May 2016

For the last couple of days, I had the privilege to attend the Asia Professional Speakers SingaporeAnnual Convention. This is officially my third convention, and it was exactly two years ago that I showed up as a complete stranger and spent two days being completely blown own away by a whole community. Here’s the blogI wrote on it back then. A life-changer. Anyhoo this year was even more special and it made me quite reflective. A fantastic group! Photo credit: Berry Happy Photography I joined APSS immediately after Convention two years ago, and within a month of signing up as a member, I agreed to be on the APSS Executive Committee. You see, I don’t sign up for anything without really thinking it through, because I’ve got to be smart where I invest my time – it is not unlimited. So when I commit to stuff, I’m in. No sitting in the back of the room for me. Joining the Exco was definitely the smartest move I’ve ever made. It got me into the heart of this community and I started to make really really awesome friends and pick up a few mentors too. In the second year I had to step back from the Exco, because I was on two other boards by this time and just not coping with all of the commitments. But I didn’t step back. An opportunity came up to compete in The Speech, and that provided an opening to be mentored by the one and only Brenda Bence. Such a wonderful lady, and the gift of her knowledge and friendship is something I will be forever thankful for. Now at the beginning of my third year in APSS, I was invited to speak on the social media panel at Convention. It was definitely an honour to share the stage with industry veteran (and my friend) Wendy McEwan, as well as two established professional speakers, Cynthia Zhai and Tom Abbot. Great panel and amazingly, I didn’t feel nervous. It was a great discussion too. We all come at social media from different perspectives with different goals, so it was a lively chat. It was during the panel that I started being reflective. From Brenda sitting up front with a big smile on her face every time I spoke, to looking out over the room to see so many friends giving us all so much love, and then afterwards, the encouragement and support. It was also amazing to hear a lot of the speakers reference my philosophy on the Giving Economy – something I believe in so deeply. Maybe that concept can finally go global? I continued to get encouragement and support from everyone over the next two days. They all know I’ve just launched my new business and they all kept asking me – what can I do to help you? What do you need? Essentially, how can I be of service – which is what APSS is all about. I can’t tell you how much I love that. Here’s two of my new pals – Mark & Anna. Sadly Mark is going back to NZ! When you enter a new community, it takes commitment to build real meaning and connections. Over the last two years I’ve invested with my whole heart, and this weekend, I realized that investment is paying off. It’s not only the knowledge I am gaining, it’s the incredible privilege to call so many fabulous people my friend. Thank you APSS. You are the gift that keeps on giving. By the way, I always have a new favourite person I meet at these events. Lindsay Adams was a firm favourite for the title, but then I met Amelie Yan-Gouiffes…. I can’t call it. So it’s a double this year!   To anyone thinking of signing up to a community or maybe you’re already part of one but sitting back, too shy to get stuck in, take my advice. Go all in and watch it blossom into something meaningful that has the potential to change your life. Life’s too short to sit in the back of the room, yes? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea BTW I’m on Twitter here, Google+ here, Instagram here, and Facebook too, if you’re interested in the other stuff I share. Feel free to share my blog if you think anyone you know will be interested or entertained. I sure do appreciate it when you do xxxxx

Magda Szubanksi(aka Sharon, Kim’s second best friend in Kath and Kim), is probably one of Australia’s most beloved and admired people, not to mention a really funny bitch. A part of my life since I was a young teenager, for me, she is an awesomely funny and inspiring woman. To get a sense of how funny, you should watch this little gem right now.     Am I right? I LOVE her!! The scary thing is I’ve known women who are exactly like the character she portrays in these skits. Anyhoo, my sister, Phillipa, gave me her memoir for Christmas. Entitled Reckoning: A Memoir, this is one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read, and trust me, I’ve read a LOT of biographies! It is a beautiful, heart wrenching book. It’s so honest. It’s so raw. It’s so human. Starting off as a migrant to Australia from the UK when she was a little girl, her story features a powerful Polish father who escaped his homeland after the second world war, mainly because he was an assassin in the Polish Underground during it. How she tries to come to terms with what he has done, as well as how it impacts him for the rest of his life emotionally, is incredibly powerful. Of course, sitting in the safety of suburban Melbourne, how could you possibly understand the choices he had to make back then? His history torments her. The story of her father is a powerful thread throughout the entire book. It’s also a story of extreme loneliness as a child. She had a depressed Scottish mother before depression was recognized, along with two siblings who were much older than her, leading completely separate lives. Her story is also a magnificent exploration into growing up in the Australia I remember, which means it’s packed full of memories for me too – including the smell of Australia. Can I just tell you that Australia, in the summertime in particular, has a smell all its own!   Her memoir is a journey into Magda’s complicated mind, which was prevalent from a very young age. As a heady person myself, I really felt this strongly. When you meet people who aren’t the sort to spend too much time in their own heads, you think lucky bastard! However, when you read a memoir by someone who is heady, you say thank god it’s not just me! I’m not nuts. Magda’s story is also about self-discovery and the painful story of her personal struggle with her own sexuality. Incredible. Honest. Powerful. Beautiful. I had no idea she went through so much internal hell before finally deciding it was the right time to come out. Today Magda is a champion of LGBT rights in Australia and I hope her message reaches into the bigger world too. She had a horrendous journey of shame and I hope that by sharing her journey, others won’t have to go through nearly 50 years of not accepting themselves for who they are. I watched her recently in an interview before Mardi Gras in Sydney. Watch this magnificent woman speak with heart-breaking passion – Magda Szubanski breaks down discussing the Safe Schools program on the eve of Mardi Gras.   A gift to the world and so is her book. There’s so much more to her story, but if you’re struggling with something, know someone who is, or you just enjoy a beautifully written memoir, please do yourself a favour and read Reckoning: A Memoir. You won’t regret it, even if you don’t know her. Then again, she was Mum in the movie Babe. So I bet you have seen her in action.    Thanks for buying it for me Phillipa. When I was getting to the end, I slowed down reading it because I just didn’t want it to end. That doesn’t happen very often. Magic. Anyone else read it? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea   BTW I’m on Twitter here, Google+ here, Instagram here, and Facebook too, if you’re interested in the other stuff I share. Feel free to share my blog if you think anyone you know will be interested or entertained. I sure do appreciate it when you do xxxxx