Voice it

It’s a family affair in this episode.You’ll hear from the Redden brothers — Tom, Leo, and Steve — who went into business together and formed Dalgety Redden Agencies in Riverton and Gawler, alongside their wives Jenni and Jenny (Steve and Leo’s partners). The business specialised in all things agriculture: livestock, realestate, insurance, and agronomy.What simply happened was this: Leo, who worked for Elders, Tom, a stock agent and sheep farmer, and Steve, from Elders Real Estate, took on a business that was initially bankrupt — and turned it around within 12 months. This was back in 1991.In this recording, you’ll hear about the blood, sweat, and tears they poured into the business during those early years. The brothers leave no stone unturned, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly.You’ll first hear from Leo and Tom, then they’re joined by Steve — and Tom’s daughter, Lara.Enjoy this episode — a story filled with deep respect, love, and pride for one another. And despite the occasional blues that come with business, family always came first.This recording was initially part of Tom Redden’s private memoir I recorded in 2024. With Tom and the family’s permission they have allowed me to share this part of recording to the public.The episode kicks off with Leo Redden — enjoy.Links: Voice it https://voiceit.me/NB. This episode was taken from Tom Redden's private memoir recording. Thank you to Leo, Steve, Tom and Lara for giving me permission to make this small section of the recording into a public podcast.

It’s not that often you meet a makeup artist who’s also a farmer.  Alastair is a a 36 year old sheep producer from Eudunda and also director of Sensation Makeup Artistry.This episode focuses on a bloke who had a rough start in finding his way in life, navigating through some tremendous up and downs to find makeup as his source of identity. From dropping out of school at 16, roustabouting in shearing sheds, and working on pig and poultry farms, Alastair was told throughout his youth he wasn’t good at many things. Until he started applying makeup at drag shows - a skill he excelled at.  After getting his diploma he went on to educate future makeup artists, worked on film sets, dance shows and weddings…to then creating his own makeup line - Bush Babes! There’s so much to Alastair's story - because he’s also a farmer, in the early stages of establishing his own sheep stud - that in itself is a story…because his family is also deeply connected to Anlaby Station at Kapunda.  Enjoy the charismatic Alastair…and get some makeup tips along the way.CONTACT DETAILS:For more details about Alastair and his makeup line 'Bush Babes' or to find out more about his Beauty and Bubbles sessions, contact him on Instagram or Facebook or visit his website:https://sensationmakeup.com.au/To learn more about Voice it, follow @voiceitsa on Instagram and Facebook or Annabelle Ottens on LinkedIn or check out her website:https://voiceit.me/

In this episode, you'll meet the woman behind the newly opened, architecturally stunning gin distillery that now stands proudly among the vineyards on the edge of Clare.The Clare Valley Distillery, along with its beautifully designed tasting room, officially opened its doors in March 2025. Behind this exciting new venture is Katherine Nugent — a lawyer, teacher, and proud Clare Valley local.Known affectionately as "Karks" to most, Katherine has been nurturing this dream for the past seven years. She developed the concept alongside Guy Parkinson, former chef of Seed, and her beloved aunt and godmother, Di Mayfield — both now her business partners.Karks is passionate about gin and community. Her vision was to create a welcoming space in the Clare Valley — not just for gin lovers, but as a creative hub, especially for writing retreats. That makes sense, because she’s also in the midst of writing a book.But there’s far more to Karks than distilling botanicals. Originally from the Adelaide Hills, she takes us on a rich and colorful journey through her life — from the Hills to Denmark, with career chapters in journalism, law, teaching in Galway, and ultimately, finding home in Clare.This episode is packed with inspiration, reflection, and storytelling. So whether you're brewing a cup of tea or heading out for a long walk — settle in. This is Katherine's story.https://www.clarevalleydistillery.com.au/https://operationflinders.org.au/https://www.kademacdonaldfoundation.org/Find out more about Annabelle Homer and her communications business Voice it: https://voiceit.me/

Meet Tim Grigg, the man behind Travelwild Australia.A tour company offering 4WD experiences across the wilds of the Kimberley, South Australia’s Outback and Flinders Ranges to the more pleasurable slower paced walking tours through rolling hills and vineyards in the Clare Valley. Originally from Mildura, Tim moved to South Australia to pursue a career in industrial design, a career that wasn't for him as he always had an yearning to be in the bush. So he approached a company who ran tours to  Alice Springs and from that moment he was hooked. In this episode, Tim takes you through the highs and lows of starting a tour company, from not making any money with his first tours to Kangaroo Island, constantly fixing up trucks in the Kimberley, to navigating the GFC and COVID and pivoting the company out of challenging financial situations.This is not just a business story, it’s a love story too.Tim met his now wife Bianca, a young backpacker from Holland in his first six months as a tour guide and they’ve been touring together ever since. Enjoy this fascinating behind the scenes journey of the unglamorous world of tourism with Tim Grigg.https://travelwild.com.au/https://clarevalleywalk.com.au/https://voiceit.me/

Meet the super vivacious, creative individual Nicky White - the founder of Mickelloo.From her humble beginnings as a marching girl, meeting her farmer husband Joel at the Planet nightclub to moving to the Clare Valley and creating her own business - Nicky is not short of a story. She's been a Nutrimetics consultant, ran her own Weight Watchers’ group and delved into jewellery design and fashion. Nicky is a self-taught jewellery maker and  fashion designer, creating hand stamped jewellery, designing and making scardis, to now running her own on-farm fashion boutique.It was once considered a hobby, now it’s a full-blown  successful business where she is selling her designs across Australia and overseas. Strap yourself in - this is Nicky’s story.https://www.mickelloo.com.au/Nicky reduced her opening hours in 2024 to give her more time to make accessories. She is open every Friday and two Saturday’s a month and by appointment.  One-on-one styling is available for 6 months of the year. Hop onto Nicky’s website to get all the details and do some online shopping - she has some beautiful pieces!!https://voiceit.me/Voice it is a communications business specialising inpublic speaking training, media training, podcasting, audio memoir production and MC work. I’m passionate about giving people the skills to beeffective, engaging and memorable communicators - not just on stage but in life. I’m a former ABC broadcast journalist and also 12 years experience in AMEB speech and drama, I use those skills to bring you engaging, fun workshops and recording sessions to make you feel at ease andenjoy the process - because I get it, public speaking can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Also, I’m happy to toot my own horn - this year Iwas a finalist in the Agrifutures Rural Women's Award in South Australia - a fantastic experience I encourage any women to pursue if they have a business or a project idea that can make a difference to regional communities. https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/rural-womens-award/

Welcome to Season 4 of the Voice it Podcast!! So glad to be back and to bring you more delightful guests from the Clare Valley and mid north area of South Australia. Malcolm Stanley Heinrich, is the managing directorof SC Heinrich and Co - a family owned and operated company specialising in earth moving, quarrying, and transporting based here on the outskirts of Clare.The business was originally started in 1954 by StanHeinrich, Malcolm’s father and has been operated by the Heinrich family ever since. Stan retired in his 50th year in business but remained actively involved for a further 6 years until his passing in 2010.Malcolm has working full time in the business since he was 15 years old - that’s just over 50 years. He’s workedmainly alongside his brother Robert, who most recently stepped away and now runs it with his younger brother Andrew and his son Alex. Malcolm takes you through the history of his family and the business - how it all began, the high and the absolute lows through the 1960 and 70’s, the absolute transformation of the business during Covid and his plans for the future. Enjoy this ‘rags to riches’ tale with Moose Heinrich. Find out more about SC Heinrich and Co: https://scheinrich.com.au/Tom Kruze - the outback mailman: https://lastmailfrombirdsville.com.au/Find out more about Annabelle Homer and her communications business Voice it: https://voiceit.me/

In this episode I’m introducing you to the SA finalists of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. An award that acknowledges the essential role women play in rural industries, business and communities.It’s a big deal.The finalists were required to present a project, idea, or initiative that benefits rural South Australia in some way. The state winner will receive a $15,000 bursary to bring their project to life, with the winner announced on April 8th, 2025.Big welcome and congratulations to:Emma Gilbert from Clarendon Farm and Incubate ProThe Chicken Lady who's produced a hatching app that could transform the poultry industry.Kelly Johnson from SPhiker, who's recycling all the food waste in the world.Marie Ellul from Artlab Solutions has invented a new pregnancy device to reduce the need for rectal examinations in cows.and me....Annabelle Homer from Voice it. I want to provide more people across regional SA with the skills to communicate confidently and authentically through subsidised face-to-face programs. Be it on stage at conferences, on podcasts or in community - its for everyone! We all sat down at Emma's kitchen table at Clarendon Farm to chinwag about our backgrounds, our projects, and our experiences as RWA finalists. We hope you enjoy!Links:AgriFutures Rural Women's Award: https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/rural-womens-award/Sphiker: https://www.facebook.com/sphikerhttps://www.sphiker.com.au/http://www.instagram.com/sphiker.com.auhttp://www.tiktok.com/sphikerfoodhttps://au.linkedin.com/in/kelly-johnson-92400153Clarendon Farm & Uncubate Pro:https://www.thefarmclarendon.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/TheFarmClarendon/https://www.incubatepro.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/thefarmclarendon/⁠Artlab Solutions:https://www.artlabsolutions.com/https://au.linkedin.com/in/marie-ellul-01912b78Voice ithttps://voiceit.me/https://au.linkedin.com/in/annabelle-ottens-51573b1a7https://www.instagram.com/voiceitsa/https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsa/

It's an end of an era for this man. Peter Shearer. After 22 years at St Joseph's School in Clare, Peter has decided to step down from the top job at the end of 2024. Peter has touched the lives of many people across the regional South Australia working in Catholic schools in Jamestown, Yorketown, Loxton and finally Clare. Peter speaks of the absolute joy of his career - what has kept him in the job all these years - but also the heartbreaking challenges he's experienced along the way.

In this episode you’re going to meet Kate Mensforth. We all call her Miss Kate, she’s the woman that's built a soaring business providing children across the Clare Valley and mid north of South Australia access to the world of dance. Kate is the brains behind the Clare Valley School of Dance offering all modes of dance ballet, jazz, ACRO, contemporary, hip hop and even ninja kids, appealing to dancers on a recreational level but also giving them the chance to compete on the statewide stage. https://www.clarevalleydance.au/

This episode is about a man who had a entrepreneurial seizure. David Heinjus. What was a one-man-show in agribusiness consulting, now is the Chairperson of a multi-national company called Pinion Advisory. A leading-edge national agribusiness, water and environment consulting firm with tentacles reaching across Australia and into America.It all started in South Australia's Clare Valley. Before Pinion, Dave Heinjus founded Rural Directions in 1997 in the Clare Valley. One of the first agribusiness consultancies in the state. It started with just him and now he manages over 100 people on his team.After 23 years, he led the merger integrating Rural Directions with three other Australian companies to form Pinion. In this podcast, you'll hear his journey from his early days working as a contractor with the Department of Ag, branching into self-employment with Rural Directions, the late nights, the ongoing study, balancing all that with a young family to then chairing a global company. But let's start with Dave's early days, growing up on the family farm on the western edge of the Barossa near Freeling, a farm that he still manages today.Enjoy the journey with Dave Heinjus, a journey he reflects back on and can't believe he is where he is today. https://www.pinionadvisory.com/

Welcome back to the second instalment featuring George Millington. In the last episode you heard about George’s rise in the business world – from his early stock broking days, to transforming a humble coffee business into a successful sought after coffee brand Monjava, which was swiftly bought by San Remo. To then moving into logistics, APD Parcel Delivery. In this episode, you’re going to hear all about the rise and rise of his rural livestock empire. Since he was a young boy, George's dream was always to run a farm. He loved the land since he was a boy.He is now the bloke behind Collinsville Stud Merinos, one of the country's most well respected and prominent sheep studs in Australia. To find out how all that came to be, enjoy the rest of George's story. https://collinsville.com.au/

Today you will hear the absolute success story of George Millington. He is the man behind Collinsville Stud Merinos – one of the most prominent and well respected sheep-studs in Australia located in the mid north of South Australia. George's success story begins with his venture into the coffee industry where he established Monjava. His his excellent business sense and a stroke of luck made him a millionaire by his early 30s. He then ventured into logistics which then led him to buy Collinsville Stud Merinos. This is a 2 part series on George and this episode is just the beginning of his rollercoaster career ride. Enjoy! https://collinsville.com.au/ https://monjava.com.au/ https://apdparcel.com.au/

Meet the super vivacious Ali Cooper, the owner of the 'The Park' in Jamestown. In this case Ali hasn’t started from scratch, but probably feels like she has. She's transformed the local caravan park in Jamestown into a boutique accomodation space for travellers. Ali is also involved in the family farming business with husband, Seth Cooper, has 3 children and is an extremely active community volunteer. https://www.theparkjamestown.com/

Meet Kelly Morgan, the woman behind Kelly Kelly Legal, a successful law firm in Jamestown. Kelly grew up on a farm near Yongala, the coldest place in South Australia. She describes herself as an ‘accidental lawyer’, she initially wanted to be school teacher or an architect, but it was her father that ignited the idea of law. When Kelly graduated she had this big idea to head to Sydney and work for the big law firms but her life took an unexpected turn when her father passed away suddenly, which led her to come home and help her mum.It was then she started working in a local law firm for 10 years and then starting her own practice. She talks about what's involved in running a law firm in the country, the rapid growth it underwent as soon as she opened the doors, her frustrations when people perceive country law firms as inferior to city ones and her passion to train and nurture law graduates to encourage them to undertake a country posting. But her life has also been quite a roller coaster ride.We delve into how she navigated life after her father's suicide, becoming pregnant with twins four months after starting her own practice and then losing one. And then getting pregnant with twins five years later, with Max being diagnosed at birth with cystic fibrosis. I love Kelly's motto, which comes from her father; "Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. " I guess this has got her through the tough times, but also has helped her build such a successful business. This is Kelly's story. https://kellykellylegal.com.au/

This is a delightful story about Sophie Whitehead which I played on the Clare Valley Podcast a few months ago and I loved it so much I wanted to share it with my Voice it listeners. Sophie Whitehead's first job job out of college was cooking for royalty. In this episode, you'll hear how she came to be cooking for the Queen Mother, and the experiences she had with not just her, but many members of the Royal family. She ended up in Australia, cooking for the rich and famous on super yachts and in Sydney North Shore mansions. She's now left the the glitz and glamour behind and moved to the Clare Valley with her husband, David. It was a spontaneous move while caravanning around Australia where they came across the Curly Goose by chance, bought it and transformed it into a gin space. This is a delightful story. https://www.thecurlygoose.com.au/ https://www.sawmillgin.com/

In this episode, you'll meet Brian McInerney, one of the founding fathers of one of the top insurance brokerages in Australia. He’s the 'M' in MGA insurance. We will, of course , talk about MGA’s astronomical growth from humble beginnings back in 1975 to now over 65 thousand clients and a branch network across Australia and one in Cambodia. But we’ll also find out more about the Brian’s background, his humble beginnings growing up in Melrose with his family, his love for footy and tennis, a high school stint at Sacred Heart College at Glenelg, and then doing an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner working for BHP at Iron Knob and Iron Baron near Whyalla. So, how does a fitter and turner end up in insurance, to then running one of the biggest insurance brokerages in Australia?Well, you'll have to listen. It's an inspirational tale, a rags to riches story. He's now 80 years old and retired from MGA, but he still sits on the board.Enjoy the journey with Brian McInerney. https://www.mga.com/

Today you’ll get to meet the youngest Chief Flying Instructor in Australia. George Seppelt. Well one of the youngest, another bloke is about to cut his lunch apparently! At the prime age of 15, before he could even drive independently, he had his restricted pilot’s licence. By the time he was 22, he was a fully-fledged flying instructor in the mid north of South Australia.George always had a goal of getting his commercial pilot’s licence and being a Flying Doctor, but he’s had few speed bumps and obstacles along the way. You'll hear about the chance encounter with the current Australian aerobatic champion who ignited his flying passion, George's health scare that literally grounded him for eight months, and how his flying mentor became paralysed after crashing his plane but amazingly learnt to walk again. You'll hear about his mid-air challenging moments, but also the wins with teaching people how to fly.His big love these days is electric aeroplanes, and being one of 12 people in Australia that knows how to fly one. This guy keeps on kicking goals, and I'm excited to see what he does next. Enjoy this inspirational journey with George.

Today, you'll hear about the life of an Outback Film Caterer. Steve Marcus is the man behind Marcus Film Catering. He’s been preparing meals from outback locations for 32 years. He’s traveled in is catering blue bus to remote locations such as Broken Hill, Coober Pedy, Kalgoorlie, you name it, he’s been there. He also catered on the 4 outback cattle drives. He’s rubbed shoulders with big movies stars, Australian A listers and cooked private dinners for Hollywood directors. The stories Steve shares of his outback adventures and the people he's met along the way are pretty amazing. Who gets to go on a morning stroll with Mick Jagger? Steve does.He's from Adelaide, one of six kids who grew up in Unley Park. His outback adventures began after school when he tried his hand at jackarooing, from there he got into hospitality and he's never looked back.Steve has now retired and has handed the business over to his daughter Rachael, but he still gets the odd catering gig on the blue bus. Enjoy this unique story with Steve Marcus.

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing a former Olympian who calls the Clare Valley her home. Anna McVann is the youngest of 6 kids who grew up in the Adelaide suburbs - but she wasn’t just any kid. At the age of 15 she represented Australia at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.There she made 4 finals, an amazing result which put this teenage girl in the spotlight as a up- and-coming Australian swimmer to watch. In this episode, you’ll hear about the gruelling training regimes, the diet, the international swimming comps, the Olympic experience, the comeback, Crystal Palace, and 'physioing' for the Olympic diving team.This woman has done so much. I just can't wait for you to hear it all. I've never met anyone with so much discipline and determination.Who else would rock up to swimming training in a wheelchair with a leg in plaster and still want to train? This is just one of the many stories you'll hear. After the dizzying heights of swimming stardom and international travel, Anna initially saw her life to be in Paris or London or even New York. But on a trip back to Australia, she was swept off her feet by a farmer from the Clare Valley, Tom Hawker. She settled down, had four children and set up her own successful physiotherapy business. Strap in, this is Anna's story.

In this episode you will meet country copper and local Clare businessman, Mark Hill. He has served as the local police officer in Clare for 25 years as well as running a driving school business for the past 17 years. In this episode, you’ll hear Mark’s journey from being a young copper chasing stolen cars in the northern suburbs, going undercover in Adelaide brothels to then leaving the excitement behind to become a country cop. Though he says, Clare is a region where there’s little crime, he still faced many challenges being a cop in a close-knit community. After 25 years and at the age of 52, Mark's ready for a change and about to embark on being a police prosecutor.Enjoy the journey with senior constable, first class, Mark Hill.