Meet a Member

Each week in our e-news we profile one of our members and put them on the spot with some light hearted questions posed by Schmooze's founder, Phillip Jones.  The profiles are perhaps the most popular thing in the e-news, so we thought we'd compile a range of them on this page.

Updated 2 September 2010

Name:Kate Prior
Occupation: Managing Director, face2face Recruitment
Is there one thing you love about your work? I love that every day speeds by and you wonder where the time has gone, it is like you are constantly running on adrenalin. I also enjoy having a variety of tasks in my role as the business owner, manager and working roles. One moment I am interviewing a client, the next I could be completing a business plan or working on a marketing strategy. The most rewarding part is when people come to you who are having a bad time with life and you can help them out. To see the changes in their persona is wonderful.
Are there role models or ideas that motivate you as a business woman? Locally I admire Louise Curtis, founder of Hamperesque and now LollyPotz. Louise started her business from home after having her first child and now with two children she has the fastest growing franchise in Australia. Impressive. Louise saw an opportunity, weighed up the risk, believed in herself and went for it. When I see Louise today she is the same grounded person I met 5 years ago. Another role model is my great friend, Anne Neiwand. She is an amazing entrepreneur. Currently she has set up 4 businesses and is the Managing Director of them all. Under this pressure Anne remains the most positive person I know, which would attribute to her success.
Is there a book or website you'd like to share that you find a great motivator or resource in your business life? For motivation I always go to my favourite person on the subject: Tony Robbins. Every few years I attend one of his courses/seminars and that keeps me on track. Additionally, I read a lot of books and varying subjects. I very rarely read novels.  I am going the Ultimate Success Summit in September; some of the speakers are Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, Mark Bouris and Brett McFall.  Later in the year I am off to Business Mastery with Tony Robbins. A book I would recommend if you are interested in starting a business on the internet would be, “How to Make Money While You Sleep”, Brett McFall.
Do you have any free advice for a new Schmooze member or someone thinking of joining? I think Canberra has a large proportion of business being won on recommendations and relationships. Due to our size it is easy to get out and visit prospective clients and business partners. We rely heavily on our networks to do business. The better your network the greater your success. Schmooze provides a perfect place to network and meet people “face to face” from a fantastic variety of organisations. Then from these you can leverage onto additional contacts.  Schmooze provides a relaxed environment of like minded people willing to help each other. Schmooze provides a great calendar of events throughout the year which cover industry specific seminars, training sessions and mentoring. That is excellent membership value!

Name: Robert Leticq
Occupation: Entrepreneur, poet, and traveller – not necessarily in that order
Is there one thing you love about your work? I love so many things about my life and my work, but if I was forced to select just one (which you are obviously doing now Phillip – thanks mate) it would have to be “taking a unique and potentially useful idea and nurturing it to the point where it becomes a viable and respected enterprise”. This has been the case with all my businesses including: The Privileges Card (which I launched in 1991); and more recently www.RoomRates.com.au (Editor's note to members: visit their page in the Members Lounge for exclusive discounts on hotels worldwide!)
Are there role models or ideas that motivate or inspire you in your work? My belief system is based on the concept that the universe is an amazing place which almost always guarantees we ‘reap what we sow’. But, of course, some crops take longer to ‘harvest’ than others. So, I suspect the secret is to be patient, not to mention ensuring you always plant the best seed possible in the first place. I hope that’s not too much of an agricultural response for your readers to get their teeth into?
Is there a book or website that would be a 'desert island' must have? I’m a born optimist, so I just assume I would have wi-fi available. And because I always like to have a wide choice, I would appreciate being on that desert island with the latest Apple Ipad, a never ending battery, and ... a reliable connection to Amazon.com!
Do you have an anecdote of a great connection or opportunity that's come your way through Schmooze you'd like to share? My favourite saying (which I think is very apt for Schmooze) is 1+1 = 11. By attending Schmooze functions, I have found myself in numerous situations with fellow members where this concept has produced mutually rewarding results.

Name: Walter Sauer
Occupation: General Manager, University House and Graduate House, ANU
Do you have any free advice on being a good networker? Networking is so important nowadays, especially since email, sms and the like have taken the “personal” out of daily business quite a lot. I try getting out of the office as much as I can, spending time with clients. People really value and appreciate the personal interaction. Networking works.
Are there role models or ideas that motivate or inspire you in your profession? Clive Scott, area VP for Sofitel Hotels and GM at Sofitel Melbourne. His ways of doing things, coming up with ideas, motivating the team and thinking outside the box have been the greatest influence in my career downunder. For ideas, I like going back in time and re modeling a classic to suit today’s expectations or the other end of the spectrum – come up with something totally “off the wall” and making it fit.
You manage a great hotel, but is there a dream destination for your ideal holiday? Vanuatu – nothing glamorous but very relaxing. Susan, my wife is from there and we have our own stretch of pristine beach there – not a soul in sight – just palms and white sand. No mobile reception, no TV; good company, a good book, a better bottle of wine or French bubbly. Simple tastes, really. It doesn’t take much to be happy.

Name: Fergus McGhie
Occupation: Sales and Marketing Manager for Mount Majura Vineyard
Was there one moment that told you that wine was 'where it was at' for you as a career? I guess it was the first vintage I worked in the Hunter Valley as a cellar hand that confirmed for me that I wanted a career in the wine business. It was the hardest work I had ever done, 12 hour shifts from 5pm-5am. Trying to sleep during the day while staying in a caravan in the Hunter in February was not comfortable but I loved walking around the tanks and barrels with buckets, moving hoses and pumps and watching the beautiful transformation of juice to wine.
Ok, except for Mount Majura wines, what would be your top three all time great wines you've experienced? Can't answer that one although it's one of those questions that I often ponder. So far my only certain conclusion is that if stranded on a desert island with only one wine it would be Dom Perrignon, it is so restrained and elegant, fine and pure. There's no way I would ever get tired of it. Otherwise I think the top three wines are probably ones I haven't yet tried. That's the beauty of wine, it's so varied and diverse that you could never become bored or just stick to one or two favourites.
Is there a wine maker or someone in the industry that is an inspiration to you? I'm inspired by winemakers who are daring and unconventional, those who have faith in their abilities and back their judgement, like Joe Grilli in McLaren Vale who's Moda Amarone Cabernet Merlot is a brilliant expression of the Amarone style with an Australian flavour or Kathleen Quealy in Mornington Peninsula who placed her faith in Pinot Gris/Grigio long before it become fashionable. As far as wine writers go I love to read Tim White in the Financial Review, he's also a bit unconventional but his passion for wine leaps from the page.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to start their appreciation of wine? Don't get stuck in a rut and keep trying new things, the more you try the more you learn and ask questions, it's the most fun form of study you will ever undertake. Those who don't appreciate and enjoy good wine are missing out on soul enriching experiences that make life more pleasurable.

Name: Mandy Richards
Occupation: Manager , ACT Social Enterprise Hub
Is there one thing you love about your work? There are lots of things! I meet and work with great people and I’m helping create employment for people marginalised from mainstream employment…I know the difference that makes in a persons life and that makes me smile
Are there role models or ideas that motivate or inspire you in your work? I get inspired by people who have achieved amazing things – particularly those making a positive difference to others…I love entrepreneurs who contribute to society and the environment through their businesses…Anita Roddick was great, I love AVEDA and their approach…www.moralfibre.com is a small business in Bryron a friend of mine started…they’re all making the world we live in a better place.
Is there a book or website that would be a 'desert island' must have? (Assuming they have wi-fi on a desert island that is!) Can the book be made of chocolate? ;)
Do you have an anecdote of a great connection or opportunity that's come your way through Schmooze you'd like to share? I’m not from Canberra, so am new to Schmooze but the Hub is working on an exciting new project with Schmooze…stay tuned!!

Name: Scarlet Bennett
Occupation: Peak Performance Psychologist at Expert Performer
Is there one thing you love about your work? No. One is a stingy number and I’m not a stingy person. I love the people I work with. I love the variety I enjoy in my daily working life. I’ve always enjoyed problem solving and each day presents me with new problems to solve.  Since every human being is unique, peak performance strategies are not “one size fits all”. This means that to do my job well I need to find the very best approach, out of the many approaches available to me, for each situation. I love this challenge, and I also love the travel involved in my work!
If there was one thing about your work you’d want our readers to know about, what would it be? My performance interventions work. How can I be sure? Because I measure the effectiveness of every single one of them. If an intervention doesn’t achieve the high standard I set, then I work until that standard is achieved, or I provide a full refund.
Please finish this sentence: When I’m not working, I would rather be…learning something new.
Is there a book or website that would be a ‘desert island’ must have? Desert islands are definitely not my cup of tea so anything less than complete Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk book access would lead to tears.

Name: Kristen Zotti
Occupation: President of the Public Relations People (PRP) at the University of Canberra
Is there one thing you love about your role? Giving students the opportunity to see PR away from the textbooks and out of the lecture room. Often students get to the end of their degree with no clue as to what they want to do, or how to get a job. It is amazing how inspired we all get when we hear from professionals in our field with rewarding and exciting jobs and then put into place their hints and tips to make it in the industry.
What do you hope to do when you graduate? The plan is to move to the big smoke and work in a consultancy to gain experience on a range of different clients and work on some great PR campaigns. I think it would also be really rewarding to work for a charity and I also want to experience in-house PR. I just want to do everything!
Are there role models -or ideas (past or present)- that inspire you? I love meeting everyday people that are passionate about their jobs and careers, and just really love what they do. It is really inspiring and makes me excited about my future.
If you could meet someone from history, who would it be, and why? It would be great to meet Eddy Bernays, the Father of PR and to see what he would say about PR now! I would love to ask him what he would have done if he was in charge of Tiger Woods' PR or tips for Kevin Rudd right now.
Do you have any free advice for young professionals about the value of networking? Networking is absolutely vital if you want to be successful, not just in PR but in every industry that involves other people! Schmooze events are a fantastic way to meet lots of great and interesting people and you just never know what opportunities can come out of them!

Name: Jenny Roppola
Occupation: Chiropractor and owner of Ginninderra Chiropractic
Is there one thing you love about your work? Seeing neurology change in kids (and adults) and using fun games and activities with chiropractic care to do so. The more I learn about learning, the more fun work becomes - I love the fact that eurologically, if something is fun to do/learn, the better you will retain it!
What do you love to do for kicks? Walk my two hounds, and bake - not cook - but bake - muffins, cake, pastries, gingerbread, tarts.
Are there role models -or ideas (past or present)- that inspire you in your work? B.J. Palmer (the son of the founder of chiropractic) - took the ball and ran with it - truly a mover and shaker - didn't listen to the naysayers and fought hard for our profession. Mabel Palmer - B.J.'s wife - she was one of the first female chiropractors and wrote one of the first chiropractic anatomy text books. Major Dejarnette created a fabulous chiropractic technique (S.O.T. = Sacro-Occipital Technique) and also helped develop colour photography - I love how he lived off the patent he sold to Kodak for the rest of his life too....
If you could invite two people from history to lunch, who would it be, and why? Marie Antoinette - at least she would eat my cake.... Major Dejarnette so I could learn more and be inspired.
Do you have any advice for a new Schmooze member or someone thinking of joining? Don't be shy - just join and come along!

Name: Claire Burge
Occupation: Private Client Adviser – Fiduciary Services
Is there one thing you love about your work? There are lots of things I love about my work at Perpetual! Our broad service offering allows us to assist clients with everything from wealth creation to retirement planning, from tax planning to estate planning, from philanthropic endeavours to wholesale and retail managed funds. My role deals with Estates and Trusts and I particularly enjoy being able to assist clients and family members during a difficult time. Perpetual also supports the wider community and is in fact one of the largest managers of charitable funds in Australia – which is something I am very proud to be associated with.

What do you love to do for kicks? The last couple of weeks it was all about Eurovision for me – and enjoyed myself so much am planning on heading to Germany for next year’s show. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of all that awesomeness?! I’m still rocking out to album!

Would you care to recommend a book or website you've enjoyed recently? It’s not a recent read but I never miss an opportunity to recommend my favourite book; Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It’s a story of apocalyptic proportions with a cast of witches, aliens, demons, angels and four children, one of whom holds the future of the world in his capable (albeit dirty) hands. I’ve actually bought seven copies of this book over the years because I keep lending it to people and it never gets returned, must be because they love it as much as I do…

If you could star in any movie or TV series, who would you be, and why? Difficult question. The best I can come up with is Eddy (or Patsy for that matter) from Absolutely Fabulous. Not because I identify with the characters (much) but to be able to behave so childishly and obnoxiously must have been incredibly therapeutic, and getting paid for it would certainly beat paying for therapy!

Name: Steve Gregory
Occupation: CEO – Snowy Hydro SouthCare Trust (the fundraising arm of the Snowy Hydro SouthCare Aero Medical Rescue Helicopter Service)
Is there one thing you love about your work? Making a difference to people’s lives by keeping the Rescue Helicopter in the air. I was at a wedding recently and met one of the patients our crews saved. To see the gratitude of her family was somewhat overwhelming! My kids are great fans of the Rescue Helicopter and think my job is pretty cool – I tend to agree!
Do you get to fly very often in the helicopter? No – only on PR flights but that is more than most people so I am very lucky. Not a day goes by I don’t look at imagery of the Rescue Helicopter and I never get tired of seeing it – it really stands out.
Are there role models -or ideas (past or present) that inspire you in your work? Seeing how humble and down to earth the pilots doctors and intensive care paramedics are that fly on Snowy Hydro SouthCare is very inspirational. I have had some great roles with big brands but my current role is just so personally rewarding
Is there a book or website you came across recently you loved and want to share? With two little boys under 10 most of the books I read these days are kids books so anything aimed at an adult is appreciated. In my job I tend to read a lot of business books and a friend recently put me onto www.smartcompany.com.au which I have found interesting.
How does Schmooze fit in with SnowyHydro SouthCare Rescue Helicopter's plans? It’s all about the people. We need to be connected to the community we operate in and we need to be out with people, talking about Snowy Hydro SouthCare , sourcing sponsorship opportunities, finding ways to work smarter and along the way we make new friends as well. Schmooze has been a great way for the staff to meet new people, attend functions and learn new things


Name: Cindy Reese-Mitchell
Occupation: Commercialisation Manager at Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre. I help people start and growth brilliant ideas into profitable businesses
Is there one thing you love about your work? Being paid to learn! I love learning about and exploring new markets, products and solutions with my clients.
What do you love to do for kicks? Watching Australian soap operas, preferably from the 1980s. My current obsession is, ‘A Country Practise’ whose lovely theme song is my partner’s ring tone for me.
Would you care to recommend a book or website you've enjoyed recently?  Just finished, ‘The Heart Garden’ by Janine Bourke. It is the biography of Sunday Reed. I could spend days in the Sydney Nolan Gallery at the NGA. I’ve always been fascinated by the woman who so generously gifted the Ned Kelly series to Australia. I would love to leave that sort of legacy to the country I have adopted.
If you could star in any movie or tv series, who would be, and why? Would have to be the Matron at Wandoin Valley Bush Hospital (A Country Practise). Because she didn’t have a computer on her desk, got to wear a red cape and occasionally make out with Dr. Elliot [Shane Porteous].

Name: Stephanie Hawkins
Occupation:  Communications Officer, St Vincent de Paul Society
Is there one thing you love about your work? I love all of it. I really enjoy working in PR. I get to meet all sorts of people and to see the results of my work through all aspects of our organisation really motivates me.
What inspires you each day? When I get the chance to talk to our clients, they are the ones that inspire me.
If there is one thing older folks should know about Gen-Y, what would it be? We may not have 5-10 year plans, but we do know what we want, when we want it, and we feel we work hard to deserve them. But saying that, we prefer strong performance-based cultures where results count more than job security or personal appearance.

We want to be responsible with the decision-making that helps move us on in our career path. We are ambitious but we also see a job as more than just a pay check; we care about what our employer stands for and expect corporate social responsibility to be both noticeable and available within the organisation.
If you could invite two people from history to lunch, who would it be, and why? One of them would definitely be Kerry Packer as he was a media mogul in Australia and was a very interesting man, so the conversation during lunch would never by dry! I would also like to have lunch with John Howard, although he is still alive, he has shaped Australian politics and was an influential political figure during his career (even before he became Prime Minister).

Name: Frank Arnold, AKA François (World Famous) (the more people I tell, the more World Famous I become).
Occupation: Managing Director, Zap Investments Pty Ltd T/as Quantum Ideas; Design House (they wouldn’t let me register ‘Zap Inc’ because I wasn’t incorporated, so I chose ‘Zap Investments’ even though I wasn’t an investment company...go figure).
How did you spend your holidays? 11 days being irresponsible, decadent and frivolous, plus 3 days down the Coast with 5 members of the Rat Pack ( being the same).
Are you optimistic about 2010? We are starting the year with 6 crunchy urgent projects (that’s why I am back on deck now rather than in a weeks time), so I am very optimistic about 2010. It’s also the Year of the Tiger which the Chinese consider a prosperous cycle, and if they prosper, so will we.
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently?  Loved the Steig Larsson ‘Salander’ trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tatoo etc). First and second books are fantastic. Book three is not quite as good (seems to have been rushed through Editing), but it is still really engaging. Highly recommended.
If you could be anything for a day what would it be, and why? Amazingly well organised and under control would be nice. A non-smoker celebrating his 10th anniversary as a non-smoker would be great too. How about the person receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for magically creating a lasting World Peace , Yesterday!

Name:  Brian Hutchinson
Position: Director / Co-owner, Equation Corporate Design
What do you love about your job the most? The power of great graphic design to put messages in people's heads.
What do you do for kicks? Play guitar. My guitar teacher is a rock and roller from way back and makes the whole learning process a lot of fun. It's very therapeutic.
Are there role models -past or present- that inspire you in your work? From the past, Ross Renwick, one of the founders of the Billy Blue magazine, and my former boss. Ross has retired now but he used humour, clever writing and a distinctive approach to graphic design to create a well known (in it's day) literary magazine and a very successful creative consultancy, which I had the pleasure of running before joining Equation several years ago.
From the present, my business partner Andrew Simpson and our team of business creatives. These guys are the best and consistently produce outstanding creative work that surprises and delights our clients.
If you could invite two people from history to lunch, who would it be, and why?
•    Sir Edmund Hillary, he's a great example of what you can do if you set your mind to it, both for climbing Everest and helping the people of Nepal. He was by all accounts a modest and down to earth man despite being famous and a national hero in New Zealand. He would have great stories to tell.
•    The British comedian Tommy Cooper (I grew up in London in the 1960s). His one-liners still make me laugh – 'Police arrested two kids yesterday, one was drinking battery acid, the other was eating fireworks. They charged one and let the other one off.'  I reckon with Tommy and Ed at the same lunch we'd have fun!
 

Name: Ilea Buffier
Occupation: Managing Director, Ninetwofive Interiors.
How did you spend your holidays? The south coast… with the rest of Canberra.
Are you optimistic about 2010? Yes, it’s a new decade so it would be nice to have a good start to it.
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently?  Cradle to Cradle and Dirt Music
If you could be anything for a day what would it be, and why? The Stig... especially if it’s Michael Schumacher, which would mean I’d be a world champion and multi-millionaire. I’d get to dive really fast and not have to show my face if I crashed (not that the Stig would crash).

Name: Mic (Michael) Smith
Occupation: Partnership Broker, ACT Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Is there one thing you love about your work? The flexibility to be able to meet with Businesses, Industry and Community organisation to discuss how we can support young people achieve their full potential and discover how they learn best. Networking and of course my work colleagues.
What do you love to do for kicks? Kayaking, Bushwalking, Mountain Biking, travelling, cooking, entertaining, and meeting new people.
Are there role models -past or present- that inspire you in your work? I have a lot of people who inspire me, to name drop a few (for brownie points) my grandmother, Adam Counsens, Fran Moore, Diane Allan, Eva McKinley, and Sue Newstead.
If you could invite two people from history to lunch, who would it be, and why? My grandmother – she was my biggest inspiration and motivator. I would do anything to have some time with her again. Jesus would probably be the other – what a story he has!

Name: Scott Malcolm
Occupation: Money Coach / Financial Advise
How did you spend your holidays? This year was my first summer holiday where I stayed in the Capital. I relaxed with good food, wine, friends and family to reflect on and celebrate the year that was while recharging the batteries for a fresh start in 2010.
Are you optimistic about 2010? When you say ‘twenty-ten’ it has a fantastic ring to it but I have a good feeling about it and think it will be a great year. I am fortunate to have great people around me, a growing new business in a profession that I love so am looking forward to what 2010 can bring us all!
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently? Being a recent recruit to Twitter I have been doing some light reading of the Penguin Books ‘Twitterature’ which is the worlds greatest books retold through twitter. Interesting and sometimes funny concept.  On a more serious note I have been reading the Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki book ‘Why we want you to be rich’ which is a great read in an area I am passionate about – financial literacy.
If you could be anything for a day what would it be, and why? Tough question! I believe you can be anything you want to be if you set your mind to it and I think I am who and where I want to be... But with a little added escapism and fantasy it could be fun to be a professional traveller, getting to explore and experience as much of Australia and the World as possible.

Name: Claire Shannon
How did you spend your holidays? For the holidays I flew down to Melbourne and spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with family and friends.
Are you optimistic about 2010? In advertising, you can never predict the next day let alone the next year because everything is always changing so fast. However, I think it’s more effective to be optimistic rather than negative about the future, as you never know what might be around the corner. From an economical perspective, things are looking brighter for 2010, yet budgets are still tight so I think work will reflect a cautious optimism this year.
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently? As I work in advertising, the last two books I read were (not surprisingly) about advertising. The first was Excellence in advertising: the IPA guide to best practice, edited by Leslie Butterfield. I particularly liked the chapter about the client’s perspective, as I found it helped me to understand their needs more depth. The other I read was How to plan advertising, edited by Alan Cooper, which was about account planning—another interest of mine which I hope to pursue further in my career. For websites, I still can’t go past the Mad Men website where you ‘Mad Men Yourself’.
If you could be anything for a day, what would it be, and why? I would be a CEO in a business consulting firm in Asia helping small businesses and individuals to start-up, develop and run their business effectively. I’d like to do this because I have always been fascinated by Asia, especially less developed Asian countries, and because during my studies I learnt about micro-businesses in less developed countries.
In Vietnam, I visited a restaurant that was designed to give 'street kids' skills that would help them to find a job and make a living for themselves. Seeing how much of a difference one person could make using their entrepreneurism was when my passion for business began to take-off.

Name: Nathan Hannigan
Occupation: ACT Business Manager, Manpower
Is there one thing you love about your work?  How each and every day is so very different to the last
If you gave someone some advice on making the most of Schmooze, what would it be? You should actually attend the events (I am pretty much giving myself my own advice here!) I have been in the past and think they are valuable in building new connections. Don’t worry Phil, Manpower will be out in force at the next event! (excellent! Phillip)
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently? “To the Bitter End” , I will admit to being keenly interested in politics (are you still reading, or have I lost you by admitting to such a thing!?). The book details the lead up to the Liberal Party defeat at the last Federal election. An interesting perspective from both sides. As far as websites go it would have to be www.manpower.com.au that’s all the reading you need right there! My second favourite website would have to be facebook.
If you could be anything for a day what would it be, and why? I would be a superhero, I like the idea of being able to fly through the sky and wear cool costumes. Now I just need to think of a name to match……..
 

Name: Michael Holzer
Occupation: Reformed Geek (CEO Aperium)
How did you spend your holidays? Wining, Dining, Riding and Farming... Two weeks at the family farm in the Yarra Valley with friends (four legged and two legged) and family. Jag, one of the four-legged friends has now been broken in and proving to be a joy
Are you optimistic about 2010? 2010 is going to be a wonderful and exciting year. New business ventures are coming together as is the equestrian sport.
Can you recommend any good books or websites you enjoyed recently? www.hbr.com
If you could be anything for a day what would it be, and why? 10 Goal Polo Player – so different to my day-to-day world.....!

Name: Rohan Taylor
Occupation: Client Service Director, Director & Partner
Organisation: SilverSun Pictures
What is the one thing you love about your work? As a filmmaker, I get to immerse myself in some amazingly diverse worlds: from working with celebrities to being in potentially dangerous situations shooting in a foreign country or just sharing a beer with a character I would not normally ever meet. Diversity & learning I guess are the two biggest needs for me.
What do you love to do for kicks? (See above). I’m doing it! I’m one of the lucky ones where my passion is also my work.
Are there role models -past or present- that inspire you in your work?  I love everything that Stanley Kubrick did. Apart from the fact that he had massive budgets and spectacularly grand sets at his disposal, he was able to create entirely different worlds through the nuances of metaphors and attention to detail. Film is a language, and just like great wordsmiths, great filmmakers can captivate audiences, it doesn’t matter whether it’s for the big screen or a corporate video. To me, Kubrick was definitely the Shakespeare of film.   Lately I’ve also been inspired by local film-making talent here in Canberra. We’ve recently completed postproduction for two independently made films, ‘The Dinner Party’ and ‘Hobby Farm’ that are now both being released, and we’re about to start on a third.
If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be, and why?  As a Sci-Fi nut I would have to say - Kubrick, London, late 60’s – shooting 2001: A Space Odyssey. To have been in his shoes for a day, working with those sets, and those budgets – that’s a dream come true! Not to mention those ‘60s hairstyles and fashions! Do you know that film had a 200:1 shooting ratio!

Name: Steven Murray
Occupation:  Professional Photographer – specialising in photographing people
Is there one thing you love about your work? There are so many things I love about my work it is hard to select just one aspect of it. In fact, I guess I love everything about what I do. I work for myself, am challenged every day, meet amazing people, have free reign on creative expression, get to buy new toys (cameras), receive instant feedback (always good) and have a very supportive network of like minded friends. As my main business is photographing weddings, it is such an amazing feeling being in the middle of all the excitement, tears, drama, love and celebration – and I get to do that every week!! I am very fortunate to have a job that many have as a hobby.
What do you love to do for kicks? Work! Well sometimes I do as I really enjoy it. Sadly, I am so busy during the warmer months that recreational activities are limited to having a coffee with friends and going for a quick spin on the motor bike. Things change a bit in Winter as I have more time to myself, so for kicks I get to finish all the unfinished jobs from last year, escape in my 4WD to a warmer climate and vow that I must drop out of the rat race and never work again (dream). Strangely enough, when I am away on holiday, I hardly take any photographs as I really enjoy just being apart of the world rather than trying to capture it.
Are there role models -past or present- that inspire you in your work? Not anyone in particular. I think I am one of those people who are a social sponge. I tend to take bits and pieces of inspiration from life in general. It could be a movie, some images in a magazine, a conversation with friends, other peoples work, in fact I constantly scan my visual world and take in information and ideas for future use. The digital age has changed photography so much that almost anything is possible and the challenge is to be innovative to maintain a market share. The funny thing is that retro is in fashion. So most people want their photos to look like old photos again!!
If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be, and why? I would like to be a small child, say 3 years old. It would be wonderful to relive that total innocence where every single thing you encounter is exciting and new and you aren’t hindered by experience and are still able to be truly yourself without fear of being judged. We can strive for a similar feeling as an adult, but never really achieve that total freedom.

Name: David Mathews
Occupation: Co-owner of Crystal Approach, a Canberra-based specialist technology services company
Is there one thing you love about your work? People. While it is often thought that working in technology is all about being a geek, for me it’s interacting with people and learning how we can utilise technology to meet their needs, whether that’s building a system that helps deliver improved services or managing a project to deliver a policy or business outcome.
What inspires you each day? My wonderful wife and daughter, my fantastic colleagues, and the chance to make a difference.
If there is one thing older folks should know about Gen-Y, what would it be? Gen-Yers are un