What a treat I have for you today. I loved my chat with Zeynep. From a 28-year career in teaching to her ‘encore career’ age 50 as a ceramic artist and owner of Soul Clay Studios on the NSW South Coast.

Zeynep opened her heart about the highs and lows of her life journey and the pure joy of the working life she now enjoys is just magic!!

www.zeyneptestoni.com.au

Instagram@zeyneptestoni_ceramics

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I am being honest and upfront here, I think I have found my newest girl crush. What a totally inspiring superstar today’s guest is. I am even willing to move on from her smooth peanut butter choice (I know madness). Samantha Wills will leave you inspired as she shares her story openly and full of raw honesty and humour. As she says, “It took me no less than twelve years to become and overnight success.”

Technically Samantha could be a ‘So I Quit’ guest but she shares her incredible journey in her first book ‘Of Gold and Dust’ making her a ‘Book Club’ episode.

At just 21, Samantha Wills founded her own global self-titled jewellery company. Starting from her kitchen table in Bondi with an in-demand jewellery party-plan business, Samantha gained her first big break at Australian Fashion Week in 2004. She was thrust into the spotlight as a stream of celebrities were photographed wearing her pieces - Drew Barrymore, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, P!nk (to name a few). But when some of her earrings were selected to appear in Sex and The City, the young designer relocated to New York to build the brand on an international stage. After Samantha’s early recovery from $80k debt she turned over her first million by age 26. The business went from strength to strength, building a cult following. But in 2019 Samantha stunned the world with the brand’s seemingly sudden closure, at its peak as a multi-million-dollar company. In Of Gold and Dust she shares the journey of this 15-year business venture (a very public brand) along with stories of her private life with rawness and humour.

Of Gold and Dust is out now https://www.booktopia.com.au/of-gold-and-dust-samantha-wills/book/9781760876548.html

@samanthawills

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Today my 'Around the Grounds Guest' is the magnificent Lisa Davies. Disclaimer I love this lady and am super chuffed I can call her a good friend. I am so proud of what she has achieved as a journalist over the years. She is Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and only the third woman in the papers history. This week the Herald celebrates its 190th birthday with the first ever Sydney Morning Herald

printed on April 18, 1831. It's believed the paper is the second oldest, continuously published masthead in the English-speaking world, behind The Times of London. Now in 2021 the Herald is reaching more people than ever (more than 9.3 million readers across print and online), having greater impact than ever before. And my mate is the Editor… just saying!!

Lisa began her career at the national newswire AAP, worked for the UK's Press Association in London and The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Sydney. Since joining what was Fairfax Media in early 2012 as Crime Editor, she has held several senior reporting and editing roles including Deputy Editor and Investigations Editor. In 2016 she was also the Federal Election Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Lisa has had a particular focus on crime and court reporting in her career, including travelling to South Africa to cover the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, and publishing a book about the inspiring recovery of Sydney bashing victim, Lauren Huxley.

Congratulations to the Sydney Morning Herald- 190 years young! Enjoy my chat with my Bon Jovi loving friend. x

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I know I say this every time but trust me you will LOVE this episode. Warning there maybe tears but there will also be a sense of community and connection.

Mea Campbell is a wonderful woman. She stepped away from her lawyer background at the start of COVID to help connect those who were at risk of isolation and loneliness. Welcome to the Letter Box Project.

Connected AU is an organisation working to reduce isolation and loneliness in at-risk populations. We deliver programs to ensure that vulnerable people can access connection, community and companionship in a safe and monitored way, ensuring everybody in our community stays visible and valued.

Our Letterbox Project caters for people who don't have access or capacity to use technology, and our virtual hobby groups cater for those that are able to 'get online', but want to find a safe, inclusive community. We have a particular focus on supporting senior Australians, people with disabilities, chronic health conditions and those who live alone.

Instagram @ connected_au https://connectedau.com.au/

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Keira Rumble has a fantastic story to share today on the pod. A real inspiration and go-getter she deserves all the success that her hard work has created.

From a pre-diabetic (Type 2 Diabetes) diagnosis and to avoid getting the disease, Keira vowed to change her diet and life. She began studying nutrition and was shocked to discover most ‘healthy’ protein snacks – which she ate most days after working out in the gym – contain the sugar equivalent of two cinnamon doughnuts! She stepped away from the corporate world and made a leap… That’s when Keira realised people need real healthy snacks, and her business, ‘Krumbled’ was born… Enjoy our chat! x

@keirarumble

@krumbledfoods

@habitualbeauty.co

www.krumblesfoods.com

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I knew this was going to be a cracking chat when my guest arrived at the Acast recording studio with CAKE. Ah she certainly knows her way to this podcasters heart…

In this Book Club episode I speak to the spectacular Tori Haschka about her debut novel Grace Under Pressure. No stranger to writing though Tori Haschka is a published food and travel writer whose writing has been featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and The Times.

‘Set on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Grace Under Pressure is a smart and hilarious debut about three mums that are at breaking point when the men in their lives screw up spectacularly. In a show of solidarity, they move in together and create a ‘mummune’ – sharing the load of chores, school pick-ups/drop-offs and bills. The new set-up brings its own set of problems.

Grace Under Pressure is about the pressure to ‘do it all’ and the strain of no longer living with a village of support. It’s about the weight of unpaid labour, post‐natal anxiety, social media scrutiny and our culture of digital surveillance. It’s about mums’ Facebook groups, kale smoothies and community. How the most important job we’ll potentially have, comes with the least amount of financial agency.

“I hope this is a book that women will press on each other and chat about over wine and cheese. The sort of book that women will want to read in stolen moments – in bed with tea, on planes, trains and maybe even hiding in the bathroom! I would love nothing more than for women to see themselves – and their friends – in this novel and realise that they are not alone. And if I manage to give them a much-needed laugh along the way, then my job is done.” 

I loved our natter and I am sure you will enjoy it too, get your cuppa and cake or easter egg ready and get comfy. Grace Under Pressure is out now!

Instagram @ torihaschka

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Today’s guest Kim Kerton has a beautiful story to share and I suspect her journey may inspire others who are dreaming of a sea-change…

Kim had an uber successful career in radio and headed up teams working in the creative media sales space for one of the leading networks in Australia. But in 2019 she walked away from the long and pretty tiring career she had in media advertising. Her body and mind decided for her that it was time to stop.

Kim wasn’t sure what was next and as she explains on the pod she was well and truly out of her comfort zone – she learnt she loved yoga and went on to learn how to teach others.

Fast forward 18 months and throw in a global pandemic and her journey has taken her from Sydney to Tasmania where she now teaches yoga, creates recipes and in now also embracing her new passion – ceramic making. And she is pretty good at it! Check out all the Kim has created since at www.goodsideofthebed.com.au @goodsideofthebed_ Enjoy x

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'Around the Grounds' with the most marvellous Nadine Ingram - baker, mother and writer. Her 'Old Fashioned Vanilla' cake was like magic in my mouth and her story is just as delicious!

Nadine Ingram is the baker and founder of Flour and Stone, a petite bakery in inner-city Sydney with a large and devoted following for its pannacotta lamingtons, dreamy cakes and buttery croissants. From a dairy farm in the Hunter Valley to Michelin star restaurants in London, and baking cookies in her own kitchen, Nadine has come to firmly establish herself in the echelons of Sydney’s artisan baking community.

At the age of 19 Nadine’s love for baking took her to London where she honed her skills in the pastry sections for houses such as Le Gavroche, Caprice and The Ivy. England is also where she met her future husband Jonathan who has been instrumental in her success through his support. They have two daughters named Poppy and Ruby, after whom Flour and Stone was named.

Nadine's long awaited and highly anticipated cookbook "Flour and Stone, Baked for Love, Life and Happiness" that is one of her most prized achievements followed up more recently in September 2019 with presenting a keynote presentation at TedX Macquarie University.

Instagram @nadineingram @flourandstone wwf.flourandstone.com.au

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It was great to catch up with today’s guest in my daywear and not in active wear and having to do a kettle bell squat as our previous catch up’s have entailed…

Ben has an infectious attitude to life and exercise. After years as an elite athletic he stepped away from his career at the NRL Cronulla Sharks and launched himself into the world of personal training. He shares his story of how he and co-founder Kate Kendall started Flow Athletic – now Australia’s leading fitness & yoga studio.

Ben shares the highs and lows of his story; including how Flow became COVID ready almost overnight. A very driven individual who ran his 40th marathon late at the end of 2018, right before his 40th birthday

He also trained up over 50 clients to run the New York Marathon with him. They all crossed the finish line!Ben has raised over $250 000 for charity since launching Flow Athletic. I also love Ben’s eye for detail and his obsession with overseas fitness set ups! A great chat I hope you enjoy.x

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What a treat I have in store for you and your ears! Get the kettle on, get comfy and get this episode on!

Pip Drysdale is the bestselling author of 'The Sunday Girl' and 'The Strangers We Know'. 'The Paris Affair' is her third book and out now describe in one newspaper review as ‘Gripping suspense and seriously addictive’

A writer, musician and actor, Pip grew up in Africa and Australia. At 20 she moved to New York to study acting, worked in indie films and off-off Broadway theatre, started writing songs and made four records. After graduating with a BA in English, Pip moved to London and played shows across Europe. In 2015 she started writing books. MASSIVE OVERACHIEVER INDEED!!

Her debut novel, 'The Sunday Girl', was a bestseller and has been published in the United States, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 'The Strangers We Know' was also a bestseller and is being developed for television in the US. I know a bit exciting! You will love our natter. Enjoy! X

Instagram @pipdrysdale

The Paris Affair out now!

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