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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. Ali’s vision was to provide a boutique accomodation space in Jamestown to encourage travellers to stay longer in the town, to support other businesses, to turn their regional town into a bustling pace – a tourist destination.... and she is achieving this,if the reviews are anything to go by."What a gem, excellent caravan park; fantastic little gem, clean comfortable and convenient, outstanding comfort and welcome, great weekend away"…So if you’re into vintage caravans, beautifully renovated cabins, impeccably kept green spaces and and a welcome grin that can rival no other, you need to book into The Park.The Park - https://www.theparkjamestown.com/  Voice it - https://voiceit.me/

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.She headed back to the farm to help her Mum and started to work for a local law firm in Jamestown. Ten years later in 2014, she started up 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 personal life has been a roller coaster ride as we also delve into how she navigated life after her father’s suicide, becoming pregnant with twins 4 months after starting her own practice  and then losing one. To then getting pregnant with twins 5 years later – with Max being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.I love Kelly’s motto; 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 led her to build such a successful business. Enjoy Kelly’s story. Kelly Kelly Legal: https://www.kellykellylegal.com.au/Voice it: https://voiceit.me/My name is Annabelle Homer. Voice it is a regional communications business specialising in public speaking/media training for individuals and groups, podcast hosting and production, audio life stories and event MC. Get in touch if any of those services interest you.

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, eg. dancing with Prince Charles at Balmoral Castle. WOW!!But the career development didn't end there, Sophie ended up here in Australia cooking for the rich and famous on super yachts and in Sydney north shore mansions. She’s left the rich and famous behind and has moved to the Clare Valley with her husband David.   While caravanning around Australia, they came across the Curly Goose in Sevenhill, bought it and transformed it into a gin space.Enjoy Sophie's journey!Sawmill Gin and Curly Goose: https://www.sawmillgin.com/ Voice it: https://voiceit.me/

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 to then doing an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner working for BHP at Iron Knob and Iron Baron. So how does a fitter and turner, end up in insurance to then running one of the biggest insurance brokerages in Australia? It’s an inspirational tale – you could also say it's a 'rags-to-riches' story. He’s now 80 years old and formerly retired and misses it like crazy!!!  But he's still got his toe in the water and  sits on the  Board.Enjoy the journey with Brian McInerney.Links:Voice it:  https://voiceit.me/MGA Insurance: 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 a few speed bumps and obstacles along the way.You’ll hear about a chance encounter with the current Australia aerobatic champion who ignited is flying passion; George’s health scare that literally grounded him for 8 months – the toughest 8 months of his life and how his flying mentor became paralysed after crashing his plane but amazingly learnt to walk again. His big love these days is electric aeroplanes and being one of 12 people in Australia that knows how to fly on. This guy keeps on kicking goals and I’m excited to see what he does next.Enjoy this inspirational journey with George.------Since this recording George has resigned from Spencer Gulf Flight Training in Port Pirie, and also instructing at the Clare Valley Aerodrome.Good luck in what the future may hold for you George. I have a feeling, you’ll continue to make your mark in the world of aviation. If you’d like to find out more about me, I’m a voice coach, podcaster, audio memoir producer and MC. I have a website https://voiceit.me.I’ll catch you next time for another Voice it episode. 

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 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!Steve is from Adelaide, he grew up in Unley Park, one of six kids.  His outback adventures began after school when he tried his hand at jackarooing near Broken Hill,  followed by a brief stint on Kangaroo Island which is where the hospitality seed was planted. He then opened his own restaurant in Broken Hill which is where the film catering career began. It's a journey, and an inspiring one. Now retired in Clare, he's handed the tongs and bus over to his daughter Rachael.Enjoy this unique career story!Check out this clip of Steve in action on the bus!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBr9aXMCOgI To find out more about me! This is my website:https://voiceit.me/

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 Australian Institute of Sport, Crystal Palace and being a physio for the Olympic Diving Team. This woman has done so much, I’m bursting at the seams to share it with you! I’ve never met anyone with such discipline and dogged 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 in this episode.After the dizzying heights of swimming stardom and international travel, Anna saw her life to be in Paris, London, and New York however on a trip back to Australia she was swept off her feet by Clare Valley farmer – Tom Hawker. She settled down, had 4 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 was still faced with many challenges being an officer 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.What is a Police Prosecutor?In Australia, all States and Territories (other than the Australian Capital Territory) employ Police Prosecutors to work in their summary courts. These police prosecutors are almost exclusively sworn police officers who are trained to act as advocates in summary criminal prosecutions. Some police prosecutors hold legal qualifications; however, this is not a requirement to perform the role.

Today you’ll meet Edward McArdle– everyone knows him as Eddie. Eddie is the man behind the early beginnings of Agfert, one of the state’s successful fertiliser distribution and trucking companies.  Eddie talks of his humble beginnings at Avon, a small town in the lower north, his desire to quit school and start working for his father at 16 years old.  This desire and determination led him to build up his father’s business at Avon where he sold and delivered bagged bulk fertiliser. He then moved to Balaklava and expanded to a 400 tonne capacity storage facility, importing fertiliser and expanding his transport fleet to travel interstate. The company now boasts a storage capacity of 40,000 tonnes with a blending plant and two out loading facilities. Like most success businesses, it doesn’t come without some serious challenges.  Along the way, Eddie faced serious financial trouble where  a significant amount of money was lost, which forced him to sell much of the business’s assets to stay afloat and literally start again.Also, he reflects on losing his youngest son, Matt, in truck roll over near Clare in 2016, at the age of 24. Today, Eddie runs McArdle Pty Ltd focusing on transport and cement mixing and has handed over reins of Agfert to his daughter Meghan and her husband Grant.Eddie has had 51 years in business, he has nine trucks and five cement trucks and at the age of 67, there’s no signs of retirement. Despite the lawn mower, the whipper snipper and phone call interruptions, enjoy this episode  with Eddie McArdle.McArdle Pty Ltd - https://mcardlepl.com.au/Agfert- https://www.agfert.com.au/Voice it - https://voiceit.me/ 

Today you’ll meet Mim Ward.Most people in the tourism/ hospitality space in regional South Australia would know Mim. She’s a larger-than-life character, who has done an exceptional job looking after all things tourism in the Clare Valley, however Mim's career began in the outback.Mim’s early beginnings in hospitality and eventing began at the famous Prairie Hotel in the Flinders Ranges. She then started her own events business called Outback Events and was one of the major players behind The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive during the Year of the Outback. She managed hotels with her husband Bruce in Victoria as well as the iconic William Creek Hotel in the far north of SA. After working for many years in Clare as the region's tourism manager, Mim's embarking on a new challenge and heading outback once more.  She'll  be joining her husband in Coober Pedy as Bruce is the new Outback Mail Man. Before we embark on her next chapter in life, let’s hear more about Mim’s past and let’s just say, she’s lived a full life . Strap on your seat belt, you’re in for a ride. Good luck Mim, and watch out Coober Pedy! 

Listen up followers! Episode 20 of the Voice it podcast is now available for your listening pleasure.FEATURING GIEDRE BUDRIUSGiedre is the creative director at Honeycomb Design, a web and graphic design business in the South Australia's Clare Valley.  This local business is also celebrating 15 years in business this year.   WELL DONE!!!This woman has quite a story.In this episode, not only will you hear about career, but also;  Her early life in LithuaniaWhat led her to travel and permanently settle on the other side of the worldThe struggles she faced living in Australia initially, Her move to Clare, Coming out as a gay woman.This is quite a journey! She’s packed a lot in to her 38 years including  2 children, her proudest moment.I thoroughly enjoyed this whirlwind chat with Giedre and I’m more than positive you will too.This is the last episode of Season 2.I  hope to be back after winter with some more interesting interviews featuring great people doing great things in the Clare Valley and mid north of South Australia. Keep your recommendations coming.LINKSHoneycomb Design: https://honeycomb.design/ Lithuania: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lithuania VOICE IT: https://voiceit.me/Charmaine Photography: She took the 'very cool' professional photo of Giedre:https://www.charmainephotography.com.au/

Mr Dave Willson  has been described as the quintessential Aussie bloke, a true character, who absolutely loves a chat.You may know him as the bloke who runs Clare Valley Tours, but he has lived quite a full life before transporting tourists around. He’s been a wool classer, excavation contractor, the resident grave digger, and a private wool buyer.In this episode you'll learn all about a Mungindi shandy, his recreational flying escapades, and the time he accidentally dug the grave in the wrong spot!!It’s also insightful especially when he reflects on his wool buying days and his relationships with farmers and his vision for Clare Valley tourism.Enjoy the journey with Mr Dave Willson.Get in contact with Dave and Clare Valley Tours:https://www.clarevalleytours.com/The Voice it Podcast is coming up to its one year anniversary in May - 19 episodes over 8000 downloads - thank you for your support.ABOUT MEMy name is Annabelle Homer, I am a podcast host, and produce podcasts for other organisations and businesses, I also run public speaking skills training for adults and teenagers and record audio memoirs for families.https://voiceit.meFacebook: @voiceitsaInstagram: @voiceitsa

I didn’t know ANYTHING about the Tech industry before I approached my next Voice it guest.To be honest, I was a little bit intimidated because she is so accomplished in her field and such an influential player in the global tech industry, I didn’t want to come across as an absolute fool.I don’t know about you, but when I think about tech, I think of lots of really smart people sitting behind computers typing really complex algorithms ferociously onto a black screen.How wrong am I!!So that is why I found Jo’s story so fascinating. We don't go too much into the nitty gritty of it all, but I do love her stories about information security and the widespread nature of hacking. Also, she tells stories about her  role in getting more women involved in tech worldwide and taking on leadership roles in the industry – more lipstick and heels in the boardroom!!!But the biggest part of her story is her stint with the United Nations! ( I won’t say anymore, you’ll have to listen)She is so articulate and tells such a good story….and she does all this from her home in Auburn!!Enjoy the journey with Jo Stewart- Rattray.Jo Stewart- Rattray - linkedin.com/in/jo-stewart-rattray-4991a12If you'd like to get in touch with Annabelle - ME!!Instagram: @voiceitsaFacebook: @voiceitsaWebsite: https://voiceit.meEmail: voiceitinfo@gmail.com

"It's better to try and fail, than to fail not trying".In the first instalment you heard about Tim’s family's mission to escape the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia,   their trek through the jungles of Cambodia to the Thai Border and the horrors that they faced during that 2 year experience.Then you followed their life in Australia and the challenges they faced surrounding poverty, racism, and bullying.  Life took a different turn, however, when they received support from their local church who lobbied on their behalf to be given a better education and attend a better schools.This chance saw Tim and all his siblings climb their way  out of poverty and experience a better life. In this episode, you’ll hear how Tim embarked on a career in Pharmacy and how he’s built his pharmaceutical empire across the mid north and what drives him to keep growing the business. Also, we get an insight into his personal life and meeting his partner Megs and then we head back to Cambodia where Tim, has for the past 12 years, been giving back to the country that was torn to bits all those years ago through his work with New Hope Cambodia.Enjoy the second part of this journey with Tim Siv.New Hope Cambodia: https://newhopecambodia.com/Tim Siv's Terry White Chemmart, Clare Valley: https://www.facebook.com/clarechemmart/ABOUT ANNABELLEHello! I’m a podcast producer and host. I have the privilege to listen and share people’s stories for a living. I also produce audio memoirs for families and run public speaking skills sessions for corporates, adults and future school leaders. Thank you so much for listening to the Voice it Podcast. This podcast  will be celebrating its first birthday in May, my aim is to get to 10 000 downloads by then. It would be wonderful to reach this milestone by racking up 4000 downloads over the next 2 months. Can you hep me do it? Is it possible? Challenge is set! Voice it: https://voiceit.meFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsaInstagram: https://www.instagram/com/voiceitsaLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/annabelle-ottens-51573b1a7

WOW!!!! The story you’re about to hear will give you goosebumps. It will blow your mind. It will make you appreciate the comforts in life. This is a  story of hope, courage, hard work and sheer determination.Tim Siv has all these qualities. You may know him as the local pharmacist in the Clare Valley, with his big happy face plastered on the shop front in the Main street. But there’s more to Tim than meets the eye....way more!Tim is a refugee kid. He tells the story of his family fleeing the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the late 70’s, facing death numerous times,  gun point, starvation, and slave labour. Tim was born in the middle of it and he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a bag of fish. Tim takes you back to Cambodia, to the refugee camp in Thailand, and then to their new life in Australia, however his life took a turn in high school, a turn which led him on a path to success and out of poverty. It’s an inspirational tale of someone who started with nothing, and now has something. A  successful career, a good and comfortable life while still giving back,through his work with New Hope Cambodia. This is a 2 part series, in this episode you’ll hear about  his life in Cambodia and the sheer horrors of war, and his early life in Australia.Enjoy this extraordinary first part of the journey with Tim Siv.LINKS:Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-10684399Tim Siv: https://www.facebook.com/clarechemmart/ABOUT ANNABELLEHello! I'm a former ABC radio broadcast journalist now a podcast host and producer. I produce podcasts for government, different organisations and small groups. The Voice it podcast is my little baby that I do for fun.  I feel it is a privilege to be in this position to hear people's stories and to share them with you all. Thank you for all the people that have volunteered their time to tell their stories and for all of you who have listened.Also I produce audio memoirs for families and run public speaking skills sessions for corporates, adults, and teens/school leaders. Get in touch if you're interested in any of these services I provide.voiceitinfo@gmail.comhttps://www.voiceit.me 

If you’ve ever wanted to know how to start your own clothing business, listen to this episode. Bronwyn Campbell started Sassy Lass 5 years ago in Riverton, a small town in SA's mid north.It was originally just an excuse to sell a few clothes and drink bubbles with her friends, never did she expect such growth and success in that time. You'll hear about Bron’s life before Sassy Lass, being a mother to a daughter with Down Syndrome, how she ended up in Riverton and the challenges of running a retail store during COVID.She’s a breath a fresh air  who brings a lot to the town of Riverton and surrounding areas with her support for people in need and her contributions to charities.Enjoy the journey with this Sassy Lass.Sassy Lass: https://www.sassylass.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/sassylassboutiques/Voice it : https://voiceit.meFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsa/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voiceitsa/My name is Annabelle Homer, I'm formerly a ABC rural broadcaster now the owner of Voice it, a small business I started a year specialising in podcast production, audio family memoirs and public speaking training. 

It's time to get an insight into the newspaper game! In this episode you’ll meet Andrew Manuel,  the owner of the Plains Producer. Once a local rag, now a major regional newspaper.Though he didn’t start this family newspaper business, he can take a lot of the credit for growing and transforming it.  Since taking over the reigns  in 2008 he now owns a large slab of the regional newspaper network in regional South Australia. Apart from owning the Plains Producer in Balaklava,  he’s now the managing director of Papers and Publications which includes the Eyre Peninsula Advocate,  Two Wells and Districts Echo and part owner of The Border Watch...and he’s got no plans of slowing down.This is such a good news story, as so many regional papers across the country have closed down or struggling to stay afloat.Enjoy the journey with Andrew Manuel. Plains Producer: https://www.plainsproducer.com.au/Two Wells and Districts Echo: https://www.twowellsecho.com.au/Eyre Peninsula Advocate: https://www.epadvocate.com.au/The Border Watch: https://borderwatch.com.au/Voice it: https://voiceit/me

 Welcome Abby McKee to the Voice it Podcast.By day Abby works in a bank, by night she's in her dungeon arranging beautiful flower arrangements for her next event.Abby is the face behind Magnolia and Co. She started the business 3 years ago and very quickly became one of the most sort after florists and event stylist's in the Clare Valley.Abby grew up on a horse stud near Scone in New South Wales and made her way to the Clare Valley after she met her husband, Angus at Charles Sturt University in Wagga. Abby was unsure what she wanted to do in life but knew she had a creative side. Her knack for flower arranging was discovered by accident when she was flung into the role at her brother's wedding.I love Abby's honest approach to taking risks in business, the importance she places on friendships and family and how those relationships gave her the confidence to plunge into the world of small business. Abby wants to take Magnolia and Co beyond just flowers and delve into the world of landscape and home design.Enjoy the journey with Abby McKee.Magnolia and Co - https://www.facebook.com/MagnoliaandCo19Voice it- https://voiceit.me/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsaInstagram- https://instagram.com/voiceitsaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annabelle-ottens-51573b1a7

You must finish high school if you want to run a successful business.Whoever believes that, they're mistaken!This week's guest is proof you don't need a high school or a tertiary certificate to run your own successful business!In this episode you'll meet a bloke who dropped out of school, 3 weeks into Grade 12, and now runs his own little trucking empire.Rohan Welke operates Welke Transport out of Blyth, in SA's mid north.  At the age of 25, he bought his own truck, and 18 years later he owns 8 trucks, employing a handful of staff and carting livestock right across Australia.This is such an inspirational tale about one young bloke making his own way in the world doing what he loves. Like any small business, he's had many successes and challenges  along the way, which you'll hear all about. Enjoy the journey with Rohan Welke.Welke Transport: https://www.facebook.com/Welke-transport-714524385361106Voice it: https://voiceit.me/Insta: @voiceitsaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsaLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/annabelle-ottens-51573b1a7

 Deb Scammell runs a business called Talking Livestock, specialising in animal nutrition. Her knowledge and expertise on the subject, is exceptional, to the point, she is considered as one of the state’s most highly regarded and sought after livestock nutrition consultants.  Deb grew up in Blyth, she went to University in Adelaide,  and worked in numerous roles in agriculture across South Australia and Queensland, to now running her own consultancy in a sector that was pretty much non-existent 20 years ago.Over the next 40 minutes you’ll hear about Deb’s life so far.Her love for horses, she reminisces about Uni days, which go hand it hand with Thursday nights at the Maid and Magpie, and how she met her long haired beau, Joe. But Deb also reveals the heartache of losing her father too early to brain cancer and then not long after,  a near death experience, where she terrifyingly rolled the car with her 3 month old in the back seat. I laughed and cried through this interview – and I’m pretty sure you will too.Enjoy the journey with Deb Scammell.Talking Livestock: https://www.facebook.com/talkinglivestock/Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/deb-scammell-7839b06aVoice it: https//voiceit.meFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceitsaInstagram: @voiceitsa