Conversations In Noosa

My next guest is the CEO and artistic director of Anywhere Festival which has been running for twelve years now. The performance locations are as diverse as the artists involved, laneways, swimming pools, backyards and even an old ambulance station in Nambour will host performers during Anywhere Festival which starts on April 29.

My guest on today's episode of Everyone Has a Story is following in his father's footsteps and carving out a career behind the wheel of a racing car.

In today's episode, we'll meet the founder and managing director of Respond Global where a team of superheroes operates out of an unassuming office in Noosaville. This conversation was recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and before the flooding that occurred along the Australian East coast. Because of those two big headline events, COVID-related news hasn't been as prominent as it was when this episode was recorded however according to medical and scientific experts, new variants will inevitably develop, and we'll continue to learn how to manage and live with that.

Today's guest has travelled and worked for some of the best and biggest hospitality brands around. His passion for food was sparked early on when his family moved to Hong Kong and Singapore because of his father's work. Following stints in Melbourne and making a name for himself at Ricky's in Noosa my next guest has branched out into the ready-made meals business with a new brand, Noosa Cartel.

My guest on today's episode of Everyone Has a Story is the event organiser for this year's Noosa Festival of Surfing, March 5 to 13, 2022. The legendary Phil Jarratt was one of my first guests on this podcast, you can check out all of our episodes for free by simply searching for Everyone Has a Story on your favourite podcast platform. Phil is still involved with the event, and we talk about that and all of the other attractions and special guests that'll be part of year's Noosa Festival of Surfing. Everyone Has a Story and today I'd like you to meet Josh Allen.

My next guest is a household name, although there are many aspects of his life and career that I was unaware of and I'm sure you'll find this episode equally fascinating and inspirational. We talk about his travels and work all over the globe, dealing with racism in Sydney when he was a kid back in the '70s and we discuss his passion and love of food. Everyone has a story and today I'd like you to meet Peter Kuruvita.

Today's guest on Everyone Has a Story was born in France. He's travelled the world and his passion for food has led him to our shores where together with his partner Jimmy, they operate the much talked about Whisky Boy on Gympie Terrace, Noosaville.

I've always admired my next guest's passion and drive. He applies it to all aspects of his life. In this episode of our podcast we talk, Harley Davidson motorbikes, nature photography, growing up in Germany and making a new life here in Australia, and applying his entrepreneurial skills to building a successful business.

My next guest traveled to the other side of the world to work in the bustling financial markets in London. She was in Christchurch in 2011 when the earthquake struck and soon after moved to Australia. If you're familiar with real estate shows like Million Dollar Listing & Luxe Listings, then you've heard the term buyer's agent. That's what my next guest does now, here on the Sunshine Coast with her business Klein Hunter Property Buyers.

My next guest says he disappointed his father when he made the decision not to take over the family's farm in rural Victoria. Instead, a career in aviation lay ahead and these days my guest is one of the founders of Sunshine & Sons on the Sunshine Coast. He says that the business is not a transaction business, it's a relationships business and in this episode, we'll hear how a major supermarket chain helped the start-up find its feet.

My next guest has spent a lifetime involved in music. She was classically trained however her teacher at the time said she had the talent but not the discipline. My guest on today's episode has performed in bands and entertained huge crowds as a DJ all over the world, even working for iconic fashion labels like Louis Vuitton. Everyone Has A Story and today I'd like you to meet Niki De Saint.

Mark is the father of two girls who suffer from eating disorders. He founded endED with the goal of giving hope to those suffering from an eating disorder by creating an alternative to the medical model. The first residential eating disorder facility has opened and it's here on the Sunshine Coast.

David Williamson is Australia's most successful playwright celebrating fifty years in the arts with the release of Home Truths, a memoir, in September of this year. He and his wife Kristin were instrumental in launching the Noosa Long Weekend, now known as Noosa Alive. In this episode of Everyone Has A Story, we talk about his work, his kids, grandkids, the Collingwood Football Club, and Graham Kennedy.

My guest on today's episode of Everyone Has A Story is a guy whose parents were both Maltese. He lost his mum when he was only eight years of age and his passion for the 1960s and the 1970s, his collectibles, his music, the films he's collected, and his cars, all remind him of his late mum. He's got all of this incredible memorabilia together in what most blokes would describe as the ultimate 'man cave' on a property that he and his wife Lisa Curry, are preparing as a Sunshine Coast hinterland retreat called, Mali Retreat. He's an entertainer who brings the music of Elvis, Tom Jones, John Lennon, and many others to life up on stage. Everyone Has A Story and today I'd like you to meet Mark Tabone.

Lisa Curry has been a recognised name, or brand if you like for 40 years. From gold medal performances in the pool to launching her own business, Happy, Healthy, You and now she's preparing a new site with her husband Mark Tabone, a property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland called Mali Retreat. Lisa's experienced the highs and the tragic lows. Everyone Has A Story and Lisa has a few to share with us in this episode of our podcast.

A great story of resilience and of never being afraid of getting your hands dirty. From establishing the Solbar in Maroochydore to the newly opened Rooftop Bar and now onto brewing with Diablo Co Queensland, Dimi has seen and done it all!

Tony Kelly is a well-known Sunshine Coast business owner and entrepreneur who first made his mark in Maroochydore about two decades ago with the iconic Wine Bar. His brain is always at work thinking up new ideas and new business opportunities and I think this chat offers a wonderful insight into how this local identity 'ticks'. We talk about the COVID shut down last year and why he dove headlong into launching new business ventures just as local restrictions lifted, while others were paralyzed to move.

The story may be a familiar one, your parents or grandparents grow older, their health deteriorates, and a nursing facility is where they spend their final days. But have you ever wondered where you end up if say you're a teenager or twentysomething and you need ongoing care? Youngcare is an organisation that recognised that there was work to be done in that area. Anthony Ryan is the CEO of Youngcare.

About twelve months ago Clare Stewart was elected Mayor of Noosa and she became the first female Mayor in Noosa Council history. However, that's not what's remarkable about Clare. Twenty-one years ago, in Sydney, Clare was struck by a truck with her legs pinned under the weight of the truck for more than half an hour. She was conscious the whole time. The accident and Clare's recovery are detailed in her book Standing On My Own Two Feet, and what you'll hear with our chat here is the story of someone who overcame the odds, continued to pursue a professional career in law, and then eventually found her way into local government.

For Gudanji people, only a select few are storytellers. It's a testament to Ryhia Dank's skill as an artist, that someone so young, has become one of those storytellers, depicting the neutral, natural tones of her traditional land, Gurrinjiny, together with the brighter colours that surround her, here on the Sunshine Coast.