Hosting With Heart

Seeking to indulge their mutual love of renovating and holidaying on Tasmania's beautiful east coast, couple Joel Challis and Nick Graham in 2022 were routinely scrolling realestate.com.au when they stumbled across an intriguing piece of land available for sale not far from the small hamlet of St Mary's. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, this environmentally conscious, super industrious duo have spearheaded the design, build and opening of a highly sustainable tiny home named Candlebark Ridge, considerately crafted with myriad sustainable features, underpinned by the goal of creating a warm and inviting cocoon in which guests can completely disconnect and recharge.

Just as I did, I'm sure you'll find my chat with Joel and Nick a real treat. Please enjoy.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

With a background in graphic design and a childhood penchant for garage sales, Alison Kenna, now the parent to three young boys, is one busy woman.

When not working part-time in the marketing department at her local TAFE or assisting her husband James in the day to day running of his air conditioning business, Alison is busily managing Warrnambool Retreat, a property with three separate titled residences in the heart of the regional Victorian town of the same name that the couple bought and commenced renovating in 2019.

This was a fantastic chat about how grit and determination can pay off when bringing an historic property back to life, let alone throughout the early days of a global pandemic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chat with Alison and I know you'll enjoy it too.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

My guest on today's episode of Hosting With Heart, architect Shae Parker McCashen, has long been what she refers to as an 'architectural green sheep'.

With an upbringing that instilled in her a respect for people and a passion for the environment, Shae went on to qualify as an architect in the early 2000's and has today amassed over 24 years of extensive industry experience, including 14 years at the helm of her own Melbourne-based practice, Green Sheep Collective.

As a sustainable design advocate with a number of awards and commendations under her belt, Shae relishes the opportunity to share her considerable knowledge with other experts and members of the community, including those in the short-term accommodation space.

The valuable insights that Shae shares in this episode are aplenty and I hope you get as much out of listening to this conversation today as I did having it.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

When she's not busy managing Milton Beef, her family's successful ethical beef farm, or helping support the local refugee community, you'll find my guest on today's episode of Hosting With Heart, Janelle Wallace, busily welcoming guests to her newly opened, fully accessible hempcrete retreat, Figtree Cottage of Milton.

Janelle's journey to becoming a host was lined with many twists and turns, but she's ultimately created a property with such an abundance of accessible and sustainable features that upon listing it on the Heartful platform in late 2024, it immediately assumed the No.1 spot.

I hope you enjoy this truly inspiring chat.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

With a background in psychology and outdoor education, my guest on today's episode of Hosting With Heart, Clare Reilly, now works as a disability advocate, blogger, podcaster, social media influencer and writer.

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2017, Clare is currently planning to become the first person to traverse the Munda Biddi Trail—the world's longest off-road cycling route in Western Australia—using a wheelchair.

Her journey, planned to take place in the first half of 2026, aims to raise both awareness and funds for multiple sclerosis.

Please enjoy my chat with Clare today.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

In today's episode of Hosting With Heart, I chat with Phil Janson who, along with wife Lyndel, are the owners and hosts of Willow's Retreat, a sustainable property located on 50 acres of pristine bush and pasture land in Fernances Crossing, approximately 100km directly north of Sydney.

During our chat, Phil talks about what led he and Lyndel to hosting and explores the joys and challenges they've experienced since opening the doors to the property - which comprises an off-grid, self-contained eco-lodge, multiple campsites and even the option to bring your horse - a couple of years ago.

Enjoy the episode today.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

In this short launch episode for Season 9 of Hosting With Heart, Jen Clark covers off on what she's been up to for the last 9 months (namely, building new accommodation marketplace, Heartful) and what's in store for this brand new, exciting season of the podcast.

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For more information about Hosting With Heart and to access our archive of over 100 episodes, visit the HWH website at www.hostingwithheart.net.au or follow us on Instagram at Instagram (@hostingwithheart)

Join our private Facebook group of 1300+ hosts from around Australia at Hosting with Heart Community Group | Facebook

Sign up and list your property on Heartful now at Host with Us | Heartful Travel

My guest today on Hosting With Heart is Jodie McQueen, owner and operator of Paradise Road Farm, a two-cabin farm stay in Sheffield, the gateway to Tasmania's Cradle Mountain world heritage area.

With a diverse professional background including time spent working in Japan and Australia in a variety of communications, tourism and sustainability-focused roles, in 2016 Jodie and her then-partner determined it was time for a tree change and went on to purchase a 100 acre property in Tasmania.

By 2019 and then newly single, she embarked on a permanent move to the property and soon after got the wheels in motion on the build of two modest, sustainably-constructed cabins, supporting the small-scale, regenerative farm she had already established.

Having opened the doors to Paradise Road Farm to the public in October of 2020, she has since built a highly successful, adults-only accommodation business, all the while maintaining an operational ethos that prioritises the planet and encourages guests to leave their stay with an enhanced level of respect for the natural environment.

Vince Hunt and partner Angela Brickwell truly do personify what it means to be a heartful host.

After purchasing a 120 acre block of land in the idyllic town of Billinudgel on the northern New South Wales coast some years ago, they went on to construct two cabins - one of which is fully accessible - on the land, all the while indulging their passion for permaculture, regenerative farming and a philosophy that places the therapeutic value of getaways at the centre.

With a personal background in landscape design and art, complimented by Ange's skills as a kinesiologist, this hardworking and empathetic couple have experienced great success as short-term accommodation hosts in the four years they've been managing their property, now known as Rosalita's Rest.

It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Vince about their journey to date a few days ago and I think you'll really enjoy this episode today.

In this first episode of Hosting With Heart for 2024, host Jen Clark provides an update on the recent equity crowdfunding campaign for Heartful, a new short-term accommodation booking platform focusing on sustainability and inclusion, helmed by Jen, that will launch mid-year.

She also discusses her plans for season 8 of the podcast, which will move to a more flexible fortnightly format and have a focus on featuring guests who exemplify the 'heartful hosting' ethos, based both here in the Australia / NZ region and overseas.

It's set to be another incredibly big and exciting year!