Sunshine Coast Profile Magazine by Profile Magazine

+ 5 YEARS/100,000km SCHEDULED SERVICING + 5 YEARS WARRANTY % p.a. + 5 YEARS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

finance

6.95

for 60

months

see why our offer is best in class

The ‘2011 International Sedan of The Year’, > the Volvo S60, has been critically acclaimed the world over. Autoweek said it was “…a kick in the pants to drive!” and Automobile Magazine labelled it “…a Scandinavian masterpiece.” And now you can drive away in an S60 T5 from just $55,950,* with an astonishing 5 years or 100,000km free scheduled servicing,# 5 years warranty# and 5 years roadside assistance.# Which means there’s never been a better time to buy the all conquering, all-new Volvo S60.

volvocars.com.au

Take the new s60 for a test drive at pacific volvo. 129 SUGAR ROAD MAROOCHYDORE. PHONE 1300 643 720 WWW.PACIFICMOTORGROUP.COM.AU

Kim Acworth and stephanie mossman

40 Maria Faulder

alex mitchell

features

12 view – striding ahead

Wendy MacManus

14 people – the pursuit of art

Dean Jacobs

16 success – building bravery

Sam Sheppard

18 ladies at lunch – a question of taste

Our ladies discuss what constitutes good taste

24 cover – survivor

Alex Mitchell

28 secret life – rally renegades

Kim Acworth and Stephanie Mossman

www.profilemag.com.au

43 SCBWN awards feature 74 the last word

Aislin O’Connor

regulars 4 publisher’s note

52 life

6 pinboard

58 travelfile

8 he says, she says

60 on the table

30 briefcase

64 abode

34 my style

66 business

40 style counsel

72 win

profile mystyle

slimming swimwear 36

Take care of your finances the way you take care of yourself. You may put a great deal of effort into looking after your health, but do you do the same for your finances? Considering how vital finances can be to your life and your future, doesn’t it make sense to also get them into shape? With an A-Z Review®,

ANZ’s Personal Bankers can look at your current lifestyle, future plans and advise you on everyday banking that could fit your individual needs. Drop into your local ANZ Branch to make an appointment today.

anz.com Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ. Item No. 76862 10.2010 W206943

september 2011 206943_A-Z REVIEW PRESS AD - WOMEN'S MAGAZINE_76862.indd 1

profilemagazine 7/10/10 11:24 AM

publisher’s note

ife. From the mundane to the exciting ‘fast-lane’ kind, life never ceases to throw a challenge at us when we least expect it. From the unexpected moments of joy to the downright devastating events that change us forever, life has a habit of getting in the way of, well, our lives. But hey, what is life without living? Isn’t it supposed to be there for the taking? Isn’t it supposed to wow us with its almighty vigour and unrelenting, unexpected events? Well, not all of us see it that way. I, for one, embrace all that life throws at me. Whether it is a problem in the office to test my management skills, or an event that at the time seems to be so unfair, I am a big believer that we are dealt only what we can deal with, even if we initially think there is no way out from the dark hole life seems to put us in. You can either be a victim, or you can be a survivor. And the latter is the perfect description for our September cover person. A survivor. Alex Mitchell has had her fair share of knocks during her life. From a cancer scare to being swept-up

visit us on facebook.com/profilemag

in the 2004 tsunami, she has been to hell and back. But the one thing this courageous woman hasn’t done is become a victim of circumstance. Sure, there were times when she couldn’t see the light for the darkness surrounding her, and times when she probably couldn’t face getting out of bed each day. But for Alex, those events have made her who she is today. A positive, successful entrepreneur who is grateful for every day she has on our planet, and is, in her humble way, an inspiration to us all. Alex Mitchell is certainly not a victim. So as you read through this month’s issue of profile magazine, have a think about how you deal with life. Are you a ‘why me’ kind of person, or are you like Alex Mitchell, who says, ‘why not me?’ and grabs life by its horns, wrestling it into what you want it to be? I know which way I’d prefer to look at life. So get out there and get living!

GENINE HOWARD

PUBLISHER / group MANAGING direcTOR

“Nobody ever said life was easy, they just promised that it would be worth it.” Anon

THECOVERSHOOT This month’s cover shoot all started with a colour. We hadn’t done a blue cover in such a long time, so blue it was! We chose a blue on blue theme for Alex Mitchell’s shoot, teamed with a stunning Sacha Drake gown (Cheryl Blue) and gorgeous Mark Cotterel jewels. We shot the cover at profile photographer Alan Hughe’s studio and mixed up the looks with a range of Sacha Drake garments. We love Alex’s strong, confident look showcasing her inner strength after overcoming disappointment and tragedy. Our fabulous makeup artist, Pru Edwards, completed Alex’s look. Styling by Katie Mackenzie, photo retouching by Alan Hughes. Watch the behind the scenes footage on profile TV, head to www.profilemag.com.au.

CREATING CONSCIOUS CONNECTIONS IN BUSINESS goddesses@lunch - Wednesday 21st September 2011 Speaker: Lisa Murray - Bliss Tribe

Venue: 4th Floor Restaurant, Mooloolaba Time: 11.45am til 2.30pm. Tickets $40 pp RSVP 17/9/11

goddesses@brunch - Thursday 29th September 2011 Speaker: Sally Waghorn - Looking after the skin you’re in Venue: Peregian Springs Golf Club, Peregian Springs Time: 10.00am til 12.30pm. Tickets $40 pp RSVP 25/9/11

“... where you mean more than just your business card” Natalie McIvor Director

Tel: 0402 462 804 natalie@enlightenedgoddesses.com www.enlightenedgoddesses.com facebook.com/EnlightenedGoddesses twitter.com/Egoddesses Proudly Sponsored by

Creating Profitable Partnerships 12th October 2011

All day play-shop with Natalie. Tickets $97 pp RSVP 5/10/11

Seats are limited! Book online TODAY at www.enlightenedgoddesses.com 4

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

Sandra Wills

is a Certified Financial Planner TM who has been advising clients for over 25 years

You can’t always rely on the market ... but you can rely on Sandra for sound advice and peace of mind Call 5443 9433 to book a confidential private appointment, or to attend one of our ‘Learn About Money’ workshops: Sandra Wills is an authorised representative of Genesys Wealth Advisers Limited ABN 20 060 778 216 Australian Financial Services Licence No 232686 Principal Member of the FPA www.genesyswealth.com.au

Workshop 1: Workshop 2: Workshop 3: Workshop 4:

Introduction to personal financial planning Cashflow is king – mastering the household budget Understanding superannuation Replacing employment income with retirement income

Workshops are $66 per person or couple and are conducted by appointment at our Maroochydore office.

Phone. 07 5443 9433 Level 3, Ocean Central, 2 Ocean Street, Maroochydore Qld 4558 sandra.wills@genesyswealth.com.au

www.genesyswealth.com.au IMPORTANT INFORMATION Workshops provide general information only. Before making any investment decisions, we recommend you consult a financial adviser to take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation and individual needs.

Complete It Support Network DeSIgN & INStallatIoN • Onsite / Remote Technical Support • Tier 1 Hardware Supplier • Certified Technicians • Server / Desktop / Workstations • Service Level Agreements • Managed Services • 24-Hour Monitoring

Hardware, Software and Support tailored to your individual BuSineSS needS Medical

Hospitality

Retail

“secure access has provided pJt accountants & Business advisors with exceptional service through our association which has enabled our company to grow our business and plan for the future.” wayNe patteN DIreCtor, pJt aCCouNtaNtS & BuSINeSS aDvISorS

ManufactuRing

• Disaster Recovery |

seRvice industRies

“secure access has provided and continues to provide great support and advice when it comes to all of our it related problems and enquiries. Whenever we have a problem or a question we get quick and informative responses.” prISCIlla JoNeS CommoNwealth reSpIte aND CarelINk CeNtreS

07 54437766

admin@secureaccess.com.au web: www.SecureAccess.com.au

email:

september 2011

profilemagazine

pinboard

group managing director / publisher Genine Howard

group general manager / publisher Hamish Rose

group editor-in-chief Alli Grant

sunshine coast editor Jessica Jane Sammut

sub editors Phyl Grant, Jade Harrison

creative director Kara de Schot

graphic designer Johanna Jensen

sales manager Belinda Brill

publication coordinator / beauty director Katie Mackenzie the women’s lifestyle expo’s red team

noosa sales Meta Georgeson

september 9-10 women’s lifestyle expo

feature writers

The third Women’s Lifestyle Expo is set to be the biggest yet. Offering the latest in cosmetics, fashion, health and well-being, there will be 120 exhibits, plus workshops, demonstrations, a pamper room and experts on hand. Taking place at the Lake Kawana Community Centre, admission is free.

photography

www.womenslifestyleexpo.com.au

Candice Jayde Olive Alan Hughes, Shawn Abrams, Ben Connolly

email info@proﬁlemag.com.au

call / fax

september 16 spring carnival gala

5451 0669 / 5475 4405

This year’s Wishlist Spring Carnival Gala lunch will feature two highlight performers from Dancing with the Stars on stage together again, as Samantha Armytage and Damien Leith headline the fundraising event at the Hyatt Regency Coolum. The high-profile event, sponsored by Coastline BMW, will be hosted by Samantha from Seven’s Weekend Sunrise along with local radio jock, Todd Widdicombe.

Beach on Sixth, 104 / 65 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore

www.wishlist.org.au

september 17 gala night of elegance Woombye Care is holding a spectacular black-tie gala night at the Events Centre Maroochydore from 7pm. Tickets are $150 per person, and include a three-course dinner and drinks. Phone Woombye Care on 5442 1570

september 19 unlock your creative genius Join these inspiring, life-changing, one-day and four-day courses. These courses are for anyone aged nine to 90 and no talent is required! Look out for them at the Women’s Lifestyle Expo. www.rightbraingenius.com

october 21 chip in to help hospital As a not-for-profit, The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital relies on community support. Businesses are encouraged to chip in and sponsor a hole or enter a golf team and have fun and help raise money at the same time. Registrations close Monday October 10. Phone 5430 3305

profilemagazine

drop in post PO Box 1065, Cotton Tree, QLD 4558

advertising 5451 0669, sales@proﬁlemag.com.au

distribution 15,000 free copies are street delivered to high trafﬁc areas such as high-end cafes, fashion boutiques, hairdressers and professional ofﬁces across the Sunshine Coast, monthly, and online along with an eMAG sent to 6000 inboxes fortnightly

subscriptions www.proﬁlemag.com.au/subscription, $65 +gst (12 issues)

accounts Katherine Allan - accounts@proﬁlemag.com.au Profile magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published 12 times a year by Profile Magazine Publishing Group Pty Ltd. All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of The Publisher, Profile Magazine Publishing Group Pty Ltd (“The Publisher”), their related companies and officers hereby disclaim, to the full extent permitted by law, all liability, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising from or in connection with copy information or other material in this magazine, any negligence of The Publisher, or any persons actions in reliance thereon. Any dispute or complaint regarding placed advertisements must be made within seven days of publication. Inclusion of any copy must not be taken as any endorsement by The Publisher. Views expressed by contributors are personal views and they are not necessarily endorsed by The Publisher.

profilemag.com.au

DI VORCE | PROPERT Y | MEDIATION SUPER ANNUATION | CHILDREN’S ISSUES

We put you and your

Family first Leisa Toomey (Accredited Specialist - Family Law) Liz Catton | Suzanne Dillon

SUNSHINE COAST

5413 8900

057_181x126_PROFILE_ACTIVE.indd 1

september 2011

NORTH BRISBANE

3482 0500

stolaw.com.au 1/08/11 5:20 PM

profilemagazine

he says, she says

top dog ll photography ben stone We all know men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but which planet produces the better boss? Is it time more girls were offered the top job or should we just stay at home and leave it to the boys? HOT91.1FM’s Todd and Sami are back in the office to ponder this issue. todd and sami

he says

n our day-to-day lives, we are faced with many different options. MasterChef or The Block? Crunchie or Violet Crumble? Pippa or Kate? Male boss or female boss? The choices we make will determine our happiness. Just in case you’re interested, for me it’s MasterChef (I’m waiting for the day Matt Preston is eliminated for taking a bite out of a contestant), Violet Crumble (it’s the way it shatters that matters), Pippa (P-Middy all the way, peeps) and bloke bosses. Now before you start with the ‘he’s a sexist cad’, just hear me out. You see, ladies of the world, you have everything going for you already without having to be top of the wazza in the workplace. For example, when you buy a ‘bedroom toy’, it’s glamorous. When us blokes purchase a blow-up doll, we’re pathetic. You can wear your man’s clothes (t-shirts, jeans, hoodies) and you look cute. We wear your clothes and we’re cross-dressing weirdos. On top of all this, you can cry to get out of speeding fines. Taxis stop for you. You got off the Titanic first. I guess what I’m saying is (and I’ll deny this following statement in a court of law) women already rule the world without needing to have the flashy office and the biggest car park. Let’s be honest, you’re already the boss at home (every successful man has a minister for war and finance behind him), so why take on more work? There’s a lot more pressure on a woman in charge than there is on a bloke. Now I’m not saying women don’t do a good job. In fact, in some cases they do a better job, but in my experience it’s easier to be called into the boss’s office for a good talking to with a bloke at the big desk than it is sitting there in front of a female employer as I nod in agreement and hope desperately she doesn’t notice me looking at her chest.

profilemagazine

She says

emale bosses are often accused of being bitchy, hormonal and incapable of leaving their personal lives at home. These results came from an international survey done about six months ago which showed two-thirds of employees, both male and female, say they would rather work for a man than a woman. But I say it is our right to be hormonal and it is a weapon. No bloke, no matter how tough he thinks he is, can stand hearing about ‘women’s issues’. We start using this as an excuse in school to get out of swimming stupid laps and we never really stop using it as an excuse to get out of stuff. And you know what? That thing about being incapable of leaving your personal life at home, well, I love it. I love knowing all the dirt going on in the lives of my work buddies. For example, Bevo, the guy who sits next to me, has a new baby boy, is a Libran, and his gorgeous fiancée makes him jam biscuits every Tuesday. Bevo does not like walks on the beach at sunset and his favourite movie is Grease. Todd sits next to Bevo too, so I asked him what he knows about Bevo. “I don’t know. Big fellow with no hair, drives a Volkswagen, his missus is smoking hot,” was the reply. Point proven. Blokes aren’t stickybeaks. They talk about sport and boobs. That’s why female bosses are better than male bosses. Another reason why is multi-tasking. The only time women cannot multi-task is if we have ‘a headache’. In those cases we can focus only on the headache. So embrace your female boss because us girls make the workplace far less vanilla. Women can be on the internet, planning dinner, calculating the company budget, be holding a conversation on speaker phone, filing our nails, eating, checking our text messages and wishing we were in France collecting flowers all at the same time. Clever and gifted.

profilemag.com.au

Create change for as little as $20 per week personal training is both easy and very affordable

september 2011

profilemagazine

coastline BMW feature

The Sunshine Coast hosts a plethora of entrepreneurs and business leaders who have shaped our great region and inspired us to achieve. Each month we meet and feature outstanding businesspeople and find out what makes them tick, what gets them out of bed every day and, of course, what car they drive. This month we chat to Stephen and Adela Young, who moved from Brisbane four years ago when they bought Maroochy Day + Night Pharmacy, establishing themselves as the after-hours go-to health professionals on the Sunshine Coast.

Why do you love it? Stephen: Every time I sit behind the wheel it evokes an emotion that words just can’t explain.

Meeting this month’s business drivers ... Stephen and Adela Young What car are you driving? Stephen: BMW 1 series M coupe. Adela: BMW 125i. What inspired you to purchase your BMW? Stephen: I wanted a car that I would love to drive on the weekend, as well as something I could live with every day. When BMW announced that it was going to make a car which it once said it would never make, I thought it would be a perfect car for me! Adela: I really love how it looks, and it has everything I need in a small package. It is safe and has such a high build quality. Why do you love it? Stephen: Every time I sit behind the wheel it evokes an emotion that words just can’t explain. What is your favourite feature of the car? Stephen: How it drives around corners. What is your best driving memory in your BMW? Stephen: The amazing scenery through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The car just hugs the twisting mountain roads like it belongs there.

profilemagazine

CoastlineLogo.indd 1

STEPHEN YOUNG My secret to success is … you need to be passionate about making a difference. You can make a big difference to someone’s life if you pay attention to the little details. The greatest lesson I have learnt in business is … don’t be wasteful. If I had my time over, I would … not change a thing. Hindsight is 20/20, but it is better to live for tomorrow, than yesterday. My mentor is … life itself. There is always a lesson in everything, and you can always learn from anyone. My first job was … selling sunglasses. My first car was … a Honda CRV, which was very sensible. I love the Sunshine Coast because ... it has everything. We can be fishing in Cotton Tree one day and sipping coffee in Montville the next. On the weekend you will find me … either out in my car, or at home perfecting my MasterChef recipes. My passion is … driving!

Coastline BMW

Sales Finance Service Parts & Accessories

Getting to know...

770 Nicklin Way, Currimundi. Phone 5491 9100

The Ultimate Driving Machine

www.coastline.bmw.com.au 3/7/09 2:18:20 PM

NEXT PAGE: STEPHEN AND ADELA YOUNG WITH THEIR BMW 1 SERIES M COUPÉ AND BMW 125I COUPÉ. profilemag.com.au

coastline BMW feature

Car featured: BMW 1 Series M Coupé & BMW 125i Coupé. Never underestimate the dynamic spirit of the BMW 1 Series Coupé. M Power. M Performance. Everything about the all new BMW 1 Series M Coupe screams M. Formidable acceleration matched only by the braking; an overboost function that ensures extreme pulling power at all speeds; an intrinsic link between car and road, track and tarmac. Combined fuel consumption 1 Series M Coupé Combined fuel consumption BMW 125i Coupé

9.6l/100km 8.2l/100km

Acceleration 0-100kms/h 1 Series M Coupé Acceleration 0-100kms/h BMW 125i Coupé

4.9 sec 6.4 sec

Test drive today at Coastline BMW, 770 Nicklin Way, Currimundi. Phone 07 5491 9100.

september 2011

profilemagazine

view

striding ahead words jessica jane sammut ll photography alan hughes

Not many people think about starting a fashion business in their 50â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, but Wendy MacManus is not one to follow the crowd. Profile magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jessica Jane Sammut chatted to Wendy to find out how she turned her passion into a career.

wendy macmanus

54 730 257 Shop 6, 41 Gateway Drive Noosaville saya@sayaskin.com www.sayaskin.com

Saya Skincare delivers a unique range of 100% NATURAL AND ORGANIC skincare products rich in the finest of natural ingredients such as: Plant extracts | Fruit extracts | Vegetable oils Exotic butters | Pure essential oils 12

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

view

endy MacManus is a lady with guts. Happily married to her lifelong love, living in a beautiful house in Noosa (which her husband built from the ground up), and having just launched her fabulous new shoe enterprise – Wendy and Holly Shoes and Accessories – this year, Wendy is living every girl’s dream at the age of 54. But life wasn’t always so grand, and what sounds perfect now has been the culmination of years of hard work, followed by an epiphany, followed by a whole lotta willpower and a huge dash of true-blue, old-fashioned grit and determination. Wendy was born in Central Otago in New Zealand, the youngest of three siblings, where she experienced a very country upbringing, with sport the main form of entertainment. “As soon as I could, I wanted to leave,” Wendy remembers. “It was so quiet. So at 17 years old, I left for Dunedin. I wanted to get out and see the big wide world. By 20, I had made it over to Australia. I fell in love with Australia.” Working in Brisbane in accounts for Westpac, Wendy loved the big city feel and soaked up every moment, returning only briefly to New Zealand to tend to a hockey knee injury and, as it turned out, pick up a husband at the same time. “I met this gorgeous Aussie surfer in New Zealand before I left for Australia the first time, and when I returned, he was still there. That was it for us,” Wendy smiles. “So Jim and I both returned to Australia together, but this time to Perth. Rory, our son, was born a couple of years later and then Jim took up a mining position with BHP at Mount Newman, while I held various positions in accounts and business administration. “And boy, was Mount Newman a shock. It was extremely basic. Initially I hated it. We had to live in a filthy caravan park to begin with and the caravans were disgusting. They were filled with fleas and dirt and were essentially rundown tin cans. We had to put foil across the windows to keep the light out and stop the 40-degree heat. We bought bikes just so I could cycle two kilometres into town to sit in the air-conditioned library. I would then return home in the afternoon to allow Rory to have a sleep, while I curled up on the bed and cried. There were no shops, and the food available was rotten and hugely expensive. But like all things, we eventually got used to it and went on to have some of the best times of our lives. We loved the outback and used to take off on a weekend in our four-wheel drive to go on camping adventures. That was magic. “It was also the start of my business brain kicking into gear, as I put together a mail-order, party-plan lingerie business, which became a huge success. You have to remember, in those days such businesses were very new and rather radical. There was no internet, so it was exciting for Mount Newman to have this shopping opportunity.” It was then, as Wendy and Jim began to get on their feet, that tragedy struck. “Jim fell off a drilling rig,” Wendy grimaces. “He was paralysed down the whole of one side. It was a terrible blow. However, we were lucky as he eventually made a full recovery. Things like that really make you think about life.”

september 2011

Wendy continued working in various roles in accounts and the family moved a few more times between Australia and New Zealand before finally laying down roots in Noosa. “We had been to Noosa on a holiday in 1978 and had fallen in love with it,” Wendy beams. “Noosa has it all – the culture, great schools, the beach, fabulous fishing, a beautiful outdoors lifestyle. So we moved there and threw down our anchor. I took an accounts position again and it was great to feel settled. “However, after a while, I started to feel very stifled by my job. Accounts was all I had known in my working life. I realised I was ‘dying’ in my role. I had no enthusiasm to go to work. There were just four walls and a load of figures. So I made a radical decision, and quit. “A few months later, I found myself on holiday in Bali and came across the most beautiful shoes which were just perfect for Noosa. It was then that the tiny seed of an idea for combining my shoe fetish with a career was planted. Weeks later, I found myself on my computer at home researching how to design and make shoes, and fell in love with the idea of starting a company specialising in feminine, jelly shoes. ‘That’s it!’ I thought.” And that is exactly what Wendy did. Teaming up with one of her closest friends, Holly Daniel, Wendy flew over to China months later, visiting various factories and showrooms consisting of floors and floors of toes, heels and shoes. From there, Wendy put together some designs of her own and started her enterprise with four styles, together with various shoe jewellery to further personalise each style. “We shopped and shopped; our feet did not touch the ground,” Wendy giggles. “There we were in China, with a native agent, walking around companies, designing shoes and ordering them in their thousands! It was a change from what I was used to, but it felt so right. I never hesitated for a moment. Shoes have always been my passion and now it was my job to shop for shoes!” Wendy and Holly launched their high-end jelly shoes in February 2011 in the middle of the GFC, and they have taken their brand across Australia and New Zealand in the blink of an eye and are now stocked in leading boutiques in both countries. They will soon exhibit at the Melbourne Shoe Fair. “The whole venture has taken off with a bang,” Wendy says, “and I couldn’t be happier. It just goes to show that if you follow your dreams, they can come true. It has been a lot of hard work and a huge learning curve, but I haven’t had such fun in years. “When you get older, you can still fulfil your passions. Age is no excuse not to do something.” And Wendy is right. Wendy and Holly Shoes and Accessories is a testament to that. A business started by two friends with nothing more than a good idea, it is fast becoming an Australian phenomenon. And why not? This is the Australian way, after all – if you give life a go, the support and encouragement comes back tenfold ... along with a beautiful pair of jelly shoes.

profilemagazine

people

the ofpursuit ART

words candice jayde olive ll photos shawn abrams

In the pursuit of art, recognition is hard won and the rewards are few. Being a fighter seems to be part of the job description. This is certainly true of Dean Jacobs, who sat down with Candice Jayde Olive to talk about giving back to the creative community.

Dean Jacobs

s I drive into the sunlit streets behind Beerwah, I roll slowly past pristine homes where children play on sprawling front lawns and families ride bicycles along bush paths. This is a community dedicated to the raising of families, the growth of dreams. Among it, illustrator and creative writer Dean Jacobs and his wife, Kylene, also an artist, are raising two children, forging a path in the creative industry and making plans to pass their wealth of knowledge on to newcomers in the business of art and writing. My first impressions of Dean’s home are of his obvious commitment to this dream. The home office is immediate in the house. It’s an orderly and modern space just inside the front door. Here, over coffee, I ask Dean why he decided to pursue a career in art. “I don’t think I ever really decided to be an artist,” he reflects. “I think it was just something I was meant to do. There were many other career paths that presented themselves to me but I always seemed to find myself sitting at a desk at the end of the day with a pencil in my hand.” Evidence of Dean’s achievements adorn his office – a poster for his new novel The Streets of White Chapel hangs above the huge desk, while framed degrees and certificates fill the back wall. On his computer screen are design sheets and layouts for Complete Property Advertising, a Coast company for which Dean has been designing for three years. For Dean, life as an artist was not always this comfortable. Learning and developing his artistic talent from a natural ability into something he could use to make a living were isolating experiences. He tells me how lack of experience is crippling to a new artist’s chances of finding work, and yet this experience cannot be gained without employers taking a risk on new artists. He describes an industry in which few have the time or patience to lend their advice to novices. Dean found that even TAFE qualifications in graphic design, which he gained in 1999, did little to endear him to employers. “In fact,” he says, “I found it a complete waste of time. Except that I met my wife there, in the classroom.” Dean’s first opportunity as a graphic designer came when small Currimundi hairdressing salon DKC took a punt on inexperienced university students for its design needs. While Dean was studying a Bachelor’s degree in computerbased art and design at the University of the Sunshine Coast, the salon offered one lucky student a $500 contract to create the company’s identity. For Dean, it was the starting point he had been looking for; a chance to back up his skills with some real-world experience. He won the contract, and from there was able to gain the attention of some of the industry’s most prolific designers. “I started knocking on doors, and because I had something to show for my 14

profilemagazine

hard work, these doors started opening. I went to countless meetings with some of Brisbane’s biggest design firms to talk about my work and where I should go with it.” On the back of his own success, Dean is keen to help others navigate the hard path to recognition. “I really believe mentorship and giving back to the creative community are essential to grow and to help others in their journey,” he says. “You can change someone’s life simply by being available. The greatest mentors I’ve had have been patient and willing, happy to answer the endless questions that come with an enthusiasm for art. I want to be there for people who are new to the industry. You’ve got to have a lot of resolve in this business. You’ve got to have a lot of character to get anywhere.” Part of Dean’s plan to pass on knowledge gained from his success includes a desire to talk in local schools. “That’s where you can make the biggest mark,” he says. “Kids are passionate, enthusiastic, big dreamers. I’d love to get involved in making dreams a reality by working in education.” Clearly, Dean is an artist and a writer who is not willing to be told ‘no’. My admiration for the man grows as I sit listening to his tales of hard-won success. It is an attitude of fearlessness and resolve he tries to instil in his children, who are inspiring figures in his work. When I ask him what his parents thought of his interest in a career in art, he explains, “Both of my parents were very supportive. Not in any one particular path or career, just of me. They really left it to me to decide what I was going to do with my life”. Today, Dean works hard to repay the encouragement his parents gave him. “I really pushed to get somewhere with my work and to make them proud. This translates in the present into what I do for my kids. I want my daughters to look at what I do and to feel proud, to say ‘hey, my dad did that’.” He was happy to discover that his three-year-old daughter, Alicia, was beginning to explore the world of digital art. “She loves to play with Photoshop – drawing, colouring, putting lines together. I definitely encourage creativity in my children. We live in a creative world. She’s certainly got the feel for it.” Dean explains the idea of family stretches into the artistic world as well. “As artists and writers you support each other. You encourage each other. You’re proud of the achievements of people in your circle. It’s the same. It’s family.” Dean Jacobs’s life is built around the pursuit of art, the sharing of this art with others, and the encouragement of others to create and explore the possibilities in their work. His hardship as an emerging artist has made Dean a fighter determined to find a place for art in his life and in his community. He is a man in the business of building character, including his own. profilemag.com.au

september 2011

profilemagazine

success

There were times in the beginning when I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the motivation or strength to get out of bed. I had to talk myself into having a shower.â&#x20AC;?

Sam Sheppard

words candice jayde olive ll photography alan hughes

As queen of the construction site, director of a successful company and mentor of apprentices, Sam Sheppard is a phenomenon in the local building industry. She sits down with Candice Jayde Olive to speak about the diagnosis that threatens everything she has achieved.

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

success

have a confession to make. I was the only girl in my high school wood tech class. Yes, I was that girl; the girl with over-long hair speckled with sawdust. The girl in Doc Martens and baggy, hand-me-down trousers with dirt on the knees. I was the only kid who sprinted to get into the workshop when the bell rang and the only kid who wouldn’t leave when it rang again. By 17, however, I’d grown tired of the sneers, the innuendos, the woodchips pegged from across the room. I’d been successfully discouraged from etching my place in the ‘boys’ club’ of building and construction. While I bowed out to pursue more ‘feminine’ pursuits, Sam Sheppard (former profile magazine cover story subject), at the same age, instead chased down the dream of owning her own cabinet-making business, and in the same year bought her first home – a renovation job that would prove to be one of many. Her experience in building, renovating and designing houses would eventually lead her to become a licensed builder. On the balcony of her stylish home overlooking Golden Beach, Sam tells me of her surprise at finding as a teenager that her enthusiasm for the building industry was seen as unconventional. “I grew up surrounded by men,” she says. “I was always one of the boys. It came naturally to me to follow my passion. My gender didn’t occur to me. When I established the Buildmore Group, I found a lot of women feeling like there wasn’t a place for them in the industry; feeling unwelcome and unwanted.” Established in 2002, Buildmore Building Solutions Group is responsible for the cluttered wall of awards and accolades in Sam’s living room. The company has been recognised internationally for its contribution to sustainability, its encouragement of women in the construction industry and its mentorship of female construction apprentices. In 2009, Sam’s Women into Building’initiative set about designing and constructing a home using a predominantly female crew. “I have noticed in my working life that a lot of women feel like they’re a target while working on construction sites,” Sam says. “I wanted to show young women considering their career choices that your dreams don’t hang on gender, or stereotype, or what people think a ‘woman’s place’ is. Your dreams are a product of your choices. You have to choose to put aside your fears and get what you want. You have to choose to have a place. No one will make it for you.” The Women into Building challenge made national headlines and redefined popular opinion about the role of women in the construction industry. “Towards the end of the project I was working 120 hour weeks,” Sam says. “There were constant phone calls, media engagements, offers to talk motivationally at schools and conferences. I was exhausted, but that was expected. Then, when things settled down in April of that year, the workload fell away, but the exhaustion didn’t.” When muscle pain and joint aches began to accompany the exhaustion, Sam sought medical advice. After a barrage of tests, she was given news that would eventually bring the relentless momentum of her business life to a halt. “They

september 2011

told me I had lupus,” she says, looking out over the water. “It took a long time for me to realise what that meant, what it would do to my life. Everything stopped. It was like a train running into a wall.” Lupus is a loose term for a vast collection of diseases that attack the immune system. It obscures the body’s ability to tell the difference between foreign cells, like bacteria and viruses, and its own healthy cells. The body produces an excess of antibodies to attack these false threats, putting skin, joints, bones and organs in danger. While this incurable disease is not a death sentence in our society, living with it requires dramatic changes to the sufferer’s everyday existence, as Sam quickly discovered. “I used to be everywhere,” she says. “I was unstoppable on the worksite, in the office, at meetings. The disease attacks everything now: my body, my motivation, my mind. There were times in the beginning when I couldn’t find the motivation or strength to get out of bed. I had to talk myself into having a shower.” Sam describes lupus as a wildly unpredictable condition that shows itself in strange ways. She tells me that while she expected the muscle fatigue, she didn’t imagine losing her ability to touch type, to focus on multiple tasks in the office or to sleep. “I don’t have the focus to sit down and read a book. I sleep two to three hours a night. The other morning I realised it’s been 12 months since I was in my garden. It’s been 12 months since I last hung washing on the line.” As I sit listening, Sam seems to allow herself a few minutes to be sad about the sudden and devastating turnaround in her life before she bristles, wipes her eyes and moves on. “But that’s not what this is about,” she says. “I want people to understand that pity is useless. I’m not delicate. I don’t need or want sympathy. What I can use right now is encouragement and support.” Sam says her ability to “build people up” as she has for so many years as a mentor, employer and ambassador for women in building is gone. I can’t help but notice, however, that her instinct to inspire and motivate others is creeping back into her life – even if she’s not entirely aware of it. She tells me that her new passion is writing motivational affirmations and mantras that she shares through her Twitter account. “I find it therapeutic,” Sam says. “Since my diagnosis, I haven’t wanted to see or talk to anyone. I don’t want to tell people I’m not okay, I’m having a bad day, I’m scared. Online I’m anonymous, and I’ve found such joy in reading the inspiring words of others and creating my own.” As she sits beside me on the balcony in her ugg boots and cardigan, with two Maltese terriers periodically lavishing in her affection, I start thinking that Sam can’t help seeking to uplift others, even in her time of greatest need. She assures me that the “phenomenon” that she once was – the Sam Sheppard who destroyed stereotypes and forged the dreams of young people – is no more. But as she says this, I can’t help but notice how her plans for the future are alive and kicking, as she aims to continue sharing her wisdom and encouragement through the internet and possibly launching a series of books. Sam Sheppard, defeated? Never. This lady’s foundations were built solid to the core.

profilemagazine

ladies at lunch

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taste is an older â&#x20AC;&#x153;

word for style.

Kim morrison

1. confit of bendelle duck 2. fleur whelligan 3. clare habershon 4. Dominique wright 5. wanda james 6. kim morrison 7. fish on parkyn dessert

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

ladies at lunch

a question of words jessica jane sammut ll photography belinda brill ll sponsored by genesys wealth advisers and boq maroochydore

What is it about a pair of shoes that makes us feel we have to have them, and that if we don’t our lives will never be complete and our clothes will forever mourn their company? I’ll tell you what. It’s because we love their beauty, their touch, their style. But does that mean that everyone else in the world will also feel the same about this pair of shoes? No. So why not? Well, it is all a question of taste, as profile’s Jessica Jane Sammut finds out.

“

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” as the saying goes. So what does this mean? How can an item, be it a vintage Chanel dress or an art deco ornament, be loved by some and yet abhorred or simply ignored by others? It is all a question of taste. But where does taste come from and what constitutes good taste? Is it a mark of social background or status, or is it a sign of knowing oneself, or of possessing sophistication? Can good taste be studied and the rules learnt? Or is it a sense that one is innately born with, much like those with musical or artistic ability? I, for one, love fine bone china, shabby chic white furniture, and anything with a ruffle on it, but what does this mean? Of course I have good taste (come on, we are talking about moi), but if someone else loves stoneware, contemporary urban fittings and geometric design, does this mean I have bad taste, or do they? Which leads me onto my ladies at lunch topic this month, ‘What is good taste?’ Joining me to discuss this subject is a fabulous group of gorgeous girls who all look like they have impeccable taste (but hey, they are profile readers, so it goes without saying, right?), especially our wonderful co-host this month, Debbie Battaglini-Clarke, owner of Bank of Queensland Maroochydore. Our guests include Kim Morrison and Fleur Whelligan of Like Chocolate For Women, Clare Habershon of Posh Pantry, Wanda James of Go Arty, Dominique Wright of The VOS Boutique, Belinda Brill, profile’s sales manager, and yours truly, who when glancing at the menu for our lunch knows she is about to get a mouthful of good taste, let alone a good conversation about it. profile: Good taste, is there such a thing? wanda: Yes there is, but it is different to every person. It is subjective.

september 2011

fleur: It is open to interpretation. kim: When you travel, you witness completely different cultural styles which are often beautiful. They may not be to your taste, but you can appreciate them for what they are. wanda: What about when we are in a boutique and we ask people if things look good when we are trying clothes on – we must be relying on their sense of good taste? belinda: We trust people to know what looks good. fleur: When a person surrounds themselves with their idea of good taste, it makes that person shine, which creates an appeal in their taste to others. dominique: Yes, it is important to dress to your own sense of style. wanda: Perhaps personal taste is synonymous with personal style? kim: Taste is almost an older word for style. I think ‘style’ is the more relevant word nowadays. debbie: I also think the word ‘taste’ means different things to each sex. You don’t often hear men talking about each other’s sense of taste! belinda: Talking about boys, I cannot stand it when young lads walk around with their pants half down. That, to me, is bad taste. I have to stop myself from running over to pull them up! wanda: In terms of fashion, I got engaged in a jump suit! I wouldn’t be seen dead in one now, so maybe my taste has evolved, or maybe that is just a fashion thing. profile: Do we agree with Wanda that taste changes with age? Does it evolve? all: Yes! kim: Oh yes, especially if you have travelled. Your mind expands. debbie: It must do! Look at what we used to wear. Look at the shoulder-pad phenomenon!

clare: What about the TV show Dallas? We all loved it! That hair … belinda: Gosh, I used to have a perm! dominique: I would kill to have big hair – I would love it. I would love an afro! Fashion and taste walk together, but are different, I think. Both change and progress. Fashion certainly comes around again. debbie: Mutton dressed as lamb – now that is my idea of poor taste. kim: But anyone who loves Champagne – now they have great taste! belinda: I think if a person or place mirrors our own feelings on taste – i.e. our own sense of style – we attribute that person or place with ‘good taste’. profile: What, to you, constitutes bad taste? dominique: Not letting children be children. Those beauty pageants destroy a child’s innocence. To me they are in very poor taste. belinda: Young girls trying to be much older than they are. Piercings in primary school, for example, and short skirts and bikinis on young girls. wanda: Ugg boots in public! It is like going out in slippers! [profile: Gulp. I proudly profess that I am one who loves to step out in her uggies alongside fellow comrades Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston. Can we all be wrong?] clare: Tattoos, especially on women. They make me cringe. fleur: Criticism and bitchiness is in poor taste. kim: I agree with Fleur. I find judgment of others very uncool. You don’t know what is going on in someone’s life. debbie: I find ignorance a turn-off – when people are ignorant of their own behaviour and their impact on who is around them, that, to me, is done in poor taste.

profilemagazine

ladies at lunch

“Less is definitely not

more! Never! Never! More is more!

“

dominique wright

fleur, kim, debbie, jessica, dominique, clare and wanda

profile: So is taste not just about style, but about social rules also? debbie: Yes. To bring something gory up at the dinner table is inappropriate and therefore in bad taste, for example. wanda: So therefore, to a certain degree, taste can be learnt. kim: The young rebel against social rules and therefore their taste is different also – they want to stand out and be noted. This is why taste definitely evolves, as it represents who you are at a particular time in your life. And this changes. clare: Taste is a journey. wanda: We are influenced by what and who is around us. clare: We get conditioned to behave in a certain way. We can be subject to a pack mentality which shapes our sense of taste also. Fashion is a prime example of this. kim: What you think is also inherent within you as a result of the way you have been brought up. belinda: It is very interesting to watch taste develop. My son, Connor, is six and he is very opinionated about what he likes already. I was the same at his age. So it is part of who we are. profile: What about kids then? Should we encourage a sense of independent taste? Or are they prey to the celebrity branding phenomenon that is around in today’s world? We didn’t have this when we were their age. fleur: I find fashion magazines crazy! Their sense of taste is certainly too ‘out there’ for me. My daughter loves to copy fashion and I find it really hard not to say anything to her when she appears in the kitchen in what she thinks looks great, but what I would certainly not have chosen for her. It is just not to my taste. I have to bite my tongue! debbie: The clothes at fashion shows are always too wild for me. Who wears that stuff? dominique: The pieces are to shock. The idea is for the clothes to represent the designer, with designs and styles then being picked out and adapted for use. clare: What looks good is often about confidence.

profilemagazine

profile: If good and bad taste can apply to clothing, can it apply to music and art? wanda: No. Art is in the eye of the beholder, it is certainly not about good or bad taste. kim: You can appreciate a piece of art and its beauty and intricacy without it being to your taste. belinda: Nakedness in Europe is found to be artistic, but here nakedness equates to sexuality. [profile: Very proud that our own Bel managed to work the topic of ‘nakedness’ into a chat about taste. An extra glass of bubbles coming your way on Friday afternoon Mrs Brill.] kim: I remember going to the Moulin Rouge in Paris and the Americans sitting next to us were disgusted that the female dancers were scantily clad. They found it to be in poor taste, but that is the Moulin Rouge, for goodness sake! profile: What about the old saying that less is more? Coco Chanel used to advise to take one thing off before you leave the house in order to achieve the perfect outfit (and no, she did not mean your skirt). dominique: No! Less is definitely not more! Never! Never! More is more! So there you have it. Taste cannot be measured, it seems. It is a sense of style and a persona which is constantly evolving, locked away in the soul of each and every one of us. Poor taste appears to relate to an object or idea that does not fall within normal social standards, but our sense of good taste is not so easily defined. Suffice it to say, it is something unique, which is subject to our own preferences and perceptions, and for this reason it will never exist as a learned subject or as a set of rules. Good taste ain’t got no rules baby, and with this in mind, I am off to don that pair of purple flares at the back of my wardrobe along with that canary yellow beret my aunty gave me many years ago, to hit the streets and strut my stuff while basking in the glory that taste is all in the mind. Look out!

fish on parkyn, mooloolaba wharf When I arrived at Fish On Parkyn, I was looking forward to sampling the beautiful menu of dishes I had heard so much about, but I was not prepared for the impeccable service I received from the minute I stepped onto the premises. Restaurateur Jon Koning could not have been a more charming or attentive host and I was blown away by his charisma, eagerness to serve and his ability to ensure that each and every guest felt like she was the only person dining in the restaurant that day. And just when I thought it could not get any better, the bubbles arrived! And what a feast we were treated to. The starters of coconut Thai chicken salad served with fresh coriander and fresh mint and a coconut palm sugar dressing, along with Moreton Bay bug pikelets with a watercress and ruby red grapefruit and mandarin dressing were as exquisite as they sounded. The mains of confit of Bendelle duck on a truffle mash with sweet soy dressing, and macadamiacrusted barramundi with a warm pumpkin, cashew, feta and sage salad were equally as delectable, with each dish being presented with such style, carefully offering the perfect blend of divine flavours. And then there were our desserts, consisting of either a white chocolate and honeycomb cheesecake with raspberry gelati or an amaretto crème brûlée. Three words: To die for. Fish On Parkyn is certainly up there with the best. Suffice it to say, I am still thinking about my lunch, such was the impression it left on my mind (and stomach), and I would even go so far as to rate it as one of the best dining experiences I have had on the Coast. Fish On Parkyn is open seven days a week. Lunch is served from noon and dinner from 6pm. 25 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba 5444 4711 www.fishonparkyn.com.au

profilemag.com.au

STARTS MONDAY 3 OCT!

Fernwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8 Week Bootcamp Package Register your interest online now.

Maroochydore Call 5479 0744 Sunshine Homemaker Centre fernwoodfitness.com.au facebook.com/fernwoodfitness

september 2011

profilemagazine

first move

jump OFF

help us jump off the rental treadmill Think that buying your own home is out of your reach? You may be pleasantly surprised by what you can afford and how reasonable it can be compared to renting. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you work out how much you can borrow, find a home loan that suits you and the best way to make your repayments affordable, sort out the first home owners grant and do all the paperwork and running around. So talk to us today.

Sharing your journey for life

profilemagazine

Sunshine Coast Fertility Specialists: Dr George Bogiatzis, Nr Denise Donati, Dr Rebecca Matthews (Scientific Director), Dr Kirsten Morrow, Dr James Orford (Medical Director)

Bundaberg Fertility Specialists: Dr Elize Bolton, Dr Harrie Swanepoel

profilemag.com.au

business promotion

Prue an

d Andrew

Simmon

the simmonds family

planning for the future. Ellerfield Financial Planning is a leader in its field, its success backed by ethics, a long history of helping individuals reach their financial goals, and a ‘family’ ethos. Ellerfield would like to introduce Prue Simmonds who, with husband Andrew and their three young children, lives in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast. Prue has kindly agreed to share her family’s experience of deciding to engage the services of a financial planner and what differences this has made to their lives. What prompted you to consider working with a financial planner? Andrew and I have three children and we wanted to make sure we had a good start on a plan for the future financially. Why did you choose to work with the financial planner you selected? When we met with Ellerfield we were not sold products. David Weir at Ellerfield Financial Planning really worked with us to develop a plan to achieve not just our financial goals but also our life goals. What were you hoping to achieve by working with a financial planner? We wanted to have a strong financial future and not to just live month to month. Has your financial planner been able to help you achieve these goals? We couldn’t be happier with Ellerfield as we now have solid direction on not just our short-time goals but also our long-term goals. Could you explain how ‘ellerCentral cash flow management’ has helped your family? EllerCentral is great. It really helps you keep on track with spending your money on a day-to-day basis and it makes you think before you spend.

So much so, Andrew now enjoys entering all our receipts into our budget daily. Within the first couple of months of using Ellerfield’s ellerCentral budgeting process we have saved a substantial amount of money that we would not have done otherwise. Your financial planner also helped by referring you to another business here on the Coast. Can you tell us about this? We needed a solicitor and Ellerfield put us in contact with the correct kind of legal specialist at a local Sunshine Coast firm, which was a great help to us. Ellerfield genuinely takes a holistic approach to its clients’ needs and David’s attention to this matter was well beyond what we had expected a financial planner to do. David Weir is your planner at Ellerfield, and you have said you were surprised by how he looks after your affairs. Could explain this? David has been great for us. We really feel we have someone watching our back on our financial affairs. Would you recommend Ellerfield Financial Planning to friends and family? Absolutely. It has been the best move we have made for our family and our future.

Phone 5476 8744 First Floor, ‘Ballinger Place’, 3-5 Ballinger Road, Buderim, Qld, 4556 www.ellerfield.com.au september 2011

Ellerfield Pty Ltd ( ABN 13010991081) trading as Ellerfield Financial Planning is an Authorised Representative of GWM Advisor Services Limited (ABN 96002071749) an Australian Financial Services Licensee, Registered Office 105 – 153 Miller St, North Sydney, NSW 2060. This advice may not be suitable to you because it contains general advice that has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Please seek personal and tax advice prior to acting on this information.

profilemagazine

cover story

The water didn't stop. It kept on coming. The noise was like a jet plane.”

Alex wears Sacha Drake ‘Carrie Mint’ strapless gown, $458 and Fantasia jewels by Mark Cotterell. The Fantastia collection is a beautifully delicate 18ct white gold and Yellow Gold Drop Earring and Necklace Suite set with Princess Cut, Brilliant Cut and Baguette Diamonds in a Modern Take on the Classics of the Romance Period. The suite is set with 200 Diamonds! www.markcotterell.com ON COVER: Alex wears Sacha Drake ‘Cheryl Blue’, $575 and LAST PAGE: Alex wears Sacha Drake ‘Black and White Avril’, $199.

mitchell 24alexprofilemagazine

All garments available at www.sachadrake.com.au

profilemag.com.au

cover story

words angela bueti ll photography alan hughes ll makeup and hair pru edwards ll shoot direction katie mackenzie

Upon meeting Alex Mitchell, it’s easy to be fooled into thinking she’s a pussy cat – her cheeky grin and wicked sense of humour belie her steely determination and resourcefulness, Something that’s essential for surviving a life-changing event. Alex tells Angela Bueti how she miraculously survived the devastating Boxing Day tsunami with her two young children, and subsequently rebuilt her life here on the Sunshine Coast.

lex Mitchell is not one to blow her own trumpet. If you have never heard of this Sunshine Coaster, it’s little wonder. She doesn’t seek the limelight and being our cover girl for this edition filled her with fear and trepidation. “Why would you want to write a story about me?” she asked, genuinely surprised. I met Alex at a local event a few months before this interview, and within minutes of chatting, it became clear that her story was quite extraordinary. She has not lived a conventional life and has experienced some potentially catastrophic events that would have most down and out for good. It’s true that life throws all manner of challenges in our paths, but, inexplicably, it throws more at some than others. And while many of us complain about the insignificant and mundane, it’s all put into perspective when you meet someone like Alex. Suddenly, complaining about a head cold or desperately needing the latest big-screen TV seems a little silly. Alex has copped a lot, more than most, but she’s not one to ask ‘why me?’ She had a cancer scare in her 20’s and was told she would never have children. She suffered a difficult relationship from which she fled, and then came the moment that would change her life forever – she narrowly escaped the devastating Boxing Day tsunami with her two young children. But the saying goes ‘it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog’ and Alex is testament to that. The 44-year-old single mother of two has used every ounce of her steely determination and resourcefulness to build a better life for her young family. With a burgeoning business called Author Support Services, an entrepreneurial flair for buying and renovating houses, and as facilitator of the successful Sunshine Coast Women Entrepreneurs group, the future is looking bright. As we settle in for a chat at The Chopping Block in Buderim, Alex is still curious as to why people would want to read about her story. I reassure her that it’s not her head that’s on the chopping block and that she can relax! The afternoon whizzes by and before we know it, Alex has generously shared the poignant moments of her life with me. Alex is a hippy at heart. Having travelled to more than 26 countries, she’s had more flights than most of us have had bus trips. Living most of her young adult years in a Kombi van exploring Australia, life on the road with a backpack was de rigueur. When discussing her upbringing, it’s clear that a family gene is responsible for the happy wandering. Alex’s Austrian father and Australian mother frequently travelled overseas from their home on Sydney’s North Shore. “We were a regular middle-class family, but we were a bit left of centre,” explains Alex. “All my family travels. I guess it’s something we all love to do.” It was while living in Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville as a seven-year-old that Alex’s imagination was captured and she was shown what the world had

september 2011

to offer. She was sent with her older sister and younger brother to live there with an aunt for three months while their parents travelled to Europe. “We went to school with the local children and the school rules said we had to cover our bottoms and feet, so we wore knickers and thongs. We were walked to school as there were head-hunters around. We opened coconuts and played with the local kids. It was an amazing experience.” Back in Sydney, Alex attended an acceleration program in years five and six as she was gifted in English. “I liked the new school and didn’t find it difficult, and we had lots of extra opportunities to do drama and music.” But the rocky road of secondary school was around the corner. “You could say high school and I were mutually disappointed in each other,” Alex says with a laugh. “At the end of year 10 I was told that it would be better for the other students if I didn’t come back!” The options were a private school or to leave school altogether and Alex took the latter option. So, at 16 years of age, with a one-way ticket given to her by her parents as a birthday present, Alex took off to Byron Bay. The self-confessed ‘wild child’ was in her element. For the next four years Alex travelled around Australia soaking up the sights while making a little money along the way by selling flowers, hot chickens and anything else she could get her hands on. She devoured books on feminism and politics and became something of a political activist. In Airlie Beach she was questioned by police for refusing to wear clothes but was let off on a technicality. “I was sewing an outfit in the back of my friend’s HT Holden which we lived in. I explained that because I was in my own home, I was free to be naked!” Oh for the freedom of the early ’80s. Alex criss-crossed the country for close to four years before she fell in love with the Sunshine Coast. She was 19 and living happily in a Kombi van at Sunshine Beach (before there were huge houses dotting the landscape) when a cancer scare threatened to derail her carefree life forever. Returning to Sydney for an operation, Alex was told that her cervical cancer may prevent her from having children. Although she was a free spirit, the notion of a family and a house with a white picket fence was something she had secretly desired one day. Unknowingly, a holiday to the UK to recuperate after the surgery was the catalyst for making this dream come true. It’s where she met her “soul mate” and fell in love. “I met my future husband at Heathrow airport,” Alex says with a sparkle in her eye. “He was a friend of my sister. It was love at first sight. After three days I moved into his place in Berkshire.” Alex confesses that when she falls, she falls hard. A few years later they were married and the couple embarked on a 10-year journey exploring as many corners of the globe as they could get to. “We had so much fun,” Alex says. “We really lived life. I didn’t want to miss a thing.”

profilemagazine

cover story

It’s a useless emotion being a victim. [Going back] really helped as I was able to talk with the Thai people and see how they have rebuilt their lives.”

Alex Mitchell is a hippy at heart, having travelled to more than 26 countries. It was during a trip to Thailand with her children that she found herself involved in one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters

profilemagazine

It was a relationship that lasted 17 years and produced two treasured children, Flynn, now 13, and Ella, now 10, but it was settling in one spot that caused the ties that bound them together to unravel. “I never found a better country than Australia to live in, and we settled on the Sunshine Coast in the mid ’90s. Our marriage started to fall apart once we stood still, and things got steadily worse until the situation became pretty frightening. It took the last of my personal strength to walk away with my two and five-year-old.” With no money and no self-confidence, it took a year for Alex to pull herself together. She was 25 kilos overweight and receiving the single parent pension, with an uncertain future. Life was looking bleak. Then, her fighting, resourceful gene kicked in and Alex started to hatch a plan to make a new life for herself and her two young children. “I wanted my kids to have an amazing life,” she says. “I decided that we would go backpacking around Thailand for a couple of months. It was like a little team-building thing – to bring us back together.” Alex reasoned it would be no harder to live on the government allowance overseas than in Australia, and having travelled to Thailand numerous times and knowing a little of the language, she felt comfortable taking her children, who were six and three at the time. Being an avid writer she also planned a series of stories about backpacking with children for a local newspaper. The plan was perfect, except for one major thing. The timing of the trip would have dire consequences. One of the most devastating natural disasters our planet has ever experienced was about to unleash its fury right at the moment Alex and her children were unwittingly sitting on an idyllic beach on the remote island of Koh Phayam near the Burmese border. They were caught in the middle of the catastrophic 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which is reported to have killed 275,000 people across 14 countries. How Alex and her children escaped is a miracle. “The reason we survived is just pure luck,” she says, shaking her head. Alex recounts the chilling events. The tide was out and Flynn was playing on the sand while Alex and Ella were metres away in a restaurant, which was just a few poles and a thatched roof sitting on the beach. At about 11am Alex looked out to the usually calm horseshoe-shaped bay and saw the water rising fast up the sand. Her immediate thought was that it was the wake of a ship. “I ran out to get our things off the beach as I thought they were going to get wet, but the water didn’t stop. It kept on coming. I turned around and ran up the back steps of the restaurant as the water started swirling around my feet. The noise was like a jet plane. “Ella was standing on a table, screaming. The noise was so loud I couldn’t even hear her screams until I was right next to her. I picked her up and started to run, and at the same time heard someone shout to Flynn to get out of the tree he had climbed. We were incredibly lucky to find each other in those crazy few seconds. “I was carrying one and pulling the other behind me as we ran from the beach. We were slower than everyone else though, and started to fall behind. The water was

rising fast up my legs. “Thankfully, a young English backpacker stopped. He picked up Flynn and threw him over his shoulder, and we all raced barefoot through the jungle. “We climbed over rocks and onto a cliff, which had been partly dug out to build huts. About 20 of us were on the cliff. The screaming and noise was horrific. It was manic. The cliff was pretty unstable with the waves hitting it. I made a decision to wait for the next wave to recede then make another run for it. Some people thought I was crazy to leave the cliff, but I didn’t care what anyone else was doing. I would do whatever it took to get my children to safety. “When the time was right, we scrambled down the cliff, along the path and started to run up the mountain. I turned to look and just about everyone who had been on the cliff was following us. It’s funny how people react under pressure. I guess they were just waiting for someone else to decide what to do. “We made it to the little school that sat on the highest part of the tiny island, and soon people began to gather there, a couple of hundred in all. People soon turned up on bikes with pots to cook food. Late that afternoon I convinced a local guy to drive me down to where we were staying so I could get some things for the children. He was petrified. He didn’t want to take me. I salvaged a few things which were covered in mud. The watermark in the hut, which was on stilts, was head high. “That evening a group was dispatched to the other side of the island, where there was electricity and a television. They came back with the shocking news of what was happening around the world. We had thought it was just us. We made camp at the school and took turns to keep watch overnight for more waves or rescue helicopters, both of which we were expecting. Neither came. “The next day the Thai Navy sent a warship, and local fishermen ferried all the women and children out to the ship. We huddled under the shadow of the machine guns and set up shade for the children. The kids felt the panic and the chaos, so we tried to make nap time as normal as possible. We arrived in the port and people came with rice to feed us and with bags of lollies for the children. The Thai people were so apologetic. It was like they felt they were responsible for ruining our holiday. “We had to write our names and country on a piece of paper, were given a toothbrush, and we were free to go. It was surreal. We made our way to a little place on the other side of Thailand. It was New Year’s Eve and I was reading a Thai newspaper written in English. There were graphic pictures of the tsunami and distraught messages from survivors looking for loved ones. “I remember reading a message from a Swedish mother looking for her two blond-haired boys in green swimmers. They were the same age as my children, just playing innocently on the beach.” As Alex recalls this, she struggles to fight back tears, and so do I. It’s an unimaginable thought for a mother. At that point Alex started coming undone. The trauma of living through this nightmare had hit home and she was consumed by survivor guilt. She made her way back to Australia and struggled to pick up the pieces of her life. “I had counselling, but it was a lonely experience,” she says. “I had never met anyone who had survived a natural profilemag.com.au

cover story disaster. After six months I started to pull myself together and realised how lucky we had been. The experience restored my faith in humanity.” It was also a turning point in her life. “I decided then there was no way I could survive all this and then go through life on the single mother’s pension. I had to make the most of it, create an extraordinary life, one where I could be proud of myself, where my children could grow up knowing that anything was possible. There was no point wishing for more money, a kinder husband, fewer natural disasters or bigger boobs. Having an amazing life was my own responsibility.” In 2006, with renewed vigour, Alex started educating herself. She sold her furniture to raise $5,000 to attend a course about wealth creation, which was paid back to her through a scholarship. “I learnt about real estate investing and business building. I also built my self-confidence.” By the end of that year Alex had bought her first investment property in Buderim with capital raised from the equity in her home. After renovating it herself, she added $100,000 to its value. She had also lost the 25 kilos of extra baggage she’d been carrying, and people started to seek her out to ask how she did what she did. “My story seemed to help others believe that they didn’t have to be victims, and I became more and more passionate about helping others to believe they could create their own destinies. “I was so determined. I was not designed to be poor,” she says with a laugh. And so continued Alex’s trajectory into property investment and the beginning of her business, Author Support Services, where she helps people realise their dreams of writing and publishing their own books. “It was started primarily as an editing service, but took off like a steam train. My clients wanted help while they were still writing, so I began spending more and more time teaching people how to self edit, and how to manage the whole writing and publishing process. I gained so much from watching an author blossom and grow, becoming confident in their writing and believing they can share their message. “I also started facilitating the Sunshine Coast Women Entrepreneurs, which has now grown into an amazing group of almost 300 Coast businesswomen. The philosophy of the group is that we all are learning and we all have wisdom to share. Every woman in business, big or small, should have the opportunity to learn and grow, to inspire and be inspired. This desire has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with attitude.” Only last month, more than six years on, Alex returned to Thailand to finally face her demons. It was a brave act. Her children didn’t want her to go, but it was something she felt she had to do. “I needed to put it to rest,” she says. “You can’t just wallow in it. It’s a useless emotion being a victim. It really helped as I was able to talk with the Thai people and see how they have rebuilt their lives.” Life for Alex is now ‘normal’, at least as normal as it can get on her terms. Living in Landsborough, she is renovating her house and Flynn and Ella are in their element surrounded by a menagerie of animals, and the occasional backpacker. “I have backpackers staying with me a lot of the time who september 2011

work on the property through the WWOOF [Willing Workers on Organic Farms] program. They provide my kids with the cultural diversity that they rarely get to experience where we live. “I have found satisfaction in the simple muddy pleasure of plumbing, can feed my family for four days with one chicken, and am fairly adept at catching snakes. I am terrified of snakes but relocating them is a necessary evil, otherwise they eat all my poultry.” She has also found love and contentment with a local farmer – a single dad with five children who also shares her passion for combining business with family. And when she looks to the future, her eyes brighten. “I want to take the children to Africa. I want them to see the safari animals. I want my children to see that anything is possible.” To chat with this confident, articulate woman, you would never guess the trauma she has experienced. It’s testament to how far she has come. And hers is a story worth telling.

alex mitchell

profilemagazine

secret life

Kim Acworth and Stephenie Mossman

Kim Acworth and Stephenie Mossman are turning heads as Queensland’s only all-female rally-driving team

rally

renegades

words angela bueti ll photography ben connolly

Driving fast cars is no longer the exclusive domain of cashed-up bogans and testosterone-fuelled blokes. In fact, they are now eating the dust of a couple of Sunshine Coast women, Kim Acworth and Stephenie Mossman, who moonlight as the SlikChix on weekends. They tell Angela Bueti why they love nothing more than strapping on a helmet and sliding into their rally car.

n my heyday I was known to burn off a few competitors at the stop lights in my orange Datsun 120Y and my father incredulously referred to me as Stirling Moss (apparently he was a racing car driver from the 1960s). Not that I’m advocating such reckless behaviour on our roads, but deep down inside, if we didn’t have the restrictions of road rules, who wouldn’t want to cut loose in a fast car? But desire and doing are two different things and rarely do you see women in motorsport, which is why Kim Acworth and Stephenie Mossman are turning heads as Queensland’s only all-female rally-driving team. So what makes a 36-year-old mum who works as an employment adviser want to do something considered by many as downright dangerous? After all, Kim has pushed the limits, writing off her rally car, not once, but twice. She still protests that it’s a safe sport and I guess the fact that she walked away from both crashes unscathed is testament to that. Being covered from head to toe with flying dirt while watching her first rally-car competition 12 years ago got Kim hooked on the sport.

profilemagazine

“When I was 23 I did a road trip and while in Canberra we went to see a leg of the Australian Rally Championship. The cars were flying over the jumps – it was dusty and dirty and it looked awesome!” Ever since then Kim wanted to give rally racing a go and now she is doing just that. In 2008, Kim first got into the sport as a navigator in tarmac races in Townsville and Tasmania and then bought her own car later that year. It’s her pride and joy – a 1985 Subaru RX Leonie. And it’s bright yellow, just so the competitors can see who’s whizzing past. The car doesn’t have any modifications (and as such competes as a P6 class car) but it still goes like the clappers. Kim confesses that on a dirt straight she might get it up to between 140 and 150 kilometres an hour but admits she wouldn’t know for sure because she doesn’t have time to look at the speedometer. Kim is ably assisted by her young navigator, 21-year-old Stephenie Mossman, who joined the team after Kim’s first navigator, Lucy Dahl, had to step down this year due to family commitments. Ironically, Stephanie’s day job is dealing with road closures for Brisbane

profilemag.com.au

NAB BUSINESS PROMOTION

the importance of a business plan with Peter Vandenberg, Region Manager Small and Emerging Business Before you sell your first widget or serve your first customer, it is important to sit down with your business partners and prepare a plan. A business plan will help you make decisions about the best long-term interests for your business. The business planning process is ongoing and business plans should be reviewed on a regular basis. What’s in a good business plan? A good business plan should act as the seed from which your business will grow – it need not be long and complicated, but it should provide your business with a direction, taking into account all the variables and external factors that affect your business. When setting your business goals, make them clear, measurable and time specific. Ask yourself: What am I selling? Who will benefit from my service? What will make my business different? What returns do I want? Where do I want to be in six months, one year and 10 years? It is important to gain insights into the economic, geographic and business environment you are entering. This will also help you establish and refine your goals. Undertake a SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – analysis of your business, and seek the advice of a business-planning professional, such as a NAB business banker, for more thorough research and insights. When developing your plan consider the operational side of your business as part of your plan. Who will you employ? Will you need suppliers? What equipment and processes do you require?

City Council – something she hopes isn’t required when she’s in the front seat. Stephenie has competed at club-level events and loves the feeling of flying through the forest at unspeakable speeds. SlikChix proudly boasts being the only all-girl dirt rally car team in Queensland, which means these girls are out there competing with the fellas. They have had their share of challenges and triumphs. In February, while competing at the Goodyear Autocare Gallangowan “a tree jumped out at the car,” says Kim. Not helpful in rally racing. With a borrowed P6 car (Toyota Celica GT4), the girls finished second in their class in the first stage of the Queensland Rally Championship – Border Ranges Rally Woodenbong in April. With a mammoth effort from support crew and local sponsors Shadforths engineers, Hog’s Breath Cafe, Caloundra Chamber of Commerce and Caloundra Suspension, they were back racing in their Subaru Leone for the International Rally of Queensland in May here on the Sunshine Coast. Unfortunately, in the third stage of this race the girls struck some trouble with the car rolling twice. Fortunately, they weren’t hurt, but the car is back in for major repairs. “It was heartbreaking. We were doing brilliantly, but we have heaps of support and we’ll be out there racing again soon,” says Kim with her trademark determination. Despite the toughness of the sport, the camaraderie between the teams is strong, and Kim and Stephenie are looking forward to that feeling of being covered in dirt from head to toe again. And soon.

september 2011

Consider your market and who you are competing with for your customers’ attention. At NAB, we see many business owners who enter the market with no idea what they are up against. It pays to know about the business in the next suburb offering the same service only at a better price. This is where speaking to a local professional with an understanding of your business environment can really be beneficial. For free online tools, including a business plan template and writing guide, visit nab.com.au/smallbusiness. For any enquiries please contact one of our business managers on the contact details below. Peter Vandenberg peter.vandenberg@nab.com.au phone 5456 8921

Jamie Ager jamie.ager@nab.com.au phone 5455 9921

Kellie Kersnovske kellie.m.kersnovske@nab.com.au phone 5439 4821

profilemagazine

briefcase

a youthful edge.

sandra gunner

andra Gunner is breathing new life into the Sunshine Coast aged care industry. Not your usual aged care worker, this triathlon-loving, stiletto wearer is a Provider Assist Scholarship Award winner who’s bringing a youthful edge back to aged care. It is this edge that has worked in Sandra’s favour throughout her career, and is quite possibly part of the reason she has been nominated for a national scholarship in aged care. “I do not quite fit the image of a matron in sensible shoes,” Sandra says. “The aged care industry is desperate for young blood and talented young minds. Our industry is largely made up of caring people who have already had long, hard careers and are waiting to retire, and I dream about the day when young graduate nurses proudly boast to their peers of a career they plan in aged care.” Although her industry can be all-consuming at times, work-life balance is a priority for Sandra. A passion for triathlons may not seem the most relaxing of pursuits, but for this “natural runner” it is a release from a sometimes stressful job. “I entered the crazy, lycra-clad world of triathlons about three years ago

guardian angel.

arly detection of breast cancer can mean the difference between life and death, so imagine if this pressure is what you had to face at work every single day. Janese Bates doesn’t have to imagine. Working full-time for BreastScreen as a guardian angel for the women on the Sunshine Coast may be stressful at times, but with a healthy life balance to complement such a career, this guardian angel will be on the lookout for many years to come. Regardless of the pressures of such an important role, for Janese the stress is well worth the reward. “I like knowing that I could make a difference in someone’s life by detecting early breast cancer,” Janese explains. “I love working as part of a team of professionals working towards a common goal. “I have been in medical imaging for more than 30 years and had many jobs in different areas. What drew me to BreastScreen was the idea of working in women’s health. I like the idea of women caring for women.” The decision to move to the Sunshine Coast was an easy one for Janese, her husband and their two university-aged daughters.

words jessica williams ll photography ben connolly

and love it,” she says. “I have been a runner all my life and constant calf tears meant broadening my horizons and introducing swimming and cycling. “My training does takes up a good chunk of my life, but I am lucky to train with my gorgeous friend, Lara. While you may imagine training for a triathlon is all sweat and pain, the reality of our training involves much more giggling and gossiping.” Not one to conform to clichés, Sandra also lists wearing heels as one of her many talents. “I have done my time in sensible nurse’s shoes and now it is my time to wear inappropriate heels to work each day, even though it scares the physio department.” But do they affect her triathlon training? “I do have a history of calf tears, and some crazy physios have had the gall to suggest it is due to wearing high heels! I have set many a physio straight by telling them the heels are staying and they will just need to work my treatment around them.” A breath of fresh air to the aged care industry, this teetering triathlon winner is paving the way for young nurses Australia-wide.

words jessica williams ll photography ben connolly

“I came for a holiday in 1998 with my family and fell in love with the Sunshine Coast. We moved here by the end of that year.” And while time for relaxation may be hard to come by, she makes the most of the downtime she does get. “I love tennis and try to play competition tennis a couple of times a week, but I also love gardening and reading as ways to relax after a long day.” With her hard work not going unnoticed, it was only a matter of time before the BreastScreen publicity team came calling and asked her to film a television spot promoting the service. “I was flattered to be asked to do the advertisement for BreastScreen,” she says. “The people making the ad work really hard, and were very patient with me. It was really good fun and I would love to do it again.” A day in the life of a Sunshine Coast guardian angel may be stressful, but for Janese Bates it is worth it. Between TV spots, competitive tennis and looking after the women of the Sunshine Coast, it’s a wonder she finds enough hours in the day. But for this guardian angel, the balance between work and play keeps her feet solidly on the ground.

janese bates

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

Beauty Across the Ages Celebrating a milestone birthday? How do you feel as you come closer to turning 30, 40, 50 or 60? Most of us have similar emotions & goals, we want to change something about our skins appearance.

Experience a “Big Birthday” Laser Treatment Laser Genesis, known as the warm laser facial, medically indicated to improve excess redness, large pores, uneven texture & fine wrinkles

$100 discount

Start your treatment plan to see a more vibrant complexion Read more in Dr Alison Jamieson’s column or visit cozmedics.com.au Cotton Tree 5409 4400 Noosa 5474 8866 Brisbane 1300 792 299 * Consultation required with a COZmedics medical professional to ensure your suitability for this treatment september 2011

profilemagazine

• • • • •

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

business promotion

his month we meet Shonelle Smith, who has worked with Henzells Agency for four years and in that time has had a variety of roles with the company. She is now the senior property manager for the residential property management team. Can you give an overview of your family situation? I have a partner, Zac, and two dogs, Milly and Elsa. What do you love most about your role? That no two days are ever the same. This job never gets stagnant and there is never a dull moment. Property management is not the average office job where you are stuck behind a desk, day in, day out. What is the most frustrating part of your role? I find the way real estate agents are perceived by much of the public to be frustrating. People often believe we are dishonest or twist the truth for our own personal gain – this is not the case, I can assure you! Aside from your job, what is your true passion in life? My family and friends. I come from a big family and we are all very close. That’s a very clichéd answer to that question, but it is the truth!

Do you have any unusual hobbies? I go to bingo every Saturday morning. Not unusual in general but perhaps unusual for someone in her 20’s! How long have you lived on the Sunshine Coast? All my life – I was born in Nambour and grew up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. If you could be on any reality TV show, what would it be? Anything where I could win a million big ones would work for me. What do you love most about living on the Sunshine Coast? It is relaxed and everything is on offer – great beaches, national parks, scenery, hinterland and only an hour drive to Brisbane. What are three words that best describe you? Motivated, loyal, stubborn. Something most people wouldn’t know about you? I have five siblings. And I am double jointed! Favourite holiday destination? Cairns or Airlie Beach for me. It is warm there all year long. What’s your most embarrassing life moment? No particular event stands out in my memory, but I embarrass myself on a daily basis. Reversing into a tree was the highlight for this month. Highlight of your career? Being given the role of senior property manager here at Henzells.

ll photography shawn abrams The big, wide, wonderful world of real estate can be a daunting beast, with so much money on the line and people’s lives and family homes at stake. So, it stands to reason that you wouldn’t want to trust the sale of your property to just anyone. When it comes to making one of the biggest financial transactions you’ll make in your life, you want someone you can trust on your side. With this in mind, meet the stellar team at Henzells Agency, Caloundra – a team of honest professionals who live and work in the local community. Professionals who, after all, are just like you.

Describe your dream home. A renovated Queenslander on acreage, and a view wouldn’t hurt either. The motto you live by? When in doubt, go without. SHONELLE SMITH, shot on location at Caloundra RSL

www.henzells.com.au AGENCY

Henzells Caloundra 49 Bulcock Street, Caloundra Qld 4551 Phone: 07 5491 2000 Fax: 07 5491 5166 Email: sales@henzells.com.au

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

vanity case

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a spring thing

your ultimate guide to fashion and beauty

style counsel

maria faulder

MY FAVOURITE THINGS

SLIMMING SWIMWEAR september 2011

hair advice

SUN, SURF AND SUCCESS profilemagazine

window shopping

my favourite things ... I am already in summer mode. With a recent overseas trip and a tan under my belt, I am looking towards the warmer months so I can pull on the thongs (of the feet kind) and my bikini and get beachside. So this month my favourite items are all things summer! Check out the figure-slimming swimwear, some fab new therapeutic gear and even a dress tailor-made for spray tanning! So bring on the sun as I am ready to shine!

GENINE HOWARD PUBLISHER / group MANAGING director ON THE COVER: Local label Jaylah Kade will make its debut at the Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival 2011 early this month. The label offers a touch of vintage elegance, modern fabrics, vibrant colours and unique styles for the modern goddesses of today. www.facebook.com/Jaylah.Kade

thongs for the soul Souls is innovative Aussie shoe label that has been playing professional masseur to the feet of mums, dads and kids for 10 years. To celebrate this achievement, Souls is releasing a brand-new range of styles and vibrant colours, available next month. With thongs designed for adults and grommets, there’s a shoe for the whole family. Using therapeutic ‘bubbles’, the foot-bed of Souls massage thongs moulds to your feet as you walk, and the masseur bubbles act as pressure points to knead your feet and stimulate blood flow with every step.

no more tan streaks Created by Aussies, TANFAN is the first custom-designed shirt-dress created to be worn straight after fake tanning, so it’s the perfect accessory for your tanning regime. No more ruining your tan after it rubs off on your clothes. And the best thing is you can still look stylish afterwards! Currently available in black, TANFAN comes in three sizes (small, medium and large), and retails for $49.95. TANFAN is available worldwide at www. tanfan.com.au with other stockists coming soon

a shining rose Local talent Sally Cook showcased her swimwear label Saucy Rose in front of hundreds of fashionistas at the Mercedes benz Fashion Week held late August in Brisbane. Her unique cute and saucy collection wowed the audience. The profile team were proud to support Sally, along with 55 of her closest friends who all made the journey together to celebrate the day.

Souls rainbow stripe thongs, RRP $17.95. You can buy online at www.soulsthongs.com or go to the online stockists page to find out more

new store, new stock Gingers Boutique in Buderim not only has a new look and new location, but a whole range of new designers and garments in-store. Of course, the profile team headed to the launch of the new store, located on Burnett Street, Buderim. Phone 5445 6616.

sexy slimming swimwear Betty Diamond creates classically beautiful and sexy swimwear for sizes 10 to 18. The non-lycra fabric is slimming and strong, holding you in comfortably and firmly. The swimsuits are designed to be flattering for a figure with hips and curves, with a quality finish that will leave you feeling confident to head down to the beach. Plus, Betty Diamond swimwear will last you through many summers due to its fade and chlorine-resistant qualities. 36

profilemagazine

Betty Diamond One Piece, RRP profilemag.com.au $295.00. www.bettydiamond.com.au

Where fashion is simply perfect!

september 2011

profilemagazine

vanity case

a splash of colour

naturally protected

Jane Iredale Lip Fixation, RRP $56. Packed with botanicals, the stain soothes and pampers lips for comfortable, buildable coverage without feathering or drying. For stockist information phone 1300 850 008 or visit www.margifox.com.au

Mukti Tinted Moisturiser with Sunscreen, RRP $49.95 for 50ml. It’s a safe alternative sunscreen that is free from chemicals in a light, certified-organic base that is nongreasy, non-toxic with an estimated SPF of 15. For stockists head to www.muktiorganics.com

with Katie Mackenzie beauty director

smooth skin SKINVIGOR8 DÉCOLLETÉ PAD, RRP $43. THE NATURAL WAY TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH DÉCOLLETAGE, THIS PAD IS MADE FROM 100 PER CENT MEDICAL GRADE SILICONE. VISIT WWW.SKINVIGOR8.COM.AU

from day to night

clean up

The Body Shop Baked to Last Eye Colour, RRP $29.95. A duo of eye colour, on one side is a pure mono for dramatic colour, on the other is a marble of black and shimmers. Available at The Body Shop www.thebodyshop.com.au

Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Cleansing Gel, RRP $POA. A lightweight, soap-free cleanser that removes impurities, restoring the skin’s natural balance. Available at Clynic, Landsborough. Phone 5494 8251

bronzed babe SAX Complexion Bronzer, RRP $19.95. SAX’s finely micronised bronzing powder gives your complexion the warmth and luminosity of a natural tan. For stockist details head to www.saxcosmetics.com

lush lashes Lashes Eyelash Conditioner, RRP $149. Lashes is a revolutionary new cosmetic formula that will rejuvenate your eyelashes and eyebrows within weeks, giving your eyelashes greater length, volume, texture and density. To order, head to www.eternalbeautyproducts.com.au

c the difference Ultraceuticals Ultra C Eye Cream, RRP $95. A velvety eye treat that rehydrates and helps improve tone and clarity. Available at Hoi Polloi, Mooloolaba. Phone 5444 6233

beach hair De Lorenzo Elements Ocean Mist Sea Salt Styling Spray, RRP $23.95. Ocean Mist is a salt-infused spray that offers the feel and texture of beach hair without the tangles and knots. Available at Roca Verde Hair Studio, Mooloolaba, Phone 5444 7200

it’s rad Environ RAD SPF 15, RRP $76 for 130ml. Contains a powerful cocktail of vitamins C, E, and BetaCarotene. RAD can be used as an after-sun treatment and contains no fragrance or added preservatives. For stockist information phone 1300 850 008 or visit www.margifox.com.au

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

bliss on buderim

beauty

...itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about you

september 2011

profilemagazine

mystyle

ll photography ben connolly

This month we talk to the fabulous Maria Faulder, style director and owner of Suite Three Hair and Beauty, Buderim, where we discover her love for Prada shoes, Coco Chanel fragrance and Salita Matthews’s designs.

maria faulder

profile: What do you love most about your job? maria: Where do I start? It’s a natural progression from the world of art that I grew up in. I love my craft, and my team are second-to-none. I love my clients and all the opportunities that have come my way through this industry. It brought me here, right? Most of all, creating that look, but most especially, recognising a person’s own self of style and channelling it. profile: What looks can we expect to see this season? maria: Rock the centre part this season. Grow out the fringe, and let it frame those cheekbones. To be all glam and cute, natural roots are a must. Balayage root-stretched colours, coppers and reds are to-die-for this season. Oh, and who can’t wear red? Can I give you some words? Soft, longer, dishevelled, smooth, free, loose, unkempt and urban. profile: What must-have item should we all have in our wardrobes this season? maria: The ankle boot. Or if you really want to stride out in style this season, the Louboutin ‘Simple’ pump is a must-have. profile: Who is your favourite designer? maria: That’s easy. Salita Matthews! She has an amazingly unique and eclectic style. She really knows how to dress a girl. Check out her jewellery – I am lucky enough to own one of her famous pieces. profile: How would you describe your style? maria: A real combination of European styling with a bohemian twist. I love mixing simple, classical elegance with today’s trend! profile: What is your fashion inspiration? maria: Coco Chanel, for how she revolutionised how women dress today, and mostly Valentino for his love of the female form, and for his ability to make every woman feel beautiful. But back down to reality, I love the Eumundi Markets. profile: What and where is your favourite boutique? maria: Here on the Sunshine Coast, there are many boutiques I enjoy going into. The VOS Boutique in Marcoola has to be high on my list. profile: What is your fashion fetish? maria: Have you not already guessed? How long have you got? I bought my first pair of Pradas 20 years ago and I am still in love with them today. It’s not unusual for me to pop on my Gucci for a day at Suite Three, and, you have got to love Jimmy Choo. profile: What do you always have in your handbag? maria: My iPhone 4, Elizabeth Arden eight-hour cream, Coco Chanel Mademoiselle fragrance, and, of course, my Mason Pearson bristle brush. And a couple of kirby grips – after 25 years in the hairdressing industry, I know it’s always good to be well prepared. Car keys, salon keys and my Gucci purse. It’s a big bag! profile: What is your best style tip? maria: That’s easy. A great haircut and an amazing colour. Seriously, it’s the one outfit you never take off. Try to dress for yourself. I love to keep things simple, so I’m usually in black. Experiment with your accessories as they can easily rework any outfit you might bring out from the ‘vault’. profile: What is your craziest fashion moment? maria: I think it’s fair to say that, having been a teenager growing up in England in the 1980s, there may or may not have been a little nod to Madonna.

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

september 2011

profilemagazine

advice

sun, surf and success with Wade Blackford This year, two celebrities hit the Sunshine Coast and they didn’t come for a holiday or to enjoy the sun and surf. They were here to get their locks coloured, styled and extended. We also had one of our very own Coastal hair heroes win the biggest colour award in the industry. This just goes to show that in this day and age, with blogs and social media at our fingertips, a business’s reputation can spread like wildfire and an expert in their field can get their message across a global market without being based in a major city. I was lucky enough to get a visit from So You Think You Can Dance star and recording artist Katrina Risteska, who flew in from Sydney to have her hair cut, coloured and integrated with

profilemagazine

PARKSEBEL extensions right here on the Coast. I was also in Sydney at hairdressing’s night of nights, the 2011 Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo Awards, when Sunshine Coast hair hero Matt Clements (from The Assembly Hair), won the coveted Australian Colourist Of the Year Award. In addition, model and reality TV star Vicky-Lee Valentino made her first ever trip to our region from Sydney to have her extensions integrated by Strut Hair and Beauty’s senior technician, Katya Cox.

So the next time someone tells you it can’t be done on the Sunshine Coast, remember that things which might have seemed impossible in the past are definitely achievable in today’s world. In this age of social media you can reach people on the other side of the globe with the push of a button, which puts us all on a level playing field. Strut Hair and Beauty 5443 5605 www.struthair.com.au

You no longer need to be in the big smoke to make some serious noise in the world of hair. In fact, there is no reason why you can’t make big things happen in whatever industry you’re in.

profilemag.com.au

scbwn awards feature

We meet and profile the finalists of the 2011 SCBWN Awards …

PIPPA COLMAN

PIPPA COLMAN AND ASSOCIATES

CORPORATE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST In February 1979, Pippa was the 121st woman admitted in Queensland since 1915. Now there are thousands of women lawyers in Queensland. Pippa has opened two legal practices on the Sunshine Coast; in January 1981 with Barrie Munro and in March 2001, specialising in family law and dispute resolution. Pippa was instrumental in setting up the Maroochydore Neighbourhood Centre, the Duty Solicitor service on the Sunshine Coast and, with Margaret Rimmer, the Sunshine Coast Family Contact Centre, where children are exchanged between separated parents in conflict. Pippa is passionate about family law and helping families after a separation. Pippa provides 12 free information sessions about the law each year for members of the public and monthly seminars on family law for solicitors. She regularly speaks for the Queensland Law Society. Pippa is happily married with four children and five grandchildren. She and her support team of 17 solicitors and admin personnel put their own families first; work life balance is a priority. Phone 5458 9000 www.pippacolman.com

september 2011

DENA DILLON

PIPER DIGITAL MARKETING

CORPORATE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST Dena Dillon is the founding director of Piper Digital Marketing, which is recognised as one of Australia’s leading digital marketing agencies. After graduating from Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Business (marketing), Dena worked in Brisbane, Sydney and New York. She has developed and managed digital campaigns and projects for iconic brands such as Bentley, Ferrari and Lotus, some of Australia’s largest property developers and of course local Sunshine Coat businesses. From its humble beginnings as a one-woman operation in a spare bedroom, the company now has 14 full-time employees, with offices in Australia and Asia, and a launch planned in the US later this year. She is called upon regularly to speak about digital marketing, and was selected to mentor business students at QUT. Dena is an advocate for modern management practices and also believes it is a company’s duty to give back and impact positively on people and the environment. Piper DM is a proud member of B1G1 and contributes a portion of revenue every month to various charities. Phone 5440 5148 www.piperdm.com

CATHY LEDGER INTIMO LINGERIE

CORPORATE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST Cathy Ledger is a senior director with Intimo Lingerie. She has been with the company for more than 12 years, and has developed a business with a turnover in the millions. She works in the field of personal sales, but also leads a group of more than 200 women, helping them stay focused and driven. Since launching Intimo on the Sunshine Coast, she has had amazing success, and has also built a business in Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, with consultants servicing these areas. Intimo is a company that is all about helping women achieve their personal and business goals. Cathy is a proud mother of three, and due to the flexibility of the Intimo business, she has been able to balance work and family. Her children are her pride and joy and have grown into strong, confident people with fantastic work ethics. Cathy has a passion for mentoring other women. “I believe that a truly inspired woman is a extremely powerful thing,” she says. “Women have amazing strengths, but the problem is they generally don’t know their own potential!” Phone 0403 129 756 www.intimo.com.au

profilemagazine

scbwn awards feature MICHEle PURVIS

UNIVERSAL ACCOUNTING SOLUTIONS

CORPORATE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST With almost 20 years’ experience as a Certified Practising Accountant, and a background working in large corporations in Sydney as a corporate and systems accountant, it was a natural step for Michele when she started Universal Accounting Solutions. She meets with every new client and builds a bespoke team to work with them to achieve their goals. Michele believes owning a business should be an exhilarating and rewarding experience, and as a business advisor, she feels a huge responsibility for her clients when helping guide them to achieve their business objectives. Michele understands that business can be a complicated and frustrating highway and not every business person has the same aspirations or expectations. Universal Accounting Solutions’ clients have the opportunity to see what benefits can be found, so that they can make informed decisions throughout the lives of their businesses.

KIM MCCOSKER

Rebecca Grisman

4 INGREDIENTS

CAMPAIGN GROUP

micro / small business woman of the year finalist

Rebecca Grisman is a highly-qualified media relations and marketing professional with more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist and consultant. She has managed public affairs for corporate leaders, government, universities, charities and small businesses in Australia, the UK and Ireland.

Kim McCosker is the owner of 4 Ingredients, the biggest-selling self-published cookbook in Australian publishing history. 4 Ingredients, the business, was founded by Kim and lifelong friend Rachael Bermingham in 2007. 4 Ingredients started as a cookbook that was self-published in March 2007, and its phenomenal popularity has spawned a further seven cookbooks, TV shows, DVDs, cookware ranges, smart phone apps, endorsements, international publishing and production deals, and one of the country’s fastest growing online databases.

She moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1994 to be the first marketing manager for the region’s university, and she has worked with some of the Coast’s biggest companies in property development, media and education. In 2008, Rebecca founded marketing and PR agency Campaign Group. The dynamic company has grown fast, delivering PR, community engagement, copy writing and online marketing services to clients throughout Queensland and Australia, and winning a swag of business accolades in the process.

From inception, Kim has been the managing partner, mortgaging her house to start the business. She has loved, nurtured and steered all things 4 Ingredients, while still creating content for its popular titles.

One of Michele’s clients recently said, “Our growth and more recently our evolution to a completely new business model have demanded constant change. Michele’s ability to identify our needs in advance and proactively guide us through a number of significant changes has been invaluable to us”.

Rebecca has a postgraduate degree in communications and keeps up support for students by lecturing in media and communications studies and offering internship opportunities with Campaign Group. Supporting charities is her other passion and Rebecca serves voluntarily on the boards of several charity foundations, TAFE Queensland and community groups.

In May 2010, due to its continued growth, she leased a commercial office in Caloundra and moved global headquarters there. Kim runs the business around the world with the books translated into six languages and the TV show now aired in 22 countries. It is a global business, but very much with a local focus. 4 Ingredients has built its successful brand on saving busy people around the world time and money in the kitchen.

Phone 5443 9950 www.universalaccountingsolutions.com.au

Phone 0438 797 613 www.campaigngroup.com.au

Phone 5341 8282 www.4ingredients.com.au

Caroline Hutchinson, Lisa Aitken and Kaitlyn Akers

profilemagazine

Chelsea Hunter and Michelle Hamer

Carolyn Thompson, Shelley Barber and Gayle McGinn

profilemag.com.au

scbwn awards feature NICOLE SYLVESTER

SHELLY BARBER

FIONA WINTER

NICOLE SYLVESTER CONSULTING

EAST COAST FREIGHT DISTRIBUTION

fiona winter realty

MICRO / SMALL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

MICRO / SMALL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

Nicole Sylvester is the owner and director of Nicole Sylvester Consulting. Her success in business and team development is grounded in more than 15 years of management, communication training, team building and leadership.

After growing up in Caloundra many years ago, Fiona Winter considers herself a Sunshine Coast local. At 16 years old, Fiona moved out west with her parents who started their own business, and after living there for four years, Fiona married a local farmer and moved to Victoria. After 19 years in Victoria running her own farming business, she returned to her beloved Sunshine Coast nearly seven years ago, and settled in Doonan.

She has worked to achieve success in the private sector and attained corporate accolades with international companies such as L’Oréal and Goldwell Cosmetics.

In 2009, Fiona started a small, boutique real estate agency, Fiona Winter Realty, with a passion for service. Fiona Winter Realty has grown into a thriving success as the result of Fiona’s in-depth knowledge of the real estate industry, coupled with her unique compassion and understanding of people and what drives them to invest in their biggest asset and take on their greatest debt. Fiona’s one-on-one support for her clients and buyers has led to a highly-regarded reputation in the field, and many of Fiona’s clients are the result of repeat and referral business.

For the past 10 years, Nicole has been a business consultant to entrepreneurs and small businesses and has delivered change management and cultural change programs within corporate settings. Nicole dedicates time, knowledge, ideas and energy pro bono into giving back and training women to be better in business. This has been fundamental for the growth and culture of Nicole Sylvester Consulting and the long-term success of her business on the Sunshine Coast. Her passion and drive is to bring out the very best in individuals and teams.

Gaining a wealth of experience in real estate with major national agencies, Fiona now provides a unique personal service when selling property in the Noosa region.

Phone 1300 772 008 www.nicolesylvesterconsulting.com.au

Phone 5335 8666 www.fionawinterrealty.com.au

Shelly Barber is the manager of East Coast Freight Distribution (ECFD), a prominent local business that has serviced Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast for more than 20 years, ECFD is a family-owned transport company specialising in delivering parcels, pallets, steel and timber, catering to many industry sectors, primarily business to business. Over the past four years Shelly has improved ECFD’s profitability from five to 16 per cent and has transformed the company culture and brand. Specialising in small business and transport, Shelly has been the driving force behind ECFD becoming a leader in its field and a widely recognised and respected brand. The recently launched new brand TrickyFreight is a business designed to save customers from the torture of trying to get freight around Australia. TrickyFreight takes care of all the details by making good use of Shelly’s extensive list of contacts and experience, along with the expert assistance of her equally impressive team. Shelly’s burning desire is to make everything she has learned available to small business owners around Australia, so they too may benefit from her years of experience and knowledge. Web courses and interactive trainings will begin early next year. www.ecfd.com.au www.trickyfreight.com.au

» » » »

www.theeventscentre.com.au september 2011

profilemagazine

scbwn awards feature LEIGH CLAY

KEVIN P SCAMBLER AND ASSOCIATES

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

BROOKE NEYLAN KAWANA SHOPPINGWORLD

Brooke Neylan is the marketing manager of Kawana Shoppingworld. She has been with the company since the age of 16, and has worked her way up through the ranks to the position she now holds.

KPSA is not a big practice but it is a personalised practice. The principal, Kevin, established the practice in 1997 and writes articles for a variety of property magazines as well as speaking on investment property tax issues within various groups.

Kawana Shoppingworld is a successful sub-regional shopping centre anchored by Big W, Coles and Woolworths. Brooke’s role at the centre is to provide a positive return on investment for retailers and investors through strategic marketing.

KPSA gives advice on structuring, asset protection, taxation and property issues. The team keeps tax simple and sits down with clients to explain tax returns in a simple format rather than sending out returns in the mail.

Kawana Shoppingworld has featured in the top 10 in the local Shopping Centre News Little Guns rankings for the past three years based on centre performance. This ranking includes shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand between 20,000 and 45,000 square metres.

Phone 5452 7205 www.kpsa.com.au

NEXT PROPERTY GROUP

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

Leigh Clay has been working at Kevin P. Scambler and Associates, Accountants and Tax Agents (KPSA) for more than 10 years and there are not too many people these days who can lay claim to that statement.

Incorporated into the office is Pinnacle 1 Services, which offers financial planning, insurance and loan services. Clients find that having all these services under the one roof certainly makes life a lot easier as their accountant can liaise with the financial planner or loan broker with ease to make it all happen quickly and seamlessly. Pinnacle 1 Services can look after superannuation, wealth creation, insurance and any financing needs, ranging from house to equipment finance.

REBECCA NOLAN

During her time at Kawana, Brooke has received a number of national and international marketing awards. Brooke is soon to be married, and looks forward to starting a family. Phone 5444 1944 www.mirvac.com.au

Rebecca’s real estate career began when local industry identity Loren Wimhurst identified her amazing potential and offered her a position in Loren’s real estate business. Since being offered the chance to work for Next Property Group, Rebecca has become one of the most soughtafter agents on the Coast, having successfully marketed and sold $52 million worth of property since July 2009. And the demand for her skills continues to skyrocket. Rebecca attributes her remarkable track record to her passion for helping people move to the next chapter in their lives. Heavily reliant on drive, outstanding communication skills, the ability to read people and a perpetually positive outlook is what sets Rebecca apart from other agents in her field. Having endured a troublesome upbringing, Rebecca has moved onto a new chapter in her own life, one full of positivity and success. “There is no point looking backwards or feeling sorry about your life,” she says. “Yes, you will have challenges, but you can feel amazing every day – it’s your choice.” Rebecca now focuses on being a stable and thriving role model for her daughter, Ashlee, while offering all the unconditional love and support Ashlee will need to create her own success story. Phone 0404 866 358 www.nextpropertygroup.com.au

Benny Pike, Advanced Sports

Julie Jacobson, Ken Waddington and Jacqueline Wilson-Smith

profilemagazine

Kerry Barlow, Chelsea Hunter and Michele Dougherty

profilemag.com.au

expert, effective legal advice

DSA GW8768

5443 4866 Email: advice@gwlaw.com.au Cnr The Esplanade & Second Ave, Maroochydore 4558

w w w. g a r l a n d wa d d i n g t o n . c o m . a u september 2011

profilemagazine

scbwn awards feature ELIZABETH TERRENS THE SEBEL MAROOCHYDORE

professional business woman of the year finalist

JACQUELINE WILSON-SMITH

LIN CORBETT

GOURMET GARDEN

SUNSHINE COAST NETBALL ASSOCIATION

professional business woman of the year finalist

Elizabeth Terrens is the general manager of The Sebel Maroochydore, a 4.5-star apartmentstyle hotel, consisting of 104 apartments with mixed-use residential and holiday letting and a function room that accommodates 100 delegates.

Jacqui Wilson-Smith is the head of global marketing for Gourmet Garden, the innovative, fresh herbs company. Based in Palmwoods, Gourmet Garden employs more than 140 staff and is sold in more than 10,000 stores worldwide.

She has been managing hotels for 13 years and has worked in the hospitality industry for 17 years. Apart from achieving success in her career, particularly at an early age, her greatest achievements are her two young sons, Thomas, aged six, and Daniel, four. They keep Elizabeth grounded and focused on what is important in life.

This year, Jacqui and the team at Gourmet Garden are celebrating the news that Australian household penetration for the brand increased by an impressive 9.6 per cent*. A driver of this growth has been an integrated sales and marketing program aimed to help busy cooks easily transform their everyday meals with flavoursome herbs. A critical success factor was a marketing partnership with local 4 Ingredients cookbook authors.

The support of her husband, Lindsay, also allows Elizabeth to pursue her career. As a stay-at-home dad he gives her the best of both worlds (being a mother and working full-time). In her spare time, Elizabeth is a committee member on the Professional Development Committee, vice-president of Skal Sunshine Coast and volunteers at The Maroochy Roos AFL club. She is thankful every day for her family, friends, career and Sunshine Coast lifestyle. Phone 5479 8001 www.mirvac.com

Julie Jacobson and Yvette Adams

profilemagazine

Jacqui believes an essential ingredient for business success is having a fantastic team of people with can-do attitudes and excellent collaboration skills with stakeholders, customers and consumers. She is passionate about food and drinks marketing, having worked with an array of both Australian and international food and drinks companies since 1995. These include Buderim Ginger, Cooroy Mountain Spring Water, Wimmers soft drinks, Nutworks macadamias, Hardys wines, Kraft Foods and Starbucks. *Source: Aztec Synovate June 2011 vs YA.

Phone 5453 2544 www.gourmetgarden.com

Chelsea Hunter and Alana Boyd

SPORTS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST Lin is the administrator of non-profit sporting group, The Sunshine Coast Netball Association. She has been involved in netball for three decades, as a player, coach and volunteer committee member. Lin was a steering committee member of the Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex. She is a founding and current member of the complex’s advisory board. The complex was a first for the shire and is now a recommended model throughout the state. Lin has been the host convenor of three successful Netball Queensland state events. The SCNA will host the Netball Qld 2012 State Age Championships over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, which attracts approximately 2000 competitors and team officials, along with many spectators who flock to the three-day sporting event. Her accolades include SCNA life membership, an Australian Sports Medal for services to sport, a Merit Award – Netball Queensland, and 2008 finalist for Queensland Sport Awards. For Lin, it is a privilege to be involved in the local sporting community, supporting both adults and children to benefit from their chosen sport, and establishing a healthy lifestyle with the added advantages of fun, fitness and friendship. Phone 5451 0416 www.sunshinecoastnetball.asn.au

Linda Ireland, Sharney Kieser and Brendan Bathersby

profilemag.com.au

scbwn awards feature JEN FORSTER GOAL POWER

SPORTS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST You don’t have to be in the same room as Jen Forster, creator of Goal Power Training, for long before you’re affected by her passion and enthusiasm. A woman who believes anything is possible, she offers no tricks or gimmicks, just the infectious power behind her conviction that by “borrowing a bit of our belief”, until you have enough of your own, the sky is not even the limit, even if you have been glued to a couch for 10 years. “At Goal Power, women are reunited with the power to say ‘yes I can’ and not ‘no I can’t’, particularly when it comes to the agony of dieting by deprivation or a ‘bucket-list goal’ that has ended up on the ‘it’s too late’ pile,” says Jen. Goal Power’s well-known outdoor group training programs at Mudjimba and Lake Kawana, its personalised programs, group workshops, specialty beginner triathlon and running programs are all designed for women. Jen offers support, encouragement, a sense of belonging, friendship and most of all hope to women of all ages and fitness levels. “You don’t have to ‘be fit’ to ‘get fit’ with Goal Power Training,” says Jen. Just ask any Goal Power girl. Phone 0403 236 783 www.goalpower.com.au

september 2011

g1 property

STRUT BEAUTY

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST Jennifer Gasparin, owner of Strut Beauty in Maroochydore, has worked in the hair and beauty industry since 2002 and is a beauty therapist and nail technician specialising as a brow sculptor. She began her love of the aesthetic industry in a hairdressing career in Stanthorpe, her home town. She later trained at the Australian College of Natural Medicine and Natural Beauty to become a beauty therapist. Her interests in the chemistry of cosmetics led to an exciting role as an international trainer and technical consultant for a well-known cosmetics manufacturer. In this role she represented the company nationally and also internationally in numerous countries. Jennifer’s business works in unison with renowned Coast salon Strut Hair, and provides beauty services including eyebrow sculpting, eyelash extensions, facials, massage, nail treatments, spray tanning, waxing and makeup. Her extensive knowledge and experience are evident in the confidence and drive she has in her business. She believes achieving a work-life balance is crucial for a successful business and this means making it a priority to spend time with her partner, Luke, her big beautiful family and friends. Her passion, knowledge and enthusiasm for her trade are truly evident. Phone 5443 5605 www.struthair.com.au

Tsu Shan Chambers, Kim McCosker and Fiona Winter

TINA GREY

JENNIFER GASPARIN

Natalie Tink and Kaitlyn Akers

Tina Grey is G1 Property’s general manager, and manages all aspects of the business, including sales, permanent and holiday rentals and commercial property. G1 Property is a boutique real estate firm specialising in prestigious Sunshine Coast property investments. Entering the real estate industry straight out of college, Tina joined a large real estate company as a sales secretary. Since then she has leased, managed, marketed and sold some of the most prestigious property and projects in South-East Queensland. She is proud to have worked in all facets of real estate, from world-renowned developments to smaller buildings and gained an exceptional knowledge of the industry and all that it encompasses. Tina has 16 years of real estate and related industry knowledge, and has had the opportunity to work in many varied and challenging roles, none more so than her current position where she calls on her full wealth of experience every day. Her industry success comes from Tina’s deep desire to deliver outstanding customer service, ensuring a high percentage of referrals and repeat business from her ever-growing list of clients. Phone 5478 0000 www.g1property.com.au

Michalle Faulkner and Dena Dillon

profilemagazine

scbwn awards feature JULIE Jacobson HOLMANS

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST As a senior accountant and manager at Holmans, Julie is a valued member of a team that provides accounting, taxation, business advisory, financial planning and risk insurance services to assist clients grow, manage and enjoy their wealth. Julie’s role also involves being an integral part of the leadership team, which develops staff and determines the direction and growth of one of the largest accounting and financial planning firms on the Sunshine Coast. She is dedicated to providing a high level of client care and service and brings 10 years of experience in public practice accounting and small business management to her role. Understanding the realities of her clients’ businesses, taking a proactive approach and building strong relationships are key elements of her success in business. In her personal life, Julie is an enthusiastic home cook for her extended family and an avid international traveller. She is also undertaking and excelling in further studies to obtain a certified practicing accountant (CPA) qualification. Phone 5430 7600 www.holmans.com.au

NATALIE TINK

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

Natalie Tink is co-owner and managing director of Coast to Coast Media, beginning her career there as an ambitious 17-year-old in the sales and marketing division. Immediately establishing herself as an essential ingredient for the future growth of the publication, Natalie was offered a quarter share partnership at the age 21.

Peta joined Schultz Toomey O’Brien Lawyers in 2003, practising in the areas of commercial litigation and personal injury litigation. In the eight years Peta has worked with the firm she has progressed from a trainee lawyer, under the guidance of Travis Schultz, to becoming a senior associate.

Only one year later she became a 50 per cent owner, which set her future path into the world of business. The acquisition gave Natalie the freedom to make the changes she felt were necessary, and expand the business into what it is today.

She believes giving back to her local community is important. For this reason, in 2005 she became a volunteer lawyer at Suncoast Community Legal Service to provide free legal advice to those in need on the Sunshine Coast. She also plays an active part on the committee of this organisation as vice-president.

Coast to Coast Media publishes two magazines, Coast to Coast Property Advertiser and Coast to Coast Business Advertiser. The magazines are a standalone concept offering private sellers, brokers and agents alike the means to advertise in a high-quality magazine that is on sale in newsagencies in every state and territory in Australia.

In 2008, Peta joined the committee of the Sunshine Coast Law Association and since then has taken on the role of treasurer. She was recently elected as president for the 2011-2012 year. Peta is also a long-serving committee member of the Maroochy Chamber of Commerce.

Natalie has achieved great success in business as a result of her ambition to succeed and by finding the right work-life balance. At 29, she is also a devoted wife and mother and she believes her achievements in business are a direct reflection of the happiness her family brings to her life.

Peta was born and raised on the Sunshine Coast and considers herself a true local. She is passionate about the Coast and loves the fact she can enjoy the relaxed lifestyle the Sunshine Coast has to offer but also pursue a rewarding career as a lawyer.

Phone 1300 793 792 www.coasttocoastmagazine.com.au

Phone 5413 8953 www.stolaw.com.au

For the finalists, the awards ceremony marked the end of a long and gruelling competition, and all did extremely well for getting so far. The process began in April with a call for nominations from the Sunshine Coast business community and the public. Once the nominations were received, each nominee was requested to answer a number of

profilemagazine

SCHULTZ TOOMEY O’BRIEN LAYWERS

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

The 2011 Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network Awards took place in August, and what a night of celebration it was. The most talented Sunshine Coast women donned their best frocks and stepped out to be recognised at The Events Centre, Caloundra, in what proved to be a memorable evening.

PETA YUJNOVICH

COAST TO COAST MEDIA

questions in a detailed submission, which was then reviewed by a judging panel. The finalists in each section were selected in this way. Finalists then underwent a further face-to-face interview with a judging panel, and were scored on both written submission and interview, where a final winner was selected. The woman who scored highest from all categories was named Outstanding Business Woman of the Year. Want to know who the winners are? Visit www.profilemag.com.au

profilemag.com.au

scbwn awards feature LAST year’s SCBWN Business Woman of the Year Award WINNERS WERE:

LINDY ATKIN BARK DESIGN OUTSTANDING BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Linda Ireland Mortgage Choice / Insight Processing Young Business Woman of the Year

“Being a small business owner can be a lonely profession, but having the amazing women of the SCBWN behind you, opens up endless opportunities for advice, friendship and mentoring. By being a member, I have felt more part of my business community and winning Small Business Woman of the Year was a surprising added bonus.” Sarah-Pye

september 2011

Rayleene Elston NAB Professional Business Woman of the Year

Lisa Aitkin Aitkin Legal Corporate Business Woman of the Year

Sarah Pye Kid’s Welcome Micro / Small Business Woman of the Year

profilemagazine

life

a ‘wee’ problem with Dr James Moir Urinary incontinence is something one in three women will experience. It can be embarrassing, but the good news is that those who suffer aren’t alone and there are treatments available. There are several types of urinary incontinence, each with different causes and treatments. Stress incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine that occurs during an increase in abdominal pressure, and is most likely to happen when you sneeze, laugh, cough, jog, jump or lift heavy items. Urge incontinence is when you have a strong sensation to pass urine, while mixed incontinence is a combination of both. Overflow incontinence is when your bladder does not empty normally. It then becomes overfull and leaks. There are several factors that increase the risk of developing or worsening urinary incontinence, including having a baby, smoking, caffeine,

constipation, heavy lifting or chronic coughing, age, and some conditions such as diabetes and obesity. There are several ways to treat urinary incontinence. Many women find pelvic floor exercises excellent. This involves learning how to contract your pelvic floor muscles correctly, which strengthens them over time. Another treatment used to improve urge incontinence is bladder training. In conjunction with a continence therapist, you will learn to control your bladder, reducing the frequency of urination and the urgency to do so. Your GP or gynaecologist may suggest electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor, which strengthens these muscles by using gentle electrical stimulation. Antispasmodic medications that relax the bladder muscle can reduce urge incontinence, and some antidepressants may also work.

Unlock Your Creative Genius Living in a left brain dominant society, most people do not believe they have any creative ability. We are in an era where we not only need to be creative to survive; we also need to use our whole brain. Right Brain Genius is designed to stimulate the right side of your brain so the left side can finally take a break.

The final options for treatment are surgical. There are many operations which can be carried out to treat urinary incontinence. In general, these procedures aim to lift and support the mid or upper urethra, placing a tape or ‘sling’ which keeps the urethra closed when coughing or sneezing. They can be very effective, but every operation comes with risks. If you suffer from urinary incontinence don’t be embarrassed and don’t feel you have to put up with it. Head straight to your doctor who will find an appropriate treatment. Moir Medical 5444 0799 www.moirmedical.com.au

sabra creative

photography

Once the left side realises it doesn’t have to always be in control, it can work in harmony with the right. The benefits of using both sides of your brain are: Stress relief, better sleep, able to make more creative business decisions, reduce your golf handicap and so much more!

Creative Alison Lesson 1 & Lesson 5 Comparisons

Genius Meet Helen Joy at the Women’s Lifestyle Expo on September 9th & 10th 4 Day Course 19th to 22nd Sept 1:30 to 2:30pm 1 Day Course 23rd Sept 9am to 5pm Kawana Centre - Open to ages 9-90

Bookings are essential 0408 249 545 www.rightbraingenius.com

profilemagazine

Right Brain Genius profilemag.com.au

Find out the seven biggest mistakes you could be making to cause permanent depression, anxiety or ADHD. Are you not as happy as you used to be? Is stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, or ADHD overwhelming you? Are anti-depressants not working for you? Do you find yourself irritated, not able to feel excited, or constantly thinking negatively? Do you have trouble sleeping, or your mind won’t stop racing, or do you wake too often through the night? Do you get anxiety at bedtime causing you to hear your heart beating while your head is on the pillow? We had an incredible response from all who were logged on for the webinar we ran about one of our favourite topics – solving the puzzle that creates anxiety, depression and ADHD. When you put it all together, it makes sense. There are seven key underlying triggers which can cause all of these symptoms including anxiety, nervousness, depression, or lack of excitement and motivation for life. Stress feels overwhelming, and little upsets cause feelings

of anger. Palpitations, excessive heat in the body, tingling in the hands or feet, irritable bowel syndrome, foggy brain and lack of concentration including ADHD in children, can also be present. Often these symptoms have been going on for months, years or even decades. You may suffer just a few of the above symptoms or perhaps all of them.

consultation, or view the webinar on our website. A webinar is simply a seminar that you can see on the internet. You just register through the website and it will play on your computer. It’s easy and it’s free. Register now for Seven Steps to Freedom from Anxiety, Depression and ADHD at www. advancedwellness.com.au or contact the clinic to find out when the next webinar will be run live.

The seven key common triggers that affect your brain cause a compounding effect your brain cannot deal with, which leads to long-term, and then permanent, brainwave pattern changes. These changes affect your personality, mood, and ability to think and cope, forever.

“Awesome, awesome, awesome. This webinar is a must for everyone who cares about their overall health.” JM, Buderim

Fortunately it can be quite easy to address. Patients who have suffered depression for four decades have reported to have improved out of sight after one month and other patients have shown improvement after just one week of treatment, including sufferers of major depressive disorders, and children with ADHD, who have then been able to reduce their medication in less than seven weeks. These results are also permanent and medication-free.

“I thought the webinar was fantastic. I now have a fuller understanding of my health.” LC, Buderim

Proven with testing, these steps enhance brain function immeasurably without the help of medication in adults and children. To find out more, call the centre and arrange a free half-hour

“What an informative webinar. Brilliant.” LD, Chermside

www.advancedwellness.com.au Jodi Chapman BHSc. Naturopath Advanced Wellness and Behavioural Centre 07 5443 1987 44 Baden Powell St, Maroochydore QLD 4558

MAGGIE WILDE BUSINESS PROMOTION

Easy & Permanent Weight Loss with … Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis The latest weight reduction technique taking Europe by storm is Virtual Gastric Band (VGB) Hypnosis. Recent trials in the United Kingdom revealed 95 per cent success rates in helping people lose weight safely and without costly, dangerous surgery. Leading Sunshine Coast Hypnotherapist, Maggie Wilde, has launched the program here with results already confirming UK success rates.

Take control of your weight, shape and size at last!

•• Binge Eating •• Emotional or Stress Eating •• Comfort or Boredom Eating •• Food Cravings chocoholics)

Addictions

(even

•• Motivation to Exercise •• Self Confidence/Self Belief

“Put yourself back in control. When people begin to reduce weight and keep it off, it tends to have an enormous positive impact on their overall confidence and health not just their size.” Maggie Wilde explains.

•• Stress Reduction

Individual and group programs available

95% success rates confirmed on the Sunshine Coast

•• Food Choices & Portion Size

“Rather than costly and dangerous surgery” Maggie Wilde states, “we use the power of suggestion in hypnosis to train the mind and body to accept and feel completely satisfied with far less food.”

“In Australia we integrate multiple disciplines to further enhance success rates, our program includes specialised VGB Hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming and Meridian Techniques to provide successful outcomes for those wishing to reduce weight permanently,” Maggie Wilde adds.

Maggie has helped thousands of clients reduce weight, stop unwanted habits and let go of emotional and fear-based issues. She is passionate about empowering people to create the life they’d love.

This is of course the same principle behind the actual surgical procedure, but VGB Hypnosis carries no dangerous risks, no recovery period and no ongoing medical treatment. The program helps address issues such as: •• Unhelpful Eating Habits •• Overeating

september 2011

The only thing to give up is yo-yo dieting

The choice of programs includes four, six and eight week schedules (depending upon individual needs) with follow up monthly support groups providing ongoing hypnosis to reinforce success.

To find out if you are eligible for the Virtual Gastric Band Program or to discuss your needs confidentially contact:

Phone 1300 664 544 Mobile 0405 138 567 maggie@maggiewilde.com 8 Pikki Street, Maroochydore www.maggiewilde.com Weight Loss World

profilemagazine

life

anti-ageing from within with Dr Alison Jamieson Ageing of the skin means the skin’s texture and appearance deteriorate. Ageing is characterised by sagging jowls, thinning of the skin, puffiness, age spots and wrinkling. Sun exposure worsens the process and this means vertical and horizontal facial and body wrinkles get worse with time. Most people of both genders choose to age gracefully. However, in the era of anti-ageing medicine, there is the tendency is to try to turn back the clock and undergo some form of rejuvenation to reduce facial wrinkles, lines and blemishes. Today, non-invasive treatments are available with minimal down time and good results. Although a quick fix is not possible for severe wrinkles, there are newer treatments available to slow down the ageing aspects that affect the face, neck, décolletage and the back of the hands. A new approach, appealing to clients seeking a more natural method to facial rejuvenation, is regeneration with your own cells and, more specifically, autologous platelet-rich plasma

(PRP), which is a safe and tolerable procedure. PRP has been used in aesthetic medicine (in Asia and Europe) to rejuvenate and slow down the ageing process. Recently, PRP has been pioneered for facial rejuvenation or anti-ageing by biological stimulation of resident stem cells by growth factors. Science supports the uses of PRP, which is the source of concentrated platelet content present in blood. Apart from assisting with blood clotting, platelets also release growth factors that assist the human body to repair itself by stimulating cells to regenerate new tissue. Today, platelet-rich plasma can be easily separated from blood. Using your enriched plasma permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently. So, regenerative medicine is the production and injection of autologous plateletrich plasma.

They also act as biological glue for tissue adhesion especially in skin flaps, bone grafts and trauma. These are vital steps in collagen regeneration and wound healing. Which areas can be treated? •• Around the eyes; •• Cheeks, mid face and jaw line; •• Thinning skin on the neck; •• Back of hands and chest / décolletage; •• Other body areas such as knees, elbows, upper arms and post-baby tummy. COZmedics Medispas – Noosa, Maroochydore, Ascot, Kenmore 1300 792 299 www.cozmedics.com.au

Platelets have many functions. They contain important growth factors that, when secreted, are responsible for tissue regeneration and rejuvenation, and increasing collagen production.

BEFORE

cel

lenc

e in permanent cosme

tics

AFTER

SPECIAL TRIAL OFFER

Three sessions for only $198* *Limit one per person

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

life

keep trying for IVF success with Denise Donati

Researchers from the University of Western Australia have published a study suggesting IVF effectiveness could be improved by undergoing more cycles.

study suggest IVF has the potential to be more effective if women, especially those over 35, are able to undertake more than the usual two to three cycles”.

The effectiveness of IVF treatment was assessed by retrospective analysis of IVF success rates in Western Australia. It was found that between 1993 and 2002, IVF was 47 per cent effective overall in women who received an average of three IVF cycles.

An additional observation made in this report was that a significant number of women went on to have IVF treatment-independent births after they stopped IVF treatment. Specifically, 21 per cent of women in their 20’s and 11 per cent of women in their early 40’s.

It was more effective in younger women, with 58 per cent of women in their 20’s having success, compared with 22 per cent of 40 to 44-year-olds.

Fertility expert Dr Mitchell Rosen of the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health, “It is pretty obvious that the number of cycles that you do adds to the likelihood of success, but it gets smaller every time. At some point the psychological side-effects and the cost become prohibitive”.

The group noted that the cumulative probability of IVF success increased with each successive cycle for at least the first five cycles. Lead author Louise Stewart, researcher at the School of Population Health, stated, “The results of this

If you would like a copy of the study from Fertility and Sterility, email denise@fssc.com.au with your request. Adapted from an article in BioNews 598 by Leo Perfect. The study was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Fertility Solutions 1300 FERTILITY (337 845) www.fssc.com.au

NoosaCare Inc.

NoosaCare Inc Carramar • Kabara

Aged Care incorporating Carramar, Tewantin and Kabara, Cooroy

Care Quality & Service to our Resident Community

• Ageing in Place • Permanent and Respite Accommodation • Extra Services Available

september 2011

Carramar, Tewantin

186 Cooroy Noosa Rd, Tewantin Qld 4565 Ph. (07) 5449 8799 Fax. (07) 5449 0195 Email. carramar6@bigpond.com.au

Kabara, Cooroy

20 Topaz St, Cooroy Qld 4563 Ph. (07) 5447 7355 Fax. (07)5442 5199 Email. kabarahostel@bigpond.com.au

profilemagazine

life

tired of waking up tired? with Dr Simone Ricketts Did you know that two out of 10 Australian adults will snore at some time during their lives? Usually snoring causes no significant medical issue, however, for some people, snoring may point to a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). OSA is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders in adults, occurring in both men and women. It can be harmful to health and may ultimately lead to life-threatening conditions such as stroke, heart disease and higher blood pressure. People who have OSA almost always snore very loudly and often have other signs and symptoms. These may include tiredness on waking, morning headache, memory deterioration, choking or gasping during sleep, dry throat on waking, poor concentration, lack of motivation and excessive daytime sleepiness.

of the throat collapse, leading to a blockage of the airways. Breathing may stop for anywhere between 10 seconds to two minutes, causing the sufferer to wake, gasp for breath, then fall asleep again. This condition occurs in men and women snorers, and it is often the partner who is the first to notice that when the snoring stops, the breathing has also stopped. This fragmented sleep pattern will obviously result in the person waking up tired. Correct diagnosis of the cause of sleep apnoea is essential. This assessment may involve a team of medical and dental specialists. Furthermore you may need to attend a sleep clinic where your sleep patterns will be monitored overnight.

Other people may need to use a nasal CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine at night. This involves wearing a mask over the nose at night that delivers air under pressure via a quiet pump. This gently forces the airways open during sleep and is generally used for patients with moderate to severe sleep apnoea. Healthy lifestyle changes are also helpful. These may include losing excess weight, quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol at night. If you are constantly waking up tired or suspect you are snoring, help is readily available. Smile by Design 5443 2888 www.smilebydesign.net.au

A Treatment New Early Warning will depend on the severity System of your

sleep apnoea, but may involve wearing a oral dental appliance during sleep, Wecustomised welcome you at Revival Clinic Peregian In addition, people with sleep apnoea will which works by bringing the jaw forward, lifting to palate takeoradvantage offorward. the most sophisticated repeatedly stop breathing during their sleep.Beach up the soft holding the tongue OSA occurs when the soft tissues at the back

early warning system available for preventative breast health. Thermal Imaging (DITI) non-invasively detects changes in physiology long before they become a serious problem. Your scans are taken by female technicians and interpreted by highly trained Medical Doctors. Early screening can save your life. Please call or visit www.revival.net.au for further info and case studies.

Phone: 5471 2288 Oasis Arcade, Peregian Beach

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

life

how to stop smelly feet with Tyson Franklin There’s nothing worse than sweaty, smelly feet, but after being a podiatrist for more than 20 years, I’m pretty much immune to the smell. Unfortunately, other people are not, and it can be quite offensive. However, there is an answer to this problem, which can be controlled. It is important to understand that the production of sweat is a normal process designed as a cooling mechanism. The problem is the oversupply of sweat, which when trapped within footwear will begin to smell, due to bacteria feeding on the sweat and basically taking a ‘dump’ in your shoes. I know it sounds pretty gross, but they’re the facts. There are a few simple methods to reduce the amount of sweat produced by your feet: •• Regularly change and rotate your footwear and allow a day between wears. This will give your footwear time to dry out.

•• Air your feet out when at home. •• If you experience excessive sweating, change your socks midway through the day. This may not always be practical, but if you can, it will help. It is important to understand that sweat glands open and close depending on the temperature, but some people will find their sweat glands stay open longer, even when the temperature had cooled. Therefore, to get the sweat glands working correctly again, here are a couple of things to try at home, which may help.

september 2011

If you try the above and still find your feet sweat excessively, it’s time to start using some sort of foot spray, which will reduce perspiration and eliminate odour. At Proarch we recommend Pedi-Care Plus, which retails for $12.50. Proarch Podiatry 1300 776 272 www.proarch.com.au

•• Simple hot and cold foot baths. Start by placing your foot in a warm bucket of water for 30 seconds, then straight into a cold bucket of water for 30 seconds. Repeat this three or four times. Basically it is re-training the sweat glands to open and close based on

• •

temperature. •• Wipe your feet down with methylated spirits. This will help shrink the sweat glands, thereby reducing the amount of sweat produced.

profilemagazine

travelfile

melbourne ... a city of

Melbourne … it is a city of contrasts, from grungy alleyways to modern skyscrapers. It is a city thats exterior belies its mecca of culture, food, entertainment and, of course, shopping. Genine Howard takes a weekend break and discovers there is more to Melbourne than meets the eye.

A trip to Melbourne simply must include the big ticket items; a trip to the zoo, the casino, the art gallery, shopping down the Bourke Street Mall and a tram ride. On my recent trip to Melbourne I did none of the above. Instead I decided to scour the streets and head to places I had yet not seen, not yet experienced, to find the real Melbourne – the good, the bad and the ugly. We chose to stay at the top end of town, on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Street at the newly refurbished Marriott Hotel. This hotel is one of the original five star establishments in Melbourne, and I would have to say with its $10 million refurbishment it is still well and truly up there. With classic New York styling throughout, understated colour schemes and cool ambience, this hotel is perfect not only for business travel, but for a sophisticated girls’ weekend away or a romantic interlude. For the purpose of this trip, I chose the romantic interlude option … with husband in tow, clearly. Keen to do things in style, we opted for the top-of-the-range executive suite. This suite is fit for any global traveller or businessman, and we had to admit we felt uber sophisticated on our executive floor that even includes an exclusive lounge for guests. The executive suites are worth the few extra bucks as they are spacious and functional, even for a mobile office like mine … running two magazines, writing on the go and proofing on and off all weekend. Even though the room has paid WiFi, as a Marriott member, internet is completely free. With a king size bed (of course), iPod docking station and revamped modern bathroom, the Marriott certainly provided everything we needed. Staying in the executive level gives you access to the private executive lounge (accessed only by your room key) and boy, were we quietly impressed. The

executive lounge boasts business facilities, daily papers and internet along with a relaxing lounge area and TV and dining areas. But the cream on top were the complimentary food and drinks. Yes, free, anything you want kind of free! Having sated our appetites, it was time to hit the city and explore. No visit to Melbourne is complete without heading into Chinatown which extends along Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Spring Streets. Instead of heading to the tried and trusted restaurants, we played pot luck and popped into the first restaurant found to try out their dim sum. Next we checked out the shopping … the back street kind. We scoured the alleyways between La Trobe at the top and Flinders Street at the bottom and discovered a whole other side of Melbourne. By bypassing the main shopping strips of Bourke Street Mall and the Myer Centre, we found a plethora of intimate boutiques, from high end to bargain basement. For cutting edge local designers, the best strips were Flinders Lane and Centre Place, while the Block and Royal Arcades, both built in the mid to late 1800s, provided a magical step back in time with boutiques, specialty stores and the iconic Haigh’s Chocolate shop in The Block Arcade. On our alleyway self-guided discovery tour, we also found the best selection of cafes and restaurants. One of the best little eating strips is Degraves Street, between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane (similarly is Centre Place). Another of my favourite sections is the web of alleyways that weave from Flinders Street, near Federation Square. This iconic gaggle of Melbourne laneways is dedicated to urban art, and the walls are covered in graffiti. Now this is not the kind you find on the train station wall. Think pure artworks using bright colours and showcasing brilliant talent. See if you can find Hosier Lane, Rutledge Lane, Caledonian Croft Alley and ACDC Lane (and yes, it was named after the legendary Aussie rock band). So there you have it. From the top of town to the bottom, Melbourne is certainly a city of contrasts. With its five-star hotels, grungy graffiti-lined alleyways and hole-in-the-wall cafes, it is a city steeped in history, culture, food, shopping and damn good coffee. Melbourne Marriott Hotel

ll words genine howard

Corner Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, Melbourne phone 03 9662 3900 www.marriott.com.au Property details

profilemagazine

••

10 floors, 167 rooms, 19 suites

••

6 meeting rooms, 432 sqm of total meeting space

••

1 concierge level

••

executive lounge available only for executive room stays. profilemag.com.au

Verona ... with Sonia Baldissera

the verona arena

I don’t know about you, but I can’t hear the word ‘Verona’ without thinking of Two Gentlemen of Verona, a not particularly well-known Shakespeare play. Of course, Verona was also the setting of his better known play, Romeo and Juliet. This city of more than a quarter of a million souls has a long and bloody history. Its residents are proud that on an Easter Monday more than two hundred years ago, they drove out the French occupiers. The German writer Goethe and the French writers Stendhal and Valery included Verona in their travel diaries. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar spent a lot of time here, and probably enjoyed many of the sites. Verona has quite a collection of vestiges from its Roman days. We’ll start with its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest in Italy. This structure is approximately 400 feet (140 meters) long and 350 feet (110 meters) wide, giving it a seating capacity of about 25,000 spectators in 44 tiers of marble seats. While only fragments of the outer walls remain, its fine interior is virtually intact. This edifice often hosts fairs, theatre, opera and other public events, especially during summer. The Italian Piazza is a meeting place. Verona has some special examples such as the Piazza delle Erbe (Herb Square), which has been around since the days of the Romans. It was once a fruit and vegetable market but is now geared to tourists. It still maintains its medieval look and some of the produce stalls. The Piazza dei Signori (Gentlemens’ Square) is Verona’s centre of activities, as it has been for centuries. We couldn’t leave Verona without visiting those star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The Twelfth Century Casi di Giulietta (Juliet’s House) long belonged to the Dal Cappello family and it’s not a long way from Cappello to Capulet. This lovely house even boasts a courtyard balcony. Yes, the house at Via Cappello 23 probably isn’t the real thing, but crowds come to gaze, dream and even propose marriag anyway. Speaking of Languages 0424 255 697 www.globaltraveller.net.au

september 2011

profilemagazine

on the table

food fashion

This is the place where we look at what’s cool, what’s stylish, and what’s healthy in the food world.

A kid in a candy shop

the little black book If you’re looking for a stylish, grown-up cookbook of cupcakes, you will love this amazing new book by Kathryn Sutton launched by Sydney’s Sparkle Cupcakery. Titled The Little Black Book, it is an outstanding and beautiful presentation of the unique celebrations that have been marked with Sparkle Cupcakes. There are some fantastic recipes from Red Velvet through to Bromance and Pupcake, with something for everyone. www.sparklecupcakery.com.au/ seasonal-celebrations

new tapas bar opening!

beet it BEET IT is the new organic beetroot juice for health conscious men and women, including a stamina shot range made with concentrated beetroot juice for athletes and sports people. A ‘superfood’, beetroot juice is proven to be beneficial for cardiovascular health and help blood flow in the body. Drink up!

www.thebrassring.com.au

Phone 5478 4932

Jorl Ct

Strin

gyba r

k Rd

Whether dad prefers wine, spirits or entertaining in style, The Brass Ring has a range of stylish spirit and wine accessories sure to put a smile on his face this Father’s Day.

Bude rim

improve dad’s drink this father’s day

Goshaw k

ive

rsi

ty 

Only 2mins drive from Uni!!

Open 7 Days Lunch & Dinner 8am - Late 60

profilemagazine

chance to attend the ‘world’s best’ dinner in Noosa at Berado’s during the food and wine festival could not be ignored. Seven courses of signature dishes prepared by some of the world’s best chefs with wine were expertly matched by the Don of Australian wine, James Halliday. Master of ceremonies Matt Preston ensured an eclectic mix of humour, civility and hedonism, fused with the underlying seriousness of reputations. This is the kind of dinner you need to accept in the spirit that it is intended. The chefs cooked their hearts out and the wines shone like the bubbles in the 2002 Champagne Devaux Cuvee ‘D’ that announced our arrival. The wines included the following: Emilio Lustau Light Manzanilla ‘Paparusa’ (that’s a sherry that would knock grandma’s socks off), 2010 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling (a most undervalued grape variety in Australia), 2005 Domaine Laroche Chablis ‘Les Clos’ Grand Cru (a great French wine), 2006 Leeuwin Estate ‘Art Series’ Chardonnay (should be an Aussie icon), and 2006 Rousseau ‘Clos de la Roche’ Grand Cru (the wine of the night, a red Burgundy, of course). The onslaught of decadence continued with 1989 Penfolds ‘Grange’ (in the front-row forwards now) and finally a dessert wine, 2009 Gundeloch Nacenheim Rothenburg Riesling Auslese (angelically sweet). The overwhelming spirit of the night was exemplified by the camaraderie of the chefs. I get the impression they all recognise where they come from and their journey. They were also so welcoming to the genuinely interested patrons that often adore them.



The Brass Ring has introduced a number of wine and spirit accessory brands to Australia, including Vinturi, Teroforma, skybar and CUBENoir.

Who doesn’t love tapas? Designed to complement and enhance the taste of a drink and to provide a backdrop for a social gathering, Mezze (pronounced Meh-Zah) is perfect to be eaten before or after a meal. The team at Mezze Bar Marcoola is excited to announce the opening of their second tapas bar … in Mooloolaba! Located at 197 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, Mezze Bar is perfect for a girls’ night out, a gathering with friends or an after-dinner snack.

with Dr Plonk www.drplonk.com.au

0411-877-335 www.ii-naa.com

Drink Voucher One free drink with every purchase over $10 when you mention Proﬁle Magazine!

profilemag.com.au

Tuesday 1st November 11am september 2011

profilemagazine

on the table

a breakfast fit for a king Share a leisurely buffet breakfast in Cato’s restaurant on Hastings Street, Noosa, and enjoy the best thing, first thing. Feast on fresh fruits, juices, cereals, bircher muesli, assorted breads, cold meats, cheese, pastries and pancakes, sausages, bacon, hash browns, eggs benedict and more. It really is a great way to start the day. Breakfast is served from 6.30am to 11.00am, seven days a week. Cato’s full hot buffet breakfast is $37.00 and continental is $30.00 per person. Contact 5449 4754

grow natural health In today’s world, life is fast, but our commitment to trying to eat well is more important than ever. So how do we find the time? The clever guys at Grow Natural Health based on the Sunshine Coast have devised an individualised dietary program that generates meals based on a set profile. Shopping lists are automatically generated according to the meals, and macronutrient content compiled according to goals. What a great idea! www.grownaturalhealth.com.au

vintage soaps almost good enough to eat Murphy and Daughters has created the most delicious range of charming and beautiful Australian soaps. The Bon Bon Soap is a slice of heaven – delicious to smell, gorgeous looking and almost good enough to eat, with scents uniquely based on natural foods including green tea, milk, cucumber, lime, tea rose, mandarin and pink grapefruit. www.murphyanddaughters.com.au

river cottage cooking classes During each school holiday, River Cottage in Noosa (owned by classically-trained ex Ricky’s head chef Marc Wohner) holds cooking classes for children from the age of six – the perfect way to encourage those little budding chefs! Each class is unique dependant on what the chef has caught or bought that morning. Classes fill fast, so it is best to get in quick. This month, children’s cooking classes will be held on Tuesday 20 September, Wednesday 21 September, Wednesday 28 September and Thursday 29 September. Cost is $60 per child which includes a fun morning, souvenir Junior River Cottage cook t-shirt, and lunch. For an additional $35, mums and dads can enjoy morning tea in the restaurant and also sit down for lunch with their little cook. Phone 5449 7441

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

september 2011

profilemagazine

abode a full deck Add a splash of colour to any deck with these Coteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Azur Chairs. Rausch Australia, Nicklin Way, Minyama. Phone 5477 5561

ooh la la

flower power

Immerse yourself in the coloured and patterned world of the French Bull range by Jacquie Shapiro, RRP $19.95. www.top3.com.au

Orange linen, Block Printed Armchair from Ruby Star Traders, RRP $1,400. www.rubystar.com

a shade of floral Custom Passionflower Lampshade from Six Hands, from $207. Available in a variety of prints. www.sixhands.com.au

spindle on the side The spindle side table from Freedom Furniture is available in red and yellow, RRP $149 each.

with Belle Hemming Interior Designer www.spaceplanners.com.au

spring fever Welcome spring with fresh new colour ways, patterns and designs, sure to brighten up any day. hip up your home Add a splash of colour and spring with this luxurious handcrafted Hip Home, Otto Scent rug featuring artsilk and New Zealand Wool. Enquiries contact Spaceplanners on 0413 689 006

new ju ju Add a striking decor feature to any wall with these fuschia and purple Ju Ju Hats, RRP $650. tabletonic.com.au

a little twilight spring sofa Incorporate this gorgeous green Archie Sofa to your home and remind yourself of invigorating spring mornings. Archie sofa from $3,365. Contact Jardan, Fortitude Valley. Phone 3257 0098

profilemagazine

Eijffinger Twilight Wallpaper 371142, RRP $198 / roll from Verve Designer Collections. Phone 03 9532 2003

profilemag.com.au

Your satisfaction is

100% guaranteed! yes, really!

september 2011

profilemagazine

business

get ahead of the home loan pack with Linda Ireland Balancing lifestyle desires with budgeting necessities is a greater challenge in uncertain economic climates, and revisiting your loan repayment strategy during a tumultuous period such as the one we’re in now will help prepare you for the future. Increasing repayments by any amount above the minimum and contributing lump sums are a couple of things you can do to help prepare your financial position for unforeseen changes. Even if misfortune doesn’t come your way, it’s a good idea as you’ll be living debt free sooner, which opens doors to other investment opportunities. Here are some helpful hints to get you ahead: Round ’em up! Consider rounding up your loan repayment amount. Take a loan of $350,000 at 7 per cent over 30 years. If the monthly repayments of $2,329 were rounded up to $2,500 at five years in and that continued until the end of the loan

profilemagazine

term, the loan will be repaid about four years earlier and the interest owed reduced by more than $69,200 (if all loan aspects remain as is). Visit your loan more frequently You might save thousands of dollars in interest by paying a loan fortnightly. For example, a borrower with monthly repayments of $2,000 will pay $24,000 off the loan by year end. If this was paid fortnightly, by splitting monthly repayments in half and making repayments of $1,000, the borrower pays $26,000 as there are 26 fortnights in a year. Take advantage of extra funds An offset account attached to the home loan acts as savings that reduce accumulated interest. For example, if the above loan has $5,000 deposited in a full offset account from day one, the term is reduced by approximately 14 months and the interest owed is reduced by around $33,856.

Health check it Review your loan and decide if you need all the features you might be paying a premium for. Compare it with others with the help of a mortgage broker to see if you can save money by negotiating a better deal with your current lender or switching lenders. Weigh up good versus bad of switching When deciding whether to refinance, factor in all loan aspects, like features, rate, repayment type and frequency, accessibility and fees. It may be cheaper to keep your existing loan rather than pay new loan costs such as application fees, lender’s mortgage insurance and discharge fees. Mortgage Choice 5476 9333 linda.ireland@mortgagechoice.com.au

profilemag.com.au

business

family violence best practice principles with Leisa Toomey Legal matters can be complex and confusing to the lay person. Family law is not exempt from this, and as legal practitioners we try to ensure our clients understand what is going on and what processes we need to follow. When it comes to matters that involve family violence and abuse, regardless of whether it is alleged or proven, there is a Best Practice Principle in place to assist all parties involved in the case. This includes, but is not limited to, the courts, legal practitioners, service providers and litigants. Developed by the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia they aim to strengthen the courts efforts to protect children and any other person who has suffered from family violence and abuse. In essence, the Best Practice Principles recognises that family violence is an issue and has a place in the Family Law Act (1975). It also recognises the harmful effects it has on

its victims. It also specifically recognises that where there are allegations of sexual or serious physical abuse of children that the Magellan case management system be followed[i]. All family law cases which involve family violence or child abuse are required to be assessed under the Best Practice Principles as they act as a tool for gathering and subsequently providing important background information for all those involved in the case. At the heart of this document is the court’s desire to ensure both children and parents are protected from all forms of harm resulting from family violence and abuse. This includes protecting a victim’s rights to feel and be safe when having to deal with the court on family law matters. The courts are able to create an individually-tailored safety plan which may provide them with choices in regards to how they appear in court. Various options such as appearing by video, staggering the appearance times (so a victim does not come face to face with his/her alleged abuser),

attending with support persons, and in some instances with security, are all available to ensure the safety of those who require it. Safety planning is a big issue for those who are living in fear as a result of family violence. The Family Violence Best Practice Principles go a long way to assisting those who are victims and the legal practitioners and courts who are trying to ensure their safety. [i] The Magellan program was developed to deal with Family Court cases involving serious allegations of physical and sexual child abuse. As these cases involve the most vulnerable children, the Family Court has implemented this fast track program in all of its registries.

Schultz Toomey O’Brien Lawyers 5413 8908 www.stolaw.com.au

Velocity Images Photography

COAST CARNIVALE Event P:

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY Enlightened Goddesses Business Women’s Network and 4th Floor Restaurant

Friday 28th October 2011 4th Floor Restaurant Mooloolaba 6pm - 11pm

0417699905

Support the Sunshine Coast’s Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Foundation and join us for the inaugural

Pinktober ® Coast Carnivale Fundraiser Event

6 pm - 7 pm: 7 pm - 11 pm: Cost: Dress: RSVP:

Welcome to the Carnivale Drinks, canapes and entertainment on arrival. Two course dinner, fun trivia, silent auction, live music and dancing. $90 per ticket or $870 table of 10 Cocktail - All welcome 21st October 2011

Book online at: http://pinktobercoastcarnivale.eventbrite.com/ Proudly Sponsored by: intuitive branding for your words and design

september 2011

profilemagazine

business

replace hindsight with insight with Sandra Wills CFP® The Australian Oxford Dictionary describes insight as “1. the ability to perceive and understand the true nature of something, 2. knowledge obtained by this”. Hindsight is of no use. If you sold your Commonwealth Bank shares for $24 per share driven by panic at the bottom of the global financial crisis in March 2009, in hindsight it probably wasn’t a rational or clever thing to do. Unfortunately, hindsight won’t help you to recover any losses you may have realised by selling. Incidentally, if you were selling your superannuation funds, managed funds or share market trusts, in most cases that’s exactly what you were doing – selling Commonwealth Bank shares. You probably placed your sale proceeds on deposit with the Commonwealth Bank, paying six per cent per annum interest.

On the other side of your sale, someone else was buying your Commonwealth Bank shares for $24 per share. You couldn’t have sold your shares unless someone else bought them – someone with insight. Someone who understands the principles of long-term investing and the profound wisdom of Warren Buffett when he said, “Be greedy when everyone’s fearful [buy low], and be fearful when everyone’s greedy [sell high]”. Two and a half years later, on the front page of the Australian Financial Review on August 11 2011, despite deep global pessimism and extreme market volatility, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia reported an all-time record profit for an Australian bank of $6.84 billion for the last financial year. CBA’s share price has been as high as $55 in the previous 52 weeks – up by 129 per cent from the 2009 purchase price of $24. But that’s not what the insightful investor

was looking for. CBA is currently paying a fully franked dividend of 302 cents per share – based on a purchase price of $24, that’s 12.58 per cent per annum income, plus tax credits. There was no speculation or emotion involved in buying Commonwealth Bank shares during the depths of the GFC for $24 per share, only insightfulness. For the sellers, the only positive aspect of hindsight is that hopefully it will become a fertile source of insight. Genesys Wealth Advisers Maroochydore 5443 9433 sandra.wills@genesyswealth.com.au

Important information - The information presented in this document is not intended to be advice. It has not been prepared taking into account any particular investor’s or class of investor’s investment objectives, financial situation or needs, and should not be used as the basis for making investment, financial or other decisions. To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance on this information. While we believe the information contained in this to be correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given. Genesys Wealth Advisers Limited ABN 20 060 778 216 AFSL NO. 232686 Principal Member of the FPA www.genesyswealth.com.au

” 68

profilemagazine

profilemag.com.au

business

using your SMSF to buy property with Melanie Jacobson If you are interested in investing in property, have you thought about using your self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) to make the purchase? SMSFs are allowed to borrow, so many business owners have been able to purchase their commercial premises using their super fund to take advantage of the many benefits this strategy allows. Benefits of borrowing through your SMSF: •• It significantly reduces your capital gains tax (potentially to zero). Holding property in a SMSF also allows you to defer any capital gains until retirement, at which stage they become tax-free. •• It has the potential to protect your property from creditors if you experience financial difficulty. •• It can fast-track the growth of your super fund (if you choose your property investment well). •• It can significantly reduce the cost of buying your investment property by tens of thousands of dollars over time.

•• It allows you to combine the total superannuation of a family towards a property investment. •• Borrowing to invest in property provides the potential to use traditional negative-gearing strategies to generate tax-effective income for the SMSF. •• Allowing your SMSF to own the property provides greater security and control for your business’s future needs. •• SMSF mortgages can release equity in property you already own. If you already own your own premises, either internally or externally from your SMSF, restructuring using SMSF mortgage finance could release up to 70 per cent of the value of the property to be used for other investments. We recently had a situation where moving a commercial property into the client’s SMSF enabled a release of funds they could use to eliminate private debt (for example, home loans) and invest in other ventures.

In other words, more can be achieved with SMSF borrowing, in terms of leveraging into ‘larger’ real property assets. Further, as an investment in an SMSF borrowing arrangement, it is generally accounted for ‘net of liabilities’, thus providing advantages when considering existing superannuation contribution limits. The rules are stringent and it is always important to have up-to-date advice regarding any existing or proposed borrowing arrangements within a super fund. An accountant can help you weigh up the pros and cons, to decide if this is a good strategy for you. PJT Accountants and Business Advisors 5413 9300 www.pjtaccountants.com.au

FREE ADMISSION

september 2011

profilemagazine

business

christmas shopping guide with Miriam Torres It’s scary to think about exactly where the year has gone. So as we are rapidly approaching that silly season I thought I would give you all some quick pointers on the crucial differences in the wonderful world of technology to ensure that you end up with the right gift and solution. There are notebooks, tablets, eMachines, iPads, iPhones and iPods. The selection is vast and varied, in an array of sizes and colours. So the million-dollar question is, which device do I buy? Here are some simple rules to follow: Question One: Do I require portability with all my office applications – such as Word, Excel, Publisher and internet access – available to me? Do I also need the ability to access my office data?

If you have answered yes to the above questions the recommended solution would be that of a notebook, tablet or iPad, as these devices enable you to carry out all this and more.

with its thousands of applications. With the iPhone you can send and receive emails, surf the net, download music and stay connected to the office.

Question Two: Do I require internet access to surf the net and check on social networking sites?

As technology changes and our accessibility to information grows, always remember to select the right device for your purpose, and if you’re on the internet, don’t forget your anti-virus protection.

If these are the only things you want to carry out with the device, an eMachine (similar to a laptop but with a smaller processing speed) or an iPad would be perfect. Question Three: Do I require only a music device for walking, jogging and travelling? The iPod is a wonderful invention. It’s small, portable and fits in your palm, plus it is wellpriced. It’s a big favourite as technology has evolved, and we have seen the iPhone emerge

Secure Access Pty Ltd 5443 7766 miriam@secureaccess.com.au

don’t embrace change with Stewart Forge We’re told that change is inevitable, that it’s a good thing, and that we should embrace it. In many cases, that’s true. But not necessarily when it comes to your advertising. Advertising has a cumulative effect. Yes, it may drive sales this week, but over time it also builds a perception of your business in the minds of the audience – even those who may not be in the market for your current offer. Over weeks, months, years and decades advertising can create a personality for your business, a picture in the minds of your audience of who you are and what you stand for. That’s why consistency in advertising can be a good thing. Consistently using the same logo, colours, fonts, copywriting style and design feel across your press ads, brochures, billboards, website, TV commercials and radio ads develops a personality for your brand that people come to understand and be comfortable with. One of the greatest examples of this is Toyota. Think back to their “Oh, what a feeling – Toyota”

profilemagazine

positioning. The music and the ‘jump into the air’ has been used for decades with great success. Every Australian would instantly recognise the communication as being from Toyota. That’s powerful. Even when you don’t have the same budget as Toyota, the principles are the same – consistency works.

As business owners, it’s very easy to get tired of your own advertising. You’re working with it all the time. It’s natural to start wanting to change things around. When you get that feeling – stop. Are you changing for the right reasons or because you personally are bored with it and want to do something new?

I’m not suggesting you carve your advertising in stone. Of course, some alterations will be required. But don’t confuse people by radically altering who you have become in their minds.

Don’t embrace change just for the sake of it. Remember another enduring advertising campaign: When you’re on a good thing – stick to it.

Imagine if your Aunty Jane (who normally wears conservative pant suits, a colourful scarf, classic pearl necklace and with grey hair) walked past you in the street wearing cargo pants, Mambo T-shirt and thongs, with her hair dyed blonde. Would you recognise her? Probably not, and you’d be disturbed by the change!

Advanti Advertising 5479 6123 stewart@advanti.com.au

That’s what happens to customers when your advertising changes too much – they don’t recognise you and get confused. They don’t know who you are anymore.

profilemag.com.au

industry talk

Welcome to this month’s edition of Industry Talk; a place where we invite our business experts ‘The Panel’, to answer your questions – for free! It certainly can be tough running a small business on your own, so our experts are on hand to offer advice in areas of law, finance, marketing and human resources. Submissions are open for your business questions – simply email your question to editorial@ profilemag.com.au (business name and contact details will only be published with consent).

the question “I would like to start my own business, but I have no idea where to begin. What are the things I need to think about?” Anon

Glen Palmer Director, Core Business and Management Advice mail@corebusiness.com.au

The first step is to be very honest about why you wish to start your business. Are you a technician in your field? Are you sick of your place of employment? Do you want to work for yourself because you want more flexible hours? If someone wants to start a business for either of the aforementioned reasons, he or she may need to have a rethink. To start a business and work for yourself can be one of the most taxing challenges for any one of us, even with business management backgrounds, mentally, personally and physically – and that is even before you consider the financial costs. The level of commitment required cannot be underestimated and you need to be prepared. If you want to start your own business, it is vital you retain a team of sound business advisers such as an accountant and solicitor and be sure to get a professional appraisal of your business and marketing plans.

Felicity White

Business Development Manager, Ellerfield Financial Planning felicityw@ellerfield.com.au

In deciding to start your own business you are embarking on a very difficult journey. It is important you are very clear in your mind as to why you are going into business. The concept is the key when there is no money in the bank and you are wondering whether it was really the right thing to have done. Thorough investigation of competitors, suppliers, locations and your potential clientele or target market will go a long way towards laying a good foundation for a successful start-up. There are, from time to time, different government incentive programs for start-up businesses, so be sure to investigate these as well. Also, remember to always get some practical advice regarding your structure, financing and taxation from a respected business adviser.

september 2011

Ken Waddington

Parnter, Garland Waddington Solicitors kwaddington@gwlaw.com.au

Your first questions to yourself should be: •• What exactly is the business I propose to start? •• Will it provide products / services that people want and (most importantly) will pay for? •• Who will my customers be and how will I attract them? •• What resources will the business require (staff, money, equipment, premises etc)? •• What will it cost me to establish the business and where is the money coming from? Often overlooked until the last moment is the structure of the proposed business. Will you conduct the business as a sole trader, in partnership with others, via a company or via a discretionary or unit trust? This decision has long-term ramifications, but is often considered only briefly, almost as an afterthought. Determining and documenting the correct structure for your business is absolutely essential, and should be considered at an early stage, with an experienced solicitor and your accountant, as this decision affects many other decisions (particularly if you are going into business with others). A lot of very useful information is available, free from the following websites: www.ato.gov.au, www.business.qld.gov.au, www.business.vic.gov.au www.e-myth.com I also recommend reading The E-myth by Michael Gerber and Small Business Big Opportunity (free at http://about.sensis.com.au/SmallBusiness/Free-Guide/).

profilemagazine

win

win a mini-break at the brisbane marriott Brisbane will come alive in the coming months, transformed by a whirlwind of fashion, art and culture, as the city’s signature festivals make Brisbane a must-visit location. The Brisbane Marriott’s exclusive ‘Festivalista’ one night mini-break offers a deluxe river view room with buffet breakfast for two and valet parking, in addition to two delicious cocktails at Motion Bar and Grill. Brisbane Marriott’s light, bright and airy rooms offer breathtaking river views and are equipped with the hotel’s signature ‘Revive’ bedding. Visit www.marriott.com.au. Together with profile magazine, the Brisbane Marriott would like to offer an overnight ‘Festivalista’ package for one lucky reader and their partner, valued at $755. Winning bookings must be taken by December 31, 2011. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au

win cool koolaman jewellery

Koolaman Designs specialises in creating beautiful, personalised, handstamped jewellery pieces in silver and gold. The range includes pendants, bangles, earrings, cufflinks and chains. Visit www.koolaman.com.au. Profile magazine and Koolaman are offering a $350 gift voucher for one lucky reader. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au

scan this with your smartphone to jump straight to our competition page

Spring into September with these super chic prizes! win fresh skin for spring Do you want plumped, hydrated and dewy skin? AIESHA is an all-natural, professional strength, anti-ageing skincare range. Products contain potent levels of active ingredients, proven to reduce the signs of ageing. To view the range, visit www.aiesha. com.au. Profile magazine and AIESHA have a skincare pack containing seven of the brand’s most popular products, valued at more than $350. Enter online www.profilemag.com.au

win luxury lingerie Indulge your passion for luxurious silk lingerie by selecting from a divine range of vintage-inspired lingerie classics, stretch silk tulle intimates, camisoles and French knickers by designer brand KU SHU SHU, www.kushushu.com. Profile and KU SHU SHU are giving one lucky profile reader the chance to win a gift voucher valued at $250 (offer excludes robes). Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au

profilemagazine

win 4 ingredients for little people Queensland success stories Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham have just released their most requested title, 4 Ingredients KIDS. Loaded with fun and imaginative, healthy recipes for babies, toddlers, teenagers and big kids too, 4 Ingredients KIDS provides inspiration for all, saving time and money in the kitchen. Profile magazine has four copies of 4 Ingredients KIDS to give away. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au

profilemag.com.au

rsvp

ll photography andrew watson

Launch of TNQ profile magazine, Whitfield House

Meghann

Ahern (Cai rns Post), and Doro thy Reeman Nikki Bishop (YAPS)

Some of the TNQ profile team, from left, Editor Alana Rushton, Group Managing Director Genine Howard, Group General Manager Hamish Rose, Group Editor-In-Chief Alli Grant, and Publication Manager Coral Florian

Juanita Soper (Cairns Parenting Companion Magazine) and Claire Pennington (Argentea Palm Cove)

Louise Struber (Cairns Central) and Bridget Evans (Paronella Park) Debbie and Nicolas Devic (C’est Bon)

Gerlinda Aras (Mirror Image Consultants) and Rick Stella (Telstra Business Centre)

butto r and Kylie Ga Mayor Val Schie men’s Club) Wo s es sin Bu (Cairns

David Anthony (Dept. Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) and Cr Di Forsyth

Cr Linda Cooper, Tony Weal, and Mia Lacy (Libra Communications)

september 2011

Kirsten Le Roux and Sally Mlikota (CBC Staff Selection)

TNQ PROFILE MAGAZINE WAS LAUNCHED IN STYLE AT WHITFIELD HOUSE, cairns, ON AUGUST 1 WITH STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. GUESTS ENJOYED DELICIOUS CANAPES AND DRINKS FROM OCHRE RESTAURANT, cairns, (WITH SWEET TREATS FROM DELlo MANO BROWNIES), AND ENTERTAINMENT BY LOCAL BAND TAKE FIVE (WHO SUPPORTED CROONER ROWAN HOWARD AND TAP DANCER SIMON BATTERSBY). THE MAGAZINE WAS OFFICIALLY UNVEILED BY OUR OWN LITTLE PAPER BOYS (PERFORMERS PROVIDED BY THE JULIA MCALPINE DANCE STUDIO). WHAT A FABULOUS WAY TO LAUNCH TNQ PROFILE MAGAZINE!

profilemagazine

the last word

aislin o’connor

Aislin O’Connor is not only a sports journalist with Seven filling in for Nathan Spurling while he’s on leave, but she is also a competitor in the upcoming Dancing with the Local Stars competition taking place on October 15, not to mention a multiple, championship-winning touch football player … her dancing competitors had better watch out!

“

My most annoying habit is … I can be a perfectionist.

I would love to be a better … surfer.

Heelers were my childhood heroes. I even named our family dog Dash.

I am at my happiest when … I’m at one of my family’s Sunday barbeques. We have them almost every week and there’s always a crowd as everyone is welcome.

My all-time favourite movie is … Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

I wish I could … dance like Beyoncé. I’m currently taking lessons for this year’s Dancing with the Local Stars and discovering it’s a lot harder than it looks!

“

My favourite restaurant is … The Boat Shed at Cotton Tree. My favourite holiday spot is … Asia. I go back time and again because there’s always somewhere else to explore. My most recent trip was very memorable because my partner, James, proposed on top of The Peak in Hong Kong.

Aislin O’Connor grew up wanting to be a police officer, taking her inspiration from the television show Blue Heelers

profilemagazine

I couldn’t live without … strong coffee and dark chocolate. My greatest achievement is … graduating from university with a dual degree and an Executive Dean’s Commendation Award for high achievement. My most annoying habit is … I can be a perfectionist. What makes me laugh out loud is … it’s not hard! I’m very ticklish. The one person I would most like to meet is … Audrey Hepburn.

Most people don’t know that I … am a multiple, championship-winning touch football player! It may only be a social competition, but I absolutely love the game. I’ve been playing it my whole life.

My hidden talent is … singing. Strangely I can produce a perfect pitch … only when in the shower or the car though.

When I was growing up I wanted to be … a police officer. Maggie Doyle and Dash McKinley on Blue

If I didn’t live on the Coast I’d live … in New York (a girl can dream). profilemag.com.au

www.hot91.com.au Ph: (07) 5475 1911

Sally Waghorn Hot 91.1 Retail Sales Manager

september 2011

Sally Waghorn, Hot 91.1 Retail Sales Manager. GOING THAT EXTRA MILE FOR YOU!

profilemagazine

! 0 0 0 , 0 2 $ n I e r a Sh ards! Spring Fashion Rew

Celebrate Spring at Kawana Shoppingworld with our Spring Fashion Rewards! Simply spend $100 in any fashion or accessory store and receive a FREE $20 Kawana Shoppingworld Gift Voucher! The FREE $20 Gift Voucher can be spent in over 100 stores! Be rewarded with Spring Fashion Rewards at Kawana Shoppingworld!

KAW 26877

Terms and conditions apply. N i c k l i n Wa y, B u d d i n a P h . 5 4 4 4 1 9 4 4 w w w. k a wa n a s h o p p i n g w o r l d . c o m . a u