The Real Work

Brett Booth works actively in youth culture in the UK, bringing creative design, music, and street life together to celebrate artists through his agency, Nerds Collective. Brett walks us through his career path, the gravitational pull towards the work he loves, how they've managed the Nerds business through COVID, and how we can all open up our lens on age and ethnic diversity to embrace the richness in our work.

Alexia Higgs has worked globally managing high profile cultural events, collaborating and creating projects with the Melbourne Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Opera Australia as well as with sports and cultural festivals such as the AFL, Australian Open and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. In this podcast we talk about moving countries, being a specialist in your field, what it takes to build a career in your non-native language, and the impact 2020 has had on careers in classical music. A must-listen for anyone considering an international career.

Natalie Arnold is Founder of Fly into July, motivating and encouraging people all around the world to count their daily steps during the month of July, and raising funds for other not-for-profits year-round. Her decisions to move overseas as a young adult, take on project-based work with an international move every few years, and to pick up study via distance education at a later career stage, have all contributed to the adventures she's had and the wisdom she's accumulated - and her career and contribution have a long way to go with her next chapter underway in Australia!

Georgina is CEO of British Fencing and is a successful athlete herself, representing Great Britain at many European and World Championships and spending several seasons ranked in the World Top 16. Since joining British Fencing in April 2014, Georgina has successfully implemented several initiatives to increase participation in fencing. Georgina and Alex talk about the culture she leads at British Fencing, the decisions she's made as an athlete and mum, and how she got into, and out of consulting.

Vivian Ke Story is a Korean Canadian entrepreneur, now based in Ho Chi Minh City, and is the Founder of Soul Story Skincare.From immigrant roots, she hard-worked her way to the front office before pivoting her life towards wellness. As a female founder, she's long-been cultivating the grit to thrive through COVID. This conversation covers it all, showing that your personal story is always reflected in your best work.

Dr. Sophie Frost is an interdisciplinary scholar of Visual Culture, Creative Industries and Museum Studies, based in London. In 2020, Sophie presented Voices of the Royal Pavilion & Museums, a three-series podcast going behind the scenes at Brighton & Hove's museum service, now available on iTunes and Spotify.This conversation touches on how some of the most important social movements of our time are happening in private, between individuals & small groups. Sophie is making space for more voices through her amazing work!

Sanya Goffe serves as a Director of NCB Financial Group Limited, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, Jamaica Producers Group Limited and the Adult Learning Centres of Jamaica.She is also President of the Pension Industry Association of Jamaica. Sanya is Jamaica's 12th Eisenhower Fellow having been selected for the Eisenhower Fellowships 2020 Women's Leadership Programme.She shares her experience as a Mum who's fulfilling her professional goals - she's impacting her country & the boards she sits on, & yet she's reflective about continuously learning.

‍Atlanta St John is Head of Harlequins Women's Rugby Programme, based in London, UK. Previously to Harlequins, Atlanta has worked on major Global events including the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Atlanta shares how COVID has impacted training; the role of social media and broadcasting to promote the league; the amazing career stories many female athletes have; and what women in the corporate world can learn from the strides being made in women's sport.

Dr Summer May Finlay is a Yorta Yorta woman who is passionate about social justice particularly for Indigenous people in Australia and globally. Alex and Dr Finlay had an informative discussion on the factors impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the workplace, and the community more broadly.We traversed public health and community services, Aboriginal comic books, practical ways to advocate for your needs as a corporate citizen, vaping trends, designing 'fruit salad' businesses - and much more.

Bohie Palecek is a practising commercial and public artist, creating street art, commercial murals and traditional signwriting fit-outs with a clear focus on handcrafted typography.Her illustrations have featured on clothing labels from Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK, and her art has exhibited in solo and group shows internationally. She generously shared about her creative practice, the career path of a sole trader, the thought patterns and relationships that impact her work, and how artists are experiencing the world right now.

Vaughan Bhagan has done it all... mostly! He has extensive experience working in senior Visitor Experience roles in the commercial and hospitality sectors, in high profile environments including the Southbank Centre, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Millennium Dome.In this discussion, we touch on how careers zig and zag as well as the randomness of career events, and the gravitational pull we often feel towards an industry or work.