"Dean of Awesome Sydney". It's a pretty cool title, awesome even. So how does one get such a title? On this episode we interview the very creative, socially connected, lover of the arts Theresa Winters. She's part of The Awesome Foundation, a global network of micro-giving chapters that give $100 of their own money every month to awesome projects. Theresa heads up the Sydney chapter. Together with a panel of 9 others they fund out-there ideas that make Sydney more awesome.The catch? There isn’t one. Since its foundation in 2011, the Sydney chapter has received more than 800 micro-grant applications and given away nearly $80,000. That's a whole lot of awesome. Go ahead and listen to find out what kind of awesome ideas have been funded over the years. 

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After his newspaper decided to stop his bar review column (and therefore stop funding his perpetual cocktail habit), journalist Dan Kaufman started one of Australia's first bar blogs. BarZine was built out of spite over a decade ago inline with the small bar scene awakening in Sydney. Dan has just finished his first novel, 'Drowning in the Shallows', a comedy about a heartbroken journo who has to write about Sydney’s bars and social scene for a paper. Although he insists it's not autobiographical! On this episode, we delve into the creative writing process of constructing a novel. Short-form blogging versus long-form and how he's learnt to handle the rejection that comes with such a competitive industry. 

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We're back! And this time talking all things SCIENCE. Which is timely, considering the recent shuttle launch. 

Apologising in advance for the Zoom-quality audio. 

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Ever seen a beautiful colour and thought you'd love to paint your wall that shade? But then you take a picture on your phone and when you try to match it at the paint shop it's near impossible? Two Melbourne based engineering students set out to solve this problem and created an app called Palette https://palette.com/. Looking to disrupt the traditional paint industry further they started a direct-to-consumer paint brand called Tint (www.tintpaint.com.au). Alex Roberts is their uber-creative product development manager and is actually married to one of those engineers. She tells us how the business started and shares her creative tips on how to make expressing your creativity through home renovations fun and simple.

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We welcome back to the show Grace Rouvray from 600 Bottles of Wine (S1E19). This time she's brought with her Katie Lees who she's recently teamed up with to produce an hour-long, live comedy show called Hour of Power. On this episode, we chat about cliched single, white, female comedy topics. How they're tackling typical eye-rolling topics (think hens parties and first dates) in a fresh way. We also delve into the creative process of editing and critiquing your partner's work when it comes to a comedy show, especially when friendship is involved. 

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Mark Hawaa is a classic car & motorcycle enthusiast. He’s also the founder of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride - an annual event where motorcycle enthusiasts wear their finest attire and take to the streets of their city to raise money for worthwhile charities and to have a good time.

The event attracts 125,000 participants globally across 700 cities. To date they’ve raised over USD$35m for prostate cancer research and male suicide prevention. On this episode we hear how a once small idea has led to a change in perception of motorcycle culture globally. Mark shares the joys and challenges of philanthropy and let’s us in on what’s next on his horizon. This interview is inspiring on so many levels and a must listen.

Links we discuss

• Throttle Roll Street Party https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQzRrfL9IHg
• Aftershock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9yznPZuFlc
• Throttle Roll Alex attended https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tbJWWFteFs
• One of the programs we fund https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYjSPEiKMOA
• One of the longer pieces we have done to connect with older men https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA2I1RLyYKQ&t=2s

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Many would know Daimon Downey as the former lead singer of the Aria award-winning band Sneaky Sound System. These days he is an acclaimed artist who specialises painting, sculpture and ceramics. On this episode, we hear about how a chance encounter at a party led to over a decade of musical success. How the transition from music to art came with great vulnerability but also tremendous reward. We also chat about the future of art and culture as we face a tumultuous new world with the spread of Covid-19.

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We're back for season three.

Ever thought about doing stand-up comedy? For some, that suggestion is absolutely terrifying. What if no one laughs? What if I forget the punch line? What if I'm just not funny? Marie El Daghl shares how she took the leap from public relations and media training to putting herself well and truly out of her comfort zone to become a stand-up comedian. Listen to this episode and you must just be inspired to give stand-up a crack yourself. 

Support the show: http://patreon.com/strategyhotline

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support the show: http://patreon.com/strategyhotline

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andea Barrett epitomises the notion of creativity and is the ultimate maker and creator. She’s a costume designer, diamond setting and jewellery maker and she’s also an award winning burlesque performer who goes by the name of Diesel Darling. On this episode we talk about the adoption of different personas that creatives often take on when working in their chosen field. We speak about mental health and performance as an outlet and hear some hilarious stories about what has inspired some of Andea’s burlesque performances over the years.

Support the show: http://patreon.com/strategyhotline

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