Profile Magazine

MARCH 2013

LADies AT LUNCH work / life balance ... does it exist?

in this issue

14 emma shaw

16 chris turner

regulars 4 publisher’s note

46 vanity case

6 pinboard

48 profile loves

8 he says, she says

52 advice

34 briefcase

59 life

43 win

62 business

march 2013

22 jenni salisbury

12

people – making the grade Jesse-Jack Kelsey-Redfern

14

view – mama on a mission Emma Shaw

16

success – the future’s bright Chris Turner

18

ladies at lunch – work / life balance ... does it exist?

22

cover – life’s blessings Jenni Salisbury

35

wealthy’n’wise business promotion How to achieve financial independence through property investment

54

style counsel Nerine O’brien

58

the good life – run for fun Maree Bean

66

the last word Annie Gaffney

28 family feature

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editor’s note

T

his month, Profile is all about family and the timing could not be more perfect with the arrival of our newest team member, little Jack Campbell Howard! Yes Genine and husband Rowan finally became proud parents to their long-awaited little boy last month and he is just perfect! Needless to say, our office was abuzz with excitement (and clucky women) the week of his arrival and it’s times like these you reflect on just how special and important family is.

The birth of a child is a miracle, the beginning of a whole new life and all it holds in-store.

It’s been a rocky road for Genine and Rowan to finally hold their precious baby in their arms, and someone who can completely relate is our inspiring cover girl, Jenni Salisbury, who after a heart-breaking number of failed IVF attempts and a devastating miscarriage, finally delivered two healthy little boys. Make sure you have the tissues handy for her amazing story of courage and determination in the quest to become a parent.

We also meet Emily Shaw, inspiring mother of six children, who wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to her daughter’s rare hearing impairment. Emma’s tireless fundraising to send her daughter to America for a life-changing operation is a heart-warming story of the lengths a mother will go to for their child. We also chat with the charismatic Chris Turner, CEO of SunnyKids and a man on a mission to change the future for our children, and no one is a better example than Jesse-Jack Kelsey-Redfern, a young boy who transformed his life from an angry young man to a dedicated, ambitions student, thanks to the help and support of the fabulous organisation (of which Genine is President). It’s proof you can turn your life around, at any age.

Our lunching ladies had fun discussing the work / life juggle at Via Italia, Mooloolaba, and of course, we also bring you all the latest in fashion and beauty as well as some great prizes to be won.

Sadly, we say goodbye to a very special Profile team member this month, our lovely sales manager, Belinda Brill. We wish Belinda and her family all the very best for the future and know she will find happiness and success no matter where life’s journey may take her. Her infectious laugh and bubbly personality will be sorely missed in our office.

So here’s to family. To the ups and downs, the tears, the joy, the love, the heartache and most importantly, the bond that ties us together, no matter where we are.

And a big cheers to baby Jack, from the Profile team!

Ingrid Nelson EDITOR / writer

family feature and thanks Speaking of all things family, the Profile team is excited to bring you our special family feature this month, packed with great ideas to keep the kids busy this holiday season and lots more.

We would also like to thank Aussie World for allowing us to use the theme park to shoot most of our images for the magazine this month, it was the perfect backdrop for our fun, family issue. Special thanks also to Sally Cook of Saucy Rose, Claire Lonergan of Bella Lido and Angie Tonner of Asha Model Management for supplying the beautiful range of clothing and accessories for our cover shoot. Thank you also to Calli Burnett for the stunning images, Strut Hair for beautifully styling our cover girls locks and KJ Artistry for their flawless make up. Jenni was delighted with the result, commenting she looked and felt like a princess – and she did.

It is due to the contribution of the entire creative team that allows Profile to bring our readers beautiful images every month, and we thank you sincerely.

visit us on facebook.com/profilemag

follow us on twitter.com/profilemag

Image courtesy of Inspired Photography by Michelle (www.inspiredphotography.com.au)

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march 2013

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pinboard

managing director / publisher Genine Howard

publisher Hamish Rose

editor Ingrid Nelson

sub-editor Alli Grant

graphic designer Johanna Jensen

sales manager Belinda Brill

heart and soul fashion show

account manager Maree McGrath

6 march lift the lid on food additives

feature writers

Get food for thought at this Happy and Calm Household Seminar, with home economist Louise D’Allura, and learn about food additives and interpreting labels when stocking your child’s lunch box. Attendees will benefit from a cooking demonstration and presentation from local author Tania Hubbard. Starts at 7pm. Tickets are $20 with bookings essential.

photography

Tonia Zemek, Jessica Jane Sammut, Anna Rawlings (intern) Calli Burnett, Alicia Aberley, Harth Photography

email or call / fax info@profilemag.com.au or 5451 0669 / 5475 4405

www.mealplanningyourway.com

drop in

9 to 16 march surf’s up!

post

The Noosa Festival of Surfing is coming this month. This week-long event is a mecca of surfing, culture and entertainment for all ages with kids activities and pro events. Soak up the sun as keen surfers carve rolling waves, and embrace the soul of Noosa. www.visitsunshinecoast.com.au

advertising

15 to 17 march mooloolaba triathlon festival Strap on your running shoes as Mooloolaba lives up to its reputation as the premier sporting destination of Queensland, with three days of swimming, running and cycling. This iconic event’s 21st year will be a big one, with fun runs, charity events, expos, ocean swims and a kids’ triathlon before the big one on Sunday. www.usmevents.com.au

Beach on Sixth, 104 / 65 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore PO Box 1065, Cotton Tree, QLD 4558 5451 0669, sales@profilemag.com.au

distribution 15,000 free copies are street delivered to high traffic areas such as high-end cafes, fashion boutiques, hairdressers and professional offices across the Sunshine Coast, monthly, and online along with an eMAG sent to 6000 inboxes monthly

subscriptions www.profilemag.com.au/subscription, $65 +gst (12 issues)

accounts Katherine Allan – accounts@profilemag.com.au

15 march official launch of new MINI showroom Coastline MINI Garage, the home of MINI on the Sunshine Coast is excited to announce the official launch of their new MINI showroom at Coastline BMW, 770 Nicklin Way, Currimundi. Profile Mag subscribers are invited to join them for cocktails and gourmet canapes by renowned local chef Sally Cook for an evening of entertainment and surprises. RSVP’s are essential. Simply email new@ coastlinebmw.com.au with your name, guest name and contact details by Friday, 8th March. www.coastline.bmw.com.au

24 march heart and soul fashion show by saucy asha Don’t miss this unique fashion show at “the church” Universal Hair Studio, 22 Beach Road, Maroochydore showcasing Spring into Summer collections for both local and Queensland designers.

And don’t forget the after party at Solbar, Maroochydore! email saucyroseswim@gmail.com or message sally cook on 0413 761355

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Profile Magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published 12 times a year by Profile Magazine Publishing Group Pty Ltd. All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of The Publisher, Profile Magazine Publishing Group Pty Ltd (“The Publisher”), their related companies and officers hereby disclaim, to the full extent permitted by law, all liability, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising from or in connection with copy information or other material in this magazine, any negligence of The Publisher, or any persons actions in reliance thereon. Any dispute or complaint regarding placed advertisements must be made within seven days of publication.

Inclusion of any copy must not be taken as any endorsement by The Publisher. Views expressed by contributors are personal views and they are not necessarily endorsed by The Publisher.

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march 2013

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7

he says, she says

Most parents these days are familiar with the constant work / life juggle that comes with holding down a full or part-time job while trying to raise a family. Sure, it can be tough at times, but it’s not without its rewards. This month, Profile asks Todd and Sami from Hot 91.1 how they manage to be on air each weekday morning while still juggling family life. sami and todd

he says

I’

ve always believed in the mantra of, ‘Follow your dreams’ ... except for the one dream where you’re naked at work! That one I’ve so far managed to avoid.

From the pimply age of 14, I dreamed of being on the wireless and I worked hard chasing that dream, moving from town to town, venturing around our great country, mostly on the run from video libraries I owed plenty of foldies to in the form of overdue fees, but also following opportunities on my way to the big time.

My plan was to get to Sydney or Melbourne, I was all over it like an Essendon footy player on a packet of Peptides. Nothing would stop me. Then just when I thought it was all about to happen, life threw on the handbrake, gave me the girl of my dreams and a bunch of bin lids to call me Dad. Change is inevitable, and suddenly when you are gifted with being a parent, you start to realise you need balance in your life, it’s not possible to focus solely on your work and not pay attention at home.

I find my job is never-ending, I’m always thinking about work, no matter what. There’s always some angle my brain is working on and sometimes because of this my home life suffers. I’m not as attentive as I could be. Not only that but for most of us, thanks to the current world work policy, it’s five days at the factory and two days of home life.

Tuesday eve signifies I not only have to put pants on and go to the office, but I have to bid farewell to my precious family time to rack up another five manic days of early mornings and Ke$ha songs. Having said all that, I love my job. It’s my dream, remember?

The only way to improve it is to make it 30 minutes a day, two days a week, four months a year and increase my salary to $250, 000! I know right, but then I’d be a federal pollie!

8

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She says

O

f course work / life balance exists. The same as unicorns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows exist! I think the biggest struggle most families face is trying to juggle work and family life. By the time you get through the marathon each day that is life, if you are actually fitting in any time for yourself then you are a magician who leaves me in awe. This topic of trying to find balance in life is close to my heart at the moment. I used to think having a work / life balance was working 12 hour days and then going home and thinking about work until I went back to work. I used to beg to work Christmas day! Then I got married and had babies. I got a real life.

However, these days, I seem to spend my time at work rushing so I can go and look after my children and then I spend my time with my children worrying I need to be spending more time at work! I constantly think I let both camps down. And my husband gets the scraps. By the time he arrives home at night I am a tired, cranky cow who just wants to collapse in bed before getting up again for the midnight baby feed. You see, I am suffering a severe case of “Mummy guilt”. I want to work to be a better mum and have a place where life is about me as a person as opposed to me as a mum. I have also worked hard for 20 years to now have a job I adore. A great job that is a very rare one on the Sunshine Coast. But then other voices in my muddled mind ask me, ‘Is there really a more important job in life than raising my children?’. The answer is pretty easy. No, there is not. I want to be there when my little girl is sick and needs extra cuddles. I want to be there when my son walks for the first time. So until we figure out this work / life balance puzzle we will just keep going from week to week, taking baby steps together. But my children had better not take actual baby steps without me being in the room!

profilemag.com.au

march 2013

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photography calli b photography ll styling ingrid nelson

Fashion is synonymous with luxury, and Coastline BMW is proud to present the ‘Driving Style’ campaign in support of our very own thriving fashion industry.

The Sunshine Coast plays host to a plethora of talent, with fashion designers leading the way and making their mark on the world stage. Chloe Alley is one young designer who is quickly raising her profile in the fashion industry. Her modern unisex label, Paradoxx, is all about minimalist, chic designs with a focus on strong, bold lines.

10

Fashion designer Chloe Alley pictured left wears black dress

by Paradoxx. Photography by Calli B Photography (www. callibphotography.com.au). Model Mille Ravn Støvring wears white dress by Paradoxx. Chloe and Mille’s hair styling courtesy of Rok It Hair and Beauty Salon, Mooloolaba. profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

Coastline BMW

Sales Finance Service Parts & Accessories

The Ultimate Driving Machine

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MEET CHLOE

BMW X1 sDrive20i xLine The new BMW X1. BMW’s compact Sports Activity Vehicle.

Combined fuel consumption: 6.91 / 100km Acceleration: 0-100kms: 7.4 sec The BMW X1 starts from $50,890 drive away* Test drive today at Coastline BMW, 770 Nicklin Way, Currimundi Phone 5491 9100 www.coastlinebmw.com.au

profile: Have you always wanted to be a designer?

profile: What or who is the inspiration behind your work?

chloe: I’ve always liked drawing, design and art. As a teenager I became much more interested in fashion. I soon started to focus on drawing garments and it was around that time I decided to pursue a career in fashion.

chloe: I draw inspiration from things in my environment as well as current and old fashion collections, modern architecture and home décor.

profile: Tell us a little about your background? chloe: I grew up in Maleny. After completing high school I moved to the Coast to study makeup artistry. I have just completed a diploma in fashion, which was two fantastic years. profile: What makes your designs different to others? chloe: My designs have a classic and minimalist quality which focuses on strong lines and clearly defined shapes. My label is structured, bold and simplistic. I am heavily inspired by geometric shapes and urban city fashion and décor. profile: What training have you done? chloe: I have recently completed my Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Technology at the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE.

march 2013

profile: Who or what have been your biggest influences? chloe: As a teenager, seeing photos of the Harajuku girls from Japan opened my eyes to the possibility of expression in fashion. I particularly admire the work of Karl Lagerfeld, he creates such timeless pieces. profile: Tell us about your current collection? chloe: My current collection is called Contemporary Futurism. I designed it as part of my graduating assessment for TAFE. It consists of four women’s and two men’s outfits. I based my collection around black and white, adding a few pops of neon yellow to the womenswear and maroon to the men’s.

This collection helped me to find my niche as a designer. profile: What are your future plans? chloe: I am currently designing a spring / summer range that I am excited to be presenting during International Fashion Week this September.

*Drive away price on a BMW X1 sDrive18d with manual transmission and no optional extras. profilemagazine 11 The BMW X1 sDrive20i xLine with manual transmission has a drive away price starting from $57,379.

people

jessie - people story lisa evett

of both

words tonia zemek ll photography calli b photography

Jesse-Jack Kelsey-Redfern

Who was it that said, “Youth is wasted on the young”? They obviously never met Jesse-Jack Kelsey-Redfern. He’s used his teenage years to transform himself from an angry young man to a dedicated, ambitious student. Jesse-Jack tells Profile’s Tonia Zemek it is possible to turn your life around, at any age.

A

s I devour my annual Easter eggs this year, I’ll be reminded that they are, in fact, a symbol of birth and renewal. Having climbed aboard the freight train to 40, I’ve had my fair share of new beginnings. I’ve lived abroad, studied French and even stepped into the ring for boxing lessons. Decades of new beginnings are, perhaps, unremarkable for someone of my age.

At just 17, Jesse-Jack Kelsey-Redfern has had more new beginnings than most 40-somethings. Before he hit his teens he’d attended four primary schools and relocated so many times he had enough addresses to fill a phone book (well not quite, but almost).

Jesse-Jack’s father left when he was a toddler. His single mother worked hard to provide for him and his younger brother, Angus, and older sister, 12

profilemagazine

Emma. Despite his mother’s love and nurturing, Jesse-Jack remembers his childhood as a troubled existence.

“I didn’t really get along with anybody,” Jesse-Jack admits. “Nobody liked me because I was an angry child.” He attended a string of different schools on the Coast, stretching from Eumundi to Maroochydore. He says being the “new kid” was always challenging.

“I would get picked on non-stop and instinctively I would react.” Jesse-Jack recalls enduring years of schoolyard bullying. Sadly, the torment had a domino effect on his education. “It really slowed down my learning,” he says. “I fell behind in my school work and struggled to keep up.”

By the time Jesse-Jack reached grade six he was entrenched as a D-grade student. Fortunately, a chance encounter with The Smith Family led him to profilemag.com.au

SunnyKids, an organisation that was set to open doors Jesse-Jack never knew existed.

SunnyKids is a Sunshine Coast initiative that collaborates with local schools to assist children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The centre provides a myriad of services, but it was their Homework Club that unlocked Jesse-Jack’s potential.

“In grade six I was reading grade one books,” he admits. “It took me a few months to realise I needed to change my perspective. You don’t learn how to read in one night.”

Once a week Jesse-Jack received after-school tuition from student teachers and other mentors hand-picked by SunnyKids. “I was the oldest kid in the program. Initially, I did feel a bit embarrassed, but I just knew I needed that extra support so I took it.”

Jesse-Jack remained in the Homework Club for the next five years. His perseverance and dedication were rewarded. “I’ve gone from a D-grade student to a B-grade student and the occasional A, if I’m lucky!”

With less than a year remaining of his high school education, Jesse-Jack is optimistic about achieving his Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). “I want to be the first person in our house to finish Year 12. I’m going to take great pride in that. Without SunnyKids, I probably would have become a high school dropout.”

In addition to educational support, SunnyKids gave Jesse-Jack his own personal fitness mentor. Richard Fogarty, an ex-boxer and local businessman, is a SunnyKids ambassador and one of Jesse-Jack’s closest confidants.

“He really pushes me. When I’m struggling with a weight at the gym he’ll say, ‘Come on, just do five more reps’. Without him, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

So who is Jesse-Jack today? Well, he’s a self-motivated and extremely determined young man. Twelve months ago he attained certificates in Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and Responsible Service of Gambling (RSG). Then he took a volunteer position at Maroochydore’s Duporth Tavern and managed to turn that opportunity into part-time paid employment.

Without SunnyKids, I probably would have become a high school dropout.”

“I honestly love the job – it’s amazing,” Jesse-Jack says. Working in hospitality has boosted his confidence and finally given him the chance to start building a nest egg.

“I’ve always been very independent with money, ever since I was a little kid. Mum would offer me two dollars for tuckshop and instead of spending it, I’d put it straight into my piggy bank.”

Speaking of his mother, Jesse-Jack says he’s looking forward to being able to pay board and really show his gratitude, in a tangible way, for all she’s done for him. “I love my mum. She makes me laugh. She’s much shorter than me and when she introduces me to her friends, she looks up at me and says, ‘This is my little son’!”

Her baby boy is growing up fast and I’m keen to know what career path he’d like to follow when he leaves school at the end of the year. Jesse-Jack is honest and candid when he admits he’s still undecided. However, his friends at SunnyKids say he’d make a marvelous mentor and suspect he may end up in some type of counselling role.

For now, Jesse-Jack is investing in his future by continuing to build his mental and physical strength. “It’s like when you board a plane and they give you the emergency instructions,” he muses. “Firstly, I have to make sure I’m okay before I can be of help to anyone else.”

He’s quite the philosopher for one so young. Jesse-Jack, I wish you safe landings and clear skies ahead.

march 2013

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view

emma shaw - view

mr cool

words jessica jane sammut ll photography calli b photography

Most women would do anything for their child, and this mama is no exception. Emma Shaw found hope when she thought all was lost, as Profile’s Jessica Jane Sammut discovers.

E

words jessica jane sammut ll photography calli b photography

mma Shaw is a mum on a mission. Like most of us, she adores her kids, but unlike most of us, she has six of them. And that is not where the differences end. For Emma not only has to rise and shine each morning to get six kids organised for the day, but she does so on her own (her husband works in the mines for a month on followed by a week’s leave), bestowing extra care and attention on two of her children who are a little more of a challenge than most.

Meet Arlen, six, who was diagnosed more than a year ago with Asperger’s Syndrome, and Frankee-Lee, three, who has one of the rarest hearing impairments in Australia. And it is the latter ailment Emma has had to fight tooth and nail to get taken seriously by the authorities, when she already has so much on her plate.

Born with Aural Atresia (with only 10 to 12 kids diagnosed with the condition yearly in Australia), Frankee-Lee appeared at first to be a very ‘normal’ little baby … until the first hearing test.

“Frankee-Lee failed her first hearing test in the hospital before we left and I was told that this wasn’t that unusual. I did think it was strange, however, as none of my previous five children had had this experience. She continued to have another couple of tests and failed these too, and by six weeks she had failed four tests in all.

“I was advised she had glue ear and that it would resolve itself in time.

Again, I thought this was unusual, but the medics were being so flippant I had no choice but to accept what they were telling me. By five months of age, however, I noticed that Frankee-Lee was lip reading. She wasn’t looking at my eyes when I spoke to her, like normal babies do, she was looking at my mouth. This was when I became very concerned and knew there was something wrong.”

Following her gut instinct, Emma rang Tasmania Health (where they were based) and asked for advice on what she should do. Sadly, Emma was

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emma shaw and frankee-Lee

reprimanded for being an “overbearing mother” and told, once again, that the diagnosis had been glue ear and she was to accept that.

“I suddenly realised I was in a bleak situation where my little girl was sick and no-one was listening. The medics just kept repeating that it was glue ear and refused to do any further testing or to refer Frankee-Lee, so I knew there was only one way out. We had to leave Tasmania for the mainland to gain access to proper services. It was then that we decided to move to Noosa.”

Uprooting the whole family, Emma and her husband relocated to the Sunshine Coast, and after several consultations with doctors and specialists, Frankee-Lee’s condition was finally confirmed.

I whispered in her ear, the look on her face as she spun around towards me, having heard my voice, was worth every moment.”

“There had been difficulties with the diagnosis as usually Aural Atresia only affects one ear, plus Microtia (where the outer ear looks different) and Goldenhar (a facial deformity) often accompany the condition, making it easier to diagnose. Frankee-Lee was booked in for surgery with an ENT specialist to rectify what they thought was grommets for the glue ear and it was only when they commenced the operation that her condition was discovered.”

Devastatingly, Emma was told there was nothing that could be done.

“It was such a sad moment,” says Emma. “We had thought she would be coming around from her operation able to hear, so to suddenly have this profilemag.com.au

snatched away was very hard to deal with. We felt lost. Our hearts broken.

We had also just found out several months earlier that Arlen had Asperger’s Syndrome, so it felt like the world was against us.”

And so began Emma’s frantic research into her daughter’s condition, and with each paper she read and website she came across the fight inside her grew.

“After talking to Simone Cheadle from the Brisbane Hear and Say Centre, I discovered that Australia is very behind in understanding Aural Atresia, but in the USA the condition is much more widely known about. One day, as I scoured the internet, my breath suddenly caught in the back of my throat, my heart slowed to the thudding pace of a drum and the world spun around the words I had found. A cure.”

Emma discovered that Aural Atresia could be remedied by a very serious operation in America, and in that moment the universe seemed like a brighter place.

“It was then that I saw the cost, however. A prohibitive cost which we could never afford. But I knew I had to make it happen and I started to fundraise.

“Everyone was so supportive. I held a charity auction and raised $13,000, plus I received donations from the Tewantin Noosa RSL ($5,000) and Frangipani Dreams ($5,000), while STO Law donated the whole proceeds of their annual charity bike ride to Frankee-Lee (a whopping $36,000). Finally, I had the money Frankee-Lee needed to have one ear fixed.”

Last year, Frankee-Lee attended the Californian Ear Institute and underwent the almighty operation, at the tender age of 36 months, remedying her hearing in one ear.

“It took her a long time to get over it, but when she finally had the last of her bandages removed and I whispered in her ear, the look on her face as she spun around towards me, having heard my voice, was worth every moment.”

And now as Emma campaigns to raise money to get to America to have Frankee-Lee’s left ear fixed also, she thanks her lucky stars that her youngest daughter can hear. And what is more, Tasmania Health has changed its policy on the basis of Emma’s mission, so that now children with a hearing loss are followed up after nine to 12 months, instead of being ignored by the system.

A huge result in anyone’s book.

‘I am grateful to everyone on this journey who have made a little girl’s dream come true,” smiles Emma. “She will always be indebted to you.”

To make a donation for Frankee-Lee’s second ear operation, please visit www.frankeelee.wix.com/frankee-lee

f

march 2013

emma is so thankful her youngest daughter frankie-lee can hear

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success

words jessica jane sammut ll photography calli b photography

Chris Turner is a man on a mission to change the future for our children. And it can be bright for all, as Jessica Jane Sammut discovers.

chris turner

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success

I realised that if you wanted to do anything badly enough in life, you could.”

I

t’s a dream of many to leave this world knowing they have made a difference. And it’s a goal of many to help others less fortunate than themselves.

But not for Chris Turner. This man doesn’t wonder when he will have the time to devote to others, or if he will be able to contribute positively to something in order to make life better. Not because he doesn’t care. And not because he hasn’t thought about it.

But because this man is doing it already – living and breathing the change in the world he would like to see, fanning the sparks of an altruistic movement until it hopefully rages into an inferno.

Chris is the founder and CEO of the Sunshine Coast charity for disadvantaged children, SunnyKids, which aims to break intergenerational cycles of poverty, providing the hope and resilience necessary for young people to move forward, both as individuals and as a part of society.

“Every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstance,” Chris nods. “It’s a basic human right.”

Born in the UK, Chris moved to Australia when he was nine years old, his parents taking advantage of the 10-pound-pom ticket that was offered at the time.

“We arrived in Queensland and soon after I started school in Caboolture.

It was a shock to the system. The different culture and climate hit me like a ton of bricks. I had moved from a cosmopolitan city to what was a country dairy farm at the time. I had left a school in the UK consisting of 150 kids, and joined one with 900. It gave me immediate exposure to what it was like to be different and how people responded to this. The experience profoundly altered the type of person I wanted to be.”

Gaining a trade as a panel beater after school, Chris embarked on a 12-month trip overseas when he was just 20, and once again found his mind the subject of a major life lesson.

“I had finished my apprenticeship, but I already knew that it was not quite my calling. So I set off to Europe with a negligible stash of cash in my pocket and the aim of managing to get by on $2.50 a day – which was all I could afford at the time. And I did. I learnt to be resourceful and to think on my feet. I made alliances. I swapped favours. I travelled to the UK, Norway, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Holland and Belgium.

This trip became another significant event in my life in terms of shaping me. I immersed myself in the cultural melting pot of Europe and I revelled in the different views and people I came across. It forged my view of the world and instilled in me a boldness I had not possessed before. I realised that if you wanted to do anything badly enough in life, you could.”

Having lived such a fulfilling year, on returning to Australia, Chris found himself wanting to spread his zest for life to others and soon began helping young people as a youth worker. Once he began, he knew he had found his niche, and like all things that are born of passion, he never looked back.

“Soon after I started working in the field, I was offered the opportunity to set up a youth homelessness service in regional Victoria. So I moved states and got stuck in. Once I had started, I could see the immediate results we were achieving and it was incredible. This motivated me to push further and I soon found myself heading up a whole range of youth support services, including a youth-oriented radio, camps, alcohol-free entertainment etc.”

Such was Chris’s dedication, that he began to recognise his skills were limited in their scope, so in 1997 took himself off to university part-time (while still working) to study a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in youth work. march 2013

“The course was one of the first that recognised youth work as a profession and offered specific advice and tools in this regard. Youth work is very specialised and theories of youth are unique, so it was a real breakthrough to be able to learn what shapes young people and how to influence them. The sector up until this point had been run with good intentions, but not enough rigour. Thankfully times were changing.”

Moving to the Sunshine Coast for a quality family way of life in 2000 (with his wife and two children) saw Chris next become involved with the Caloundra Youth Focus, a government-funded youth accommodation service. Shortly after this he was offered a position which would lead to the path he walks today, as Chris took over the running of the Coast’s family violence refuge, Najidah.

“Najidah was a women’s refuge,” Chris explains. “On my first day when I went in, I expected it to be full of women. What I didn’t expect was to see 20 kids running around also. It shocked me. It was that day that the planning for SunnyKids began.”

What Chris also discovered was that the refuge’s historical practice of supporting the mums, with the hope that the benefits would trickle down to the children, was not working. He wondered what would happen if the kids became more of the focus and got the same amount of help as the mums.

“Just supporting the mums was not breaking the intergenerational cycle of domestic abuse. I actually met a fourth generation child of the refuge at the centre and it was then that I realised the program was not working as well as it could. I wanted to break that cycle, and the way to achieve this was by helping the kids.”

And in this way, SunnyKids was born. A concept at first, but soon a centre in its own right, focusing on supporting children, as well as mums, who were in disadvantaged circumstances. Chris even spent time in New York to gather inspiration and ideas on how SunnyKids could best assist.

With some hard work, SunnyKids soon had partners on board in the form of legal teams, schools, counsellors, psychologists, teachers and therapists, all offering their services for free to assist in a project that seemed to touch everyone’s hearts. If the cycle of disadvantage could be broken for just one family, it would be worth it.

And not just one family has been helped. SunnyKids has assisted thousands.

“Education has been key,” explains Chris. “We are trying to prevent a whole range of social problems in the future by lifting kids out of disadvantage, and we are succeeding. We have set up the SunnyKids program in schools to enable kids from difficult backgrounds to reach their full potential. The feedback has been immense. Donors can now sponsor a SunnyKids child at school, so that they can take advantage of the program, for only $40 a year. It’s such a little amount, but makes an almighty difference to a child’s life.

“In 2012 we ran a national Literacy and Wellbeing campaign connected to Remembrance Day with the message that kids are made of the same stuff as the heroic service men and women we remember. We had 1,500 schools and 350,000 kids participate around Australia and it became a world record reading event. We are thrilled with the impact this has had.”

Chris is a man on a mission – thank the universe for people like him. He has single-handedly changed the future for many children, who will forever be indebted to SunnyKids, but he sees it only as the “right thing to do”.

“I wish the world could be the way we teach a seven-year-old to be,” smiles Chris.

“If only we could all play nicely and share.”

Now there’s a thought. profilemagazine

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ladies at lunch

say I I can’t do that train say you can. I s.” mums and bub

“When clients

Sammy Pluck Ladies at lunch is proudly sponsored by

BOQ, MAROOCHYDORE 2

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VENUE Via Italia, Mooloolaba

1. Sammy Pluck with daughter Miah 2. Debbie Battaglini-clarke 3. rachael witton 4. Kangaroo loin 5. Wendy miller 6. lorelei winter

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ladies at lunch

work / life balance ...

– does it exist?

words ingrid nelson ll photography calli b photography ll sponsored by boq maroochydore and wealthways ll venue via italia, mooloolaba

Most parents would agree that finding a healthy balance between work and family life can be like walking a tightrope some days. It’s not always easy. This month, Ingrid Nelson caught up with a delightful bunch of successful working mums who manage to do just that over a delicious lunch at Via Italia, Mooloolaba, and she discovered how they find that elusive happy medium.

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acing out the front door, slice of toast in one hand, shoes in the other, while herding the children into the car for school drop off … as a working mother of three, I am all too familiar with the challenges of the work / life juggle. Fortunately, the ladies joining me for lunch can relate! Each of these savvy, successful businesswomen (some with their own businesses), also run the gauntlet each day! Co-hosting lunch was the effervescent Debbie Battaglini-Clarke, co-owner of BOQ Maroochydore and mother of three. Joining us was Wendy Miller, business development manager at Grow Accounting and mother of two sons and one daughter, Calli Burnett, photographer and mum of one daughter, Rachael Witton, director of Debt Rescue Nationwide at Noosa and mum of two daughters and one son, Sammy Pluck, personal trainer / director of Pursuit Fitness and mum to a daughter, and last but not least, Lorelei Winter, accountant with Victor Bimrose Accountancy. profile: Ladies, did all or any of you plan on being a working mum? sammy: Miah was a huge surprise for us. I was only 24 and was not expecting her at all. Three weeks before I was due, I found a trainer and she took over all the sessions until I had Miah and then three weeks later I was back into it! I was comfortable and relaxed having her with me and my clients were very understanding. Ideally though, I want to build my business up to step out of it a little more and have more children and more family time. debbie: When I found out I was pregnant with the twins I thought, ‘I will be fine, I will have them in a routine and I will be so organised’. But I have to say having the twins was the most challenging role I have played in 44 years. I honestly thought I would go back to work in 12 months but I soon march 2013

realised it wasn’t possible. Last year was the hardest year I have faced, for a variety of reasons. I was so passionate about work but I wanted to be home with my children as well. It was a big struggle and I had to let it go and just be home with the babies.

I wouldn’t change a thing and I was glad I had that time with them. I have come out the other end though and I am feeling so much better this year.

Our saving grace has been our lovely new nanny, she loves the children so much and it is so much easier for everyone all round. wendy: It’s a challenge. I am a bit like Sammy, I didn’t really plan it, it just happened that way. At the time, my ex-partner and I had our first child we were both working full-time with a big mortgage so we just had to make it work. Juggling hasn’t always been easy. I have always been passionate about work, and having kids in daycare was a mental struggle. profile: How important is a flexible workplace? wendy: Very. Thankfully our workplace is very family-friendly. At one stage, all the key people in the organisation were pregnant and we had full support and flexibility. My work hours are also flexible. I can start early and finish early to pick up the kids from school, or I might start at 9.30am and finish at 9:00pm and then have a day off. That is how I have managed. Being a sole parent, routine is key. Nothing has changed for the kids. It’s not ideal, but we are pretty lucky. debbie: I don’t think anyone has the absolute ideal situation, do they? There were four of us pregnant at work at once when I was pregnant with the twins.

We joked that we needed to section off an area and make it a crèche. If we needed to walk out the door at just before 3:00pm for school pick up there were no questions asked, we just supported each other.

It makes such a difference.

profile: What are the advantages of being a working mum? debbie: Like Rachel, I had a mum who worked and she was a single mum. I really admired her work ethic and I admired how she was able to have a good work / life balance and we kids were strong and independent. I love what I do and I am passionate about my work. If I am happy, I am a happier mum at home. I was delighted to be able to stay home with the twins for two years but geez I was glad to get back to work too. It’s hard being home all the time. I joked with my husband, Laurie, that I was coming back to work for a holiday. rachael: It’s being someone other than ‘Mum’. It’s nice to have variety. If you ate vanilla ice cream all day you would be pretty sick of it; it’s like anything I guess. debbie: All of us sitting here have flexibility. There are some women who don’t have that flexibility.

It’s good to have a reality check. You don’t have to look too far to see people are doing it a lot tougher. profile: What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced? sammy: The hardest part was when Miah was a baby. She had to be fed at certain times obviously, so I had to schedule around that. Lucky she is a cruisey kid! I don’t know what I will do when baby number two comes along! lorelei: I don’t have children myself so I don’t have that daily struggle, but I am in awe of people who manage to run a business or career while organising a child as well. From an outsider’s perspective, the flexibility really helps. In our office nearly everyone has kids and our bosses are very understanding and people can change hours to start earlier and finish earlier or work their hours in so they can pick up kids and without it being a big issue.

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“It’s pretty disappointing to think that any dge mother would ju another.” i-Clarke

n Debbie Battagli

profile: Do you have mother guilt? rachael: Yes there can be. It’s not really anything people might say but there is a look. It can be challenging, but if you have the support of your own kids and they understand why you are doing something then that is all that matters. We have whiteboard and everyone has a column and knows what is going on. If the kids are happy, then I am happy. When I am not working I make sure the kids have my undivided attention. wendy: We have enough guilt, we don’t have to beat ourselves up. My kids are slowing starting to understand that lesson. The key with guilt and learning how to manage it. I am a working parent, this provides focus. All my friends were stay-at-home-mums and that was difficult and we were not on the same wavelength. I breastfed every child until 15 months and I am a still a working mum. Still providing for my children in that bonding nurturing way, but still being a nurturing mother. debbie: It’s pretty disappointing to think that any mother would judge another. wendy: It’s a lack of knowing what to say to each other because everyone is in a different boat. profile: Can we have that work life balance? calli: I guess I am lucky with the work that I do. I never thought of being a photographer until I had my daughter. It doesn’t give me a lot of flexibility on weekends, but every day I can take Charlie to school and pick her up. With everything I do I have always had that flexibility.

I have had to put in really good processes so I work faster and smarter. I outsource some work.

I get a cleaner and a mower man. The time I am home I don’t want to spend cleaning. My husband, Scott, has been working in Emerald so that has made it more difficult when I am doing weddings on the weekends. I guess that’s the beauty of having your own business - I can take on as much or as little as I want. I can work at midnight or whenever I want. wendy: Flexibility is the key, I reckon.

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our lunching ladies at via italia, mooloolaba

profile: Was your other half happy with your working? wendy: I am sure my being a working mum drove my husband crazy. His mum was always at home, always had the baked goods for afternoon tea. I was a rude shock for him. I think he wanted me to be at home, deep down.

That was half the problem. sammy: Danny would rather I didn’t work. He supports me absolutely, but he would rather I was home. I think it’s a primal thing; he likes to be the breadwinner. It will never happen though. I couldn’t be at home all the time. I would be bored. profile: What is the most important thing to remain sane ladies? sammy: It comes down to organisation. I am out of the house between 4:00am and 5:00am most days. We have to be organised.

Preparation – the last two years I have learnt more about that. When clients say I can’t do that I say you can. I train mums and bubs.

They come to me after a couple of weeks and they say it’s so hard to get here but it comes down to routine. debbie: I act like a robot in the morning and get everyone where they need to be. I like to be organised.

Needless to say, we girls had lots of laughs over lunch and found ourselves nodding in agreement to many of the challenges we faced as working mums. At the end of the day the consensus was that regardless of whether your work outside the home or are a full-time mum, both roles have their own unique challenges and rewards. What is most important is that your situation is right for you and your family. What was obvious though was just how amazing we women are! We can juggle so many things, and it is possible to be an attentive mum while still holding down a full or part-time position.

So let’s celebrate each other, no matter what we do. After all, we are all on this crazy ride together!

VIA ITALIA, MOOLOOLABA It was the bustling, fully-open kitchen and bar that first caught my attention at Via Italia (The Italian Way), Mooloolaba. Nestled along the vibrant Mooloolaba Esplanade, diners can sit and observe chefs preparing their meal while enjoying antipasti at the kitchen bar or a beverage at the lively outdoor bar. Boasting beautiful beach views and a lively atmosphere, it is the perfect spot to catch up with friends or work colleagues and spend an afternoon enjoying the Italian- inspired wine list, extensive cocktail menu and cold tap beer. On the day of our visit, Via Italia had prepared an exciting menu of 10 stuzzichini (basically translating to small meals) for the lunching ladies, to allow us to sample many delicious morsels from their extensive menu.

Feasting our eyes on the wonderful list of tasty treats in store for us, our friendly waitress, Terri, served a round of beautiful peach Bellinis – it was the perfect start to our lunch, each fresh, icy sip helping to cleanse the palette.

We kicked off with a delicious ciabatta with six-yearold balsamic and roasted garlic, followed by olives with rosemary and lemon.

Lots of beautiful and somewhat unconventional dishes followed, including some that I and many of the ladies had not experienced, such as smoked kangaroo loin, whole baby prawns and truffle fries, to name a few.

It was certainly a lunch with a difference and a pleasant change to the norm. It was also a wonderful opportunity to taste a wide range of flavours and ingredients synonymous with the restaurant’s fresh approach to preparing their meals.

The friendly yet unobtrusive service was a standout for me on the day of our visit. Despite having to interrupt our conversation more than what a traditional two-course meal would have required, Terri was a wonderful host. Nothing was too much trouble and it certainly made our visit a memorable one.

Shop 13, Peninsular Apartments The Esplanade, Mooloolaba 5477 7343 www.viaitalia.com.au

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cover story

That whole two-week wait is the hardest part of the IVF cycle ...”

on cover: jenni wears silk top and skirt by la’or.

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This page jenni wears silk top by la’or, ruffled skirt by saucy rose and shoes by la’or. hair by strut hair and beauty (www.struthair.com.au). makeup by kj artistry (www.kjartistry.com). photography by calli b photography profilemag.com.au (www.callibphotography.com.au)

cover story

words alli grantll photography calli b photography ll styling ingrid nelson ll hair strut hair and beauty ll makeup kj artistry

Parenthood – it’s something many of us spend our lives longing for. Yet unfortunately, for some of us the journey from couple to family is littered with challenges, obstacles and heartbreak. Thankfully, there is help at hand – such as IVF. But even then it’s not always smooth sailing, as Alli Grant discovered when she met Jenni Salisbury, a local mum and author doing her bit to inspire parents-to-be towards their goal of officially becoming a family. And what little blessings children are …

A

s I write this story, I am contemplating two things; turning 38, and having a second baby. And yes, in my world the two are intrinsically linked. I am completely terrified that I have left my run for baby number two far too late, and that my 38-year-old body is going to let me down on the offspring-making front.

Damn you ageing ovaries!

Frankly, I’m terrified, because I so desperately want a second baby.

Desperately. Of course, spending time with Genine’s perfect little son, Jack, has only fuelled my “must have a second child now” fire. I grew up a lonely only child, so I want my son to have a sibling. He must. It’s non-negotiable in my world. A complete family for us equals two children. The end.

I know I should just be grateful to have been blessed with one adorable little person, as we know far too many beautiful couples who have been unable to have a baby at all, and stop the whining and worrying, but try telling my biological clock that!

When it comes to baby making, my body has served me well. So far. One pregnancy, one perfect son. Thankfully, I haven’t suffered a miscarriage (touch wood), and I was able to fall pregnant rather quickly, at 34, without any kind of fertility intervention. But I am truly scared of the “what if” factors.

What if we can’t have another one? What if we have left it too late? What if my baby making days are over? What if our family is destined to be just three? What if we lose a baby, or worse? What if we need IVF – can we afford it / handle it / live through it?

Too many questions. Too many things out of our control. Who knows what the future holds for our little family. All I know is that my husband and I will do all we can to realise our dream of having a second baby, and that there is always hope. But it’s certainly overwhelming.

Just ask local author Jenni Salisbury. Nine years on fertility treatment and 19 attempts at falling pregnant makes Jenni the Queen of Hope. She didn’t give up, even through heartbreak and loss. She stayed true to her life’s purpose ... to become a mother.

And now this local mum of two (yes, don’t we all love a happy fertility story!) has decided to share her journey with women just like me who are trying to fall pregnant. Through her blog at www.myivfblessings.com and the launch of her book, Little Blessings, Jenni’s goal is to spread the message that anything is possible. She should know!

While Jenni doesn’t claim to be an expert on IVF, she is certainly an expert on how fertility treatment affects a person’s life and impacts them, emotionally and physically. And although I’m not yet at the point of having to consider fertility treatment, the idea of it is certainly a little less daunting thanks to my time chatting with Jenni about her personal experiences. Wow – what a ride it has been to parenthood for Jenni and her husband, Dale.

It’s funny isn’t it? As young girls we don’t ever expect to have problems becoming a mummy. I didn’t, and neither did Jenni. Why would we? It’s not march 2013

part of the fairy tale ending we’re all trained to hold out for. Reality is a far crueller beast, as Jenni knows firsthand.

As a little girl growing up in regional Victoria, Jenni always knew she wanted to become a mum one day, and after meeting Dale, a fellow police officer, the happily ever after she had always dreamed of seemed to be coming to fruition.

Next step – a relocation from Victoria to the Sunshine Coast.

“I have always had a connection with Queensland – we’d come up quite a bit to see family as a youngster, and when I was old enough I’d come up on my own for holidays. Really, I felt more at home here than in Victoria.

“I met my husband and I guess we got talking and I found out he had a similar connection ... so we took six weeks leave from work, got into my little hatch-back and drove up the east coast, all the way to Cape Tribulation. On our map we circled the places we liked. Noosa and the Sunshine Coast got a big circle, so we went back, quit our jobs, sold up and moved up!”

The couple was certainly up for change. Instead of remaining in the police service they decided to buy a property maintenance business – a business they could juggle with a young family.

“We married in November 1999 and came up in December. It all just worked,” Jenni recalls.

High on Jenni and Dale’s list of priorities was having kids. Dale had two from a previous marriage, but certainly wanted to have children with Jenni, despite a vasectomy some 10 years earlier.

“We naively assumed he would be able to have it reversed and we’d have babies! Simple as that. I was 27 so I assumed I was fertile and that I wouldn’t have any issues. Everyone else can fall pregnant ... I didn’t foresee any problems.

“So we went to the urologist who very quickly put that theory to bed for us. He explained that the longer ago you had the operation the more likely it is that your body will have built up anti-sperm antibodies. He sent Dale for a blood test which indicated he had a high level of the antibodies. We were told that the chances of a reversal being successful were slim and that fertility treatment would be our best option. So at the time we thought fertility treatment would be the easy solution. It seemed simple.”

Unfortunately, it’s not often simple and easy, is it? Becoming a parent is supposed to be the most natural thing in the world, yet often a huge amount of medical intervention is required.

“We never really questioned it; yes this is what we need to do. No options.

So we started on treatment straight away.”

My jaw drops as Jenni explains the painstakingly complex process of IVF to me. Seems I too am completely naive, especially when it comes to IVF. She talks me through her first cycle – from the injections and hormone treatments to the complexity of each cycle, testicular aspirations (to recover Dale’s sperm for insemination), ultrasounds, egg pick-ups, day surgeries, follicle measurements ... and the list goes on. profilemagazine

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cover story

I want to encourage people to feel comfortable talking about their infertility. It can be really lonely.”

Jenni Salisbury, wearing dress and jewellery by bella lido

Today the mother of two beautiful sons, Jenni Salisbury endured nine years on fertility treatments to fall pregnant, and today she shares her story to inspire others

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But this is the easy stuff, so Jenni tells me. The difficult part is the waiting after treatment – generally about two weeks. Waiting for your period. Waiting for D day – the day of the pregnancy test. Waiting for the news – good or bad. Praying for the former, terrified of the latter.

“That whole two-week wait is the hardest part of the IVF cycle. You’re busy up until then, with treatments and scans, doctor’s visits, blood tests and hospitals. Up until then you feel like you’re making progress and achieving your goal of trying to make a baby.

But once that embryo is put back in, there’s nothing anyone can do.

“So, you try not to overthink it. You know that you might have one, two, three babies growing inside of you. But that’s the hardest part of IVF. You know everything so early.

Even if you are pregnant, you find out at a few weeks, not when you have missed a period like most people find out. It’s just so, so early and it’s hard to try and remain focused on that D Day (or P Day as I called it), pregnancy test day. It’s a horrible feeling. You dread it. In the book I recall every time I went to the toilet I’d hold my breath, terrified I’d see blood!”

While I can’t empathise with Jenni on the IVF front, any woman trying to get pregnant, and tracking her cycle in the process, knows the feelings associated with the waiting game all too well. Dreading getting your period. Checking off days in the calendar in the vague hope that you will indeed be late. And pregnant. Me included. But when you’ve been through IVF, well, that has to be a whole other level of anxiety and anticipation. A feeling Jenni knows all too well, having suffered through 12 cycles, 12 hideous, long, impatient waits, before finally falling pregnant.

“We thought Dale was the only one with the problems, but eventually my doctor diagnosed me with a possible inherent egg abnormality. So we now had to deal with this on top of Dale’s vasectomy.”

But on the couple plodded, determined to have a baby, and after her 13th cycle of IVF, Jenni decided to enlist a little extra help.

“I began seeing a natural therapist and a chiropractor ... my chiro offered to make me his pet project. He explained that if the spine wasn’t aligned properly the messages couldn’t get through to the reproductive organs. So he offered me quick, weekly adjustments. I saw the natural therapist monthly for Chinese herbal remedies and acupuncture.”

“I can’t say whether it was coincidence or not, but for whatever reason we fell pregnant on our 14th cycle!”

Jenni tells me how she felt when she found out she was pregnant with twins.

“At my first ultrasound, it was just wonderful to see there were two little blobs in there! It was very exciting for us because we felt we had been on treatment for so long, and now we were going to have two babies, so we wouldn’t ever have to have IVF again.

We felt so blessed.”

Unfortunately, at week 19 Jenni and Dale’s happiness was shattered. While on a course in Brisbane, Jenni began to experience cramps, and started to bleed profusely.

Too embarrassed to ask for help, she drove herself to a local hospital. As she recalls the heartbreaking day, she is understandably overcome with grief. As am I. I am so blessed never having had to experience the loss of a child, at any stage. I can’t imagine the pain Jenni and Dale had to endure.

Finally, in hospital, Jenni was told that she was in full labour and the babies would be born that day. She had been in denial up until that point, understandably. There was nothing that could be done, and at 19 weeks, unfortunately they would not survive.

“Until that moment it really didn’t occur to me that I was going to lose my babies. I didn’t really realise I was having contractions, just cramps. I remember the doctor did an ultrasound and I could see them ... they were alive and I could hear their little heart beats on the monitor. That was the start of a very bad night.”

Jenni and Dale lost their two little miracles, their identical twin girls, due to a failed placenta. Unfortunately it just gave way far too early, and there is nothing that can be done before 20 weeks. Through tears Jenni explains to me that prior to 20 weeks they are described not as babies but as “pathology specimens”. The idea of that churns my stomach.

After grieving for a few months, Jenni and Dale regrouped and went straight back to IVF, more determined than ever.

“It took us a while, but you have to come to terms with it eventually. And it just made us more determined as at least we now knew we could get pregnant. I needed something else to focus on.”

Focus she did. Jenni fell pregnant again on the next cycle, using embryos from the same batch as their beloved twins. But only one embryo was implanted this time.

“The timing was right. My body was ready to be pregnant again and I was far more profilemag.com.au

cover story mentally focused.”

The result? A beautiful boy, Taj, who is about to turn seven. A precious gift for his mum and dad who tried so hard to have a baby, who fought for so long.

Eight months after Taj’s birth, the pair was back on IVF, determined to have a second. Why so quickly?

“I was 27 when we started trying to get pregnant. I was 33 when I had Taj. My husband is 13 years older than me ... we weren’t getting any younger. We went through four more cycles and then fell with Kai (now three and a half). It wasn’t about us anymore, it was about Taj. We wanted him to have a sibling.”

And a sibling he received! After nine years of IVF treatment and 19 cycles, this beautiful family was complete. Talk about perseverance and hope – Jenni and Dale have both in spades. It’s truly a heartwarming story that gives hope to even the most fertility-challenged out there, I’m sure.

I ask Jenni how they soldiered on for so long, when most of us would have given up hope.

“Three things really. Firstly, I just knew I would have a baby. I visualised it and just could not picture us without a baby. And I’m as stubborn as an ox. If I decide to do something, I just do it. I was absolutely determined. It was all on me – if I gave up it just wouldn’t happen.

“And finally, I had the most amazing support from my husband. Dale was my absolute rock. He came to every scan, every appointment. We did it as a team,” Jenni explains.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is the end of Jenni’s IVF journey. Nope. After encouragement from both a dear friend and her sister, Jenni decided to share her story with other women struggling through infertility to give them a little hope.

“I’d never written anything before, and I’m certainly not a writer, but I thought I’d set out and see what happened. There was no pressure or commitment, no one pushing me. It was good therapy to just sit at a computer and type. Actually, it was cleansing. Looking back, so much had happened. My mum passed away on my second cycle ... I dedicated an entire chapter to Mum, it had to be in there.

“Some nights it would really upset me. Dale would tell me to stop doing it to myself, but I knew it would be good for me in the end. Some things never leave you. Time doesn’t heal all wounds but gives you the ability to cope a bit better.”

Jenni finished her first book, Little Blessings, in late 2012 and as a self-published author has been working hard to sell and promote the title, with her blog (www. myivfblessings.com) fast becoming a supporting community for women going through (or about to commence) IVF. “On my blog people can read about my journey, and the journeys of other women. For some reason IVF is still considered a taboo subject in our society ... I want to encourage people to feel comfortable talking about their infertility. It can be really lonely. Luckily, I had Dale and a good support network, but some people are on their own. Often we don’t talk about it, and that can be tragic.”

While the whole writing thing is new to this former cop, she is loving the experience – blogging, sharing stories and helping women in the process.

In her own words in her book, which I have started reading and love, Jenni says, “I want to share with you the emotion, pain, heartache, joy, happiness and everything in between that consumes a person’s life while struggling with infertility”. The honesty in her words is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking.

“I never imagined I could have this positive effect on people. I get some wonderful feedback. People have told me that it has inspired them to continue with their treatment, to be less despondent after numerous failed cycles or even after a miscarriage. The book has done its job as people find comfort in knowing they are not alone, especially if they don’t have such a strong support network. It’s good to know there are others on similar journeys who have come out the other end. We are warriors – IVF warriors. We can’t stop, we have to keep going.”

Jenni’s story is certainly inspiring. Before chatting to her I wasn’t sure I had the IVF fight in me. I sometimes feel that if we can’t fall pregnant naturally we should just be grateful for Hudson and move on. Give up on our dream, because the process seems oh so overwhelming. But Jenni has inspired me to fight for my goal, for my longed-for second child. And fight I will.

The timing was right. My body was ready to be pregnant again and I was far more mentally focused.”

Below: jenni and her husband dale with their two boys taj and kai

To learn more about Jenni’s book, Little Blessings, and to connect with women going through similar situations, head to www.myivfblessings.com. march 2013

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the DrIVER’S SEAT In keeping with this month’s family issue, busy mum of three Wendy Miller test drives and compares two family-friendly vehicles from Pacific Motorgroup – the Kia Sorento and the Kia Grand Carnival.

Both models are packed with features to make travelling with children a breeze. Wendy and her children give both the big thumbs up!

KIA GRAND CARNIVAL Most people I know who own or have owned a Kia Grand Carnival have done so out of necessity after growing their family beyond four or more children or having other extended family needs! Let’s cut straight to the facts and state the obvious: The Kia Grand Carnival is a large, roomy and comfortable eight-seater people mover.

The Kia Grand Carnival is all about practicality and the features are very simple and user-friendly. With iPod, aux and USB connectivity, you can have your playlists running straight through the factory stereo. Electric windows, door locking and air-conditioning can be adjusted at the front of the vehicle at the dash and also by the passengers in the respective rows. Usual Bluetooth connectivity is present for phone also.

The cargo area of the van is deep and large enough for a bulky pram.

I made good use of family time while I had the Grand Carnival, fitting a toddler bike, four scooters, five helmets and Esky in the boot easily and using all but one of the family seats with a variety of car seats and booster seats. Ample room and easy manoeuvrability of the seating is perfect for busy, energetic passengers.

The Kia Grand Carnival has plenty of get up and go and performs incredibly smoothly and quietly, whether it be through our local streets or merging quickly onto a fast and busy highway. There is no doubt about its ability to reach the desired speed easily and comfortably, whether driving manually or with cruise control.

There are four models of the Grand Carnival available which allows you to choose a model with the features you might like or need. Being a larger vehicle with slightly stiffer steering than the Kia Sorento, I would absolutely recommend parking assist as this was one feature I missed during this test drive with the Grand Carnival.

My children loved this car, while it took me some getting used to the size, different position on the road and the van versus SUV. I am now seeing all makes and models of the Grand Carnival and have a new appreciation for how they certainly make a busy parent’s life so much easier than the squish of a standard family vehicle!

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In the driver ’s seat: Wend y Miller

Wendy is the bu siness developm ent manager fo Accounting on th r Grow e Sunshine Coas t. She is a true loc more than 13 ye al and with ars in business on the Coast she ha way to make a dif s found a ference in her job . Wendy gets to her love of delig incorporate hting, serving an d educating peop structured and co le in a very mpliant profession . She believes in business partner th e value of ing and leads the way in providing customer service exceptional and suppor t wh ile having fun alo ng the way.

profilemag.com.au

THE driver’s seat

on rious fashi se a g in r is mak and I was “This ca urious x u l is . It g it!” statement be drivin o t d e l thril

KIA SORENTO The most impressive function of the Kia Sorento for me was its turning circle in relation to its size. This is a large SUV. A spacious, seven-seater 4WD. This is an appealing vehicle with a look that is bold with a smooth, square design, yet is incredibly stylish with its classy features such as LED driving lights, good-looking 19-inch alloy wheels and attractive front grill. This car is making a serious fashion statement. It is luxurious and I was thrilled to be driving it!

The Kia Sorento seems to attract buyers in the 40 to 60 year-old age bracket, possibly due to its size and towing capability. However, I am curious as to why more young families don’t seek out the Sorento.

The interior is roomy and the third row of seating offers two large back seats that have a reasonable size foot well. This vehicle has definitely hit my comparison list as a family-friendly SUV as I am currently shopping for a new SUV for myself and three children!

I drove the automatic 2.2L diesel for my review and really enjoyed the power and sound of the diesel in the Sorento. The handling of this vehicle can be varied by the user with the Flex Steering Mode feature that allows you to choose from comfort, sport or normal steering modes. HAC or Hill-start Assist Control is a safety feature of the Sorento that automatically applies the brakes when starting or hill-starting on a hill. Internally, I found the dash and centre console very functional and aesthetically appealing. The high tech seven inch LCD instrument panel was very exciting and provided trip information and vehicle settings that could be applied and set.

VISIT PACIFIC MOTOR GROUP FOR A TEST DRIVE TODAY. 133 SUGAR ROAD MAROOCHYDORE. PHONE 54589740 WWW.PACIFICMOTORGROUP.COM.AU

The Sorento has all the modern day inclusions – automatic headlights, built in satellite navigation, quality stereo and sound, rear view camera, aux and iPod connectivity, dual zone climate control, Bluetooth phone and music. Driving the Sorento was not only an absolute pleasure but it made my life simple and easy with room and features. Kia has come a long way in the car market and I would absolutely recommend anyone to test drive a Kia in their preferred model specification.

family feature

routine and exercise – a great combination for happy, healthy kids

happy families A secure, happy family life is one of the best gifts you can give your children.

But let’s face it, life doesn’t always go to plan and many families these days face financial pressures or a marriage break down, adding to the strain.

Recognising that many Sunshine Coast families find themselves in this position and require much-needed resources they often can’t afford, such as the services of educators, counsellors, childcare services and family support programs, clinical psychologist Dr Bob Jacobs came up with the ingenious idea of offering services to these families for free. In 2012 Dr Bob began running free monthly parenting workshops on topics such as understanding children’s behaviour, promoting self esteem, advocating for your child’s education, and parenting after separation. In addition to these workshops, Dr Bob has initiated a free parenting forum which will give parents an opportunity to participate in question and answer sessions where they can hear a professional perspective at no cost to them. Dr Bob Jacobs is director and founder of The Parenting Centre – helping families increase harmony and reduce conflict, and assisting parents in developing inner peace, a true sense of joy and self esteem in themselves and their children. www.theparentingcentre.com.au

The benefits of structure and routine in a child’s life are well-known.

Think about the first time you took your child to daycare or school – the first few times were probably a nightmare, but after that it gradually got easier until your child not only expected to be going but actually enjoyed It! The same goes for exercise. If getting fit and having fun is a part of your child’s weekly routine, it’s likely it will become part of their routine for life. The World Health Organisation recommends that kids should exercise at least 60 minutes each and every day, and ‘vigorous-intensity’ exercise at least three times per week. So whether that activity be martial arts, dancing, rugby or some other regular sport, it is recommended you start to create this important part of a healthy routine from an early age. This is where a good sporting club, such as Infinity Martial Arts, can help. It does this with professional coaches who understand the type of exercise kids need, and provides a safe, structured environment with the routine of coming on set afternoons. www.infinitymartialarts.com.au

finding the right headspace We all need help from time to time or just someone to talk to, particularly during those tumultuous teenage years. Opening their doors last month to young people aged 12 to 25, headspace Maroochydore operate out of a youth-friendly space on Evans Street, offering a free, confidential and non-judgemental support service. Part of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, headspace assists young people who are going through a tough time, whether it’s being bullied at school or having difficulties with friendships or feeling down or concerned about anything at all, they are there to help to resolve these problems quickly. www.headspace.org.au

IVF blessings Any parent who has struggled to have children knows how tough the IVF roller coaster ride can be. As our gorgeous cover girl Jenni Salisbury explains, “It is a journey fraught with many ups and downs, twists and turns and stomach-churning moments”. But when you are finally lucky enough to hold that much-yearned-for baby in your arms, the journey must be so worthwhile. While some have plenty of family and friends to hold their hand through the tumultuous ride, others have very limited or perhaps no support during their journey. Having been through the IVF process an amazing 19 times, Jenni is more than qualified to offer advice on how to cope and it’s the reason she started her own online support group and wrote a book (Little Blessings) documenting her battle with infertility. My IVF Blessings is an excellent resource for parents going through the IVF process. It’s a place where people can share their stories, good or bad, happy or sad, and is fast becoming a supporting community for women going through or commencing IVF. www.myivfblessings.com

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march 2013

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family feature

looking for fun things to occupy the kids over the holidays?

We’ve found what’s happening on the coast.

sunshine castle

thrills and spills Get ready for dizzying fun and thrilling rides with a family day out at the award-winning Aussie World. There’s no chance the kids will be bored with roller coasters, water slides and rides to keep you entertained and your heart pumping. Get soaked on the Log Ride or take on the adrenaline surge that is the Redback Ride – not for the faint-hearted! The fun-filled rides will definitely help you to work up an appetite so head to the cafes for delicious snacks, treats and lunch before heading out to do it all over again. With a mini golf course, side shows and the all Australian feel of the Ettamogah Pub out the front, a visit to Aussie World will be the perfect Easter activity for everyone. Family passes start from $99.

Ensure the Easter school holidays are outof-this-world as you step back in time to the medieval age and let the kids explore the Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli. This impressive castle will provide endless amusement and enchantment, with daily treasure hunts, fairytale exhibitions, model trains and doll museums. School holiday programs are run during the holidays with pottery classes, workshops and circus schools.

Parents can take a break at the castle’s lookout with views over the Hinterland with a coffee from the Castle Café. Pricing starts at $10 per child and $14 for adults, with family packages available. www.sunshinecastle.com

easter at australia zoo Hop into Australia Zoo from 29 March to 14 April and burn off the Easter egg energy! Pack up the whole family and run wild with free face painting and stacks of activities. The fun starts with a free breakfast on Good Friday, followed by an Easter Eggs-pedition on Sunday as the children unleash their animal instincts to hunt for hidden eggs, watched on by the sleepy koalas, chirping parrots and crazy crocodiles! www.australiazoo.com.au

www.aussieworld.com.au

monthly passport to fun Treat the kids to shows, workshops, competitions and prizes with a Passport to Fun at the Sunshine Plaza. Various fun activities are held monthly, with a special “Alvin and the Chipmunks” feature this April. Make sure to go along from 1 to 5 April held 11:00am and 1:00pm daily to watch as Alvin, Simon and Theodore are Chipwrecked in their live show. The fun continues as kids can get their chipmunk on at the craft village held (11:00am and 2:00pm) daily from 8 to 12 April. The passport to fun is available from the Customer Service Centre with details of each show. Get a stamp each time you attend an event and receive a prize after five and 10!

easter holidays opal heaven

Dive into the experience of Under Water World and sink your teeth into the non-stop fun on offer. Kids will love the educational shows and talks held daily, from the adorable otters to the playful seals. Take a journey from the oceans to the billabongs with various enclosures and laugh as the stingrays wave to their audience at the Reef Talk and Feed. Kids can learn about the wonders of the ocean through a touch pool and guided shark tour, with the underwater tunnel a must-see as gigantic sharks glide overhead and bright reef fish dart around. The kids can even say hi to Nemo and friends!

A must-do these holidays is a visit to Opals Down Under. The family can enjoy educational workshops, learn about opals and have lots of fun along the way! Situated next to Aussie World and the Ettamogah Pub, Opals Down Under offers fun and educational programs, including opal cutting demonstrations and a fossicking area where you can all search for beautiful gemstones to start your own collection, with prices starting from $6. Kids will love fossicking and filling their containers up with the pretty rocks which they get to take home at the end of the day.

www.underwaterworld.com.au

www.opalsdownunder.com.au

www.sunshineplaza.com

a world under the sea

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Enquire about our Alpha Tykes Program today

THE PARENTING CENTRE

A different, powerful and proven approach for working with families and understanding children The Parenting Centre exists to help families increase harmony and reduce conflict, and to assist parents in developing inner peace, a true sense of joy and self-esteem in themselves and their children.

Our Services

• Individual, couples, child and family counseling • Parenting counseling • Mediation and Parenting Plans • Community Workshops • Professional Training Workshops • Legal Services (provided through HM Lawyers)

About Dr. Bob

Dr. Bob is a Clinical Psychologist and Mediator with over 30 years experience working with children and families. Through his work as a child advocate, Dr. Bob has been featured in media, conferences and workshops talking about parenting and children’s issues.

Office Locations

46 Maple Street, Maleny 2 Fifth Avenue, Maroochydore 730 Gympie Road, Lawnton

Phone 07 5435 2504 Email info@theparentingcentre.com.au march 2013

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enlightened goddess business network feature

celebrating women The Enlightened Goddesses are all about celebrating women so it’s very fitting that they are launching into Brisbane this year by celebrating International Women’s Day on the the 8th of March.

They are also launching the first Goddess three-day retreat, to be held in Victoria later this year. Last year, the Goddesses launched in Cooroy, Gympie and Caloundra. Natalie McIvor, director of Enlightened Goddesses Business Network is focusing on sharing Netconnect Australia-wide. These events are a unique blend of personal and professional development.

They are for women in business who understand and appreciate the value of connecting with conscious women to expand and grow in their personal and professional lives. The synergy of their dynamic speakers, the information shared, and the free pamper sessions create the most amazing visible transformation for participants.

Women leave these events knowing and feeling that they have expanded and grown into more of who they are! Natalie says “The ripple effect of that in our community is phenomenal”.

Celebrating International Women’s Day - Money, Mindset, Manifesting

Designed by www.witchwords.com

nto ding ei ! n a p x E risban B

Friday 8th March 2013 RSVP: 1/3/2012

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Jules O’Neill - Body Consciousness System ®

Creating awareness that will clear physical, emotional, chemical and energetic issues to create a life that you love!

Book at www.enlightenedgoddesses.com/events/events-details/?event_id=193 32

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enlightened goddesses business network feature

JEAN SHEEHAN

MILLENNIUM EDUCATION Your biography becomes your body biology – what does your say?

We each have a gift. Jean’s ability is to see the anatomy and physiology within a person to know where each person limits themself and what the body is saying in relation to health.

Jean Sheehan is the Director of Millennium Education Pty Ltd. As a nurse for 15 years, she noticed there was an absence of empowering techniques within the health and education systems.

Her clients stated they wanted the metaphysical aspects about the body. Her career transformed from nursing to facilitating workshops, seminars and travelling nationally and an internationally to teach about Millennium Children Personalities and Medical Intuition.

Continually requested as a motivational speaker sharing how she healed her own cancer using Medical Intuition, she is a leader in her field of self development and internationally recognised Medical Intuitive, Metaphysical Teacher and Life Skills Coach. She educates and coaches schools, childcare centres, corporations, and the health systems. phone 0414 758 360 www.absoluteempowerment.com

(Available Phone or Skype)

march 2013

JULES O’NEILL

JACKI WRIGHT

BODY CONSCIOUSNESS ­­– WOMEN’S WISDOM

Body Consciousness Facilitator Is your child thriving or surviving at school?

Nothing makes a parent feel more helpless than watching their child struggle at school. The children often react in anger, frustration or simply shut down.

The Body Consciousness Learning Program can identify emotional blocks that may be affecting the way your child learns – listening, retaining information, comprehension or anything else related to learning.

Perhaps it’s a social issue in, lack of selfconfidence or children being targeted by others.

In high school many students become overwhelmed. There are difficulties with time management, relationships and feeling lost in finding their future.

The Body Consciousness system can give you insight into what is in the way, release the blocks and offer practical tools.

Book a consultation with Jacki and help your child move through the school year with ease. phone 5444 0711 – Family Wellness Clinic Mountain Creek phone 5471 2201 – Circle Wellness Peregian Beach

Jules O’Neill is a facilitator and healer, and the founder of Body Consciousness (BC) and Women’s Wisdom (WW).

Using these two healing systems, Jules can read the energy in and around your body, to gain the awareness’s required that assist you in making choices to create you and your reality to be exactly what you desire!

Jules has many Conscious Education programs that she offers through both BC and WW, one of which are the ever-expanding and popular Conscious Classes. These classes are designed to contribute to you in many ways. Including concepts, tools to take home, awareness, healing, direction, and abundantly and infinitely more. They are like nothing else out there and are designed to accelerate your conscious growth and awareness by harnessing all of the group’s collective energy. They are a great introduction to the wonder and magic of healing and facilitating with Body Consciousness … and a great way to introduce your friends, family and anyone else interested in a new way of being!

Dates for upcoming classes: Monday 11th March – Creating abundance… Making life EASY!!!

Monday 15th April – Creating with energy … all possibilities exist Monday 13th May – Valuing YOU – Creating environments where YOU thrive! phone 0449 220 855 www.bodyconsciousness.com.au www.womenswisdom.com.au

(Available Phone or Skype)

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briefcase

bridal bliss.

M

Evelyn josic

eeting with Evelyn Josic, owner of Elizabeth’s Bridal Palace, and her two daughters, is a breath of fresh air.

Exuberating warmth, the girls and their mum are bubbly, elegant and charming. Their craft is about celebrating love, and Evelyn – a Coast local for 17 years – has her own happy story, recently celebrating 26 years of marriage with her husband, Milan, whom she met at 14. She works closely with her two beautiful daughters – Elizabeth, aged 16, and Priscilla, 21.

“We get along so well at work and just have fun, we all bounce off each other, and the girls are best friends,” Evelyn says, as her two right-hand women laugh and agree. The girls play a huge role at Elizabeth’s Bridal Palace. Elizabeth is the namesake of the shop, with both girls handling the purchasing of the unique and unusual gowns found in the store. Son Jessie, and his girlfriend, Stephanie, also help out behind the scenes.

Both girls were the motivator behind Evelyn’s foray into the world of satin, lace, beads and veils. “I wanted to give the girls a chance to run their own business – I knew Lizzie loved designing and hopes to design and stock her own wedding dresses in the shop, and Priscilla does the sales and customer service – I am just here to help them,” Evelyn says as the girls interject

a new leaf.

O

victoria everist

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ne day when I have children, I will only want the best for them, and will hope that as they grow up and start their pathway through education there will be a worthy guide. Victoria Everist is such a guide. This nurturing and passionate woman looks back on her 21 years in the childcare industry with pride as she brings her enthusiasm as centre manager to New Leaf Early Learning Centre.

Victoria can thank her own children for igniting her passion. With her high school sweetheart husband, Brent, Victoria welcomed a son 21 years ago in Sydney, and with his birth Victoria’s passion for childcare was born.

“I always wanted to work in early childhood and when my kids (I had a daughter two years later) were born I just wanted to spend time with them – it was a natural fit to combine the two,” Victoria says of starting Family Day Care in her own home that paved the way into what would become a successful career in childcare.

Fast forward to 2009 and Victoria and her young family had relocated to Queensland from Canberra, with Victoria’s impressive resume now listing various childcare roles, from senior management to hands-on childcare in private, public, government and community sectors, adding to her various business

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and credit their creativity to their mother – a talented oil painter with a keen eye for stunning designs.

But it hasn’t been all been a fairy tale, with Milan undergoing triple bypass surgery as the shop was due to open its doors early last year. “We had to get through that before the business opened. Family is very important,” Evelyn says. After Milan recovered, Elizabeth’s Bridal Palace welcomed its first customer in July 2012.

“I love the opportunities that the store has brought my girls,” Evelyn remarks. “We have plans to relocate to a busier shop front and source more international designers. When we expand our range, we can create the opportunity for other girls looking for work on the Coast. We want to be able to give back.”

Giving back seems to be a family trait, as Priscilla and Elizabeth list various charities, orphanages, villages, children and churches in countries from India to Fiji – that all benefit from the Josics’ goodwill, including a 10 per cent contribution of all wedding dress sales in the store, and regular trips overseas to assist hands-on where they are able to.

This refined mix of compassion and culture is evident as these talented ladies brim with enthusiasm to bring joy to fitting women for their dream day.

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and early childhood diplomas and degrees. “I am a big believer that you should never stop learning,” Victoria says of her qualifications.

Victoria was attracted to the position at New Leaf Early Learning Centre at Sunshine Coast Grammar School. “It was a fantastic opportunity to not only live closer to home, but to work somewhere where there is such a connection between a centre and school. It was a role I could really settle into.”

Now happily living in Caloundra, Victoria is content with her work and home life. “I have found a role where I can focus and start to achieve my own goals.” Victoria’s children are a testament to her hard work and study ethic, with both currently completing university degrees. In fact, Victoria’s son is studying early childhood. “They are both good kids and have their heads firmly on their shoulders,” she says proudly.

With the responsibility of managing a centre with 40 staff and accommodating 140 children, you have to wonder how Victoria does it. “These kids are someone’s pride and joy and we are lucky to have them in our care. You have to have passion – and patience!” she laughs. “I am here to inspire, to mentor, to guide, and to empower not only the children, but the educators teaching them.” profilemag.com.au

MAGAZINE FEATURE

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To ENTER to win this amazing prize please email your name, address and phone number, along with a little info on yourself to chris@thinkmoney.com.au

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7 things that I wish I HAD LEARNED AT SCHOOL Think Money educates and empowers people by giving them personal financial control.

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2. MONEY I wish I had been taught to ask someone who has money how to handle it instead of getting advice from the bank.

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1. ADVICE The most important thing I wish I had been taught is ‘Be careful who you take your advice from....’

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5. SHARES I wish I had been taught that you need to trade shares. Buying and holding them long term rarely works.

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Learn about Chris’s secrets to property wealth and Jack Childs from Think Investment Realty gives you 5 reasons why property is a smart investment. We hope you enjoy this informative feature, and if you need any further information head to the Think Money website www.thinkmoney.com. au or email chris@thinkmoney.com.au.

CHRIS’S SECRETS TO PROPERTY WEALTH I have found that while most people know you can create wealth through property, what they don’t know if how. Getting right advice is the most important step.

CHRIS CHILDS

MEET CHRIS CHILDS THINK MONEY WEALTH THROUGH PROPERTY FOUNDER

Experience. There is no substitute for it in any successful business. Just ask Chris Childs, founder of Think Money Wealth Through Property. With more than 20 years’ experience under her belt in the financial planning, mortgage broking and wealth creation through property industries, Chris has helped countless people take charge of their finances and turn their lives around. More importantly, Chris has achieved success from her own personal experience, creating her winning system not from theories but from years of experience creating wealth through property herself.

‘Most mortgages can be paid out in five to seven years, just by doing your banking differently.’

Having been a financial planner and mortgage broker for many years, Chris and her husband, Jack, bought their first investment property in 2000. The dynamic duo went on to buy, sell and renovate several properties over the next three years, but it wasn’t until they bought and kept an investment property that they started to see the real value of capital growth.

In addition to accumulating a large property portfolio, Chris also opened three mortgage companies in three years and began to teach some of her clients her top tips and strategies on accumulating wealth through property – hence Think Money was born in 2007.

“My mortgage broking clients, having been diligently learning my debt reduction strategies, wanted to learn more about how we were accumulating properties. So I began to teach some of my clients what to do and more importantly what not to do.”

Passionate about helping others achieve the same financial freedom she and her family has achieved, Chris now employs a team of professionals to assist clients to achieve their goals while avoiding the pitfalls most of us suffer when we begin the daunting property investment journey with little knowledge and experience. Chris says reducing your debt and accumulating property doesn’t have to impede your lifestyle.

ADVICE, EVERYONE LOVES TO GIVE IT The most important piece of advice you can receive is to be careful who you take advice from. And it’s not just the bad guys – friends, family and workmates, even with the best of intentions, could give you advice that might hold you back for years. The best rule of thumb is to look at who they are and what they have, and if that is where you want to be ... take their advice!

It’s a strange fact that some people need to feel important.

Whether it’s due to lack of confidence or a need to be in the spotlight, they like to sound important and knowledgeable. You hear them at barbeques across the backyards of the nation sprouting their often incorrect information to all who will listen.

These stories and advice usually scare people into doing nothing, or steer people into buying inappropriate investments.

Get your advice from an expert.

FINANCE PLATFORM The main reason people struggle with their finances is because they do no separate personal and investment income and expenses.

It is vital that your home mortgage and living expenses, and your normal income is kept totally separate from investment property debt, expenses and rent. This is a huge part of my clients success. Most of my clients’ are on a 10 properties in 10 years path. This is made easy and stress free by following this simple rule. We then concentrate on reducing the debt on their own home, allowing for an improving lifestyle, while being able to easily create wealth for retirement by having a self funding investment portfolio.

TIME IN THE MARKET VS TIMING THE MARKET The great thing about property is that, over time, property always increases. The secret to making a lot of money with property is to buy at the perfect time – and ride the growth cycle. Sounds logical, but most people buy on emotion and react to the media.

The masses buy towards the peak of the buying cycle and sell from fear or disappointment when the market has retracted.

The only way to break this cycle is with good advice and sound research.

ARTICLE CONTINUED OVER PAGE

WEALTHY ‘N’ WISE

WELCOME to this Wealthy ‘n’ Wise magazine feature, where property investment expert

WEALTHY ‘N’ WISE

CHRIS’S SECRETS TO PROPERTY WEALTH CONTINUED ...

While ‘time in the market’ (buying and keeping property long-term) will always work. ‘Timing the market’ (buying during the opportunity phase of the property market) means reaping the reward of faster capital growth.

This allows you to accelerate your accumulation of property by increasing the equity you hold. One factor banks consider when calculating your borrowing power is the amount of equity you have in your existing properties. Equity is treated the same as a cash deposit, and ensures you can get back into the market with another investment sooner.

Then look at the current market and check you are ‘on the money’ price wise.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF RENOVATING •• Don’t bite off more than you can chew!

•• Treat it as a business.

•• Decide on the level of renovation before you start.

•• Do your sums.

•• Use professionals.

•• Get quotes – fixed price in writing.

By getting the timing wrong, you could have to wait several years for growth in property value, therefore diminishing your opportunities to increase your portfolio.

•• Time is money – check tradesmen availability.

Unfortunately, the inexperienced often buy when the media, or taxi drivers say to ‘buy’, and find themselves getting into the market during the caution phase based on historical results, rather than doing sound research and finding properties in the opportunity phase. It takes courage and knowledge to buy at six o’clock – but that is where the smart investors buy because that’s where the big profits are found.

•• Who is in charge? Agree on a plan and work as a team.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION This has always been the catch-cry when trying to select the best property. The saying is true, but most people don’t understand the fundamentals of in-depth property research to get this vital attribute right. Research is the key to getting the best location.

By discovering the fundamentals of demographics, supply and demand, employment and economic growth, yield variations, infrastructure spending, population movements and other important factors that change the underlying values in our property market, you can find the right state, city and suburb that should produce above average capital growth.

The importance of the correct research can’t be emphasised enough. Research forms the basis of getting the right property at the right time in the right place, which forms the key to success!

DO YOUR SUMS The biggest mistake people make when choosing to either buy, sell or renovate a property, is to start without having a complete plan in place. Facts and figures are key to getting things right and avoiding unpleasant surprises along the way. Some of the simplest calculations before you dive in can show up major flaws in the end result. For example, if you were planning to purchase a unit to renovate, using software to calculate the buying and holding costs, stamp duties, legals, mortgage payments etcetera is essential. You also need to add the costs of the renovation, including professional services and approval requirements, tools and replacement items to come up with a total outlay. You then add to this the profit you are expecting to make, whether or not you are planning to sell.

By adding the profit, you will come up with a figure that the property will need to meet in the current market to ensure you are not over capitalising.

If you are intending to sell, you will also need to add all of the selling costs, for example commissions, legal fees, advertising and ongoing holding costs over the few months it may take to sell.

•• Organisation is essential.

•• Know your market – don’t over capitalise.

RISK VS RETURNS One of the biggest investing traps of this decade has been the lure of cheap international properties due to the global economic crisis. So many unsuspecting investors have been stung with the USA property promotion that swept through Australia like wildfire. While there would have been some genuine bargains to be had, unfortunately they have proven to be few and far between in comparison to the number of investors who are now stuck with properties in slum areas, with little to no chance of getting a tenant or income, let alone capital growth and an easy sale.

For true wealth creation, the accumulation and keeping of property long-term gives the most effective result. Therefore, buying quality Australian properties will almost always give you a better, stronger and safer investment. Buying outside your own country is fraught with danger. Not only are you coping with volatility in the property market, but also with international currency fluctuations and international laws.

GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY The exciting thing about building a property portfolio is that it has a snowball effect. The more you accumulate, the more each property grows in value and you can use that equity to buy more and more.

The first one is the hardest. It is so hard today to break into the property market. To accumulate enough for a deposit seems an uphill battle, because the longer it takes, the more you need.

However, once you are in the market, the second and third properties get easier due to capital growth.

Warren Buffett once said, “Work out how to make a dollar then do it again and again and again”.

Having a system makes it easy and pain-free to multiply your investment portfolio. That can be the difference between an investor and a gambler.

1.5 million people in Australia invest in property and only 0.5 per cent of those get to five properties or more. This comes down to mindset. Mixing with the right people and listening to the correct advice can accelerate your results.

WEALTHY ‘N’ WISE

MEET JACK CHILDS THINK INVESTMENT REALTY DIRECTOR QIBC DIRECTOR

JACK CHILDS | 0418 794 512 | jack@qibc.com.au

It’s no secret the current mining boom is set to have a huge impact on the property market, probably the biggest we have seen in 30 years. But what are the right properties to buy, what areas are going to have the biggest growth and return, when is the best time to buy and what is the best exit strategy?

SPECIALISED INVESTMENT BUILDING

Enter Jack Childs, property expert and founder and director of Think Investment Realty – a real estate and property research company which sources property for investors, and QIBC (Queensland Investment Biulding Corporation) – a building project management company. With more than 30 years’ experience in the property and building industries, Jack is an avid property investor himself with a large portfolio.

Jack can point you in the right direction with an in-house research team that work full-time on researching all mining and non-mining areas in Australia to secure you the best investment for your money. They keep their fingers on the pulse, both in the areas affected by the mining boom as well as coastal towns that receive the spin-off thanks to ports and fly-in / fly-out workers.

Jack and his team understand every investor is different, with individual needs. He and his team take the time to sit down and help you analyse your exact plans and put together a personalised plan to help you achieve your goals.

Most of us have heard stories about building nightmares – jobs taking longer than they should, costs blowing out, extras you hadn’t budgeted for ... the list goes on. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. QIBC (Queenland Invesment Building Corporation) are a building project management company that provides a simple and hassle-free way of building spec homes or investment properties to add to your portfolio and can save you the drama of buying a house with poor construction in an average location.

The whole building process is monitored for you, from start to finish, ensuring you get the best deal without any problems. Jack Childs, director of QIBC, has been in the building industry for the past 30 years and is a member of the Master Builder’s Association. During that time, he has gained a detailed understanding of the standards and requirements of all styles of construction.

Coupled with this experience and extensive experience in management and supervision, this makes him the perfect person to monitor every part of the building process for you. In fact, he has monitored more than 200 successful house constructions.

Jack will also ensure you have a fixed-price contract with no hidden surprises. He will negotiate with the builder on your behalf for the best price and ensure the planned finish and fittings for your home are relevant to your needs.

‘Most of us have heard stories of building nightmares – jobs taking longer than they should, costs blowing out, extras that you hadn’t budgeted for, the list goes on.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way.’

He will also assist with colour selection and ensure fixtures and fittings are suitable for the property, monitor and check each stage for completion to a superior standard, notify you when you should approve the progress draws for payment, send photos and regular updates by email, check the house at each stage of development, ensure the builder stays on track and is time-wise with the build to get a speedy finish, and stay in touch with you regularly to guide you through the whole process.

Head to the next page to learn about two locations researched by Jack and his team that are deemed to be great investment locations.

WEALTHY ‘N’ WISE

5 reasons why clever property investors are excited about 2013 01

Supply and Demand

Demand continues to outstrip supply for renters, creating a nationwide housing shortage. As the supply constricts, prices rise, as prices rise people start to see capital growth, as capital growth emerges new ‘not as clever’ investors flood the market creating more demand. As it takes time to build, and as developed land supply dwindles, supply gets shorter and this produces more growth. The great news for Australia, unlike other nations, is that this growth is sustainable and not a bubble as there is high demand from renters needing property, as demand is outstripping supply.

02

Interest Rates

We have record low interest rates, therefore existing borrowers can afford to reinvest, and new borrowers can enter the market. The outlook for 2013 is maintenance of low to medium interest rates due to both the economy and the political scene. No current government wants interest rate rises in the lead up to an election.

03

Economy

Internal: Experts are discussing the fact that the predicted landslide change in federal government would give a confidence boost to the business community. However, I believe there has already been a significant growth in confidence this year already without a change in government, which I believe will continue to grow over the next few years.

External: China is on a surge with an 8 per cent anticipated growth rate this year and beyond, and Australia will benefit from this more than any other country.

04

MONEY

The Australian share market is recovering and this will generate and replenish great wealth for many Australians, inside and outside super.

Because of the volatility, a lot of the recovered wealth will be redirected into property – especially in the increase in knowledge about SMSF (Self Managed Super Funds), as people want to take control of their own money. There has been a huge increase in property being purchased in SMSF’s and this will continue to impact on supply and demand, and capital growth.

Cash and term deposits are much less attractive for retirees and those nearing retirement. Many see property as a low risk option that will increase returns.

Rents will continue to rise in the face of the housing shortage, giving investors a higher yield on their investments.

05

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

During 2013, as all of the above happens, we will see a surge of confidence and FOMO, which will see an increase in investors in the market, further pushing the button on supply and demand – thus they call it the property cycle.

Make sure you become a clever investor and get in at the right time (now) rather than wait and watch this evolve and then buy in at the peak of the market with the not-so-clever.

“Get in at the right time (now) rather than wait and watch this evolve and then buy ...”

Gladstone has become something of a property hotspot over recent years – from its origins as a mining centre to its modern day existence as a retail and service hub, there are plenty of reasons to consider a real estate investment in the city.

So what qualities does Gladstone have that make it such a great place to purchase an investment property in at the moment?

Ranging from its great location to thriving industry, investors will find a whole host of reasons to go in search of real estate in this Queensland city.

Location Gladstone is often considered to be the gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and Capricorn Bunker group of islands, but that is only just the beginning.

The Port of Gladstone is the largest multi-commodity port in the whole of Australia, as well as being the fourth largest coal exporting terminal in the world.

As a result, the area has gained a reputation as one of the country’s biggest industrial sectors, making it a prime location for property investing.

The Curtis Island LNG Development is one of the biggest projects to ever be undertaken in the area – this is not only drawing in additional trade, but also providing a supply of workers from outside the region.

Strong demand for rental properties With so many industrial sectors at work, making an investment in rental property could be a sound decision – and recent statistics most certainly prove it.

The latest Gladstone Region Housing Quarterly Report showed that there is strong demand for accommodation from nonresident workers, and as a result, rental costs are rising.

Vacancy rates are perhaps understandably low due to the supply of workers, so the chances of property remaining unoccupied for long periods of time are considerably reduced.

High returns on property purchases As a growing number of industries recognise the benefits of doing business in Gladstone, property investors would be wise to consider making their move on the market sooner rather than later.

With the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that the population of the local government area is on the increase, this will add to pressure to housing stock – great news for the property investor!

Oasis Apartments offer 18 chic, executive style apartments right in the heart of Gladstone.

• Open plan living • 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom apartments • Rent return $550-$600 per week unfurnished • Rent return $700-$800 per week furnished • Walk-in & Built-in robes to all bedrooms • Thriving city with strong industrial development

Priced from $488,000

• Diversified Industry base / Port City • Low Vacancy Rates / Strong demand for rental accommodation • Local Diverse economy • One of the worlds largest aluminum refineries • Australia’s largest aluminum smelter / largest cement kiln • Average of 10% capital growth for the last 10 years.

• Queensland’s largest power station.

• Curtis Island LNG development

Call Jack Childs from more details on 0418 794 512

WEALTHY ‘N’ WISE

INVESTING IN GLADSTONE

win

win a skincare range Arbonne Cosmetics (www.arbonneinternational.com.au) is a comprehensive collection of lightweight, beneficial formulas for gorgeous skin, eyes and lips featuring Arbonne’s exclusive Optilight Technology. Stunning in its duality, Optilight Technology works in two ways: light is diffused to create a soft-focus effect, and simultaneously, finely-sized pigments allow skin to breathe, giving a ‘light-as-air’ feeling. Arbonne products are free from sodium lauryl sulphate, talc, gluten, parabens and phthalates. They are vegan friendly, long wearing, with luxurious textures. One lucky Profile Magazine reader will win a $350 Arbonne Cosmetics prize pack.

scan this with your smartphone to jump straight to our competition page

Head to the Profile Magazine website to enter and for terms and conditions.

win a prize from eco child The world of impending parenthood is often confusing, and the vast array of new products you need to buy for baby can be overwhelming. Lucky Sunshine Coast residents have access to one of Australia’s premier eco baby boutiques. Eco Child (www.ecochild.com. au) in Mooloolaba is a one-stop-shop for high quality, organic and eco-friendly baby and parenting products.

As well as showcasing the best choice of modern cloth nappies and baby carriers in Australia, Eco Child’s Carly Earl is one of Australia’s 10 internationally qualified baby wearing consultants. Eco Child and Profile Magazine are offering one reader a prize pack from Eco Child valued at $480, including a Caboo Organic Carrier, Ltd Edition Ocean Purebaby Organic Hospital Pack and a GroVia Modern Cloth Nappy Day / Night Experience Pack.

win a designer nursery starter pack Adorable new Sunshine Coast children’s boutique Peaches & Cream Vintage Child (www.peachesvintage.com.au) stocks a beautiful range of clothing, toys, gifts, linen and decorator pieces for boys and girls up to five years of age. All items in store are handmade using designer and vintage fabrics made in Australia. Peaches & Cream Vintage Child and Profile Magazine are giving away a fabulous starter pack for the perfect nursery. It includes a cot quilt, sleeping bag, soft toy, cushion, bunting and other goodies to the value of almost $500.

win a pod skin pack win a family pass to aussie world Home to more than 30 rides and games, there is something for everyone at Aussie World (www. aussieworld.com.au). There are rides that will get you soaked, rides that will make you green and dizzy, simulators and slides, bumps and coasters, and of course, there is also the charm of the Ettamogah Pub. With so many thrilling rides and games, it is a fantastic day out for the whole family. Aussie World and Profile Magazine are offering five lucky readers a family day pass (for two adults and three children) valued at $119 each.

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Australian-owned, formulated and manufactured, Pod (www.podskincare.com) is on the cutting edge of skincare. Using skin-friendly ingredients that make a dramatic difference to the skin without unfriendly ingredients that irritate, Pod contains active ingredients which are natural or nature identical. Using bio-mimetic peptides and Replic8® – a synergy of eight natural ingredients that mimics young healthy skin, Pod is carbon neutral and even vegan friendly! Pod Skincare and Profile Magazine will treat one reader with a Pod prize pack consisting of one of each of their 11 fabulous products, including their top rated SPF15 Liquid Tan, Liquid Detox, Liquid Facelift, and Liquid Light, valued at $455. profilemagazine

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beauty advice

HAIR REHAB vanity case

u & me, baby

profile loves

little one THE GOOD LIFE

MEET MAREE BEAN

vanity case baby bath Organic Aromabath Powder 150gm, $22.95. Available from www.aromababy.com

tiny teeth

cheeky bum

organic toothpaste in blueberry, RRP $5.95. Available from www.littlemagnolia.com.au

wiped clean Wotnot Biodegradable Baby Wipes (pack of 80), RRP $7.75 Visit www.consciouscosmetics.com.au

Cheeky baby butter organic baby balm, RRP $49.95. Available from www.iamnaturalstore.com.au

keep calm Mini Organics calming and hydrating mist, RRP $27.95. Available from www.miniorganics.com

with Johanna Jensen fashion and beauty editor

Splish splash! These beautiful baby bathroom products will have the little one squeaky clean while having fun at the same time. Then, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off to sleep. Bliss!

dry time Hooded bath bowel, RRP $39.95. Available from www.limetreekids.com.au

so sleepy Snuggle them up after the bath in a Fourzero organic sleepsuit, RRP $67.95.

Available from www.fourzero.com.au

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scrub-a-dub Pirate Bathing Mitt, RRP $8.95. Available from www.limetreekids.com.au

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bliss on buderim

beauty

...itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about you

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profile loves

zig zag Uimi Sage Blanket Poppy, RRP $159. Available from www.childrensdept.com.au

cute â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n comfy Fable baby and nursery organic baby slouch pants, RRP $39. Available from www.downthatlittlelane.com.au

a Jensen with Johann auty editor fashion and be fox the socks Blabla Knitted Doll, RRP $42.95. Available from www.childrensdept.com.au

m s cool as Mu n look just a ca s r! a id k ge d id n k a age barrier with this cool Style has no one styled up le tt li r u yo et and Dad. G kids hideaway an angel at my teepee, RRP $229. Available from www.downthatlittlelane.com.au

stack the sacks Varpunen Sacks ranging from RRP $44.

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Perfect to use as greeting cards or frame and hang on the wall.

Square peg eco-friendly prints, RRP $44.95 for a set of 10. Available from wwwdownthatlittlelane.com.au

flower power Plum gingham bouquet floral bodysuit, RRP $26.95. Visit www.plumcollections.com.au

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business promotion

&

P

ure indulgence, French Champagne, luxury high tea, beautiful people and fabulous fashion. This will be the scene presented as 12 of the Sunshine Coast’s up-and-coming designers showcase their collections in a unique fashion event this month.

Catwalk models will strut their stuff, a la Fashion Week, as the who’s who of the local fashion industry attend the illustrious Heart & Soul fashion event / high tea.

The force behind Heart & Soul is a combination of the talents of two (very fashionable) Sunshine Coast women set on making their mark and raising the profile of our fashion talent.

Established designer and catering queen Sally Cook, from Saucy Rose Swimwear and Sally Can Cook Catering, has teamed up with Asha Model Management’s vibrant owner, Angie Tonner, to form a fashion industry powerhouse partnership.

“It is very much about fashion on the Sunshine Coast and how incredible some of our local designers are,” The result – a fashionista’s dream as Heart & Soul fashion event invites retail buyers, agents, VIP’s and media to the Sunshine Coast to mingle and meet the designers behind the fresh new labels, and view their collections.

The successful women behind Heart & Soul were motivated to create an event all about the designers, with Angie and Sally aiming to host an incredible opportunity for their hand-picked designers to meet buyers in an intimate setting, rubbing shoulders with VIP’s.

With buyers attending from not only the Sunshine

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Coast but retail stockists in North Queensland, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Heart & Soul will kick off careers and give designers a head-start in their industry, the opportunity to build recognition of their label and network with the decision makers of the fashion industry.

“It is very much about fashion on the Sunshine Coast and how incredible some of our local designers are,” Sally says about the opportunities they are creating. “We have 10 fantastic designers onboard, as well as two extremely talented TAFE students, to showcase their collections.”

The models from Asha Model Management will strut their stuff as they are adorned with each designer’s painstakingly-made creations and parade in front of eagerly awaiting guests, creating an opportunity for not only up-and-coming designers but next top models to experience a chance in the spotlight.

It will be a decadent afternoon of fashion, style, opportunity and indulgence as the guests eagerly await the presentation of each designer’s 2013 Spring / Summer collections in an intimate setting.

The event is carefully orchestrated to tantalise the viewers with a catwalk parade, before allowing guests to get down to business, with buyers and agents viewing the samples and wholesale prices in the Collection Showroom Marquee.

This Sunday soiree is set to be one of the Sunshine Coast’s most talked about events, meticulously planned and with the potential to launch big careers in the fashion industry.

To be hosted by chic hair salon Universal Hair Studio, Heart & Soul will be held in The Church room – 22 Beach Road, Maroochydore, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.

Heart & Soul is proudly sponsored by Universal Hair Studios, Profile Magazine, Asha Model Management, Marx Design, Perry’s Party Hire and Sally Can Cook Catering.

Limited tickets are for sale to the public to attend Heart & Soul, via Eventbrite at $80 per person. Visit www.facebook.com/SaucyAsha for more details.

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* Conditions apply

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advice

hair rehab with Erin Watt Phew … It seems like summer was hotter than ever this year!

If you’re like me, you would have been frolicking poolside or hanging out at the beach.

Unfortunately, these summer activities can leave your hair looking more than just a little parched.

The hot sun, chlorine, salt water and overwashing can result in dry, dragged down, dingy hair by the end of the summer.

So if your hair is hammered post holiday, what is the best way to disguise this and restore its condition?

First of all, start with improving the condition of the hair by delivering a super-powered dose of small molecular proteins to penetrate the internal

• • •

fibres and strengthen from within. Try an in-salon treatment like L’oreal Power cell repair.

Need to get through the next few months of sunshine? For long days in the sun, work some of your favourite hair treatment through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair and cover under a hat as UV rays are unkind to colour and condition.

(Try ELEVEN Miracle hair treatment.)

I also recommend stepping up your shampoo and conditioner choice after summer to a more intensely hydrating formula, or if you need it, one for damaged hair (try Kevin Murphy Hydrate me Wash and Rinse).

Strut Hair and Beauty 5443 5605 www.struthair.com.au

Don’t be shy about keeping your ends fresh and clipped. Split ends will split further, requiring more to be cut off in the future

To find out more, please phone Principal Frances Cahill on:

1300 OGRADY sunshinecoast@helenogrady.com.au

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advice

prevention better than cure? with Benita May I often treat skin that is sun damaged, dehydrated and prematurely ageing, and I ponder how it would be different if it had been looked after with a “Prevention is better than cure” approach. Not just for weeks or months, but for the lifetime of the skin. Skin is like your heart and lungs – if you don’t look after them you will pay the price in later life. In the case of skin, sun damage, skin cancer, scarring and pigmentation Do you remember when you were a child and your skin was smooth and blemish-free, supple and elastic? Now look in the mirror and what do you see? Scars, pigmentation, sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles?

Obviously we all still age, but I am going to share with you some great preventative measures so you can enjoy the skin you are in.

Sun protection

Treat your skin

Avoid going in the sun between 10:00am and 3:00pm. Protect your skin and eyes by wearing sunglasses, a hat and protective clothes. Use a good quality SPF broad spectrum sunblock.

Seventy per cent of results are from what you do at home and how you treat your skin and protect it, the other 30 per cent is professional treatments.

This includes facials, peels, microdermabrasion, non-surgical treatments, injectables and a host of body treatments where we can take preventative steps to avoid premature ageing.

Cleanse your skin An effective cleanser will remove dirt, pollution, perspiration, makeup and sunblock without stripping your skin of its essential oils and disrupting the pH of your skin.

Vitamins A good, healthy diet, fresh whole foods plus topical application of vitamins in the form of serums, will give your skin its glow and deliver essential nutrients your skin needs for healthy function, repair and regeneration.

Take these preventative measures and enjoy healthy, beautiful skin for life.

Bliss on Buderim 5477 1430 www.blissonbuderim.com.au

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style counsel

ll photography calli b photography

Local designer Nerine O’Brien is quickly making a name for herself among the fashion circles with her gorgeous new range of bright, funky accessories. Describing her Nerine-Anne Design range as a celebration of colour, Nerine grew up with a love of accessorising and is living her dream designing her easy to wear range. She is currently working on a range of hand bags in bright, bold colours as well as a funky children’s range.

profile: What do you love most about your job? nerine: I have been obsessed with accessories my entire life, now l get to play with them all day, everyday, and earn a living doing it. My job is also providing a fabulous lifestyle. I am exhibiting at seven trade fairs in Sydney and Melbourne throughout 2013 and heading to Europe in May for inspiration. profile: What looks can we expect to see this season? nerine: Loads of citrus colours, mixed together and on their own.

Bright orange, stunning lemon and beautiful lime. I am also a little obsessed with emerald green, so loads of green coming through in all the popular styles. profile: What must-have item should we have in our wardrobes this season? nerine: A Summer Bliss necklace in the colour apple. This colour goes with absolutely everything. Add it to a coral or yellow outfit for a gorgeous tropical look, or dress up a white tee and jeans for a classic look. profile: How would you describe your own style? nerine: I love simple, classic outfits with a pop of colour – using my accessories, of course! profile: What is coming up in-store? nerine: Loads of new statement necklaces with layers of bright, lightweight resin beads with bracelets and earrings to match. I have also just launched a gorgeous natural stone range ‘Tribal Princess’, in bright Summer colours. I am extremely excited to be launching my own handbag range over the next couple of months. Finally, a little baby project is my kids’ range. My daughter is loving it, she’s my little ‘test dummy’ and has learnt at four to not leave the house without her accessories. profile: What do you always have in your handbag? nerine: An iPad and iPhone ... can’t go anywhere without my technology. It gives me freedom. I can work from anywhere with my iPad and have a couple of favourite little cafes in Sunshine Beach and Maroochydore l like to escape to. profile: What is your best style tip? nerine: Keep your wardrobe simple. Simple block colours. Classic, plain dresses and tops will see you through a couple of seasons. Use your accessories to update your look. Accessories are a lot more affordable than a new outfit but can transform an old outfit to look new.

Nerine O’Brien

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profile: What is your best memory working in fashion? nerine: I have a couple. I once had Nicola Finetti write a comment under an instagram photo of some of my pieces, that he “loved my style”. Another was sitting in a funky restaurant in Sydney with my husband and seeing the most stunning, model-like girl walk through the door wearing Nerine-Anne Design. It is so gratifying to see complete strangers wearing my jewellery. profilemag.com.au

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business promotion

dynamic duo

ll photography calli b photography

Esteemed obstetrician Dr Dana Moisuc and qualified midwife Vicki Chan have joined forces to become a formidable team and offer a new model of maternity care through Elite Women’s Health in Buderim.

Consultant obstetrician Dana Moisuc and midwife Vicki Chan have come together to offer Sunshine Coast women a new model of maternity care through Elite Women’s Health in Buderim. Women already seeking the care of Dana will have the added choice of the companionship and familiarity of their own midwife, along with the support of their trusted obstetrician.

Women may choose Vicki’s presence for a single visit to talk through a particular issue, from birth preparation sessions in the home through to packages with full birth support (including water birth) and postnatal visits.

“While we believe that most women, given loving support, can birth their babies drug and intervention free, the goal is always the best birth possible.”

The mother is placed at the centre of her own care which will be coordinated based on her specific emotional, cultural, social and clinical needs. Time may be spent to explore issues and work through fears, building strategies for moving through labour and into parenting, and developing friendship and trust, leading to increased confidence and satisfaction.

Dana has served the women of the Sunshine Coast for the past 10 years.

She has worked in Europe and Africa for over 15 years and is passionate about women’s health, striving to set in place the best structure to support women into motherhood with strength and dignity.

She recognises that when a woman knows both the obstetrician and midwife who will accompany her on the journey of pregnancy, birth and early parenting, the transition can be smoother.

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Dana Moisuc and Vicki Chan

This is Vicki’s 30th year as a midwife. In that time, she has seen around 500 babies into the world safely at home. It was these babies and their mothers that Vicki credits as her greatest teachers. “Women’s creativity and capabilities in birth expand when they are both determined and supported in such an environment; they taught me so many things and I am glad to be able to share those things with other women and midwives wherever I work.”

The past two years have seen Vicki working in the Fremo Maternity Centre in the Kawangware slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The women served in the centre are very poor with high incidence of anaemia, malaria and HIV infection. Even so, with support and guidance from Vicki, this centre is having outstanding results. Last year they had nearly 200 births. Of these, one was a caesarean and none were with the aid of forceps or ventouse. Each mother came through the birth happy and healthy and only one baby died. This in a country where a mother dies every hour and 10 times that number of babies succumb during the birth process.

Vicki was well known at Selangor Maternity Unit for her skills in facilitating normal birth and as a strong advocate for the birthing family. She currently co-facilitates the Better Birth Workshops and works part-time in the maternity unit at the Sunshine Coast Private Hospital.

“While we believe that most women, given loving support, can birth their babies drug and intervention free, the goal is always the best birth possible. This is really important. Women want to be heard and we want to listen.

“One of the most important things we can do is recognise that how a baby comes into the world matters. We as practitioners need to understand that everything we say, do, and even believe will impact upon the way a woman births, how she feels about herself and her baby, and how she relates to her partner and those around her. We know that the work we do now will reflect in the whole of her life, for better or for worse.”

Dana and Vicki want their work to be for better. Visit www.danamoisuc. com.au or www.vicki-chan.blogspot.com.au for more details.

Collaboration. Communication. Confidence. Continuity.

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Could your Hormones be making you CRAZY? Beat Anger, Irritability, Anxiety and Depression Forever!

Mood swings so strong you just want to scream, or crawl into bed and sleep till it’s over? Anxiety over nothing, irritable over everything, crying at the drop of a hat, and sadness to boot!? Now, I’m not just talking about menopause and PMS; to all of you men, MANopause can and will happen, so listen up! Are you irritable, nervous, depressed, low libido, foggy thinking, can’t sleep or gaining weight? Is anything sounding familiar?

Hormonal imbalances don’t just happen without cause. Did you ever wonder why some people have great hormones and you just don’t? Why can some people eat anything and maintain their weight, yet you gain three kilograms overnight after just thinking about breaking your diet? It’s not all about weight, but some of it is, and these symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg for what hormones can do to your body when out of balance long-term. You’re looking at accelerated ageing, permanent metabolism malfunction, which leads to diabetes and heart disease, and a decline in your brain function, including losing your short-term memory, and loss of important older memories permanently.

There are six triggers that affect your hormones, starting with diet, food reactions, nutrient deficiencies, infections, stress and fitness. The problem we have is that most people only deal with one of these at a time.

You’ll see a specialist in only one area, although if you don’t address all of them, you’re caught in a cycle that goes on for life. The frustrating part is once these triggers upset your hormones, your hormones cause these triggers again!

How do you stop it? Actually, it’s pretty easy to stop, as long as you deal with them all at the same time and properly. I have seen hormone creams to balance hormones, the pill, HRT and bio-identical hormones. These might help your current symptoms, though they won’t fix the cause, and they won’t fix the permanent effects, so the cycle continues and you become reliant on them. Fortunately, it can be treated properly, and most symptoms are improved within weeks, and completely relieved within just a few months.

Hormones are one part of a seven-step process for permanently treating mood fluctuations. These steps have been proven with testing to improve brain and total body

function immeasurably, without the help of medication. If you’d like to know more, call for a free half-hour consultation, where you’ll learn about everything that causes hormonal and mood problems, and what to do about it.

Also, you may wish to view the free webinar 7 Steps to Freedom from Anxiety & Depression’ at www.advancedwellness.com.au. A webinar is simply a seminar that you can see on the internet.

“Oh my lord, what an informative webinar … Brilliant” L.D. from Chermside “I thought the webinar was fantastic ...

I now have a fuller understanding of my health” L.C. from Buderim www.advancedwellness.com.au Jodi Chapman B.H.Sc. Naturopath Suzi Le Fanue BSc(BMed) ND Naturopath & Nutritionist

Advanced Wellness & Behavioural Centre 5443 1987 44 Baden Powell St, Maroochydore

Connecting Women on the Sunshine Coast

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the good life

run for

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L

azy runner – seems like quite the oxymoron right? But local author Maree Bean says you can run for fitness and fun without pain and injury and she has written a book to tell us exactly how. Fifty-yearold Maree started running 25 years ago and soon discovered there were lots of would-be lazy runners wanting to join her style of training, hence the first Lazy Runner Club was born in Queensland, with clubs now in VIC, WA and NSW. “The Lazy Runner book is all about running the lazy way, and has lots of funny running stories and running statistics as well. I was thrilled when my running hero, Robert de Castella, read the book proof and loved it, prompting him to write the foreword, where he revealed he too is a lazy runner,” she says. Maree is about to embark on a nationwide running tour to teach others how they too can run for fun.

Maree Bean

profile: What is your personal philosophy when it comes to health and well-being? maree: Do what you like to do! My theory is you will not eat foods, even if they are good for you, if you don’t like the taste, and you won’t exercise for long if you hate the activity. profile: Do you consider yourself a fit and healthy person? maree: Yes, partly because I work in the health industry so I have to practise what I preach. But I really do like running and that is the one thing has kept me fit and healthy for the past 50 years. profile: How do you keep fit and healthy? maree: I run three or four times a week. On the days I don’t run I usually cycle or walk. profile: What’s your favourite ‘good’ food? maree: Berries of any kind. I could eat them by the bucket-load. profile: What’s your favourite ‘indulgence’ food? maree: I am a self-confessed chocolate addict. I don’t bother to fight it now or try to deprive myself, so I have some chocolate every day. profile: Western medicine or natural medicine? maree: I was a nurse for 20 years, so I guess I am an old-fashioned girl when it comes to medicine. I say if you have a problem go to your local GP, if they can’t sort it out they will refer you to someone who will. profile: Do you do organic? maree: No, I like healthy, fresh food, but whether it’s organic or not doesn’t phase me.

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profile: Have you ever tried activities like yoga and pilates? maree: I think yoga and pilates are great forms of exercise and I often refer my runners to them for the excellent stretching benefits they provide. However, I don’t go. I have tried but I think my body has only three positions; sitting, standing and lying, and trying to get into any other position is downright painful and stressful for it, not to mention very amusing to watch! profile: Have you suffered from any major health issues in your life? maree: No. I’m not sure if it’s luck or good genetics or just living a good life, but I turned 50 a couple of months ago and have never had any problems with my health. profile: Favourite past-time or hobby? maree: I run for work and when I am not working, I still run, so I must really like it. But I also love to write. The Lazy Runner has just been released, and I spent most of last year writing it. I find writing easy. I enjoy it and hours pass like minutes when I am writing. profile: What would your dream job be? maree: I am so lucky as I already work in my dream job, coaching runners.

I created this job out of a passion and that makes it so much easier to go to work each day. profile: What’s your favourite spot here at home? maree: I love the Hinterland, and all the national parks in this area. I love to run in them, it’s my very favourite thing to do. profile: Greatest sporting achievement? maree: My goal is to run a marathon on every continent. Six down and one to go.

profilemag.com.au

life

kiss of approval with Dr Simone Ricketts Hopefully a romantic Valentine’s Day last month wasn’t ruined by bad breath. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Australians aren’t even aware of their offensive bad breath.

It is an issue that even best friends find delicate to discuss. Mouth rinses, chewing gum or mints only mask the problem for a brief time and do not address the underlying causes of bad breath, or halitosis as it is officially known.

Ninety five per cent of bad breath originates from the millions of bacteria living in your mouth partying on food particles stuck between your teeth and around gums. It is these naturally occurring bacteria that produce smelly gases if they are given the right conditions to convert your mouth into a type of compost bin!

Bad breath can also be due to reflux, gum disease, chronic sinus problems or hormonal fluctuations, leading to changes in saliva and subsequent increase in bacteria in the mouth.

Women are more likely to have bad breath just before a period when other symptoms, such as abdominal bloating, are present.

Some ideas to test your breath, other than asking your nearest and dearest, are: •• Lick the back of your hand, wait 20 seconds then smell it. Also, try flossing some back teeth with non-mint floss. Wait 20 seconds then smell the floss. This will give you some indication of what your breath smells like.

Bad breath is embarrassing but it can be overcome.

Treatment for bad breath includes daily flossing, brushing teeth, brushing your tongue (remember everything you eat passes over your tongue as well as your teeth), quitting smoking, chewing sugar-free gum, limiting intake of coffee and alcohol, sorting out any decayed, broken or abscessed teeth, having a professional teeth and gum clean with your dental hygienist, and drinking lots of water.

Give your mouth the kiss of approval in 2013.

Smile by Design 5443 2888 www.smilebydesign.net.au

tips for successful weight loss with Julia Richardson Most people already know how to lose weight.

At its simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right?

But, successful weight loss doesn’t start with your body – it starts with your mind.

As we’ve all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing - it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get started. So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Here are some key points you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment: You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? Being committed means you

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have to wake up every day and decide you’re going to make healthy choices. Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce each day.

Discipline: Such an ugly word, but discipline is part of successful weight loss and exercise plan and is just another way of saying self-control.

Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you’d rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline.The same can be true of exercise.

Think of the benefits: There are some great health benefits from exercising and eating well such as protection from cancer, lower cholesterol, a better sex life and more energy, just to name a few. Reminding yourself of what you’re getting out of your workout may motivate you to get started and stay on track.

Fernwood Fitness Maroochydore 5479 0744 www.fernwoodfitness.com.au

Make a Deal With Yourself: If you don’t feel like exercise, make a deal with yourself to do at least 15 minutes of exercise – then if you still don’t want to exercise at least you will have done 15 minutes – which is better than no minutes at all!

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abode

woodland wonder MINI WOODLAND DEER, RRP $89 (20cm x 30cm with a white frame). The Woodland Deer is a pop of polkadot colour on a silvery textured background. It is perfect hung on its own or as a series with one or more of the other Woodland animals. Avalabile from www.themarchcollective.com

bed of roses Ashley Printed Cushion in Powder, RRP $36.95. Available through Harvey Norman stores

blossom bliss Indoor / outdoor flower cushion by Clinton Friedman, RRP $135. Available at www.thedesignhunter.com.au

Botanicals have always been a classic way to furnish and decorate homes. Use a mixture of floral prints and furnishings inspired by nature to create a serene, calm and elegant home environment

from nature

splash of colour Kantha Quilts in variety of bright florals, RRP $150. Available from The Lovely Bird, Cotton Tree. www.thelovelybird.com.au

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wit h love

springtime slumber â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Springtimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; linen bedding set. Available in Queen (RRP $139) and King (RRP $159), Euro Pillowcase (RRP $49), Cushion Covers (43cm x 43cm and 30cm x 60cm) RRP $35. Delicate branches are realised in a metallic silver print, the perfect nesting place for the brilliantly coloured, blue, green and gold birds that perch in the treetops.

Stunning accessories in linen and silk combine soft, blue-grey with elaborate embroidery and satin ribbon trim in vivid green, blue and gold, bringing an understated splash of colour to the bedroom. www.linenparties.com

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Charli Rose Homewares is a boutique gift shop in Maroochydore, specialising in unique homewares featuring french provincial, seaside and rustic inspired pieces.

Coffee & cake also available. Open 9-4 Monday-Saturday.

ph. 07 5443 8606 | follow us on facebook | Aqua Vista Resort, 64 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore

www.charlirosehomewares.com.au

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business

property ownership made easy with Linda Ireland Buying your first home can be a nerve-wrecking experience. Here are eight simple steps to assist potential first home buyers understand the who, what, when and where of successfully entering the property market.

Step 1: Know how much money you are willing / able to contribute You need to work out how much money you have available to contribute to the deposit and purchase costs on your potential new property.

Step 2: Investigate how much can you borrow Visit your local mortgage broker to research how much money you can potentially borrow from a range of different lenders.

This will also give you the opportunity to find out about the different types of loans available to you, and which ones will be suitable to your financial needs.

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Step 3: Property hunt with the right price in mind Once you know how much money you will have available for the purchase, you can start researching the market for suitable properties.

Step 4: Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found the right property, know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next At this point, it might be best to engage a legal adviser (solicitor / conveyancer / settlement agent) who can assist you through the legal aspects of the purchase process. You may also have building and pest inspections done on the property to check for serious defects before making an offer / bidding.

Step 5: Place a bid or make an offer You now need to organise to be able to place a bid at the auction, or if it is a private sale, negotiate directly with the seller or through their real estate agent to make an educated offer on the property.

Step 6: Sign on the dotted line If purchasing at auction, the contract is immediately signed and the deposit is paid (which is typically 10 per cent). With a private sale, you need to wait for the seller to accept your offer, and then you will be expected to pay the agreed deposit amount.

Step 7: Time to make things final If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet obtained unconditional loan approval, now is the time to do so. Keep in mind that the lender will often wish to value the property before they decide what loan amount they are prepared to provide against the property.

Step 8: Settle into your new home Finally, the contracts have been signed, the remaining funds are paid over and the property is yours!

Mortgage Choice 5476 9333 linda.ireland@mortgagechoice.com.au

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business

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get yourself in trouble with Corrie Orpin Did you know that social network websites such as Facebook can provide the ideal forum for spammers and hackers to engage in all types of cyber crime?

Due to the inherent trust factor involved, most people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think twice before clicking on a link sent from a friend.

Additionally, as personal information is disseminated to all corners of the web from the enormous user bases of social networks, hackers and crooks have more opportunity than ever to implement their cyber attacks.

The top three threats to social networks are malware, spam and phishing and all three threats go hand in hand. Get your security act together.

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In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, businesses and their IT infrastructure need to do more with less.

Now, both large enterprises and SMBs have the opportunity to optimise productivity and minimise total cost of ownership by consolidating multiple security technologies in a single SonicWALL Firewall solution.

Moreover, SonicWALL firewalls maximise security against web-based threats from social media sites and microblogs, threats from laptops and wireless mobile devices connecting from outside the corporate network, threats from malware-laden emails, and threats to productivity and network performance from streaming music or a video site.

What now? After realising the potential threats prevailing on social networking websites the next step is to secure your data and PC from hackers. Ask your local service provider about a free network security audit so you can better secure and protect your PC. Secure Access 5443 7766 corrie@secureaccess.com.au

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business promotion

built like kerry packer ll photography alicia aberley

“If anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax they want their heads read, because as a government I can tell you, you’re not spending it that well that we should be donating extra.” – Kerry Packer Like the entrepreneur behind the highly successful Packer Empire knew, the key to business success was starting with a strong foundation. Those same principles are the driving force behind PJT Accountants & Business Advisors, the highly successful national firm that calls the Sunshine Coast home.

The PJT aim is to ensure their clients’ business and personal circumstances are structured to maximise their take-home profit, while protecting personal, family and business interests across a range of scenarios. “We want our clients to keep the maximum earnings from their business. There has to be a payback for the sacrifice business owners make. After all, owning and running a business is a huge responsibility. Your family, employees, customers and suppliers are relying on you to get it right every day. At the end of the day, you want to take home as much of the profit as possible, to give you the lifestyle you’re working hard for. Whether this is spending more time with the kids or grandkids, or even taking a well-earned holiday.

To achieve this, the business needs to have specialist advice to ensure the correct entity and tax structure is in place, the processes are efficient, and tax is minimised,” advises Jodie.

“You might be surprised to learn that many enterprises are operating under a less than ideal business structure for their circumstances. Financial and tax landscapes change regularly, it’s not as simple as registering a business name and opening your doors. PJT has taken a different approach with its clients. It’s all about looking at the client’s corporate entity structure, gathering data, client aspirations and goals, and then crunching the numbers to make it work,” PJT General Manager Jodie Thompson explains.

wayne patten and jodie thompson with the pjt team

Many small to medium enterprises may be exposing their business or personal assets, even the family home, because they’re operating under the wrong entity structure, or have insufficient protection in place for the entity and its owners, or they’re not focusing on tomorrow and beyond.

Unfortunately, it’s often when something major happens in the business that this comes to light, and by then it is often too late.

PJT prides itself on being a little different to a typical accounting firm. Rather than focussing retrospectively, they use this information and work closely with their clients to plan for their present and future needs. PJT’s unique team-based approach to tax and business planning has proved successful and popular with clients. As Jodie explains, “A team approach helps us work through a range of ideas until we find the best possible solutions for our individual client’s needs. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. Each client, business and industry is a little different and clients pay us for results that are tailored. We have a fantastic, energetic team of more than 20 individuals, each combining experience and knowledge from a variety of industries, and this helps us develop solutions that sometimes clients aren’t expecting”.

Rather than resting on their laurels, PJT is constantly striving to improve their own business, as well as their clients. One of the first paperless accounting firms on the Sunshine Coast, PJT is constantly reviewing its systems, processes and the technology they use to make their team more productive and offer a better client experience.

PJT has developed unique solutions for their clients, which makes such a difference. Whether it’s helping them expand their business, negotiating an unsecured line of credit, restructuring the entities to better protect their family, assets and personal interests, or delaying Tax Office payments to boost short term cash flow and work through tough times, or successfully exit the business and maximise a sale price.

“Our clients are experts at what they do. They look to PJT to provide tax, structure, planning and financial expertise so they operate effectively, and keep as much of the profits for their toil as possible,” says Jodie.

Want to minimise your tax? Not sure if your business is in the right structure?

Need a business solution? Need to protect your assets? Planning for your future? Expanding but want to limit your risk?

Call PJT today for expertise and a different approach.

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business

the ‘C’ word with Sandra Wills On November 23rd 2009, The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services reported to parliament their findings on the collapse of various financial products and companies during the global financial crisis, including Storm Financial and Opes Prime.

One of the recommendations of this inquiry was to “cease payments from product manufacturers to financial advisers”. In other words, to ban commissions.

The government adopted this recommendation and FOFA was born. The Future Of Financial Advice package of legislation was passed by Parliament on June 25th,, 2012 and commenced on July 1, 2012.

We all use financial products – bank deposits, loans, managed investments, superannuation, insurance policies etc. Commissions are fees that can be paid to advisers by some financial institutions to distribute their products.

For example, if your life insurance adviser recommends a life insurance policy to you, the adviser will be paid a commission from the life insurance company and therefore the adviser does not need to charge you a fee for the life insurance advice and recommendation.

This can be convenient for you, as the cost of advice is paid out of your life insurance premium.

If the life insurance adviser did not receive a commission then the insurance adviser would charge you a fee for his or her advice and service.

The problem with commissions is that they can create a conflict of interest – there is a risk that an adviser might recommend a product which pays him or her the highest commission; rather than recommending the best product to suit your needs.

Now, thanks to FOFA, we can put the ‘C’ word behind us and have greater confidence that the best solutions are being recommended, based on the clients’ best interests with no conflicting interests influencing the advice.

GWM Adviser Services, Maroochydore 5443 9433 www.wealthways.com.au

Any advice in this publication is of a general nature only and has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Please seek personal advice prior to acting on this information. The information in this document reflects our understanding of existing legislation, proposed legislation, ruling etc as at the date of issue. In some cases the information has been provided to us by third parties. While it is believed the information is accurate and reliable, this is not guaranteed in any way.

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the last word

annie gaffney

ll photography calli b photgraphy

ABC Coast FM morning presenter Annie Gaffney first fell in love with the Sunshine Coast during a family holiday as a teenager. After a stint working in Perth and completing her studies, the Brisbane-born journalist and mother of three finally called the Sunny Coast home in 1990. After writing for most of the Coast’s newspapers, Annie discovered talking to people was her real passion and it wasn’t long before she went knocking on Coast FM’s door.

Most people don’t know that … I have been a BMX race commentator – it’s true.”

I grew up in …

Brisbane.

My favourite holiday spot is …

Rainbow Beach.

I start my day by … doing a quick meditation on how I’d like the day ahead to unfold, and what I’d like to achieve.

Most people don’t know that ...

I have been a BMX race commentator – it’s true. “Dusted, busted and disgusted!”

I would love to be a better … advocate for women and their families on the Coast who have been impacted by domestic violence.

When I was growing up I wanted to be … a primary school teacher.

I am at my happiest when …

I’m out taking my daily walk with my little boy and my dog.

When I am not working I am … busy working on a few creative projects I have simmering along, including a children’s book. And plotting my next adventure overseas – South America here I come!

The best meal I have had was at … my place, where a bunch of us cooked-up a mean Thai red duck curry with lychees – bliss!

Annie Gaffney is doing what she loves best – talking to people

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My favourite restaurant is … the ABC Coast FM’S studio during my weekly Mood Food segment on Mornings. Each week a local chef from one of the Coast’s best-known restaurants treats me to their fabulous fare, and best of all, they share the recipe with our audience.

My greatest achievement is … my three beautiful sons.

My most annoying habit is … asking “But why?”

In five years I hope to be … living on my dream block of acreage on the coast, and being more self-sufficient.

What makes me laugh out loud is … the verbal ping-pong that happens when my good friends and I get together.

My hidden talent is … table tennis!

profilemag.com.au