Head Ovary Heels

So I had an idea to create a beauty podcast. I still might. I wanted to call it Vermilion. I spent a weekend setting up all new social media accounts for my beauty-to-be podcast and felt exhausted with a whole new set of logins (of which I have many). My friend Ryan (who I get all my creative advice from) said why don’t you just fold it into Head Ovary Heels? You already have an audience and everything set up. He was right.The idea I had with a beauty podcast was to create an audio version of all the incredible beauty websites that exist and the stories told on them, like Into The Gloss, Beauticate and The File. I love the details of women’s lives. I love how beauty digs into those quotidian nooks and crannies.I should note, from conceptualising a beauty-themed podcast to delivering it - I’ve discovered some really great podcasts that cover similar territory that you should definitely check out like Fat Mascara and At Home With.Thank you so much to all of the guests. The women (and one man) who gave their tim

Anna Ross is the founder of Kester Black - an ethical beauty brand based in Melbourne. Before Kester Black sold nail polish, Anna sold silver jewellery and fashion under the label. That's the thing, she's been constantly evolving her business. These days Anna works with a team of eight, four days a week, to sell nail polish and beauty products around the world. She has a vision board in her room with the words, "$100 million plus" written on it to push her to her goal of building a business beyond her dreams.Get into Anna's phone and business dreams with her fave Instagram accounts and business books. Anna's fave Instagram accounts: Georgia Perry Hello Sandwich Areaware Daniel_emma Joost Bakker Alice Oehr Lucy FolkAnna's business books recommendations:Good to Great - Jim CollinsThe Tipping Point - Malcom GladwellBreaking the habit of being yourself - Joe Dispenza

Brisbane-raised Lindy Morrison was the drummer of Australia's most critically acclaimed pop band, The Go-Betweens. The band was formed by song-writing duo Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. Lindy was The Go-Betweens drummer over six albums. Like an Australian Fleetwood Mac, she was in a relationship with Robert. While Grant was in a relationship with fellow band member Amanda Brown.Just released in Australian cinemas is the documentary The Go-Betweens: Right Here, from filmmaker Kriv Stenders (Red Dog). The documentary is about music, a life’s work, lovers, friends, fallings out and reconciliations. On camera, Lindy is the most formidable character in the pop drama.Lindy is more than just the drummer of Australia’s greatest pop band. She continues to do social work with Support Act and she’s active in the recorded music copyright space with PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia). She’s also a mother. When her daughter left home, Lindy talks about how Facebook made her feel less lonely.

Along with 100,000 others, I follow Clarice Chian aka @brigadeirochoc on social media. I knew she was a mum with two children and lived in Adelaide, South Australia. I was also aware that she created content for brands like Clinique and Magnum ice cream but I didn't really know who she was. It was wonderful to speak with her and hear about her life growing up in three countries: Brazil, the UK and now Australia. Her three careers; first in science, then law and now content creation. And also how she started and met her online friends in the Vogue Forums (important Australian women's internet history!).

Meg Mason is the author of the just-released novel You Be Mother (Harper Collins) and the memoir Say It Again In A Nice Voice. Meg moved to Sydney as a teen from New Zealand and proudly never read a book until her final year of high school. She then went on to study English at university. Meg writes for Elle, GQ and Country Style.She lives in Sydney with her husband and two daughters. We talk about her favourite books and why she's not a Facebook person. Meg wisely notes: "Facebook is something that you can never finish."

Rachael Oakes-Ash is Australia's best known ski journalist. In this episode, we dive into how she ended up selling all her possessions and roaming the globe with two suitcases and a pair of ski boots.Rachael talks about skiing (badly) with New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clarke, how the ski industry is changing and why it's a privilege to ski.Rachael talks about her website, Snows Best, and her Facebook community Miss Snow It All and more. Oh, and check out her non-skiing related website, Elephant Truths.https://www.instagram.com/misssnowitall/

In another life in London, Emily was the Associate Publisher of UK Vogue. She's back in Australia working on a number of projects, including the Paradise Catcher - monogrammed bags that are perfect for the Australian lifestyle. It was terrific to talk to this Brisbane-raised gal about her career, life as a mother, bag-lady and her internet ambitions. And there's an Isabella Blow anecdote in this episode too!Definitely follow The Paradise Catcher on Instagram for bags of holiday and style inspiration.https://www.instagram.com/theparadisecatcher/

There's a picture of Jade Sarita Arnott, in double denim, photographed by Garance Dore. It's pinned all over Pinterest. There's a follow up pic with Jade in all pink, also by Garance. The pics are a lovely monochrome pair. In this episode we talk about the story behind those two photos. And also Jade's fascination with the photographs of the Brown Sisters by Nicholas Nixon. Jade talks about starting her sustainable fashion line Arnsdorf. She mentions putting her brand on hold while her children are small and launching back into it. So much style and career inspiration in one episode.https://www.instagram.com/arnsdorf/

Georgie Abay is the mum-of-two genius behind The Grace Tales - possibly the most beautiful parenting lifestyle site on the internet. In this episode Georgie talks about growing up on Sydney's North Shore, finding her groove in the world of magazines and the moment she bought the domain name for her website.But The Grace Tales is more than a website. There's the Grace Collection of bags and sweaters, an online magazine and the IRL Grace Talks.

Twenty years ago New Yorker Gale Mayron founded the beauty brand Jao. But it's more than a beauty brand. Her first product was the Jao Refresher. (It really is the best to travel with or keep on your desk. It smells incredible and is all natural.)Gale also has Goe Oil, Coiffette (my fave), Jao lip balm and a bunch of other products available on her website or at Madewell and Anthropologie.In this episode Gale talks about everything, including having children, a partner and running a business. "I think I balance it because I don't care as much as some women do. You have to be a little more selfish. You have to be a little more trusting that your kids are going to be ok." Gale continues to be right about everything.Follow Gale on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jao_brand/

"Fashion is my football," says Gina Gretchko, senior director of social media at legendary New York department store Saks Fifth Avenue. In this episode Gina talks about her time at college, choosing careers and landing at Saks.She's the woman behind Saks's million follower strong Instagram account and she'd like us to follow @Saks_Mens too! It was great chatting to Gina about seeing the shows in Paris, her fashionable life and the role of social media."Instagram is my constant," she says. She gave us some accounts to follow too! @Obsessee and @OfficeNewsStand

This is a curtain call on Season 2 of Head Ovary Heels. You, me and the women interviewed made it through another ten episodes! There's been missed phone calls, jammed voice recorders and all sorts of technical calamities. But we got there; online and uploaded. Am really excited about somethings on the horizon for Season 3. And am thrilled to keep sharing the stories of interesting, delightful, messy and ambitious women. Ovaries and out! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marina was editor of Dolly magazine at age 23. She went on to edit ELLE and launch Australian Good Taste for Woolworths. She's launched print and digital products. These days Marina is better known as Chair of Australian Rugby League team Wests Tigers. Marina is also on the board of Energy Australia and Autosports Group. In this interview she talks about her career, being a parent and taking time out. She chats about her role as a mentor to young women and the rules of being a mentee. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meagan Cignoli is a 35-year-old #girlboss. She runs Visual Country, a studio in lower Manhattan that creates short-form video content for the world's biggest brands. Run, don't walk to the Visual Country Instagram. Meagan talks about the different paths she took to find her career. She spills on her start on six-second video app Vine and her desire to never be a starving artist. She talks about running a business and learning how to be a leader (she attended every HR-themed talk she could at SXSW). She's a total inspiration.https://www.instagram.com/meagancignoli/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Karina Machado has written four books: Love Never Dies, Where Spirits Dwell, Spirit Sisters and Awaken. Karina's carved out a niche in the supernatural - collecting ghost stories from her family and from other women. She credits her interest in the spiritual world to her mother and her home country of Uruguay. When not writing, Karina is a senior editor at WHO Weekly. In this episode Karina talks about her childhood in Sydney's Eastlakes, the influence of an English teacher who told her she could write her way out of anything and raising independent children who make their own way in the world.https://www.instagram.com/karinamachadoauthor/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kerrie Hess is an artist and mother. She first picked up a paint brush as a child in Brisbane. At a job on a London newspaper a stock image failed to appear so Kerrie offered to draw a picture to fill the space. Her career as an illustrator launched. After stints in London and Paris, Kerrie is back in Brisbane. She picks up commissions from luxury giants Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Bulgari, Lancome and Laduree. She's also a hit on Instagram. We talk about all this and more in this episode.https://www.instagram.com/kerriehessillustration/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cookbook author Kate Winslow on growing up in Pittsburgh, cooking on a ranch in Wyoming and working for a newspaper in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There was her time at Gourmet magazine under Ruth Reichl, a trip to Sicily that produced a cookbook and then back to New Jersey. These days Kate is on the promotional trail for her cookbook Onions Etc. with photos by her husband and creative partner Guy Ambrosino.https://www.instagram.com/kateandguy/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lee Tran Lam has written for many magazines including HQ (vale), Rolling Stone and Time Out Sydney. She has a website The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry and a podcast of the same name where she interviews everyone she wants to speak with in the Sydney food scene and beyond. Lee Tran also hosts Local Fidelity on Sydney's FBi Radio. Oh, and you can always catch Lee Tran at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art's zine fair.https://twitter.com/leetranlamhttps://www.instagram.com/leetranlam/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We love a lady with side hustle. Ursula Lake grew up just outside of London. Her first (assistant) styling gig was on a Mario Testino shoot of Liz Hurley. The picture hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. Ursula was fashion editor at the Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine for 11 years. She still does freelance styling but she runs a swimwear line Violet Lake and has a publishing project with photographer Chloe Mallett (she shoots Anthropologie catalogues!) called Make Magazine. In this episode we talk about Instagram, holidays in Ibiza and we find out what Ursula does on her phone late at night. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nora Kogan has an eponymous boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She sells jewellery with a sense of humour: boob rings, booty rings and light-my-fire diamond-headed matchsticks as earrings, rings and necklaces.Madonna, Scout Willis and Susie Lau aka Susie Bubble have all worn her jewels.Nora grew up in Odessa, the Ukraine. Her family lived in Italy before moving to St Kilda, Melbourne. These days Nora lives in New York City.Our interview took place in her apartment in Park Slope. Nora talked about art, creativity and reinventing herself. We talked about who she follows on Instagram and memories of her mother's jewels.https://www.instagram.com/norakoganjewelry See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.