think that's true, and we are very lucky that we have so many great relationships. Kylie was a great guest in terms of how she turned her business acumen into a business that services others, which so many of our podcast guests have been doing as well, business that services others, which so many of our podcast guests have been doing as well, and I always think. At this point, jamie, I would like to ask you, because you were the one who was pestering me for a long time to do this podcast, and I used to say, oh, yes, yeah, when we get around to it, and you crystallized the fact that this was the year we were going to do it. So why were you so persistent about us having a podcast?
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's funny because it's something that I had been bugging you about for a long time, but you kept saying to me who's going to want to listen to me? No one wants to listen to me. I think it wasn't until Laura Lee said no, that's a good idea, so it's all right. If Laura Lee says it, then we should do it. Over the years, we had so many incredible people come through Hanworth for various different reasons, whether it's to stay there as a resident we're hosting weddings or birthdays or fundraising events for them or they just met you somewhere or heard something about you and just wanted to come and learn a little bit more about Hamworth and what you do. I just wanted to dig a little bit deeper into all these people and get to know them a little bit better, because I think every episode that we've done, we've been able to learn things about people that we've known for years, that we had no clue about, and I really just wanted to get across the point, which I had a lot of trouble articulating in the beginning, about what the point would be. Then we found this book called the Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, which, if you haven't seen it. It's just this beautiful little Japanese illustrated book about a little boy who comes across these three animals and it's just lots of little statements that I think really relate to life in general.
Speaker 2:When we'd been talking about the podcast and I found this book and the first three pages, I said this is it. This is what I was trying to say that we need to get across to people. One of the main things was, which you might all recognize this question is what do you want to be when you grow up? And the boy says kind. I want to be kind, and I think it's just important to show that not everybody is focused on their identity. Being what they do or what they make and the things that bring them happiness could really be anything in life. Just kind of wanted to touch base on those kind of things and get to know everyone a little bit better and I think it was such a great idea when you forced upon the first episode with me.
Speaker 3:I wanted, I really enjoyed the experience and I wanted to do it all over again. And what was your answer?
Speaker 2:No, because it was we. Obviously we didn't go over questions beforehand. We never do, so I think just that initial spontaneous reaction to questions is a lot more authentic, and it it was a lot. It was really interesting to learn the way that you responded to the questions and just how like what your life was like beforehand with because we never really spoke much about it beforehand, which is another reason most people didn't know I had a life before in fact, I don't think I had a life beforehand with.
Speaker 3:it truly was a very purposeful event that I stumbled upon at a time when I most needed it, but good on you, jamie, for getting us to episode 10. It was your initiative and I love it when you always ask me a question in the podcast. I'm going to ask you for someone who's wanting to start a podcast. What has been the challenge as part from convincing me it was a good thing to do technically or emotionally? Where do you start if you think about wanting to do a podcast of your own?
Speaker 2:I think the hardest thing, especially for our team, is because we like to do things really, really well and we put a lot of effort and energy into making sure that we do things as best we can. But this is something that we had absolutely no knowledge of, no skills in, and every episode we learned something new about how to use microphones and what happens when one of them doesn't work. But I think the most important thing is just to start for us to let go of wanting it to be perfect, like the first episode where you wanted to re-record it. I did.
Speaker 3:I said, oh no, I didn't say this well enough. Oh my goodness, no, I even said the wrong name or something. And Jamie said no, it's got to be authentic.
Speaker 2:I think it's just letting go of having to have it perfect, because as soon as you start, you will get better, you learn things and each time you will just continue to grow, and I think that's what's the most important thing about getting started.
Speaker 3:So one of the beautiful quotes in the book that actually sits in our podcast room now the one you were just referring to the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse was a beautiful watercolour illustration that says imagine how we would be if we were less afraid. So imagine how we would be if we were less afraid.
Speaker 1:Hedley Thomas is coming to Hunworth House With over 50 million people worldwide listening in to hear the tragic story of Lynette Sims. The Teacher's Pet award-winning podcast has become one of the world's most listened to stories. Now is your chance to get up close and personal to have all your burning questions answered. Join us at Hunworth House on Sunday, the 14th of April, as we sit down with Hedley Thomas to talk all things teacher's pet, night driver and Shandy's story. Head to hanworthhousecomau or visit the link in the episode description to secure your spot today.
Speaker 3:I also didn't realise how deep and meaningful and easy it is to do an oral history, because doing a written history is a lot of work. It's probably even more work than just talking about it. And the other thing that struck me is that how often we don't have a true conversation with somebody. We catch up with people at different events, sit at tables with people, and the nature of our conversation is quite peripheral, isn't it? It's quite kind of on the surface how are you, how's your family, what's happening? But podcasting an hour in a room with someone, you really get to know them a lot better and you're able to talk about things that you would never talk about. You'd never ask someone. So where did you grow up and how did you get to become a lawyer? Or, in the context of the last podcast we did with EJ, which was probably my most difficult as the narrator of the podcast or the interviewer, I can definitely say it was the hardest one to edit, for sure.
Speaker 3:It took you the longest to edit, very emotional and people don't realize how much editing goes on after this. In terms of cut, what do you have to do in the editing process? What is it you're looking for, or not looking for, that you need to cut out.
Speaker 2:Well, at this stage, like I said before, I'm still not.
Speaker 2:I'm still learning all the ropes about editing, but, as it stands at the moment, trying to make everything a bit more concise, because we do tend to go for quite a long time and I'm very, very aware that the context of when people are listening to a podcast is generally in their car, so we try to keep it so it's to work and on the way home, so you can kind of get a whole podcast in a day.
Speaker 2:But I'm very mindful of keeping people's stories the way they are, so I don't want to take out big chunks of what people are saying because it was important to them. So we want to make sure that we honor that. Getting rid of all the filler words, which can be quite difficult and I know it's going to be difficult on this episode because I am atrocious for saying um all the time. Yeah, I think that's probably where I stand at the moment, probably the most complex thing about editing. I've not always set up the microphone the best, so trying to compensate for that sometimes can be a little tricky, but we'll get there, we'll get there.
Speaker 3:So some good tips Just start. Perfect is not really a word you need to aspire to when you're doing a podcast. It's being authentic and get some developing editorial skills, because you are, after all, executive producer, director, technician. Everything else in relation to the podcast is because of you, Jamie. So thank you for getting us started on this journey and for the enormous amount of work that's gone into getting it and even coming up with the idea of let's have a 10th episode that just looks back on where we've come from in terms of I look around this room and I think the sign makes us look so official.
Speaker 2:I know it's very exciting. What about the?
Speaker 3:name. What about the name? Because I know there's a lot of talk about what we were going to call the podcast in the first place.
Speaker 2:Well, it was really tricky to come up with a name because there are all like there's a lot of podcasts out there and getting a name that was unique but concisely said what we were trying to accomplish and I think bubbles being your favorite thing, and benevolence, so giving to the community and sharing the love. Really I think it concisely said what we wanted it to say about the podcast.
Speaker 3:I think it's beautiful and also I just suddenly thought it's B&B. It's kind of almost what we provide at Hanworth, I know, minus the breakfast, minus the breakfast, exactly, and so we've got a few good things in store. We had some amazing guests. So we thank everybody who's been on it this year, and how do we plan for the next year? I mean, I know we've got an opportunity for people to nominate people that we should probably interview.
Speaker 2:There seems to be a never-ending supply of people that we want to interview when we first started we had kind of a a list of people that were we definitely wanted to get on the show who we still haven't got probably halfway through the list yet. So there's still going to be quite a lot of people to come who have been in the Hanworth community for a long time. But I think the interview that we did with Caitlin Aslett was probably one of my favorites because even though we'd known her for years, she was very supportive of Women's Legal Service Queensland and still is. I had absolutely no idea about her life and her previous experience and everything she'd done in the fashion industry and costume design.
Speaker 2:Like I was just absolutely blown away by her story. Caitlin reached out to us because she wanted to tell her story, and some of the things she said was that it's not often you get to kind of share those things about yourself. It feels very weird to talk about yourself for such a long period of time as well, but I think that opened up a new group of people that we probably hadn't thought about necessarily interviewing. So there's a long list of people who have come into Hanworth one way or another who will be definitely on the podcast next year, maybe the year after so we keep going.
Speaker 3:And the other thing I've learned is that everyone has a story. Everybody has a story and most of their story you haven't heard yet. Maybe a lot of their story is not yet written, but I mean, I think you're right. I mean, the layers of her story was incredible. And similarly, when you got me to interview my brother, steve, well, his story went on for so long we had to go into two episodes because he was very hard to manage in the podcast because he just had a story that led to a story that led to a story and even me and our story about coming in touch with each other. Steve was adopted if you haven't already heard that episode and we came to find each other was. There were many other layers of things I didn't know about Steve that I learned about at the podcast as well. So that was. I just do reflect on the fact that everybody has not only one story but many stories, and this has been an opportunity to sit down and try to unravel some of that.
Speaker 2:And I think when you're telling those stories as well, when it's your story, it doesn't seem that impressive, or to you it's just what you've done. But when you tell it out loud to somebody else that has no clue what you've been through or where you started, you really don't expect the reaction that they give you about how interested they are, because sometimes you're just like, oh, who would care about my little story?
Speaker 3:so, jamie, just that's a great segue like where did you come from? How did you come into my life? I'm going to just turn it into a little. Now that executive producer director gets actually interviewed by um, I don't know what I'm called on this. I'm not the host, the host, the host, that's a host. I'm often a host, so even us stumbling upon each other was an interesting story.
Speaker 2:That is very true. So my mum was one of your tenants. She was renting a commercial property from you and I was helping her at her work, which was market research. At her work, which was market research. And in 2018, when I first met you, todd and I were engaged. So we were planning our wedding and we were trying to save which is very difficult because weddings are so expensive and you offered me some little extra work on the side so that I actually started filing for Philip which is bizarre, that it just blows my mind that there was so much paper that even just 2018, that I spent a couple of hours, a couple of days, a just filing all the paper.
Speaker 3:So, just for context, not all doctors were as laboriously intensive paper-wise. It's just that Philip had this notion that, unless he could feel it, it didn't exist. So everything was paper right.
Speaker 2:We've come such a long way, almost struggling to remember now how that turned into. I think Michelle, who was working for you at the time, who is such a gorgeous person, she's such a kind person, she's with Hanworth from the beginning yeah, for five years I think Michelle was with us and a funny story is she actually got married the same year. So we got married a month apart and when she, I think she took a month off for her wedding and then honeymoon. So you asked if I could come and fill in for Michelle while she was away. Then, shortly after Michelle came back from her honeymoon, she resigned and started to pursue a new career in pharmaceuticals. You had asked me if, while I was still working in market research, if I could fill in until we found somebody suitable to take over the full-time job.
Speaker 3:That was five years ago, I'm still here, Right, and I've morphed into so many things and now I mainly concentrate on special projects. So the 160th birthday is right in your portfolio and finances. Who knew? But previously to working in the market research area, you were with David Jones.
Speaker 2:I was. I was with David Jones for four years. I was an assistant sales manager in the young fashion department at Queen's Plaza and in cosmetics. I think retail's just been a passion of mine, so labels on the lawn is right up my alley. I think when we first started sorting clothes and putting them into the prices, I was just appalled by some of the prices that people wanted to sell the clothes for. Clothing and fashion had been something that I was really passionate about. It's what I studied at uni.
Speaker 2:I did a double degree in marketing, public relations and creative industries fashion, and while I did that I was, I worked in hotels, which I really enjoyed. That's my family background. My parents have always been in hospitality and worked in hotels, so we moved around quite a lot and so it kind of was my first instinct to go there. But I just really, really loved fashion and style and being able to kind of present your personality in a way that you didn't have to say anything to anyone, and I think the absolute epitome of that is Laura Lee Cunningham. I think she's absolutely a person that you can see her personality just before you even speak to her. You can see it. I think she's absolutely a person that you can see her personality just before you even speak to her. You can see it.
Speaker 3:I'm going to say her personality precedes her Absolutely. But if anyone knows Jamie, she's the one who always wears the heels. Doesn't matter, I'm always thinking we have an event to do and there's Jamie in her heels just running around you always have heels on right.
Speaker 2:I do, I do. I love my heels, I love my shoes.
Speaker 3:She's always the one with the heels in the office, so I think that fashion statement is always you and have a wonderful way of putting things together that I would never even put together from labels on the lawn. It just works and it's been a wonderful journey those last five years and the podcast is really one of your major crowning achievements in terms of developing something from concept to fruition.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm very proud of it. I still kind of don't really know what I was thinking, suggesting that we do this when I had absolutely no experience in any of it, but I think it's turning out pretty well. I've been really enjoying hearing everyone's stories and seeing what came beforehand. What everyone wants to do moving forward. I think it's been really, really interesting is seeing where people want to be in the next couple of years. Hearing about what's important to people as well has been really endearing.
Speaker 3:And it's been really lovely hearing you plan about celebrating a year of the podcast, and so we've got some special thoughts around what we might do in and around maybe International Women's Day next year and because I know you're very motivated about women, supporting women and you know, mentoring et cetera, and we think we've got a lot. There's always been women who've lived at Hanworth in its history. Of course, we have lots of boys who live there now too, but I think it is definitely there's lots of synergies between celebrating the podcast, celebrating people we've come in contact with and seeing the learnings, focusing on the learnings that we've come from each episode that we can hopefully share with listeners, and maybe one or two of those things might stick and motivate people to do something like start a podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if we can get one person to start something that they've been thinking about but didn't know where to begin, that'd be amazing.
Speaker 3:If you think back on the podcast, what's one thing you would have done differently?
Speaker 2:I would like to say I wish I had learned more about using audio equipment, but I think that kind of defeats the purpose of what I said earlier about just starting. I don't think I would do anything differently.
Speaker 3:And what do you want the podcast to be when it grows up?
Speaker 2:I want it to be helpful. I want people to, and I think this is probably also the main reason for starting. One of the main reasons for starting the podcast as well is I wanted to be able to share people's stories so that other people listening can look up to these people and maybe follow in their footsteps or learn from, maybe, mistakes they've made or just maybe get inspiration for what they do want to do with their life and just help people find their path.
Speaker 3:And that's really cute, because one of the pages that I landed on in our beautiful book that we've been talking about which is kind of nice as a little wrap up, I guess a segment is what is the bravest thing you've ever said Ask the boy and help, said the horse. So that's kind of what you just said maybe ask for help but also be helpful. I think it's kind of the same sort of thing, but I thought you are right. This book is really everything that you aspired it to be in the podcast, and so many of these quotes are just perfect in terms of summing up, and it's nice that we have this in the podcast room now by our side, as the little gem that actually puts everything that you didn't know what to put into words into words it's really special, I think, because we had I think we had done two episodes, maybe three, before I found the book.
Speaker 2:and when I found it, and I think the first three pages were quotes that we had said in the podcast, and I thought that is so special, so I had to get you and myself and Sophia, a copy of the book. If we ever need a little bit of a push or a reminder of what we need and there's just so many things in the book that I adore. I think sometimes it is just the pick me up that we need in the office just to remind us that it's not all about what's right in front of you. And one of the quotes that I just love the most, towards the end of the book, is home isn't always a place, is it, and isn't it?
Speaker 3:interesting on the pavers outside Hanworth that we installed when Hanworth opened. It talks about all the owners of Hanworth. It talks about Mary Wine, george Heathworth. It talks about Mary Winehold, george Heath, of course, you know the first portmaster then Mary Winehold, who had a hundred year vision that the house would benefit women. And then the Theosophical Society, and then the Anglican Church and then the Vecchio family. And because we weren't really didn't have a marketing department we still don't, but we didn't. We certainly didn't have a marketing department. We still don't, but we didn't. We certainly didn't have a marketing department in the beginning and under the Vecchio family.
Speaker 3:It said Hanworth more than a place to live, and I think that quote really sums up not only just the podcast, but what we have created and what we envisage Hanworth will continue to do, which is it's more than a house, it is home.
Speaker 3:But it's not a home in which you live. It's a home because of the community that lives there, the community that supports it, the community that's so kind, that supports all the philanthropic ventures we do and our madness sometimes in terms of, you know, engineering these events. And so I think that's really lovely that we can sit here in the podcast and say that quote is more about us as well as a family. You know, we're not just a home in terms of an office. We have a true deep connection and we try and spur each other on and hopefully hold each other up sometimes when the odds are down. But what a beautiful quote, I think, to end the podcast today on and thanks, jamie, for creating an environment in which we can talk about some really interesting things with some really interesting people, and I can't wait to see who we have on next.
Speaker 2:Thank you, and thank you to everyone listening that's coming on this journey with us.
Speaker 3:Here's to the next 90, till we get to 100. Cheers, cheers.