Big fish, little place

Many people may know Mallacoota as a result of the horrific fires that decimated the region at the end of 2019.  Images of the coastal community on the NSW/ Victorian border went around the world as a result of the fires.  This conversation with Paris focuses not so much on the fires, but the catalyst for change and growth in the Mallacoota community as a result - the establishment of the Wilderness Collective, and the focus on year round employment rather than 6 week tourism contracts.  

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Today’s episode has me talking with Ash Watt, one of the co-founders of Why Leave Town - a business all about holding our money in the main street of our rural and regional towns.

Ash is a great example of someone who grew up regionally, did some time in the big smoke, and then returned to live regionally.  Ash has been a paid beer tester, started a backyard cricket club with a mate, and is a classic example of a bush kid who has followed his hunches and is solving problems for regional Australia, while enjoying the ride! 

Enjoy this conversation with Ash Watt.

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Liz Moss now calls Karratha home, incidentally Australia’s most expensive suburb, overtaking Bondi recently.   Working for Pilbara Innovation Partnerships, Liz speaks to me today about what building trust across the Pilbara region looks like, what happens when genuine place-based activity occurs and what she would do again in a public/ private partnership opportunity.  Liz talks honestly and passionately about the Pilbara and Karratha, where becoming a local, involves owning a boat!  

Enjoy this conversation!

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website⁠⁠ www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Today with my guest Tracy Cooper, we talk all things change - what’s changed in rural leadership since the 90s, how do we handle chosen and unchosen change, how is it altering how we lead organisations, corporations and even families, and lastly why we still need to focus on the health care sector across regional Australia.  There’s so much in this episode, let’s get into it!

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Through my work I have had the chance to take a contract with Welcoming Australia.  This is how the delightful Ken Dachi and I crossed paths.  In today’s interview, Ken will talk about how he arrived in Leeton in the Riverina of NSW via Kenya and Europe; he’ll share his unique perspective on privilege and how we can use it to act and to do good, as well as his hopes for the future of regional Australia and the work he does.

There’s also a great story about how he and his wife chose Leeton as home, and what google images had to do with that!

Enjoy!

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table.

This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

You will realise quickly that my guest today, Bec Fing, is well known to me!  Bec has called Goondiwindi home for 25 years, grew up in Dirranbandi in SW Qld and works across Australia predominantly supporting farming families with work health and safety and business strategy.  In this episode we talk about why relationships are important to her, and how her first 2 clients at housepaddock training and consulting are still with her 20 years on.  We talk about creativity in problem solving, and how her love of art resulted in her opening a shop, Meld Lifestyle in down town Goondiwindi.  Enjoy this conversation with Bec Fing.  
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To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table.

This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

Oh my goodness, today’s conversation is a real treat!  Elise Stephenson is researcher, entrepreneur and is the Deputy Director, The Global Institute for Women's Leadership  The Australian National University.  She also calls Bynalong home, 1.5 hours out of Canberra with a population of 500 people.  In this episode we talk about career highlights while living regionally, how her childhood has set Elise up for many adventures across Australia, and why she still believes that we need to fix the systems not the women when it comes to more women being involved in leadership.  Elise has experienced first hand the way in which the regions are at the front line of innovation and change, this truly was such a delight to dig deep with Elise Stephenson.

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table.

This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

I have known my guest today Juliane Cowan, for roughly 10 years.  Not only has she always lived courageously in nth west Qld, but that is now the name of her business.  She is a bridge builder - more on that in the episode, she has intense curiosity of humans and what our tribes can do for each other. 

She is pragmatic, systems focused and positively impacting businesses and couples all over Australia.  She is the messenger that gives the message it’s power.  Enjoy the conversation that I have with Juliane Cowan.

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

This week our guest is Dimity Smith.  Dimity lives in Tamworth where she runs her business Gro Events Group. She has done what many do - manage a full time job and a side hustle.  That is until something drastic occurs like a world-wide pandemic and she needs to change course, and quickly!

This conversation ended up down the rabbit hole of the challenges for regional people wanting to work when child care is non-existent.  Through this conversation though, I kept hearing Dimity talk about her values - for resourcefulness, of forging your own path, and the willingness to have a go!

Enjoy this conversation with Dimity.

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

⁠www.theconnectiontable.com⁠

Big Fish Little Place is a podcast by The Connection Table. This podcast showcases that great people can impact the world from anywhere across Australia!

In this episode, I speak with Kylie Falconer who is based in Glenn Innes in NSW. 

You’ll hear Kylie talk about the importance of community based organisations having clear visions and why it is important for community members to have ownership of the outcomes.  She discusses how natural disasters bring unexpected consequences to community, and can shake groups to consider their relevance.  I loved hearing the passion that Kylie has for her rural community.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Kylie Falconer

To find out more about  The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website

www.theconnectiontable.com