Storytellers

Comedienne, feminist firecracker, creating inclusive spaces.

The world of comedy is brutal. It’s relentless and often thankless. Often heralded as the platform for cynics and critics, traditionally comedy, and in particular standup, is a predominantly male, no-holes barred free-for-all. But Maryellen George is on a mission to change that!

Diminutive in stature, but an absolute firecracker in personality, Maryellen breaks the mould on your grumpy, acerbic comics. She is happy and bubbly, and her main mission with her comedy is to spread joy. And she is completely unapologetic about that, much to the disdain of some of her contemporaries. 

Growing up in a creative family, she knew her path would lead her somewhere in the arts, and it was her love for writing and making people laugh that ultimately led her to an all-women’s comedy room where she first flexed her comedic muscles.

Now she is mapping her own path, and taking other ‘underrepresented’ comics on her journey with her comedy platform Bits and Pieces. Oh and not to mention she’s also a full time personal trainer! Girl is busy!

I caught Maryellen to discuss all things comedy, including navigating the space as a woman, some of the safety pitfalls of the industry, and how Zoom became the international comedy room. We also spoke about her passion for helping women love and accept their bodies, Can Jam and her upcoming show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Open Bike.

Personal trainer, women’s community creator, beam of shining light.

A perfect day that involves a 5am wakeup, training and work – you might be reading this thinking, who on EARTH would call that a perfect day? But if you met Ange Drake, and I really hope you do, you’d not only totally understand it, but also celebrate it. Because Ange wholeheartedly loves what she does for a living, completely emanating that sentiment – if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Personal trainer, women’s community facilitator, mother, wife, friend, and beam of shining light, Ange is the cheerleader everyone needs to live a happy, healthy and well-rounded life. But don’t think she’s not going to make you lift heavier, plank longer or skip just that little bit faster while championing you.

A former school teacher, and now the proud owner and leader of women’s strength gym 23W, Ange is dedicated in her mission to help women reach their health and fitness goals, in a supportive, judgement-free environment. But it’s not been without its struggles – with a baby and a global pandemic testing that very energy that keeps her inspiring others.

We spoke about taking the leap to becoming a small business owner, how she and her community rallied together to keep her gym open and spirits alive during lockdown, all whilst juggling the challenges of being a first time mother. We also spoke about the misconceptions of strength training for women and why it’s so important for long term health. 

Instagram
@twentythreew
@ange_drake

Energetic alchemist, ritualist, magnetic force. 

Rachel Rose is magnetic. She draws people into her field, just being herself. Her most authentic and true self. Because that’s where the magic happens, when her most vulnerable self connects with another’s.
 
This is the full embodiment of the work she does as an Emotional Alchemist and tarot reader through her business, The Soul Connection. And while Rachel is relatively new to the energy space career wise, her ability to connect with others on a deeper level is something she says has probably always been within her, even during her years working in the events space. 

I spoke to Rachel about how she discovered this calling and the internal struggles she had to overcome to see it come to life, how she helps people connect in with their emotions to heal years of trauma, and the power of the feminine rising when women champion women in a safe and supportive environment.

The Ritual Club begins on 17th March, schedule in a chat with Rachel via this link at The Soul Connection if you’d like to find out more.Follow Rachel on Instagram or learn more about her work on her website.

Woman in business, achieving greatness, driven to succeed.

Drive, ambition, motivation. For high-performing women in the workforce, these words can often be construed as negative, even dirty. And god forbid you have an opinion or stand up for yourself, thus you be labelled aggressive, moody, or a bitch. Sarah Hutcheon has had to expertly tackle all these obstacles throughout her career as one of the top sales representatives for a multinational pharmaceutical company. 

I’ve known Sarah since the tender days of our early 20s, where fluro headbands and multi-coloured eyeshadow were the height of clubbing fashion. Even then, I looked up to her as someone who was exceptionally driven, who knew what she wanted out of life, as I floated along aimlessly trying to find inspiration for mine. 

Sarah had a strong sense, even as a kid, of what she wanted out of life, of the lifestyle she wanted to live. Not one for the quiet family setting, Sarah was driven to achieve success, to enjoy the finer things in life, and has made no apologies for pursuing her desires.

A low-key brainiac, Sarah took her love of science and combined that with a Masters in Business, quickly working her way up the sales ladder thanks to her determination and fire-cracker personality, to become one of the youngest sales executives in the company before the age of 30.

Usually on the road as an Oncology Territory Manager, Sarah has been adjusting to life at home. Which was the perfect opportunity to chat to her about her career path and motivation, dealing with sexism and gender roles in the workplace, and stepping away from the societal norm with her decision not to have children.

Entrepreneur, Pilates powerhouse, building communities.

It takes a hell of a lot of courage to start your own business. To fill a gap in the market and create a desirable and sustainable idea that no one else has latched on to. Cat Webb has courage in spades, but also a clear vision and savvy business instincts that has seen her business flourish and look to expand only two years in.

Cat’s reformer Pilates studio Good Times Pilates was never going to be your average studio. That’s just not the way Cat rolls. She knew she needed to create a space that unique and fun, as well as free from the pretence and ‘fitspo’ culture she had felt and hated in so many Melbourne studios. Throw on top of that her love for curating spaces and creating things that are just a little bit kitsch and corny, and you have an all-inclusive community for people who want to move, connect and have a good time (pun absolutely intended).

It’s been such a pleasure to both watch and participate in the success of Good Times (I even made it to the 100 class board!); Cat is one of the hardest workers I know and has a cracking sense of humour to boot! So it was a great to catch-up and reminisce all things discos and dumpling clubs, her slow but solid journey to opening her own studio and the importance of creating an all-inclusive community through the death of toxic fitness culture.

https://www.goodtimespilates.com.au/
@catwebb_