Surf Coast Creatives

A chocolaterie in Victoria, or even Australia, is a rare commodity. We're a long way from Belgium after all.

But sitting right there on Victoria's Surf Coast is one of Australia's favourite chocolaterie's and ice creameries. 

We sat down for a chat with the founders of the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery for Ep.9 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast.

Jess & I were welcomed by a spectacular showroom filled with thousands of chocolates. Not to mention an ever-changing range of freshly made pastries, desserts and artisan ice creams and an all-day café using ingredients from the kitchen garden. 

I had to pick up my tongue from off the ground :) Yes, drooling.

In the ordinary course of business, visitors can join daily hosted tasting sessions, hands-on chocolate making classes for all ages and one of the many special events, or simply watch Chocolatiers at work through giant viewing windows.

A lot of this interaction has now gone online with coronavirus taking its toll on foot traffic. 

They're doing it really tough so there has never been a bigger test of Leanne & Ian's resilience. Not to mention their small army of nearly 100 staff.

Tune in to find out how they're coping and hear Leanne's no.1 piece of advice for getting through tough business conditions. 

Find out how Leanne went about securing funding from private investors to get her first chocolaterie in Victoria up and going as well. 

It's an episode not to be missed if you're in the business of retail, distribution, tourism or a self-confessed chocoholic!

Here's Ep.9 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast with your hosts Ben & Jess.

Leave us a rating on iTunes and let us know what you think. Cheers :)

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Building a women’s fashion label is not for the faint-hearted!

For Ep.8 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast, we sit down for a chat with the founder and creator of a boutique women’s fashion label, Maxted Clothing.

She’s hard-working, dedicated, tenacious and laser-focused. Her name is Caroline Teakle.

Caroline hails from England but now calls Torquay on the Surf Coast in Victoria home. She moved here a couple of years ago with her partner of five years Ed Maxted—hence the name Maxted Clothing.

Caroline has built her fashion label while working full-time form 9 to 5. As if the daily grind was hard enough!

But it’s a testament to Caroline’s focus on building a world-class women’s fashion label.

Tune in to hear her story of grit and determination and building a business in a foreign country.

Here's Ep.8 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast with your hosts, Ben & Jess.

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Jess & I got a bit tied up today recording Ep.7 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast! 

Think Snakes, Crocodiles, Barking Owls, Dingos, Lizards and all manner of endangered species in Australia.

We sat down for a chat with wildlife conservationist and protector, Xavier Morello. Xavier is the founder and creator of wildlife education company WildlifeXposure. 

Xavier runs the business in partnership with his lovely wife Madeline and two sons Jacques & Luca

Thanks to Jasper the Black-headed python and his mates for making us feel warm and cosy.

Ep.7 is now live with your hosts Ben & Jess. If you're listening on iTunes then be sure to let us know what you think.

Otherwise, download today's episode wherever you get your favourite podcasts and have it ready for your next camping trip!

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Ep.6 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast is now live!

Today we interview lady photographer, Leslie Carvitto, from LeslieCarvitto.com. 

Leslie is a Californian born and bred. She made the move to Hawaii after graduating from college and spent some time working Public Relations before realising it wasn't for her. 

She now calls Torquay home after a brief stint in Melbourne. 

Leslie reached out to us when the podcast was launched and said she was "overwhelmed by the creative energy on the Surf Coast." 

We had a look at her profile and saw the quality of her images and just had to have her on.

Leslie and her partner moved to Torquay after driving here every other weekend (and some weekdays) to surf. They knew instantly that the coast is where they wanted to live. 

Pre-pandemic, Leslie was connecting with lots of business owners and creatives and was excited to be a creating community so quickly. 

And being a social a butterfly, Leslie cannot wait for Iso to be over! 

Leslie is now a photographer and digital marketer supporting female-owned businesses and conscious creatives and makers. 

Deep down, she describes herself, "as a multi-passionate creative." But her path to working for herself has been a long and windy one that's for sure. 

"I can speak to entrepreneurship as it relates to well-being and personal growth (starting your own business is a wild ride hey!?), what it's like to start your business over in a new country, and why your path doesn't have to be linear."

Leslie is a big advocate of self-development and is fascinated by creativity as well.

She has her own little creative passion project called "Creator's Corner" where she interviews creatives and entrepreneurs who are using their artistic gifts to encourage, uplift and inspire.

Tune in to hear why keeping it safe as a PR consultant just wasn't the right deal for Leslie and much, much more.

Here's Ep.6 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast with your hosts Ben & Jess.

Be sure to leave us a rating on iTunes or wherever you get your favourite podcasts!

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Ever met a blacksmith before?

It's a dying trade that's for sure. But there's a small band of passionate 'Smithies' who keep the tradition alive today.

David Graham from Simply Forged Custom Ironworks is one of them.  

In Ep.5 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast, we sit down for a chat with Dave, a former chippy who got frustrated with the same old building techniques. 

Dave now uses traditional methods combined with a keen eye for detail to create works that are unique, high quality and custom-made.

Specialising in heritage restoration and sculpture, Dave approaches each project with enormous care and the end result in mind. He's a master!

His unique practice explores the potential of contemporary blacksmithing. He evaluates and extends the possibilities of forging hot steel in a constant attempt to shift objects from a, "purely utilitarian beginning to a wholly re-imagined future state."

Dave is inspired by organic shapes, the ocean and the beach. He's an avid surfer too and made the move from the Northern suburbs of Melbourne to pursue a better lifestyle.

Dave has been refining his craft for more than 20 years, engaging multiple mentors and many sources of inspiration.

He's now been a resident artist at Ashmore Arts for 5 years where he has collaborated on numerous commissions for both private and corporate clients.

Find out what makes him tick and how he made the big leap from construction to blacksmithing.

Here's Ep.5 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast with your hosts Ben & Jess.

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Are you a stressed-out Mumma who needs a break? 

If you are, then make sure you tune into Ep.4 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast.

Thanks to Ali from muMEcations for taking the time to share her story. We sat down for a big chat with Ali last week and we're pumped to announce her recorded interview is now live.

Ali began her business two years ago with a big vision after a personal tragedy. She has a passion for taking care of other mums and her undeniable love for travel made the muMEcations business a natural fit for her.

Our favourite quote from Ali when we asked her for her number one piece of advice for mumpreneurs, "Just Do it!" 

We can't wait to share this fun and inspiring story with you. Tune in to hear how Ali manages part-time work, two kids and a growing travel business all at once. 

She has some really practical advice for marketing and securing government grant funding as well. 

Tune in and don't forget to leave us a rating at the end. We'd love to hear your feedback! 

Ben & Jess

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Have you ever jumped out of an aeroplane at 14,000 feet? 

Imagine doing it 2,500 times!

That's exactly what Jesse Jeffrey from Built From Advanture did before he switched to the relative safety of custom van conversions in Torquay. 

After living in Melbourne for the majority of their lives—15 years as a cabinet maker/carpenter—Jesse and his partner Sam decided it was time for a lifestyle change (with their 2-year-old son in tow!). 

Six months travelling Australia—in a self-built rooftop camper trailer and 4WD combo—on top of a number of trips to the US and Europe visiting family was enough to convince them that van life was their thing. 

So they moved to Torquay to follow their passion for creativity and a life of adventure.

Living and working on the Surf Coast with easy access to the Great Ocean Road and the ability to easily explore their backyard—this was their dream! 

And after getting so many questions about the first van they built, they decided it was time to put their name out there and help.

The idea of assisting others on this journey was just too exciting—Built for Advanture was formed. 

We can't wait to bring you this episode that's for sure! Hear Jesse & Sam's story and how they made the leap from hobbyists to a busy business.

Yep, it's ready! Ep.3 of the Surf Coast Creatives podcast is now live with your hosts Ben & Jess.

Let us know what you think and be sure to subscribe to the podcast. We'll notify you when the podcast is published each week.

P.S. Head on over to Jesse & Sam's website at Built For Advanture to check out some of their fine work.

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Boom! We've added to our awesome guest line-up!

Pumped to announce Jeff Crow as our guest for Ep.2 of the Surf Coast Creatives Podcast.

Jeff is one of Australia's most experienced sports photographers and now runs the Bells Beach Brewing company.

Host Ben Hucker is a keen photographer so he couldn't wait to sit down with Jeff and hear how he turned his passion into a career as a sports photographer. And now a pub owner.

It’s a ripper!

Yep, a podcast about beer, sports photography and business! Host Ben's 3 favourite subjects with lots of hints and tips and a good dose of inspiration mixed in for you—the listener.

Tune in right to the end to hear Jeff's advice on what should be driving you as a creative entrepreneur—not what shouldn't be driving you. It's a gold nugget of wisdom that's for sure.

Here's the accompanying blog article with some more info on this episode too.

And make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the podcast if you haven't already.

We send a weekly podcast straight to your INBOX so you don't miss out on awesome episodes like this one with Jeff Crow.

Enjoy!

Bells Beach Brewing
Jeff Crow Photo

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Hey guys and welcome to the Surf Coast Creatives podcast!

We wanted to record a quick welcome episode to let you know a bit more info about the Surf Coast Creatives podcast and what is we’re trying to achieve.

So why the Surf Coast Creatives Podcast?

Well, we both got laid-off from our jobs in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and we wanted to keep people connected and build a community focused on creativity and entrepreneurship.

We thought a podcast was the perfect way to do that. No face-to-face contact required and it's a super-easy way to reach people. Tune in for episode 1 happening on May 14.

We’ll be interviewing Al & Imogen Roberts from Al & Imo Handmade and we can’t wait to hear their story.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio and lots more networks but the main networks to remember are iTunes & Spotify.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our email list at if you haven’t already.

And don’t forget to chat with us on social media as well on Facebook & Instagram. Just search for "Surf Coast Creatives" and you'll find us on both those channels.

Finally, if you are a creative or know someone who’d like to be on the show, then head to the contact page on our website and fill in your details.

That’s us in a nutshell guys! We’ll talk to you again on Thursday, May 14 when episode one of the Surf Coast Creatives Podcast gets published. 

We can’t wait to bring you that episode and many more after that!

Chat to you soon :)

P.S. Here's to the crazy ones!

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