Conversations In Noosa

There are many tools, strategies, events, and support available for business owners these days. Coaches, consultants, boot camps, and business breakfasts. In this episode, you'll meet a business owner who’s fined tuned the art of conversation, connection, and community and packaged it up into a brand new podcast that’s paying dividends.

My guest on today’s episode of our podcast always dreamt of creating a place where it felt like the people dining were at his home sharing a meal. Somewhere warm, relaxed, and familiar. The idea for Herbert sprang from a collaboration with Alex McKechnie, an earlier podcast guest, and the end result is described as a creative yin to an excel yang. The explanation for that lies ahead in the episode you’re about to hear.

There’s something very special about All' Antica.  The space is warm and cozy and the tables have those traditional red and white tablecloths and the Chianti on the menu pairs perfectly with the Italian fare. I can’t help but hear the Billy Joel classic in my head, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, and the words linger long after the meal has ended. The restaurant itself has been operating for more than three decades. Everyone Has a Story and today I'd like you to meet Helen and Shane McNally

Harry grew up in a large immigrant family in the rough and tough western suburbs of Melbourne and his first jobs in kitchens were an escape, of sorts, from the tight reins his dad held over the seven kids. He’s prepared food for Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and he recalls the early days of Cecconi’s in Melbourne’s Crown Casino when the pollies would be seated on one side of the restaurant and the local mafia on the other. Everyone has a Story and today I’d like you to meet Harry Lilai (executive chef Bocca Italian)

Nilla is the driving force behind the Vanilla Food brand. There’s a café, retail, and a cookbook. The Vanilla Food cookbook is on sale in the IN Noosa Magazine shop on our IN Noosa website and on vanillafood.com.au In this episode, you’ll hear the story of a rebellious teen from Denmark who dreamt of traveling and ended up a successful businesswoman on the other side of the world in a country she now calls home.

Today’s guest had a great childhood. He traveled around Australia with his parents on a bus being home-schooled. This ignited his adventurer’s spirit that led him to London with plans to then make it to New York City. His passion for and interest in botany has set him off on a fascinating journey of discovery that has dovetailed into his career in hospitality as co-owner of Herbert in Noosa Junction.

Today’s guest has worked as part of the production team for some of the world’s biggest films and television shows. From Harry Potter to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp, to The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. These days he’s helping people from his Doonan home with skills honed while on set as a makeup artist. Everyone has a story and today I’d like you to meet Michael Krehl from Scalp Micropigmentation Noosa.

Abalone has been a much sort after product in Asian countries, however with fewer exports heading to China there’s now a push by the New South Wales Abalone Association to get abalone on menus here in Australia and to raise awareness for the product amongst Aussie consumers. Greg Finn and Greg Ryzy are both part of the association and I spoke to them on the afternoon ahead of a sold-out abalone experience at Peter Kuruvita’s Noosa restaurant, Alba by Kuruvita.

Today’s guest never thought she’d be working with people involved in domestic violence cases. Her interest in sociological issues started at a young age and driving social change has been a powerful motivator. Kathleen Hope is the General Manager of Sunny Kids, Sunshine Coast.

Today’s guest has dedicated herself to her career in ophthalmology with study and work in places like London, Singapore, Melbourne, and Sydney. Her father’s influence in terms of the way he helped and supported his children early on with their careers has had a big influence on my guest today, and in turn, there’s an element of giving back to the community and giving back to students who are just starting out.

You can't help but get swept up in my next guest's enthusiasm when she talks to you. She's a podcaster, coach, and author of the book Radical Self Belief. She's spent a lot of her time helping women and now she's turning her attention towards helping blokes. This episode is full of cracking one-liners that you're sure to remember and repeat to others.

Today's guest is the founder of OneWorld, a home furnishings business with seven retail outlets and an online store as well. It's a great entrepreneurial tale of a South African businessman who turned his rejected job applications into fuel to start his own company.

There's always been a sense of myth and mystery around baseball. MLB teams like the New York Yankees, The White Sox, and the LA Dodgers are globally recognised brands, and while the game may not be considered a tier-one game in Australia, a local club, Sunshine Coast Baseball has given my son Max a sense of purpose, passion and skill level that I'll always be grateful for. It might just do the same for your kids.

My guest on today's episode is a cardiologist who's studied and worked all over the world, from the UK to Italy, Germany, and the United States. With the recent deaths of prominent Australians, Shane Warne, and Senator Kimberley Kitching, cricketer Ryan Campbell is luckily recovering following his cardiac arrest; pre-emptive measures around heart disease and heart attacks have been a trending topic. Professor Christian Hamilton-Craig believes that there's a simple, accurate test that could save many more lives.

My next guest is the CEO and artistic director of Anywhere Festival which has been running for twelve years now. The performance locations are as diverse as the artists involved, laneways, swimming pools, backyards and even an old ambulance station in Nambour will host performers during Anywhere Festival which starts on April 29.

My guest on today's episode of Everyone Has a Story is following in his father's footsteps and carving out a career behind the wheel of a racing car.

In today's episode, we'll meet the founder and managing director of Respond Global where a team of superheroes operates out of an unassuming office in Noosaville. This conversation was recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and before the flooding that occurred along the Australian East coast. Because of those two big headline events, COVID-related news hasn't been as prominent as it was when this episode was recorded however according to medical and scientific experts, new variants will inevitably develop, and we'll continue to learn how to manage and live with that.

Today's guest has travelled and worked for some of the best and biggest hospitality brands around. His passion for food was sparked early on when his family moved to Hong Kong and Singapore because of his father's work. Following stints in Melbourne and making a name for himself at Ricky's in Noosa my next guest has branched out into the ready-made meals business with a new brand, Noosa Cartel.

My guest on today's episode of Everyone Has a Story is the event organiser for this year's Noosa Festival of Surfing, March 5 to 13, 2022. The legendary Phil Jarratt was one of my first guests on this podcast, you can check out all of our episodes for free by simply searching for Everyone Has a Story on your favourite podcast platform. Phil is still involved with the event, and we talk about that and all of the other attractions and special guests that'll be part of year's Noosa Festival of Surfing. Everyone Has a Story and today I'd like you to meet Josh Allen.

My next guest is a household name, although there are many aspects of his life and career that I was unaware of and I'm sure you'll find this episode equally fascinating and inspirational. We talk about his travels and work all over the globe, dealing with racism in Sydney when he was a kid back in the '70s and we discuss his passion and love of food. Everyone has a story and today I'd like you to meet Peter Kuruvita.