Conversations In Noosa

Erin has travelled and worked in New Zealand, Wales and now Australia. She was a real estate agent who experienced earthquake scares with her family in Christchurch, she has an infrastructure background from when she was married to a Welshman in Wales. We'll hear about a real estate investment in Bulgaria that turned sour, her new career path with Jam Social Media and we'll get Erin's top three social media tips for small businesses.

Jodie is a great example of someone who has had a lifelong connection to the place where she was born and despite its size and geographic location she's managed to build a very successful business that now employs 20 staff. Jodie Williams from Black Ant Gourmet and Kin Kin General Store is now even considering a 'tiny homes' project in the area for a number of reasons and we talk about that in this podcast. You'll also hear about Terra Madre in Turin Italy, Jodie's involvement with Slow Food Noosa and we discuss her scientific approach to preparing food in her kitchen. Jodie is also one of these very rare people who can say that they were born and raised, IN Noosa.

The story behind the Fry Family Food business is remarkable. From modest beginnings in South Africa where Tammy Fry's father worked as a goat and pig farmer, to an organisation, now based at Sunshine Beach Queensland, that supplies vegan food to outlets globally. In this podcast Tammy and I talk about diet, fasting and the effect it has on your body. There's the husband who was a hunter who is now a vegetarian. We talk about the car-jacking that Tammy survived, teaching women all about self-defence and where to next for the family business.

Caroline recently celebrated two important milestones. She turned 50, and she marked her 20th anniversary as breakfast radio co-host on Mix FM, Sunshine Coast. You'll hear Caroline Hutchinson explain, that there may only be one or two other female presenters in Australia that could match her 20-year record, we also talk about her brief foray into politics, when she ran as an independent candidate in the federal seat of Fisher against Peter Slipper and why she'd never do it again. We talk about her Sydney radio days when she was working multiple jobs while her husband John was recovering from a battle with cancer and we discuss why she has grave fears for the future of radio when she sees 10-year old kids.

Ron has lived a rich and colourful life as a projectionist, theatre owner, organ player and film fanatic. He played an integral role in getting the travelling film festival, out of Sydney, to Queensland in the early '70s, and he helped establish the Majestic Theatre's reputation as a must visit destination in Pomona, with tourists from as far as Texas in North America, coming to visit.

Ali is a young musician with big dreams. Influenced by the music she heard growing up, she created vision boards of where she wanted to go with plans on how she was going to get there. If you're a young musician starting out or maybe your kids are, Ali tells us about self-funding her first EP and music video clip, song writing workshops, performing live, getting your music on digital platforms and heading to Nashville to make connections.

'Fox' was born in Columbia, schooled in Scotland, worked as a clown, lived as a hippie, and then worked in local government in Queensland. In this podcast Alan 'Fox' Rogers and I talk about boarding school, music festivals, the secret to raising high achieving kids, the next great Australian novel and exactly how he ended up with the nick name Fox!

If you think life has dealt you a bad hand, then this next podcast is a must listen for you. Helen Peel is a successful artist who's known for her sense of colour and dedication to her work. She's also the kind of person who no matter what challenges are thrown her way, manages to rise above the circumstances with great determination and commitment. In this podcast you'll hear Helen talk about miscarrying her son, her first husband who left her penniless, fighting bowel cancer and working five jobs to simply make ends meet. It's a great story.

Estonia is a Baltic country smaller than Tasmania with a population of around 1.3 million people. Erika Hackett's parents fled Estonia looking to make a new life and to raise a family in a new country. In this podcast we talk about Erika's early life as a model and stock broker, re-visiting the country her family fled from, walking the Camino and the work she does as President of Slow Food Noosa.

Tomi is a long-haired, long-bearded, tattooed lad from Gympie Queensland who grew up listening to punk music. He also has an infectious personality and you can't help but like the bloke. Tomi is the kind of guy you tell other mates about. In this podcast we talk about his biker dad, barbering at Scumbags, tattoos, music, history, a wedding in Scotland and his traditional English mum from Birmingham.

Have you ever felt like you're living your life according to other people's expectations? The degree you're studying for, the career you've chosen or the lifestyle that you're living? It happened to Elisa Hurtado. Even though Elisa was studying law, modelling in exotic locations, and helping to run a string of restaurants, she felt that those choices weren't fulfilling her on a number of levels. So, what did she do? The answers are in the podcast

When you work on television there's a familiarity and imaginary relationship that's fostered between presenter, host or actor, and viewer. The reality is that a lot of what is happening behind the scenes or in private, is often kept private and the viewer is none the wiser. That's certainly the case with my next guest, Rosanna Natoli. In this podcast, we talk about her television career and the changing face of journalism, her marriage to former Maroochy Shire Mayor Joe Natoli, the highs and the lows, including the six months of her life where it just seemed to go all wrong.

You'd describe 'Fletch' as a typical larrikin Aussie bloke who loved his footy and liked to party. He played semi-professional footy, travelling from Victoria to the Northern Territory, working as a butcher, slaughter-man, and bouncer. These days he's a vegan who meditates, who believes in the self-healing power of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. In this podcast, we talk about growing up in Hamilton, running a personal fitness business, Fletch Fitness, and couching the Noosa Tigers to a couple of premiership flags.

Chad grew up in San Jose, spending most of his childhood by the ocean. He served in the US Navy, studied marine biology, and his goal these days is to eliminate plastic in our community. In this podcast, we talk about Chad's journey from California to Queensland, his time in the Navy, volunteering at an aquarium and Plastic Free Noosa.

Glen was a Brisbane boy who represented the state seat of Noosa as a Liberal MP. Radio was his first love, scoring a job at 4IP Brisbane half way through radio school followed by stints at Mt Isa, Warwick and Gympie before playing politics. In this podcast we talk about political careers and how they only ever end in a brutal fashion, Glen's early radio days and why sustainable growth in Noosa is good for everyone.

Brad has worked in film as a director and producer, he's been a journalist, broadcaster, and businessman. His passion for radio wasn't simply a desire to work for a radio station, Brad wanted to own the station. This podcast offers an interesting insight into what it was like for Brad to raise the capital to purchase his own radio stations and to streamline those operations so that they became profitable businesses. We also talk about how the global financial crisis, two major floods and a cyclone impacted on Brad Smart's regional radio network. Whether you're someone who has worked in the radio industry or simply an entrepreneur or businessperson interested in strategy, risk mitigation, planning and business models, I hope you enjoy this podcast.

Marcus grew up in Kent in the United Kingdom and he travelled extensively across Australia when he was 19. It was a place where he wanted to return to live someday. He owned and ran a pub when he saw an article in the newspaper looking for chefs to come and work in Australia. These days he's the head chef at Wood Fire Grill, Noosa and we started the podcast by talking about who's in charge of meals in the Denby family home.

Carolyn has been a palliative care nurse for nearly 30 years and she says she's witnessed thousands of deaths during her professional nursing career. For the last few months, she's been performing as a stand-up comedian and I wanted to know whether this was simply an outlet and coping mechanism away from the pressures of living a nurse's life.

Carolyn ran her own business as a pharmacist, worked in the NSW health department and was progressively headhunted, traveling extensively throughout Asia representing pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Carolyn Winkler now calls Noosa home and the last couple of years has sadly been filled with loss and grief, losing both her daughter and her husband. In this podcast, we talk about coping with loss, support networks, running a small business and new beginnings.

Living with fatigue can feel lonely and it can be isolating. Imagine dedicating your life to a sport that requires peak physical fitness and stamina while at the same time managing your tired muscles and mind. Pete Jacobs has been living with fatigue since he was a young teenager and in 2012 he was crowned Ironman World Champion in Hawaii. How did he do it? In this podcast, we'll follow Pete's journey from the northern beaches of Sydney to Noosa and discover what it took for Pete Jacobs to accomplish and conquer his biggest goal. We also talk about his new project Live Your Own Fit.