In The Game Podcast

138: Creating a Global Swimwear Brand as a Single Mum: Rebecca Klodinksy's Re-Claims the Word Ambition

• Nat Cook & Sarah Maxwell • Season 7 • Episode 138

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Rebecca Klodinskyʼs entrepreneurial journey defies conventional expectations at every turn. From her early decision to forego typical teenage celebrations in favor of investment purchases to building a swimwear empire that caught the attention of the Kardashians, her story exemplifies what happens when unwavering determination meets strategic vision.

What makes Rebecca truly remarkable isn't just her business acumen—it's her ability to maintain that drive while navigating life's complexities. As she shares candidly in our conversation, building IIXIIST Swimwear as a single mother required ruthless prioritisation: "There were only two things on the table—the firstborn and the business. Everything else took a second seat." This practical approach extended to purchasing a house specifically designed to separate work and family life, demonstrating her forward-thinking approach to work-life integration.

When AFL star Lockie Henderson entered the picture, Rebecca faced the challenge of being labeled a "WAG"—a term often used dismissively for athletes' partners. Rather than letting this define her, she continued building her empire, eventually launching Prestwick Place jewelry with Lockie as her business partner. Their dynamic showcases what happens when two ambitious individuals join forces: "It's nice to have someone that is your person... It's a safe space when the shit hits the fan." As Rebecca notes, having a partner who matches her drive creates a relationship where "the whole unit rises."

Perhaps most refreshing is Rebecca's honest advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. In an era of social media glamorization, she offers a reality check: "If you don't have that tenacity to sit out on a weekend, to say no to things, to really focus on yourself, then I wouldn't even try." This perspective challenges the narrative that entrepreneurship is for everyone, suggesting that being honest about your drive is the first step toward genuine success. Whether you're considering starting a business, balancing career and family, or simply navigating your own path, Rebecca's journey offers valuable insights into staying true to yourself while creating extraordinary success.

Ready to hear more stories of remarkable women defying expectations? Subscribe to our podcast and join our community of listeners passionate about authentic paths to success.

The Podcast's 7th Season
Welcome to In the Game, a podcast where we aim to touch, move and inspire you to what's possible in life. My name is Sarah Maxwell and I am a self-proclaimed relationship engineer. Ever since I was a little girl, I was curious about how people work and how they interact with one another. With a degree in biopsychology representing my country of Canada in beach volleyball. With a degree in biopsychology representing my country of Canada in beach volleyball, retiring from sport into mindset and purpose coaching, I now spend my days running Chatta-box Media, where we aim to story-tell for brands through the medium of podcasting, all while raising an eight-year-old daughter with my partner of 24 years. We are now in season seven of this podcast, featuring a special series on women called who Knew that Was Work aimed at young women who want to broaden their horizon when it comes to career choosing.

Go deeper into the pod and discover incredible stories of changemakers who manifest their dream lives. Gain tangible tools to apply to your own life by scrolling back to that initial season where we were more workbook focused. Have a laugh when we initially were coined the Nat and Sarah show, when my five-time Olympian partner, natalie Cook, and I bantered and had loads of fun interviewing and discovering our common passion individuals who rise to the occasion in life. Okay, now it's time to dive on in to this episode.

Ge...

Audrey:

Hello, my name is Audrey Karina Thilka and I'm seven years old. I'm Australian by Australian heritage. We wish to acknowledge the land on which this podcast is being recorded, Minjim country, the place of the blue water lilies. We are inspired by the world's oldest living culture and seek wisdom from the people who came before us, the Jagra and Turrbal people. We pay our deepest respects to the tradition of storytelling when we share people's stories and we extend our respect. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians, peoples as the first Australians.

Sarah Maxwell:

Welcome to In the Game, a podcast where we aim to touch, move and inspire you to what's possible in life. My name is Sarah Maxwell and I am a self-proclaimed relationship engineer. Ever since I was a little girl, I was curious about how people work and how they interact with one another. With a degree in biopsychology, representing my country of Canada in beach volleyball, retiring from sport into mindset and purpose coaching, I now spend my days running Chattabox Media, where we aim to storytell for brands through the medium of podcasting, all while raising an eight-year-old daughter with my partner of 24 years. We are now in season seven of this podcast, featuring a special series on women called who Knew that Was Work aimed at young women who want to broaden their horizon when it comes to career choosing. Go deeper into the pod and discover incredible stories of change makers who manifest their dream lives. Gain tangible tools to apply to your own life by scrolling back to that initial season where we were more workbook focused. Have a laugh when we initially were coined the Nat and Sarah show, when my five-time Olympian partner, natalie Cook and I bantered and had loads of fun interviewing and discovering our common passion individuals who rise to the occasion in life. Okay, now it's time to dive on in to this episode. This is set to be a powerful conversation with the founder of two multi-million dollar brands who has two kids, one of them only just turned one and is married to retired AFL star, lockie Henderson.

Sarah Maxwell:

At just 24 years old, Rebecca Klodinsky turned $2,000 into a global swimwear empire, exist, won by Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Kim Kardashian. She then scaled it into a multi-million dollar business without investors, retail stores or influencer hype. As a single mother building her brand, she met her now-husband, lockie, and started to experience the pressures of being labeled a wag, an often derogatory term categorizing wives of male athletes in a less than favorable fashion. Rebecca was determined to showcase that a supportive partner could also be an ambitious businesswoman. In 2019, rebecca shifted her focus to fine jewelry, co-founding the Presswick Place with Hubby this time around. Determined to disrupt the diamond industry with a modern, ethical approach, her digital first strategy fueled sales exceeding 3 million annually.

Sarah Maxwell:

What can this woman not do? Recently, Rebecca birthed her second child, all the while maintaining a grueling business schedule and growing her family to four. Can you believe she even had time to chat with us today, by the sound of what your days. Look like Rebecca. I think we better get started. What do you say? Let's do it, let's just go. That's what she said to me before we started. She's like I do this all day, let's just go. Oh, my kind of woman.

Sarah Maxwell:

Okay, so we pretty much established that you're a busy mompreneur and look before we find out all the ins and outs of your career, because I really do want to delve into that. Just give us a little glimpse into the daily demands that you face, Like even just this last she's laughing already even just this last week, so we can get a sense of the juggle. Come on.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I honestly I can't give you. I just things happen every single day, like my eldest has now, I think, a fractured or broken toe and he's at home and we've got podcasts going live and social media things happening and just everything is happening at all times.

Sarah Maxwell:

it just doesn't stop and is it like you and lucky hands on deck together? Do you have help like how does this whole thing come together?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

it's lucky and I and we have help and we have lovely staff and it's just everyone.

Sarah Maxwell:

My hands are going in like a yeah, in a whirlwind, yeah, and that's a really good point, because sometimes I think there's an assumption that oh well, she's got help and she's got staff, but to coordinate all of that, I often look at it like this big engine, who's the coordinator of the engine? Like who manages the whole engine? Me, yeah, yeah, right. I wanted to say that because I think, until you try it, you think like there's sort of like this dream Once I have help, once I have an assistant, once I have an EA, once I yeah, then it's going to get easier Maybe it gets, but it doesn't because the machine gets bigger, like it gets bigger and bigger 100%, so it's really good.

Sarah Maxwell:

I think just can't wait for this conversation today, actually in light of you just having a child to get like your second as well. So, okay, before I get too excited, let's go back for a minute, cause I am curious about your drive and determination. So give us a story, if you can, that would showcase, like, basically, you growing up. That would showcase the fierce businesswoman, wife, mother that you've now become.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

But what do you mean? A story, or like a, almost like a?

Sarah Maxwell:

little like oh, when I was at school I did this. You know, I organized the tuck shop or something, I don't know what you do yeah.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

So no, none of that. I think I've just been very independent and I think, like I can't take direction from anyone, I will take direction. Of course I will take it. It's not like I'm driving on the opposite side of the road. I do adhere to the rules, but I think if I see that something can be done better or in a better way or differently, I'll take that option.

Sarah Maxwell:

And how did we see that in you? Did that look different than other kids when you were growing up? Did that look?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

different than other kids when you were growing up. Yeah, I think I made different decisions when I was growing up. At the end of school, you would go to schoolies and you'd spend money and you'd start drinking and you'd have a big weekend with your friends and that was really the precipice of it was just what we did, and I didn't do that, and I was the only one that didn't do that, and I didn't really seem interested in that. And instead of going to schoolies, I bought a Louis Vuitton bag and this was like 2004. That was crazy for a 17 year old or 18 year old to make that decision and I just didn't see the appeal in going. If you're in Australia and you're listening to this, in going to Surfers Paradise and staying in a hotel and school has just finished and getting really wild and crazy with your friends and I just that was totally unappealing to me and I think that's abnormal or that's different. No, that's a perfect.

Sarah Maxwell:

That is a different kind of story, and what I'm starting to get there is that you think things ahead. You're not impulsive.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

It sounds like you're quite I just don't like to do what the crowd does. I don't like if everyone is doing that. I might like to do that, but I might also like to not do that, and I've always been very clear about that. I've always really understood what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do, and I've never felt pressured. I've never had societal pressure on me. I just do what I feel is right for me.

Sarah Maxwell:

And even if your did, your parents ever have different ideas for you than you did for yourself? No, got it. So that lined up. So that was fine. Yeah, that was fine. And so when you said you always knew what you wanted to do, are you saying that even like in high school, you knew that you wanted to be an entrepreneur, you wanted to start businesses, or what was your kind of thinking as you were going through?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

those? Oh, I didn't know that. I've always had a sort of hustle in me. I've always known how to make money or things to, better ways to do things, smarter ways to do things. When I was younger, obviously, I couldn't identify how to make money faster or harder or different things, but I've just been able to identify that it doesn't need to be like this. I don't need to stay in a nine to five to get a house or a car. I've always thought that there are other ways to be able to apply my skills or myself to achieve the same result.

Sarah Maxwell:

Did you do? Did you have a hustle when you were a kid, kid being what, like I don't know? Did you have, like the super lemonade stand, or were you bags for half?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

price no, not at that age.

Sarah Maxwell:

No, okay so the hustle, like the real, what the real? I think early 20s the real hustle happened. Okay and did you form? Was your first hustle? The actual swimwear brand?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

no, there were so many before that, like eyelash extensions and different things online like pillows and things at the markets, and just little things that I have done. Okay, Did you go to uni? I don't know this. Yeah, I studied. I did a double degree in psychology, so forensic psychology and straight psychology.

Sarah Maxwell:

So she's a smart girl but I didn't Okay, why did you take those? Why did?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

you choose that. I think I've just always been interested in human, the way we process and work and do things.

Sarah Maxwell:

I have that degree too. How fun.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Oh cool.

Sarah Maxwell:

Look at us. Look at us. No wonder we're chatting. And has that helped you in business?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I think, yeah, you know yourself, then you can analyze things differently or think about things differently. Like, what's the human nature to use your phone at lunchtime? I mean, that's a very simple thing to do, so you post at lunchtime. But yeah, I think it does help.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, that's so cool. I know it's funny how sometimes I didn't when I was in it. You don't yet know your future, so you're not really sure how it's all going to relate. I had other ideas actually. And then, yeah, I'm pretty grateful to understand the human human behavior a bit more. Yeah, all right, ok, so got it. So you're sort of like you sound to me like very determined, sure of yourself, willing to try things, and you're, you know, you've done your degrees, so you're the smart one, you've got it all going on, and so there's a little gap here. So I was about to launch into actually meeting your husband, lockie. But share with me if there's a gap, because when you meet Lockie you're a single mom. So let's go back for a sec. The gap is explain to me how you start this exists the swimwear brand while being a single mom well, it started before.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

so yeah, it started in my early it. Then I was a single mom towards the end of that era, so late thirties. So it started when I was free and I had all of that mental capacity.

Sarah Maxwell:

Okay, got it and I didn't cry every day. Got it Before you knew how hard it was, got it.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Yeah, when I could shower. No, oh my God. So I started that earlier on. This was when Instagram just started.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, okay, so you were at the inception around Instagram and so, by the sounds of it, exist really was propelled by your capacity to use social media like Instagram. Yeah, what did you understand early on that maybe others didn't? Well, I don't think there were.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I was probably one of the first people in the country to utilize Instagram as a sales tool. We were one of the first swimwear brands that were in the price range as well, and I think because I deferred uni and I leapt into this business and I thought, if it doesn't work, then I'm just going to go back to school because it's just cash and I don't care about I have no attachment to money whatsoever so I gave it a go and I think because I didn't have that job or I had all of that spare time to explore and understand like it was really at the start of Instagram we were still using, we had just transitioned from MySpace to Facebook and then it was Facebook to Instagram and no one really understood what was happening and I could explore and I could use it and I could leverage it and it was quite shocking to see people in bikinis first thing in the morning when you jump on your Instagram. Now everyone's half naked, but back in the early 2000s it was a different story.

Sarah Maxwell:

So I had the freedom and I can see in you that ability or willingness to go first. You know, like early adopter, you'll just do it, maybe when you've never seen it before, which is really interesting. So obviously that did that help in terms of it sounds like your brand really catapulted, with some American stars wearing your brand. Was that a deliberate attempt to get it in front of them or did that just fall upon you?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

no, it just happened. It just it was like I suddenly was receiving screenshots from Kylie Jenner's assistant and Kim Kardashian's assistant and then Rihanna ordered, I think, or Kylie someone ordered, and I was like what? This is her address? This is so cool, but it happened very organically.

Sarah Maxwell:

Incredible Were those exciting times for you. Yeah, yeah, okay. So then, when single motherdom comes in, how did that impact your ability to run that business?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Well, it really just refined how I did things and I was limited with time. Okay, that freedom was taken away and it just made me like there were only two things on the table and it's the firstborn and it's the business. So everything else took a second, took a second seat, and then, just before he was born, I bought a house intentionally that could be split, with work purposes on one side and house on the other.

Sarah Maxwell:

So I really, yeah, nice, okay. So I think that's kind of perfectly into my next curious mind says how the heck do you have time to date, lockie? So you like, how do you have time to date when all that's going on?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Well, when we first met, he was very busy with his career. I was very busy with my career. He was based in Melbourne, still playing full time, and it was just easy. It was like it's suited. It worked really well and he would fly up and then I would fly down and they'd have interstate games, and it just worked, got it.

Sarah Maxwell:

And some of the challenges. Let's talk about dating him for a sec. So you know, if he was just any old guy that lived in Melbourne and you were traveling back and forth, it sounds like it would have been easier than the fact that he played AFL in a country where lots of people watch it. And then there's sort of like this narrative that people place on those who I don't know if it's people who date AFL people or whether it's when you marry them but the term wag do you want to explain to maybe everyone, but maybe even non-Aussies, what's a wag? A?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

wife and girlfriend, or wife and partner of a professional athlete. What does it stand for? That's it Wife and girlfriend. Oh, wife and girlfriend, that's it. Yeah, that's it, wife and girlfriend.

Sarah Maxwell:

Oh, my God Cause you don't even have a name. Thank you very much.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I don't like the negative connotation with it, though, because I was slapped with the label a couple of times and I remember having some pushback from some of the girls in the club Like I don't even, I can't, cause I never read any media and there was like an icky feeling around an interview that I had given about me being a wag. Like I'm happy to embrace it who, I don't know who labeled us, but whatever I'm working, I'm doing whatever it is and I like to be his partner, I like to support him, but I think that some some wags might not appreciate the term, whereas, like, it is what it is okay, got it, so you weren't too good, so you weren't upset by it, but it was given to you by others.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, I would say you've been great for the term, because you represent the opposite of what people are trying to associate into it sometimes.

Sarah Maxwell:

I mean maybe I think so too. Okay, got it. So thank you for sharing that a little bit, because I think I think sometimes. So okay, let me ask a deeper question then, instead of just a title, because you're such a powerful presence. What was it like to be in a relationship with another very powerful person, like what it did? Was that different than your first relationship, and did you have to? Were there new things coming to the table? Cause you're two powerful people together.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Yeah, I think it was.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

It wouldn't work with anybody else because I had been with somebody less than that.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Oh, I have been, and then I'm suddenly someone else, or I've become someone else because my business is so big and what I've done is quite cool and it was my previous relationships had you know, it wasn't benefiting me because I was the star or I was the alpha. And as a female, I think it's really hard because you can't separate that feminine side from the alpha side. If you're the breadwinner and you're the superstar to me, like it might work in other relationships, but for me I need to be a girl, like I need to just chill out and it was nice to have Lockie be on the same level as me, as cool as me, making a lot of money, paying his own mortgages and doing his own shit, and like, yeah, that was really something that I needed as a person and I feel like as a woman as well if you're making a lot of money you want to be looked after, or you want someone else that meets you or is bigger than you or can relate to you as well.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, that's really cool. I liked when you said alpha. That was quite interesting. Just imagining, yeah, when an alpha meets an alpha, what happens, you know, and how to actually yeah just sounds so much more powerful. It just reminds me of that. It's like the whole unit rises, the whole relationship is more powerful. Yeah, was that partly why you decided that your next business would be together? Like now, you're two powerful people and you want to do a business together. What was that decision?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

about? No, because he was still playing when I launched the brand, when I started the company um, and I always had intention or I wanted him to have a place in it when he retired, which was whenever a year later, two years later, I think it was two years or maybe three after, but I always had the intention of having him with me, got it and what's it been like?

Sarah Maxwell:

Like, what's it like having him with you in the business versus just on your own?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Yeah, really, really good. It's nice to have someone and I did a podcast myself on this working with your spouse. It's really good if you can make it work because you've got that person. That is your person and it's not like a business partner who might do a deal behind your back or might you know. It's just different. It's nice to have a safe space in him when the shit hits the fan or when I really need to give it to him and he can just like not be offended.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yes, do you guys have different. Like are your roles quite differentiated? Like are is it clear or are you kind of do a little bit? No, it's clear.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

It's clear and he's a lot softer than what I am. I'm very sharp and I think a lot of the time or it's very helpful for me to be able to filter through him.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, I got it. I quite like hearing you say that, because there's always this negative connotation about not negative. There's sort of like tension when it comes to couples or having a business together, and I like that you've just highlighted what's great about it not just the crappy bits, because people get really afraid to work with their partner.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I think it's so good and we work together so well. And he knows he just knows me. So I think if you've got a partner that you can make it work with then it's great. But I totally understand if it doesn't work, because it's super fucking hard.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, yeah, there's some really hard bits, yeah. So within that, we're getting you know again. Through your sharing, you get a sense of like who you are. So talk to me about ambition, okay. So, especially, you're just reminding me of this amazing woman that I know, that that's. I've highlighted her on this podcast Susan Sly. She spoke about ambition as well for women, and she's Canadian and moved to the US and she said it's so much easier to be ambitious in the US and I thought that really, yeah, she said it's so much more acceptable. Yeah, that was just random, but basically where, talk to us about ambition and I just want you to give younger women permission a little bit, because sometimes they shy away from their inner ambition. So what would you say to that?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I would say embrace it and go for it. I do think it's difficult for the next generation, though, with social media, to be completely honest, because it dulls a need or a want to do things. You can get stuck in your phone for a long, long time, hours can go by, and then you end up comparing yourself to someone else, or comparing your relationship to something else, or the business that you've just started, and that can be a real deterrent. It can put you back. So I would say, just keep going and don't lose. Focus on that, but it's a real. I think it's a very challenging time for younger people.

Sarah Maxwell:

God, I just heard that someone was just, oh, someone in radio was talking about how she did like really really funny stuff. She sent her demo tapes to really famous radio people when she was young and the guy interviewing was like you did that. And she said you know, like do things, but they don't do things now. So that's what she said. She goes. It's so much harder now because of yeah, like what you just said about.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I feel like social media doesn't allow that space, that empty space, to be creative or to forward think or to do anything. And I was asked the other day about investing. I was talking on our Instagram about gold or something and someone said to me what would you do, what would you invest in now if you were to invest? And, honestly, I have had my money everywhere for 10 years, 20 years, and it's not something that I would be thinking about now. It's like these younger kids should be thinking about investing their money or doing smarter things instead of keeping up with influencers or yeah. So it's hard. I think it's hard for the little ones.

Sarah Maxwell:

How do you do it? Because you're you're still a man, like you're paying attention to anyone.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Oh so you don't listen she's coming in and she's telling me, like, did you hear this? Did you say this? I'm like I don't know anything. I know what's going on with me and I know, like, the price of gold, and I know what my stocks are at and I know what the US dollar is doing and I know, you know, what's going on in the Ukraine. Like I know things that impact things, but I don't know about the TikTok thing.

Sarah Maxwell:

You're awesome. Um, that's a top tip. Everyone just saying top tip. Like stop needing to know about everything, like I don't know if this is an old lady comment that my friends and I make together. But we say stay out of other people's gardens and that's like that's more about with friends and gossip and just it's not your business, it's their, it's their life. But the same could be said with stay out of the world garden, like stop, oh, like I think social media yeah, it's too much.

Sarah Maxwell:

Okay, top tip right there Just saying Okay, so we've taught, we've kind of covered Lockie in the business and do you? Do you have the swimwear brand still operating or have you closed?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

that down. It's still going. I've closed it down but it's still making orders.

Sarah Maxwell:

I have wholesale and behind the scenes things happening still um, I have wholesale and behind the scenes things happening still, so, okay, okay. So I was going to compare. We've already done that. Really, you've said it's way better working with him because of how he is. Um, okay, let's go on to you've just had your first child together. Well, I'm I actually don't even want to say that because you have two kids. Yeah, so you have two kids, but you've just had you have like a just one year old, so you're balancing parenting and business life. I want to talk about mental load for a sec. We kind of addressed it in the very beginning, but I just want to come full circle. How do you manage mental load? Do you have any hacks for moms?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I don't have any. I don't have any hacks at all, I think. Call a friend, stay off Instagram. It just makes you feel even more shit and it wastes your time. Call a friend, that's it. How do you sleep? How, like, are you a good sleeper? Yeah, I get a lot of sleep and we go to sleep early, but I'm a sensitive sleeper, like, if something disrupts me or if I go past my bedtime, then we're in trouble.

Sarah Maxwell:

I think that's a bit of a hack though, that you can sleep, and do you have rules around like do you look at your phone right before you sleep?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

No, I don't even have my phone in the bedroom.

Sarah Maxwell:

The phone's not in the room. You have hacks, you just don't know it. Hopefully you're like you're like my partner. This is over the last 25 years. All I do is watch. I'm like, oh, people would like to know that, because she talks about it. Nobody, she doesn't say any of them because she doesn't realize that they're hacks. Yeah, so I've just got, I've got to like, listen a bit better with you. Find all your hacks Locky probably knows them. Okay, so you, your phone's not even in the room and do you guys have like a when the kids go to bed? You go to bed. Is that kind of?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

No, we just hang out, we watch TV, nice, nice. We do what we need to do and then have some downtime and go to bed. Do you guys watch crap tv? What do you watch? No, have you seen black doves on netflix?

Sarah Maxwell:

no, oh yes it's like she's a spy. It's amazing. Oh, it's really good. Yes, but she's tricking the husband.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Is it that amazing? It's so good, it's shot so well. Yeah, we don't watch crap tv.

Sarah Maxwell:

I didn't notice how it was shot, but okay, okay, so you don't watch. No, maybe got it. We watch the same shows. Fancy that, um okay. So basically the mental load is real. When you have this next child, would you, could you feel the heaviness of the load Totally?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Totally. It's just, it's nonstop, because you don't have a break for self-regulation, you don't have a break to ignore Like I have breakfast from seven o'clock sitting next to me and it's not eaten you just don't get a break to do anything for yourself. So you have to lock in like just get shit done when you can have to lock in, like just get shit done when you can.

Sarah Maxwell:

And it sounds like you and lucky are very equal in your relate, meaning you you work the business, you're both seemingly at home together. Yeah, I'm quite curious about this, because mental load do you think that it goes to the parent who bears the child, ie the mum, or do you think that he has more mental load than other dads? Or what would you say?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I think it's. I definitely think it goes to the mum because it's the mum. You're just connected to your kids differently. But in saying that Lockie really is a big caregiver, like he's a good dad and he takes on all of us. So I think it's just different because you've got the mum guilt and you have like my kids are real mama's boys okay it's that side of things.

Sarah Maxwell:

But then Lockie's he's just taking care of all of us and all the things he has a different load, like, yeah, because we're yeah, I've always been curious about this because, um, we're two females, so people say it's the mom, but I'm like, well, we're both moms and but it's, I think it is. So. My second comment was is it the one who breastfeeds? Because you're sort of like on this breastfeeding schedule and then poo schedule and you've got all these weird things in your head, yeah, and then I always wondered about, yeah, another partner who's quite equal, yeah, in terms of work and everything yeah, he definitely takes it.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

When I was breastfeeding in the night he would be awake, just to be awake with me. He would sit at like 11 and 2 and 4. He would physically sit up and I would say what are you doing? He's saying well, if you're awake, I'm awake. If you're sitting, I'm sitting like bless.

Sarah Maxwell:

I know he's great yeah, okay, lucky you should listen to this. You're getting. Yeah, you're sounding.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I was pregnant either. He didn't drink until I could drink. If you're not drinking, I'm not drinking.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, that's that's so great. Yeah, it's well done. You found a good one amidst all of the chaos that was going. He's hot too, his body well, I, I didn't look that up okay like I will. Well, everyone could go look up Lockie Henderson and see, and he doesn't have a dad bod my god, he is the like even when he was playing.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I would look at him and think you are the hottest one out of all of them. And in the locker room with their shirts off. This is so funny.

Sarah Maxwell:

I love this so much. Oh, my god, imagine when he goes to like kid pickup. Yeah, watch this space.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Oh, I'd love that for him. Throw him in with all the sharks. I say it all the time Go for it. You go to the birthday parties. You look like that.

Sarah Maxwell:

Oh my God, that is great. That would be a good TV show. I would. I would watch that. That would be funny. That would be actually really that's way better than Wag that show. So, look, this is sort of like a final question, and I'm just laughing because I'm thinking you're not even going to like this question. But if you could embody, like, think about the young woman you were setting out in business? So to me you've always been just like in action, Go, go, go. Um, what advice would you give young female women who have ideas and they're visionaries but they're overwhelmed by life? What would you tell them?

Rebecca Klodinsky:

Oh, my God, it's really, it's, it's so. My responses changed this year because of TikTok, because of social media, because of all of these apps. It has honestly changed. Like previous to this year, I would always say go for it and do it. But actually, if you don't have that tenacity, if you don't have the ability to execute and follow through, if you don't have that tenacity, if you don't have the ability to execute and follow through if you like and that's okay just get real with yourself.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

If you don't have that in you to sit out on a weekend to say no to things, to really say no and focus on yourself, then I wouldn't even try because it's going to leave you. You're going to the amount of people that I can see that have started businesses. There's Instagram pages that have started and then it just stops. It's nice to see the try and the effort, but it doesn't get anywhere. You're better off to have an education and get a solid career that you can excel at instead of trying to be like everybody else. If you've got that in you and you can really follow through when it's hard, go for it, because nothing will stop you. But if it's a little bit of trepidation, don't do it or work for a brand or a business or a person or something that you respect, that you can learn off, that you can grow with that way.

Sarah Maxwell:

It's so interesting that comment you off that you can grow with that way. It's so interesting that comment you know what you reminded me of with that. It's because we're like sporty people. People come up to my partner especially always about their kids. They want their kid to be a professional athlete and the thing that we always listen for is if you hear that the kid is so obsessed like if the kid is like, the parent is almost like I don't know anything about sport, but my kid is like always out in the backyard.

Sarah Maxwell:

If you can hear the kid driving, then you know that it's all good. That's right, in the same way that the woman. The woman is waiting for this advice. She ain't waiting for that advice. She's already determined and, like you weren't, you were just going to do what you wanted to do anyways.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

And you've got those kids that the parents will push them or society will push them to play a sport, but really they don't have it. They might look good with a tennis racket in their hand, but in their heart of hearts they don't want that. So don't do it. Just don't do it.

Sarah Maxwell:

There's enough that's like just like lucky in sport. I'm sure he was just like he was driving the machine for himself. You were driving your ideas for yourself. Um, yeah, and you're it's. That was a really good call when you just said society. It's like, instead of a parent driving them, society is driving it.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

It's not even their idea, they just think they should or they're comparing and my response to that question has changed only because of this year, to be honest, like with the OnlyFans and Snapchat and all this fucking shit. Sorry, but it's just a lot, and I would prefer to see the next gen becoming professionals in their field, like be a really good dentist, be a really good teacher. We need that.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, that's a good call. Maybe that's the flip flop, because if everybody did what you did, we would have no services anymore.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

And it's so easy to start a Shopify store. I respect that. But if you don't have it in your gut to follow through and really be determined, like Lockie was a very, very determined athlete, he was such a good, such a good athlete.

Sarah Maxwell:

That's really. That is awesome advice, I think, because it stops this notion that there's this is better. To me, the best thing you can do is be you fully meaning, without the cheesy way of saying that, but meaning it's like your plan, it's what's good for you, instead of trying to be like beck or be like sarah just yeah you, you yeah, and if you do it that way, I think you'll be successful, no matter what.

Sarah Maxwell:

There was this I don't it't a meme, but they kind of did this thing where they took really famous people and they said imagine if Oprah was an AFL star, imagine if God, like Serena Williams, was CEO of such and such, like basically moving people out of their mastery into these other areas. And it was so weird, like, imagine Beyonce being I was going to say a ballet dancer. I'm trying to think of really opposite things, but but ultimately, why she's great is because she has she has stepped into her niche area, like she is fully aligned, just like oprah is fully aligned in that area. So it works, yeah, um, but yeah, when you try to play someone else, it just it's pretty ugly. It doesn't work. Yeah, beck, you are machine. I mean, I don't know if you speak faster or you just get to the point faster, but we kind of just said everything.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I get to the point. I just get there. I don't like to fuck around, to be honest, sorry.

Sarah Maxwell:

My puppy has never heard so many lovely words. My kid is cool, it's all good. Sorry, I was going to hope in a whole other can of worms about swearing. I had this conversation, I've had a. Yeah, anyway, I'm not going anyway, not going there. We're not going to talk about our beliefs on swearing.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

I think it's okay if it's an emotion. I say to my seven-year-old like I'm expressing emotion in the house and it's not like I'm saying the C word, but if something happens I say oh, and he hears some of my music. Sometimes he's like why are they swearing? And I said it's just a language and a way to express feelings and when Aussies swear it sounds a lot better.

Sarah Maxwell:

I'm just gonna say it. I know I don't know what that is, but you guys just doesn't sound vulgar. So my partner loves to swear and it just my aunts will be devastated and mortified by this. But yeah, I've shifted my thoughts on that a lot. So therefore, my parenting, I, okay, I am going there.

Sarah Maxwell:

So I, we grew up where we weren't allowed to swear Sorry, mom, get ready for this. So we weren't allowed to swear at all. So all day at school I would just swear Sorry, mom, get ready for this. So we weren't allowed to swear at all. So all day at school I would just swear, all day and then walk in the house and just mask it up and just be perfect, right. And I was like that's no good, I don't want my daughter doing that. What's that? That's, that's weird. So so that's where I'm always kind of like testing this vibe around swearing. So that's where I'm always kind of like testing this vibe around swearing. And so yeah, like you say, with music, we hear it, we talk about different places where it may work and where it may not work, and yeah, but it's an ongoing discussion.

Rebecca Klodinsky:

But my seven-year-old came home the other day and he said oh, someone so called me an ass. I said what's an ass? He said I think it's a rude word like bum or something. I said what's an ass? He said I think it's a rude word like bum or something. I said well, it is also the name of a donkey, so I'm not sure. Maybe he called you a donkey. He said yeah, but we're not allowed to say it at school. I said well, just don't say it. He said okay.

Sarah Maxwell:

Yeah, and that's a good distinction of what's acceptable at school. So you can tell your seven-year-old that I grew up in the French land and p-h-o-q-u-e how do we say that fuck?

Sarah Maxwell:

p-h-o-q-fuck, fuck, fuck is a of a seal and we freaking loved that at school, didn't we? Okay, so we find ways, whether it's the, the ass, oh my god, what's happened. Okay, we digress. Yeah, you're awesome. Thank you for being so cool and down to earth and relatable and super honest. Love that and get to the point. I've really enjoyed this conversation and I know that certain women are going to see themselves in you and go yeah, supercharge, supercharge me, let's go. So, thank you, love it. Thanks for having me. Awesome. Thanks, bec Bye.

Sarah Maxwell:

Thank you for joining us on another episode of In the Game Podcast. We hope we have inspired you with these real, lived experiences of incredible women navigating their careers their way. We are all about sharing around here, so if you know someone who would benefit from listening to this podcast or this show in general, do it now and share the love. Pressing follow on the pod makes a massive difference. Taking two minutes to rate us for season seven means that more people will get to hear these stories, which will widen the impact. Minutes to rate us for season seven means that more people will get to hear these stories, which will widen the impact. Join us next time for more captivating stories of female trailblazers who are leaving behind clues for that next generation of women and girls.