Company

Jackie Elliott started Rural Women's Day - an event for rural women to get off the farm - because she was lonely. Five years later, it's become a nation-wide success with numerous events, hosted in small rural communities all over Australia. Rural Women's Day is a non-for-profit organisation and amazingly Jackie works as a volunteer. This will change with the inclusion of Squadron Energy as a major partner as of 2024. Listen to Jackie's story and realise that you don't have to be qualified to make things happen in life you just have to have a 'reason' and enjoy it - and the rest will come. If you want to host an event in your community get involved at ruralwomensday.com.au This podcast is produced in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Fin all our stories and sign up for our newsletter at mansonpodcasting.com

Julia Spicer OAM grew up in a small rural community and now lives with her husband Tony on at Goondiwindi, QLD. Julia, the child of two teachers, has clearly been influenced by her parents vocation. She’s a teacher, a sharer, someone who likes to see others rise and shine - and in some ways this is her life’s work - getting regional Australia and it’s people on the map - and helping others to develop projects and businesses that give opportunity to people living outside of our cities. Fresh out of an 18 month stint as the first ever regionally based Chief Entrepreneur of QLD, Julia is about to launch something new...... The Connection Table is a really unique and dynamic networking platform developed by Julia in partnership with former Winner of the Agrifutures Rural Woman of the Year award and lady of many projects, Jo Palmer.  At it’s core, The Connection Table is about shepherding talented people from rural and regional Australia into the best boards, advisories and leadership roles in this country.  Basically these guys want rural voices to be heard and valued at every level of decision making and they see The Connection Table as the mechanism to make this happen. It’s designed to become THE place for executives, government, corporates and industry to look to when searching for their next CEO, board of directors, leadership team etc etc.  FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve been asked to be an ambassador for The Connection Table - so you will not only see me on board but also be hearing more about it from me in the future. The Connection Table Julia's book: Business in the Bush. This podcast is produced in partnership with Rabobank Australia.

This episode is certainly one to share with the farmer in your life. (Not to say that it’s not uber interesting to all of our regular listeners) Maria Crawford is a country girl, who’s progressed through the ag industry - with a keen and detailed interest in how supply chains operate. This interest and obvious skill has landed her in her current position as the innovation and sustainability manager for Coles livestock.  To me, a conversation with a female in a position like this a golden opportunity for me to be able to ask the questions so you, as farming families, or as a person living in a community supported by agriculture, can get an idea of the bigger picture And Maria delivers. This podcast is a wonderful insight into what kind of meat Coles buys from our farmers and there’s a lot of talk specifically about carbon emissions and how Coles is trying out some new things to try and reach the industry goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.  Company is produced in partnership with Rabobank Australia. You can find all our shows or sign-up for our free newsletter at mansonpodcasting.com

Today's guest Nadja Wallington of ChaLou Winery in Orange is about to take you on a journey into the world of wine and how to make it. This woman and her husband, Steve Mobbs, have just been awarded The James Halliday Dark Horse Award; one of the most prestigious awards of the Australian wine world. To receive it at such a young age, and for such a young brand of wine – is – I’m told – a huge achievement. When you listen to Nadja’s story – I think you can just get a feel for how naturally brilliant she is at her vocation. Today not only will get get a lesson in winemaking  but you’ll get an insight into what drives this woman – Wine, grapes and family farming. This podcast is produced in partnership with Rabobank Australia. chalouwines.com.au

Today we meet international speaker and agricultural commentator and all round cool chick, Claire Taylor – who originally hails from a beef farm near Ayr in the south west of Scotland and will soon call Orange in central west NSW home. Claire started her working life as a producer for the BBC before becoming a political commentator for Scotland's national farming paper. More recently she’s been travelling the world as a Nuffield Scholar researching the ag narratives in countries all over the world in her quest to build a way for more collaborative and positive messaging from the ag sector into the general population. Generally speaking she’s a women drive to teach farmers how to tell the very best of their stories in the hope of garnering that eternally sought after ‘understanding and recognition from the wider population – not just those in the echo chamber of agriculture.

Today our guest is a scientist – she is not dull, she is super interesting and she has a lot to offer the industry of agriculture. Nutritional food scientist, Dr Anneline Padayachee took to the stage recently at LambEx in Adelaide recently, comparing consumer perceptions of lamb to those of beef. Her case study – which she’s been researching for the last few years especially for this Lamb Ex talk – showed the lamb industry some ways in may be able to think differently about marketing it’s main meat product. Now, stop, before you think you’ve heard this all before – I can tell you you haven’t this is an all-encompassing study – and while you’ll only get a snap shot of it here today, I think you will grow to see Dr Anneline as a great ambassador for our ag industries.

Welcome back to Season 3 of Company for 2024 coming to you in partnership with our friends at Rabobank Australia, without who we would not be bringing you all these wonderful stories with such regularity. Today the podcast is sounding slightly different. It’s a live recording of my conversation with Emily Riggs, founder and creative woman behind the 100 per cent merino wool clothing brand Iris & Wool. We were lucky enough to speak on stage at the recent LambEx conference held in Adelaide. I would describe Emily Riggs as an 'accidentally' astute business woman who also happens to find herself living with 14,000 head of sheep on a merino wool station country in South Australia. It's serendipitous that she loves fashion and happens to be surrounded by animals that naturally grow the most eco friendly, sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, soft, thermo regulating, easy to work with fibre on the planet. She's also a great example that your product is nothing if you don't sell the story of it.

Shannan Davey has spent the last couple of weeks exploring Paris while competing in the Olympics. It’s a far cry from the life he was leading in the regional town of Narrabri at the age of 10. He was regularly fighting in the playground, was hyperactive in the classroom and loved to eat pizza on the couch. Two years later – his brother told him to put the pizza down and come with him, to the boxing gym. Six weeks later he had his first fight in nearby town, Cobar. This story, the journey. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY. There have been many falling out’s, trouble getting recognition because he was from the country, travel, money, eating, so many things. But Shannan Davey – the boy with his roots firmly bound in Narrabri – has triumphed – and he’s not done yet – he’s so excited for Australia’s boxing team at Paris. He reckons it’s going to change the face of boxing in Australia – and that’s why he continues to work so hard. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance by Alice Moffitt. Follow Shannan and other rural and regional athelete's journeys @mansonpodcasting on Instagram.

Look out for 21 year old Jamieson Leeson, who hails from Dunedoo in central west New South Wales in the upcoming Paralympics. She’ll be representing Australia in Boccia in both the individual and pairs events in the B3 classification. Boccia is one of the only sports specific to the Paralympics and basically it’s a ball target game that has similarities lawn bowls, bocce and snooker as well. No matter the result at Paris – Jamieson is already hailed a hero at home in Dunedoo where she’s been immortalised in a huge mural in the center of town. It does make me think of what her childhood was like there –I’m sure there were no other children scooting around the main street of town in a wheelchair Jamieson says it certainly had its challenges but mostly benefits. This is a Manson Podcasting podcast in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance by Alice Moffitt.

Patrick Tiernan blew everyone's expectations when he was amongst the lead pack for the 10,000m track event at the Tokyo Olympics. Less than 100m from the finish line as the pace continued to increase, Pat stumbled to his hands. Many Australians can remember watching on in devestation for him, but in a moment of I-don't-know-what, he got up and willed himself over the finish line, still achieving a Personal Best (PB) time. Pat says Australians should be proud of how they embraced him in this moment and ever since. Pat is back for the Paris Olympics, but this time in the Marathon, a race he's been working towards for all of his running life - and one he says is much more enjoyable to run! This is Pat's third Olympics. His 90 year old Nan (his greatest hero) will be leading the cheer squad in his home town of Toowoomba, backed by her 24 grandchildren, all his cousins. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production Assistance by Alice Moffitt.

You may not have heard of Aislin Jones before but I challenge you not to impressed by this woman’s integrity, maturity and goal setting ability! Aislin will be competing in the Olympic Skeet Clay Target Shooting Event and then ever-so-casually will also take herself off to run a her first ever Marathon a matter of days later. As a child Aislin was one of those children picking up the broken clay targets at the local gun club on the weekend – as soon as she hit the legal shooting age of 12 – she was into it. That year she met her current coach – and mapped out an 8 year plan with the Tokyo Olympics as the goal. Talk about impressive life goals! Paris is her second Olympics - but she’s incredibly level headed about the whole journey reiterating that she constantly reminds herself that life is not this sport – and that she hopes to be in the game for many more Olympics to come. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance is by Alice Moffitt For more stories of Olympic athletes from rural and regional Australia follow us @mansonpodcasting on Instagram.

Col Pearse grew up at a tiny Victorian locality called Bamawm Extension where the ratio of cows to people is 500:1. At the age of 2 he lost his right foot in a lawn mower accident. This, he says. never really impacted his life and he went on to lead a normal, hyper-active childhood playing any and all sports with his mates from town. At the age of 12 he met Paralympian Ellie Cole and after handling her gold medal, he decided that was the path for him. And set his sights on the Olympic Games. This is his second Paralympics and he'll represent Australia in the S10 classification for the 200 Individual Medley and 100 butterfly events.

One man to look out for in the Opening Ceremony – and in the Australian Men’s Rowing 8 Boat is 26 year old Jack O’Brien from Walgett in north west NSW Since the middle of May he’s been training, lapping, perfecting his style, mind, muscles and mentality, in various training camps and competitions across Europe – as the Australian Rowing Team works and works and works to give itself the best chance at a medal in Paris. Time away from home is nothing new for Jack – who went away to boarding school at the end of year 5, aged 11.   Even so, the farm is his ‘happy place’ – where he has the freedom to get away from the world of Rowing - and ponder life, with the comforts of his family being close by. There’s a definite family vibe to Jack – and he loves the Walgett community too. Who’ve been known to go crazy on the billboard creation side of things in the past! This is a Manson Podcasting Production done in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance from Alice Moffitt Host is Skye Manson For race updates and more information about rural and regional athletes competing at the Paris Games follow along @mansonpodcasting on Instagram.

Anyone who know’s me. Or who follow’s along here will know, I love newsletters. I love media, and magazines, and stories. And now I am just a bit smug with newsletters – they are delivered to my inbox, I do not have to read anything I don’t want to and the diversity is waaaaaaaay hugher than in normal journalism. One of my favourites, in fact most likely my favourite newsletter is from Sydney based journalist, author, dog lover and wannabe cook, Stephanie Wood. Many of you will be familiar with Stephanie Cook. Her byline; has adorned many, many of the articles of the the Good Weekend Magazine. And she’s also the author of Fake. A book documenting her relationship with a man who promised her the world, but who was in fact was an elaborate liar, swindler and ‘fabulist’ who prized everything from Stephanie financially, mentally and emotionally. Fake was published in 2019 but THIS WEEK her book was released – to brilliantly high acclaim – as series on Paramount Plus – Asher Keddie plays Stephanie…. We all must watch it! In this special bonus episode of Company – I converse with Stephanie, it does not feel like an interview. It was recorded last year – and at this time – Fake’s TV adaptation was not public knowledge. So our focus is on writing and daily routines and newsletters, and exactly why she chooses to write one.

Introducing: Paddock To Paris a Manson Podcasting Podcast celebrating rural and regionlal athletes on their way to the Paris Olympics. Search Paddock to Paris in your podcast app and follow or subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. Today we give you a taste of Skye Manson's conversation with Narrabri born and bred Laura Gourley who's going to Paris to row in the Womens Quad Scull. Of the 37 athletes on Australia's Rowing team, at least 6 of them are from rural Australia. This ratio of country to city people is high and so it's fitting that we kick off this podcast - which is all about elevating the stories of rural and regional Australian atheletes heading to Paris - with a sport that's seen a high representation from farm kids over the years. And 24 year old Laura who'll be rowing in the Women's Quad Skull is no different. She grew up on a cropping farm at Edgeroi, 20 mins outside of Narrabri. In fact she tributes some of her success: to the kindness of her fellow farming friends. One neighbour lent her a skull - as in a single rowing boat - to train in During Covid. And another neighbour lent her their 2km long irrigation channel - to train on. Laura and her family have always been sports mad - Her grandfather left farming to play Rugby League and went on to win two premierships with St George Dragon's in the mid-60's. But Laura's journey as a rower didn't start until she went to boarding school. She was approached to give rowing a try because of her physique - and things went from there. She was the youngest person in her Rowing 8 and top of the charts on the Urg; The electronic rowing machine. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production support by Alice Moffitt.