Teaching The Leopard To Change Its Stripes

Jennie Vickers began her legal career in London, working for one of the world’s most prestigious law firms. Focusing on commercial business work, she spent a number of years as an in-house lawyer really getting to understand business drivers. After moving to New Zealand, Jennie used her time in law firms and in-house experience to set up a law firm better suited to the digital age.

Sharon Williams: Marketing Strategies That Won't Break The Bank

Born in the UK, Taurus marketing owner Sharon Williams began her career with marks and spencers before working for a Kashmiran prince called Ravi Tikoo in his (very glamourous!) shipping company.  After getting married and backpacking around the world with her husband, Sharon relocated to Australia. When she became pregnant with their first child, her then-employer made it clear there was no longer a role for her in their organisation, so Taurus was born. Sharon gives spark readers some insights into the marketing strategies that can take your business to the next level.

Yvette Adams Talks Business: Starting, Selling and Staying Home

Born and raised in Wellington, Yvette Adams spent 7 years working and travelling the world before emigrating to Australia. She has started 5 businesses (sold two) and won multiple awards for her success. A public speaker who has lived the trials and tribulations of working from home, Yvette recently spoke to Spark about how to get into, and out of, business, and how to balance home and career.

The 7 R's Of Parenting: Review & Reflect

Colloquially, ‘R&R’ is the abbreviation for ‘Rest and Relaxation’ - popularised by the war movies of the 1950s when GIs went on leave. The meaning of R&R here is also about taking a break from the routine. It is our ability to pause, take stock of what’s working or not, celebrate the wins, sharpen our axe, and challenge ourselves to new ways of doing better.

Reviewing and reflecting means to ‘practice the pause’.

I have chosen to call this the ‘R&R’ for the family. This R&R could be personal, or it could involve the whole family at once.

Single Mum To Sizzling Speaker

After an early life of neglect, Stacey Currie was a mother of three trapped in an abusive relationship by the age of 21. Faced with the prospect of changing her life or losing her children, stacey transformed herself into a successful speaker, author and official ambassador for both the Lighthouse and Brave Heart Foundations.

You had a very difficult early life. Can you give our readers a little bit of background to your story?

At the age of 2 months I was court ordered to live with my dad who was in the army (he was forced back home), he had no idea how to bring up children let alone be left alone to bring up two babies aged 2 months and 1 year old (my brother).  I was bought up in housing commission with no rules or boundaries.  At the age of 9 I was sexually assaulted by someone outside the family, at the age of 14 I was living in a shed, by 15 years old I was pregnant, at age 19 I was homeless with my 3 year old and 4 month old baby and at 21 years old I had 3 children and living in a domestic violent relationship.

The Seven R's of Parenting: Routine

There are those of us that love routines, and those that loathe the thought of it. The question to ask regardless is: What would we do without routines?

Imagine a day without routines.

There is the spontaneity of choosing to do whatever whenever you want in the moment. Great scope to experiment with new ideas of doing seemingly humdrum things. So, what would it be like brushing my teeth at work, rather than before breakfast at home? Then, it could run into a bit of chaos if there was no bus schedule or train timetable...and we waited at the bus stand or railway platform until the appropriate ride appears...the children would wake up at random to make their own breakfast - that would be good - except that Mum who would consistently have stocked the cupboard every Sunday afternoon was experimenting with the new idea of going to the store only as the children tell her what was gone in the pantry...and so it goes...

Persistence – How to Keep a Positive Mindset When Things are Tough

There have been many times since starting my business in 2004 where I have come close to quitting from sheer exhaustion and frustration.  Each time, a little voice inside my head would tell me keep persisting, push-on and never give up!  This is because I am following my passion, a passion that is so entrenched into my soul I could never give up. This passion is actually for the professional speaking and recruitment industries.

Million Dollar Magician

Sasha deBretton is an award-winning entrepreneur and CEO of WA renovating company Million Dollar Makeovers, which specialises in fast-turnaround, high-quality renovations for top-end homes. Sasha spoke recently to Spark Magazine about how she has thrived in this traditionally male-dominated industry.

What was your biggest challenge in building the business?

Male dominated. High barriers to entry.  I was doing something very different from the norm (which is to my advantage) however people were skeptical that I could renovate houses of high quality in record timeframes of just weeks and I was taking on the big builders without all the experience I needed. However, I knew my concept and my system worked and would be something people wanted so I decided to launch and then tweak and perfect the system along the way.

The Seven R's Of Parenting: Rules

Why do we have rules?

Let’s look at sporting rules. It provides structure and directions for the game. The players know the purpose of the game, how to compete safely, and if rules are broken, then there are consequences. There are different rules for different roles in the game: say a goalkeeper has specific rules applicable, which is different from the quarterback (gridiron) or centre-forward (netball). We have a place where it is played e.g. a soccer pitch, a basketball court, an ice hockey rink. Relating back to the family: what is the purpose of rules? Similar to the above. It sets boundaries and a structure by which every family member agrees to behave in different contexts. There are safety rules -  holding hands when crossing the road for young children, driving rules and safe sex rules for young adults. In some families, there are different rules specific for gender, or order of birth (this is quite common in certain cultures). Rules may vary depending on different family locations, occasions  or contexts. Some families may have strict attire for Sunday church service, weddings or funerals.

Cancer Survivor and Award-Winning Entrepreneur

Can you give our readers a little bit of your background? How and why did you and Norm start the business? 

Whilst pursuing a different career path, I studied interior design as a hobby and loved it, I always felt that I was destined to create a business from scratch and yearned for it to have something to do with interiors. Due to a lack of interior design services and products in Bendigo, I felt that there was a huge business opportunity. The timing wasn’t right though, as I had just had my first child and was working part time in a job I loved. One day I thought, after I have my family… then a course of events took place that changed everything. I fell pregnant with my second child and at a routine pregnancy ultrasound discovered that I had ovarian cancer. 

Better Blogging: Interview with Aley Greenblo

Want to get your business into the social medium but don’t know how to go about it successfully? Spark talks to blogging sensation Aley Greenblo, whose fashion blog ‘tickled pink’ has had over 4.3 million views!

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Spark Interview with 5-Time Olympian Natalie Cook

As a five-time beach volleyball Olympian, Sydney Olympic gold medalist and a serious contender in London, Natalie Cook is a force to be reckoned with. A passionate competitor who started playing beach volleyball in 1993, Natalie turned professional after just one year and has undoubtedly experienced numerous ‘gold medal’ moments in her career as a professional athlete. The adrenalin fuelled peaks have not been without their gutsy challenges and enduring lows. Natalie competed in the Athens Olympics with a serious shoulder injury, a battle that in reality should have ended her indomitable Olympic effort sooner, though instead, Nat fought on right up until the bronze medal match.

Spark Interview with Soprano and Head of Creative Innovations, Tania de Jong

Meet the songbird that’s helping others find their voice in business and in life!

Tania de Jong is a leading Australian soprano and social entrepreneur at the forefront of creativity and innovation. She is the Founder and CEO of Creativity Australia, Creative Universe, the Creative Innovation Global conference, and numerous other creative initiatives and outreach programs across Australia.

Tania has presented her leadership programs to organisations such as BHP, Telstra, ANZ, Royal Children’s Hospital and various universities to help them improve engagement, innovation and performance, and today she gives Spark readers an exclusive insight into what you can do to grow your business.