THE WOMEN ISSUE
01
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WE ARE TOWNSVILLE.
10
ISSUE 08 DEC - JAN 2018
CONTENTS
19 The final frontier
An insight into the changing landscape of women in defence with Kylie Walters
21 Strong voice for women a Hit Hit 103.1 presenters Gabi Elgood & Carley Whittington part of those shaping the future for women in radio 33 A business on the move Sally Vujica driving change for a strong food industry and economy
06 Editor’s Notes 09 BDambassadors 2.0 Townsville leaders bringing you the good news 15 The unconventional author Taryn Claire Le Nu shares raw and honest insight into her cancer journey in new book 16 JCU 2018 Design Sprint JCU Associate Professor & Head of IT Trina Myers wraps up this years event
12 23 39 The woman at the helm of the startup state
Cultural trailblazer paving the way for indigenous futures
34 iNQ 2.0 - Innovation evolution
Innovation NQ looks to the future 36 From high flyer to flying high
Heather MacKenzie’s life changing moment that lead to life purpose 41 Just the ticket
‘High risk’ business idea pays off for Townsville Tickets Director Kristen Goldup
43 Tomorrow’s scientists take on Lego Challenge
Special feature: Women of Achievement 45 New Turf Club CEO a good bet Mindy Powell-Hodges implementing bold vision for TTC 47 Confident comeback at TBDC Townsville Business Development Centre back from the brink 49 LA Calling Lyndon Berresford creating for the Hollywood screen from Townsville
CQUinversity puts primary and high school student’s thinking to the test
It’s only natural
PUBLISHERS Sarah Jones ADVERTISING Sarah Jones DESIGN Brooke Fowler & TBD JOURNALISTS Jade Kennedy, Julie Johnston, Lori Napier, Tracey Gordon, Elijah Weightman PHOTOGRAPHY Chun Wong, Jimmy Purtill, It's Not A Toy, Insight Creative BD MAGAZINE 19 Albury Street, Pimlico QLD 4812 ABN 15 620 607 258 P. 0409 272 461 W. bdmag.com.au EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES sarah@bdmag.com.au All contents of BDmag are subject to copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. The views and opinions of authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of print, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or subsequence including loss or damages from reliance on information in this publication.
Working for the
W O-man
‘Editor’s Notes’ are not something that
Because we’re at a pivotal crossroad
I usually entertain as I tend to find it
where glass ceilings are starting to shatter.
all a bit self-indulgent. I certainly don’t
In fact, this year in Australia, for the
assume that any of you are waiting with
first time ever, female appointments
baited breath to read my thoughts.
to the boards of Australia's top 200
However, in this special issue of BDmag
publicly listed companies exceeded that
I wanted to do it all differently, so,
of male appointments in the January to
that’s what I’ve done.
March period.
Following our partnership with last
While men still make up close to
month’s Women of Achievement event,
two thirds of all full-time Australian
I decided to dedicate this edition to
employees and earn on average $26,469
our women. To our region’s rebels and
more per annum than women who
renegades, thinkers and tinkers, curious
do exactly the same, the phenomenal
and creative females who are doing their
females in this issue alone are a testament
thing, and doing it damn well.
to those advocating for each other and
There’s a certain affinity among women, who more often than not share similar values, aspirations and challenges.
using our networks to ensure more women are given a voice in positions of leadership and authority.
Throughout this issue there was an
We haven’t excluded the remarkable
overwhelming common thread with
men of Townsville in this issue either, as
women who highlighted the same
they too play a meaningful role in every
discussion points - the perception
woman’s life and indeed our region’s
of ‘failure’, engaging with each other
success. As much as this issue is dedicated
honestly about our challenges and
to showcasing our extraordinary women,
the genuine desire to help one
a shout out to all the men who are right
another succeed.
there by her side.
‘The Women Issue’ celebrates our women
Please enjoy this special
because they’re worth celebrating.
edition of BDmag.
Sarah Jones Publisher
Megan Colwell President
Jessica Wastell
Renee Bennett
Co-Vice President / Governance Co-Ordinator
Jane Meredith
Treasurer
Marketing Co-Ordinator
Kirsty Keyes
Melyssa Cumming
Education Co-ordinator
Education Co-Ordinator
Shantelle Scovell
Co-Vice President/ Secretary
Chloe Costanzo
Mentoring Circles Co-Ordinator
Renee Guillien
Events Co-Ordinator
Marsha Zuhorn
Memberships Co-Ordinator
MEET YOUR 2019 TBWC COMMITTEE The TBWC are the only not-for-profit business women’s group in Townsville. Created to connect and develop professional women of the Townsville region through new, inclusive and practical opportunities to learn and grow, the TBWC is committed to delivering opportunities for professional and personal development.
Become a member today | tbwc.com.au
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BD AMBASSADORS PRESENTING: BDAMBASSADORS 2.0 THESE LEADERS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR FIELD, STRIVING TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THEIR OWN BUSINESS, BUT OUR CITY’S PROSPERITY AS A WHOLE. OUR BDAMBASSADORS WILL BRING YOU REGULAR UPDATES ON THE LATEST NEWS, ADVANCES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THEIR INDUSTRIES.
HOSPITALITY
Matt Merrin
Director Jam & Bridgewater Q
HEALTH
Tony Mooney AM
Chair Townsville Hospital and Health Service Board
EDUCATION
Ian Atkinson
Professor of eResearch James Cook University
LAW
Michelle Morton
Managing Partner Wilson/Ryan/Grose Lawyers
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DEVELOPMENT
Stephen Motti Director Brazier Motti
IT
Ashley Darwen Managing Director ADITS
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10
LEANNE KEMP: The woman at the helm of the start up state Written by Jade Kennedy
QUEENSLANDS OWN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED
thing as an economic umbrella that you can just put up in these towns
DIGITAL PIONEER, LEANNE KEMP, IS PROVING THE
and smaller cities when times are tough. To re-form innovation to be that regional economic umbrella is really interesting and strengthens
SENTIMENT ‘THE FUTURE IS FEMALE’ AS THE STATE’S
the state in more ways than ever.”
NEWEST – AND FIRST FEMALE – CHIEF ENTREPRENEUR.
The Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur is an Advance Leanne Kemp has taken over the reigns as Queensland’s Chief
Queensland initiative, and is the first of its kind in Australia.
Entrepreneur from investor, entrepreneur and television ‘shark’, Steve
Funded by the Queensland Government and driven by the state’s
Baxter, who praised Leanne’s achievements saying they have “put her
entrepreneurial community, it serves to support the development
at the cutting edge of innovative technology and this appointment
of Queensland’s startup economy.
reinforces that with a global mindset, Queensland entrepreneurs can “The government has awakened to the importance of infrastructure
take on the world.”
in the perspective of how we work and where we work. As Chief Following studies at James Cook University here in Townsville,
Entrepreneur, I’m incredibly passionate about what we should be
Leanne has spent over 20 successful years in the tech sector, from
doing to advance Queensland in its innovation efforts. It’s really the
RFID to Supply Chain and Advertising (adtech) and admits that she
whole idea of giving back,” explains Leanne.
is a self-confessed ‘serial entrepreneur’. “One of my aims in taking up this role is guiding Queensland “No one would ever give me a ‘real job’ because I think about things
entrepreneurs and passing on my experience of running a company
differently. I ask the question ‘why’ rather than ‘what’ or ‘how’
with global reach.”
first. When I was starting my first business, the only thing that was afforded to me was borrowing some money off my Dad’s credit
As CEO of Everledger - a leading emerging technology enterprise
card and moving the car out of our garage which became my first
that tracks the provenance of high-value assets (diamonds) on a global
office,” Leanne recalls.
digital ledger - Leanne built the company from a new startup in 2016 into an international powerhouse with offices in five countries. The
“The only one I had to share my thoughts with was my dog. Now,
company raised more than $10 million in venture capital earlier this
there’s a whole environment for co-working innovation and
year, and currently employs 72 people – with women in many key
likeminded people which has really escalated, and elevates not only
technical and managerial roles.
people’s thinking but also the time to market”. “Everledger uses blockchain technology to connect all the suppliers The advantages of today’s collaborative hubs were foreign to
and intermediaries in the industry so that diamonds can be tracked
those who, like Leanne, were building the foundations of their
as they are moved from point to point around the world.”
business in the 1990’s. But there are elements of the traditional blood, sweat and tears approach that Leanne says should still be
Since its inception, Everledger has tracked 2.2 million diamonds
instilled in today’s startups.
from the mine to the retail outlet and by 2020, it’s anticipated to be tracking up to four million of the precious stones annually.
“When Dad won’t lend you any more money, you have to make it work,” she said. “That’s an important set of learnings that we should
“My own personal driver is a sense of understanding self. I’ve never
instill in our entrepreneurs and founders. That the run to revenue,
really wanted to have my own personal and financial wellbeing in the
the proof in the market, the ability to field the product fast and
hands of anyone else. To drive characteristics that build successful
iterate with customer centricity, all of this should not be lost in the
entrepreneurs, there has to be an element of risk taking. If you are
spoils that have been created in today’s working environments.”
comfortable being able to operate in the unknown, take risks and be persistent, then over time you will make your own luck,” says Leanne.
While North Queensland is certainly one enjoying the spoils of our new innovative ecosystems, Leanne acknowledges that our regional
“If you have the ability to learn across certain disciplines of technology
areas are the ones who have seen the real challenges and the need
and business models, how better to ensure your own future than by
to adapt. “Our regions aren’t spoilt like the big cities when it comes
being able to create the future that you want for yourself.”
to the challenges that come to your doorstep, be it environmental, industrial or changes to the economic landscape. There’s no such
11
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CULTURAL TRAILBLAZER paving the way for indigenous futures Written by Jade Kennedy
A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD CAN MAKE OR BREAK A PERSON. IN THE CASE OF ALANA KENNEDY, CEO OF OCHRE BLOKE, IT HAS MADE HER A RESILIENT ENTREPRENEUR, AND AN INSPIRATION TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE EVERYWHERE IN REALIZING THAT THE CHALLENGES WERE IN FACT “MOMENTS OF IMPACT”.
Growing up in a remote location overcoming challenges like
Alana said her participation in the program had changed her
identity disconnection, racism and domestic violence whilst being
understanding and view of the world – both as a business leader
raised by a single mother with just enough money to make ends
and single mother of two young girls.
meet is just the start of Alana’s story – but these challenges have helped pave her path to success in adulthood.
“I have a better understanding of the power of networking and
“My journey with Ochre Bloke has been longer than normal as
experience. That is something that will benefit me for as long as I
I am committed to understanding and attempting to utilise the
am in business,” she said.
current avenues of support and programs available to rural and remote indigenous start-ups,” Alana explains.
mentoring and have gained priceless industry knowledge and
“I have started to really dream again and breathe life into others dreams as I share as much knowledge and experience that I have
“The reason for this is to ensure that from the top down
with the community. This program was a pivotal moment that has
appropriate language and communication channels are activated,
really reshaped my future and the future of my girls and I don’t
as this has been a huge challenge for me in the past.
say that lightly.”
“I know that the time and energy spent on developing better lines
Alana’s business, Ochre Bloke, is focusing on the shift in consumer
of communication and access to support whilst on my journey
thinking in relation to natural and organic skincare and cosmetics.
will greatly benefit other women and men in the community that have also come up against these challenges.” Alana is the first to admit that she feels the weight of cultural
“Consumers are becoming more and more educated on quality and value for money,” she said.
responsibility, and knows other people are watching her.
“They are also losing trust and faith in the huge cosmetic
“The pressure to be an example, a role model – I feel that weight,
with core values around quality, environmental protections
in a good way – that’s what drives me,” she said.
and formulating without harmful chemicals. Ochre Bloke is a
companies and are building more trust in smaller organisations
multi-tasking sunscreen utilising potent Indigenous botanicals “I want to fund programs that help support cultural challenges
to rejuvenate, restore and protect the skin and is designed
that we face in this community. By building Ochre Bloke, I will be
particularly for those working outside in harsh conditions that
able to do that without asking permission and knowing that I have
require healing as well as protection of the skin.”
helped to shape and improve the lives of others will only fire me up to do it more. Sometimes cultural challenges are put in the ‘too
Alana says her entrepreneurial experience has been one of
hard basket’, however I am hopeful for restoration and healing in
enlightenment and learning on both a professional and personal
our community and excited that Ochre Bloke is leading the way to
level. “Self-love and personal development are vital elements to
initiate this change as unity is a priority.”
success and progress as an entrepreneur. I’m very aware of my input now, meaning the company that I keep, the music that I
Gene Geedrick, from Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)
listen to in the car, the books that I read, the people I surround
recognised Alana’s goals and achievements, and nominated her for
myself with.”
an accelerator program with Investible – an early-stage investment group whose portfolio includes Canva and Car Next Door.
One thing Alana says she would like to see within the startup and small business space is more open and honest conversations and a
IBA develops programs to realise its vision of economic
change in our perception of success and failure.
independence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, assisting Indigenous Australians to have the same financial
“We have a wealth in our community in terms of the calibre of
opportunities as other Australians.
people and their expertise and experience. Our networks are second to none, however in my travels and as I network, I find that
The program connects entrepreneurs in regional and remote
no one shares their challenges as much as I would have hoped,”
locations with program mentors via video conferencing, but
she said.
also involves numerous multi-day trips to Sydney for intensive sessions, which cover crucial elements and different propositions,
“People are happy to tell you of the victory and their current
such as financial, delivery and value and creation of a consumer
business position if things are going well. What we must realise is
and investor pitch, in depth.
that we can all grow from knowing that others have faced similar challenges and can learn how to overcome these from other
“This program allowed me to expand on my skills set and
people’s experiences. Talk openly, be honest about your journey,
experience as well gain the insight and experience needed to
ask for help. Chances are we’re all experiencing the same things.
develop and realise my business vision,” Alana said. “It helped me validate my business model to make sure it was commercially
“We need to change this perception of ‘failure’. Learn to pivot,
viable as we worked with successful startup founders, world class
be flexible, learn and connect. Your initial idea or concept
mentors in Creel Price and Angel Investors in Trevor Folsam.”
might not be the end result. You will change along the way, and the business will too.”
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The
Unconventional
Author
By Julie Johnston
TWO YEARS FOLLOWING HER BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS, TARYN CLAIRE LE NU HAS EMBARKED ON A NEW, AND UNCONVENTIONAL, PATH AS AN AUTHOR.
“Often after a cancer diagnosis, people lose their sense of identity,”
“The conversion from blog to book was a relentless pursuit of
Taryn says. “So, I’ve created a new one. Each day you step up and
reconfiguring and required considerably more effort. There were
make a choice, and I have taken the opportunity to turn it into a
times when it felt like I had taken way too big a bite.”
creative endeavour.”
Not only was Taryn now navigating the road as a first-time author,
At 41, Taryn was diagnosed with a cancer usually found in older women who have used HRT, and she is now determined to spread awareness about the different methods women should use to
but also adjusting to life after chemotherapy. “Chemo has fried my brain,” she says. “The way I process
check their breasts.
information has changed in not so subtle ways. I would get
“There are other cancers that don’t present as a lump,” she explains.
for me were noticeably trickier or more time consuming.
extremely frustrated with myself when things that used to be easy
“Mine is invasive lobular carcinoma. It doesn’t have the glue that holds a cancer together, it presents as a spider’s web.”
“I would misunderstand a LOT of things. Eventually I learnt to pick
“You’re not just looking for a lump, but thickening of the breast.”
where my team had to explain the same thing to me three times
up the phone and simply chat things through. There were times during a conversation for me to fully comprehend a process. I had
“I am passionate about telling women what doctor's don’t".
to keep thanking them for their considerable patience with me.” Her book, To Cancer With Love – Diary of a Doctor’s Unconventional Wife, is a raw, funny and captivating glimpse at traversing the terrain that is cancer. Launched to a wave of love and support last month, Taryn notes that the work is just beginning. “There is no point in writing your book unless you're going to put in the effort afterward to market it,” she says.
To keep family and friends informed, Taryn started a blog where she candidly shared her experience as she decided on treatment options, including chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. “Following a diagnosis, you have to give a lot of people your story, and each time you do it’s traumatising,” she says. “This was a way I could tell everyone at the same time. After a while, people would
“Once the book is done you are tempted to sit back and relax, but you can’t sit around waiting for the book to sell itself. Taryn has plans for more books in the series of A Doctor’s Unconventional Wife, with the second book, To Chemo With Love due to launch late 2019.
add family or friends who had been diagnosed, and then started asking for a book.” Taryn decided to immerse herself in an author retreat, which gave her the guidance and time-frames to keep her accountable.
15
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JCU 2018 TECHNOLOGY
DESIGN SPRINT IN OCTOBER 2018, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY HELD ITS THIRD ANNUAL TECHNOLOGY DESIGN SPRINT, WITH 350 TOWNSVILLE STUDENTS AND 30 INDUSTRY PARTNERS FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA PARTICIPATING IN THE LEADING EDGE, ACADEMIC EVENT.
Written by Tracey Lee Gordon
Based on a Google model and initiated by JCU’s Associate Professor
grown to include many industry leaders including Townsville City
and Head of Information Technology, Trina Myers in 2015;
Council, CBA, Optus, TechnologyOne, Coca Cola Amatil, RIoT,
the Australian first, curriculum-based and themed Technology
IBM, Glencore, SharkTank's Glen Richards and Dell; all who have a
Design Sprint has gained significant momentum since the first
vested interest in the development of graduating talent.”
challenge ran in 2016. While previously only an assessment for IT students, the 2018
EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING
sustainability themed Design Sprint saw first, second and third year IT students and first year Engineering students step off campus
“Software development methodology has been evolving over the
and into two Hangars at Townsville Airport for the two-day event;
last decade and whereas development was once entirely software-
collaboratively developing solution prototypes for live, partner
focused; it’s now user-focused and co-design with users is undertaken
specific industry challenges.
prior to any programming commencing.” Trina explains.
Participating national and local industry leaders, many of whom
“‘Design
travel to Townsville specifically for the event, set an assigned
methodology and Human Computer Interaction (HCI); and it is a
group of students a challenge to solve which is current within
skill that has become absolutely necessary for our future graduates
their specific industry. Partner representatives then act in the
to be successful in their chosen career paths.”
capacity of mentors and subject-matter-experts across the two days, working with and observing students as they solve the problem
Thinking’
is
a
result
of
this
agile
programming
Trina explains that in the past a software engineer would listen to
allocated to their group.
the user, go away and code the program and come back with the
“The Design Sprint has been growing in momentum since we
as Apple have demonstrated that technology should not be difficult,
embedded Design Thinking across the Bachelor IT curriculum based
it just needs to work, so it has become vital that students develop
on the Stanford University model.” explains Trina. “In conjunction
user-centric methodologies and Design Thinking skills as a part
with Beau Tydd, General Manager Technology & Innovation -
of their curriculum.
outcome – and fifty sets of ‘user instructions. Industry giants, such
Queensland Airports and his team, our partnership network has
16
ADVANCED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Interviewing companies give a group of interviewing graduates a problem and observe the interplay between the interviewees; with
The Technology Design Sprint is an ‘authentic curriculum assessment’
JCU students leading the charge. “Our graduates have jumped into
and a valuable exercise in employability, with students working on
Design Thinking mode and tend to lead these challenges, because
a range of corporate, environmental and supply-chain management
we develop a culture of design thinkers from the first year of the
challenges as relevant to their assigned industry partner.
degree to the last.”
While a traditional internship allows employers to ‘try before they
FUTURE PROGRAM EXPANSION
buy’, the Design Sprint forum provides an opportunity for them to ‘spy before they buy’. Partners get to interact with students, see them
The Design Sprint is currently run separately across the Townsville,
working and potentially these will be the students applying for jobs
Cairns and Singapore campuses and having delivered improved
next year or the year after.
outcomes for JCU graduates, 2019 will see the event expand further
“It’s a win-win situation,” says Trina. “It’s not unusual for the
at each campus to include students from additional disciplines.
participating partners to tap students on the shoulder and say ‘call
“The inclusion of Engineering and Science students this year saw
me when you’re ready’. Many students have gone onto graduate
some ground breaking solutions come out of the forum, because
positions with the likes of Optus, Telstra and IBM and JCU is
they were considered from the perspective of different disciplines.”
capturing many of the available graduate positions, which is
Trina says. “Whilst it does take some detailed planning due to
testament the model is a success.”
set timings for lectures, assignments and exams in each degree,
“The way our graduates approach their work, is in a problem-solving design thinking mode, rather than a waterfall project management mode.” says Trina. “This forum, is allowing our students to learn a great deal of transferable skills and our students are going in to interview for coveted graduate programs with a 100% success rate.”
futuristically, the inclusion of other degrees such as Business, Law and Environmental Science for example, will not only increase the interest of more industry leaders, but it will further strengthen the ability of our graduates to consider up and downstream areas in the real-world business environment.”
It’s not unusual for the participating partners to tap students on the shoulder and say
CALL ME WHEN YOU’RE READY.
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THE FINAL
frontier RECTIFYING AGE-OLD SOCIAL INJUSTICES AND INSTALLING BALANCE INTO OUR MORE SLANTED SECTORS OF SOCIETY HAS NEVER BEEN AN EASY PROCESS. BUT FOR THOSE WHO’VE OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES TO ACHIEVE THEIR AMBITIONS, IT MAKES THEIR SUCCESS JUST THAT LITTLE BIT SWEETER. Written by Lori Napier
"I WANT TO KNOW THAT I MAKE A DIFFERENCE."
It’s been a labour of love, learning and empowerment for Sergeant Kylie Walters, who has seen many changes in her 18 years as a member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Being part of a movement that will pave the way for future generations of women to climb the ranks free of biased binds is a point of pride for many in today’s armed forces. Those who’ve joined in recent times may not feel the burden that their female predecessors bore during their service to the nation. With women now making up 30 per cent of all enlisted ADF members, times are certainly changing.
Kylie signed up to join the Navy when she was just 17 years old. After five years as a full-time member she decided to take a break but quite a few years later, age 34 to be exact, something set spark to the fire in her belly and she re-joined as a reservist. Within a year, she was back on board as a full-time soldier in what was a completely
“Like all industries we are learning, growing and adapting,” Kylie stated.
different landscape to her initial experience. “Defence has evolved since I first joined and the opportunities for
“Equality is seen in the number of strong female leaders we have across all levels of management within our organisation. I believe we are on the right path.”
females are completely different,” she said. “Now we have choices. I would have loved having the options that are available now when I first joined. In my role as a recruiter, I hope
It’s a path which has been under construction since World War II when women’s branches of the Army, Navy and Air Force were formed to assist with tasks that could be done from Australian shores. The past 30 years has seen significant progress in the ADF with many previously male-only categories now open to female members.
to empower women interested in a military career to pursue their goals. I want them to know how amazing the experience can be. You’re supported, you can further your education and access flexible working arrangements when you need them. It’s an empowering career choice.” And it’s been nothing but for Kylie, who was recognised for her work
In her current role as a Special Recruiter for Women, Kylie is pleased to report that Townsville is home to a host of inspired female leaders who are both role models and mentors for the ADF’s up and comers. “I see women being passionate about change and actively making that difference; having an open-door policy and helping others, they enable authentic conversations and a space for talking,” Kylie explained.
while on deployment in Afghanistan and awarded a commendation. “As an administrator, I supported our people from their arrival at the airport through to their departure following their operational tour,” she explained. “I was known for my unique style of care and it was the highlight of my career. Having the privilege of caring for our soldiers and being awarded for it was amazing. I felt like I was making a real difference
“I have so many amazing girlfriends who are in extraordinary roles. When I deployed to Timor Leste there were women deployed with me fuelling Blackhawks, leading as operations managers and serving
in this world. That is a huge thing for me. I want to know that I make a difference.”
as combat medics.”
19
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CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS TOGETHER 2018 Townsville City Council is encouraging the community to celebrate Christmas Together in 2018. Check out some of the great FREE ways to celebrate with family and friends across the city this festive season. NORTH POLE Opening night North Pole at Northtown 5 – 8pm
Artist Markets Perc Tucker Regional Gallery 5.30 – 8.30pm
Saturday 1 December Christmas in the City Flinders St 5.30 – 8.30pm
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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North Pole at Northtown 7am – 12noon
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
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Carols by Candlelight Riverway Stadium Main show 6.30pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
Festive Friday in the CBD Flinders St 5 - 9pm
Santa on the Sand The Strand 8 – 10.30am
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
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Santa on the Sand The Strand 8 – 10.30am
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
Stable on the Strand 5.30-9.30pm
Stable on the Strand 5.30-9.30pm
Stable on the Strand 5.30-9.30pm
Stable on the Strand 5.30-9.30pm
Stable on the Strand 5.30-9.30pm
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Christmas Eve
CHRISTMAS DAY
Boxing Day
North Pole at Northtown 10am – 2pm
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All details contained in this schedule were accurate at the time of print; but are subject to change.
FREE 2HR
CBD PARKING 1 – 31 DECEMBER
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Celebrations TOWNSVILLE 31 DECEMBER 2018
25 DAYS OF DISCOUNTS
MAYOR’S
CHRISTMAS
TREE APPEAL
1 – 25 DECEMBER 2018
DONATE NOW
WITH CBD TRADERS
STRAND PARK
7pm Movie screening & entertainment 9pm Beach party & fireworks display Midnight Fireworks display
RIVERWAY
7pm Movie screening & entertainment 9pm Fireworks display
NELLY BAY
Midnight Fireworks display
For further info visit townsville.qld.gov.au
STRONG VOICE FOR WOMEN
a Hit
Written by Sarah Jones
THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF WOMEN
world at the moment. Whether it’s the #metoo movement, shining
INFLUENCING OUR NATIONAL AIRWAVES,
a light on endometriosis or the tampon tax. A lot of guys don’t know about these things or aren’t experiencing them first hand. It’s
CONTRIBUTING TO CONTEMPORARY
important that when we’re informing the audience of these issues,
CULTURE AND SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR
that it’s coming from a woman.”
AUSTRALIAN RADIO INDUSTRY.
'We’re in this industry because we want to use our voices for good
The gender imbalance on our nation’s airwaves is still prevalent
and here in Townsville we do that really well," says afternoon
however, with a report indicating that 3 times more men than
presenter Carley Whittington. “By people having more access to us
women are waking up our nation presenting breakfast shows
through things like community events and online, hopefully they
across the country.
realise that we’re more than just a voice coming out of the radio.”
Mumbrella reports that across five of our capital cities, from a lineup
Gabi agrees adding, “Here at Hit 103.1 in Townsville we’re 55% female
of 40 shows, including AM and FM programming, men had a 73.9%
45% male staff overall and on air we’re 50/50. We have big female
share of voice. In fact, not one single metro breakfast radio show
names leading the way on the Hit Network like Carrie Bickmore, Fifi
in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth is presented
Box, Kate Langbrooke. There’s some really strong females in this
by a woman on her own, while eight men in these areas present
industry doing amazing things.”
in a solo format.
These female trailblazers along with Hit Network mentors are
Townsville radio station Hit 103.1 is one bucking this testosterone
also working with the next generation of female radio presenters
trend, with 50% of their on-air talent being female.
through programs finding and nurturing more female talent.
Hit 103.1 Breakfast presenter Gabi Elgood says the shift from being
“The Hit Network is continually pushing for female talent and
one of the statistics to her relatively new environment in Townsville
investing in developing that talent,” says Gabi. “We’re now really
has been an eye-opener. “I’ve been in the radio industry for 9 years,
being heard and getting these opportunities to grow.”
and I’ve worked in predominantly male workplaces where it is that little bit harder to have your voice heard, that little bit harder to be seen as an equal because of that imbalance. But here, it is just the opposite. Everyone sees each other as equal, because we are” she said. In a year of global movements for women, Gabi says that a voice for women, from women, is now not only more important than ever, but vital. “We need to have a female perspective on radio. There are so many women's issues that are coming to the forefront of the
21
“There’s no ‘this is how to be a male radio announcer, and this is how to be a female radio announcer’. It’s not like that,” adds Carley. “Entertaining and informing people, it’s all done the exact same way, just with your own spin on it. "I love seeing our girls climbing the ranks and proving that they’re up there with the best of them. Being a voice for women is the best thing ever.”
www.bdmag.com.au
Townsville’s newest waterfront bar A SA M PLE FRO M O U R TA PA S B A R M E N U Duck spring rolls, Foshan chilli sauce Pork + ginger wontons, black vinegar + chilli Tempura prawns, chilli sambal mayo Bridge beef burger
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07 4 4 2 0 4 0 0 0 2 /2 D I B B S ST R EE T B R I D G E WATE RQ.CO M . AU
WOMEN of achievement The Women of Achievement events connect North Queensland’s leading experts and researchers, female founders, entrepreneurial visionaries, truth-tellers, innovators, thought leaders and dynamic women in business who inspire and elevate each other. This year’s Women of Achievement luncheon presented a commanding collective of women who shared honest, inspirational and raw stories which we share for you here.
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www.bdmag.com.au
LISA MESSENGER
“As
Written by Dominic Holland
long as you know your why, and that it is central to everything
– the delivery mechanism becomes largely irrelevant. This keeps you focused but also keeps business exciting and fun.”
COLLECTIVE HUB’S FOUNDER, CEO & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR LISA MESSENGER BELIEVES IN CHANGE – EVEN IF IT MEANS BREAKING SOMETHING THAT, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, WAS WORKING PERFECTLY WELL. Written by Jade Kennedy
“Using specialists on a freelance or consultancy project-
“In life nothing stays the same – and who would want
by-project basis is a great idea. Now I have a whole tribe of
it to?” Lisa said.
amazing decentralized freelancers (many of them in rural “We pivot, we evolve, we grow, we learn. This is truly the
and remote areas) that I call on depending on the project. It’s
magic of entrepreneurship.
working like a dream, and providing work for people where
“The truth? We’ve all got some brave decisions to make in the future, fellow disruptors.”
“Change is inevitable. We just have to set ourselves up to
An authority in the start-up scene, Lisa’s road to success hasn’t been entirely smooth – but you get the impression she wouldn’t have it any other way.
brokered international deals with the likes of Barry Humphries (Dame Edna), Cirque de Soleil and The Wiggles. In March 2013 she began Collective Hub with a team of three, all under the age of 25. Having never worked in media or for a magazine or publishing house, Lisa and her team started wanting to share the grit, the hardships and the successes along the startup and entrepreneurial journey. When they launched, many told Lisa that nobody wanted to read good news.
We consciously and purposely chose to shine a light on the extraordinary people doing amazing things. We broke every rule.” Collective Hub went on to global success, with the print magazine being distributed in 37 countries within 18 months. With the goal of challenging, inspiring and disrupting the natural order, the Collective grew into an international multimedia powerhouse across print, digital and events, with a following of almost 2.5 million across their platforms. did
nimble. I know – I nearly went there. I had a very big fixed Skillsets and market needs change so quickly these days; you’ve got to be able to pivot on a dime. “It is difficult to start something. It’s equally as hard getting out of something, and takes more courage. However big and however difficult it may seem, be courageous. Keep evolving, keep challenging yourself, keep learning, keep moving forward. Don’t stagnate. “As long as you know your ‘why’, and that is central to everything – the delivery mechanism becomes largely irrelevant. This keeps you focused but also keeps business
Lisa admits that she fails ‘all day, every day’ but she
“There’s so much bad news out there, every single day.
then,
is everything. It’s very easy to sink yourself if you’re not
exciting and fun.”
“We proved them wrong!” she smiles.
why,
be able to move quickly with it. Being fluid and in flow
base of salaries and overheads and it very nearly sunk me.
Beginning her career in sponsorship and events, Lisa
So
geography may have previously been seen as prohibitive.
has learnt to ‘fail fast.’ “With
social
media
it’s
easy
to
get
a
real
time
feedback loop,” she said. “Put an idea for a product or service out to your community, test the reaction and appetite for purchase. If it’s not there, hit in on the head quickly and move on before you’ve invested all the time and money into it. Test. Iterate. Test. Launch.” In Townsville last month as special guest for the Women of Achievement event, Lisa said she was ‘blown away’ by
Lisa
close
the
platform
in April this year? “I remember when I had a small team of three, I was embarrassed,” she said. “I always thought that having a small team meant that you weren’t successful. The massive lesson is, bigger is not always better. “Having had a business with a staff of three and low
the strength and depth of Townsville’s community of businesswomen. “There are so many extraordinary, talented, inspirational women in Townsville,” she said. “I really was so incredibly impressed by the hive of innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s definitely left a strong imprint on my heart and soul and I feel a genuine love for this community. I’ll be back again and again to keep immersing in it.”
overheads for 11 years and then scaling to a full-time staff of 32 with massive overheads within a short space of time, I can definitely vouch for keeping a low fixed cost base.
25
www.bdmag.com.au
NAOMI S N I L L O C GROWING UP IN NORTH QUEENSLAND, WE ARE WARNED FROM AN EARLY AGE ABOUT THE PERILS OF IGNORING SUN SAFETY. FOR MARA SWIM AUSTRALIA FOUNDER NAOMI COLLINGS, IT WAS A SKIN CANCER SCARE THAT SPARKED HER ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT. “Improving the body image of women has been a
“It started with my melanoma story,” Naomi explains.
surprise follow on effect of the label,” she said.
“In 2014 a malignant melanoma was removed from my arm after my sister (and business partner, Kirsty Parnell)
“We love hearing from women that tell us they wear
noticed the mole looking different and suggested that I
their swimwear around the house, that they are excited
see my doctor.
to be seen in their MARA Swim Australia pieces, go jet setting on holiday with their swimwear.
“Some months after that, we were shopping for sun safe swimwear and were very disappointed at what was
“It’s also great to have people like Australian pro surfer
on offer. We found boring ‘rashies’ and ill-fitting pieces
Sally Fitzgibbons enjoying MARA Swim Australia.
with ugly prints from brands I didn’t identify with or
This feedback is confirmation that we’re doing it right,
relate to. I wanted sun protection, but that didn’t mean I
achieving our goals and fulfilling our purpose that drove
had lost my personal style.”
us at the beginning to start MARA Swim Australia.”
Naomi and her sister decided to create a product
“Utilising our precious time in the
that delivered everything the sun protection market was missing, bringing high-end luxury and style to
best way possible is a must ”
sun safety. Launching in March last year, MARA Swim Australia
Since
began modestly, with both women having babies in the
starting
the
brand,
Naomi
said
she
had
learnt several valuable lessons, about herself and
months immediately following the launch.
business.“Utilising our precious time in the best way possible is a must,” she said.
“In the beginning the modest size of the operation suited our lifestyle,” Naomi said.
“We do this by acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses and outsourcing those areas we’re not
“We reached a stage where we were ready to take
specialists in.
another step forward and grow the business to include wholesaling, and we knew we needed help with that. So,
“I have learned that the number of people that care
we brought in a wholesale coach that has worked with
about Australian made products is growing, and so is
some big swim labels to assist us through the early stages
the self-care movement – which is exciting for us.
and develop a refined wholesale strategy. This helped with brand positioning and understanding where we sit
“I have also learned that there are people and networks
in the market, prior to communicating with stores.”
that genuinely want to see you succeed and will help! It’s important to find ‘your people’ whether it’s for your
Naomi said growing the label had helped build their
team or your suppliers. For us, joining with people that
confidence in the brand’s longevity, and cites building
‘get it’ and believe in what we are aiming to achieve is
a loyal following of women that love the brand and
the most effective way to work. We will continue that
swimwear as one of their greatest achievements.
ethos as we grow.”
26
A I N O S K L A H C
“if you’re going to do something, do it damn well or not at all.” IN 1894 THOMAS BRENTNALL, FOUNDER OF THE INCORPORATED INSTITUTE OF ACCOUNTANTS AND TRAILBLAZER IN ESTABLISHING ACCOUNTING AS A PROFESSION IN AUSTRALIA, WARNED OF “THE INVASION BY THE ADVANCED WOMAN”. AND ‘INVADE’ THEY DID.
Today, more than 50% of the Australian accounting
“(That) was a truly amazing experience and has helped
workforce is made up of professional women.
shape how I deliver my services to clients today,” she said.
One of these women leading the way in Townsville is
“The experience allowed me to sit on the other side of the
Sonia Chalk, an Executive at PVW Partners accounting
fence and garner a much better understanding of how
firm, who explains that her ‘obsession’ with numbers
to deliver the best client experience, advice and service.”
began at a young age.
With a rich history expanding 100 years in Townsville,
“I loved numbers - despite it being a pretty nerdy
PVW Partners has cemented its place as an industry
obsession at that stage. When I was in grade 9, I started
leader in our region, and with talent such as Sonia
to do accounting at school, I remember telling my mum
amongst their ranks it’s easy to see why.
that I wanted to be an accountant,” Sonia said.
“We are a truly locally owned and operated firm, and
“I have followed that vision through, albeit with plenty
the recent centenary celebration for the firm made me
of twists and turns along the way.”
pause and reflect on just what an incredible milestone
With 20 years’ experience in tax, accounting and business advisory, Sonia thrives on being able to deliver financial solutions to local families and businesses. “I don’t sell a product, I sell a solution,” she said. Sonia is driven by the success of her clients and their businesses just as much as they are, “because while their business depends on it, so does ours.
that is,” she said. “That has definitely been a highlight.” Although she has had many career milestones herself, Sonia admits that like many, one of the biggest challenges she faces is the elusive work-life blend, especially with a young family. “I have a nine-year old and a four-year old,” she said.
“My purpose is to help my clients and their families
“Some days I get that balance right, the next day
reach their full potential in their business, allowing
I’m an absolute mess. Finding that balance with kids
them to achieve their dreams,” she said.
can be a struggle. It’s a continual challenge but it’s
“And even if I can play a very tiny part in helping someone achieve their dreams, that’s just the most amazing feeling.” Sonia said her journey to her current role with PVW Partners had been full of highlights and unexpected lessons, including ones learnt whilst working for a billionaire in the UK.
important to be kind to yourself and accept those things you can’t change. “I am also an extremely organised person, so that helps to get me through – particularly on those rough days.” As for Sonia’s motto, both in life and in business? “If you’re going to do something, do it damn well or not at all.”
N A G E M N I D R A SARM A SELF-TAUGHT MUSICIAN AND ACCOMPLISHED ARTS WORKER FROM OUTBACK QUEENSLAND, MEGAN SARMARDIN IS A PROUD INDIGENOUS WOMAN WITH A PASSION FOR THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC. Megan made her public performance debut at the age
In 2005 following a formal mentorship with John
of five in 1989, singing Dolly Parton’s ‘Coat of Many
Rodgers funded by Youth Arts Queensland, Megan
Colours’ at Mount Isa’s Spinifex Country Music Club.
began to collaborate on the writing and production
“I’ve had a love of music since I was a child, encouraged by my parents and extended family to pursue this passion,” she said. “I completed all of my education in Mount Isa
of Granny Flora’s story in ‘Little Birung’ (originally ‘Blackbird’) until its debut in Cairns in 2010. “Granny Flora’s story and legacy is such an important part of my life,” Megan said.
completing my tertiary studies via distance education
“The child of an Aboriginal mother and Russian
learning, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Human
immigrant father, the fight her parents had to endure to
Services) from James Cook University in 2015.
stay together and to be eventually married is essentially
“Before I took part in undergraduate studies, I was also working in the health/welfare/community advocacy area and found that music was a great way to assist some of the people I used to work with.” Megan met a group of musicians and arts workers visiting Mount Isa in 2003 as part of a community theatre production presented by the Queensland Music Festival. After auditioning for a part, she was awarded
what makes me, me. ‘Little Birung’ explored the stories of the women in my family, going back to my greatgreat-great grandmother Emily Clarke, great-great grandmother Kitty Clarke, great-grandmother Flora Hoolihan, Granny Margaret, my mother Dixie and me. “Their stories and memories told us of a time in Australia’s history that is still swept under the carpet.” Megan said narrative therapy saw her learn a lot about
one of the lead roles. “I kept in touch with these incredible people and I started heading to Brisbane to perform in shows such as Women in Voice, the Brisbane Cabaret Festival and creative development shows for other musicians,” Megan said. “It was also during this time that I began to write a musical theatre piece about my family history and
“it is your story and no one can take that away from you.”
her family, as well as herself. “It has made me a better musician and better communicator to an audience,” she said.
based it on the memories and stories of my great-
“It’s important to listen to the stories the older people
grandmother, Flora Hoolihan.
tell you. They are told to you for a good reason. It is
“Granny Flora was a long-time resident of Townsville and passed away in March at the age of 102.”
important to have a connection to your family, country, culture, and lore. This is your overall wellbeing; it means good social, emotional and mental health. This is your heart. It is who you are as a person. It is your story and no one can take that away from you.”
CHERIE MOTTI
GROWING UP IN THE COASTAL WILDS OF NHULUNBUY IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, DR CHERIE MOTTI DREAMED OF FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF RENOWNED NATURALIST AND BROADCASTER SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH.
Having always wanted to work with animals and the
so far, there is nothing elusive about the vital role they
environment, particularly marine biology, Cherie has
can play in reef management.
realised her passion; now spending her days working
In all aspects of her life Cherie embraces the motto ‘say
with one of the seven natural wonders of the world
yes as often as possible.’
– albeit one that is facing extreme pressures – the Great Barrier Reef.
“Inspiration and opportunity come from the most unlikely sources, and we need to give ourselves
Heading to the University of New England in 1986,
permission to take advantage of these whenever they
Cherie left with her Science Honours degree majoring
arise,” she said.
in chemistry and a future husband in tow. She then took her love of the natural sciences to Griffith University,
“Sometimes
where she completed a PhD in marine natural products
an
opportunity
presents
itself
and
it’s easier to say no, whether out of fear of putting
drug discovery, investigating the complex molecules
yourself out there or because it’s not going to directly
produced by plants and animals that enable them to
elevate your business.
communicate with each other. “I study the language of chemical communication between marine organisms
I’ve presented to national and international scientific
and their environment, and how this can be used to help
conferences and participated in plenty of science
the marine ecosystem deal with threats” Cherie explains.
outreach programs, but when I was asked to speak at the Women of Achievement luncheon my initial
Cherie’s PhD has enabled her to work in both national
reaction was to say no. I doubted that a group of
and international collaborations that have resulted in
successful and high-flying businesswomen would find
88 publications to date, including two ground-breaking
my story interesting.
papers in the highly esteemed Nature journal – one on corals controlling their local climate, and one on the
“This deliberate self-deprecation can be stifling and
genome of the Crown-of-Thorns starfish.
all-consuming, but should be seen for what it actually is – it’s just not true. It is important to find that inner
Now a Senior Research Scientist heading up critical
strength, remember the ‘what gets me out of bed’ drive
research at the Australian Institute of Marine Science
– my passion to educate people about the threats facing
(AIMS) here in Townsville, Cherie’s science is being
the Great Barrier Reef – and just say yes!”
practically applied across a range of areas, from microplastics to monitoring coral health and controlling outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns starfish, and underpins
“Inspiration and opportunity come
AIMS’ promise to protect the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
from the most unlikely sources”
Cherie is currently leading research into rearing the rare Giant Triton snail which eats Crown-of-Thorns starfish. While getting the swimming planktonic babies to settle and metamorphose into baby snails has proven elusive
29
www.bdmag.com.au
CAT O A R A G E P THEY SAY THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. IN CAT PEGORARO’S CASE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR HER OWN RECOVERY, AS WELL AS HELPING OTHERS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS, AND GIVEN HER LIFE A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION. 26-year old Cat Pegarao is the creator of 'This Glorious
“i was always told that writing
Madness', a personal blog detailing some hard-hitting
is good for mental health, i
issues, particularly around mental health.
just don’t think i realised how
“I have chronic depression as well as generalised anxiety
much of an impact it would
disorder, just a touch of OCD and I have survived a suicide attempt,” Cat explains.
have on me and others going
“The idea for This Glorious Madness was always
through similar situations.”
lurking in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until my ex-husband encouraged me to put my thoughts and
alone has been a huge challenge but so far, the stress,
feelings out there that it came to life.
tears and late nights have been worth it.”
“I was always told that writing is good for mental
Cat has also started speaking at schools and at local
health, I just don’t think I realised how much of
community events such as the Townsville Suicide
an impact it would have on me and others going through similar situations.”
Prevention
Network
corporate
Some of Cat’s blogs have been picked up and re-
of Achievement luncheon.
breakfast,
the
Selectability RUOK Day afternoon tea, and the Women
posted by large online media companies Mamamia and The Mighty.
“It was an honour to be asked to be a part of the Women
“Each and every time this has happened it has been a
will never forget and be forever grateful for,” Cat said.
of Achievement luncheon last month, an experience I
great boost of confidence and a reminder that words
“While I was being interviewed by Kylie, she asked
have an enormous amount of power, which is something
me what my plans were for the future. A question I
that can so easily be taken for granted,” Cat said.
have been trying to avoid for so long now. The truth
The Mamamia team was so impressed by Cat’s
is, I don’t have a plan set in stone, and I didn’t wake
work, they encouraged her to apply for upcoming
up one day and say to myself, ‘your goal is to be an
internships, apparently under the belief she was
influencer and entrepreneur.’
studying at university.
“I personally don’t think I am either of those things. I have spent the last year finding my passion and
“At this time, that was not the case,” she said.
developing my skills. Ideally, I would love to continue “I was working full time and casually writing on the
to write, with the goal of writing a book one day. As well
side. Very long story short, I started a whole new chapter
as continue to speak to high school students, workplaces
of my life this year, personally and professionally.
and other community organisations about mental health, and possibly be a radio announcer one day.”
“I started studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Journalism at James Cook University in February, which
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31
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Follow us on
A BUSINESS ON
the move
EVERYONE LIKES FOOD. WE NEED TO EAT TO LIVE. BUT
women a Hit
HOW MANY OF US LIVE TO EAT? MEET SALLY VUJICA, WHO IS POSSIBLY TOWNSVILLE’S MOST PASSIONATE FOODIE.
Written by Elijah Weightman
Sally is the owner-operator of The Feel Good Foodie, a globallyinspired local food truck serving gluten-free morsels of healthy and delicious street food. Townsville born and bred, Sally learned the values of hard work and the art of customer service early on in life, spending time working in her family’s newsagencies. But it begs the question; where did her passion for food ensue from selling newspapers and lotto tickets?
"TO ME, BUSINESS ATTRACTS BUSINESS AND WE NEED TO STAY POSITIVE AND WORK HARD TO ENSURE A POSITIVE AND STRONG ECONOMY IN TOWNSVILLE."
“Unfortunately, we lost our beautiful mum when I was 17, which is a big reason I launched into business almost straight from school,” Sally revealed. “When Mum was sick, that is where I started researching food and all things cooking. I used to take cookbooks to the hospital each day and just read and read and read. I loved my Mum’s cooking along with my two Grandmothers, one Slovenian – European inspired home cooking and one Australian. Sunday roasts and sponge cakes… all of them full of love and force feeding.”
“I’m very happy with our team’s hard work this year; now we have a great production line and our speed and quality of service is something I am really proud of” Sally beams.
But it wasn’t until Sally attended a rodeo event with food-truck catering that the idea for her current business venture came about. Then, after watching the 2014 movie Chef, she had a lightbulb moment. Why not bring the food truck experience to Townsville?
Despite the growth of the industry locally, Sally believes there is still much more that can be done to make the local food truck network thrive.
She knew it was going to be hard work, but as the saying goes, hard
Constantly in contact with local government members pushing for
work pays off. Right?
opportunities for herself and her fellow food truckers, Sally’s aim is
“There are only so many sausages on bread and steak burgers one can eat in a weekend and I thought there must be a better way to bring good quality, healthy food to the people of Queensland,” Sally said. “I did a lot of research with our local council, went to lots of food events, planned my menu and even did some voluntary work experience in the Gold Coast, where the industry is going gang busters.
for the Townsville City Council to come to terms on clear legislation which will afford vendors access to areas with higher levels of foot traffic. Ultimately, she’d like to see designated parking spots for food trucks to set up around the city, similar to the food truck parks of the United States. “To me, business attracts business and we need to stay positive and work hard to ensure a positive and strong economy in Townsville,” Sally said.
“When I started in Townsville the food truck scene was barely kicking off. In a mere 18 months of trading it seems to have really exploded!” Sally’s decision to focus her business model on the provision of gluten free food as a point of difference appears to have paid off
“This is my home and where I grew up, I love it, I want to see it thrive. We’ve just recruited some newbies and will be recruiting again in the new year as we will be taking our business in a slightly new direction…stay tuned.”
with sales increasing by 22% in her second year of business. Sally credits this feat to the efforts of the team behind the truck.
33
www.bdmag.com.au
INNOVATION EVOLUTION By Lori Napier
IF THE TERMS ‘STARTUP’, ‘ENTREPRENEURIAL
Through
ECOSYSTEM’ AND ‘COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT’
conglomerate, iNQ has grown to provide many startups the space
GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING THEN YOU’RE DEFINITELY READING THE RIGHT RAG, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PAGE. If you’re not already familiar with the workings of Innovate NQ (iNQ) then you soon will be. It’s been a startup for startups in the Townsville region since 2014—the hive attracting North Queensland’s innovators, creatives and entrepreneurs to connect, mentor and inspire each other to ‘have a crack’ at building their empire, with a little help from like-minded goal seekers. “The beauties of the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem are the collisions that happen, unplanned, that generate real innovation and effective community impacts,” iNQ founder John Williams stated.
the
‘awe-inspiring
efforts
and
vision’
of
a
local
to achieve their goals at a pace that suits them. John said it’s about growing through diversity and complementarity.
“Bringing groups, especially founders together with creative, tech, business, financial, mentoring, learning and human-centric skills, experience and resources is iNQ’s purpose,” John explained. “Not an easy task unless our community understand the ‘safe house’ that iNQ is. We also introduce our community to people who have done it; building a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture in an informal, responsive, relatable environment. Part of this is getting these establishments beyond what they’ve done in the past
“Ask a question and the answer is either, ‘I can help you’ or ‘I know
to look at how the world is changing, how the market is evolving
someone who can help you - no strings attached’. Why? Because we
and what the jobs of the future look like. That requires a change
grow everything, together!”
in culture and a more open, less formalised approach in how we’ve done business previously.”
At the face of it, iNQ is a communal office space where Townsville’s venture builders can establish and grow their vision, free of
So, that’s what iNQ do. But this tactical powerhouse is striving for
administrative stresses. At its core, iNQ is a centre for innovation,
more; to build on the vast pool of resources, skills and experience
collaboration and forward-thinking, which happens to also provide
that reside in our great region and move forward as a larger, more
your basic office facilities like desks, offices, meeting rooms, kitchen
collaborative ‘ecosystem’ which delivers collective and individual
amenities, lounges and high-speed broadband.
goals with realistic outcomes for the entire community.
34
“The beauties of the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem are the collisions that happen, unplanned, that generate real innovation and effective community impacts” - iNQ Founder, John Williams
Already at the forefront of this world of venture capital building
And what will that look like exactly? In terms of bricks and mortar, iNQ envisages a move into the old South Townsville Transit Centre on Plume Street with a renovation that will accommodate not just startups from North Queensland, but from around the globe. This exciting move has already attracted interest from Townsville City Council, Townsville Creative Industries, Townsville Business Development Centre, Central Queensland University and James Cook University to utilise the
for the future, John foresees the bigger, bolder, more spacious iNQ having the potential to host between 20 to 30 startups or business at the same time. While he’s simply responding to the demand out there for this creative space to congregate and conquer, he also acknowledges the need for funding support to help kick off their new project. But he believes if we build it together, they will most certainly come! “We live in a region with enough people to sustain these activities
space going forward.
“The vision is to create a space including work bays, collaborative spaces, a space to host large events and training with accommodation so that visiting entrepreneurs, business people, investors can all work, stay and play in the one space,” John said.
together, but if we run these programs individually, they won’t remain viable in the long term,” he said. “If we do them together, we will see greater uptake and more diverse participation resulting in greater outcomes for the products, services, businesses and community. Many still don’t recognise the simple fact that no one organisation has all of the skills and resources in Townsville or North Queensland to go it alone. However, between us all, we have more than enough to drive the collaborative environment that results in all parts of the ecosystem
“We also have interest from two groups in the U.S. that want to
moving forward, achieving our collective AND individual goals
run live-in accelerator programs that could run weeks to months.
together. BOLDSVILLE; have a crack!”
They want a place where it’s not just about the work, but it’s more economically accessible in an exotic location for their marketing factor where 12 people can work together at all times, even in their PJs, because they become so intense and focused that they work on this 18-20 hours a day.”
35
www.bdmag.com.au
From high flyer
to flying high By Jade Kennedy
AS A HIGH-FLYING PROFESSIONAL IN CORPORATE AMERICA, HEATHER MACKENZIE THOUGHT SHE HAD THE WORLD AT HER FEET, UNTIL SHE WAS THE SURVIVOR OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE WORKPLACE CASE THAT WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE COMPLETELY AND LEAD HER HERE TO NORTH QUEENSLAND. It was 2014 when Heather MacKenzie was working as an executive for a healthcare industry giant, a Fortune Ten corporation. Based in Denver, Colorado, Heather and her colleagues were dining with their employer's largest client at the time - worth around $1 billion in revenue to the company - when the client acted in a sexually inappropriate manner towards her at the restaurant they were in. Following this gratuitous public humiliation, Heather was thanked by a CEO for, “taking one for the team.” “I couldn’t believe someone would do something like this, especially in the midst of an executive dinner. I wasn’t sure what to do,” Heather recalls. “We were in the middle of a contract negotiation with this massive client, and I thought to myself, if I report this, they will have to go to the client’s company and report what’s happened. “In my head, in pictures I saw me wringing the neck of the goose who laid the golden eggs. I knew that we would lose at least part of the contract if I reported this now and that the people I was working with could lose their jobs. So, I made the decision not to report it until after the contract was inked.” Six weeks later, the human resources and legal department of
Heather’s
company
contacted
her.
Someone
had
reported the assault. “The first two questions they asked me were, what did you wear to the dinner and how much alcohol did you drink,” Heather explains.
36
“They searched my computer to looked through my emails to see
“It’s so important to support and fund women in early stage
the ‘nature of my relationship’ with the man. I knew instantly that
companies. We’re about to experience the largest wealth transfer
they were not here to protect me. I was in my late 40's when this
in history to millennial women. We need to tap into their expertise
happened, I had a lot of corporate experience, and yet here I was,
and passions and the ways they see the world. Women only receive
still naive enough to believe that my company was going to take
4% of venture capital funding in the US,” Heather points out.
care of me, look out for my interests.”
“I had previously worked in startups and biz dev teams. We'd
The company’s response was to offer Heather another position
taken a company from $1million in revenue to $110million
within the company…in London.
in 24 months. So, I’d been in the startup world as well as
“I was a single mother living in Denver, Colorado, with six
the corporate world.”
kids,” Heather said.
It was her involvement with SheEO that reignited Heather’s
“I wasn’t moving to London. So, annoyed, they went away and
passion for the startup sphere. “That really opened my eyes to what female founders go through trying to secure funding. I
came back and said, ‘you can’t keep your current job. It’s for your
worked with think tanks, was doing community building works, a
safety, we have to move you away from this man. We have an even
lot of mentoring and advising at programs like TechStars, Rockies
better job for you in Chicago.”
Venture Club and startup weekends and I started professionally
Rejecting their second offer to relocate after realizing they were
public speaking.”
trying to move her geographically far away and would likely
It was this new path that lead Heather to Townsville.
attempt to performance manage her out of the company within
“My first introduction to Australia was through Aaron Birkby, from Startup Catalyst in River City Labs Brisbane,” Heather said.
the first 90 days of her move, Heather hired a female legal team who negotiated her exit from the company.
“He brings Australian entrepreneurs to regions around the world to study entrepreneurship. In the U.S., the two ecosystems they visit are Silicon Valley and Denver, Colorado, and in March this year he brought over Joe Hoolahan from iNQ here in Townsville.
The case came to a boiling point for Heather, and her lawyers knew they needed to sideline her in order to preserve her mental health. The following day after that decision, her relationship with her partner also ended.
“It was Joe who said, ‘How can I help you?’ I told him I wanted to get my message out into the world – not just the message of how my case led me to my true purposes, but the importance of discussing and tending to your mental health, building resilience – it’s a lot of things. Within three weeks Joe had organised a fourweek tour of Australia with these amazing opportunities to get my message out there. I did 20 talks in 16 cities and towns across Australia in a month.”
“In 24 hours, I had lost my career, my income, my ability to provide for my children, my relationship, my identity. I went into a tailspin. I wish I could tell you I immediately took charge of my future, but instead I spent two weeks in my bedroom drinking, watching TV, crying and sleeping” Heather recalls. But after two weeks, she woke up and realised that the only person who would - and could - rescue her was herself, and she set herself
Following this trip, Heather was invited to join a global consulting service, and tasked with finding inroads into Australia for 3 Lines Capital, a Colorado-based seed venture fund.
onto a path of healing, working with various somatic therapists and energy healers. After settling with her employer, Heather was offered a
“There are a lot of really investable companies here that just aren’t getting elevated to the point where they can go global,” Heather said.
seven-figure settlement by the perpetrator himself to make the case ‘go away’. “My legal team advised me that I should take the money,” she
“We invest in health tech, agri tech, artificial intelligence or machine learning, internet of things, any sort of tech or data play for Smart Cities – that’s our portfolio, as our bigger play is helping to architect Smart Cities Alliances around the world. We want to be hand in hand with Australian businesses to help them go global, using our social capital and mentoring and advising, not just air drop a cheque.
said. "I had two immediate intuitive messages my silence was not for sale and that I needed to write this man a letter of forgiveness in order to be truly set free from this trauma. “Unfortunately,
as
a
‘whistle
blower’
in
America,
even
though I wasn’t the one who had reported it, I was essentially unemployable. We ended up negotiating terms that allowed me
“I’ve shortlisted Townsville, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Adelaide as the first 4 areas we’re looking at,” Heather said. “We plan to run a pilot in at least one of these areas early next year. Hyper accelerators where the right companies who are preparing to go global come through and we’re there for them. We see a much bigger ecosystem play in Townsville.
to share my story, which was the most important thing to me. This was before the #metoo movement, but I intuitively knew that this story was going to be important.” This year-long legal battle and journey of self-discovery was the catalyst that sent Heather in a new direction, dedicating her life to new found purpose.
“We believe that Smart Cities are not about technology, they are about creating places that people want to live, learn, work and play - and thrive in inclusive communities. Townsville could be an amazing example of this. We see this as also being bi-directional so while we’re looking for companies who want to grow and go to America, we’re also looking at bringing American companies who want to start working in Asia Pac here to Townsville. Americans can learn from Australians who have taken businesses into Singapore, Japan and other Asian countries and how they did it. I’m hoping we can drive a lot of economic stimulation into Townville and other regional economies in Queensland.”
"I had a massive awakening that I had to change everything about my life, and my three life purposes came into total focus,” Heather says. “My three purposes are to help as many people as possible feel genuinely seen, heard, loved and accepted. Secondly to be a global conduit and connector among people, ideas, organisations and capital. And third, I’m here to give voice, agency and access to the marginalised and under represented in our society. In 2016, Heather stepped up as a member of the U.S. launch team for SheEO, a global organisation generating support, connection, funding and opportunities for female led ventures, which launched in Australia this year.
37
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IT’S ONLY NATURAL ALTHOUGH COMMON IN THE UNITED STATES, FUNCTIONAL AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IS STILL A RELATIVELY NEW CONCEPT IN AUSTRALIA, WITH MANY PEOPLE COMMITTED TO THEIR SIDE OF MEDICAL OR NATURAL MEDICINE.
Written by Julie Johnston
James Jensen of the Australian Nutrition
The Australian Nutrition Centre (ANC)
Centre, one of only a few of its kind in
started out as a health food store, and has
Australia, has combined his knowledge of
evolved in response to customer demand
pharmaceutical and natural medicines to
and James’ ongoing research.
focus on treating the root cause of health issues, rather than just the symptoms.
“We were getting asked lots of questions on
Challengers label it as “pseudoscientific
of view,” James says. “Being a pharmacist,
silliness” and “quackery”, and James is the
I had some good information to offer
first to admit that as a trained pharmacist
but there weren’t really any places or the
with a post graduate degree in diabetes
right products that I felt comfortable with
education, he was originally dismissive of
sharing with clients, so we decided to do it
natural medicine.
ourselves and combine the pharmacy side
basic health care stuff from a natural point
with natural health.” James started to learn more about natural
“Here we get the opportunity to actually treat the underlying reason why someone
health when he found himself feeling
James began offering consultations due to
unwell and run down all the time. A
the number of customers seeking his advice
naturopath he was working with at the time
to discuss their health issues in detail.
might be unwell.” It’s finding the ‘why’ and treating the cause that makes the ANC six-week ketogenic diet
recommended some products.
“I’m a registered health professional and
under James’ guidance so successful, with
“I would use medicines to try and fix
I have done all my clinical studies with
clients dropping between 6 – 12 kilograms
myself and then soon realised that it wasn’t
natural medicines,” James says. “Combining
and improving their overall well being.
working,” James recalls. “I gave some of the
the two has been a fun process, to put
natural stuff a go and to my pleasant surprise
the little bits and pieces of information
“What we find with a lot of our clients is that
I started to get better. It really piqued my
together from the natural world with the
there is a handbrake in the way,” he explains.
interest and I thought, this is a place we
pharmaceutical background.”
“It might be due to their stress hormones or their sex hormones. For instance, it could be
really need to explore and do more with.” James
explains
originated
from
that
most
natural
medicines
sources,
so
nature has already provided us all the tools that we need. “What we
find
in
the
pharmaceutical
industry is that they’ve just grabbed bits of nature that have worked really well, refined it and made it their own, and thrown a few patents in there,” he says. “When I work with natural medicine, it’s actually quite similar. We just use different terminology to describe the things and
“Whenever I provide advice, it is always
due to menopause, and what the diet does is
from a clinical setting or a place of research.”
it breaks through all those handbrakes.”
Many clients come to James in desperation,
His business has thrived on referrals, and
having tried traditional medical treatments
James regularly posts videos and success
to no avail.
stories to social media in an informative,
“One of the things people always say to me is ‘it’s great to be listened to and fixed instead of having a Band-Aid put on,’” he says. “Traditional medical medicine is all about putting a Band-Aid on, so what they’re doing is treating the symptoms, not the actual cause of disease.
how they work.”
and sometimes tongue in cheek way, that resonates with his followers and generates high engagement and new client enquiries. James has identified there is potential for significant growth, but there is a common misconception that ANC is for ‘gym junkies’. “Branding is a big issue for us,” James admits. “People still don’t understand what we do, and we’re working to overcome that.”
39
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JUST THE TICKET BANKS REJECTED KRISTEN GOLDUP’S BUSINESS PROPOSITION 10 YEARS AGO AS “TOO HIGH RISK”, BUT LOCAL TICKETS HAS GROWN FROM AN ANNUAL TURNOVER OF A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS TO MILLIONS PER YEAR.
Written by Julie Johnston
Trading locally as Townsville Tickets, the
Kristen kept working at it. She wound down
relationships forged here with the growth
Local Tickets company now covers every
her PR agency to focus on the growth of
of her business.
Australian
Local Tickets, keeping just a couple of key
town
and
is
expanding
its
international licensing opportunities.
clients on retainer for cash flow.
“I’ve always said the Townsville business
“I saw the gap ten years ago when I was
“A former colleague and friend came
she
running a marketing and PR consultancy,
on board as a co-owner and together we
forward
Positive PR, in Townsville and I needed
bootstrapped the company”.
poppy syndrome.”
a ticketing solution for clients,” Kristen Goldup, Director of Local Tickets, explains. “There were no self-serve e-commerce ticketing companies in our space, so I ended up doing it myself.” “We really had to pioneer the SME ticketing space, as there were no programs to copy, I had to write a development brief from scratch. I was lucky to find amazing contractors in Townsville that worked with me to develop what is now considered an industry leading system.” As
a
start-up
in
ticketing,
by financial institutions. “Ten years ago, banks just weren’t in the head space for start-up E-Commerce. They were only dealing with big corporations online. I couldn’t get a bank to back me with an online merchant facility,” she says. “Three major banks said no. They all deemed online ticketing as high risk because of what they call forward bookings, meaning were
says.
“It’s
very
thinking,
it
supportive doesn’t
and
have
tall
and
“From contacts here in Townsville I have
investing back into the business, developing
had doors open for me in large venues across
a ticketing app that can do sales onsite
Australia, and we’re now ticketing Johnathan
and on the go, and sourcing high end
Thurston’s tour in New Zealand. Other start-
ticket scanners.
ups have shared important information
Kristen
is
constantly
innovating
about grants, and I secured a national media “I had to find a product that had inbuilt
partner/investor because the local manager
batteries to sustain the long duration of big
threw his support behind me.”
events, so we sourced scanner guns” she explains. “They cost $5000 each, and we
Kristen continues to use local suppliers,
own ten of them.”
many
of
whom
have
been
with
her
from the start. Kristen’s marketing and PR background
online
Local Tickets was met with hesitation
customers
community punches above its weight,”
paying
for
something
online but not receiving goods/services for several months. It also didn’t help that at the time I was trying to secure a bank, the Michael Jackson final concert fiasco occurred, leaving the financial institutions bearing the cost of the tickets worldwide.
gives her a competitive edge, and her grass
“The IT company has been with the start of
roots approach means she is closely linked
my business,” she says. “The copy and design
with events and can keep finding gaps in the
for our new magazine has been done out of
market to capitalise on.
Townsville, and there are other contractors I use regularly.”
“We’re turning the lack of marketing budgets into opportunity for clients by offering
Today, Kristen and her team of six deliver
marketing packages to support the event
ticketing
organiser and boost ticket sales,” she says.
events per year,”
“We’ve launched a new web design, and an
“Today we can seamlessly ticket events
industry magazine designed to inspire and
online,
educate event organisers.”
ticketing booths, with just our APP and an
solutions
at
venues
to
and
thousands
onsite
of
event
IPAD” she says. “As you’re growing the product offering, it’s a constant challenge to keep the marketing
“We have traffic reports, door lists, allocated
in line with the innovation,” she says. “We’ve
seating, scanner guns, tap and go payment
just relaunched ourselves for about the
devices and hard printed tickets.”
sixth time.”
“A lot of clients are scared to make the leap
But one bank did give us a go (NAB) and
While her office is now based in Brisbane’s
to a ticketing system, but we hold their hand
we have remained loyal to them ever since.
Queen Street Mall, Townsville is still a key
through the whole process and turn them
Those other banks are now knocking on our
player in Local Tickets’ success. Kristen
into Ticketing Stars!”
doors wanting to do business!”
travels here regularly to visit family, meet
Despite
the
challenges
and
immense
amount of effort to get it off the ground,
with her developers and contractors, and service clients. She credits the strong
41
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TOMORROW’S SCIENTISTS TAKE ON LEGO CHALLENGE at CQUniversity Written by Isis Symes
OVER 160 PRIMARY AND HIGH-SCHOOL CHILDREN REPRESENTING SCHOOLS FROM ACROSS THE REGION CONVERGED AT CQUNIVERSITY TOWNSVILLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPUS’ SECOND ANNUAL FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE (FLL) REGIONAL HEAT.
The FIRST® LEGO® League event was a test of strategy and
“We don’t know what the next generation of Nobel laureates,
innovation, a spirited competition in which teams used LEGO®
research scientists and engineers look like. We don’t know where to
Education Mindstorm kits to compete in the ‘INTO ORBIT’ Space
go to find them. FIRST® LEGO® League does what sports has done
simulation challenge.
for so many generations now and brings them together in the spirit
Event organiser and CQUniversity Education Lecturer, Dr Colin Baskin, said the concept was simple. “Robots are models of living things with which children can experiment without adult interference or sanction. They are a particularly motivating technology. “In this case, students worked in teams to invent, design, fabricate and build robots from scratch, drawing on all their interpersonal and intrapersonal communication skills and testing learner literacies in
of creative competition, opening doors and growing potential. It harvests skills, it is an invitation to young people with the right stuff to take on the challenge of future sustainability as scientists, doctors, engineers, fabricators, and professional trades people.” Townsville Grammar School’s G.E.A.R Team was crowned Overall Champions at the keenly contested event which saw them head to Brisbane for the State Championships in November.
mathematical, scientific, and technological core curriculum areas.
“Under tournament guidelines the top five Townsville teams earned
It was wonderful to see these young scientists and engineers really
advance passage to the State Championship in Brisbane including
getting into the spirit of the Into Orbit Challenge, negotiating and
the Mundingburra Magnetic Masterminds (Mundingburra State
solving concrete, complex, real-world issues that are related to
School), No Signal (Annandale Christian College), Space Savers (St
deep human needs.”
Clare’s and St Anthony’s) and the TGS All Stars (Townsville Junior
Dr Baskin said teams worked together to construct and engineer
Grammar),” said Dr Baskin.
their robots before completing 10 robot challenge missions in a
Dr Baskin said he was overwhelmed with the response to this
two-and-a-half minute timeframe. The game-based framework
year’s competition and looked forward to seeing it continue to
was a kinaesthetic challenge and the research project provided the
grow in Townsville.
investigative challenge. Teams were required to research and present on ‘space issues’ such as loneliness, isolation, health and well-being.
“Overall the event was a huge success,” he said.
“One team of 11 year-olds from Townsville Junior Grammar
“To see so many children on campus participating in the Challenge
designed, built and operated a functioning ‘hologram’ machine to enable space travellers to communicate with family and friends at home. Another composite team from St Clare’s and St Anthony’s wrote and performed a ‘Space Rap’ highlighting the important role of 3D printing and Gamma irradiation in the health and survival of astronauts in transit,” Dr Baskin said.
while embracing the core values of the tournament was brilliant,” he added. “FIRST® LEGO® League provides authentic STEM learning opportunities for thousands of kids every year. It fosters a sense of belonging, it celebrates shared accomplishment, and offers the student a chance to take up the role of scientist in the school and global environment. Above all, it is fun”.
43
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NEW TURF CLUB CEO a good bet Written by Julie Johnston
THERE WERE NO BLINKERS ON WHEN MINDY POWELL-HODGES ACCEPTED THE ROLE AS CEO FOR THE FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB.
Just a few months into the role, new Turf Club CEO, Mindy Powell-
“You’re at the top of everything and you’ve got all this knowledge,
Hodges, is already implementing her bold vision to revitalise the
and then, nothing. It was absolute agony, so hurtful. You’d meet
Club and return it to its glory days as a community centrepiece.
someone in the horse industry and pounce on them and try
Aware of the challenge before her, Mindy wasted no time in consulting
and
lobbying
all
levels
of
Government,
Racing
Queensland and local entities for funding and long sought-after solutions to drive the Club forward.
to sell yourself.” When she saw the CEO role advertised for the Townsville Turf Club she flew in for an interview. “I stood in front of grandstand and looked down the stretch and
“You can’t just take off on your own track, not with something this big,” she says. “This is part of the community and you have to
thought, I can do something great here.
involve all the people in it.”
“Not everyone wants to be part of the horse racing,” Mindy says. “I
The local racing community are embracing Mindy as they realise
where else in town do you have this backdrop and access?”
look out here and I see charity events, corporate events, weddings,
the depth of her experience. Mindy’s passion for the industry started young, as her family travelled like gypsies from race tracks and stud farms throughout America.
After evaluating the spend on hire equipment, Mindy invested in a permanent trackside marquee, cold room and new furniture in a bid to make events profitable.
“I broke horses out of the gate, did sales, got my trainer’s licence and trained horses for my Dad and my own clients,” she says.
“If you look across any race track in the world, racing alone isn’t
She became the first woman in the United States to hold the position
an idea, I think there is very few things we’d say no to. If there is ever
as Stall Superintendent, managing the placement and movement of
an event, I want to be on the shopping list.”
going to support these grounds,” she says. “If you came out here with
horses, liaising with up to 200 trainers, and dealing with unions.
Mindy is highly efficient and driven, and while she expects a lot of
“It was quite a juggling act, and let me tell you something, that
those around her, she is a natural leader who enjoys mentoring and
job made you tough,” she says. “But it taught me so much and
leads by example.
from there I was invited to go to the Middle East to help write the rules of racing.”
With her industry knowledge, business acumen and marketing
Mindy stayed for seven years as the Director of PR and Marketing,
Club across the line, and she is revelling in being back in the horse
handling all their international contracts and sponsorship of the
racing industry.
experience, Mindy seems a good bet to get the Townsville Turf
French Derby.
“The smell of them, the energy they put out, it makes my heart sing,”
After her daughter was born in Dubai, Mindy and her husband Chris
she smiles. “Sometimes I get here really early in the morning and sit
returned to America, where Mindy’s knack for picking out young
in the old grandstand and watch them train. There’s nothing more
horses and growing them into yearlings saw her hobby expand into
beautiful than that.”
a 100 acre farm with an annual turnover of $5 million. Mindy and Chris had always talked of coming to Australia, and decided the time was right, but the first few years in Sydney were tough.
45
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at TBDC IT SPEAKS OF THE RESILIENCE REQUIRED BY
“The TBDC’s story is not one to shy away from, but rather one to
TOWNSVILLE BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS TO
celebrate as an example of what can be achieved in any business or organisation, even when all seems hopeless,” Mr Brennan said.
NAVIGATE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES; THE ABILITY OF A TEAM TO PULL TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS
“The TBDC was not immune to the challenges experienced by
QUICKLY AND INSPIRE CONFIDENCE THAT IF THE
most organisations from time-to-time – our story could be that of
TOWNSVILLE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (TBDC)
any other Townsville SME,” he said.
CAN TURN THINGS AROUND IN THE FACE OF IMMINENT
“Having come from the verge of closure earlier this year to now
COLLAPSE, SO TOO CAN YOUR BUSINESS.
be at full Business Incubator capacity, with a revival of stakeholder
The TBDC has assisted thousands of local businesses to start-up,
importantly being able to help more local businesses succeed, is
relationships, the generation of strong new partnerships and most
grow and succeed and have helped generate thousands of new jobs for Townsville. Yet as recently as March this year, the 23year history of this not-for-profit, business support organisation appeared to be at an end.
certainly something we’re proud of. “It hasn’t been by chance. It required strategic Board renewal, the willingness to take a good honest look at how operational decisions were being made followed by decisive action.”
Concerns over its operational management, the loss of critical government funding, staff departures and consequential rising debt had the TBDC on the verge of collapse. Having received insolvency advice and with creditors were knocking on the door, the Board was fighting tooth and nail to keep the doors open.
The resulting momentum has generated a string of positive outcomes
including
the
centre’s
Small
Business
Incubator
achieving full tenant capacity for the first time in 12 years. A space within the Vickers Road Facility will now be converted into
Acting Chair, Greg Leslie, never wavered in his commitment and belief in what the TBDC could achieve, even pledging his own funds if needed to keep the centre alive.
an additional unit to meet increasing demand. “The TBDC has made some great moves in the right direction and now we need to continue that momentum to ensure we can achieve
The number of Directors was down to just three including Greg, Mark Rushbrook and Derrick Evans when they invited business improvement and turnaround specialist Michael Brennan of Offermans Partners into the fray.
our true focus, which is helping more Townsville businesses succeed,” CEO Ben Verning said. “We are experiencing a revival in business and entrepreneur confidence in Townsville on the back of announcements regarding
Mr Brennan took on the role of Chair, marking the beginning of a new future for the TBDC. One that would not only see it rapidly return to its former success, but would improve upon the level of service delivery, collaboration, profitability and wider positive impact it had achieved for Townsville businesses.
water security and upcoming projects for the region. “We’re looking forward to working together with like-minded partners and advocacy bodies like the Chamber of Commerce, Townsville Enterprise and Townsville City Council to ensure this story has a happy ending, not just for the TBDC but for
Mr Brennan said the multi-skilled Board, operational leadership of new CEO Ben Verning, support of Office Manager Debbie Jeffrey,
Townsville businesses and the locals who own, manage and work in them every day.”
along with the team’s collective commitment to turn things around were all key to the revival.
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www.bdmag.com.au
CELEBRATE TOGETHER AND WELCOME IN THE NEW YEAR NORTH QUEENSLAND STYLE
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Celebrations TOWNSVILLE 31 DECEMBER 2018
STRAND PARK RIVERWAY
7pm Movie screening & entertainment 9pm Beach party & fireworks display Midnight Fireworks display
7pm Movie screening & entertainment 9pm Fireworks display
NELLY BAY Midnight Fireworks display
Phone 13 48 10 or visit townsville.qld.gov.au for more information
“JUST DO IT; FIND A GOOD TEAM AND REACH OUT TO LIKE MINDED PEOPLE.” “After Disney had purchased Lucas Film a few years back, I produced and submitted some conceptual artwork to them with ideas for potential new Star Wars films. One of them went viral, and I hit over 22,000 likes and was featured on the front page of Reddit.” After the hype surrounding his artwork had subsided, Lyndon received an email from US actor and filmmaker Noel Braham, who was suitably impressed with his creative work and asked Lyndon if
LA CALLING
he’d be interested in collaborating on a short film. “I was like ‘Yeah sure, but you do know I live in Townsville?,” laughed Lyndon. “The film premiered in Los Angles and went on to showcase globally, including the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. We also picked up several international film awards.” Last year Lyndon worked as a producer on short film 'The Millennial', which tells the story of a boxer training for the biggest fight of his life, whilst being confronted with challenges that lay outside the ring. During the LA-based shoot, Lyndon got a crash course in movie production and the allure of Hollywood.
Written by Elijah Weightman
“I can remember standing at a park at sunset planning some shots with Noel and our Director of Photography and looking over and seeing the Hollywood sign in the background; it was very surreal,”
UNBEKNOWNST TO MOVIE-GOERS AROUND THE
Lyndon recalled.
WORLD, AN UNASSUMING ADDRESS IN TOWNSVILLE IS
“Once I was home, I was able to constantly receive cuts of the
HOME TO A HOLLYWOOD-GRADE PRODUCER.
film and provide input into editing and story flow as well as work In
his
capacity
as
Creative
Director
at
AEC
Group,
on the promotion.
Lyndon Berresford has worked on countless projects which have helped shape our city, including the new Townsville
In true Hollywood style, the premiere of The Millennial will take
Stadium. And now, thanks to modern technology and upgrades
place in downtown Los Angeles this month which Lyndon is
to internet infrastructure, Lyndon is producing and promoting
hopeful he will attend.
projects for Hollywood film production company, Noel Braham Entertainment, all from the comfort of his home studio right here in South Townsville.
With advances in digital technology, the potential for global opportunities created in Townsville are limitless, and Lyndon is just one excited for what the future holds for anyone with
“With the faster NBN I was able to work very well remotely, and
the right attitude who wants to make a name for themselves in
my relationship grew with Noel and the guys over in LA,” Lyndon
(or out of) Hollywood.
explained.
“Equipment is more accessible now than it has ever been and there
But how did this local relationship with the bright lights of
are a lot more options to promote and showcase films now through
‘La- La Land’ begin?
digital channels and distribution,” Lyndon said. “Just do it; find a good team and reach out to likeminded people.”
49
www.bdmag.com.au
WE ARE TOWNSVILLE.
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