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It's a daily Talk Show Episode 471

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and we've got Kate made in the building.

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Thanks boy. Welcome to to Melbourne. You what you were How long did the drive tanks you got to hear from wonderful

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to MI including the travel and the getting stuck behind trucks and stuff today with three and three hours 45 minutes but that's

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nothing you know we want to balls heading towards the ferry. Yeah, yeah, I mean lots of good fishing troll trawlers. I've got a friend who his father has a fishing boat out there. I've spent a bit of time down and vulnerable. It's where you see the wild I mean always good to start a podcast with some food chat. One of the best hamburgers out of wonderful

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comments are you talking about Kim? Yeah, Megan never been Oh my goodness. next Road Trip you're coming to one of them. My daughter works there we can hook you up. This is

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the reason

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why we could take a fat Friday down to first had it when I was probably 1312 or 13 stayed in Peterborough winter Commons. I just look 70 years I've been open Yeah,

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it's incredible. And they just actually opened which I thought that they would never do but another store in July gronk. So they might have done that first. franchisee I think so. Yeah, it's interesting watching but it's just the same every time you know what you're gonna get? It's the best hamburger in the world. That's it?

1:25
Yeah. Is that the old like fish and chips style.

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It's like Andrews hamburgers and Mel Bay sort of that same style tastes like you know, you cook the patty on your barbecue at home. Just real good.

1:36
Yeah, real good. Kate, you're one of the people who you've got a regional show However, it's anything but regional in regards to the types of content you're creating? Well, we're looking at your Instagram yesterday and scrolling through all the all the all the places that you've been because I'm sure Kate's been to LA. How does someone who has radio show in warble pitch to get something like being able to travel

2:05
around the world? So I suppose the first thing is, it doesn't matter that it seemed reasonable, or it's in Melbourne, or it's in Sydney, the pitch is still the same. You're not thinking, Oh, I'm in a regional area or I'm in Melbourne or Sydney you're thinking? How can I best provide the best competition or the best content or what's the most funny and get to it? So

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content directors, though, are there a lot of content directors that are saying that it's all about local, you've got to be in your, in your town like

2:32
it's the hottest, huh, it's kind of a little bit difficult to explain. But for every market that we're in, we have localised spots for every single station. So I'm kind of moving off track for you. But say, from five o'clock in the morning, I'm recording local spots. And so as my on a partner, john, for every single market that we're on, that all play at the same time. So for example, if we're on a multiple at one stage, we're also on in Swan Hill at 715. We're both firing off the same spot, but in one place. I'm saying we've got $7,300 at the Mari downs, Golf and Country Club, any wonderful I'm saying to just save the whales this way down the logins VH This is amazing. And so that's happening for eight stations right across regional Victorian interest,

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while Josh would fall apart, remember $7,300?

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Yeah, any sort of cities involved? I would have said the whales were in Swan Hill, going down the Mary.

3:35
No, you gotta be really careful. And so some mornings, you have to play it back because you go, did I get the right town today? You know, did I write the same call like 1332? Three SH or 1134? You know, three Cs? You know, you've got to know all the calls for

3:49
all the stuff. I mean, the thing is, even when you're just speaking to one audience, you put stuff out that wasn't meant to go out. I hope your time champion here at gronk. Yeah. Playing other people's

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weight.

4:03
One on one and a half easy. Every time

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I ask the question in the moment I got it's my first week.

4:10
Only last so long, but I think it's still okay. Have you stuffed up a bunch?

4:15
Yeah, yeah.

4:18
Absolutely. But I've got a great on a partner. And isn't that the thing like when you've got someone that you work with? You've got each other's back to pick.

4:27
You blame it on here?

4:28
Well, you know, the ultimate first lesson was if you make a mistake, you know, like almost the second that it's happened. Yeah, rip that band aid off straightaway.

4:42
So, as you might have known I was in shepherd. Now, but I didn't grow up there. I was blowing. But you grew up around that region. Yeah. This is like you got your own breaky show. Like if you grew up in Melbourne, you got Ricky show in Melbourne. Yeah. Is that like, Wow, that's pretty fucking cool.

5:01
It's Yeah, it's crazy. It really is. I mean, you grow up listening to the local stars and things like that. And I suppose for me, I always wanted to be in radio, but I thought it was only for cool people. So

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you could possibly imagine,

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I didn't realise that ultimate dog when it comes to all things audio and radio and how it works. So yeah, so I just go, you know, it's just an all a bit of your dream come true. Like, yeah, you have your morning fake. I want Am I doing 330 or whatever, but you go, this is the coolest job

5:34
and so into it. Pete Who is your bro? Yeah. Was he was he? I know. He started his career quite early.

5:41
Yeah, same station, same station, same station. So you know, like, I've got he's laid the path, you know, and it's, um, you know, he's had an incredible

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journey. I mean, but he helped you by going by intern Pete. First time intern second name page.

6:00
We've got a really great relationship. But Peter is so well known. And I'll go Yeah, I'm your Peter. Definitely. He's my brother. And I know I forgot. Oh.

6:13
You know, but it's mainly the second

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will you get why you should listen to that episode with you.

6:18
Yeah. So he was he's always been kind of that push for that. But yeah, we watched him. We watched him start locally, we watched him. I remember him being on Merrick patrol, and to go back to talking about pitching an idea, you know, always in the dance industry fairly heavily. And he was working on the American Highway Patrol. And I remember, I was saying, I'm trying to build this thing at the dance special, we want to do something really big, something really special, but I've got no money. I've got nothing. And he said, Oh, you know, it's a bit like the car BQBQ. And he was saying it was a miracle wanted this old car, this old Ford and he wanted a BBQ built in the in the boot. And so Peter was a producer at the time with you know, the team and they had to get a free car free tires, get a engineer to put the BBQ in the boot type thing. And it was just a matter of leveraging on what you've got to do, you know, to get them to come on board. So he just used to say that all the time.

7:14
We said you've been on radio three years. Third year. Yeah. And this year will be the end of my third India third year. So before you had the dance, the dance school. The festival. This thing? Yeah. Hundreds of people coming. Yeah. And you mentioned before we we have a mutual which is Craig hapa. You got Craig down to talk tell us about

7:39
Yeah,

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I can't remember where I found Craig online. But you know, essentially the whiteboard lessons and he's Cut the bullshit attitude on life, stop whinging about it, just make it happen thing. The dance industry is just this incredible, but very exactly the same as the radio industry or any industry. When you look at it, you know, it's really quite taught but the Victorian era festival part of it was we would organise a professional development day for the business owners. And every year they'd come along or you go attend other conferences, and it was all very, you know, it's dance. So it's, you know, lovely and beautiful and sweet. And I thought, you know what, we need someone to come through and just go What are you talking

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about? He's known as the velvet sledge.

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He dropped the F bomb in the first 30 seconds, and I was like, this is gonna go well.

8:26
And to this day, people still say he was one of the best best speakers that they've ever encountered. And you know, for me, he always just said, Stop Kate, you're not you're not thinking big enough. You know, you're not thinking big enough. So anytime I come up with all let's do this, I think what are the what's extra think bigger, so don't Yeah, yeah. Like he used to say, Why did you call it the Victorian Dance Festival, like think bigger? And I said, well, the Australian Dance Festival was taken. So he should have went the Australian debt summit, you know? Yeah, yeah, he would really portion. So we started trading the Victorian Dance Festival like VDF. Like KFC, so it wasn't Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore. It was KFC. So Vidya. Yeah, so we wanted it to become Vidya

9:12
and the so that entrepreneurial spirit going back to that pitching side of things, being talent and going in and saying, hey, I want to do this thing. Is that an unusual thing? Or is that?

9:25
unusual? Yeah, I didn't realise I didn't know. I think the challenge I've got at the moment is I think like an entrepreneur, but I'm not the boss. So yeah, I'm actually working for someone. Oh, and there's rules in place. And there's manages and you know, when you start moving outside of the box that you're supposed to sit in, which is 10 up and do the radio every day, you know, you have to very quickly learn how to look after all those relationships.

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How do you do it? Because I think I suck at that.

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That's why we work for

9:57
employers. Yeah. So you, I mean, you've got the, you've done an amazing job of being able to do what you want, actually get overseas, pitch it in, and still be like employable. So you've obviously got a knack for relationships.

10:13
I had a strategy when I got the first job, which was flying under the radar and try not to make a scene with the best part. It was not paid a debt.

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He'd left a fairly decent legacy.

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But yeah, fine, learn, learn and get really really good and do so that then a trust would build I suppose, again, I had incredible support around me but at the end of that first year, actually cold a guy called Jamie Angel, he's up in Sydney triple M. And I said, I just don't want to be the girl in the room that giggles or laughs along I need to get really good and strong on air. And, and I've got this whole other side, you know of business management and marketing and PR, and it's wasting, you know, so he put me in contact with Craig Bruce. And very quickly, I got the mentor and got I just wanted to get as good as I could fast so that then I could start introducing all those other skills. And it's very hard to say no to someone where I got very comfortable with the word No, I can Okay, if you go on, okay, we don't went on interested. And I just go, Oh, it's just not know today. There's another way. So it's just yeah, just getting really good at Yeah, looking after the people around you and finding out what their skills were and listening, and then finding out what they want and then painting a picture. So they can't say no,

11:36
you've you're very good at the ask. I heard an interview where you're talking about people are afraid of asking. Yeah. Has that been something that has been learned over time? Where did that come from?

11:49
Mom? My mom and I, Peter and I will both say I mean, she was that we lose regional victory country dairy farmers, you know, like, so there's not nothing special or whatever, just hardworking, painful, you know, yeah, they work from the moment they work out. But they would take us down to Melbourne and mum would say to us, you know, if you ever get lost, you have to go up to someone and say, Where do I go? You know, like she would send it, she would stand somewhere and send us off to go and say to someone, always, you know, Swanston Street or whatever? And how far away is it? So we had to learn very quickly to get used to have responses from people. And yet, don't be afraid. You know, if you're afraid you gotta push that down. Because how are you going to get forward? How are you going to get forward if you don't ask the question? So rejection therapy? Yeah, from like, six years old? I don't know if it would fly in 2019. But apps,

12:38
that's no problem. No, yeah.

12:40
You're in your fault. Yeah, I guess. But so it removes that. That Yeah, building that muscle to be able to do these?

12:48
What's the worst thing that could possibly happen? You know, like, no one's dying here. We're not committing murder or doing anything illegal. So if you say no, big deal, it's just might not be the right time. Well, they might not be money in the budget, or they just don't lock you.

13:03
Have you had a surprising Yes, from a question that you thought was going to get to know

13:08
of regularly? Because once you have that theory, and you throw it out to the window, you start asking more questions, and then you know, you're always surprised with the answer. What's the recent one? Oh, yeah, I'll I was playing backyard cricket with my kids last December. And I sent an email off and I said to my group, General Manager, and to john Mike, partner, co host. And I said, wouldn't it be funny if we could play backyard cricket on the MCG? Would that be you know, awesome, because we're everyday Australians, when it when we're not athletes, this is never going to happen. And then we're like, yeah, if you can get the MCJ will

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support you.

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So I found out he was in charge of community engagements and stakeholder ships, and I got on the phone. And I said, hey, it's Katerina. wondering if I could book in a meeting for you. I've got a bit of an idea. Can I have the MCG? And within two weeks, we got a Yeah, we think, great idea. So in the next couple of weeks, we will be rolling this out. Absolutely. Saying that, you know, if you are a regional Victoria, who was always dreamed, watch cricket, on the TV, and for all who never had that opportunity, we're going to give you that chance. And that comes from a silly idea of just watching the kids play backyard cricket, thinking will never be athletes. Yeah. Wouldn't it be funny if we could get the EJ? Why don't we just ask instead of saying now that'll never happen? Yeah. Let's see what they say. If you

14:35
do you see yourself as creative?

14:37
Yeah, I think so.

14:38
Yeah. In the business sense. Like I see the ice was created. I mean, I'm asking you just a question to say if you think it, but the the business stuff and, and the creativity in the connection, versus the, you know, coming up with ideas, which one came first was at the Did you see approaching businesses a creative endeavour? Or was it a business ham? So

15:01
yeah, so that would be the business side of it coming in the practicality and the the finance side of it, and just having that understanding that it's a great idea. But in order for that to happen, there's got to be some type of buying from all stakeholders. So it can't just be a fluffy idea. Like, oh, yeah, we'd like to play cricket, you know, like, how's it going to work? Who's going to fund it? You know, have we got support for on a time, all those types of things, so even to pitch it to the content director. So I had the idea in the morning, I was sending the email that afternoon, but I'd already had to think about all the steps so stack the night you know, stack it so that they can't say no to you. So paint the picture like you've thought of every single area. Is there a local local sales strategy?

15:46
confident missing? It sevens ever done? That was quite impressive. Are you okay?

15:54
radio? podcasting.

15:57
UIK. Have

16:02
you ever done this on it? Has this ever happened to you? Where it's been this band? of you coughing like this?

16:07
Oh, no, I probably just lost my voice and I

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don't really worry.

16:21
played on number 10.

16:23
Do you have a dump button? In? Yeah, well, legally,

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you have to?

16:27
Yeah, yeah.

16:28
Yeah. So I'm second delay.

16:30
And so I'm going back to making that call, and talking about stacking things. Is that about making sure that you have everything organised before you make the first?

16:42
Yeah, before you make the pitch? Because I think some creatives can have these great ideas. And they also don't have the answers for some of the questions that would be required to get it across the line. And so you put things forward, hoping that we don't have to present these answers for you. Yeah, trust me, it's a great, great idea. And it will work.

17:00
Yeah. And that's the gap. And I think,

17:04
for me, if I didn't know something, I would get to find out how to do it online. So when you have no money, so the business side of it, that's what running my own business talk to me, when you don't have the money to hire a marketing person or a PR person or someone to do the books or a spreadsheet or whatever, you got to learn it, you're going to learn it quick. And you have to be up front with people and go I don't know, you know, and that's why saying the radio sense and pitching that idea. You know, my and wanting to get better and get reach out to Craig was because there were gaps in my knowledge, and it drove me nuts. So I could, in that first year radio, I might have been having ideas, but because I had too many gaps of how the radio kind of works. I wasn't really getting anywhere. So I had to get good quick.

17:52
Knowing how to use the tool allows you then to,

17:56
to whipping up, you know a frenzy of

17:58
Yeah. And so if if people are in a market where they've got a CD or a producer that feels like they're not allowing them to be creative. Are there mechanisms to get buy in from people and to build those relationships?

18:13
Yeah, well, aren't relationships, everything that has to be negotiated or an having that meeting and saying, Hey, listen, I feel like I'm hitting some brick walls here. You know, like, how do we going to work through this? You know, or how can we tell? So I always say, Tell me what the rules are, you know, so I can play the game,

18:32
because then you can bend them? And what are the rules in the area that you're in?

18:37
rules a week the ideas?

18:40
Like is there? Because I taking the regional example with Tommy being in Shepperton, he could have thought, look, we've got to be local all the time, we're going to be talking about the storey at the shopping centre, not going to LA.

18:55
Oh, when we got told no, you have to go local. So that was a role. The biggest thing we got was going to the lobbies, we got to we got the hotel room age, and we're going to record the you know, the breaks and send them back. And yeah, I mean, that was about as far as it got.

19:11
And so this is a different. So you're syndicated amongst a bunch of different areas. Yeah. So this is, I guess, the New Age version of breakfast in some ways where it's like your voice tracking? Is that what they call?

19:25
Yes. And noise? So more of a noise than a yes. So we have localised spots that I add in every market, will that play out at the same time, but then we live the rest of the time. And it's just that we're not saying with wearing what lucky you guys wouldn't say? Yeah, we're sitting here in Ferguson. Sure. You know, like it wouldn't

19:44
be because we don't give it a dress away.

19:47
Now we made it.

19:53
Please send any free stuff.

19:58
Box 400. It is easier, just because we're not always Yeah.

20:02
So how often are you saying we were anyway? Yeah,

20:05
well, this is the funny thing, because Tommy and I are always talking about like, I love the idea of painting the picture, the first 20 episodes, I would say things like I like the weather outside and stuff, right? And Tommy's like you're doing a fucking podcast? Was it? What

20:19
2020 you're listening to these guys talk about when he was 28 2020? If you're listening? Oh, yeah, sure. Earlier is like,

20:28
but that was gone. There is something in being able to make people feel like you're in a similar sort of Sparsh or things like that. If it's not geography. Are there other rules? Like what is the rule book? It's that

20:42
word? Isn't it related ability that hopefully this storey that we're telling or the piece of news that's happening in the day is something that's affecting their lives. And it's so we're putting that unique spin on that same storey that everyone else is telling and hopefully, the way that we're telling it, you can't get that anywhere. Yes. And so you have to tune into the morning rush to hear what does dawn and Kate have to say about that? I think common now. I mean, like every day, but like we're not do I mean, we just like you and me. Yeah, we're not. Yeah.

21:12
And so yeah, their commonalities, like I think about those shows like Bobby bones in the US. He's got a bunch of markets or whatever I think about like, okay, Country radio, they like certain things. What is the demographic or psychographic of a listener of your show?

21:26
I always think, yeah, so on paper, it's 45. Plus, and, you know, we've got music from the 70s 80s and 90s, less of the 90s, obviously, and this country, hard working people, so they don't want to hear too much. But we get paid a 14 who does a celebrity report and we get tiny Leonard to talk about all the sports, you know, and they have a great affiliation with those cereal characters. But yeah, they're just everyday nothing too over the top of fluffy than it, you know, it's just everyday living stuff. So that's a common country thing, you know, good manners. And, well, you know, Ozzy larrikin, have a laugh don't take life so seriously.

22:07
Yeah, the simple ones that connected for me like the foreigners that did really well with just the most simple relatable things. I got hit the nuts at the shopping centre was swinging my swinging my red basket and I just hit myself. And that old school feeling you don't get it much when you get older? Have you feel like they coming up into your stomach? So many people? When did you last night I was putting down the blinds last night and they got me

22:36
just things like that. And there is nothing I mean, we're so lucky. The you know, john has been on this show for something like 14 years. He's you know, he's the king of that really the market but the people that listen to the show, they're kind of like family members and you get a real kick out. We have no problems getting calls and you're talking about crazy topics. I mean, this morning, I saw someone in my news friends, you know, friends on Facebook, right? The Pavlova did it or did it come from Australia or New Zealand First and I just thought I'll wake up pull up on Facebook. See what happens. Someone commented underneath it. No. And you know what gets me on the New Zealand and Kiwi Kiwi Kiwi oil actually was aspects and you guys stole it from us. So you know, then all of a sudden we start talking about on the radio people start ringing up and then it turned into not just pads and where it come from but it talked about you know, Christmas what you're bringing for your christmas food, like people love to talk about food.

23:35
All that bro.

23:37
It was just a lot of people are angry at us.

23:42
I find that like regional or outer city areas, the news and what they cover can sometimes get a bit quirky and interesting. Like, for example, gates were getting stolen around the Golden Valley area and one bloke stole 300 400 newspapers Yeah, and so we did this thing was like, What could he possibly do with these newspapers? Give us a call. Let's just make that what could this guy actually do with it? And so we got in we got like, he's gonna lie on his floor he's got to heat the cat so something's funny like that. Is there anything specific to these regions where you broadcast to the you're finding some sort of quirky storeys

24:21
I just it's always full of it. And so the trick then is is making it so a little storey might happen here about the get you know the gate thief or whatever it might be. But it has been known to happen yeah, so say that storey came out of sales so that's dragon area on market upkeep slant way then have to look at it that and then go easier elements that make this net workable. So we don't have to say it was happening in band style. But would you believe this guy's been stealing gates, you know, or whatever the storey is, but yeah, so that's the trick of it. Finding the local storeys but even this funny and even comparing local newspapers to the Herald some some days you know, like Harold sons leading the storey and, and way leading with copper kicks, four goals on the weekend, you

25:12
know, and then have you been in the back of a DB man? Yes.

25:16
Yeah, yes, yes. What

25:18
are the things that stand out for people is, as in our that's very Metro like, what is something that just goes over people's heads or they don't really relate to that might be say, on a national show. So like, what people within Melbourne are talking about the doesn't connect with another.

25:38
I don't want to say it doesn't connect, but it just depends on the show doesn't it's like three IW we're going to be talking about things that Fifi, faith and Byron it, there's no way in hell, they're going to talk about it. So I just think, yeah, you know, for me, you get in at four o'clock in the morning or quarter to four and start looking at what's happening to overnight type thing. And you're right it all up on the board. And it's just a matter of finding out what the might what's going to connect most with our listeners and knowing that we take news national news that's coming out of Melbourne so they can get the national storey so we get a real kick out of you know, David Armstrong, we can grab his audio out some days. And you know, because he said something funny that we can't believe in the news or Yeah, so I'm pulling some part that way. But

26:20
yeah. And with john doing 12 years, and then you coming in? Was it a shock for him? When you're like, all right, I want to go overseas.

26:29
Yeah, yeah. It was a gamble. I thought you're gonna say, I just had these awful memories. We had a big night on the drink one night and I said, Oh, my God, like we were about 12 months, or whatever. And I thought I said, No, I mean, when I started, like, I was green, as I know, I knew what I was doing at first radio job, and we're on the Big Show. And he said, Yeah, never do it again.

26:51
Take on a newbie again. And I thought I've killed him.

26:55
What was that? What do you think? What's the what was the grain in you? What were you doing? Just

27:00
no experience? Everything was new. talking in front of a microphone. How to tell a storey. Yeah, they took a big gamble.

27:07
Yeah. Well, you don't know what you don't know. And there's a lot that you don't know, go into that. Yeah.

27:11
And it's lovely. Now because I say any bad habits. Really. It's John's fault.

27:17
So you went to so how long in this? I guess it was two years in.

27:22
So we done that first 12 months. And we had a planning meeting, john came down to Peterborough and I had recent, at least of the top 10 things that were happening for 2018. Everything from the royal wedding to the Commonwealth Games were happening, lots of different things for the year and, and I went through them and I left the royal wedding at the bottom. And I said, wouldn't it be amazing if we could go over? And do you know, and he was like, Kate, I have been with the company for 24 years. And I am telling you that there is no chance that they are ever going to approve this. And then he took a moment. And then he said, but I'll tell you what, if you can pitch it, and you get a yes. I'll support you. I said okay, so we called our CEO Mike Taylor been in there in my kitchen table? And he said, Yeah, sounds right to me, if you can get it. If you can get the partner what would a partner look like? And, you know, so yeah, he helped us work through the names of partners. And

28:27
what have I said yesterday? But yeah, so that's how it came about? And then of course, because, you know, it hadn't been like how we everything had to be mapped out. So it called it the playbook really everything john got to we just divided up all the jobs, like how did the technical requirements work? Who's going to handle the partnership? That was the most important thing with Trafalgar and little details? Like the logo? Where's it placed? And on all our information going at? Is there a local sales strategy? So can we sell this locally to try and monetize this a little bit? Oh, yeah, there was, you know, local travel agents were able to buy in radio advertising. If you're loving john and Kate's excellent UK adventure, you can have one to pop into Hello, world travel. Yeah, yeah. So we were able to, you know, just, you know, I keep talking about that week, like you just keep whipping things up until everyone's you know,

29:15
what support Do you have within? Like, the network and the station? Do you have integration tactics? Do you have producers? Like, what sort of the That's all?

29:26
I know. And, you know, and that's probably that moment that you go that these probably the difference that we're talking about, between a Metro Radio Show and a regional radio show. We don't have those resources. So we have incredible teams, you know, and we've got great, great content directors, content directors, our CEO is very hands on, which is lucky. JOHN, with easy experience means that he has bought the trust. Yeah, so Kate can it might have a crazy idea about something but because Johnny's the good style, they're not going to get too carried away, because John's gonna keep it it only live. So that's really, really, really good. But yeah, that's the difference. We don't have that. So if we want to make something happen, you know, sometimes don't say, Yeah, cool. You want to play back a cricket? Off you go.

30:12
Okay, then you've got you're in control more so because you're the one who has to make it happen. Yeah. With your business. And when you're growing that, and where you got it to what what was some of those things that you applied this approach to? Yeah, for your own thing that, you know, didn't have anyone saying, yes, you can do that, or No, you can't.

30:32
So just give paint that picture for you. The return at Spencer was started in 2013, as an idea that, instead of travelling to a metro city, to experience the best dance instructors in all of Australia, maybe just for once, we could have it in our own backyard, right. So there was no reason to come together other than we're going to pick out the best instructors, and they're going to teach you how to dance. So if you wouldn't have access to, and we had 117 people come on that first one now at that same time, I was trying to get a radio job, and I was getting 1000 noise, same time. So every night that I got I enrolled in my Master's in media and communications here at Swinburne, so I would drive down to Melbourne and I would do two hours worth of study and then drive home. But what I was learning and that was PR and marketing, you know, and how to tell a storey and things like that. And so what happened was, we were starting to apply all those types of things, all the stuff that we do now in radio, to a Dance Festival, which had not been done before, you know, so we would have an event then. And I remember saying to our photographer, you know, we might only have a couple of hundred people here, but you need to make it look bleak. You need to make this look like I'm sitting at home and I wish I was at the Victorian Dance Festival, you know, so that that kid that sees it on Instagram or on Facebook or whatever goes, Mom, I need to buy that $250 ticket. And I need to be the next year. So the following year, we had 1300 people showed up. And then the

31:59
hundred percent in

32:01
it's Yeah, it was a lot.

32:05
And then the next year we had 2300.

32:11
Okay, let me do the math.

32:14
On it kept growing. And then we started building partnerships with people with big companies, one of them being energetics. And they do a cicada would be amazing in Melbourne and just a flippin you know those ideas that happen? And I had said, Well, I'd only go to Melbourne, for one thing, and that would be the Melbourne town whole. Like if this country girl is going to go to Melbourne, she's gone straight to the channel. And they said, Okay, well, we will give you 20 grant, you got a Melbourne Town Hall. Okay. And so we had 5000 people in the Melbourne centre, we couldn't have fitted another person in there. Yeah, it's crazy.

32:48
Yeah. And when you were trying to get a radio job, and all those know, I get so embarrassed. Yeah. What was like? Did you have like an air check? Or what it like? What What did you What do I was awful.

33:01
Yeah, so my radio storey was again, so sick, same year, 2013 enrolled in the Melbourne radio School, which is now closed, and then thought, because my brother had got a job straight away that you would just do the radio course and then start waking the radio station, and it didn't kind of pan out life. So but what would happen was I don't

33:21
think you're missing. Like, what do you think that the people that are selling that dream? like where do people get that? So

33:28
I challenge though, to be fair, was I could only I've got three kids. So I could actually only go to two radio stations, my options were that big because my husband bless him said, well, that's great. You've got this dream, but we're not just going to pack up and move to Queensland. Yeah, you know, for you to take that first job like something

33:47
locally. Yeah. With radio, it's like people don't

33:50
take the best job wherever it comes up. Right. So I still apply for jobs for fun.

33:57
Just let me know. And then like, I hear you. Can you come up? No.

34:04
I'll do this job. Yes.

34:12
I know, it sounds awful. But I was looking to say, you know, do I need to let go of the stream timing. So it's the ultimate trauma.

34:20
So essentially, what would happen is a job would come up, I remember a job come up. And it was for the local news radio, and they said, Okay, you've got a lovely voice, but we're going to go with the guy's been working at the local newspaper. So you know, he's obviously a journalist that makes. So it enrolled in the masters of media and communications. So the first subject that I actually enrolled in was journalism. And then the second job that come up was production. I thought, How hard can it be? Sorry. And sorry, stupid, so naive, but I could handle I had some basic skills. And they said, Yeah, and so I enrolled in in advance production, so that I could edit and make the ads if I need it. So if the next job come up, so my theory was become a jack of all trades, you know, like, just keep going, you know, yeah. And I balloon bombed a radio station. What does

35:13
that even mean?

35:14
So I sent so you know, the saying in radio was top of the mind, right? So I only had two stations. And I was I was watching people get employed, and I was like, on a crane. But you know, and then get the job. Yeah, so I balloon bombed one of the station. So I sent 1000 balloons in the God that said, top of them are, you know, like top of the mind.

35:33
I went to see the penguins the other day. They said bad balloons, so probably killed about 10 below.

35:41
But apparently, it was very sad the next day when they come in, and

35:45
what does it cost you?

35:47
Money?

35:48
Yeah, yeah, I invest. Like a balloon.

35:51
Where did they get had to get? Is it a try? Someone

35:53
had to turn up at the local Country radio station with all these balloons? Yeah. And let them go? No, no, I want to just to say, Hey, I'm here because I'd been up to Sydney with PETA. And I met this girl and she said to me, I turned up at a radio station with biscuits in the shape of stars. And I said, I can bring you the stars. And I got hired on the spot. And I thought

36:17
this is how you do it. So you know, six months later, I seen a cake that said top of the mind. This

36:24
is so embarrassing. So good. I love it.

36:26
toughen them. I'm still here on cane. I'm just letting you know.

36:30
The balloon station.

36:32
balloon girls. Yeah, so

36:36
it's okay. So, cake top of the mind written on the top of it. Just want to let you know, on the end now, and I'm doing these steps.

36:45
Yeah, that's good.

36:46
Well, I think this the naivety in the start and looking back and feeling it's cringe. It's like, yeah, might be cringe to you now. But if you don't, if you didn't do that, it might not have

36:57
worked. That's also all you had at the time. Right? Which is like your you were realising, okay, I don't have the skills. Yeah, but if I hit them with enthusiasm, yeah.

37:09
Also, probably would write a haiku poem.

37:15
The line and

37:17
then I thought, okay, I've probably probably done everything I can do there before I started. Got to annoying which station was in

37:26
the one that on that? Yeah. Right. So the other station?

37:31
And what was the job? What was the specific job that you're out?

37:33
No, there was no just, I just I, I met with the local sales manager because I thought I could do sales, you know, and and I remember she said to me, what do you want to do sales? And I was like, because there's so many opportunities, like once I'm in the door, man. You know, like the world's your oyster. Just gotta let me in. You know, and I think they thought, yeah, she's willing

37:54
to get past those balloon.

37:57
Sorry. Yeah. Sorry, then. Yeah. Look, I'm the other station I think crayfish and Bo,

38:02
crayfish and

38:05
local crayfish and BIA. And, and I thought, okay, now I go quiet. Now I go quiet, and I get to work. So really just be ready. The moment that an opportunity comes up. So study, what do I need to know? Yeah, get reading out loud. You know, practising, I started so it's building the dance festival at the same time. And I was loving the storey. So I started travelling around regional Victoria telling this interviewing the storeys of the studio owners and making them the focus. And then that become my marketing. I was telling the storeys of country dance. Yeah, so all the skills that I was learning for the stream job in radio, I was applying to a dance festival that was skyrocketing. And then finally got the finally got the dream job, and then realised you can have everything but not all at once. And an opportunity come up. I can't believe I've done it. But you're an opportunity to come up someone said which we buy your dance festival. And I thought, when does when does that even happen? Like what is KFC?

39:10
So?

39:11
Yeah, yeah, so that's I said, I say it's so embarrassing, and it's um, you know, it makes me come across like I'm really full on,

39:19
that's the best way to do.

39:23
It sounds like a huge

39:27
that might have worked or, you know, like, dance might have.

39:33
Maybe not even, maybe not metro stations,

39:36
because I feel like they wouldn't have got past security.

39:39
I feel like it's a unique approach to a regional if they called regional or provincial station, like, it's probably more stands out in these markets. He's someone that really, really

39:52
thought that theory. So maybe it was a little over the top?

39:55
Well, you don't know. Here's the thing about all these opportunities we create is we don't know if they would have happened if you didn't do one thing in the process to get there. The craft started a bunch of businesses started one got into a bit of debt with one. And it was if I didn't do that, Josh, and I wouldn't have been doing the production stuff together and wouldn't have started communicating and working at let's do some creative stuff and do the podcast. Yeah. And so I think I could easily regret all those things I've done. But I can't because

40:29
you get to the thing. I was just asking 97 has there been a helium shortage? Yeah,

40:34
there's a there's a helium crisis at the moment. It came from wonderful.

40:40
What does that actually mean? What do we use helium for?

40:43
Mr. Mr. Eyes and balloons.

40:48
Some poor people?

40:51
Yeah, and the saving people. Yeah.

40:54
Trying to get a radio job. Maybe.

40:56
Turn it down?

40:58
Yeah, well, I saw the penguin. They were saying like, not the actual the people who look after the penguins was saying, bubbles we should be promoting? Yeah, yeah, the problem is, it's just a little bit more hands on because you actually have to be outside. And

41:13
once you know better do better. So bad. I wouldn't

41:19
take up. We've all got to fix. Yeah,

41:23
I mean, I love that storey of doing your own business. Because I think this creative landscape, it's hard to do it solo like it. What I liked about working in the radio station was it's a job to show up to, and then do the creative thing that I also love. What for you, what do you see 10 years down the track?

41:46
Oh, I cannot. You know, people say that to me regularly now. And I don't know what it looks I've written. I'm a huge believer in you write down what, you know, I'd written this down. I had a photo in a station. You know, I'm visual. You know, I knew what I wanted. You know, what's really clear about that? I can't see see as clearly forward 10 years, like I would like to at the moment. And I wonder if that's because I literally am enjoying every day. I have to admit, I have days where I miss that Dance Festival. But I think it's because I miss. I was the boss of that, you know, like, no, that sounds really you know, but, you know, obviously, I got the buck stops with me, I can make decisions, I could make them really fast. I didn't have to run it through 10 people to get that approval or whatever. I could change it tomorrow if I woke up. I think it's great.

42:37
Because also along with being a leader and the boss is that all the all the stuff up in the

42:43
sky, you know? So in that regard, you know, having all those people in front of me I sleep a bit better, because I'm not worried about how I'm going to pay the bills. And

42:50
there's also resilience in your ideas because you have to sell the means. So how

42:55
are you talking about the pitching. I always think that the money and the stakeholder element of really, really important in everything that you thinking about. I talk about this night at home MP de Barra It was 11 o'clock at night. And I was sitting on the beanbag and painting the picture

43:15
of a Mexican man in the jammies, the whole beats going on and I had $69,000 worth of bills in front of me,

43:23
they're gonna say 69,000

43:31
so this is the year that we're going into the Melbourne Town Hall and I'm thinking how am I going to how am I gonna pay you know, like some people this is their yearly income. This is like crazy town and i i it had never happened before. But I had a vision of what it would look like, packed out dances all on the floor of the Melbourne Town Hall dancing together. And I went to bed that night. And I got up and I thought right oh, I need to get back on the phone. I need to I need to sell one more ticket today. Two more tickets, three more tickets and speak to the Is there anything that I haven't sold yet? You know, I pretty much sell a kidney.

44:10
The stage but yes, so.

44:16
Yeah, but do you know what I mean? So every element of the victory nets festival with sold my will Yeah, absolutely.

44:21
of soda kidney if I needed tell, you know what things are worth? Like if you work because one of the things that we struggle with, we've been doing the show for 20 months or whatever. And we haven't made a cent on the podcast haven't monetized at all. I think that's this partly an excuse on waiting for the right time. But the real answer is where we haven't asked the question. Yeah. How do you know what something is worth?

44:46
So partnerships are always worth more than money. It's always the business that you doing the deal with. But I literally wrote out a list and I realised so if I was standing on the floor at the Melbourne Town Hall, and I was looking at the stage, there's a whole banner from a video that's being filmed that could be running across that now that means that every photo from that angle and every video, you could have your business across there, and I'm going to charge you two and a half thousand for that because that photo that footage, it's not just there for 12 months. So that was sold all the booths, you know, so we had all the different businesses. So we had 28 booths, and I looked at other festivals, other events, I wouldn't just there was only one other dance event in Australia at that time. But I would go to a lot of conferences, and I would look and see how that would do it. And what I'd say or can I i'm not i'm not buying today, but would you mind sharing with me your perspective, you know how your sponsorship packages and things like that. So I got really just kind of without sounding fine. Yeah, but good at identifying what we had was worthy of your investment. How did

45:55
you know what to spend money on? So when you've got that, let's try not to spend

45:58
it at all. Was that is that?

46:01
Like so? Say you think about that using that banner analogy? Yeah, you go to the printer, and they're saying, now there's this there's this type of material or that type of material? This one's a little bit more, but it's a little bit more Primo. Yeah. How do you make a decision on

46:16
remember, I mean, you guys are messing with your logo. But I remember wanting a media wall because people who had media walls was so professional. And I couldn't afford the thousand dollars for the media wall. So it was okay, thousand dollars for the media will. We're going to double it. So I'll it for 2000 Tommy, you can have the daily talk show beside Vidya. And every photo official photo will be in front of that media wall. And then I got my media wall, I had to put up with your logo. But I've got my media

46:45
expense saying Okay, I need to sell enough to cover that.

46:49
Yeah. 100% Yep. So if I wanted something, I had to cover it.

46:53
And when you go to sell a business like that, or an operation, what are they buying? And how do you package it up. So it is something that you sell.

47:03
In the case of the Dance Festival, you were kind of buying into a community and you were buying into a feeling because it wasn't bricks and mortar. I wasn't saying you know, I'm selling you this jumper or this cup or anything it was your investment into the community and your impact through that will be generational. So that was the kind of language that I talked about. So we wanted to create an environment that was all about community and not about competition coming together to learn and to celebrate and lift each other up. And understand that in dance. It's not about being the best dancer in the room. It's about dancing. So having dance for your life. So by you investing in that you you're buying into the dream with me. Yeah. So that you know the pot, those people that gave me money, I ended up you know, I'd go to a kid's birthday party, you know, like the relationships were huge. I knew when their birthdays were on I'd send them cards if someone does I didn't they family and we would send them flowers. And and when I say way we did have a team but that was I had to do that stuff. Because that Little Timmy birthday. Yeah. Nice little things and hand riding dance studio owners right across Victoria. I mean, they started coming from every state in Australia, they started coming from America and New Zealand and the Philippines. And I would write a card that said, Thank you for choosing to spend your money on me. So for you, you might have had to, if you were the parents, you know, I used to stand at the door when they'd open the doors to the big finance festival stand there. So you had to walk past me on the way through. So I could say thank you, like, thank you, mom for working 12 hours to buy that one ticket for your daughter to be here today. Thank you, you had to pack shelves or do whatever you had to do for them to come. So that was Yeah, that's how I treated it like, so the moment the doors would open, you'd be thinking I heard there's someone out there. And that Melvin town halls, the people wrapped around right around the corner at Swanson straight and it was just you know, crazy.

49:05
So do they then really protective of that so finding someone to buy it were there a lot of sort of rules around it if you're going to do this I want to make sure that x y&z

49:15
I mean, you can't kind of do that you just have to kind of hope and they had their first event this year, and, you know, thousands of people still turned up and and they still use that language community not competition, and, you know, but they're putting their spin on it, you know, it's, you know, targeted differently and all that kind of stuff. But you know, that's, I have to walk away,

49:35
was it hard to walk away?

49:37
I didn't realise and I don't think people talk about it. But when you sell a business, if you've built it from scratch, you grieve, like literally grieve for it, because you put your heart and soul into it. And all of a sudden someone's running off and doing something else with it. But yeah, and you've been used to running at a pace, you know, if every minute of every hour thinking about if you're in the way to get more people to come or or how am I going to pay that bill? Or is that contract signed? Or is that instructive flying in at the right time? You know, there's all these, you know, your project management, on overdrive for you know, every hour of every minute of every day,

50:15
how different is building a business to building your personal brand, which is how, what you're paid to do now, for radio, it's like they're employing Kate me.

50:26
Yeah, yeah, it's, um, I've always said, the only time you'll ever see me really are copies if I think my name is in jeopardy. Like, I always like to think, you know, your name is everything. That's the only thing. The only thing that you've got at the end of the day is a name, you know. So hopefully, you always think that anyone that you've worked with you, they'll walk away and go off. You know, they might not say I'm crazy, but they might go, you see what's fun? And she said yes. And she had energy. And yeah, I would definitely recommend working with her again. So they're the things

50:59
that branding what people say. But

51:01
yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So and then living it every day.

51:06
So the business brand, yeah. Versus personal brand, or do you see them as I'm bringing Kate my personal brand, and embodying that within, you

51:17
know, when I talked about the grief of selling a business, and I keep pointing to the thing, because

51:24
I do remember women of influence which,

51:27
okay, but it you know, I attached myself to the Victorian Dance Festival, I thought, who I was, was, is the founder of the Victorian Dance Festival. Hi, I'm Kate made on the founder of the Victoria nets festival, you know, like, that's who I was. But that's not who I am. And dance is not who I am. You know, I had to separate it. Yeah. And I didn't realise at the time that I had wrapped up so much of who I was, and what I was about in that festival.

51:57
Is there a YU black? So by that off, I guess the one way of doing it is just wrapping yourself up into a completely other brand, which has the risk again of doing the exact same thing. So

52:11
I like to think I'm smarter.

52:13
And so how do you how do you detach we? We had Shana Kennedy on who talks about you're not your job? Yeah.

52:21
Who are you when you're not your job?

52:23
I'm a mom. Yeah, just a mom with three kids. Yeah, that's it.

52:29
And do you think that it's what does that mean? From a, from a, your work and brand and all that sort of thing? Does that like how does that come through? So

52:38
I I think I like to think if you were flicking over or flicking through the social media, you're seeing a gamut of you know, like, what she about or what he you know, like one minute she's on the page and the next minute she's in New York or next minute, she's in the radio station, like I can't keep up with that woman and I'm okay with that. Because that's generally kind of what my life looks so yeah. So, yes. So there is I know that we're supposed to be separate you know, it's should be you know, if you're not on a, you know, who you're supposed to be, you know, I can look you in the eye and say on I am a mess of everything mixed in together, you know, and I just think and then you just have to keep evolving through it.

53:15
Well, I guess like the you are not your job is slightly different when it comes to talent, because you sort of act like you are your personality. You are bringing yourself every single

53:24
Yeah, so the first year of you know, regional radio, I could go to the supermarket in my outfits. I can't do that. Yeah.

53:34
So it is got spotted. First time you do that?

53:39
Yeah. Yeah. So just don't do it.

53:42
What did I said you get to be called the radio show or whatever you just become?

53:45
They look at you funny.

53:49
And maybe they didn't want to come

53:50
back. You know, and another another island.

53:55
You on the radio?

53:57
Getting Get out of here.

54:01
So with the with the radio stuff, you have to ask you I get permission a lot with women of influence you podcast. I know that through ice? Yeah, still, but do you get a lot of the freedoms of that sort of having your own business being able to build something? Yeah,

54:16
um, yes and no. Yeah, it's um, so the idea of the women of influence podcasts came about because of literally the dance festival, the Australian Financial Review, run an award system called the 100 women of influence. And I got listed over 100, which is still crazy to even think about it, but I got up to Sydney and I opened up the programme and inside it were 100 women, and I thought, some of them we know, you know, and Tracy's boss was in the air and there was some others in the air. And I thought there was a woman who'd created a breast shield and another woman that was, you know, created a brand and other was curing cancer and I thought, how do we not know the storey someone needs to tell the storey storeys, and I started speaking, actually, to Craig Bruce about it. And I spoke to Jane Mueller about it. And I thought this is a podcast This is telling not just famous people's storeys This is about telling anybody storeys and instead of telling everyone storeys lips naked in, and let's just own the own women, you know, like let's just really focusing on women's storeys, and you know, celebrate what they've been doing so unknown or known, it doesn't matter. And yeah, pitched it to a trader because I wanted to use their equipment for free. And, you know, I was pretty confident I was going to get a yes for that. And then they said, Can you just hold a little bit? And I'd kind of had a, you know, I kind of been pitching it to some other people. And they've been saying, Yeah, well, we could do an ad share with it, you know, if you put it on our platform type thing and kind of has it hesitating, but the the radio, ice radio team went over to radio days and come back from that, then that it was all about podcasting and the change in the audio world. And they'd said yet, we're gonna let you do this, you know, and you can do it on your own. Or you can do it under Ace, and I reckon it took me a month because of the spirit of fear. You know, they could still shut down that at any time to I mean, if they wanted to, that's, you know, that's the risk that I decided to go with. But

56:19
I, what's the so there's the risk? What's the bit so you get the equipment?

56:24
Yeah, what what, what you know, because they, you know, we're talking about a radio cut, so you guys have skills that I don't. So in terms of what a radio company has, I mean, they've got a whole digital team. So for me, if I wanted to create the online branding and stuff that I've got now, like I've had, I've been able to be down to the nitpick of, I like that colour green, you know, like, I like that, I need to build a media kit thia that WhatsApp forms that runs through all of it, I need to know, you know, we need up the phone to say I mean, I would have spent 20 grand, just three I if I was a client's going out to a company to do this for me, you know that? You know, and I need the website up and done and might say Yes, okay, no worries, I put it in, and I wouldn't have had the money then to have done that on my own. So you know, that support is incredible. So that's the risk I run, though. Yeah, you know, they could still shut it down anytime. So I'm like, how many numbers? Did I get to say? Is it?

57:17
Does it feel like that is the analytics? Are they taking notes?

57:21
I think I definitely, definitely taking notes. But I also think it's the first you know, they are radio predominant come, you know, they are radio business. So they're dipping their toe in the water. And I always, you know, if a chance comes up, and you get to talk to talk to them about it, I'll say to the managers, you know, that's great that we're dipping a toe in, but you're realising, say, three years time from now, four years time, you only have one thing, and I kept going, because I kept saying, you know, I like online and breakfast radio. So I'm a radio nerd, I love you know, the old fashioned way lists, you know, but I listened to audio on demand, based on the topic, and based on what I want to hear, and I do that with Netflix, and I do that I don't have Fox tail anymore. And all those types of things are coming into play now. So, you know, maybe, you know, maybe we need to start having those conversations. So at the moment, while there's a little bit of pressure I okay, you didn't get many listening to that one. Oh, yeah, I know.

58:25
It's early, but it's early days as well. So I feel like you need to,

58:30
you've got to be in it. Like what's, what's the alternative?

58:33
thing and you know, you know, it's just such a new thing and learning as we go, I'd actually, even the art of interviewing someone, I had to interviewed 18 women, so 18 hours worth of interviewing, before I released the first one. And now I listened back to the 18. And I can't release one. I'm having to redo them you actually are doing I have to redo them because I sound like I'm good.

59:00
Just listen to the message.

59:03
In the world, it's just the word.

59:05
So So did you. Was there a level of confidence going in? That then you do it? And you go, okay. The confidence to get it across the line? Yeah. Wasn't in line with my skill?

59:20
Yeah, yes. So I used to say, I think the concept of the women of influence podcast is good, right? So I feel like I'm onto something. If I had pitched this somewhere else. And I'd said, No, I think we might get a superstar to host it. Chances are this thing would probably see that a number you know what, you know, like you put a celebrity in, I'm gonna write this podcast, and we're just going to be about women that were done. So I'm actually the weak link in it. But that's

59:48
that's the thing. Like that's like, us awake link where the weak link where we are, right? We've got we came into this with no audience. Yeah. And so we're building completely from scratch. Yeah, but this so there's a beauty in the weak link, because the thing is everything that you do, like I've said it to you before on dams, like your branding and the stock, like, it looks like a number one.

1:00:11
Yeah. And that was, you know, one of the first comments was I laid it out on the table, you know, and I had a couple of consultants in and I was like, can I let you look at this. And I said, Kate, this looks amazing. You better live up to this. And oh, and then all of us are going to be sick, because I thought what, you know, I'm not there yet. Like I'm three years into this radio career. Oh, you know, I've just got to get good quick. And the only way that you get better is by doing what? Yeah,

1:00:36
yeah, doing it.

1:00:38
Doing it. So I can hear the interviewing technique getting better. But I also I mean, we just three weeks ago, opened up a Facebook group, and there's about 2000 people in It's crazy. And I go, I had to bring them in on the journey with me. So they're going to grow as I grow, you know, and they told me who they want to hear and give me feedback on what we should take away and all that type of stuff. So do you thinking growing in front of them and they're kind of coming with me if it like I can't almost so why recording a

1:01:10
record any others? Like I feel like oh, because

1:01:14
it you know, yeah,

1:01:15
but I mean, there is there is something in the in that process in like we all start from like you go to Indy podcast like it on the weekend. I went back to Joe Rogan's first 15 podcast, and just revelled in how shit they were just like, Oh, this is so good. I can't even hear what he saw. And, but there is. But I think that there is something in that, like you have to put like any putting out. It's interesting. The thoughts on quality. And perfectionism. Yeah, that was that played through on your journey. So I

1:01:52
have trouble with it. Because I want it to be a spot on. Yeah, so the gap of where I'm at and where I want it to be. It's what it is. Yeah. So I've got to just I've got to push those feelings written down. Because otherwise you wouldn't do. You wouldn't run a business, you wouldn't put a podcast out if you couldn't control that feeling of inadequacy and not being good enough. So you've got to ignore it. So

1:02:14
you need to push it out though. I wonder if the thing is like, a you do feel like you're getting the lessons by recording, being like, not up to standard and then redoing it.

1:02:24
I kind of when I described those first 18 I feel like I was doing my apprenticeship on the training ground for it went off. Yeah, I know what you're saying. And some of them I go, are we should do that. But even the lesson of originally, so we are based in regional Victoria. I can come down to Melbourne sometimes and three IW. Let me record from this studio, which is amazing. So we Yeah, and do that. But so the bulk of the interviews has to be done by phone. Now I was listening back to the podcast, like the practice ones, and we put them together or they weren't practice one, but we put them together like that we're going to be released. And I was saying, you know, the one thing that's letting us down is the quote the audio quality, because if you're a podcaster is there nothing better when it's crystal clear and crisp, and it sounds professional. So then we felt we you know, we did some more research. And we found out we'll Skype is the next the closest thing that you're going to get to a nice clean sound other than face to face. So yeah, so all of those other ones are done via phone and the other you know, these ones now moving forward via Skype. So yeah, I don't know, I keep wondering should Could I montage them and I just go now I'll just read it What? I just radio, I'll just be there to you know, 3am every day,

1:03:37
what did you say to the guests that you were recorded? Was the expectation that, hey, this is a trial, they might not go away?

1:03:44
No, it was, um, yeah, talk about belief in the products, you know that we are launching a podcast, it's going to change the way that women talk about women's achievement. Yeah. And I think you are a woman of influence. And and would you join me on this journey? Yeah. So that's what it was about. So I do have to go back and do those, those 18. But yeah, so I haven't. Yeah, just just moving forward, when do

1:04:10
you know, when something's of the right time to approach it? Because you could look retrospectively and say, I will do an 18 it's probably not the right time, or is it? Yeah, yeah, perspective.

1:04:23
So I, I'd written out the list of women that I would love to speak to. So I had my, you know, top 50, or whatever. And they include people like Michelle Obama, and you know, just in Europe who are not Australian, but that's not the point. But one of them was Lana Wilkinson. And I'd recorded her via the phone, it was one of the early ones and the logins were happening, and she's a stylist and she was dressing six women at the log ease and I was being sent up to the ladies to report for the morning rush. So I just said to the ice team, we got to release this is she's our number one. And we're going to piggyback on our Instagram her and look hashtag luxuries and stylists and dresses and that it out. So our first response or first podcast, had a really surprising number. And then we thought that we would have all those types of numbers moving forward. So if I go over the stroke of genius, but I don't know if it really was or not, but it just felt like the timing was right to launch it. But I remember I reckon I sent some messages saying this is the worst feeling it was the worst the night before. Knowing that people were going to get a notification to say that there's an episode their

1:05:36
launches. Do you think launches are overrated?

1:05:40
They're, they're just terrific. Yeah.

1:05:44
They're so excited, but

1:05:45
it's the lowest because I think about like back to like, when we talk about our numbers and how little we had in the first six months or whatever. And then you think about like, Okay, how much pain like the launch the episode one will potentially have the lowest amount of like the way that I guess we viewed it is it's like, it's probably gonna be as she does episode, we just got to get it through two, three. And so there's a beauty in when I did a podcast called Josh baking. I had all of that, like, everyone was an amazing guest straight up. We're in I guess, with the daily talk show we did 50 episodes before we had a guest 20 episodes before I told anyone. I wonder if like the Lord that launch of because I feel like I do the same thing, which is have the bit I need the usernames I need the website, I need to have everything dialled in. So that day one it is that world's best.

1:06:42
Yeah. Well, that was the chat. I mean, our marketing looks so spot on. So my fear then was so they listen to the first episode, I go water, that's all you're buying into buying into you know, so that's why it was really important just to connect, just keep connecting and a fundamental level. So the strategy around the podcast for me is not necessarily and it's been interesting, even having sometimes the influences on because you think I will get an influencer on and they'll share it. And then they don't share it. And then you think, what did I even know do you know? So but you the strategy around it was, so if I interview you in your community, I tell your storey and what you've done. It doesn't have to be about winning award. It's what you the impact that you've had, or your challenges and how you got through them. And you might live in a small town. But you will share it and be proud of what that you are then a woman of influence. And then you share it with your family and friends, you then listen to it, and then it pops up. And then I will always say to you, who's inspired you who's helped shape who you are, who do you think I should talk to? And so it then leap frogs on to the next person, and then bubbles out from here and then go to the guys over here. So that's kind of the strategy around building during the community that it is, you know, so if I interview you, you tell me tell you know, I've been on the podcast or whatever. And then yeah,

1:08:08
I mean, yeah, it's that network network effect. Yeah,

1:08:10
yeah, very, probably Seth Godin stuff, which, you know, you guys are huge fans of too. But yeah, I just think, yeah, it's just early days. And I think the main frustration is there's so many storeys out there. I'm not, you know, I just want to hear the storey. Yeah, that's all it is. So if I'm happy, if people are happy for me to Bumble through a bit as it is growing, and allow me to be curious, and allow me to celebrate all the people, it'll just keep taking, or if I, you know, I'm three years down the track. So three years down the track, I say it will be a national brand. And in five years time, we should say it, you know, we should see it popping around all over the place. Absolutely. You know, I just want to say because it's not going to happen, like it's not going to happen in 10 episodes. Like I'm understanding the managers, right? In 10 episodes, we're gonna have a sit down meeting and you know, strategize this thing out. And then I was like, 10 episodes coming on with that. Let's not get together yet. Yeah.

1:09:10
Yeah, well, we're celebrating 500 episodes next month. And it's we are

1:09:17
we thinking yeah, that would be great. Yes, I

1:09:20
should do something.

1:09:21
Or you can't say yeah,

1:09:21
now we can. I just think the balloon thing we need to move on from bed. No. Bad brand. Yeah, we're totally perfect, perfect days. And both Tommy and I were talking about our perfect day. It was around like being the water and being able to like, you know, get up early in the morning and experience nature being where you live. Is that your everyday like if you got that I saw that they won like the bit like the most

1:09:55
livable city in the world.

1:09:58
Yeah. So what is it you living your perfect day now? Is it just like, you know, amazing coastal lifestyle or what is

1:10:04
no, it's windy is all.

1:10:09
Awards a bit Balshaw? I

1:10:11
know I

1:10:19
know your bit mean it was marked on house prices. Uh, you know, the median house price is 340,000. It's got the whales. It's got good, right. commute to traffic. Oh, I rang you because I can't believe I was running light here. And I'm going on six K's away. It says it's going to take me 20 minutes. Are you kidding? Yeah. So all life is easier and slower and all those types of things. So yeah, I'm one of them. I'm retired.

1:10:44
So do you think would you be there long term when you think about your vision as things? The future of work is remote? I've got the dream of one day. I went to Stanley in Tasmania ones. Yeah. And I remember being really nice. which people have been emailed us about it saying that I've got a warped perception of what it was what it looks nice. If

1:11:05
you look at photos of it,

1:11:06
yeah. But the idea of like having like an is dn line or whatever the new tech is, and just being able to sit in the booth and doing your thing. So

1:11:14
VF was built, I was living in Peterborough on the Great Ocean Road. So Peter Barra is about 15 minutes from the 12 apostles, right. So I would literally put my kids on a bus at 830 and go for a walk for five K's along the coast, like the greatest delight, not just any old guys, and then come back and by 10 o'clock I'd be you know, on the computer and sky thing and phone calling and the the whole thing of the of the event that was happening in Melbourne, or in another regional town, two and a half, three hours away from me was being built, right you know, remotely from from paid of IRA and I just go you know, we're getting better at it. But we could still be getting a lot better at allowing, like all would I my graphic designer based one was up in Sydney and one was in Melbourne. And they're like, I don't you need to have all your team here. Not I just want the best person I want to work with the best person. Yeah, that's what it's always, you know, identify who the best person is. And okay, so they need to work from a shared in Stanley cool. Yeah. As I said they're working.

1:12:20
What you have really nice.

1:12:22
I think a lot of people's mindset is no need to be in the hustle and bustle New York City. Yeah. New York, Sydney.

1:12:29
Yeah. Well, I suppose the opportunities probably are here. But you know, are you

1:12:37
ready for that? Mike? Some of them

1:12:39
are a little crazy.

1:12:40
I think that I think, isn't that what you need to be? You need to be a little bit,

1:12:44
right. Yeah. Look, I think, I don't know. I think I said really early, maybe before even when I was walking in the work that I do. I would approach it whether I was living in regional Victoria or regional Queensland or Metro Melbourne heart of Sydney, I would work the same standard. So I mean, travel is only a barrier, you know, that you've got to push through in some capacity, like make it work at all costs. That's what it was, you know, just make it work. Find a way to make it work. And sometimes that means moving and sometimes it's okay, well, I can't move so what's the best thing I can do? So but yeah, you never say never. Right?

1:13:24
What's a bit of a checklist of before you send something off to somebody to ask for something,

1:13:32
whether it be a job this is more for us we need

1:13:34
whether it be a pitch will be for business idea or opportunity.

1:13:39
Yeah, um, so of sending that first email

1:13:42
so um, I mean, it just might be one interaction or might be a pitch that you put together what are some sort of checklists you go through to make sure that this is your right because some people might not feel like it's not the right time but then when is the right time?

1:13:55
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you've got to send it you've got to send it within that hour before you death kicks in or for whatever reason someone says no. I for the radio show or for video for for now women of influence I've got one I have a perspective that's already made up which tells you there's

1:14:15
a prospectus me respect this, Doc Yeah, like a

1:14:24
sponsorship?

1:14:26
Yeah, what's the actual work we do a word of the day sometimes what is the definition of the word prospectus? 97 prospectus prospectus Thank you printed booklet advertising a school university to potential parents or students, okay.

1:14:39
So it's similar to that.

1:14:42
Or giving details of an offer that could benefit investors.

1:14:47
So that is my most prized document that I will spend hours on that. And it's all your branding on the front inside that first thing, what it's about,

1:14:57
you have like a Google Doc open or something like you right stuff out,

1:15:01
done once you know, so I make a size one fits all, you know, type kind of template,

1:15:08
all the information or any steps that I think are really important. So I leave off anything that doesn't paint us, you know, great lot to you. I mean, it doesn't matter how many people we've got listening, this is the greatest thing we've ever seen. Yeah, and then options for them to get involved in type thing. So like to give them three options, you know, like this would be your gold standard, or whatever it might be part and keep using that word partnership. And then the very back pages, any images or great whatever's and then a

1:15:35
like three paint, how many pages do you think,

1:15:38
um, well, it depends of the victory dance festival got to a point because there were that many different things that you could buy, because I was literally selling everything, I think it was about seven pages long. And I'm happy to share that document. But

1:15:52
we're not creative enough.

1:15:55
GDM

1:15:55
gronk

1:16:00
that I would go to

1:16:03
bed at the very back page always say the most important party. So I say, you know, thanks for taking a look at it, he's the best thing you're working with me, you're going to work with me, you're not gonna work with 10 other people, you know, work with me directly. And we can adapt any one of these packages or these ideas to suit your outcomes, your objectives and how we're going to make it work. So the world's our oyster, so I just, yeah, that's how we would do that. So that's the final thing I leave them with like it Oh, if I've caught your attention a little bit. But it's not all quite fitting, we're not rigid. We're not a rigid box here. Let's create something that is beneficial for the both of us. And then so yeah, in that email, I'm saying, Hey, my name is Kay, you know, lovely meet you at the so that's why going to events and being places in and meeting as many people as I can is great. And then I always follow up, always follow up with an email that says hi, you know, like I just, you know, attend email, whatever we were talking about, you know, here's some stuff. Thank you for your consideration. Yeah. And then for follow back up the week later,

1:17:01
you put it in, like a calendar or something. How do you remember what you gotta do?

1:17:05
I don't know. I've walk around. I'm about up to about four notebooks. And I need them all, because you're gonna flick back through but ya know, it just pops into your head. You know, I should follow up with Josh and see if he wants to partner on this thing that we're doing. Oh,

1:17:18
yeah. So what is ice radio taken from your? I guess there's probably sales people that are less like competent in sales and what you like you I think you're a great sales. Well,

1:17:29
I don't do any sales and ice. Yeah. So I have to really, yeah, that's not my job to do that. So I've got a

1:17:38
almost direct sales.

1:17:40
It's Yeah, it's not even set. But the thing is, you coming up with your idea. It is sales, because you're already thinking about that should be going to key here and here.

1:17:48
With that, so then I hand over, then we have a National Sales Director, manager, and we have a low General, local sales manager, right. So one will handle national brands, and the other will handle local businesses across all the markets. And so they will decide, you know, amongst themselves, okay, well, Kate's got this idea. Is it going to work? Tonight? Yes or no? Is it something we should pitch to a KFC? Or a, you know, national? Or is it something that will sell locally? Yes. So and that was just about, you know, that first year, I said that I had all these gaps of knowledge, I didn't understand how the radio business sold advertising. So I had to learn that, so that when I could get it will come up with an idea, you know, we could apply it. But yeah, I don't have to go out and you know, try and sell it, like, you know, to get money for it, but I had to sell it to Trafalgar or to

1:18:43
the MCJMCJ. Example. Yeah. So if you've got

1:18:48
so when when are you bringing in the sales manager to take over that, like those types of

1:18:54
roles? You know, that, um, you know, that saying about asking for permission? Yeah, so, oh, gosh, um, but yeah, I think I just, I'm having that moment. Should I even be saying that, but it's, um, come up with everything. Get it all out there. And then, you know, deal with those little parts of

1:19:18
the entrepreneurial

1:19:20
bits you need to know, that only works if you have the talent and skills to be able to back it up, right, you can be really, you can do that. And if you can't then help and connect the dots and make it happen again, fall flat.

1:19:35
The thing with the MCJ stuff is that so I could have had this great wishy washy idea, but I knew in order for I need all my so I have nine general managers, right and nine managers that I have to have on board with an idea and some you win over a straightaway and others will won't. But if I pitch an idea, we're going to play backyard and cricket on the MCG and they go oh, yeah, good idea. stopping it makes any money and then I go, and here's your sales strategy. I mean, how can you say nice doing the work? Yeah.

1:20:07
Yeah. And stacking, stacking the odds. So you know,

1:20:13
you've got nine people's stacks on

1:20:15
Yeah. And so

1:20:18
she said, like a prioritisation of like, Okay, if I get these three? It's like, if you get john on board, you know that you can be

1:20:24
john is number one has to be on board. If I haven't got john. It's Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I have to win him over first. Yeah. And then content director. Yeah. So and then its monetary? And what is it? logistically? How's it going to work? Are we going to have to stay in Melbourne? How much is that going to cost? So don't worry, we're going to try and build a partnership with someone or, you know, how, you know, like, have you thought about all that? So you have to have an answer for every question before they're going to come at you. And that is something that had to be learned over time

1:20:55
for a creative person that you know, is really hell bent on ideas. Do you think the best ideas actually win? Or it's a combination of the cell? You know, the pitch, also the idea

1:21:10
to you know, I was thinking about that. And I thought it's just more about volume, isn't it in in radio and anything entrepreneur, isn't it volume of ideas, and not getting so hung up on? You know, when they say no, instead of being like, well told me I'm never going to speak to you again. Okay, cool. Yeah. Move on.

1:21:30
not have enough balls in Oh, no. If you have, if you only do one pitch, you're going to feel it. But if you've got like 50 pitches that have gone out to people, you don't have time to get upset because you have other people's reference was to the balls in the

1:21:45
way you said it sounded like, you need enough balls are really

1:21:50
done the juggling analogy a lot. You've need to have enough.

1:21:52
Yeah, not just

1:21:57
I'm not offended.

1:22:00
I think that's where people and I asked about the confidence thing is like, how some people feel I've got no confidence, which is why I won't send something or do something. Yeah. Do you need confidence to do this stuff?

1:22:12
I paint, you know, and that's the thing that's about isn't all of this, or what you put out to the world of what you put out on social media, that very best version of yourself work. Katonah, I'm sitting on the couch with the three kids, you know, Johnny's is thinking, how many people will edit work? Did I upset today? You know, like, did I did I push them too hard? Or because I care about the 1%? Or I'm happy to stay back for 12 hours you know, to do that extra stuff. That doesn't mean that your work ethics the same as that so I hope I didn't upset you and you know, all those types of things. And in moments of do I want to go ahead with that idea. You just got to go with it. You know, like you've got to push it for me I just have to push any self doubt right down but very home. Cade is like, God doing?

1:23:02
You know, I love you let him do it anyway. Yeah,

1:23:03
yeah, you've got to feel it. Because otherwise he said even isn't that part of the adrenaline rush of it all?

1:23:08
Yeah, we're gonna,

1:23:10
we're gonna say yesterday, made so inspiring. I feel like it's a massive kick up the ass to us where it's like, you can create so many storeys, and make a vision that small, but you're someone that's expanded out that right, there's a bit we've got a bunch of people who listen who are in regional markets, who, you know, I'm sure have the conversations with themselves where the CD won't let me do this, or I can't do that, or we have to do local. I think you're a great example of someone who's like expansive and thinking about just have it make it happen.

1:23:40
I can't come up with a better analogy than this. And I'm sorry, but I go, I like to think of a living. I am for a living. I for living.

1:23:50
I am for a number of living. And then if you land on a seven, that's pretty good.

1:23:56
Yeah.

1:23:56
You know, it's not like you failed, you landed on a great day version of the idea. And if you're not so how you know it, any idea that you put through the very first idea is not where it finishes. The first idea, you know, the landing idea is a form of you know, where it rare wraps up. But yeah, I'm for Lyft. And I say, yeah, finishes seven, and everyone's happy.

1:24:21
Allowing fear expectations. Yeah. I mean, it's like, if you don't, if you don't, if you don't aim it, you're definitely not going to get there.

1:24:31
Yeah. If money you're going for a budget, it's like, put the budget really high, because you just get half of that. Yeah, if you're in the under half. And I think there is like a limiting belief we put on ourselves in these things. We go for a few you get transfixed on a number.

1:24:48
Yeah. Or you know, what can be really easy. Like, say, talking about advertising on say this podcast, it'd be easy for us to really lowball it. So it's an absolute no brainer. But then we haven't written but if we actually spend some time in, what's the value? How can we package it in a better way? And the

1:25:06
partnership like potentially, I mean, you go to bed with somebody, you're going to bed with that person, if it's a three month deal, and you don't live up, you know, that turned out to be nightmares or high maintenance or hard work. And you think, oh, was it even worth the money? not go there.

1:25:22
It's really about marriage. You deal at the moment. slaves. Well, one last thing, the free thing. So doing shit for free? Yeah. And doing stuff for money. Do we suffer free? I've found this level of confidence. Because you're not paying and I'm going to impress. So then you'll be impressed. But I but then you like that can't last forever. You do that new early stage g Korea. Yeah. And then you've got the other side where you're like, now I need to start charging and making big promises. Yeah,

1:25:53
yeah. So I'm I play somewhere in the middle. So in the dance world, yep. I can charge in the radio. What do we call this world? The land. Yeah. And these are the land that we're playing around in at the moment. I am. I will say yes. To every opportunity that's in front of me. Yeah. I want to be the person that's ready to, you know,

1:26:16
absolutely. I mean, So when's the switch though? When do you go? Yes. So for instance, video, when did you go? Okay, now it's time to charge

1:26:25
because I yeah, I will say in the dance industry. Yeah. I just didn't have to do it. Now, if it didn't, if I didn't like the event, or the message or the whatever. But I would still say no to a free event if I wasn't on board with what they were doing anyway. You know,

1:26:39
it's all a value exchange. Yeah. So once you built up the value,

1:26:43
yes. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense.

1:26:45
I think. If you building anything, you've just got to be everywhere.

1:26:50
Be everywhere until you need to risk.

1:26:52
Yeah. Nice. I said did. He took you resting?

1:26:57
Well, the line as far as at my house is when my husband taps me on the shoulder and says hello.

1:27:07
Yeah, yeah. I mean, five.

1:27:10
You live close. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much, Kate. I love following you on Instagram and saying all the stuff because it's, it's even better hearing you talk about it, all of those things. Because as you said, you can there's there that highlights real stuff to the world that we're all in now. But there is so much tactic and stuff and I think from today, definitely I think we'll be putting all of those it will definitely get a PDF to the file.

1:27:38
I'll send you through a template you can just type my logo and

1:27:42
a little banner down he is doing

1:27:45
everything.

1:27:49
And bin folder is not paying with V mug that's

1:27:52
exactly what I thought when you posted there at the beginning.

1:27:57
back at you guys because I go you know, a 10 year plan. It's a commitment. It's something special. And I think by the time the world catches up to this you guys gonna be like,

1:28:08
what's gonna be so fun, like, imagine women of influence? The Daily talk show like what that's going to look like. Five versions of Netflix.

1:28:16
Yeah, we're all going to be on Netflix. Yeah,

1:28:19
I think I think it'd be say,

1:28:20
Yeah, I was thinking Stan.

1:28:23
I actually found out stands like connected with Channel Nine is Channel Nine when we make Stan jokes. Like I might sound like

1:28:31
a serious hole. Go Stan.

1:28:33
Hey, I know someone that works at

1:28:35
Stanford.

1:28:40
This is the problem with what we do with podcast. We don't hold back I guess within radio. You got to be thinking I remember I did a tweet. When I was on FIFA angels about a restaurant outside. I hate this restaurant in Port Melbourne and then Terry Jones who is the Executive Producers at Josh you got to take that down because there are client

1:29:02
care before I came here today because I thought I don't really know what you want to I don't really know where you want to go. So I just want to make sure anyway, didn't take the call and I thought well

1:29:15
I tried to call Yeah, we are where we said a disclaimer. Yeah.

1:29:21
It's it's the data talk show women of influences the podcast. Definitely check that out. And you just keep me on Instagram. Yeah, check her out there to daily talk show with cinema guys say guys.