The Dialogue

Jacinta and her brother, Justin, have always been involved in the fitness industry, with their parents running fitness clubs when they were young, and in 1992 they opened their first gym straight out of high school.

In 2008, the siblings felt it was time for something new and launched Anytime Fitness Australia. The pair became the master franchisors of the American fitness brand and brought the 24-hour gym to Australia. Since then, the duo has been able to implement their own business strategies and techniques, creating innovative products and systems to grow the brand. They personally own 20 clubs and have grown the business to 292 clubs across Australia in just five years. The club opened 350 gyms by the end of 2012-13 financial year and the Australian group turned over $170 million.

With three kids, Jacinta's mornings are understandably hectic. With her eldest daughter at high school, a toddler in daycare and a baby at home mornings are no mean feat. She works out of the office these days but makes up for it with strategy meetings and finding board members.

When starting out, the biggest challenge for Anytime Fitness was finding locations to keep up with the franchise demand to open new gyms. These days, communicating with franchisees and making sure they're supported takes up more time.

The company opens between 10-12 new clubs a month, so they are growing rapidly. On a weekly basis, Jacinta focuses on business strategy and has meetings with her brother, the operations manager and the support manager. The team works closely with the US on a number of projects, and anything they look the Australian team looks at

The franchise strategy is on less traditional marketing and a focus on training around the culture of the club and getting involved in the local community events. This occurs in the form of sponsoring local fun runs or school activities, sponsoring sporting teams and raising money for charities by having events inside the clubs. Many of the franchisors also write fitness columns for their local papers.

The importance of work-life balance is something Jacinta feels strongly about. And on a personal level she achieves this by going on holidays with her family.

Jacinta's third passion after her family and business is The Hunger Project, a charity that empowers people to end their own hunger by tipping the aid model on its head. They break the cycle of hunger and poverty. They unlock the vision, commitment and leadership of the hungry by training them in the skills and confidence to feed themselves and their families. Put simply, Anytime Fitness and The Hunger Project believe in the same thing – that each and every person has the ability to transform their life and that all people are resilient and inspiring. All we need is to unleash our potential.

She has personally committed to raising $100,000 for The Hunger Project, which will provide 200 communities with the ability to purchase food-processing equipment, provide 2,000 people with microfinance loans that are often used by communities to buy seeds/fertiliser, and train up to 50,000 rural villagers on agricultural practices.

Jacinta has also traveled Malawi to see first-hand what her funds achieve. As a passionate ambassador for health, fitness, life balance and to end hunger Jacinta McDonell-Jimenez has her challenges firmly in her sites.

Claudia Chan Shaw has many parts - fashion designer, television and radio presenter, curator, author, public speaker, collector, artist, photographer, cultural tour leader, business owner. Claudia was born and raised in Sydney. Claudia Chan Shaw is a Company Director and Co-Designer for internationally acclaimed Australian knitwear and jewellery label – Vivian Chan Shaw. She has been a Director since 1986. The company was founded by her mother, Vivian Chan Shaw in 1972 and its flagship store was located in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building for 28 years. In 2014 Claudia implemented the transition of the long standing Vivian Chan Shaw business from a bricks and mortar retail destination to an exclusively online business. The designs are represented in the permanent collection of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. She is Festival Curator for the City of Sydney Chinese New Year Festival 2016. Claudia was a familiar face on Australian television as the co-host and presenter of ABC TV's popular program, "Collectors"​ and is currently the co-host of "The Dialogue"​ on 89.7fm Eastside Radio. She contributes to design and collecting publications and has curated a number of fashion exhibitions. She held her first solo photography exhibition in 2012. Her book "Collectomania, From objects of desire to magnificent obsession"​ was published in 2012. "Collectomania"​ navigates the world of collectors and celebrates collections both strange and beautiful.

In 2016, Claudia lead a tour called "China – Art Deco to Art Now" for the Art Gallery of NSW. The tour headed to Beijing and Shanghai exploring China's outstanding Art Deco heritage, fashion, design and architecture.

I interview people because I am fascinated by what makes them tick. Why do they do the things that they do. What makes them happy, sad, frustrated. In many ways it's a lazy way for me to learn. Instead of reading a book or watching a video on a subject I like to get first hand experience and I thoroughly enjoy the subjective nature of that experience. So it was with interest that I interviewed Professor Andrew MacLeod. Firstly he flew in from Melbourne so I was to a degree flattered and then when he got chatting I discovered a hugely accomplished man. Reading his accomplishments is daunting but the man himself is delightful, erudite and engaging.

Professor Andrew MacLeod has extensive experience in multicultural and multi-religious settings. He has faced strategic, large-scale and diverse challenges, successfully resolving them through negotiation and leadership. He is a leading thinker in 'Shared Value' understanding risks and opportunities that exist between communities and corporations particularly in fragile states. MacLeod has led or served in multinational humanitarian teams in conflict and natural disaster settings as diverse as Rwanda, Pakistan and Bosnia, negotiating with the varied religious and cultural stakeholders. Additionally has led business engagement with commercial, political and community stakeholders in economies including Mongolia, Peru and Australia. Professor MacLeod is a visiting Professor at Kings College London and an Affiliate Senior Associate to the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington DC. In the business world he is a Non Executive Director of New York based Cornerstone Capital, a Senior Adviser to Homestrings plc in London and Chair of the Advisory Board at Gravitas Capital. When at the UN MacLeod's work included Chief of Operations for the 2005 South Asian Earthquake relief and reconstruction operation, spending 2 ½ years between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. MacLeod ensured smooth integration between foreign aid operations in areas under Pakistan military and non-military control including the negotiations with military and non-state armed groups. For the International Committee of the Red Cross MacLeod undertook similar roles in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia during the 1990's. He has applied his learning in these contexts as part of the Kings College Humanitarian Futures project and the World Economic Forum's Future of Civil Society project. In business he has been GM Community, Communications and External Relations for Rio Tinto (Copper), was an advisor to the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board, raised capital for Gane Energy Australia, was the interim Managing Director of Good Super in Australia and led strategic urban based thinking while CEO of Committee for Melbourne. He assists numerous charities including The Big Issue (Australia) and Swags for the Homeless. He maintains a Commission as an Australian Army Officer (reserve).

MacLeod is the author of 'A Life Half Lived' published by New Holland Press. He is a sought after speaker on the speaking circuit and an experienced and competent commentator in the electronic and print media.

Andrew received the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal by Australia for work in the Balkans and was awarded a second time for work in Rwanda. He received the Australian Defence Medal for service as an officer in the Australian Infantry. He was awarded the Silver Medal for Humanity from the Montenegrin Red Cross and was recognised by the Australian Government for his work in East Timor. MacLeod received the 2014 University of Tasmania Foundation distinguished Graduate Award, the 2013 Young Britons Foundation Global Leadership for Freedom Award and the 2008 Australian Davos Connection Leadership Award. Macleod holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Tasmania University, a Master of Laws from Southampton University, a Graduate Diploma in International Law from Melbourne University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.