This week's guest is Holly Garber - a business coach and former fashion PR agency founder who’s built a career by trusting her instincts and backing what feels right.Holly’s story is one of ambition, guts and reinvention. In her 20s, she launched a successful fashion PR agency at a time when hustle culture was at its peak, and she threw herself into building a business from the ground up. But after more than fifteen years, she made the bold decision to step away because it no longer felt aligned with who she was or the life she wanted to create.In this conversation, we talk about what it takes to walk away from something that looks good on paper, the identity shifts that come with closing one chapter and starting another, and how Holly has shaped a new path in her 40s with clarity, purpose and real confidence.We explore themes of energy management, financial discipline, honesty, and how to separate kindness from niceness - something I’ve often conflated. Holly brings such wisdom and grounded perspective, and she shares it with generosity and candour.Holly is the real deal - smart, thoughtful and inspiring. I highly recommend her fantastic Substack to tap into her brilliant thinking on the regular. https://hollygarber.substack.com/You can follow FINE FORM @thisisfineform and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs at @rebeccajarviegibbswww.thisisfineform.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s guest is Sophie Coote - Co-founder and Creative Director of SIR, the cult fashion brand she launched in her twenties alongside her friend and business partner, Nikki Campbell.In this episode, Sophie shares candid reflections on the realities of building a business in the fast-paced world of fashion. She speaks openly about burnout, the shifts she’s made to protect her creativity and wellbeing and the kind of freedom she believes is essential for true leadership - even when it challenges traditional expectations.We also talk about the role of kindness in leadership, why she sees it as one of the greatest strengths a founder can bring to the table, and how she’s evolving her relationship with ambition as both a business leader and a creative.It’s an inspiring conversation about resilience, self-discovery and building a career that feels true to you.And for a good dose of style inspiration (and your spring wardrobe), check out the beautiful https://sirthelabel.com/ and instagram @sir__You can follow FINE FORM @thisisfineform and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs at @rebeccajarviegibbs www.thisisfineform.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s guest is Zara Wong - brand consultant and writer behind the brilliant Substack, Screenshot This.In this conversation, Zara shares her journey from growing up in Papua New Guinea to building a career across some of the world’s most influential media brands. She reflects on the ambition that’s driven her from day one, the work ethic instilled by her parents and how she’s navigated each chapter with curiosity, discipline and commercial smarts.I could have spoken with Zara for hours. Her insights are sharp, thoughtful and deeply generous. We talk about building a personal brand with integrity, the power of mentorship and why good ideas aren’t enough unless you back them with action.Zara reminds us that the language we use matters - and how shifting from workaholic to work-centric reframed not just how she talks about work, but how she lives with it.You can find more of her brilliant writing on her Substack, Screenshot This https://screenshotthis.substack.com/ or follow her on instagram at @zara_wongYou can follow FINE FORM @thisisfineform and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs at @rebeccajarviegibbswww.thisisfineform.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It’s a joy to begin Fine Form with our very first guest, the extraordinary chef and cookbook author Danielle Alvarez. A Cuban-American who now calls Australia home, Danielle was the founding Executive Chef of Fred’s in Paddington and today serves as Culinary Director of Events at the Sydney Opera House.I met Danielle just as she arrived in Sydney to build a restaurant around her philosophy of honest, produce-driven cooking. I was instantly in awe - and still am. She is calm yet confident, deeply grounded in her values and refreshingly free of ego.In this conversation, Danielle reflects on a career shaped by curiosity and conviction. We talk about seizing opportunities and how calculated risks have shaped her path, how work became both a lifeline and a weight, and how stepping back to slow down helped her rediscover joy in cooking. She speaks candidly about grief, gratitude and the daily practices that now anchor her life.Her story is a reminder of what it means to live and work with intention. And it felt only right to open this podcast with someone who leads with such heart. I’m so grateful to Danielle for setting the tone for everything Fine Form is about.If you’d like to enjoy more of her thoughtful writing and recipes, check out Danielle’s Substack Made Simple https://daniellealvarezmadesimple.substack.com or her instagram @daniellemariealvarezYou can follow FINE FORM @thisisfineform and Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs at @rebeccajarviegibbswww.thisisfineform.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rebecca Jarvie-Gibbs welcomes you to FINE FORM. This season, you’ll hear conversations with inspiring women shaping food, design and culture about the shifts, choices and practices that have helped them redefine success on their own terms. Together, we’ll explore ambition without burnout, creativity without compromise and what it really means to live and work in fine form. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.