Imagine Four

RIVER CRUISING Slow boat through Europe

LAND ROVER Discovery 4

FINANCIAL PLANNER of the Year 2011

SMELL OF SUCCESS Scent-sory Marketing

EVENT &BOOK GUIDE BOOKEND:

Adam Spencer

Ita Buttrose The Might of Magnates, Media & Manners

AUS $6.95 NZ $8.95 ISSN 1838-0514

imagine four

WINNER

AUTO EUROPA 2011 TITLE Motoring journalists are a cynical mob at best, and the Italian ones are probably the most cynical of all.

Yet when it comes to the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, they go weak at the knees. They awarded it the Auto Europa title for 2011 ahead of 40 other vehicles, including the BMW 5-Series Saloon and Peugeot RCZ. It was for a combination of many things: its exhilarating _ yet environmentally friendly _ performance and 6-speed gearbox; the fact that it’s the safest compact car ever tested; plus its ergonomic and luxurious interior equipped with state-of-the-art technology. It’s another step in Alfa Romeo’s on-going romance with motoring.

BWMALF5026/IMAGINE

YOU CAN FALL IN LOVE WITH GIULIET TA AT YOUR NEAREST DEALER TODAY.

ALFAROMEO.COM . AU

L'UNIONE ITALIANA GIORNALISTI DELL'AUTOMOBILE

KNOW YOU’RE ALIVE

Save $750

per couple*

Book ANY 2012 Avalon Waterways European river cruise with an airfare and save $750 per couple.

Magnificent europe

15 days from Amsterdam to Budapest from $6169 *

AvALon PAnorAmA | AvALon vISTA | AvALon vISIonAry

ENJOY A SUITE THAT’S ALL BALCONY AND A BALCONY THAT’S ALL SUITE. Clichéd as it may seem, Avalon’s Suite Ships really do offer the best of both worlds. Naturally they’re luxurious as you would expect from Europe’s youngest river cruise fleet, but slide back the wall-to-wall panoramic windows and you’ll find your suite transformed into an exceptionally spacious open-air balcony. You see, Europe has never seen anything like Avalon’s new fleet of Suite Ships. Just as you’ve never seen Europe like this before.

To book your European river cruise, see your Travel Agent today.

For a free brochure and DVD visit www.avalonwaterways.com.au

*Terms and Conditions: Price and promotions are correct at time of production (06/07/11) and are subject to availability. Advertised cruise price of $6169pp does not include discount and is per person twin share based on category P cabin and includes gratuities and port charges for Magnificent Europe cruise departing 24/10/12. Deposit of $500 per person/per cruise and $250 per person per airfare required within 14 days. Offers can be withdrawn or modified at any time without notice. SAVE $750 – applies to ANY 2012 Europe river cruise booked with an airfare. Passengers are subject to airline restrictions, terms and conditions. Offer valid to 30/09/11 or until sold out. Further restrictions apply see brochure or website for full terms and conditions. License No: 2TA000637

Publishers Desk

ISSN 1838-0514 Imagine Your Lifestyle Pty Ltd ABN 27 120 725 073 ACN 120 725 073 Publisher Nicholas Reid publisher@imagineyourlifestyle.com.au Editor Jeni Bone editor@imagineyourlifestyle.com.au Advertising Sales & Marketing John Blondin {Media Titles Pty Ltd} advertising@imagineyourlifestyle.com.au

The publisher’s desk.

W

elcome to Imagine Four and our first Birthday.

The past year has been the highlight of my publishing career, working with an amazing team passionate about investigating, researching, compiling, writing and delivering you stories to inspire, educate and enjoy.

The team have worked tirelessly to deliver what I believe to be the very best wealth and lifestyle magazine in Australia. I am proud to say we now personally deliver over 40,000 copies of Imagine every three months to individuals, families and businesses across Australia and averaging out what you have told us we now have well over 120,000 readers every quarter and growing. A big thank you to everyone for your support and we look forward to bringing you more inspirational stories.

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

On a personal note, Ita Buttrose, who just happens to be one of my biggest Chinese Proverb influences, joins us this issue. I had the pleasure of working with Ita on a number of projects and was inspired by her to pursue my passion. Ita overcame and broke many barriers both personally and professionally to flourish in a tough but rewarding industry. If you have a chance, do yourself a favour and watch ABC’s Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and you’ll truly appreciate what an amazing woman she is.

As usual, I ask you to continue your correspondence with the team.

If you have any questions, comments or general feedback please email us at Imagine at letters@imagineyourlifestyle.com.au or join us in the conversation at facebook and twitter. Until next time, keep imagining!

Nicholas Reid Publisher www.imagineyourlifestyle.com.au

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imagineyourlifestyle

Printed in Australia by Caxton Web www.caxtonweb.com.au Distributed by Future Sources www.futuresources.com.au Imagine Four Team:

Carol Yip

Andrew Winter

Lizzie Loel

Sam Tannous

Jon Thomson

Geoff Edwards

Lauren Brittain

Ken Swan

Sydney Level 29, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000

Queensland Level 1, 36 Francis Street, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218

Head Office +61 (0)2 9375 2143 www.reidmedia.com.au

Join us for all the latest news.

@imagine_mag

Art Direction & Production Reid Media info@reidmedia.com.au www.reidmedia.com.au

A big thank you to Ita Buttrose for taking the time to talk with us.

Disclaimer No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form by any means without prior written permission from the Publisher.

Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Imagine Your Lifestyle Pty Ltd. Every issue of Imagine Your Lifestyle is prepared with careful attention to accuracy.

Please use this magazine as general guide. It is important to consult a professional before making decisions relating to your own financial investment. Imagine Your Lifestyle expresses the views of the authors and is based on the information available at the time of publication and it is not to be taken as advice. All editorial material is accepted in good faith. We welcome editorial and photographic contributions.

Imagine Four

Does your life insurance earn you Qantas Frequent Flyer points?

OnePath life insurance is an easy way for you to help protect your loved ones from whatever the future may hold, and it also lets you earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points. So, while you pay for the peace of mind of knowing they’ll be taken care of, you can be rewarded by paying your eligible monthly premiums.* In fact, you could earn one Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every dollar you spend on eligible premiums.*

To find out more about OnePath life insurance, speak to your financial adviser or visit onepath.com.au

onepath.com.au

*OnePath life insurance and income protection products are issued by OnePath Life Limited. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member and correctly register valid membership details with OnePath to start earning Qantas Frequent Flyer points on eligible OnePath premiums you pay. Points are earned in accordance with the ‘OnePath and Qantas Frequent Flyer Rewards Terms and Conditions’ available at onepath.com.au/qff-terms-conditions. Membership and points are subject to Qantas Frequent Flyer program terms and conditions available at Qantas.com/frequentflyer. Points are only earned on premiums you pay after OnePath has received your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership details. Qantas does not endorse, is not responsible for and does not provide any advice, opinion or recommendation about these life insurance products or the information provided by OnePath in this advertisement.

Imagine Four

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36

Contents.

22

Regulars

8 Publisher’s Desk 12 Your Say Tell us what you think and what you want to see.

14 Events Guide A rundown of the festivals, events and attractions around the country.

16 Foreword The latest books to amuse and inform.

18 Silverscreen Flicks for the whole family.

20 Galleria Gadgets, gizmos & gear.

Features 22 Cover story The Irrepressible Ita: Manners and a lifetime in the media spotlight.

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28 Financial Planner of the Year 2011 Marshall Brentnall and the team from Evalesco recognised for excellence and ethics.

Financial Planning 32 Partnership in Practice Sue McKeen learnt first-hand about the importance of business insurance.

36 Financial Services Industry Changes, Challenges & Opportunities Professional Investment Services Group Managing Director Grahame Evans comments from an industry and consumers perspective.

40 Case Study: Family in Focus Mark Gerrard sees the future beyond professional sport, with a little help from financial adviser and friend, Steven Hallam.

44 A Day in the Life of a Financial Adviser: Pauline Hammer.

52 Viva Las Vegas: 2011 Professional Investment Services Conference.

Imagine Profiles 48 Dave Cornthwaite: 100 Dates in 100 Days (and other challenges of a lifetime!)

54 Dollars & Scents Welcome to the new frontier of aroma marketing.

96 Young Entrepreneur in Profile Lara Solomon, inventor, author and business young gun.

Imagine Four

Contents

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114

110

106

Imagine Fashion 78 Fashion

Family Matters 58 Money in Love Carol Yip explores the financial habits that make the foundation for a good marriage.

60 Learning for Life Ken Swan, Director of The Wealth Academy shares insight about teaching kids about money.

62 Preparing for Aged Care 66 Narcissism and the Facebook Generation.

70 Dealing with Confrontation and making it work for you.

Home 64 Andrew Winter Buying off Plan: know the risks and responsibilities.

At Home 72 Market News 74 Cuisine: One Pot Wonders from Lizzie Loel.

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Herringbone sets sail with nautical inspiration for Spring/Summer 2011.

86 Fashion Accessories Hand Bag Queen, Camila Alves, creates top model totes.

Health & Wellbeing

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88 Spa Sensations: Recline, relax, rejuvenate in the comfort of your own home.

90 Health Don’t let the little things weigh you down.

94 Beauty C’mon fellas, time to save face!

Destination 98 Cruising the Rivers of Europe Some of the most loved and the latest options for exploring Europe’s river reaches.

103 Murwillumbah Mavis’s Kitchen is a welcome haven for foodies and solace seekers.

Detour 106 Test Drive Land Rover Discovery 4 – new, improved and utterly impressive.

110 Boating Launched in May at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, the totally overhauled Mustang 50 Sports Cruiser.

Bookend 114 Adam Spencer The mathematician, broadcaster, author, dad and Dry July Patron reveals his career path and ambition.

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Your Say

Imagine Your Mine

your say

I read your magazine regularly with great interest and really enjoyed last issue’s story on Richard Branson. What an innovator!

I work in the mining industry and I feel as though the industry is getting a bit of a bad rap at the moment so I was wondering if it were possible for Imagine to do a story on a senior person within one of the big five mining groups and get their views on the current economic climate and the future of the industry?

John Barkin, Richmond VIC Thank you for your letter John. We’re glad you enjoy the magazine. We’ll look into the mining angle for next issue.

Make My Day What a great read! Thank you so much for the inspirational stories in the last issue of Imagine. I just wanted to drop the team a quick note to thank you for such a great magazine.

The story on Sebastian Terry really made my day.

Roz, via email Thank you for your email Roz. The team appreciate the feedback.

Update Me I love the magazine, and would like to refer my friends to some of the stories. Do you have a web presence with all your current articles?

CJ, via email Hi CJ, We are planning on updating our website in the coming months and making it more interactive.

De-Cluttered

wi n

...one of 4 full -size jars of C rème Paradox just by having e your question , comment or feedback pu blished in the next issue of Imag ine. E questions or co mail your mments to: letters @ imagineyourl

ifestyle .com .a u

Valued at $11 99 4

Crème Paradoxe: Flawless skin from the goodness of grapes

C

rème Paradoxe is the breakthrough daily treatment cream by Danish cosmeceutical brand, Beauté Pacifique that fights the effects of ageing. Containing the key ingredients of Resveratrol and Procyanidin found in red wine, it is proven to delay the onset of ageing and extend the life of cells so that the skin remains younger and healthier for longer.

Resveratrol and Procyanidin are natural compounds that are found in red grapes that are proven to slow the ageing process, reduce pigmentation, sun damage, and inflammation, while treating the cause of acne and breakouts.

Crème Paradoxe stimulates the repair process in the skin by delivering Resveratrol and Procyanidin inside of squalene droplets which naturally absorb into the deeper layers of the skin, releasing the powerful ingredients.

Dermatologist, Patricio Figuero, was surprised to discover the Chilean grape seed contains extraordinarily high amounts of Resveratrol and Procyanidin. Gaining exclusive rights outside of Chile to the precious grapes, Beauté Pacifique scientists were able to bottle the incredible extracts to make the ultimate daily face crème, Crème Paradoxe. www.beautepacifique.com.au

Having just “sifted” through an enormous pile of magazines dating back to 2007 in an effort to de-clutter, I worried at how much money I had spent/wasted on magazines with very little reading content at all and basically advertisements for fashion and makeup products. I decided then and there that from now on the only magazines I would continue buying would be those that provided value for money.

I believe Imagine to be just that. The right amount of advertising combined with some very interesting articles makes this an enjoyable magazine indeed. Keep up the good work.

L. Green, Toowong, QLD Thank you for the letter. We appreciate the feedback. Be sure to spread the word.

12

Imagine Four

integrated innovative award winning Macquarie Life Active, Best Life Insurance Product of the Year Awarded by AB+F magazine

Macquarie Life Active has received the Australian Banking and Finance (AB+F) award for Best Life Insurance Product of the Year.

This award endorses our commitment to product innovation – giving your clients a comprehensive, commonsense insurance offering that’s the first of its kind in Australia.

We are serious about supporting your business and will continue to build our insurance capability for the long term, investing in our people, our products and our technology.

Macquarie Life Active at a glance /

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Macquarie Adviser Services Call us on 1800 005 057 to find out more about Macquarie Life’s award winning insurance solutions, or visit macquarielife.com.au

Macquarie Life Limited (MLL) ABN 56 003 963 773 AFSL 237 497 is not an authorised deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act (Cth) 1959, and MLL’s obligations do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542. Macquarie Bank Limited does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of MLL.

ACtive_11.2010

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Events&Festivals

01

03

02

Imagine

Events Guide.

01 Brisbane ekka 11 – 20 August

The countdown is on to Queensland’s biggest and most-loved event, the Ekka. More than 400,000 Queenslanders will return this year to enjoy the thrills, the glamour, the delicious treats and the strong spirit of competition from August 11 to 20. The Ekka continues to be Queensland’s most anticipated yearly event bringing a smorgasbord of culinary delights, an extensive and diverse line-up of entertainment and more than 10,000 animals. Connecting Queenslanders of all ages - from the country to the city and from all walks of life, it’s an event not to be missed.

02 Canberra Craft Fair 11 – 14 August Craft enthusiasts of all ages are set to be inspired when the Craft & Quilt Fair, comes to the Exhibition Park In Canberra from August 11 to 14, 2011. The Craft & Quilt Fair is Australia’s most popular craft event and features an exciting mix of world class displays, a comprehensive range of hands-on classes and workshops and the greatest craft products from both international and local suppliers. For the first time ever, there’s also the unique opportunity to share your craft ideas and get your name in print - with a book of the best craft tips to be published!

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04

03 Sydney Gardening

Australia Expo 19 – 21 August Sydney’s ABC Gardening Australia Expo returns to Rosehill Gardens Racecourse from August 19 to 21, offering seasoned green thumbs and aspiring gardeners the very latest how-to advice from Australia’s leading gardening experts. This spectacular Expo will bring ABC TV’s Gardening Australia to life with host Stephen Ryan.

04 Barossa Gourmet Weekend 20 – 21 August

Set your taste buds free with a weekend of indulgence in one of world’s best wine regions. 27 wineries will generously showcase their finest wines paired with heartwarming food and the best of SA live entertainment. The Gourmet Weekend is guaranteed to banish the winter blues. Come and experience Barossa hospitality at its best!

Imagine Four

Events&Festivals

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09

06

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05 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 30 August – 5 September

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is a time to celebrate the exceptional talent that is the essence of Australia’s fashion capital. The event offers more than 100 free and ticketed public events celebrating the arrival of the Spring/Summer fashion season, featuring all the hottest designers, labels, styles and retailers in and around Melbourne.

06 Brisbane Festival

Sunsuper Riverfire 3 – 24 September Sunsuper Riverfire is set to be the single biggest event on the city’s calendar this year with more than half a million spectators expected to view the fireworks spectacular on 3 September, which will herald the start of Brisbane Festival.

07 2011 Water Ski Racing World

Championships 6 – 18 September The World Water Ski Racing Championships are coming to Queensland for the first time. Over 350 competitors from 12 countries throughout Europe, the

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05 United States and New Zealand are expected to make the pilgrimage to Moreton Bay, Queensland to go head to head against the very best Australian ski racers at what is arguably the most picturesque venue ever to hold this prestigious event.

08 2011 Rugby World Cup

September 9 – October 23 On September 9, 2011 the eyes of the world will be on New Zealand for the start of Rugby World Cup 2011.

Behind the scenes, it will take the combined effort of over 2,000 volunteers in performing and support roles to make the Opening Ceremony one of this year’s most spectacular international events.

09 Festival of the Winds September 11 The skies will come alive with hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes from local and international kite-makers and flyers alike at Sydney’s most colourful festival! Held at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, Bondi, there will be kite flying, a multicultural program of music and dance, free workshops, children’s entertainment, including rides, kite making workshops, kite stalls, food stalls and much more.

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16

Foreword

Turn over a new leaf.

$29.95

The Big Tilt

16

$29.95

William and Kate:

Bernard Salt

A Royal Love Story

Demographer and social commentator, Bernard Salt looks at the intriguing new phenomena that the next decade may yield.

The past decade has provided us with a lot of fodder for prognostications - with Facebook and Twitter coming up from nowhere to suddenly dominate the culture, the iPhone’s complete transformation of communication and the Wikileaks new world order, this decade has yielded much that would have been unthinkable in the once-futuristic-sounding year 2000.

So what will 2020 look like? Will an iPhone-esque gadget be our main portal to the outside world? Will the Boomers be receding gracefully from their dominant perch over the culture? Will the term ‘friend’ still mean the same thing? Will the new blasphemy look more like forgetting to bring your re-usable coffee cup to the neighbourhood cafe? Most importantly, will the convergence of all these new technologies create a merging of all the aspects of our lives, resulting in The Big Tilt? From the bestselling author of The Big Shift, The Big Picture and Man Drought comes a witty and animated examination of the decade to come.

Hardie Grant Books.

For the romantics and the Royalists, this is the title for you. William and Kate, destined to be one of the most celebrated unions of the twenty-first century: he, the charismatic prince who would someday be crowned king of England; she, the stunningly beautiful commoner who won his heart. Prince William and Kate Middleton defied all odds to forge a storybook romance amid the scandals, power struggles, tragedies, and general dysfunction that are the hallmarks of Britain’s Royal Family. In the process, they became the most written about, gossiped about, admired, and envied young couple of their generation.

Yet for most of their nearly decade-long affair, William and Kate have remained famously quiet and kept their royal relationship a tantalizing mystery. Now, as the confetti settles on their sumptuous wedding, journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Andersen reveals the intimate details of their celebrated courtship and offers a glimpse of the man and wife, and future king and queen, they will become.

Simon & Schuster

Christopher Andersen

Money Work Life Carol Yip Learn how money can work for you to enjoy life with cool strategies you can adopt easily!

Carol’s new book, ‘Money Work Life’ is a practical book for today’s adults to 30 years old.

Research shows that 90% of a person’s wealth is lost due to poor thought processes and emotional preparation, while only 10% is caused by poor financial planning.

Your new financial journey starts when you read this book with an open mind, clearly reflecting on your life experiences.

Once you begin applying Carol’s strategies and recommendations, you’ll discover a newfound power over money, and achieve “money work life” balance.

You’ll be happy when you’re able to control your money.

“Money Work Life” is simple, easy-touse book, specially designed to help you handle money efficiently so that you’ll take the first correct steps towards your life and money goals, and a successful future! www.abacusformoney.com

Imagine Four

Foreword

17

And now, for the good news.

The road ahead, the long run and the risks and opportunities that can be anticipated are the focus of this mostly uplifting analysis of global prospects.

Outrageous Fortunes:

The Twelve Surprising Trends that will Reshape the Global Economy Daniel Altman Penguin Australia

A

$29.95

mid all the handwringing on the downward trajectory of the global economy comes this cool, collected, and sensible view of forthcoming economic trends. Altman (Connected), professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, looks at deeper factors: geography, culture, government policies - to challenge conventional (or simply much touted) wisdom: he predicts China’s economic supremacy will be short, undermined by its own central government’s heavy-handedness and Confucian cultural influences. He offers an unflinching examination of the merits and flaws of capitalism and socialism and resets archaic perceptions about how to encourage or inhibit growth.

In his analysis, capitalism comes out on top, but succeeds best and for a longer period of time with government intervention and redistributive policies.

Altman predicts global migratory shifts that will make today’s world financial centres obsolete and foresees the pitfalls of a unified European currency. Altman delivers more than mere analysis or foreshadowing: this is revelatory reading for even the most casual observer of economics, and an invaluable tool for reconsidering how the world makes money.

The fate of the global economy, Altman argues, will be determined by deeper factors than those that move markets from moment to moment. He brings together hidden trends, social pressures and policy endgames to make twelve surprising but logical predictions. His forecasts also raise a pressing question:

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with so many challenges awaiting us, are our political and economic institutions up to the task?

Outrageous Fortunes tells which industries will grow, which economies will crumble, which investments will pay off, and where the next big crisis may occur.

Outrageous Fortunes is an economic treatise that is incisive and approachable enough for economists and general audiences alike. According to many critics, it is an essential guide to the road ahead.

Daniel Altman was born in Connecticut and studied economics at Harvard long enough to receive a doctorate.

Rather than stay in the ivory tower, he became the London-based economics correspondent of The Economist. He next joined The New York Times as one of the youngest-ever members of its editorial board and later wrote economic commentary for the business section. He soon returned to London to become an economic advisor in the British government, dealing with crime, immigration, and illicit drugs. His next position was as the global economics columnist of the International Herald Tribune, with stints in Buenos Aires, Damascus, and Hong Kong.

In 2008, he left journalism definitively to write Outrageous Fortunes and become a practitioner in the field of international development. With four friends from graduate school, he founded North Yard Economics, a not-for-profit consulting firm serving governments and non-governmental organizations in developing countries. Upon his return to New York, he began teaching economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business and became director of thought leadership at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a strategic consulting firm exclusively focused on raising living standards in developing countries and addressing global challenges. He lives in New York City. www.danielaltman.com 17

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SILVERSCREEN

Silver Screen.

Release Date Out Now Release Date September 22

Friends with Benefits Romantic Comedy Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Emma Stone, Andy Samberg with Richard Jenkins and Woody Harrelson.

A

young female headhunter (Mila Kunis) in New York convinces a potential recruit (Justin Timberlake) to accept a job in the Big Apple. Despite an attraction to each other, both realise they’re everything they’ve been running from in a relationship and decide to see what happens if they leave emotion out of it and keep it strictly physical.

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Bad Teacher Comedy Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Michael Higgins and Jason Segel.

A

teacher with a rich fiancé gets distracted when a handsome substitute teacher arrives at her school.

Imagine Four

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SILVERSCREEN

Release Date August 25

Release Date

September 1-15

The Smurfs in 3D

Priest in 3D

Comedy/Adventure Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Kevin James, Katy Perry, George Lopez, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming.

Horror Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Lily Collins, Brad Dourif, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Plummer.

A

udiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours - in fact, smack dab in the middle of New York’s Central Park. The Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

A

warrior priest disobeys Church law by teaming with a young sheriff and a priestess (female warrior priest). The three band together to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped the priest’s niece before they turn her into one of them.

Zookeeper Comedy/CGI and Live Action Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Cher, Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone.

I

n Zookeeper, the animals at the Franklin Park Zoo love their kind-hearted caretaker, Griffin Keyes (Kevin James). Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides the only way to get a girl in his life is to leave the zoo and find a more glamorous job. The animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honoured code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! To keep Griffin from leaving, they decide to teach him the rules of courtship – animal style. The film also stars Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb and features the voices of Cher, Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, and Sylvester Stallone.

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Release Date September 1-8

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GALLERIA

Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet

$49.95

The Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet is the eco-friendly alternative to note pads and sticky notes (and priceless comics).

The Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet is an electronic, pressure sensitive, ultra-thin writing tablet that you’ll be able to use over 50,000 times (and you’ll never have to change the battery)!

Gadget Guide $99.95 Joseph Joseph Design Digital Kitchen Scales The Joseph Joseph Digital Shell Scale has the capacity to measure up to a generous 5kgs.

The LCD display is large and easy to read, with auto power-off feature and both metric and imperial measures (grams, pounds, ounces, fluid ounces and millilitres). And the ‘add’ and ‘weigh’ function means you can combine multiple ingredients in the same bowl.

$49.95 Mini Rapid iCharger The Mini Rapid iCharger is the smart charger for your even smarter iPhone or iPad. Arguably the world’s smallest charger based on 2200 mAh capacity. That means the Mini Rapid iCharger will extend the usage time of your iPad by 3 hours, yep, another 180 minutes of web surfing and video. And will extend the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 by 10 hours (that’s 10 hours talk time on 3G or 20 hours on 2G). It’s built-in Glass-A branded lithium-ion battery can fully charge an iPhone 4 in 1.5 hours or give your iPad 1/3 charge in 2 hours.

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Imagine Four

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GALLERIA

$39.95 Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker The Flavour Shaker™ is designed to crush, mix, and release flavour from whole spices, herbs, garlic, nuts, citrus rind or even lime or bay leaves. In just a few seconds you can create and add flavour to all kinds of everyday dishes.

Joseph Joseph Design Chop2 pot A top culinary-standard chopping board that goes one step further.

The Chop 2 Pot incorporates innovative polypropylene living hinges that fold into a shoot when the handle is squeezed to help guide all your sliced and diced goodness straight into your pot without spilling any on the floor or stove top!

$29.95 $49.95 Korjo Digital Luggage Scales The Korjo Digital Luggage Scale is tiny, lightweight, powerful and very easy to use.

Take it on any trip and avoid excess costs.

The auto locking feature means that you can simply weigh your luggage - once you hear the “beep”, you can put the luggage down and read the displayed weight at your leisure.

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Imagine 22

Imagine Four

Ita Buttrose

Imagine Exclusive

ita

Revered and respected, elevated to the echelon of identities known by first name alone, Ita is the nicest interview subject, but perhaps the hardest to render in a single article.

Story Jeni Bone

I

n the 70s and 80s, Ita Buttrose was ubiquitous. High profile founding editor of Cleo, youngest editor at just 33 at the helm of the iconic Australian Women’s Weekly, stating her case with conviction on Beauty & the Beast in stoushes (always ladylike) with the various hosts over the years. Ita was on chat shows, variety programs, ads, covers, panels, and even parodied by comediennes.

And always immaculately decked out, perennially perfect from manicured fingers to prim pumps and trademark tresses.

She is author of 10 books, all non-fiction, ranging from “Mother Guilt” to “How Much is Enough: Your Financial Roadmap to a Happy Retirement” co-written with her brother, Will Buttrose, and most recently, an updated version of her guide to Australian manners,

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“The Australian Guide to Etiquette: From Weddings to Work” (Penguin Australia).

With the mantra “Good manners give a person increased self-confidence and the ability to be at ease in most situations”, Ita’s tome is contemporary and generous of spirit.

“Good manners,” she states, “mean being kind and thoughtful to others, being considerate of their feelings.

Good manners are about respect for others and pride in yourself. They are essential for civilised living.”

For more than 40 years, as journalist, presenter, publisher, tireless worker for charity, agony aunt and author – as well as mother and grandmother – Ita has been an inspiration to generations of Australian women.

In the course of her phenomenal media career she has seen how important etiquette is in every aspect of life, from the personal to the professional. She says correct etiquette not only ensures that a meal will be pleasant or

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Imagine

a wedding will run smoothly, retains to this day. Under her editorship, the Weekly it can also make or break a broke through the one million copies sold for the first career. time (it was then a weekly and not a monthly) setting In her book, Ita outlines in new publishing records in this country and making the fastidious but humorous detail Weekly, per capita of population, the highest circulating some of the standards of magazine in the world. decorum, custom and niceties Then, hand-picked by the 35-year old Kerry Packer, for organising a wedding, such much to the consternation of his father, Sir Frank, Ita as whom to invite, deciding became founding editor of a magazine for the new who sits where, who pays for 70s woman, Cleo. It was a massive leap from knitting what and other conundrums, patterns to male centrefolds! or trickier still, arranging a funeral, hosting a business “Hundreds of thousands of women were going through lunch, making a speech and behaving correctly in a such a raft of changes – women’s liberation, equality, mosque. returning to the work force, the contraceptive pill, It all came about because Ita noticed, after a run in with sexual revolution. We were, in effect, storming the a mobile-phone wielding pedestrian, that people just barricades. Middle class women in their 20s to 40s, like don’t say thank you anymore. “I opened the door for a us working on the magazine, were still interested in fellow at a post office and he just bowled through and gardening, cooking and sewing, but they wanted more. kept walking, looking down at his phone. I popped my “Cleo catered to those changes, talking with them, head around after him and said ‘thank you!’ offering advice and information. It was I suppose in a facetious kind of way.

Kerry Packer’s first major success, so He was terribly embarrassed Sir Frank grew to like it.” and said ‘oh yes, thanks’. Our One of the now infamous hectic lives have allowed moments involved Kerry people to become illPacker walking in on “Hundreds of mannered. But manners an editorial discussion thousands of women were are essential, as a mark about sex toys, then of respect for each still very much taboo, going through such a raft of other.” scandalous even. “We Good manners make sent one of the young changes – women’s liberation, life less stressful, she journalists down to equality, returning to the says. “Times may a rather dingy shop have changed, but to buy some and then work force, the contraceptive good manners never she had to try them, go out of fashion.” pill, sexual revolution. Cleo and then write about Ita lives her etiquette the experience. When reflected that.” ethos. A lively, candid KP walked in you could interviewee, Ita deftly hear a pin drop. He wanted bridged the awkward moments to know how his father would in our conversation with warm react and I said ‘Tell him it’s a prompts and a sweet laugh, while I health story about helping women cope stammered through, daunted by her stature with frigidity in marriage’. There were lots of as the pioneer, the doyenne of publishing (and nearly episodes like that. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun.” every other sphere!).

From there, Ita was poached by Rupert Murdoch to With the screening and subsequent DVD version become Editor-in-Chief of his Sydney Daily Telegraph of “Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo”, Ita’s stocks and Sunday Telegraph, making her the first woman to have enjoyed a spike, introducing her story to a new ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia. generation and reminding the rest of us how utterly Competing with men never meant being one of impressive she has always been. the boys. “We were always very well dressed, well The daughter of two journalists, Ita knew from age 11 it groomed, being feminine was a source of pride, and would be her career choice. “They always had so many power. You can be strong and ask for what you want, interesting people over for dinner parties. I thought direct a team of people without resorting to aggressive ‘wow, this is exciting!’ I was daddy’s little girl, as the tactics or bullying – or staying on at the pub. Women only daughter and with three brothers. To this day, my are generally too busy for that. brothers claim they were behind my success. They say “Women have our own strengths. It does help to know they taught me how to get on with men; Be a lady, but how to think like one, but you do not have to identify cut through the chatter and deal directly with them.” with men. It really helped to have three brothers. I Ita began her career as a copygirl on The Australian learned how to outsmart men, and get along with them.

Women’s Weekly when she was just 15. By 21 she was To be a lady, but think like a man.” the magazine’s Social Editor and by 33 had become While many of her male counterparts from the heady the Weekly’s Editor, its youngest ever, a mantle she days of ACP are still highly visible and at the top of 24

Imagine Four

Ita Buttrose w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

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Imagine Rob Carlton as Kerry Packer and Asher Keddie as Ita Buttrose in "Paper Giants".

their game, does she regret leaving the cut and thrust? Would she do anything differently?

“No, there’s no point. You can’t undo anything. I wouldn’t change my life for anything.”

Ita hasn’t ruled out a return to publishing, online or traditional magazines. “I would love to start up a magazine,” she says, her own foray into publishing including the self-titled Ita and Bark! for dog lovers, among other custom publications for clients like the government, Telstra and David Jones.

“There is a need for well written journalism. But I am quite happy writing books. I would like get in to fiction, write a novel. I still have plenty to achieve.”

Women’s magazines today, for the most part, are “insulting” says Ita. “They have let their standards slip. In the 70s and 80s we agreed not to cover diets and weight, since it was harmful and damaging, trivial. It seems women in publishing have taken all the great gains for granted 26

and here they are, back again. Today you see terrible covers like ‘yummy mummies’ and who’s too thin or too fat.

I think they are underestimating their readers. Women do still want more.”

The issues today are just as intense and Ita is just as passionate about them.

“There’s the abortion debate, it’s a criminal act in some states, the lagging equality in the work force, pay issues, creating family-friendly work places, affordable, accessible childcare, health issues. And then there’s technology. We worked very hard in those early days, but when we left the office, that was it for the day. We focused on our families. Now

with mobiles and laptops, work really intrudes on family life. I do believe it’s bad management if your staff can’t finish up for the day at the end of the day. We need to overhaul the workplace and get serious about work-life balance.”

Another big challenge facing Australians today, according to Ita, is financial security. “I was very lucky, my brother Will was an economist and investment banker who handed out sound financial advice to me over the years. The reason we wrote ‘How Much is Enough’ is because it was evident that Australians hadn’t saved up enough for their retirement. If you retire at 65, or 70, you could still live another 20 or 30 years. A plan is crucial.”

“Paper Giants” and its popularity would have amused Kerry Packer. “He would have approved,” says Ita. “It realistically portrayed the media of that era and [actress] Asher Keddie did a splendid job – right down to my hair and mannerisms. But it would have irked him that it appeared on the ABC. ‘Nobody’s watching it’ he would have said. KP was a visionary in every sense of the word.

He loved his cricket and we have him to thank for the legacy of World Series Cricket, and sports broadcasting in many ways.”

Where are the publishing visionaries today, or indeed the leaders in any industry? “The bean counters have stifled them. But they are still out there. I have hope.”

She’s not a fan of social media either.

“I worry about it. There is no need to reveal all online. It only leads to unwelcome attention and conflict. It can do irreparable damage to your image and reputation. I like the rule: ‘would your mother approve?’ and the other rule: ‘if you’re angry, drunk or feeling emotional, sleep on it. Think before you write’.”

A prolific speaker on the corporate circuit and advocate for several charities including her role as President of Alzheimers Australia, Patron of Macular Degeneration Foundation and Vice President Emeritus of Arthritis Australia, as well as being an attentive grandma to four small grandchildren, Ita simply has no time for Facebook or Twitter. “I receive a lot of emails and letters and I write back to every single one. It’s all I can do to keep up with those.” iyl Imagine Four

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Investment

| Personal Insurance | Superannuation

Financial Planner of the Year 2011

Value Vindicated

“Most people spend more time on Facebook than on focusing on investing in their financial security,” says Marshall Brentnall, who with Jeff Thurecht runs Evalesco Financial Services in Sydney’s CBD and was recently awarded Financial Planner of the Year.

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nd he’s right. Even though work occupies our days and weeks and years, we avoid discussing the product of our labour (money), our financial futures, even the security of our families, often until it’s too late.

“It’s beyond most people’s comfort zones,” explains Marshall. “So they ignore it, don’t ask for help or feel like there’s some stigma attached. But it can be complex. You generally don’t know what you don’t know. We want people to let us, the experts, demystify the options available and fill that void.”

This proactive, client-centred approach won Marshall the Financial Planner of the Year Award, announced in Las Vegas at the Professional Investment Services 2011 conference.

“This award really meant a lot to me, since it was nominated by my peers and staff in the PIS group and recognizes the quality of our advice and our business ethos.”

But in his characteristically modest manner, Marshall shares the credit. “The award might have my name on it, but it is actually a team award, the simple reason being that without Jeff and the rest of our staff (Belinda, Warren and Kristi), it would not have been possible.”

Marshall and Jeff had been colleagues and firm friends for over 10 years, before becoming business partners in Evalesco in 2007.

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“Whilst working in separate Financial Planning businesses, we realised that in order to build a truly exceptional advice business, you need to surround yourself with quality people. In 2008, the time was right to join forces.”

Jeff was ecstatic with Marshall’s win, taking pride in the award as “vindication of the decision to work together and build a strong team”.

“I am very proud of Marshall’s achievement in winning the award, both as a mate and his business partner. I know that his commitment in putting our clients first and always striving to achieve the best outcome for them is one of the key factors in the growth of our business, even through the difficult GFC period.

“We explain to our clients that it’s very difficult to do everything on your own. The support of a good team and trusted advisers can certainly make the journey more enjoyable and ultimately more rewarding. That’s certainly how the team at Evalesco sees things!

“Evalesco” is Latin for “to grow strong, prevail, or to have value”, fitting for a company that sees its role as a mentor, motivator, coach.

“All successful businesses and sportspeople have coaches and advisers, without exception. Even the best performers maintain the services of a coach because it’s the coach’s role to keep them Imagine Four

Marshall Brentnall

Partners: Marshall Brentnall and Jeff Thurecht. w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

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FPOTY

L to R: Marshall Brentnall, Belinda Marley-Wallace, Kristi Teasel, Jeff Thurecht, Barbara Richardson and Warren Desmond.

“The best performers maintain the services of a coach to keep them accountable and to get the results they want to achieve.” accountable and to get the results they want to achieve.”

In a comparable way, Marshall and Jeff “aim to assist our clients to articulate their objectives and then put in place the required strategies to ensure that they achieve their objectives”.

“Throughout this process we also seek to better understand the specific barriers to financial success that many of our clients need to overcome. Some of these include procrastination, looking for the ‘magic solution’, distraction, never taking action and not asking for help.”

These “barriers to financial success” are symptoms of the life stage of the demographic of many of Evalesco’s clients. “They are generally busy professionals, 35-45 years, working, paying off their homes, looking to make those extra steps now. We term them ‘Pathway clients’, an often overlooked part of the market. This niche has considerable aspirations for wealth creation, and it’s our commitment to partner them as they move along the pathway of life.”

This market segment, perhaps more than most, is time poor, have multiple distractions in their lives and recognise they do not have the time to manage their financial affairs.

“The Evalesco Pathway to Wealth program addresses all aspects of our clients financial lives, including both growth investments (shares and 30

property),” explains Marshall. “Our program provides our clients with direction, certainty and more time with the ones they love, their family and friends.”

The Pathway to Wealth seminar series and program, which the company has been using for the past 12 months, was instigated by Rob McGregor of Holman McGregor. “We feel that we have implemented this program into our business particularly well, which has allowed us to develop greater efficiencies and create additional value for our clients.”

Not only did the company receive the PIS Financial Planner of the Year Award in 2011, it was also nominated in the City of Sydney Business Awards (2011).

Evalesco, says Marshall, provides “holistic advice across superannuation, insurance, investment cash flow and home loan planning”. It is fee for service for investment and superannuation advice, and receives commission on home loans and insurance.

The company has around 200 clients, most of whom have been with them four years or more, and they rely on referrals from clients and accountants for new business. Over and above their impeccable credentials and runs on the board, the real appeal of the team at Evalesco lies in their down to earth, nothing slick, genuine values.

The feedback from clients and peers in

the industry are testament to Marshall’s client-centric vision. One client of several years praised Marshall and the team at Evalesco for making the process easy.

“They were refreshingly honest and have really helped with cashflow planning for my wedding. Marshall assists me greatly by spelling out the financial jargon in layman’s terms which helps me know where I am going with my investments, insurances, super and loans.”

Yet another is relieved at the professional “light” Marshall has shed on complicated financial issues, saying “Marshall has guided me through, what can be, a dark financial maze. He has always been very candid and open in his advice which has enabled me to make some giant strides towards achieving my financial goals.”

The clients and their security keep Marshall motivated. “This business can’t be about computer screens, tables and numbers. The strategies can be complex and that’s where we come in, but the attitude to clients has to be real and warm.

We are helping people achieve their dreams, their goals and providing security for their loved ones. A technical approach with complicated terminology won’t bring out the best in people. Like a coach, we have to inspire, challenge and support.” iyl

Evalesco 5 ‘mustdo’ tips for people wanting to achieve financial success: 1. Own your own home (& pay off your mortgage asap).

2. Invest in both growth assets (property & shares - long term).

3. Consolidate your super (& make sure it’s working for you!).

4. Make sure you have income protection insurance.

5. Get a Financial Coach and take action (preferably one of the team at Evalesco).

Imagine @... www.evalesco.com.au

Marshall Brentnall, Sub Authorised Representative No. 250831. Evalesco Financial Services Pty Ltd Professional Investment Services ABN 11 074 608 558 AFSL 234951.

Imagine Four

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Speak to your financial adviser, call Macquarie on 1800 501 562 or visit macquarie.com.au/cma to find out more.

* For the current rate see macquarie.com.au/cashflow or call 1800 501 562. The Macquarie Cash Management Account (CMA) interest rate is variable and subject to change without notice.

Macquarie Group is regulated by APRA, the Australian banking regulator, as the holding company of an Australian bank (Macquarie Bank Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group). Macquarie Bank Limited has been a licensed bank since 1985. Macquarie Bank Limited is an authorised deposit taker under the Australian Banking Act 1959. The Macquarie CMA is offered by Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542, AFSL 237 502. This information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, in deciding whether to acquire or continue to hold an investment in the above product, you should consider the relevant offer document, which is available from us.

CMA_IMAGINEFP_01

Imagine 32

Imagine Four

Sue McKeen

Partnerships in Practice Through the death of her business partner and friend, Sue McKeen saw first-hand the importance of a specialist Risk Adviser providing adequate, relevant insurance advice for a business.

Story Jeni Bone

S

ue McKeen knows better than most the value of having the complete range of business insurance in place. As partner in PG&A Accountants & Advisers with her long-time mentor and friend, Paul Gillett, Sue was aware of every nuance and consequence of policies – in fact, she spent most days pitching the importance of quality insurance advice to clients.

But like everybody’s situation, the reality for Sue and Paul was a lot more complex, and just like most people, it came down to “getting around to it” and an aversion to paperwork.

Sue first went to work with Paul in 1990 as Office Manager.

She had known Paul for many years and she considered him a “great mate and a great mentor”. “Paul encouraged me to study for my Commerce Degree, so at the age of 30, I enrolled at the University of Southern Queensland and undertook my qualifications via distance learning. He was always very supportive.”

In 1996, after six years in business together, Paul and his partner parted ways and Paul took over the company. Once

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Sue obtained her qualifications, Paul asked her to come on as a fully-fledged partner and their partnership was formalised in 2004.

PG&A provided financial planning services to a large and very loyal client base, most of whom were attracted to the company by Paul and his “extra mile approach” to their interests.

“Paul was unique,” says Sue. “He was a lot of fun, a little bit different. He cared a lot about our clients and looked at the whole financial landscape for them.”

With that in mind, Sue knocked on the door of specialist Risk Adviser, Jason Churchill, whose office is now located right next door to PG&A, to propose they send their clients his way for his guidance on insurance cover.

“He said he wanted to assess us first,” explains Sue. “Jason found that what we had was not adequate. So he upgraded all our insurance, taking in to account our new structure, and placed new policies for our partnership and our business insurance.”

Not long after that, Paul and his wife Donna took a much-deserved overseas trip. After their time away, Paul complained of a pain in his right arm, which gradually led to a loss of muscle tone and increasing discomfort. He consulted a neurosurgeon and was told it looked like the 33

Imagine

Paul with daughter Paula on a visit to Sydney.

symptoms of a nerve sheath tumour. A biopsy was taken and despite the odds (just 5%), Paul tragically found out it was malignant.

The tumour was removed and Chemotherapy began immediately.

Paul responded well, scans showed he was clear, and Jason, the Risk Adviser, even used Paul’s case as an exemplary “survivor story” in professional presentations.

Paul had to endure another series of operations on scar tissue around the tendons in his wrist, and during that period, made very frequent trips to Sydney to see his surgeon, still continuing his work with clients. “He was writing left handed at that time, making for some strange looking file notes,” says Sue. “But that was Paul. He was very dedicated. Paul was conscious of pulling his weight. It was good for him to come to the office and feel part of it. It helped too, for morale and 34

practically, that his youngest daughter, Paula also worked at the practice.”

In November 2005, following a Rotary conference, Paul began to feel symptoms again. His neurosurgeon pronounced the cancer back and very aggressive.

His only option was to remove Paul’s right arm. “There was never a time that Paul shrank from what he had to face,” says Sue. “One week before Christmas, his arm was removed including his shoulder. I am sure it traumatised him, but he always looked on the bright side, like saying at least now he would save money on deodorant because he only had to use it on one side. He was always upbeat. It was humbling to see a man go through what he did, always more concerned about others despite his pain and uncertainty.”

Paul was eventually “banned from the office”, as Sue tells it. “We told him to take it easy, take time off to recover and get his health back.”

She and the rest of the office staff held the fort while Paul underwent five weeks intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, up until just before Easter 2006.

“We had the PIS conference coming up in Hawaii and we were up for a Platinum Award. Paul was so proud. He wouldn’t be able to go, and I was reluctant to go by myself. He insisted we still go to Hawaii, and meantime, unbeknownst to me, Paul was admitted to hospital.”

Arriving in Hawaii a few days prior to the conference, Sue and her husband Gary were jet-lagged and anxious about Paul. “I called Donna and she told me Paul had worsened. I spoke to him and told him I would come back, but he was firm, and said that he would email me everything about the practice and clients that he thought I needed to know. Among the client information and reports, Paul sent me a personal message too, about how proud he was to have been a mentor Imagine Four

and booked us on to the next available flight. It was overwhelming. I spent the next two weeks telling our clients, colleagues and contacts. It was draining.

But fortunately, I had spent the past two years running the business, so I was across every aspect of it.”

The funeral and memorial service were held at the Surfers Paradise Golf Club.

“Over 600 people attended. It was incredible, a real testament to a great man. He was just 56, and he had touched so many people’s lives. It was terribly sad. But we couldn’t be all sad – there were too many funny stories to tell because that was the way Paul was, to everybody.”

Paul’s passing left an enormous vacuum in the lives of his family and friends.

His daughter Paula gave birth to her first child, his first grandchild, just two weeks after Paul’s death.

“They were very close. Everybody was left shaken and stunned, and we were all in shock,” recalls Sue. Sue’s advice is succinct and clear: “Have your agreements formulated by competent legal firm with expertise in business succession , as well as your insurance arranged by a specialist Risk Adviser. This underpins business success.

“Get your Accountants involved for business valuations. Make sure balance sheet items are adequately covered by insurance. When it comes to agreements, make sure each partner can sign for the w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

finance arrangements and how they will be dealt with in the event of the death or total permanent disability of one of the partners.”

This is where the guidance of a great Risk Adviser comes in. There is no substitute for quality advice.

“Always try to over value the business, to ensure it’s adequately covered,” recommends Sue. “For the sake of a couple of hundred dollars a month, you have peace of mind and if you need to claim, half a million dollars.

“The mistake we made,” she continues, “was not getting ‘key person cover’ on both of us. We didn’t have cover on Paul and this would certainly have helped with the financial stress in the months following..”

The moral of the story, and one which has become Sue’s “crusade” as she describes it, is that even those in the industry can be lax when it comes to protection of their businesses.

“It has become my passion,” states Sue. “There were so many things we had neglected. We had the right insurance in place but we delayed getting around to the appropriate agreements because we had to tailor them to our specific needs,add our own clauses to the basic documents the legal adviser had originally supplied. It was only when Paul was travelling to Sydney for treatment that we took the time to sit down together and fill out the paper work that would later prove the saviour of the

prioritise it? We need to be business development advocates as well as focusing on wealth creation, and we need to be proactive and care about our clients’ businesses, and their lives. It’s a big ask, but it’s the best way.” iyl

Sue McKeen (M.Com, CPA) is Principal at PG&A Accountants & Advisers, Nerang Queensland.

Paul’s Last Email To Suzey Q, I have enjoyed every moment of our working relationship which has turned into a very strong and caring friendship.

You make me proud when you say that I have been one of your best mentors, can I say you were very easy to mentor - you have a great quest for knowledge and there is nothing in this world you cannot achieve if you want to do it.

I shall miss you very much and may pop back from time to time for a drink on a Friday.

Love Paul Received 18 April, 2006 at 6.15pm from Paul William Gillett 17 January, 1950 – 18 April, 2006.

Sue McKeen, Authorised Representative No. 274562. Professional Investment Services ABN 11 074 608 558 AFSL 234951.

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Sue McKeen

To Suzey Q, I have en joyed ever y mo m e working nt of our relat ion s h i p i n t o a ve which ha r y st rong s t urned a n d c a r i Yo u m a ng friend ke me pr ship. oud when I have be you say en one of t hat your best say you m e w nt ors, can ere va “It was humbling to see ery easy t I have a gr o m e n e t a o t r q u estdid, y ou man go through he for know is notwhat ledge and hing in t t he r e his world always moreacconcerned about hieve if y y o u c annot ou want t o do it. others despite pain.”

I shhis all miss y ou ve r y pop back much an to me, which I now treasure.” other in f thero event – a Power of business.dIt was munpleasant mof tdeathim ay to deal with, e d t r o During the night of the 18th of April,in k Attorney clause or Keep a copy of signed even though the reality was, Paul was ill. t i m on Fronifile. e fodon’t r ado it as professionals Paul passed away. transferaforms “But if we day.

Lrecalls “We had to fly back to Australia,” “Make sure you have all the details in the industry, how can we expect our ove P au Sue. “Qantas was very accommodating of loanslbetween parties and vendor clients, with their own busy lives to

Imagine

Charting the Challenges of Change.

The past few years have seen the role of Financial Adviser and the Financial Services industry come under intense scrutiny. While regulation and scrutiny are both required, there is a need to clearly and logically separate fact from fiction and to address the key question: “what do financial advisers do, and how do they add value to their clients?”

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common misconception among the segment of the general public with no experience of working with a financial adviser is that the benefits are purely financial. That is, the role of an adviser is to achieve an investment return that outperforms the market.

In fact, the benefits of financial advice are numerous, and go far beyond the role of the financial adviser as an investment expert.

While a key aspect of the adviser’s role is to structure client portfolios in a way that maximises their ability to improve their financial situation, this is by no means the only aspect. According to the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA), “a good financial planner is not just a technician, but rather a choice architect – someone who helps people make good choices for their future, in the same way that a doctor, dentist, accountant or lawyer has the education, training, experience and insight to help people make smart choices”.

The AFA has identified three distinct roles of a financial adviser: strategic adviser, tactical adviser and implementer – and the value of these roles as attested by those people who use financial advisers. According to testimony from people who consult financial advisers, this group is happier with their investments, wealthier, more engaged with their finances and have certainty and control over their financial future.

Grahame Evans, Group Managing Director at Professional Investment Services Pty Ltd says the current flux facing

36

the Financial Planning or Financial Advice Industry as it is now termed, can be confusing for consumers.

“The Financial Advice Industry is going through a substantial change. From 1 July 2012, advisers will not be able to receive commissions from product providers for all investment products and platforms as to avoid the perception of a conflict related to being paid by the provider.

“In all investment related advice, advisers will now be required to charge a fee which can be a flat fee, an assets based fee or in some cases an hourly based fee and will not be paid by the product provider for selling their products.

“The positives are that it removes the potential for and the perception that a product is recommended to a client purely for the commission. In addition, whilst it has always been the case it will now be codified in legislation that advisers will act in their best interests of the client.”

As Grahame explains: “These changes have arisen from recent events, including the collapse of Storm Financial, Westport and other product demises, as well as the broader impact of the Global Financial Crisis and the agitation of the Industry Super Network (ISN).”

All over Australia, advisers and their clients are hoping to mitigate the effects of these changes.

Grahame recommends advisers maintain clear lines of communication with clients and reinforce their own commitment to upholding the ethics, standards and trust their clients place in them.

“Provision of financial advice is about trust – trust in particular people trust in reputable brands. It is up to advisers to ensure they have the processes in place to Imagine Four

Grahame Evans

"Provision of financial advice is about trust – trust in particular people trust in reputable brands."

w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

37

Are you getting the right financial advice on superannuation, investments and life insurance?

Your financial future is a serious issue that requires the expertise and skill of a professional. Someone who is committed to providing the right quality advice.

Professional Investment Services Making sure you are ok!

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• T hree quarters (73%) of Australians have experienced financial difficulty.

• T he most common difficulties are being able to understand superannuation (39%), being able to afford the home they want (35%), meeting major unexpected expenses (30%), regular expenses and the cost of living (24%), meeting the cost of education (22%), credit card debt (17%) and paying large mobile phone bills (11%).

• T hose who currently use a financial planner are less likely

to encounter financial difficulty than those who have never used one.

• S pecifically, those who currently use a financial planner are:

- Less likely to encounter credit card debt; - Better able to meet major unexpected expenses; - More able to meet regular expenses and the cost of living; - Better able to afford the home they want; - Less likely to have difficulty paying large phone bills; - Better able to meet the cost of education.

• O ne in five (22%) Australians currently use the services of

a financial planner. This increases with age – from just 7% of those aged 16-24 years, 21% of those aged 25-34, 23% of those aged 35-49 and 29% of those aged 50 or over.

• T he benefits of financial planning are greatest when a person is in their 20s or 30s – however young Australians are not heeding this message. Just 26% of Australians aged 16-34 and just 37% of Australians aged 16-50 years have ever used the services of a financial planner.

• H alf of those (49%) who have ever used a financial planner

have not used one in the last 12 months. This equates to 3.4 million Australians who may be using financial planning strategies which are no longer relevant to their stage in life.

• N ine in 10 Australians (89%) who have used a financial

planner have benefited from the experience. The key benefits are: greater peace of mind (66%), greater control of finances (63%), the prospect of a more comfortable retirement (62%), avoiding bad investments (54%), now following a budget (47%) and the ability to save more(46%).

• T here are many good reasons for using a financial planner.

Those who use them say the most important elements of the relationship are: that the planner is knowledgeable about a range of issues (82%), that they can trust their planner (80%), that they can reach their planner when they need something (74%) and that their planner puts their interests first (70%).

• T hose who do not use a financial planner claim it is because they do not need financial advice (56%), they don’t have enough money to make it worthwhile (39%), it will cost too much (21%), they don’t know where to find a good planner (18%), or they believe financial planning is only relevant for retirement planning (11%).

• T hose who do not believe they have enough money to make

financial planning worthwhile may be surprised to learn that 94% of those with a household income below $40,000 who have used the services of a financial planner benefited from the experience. Source: Galaxy Research 2007

ensure clients do not lose to the protection of quality advice.

There is now greater options for clients and how they would like to be dealt with and how they would like to pay. The onus is on advisers to focus on providing information to clients so they better understand the risk-reward relationship and type of services they can access.”

In terms of the legislation, there will be no retrospective requirements. Says Grahame: “Removal of commissions for placement of invested products will begin from 1 July 2013.

There will be a requirement for clients to ‘opt in’ to advice every second year for all new advice. In other words, clients will be required to physically confirm every second year that they wish to continue with advice.”

Also crucial to client peace of mind and investment in their loyalty, emphasises Grahame, “As individual advisers and as a united industry we need to be promoting the benefits of Financial Planning and Advice”.

“It is well documented through industry and independent research that people who currently use a financial planner are less likely to encounter financial difficulty than those who have never used one. These people are happier, more secure, less likely to encounter credit card debt, better able to meet major unexpected expenses and keep pace with the cost of living, as well as large investments like education and their own home.

“The virtues and benefits should be the mantra of our industry.

Focusing on these and the wellbeing of our clients we will better navigate the changes ahead.” iyl

Grahame Evans

Financial Facts:

Life stages of Financial Planning How a Financial Planner can help 1 Young adulthood

• Establishing life goals and strategies to achieve them.

2 First homebuyers and Newlyweds

• Developing budgeting skills.

•D evising a savings/borrowing strategy to achieve home ownership.

3 Thirtysomething

• Developing a savings and investment plan to build longterm wealth.

• Advice on preparing for the cost of raising children.

• Ensuring all assets are adequately protected.

4 Forties & fifties

• Tailored strategies to build a retirement nest egg.

▪B uilding other assets outside the family home and superannuation protection against life risk.

5 Preretirement

▪ Asset management and strategies to minimise tax while maximising government entitlements.

▪ Recommending investment strategies to maximise capital growth and regular income from retirement assets.

6 Retirement

▪ Fine-tuning investment strategies throughout retirement.

▪ Estate planning.

▪ Advice on tapping into non-financial assets like the family home.

Source: Financial Planning Association www.fpa.asn.au and Association of Financial Advisers www.afa.asn.au Professional Investment Services ABN 11 074 608 558 AFSL 234951

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Imagine

Family Planning Rugby player, Mark Gerrard and his wife Larisa prove you’re never too young for financial advice.

S

teven Hallam, principal at Hallam Financial Strategies, is a stickler for education for his clients. Some are keen and responsive, others move at a more methodical pace.

In Mark Gerrard, representative Rugby player, father of three, and his wife Larisa, Steven had two ultra-enthusiastic clients who also wanted to take their time to understand the options and opportunities available to them. And it has paid off.

“They are not the type of people to just sit quietly and accept advice. They both thrive on information and constantly ask questions. For me this was a new experience, learning to work with highly energetic clients, which is not the norm for financial planning.”

Just 28 years old, Mark has played around the world with his sporting profession, playing 23 Tests for Australia between 2004 and 2007, as well as Super Rugby for Melbourne Rebels and a stint in Japan.

Mark realises that his career is short, even under ideal circumstances, and precluding any injury or other forces, he estimates he has about five more years on the field.

“I am headed overseas next – it could be Europe or Japan. I still have a few years ahead of me, but that could change in a heartbeat. I have always known that, so put a lot of emphasis in a life and future outside of Rugby.”

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With diverse interests that include property development, hospitality, and the vision of one day owning a café, Mark was keen to establish a solid financial future for himself and his family: wife Larisa and they their three children: Markus 7, Milana 5, and Mateja, 1.

Mark and Larisa were recommended to Steve Hallam

by Larisa’s mother and step-father, who were longstanding clients.

As Mark explains: “Obviously, having the encouragement of our parents, we realised financial advice was a good way to go. For me, professional sport is only an option for a short amount of time. At 24, with a young son, I saw it as a great opportunity to set up our lives. We were both thinking about the future for our kids. I didn’t grow up with a lot, so I want to help them as much as possible in terms of security and education.”

Consulting with Steve was a gradual process. Steve asserts they spent the first two years “undertaking a lot of communication, especially as Mark was trying to improve his knowledge and get ahead”.

Mark recalls that time as establishing the fundamentals. “We spent a lot time throwing ideas about, looking at the bigger picture. We don’t like to sit back and accept things. I wanted us to be involved in every step of the way and it was important for us to ask others for their opinions too – my manager, my father.

Then we gave as much feedback to Steve as possible so

Imagine Four

Steve Hallam

"I still have a few years ahead of me, but that could change in a heartbeat. I have always put a lot of emphasis on a future outside of Rugby."

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41

Imagine

“For clients in their 20s and 30s, insurance is just as important as later in life.” we could make good decisions.”

First up were life insurance and income protection, which Mark says was a great relief. “That allowed me to play, far from home, with the security of knowing our bases are covered. There are only three or four of us in a team of 32 who have life insurance and income protection – it’s a real concern. Younger players don’t have financial guidance. Because of our experience with Steve, I try to suggest they seek advice, but on the whole, sportspeople need more information.”

During the five years Mark and Larisa have been clients, Steve has worked with them to gradually extend their portfolio as their situation and needs have changed, and set goals for the future, a career post-rugby and all the facets of those years in business, as well as travel, education, health and investment.

“For clients in their 20s and 30s, insurance is just as important as later in life,” says Steve. “Younger men and women have always been more susceptible to accidents whether they are work related or vehicle or adventure travel related. The best time to get insurance is when you are young because as you get older and you have issues such as weight gain, injuries, cholesterol etc these items only make the application for insurance more time consuming, the annual cost higher and can even lead to clients being declined by an insurer for cover or an insurer who puts an exclusion from covering you for 42

certain events.”

But Steve emphasises, the first policy we all need is Income Protection cover.

“We need to know that if we are off work for long period of time, the bills will get paid, food will be on the table and the car will have petrol in it.

“Then, as mortgages and children come along we need to take the appropriate steps to ensure that if a major health event occurs or worse, that families will not be grieving the additional loss of the home and financial security.”

Although a deep thinker who take time to mull things over, Mark has never baulked at Steve’s advice.

“We have a lot of expenses and a lot of liabilities these days, with three kids. Financial advice has become more and more important to us. We are blessed to have Steve to help us.

Any information we need, he supplies.

We often chat about other things, for another perspective on life in general.

In that way, we’re very lucky that Steve has become a friend as well as financial adviser.”

Steve devised a plan that also involved recommending Mark to a local accountant. “We work with him to improve and simplify the overall advice, which has proven successful.”

Prior to this, Mark was occasionally using “a friend” for his accounting.

“Steve recommended an accountant on the Gold Coast, Michael Lucas from Sullivan Rees. Now everything is in

one place, not scattered. Finally, we’re getting half good at it!”

The relationship, which has deepened over the years, is likely to continue for many more to come.

“After sport, Mark’s income may be quite different from what it is now and the importance of his family budget will only increase,” explains Steve. “We will continue to work with the accountants to advise Mark and Larisa on life post football particularly if there are businesses in place, foreign employment and just ensuring that the family bank balance is moving forward. While your life certainly does progress and change, the basics of financial planning don’t change.”

Mark says that the peace of mind and reliable advice from Steve have proven their worth. “We’re at a great place at the moment. We’re building our own home.

Steve has become a good friend. We’ve stayed with him on the Gold Coast and he visited us in Japan. It’s a hugely better arrangement than just popping in for an update every six months.”

Thoroughly dedicated to his family, Mark says if he had any financial advice for kids it would be to work hard, make your money work hard for you and rely on professionals for sound advice.

“In 20 years time, I would like them to realise that the harder they work, the easier it will be in the long-term. I would want them to enjoy where they’re at, as each stage has its benefits. I was taught to make money work for you. I didn’t fully understand that when I was younger, but I watched my father and his attitude to money, work and investment.

Looking on it now, we have a few investments and are in the process of building our house, putting money away for the kids’ education. We’re on the right track.” iyl

Imagine @... www.hfstrategies.com.au Steven Hallam, Authorised Representative No. 287522. Professional Investment Services ABN 11 074 608 558 AFSL 234951.

Imagine Four

Imagine

A Day in the Life of a

Financial Adviser

Ever wondered what your adviser gets up to all day? One very dynamic and disciplined adviser, Pauline Hammer reveals the intricacies and extent of her commitment to her clients, business and profession.

P

auline Hammer is Director and Principal Adviser at Investment Strategists Pty Ltd, a Melbourne based Private Client Practice and is a Platinum Club and PPA Member. Pauline has operated Investment Strategists for over 13 years and prior to establishing her business, worked “on the other side” with Financial Institutions such as Macquarie Bank, Price Waterhouse Coopers and TriContinental Merchant Bank.

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Here Pauline shares a typical snap-shot of an average day, which she admits is far from routine, shedding light on the myriad of duties – professional and pastoral – for her clients, as well as progressing her business.

“I am an early riser, so around 6-ish I take a walk along the beach at Elwood and St Kilda. It’s still dark at the moment, but it helps to clear my head before the day begins. It’s on my doorstep.

We just live a few streets away. Or there’s Albert Park Lake, which is near work, and the gym, also on the beach at St Kilda.

I often head there with my husband, Andre

Imagine Four

Pauline Hammer Garnaut. We spend a couple of hours catching up on the week, talking about our businesses, chatting about the world. That’s our time, for issues personal and professional. The evenings are no good for that as we have too many distractions or we’re entertaining, which we love.

That sets me up for the rest of the day. Exercise is good for mind, body and soul. It’s a stress release. I do a lot of planning for the business while I’m walking or working out. You can tap into another level and come up with some great ideas.

The gym is 10 minutes from my office in Punt Road, St Kilda Junction. It’s close to home too, so late nights needn’t be too late.

I get to work about 8am. The first thing, after my one welcoming cappuccino of the day, is checking emails. Like everybody, I receive over 100 emails daily, ranging from urgent client queries and staff emails to market updates and broker reports.

Between 8am and 10am, I am engrossed with reading market updates. There’s the Marcus Report and Kohler Eureka Report (a few times per day), Intelligent Investor, MyClime Report, Charlie Aitken Southern Cross Report, SelfManaged Superannuation Fund Daily Update and numerous Stock Broker reports.

I read most of them, then cut and paste the pertinent topics for a newsletter we send out daily to our client database, around 200 active clients.

Monday Report is the ‘Week in Review’, an overview of the markets the week prior and what’s forth coming in the week ahead, such as Global and Australian Economic Data.

Tuesday we email is ‘Investment Strategists’ Core Portfolio and Stock Commentary’, a weekly sharemarket update and current commentary on the shares we hold in the Core Model Portfolio.

Wednesday report is ‘Three Minute Wednesday’, a short article on anything really such as a current Market update, Brokers or Fund Managers Investment Strategy or Newspaper article.

Thursday Report is ‘Thursday’s Tip of the Day’, which could be an article on the direction of the AUD/US $ or the Analysts view on the future direction of the gold price or the consensus market view.

Friday Report is ‘Good Weekend Reading’, a more detailed article or report such as Aussie Market Wrap, Superannuation Tips, Market Review Outlook or Fund Manager/Broker Weekly Reports.

We invest a substantial amount of time in reading and analysing the financial reports and commentary in the market. We add value to our busy clients by being selective and summarising the articles in an easy to read format whilst also reiterating the facts

so that clients are not only subjected to some sensationalised articles. We aim to make our e-newsletters educational, informative and value-add for clients.

Every Monday morning or on a Friday afternoon, we have a one hour (or longer) staff meeting, sometimes over lunch in the boardroom or local café. Close by is Capri Café or Wabi-Sabi Japanese or our favourite, St Kilda’s iconic Restaurant, Lau’s Family Kitchen (Gilbert Lau is the previous owner of the Flower Drum).

We summarise our ‘Work in Progress’ which is an action report on every client we are currently working on, from simple to complex strategies, client reviews to investment recommendations. Each staff member has a part to play in the Work in Progress activities. It’s a group effort. We then follow up on the tasks we need to action.

Around 11.30am Tuesday to Thursday, Anna Garuccio, Investment Strategists Senior Adviser, or I conduct our first appointment. Clients like lunchtime meetings and we have a large boardroom that seats 10 people, with views along St Kilda Road and St Kilda Beach. We spend approximately two hours in a strategy or review meeting, perhaps over sandwiches or we will take clients to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Investment Strategists is a Fee for Service Value Based Consulting Practice. Our first meeting with a new client is to establish if we are a “good fit” for the client and of course if the client is a good fit for our Practice. The initial meeting is at ‘Investment Strategists’ expense’, a cost our Practice undertakes to conduct the initial Value Based meeting. We aim to attract like minded clients with expectations that are realistic and fit with our values.

Value Based Consulting focuses on what is important to the client, what are their beliefs? What do they value? Most commonly family, health, financial security, travel, career success – just to name a few. When we have clarity on what is important, we work from there.

We could spend up to three hours with a client. It’s very valuable for building firm relationships. Over lunch, we can relax, talk about everything and anything, rather than just strategy or investments – life, family, travel, sport, interests. We discover other facets about our client’s lives. This is how our clients become like family to us.

My team is as close as family too, which is very rare in business.

There are five full time employees and one part-time and we are all professionally qualified with excellent skills, dedicated,

"We focus on what our clients value: family, health, financial security."

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45

Imagine

L to R: Alex Garuccio, Amanda Brain, Anna Garuccio and Pauline Hammer.

dynamic and energetic to keep up with Information Technology.

It is important to provide staff flexibility, with monthly RDOs, remote access so they can work from home, flexible working hours and social events.

It’s reassuring to have a loyal and dedicated team. Investment Strategists team consists of Anna Garuccio Senior Financial Adviser, Amanda Brain SMSF Specialist Adviser, Alex Garuccio Accounting and Self-Managed Super Fund Administration and Denise Bailey Office Manager. Our Para Planner, Pearly Chong is part-time.

It is also very important we continue to educate ourselves and improve our qualifications. We all regularly attend conferences, PD Days and courses. Investment Strategists specialise in Self Managed Super Funds, Founding Member of SPAA and Amanda, Anna and I are Accredited SMSF Specialists and ASX Accredited Listed Product Advisers. Investment Strategists coordinate the bi-monthly Australian Investors Association (AIA) Self-Managed Superannuation Specialist Group newsletter, which is distributed to over 4000 people.

‘Instead’ is our data base, storage and document management system. Investment Strategists is the mail address for all client documentation and we provide total portfolio administration services, so it is integral that our processes are accurate and efficient.

On a regular day, after a client meeting, I will be back at my desk by 2pm, attending to emails, checking market updates, responding to client phone calls or preparing for an afternoon client meeting.

We pride ourselves on our ‘PIS’ principals: Processes, Investment (in the business, staff and clients) and Social responsibility. We participate in numerous charity organisations such as Habitat for

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“My team is as close as family too, which is very rare in business.”

Humanity, building houses in Cambodia, donating annually to Green Gecko Orphanage, Indochina Starfish Foundation working with street kids, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Ride to Conquer Cancer, Fred Hollows Foundation and Salvation Army. Anna Garuccio and I recently joined Waterloo Foundation Australia where we will participate in pro-bono work, working with the Waterloo Drop in Centre for Women.

I very rarely leave the office before 6pm (unless it’s Friday), but it’s a blessing that I work close to home. I try not to take work home unless it is catch-up reading. I tend to use my iPad or iPhone for notes or add to the WIP report. The Outlook Calender is useful to keep track of appointments, clients birthdays or to action a particular task on a noted day.

Andre and I share the cooking. I like spicy chilli Asian food, so can cook up a curry in hurry, stir-fry or something from the South East. Andre’s expertise is in more traditional home cooked meals, Cordon Bleu style. Andre’s sister owns successful restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing so the culinary talents are in the family. We decide the cooking by whoever feels like it, what kind of day we have had and what we feel like at the time. As always, with a glass of wine!

After dinner, I catch up on reading, or watch News and Current Affairs. We are also great entertainers and love having friends, clients and family around.” iyl

Imagine @... www.investmentstrategists.com.au

Pauline Hammer, Sub Authorised Representative No. 250842.

Investment Strategists Pty Ltd Corporate Authorised Rep No. 252577.

Professional Investment Services ABN 11 074 608 558 AFSL 234951.

Imagine Four

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Imagine

Of women, wilderness and wide open spaces Adventurer, author, motivational speaker and now, serial dater, Dave Cornthwaite lives by the credo of “you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it”. He recently accompanied Sebastian Terry of “100 Things to Do” fame on a bike ride from Vancouver to Las Vegas (in time for the PIS conference to be precise!)

A

familiar face at PIS engagements, Dave speaks on “Affording Your Bucket List” among other topics.

Dave also has his own admirable list of projects and feats for a cause, and a book on the go, drawn from his weird and insightful experiences while dating 100 women in 100 days - the hardest challenge he’s come up against so far.

Here, the indefatigable Dave tells his tale.

“My first adventure was in 2006, when I pushed a skateboard 900 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End. That was a warm-up for a world-record breaking distance by skateboard, 5823km from Perth to Brisbane. After that, I realised I could achieve anything if I put my mind to it. I broke records on a human powered hydrofoil called an Aquaskipper, walked and kayaked the length of the Murray River and Stand Up Paddleboarded across Lake Geneva and England.

I’m now working on a long-term project called Expedition1000. The idea is to raise £1,000,000 for charity by undertaking twenty-five separate journeys of at least 1000 miles, with each journey using a different form of non-motorised transport. To date I’ve completed three of the journeys. The third expedition was a 1400 mile, 14-day tandem bicycle journey with Seb Terry, at the end of which we gave a talk at the PIS conference in Las Vegas about the ride from Vancouver.

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Next up is a 2400 mile journey along the length of the Mississippi River, by Stand Up Paddleboard, that begins 20 June.

With 22 more 1000+ mile journeys to plan, the next few years promise much. In the pipeline are expeditions as varied as a row across the Indian Ocean from Perth to Mauritius, a paragliding journey across the Nepalese Himalayas, a horse ride across Mongolia and even a journey by wheelchair.

My next book is about a different type of endurance adventure, dating! A couple of years ago I thought the best way to find a girlfriend would be to meet as many women as I could in a short period of time, so I embarked on a challenge to date 100 women in 100 days. I can safely say it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done!

What was your objective?

After school I was desperate to grow up, understand the world a little more and expand my horizons. Had you asked me then what my ideal career would be, I would have answered ‘travel writing.’ As time went on that evolved as I realised that I simply associated ‘travel’ as ‘doing new things’ and when you look at life like that, there are limitless possibilities.

I’ve always been fascinated by the way men and women engage and even before the idea for this book came up, I continuously made mental notes about compatibility, flirting, sex, love, the whole thing. Nothing compares to the ability of the opposite sex to distract, and that suggests

Imagine Four

Dave Cornthwaite

“Only by stripping down your life to the bare essentials can we understand what’s truly important to us.”

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Imagine

CoppaFeel On Monday 20 June 2011, Dave Cornthwaite began his record breaking paddle of 2400 miles down the Mississippi River by stand-up paddleboard.

Dave has set the large task of travelling 1000 miles 25 different ways, each journey using a non-motorised form of transport. Throughout the project, he hopes to cross the three main oceans, reach both poles and travel the equivalent distance of the Earth’s circumference.

Dave is raising money for the “CoppaFeel” charity, a breast cancer charity that devotes its funds and time to heighten awareness of the symptoms of breast cancer, ensuring women across the world don’t are not misdiagnosed.

To support Dave on his journey, donate at www.justgiving.com/ expedition1000CoppaFeel You can like Dave’s group at www.facebook.com/expedition1000

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Imagine Four

Dave Cornthwaite that deep down, whatever we’re doing, we’re in search of a partner to spend our time with.

There are hundreds of books out there about new love, dating, how to find someone; so I bided my time in the hope that an original idea would come up. Eventually, in late 2007, I woke up alone wishing there was someone in the bed with me. It had been a tough year, getting over a heavy break-up, and suddenly a light was flashing: I was over her! I’d just moved to London and didn’t know many people so I logged on to an Internet dating website. Thousands of women, single women, waiting to meet me! Instantly I had an idea and decided to run with it. Yes, I was single, but I’d always wanted to write a book on this theme, so I decided to try and find a girlfriend by dating 100 women in 100 days.

How did you set about it?

I made a spreadsheet! I had 105 days until my first book was due out in Australia so the timing seemed perfect. I logged onto that first website on a Thursday, and on the Saturday I dated two girls and began the challenge. I’d set myself ‘Ten Commandments’ to keep the challenge in check, things like ‘Each date must last at least 30 minutes’ and ‘follow-up dates don’t count towards the Hundred.’

A lot of my dates came from online sites but I also set myself a few mini-challenges, like picking up a girl on public transport or meeting a date while on a date! For me, my life has become a constant development of character, and as a fairly shy character this was an ideal yet terrifying way to get some confidence with women.

What were some of the surprising occurrences during your quest?

I suppose it was an ambitious way to go about finding a partner but everyday something surprised me. Confidence is strangely addictive; about halfway through the challenge I dated three girls on the same night (not at the same time) and on the train home I must have been oozing some kind of happiness, because a man approached me and asked if I’d like to go home with him!

If anything sticks out, it’s that in my quest to find somebody who was perfect for me I found out so much about myself. Even the simple process of filling in a dating profile makes you consider what you’re looking for in a partner: you can narrow down a search in height, hair colour, location, fitness, education, financial security, and on and on.

Did you tell the women involved?

How did they react?

I was actually looking for someone, so even though I was writing a book, I didn’t tell the women I was dating. They wouldn’t have been themselves if I had. I didn’t want my dates to feel like guinea pigs. One of my rules was to reveal what I was up to if there was any attraction that might lead somewhere, or if I could see a platonic friendship developing. So now and then, I told a date. Luckily they all reacted pretty well. I fully expected someone to lose control and whack me in the head, but luckily that didn’t happen! They could see I was doing it for the right reasons, and I stressed that I was dating first, on a challenge w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

second. I’ve protected their identities by changing names or little details, without compromising the story.

There’s a danger in being over-analytical when it comes to finding a partner. Especially with online dating, there’s so much pressure on finding the perfect partner that it’s hard to be natural, certainly on a first date. I’ve always placed a great deal of importance on laughter and an initial spark of attraction that shows the potential to light up later, but during this ‘research’ I found myself asking questions that would never ordinarily come up: why is she sat with her arms folded? Why did she just take a call during our date? Why did she just throw wine over me?

Things like that!

My presentations are largely based around my endurance adventures and the lessons I’ve learned from them. I made a decision when I was 25 to make a living from something I was passionate about, I wanted to exist according to how I felt rather than what I assumed was expected of me. Once that decision was taken money became less of an incentive for me. I was willing to chase down my dreams at the same time as insuring I was secure. I suppose we’re all in the pursuit of happiness but only by stripping down your life to the bare essentials can we understand what’s truly important to us. After that, everything is geared around our basic principles.

Although it might seem strange that an Adventurer would write a book about dating, the comparisons are there on several levels.

OK, so it was a challenge, but the very essence of thinking about what goes on in our lives tosses up some answers that we may not have considered. For example, if you’re not 100% happy with yourself when you’re dating, there’s a good chance you’ll either end up with the wrong partner, or you’ll simply be a poor catch.

It’s the same in life; if we’re not comfortable with ourselves, our situation, our own levels of worth, then more often than not we’ll be poor employees, inadequate husbands and wives, and a neglectful friend.

And importantly, your advice to others on the dating circuit?

Relax. If you’re dating because you want a long-term partner it’s important to not put too much pressure on the situation – this is exactly why there’s a suggestion that someone always comes along when you’re not looking! Be completely honest from the outset, with yourself as well as your date, and eventually the right person will come along.

I’ve had a few offers for the book but as yet haven’t accepted one. Feedback has been brilliant and I now have a literary agent putting Date in the hands of major publishers, so it won’t be too long before the book is released. Late 2011/early 2012 is a realistic timeframe. In the meantime, there are some sample chapters and a pre-order form on the book’s companion website www.thebookofdate.co.uk iyl

Imagine @... www.davecornthwaite.com @DaveCorn

davecornthwaite

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Imagine

twenty-eleven conference in focus Against a backdrop of testing times, the 2011 Professional Investment Services (PIS) conference in Las Vegas in April this year was focused on content specifically developed to equip delegates with powerful tools to confront the challenges of the post-GFC cycle ahead, according to PIS Founder, Robbie Bennetts.

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“

imes have been tough for small business,” he explains. “And everybody is trying to come to grips with changes in the industry. This conference aimed to re-instil confidence in advisers and galvanise the industry with practical and positive knowledge.”

The theme for the 2011 conference was “Prepare for Life”.

“Very simply, this message means that planning is more important than ever during difficult times. The realities of the GFC have forced planners and advisers to take a broader view on a client’s business – covering their insurance, superannuation, health issues, succession, estate planning and a lot more.”

The calibre of speakers at this year’s event was second to none. “The reason being,” says Bennetts, “is that we feature the best speakers we can access to give our people an advantage. We want planners and advisers to be up to date and have a better knowledge, a global perspective, which ultimately leads to better information for clients. By holding our conferences off shore, we can access speakers who wouldn’t be available in Australia.”

The internationally renowned speakers included Bruce Johnstone, who is Managing Director of Fidelity Investments and currently serves as Senior Marketing Investment Strategist 52

for Fidelity’s Retail and Institutional Companies; and Dr Quincy Crosby, Chief Market Strategist for Prudential Annuities, providing perspective on the global macro-economic environment and financial markets.

Dr Krosby was formerly the chief investment strategist for The Hartford, and global investment strategist for Deutsche Bank Asset Management, Credit Suisse and ING Barings, and prior to these roles, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and US diplomat.

Dr Krosby presented a highly detailed analysis of the realities and complications of this next postGFC cycle, including geopolitical factors, “push back” by voters against unpopular measures and civil unrest.

Her commentary dealt with the divergence between emerging market and developed market monetary and fiscal policies, the commodity boom, the currency conundrum, how the US is healing itself and portfolio implications.

Says Bennetts: “Dr Krosby is a very impressive speaker. She uses no overheads, no notes and spoke fluently for an hour. We were all in awe of her.”

In his presentation titled “Where to from here”, Bruce Johnstone

shared his insights to the collapse of the housing, debt, stock and commodity price bubbles, which resulted in “the most severe economic setback since the Depression”. He examined “the shape of the ensuing recovery and the resultant markets outlook”.

“Bruce was cautious and pessimistic, emphasising the importance of defensive portfolios and strategies based entirely around clients’ needs.”

Along with the keynote speakers, several leading Australian educators and planners were on the program, among them Dr Chris Clark, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Business at Macquarie University. Professor Eric

Imagine Four

2011 Conference

Abrahamson, Professor of Business Management at Columbia Business School (New York), was on the program for members of the PIS Platinum Club, prior to the main conference. Author of “Change Without Pain” and “The Perfect Mess”, he discussed the global business landscape and trends.

Steven Wood, Chief Market Strategist at Russell Investments – the world’s largest adviser on retirement funds – was also among the speakers. Dr Wood described long term expectations for market conditions, market risks and market returns and highlighted the behavioural challenges that financial advisers face with their clients, along with some solutions for the investment challenges ahead.

“Our conferences are by far the hardest working events,” says Bennetts. “We want our people to acquire the knowledge to give them the advantage in the marketplace. It’s a three-day program, with no spare time. People can stay on and enjoy the destination, but from the outset, it’s about work, learning and picking up knowledge, tips and business fundamentals. There’s our traditional Gala Event on the last night and of course, plenty of dancing and entertainment. We do want our people to enjoy themselves.”

Entertainment was as intense as the education. “The PIS band was there, and we did play. But we were upstaged by a 30 minute performance of Australia’s own Vegas headline act, Human Nature.

Needless to say, the dance floor was packed. We also paid tribute to our longtime conference organiser, Des Kennedy, who retired. He’s been with me for 20 years. We farwelled him with a tribute of

‘Simply the Best’.”

Despite the sombre tone and topics of the speakers, there was an overarching optimism to the conference. “We are all very determined and aware of the challenges ahead,” says Bennetts. “There is a strong feeling that the industry has been targeted for the wrong reasons, and the consequences will be harder on the consumer. This is about commercial interests and not consumer driven. But we are prepared and resolved to do the best by our clients.”

Feedback from those in attendance was that this year’s was the best ever.

“People said this year’s program was the most powerful to date. It covered a wide range of subjects, from tax and super experts through to investment markets and showing people how to run their businesses. The themes were built around one case study that ran through all the different sectors. It traced one client from tax, investment and superannuation through to estate planning, retirement planning and aged care.”

Above all, the PIS conferences are the ideal opportunity for professional networking. “As well as accessing the resources of exceptional, world-class speakers, delegates have the ability to network with one another and share success stories and strategies they can implement in their own practices.” iyl

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53

Imagine

Clive and Dee: advocates of essential oils as healing forces not commercial gimmicks.

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Imagine Four

Dollars & Scents

Dollars and Scents

Of the five senses, smell is by far the most powerful yet also the most underexploited medium through which to connect brand and consumer.

Welcome to the world of ‘scent-sory’ branding.

Story Jeni Bone

S

mell is big. Last year, more than 1,100 fragrances were launched on to a market already saturated in sensory messages.

Enter scent marketing, a medium that is flourishing as retailers in all segments discover that aroma compels and motivates consumers in all manner of lucrative ways. But purists contest it’s the sneakiest way to our pockets, confounding our limbic systems and preying on our most primitive sense of all, smell.

It’s not a common sight – yet. America’s first aromatic billboard, featuring a giant fork skewering a slab of meat, is plumb-smack on the River Highway in Mooresville, North Carolina. The image is succulent enough, but the ad also uses a high-powered fan to pump out a heavily fragranced oil with the scent of charcoal grilled meat to promote the Bloom grocery chain’s new line of beef.

In Orlando Florida, the mouth-watering aroma of waffle cones is being used to lure customers to the Hard Rock Hotel.

Both billboards are the product of ScentAir, whose ambitious management say it’s just a matter of time before advertisers and media around the world get on the smell-wagon.

Scent marketing was even the subject of an international conference in Miami last year, presenting brands with a brave new world of trademarking signature scents, such as beer-scented darts, lavender-scented tyres and fresh cut grass-scented tennis balls.

Locally, “Happy customers who linger longer” is the objective of Air Aroma, a company which has been mixing signature scents for corporations and brands like Qantas, Aston Martin, Fitness First, Langham Hotels, Sofitel, Lexus and Toyota for nearly a decade.

“Scent branding is more than just diffusing a pleasant fragrance in a space,” says founder and CEO of Air Aroma, John van Roemburg. “It is the art of taking a company’s brand identity, marketing messages, target audience and matching these with a fragrance that amplifies these branding aspects.

According to van Roemburg, this can become highly effective

w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

in environments where other sensory triggers, such as the use of lighting, sound and luxurious surroundings combine as brands can establish a longer-lasting emotional connection with consumers Van Roemburg believes scents inspire consumers in the most primitive and effective of ways. “It’s the most powerful sense of all,” he says, adding that the human sense of smell plays an important role in memory because scent receptors in the nose connect directly to the limbic section of the brain which is responsible for memory and emotions.

“Scent is believed to affect 75% of our daily emotions. It is the close connection of the olfactory gland, which registers smell, and the limbic system, that governs emotion and memories that is said to be responsible for the power behind the sense of smell.”

The scent units plug in to electricity sockets and are refilled at around $30 per week. Gym goers can now enjoy peppermintscented workouts, the air at aged care homes is diffused with calming lavender and designer boutiques are diffusing micromists of signature fragrances.

The former mechanical engineer came across the idea while listening to the radio on the drive home while living in the Netherlands. In 1999 he moved to Australia and developed a range of diffusing equipment designed to deliver pleasant aromas for private homes and large corporates. By 2001 he was marketing his concept to the world.

Air Aroma has developed an anti-bacterial blend using oils from the bark and leaves of eucalyptus and melaleuca. This blend is being used in hospitals throughout Japan to aid in the fight against airborne bacteria. As well as scents using essential oils, there is demand for smells such as freshly baked bread, popcorn and vanilla ice-cream.

Japan has been the biggest market for Air Aroma from the start but now the US is looking likely to take over that position. There are distributors in Air Aroma offices throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East and the US. Van Roemburg’s operations are still based in the Melbourne suburb of Sandringham where they design the units, assemble them from parts made by subcontractors and mix the scents.

But other than a few sanitation and relaxation applications, how 55

Imagine

Clive’s formula for corporate bliss High grade essential oils used in a work situation can help the human body do the following: • Creating a learning situation by relax the nervous system so individuals can better absorb information.

• Creating a healthy work environment and immune systems by counteracting viruses in the air.

• Enhancing the brain’s capacity to acquire information by improving the quality of the gut. Once the gut can metabolise better, information can be digested better. Everything makes better sense.

• Improve staff relationships by enhancing communication.

• Purify work spaces so difficult staff, or those best suited to another environment, can leave.

• Open up the brain’s capacity to access a better state for ‘brainstorming’.

• Improve the 3pm brain drain, and elevate individual’s capacity to concentrate.

• Help individuals come down after a particularly challenging project. is high-jacking the sense of smell good for the consumer?

“It’s not,” says Dee Light, who works with essential oils with her husband, Clive Newland, founder of Newland Aroma Apothecary at Noosa – a landmark for locals and visitors to the region. “They are for the most part using synthetic chemicals which overload the senses to beguile and manipulate people in to spending. That’s the bottom line.”

Clive has a quarter of a century’s experience in “100% Pure and Natural essential oils”.

“I am one of the few pioneering ultranatural perfumery, from skincare and perfumes to applications in the built environment,” he says.

“Being around the finest oils for over 25 years, the difference between socalled essential oils and the real thing is enormous. However most people are unlikely to have experienced truly fine and rare essential oils. That’s why I set up 56

Newland Aroma Apothecary in Noosa.”

For 10 years, visitors had been able to sample drop by drop, the most exquisite oils, with all their healing properties, and along with clients for massage and aromatherapy treatment, Clive has created customised fragrances for corporations and individuals using only the world’s rarest and purest essential oils.

“An essential oil represents the immune system of that plant,” explains Clive.

“Plant essential oils are nature’s own liposomes, which are fatty acids that easily cross the cell membrane of our skin

lavish casing.

Dee and Clive label the new assault on our collective sense of smell as “sneaky”.

“There is a deep connection between smell and our memories,” says Dee. “We have no control over our limbic system, so it’s quite devious.”

Clive has some experience in linking sales to scent. He bottled a signature fragrance for Jaguar for the launch of its “Gorgeous” campaign, and in 2005 developed a blended scent for use in the sales office of an exclusive Noosa development, Elysium.

“We need to look at the intention: are they interested in our health, treating our immune systems, becoming centred and content with ourselves? Probably not.” and passes directly into our own immune system, our blood system as well as providing an aromatic experience.”

Clive cites studies which show that molecules from a drop of Sandalwood oil placed on the skin were recorded in the urine in about 20 seconds. “This is an indication of just how fast the uptake is across the whole body. As such the quality of the handling and processing that produces the essential oil is very important.”

Most of the products sold to us as “essential oils”, even in health food stores, and the plethora of perfumes labeled “natural” are “at best, pure quality essential oils and at worst, completely synthetic”, according to Clive.

“Many products on the market have been extended, diluted or adulterated with legally allowable ingredients that may be of natural or synthetic origin. Putting these on your skin, in the bath or burning into the air may convey, via this liposome action, ingredients that you just would not choose or that are adverse for your particular psyche and health.”

Price is a reliable indicator, says Clive who deals with oils that are released in extremely limited quantities and can cost a queen’s ransom! He is currently working with a world-renowned jeweler on bespoke vials of fragrance that will be as valuable as the diamonds on their

As Dee explains: “Using the 100% Pure & Naturals, Clive created a blend that enabled people to relax, take on the information, think clearly and come to a decision – either way – and feel confident about their choice.”

Clive quotes IP Data figures that show that this improved clarity in people’s thinking more than doubled the return to over $15 million dollars and in less time than compared to property sold before and after.

In cases like the steak-wafting billboards, Dee observes it’s more a case of “publicity for their brand” – a gimmick to grab TV, radio and newspaper headlines.

And as for other retailers spraying, pumping and dousing us in their “brand identity”, it all just adds to the noise, clutter and consumer confusion.

“We need to look at the intention: are they interested in our health, expanding our experience of the natural world, treating our immune systems, heightening our awareness and clearing our minds, becoming centred and content with ourselves? Probably not. It’s all about sales.” iyl

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Family Matters

Money in Love Psychologists have long studied the factors that contribute to troubled marriages, but have devoted relatively little time to finding out what makes good marriages succeed.

Story Carol Yip Judith S. Wallerstein, PhD, has sought to explore this gap by studying 50 couples who have been married for at least nine years. The co-author of

the book ‘The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts’, listed nine “psychological tasks” as the pillars on which any marital relationship rests:

1 Separate emotionally from the family you grew up in; not to the point of estrangement, but enough so that your identity is separate from that of your parents and siblings.

2 Build togetherness based on a shared intimacy and identity, while at the same time set boundaries to protect each partner’s autonomy.

3 Establish a rich and pleasurable sexual relationship and protect it from the intrusions of the workplace and family obligations.

4 For couples with children, embrace the daunting roles of parenthood and absorb the impact of a baby’s entrance into the marriage. Learn to continue the work of protecting the privacy of you and your spouse as a couple.

5 Confront and master the inevitable crises of life.

6 Maintain the strength of the marital bond in the face of adversity. The marriage should be a safe haven in which partners are able to express their differences, anger and conflict.

7 Use humor and laughter to keep things in perspective and to avoid boredom and isolation.

8 Nurture and comfort each other, satisfying each partner’s needs for dependency and offering continuing encouragement and support.

9 Keep alive the early romantic, idealized images of falling in love, while facing the sober realities of the changes wrought by time.

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Good marriages are good for couples’ mental, emotional and physical health. They are also good for children; growing up in a happy home protects children from mental, physical, emotional and social problems. But, is this a comprehensive list of 9 psychological tasks to ensure good marriage lasts a lifetime?

Financial crisis can ruin a good marriage Recent marriage statistics in Australia illustrate an interesting reversal of a previous trend: while the divorce rate had been declining in recent years (it’s actually been declining since 2001), these numbers actually began to increase in 2009. What was so different about 2009 that it would reverse almost a decade of decreasing divorce rates? One theory is that the global financial crisis, which began in 2008, put more marriages than ever before under significant financial pressure.

Experts in Australia were quoted as saying that money is the top answer whenever couples were asked to identify what caused tension in their relationships. The next answers were ‘work’ and ‘kids’ … but money issues came first.

These stressful financial times have served to spike the divorce rate in Australia by almost 5% in 2009!

Anecdotally, I have to say that I have also seen the opposite effect and have seen many relationships remain intact (not intentionally) because people can’t afford to get divorced. While their relationships are still in ruins, they remain married because it’s too expensive to get divorced.

If financial strain is a leading cause of relationship breakups, then in Judith’s list above, the 10th psychological task for a good marriage should be ‘Adopt a shared set of financial vision, values, Imagine Four

Carol Yip principles, goals and rules as a couple and yet, allow some degree of financial independence as individuals’. For example, the couple can have a shared bank account to pay common expenses, and yet husband and wife can choose to have personal spending and investment arrangement according to personal interests, skills and knowledge.

Connecting money and love in a good marriage Money and love are intertwined. We need love to live a meaningful life; we need relationships with other people because of our need for a sense of attachment. With that special person, we need to love and to be loved. At the same time, we need money to meet at least our basic needs.

Money and love are extremely emotional.

It is difficult to separate both within a marriage. When there is no love, marriage looses meaning. And a marriage without money is an extreme challenge.

Money can be a sensitive topic. It is not easy to find a couple with both having similar thoughts and feelings about managing money even if they love each other dearly. Unless both have empathetic understanding, mutual trust and respect for each other’s financial viewpoints, spouses will avoid talking about money because it may create unpleasantness, arguments or misunderstandings.

Financial tasks for good marriage I do agree that it is not romantic at all to talk about money matters with your spouse, but I believe such discussion is important to keep the romance alive and avoid unnecessary financial fights later on in the marriage.

Despite different viewpoints about money, both parties must try to find some compromise (and to see things from the other person’s perspective) on how they will manage money as a couple. It is no different from discussing other matters that arise in a marriage, such as having children and how to bring them up, or what sort of future the couple wants to have.

You or your spouse may have financial w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

obligations and commitments that both will bring into the marriage. It is advisable to work together to develop a mutually agreed upon financial arrangement that both are comfortable with, and based on common sharing financial vision, philosophy, values and goals.

Here are some suggestions to help you initiate financial talk with your spouse:

• Discuss how both want to keep the

assets that you have accumulated individually. If either of you choose to retain certain assets under your name only, explain to your spouse your reasons for doing so.

• Talk about unpleasant topics, like

what will happen or who will help out financially if either you or your spouse were to suddenly lose your job, suffer business failure or financial crisis, or if one of you were unable to work due to ill health or disability. This will help each other to take on the challenges and manage expectations if such a crisis happens.

• Do not hide financial obligations

to your buddies, friends or family members (like supporting parents, relatives or stepchildren) or financial commitments such as personal debts that each of you may have. Instead, discuss how these financial obligations and commitments should be managed.

This will help avoid misunderstanding when your spouse discovers your financial secrets or starts to argue with you due to the unfair financial treatments.

according to income-earning capability or only one of you should be fully responsible for it.

• Initiate monthly meeting with the

objective of discussing financial matters with your spouse. Make reference to monthly budget, cash flow and net worth statements when you discuss about money, in order to keep the marriage financially healthy. These financial reports are helpful to track your marriage’s financial progress.

• Make money chat a fun thing to do

together. Talk about the positive ideas to improve the household spending to pay-off loans and debt, and find creative ideas to save money and reasons to grow more money for each other and the family.

At the end of the day, working together to build a solid financial foundation is a very important element for a blissful marriage. If you find it difficult to talk to your spouse, you may want to write a love letter to your spouse expressing your feeling about money in the marriage and how both of you should talk about it as the 10th task for a good marriage.

Failing which, you may want to engage a marriage counsellor or a financial advisor; someone who is able to understand your marriage dynamics, and could help moderate the discussion with your spouse. This is because it’s better to save your marriage from financial failure than to end up financially broke because of your divorce! iyl

• Talk about each other’s money-

draining habits and vices like impulse shopping, gambling, smoking, drinking or expensive hobbies or interests.

Discuss and find mutually agreeable solutions to control the spending behaviours. Instead, be honest with each other and ask for help to save the money for good investments.

• Agree on how both your income

sources should be allocated for savings, spending and investments for goals that are common for both of you i.e. household expenses, saving for children and future retirement. Should the financial responsibilities be shared

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59

Family Matters

Learning for life A learning plan to prepare your heirs.

Story Ken Swan

D

espite expert knowledge of curriculum and teaching developed over 30 years I was completely surprised when my eldest son completed secondary school and had received no ‘real’ financial life skills education. I was stunned. I was so worried at the time that I searched for legitimate educational providers who could provide a program. I didn’t want my child entering adulthood without financial life skills and at least an introductory awareness of the financial world in which he was to live. Despite an extensive search I found no one, except for a charity that provided a counselling ‘educational’ service and thousands of questionable web sites. This was the spur that developed my own interest in financial and wealth education for young people.

I am not alone in my concerns for preparing children for the financial world in which they live. A recent survey1 of ‘wealthy parents’ by the US Trust, a unit of Bank of America Private Wealth Management, found that next generation heirs are not well prepared to manage the financial and emotional responsibilities of wealth.

The statistics back up my own observations: • 95% of parents surveyed recognise the importance of their children receiving a solid financial education • Only 34% of parents agree strongly that their children will be able to handle the inheritance they plan to leave them • 50% of parents have never discussed ways of teaching children to handle wealth responsibly or any of the emotional aspects of wealth • 67% of parents agree or strongly agree that their children would benefit from discussions with a financial professional, but nearly six in 10 (59 %) have never introduced their children to the professionals managing their financial affairs • 45% of parents do not believe their children will reach a level of financial maturity to handle the family money they will inherit until they are at least 35 years old.

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For me as a parent and as an educator the answer is obvious.

Financial education must be taken seriously. A proper learning program, delivered by professional educators who focus on learning and not sales should be available for the 95% of parents who ‘recognise the importance of their children receiving a solid financial education’.

Finding such educators with such programs in your community may be difficult.

As parents, you will have learnt from your financial adviser that it is critically important to have a financial plan to guide your investments. As an educator, my recommendation to you is to treat the development of a learning plan for your children of equal importance. If your wealth is to transfer across generations successfully then you will need to take responsibility for the development of a learning plan whether there is a local community financial educator or not.

A commitment to learning separates those who want to be able to make better financial decisions and seek or maintain informed wealth and lifestyle positions, from those who live in hope and perhaps naivety. For parents who don’t want their hard work and effort wasted, a learning plan for their children is an obvious solution.

For advisers and accountants who care for their client’s wealth and lifestyle, and wish to maintain a relevance to the heirs, an informed and appropriate educational strategy should be an integrated part of the service.

Accompanying such a service is the responsibility to ensure the educational strategy has educational legitimacy. Proper teaching with a focus on learning should be the priority, rather than the provision of information only. Information only services can be dangerous as meaning and application can be misinterpreted.

Learning plans are even more important when one

Imagine Four

Understanding learning Qualified teachers know that for most people learning doesn’t occur from one lesson, from reading one article or attending one seminar. For learning to occur that is hopefully long-term, usually a person must be able to demonstrate three aspects – a knowledge of the topic, an understanding of what that topic means and then be able to apply that knowledge and understanding in an appropriate way. In an educational environment these aspects are guided and managed by experienced educators. In the real world outside of an educational institution it is up to the person to selfmanage these aspects or for a parent to guide these aspects for their children. Hence the need for a thoughtful learning plan.

A simple example of how parents already demonstrate this guidance is when they ‘teach’ their children about money.

• knowledge of money – introducing coins and notes and their purpose to children from a young age and reinforcing this knowledge consistently • understanding of money – introducing and reinforcing concepts related to the use of coins and notes e.g. saving, spending, wants, needs, • applying knowledge and understanding – asking children to make informed decisions regarding the use of money e.g. starting a savings plan, developing a personal budget, prioritising financial decisions based on good information.

How do I develop a earning plan?

Two teaching principles that should initially form part of a learning plan are to focus on the repetition of clear and consistent messages and the use of problem solving or inquiry-based learning.

For anyone to learn there must be recurring clearly understood messages that relate to realworld contexts. If a child cannot understand the basic messages, the information within each message must be broken down into smaller bits and it must be presented in different ways. One way to present information differently is to place it in a problem that has a real-world context. For example, developing a knowledge and understanding of budgeting, and applying that understanding could be developed by asking a child to plan a budget for an upcoming holiday, or a for a specific time period. Parents who budget in a formal way could w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

explain their budgeting to their children. ‘Walking the talk’ is a great way to model to children those things you value and should be part of a learning plan for children.

Learning for life

considers the impact of social media and the internet on the perspectives and views of young adults. Volumes of questionable information from unclear sources with unknown backgrounds often linked to financial products, are presented to young people daily. Learning to filter such information must be a part of any learning program that prepares next generation heirs for managing and preserving wealth.

What do I include in a learning plan?

Developing an individual learning plan should be based on proven educational principles. A learning plan for children should: • be age appropriate • identify initial content or concepts your child would like to learn • include processes or skills that you believe are important • be specific to and reflect the child’s environment and family lifestyle • not be overly ambitious in terms of content and time • develop attitudinal awareness • be flexible to allow for growth • where possible, be guided by a reliable, unbiased but familiar mentor.

What if my child shows no interest?

Welcome to the world of teaching. For many parents, your children will have no interest in the specific financial topics you suggest, yet it is your responsibility to initiate thinking about financial responsibility and accountability, financial decision-making, wealth management and creation, and their links to your existing lifestyle and their potential future lifestyle. As the parent, you will be the trigger for financial learning, just as you have been the trigger for music or dancing lessons, weekend sport, church attendance and community service.

It is important to note that if parents do not initiate such learning, children will find wealth information readily on the internet, from equally uninformed peers or alternative online financial providers.

Imagine the possible wealth and lifestyle consequences if your child received financial information and advice this way in the future. What would you prefer?

Learning plans developed by parents may be formal or informal, or a mixture of both. A gradual, staggered learning plan is favoured that starts with the interests of your child as opposed to your interests. This can be difficult for the parent, but it will have better results long-term.

A learning plan does not have the intention of developing children as financial specialists. Qualified and licensed advisers, accountants and brokers are there to provide specialised financial services. A learning plan does however, embed in the learner knowledge, skills and attitudes toward financial learning that will benefit them in their daily financial decision making throughout their adult life, including their conversations with the family accountant, adviser and broker.

Your children’s future lifestyle will largely depend on the educational experiences you facilitate. Financial education should be part of that of the experience. iyl Ken Swan is director of The Wealth Academy.

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U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth TM. Annual Survey of High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth Americans www.ustrust.com/ust/Pages/Insights-on-Wealth-and-Worth.aspx

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Family Matters

How to prepare for aged care When an elderly parent needs to move into aged care, it’s often the result of illness or an accident and the need arises urgently. This is an emotional time for families, who are also faced with the complicated and often confusing options around financing aged care.

Story Samantha Tannous

T

he options depend on what assets the person has, and what level of care they require, explains Brendan Burwood, managing director of Ipac Financial Care, the specialist aged care division of Ipac Security.

The first step is an assessment by an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team) to determine what level of care is needed and what type of facility is appropriate.

Accommodation bonds - an amount ranging from $200,000 up to $1 million - can mean a lot more choice. ‘Extra services’ facilities offer a range of extras such as a variety of accommodation types and sizes, larger rooms, bathrooms and living rooms, quality of fixtures, wines with meals.

Low care, or high care with extra services will charge such a bond, so the family needs to decide how to fund the lump sum. It can be partially paid, however interest will be charged on the unpaid portion.

If there’s a home involved, the question of whether to rent it out or sell it is not just a financial decision, it’s also emotional. The attachment to the family home may make it too raw for the family to address, and perhaps mum may feel like she will be returning home.

If that is the case, says Burwood, then it could be a better option to partially pay the bond and rent out the home. Or in the case the home is no longer required and the facility will become home, a sale of the property would fund the bond.

If the home is sold and a bond paid, issues around the pension may arise if there is a surplus of funds from the sale. A term deposit is secure, however it is then classed as an assessable asset by Centrelink,

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Aged Care

Profile: which could diminish or even eliminate the pension.

There are options for the excess that will avoid this problem. Burwood mentions paying a ‘bonus bond’ to the facility in exchange for a reduction in daily fees, or establishing a special purpose family trust that doesn’t distribute income. Gifting or funeral bonds can also reduce the asset assessment.

So how do you choose the type of facility?

The ACAT assessment will dictate some requirements, then geographic location is very important. For the elderly in care, visits from family are vital. Family who regularly visit the facility are usually fully focused on the quality of care, the interactions between staff and residents, things that are much more important than whether they have a flat screen TV in their room.

A person with assets under $39,000, is entitled to enter aged care as a fully supported resident required to pay a daily fee of around 85% of the pension.

This importantly leaves them some cash for incidentals, and maintains a sense of independence.

All facilities have a ratio of supported and partially supported beds that they must meet, so all ranges and standards of facility will try to cater to those who can’t afford a bond. The government support lets the facility through supplemented funding for those beds.

The standard has definitely lifted in the past decade, says Burwood, who cites the shift in demographics as the driving force.

“It’s become very competitive, there’s lots more choice although demand is still higher than supply. Even the not-for-profits are having to lift their game to compete with private enterprise which is treating more like hospitality than nursing,” he said.

“In the future there will be a greater range of facilities, and that’s a good thin for future residents. People are entering aged care much later now, they are physically and mentally able to stay home later, and the government has invested in community care as well over the past decade, so people can access much more support to stay home.”

When the time does come to go into care, however, it is a complicated and confusing w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

Advantaged Care When Laurie Kresner’s father needed urgent aged care accommodation more than a decade age, he and his family were appalled at the options available. Crowded shared rooms and the lingering odour of urine were the order of the day.

Laurie was in a better position than most people to do something about it.

As a residential developer he had one side of the equation required for aged care, and set about researching the other side.

While his father wasn’t to see the outcome, the result of many years of hard work is now a shining example of the future of aged care.

Bondi Waters in Sydney’s east and Georges Manor in the south west are now open, offering the very best care within an environment that is designed for lifestyle.

At Bondi, the boutique facility will cater to 56 residents, who can enjoy ocean and district views from the rooftop lounge and chef-prepared meals.

Georges Manor is a larger facility, with room for 144 residents, but you really can’t tell from inside. Separate neighbourhood-sized wings catering to 10-15 residents give the facility a homely feel, while the 150-seat theatre and large sheltered courtyards cater to community events, such as ANZAC Day services and recently, a visit from Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney.

Both facilities are ‘extra services’ and offer a wide range of lifestyle options for residents. Most importantly, they offer the best nursing care in a beautiful, homey environment.

process. While the government provides a comprehensive amount of information through its websites and printed materials, it’s a lot of information and regulation to navigate while also feeling the emotional strain that is very often a part of the process.

At Ipac, Burwood and his team have put together a set of tools and guides that they hope will help make some sense, and they have made these items available for free

on their website.

Burwood says:”Several years ago I was helping my grandparents move into aged care, and even though I had a strong financial background, I had a great deal of trouble trying to decipher the options. If I had so much trouble, what do other people experience? That led me into specialist aged care financial planning.

“The real objective is to achieve the highest possible dignity for the parent going into care, so they can have the best years they could possibly have and freedom of concern over their finances.

“It’s also important that you make sure they have enough money to have the freedom to get their hair done or buy presents with money from their town purse.”

The topic of aged care is very rarely - if ever - talked about among a family until the need is urgent. So what can you do ahead of time if the subject is so taboo?

“There are some things you can do, that we recommend,” says Burwood.

“Preliminary things like enduring Power of Attorney, an up-to-date will and even Power of Guardianship should all be sorted out.”

You can also become a nominee at Centrelink and be able to represent your parent, and you can arrange an ACAT assessment, which is free and valid for 12 months. It’s a good way to keep track of their abilities, and may entitle them to help at home. It’s recommended that you are present for the assessment as many elderly people will try to be strong and brave in the fear of being forced from their home.

Burwood also suggests broaching the subject by saying, if you had to go into care, what sort of facility would you prefer, eg religious, RSL, specific location, to try to draw out some information about their choices.

If you can tease out information about their wishes while they are relatively well, you will be better prepared if an emergency situation arises. iyl

Imagine @... www.ipacagedcare.com.au

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Property

Buying off plan.

Are there risks?

This subject has suddenly come to the fore after a shock Supreme Court Judgement earlier this year. In this dramatic case, buyers of high level penthouse apartments within this scheme were awarded substantial financial compensation having bought these homes with a very clear ‘promise’ of ‘uninterrupted ocean views’.

Story Andrew Winter

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uring the period of construction, which was obviously over a number of years, the immediate surroundings of the scheme changed with neighbouring new developments blocking part of the penthouses described as having ‘uninterrupted ocean views’.

Suddenly, this view became an interrupted ocean view, certainly not as impressive and certainly not as what was clearly expected and stated in all the promotional literature and marketing. Any buyer knows there is a value difference between a home with a clear direct ocean view and the often used phrase, “ocean glimpses”!

So the question is: if buying off plan, should you accept the risk, or as this case clearly shows if you do take a risk even if all is not ‘as promised’, who cares? Now the risk could disappear, you may even get compensation! Could that mean buying off the plan is now officially risk-free?

Therein lies the danger in these rulings. This could lead to much

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misinterpretation by buyers, sellers, agents and developers.

How do these rulings really impact on the average home buyer choosing their new home and securing it off the plan, with no more than a few drawings, glossy magazines, dreams, agent’s claims and one large empty piece of land to base their purchase on?

This case was reported in a leading newspaper and it generated some heated comments, with a variety of interpretations of the rulings – comments such as: “It is a false advertising issue”, “You can’t buy a view”, “How many homes have lost views due to Councils allowing development?”, “Crazy and dangerous precedent”, “Does this mean anyone can sue for the loss of a view? No. Are they victims of false advertising?

Yes?” I have to say I tend to agree with that last comment. This is a hugely complex subject and the editor says I have to stick to around 700 words, before you are likely to bore of my ranting, so I will try to be brief.

This case clearly illustrates the promotion of these particular units focused on the claim “uninterrupted ocean views” and that can easily be argued as a reason a buyer may choose this unit over another option and be prepared to pay for the privilege. The marketing text was clear in its statements and upon completion it simply did not have this promised outlook. I would argue the buyer would have the same redress if purchasing a 3 bedroom unit, only to be handed the keys on completion to discover the unit had been designed as 2 bedrooms! An unlikely scenario but the same principal.

This judgement allowed for the buyers to gain compensation, because their loss was clearly quantifiable and a value could be calculated, in this instance a figure was derived between the difference of the penthouse value with a full direct

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Andrew Winter

HOME& PROPERTY

“Any buyer knows there is a value difference between a home with a clear direct ocean view and the often used phrase, ‘ocean glimpses’!” ocean view and with its now “partial view”. A fair compromise in this instance I believe.

I worked with a client in the mid 90s in London where he purchased a unit off the plan. At the point of purchase at the Site Display Centre, on the scale model and plan it showed a window on the side elevation. This window would give the unit an extra dimension and a potential view towards the city. My client bought this unit; upon completion that particular window was not there.

When we complained to the Developer they claimed the Council would not permit windows on this elevation and they could do nothing. Would they give my client compensation? No! He did try too, but at no point did we have anything in writing, or could it be proved that the unit would have not been bought without this window in place. Unlike this recent case, this is a typical off plan risk. I genuinely believe it was not the Developer’s choice in this instance to omit that window, but it does illustrate the kind of situations that can arise and to sue may be a very costly and potentially futile exercise despite this recent ruling.

Off plan buying, by its very nature, implies a certain amount of risk, but wildly misleading claims by Developers, their Agents or Marketing Teams could now be more risky for them than the buyers, as silly statements could come back on them and bite them on the proverbial backside! This case could stop these misleading claims, often created by marketers – typical claims such as “guaranteed capital growth”,

guarantees for this and that, all could now be interpreted as misleading and compensation could be sought.

This court case is a classic double edged sword – it has its benefits. Developers and Agents may now steer away from those dramatic, sweeping statements and marketing hype, unless they are 100% sure of accuracy. On the negative side, I do worry buyers will see reduced risk and start to relax with their research and that could be very detrimental.

Please do not perceive off plan buying as “risk free”. Ensure you do your research, not only in to the developer, but the site and its immediate environment and surroundings. Expect a discount too for accepting that risk. Never stop off plan buying, it is a vital element of our new housing market, but enter in with your eyes open and anything you are unsure about or require clarity, get it in writing before you sign up! iyl

Imagine @... www.andrewwinter.com.au

Andrew Winter is best known as host and residential property expert for the award-winning series Selling Houses Australia, exclusive to The LifeStyle Channel. He is also author of the ‘No Nonsense Guide to Buying and Selling Property’.

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Narcissism

a factor of Facebook Although narcissism has been evident throughout history and figures such as Napoléon Bonaparte, Mahatma Ghandi, or Franklin Delano Roosevelt played a positive role in shaping the future, there is a darker side to narcissism. And social media is fuelling the fire.

Story Geoff Edwards

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arcissists, Freud pointed out, are emotionally isolated and highly distrustful. Perceived threats can trigger rage. Achievements can feed feelings of grandiosity. That’s why Freud thought narcissists were the hardest personality types to analyze.

Today technology has fuelled the increase in narcissism. The MySpace/Facebook/Twitter generation are leveraging the latest technology to take self absorption to an entirely new level. And, if you are a social networking narcissist, you’re so vain and you probably think this article is about you!

Narcissism The term narcissism arose from an especially handsome hero named Narcissus in ancient Greek mythology. One day he saw his reflection in a pool and fell in love – with himself.

Narcissism is the personality trait of egotism vanity, conceit, or simple selfishness that is often accompanied by fantasies of greatness. Applied to a social group, it is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others.

Although most individuals have some narcissistic traits, high levels of narcissism can manifest themselves as a pathological form as narcissistic personality disorder, whereby the patient overestimates his or her abilities and has an excessive need for admiration and affirmation.

The narcissist is so convinced of his high station, he automatically expects that others will recognize his superior qualities and will tell him so. This is often referred to as 66

“mirroring.” It’s not enough that he knows he’s great. Others must confirm it as well Finally, the narcissist, who longs for the approval and admiration of others, is often clueless about how things look from someone else’s perspective. Narcissists are very sensitive to being overlooked or slighted in the smallest fashion, but they often fail to recognize when they are doing it to others There’s a fine line between pride and narcissism, and we are crossing it.

Why? In the natural order of things, there are two types of people: celebrities and the rest of us. If you’re in that elite band of the famous, you are lauded and applauded as a person of interest and import, complete with glamorous perks. If you’re a regular plebeian, your life is largely devoid of glamour. Your life is your life. With technology however, ordinary people have the opportunity for fame through the management of our online public images and social networking.

Theresa Senft, a lecturer in media studies at the University of East London, uses the term “micro-celebrity” to describe the development of the self as a super-public entity on the internet. She noted in a recent TED Salon lecture: “Have you ever agonised over whether something belongs on a work or home website? Worried about your privacy settings on Facebook? Deleted unflattering photos online? Microcelebrity: you’re soaking in it.”

Or are we more complicit in the pseudo-fame game than we like to think? According to Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, author of Starstruck: The Business of Celebrity, our obsessive Imagine Four

Narcissism w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

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Social Impacts

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he consequences of such self-absorption are rarely recognised by children or their parents. They think it is perfectly normal and healthy behaviour, showing that the children are engaged with the world.

I don’t want our kids to be recluses, but the excesses of self-absorption enabled by technology cause serious problems.

The most egregious consequence is a growing collective feeling of entitlement. This manifests itself in many ways, from expectations of better grades for less effort in school work to political beliefs that there really should be a “free lunch” of government social programs. As one example of a common attitude of middle schoolers, I know of one student who, when being pressed to study, actually said unabashedly, “I don’t need to learn. Somebody will always take care of me.”

Another problem is that narcissism breeds a false sense of merit, which in turn stunts personal growth and real achievement, both in school and in later life. Then, there is the problem of hubris and lack of humility, which causes people to do foolish things.

Have we become so impulsive, so needy on the return of our initial contact, that we can no longer wait till we are in the car, or get home, to respond to our phone calls?

So, what to do? In theory, the problem should be under the control of parents. Most kids do not need their own mobile phone.

Nor do they need unlimited access to the Internet. In the old days, conscientious parents limited access to television, and yes, it worked.

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relationship with celebrity might not help the situation. Today, continuous media cycles combined with a public appetite for banal minutiae mean every aspect of celebrities’ lives is subject to public consumption - from their midnight clubbing to their school run and grocery shop.

Meanwhile, our devotion to social media is “exercising the muscle of narcissism”, Currid-Halkett warns.

Despite narcissism’s deletion from the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Currid-Halkett says studies on US teenagers since 2002 have found a significant upswing in their ratings on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory As we strive to emulate celebrities’ style and exercise regimes, we are already mimicking their approach to image and PR. If we don’t “brand”, we might not get the job, date, house or life we want. Maybe we won’t feel as important either. We can’t ignore our online selves but Currid-Halkett wonders about the opportunity cost. “It’s hard to say because you can’t do a controlled experiment but what would the people who are so obsessed with themselves online be doing if they weren’t online?”

You also have to wonder how we’ve managed to sign up to a bargain wherein we cop the downside of fame without the benefits supposed to make it all worthwhile.

Technology and self absorption While we’ve been sitting around loudly fretting to anyone who will listen about disappearing social security and looming retirement, younger generations have been broadcasting every single detail of their lives to friends and strangers alike.

30 years ago we would have labeled someone as “conceited” who always talked about what they were doing. Today that’s called “social networking”.

Now to exacerbate the problem comes along digital self absorption technologies because they seduce young people to dwell on themselves. Such technologies include mobile phones, text messaging and Web-based social media such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. These

technologies encourage kids to indulge all their trivial thoughts and feelings.

Kids can easily come to think that the whole world needs to notice them and have access to them on a 24/7 basis.

About 10 million Australians have a Facebook account and about 1.2 million use Twitter. The average number of friends and followers for each is more than 100. On top of that, we appear online on geo-tracking sites, YouTube, blogs and personal websites. There is an unmistakable paparazzi element to it all.

We upload reams of snaps online and the tagging function ensures an endless distribution chain.

Children now have the means to tell the world all about themselves, including their attitudes, feelings and life trivia and also show photos to document their various activities. Children are coming to think that people are so tuned in to them that they can’t wait for the latest phone call, text message, photo, blog, Web posting or Tweet. Children are looking into the pool of self-absorption technology and, like Narcissus, falling in love with themselves and their own importance.

Regularly updating your Facebook and Twitter may just be part of your daily routine but this overt online self-love may indicate a deeper issue. Are you a Social Network Narcissist?

Narcissism Pitfalls Like millions of others, you probably spend a decent amount of time each day on social networks, too, but new research questions if it’s emotionally healthy to spend so much time talking about your life in such great detail.

We are a self-absorbed culture. The conventional wisdom of today says that if you want to succeed in life, then you need to do whatever it takes. If you need to lie on that résumé, if you need to connive or manipulate, then it’s OK. Self absorption: your world, you’re the only one in it, who cares about your impact on others. What does it matter if others get pulled into your world and they don’t want to be? Do whatever you need to do to get ahead, because that is how the world works – or so we are told.

An “epidemic of narcissism’’ has swept

Imagine Four

Narcissism across the student population in the past 30 years, a US expert told a conference on personality disorders in March. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, said a study she conducted of 16,000 university students across the US showed 30 per cent were narcissistic in psychological tests, compared with 15 per cent in 1982.

“They are all 18 and 19-year-olds, so this is clearly a generational shift,” she said.

Professor Twenge said the finding built on another study based on interviews with 35,000 people of varying ages, who were asked if they had ever had symptoms of narcissism.

In a keynote address to the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders Congress, Professor Twenge will say that permissive parenting, celebrity culture and the internet are among the causes of the emerging narcissism epidemic. She said telling children they were special to build self-

esteem could foster narcissism.

Narcissists had an inflated sense of self, lacked empathy, were vain and materialistic and had an overblown sense of entitlement. Some resulting social trends were a greater interest in fame and wealth, more plastic surgery, and an increase in attention-seeking crimes - for example, “beating someone up and putting it on YouTube”.

Professor Twenge was concerned about a culture “that seems to not just accept narcissism but finds it laudatory.

It worries me, when I talk to college students, that they are not surprised at all that their generation is more narcissistic.

“They say, ‘We have to be this way because the world is more competitive’.

But the problem is that narcissism doesn’t help you compete. It blows up in your face eventually.”

Not only that, but they’re likely dealing with both narcissism and low self-esteem, says a York University psychologist

Soraya Mehdizadeh. Mehdizadeh’s study, which looked at the effects of narcissism on online social activity, found a “strong relationship between narcissism and lower self esteem with greater facebook activity as well as more promotional self content.”

A small amount of narcissism can be healthy and help in the short term, like if you need the confidence to take a risk, but it can hinder one’s ability to form healthy relationships. Says one expert: ”They hurt the people around them and they hurt themselves in the long run.” iyl

Imagine @... www.geoffedwards.net

Avoiding and Dealing with Narcissism

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nowing how to deal with narcissistic people can be very difficult because their behaviours are often camouflaged very successfully as they pursue their obsessive interest in themselves, often by means of deception, pretense and emotional abuse.

The worst thing about malignant narcissism is that it’s so infectious, not contagious but infectious. Someone who is brought up by parents who are narcissists will inevitably be manipulated by them into becoming narcissistic themselves. It’s a rapidly increasingly problem in society and is spreading at a fast rate - not just from people who suffer with the disorder naturally but from people who are manipulated into becoming narcissistic resulting from narcissistic abuse itself. It’s a vicious cycle yet recognizing the narcissist can be extremely difficult.

Whereas psychopathy is a lack of guilt or remorse and sociopathy is a lack of conscience, narcissism is a lack of empathy - a narcissist cannot relate to another persons emotions or understand the pain they are putting upon them.

As a parent, I share examples with children to create awareness around narcissism i.e. overhearing some 20 year old male’s phone conversation discussing the hot babe from last night and asking relevant questions, for example “what do you think about that? How did that

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make you feel to listen to her private life? Do you want to be that way?”

Regarding relationships, there are other instances where a partner’s behavior makes a healthy, supportive, giving partnership almost impossible. It often feels as if no amount of effort seems to change anything for the better and that one partner’s actions consistently seems hurtful, bewildering and emotionally draining, and seriously lowering the partners confidence and self esteem. One possible reason for this phenomenon is a personality disorder such as narcissism. Certain people are psychologically “hard wired” in such a way that close personal relationships become very problematic.

Therefore please take the time today to learn how to deal with narcissistic people.

Overall tips to deal with narcissistic behavior: • Be genuinely helpful.

• Appeal to the narcissistic person’s self interest.

•A ccept that you will probably not receive credit for your accomplishments.

• Don’t take anything personally • Lower your expections.

• Avoid making yourself a target.

• Line up emotional support.

• Prepare for the worst.

• Try to muster some empathy.

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Imagine

Let the battle begin (with care)

Confrontation: from the Latin for meeting face to face, but in most cases, it means butting heads.

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Confrontation

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o you dread a showdown with client, colleague or close friend? Would you rather have root canal surgery than a tough talk about a situation of conflict?

Experts say there is an arsenal of certain key words and questions you can rely on to meet a confrontation head-on, without it ending in tears, or worse.

“Confrontation isn’t about telling someone off or setting them straight,” says US based corporate coach Esther Jeles, founder and CEO of consulting firm, Aylet. “Confrontation is looking at issues and solving problems.”

Jeles urges a return to the collaborative image conjured by the word’s origins - putting our heads together to reach a common goal. You can participate, or you can let things happen to you, she adds. “You can only affect the outcome directly if you speak up,” she says. “Nothing ever changes for the better unless opposing parties come together and discuss the situation and solutions.”

Most importantly, a healthy confrontation can be a chance for you to help people feel better about themselves, she says. “And to be proud of your own behaviour.”

“Carefrontation” is the word Jeles prefers, creating an instant attitude shift in both parties.

A common cause of conflict both at work and at home, according to Jeles, is not discussing a problem as soon as it comes up. “I don’t leave it for a month, I don’t leave it for a week. Confront every issue one at a time, as it comes up. Find out what the other person is thinking.”

Begin using carefrontation steps every time the smallest thing comes up, Jeles says. “That creates very different results than waiting until you’re just about ready to pop your balloon.”

The more you practise, she says, the easier it gets to give good carefrontation, and to receive it.

Closer to home, the Better Health Channel has some pointers for people experiencing conflict in their workplaces, homes or other areas of life.

Stay calm by practising S-T-O-P Signal: take note of your body’s early warning signs of tension (such as shallow breathing and throat tightness).

Take control through power breathing: • take a deep breath through your nostrils. Do this without exertion and without raising your shoulders or puffing out your cheeks • hold the breath for a second • push the breath into the extremities of your body (skull, hands and feet) • slowly breathe out through your lips • breathe in and out a few times, smoothing out the inhalation and exhalation to experience an unbroken inflow and outflow of air • as you breathe out, feel the tension melting from your body into the floor through the soles of your feet. w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

Opposite: a habitual response under tension is to tighten up our muscles and to negatively self-talk, ‘Oh no!’. The opposite response is to breathe deeply and smoothly and to say to yourself, ‘calm, in control’.

Practise: a good time to practise is just before an appointment you think might be confrontational.

Let the other person have their say Actively listen: let them know you are listening by using appropriate verbal and non-verbal cues.

Don’t interrupt: an interruption will only lead to the person starting at the beginning again.

Listen for the sigh: don’t move to developing options until the other person has indicated a readiness and willingness to engage. One way they might do this is with a sigh, and by dropping their shoulders.

Deal with the other person’s emotions Acknowledge emotions: acknowledging the other person’s emotions helps make them feel valued, and helps develop a partnership with them.

Restate content and emotion: let them know you heard them by paraphrasing what they said and expressed.

Be empathetic: show that you understand and are sensitive to their feelings, thoughts and experiences. This is not necessarily the same as sharing those feelings or agreeing with the their position.

Identify underlying needs and concerns: clearly identify the real problem and make the problem, not the person, the problem.

Respond to criticism non-defensively Acknowledge any truth in a concern or complaint: accept that there may be some truth to criticism.

Guard against absolute responses such as, ‘I can assure you I would never say something like that!’. Say things like, ‘… you might be right about that … perhaps I could…’.

Request specific feedback to criticism: for example, you could say things like, ‘What specifically did I do that …’, ‘If you were in my shoes, what would you have done differently …’, ‘I’m not sure I’m clear about your concerns …’, ‘Can you give me some specific examples?’

Avoid negative triggers To successfully resolve confrontation, you need to use language that expresses your desire to work in partnership with the other person to find a solution.

Negative triggers have the effect of setting up roadblocks to, or shutting down, discussion. They make it harder, not easier, to find a solution. iyl

Imagine @... www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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Cuisine

Imagine @...

Google Grocer

www.woolworths.com.au

What must be one of the best resource sites around for homechefs, Woolworths.com.au has an easy reference search system for produce in season. Formulate your recipes before you leave home (or shop online!) and save money in the process. Buying fruit and veg that is in season is always the best buy, best for the environment too, the most flavoursome, most likely to be locally or Australian-grown, and bursting with the natural nutrition nature intended.

Also on the site, seafood information, a cheese guide, recipes for kids and all Margaret Fulton’s family favourites for some tried and true, and best of all value options when the question each and every evening is “What’s for dinner?”

market news Perfect Pumpkin

Twists on pumpkin: For a fresh pasta dish, cut Aussie sunset pumpkin into cubes then toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until golden and tender then toss through freshly cooked pasta together with chopped chives, chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

For a tasty light meal, grate 1 cup of Aussie sunset pumpkin. Combine with 250g minced chicken, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of satay sauce and 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Shape into patties then coat in flour and pan-fry in olive oil until golden. Serve with salad.

While the weather is still cool, make the most of Aussie sunset pumpkins which can be baked, boiled, steamed or made into delectable soup. Try pumpkin soup with finely diced smoked bacon, or add a splash of coconut milk and coriander for a Thai twist.

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Market News

Fruit for thought

Kindred Gifts now stock the fresh and inventive designs of Ian Reid, Melbourne designer and Director of home wares design house, Homesum. Ian has created an edgy way of displaying Feng Shui friendly fruit with his unique Frond design. Frond is a unique flatpacked fruit bowl where the two laser-cut components effortlessly interleave together to create a threedimensional form.

Using beautiful, sustainably sourced Tasmanian Blackwood and Silver Ash, this lightweight, sculptural centrepiece is the perfect addition to any kitchen with the Fronds natural and contemporary aesthetics suiting any interior.

$8 5.0

0

Imagine @... www.kindredgifts.com.au

Tips for displaying feng shui friendly fruit: • It is good to have fresh fruit placed in sight, such as in a fruit basket. This is symbolic of health and abundance • Peaches are one of the most popular feng shui fruit symbols, peach is the symbol of immortality • Display apples, they have always been associated with peace, good health and harmony in one’s home • Oranges and other citrus fruits are believed to ward off bad luck -is often recommended to have 9 oranges in one’s living room or kitchen for good luck and prosperity • Pineapples are the popular and traditional feng shui symbol of wealth, fortune and prosperity • Grapes symbolize the abundance of food, thus abundance of material wealth.

Sometimes grapes are also used as a feng shui symbol, or cure for fertility, as well as a cure for turning bad luck into good luck • Garlic and onions should be kept out of sight. They are representative of subtle decay.

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.99 9 $3

The Slow Cooking Bible

By Murdoch Books Test Kitchen Making a meal all in one pot is one of the easiest ways to cook and surely one of the most rewarding. Meat or seafood, vegetables or pulses; whatever the ingredient, it benefits from the process of a long, slow cook, accompanied by aromatic spices or herbs, a good splash of stock and whatever other secret ingredients you, the cook, have up your sleeve. Slow-cooked dishes abound in cuisines all around the world, and this collection of flavoursome recipes showcases the best of them.

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One Pot Wonders

World famous one pot wonders As the nation shivers and restaurant prices remain high, albeit for the genuine expenses of sky-high rents and spiralling transportation costs, it’s a nice thought to stay in and eat well. Dishes that satisfy and nourish, warm and bring a smile to the entire family.

A 5. Brodetto of Seafood.

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Story Lizzie Loel

s the mother of what are now three large man-children I can tell you, this is much harder task than you think.

Let’s take a traditional family – 2.4 children and a domestic animal or two.

Let’s make the kids school age and make Dad the cook on Tuesday nights. Let’s assume this gives Mum an entire night off from the kitchen – that means she does no preparing, not table setting and no washing up.

Enter the one-pot dinner, the definition of which is as follows: a OPD must be hearty and delicious and contain a representative from the vital food groups ie protein, carbohydrates, vegetables.

You’ve heard the old trick of doing an undesired job so badly that it is taken away from you? Not cool spouses! What if everything needed to create a balanced and tasty meal was in one pot – not baked on so as to render it useless, or burnt to a cinder but dishes you, grandma, the kids and their soccer buddies would want to eat and not have a crying fit at washing up time.

The world is literally full of one-pot wonders and, with a few small adjustments, yours can be as well.

Here are my Top 10 10. Chicken, risoni and vegetable soup.

Use quality chicken stock, a combo of garlic and onions, leeks, celery and carrots all cut to roughly the same size. (if you like chunky cut them that way, or smaller for less cooking time). Bring the vegetables and stock to a simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add about half a cup of risoni and cook for further 5 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick.

Add peas and spinach and cook for a bit longer. Serve garnished with parmesan and parsley and some crusty bread.

9. Slow braised lamb shanks with cannellini beans.

Before you go to work, braise onions, celery, carrot and garlic in a heavy oven-proof pan. Add one lamb shank per person. Top with two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of cannelloni beans, three sprigs of rosemary, a slug of last night’s red wine and black pepper.

Place in the fridge for the day. Get the first person home to pre-heat the oven for 10 minutes then put this one to cook for an hour.

(Use a slow cooker if you have one and it will be ready when you walk in the door).

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Cuisine

8. Chilli con carne.

Follow an easy recipe – brown mince with onions and garlic, add taco seasoning, red kidney beans and some tomato sugo and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile dice fresh tomatoes, slice up some iceberg lettuce, put grated mozzarella, avocado and sour cream in bowls and place on the table with warmed corn chips and soft tortillas.

9. S low braised lamb shanks with cannellini beans.

7. Baked lemon and rosemary chicken.

In a large snaplock bag, pour some olive oil, 3 cloves of crushed garlic, a good splash of white wine, large slices of Spanish onion, 3 chats and a halved zucchini per person cut in half, four sprigs of fresh rosemary, the rind and juice of a lemon and salt and pepper. Seal and leave all day in the fridge. When you get home, place the ingredients in an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes.

6. P asta with Persian Fetta and rocket.

In a bowl, combine chinks of Persian feta and a little of the oil it comes in, fresh rocket, sliced cherry tomatoes, some red chilli and some torn procuitto. Season and leave to one side. Bowl past until cooked, don’t drain just pull the pasta across and place in with the other ingredients – bring along a little cooking water. Toss to combine – the cheese will begin to melt.

Eat immediately.

4. Baked cannellini with ricotta and lemon.

2. Roasted leg of lamb with winter roasted vegetables.

Combine ricotta, lemon zest, a little cream, fresh chopped spinach, grated nutmeg and two eggs in a bowl and slightly over season. Place the mixture in slices of prebought fresh lasagne sheets and roll to make cylinders. Place in a baking dish.

Pour quality sugo over and cover with a layer of parmesan, bread crumbs and mozzarella. Bake for about 25 minutes or until crunchy and browned on top.

In a heavy pan heat some oil and place some crushed cloves of garlic (still in their husks) along with baby carrots, turnips sliced longways, baby beets and sweet potato. Drizzle with oil and throw in some fresh thyme, salt then place a rack over them. Put the seasoned lamb on top and roast for about 1 ½ hours or until pink and delicious. Serve with Dijon mustard and lemon wedges.

3. W hite fish with Japanese flavours.

1. One Pot Rogan Josh.

Take a slice of alfoil and a fillet of boneless fish per person. Grate ginger, garlic, peeled shallots, thin sliced mushrooms in the middle of the foil. Place the fish and a slice of lemon on top. Add a little soy sauce, sesame oil, wasabi and rice wine over the fish. Seal the foil well and bake in a medium oven for 10 minutes. (This can be served with steamed rice but technically, that’s cheating!)

Take teaspoonfuls of turmeric, coriander, gram masala and salt and combine. Heat grated garlic and ginger into a heated, oiled pan with about a cup of diced onions and sauté until transparent. Add dry spices and cook for a few minutes before setting aside. Brown 700 gms of diced lamb then add back the spice mix and a can of diced tomatoes then 2 cups of plain yoghurt and simmer for at least an hour. Sprinkle with coriander to serve.

1. One Pot Rogan Josh

5. Brodetto of Seafood.

Buy or make a really good tomato sauce.

To a heated, oiled pan add garlic, celery and onion and braise until transparent.

Add the sugo and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add whatever seafood you like – raw prawns, mussels, slices of white fish, scallops etc. Cook covered for 5 minutes then sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Served with garlicky toast.

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Fashion

Shore Thing Herringbone’s Spring Summer 2011 Collection captures the casual elegance of the Yacht Club, sun, sand and relaxed coastal living.

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Luxurious fabrics are the focus for women and Herringbone has sourced an array of the world’s finest to keep you cool when the weather is warm.

Egyptian cotton, silk, fine Merino wool, linen and jersey are used across the collection for weekend and corporate wear.

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Chinos make a key style statement for men this Spring Summer, and denote an effortless elegance when worn washed and rolled. They are the perfect wardrobe staple for dressing up or dressing down, with either a t-shirt or polo for casual or crisp white cotton shirt and lightweight navy jacket to dress them up.

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Imagine Soft jersey tops in stripes and plains mix well with Herringbone’s range of denim jeans for easy casual wear, while structured suiting tailored for a perfect fit is ideal for the office.

Imagine @...

www.herringbone.com

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WHY SETTLE FOR LESS THAN PERFECTION The Hearts On Fire Transcend Diamond Engagement Ring set in platinum For more information email us at: perfection@heartsonfire.com

567 Military Road, Mosman (02) 9969 4152 dracakis.com.au

Manuka Arcade, Manuka (02) 6295 9493 briolette.com.au

View our entire collection at heartsonfire.com

Imagine

Brazilian Beauty, brains and Bags Brazilian model Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey’s soul mate and mother of his two children, is every bit as creative as she is beautiful, last year launching the handbag brand, Muxo, which she says combines Brazilian and international symbols, customs and aesthetics.

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Fashion

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lves started designing handbags about five years ago with her mum, Fatima, who has a background in fashion and interior design. The leather bags have a polished tribal feel, from the handcut fringe and pinwheel-like flower appliques to cryptic symbols, whipstitching and distressing.

She says the need for a great tote sprang from her work, traveling for modeling assignments and needing a single bag for all her kit, laptop, clothing and cosmetics, and one that could stand up to all the hardcore treatment of air travel, hotels, and a routine that was anything but.

“Every handbag I had would break or fall apart,” she said. “The ones that did stay together, the label handbags, everybody else would have it.”

So she and her mum decided to work on their own concepts. “People started asking where I got my bags,” she said. “So we started to make them and it’s grown from there.”

With something for every occasion and every style and taste, the Muxo line now features more than 60 clutches, totes, shoulder bags and satchels – and even a drop-dead gorgeous mummy carry all, “diaper bag”. Men’s bags, shoes and accessories are next in the pipeline.

“We still design and create every single bag. We do the distressing. We don’t teach that to anybody, and you can’t machine copy it.”

The bags range from US$212 for a small, casual shoulder bag to US$1,800 for a large fringe statement piece.

The Muxo brand stands for “quality, durability, practicality and that the product is a unique creation,” said Alves.

“Also, we focus on having the handbags being very lightweight. We also use special, hand selected leathers from Brazil that improve with use and time.”

Next in the pipeline for this creative dynamo is a range of shoes and accessories. “We have also recently launched a QVC line which offers our Muxo bags at a more affordable price point.” iyl

Imagine @... www.mymuxo.com

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Health & Beauty

Home Spa Invest in your health and elevate the “happy hormones� with some of these sensorial suggestions.

Dim the lights, draw a bath, clear the mind and indulge each and every sense for spa rejuvenation in the comfort of your own home.

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Circa Home 1977 Pear & Lime is a sweet combination of Mexican Lime and Anjou Pear. Hand made in Australia and stocked nationally, CIRCA HOME is an affordable range of high quality, natural scented products. www.circahome.com.au

02 Kora by Miranda Kerr Miranda Kerr has launched an organic skincare range for face and body exclusively at David Jones stores nationally. The 15 product skincare line has been scientifically formulated using the highest percentage of organic ingredients, as well as a fusion of essential oils, healing remedies, herbal solutions and cutting-edge chemistry.

Key active Ingredients include the macro nutrient Noni, which contains 177 vitamins and minerals, Macrobiotic Salts sourced from the Pacific Ocean in Australia, Rose charged energised water, Rosehip Oil, Vitamins ACE Complex and Vitamin E. www.koraorganics.com

03 Dermalogica

The Body Therapy system by Dermalogica helps you create aromatherapeutic , customised spa experiences at home. www.dermalogica.com

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Home Spa

04

Kiehl’s Taking care of your body from the tips of your hair to your toe nails, and everything in between, Kiehl’s Creme de Corps range offers natural exfoliation, deep hydration and nourishment with ingredients that will transport you – honey, soy milk, cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil and sesame oil. www.kiehls.com.au

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Li’tya Sensory Walkabout Journey There are four ‘walkabout journeys’ in each of these compact LI’TYA collections, each promising the allure of exploring the rainforest, dewy leaves, green grass, lemon trees and the outback expanses. Used as a quick fix to lift, calm or balance your mood, these sensory surprises are a unique fusion of LI’TYA’s signature aromatic oil blends designed to take with you wherever you are. The journey offering, taps into the life-force of aromatherapy and the physiological effect on the body. www.litya.com

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02

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L’occitane Home Collection Created with the finest Provençal ingredients, these exceptionally long-lasting and relaxing aromas will help keep every room of your home delicately perfumed. Chose from verbena, lavender, vanilla, rose, cinnamon, amber, green tea or candied fruit. www.loccitane.com.au

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Sanctum Organic Skincare Polish, soften and smoothen with Sanctum.

Made in the Byron hinterland, the Sanctum Organic Skincare is Certified Organic and sublime. It includes Skin Care, Body Care, Hair Care, Men’s Care and Baby Care, formulated using only natural and organic Ingredients. www.sanctumaustralia.com

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04

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Soothing Tones Had a rough day at work? Need to escape the kids for 10 minutes? Escape to a calmer place with this selection of beautiful classics. Whether you’re calmed by the soft tones of the piano, or refreshed by the strings of the orchestra, you will love Soothing classics for the perfect bath.

This compilation of classics is available from ABC Shop. $4.99. www.shop.abc.net.au

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Health & Beauty

Healthharming hassles When you think of unbearable stress, you probably think of major lifedisrupting events: a job loss, divorce or relationship breakdown, a gravely ill parent or friend, personal ill-health, or a significant financial loss. But sometimes, it’s the little aggravations that do the most damage.

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Stress

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hile seemingly small, day-to-day hassles such as these are not monumental and probably don’t feel extremely stressful.

Individually, they certainly don’t weigh heavily in the grand scheme of overall emotional wellbeing. But could those little daily stresses hamper your health or even make you vulnerable to serious illness and disease? Research says most likely.

Recent studies suggest that, taken together, minor hassles and annoyances from everyday life may be the biggest stressor of all.

These mini stressors mount as they become part of a daily routine, and because days tend to mirror days, whatever little hassle tugged at you one day is likely to repeat on another day. Eventually, all those overdue phone calls and all those annoying little accidents and all those unfinished household tasks can add up to major, chronic stress.

Unfortunately, it’s very easy to let the little aggravations and pleasures of the day get out of balance. When these minor aggravations take the lead, your body eventually may experience the same damaging physical effects that major chronic stressors can cause.

Stress activates the nervous system, stimulating the secretion of certain hormones and increasing blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, metabolism, and blood flow to the muscles. Much of the time, this process is helpful. The boost in activity helps the body meet greater demands during crises – for example, to run from a direct threat or to think and act quickly and efficiently when tackling a demanding task.

But all of this extra physiological activity may take a toll. Normally, the body can recover when the stressful situation subsides. But when the stress response is turned on too often, or for too long without time to recover, the body pays a price.

Depending on the amount of stress, this price could be high. Several studies have indicated a link between elevated stress levels and deficiencies in immune system function. In fact, long-term, unrelieved stress may depress immune system function so much that the body becomes more vulnerable to colds, flu, and other infections.

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Financially Stressed?

RealAge.com has devised an online assessment to gauge your Financial Stress, plus some handy tips for how to take some pressure off, even if only psychologically while you get the experts to help with the nuts and bolts of the planning and management.

You’ll have to register for their regular newsletter, but with amazing insight on health, fitness and all facets of your amazing body covered by Dr Oz, it’s worth it. You can unsubscribe at any time. Visit www.realage.com and sign up, then take the quiz – it’s quick, painless and sheds light on some of the causes of anxiety about finances. It even has a selection of “tips and tools to recession-proof your life”. That might be a stretch, but anything positive is helpful when you’re losing sleep about your finances.

So take the time to check your financial stress levels, and find out how to keep your head, and your health, above water during tough times.

Slimming Safflower Can salad dressing help you keep the pounds off? New research suggests yes, but make your own with safflower oil and vinegar.

In a study, a small amount of safflower oil every day had a tummy-trimming effect in a special population of women with diabetes.

The 36-week study included women who were diabetic, obese, and postmenopausal. They ate 8 grams of safflower oil per day (about 1 2/3 teaspoon), with the exception of a 4-week break. And the results? They lost an average of about 6 percent of their belly fat, all without changing their diets or exercise habits. Their lean body mass even increased slightly.

Safflower oil is rich in an essential omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid, which may have some kind of positive effect on metabolism. But larger studies will be needed to confirm the results. And keep in mind that all fats contain a decent number of calories, so if you add safflower oil to your diet, kick out another calorie source.

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Health & Beauty

Put on a happy face!

“We all find smiling faces more attractive than nonsmiling ones,” says Paul Ekman, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, who has studied facial expression for more than three decades. A smile not only lifts the muscles around the eyes and lips, for a more youthful appearance, but also generates a feel-good ripple effect: Your brain gets an instant mood boost from the muscle contractions, and that boost is maintained as people smile back at you. More good reasons to smile!

Research has also linked excessive stress to chronic illnesses and diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Manage your stress!

Now that you’ve identified some of your possible dayto-day stressors, it’s time to build some strategies for maintaining your equilibrium and protecting your body from stress.

You probably already know regular exercise is one of the best stress-busting tools around. Research shows that exercise routines with Eastern influences are particularly helpful, such as those that incorporate yoga, chi-gong (qiqong), and tai chi.

Natural products for mind body and soul.

Researchers have also found that meditation, if practiced regularly, not only leads to a healthier perspective on daily circumstances but may help lower blood pressure. It has even been linked to a longer lifespan. Meditation works by inducing a tranquil state of calm through mental focus and breathing techniques.

Similar to meditation, autogenics training and progressive muscle relaxation induce calm by focusing attention and increasing body awareness. Autogenics training accomplishes this through visual imagery, such as concentrating on a peaceful place, and through awareness of body sensations, such as focusing on the weight or temperature of the limbs or on calm, natural breathing.

Progressive muscle relaxation involves slowly and systematically tensing and releasing various muscle groups, focusing on the feelings and sensations that accompany tension and relaxation. With practice, you can achieve deep relaxation quickly, even in stressful situations.

Everyone should have at least one surefire stressreduction strategy, so find one that works for you, and practise it regularly. Most techniques can be learned through coaching, lessons, or individual practise. Several clinics and hospitals around the country offer healthcare programs that teach relaxation techniques. Once you pick a method and master it, you’ll be able to rely on it for the rest of your life to help balance out occasional hassleheavy days.

Try These 6 Simple Tension-Relievers • Consume less alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.

• Practise deeply inhaling and slowly exhaling.

• Set aside 15 minutes for active relaxation such as autogenics training, meditation, or brisk walking.

• Keep in touch with supportive family members and friends.

• Take short breaks frequently.

• Visualize relaxing scenes.

Organic skin-care infused with Reiki healing energy.

Remember, if self-help methods aren’t bringing you balance, consult your healthcare provider. He or she may suggest a more structured psychological treatment approach, such as cognitive therapy, to help you restructure negative thought processes, improve your emotional well-being, and protect your health. iyl

Imagine @... www.realage.com Phone 0423 066 837 or email info@reikiroom.com.au

Visit our online store at www.reikiroom.com.au

Andy’s challenge...

What?

Mountain bike ride 5000 km’s 3 months Cooktown to Canberra Raising awareness, and Money for acquired brain injury

Why? Because nothing worthwhile was meant to be easy

In May 2010, former Brumbies Coach, Andy Friend had his world crumble around him, when his wife Kerri suffered an acquired brain injury in a mountain bike accident. This forced Andy and their sons to face extraordinary challenges they never expected.

Since the accident, Andy, Kerri and their boys continue to work tirelessly for her recovery.

Now they face a new challenge, a challenge you can be a part of by sponsoring (or donating) to The FRIENDly Ride as Andy attempts to conquer the Bicentennial National Trail.

For further information, contact Pamela or Tania at Ideas and Directons. Phone (02) 6239 1955.

Health & Beauty

Face it!

Men are waking up to the benefits of skin fitness.

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he major skincare companies are catching up to a reality the beauty industry has known for some time: men are becoming more conscious of keeping their skin in top condition.

According to the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, plastic surgery procedures among men are rising at around 2% per annum, with rhinoplasty (better known as a nose job), chin implants and less invasive procedures such as Botox injections, soft-tissue fillers and chemical peels leading the charge.

The cosmetic surgery trends reflect global growth in the male grooming industry, which is currently valued at $61.3 billion and is expected to rise to $84.9 billion in the next five years.

Longevity, competition in the workplace and a focus on top to toe health have motivated men from all walks of life to invest in skincare, regular maintenance and treating problems that arise throughout their lives.

Therapist for 35 years, in Australia, the US and Europe, Eve M. Kelly of Lá Beauty at Marina Mirage has a growing retinue of men on her client list. Eve says that while they have become almost as dedicated as women when it comes to caring for their skin, men do require a different approach and present with specific needs and preferences.

“To begin with, men’s skin is different from women’s. It’s thicker and men have coarse facial hair which they shave. There are a lot of abrasive actions on men’s skin.”

Contrary to popular belief, microdermabrasion is not necessarily beneficial for men. “I have clients who have tried it in the past, and then come to me with very sensitive skin, redness and a return to the oiliness and problems they experienced when they first sought treatment.”

Instead, Eve has embraced the latest Guinot technology – Hydradermie Double Ionisation – just arrived from France, with independent testing to support its claims of revolutionary results.

“Even after 40 years in this business, I was shocked, thrilled, incredibly excited,” says Eve of the new machine. “It delivers an increase of 53% hydration to the skin, a reduction of 49% in wrinkle depth, 75% increase in the nourishing to the skin, 19% reduction of redness and a massive 88.9% of reduction in

sebum, which is skin oiliness.”

Still newcomers to the rarefied world of beauty treatments, men prefer to enjoy their treatments with less froth and bubble, more discretion and diagnosis.

Eve’s new premises at Marina Mirage are easily accessed by the rooftop carpark and Eve is available around her clients’ business hours – Saturday, Sunday, after hours. “We create a different environment here for our male clients. It’s quiet, laidback, nurturing. They find it a pleasant change from the glitz and buzz of some salons.”

Eve herself adopts an individualised approach to each and every client, rather than just a menu of services. “We are after results.

I want to see change in my clients’ skins. This is about listening and tailoring our skills and all our resources to address your issues and then working each time to improving and creating visible differences.”

The state of our skin can be the source of abject suffering for many people – through puberty, into adulthood – leaving scars both physical and emotional. Eve is in the unique position of being a highly accredited Guinot practitioner with training and expertise gained from working in some of the world’s most prestigious salons.

“Acne, scarring, pigmentation, sun damage and deep wrinkles can be the cause of so much heart-ache and loss of confidence, which can hold us back from so many things in our lives – jobs, relationships, social situations. It’s my aim to free people from these issues with knowledge about their skin.”

“It’s a shame that men and women are arriving at middle age and feeling they have to endure the discomfort and expense of plastic surgery, when they could have spent far less over time on skin health and regular maintenance.

Education is key, says Eve. “I want to share my knowledge about the causes of skin problems and their treatments. It has nothing to do with a potion or lotion, but a combination of diet, self esteem, behaviours, hygiene, health, fitness and exercise of our skin. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and we need to treat it with respect. That way it will last us a life-time.” iyl

“Men prefer to enjoy their treatments with less froth and bubble, more discretion and diagnosis.”

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Imagine @... www.labeauty.com.au

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Profile

What propelled you?

I found it hard working for big corporate companies, and being told “no we don’t do that” for example in reference to PR. The lack of willingness of large companies to try new things frustrated me. I knew that there were other ways to promote a brand and I wanted to have the freedom to try different things, plus I wanted more autonomy.

Up & Coming Lara Solomon is a young entrepreneur who was frustrated with the limitations of working within large corporate structures.

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n 2004, she left a promising marketing career to start her own business and launch an unknown product in to the local market place. Lara called her new business LaRoo and in just five years the company that brought Australia and the world the original mobile phone sock or “Mock”, is now an iconic brand with over a million Mocks already sold worldwide in Australia, New Zealand, UK and US. But wait, there’s more. Lara has social networking on her radar now and has already written a book, Brand New Day: the highs and lows of starting a small business, about her travails and triumphs.

What is your professional background?

I have a BA Hons in Business from the University of the West of England in the UK. In my final year I specialised in marketing as I realised that was what I loved doing. My first role was at Reckitt Benckiser in marketing in the UK, where I was for 18 months. I moved to Australia in 2001 and worked for SC Johnson as the brand manager for Windex and Mr Muscle, from there I moved to Conair and I launched the Cusinart brand into Australia.

When did you first ‘launch into’ your first business?

I started looking for ideas in 2003, and when I was in Thailand in 2003 I saw women selling sock covers for mobile phones on the streets, I loved the idea that one size fitted all phones and brought the idea back to Australia. The Mocks brand was launched in August 2004 and created the market in Australia for phone sock covers.

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Who did you turn to for advice?

My Dad, he had run his own business for about 15 years and I grew up helping in it. I also attended a number of free courses around running your own business. I have also had mentors along the way, for me having a sounding board is really important as I work out problems by talking about them.

What obstacles did you encounter?

There were people who said why don’t you just sell normal socks it will be much easier, those who didn’t understand why I would want to give up a job to take such a risk, supplier issues and getting retailers onboard. Finding a supplier initially was easy, but after the first order he said the volumes were too small, so I had to find another supplier and he ended up letting me down so I had to find a third one. It was hard initially to get into retail stores, people don’t want to take a chance on a new product in a new segment, mostly because they have been burnt before.

How did you tackle them?

The obstacles I just tackled as I went along, I never believed that the brand wouldn’t succeed, looking back I think that is a bit naive, but it worked! To get into retail stores I ended up calling every mobile phone store in the yellow pages in Australia! It’s about persistence, which came from a strong belief that it would work.

What about capital – how did you generate that?

I got backing from my parents, I wrote a business plan and they lent me the cash based on that. Initially it was $12,000, but later I borrowed an additional $18,000 which was paid back in full. I also was lucky in that I was married at the time and my husband agreed to support me financially for 1 year, and if I didn’t pay myself in the first year I would have to get a “proper job”.

What businesses do you have on the boil today?

In 2010 I launched Social Rabbit a social media consulting and training business, this was after I had huge success with the Mocks brand on Facebook – getting 12,000 people to the page in under three months and doubling online sales. Social Rabbit encompasses a new passion of mine – social media, I blog regularly and love the fact that it changes so often! Finally in February this year I launched Steps which is online Facebook training for businesses, this came out of the training I’ve done on Facebook with businesses and the realisation that most businesses really have no idea how to best use social media. iyl

Imagine @...

www.socialrabbit.net www.stepslearning.com

Imagine Four

Travelling through France?

Paris

1h 37 3h 18

2h 10 4h 03

309km

375km

Did you know taking a TGV is the fastest way to travel between French cities?

2h 00 4h 51

Nantes

458km

3h 00 5h 59

2h 40 7h 13

575km

Bordeaux

Toulouse

For bookings and information please contact your professional travel consultant or visit www.railplus.com.au

Dijon

5h 20 6h 57 669km

Lyon

702km

3h 30 7h 43

5h 32 9h 37

740km

943km

Avignon Montpellier Nice *www.theaa.com TGV CAR*

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Cruise Europe

Slow boat through Europe Europe is awash with Rivers. Some of the world’s most famous, immortalised in waltzes, wars and watercolours thrill us with their connotations – the Danube, Rhine, Main, Moselle. And now, there are new cruises to whet the appetites of increasing numbers of waterway wayfarers.

Story Jeni Bone

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hey have been navigable by boat for hundreds of years and have become the ultimate travel experience, delivering castles, sweeping scenery, snow-capped mountains and verdant valleys, majestic fjords, bustling towns, Medieval and modern – all from the luxury and privacy of your onboard room. No unpacking and repacking, traffic or constant check ins. And time onboard can be whiled away enjoying superb dining, discreet service and as much socialising as you choose.

But think beyond France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria,

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Belgium and the Netherlands. Today’s Europe has opened up to a brave new world of travel with many gems previously concealed behind the Iron Curtain, now open for exploration. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Russia, as well as less traditional river cruise countries, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal.

If you can find a waterway, there is a cruise to experience.

According to Neil Kirby from Travel Masters, Nerang, river cruising is enjoying immense popularity, and several “new Rivers” are opening up more options for people who have already cruised the great Rivers.

“A lot of people’s first river cruise is Amsterdam to Budapest, then there are the new Rivers like the Douro, in

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Cruise Europe

“The cruise boats are able to travel further, and quicker than cars, taking overwhelmed guests closer to castles, cathedrals and medieval fortifications.”

Portugal, Po in Italy which goes from the Adriatic Sea through the mountains to Turin, and the Moselle in France which is starting to become popular. It takes you from Germany and Luxemburg in o France.”

Russia is also big, opening up the mystical land of the Cossacks, cruising through post-card picturesque landscapes, perfectly preserved Russian churches, the historic cities of St Petersburg and Moscow.

“The other thing that is quite new is cruising all the way along the Danube from the North Sea to Black Sea, taking about 28 days.”

As Neil explains, the big appeal of river cruising is that it’s all inclusive and varies from seven to 28 days to suit all budgets and tastes.

“That means all shore excursions, drinks, lectures and most of the time, tips. Then when you arrive, the guided tours and excursions are also included. And some cruise lines have bikes onboard. You can cycle around Amsterdam, for example.”

All four and five star, onboard the living is easy and luxurious.

When you dock, you’re in the heart of the cities and towns, so no need for costly taxis or the dreary shuttle bus to squeeze on to.

“You generally arrive to great views of a town, with the cityscape in the background, and there’s always something to see while you’re cruising, not like ocean cruising when you can have days of miles and miles of ocean. Plus, no sea sickness! w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

The boats are so stable. It’s like sailing on glass.”

The cruise boats are able to travel further, and quicker than cars, taking overwhelmed guests closer to castles, cathedrals and medieval fortifications than perhaps other modes of transport.

“It’s also very relaxing – a proper holiday. Another person is doing the driving for you! What could be better than that?”

Avalon Waterways offers a choice of 25 itineraries on all the great rivers of Europe including the Rhine, Danube, Main, Moselle, Seine and Rhône rivers, plus a further nine itineraries on the Nile, Yangtze, Mekong and among the Galápagos Islands.

As part of the Globus family of brands, Avalon Waterways is backed by more than 80 years’ experience in European touring, so its cruises are supported by expert cruise directors and knowledgeable guides.

Christian Schweitzer, Marketing Manager Australasia describes the main appeal of river cruising as “travelling Europe in style”.

“You can sail through some of the continent’s most spectacular scenery and into the very heart of some of its greatest cities and historic villages. A river cruise avoids the hassle of travelling by air, road or rail and means travellers need unpack only once. With exceptional meals and tours all included in the fare, it also represents excellent value – particularly with the strength of the Australian dollar.”

He says that while the majority of cruise passengers are mature or retired, river cruises are attracting an increasing number 101

Destination of younger couples and repeat travellers to Europe. Avalon’s ships carry a large number of Australian and New Zealand passengers and its new Suite Ships have been designed specifically with the Australasian market in mind.

“Avalon operates the newest fleet of river cruise ships in Europe, with an average age of just over two years. Its ships are modern and luxurious, featuring hotel-style rooms with sliding glass doors that open to the passing scenery. Avalon’s revolutionary new Suite Ship, the Avalon Panorama, is the first to offer two whole decks of all-suite accommodation with 30 per cent more cabin space than the industry standard.”

So popular is the offering, Avalon will add another two new Suite Ships to service next year.

“Avalon’s newly launched Suite Ship, Avalon Panorama, will be joined by another two Suite Ships, Avalon Vista and Avalon Visionary, bringing the overall fleet to 11 ships. Avalon will also launch a new ship on the Mekong, offering itineraries in Vietnam and Cambodia for the first time. It will also introduce two new ships in Egypt, allowing new itineraries beyond the Aswan dam to archaeological sites across Lake Nasser.” iyl

Imagine @... www.avalonwaterways.com.au www.travelmasters.com.au

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Mavis’s Kitchen

Welcome Home

In the verdant valley beneath the spire of Wollumbin, known also as Mount Warning, lies the township of Uki – home to artists, intellectuals, creative types and those seeking solace among the fertile volcanic soil and flood plains of the Tweed Valley. It’s also a haven of organic, farm-fresh produce, and its greatest proponent is Mavis’s Kitchen.

Story Jeni Bone

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Destination

“We use seasonal and organic ingredients, with much of it coming from our biodynamic garden.”

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f like me, your “down time” occurs only when you’ve sunk into sleep and “me time” is limited to leaving the kids at home to trawl for groceries, then the time is right to get away from it all.

Nothing is more soothing to the soul than picking fruit from the tree, chasing chooks, squelchy fields under your gumboots, the scent of open fires, Eucalypts, and home-spun organic, slow food.

Mavis’s Kitchen is all this and more.

This culinary beacon was first brought to my attention by a financial planner, who rhapsodised about Charlie and Peter’s ethos of slow-cooked, home-grown, nothing that’s not from nature food. He and his wife would drive from Brisbane, spending much of the two hour journey guessing what delicacies might await them from the ever-changing menu. “You have to try it,” he urged. “It’s life-changing.”

So two torpid parents and their toddler tyrants hit the road to Uki via Murwillumbah, nervously awaiting the epiphany.

Crossing the border from Queensland to NSW was refreshing enough, as the sandy soil and tourist-trap made way for the caldera and its tropical profusion, pastures on steep slopes, dotted with cattle and sheep. “Are we still in our world?” asked a four-

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year old voice from the backseat, echoing our adult thoughts.

Just 10 minutes out of Murwillumbah, reached by fording a few streams and wending down country lane ways, the gravel drive of Mavis’s open to a veritable compound – 25 acres of rolling hills, crowned by the serene white Queenslander, “the Kitchen”, which was brought in pieces from its original location in Labrador on the Gold Coast where it was well known as Harley Street Brasserie.

Run by Charlie Ebell and Peter Clarke, it’s a family affair.

The home was once owned by Peter’s aunt and uncle and was named in honour of Charlie’s mum, a formidable cook and their inspiration.

Accommodation consists of The Old Farm House, a two-storey, three-bedroom house which is thoroughly luxurious in its modcons and has a gracious verandah for cosy winter banquets under the heaters, and day bed and hammocks for G&T afternoons in summer; the Old Dairy, a renovated, 100-year old cabin for up to three people, and the Log Cabin, a self-contained studio for couples looking to cocoon in seclusion.

The backdrop is surreal and sublime. Mount Warning is World Heritage-listed and the prosaic tagline: “where the mountains touch the sky” is no stretch of the truth.

Imagine Four

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Mavis’s Kitchen

Here the air is intoxicating, mystically warmer in winter and cooler in summer. You feel energised and energetic, and even the most sluggish of our company (she’s only two and half!) managed a 150m climb up Mount Warning, enticed by the idea of seeing a Volcano. We didn’t, thankfully, but we saw the ancient magma plug in all its glory, plenty of lizards, a snake, a lyre bird, wild turkeys, the sound of whip birds and some evidence of Bunyip prints, which got us back to the car in no time!

The complete trail to the top and back is 8.8km, vertical in some parts, and would take a bit more sunscreen, water, training, stamina and an early start, minus the junior trekkers.

Back at our Farm House, chicken chasing was on the agenda.

Like most activities, the animals and adults lost patience before the toddlers, so we traipsed through the herb and vegie gardens to select our snacks as guests who stay on premises are invited to.

Grabbing grapefruit from the tree and savouring basil and fragrant herbs fresh from the ground was a novelty, and the taste even more so compared to the limp substitutes found in supermarkets. Despite their early morning terror, the chooks delivered delicious, full-bodied eggs, perfect with the Bangalow bacon and crusty bread our hosts had provided – not to mention use of our own coffee machine which made baristas of us both.

Before sunset, we sidled up to the main house, greeted by dogs, friends, staff and other diners. It’s more like a family get-together than a restaurant. Even with kids in tow, we felt included and involved in the several celebrations around us.

The menu is blackboard, changing daily in response to the chefs’ predilection and seasonal availability. I only had eyes for the desserts – but realise there’s a gourmet feast to plunge into before the organic lemon tart with cream, or bread and butter pudding, or both!

After sharing free range duck liver pate with red onion marmalade and sourdough toast, we were presented with mains to rave about: Mavis’s snapper and vegetable pie and baked cauliflower and cheese pie with ricotta stuffed pumpkin flower and garden salad – all gathered from the garden below. In fact, we had been rifling through the very same pumpkin flowers that afternoon looking for the swollen orange vegetables whose furry vines meander all over the sizeable patch. As head chef in my own home, it was refreshing to eat something I have no time to attempt these days, all succulent with earthy-tasting ripeness.

After all, this is cuisine with a conscience. As Charlie explained: “We use seasonal and organic ingredients, with much of it coming from our biodynamic garden. Chickens are free range, fish comes from the Tweed trawlers, pork is from Bangalow and eggs are from our own chooks, which are fed kitchen greens and organic matter.”

Environmental concerns are paramount, and the restaurant makes its own serviettes from recycled paper, attempting to minimise the footprint wherever possible. “We also support sustainable farming practices and minimal food miles, we recycle, reuse and compost,” added Peter.

Back in our Farm House, fireplace stoked, snuggled in for DVDs and hot chocolate, our senses thanked us for the infusion of nature, something so extraordinary to city life. Spying our muddy gum boots arranged sentry-like at the door, I realised we spend most of our time barricading ourselves from the great outdoors, eschewing the soil and accepting cling-wrapped meat and veg as the norm.

Not here. Everything is visibly connected to the food chain and consumed with appreciation of its place.

Mavis’s Kitchen is idyllically situated. Just beyond the gate, the region is thriving with galleries, antique stores, festivals and more. Murwillumbah, the regional hub of around 7,500 residents with an additional 7,500 people living in nearby villages, retains its bucolic, vintage feel, with a comfy blend of CWA cakes and Asian-Mediterranean fusion on the menus of the many restaurants and cafes. The town boasts some of the best examples of Art Deco architecture to be found anywhere in the country and is home to the award-winning Tweed River Art Gallery. There are disposal stores, pretty frock shops to suit gran and boutiques for groovy teens, pleasant boulevards that are pram friendly and plenty of parking.

For the littlies and the young at heart, there are farms, mini-zoos, plantations and markets in the area, including Tropical Fruit World, Chillingham Bush Tucker gardens, Rock On Gallery, Crystal Creek Miniatures animal tours and Crystal Creek Parrot Garden, which houses monkeys, macaws and alpacas among other exotic creatures and is run by the enigmatic Charles and Doriana Knie, retired Circus stars.

But more than any of these single attractions, the melange of genuine people, the historic villages and the rural lifestyle are the allure of the Tweed Valley. Mavis’s Kitchen feels like the epicentre of this intriguing valley, bristling with inspiration and ideas.

Refreshed, revived and somewhat rewired for a different pace, we returned to hum-drum normalcy. If adjusting the way you think about food, carbon footprints and hospitality is life-changing, then our Mavis experience was a success. iyl

Imagine @... www.maviseskitchen.com.au

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Detour 106

Imagine Four

Motoring

L an d

R over

Discovery

4

by Jon Thomson

I

have a confession to make. I am an unabashed Land Rover fan. I have always had a soft spot for Landies. I helped some mates re-fettle a couple of old machines when I was a teenager, the first press test I ever did as a young motoring writer was a Range Rover and after driving the latest Discovery 4 with a turbo diesel V6, the flames of my affection have been fanned even more. The English off road pioneer copped plenty of bad press through the 1980s and 1990s when quality and reliability were fleeting and rare bedfellows for the marque. But things have changed particularly since both BMW and Ford owned the company and instilled some quality culture into the

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organisation. Today Indian industrial giant Tata is the owner and quality standards are holding up.

The Disco 4 is an absolutely fabulous vehicle both on road and off, especially for buyers of high-grade variants where the power plant is the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel that powers the Jaguar XF and XJ. For the unititiated it is hard to pick this engine as a diesel, such is the smoothness of its power delivery and the lack of diesel clatter, even at idle. Even a gnarly old car reviewer like me had trouble picking this as a diesel, wondering after a few minutes behind the wheel whether the Land Rover PR man had given me the keys to a petrol Disco, not the diesel.

The SDV6 pumps out a very useful 180kW and an even 107

Detour

“Inside you might be mistaken for thinking you’ve picked up a Range Rover.”

108

more impressive 600 Nm of torque enough to pull stumps out of the ground if that is your desire.

Thing is of course these days the Disco is a city beast for all but a handful of buyers. Most buy it as a family urban assault vehicle rather than a supreme off roader. That almost undersells the capabilities of the Disco 4. It is a fantastic vehicle on city roads despite its bulk and is equally at home on a twisty bit of tarmac as it is on a slippery dirt track through the bush.

It has a real presence on the street, a sort of off road chic that evades even the most expensive of the Japanese off roaders while the German opponents just look like they would be out of place in the bush. The Disco could cut it outside the Oodnadatta Pub just as much as it does outside The Establishment in George St Sydney.

Inside you might be mistaken for thinking you’ve picked up a Range Rover, there is a new steering wheel with a better grip and feel and an array of steering wheel mounted controls, which have been revised for ease of use.

The seats have been improved and made more plush and comfortable while overall ambience in the cabin is now similar to other luxury SUVs and the mood lighting

provided by the white LED’s fitted around the door handles and pockets really adds to feel while making it a whole lot nicer to use in low light.

The Harman Kardon nine speaker audio system is one of the best sounding car music systems I have ever encountered in a factory system and fills the cabin with pure unadulterated music every time you fire it up.

There is very little to fault with this machine. It is a really supreme piece of automotive design. Sit behind the wheel of the Discovery 4 and you feel like you are in charge. Despite its size it corners and grips like a Range Rover Sport and even stops like one.

Despite the size this great diesel delivers terrific fuel economy returning around 9.3l/100km on combined cycle meaning you won’t have to mortgage the house for a week’s fuel.

The fact is the engine is pretty understressed and so doesn’t have to work hard to push this big machine down the road. The extra power and torque can easily be felt at any rev range with near instantaneous throttle response. The 3.0 TDV6 powered Disco 4 can easily take five adults around the city or off-road with little to no effort and if you want to haul a horse float or a trailer the Disco Imagine Four

Motoring will hardly know it is there.

Land Rover has softened the look of the Discovery 4 to add more female appeal to the car, not that it didn’t already have some of that with Disco 3 which is certainly popular with the soccer mums of more affluent suburbs around the country. The result is a smoother, simpler look at the front with new LED position lamps around the main light units while the rear has new lights with LED stop, tail and indicator technology. Overall It is a friendlier version of the Disco 3. Park them next to each other and you might have a hard time telling them apart but look closely and you can detect that the 4 is a little more grown up and softer.

Where the Disco really excels is in the area of ride quality. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving around the city or if you’re out climbing a mountain, it is just so comfortable. The key is the Disco’s electronic cross linked air suspension, which has automatic load leveling, and can be configured in multiple modes including access, normal, off-road and extended height.

Land Rover’s superb Hill Descent Control now comes with Gradient Release Control, which controls the rate of descent on off road hills.

Safety is not an issue in the Disco 4, it w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

is packed with SRS Airbags and comes standard with more systems than you could poke a stick including, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Slip Control System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), All-terrain AntiLock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Traction control (ETC), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Electronic differential control, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Enhanced Under steer Control (EUC), Hydraulic rear brake boost, Roll Stability Control (RSC), Trailer stability assist and Hill Descent Control (HDC) with Gradient Release Control (GRC).

None of this comes cheap but this is an extremely capable and luxurious beast that fills you with joy when you drive it.

That joy will set you back $95,100 for the 3.0 SDV6 HSE as tested.

Of course you can choose the entry level Discovery 4 with the 2.7 TDV6 and that starts at $68,490, which is a real bargain, while the 3.0 TDV6 SE will set you back $81,990. If you really must have a petrol V8 expect to pay $126,460 for the 5.0litre V8 but I cannot see any reason to bypass the turbo diesels. They are definitely the pick. You won’t be disappointed. iyl

Imagine @... www.landrover.com.au Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6.................................$68,490 6 Cylinder, 2.7 Litre Diesel 10.2 / 100Km TDV6 SE............................$81,990 6 Cylinder, 3.0 Litre Diesel 9.3 / 100Km TDV6 HSE......................... $95,100 6 Cylinder, 3.0 Litre Diesel 9.3 / 100Km V8.................................... $127,500 8 Cylinder, 5.0 Litre Petrol 13.9 / 100Km

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Detour 110

Imagine Four

Boating

50

M u s ta n g S p o rts C r u is e r

At the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May, the new Mustang 32 was revealed with fanfare by its new owner and industry legend, Bill BarryCotter and greeted with affection and adulation by trade and consumers alike – all eager to see what the master would retain and discard from the brand with a chequered history but loyal following.

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A

s well as the elegant 32, which attracted nine orders from around the country and overseas, a surprise launch was held at the same show, that of the Mustang 50.

Targeting the luxury end of the “family entertainer” market, with three cabins and two bathrooms, the Mustang 50 boasts all the facilities to relax in style.

The three-cabin entertainer with a large aft deck and fully enclosed saloon powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS 600 turbo diesel engines and drives, is characterised by space, light and an array of features.

“Designer David Stewart has taken full advantage of space offered amidships to provide massive cabin space in this boat,” says the brand’s marketing collateral.

A single-level entertainer, the Mustang

50’s saloon opens out completely to the aft cockpit as one space with bi-fold aluminium-framed glass doors.

A fully-equipped aft galley serves guests both outside and in, with cooking and food preparation space in the starboard side and a full-height refrigerator to starboard along with a pantry.

Equipment includes a four-burner hob, convection microwave oven under the stone-look benchtop and optional drawer dishwasher.

The saloon, forward of the galley, demonstrates the design team‘s focus, with shining gloss teak highlights, muted fabric wallpapers and contrasting French-stitched pelmets on either side.

A long L-shape lounge and high/low table is forward of the galley to port with entertainment cabinet including popup LCD TV on the opposite side of the saloon.

The helm, complete with timber sports wheel and a high-back helm seat, is on the starboard side of the main saloon with the companionway to the accommodation suite on the centreline.

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Detour

The Mustang 50 saloon also has an optional electricallyoperated sunroof overhead allowing guests and skipper to take full advantage of the fresh air and sunshine.

The wide, teak-laid aft deck features a lounge across the transom and access gates on either side.

Befitting an entertainer boat, the Mustang 50 is fitted with an enormous swim platform, the outer half of which can optionally be fitted with a hydraulic lift. The outer side of the transom has been designed to incorporate an entertainment module with a sink and optional barbecue on one side and freezer on the other.

A hatch between these two modules lifts for quick access to the garage – a place to stow fenders, lines or swim gear. The entire transom lifts on an electric actuator to reveal the full garage space which can house a tender.

For accommodation, the full-beam master stateroom amidships features a strikingly positioned queen double bed – at 45 degrees to the centreline of the boat.

Complementing the saloon, this stateroom features striking gloss teak panels and muted fabric wallpaper.

The stateroom features large portlights in the hull as well as opening portholes on both sides to aid cross ventilation while at anchor. A large full-height wardrobe is built into the starboard aft quarter of the stateroom and lounges are fitted on both sides.

The master ensuite on the port side includes a separate shower stall, Tecma toilet with fresh water flush, stonelook vanity top, moulded sink and mirrors. A full-height cupboard between stateroom and bathroom has shelves for linen on top and deep drawers below.

“Mustang again stands for great family sports cruisers at a competitive price.”

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Imagine Four

Boating The VIP guest cabin forward features a double bed and small folddown shelves on either side for coffee cups or books. Fixed portholes as well as a deck hatch offer light and air. A lined hanging locker is on the starboard side.

The second bathroom on the starboard side is equipped as the master.

Both include round, opaque deck hatches.

A third single-berth cabin is on the starboard side aft of the guest bathroom. There are two head-height lockers in the cabin; one hides the electrical panel while the other provides shelves for clothing and books.

Marketing director, Luke Durman said the new design builds on the tradition of Mustang.

“We have taken the brand back to its roots,” he said. “Mustang again stands for great family sports cruisers at a competitive price,” said Durman.

The new Mustang 32 Sports Cruiser is priced at a base $215,000. The Mustang 50 has a base price of $1,035,000. According to Bill BarryCotter, more than half of the Mustang production over time will go to markets in the US. iyl w w w.imagineyourlifetsyle.com.au

Imagine @ www.mustangmarine.com.au Mustang 50 Sports Cruiser Length Overall Beam Draft Dry Weight Fuel Capacity Water Capacity Holding Tank Cap. Sleeping Cabins Sleeping Capacity Engines (Standard) Base price

16.34m 53.61ft 4.85m 15.91ft 1.00m 3.24ft 13,000kg 28,660lbs 1,800L 476 GAL 400L 106 GAL 300L 79 GAL 3 5 Standard Twin Volvo IPS 600 435hp $1,035,000.00

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Bookend:

adam spencer

improvements in P/E ratios better than me. Eventually I sold the run to a private equity joint from Moscow . . . smooth.

How did you view working?

You wouldn’t get out of bed at 3.20am and cycle to work if you didn’t love it.

What did you spend your first pay on?

Probably Dr Who books at Chatswood station bookstore. My first encounter with the beast of inflation was when Dr Who and the Daleks went from $1.90 to $2.00 because I’d dillydallied! I wish someone had explained to me that house prices did the same!

Adam Spencer Radio presenter, host of ABC TV’s QUANTUM and FAQ from 1998 to 2001, comedian, mathematician, author and dad, Adam Spencer was also the high profile Patron of Dry July 2011 – an initiative to raise funds for various charities by undertaking a month long sponsored abstinence from alcohol.

What did you always want to be or do when you “grew up”?

I’ve genuinely never had an answer to that question, from age four until 42 ... and counting.

At school, what were your main interests and main areas of excelling?

I was pretty handy at mathematics and I captained the NSW debating team.

How did this industry first open for you?

I got into breakfast radio the traditional way: started and didn’t finish a Law degree at Sydney Uni, started and didn’t 114

finish a pure Maths PhD at Sydney Uni, debated a bit [Adam was voted “Best Speaker in the World” at the World University Debating in 1996], won a national standup comedy competition run through triple j radio and they were silly enough to offer me a job . . . standard procedure really!

What was your first ‘job’ for money?

Sunday morning paper run around the streets of Gladesville and Putney. Turned that baby from a $2.80 a week basket case into a $12 a week empire in only three years! You would understand the

What did you learn from your father and mother about work ethic and your attitude to saving/spending?

Effort in equals reward out. Money helps but isn’t the main game.

As you’ve matured, has your attitude change towards money?

I’ve slowly began to understand what it is and how it works, and I’ve gone from spending it on myself to on my kids, which is much more rewarding in many ways.

Do you have in place a portfolio of investments, trauma cover and life insurance?

Yes. Have you had professional financial advice over the years?

Yes. What were the most important financial lessons you’ve learnt over the years?

Get professional advice and don’t lock in your home loan for three years a fortnight before a GFC. What about money and family?

What do you want to pass on to your kids about working and earning money?

You don’t get the second without the first. iyl Imagine Four

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