issue ten 2013

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Fit for lifeMeet Alanna Sandell,

the determined doctor with a feel-good vision

Feel the spiritThe camping business Caring for Country and community

The resilient voice

Groomed for success

Scholarship recipient Darryl Rae thinks he’s

an ‘average fella’ – we disagree

Shining a spotlight on Australia’s Indigenous fashion

and design industry

IBA respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and has taken care to ensure the contents of this publication do not offend.

I am as ever moved and inspired by these stories of IBA customers building positive, healthy and economically independent futures for themselves, their families and communities.

Whether studying formally or acquiring knowledge from the ‘school of life’, these stories remind us that our lives can be enriched by a willingness to learn and grow. We maximise that learning by being open to change, to new information and to new ways of doing things. In ‘The resilient voice’ (p3) Darryl Rae encourages us all to “influence the influencers” by embracing our own learning and leadership potential, and encourage, inspire and support others to do the same.

IBA is committed to learning and leading by example, and is analysing its operational and business processes to improve product and service delivery. Engaging directly with our customers, we are learning more about how we can service their needs in a timely and relevant way.

I am proud that IBA’s staff are also committed to exploring their own potential through learning and development. As the proud Guest Services team at Straddie Camping (p13) demonstrate, we are all stronger when we learn and grow together. It is gratifying to observe individuals, teams and programs across IBA sharing insights that will create better outcomes for our customers, and build a strong internal culture.

Having built their own strong company culture, Outback Global’s (p14) CEO Jasmin Herro and husband Slay are confidently leveraging a strong network of business relationships to expand their business overseas. Indigenous business events such as Supply Nation Connect 2013 help in building such networks. This month IBA supported more than 25 businesses to meet and network with some of Australia’s largest government and corporate agencies at Connect 2013.

Like Supply Nation, IBA is committed to growing and developing a vibrant and sustainable Indigenous business sector. Together we have launched the Fast Track business service (p16) to enable Certified Indigenous Suppliers to seize and maximise business opportunities.

The learning and development continues for us all. I look forward to sharing more stories with you in issue eleven of Inspire.

WelcomeFrom the CEO, Chris Fry

The resilient voice: scholarship 03recipient Darryl Rae thinks he’s just an ‘average fella’. Find out why we disagree.

Fit for life: meet Alanna Sandell, 06the determined doctor with a feel-good vision.

Feel the spirit: the camping business 10Caring for Country and community.

Ready, set, going global: 14nurturing its business relationship network has taken Outback Global... well, global.

Groomed for success: shining 17a spotlight on Australia’s Indigenous fashion and design industry.

Explore your options: how the 18Into Business™ workshops helped two NSW families turn their business dreams into reality.

Watch this space: Kira-Lea 21Barsukoff (Dargin) wants to change the face of Australia’s fashion and beauty industry.

Inside issue ten

Production TeamEditor-in-Chief Zoë CravenEditor Bridie HenehanDeputy Editor Lucy McBride

Printed by Print Junction, Adelaide, an Indigenous-owned company.

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Cover image: Dr Alanna Sandell. Read her story on p6.

May 2013

2 issue ten 2013

Who: Darryl Rae

From: Nundah, Brisbane

His story: A proud Bundjalung man, Darryl Rae is currently in his third year of study toward a Bachelor of Community Management degree. A recipient of an IBA scholarship, Darryl is studying via distance learning at Macquarie University in NSW. This mode of study requires him to attend four separate 10-day blocks of intensive study on campus each year.

Describing himself as ‘a fella who just tries to help people’, Darryl volunteers with the Nundah District Development Association in Brisbane raising funds, lobbying politicians about community concerns and promoting cultural understanding.

His desire to help extends further, and in June 2011 Darryl received the Queensland Disaster Heroes Medal for providing cultural support to rescue teams visiting communities across a then flood-ravaged Queensland.

In addition to juggling his family commitments, community involvement and self-directed study, Darryl recently faced the unwelcome challenge of redundancy. Undeterred from pursuing his goals, he is viewing this unexpected development as an opportunity to realign his new professional skills with his personal values. Post-study, he hopes to blend his academic learning with his ‘school of life’ studies and work on initiatives that build resilience and capacity within Indigenous communities.

Darryl’s ultimate goal is to become ‘a leader within my community and for my people’, but he is equally committed to encouraging other Indigenous Australians to explore and embrace their own academic and leadership potential.

The resilient voice

1. On pushing past the ‘yeah buts’: ‘Doing something you are proud of builds your spirit’.

I have spoken to some people in my community about considering study or other opportunities for moving forward in their lives, and they are all about the ‘yeah, buts’.… It’s easy to find reasons for not going after your dreams, and yes there are barriers, but you have to try to overcome and push past those barriers.

I know that’s not always easy to do, because I used

to be the biggest critic of myself. And then in 2010 I did an Indigenous leadership course through the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. That course really changed my focus and my outlook, because it was about okay, let’s put all these ‘yeah buts’ and ‘what ifs’ aside and look at your true potential.

Doing something you are proud of builds your spirit. And once people see you are trying, they in turn will try and help you in any way they can.

Scholarship recipient Darryl Rae.

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I am working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and even though I have only been here for a short time, I’ve been talking to people about my study journey. And I’m sitting next to people with PhDs who are scientists and so on, and they’re asking me ‘so how did you go with that assignment?’ and ‘how’s study going?’ That sort of interest and support is really inspiring to me.

2. On dealing with life’s unexpected challenges: ‘So during those difficult times, look at the evidence around you, your personal evidence base of what you have achieved, what you can do’.

Last year I had to leave my job unexpectedly [due to redundancy] but I got straight on to asking around my networks. I had seen an advertisement for Indigenous cadetships at the CSIRO. Fortunately, I was offered a bit of a run on a short-term contract, working in the social sciences area initially, looking at how climate change is affecting communities.

I think in Indigenous culture, how we look at change and things like that – well, I call it the ‘way of knowing’. I think it’s important during difficult times to identify all your experiences and challenges and try to view them together as a whole to create a stronger point of perception.

You have to believe in yourself... So during those difficult times look at the

evidence around you, your personal evidence base of what you have achieved, what you can do.

3. On being ‘a fella who just tries to help people’: ‘I think education and leadership are two key components to get you out of negative cycles’.

The Bachelor of Community Management is a hybrid degree which offers a real chance for giving back to community. We do accounting, leadership, marketing, history and research, and it’s across the board. This is everything mixed into one, so you have a genuine knowledge across a lot of areas.

I volunteer with the Nundah District Development Association and I am their Treasurer this year. I’ve very little accounting experience, but through my degree – I got a Distinction in accounting – I am applying what I know to help organise the annual street festival, and raise money to support my community.

I have also been mentoring a young fella I know who, if he kept on going the way he was, would end up in jail. I’ve seen the pattern many times before – people on those negative roundabouts – and once you are in that cycle it’s very hard to break it. I think education and leadership are two key components to get you out of negative cycles. I can talk about my own journey of education, you know, because I’ve been on my

own roundabout, and this is what I did to get off. And I’ve heard from that fella recently, and he’s now enrolled at TAFE to complete his year 11 and 12 study. And that’s deadly; it makes me really happy to see he’s heading that way.

So I am looking at all of this change – work-wise, learning and personal knowledge – and how I can pass it on. My aim at this point in time, because I’m not exactly a young fella, is to get a job where I can go out and promote education and positive initiatives like this [the IBA Scholarship Fund] to people. I’m looking for something like a community liaison role where I can help people into employment, into believing in themselves, getting into university and so on.

4. On setting goals, then moving the goalposts: ‘It’s very hard to focus sometimes, but as I’ve matured I have developed a life philosophy; I play to win, and I don’t do anything half-heartedly’.

I live in Brisbane but do four separate 10-day blocks of study a year in Sydney. One downside to not being on campus is that I can’t just walk into the university library. I have to go online or talk with people on the phone. But then I also don’t get caught up in the [course] politics, I can form my own judgement about things. But the phone bill is extremely high!

It’s quite an expensive business to do distance learning in blocks so the financial support through the scholarship has helped. You have your fees, and you are away from home but you still have to keep the home fires burning. The bills don’t go away. So it’s given me confidence about those money worries in my head. It takes away some of the burden so I can apply my focus further to my studies, or manage family life or friends - or the rest of the world!

It’s very hard to focus sometimes, but as I’ve matured I have developed a life philosophy; I play to win, and I don’t do anything half-heartedly. When the High Distinction marks come in – and I’ve had four or five of those now – I am really pleased with myself. They are personal wins.

I offer myself rewards too. If I get 70 per cent for this assignment I will go out for dinner at my favourite restaurant. And when it comes to study, I just do it. I am very organised and very thorough. I have everything written in my notebook, everything’s sorted. I think that’s why people are always asking me for information, because I always have [the information] written down. I wouldn’t say it’s methodical, though, because it’s my own methodology!

After finishing this component of my study, I will look at doing an Honours degree, and I’d also like to get into a PhD, so this is a stepping stone. But as an individual achievement, it’s a big milestone.

4 issue ten 2013

5. On influencing the future influencers: ‘I think that’s one thing we need to do in our lives, to be an educator – whether it’s our children, our friends, our family or our community’.

Given my interest in Indigenous and community leadership, it’s been suggested to me that I run for Parliament... But I’m not ready for that part of

my journey yet; I am happy being at the local level. I like going out and talking to people, engaging people, educating people, because I think that’s one thing we need to do in our lives: to be an educator – whether it’s our children, our friends, our family or our community.

So as an average fella, doing my study later in life, I am always happy to mentor and advise others – by phone, by email, face-to-

face – and to discuss their plans, and talk about how they can take that study journey too.

I really believe in the idea of influencing the future influencers. So someone may have a positive influence on me, or it may be someone who can be positively influenced by me. But in my opinion, influence is about leading by example.

I told someone on the train

recently that I was studying, and they said “no, you’re too old to study”. I said “I’m doing my undergraduate degree right now”. I think I left that person with a little bit of inspiration.

It’s important to get that message across that you are never too old. There is no rule book that says you can only do a TAFE certificate or a degree between the ages of 18 and 24. Or if there is such a rulebook, throw it out!

Are you ready to begin your study journey?

IBA is a significant contributor to the Australian Government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy, which aims to support the increased personal and economic wellbeing of Indigenous Australians through greater participation in the economy.

Initiatives such as the IBA Scholarship Fund aim to promote and encourage self-management and economic independence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Fund was established in 2009 to assist mature-age Indigenous Australians to attain nationally recognised qualifications that will enhance the economic and financial development of the Indigenous community.

IBA believes supporting tertiary study can generate a continuous flow of positive economic, social and

cultural benefits to the Indigenous communities in which recipients live and work. Many past recipients have also become passionate advocates of tertiary study, actively encouraging other Indigenous Australians within their communities to pursue higher education.

The IBA Scholarship Fund supports study in commercial and economic management, in areas such as business, accounting, financial management and commerce. Since 2009, the Fund has supported 33 mature-age Indigenous Australians undertaking tertiary studies. Eight recipients have since completed their studies, graduating with degrees in management and entrepreneurship, Indigenous community management, commerce, franchising and accounting.

The Fund is unique in that it accepts applications from both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Applications are accepted in September each year, with short-listed applicants then attending a face-to-face interview with the Scholarship Fund Committee. These interviews allow applicants to discuss how their broader aspirations relate to their chosen field of study, and how they can effectively manage their study plan and personal academic journey.

The Fund provides monetary assistance to relieve the financial burden of study. Successful scholarship recipients receive a fixed payment for each year of study as long as they continue to meet the IBA Scholarship Fund criteria. This fixed amount,

paid fortnightly, enables recipients to self-manage their scholarship, and to allocate funds to suit their personal circumstances.

Are you planning to study in 2014?

The next round of the IBA Scholarship Fund, supporting study in 2014, will open in September 2013. You can subscribe to receive scholarship news and updates at www.iba.gov.au/subscribe

For more information about the Fund, including eligibility criteria, visit: www.iba.gov.au/scholarships

5 issue ten 2013

D octor Alanna Sandell isn’t all she appears to be. Speaking with her, it soon becomes obvious that beneath a warm and engaging exterior, there lies steely strength, determination and

ambition. ‘I’ve been tough a long time’, she said. ‘I’ve got that type of personality’.

It’s this toughness that Alanna drew on in deciding to relocate her medical practice and family from NSW to WA last year. And it’s this toughness that is driving her burning desire to have a lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of current and future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

So far, this proud Ngarrindjeri woman is hitting the mark on both counts.

Through her business Monitor: Health Check Solutions, Alanna is helping Indigenous Australians maintain their fitness for work and for life, by providing pre-employment assessments and personalised health programs for high-risk employees. These packages are developed following onsite health assessments of a company’s Indigenous employees to identify any early health or safety risks.

As a qualified general practitioner (GP), Alanna has extensive experience in and knowledge of general and Indigenous-specific health issues, including orthopaedics, cardiothoracic intensive care, coronary care, drug and alcohol treatment and mental healthcare.

‘This business is here to help people’, she said. ‘It was conceived to focus on Indigenous health – helping Indigenous people maintain their fitness for work. Our business is designed to effectively address the needs of business by assisting companies in reducing downtime, retaining Indigenous employees and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace’.

Alanna explains that numerous health conditions are more prevalent within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. ‘Indigenous people are affected early in life by many chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hypertension, mental health issues, lung disease and renal failure, which significantly affect their quality of life, including their work productivity and retention’, she said.

‘Indigenous people’s health is so affected by these diseases that their lives are shortened by 20 years on

Fit for life Dr Alanna Sandell at workin Western Australia.

6 issue ten 2013

‘Indigenous people’s health is so affected by these

diseases that their lives are shortened by 20 years on average when compared

to non-Indigenous Australians. That should highlight to all industries that employ Indigenous people

that monitoring the health of their Indigenous employees is of

enormous benefit in retaining those

workers.’

average when compared to non-Indigenous Australians’, she continued. ‘That should highlight to all industries that employ Indigenous people that monitoring the health of their Indigenous employees is of enormous benefit in retaining those workers’.

‘A lot of it is lack of education’, she said. ‘They [the clients] haven’t actually understood the disease process or the management involved. I have a very detailed and broad [medical] base. So that’s why I can work in an area like this and feel pretty confident. But it’s also being Indigenous myself and understanding cultural barriers. A lot of the Indigenous guys will speak to me and are more receptive [than going to another GP] in terms of their health. They feel more support from and have more trust in me because I can relate’.

Alanna gives an example of an Indigenous man who refused to take insulin to treat his diabetes. He had received negative feedback from his community about insulin and was frightened of taking it. By gaining his trust and understanding the cultural context, Alanna helped the man to begin treating his condition.

Alanna knows from personal experience the pain that can result from inequity in health, healthcare and health education. She says her childhood was very difficult. Her father suffered from health issues related to an ongoing struggle with his Indigenous identity, and left the family home when Alanna was young.

‘I look at my father - he was never settled, never truly a happy man. Not down to the core; there was a sadness in him for who he was’, she said.

Alanna left home when she was 16 years old and, with characteristic determination, put herself through the remaining two years of high school by working in a supermarket and lodging with a family. She said she was drawn to the medical profession, training first as a nurse.

‘Just to go to university was a treat. I was so pleased to have gotten into university. I did nursing but was never really happy with it. I am very nurturing, so it appeals to my personality, and I loved the health industry. But in nursing I couldn’t make my own decisions. I was being told what to do and I didn’t like that. I realised I had to go off and become the person that my brain wants me to be’.

Alanna moved to Newcastle in NSW to undertake an arts degree, but after being accepted into medical school, obtained her Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Newcastle.

Over the years Alanna has witnessed inequalities in Indigenous health first-hand, having worked in remote communities and within the Aboriginal Medical Service. But the first seed of her business idea was planted in late 2010 when she visited her brother in QLD and spent time at a mine where he was working.

‘Oddly enough, the business idea came out of the blue’, she said. ‘I always wanted to run a business but I didn’t want to run a general practice. I wanted a bigger business, something I am very passionate about; part of me wanted that challenge. I realised that to make any sort of difference you’ve got to put a business together.

As I found out through my research, there is a need for a company like mine to step in with the larger companies [and Indigenous workers] and help facilitate the individual and the company in getting people fit for work’.

Once she had decided on the focus for her enterprise, Alanna set about building a framework around her idea and in doing so came into contact with IBA. To help explore her readiness for business and to develop her idea, IBA invited Alanna to attend its series of Into Business™ workshops. (See p18 for more information.)

‘I did the three workshops, which were useful. It was great, such a huge learning curve’, she said. On completing the workshops, facilitator Garry King provided ongoing assistance over the phone to support Alanna as she developed her idea further.

Not long after completing the Into Business™ workshops, Alanna relocated to WA to take up a contract delivering health programs to a major mining company. But things didn’t go according to plan, and that contract fell through. With typical resolve, Alanna set about building relationships with alternative WA companies with whom she might work. She credits Donald MacIntyre, Senior Business Development Manager at Ngarda Civil & Mining (50 per cent subsidiary

7 issue ten 2013

‘I would like Indigenous people to have a better understanding about their health and how to prevent poor health, and if they’ve got chronic diseases, to make sure that they are more aware of treatments’, she said. ‘In an ideal world I would like to see no diabetes, or to see the gaps [in health] reduced, and I would like to know that I have picked up a patient’s disease at an early age and managed it.

‘When there are bad health outcomes, the whole fibre of a family is lost. It’s gone. It’s very important to keep all that together’.

‘So my legacy is to my children. I want to say to them that you can be Indigenous and be a doctor, and you can be Indigenous and a businessperson. At the end of my career I don’t want for anything other than to give the next generation strength.

‘It’s very important to know who they are and be proud of who they are. Then they’ll be a settled generation because they’ll be happy with who they are’.

For more information about Monitor: Health Check Solutions visit: www.monitorhealthcheck.com.au

of Leighton Contractors Pty Limited) for going ‘over and above’ in introducing her to companies that hire Indigenous employees.

A meeting with Leighton Contractors and Broad – who are constructing the inlet and public space facilities for the Elizabeth Quay development in Perth – provided the turning point Alanna was seeking. Alanna attended Leighton Broad’s Elizabeth Quay Indigenous Business Forum, an event supported by IBA, aimed at encouraging employment and business opportunities for Indigenous Australians. The event outlined project opportunities, as well as the resources and strategies available to assist organisations to secure works on the Elizabeth Quay project.

As a result of attending that forum, Alanna was offered an opportunity to work with the Leighton Broad Elizabeth Quay project team delivering a pre-employment medical service for the employees. The company has also leased Alanna office space within its building so she can easily consult with those working on the project. ‘They are promoting Indigenous employment and training and I have slotted into that’ she said, reflecting on her good fortune. However she also credits Leighton Contractors’ employees Shirley McPherson, Group Manager of Indigenous Business, and Raylene Bellottie, Manager of Indigenous Employment for facilitating this initiative.

While her business is still in its infancy, Alanna says she has received a lot of interest from companies about what she is trying to achieve, and she is using every available opportunity to network and talk to people about her work. With the business gaining momentum, Alanna is excited that so many aspects of her past and her professional training are finally coming together.

‘I’m an obsessive person when I want something’, she said. ‘I have not stopped thinking about this business over the last two years. Not for one day. You cannot ever get something off the ground unless you are obsessed. Every day it has to be front of mind. Whatever you want in life, you have to be completely focused’.

‘You can have a goal, a dream’, she added. ‘You don’t have to get everything right all the time... You don’t always have to be the best of the best all the time. Life is part of learning and growing, and moving ahead is actually failing at things and trying again, and being happy with that’.

Juggling the role of medical professional and businesswoman, it is clear that Alanna is a family woman above all else. As a single mother, she is proud of the travel experiences she has offered her two children, and proud of the way they have coped and adapted with the move to WA and a year of drastic change.

‘It was a big thing for us to move and for them to leave all their friends,’ she said. ‘I’ve always kept them very close

‘So my legacy is to my children. I want to say to them that you can be Indigenous and

be a doctor, and you can be Indigenous and a businessperson.

At the end of my career I don’t want for anything other than to give the next generation strength. It’s very

important to know who they are and be proud of

who they are.’

about what we are doing with the business. It’s our family business, and I wanted them to be a part of the whole thing’.

For all her determination and ambition, Alanna says she is happy to let her business develop at a natural pace, to ensure it achieves the long-term outcomes she yearns for.

8 issue ten 2013

A sk any stakeholder in Minjerribah Camping Pty Ltd about the success of their new business, and the answer will invariably include the word ‘goodwill’. Goodwill

sustained both IBA and the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Body Corporate (QYAC) through three years of negotiations to finalise the Minjerribah Camping joint venture agreement. Goodwill has resulted in the realisation of its first business venture, Straddie Camping. And goodwill is now driving forward a business committed to Caring for Country while generating economic, employment and social benefits for the Quandamooka people of North Stradbroke Island.

Thirteen kilometres from the Brisbane mainland a ferry is pulling up on North Stradbroke Island – ‘Straddie’. As its ramp is lowered, 4WD, car and motorcycle engines roar to life as drivers and foot passengers prepare to disembark.

Among the passengers are some of the island’s 2,000 or so residents, returning home from work or other activities on the mainland. If it’s holiday season, the majority will be campers keen to kick-start their island adventure, and they’ll be making a beeline for the booking office of Straddie Camping. Many will be repeat visitors, getting their regular fix of the Straddie vibe: white sandy beaches, magnificent sunsets, world-class fishing and a warm welcome from laid-back locals.

At the Straddie Camping booking office, the Guest Services team are standing ready to issue camping and 4WD permits, dispense information about tides, weather and fishing conditions, or just let people know where to buy bread and milk. As the first point of contact for many visitors to the island, and as proud Traditional Owners, the team are enjoying every opportunity to invite their guests to ‘Feel the Spirit of Quandamooka Country’.

It’s a simple invitation representing a long journey to self-determination. That journey ended - and also began

Feel the spirit

[L:R] CEO of Straddie Camping Clare Carroll, Quandamooka Elder Auntie Rosie Borey,

Margaret Grenfell and Elizabeth Borey at the ceremonial blessing of the business. Image

courtesy of Straddie Camping.

‘What has happened since 4 July 2011 [Native Title Determination] is exciting, it excites the spirit. I am confident that great things can happen and will happen. Goodwill, that’s the key; things happen with goodwill’.

– Uncle Bob Anderson, Quandamooka Elder and Director, Minjerribah Camping Pty Ltd

10 issue ten 2013

[Top] Auntie Joan Hendriks delivering the blessing of Straddie Camping, February 2013. Image courtesy of Straddie Camping. [Bottom, L:R] David Vigar and Will Tynan from IBA’s Acquisitions team, Minjerribah Camping Pty Ltd Directors Cameron Costello and Uncle Bob Anderson.

was an interesting situation because suddenly Uncle Bob and I were on opposite sides of the table to David Vigar [Head of Acquisitions] and Will Tynan [Manager Acquisitions] from IBA having these hardcore discussions’, he said. ‘And then at the end – because we all wanted the same outcome - we’d shake hands and say “see you in the boardroom later mate”’.

After three years of frank and robust negotiations, sustained by mutual respect and commitment to seeing the investment realised for the benefit of the Quandamooka people, IBA and QYAC signed their joint venture agreement in November 2012. ‘The dynamic on the board is fantastic’, said Cameron. ‘There is no misconception; this will take time. The camping ground is going back to Aboriginal people to manage as trustees of the land. There will be teething problems, and cultural protocols to go through – there is always that, and that will take time to get the machine in motion. It’s the display of goodwill from Redland to start with, IBA and the Quandamooka people that is making this successful – that commitment and goodwill’.

The signing of the agreement has enabled Straddie Camping to take over administration and management of the island’s six holiday parks and two foreshore camping grounds (a total of 1,200 sites). With more than 85,000 visitors to Straddie each year, the joint venture is producing significant employment and income outcomes for the Quandamooka community. Currently 50 per cent of staff are Indigenous, with further employment expected from a capital works program to upgrade and expand camping facilities; create new public art and signage across the island; and further develop its tourism and cultural potential.

Uncle Bob Anderson believes the employment being generated by the business will encourage Quandamooka people to remain – or return to - living and working on their island home. ‘It will provide an opportunity for those who left the Island to come home, and I am confident that will happen... ‘, he said. ‘People who are living on the mainland have got skills, and their very presence back here [has] started to broaden it out; you can feel the warmth and strength of all that spirit’.

Cameron credits Uncle Bob and the island’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous community with driving the Minjerribah Camping joint venture forward. ‘We need to acknowledge local residents on the island including Auntie Joan Hendriks, Darren Burns and Jan Aldenhoven’, he said. ‘They and others stepped in at an early stage of the native title fight and said “this is our community’s opportunity to be involved in our Island’s future”. It’s important to recognise that the Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents were the people who instigated this process, and without them the Native Title Determination would have had little impact, because the camping business could have been tendered out’.

The Chief Executive Officer of Straddie Camping, Clare Carroll, grew up on the island and remembers those early conversations. ‘My dad was a doctor here on the island’,

afresh – in February 2013 when Quandamooka Elders bestowed their blessing, prayers and gifts upon the stakeholders and head office of Straddie Camping.

The long-held aspirations of those Elders, and the broader island community, were realised in July 2011 when a historic Native Title Determination transferred ownership of the island’s existing camping business, Straddie Holiday Parks, and control of the land on which it was operating, from Queensland’s Redland City Council (as trustees) to QYAC.

Prior to that determination and in partnership with IBA, QYAC (which represents 11 family groups) was already negotiating with Redland City Council to purchase the camping business, after identifying its potential to generate employment and revenue for the island’s Indigenous population. The events of July 2011 turned those negotiations on their head.

QYAC Chair Cameron Costello who led the negotiations alongside Elder Uncle Bob Anderson recalls: ‘It was very unique! It was initially IBA and QYAC negotiating with Redland City Council. But when the Native Title Determination came down, and we were suddenly trustees of the island, it became QYAC negotiating with IBA. That

11 issue ten 2013

[L:R] Morgan Kingston, Brooke Kaden, Elizabeth Borey, Linda Campbell and Shara Delaney from Straddie Camping’s Guest Services team.

she said, ‘and he was a vocal member of the community, fighting to see opportunities created for its youth and elderly in particular... Not everyone agreed with his ways and his views, but what all those community leaders had in common was they wanted a better life that included jobs, economic opportunities and improved access to health services for all’.

‘This business covers generations of past conversations and arguments, and encapsulates the dreams and wishes of many people. This is something everyone has been talking about – just in different ways’, she said.

Both Cameron and Clare say the ceremonial blessing of the joint venture was culturally very significant and emotional. ‘I felt the “clouds of witnesses” were there wishing us on our way’, said Clare. ‘All our ancestors who had fought for this type of business opportunity were there wishing us well. And for some staff it was the first time the penny dropped about who and what this enterprise really is. It was truly evident that this business is a remedy to right past wrongs’.

Cameron said the blessing also delivered an important message to the Indigenous community about their ownership of the joint venture. ‘The blessing was very important because Quandamooka people were concerned that the “IBA juggernaut” was going to come into the business and our people would get lost’, he said. ‘So that was one of the concerns we had to address at a community level. The blessing was a really good and important way to say this is not an IBA thing; this is actually our business, in partnership with IBA’.

Straddie Camping has thus far been successful because of the strength of its partnerships, based on the desire for a strong economic and social future for the island. ‘We have a shared vision, we believe in it and we are serious about its outcomes’, said Clare. ‘We communicate, are inclusive and respectful, we value input from our community and respect the rights of all members who love and share our Island. We are focused on delivering profits and benefits to

our shareholders and our whole community, and to achieve that we are ultimately striving to provide great beach camping holiday experiences’.

Delivering those benefits relies on the venture succeeding as a business enterprise, and Cameron says that in turn requires strong governance and setting realistic expectations. ‘This needs to be a sustainable business first and foremost’, he said. ‘We have been waiting a long time for native title to come down, and everyone wants to see the benefits straightaway. So it’s an education process about what this element of our journey is about’.

‘In addition to my role on the board of Minjerribah Camping, as Chair of QYAC I have to create an environment where we can flourish politically, socially, culturally and economically’, said Cameron. ‘For us to do that, we have to have a stable board, stable partnerships with all our key stakeholders – and a stable community. We aren’t always going to have all those things at the same time, but sometimes they align and if you are ready, you can take advantage of the opportunities’.

Back at the Straddie Camping booking office the pride in what the business has already achieved is evident among the Guest Services team. ‘The beauty of this venture’, said Cameron, ‘is that if you start with the core of it being a Quandamooka business, it shows and demonstrates to our Mob that we can be successful, which is a massive thing, because success breeds success. It’s our first business venture and we will make it work, and that will influence and grow our capacity and our social capital as businesspeople and professionals’.

‘It’s such as massive task’, he added, ‘But I believe that as a business and as a community we will go from strength to strength. We have the spirit of so many great Quandamooka people gone before us, and so many still around us’.

If you too would like to ‘Feel the Spirit of Quandamooka Country’, the Straddie Camping team is waiting to welcome you.

12 issue ten 2013

For more information about Straddie Camping visit: www.straddiecamping.com.au

‘Feel the Spirit of Quandamooka Country’ – it’s more than a company motto. Meet the proud Quandamooka women [pictured p12] from the Guest Services team at Straddie Camping - an organisation committed to Caring for Country while delivering social and economic benefits back to the Island community.

Morgan Kingston, Guest Services Coordinator ‘I like working with customers. When someone walks in at Christmas, and it’s so hard to fit them in, but you do it and they do this little dance - it’s like you’ve made their day. Working for Straddie Camping has helped me to connect with my heritage, and it makes me proud of who I am. I want this to be the start of something great for our community’.

Elizabeth Borey, Guest Services Manager ‘To me, this business is my opportunity to say to visitors look, here we are, we have a gift – this Island - that you are welcome to come and experience. We talk about our own Aboriginal connection to country – the land and sea – but everyone who comes here I believe wants to do this, too. They are fishing, swimming, having a fire and cooking a meal – that’s always been our way of living. It is good to see that our customers are making this connection to our country so that they can enjoy and care for country and feel the Quandamooka spirit’.

Shara Delaney, Guest Services Coordinator ‘Since the native title determination it’s been good to see what QYAC is doing. I have been to a few meetings as a voice for the youth of the island. The Elders have concerns about securing land for future generations, but I am also concerned about job opportunities and education options so we don’t lose our young people to the mainland. And Straddie Camping is important because it provides a strong business for the island; it’s a really good starting point’.

Brooke Kaden, Guest Services Coordinator ‘Previously, every time I have gotten a job or employment I’ve had to leave the island, and haven’t really been able to live on the island and work in community. Whatever training they offer me I will take, and try and stay with the company and grow... It’s exciting to see what other directions this company will go in, and what other work I can be a part of in the future’.

Margaret Grenfell, Guest Services Coordinator ‘I love the fact that visitors and locals see me, a Traditional Owner, working here. Over the years I have come to believe it’s important for our people to be able to run our own businesses, and do things for ourselves. I think it’s important that our island’s young people see Quandamooka working and in roles demonstrating our responsibility for Caring for Country. I do think that’s one of the most important things. It is my dream to see this business recognised nationally and internationally as a five-star business’.

Linda Campbell, Guest Services Supervisor‘It’s a great source of pride working with other Quandamooka women.... And it makes me so proud that we can all go ahead with this company. We are the first interaction that many visitors have with Straddie Camping, and as Quandamooka people we can give them backround information and knowledge, and share some of our culture’.

People power

13 issue ten 2013

With several decades of business experience between them, the team behind Outback Global understands that strong and strategic relationships based on mutual respect and shared values are key to achieving the long-term growth and sustainability they seek. Speaking with Jasmin and her husband (Outback Global’s General and Operations Manager) Slay in Sydney, it’s evident that those quality relationships stem from the heart of the business itself.

‘The people we seek to form business relationships with are motivated, have the same ethics, are trustworthy – and we like them’, said Jasmin. ‘Michael Cima, for example, is one of the most motivated, driven people we’ve ever worked with, and we’re so privileged to be standing shoulder to shoulder and forging ahead with him’.

Another valued relationship is the one Outback Global formed three years ago with business-to-business membership body Supply Nation. Supply Nation aims to contribute to the growth of a vibrant and sustainable Indigenous business sector by encouraging diversity within Australia’s supply chain. The organisation does this by connecting Indigenous businesses (Certified Suppliers) with corporate organisations and government agencies (members) that want to buy their goods and services.

O n any night of the week, you’re likely to find one or more of the Outback Global (formerly Australian Outback Apparel) team attending a 3 am meeting in the United States by

videoconference; fielding a telephone enquiry from a customer somewhere in the Pacific region; on board a flight bound for China to audit a supplier’s production standards; or at home doing the business accounts. It’s a gruelling schedule, but a deeply rewarding one as the team goes about the business of taking Outback Global…well, global.

Established in 2009 by CEO Jasmin Herro and International Sales Director Michael Cima - and now a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned company - Outback Global sources and distributes a wide range of high-quality work and safety wear, uniforms, business attire and promotional merchandise. The company has more than 50 direct relationships with factories across Australia, Asia and the Pacific region, and recently established offices in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou.

But it’s the company’s recent joint venture with a US entrepreneur that’s requiring the late hours and early morning shifts; an agreement that has the potential to take Outback Global to a whole new level and corner of the world.

Ready, set, going global

Jasmin and Slay Herro from merchandise and apparel company Outback Global.

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‘We still have the same ethics, but as people we are

stronger now. We have seen examples of what we don’t want in our business, and what we don’t want to be. We are

very clear about who we are and where we are going. I think it’s that confidence

that comes across at all levels. It’s part of the culture

of our business’.

As a majority-owned Indigenous company, Outback Global gained Supply Nation Certified Supplier status in 2010, and since then has leveraged numerous business and networking opportunities to grow its customer base in Australia and overseas.

But as Jasmin is quick to point out, it’s what you do with those opportunities that matters. ‘Every time I attend a Supply Nation event my business grows’, she said. ‘But I also put my all into those events … In Australia, there aren’t many Supply Nation members that we haven’t sat in front of and told who we are. We’ve been very proactive here’.

Outback Global knows that its ability to deliver merchandise and apparel is what keeps new orders coming. According to Slay, sometimes turning down a lucrative order or contract makes the best business sense.

‘You have to be smart about it’, said Slay. ‘The hardest thing for any business that is getting opportunities thrown at it is to say no. But at the end of the day, you have to be able to turn around and say... “I can’t do that at the moment”. It’s not fair to muck up an order or job for somebody because it hurts your customer, your brand and your reputation.

‘We had one situation last year where we had to say no to a major corporation because we simply couldn’t guarantee delivery’, he added. ‘All it would have taken is one or two days of that order being held up at port or customs and we would have missed the deadline. And it hurt, because we had been chasing the customer for a while!’

Jasmin believes it is experience and maturity that makes those tough calls easier. ‘I think 15 years ago we were different people’, she said. ‘We still have the same ethics, but as people we are stronger now. We have seen examples of what we don’t want in our business, and what we don’t want to be. We are very clear about who we are and where we are going. I think it’s that confidence that comes across at all levels. It’s part of the culture of our business’.

The Outback Global team drew heavily on that confidence to pursue one of its most important business opportunities to date. With financial support from IBA, the team took up a Supply Nation invitation in late 2012 to join a 23-strong delegation of Certified Suppliers at a major business trade fair in Denver, Colorado. It was there that, exploring the possibility of expanding their operations into the US, they were guided towards American entrepreneur Donald Fairconeture, President and CEO of Unity Promotions.

‘Once again, we went along to that event prepared to work hard’, said Jasmin. ‘We made a decision before the fair that if we were lucky enough to find the right partner in the US, then we would go for it. Our time in Denver was spent talking to potential partners. Through our networks we were assisted by some fantastic people, especially Denise Coley from Cisco Systems USA. Literally on the last night we were there, Denise told us about Donald Fairconeture’.

As the first 100 per cent Indigenous-owned company outside the US to successfully obtain minority business certification, Outback Global entered into a joint venture partnership with Donald. The result is a new company – Outback Global USA – which, over time, will see the business expand its merchandise and apparel into the large and lucrative US market.

If that all sounds too easy, Jasmin says it wasn’t, and that preparing Outback Global to expand to this level has taken years of building solid business structures. IBA has supported the company in that process, providing business support and mentoring in the early stages of formation, and ongoing support to facilitate the Outback Global team’s attendance at Supply Nation events. In 2012, the company also received a short-term loan through IBA’s new Fast Track Loan Assessment service enabling it to complete a contract with a major corporate in the Australian mining industry (see p16).

‘This was not a case of being lucky’, said Jasmin. ‘So even though it appears to have been a short amount of time in which this has happened, it’s actually been a whole lot of hard work. All this time we have been delivering on our side too, so that we look attractive to a partner. We had already been talking to all the people who made recommendations to us [in Denver] for a number of years. We didn’t just rock up and have people say “look at this little Indigenous company, what can we do for them?” There is no handout mentality at work at [Supply Nation] events. We had the whole Outback Global team in Denver. There were tireless meetings, lots of presentations, getting together and working out exactly what we wanted’.

Signing the US joint venture agreement was just the beginning of what continues to be a very busy time for the Outback Global team as it starts establishing solid business

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We’re ready if you are

IBA is committed to developing contemporary products and services that its customers need to keep pace with Australia’s changing business landscape. In pursuing this goal, we value the many collaborative and strategic relationships we have with partners such as Supply Nation (formerly the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council).

Supply Nation offers Indigenous businesses the opportunity to gain Certified Supplier status, and enter into commercial relationships with some of Australia’s largest corporate and government agencies. More than 190 member organisations (including IBA) have joined Supply Nation to ensure the thriving Indigenous business sector continues to grow sustainably.

To further support the sector, IBA and Supply Nation have developed a new Fast Track business service that offers quick-turnaround loan

assessment and marketing assistance.

Fast Track Loan AssessmentThis service offers a fast-turnaround assessment of loan applications so Certified Suppliers can seize opportunities generated by the increasing number of Supply Nation members that want to purchase their goods and services.

The typical finance offered by IBA is working capital to enable a business to compete for and/or complete a large corporate or government contract. Other finance may include a loan to buy assets or additional stock. While IBA’s standard loan assessment criteria still apply, if suppliers can provide all of the financial information IBA requires, their application may be assessed within a week.

One of the first Certified Suppliers to benefit from this service was the

Indigenous-owned Sydney merchandise and apparel company Outback Global. In 2012, the company applied for and received working capital that enabled it to supply 2,200 wheeled duffle bags to a major organisation in the mining industry. (Read more about Outback Global on p14).

Fast Track Lite Marketing This service helps Certified Suppliers more effectively communicate their products and services to potential buyers. The service includes building a basic website and a capability statement. Other marketing support may include developing branding and promotional materials, preparing for media launches and other guidance.

Note: Both services are currently only available to Supply Nation Certified Suppliers that meet the Fast Track eligibility criteria.

For more information visit: www.iba.gov.au/fasttrack

Are you certified?

If you are an Indigenous business that is majority owned, controlled and managed by Indigenous personnel, IBA encourages you to consider becoming a Supply Nation Certified Supplier. By integrating your products and services into the supply chains of large corporations and agencies, you get access to economic and networking opportunities that can help you build a sustainable and prosperous business.

Certification also gives you opportunities to access the products, networking, mentoring and support services Supply Nation and IBA offer.

For more information visit: www.supplynation.org.au

For more information about Outback Global visit: www.outbackglobal.com

For more information on IBA’s Business Development and Assistance Program visit: www.iba.gov.au

foundations for the new US company while ensuring its Australian business stays strong. That’s the reason for the late nights, early mornings and frequent flights to meetings and discussions across a number of countries and time zones.

Jasmin says she and the team are excited about the challenges and opportunities ahead. ‘We have a wealth of experience behind us as well as connections, relationships and skills’, she said. ‘In 12 months time, the story will be

totally different again. We are just holding on now – we have the knee pads and elbow pads and we’re just going to hold on’.

16 issue ten 2013

AIFW aims to create aplatform from which emerging

designers and artists can showcase and distribute their work, and generate lasting economic and development

opportunities within the Indigenous arts and fashion community.

Groomed for success

A boriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers and artists from across the country will share the fashion spotlight when the inaugural Australian Indigenous Fashion

Week (AIFW) is held in Sydney in April 2014.

The first of its kind in Australia, the event will showcase Indigenous fashion, textiles and accessories from across the country. In addition to runway shows, there will be exhibits, live performances, visual art programming and tourism experiences, providing the fashion industry and general public with an interactive experience of contemporary Indigenous culture, art and design.

AIFW aims to create a platform from which emerging designers and artists can showcase and distribute their work, and generate lasting economic and development opportunities within the Indigenous arts and fashion community.

IBA is proud to be supporting the initiative as AIFW Design Program Partner. Commencing in May, the Program is currently providing 18 Indigenous designers, marketers and artistic collaborators with an opportunity to work one-on-one with fashion designers and industry experts, while exploring the viability of establishing, growing and sustaining their own business.

Program participants will each design a collection of clothes and accessories to be included at the AIFW runway shows in April 2014. At the same time they will be offered valuable business management, development and marketing training from IBA, better equipping them to negotiate the commercial side of a highly competitive industry.

For more information about Australian Indigenous Fashion Week, including ticketing, events, and how your business can support this initiative visit: www.aifw.com.au

At a series of tailored workshops over 12 months, IBA will provide individualised business planning advice and support, as well as marketing and financial guidance. When they finish the workshop, participants can apply to IBA’s Business Development and Assistance Program for further business support, finance and mentoring.

Indigenous-owned and -operated marketing and events company All the Perks Pty Ltd is organising AIFW 2014, and hopes to draw national and international recognition for the Indigenous arts and fashion sector.

‘This is the first event of its kind, bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander design under the one banner’, said All the Perks Managing Director Krystal Perkins. ‘AIFW will provide multiple opportunities to promote Australia’s extremely talented Indigenous designers, nurture new designers, and provide design collaboration opportunities with national and international brands’.

The initiative has the support of high-profile Indigenous model Samantha Harris. As AIFW’s Ambassador and spokesperson, she will be leading the runway shows. Samantha will also be advocating fair trade practices between Indigenous designers and buyers across the fashion industry, while drawing attention to the important issue of cultural and intellectual property rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

Australian Indigenous Fashion Week

Ambassador Samantha Harris. Image courtesy

of All the Perks Pty Ltd.

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S tarting a business can be daunting and confusing. You might believe you have a wonderful business idea, but how do you actually go about testing that idea out, let alone putting it into practice? How do

you know you have asked the right questions, done enough research, followed the right processes and ticked all the boxes to move forward with confidence?

That’s where IBA’s Into Business™ workshops come in. The workshops assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to explore their business ideas and assess their personal and professional readiness for business ownership. At three one-day, self-paced workshops held across Australia, participants are offered valuable knowledge and insights into business planning and management, as well as marketing and – crucial to business success – financial management.

Garry King, a proud Aboriginal man with more than 35 years experience in small and medium enterprises is one of several providers IBA engages to deliver the Into Business™ workshops.

‘For our people, our Mob, these workshops are the best move in 20 years’, he said. ‘They allow people to decide for themselves whether they want to go into business. They give them tools to research their business idea in their own area. The personal growth of people from Workshop A to Workshop C is huge’.

‘Some people decide going into business ownership is not

viable; this is also a fabulous outcome because it means people aren’t going into business uninformed. Those who do go into business then have a big chance of success as long as they stick to their business plan and ethics’.

‘As IBA facilitators, we aren’t there to make the decision’, added Garry. ‘We give the participants the tools to decide whether it’s viable or not’.

After exploring their respective business ideas and readiness at the Into Business™ workshops, both Debbie and Matt Wakley from Dubbo, NSW and James Evans from Wagga Wagga, NSW have taken the leap into business ownership. Here they share their thoughts on the benefits and challenges of being your own boss.

Debbie and Matt Wakley attended all three Into Business™ workshops ahead of opening their business, Green Gables Motel in Dubbo, NSW. The couple, who describe themselves as ‘risk averse’, spent months researching and planning all aspects of their business idea and chosen industry. Even though Matt had previous experience in the finance industry, he felt there was still more he could learn about business operations.

With two teenage daughters to support, the couple strongly felt that they needed to get things right and create a business that would be successful and financially sustainable.

Explore your options

Matt and Debbie Wakley outside their motel in Dubbo, NSW.

18 issue ten 2013

‘We researched the industry for at least 12 months before we came to a decision’, said Matt. ‘We wanted to be sure that we had made the right decision’.

Debbie added: ‘We’ve always wanted to have our own business; we just didn’t really know what. At one stage we thought about a newsagency, but we have friends our age who have a motel in Tamworth. We looked at that and thought we might look into the motel industry. We visited for a weekend to see what they did’.

The couple liked what they saw and decided to pursue owning their own motel. But despite their excitement, they knew they had a lot to learn, and so jumped at the opportunity to attend IBA’s Into Business™ workshops.

‘I previously did a Certificate IV in Financial Services’, said Matt. ‘So a lot of financial stuff I had done before. But when you are trying to apply your knowledge to your own business it was like, “oh, you can never stop learning”. A lot of the information for me was a refresher but some was new, like the marketing side of things, and learning about small things you can do to increase your profitability’.

Both Matt and Debbie say they enjoyed the opportunity to interact, and exchange and discuss ideas and information, with other workshop participants.

However, even armed with all their new-found knowledge, the Wakleys didn’t take the first business opportunity that arose. ‘When we were halfway through the course, a motel

came up that we really liked and we thought it would be great for us, a great size’, said Matt. ‘But we let it go because we still wanted to see if we were up to taking it on. So we thought we would go to the third IBA workshop first, and make sure we were doing it right’.

The couple say they have no regrets about letting that initial opportunity go. ‘In hindsight we bought a better business’, said Matt.

Once they found that business – the Green Gables Motel – IBA offered the couple the services of a business consultant, Andrew McMahon from Prosperity Advisers Group, to help take their business forward. ‘There is a real value in working with Andrew’, said Matt. ‘Once a month he comes out [to visit] with his report and he is almost like our boss. It’s a real check and balance’.

‘He comes in so cheery, so happy’, added Debbie. ‘He says you’ve done this, you’ve done that, and makes us feel really good. We’ve grown close to him, he’s a friend’.

Being partners in life and business can bring its own pressures, and the couple say they value Andrew’s input as a third party. ‘Andrew spent a lot of time with Debbie helping her with MYOB [an accounting program]’, said Matt. ‘Teaching your partner doesn’t work, so to have someone else teaching Debbie, rather than me trying to teach her, was a better outcome. Fact of life: I can teach anyone, but I can’t teach Debbie, and Debbie can’t learn from me’.

James Evans with his wife Megan and children in Wagga Wagga, NSW.

issue ten 2013 19

‘Something has to change, we have got to take

control... I’ve been fortunate to have good role models. I’ve had all

the opportunities put in front of me, I’ve had the chance. That’s the way I

see it – all other people need is [the same] opportunities in

front of them’.

For all the business theory the couple learned, they say the day-to-day physical running of a business still came as a shock. ‘I didn’t realise it is 24/7’, said Debbie. ‘That’s a bit hard to take, especially with teenage girls. But you learn to deal with it, make sure you go out for coffee or for a visit or something’.

After their first year in business, the couple say they are happy with their progress. They have now started establishing relationships with other Dubbo businesses, such as the local gym, to explore how they might add value to their customers’ stay at Green Gables.

They are also committed to seeking out and procuring products and services from other Indigenous businesses, and have been able to offer employment at the motel to members of their local Aboriginal community.

James Evans is a man who wants everything done yesterday. His infectious enthusiasm and active mind are in evidence when this proud Wiradjuri man speaks about the employment and training agency he established, with an overarching goal of helping local young people develop optimism, resilience and positive self-esteem.

Of his eagerness to jump into business, James said: ‘I look back and I would have started the next day [after the first workshop]. I would have, I was ready to go. But sitting through the workshops planning, it made me realise, “I have to do that, the planning, the goal setting”’.

With his planning and goal setting completed, James established GaimTime Wiradjuri Consultancy in Wagga Wagga, NSW. In addition to seeking appropriate jobs and training opportunities, James acts as a mentor for many of his young clients. He takes the time to discuss their personal goals and skills to help them identify the right path, and ‘lets them find their dream and follow it’.

James says he had always wanted to own his own business. Having seen the positive outcomes that can be achieved through personal mentoring and guidance, he knew he wanted to use his previous career in youth counselling, education, case management and training as the basis for that business. ‘I need my work to be my passion’, he said. ‘I need to be doing what I like to do’.

‘We are so lucky we are in Australia’, he added. ‘If you want something you can go and get it. It’s just helping people find their desire, their dream and their passion. Whatever it is, it’s helping them tap into that and going from there’.

James says he hopes to use his business to empower current and future generations of Indigenous Australians to find that desire and passion, and the self-confidence to take control of their own futures.

‘Something has to change, we have got to take control’, he said. ‘And I’m fortunate. Mum was an Aboriginal assistant

in schools; Nan was the first Indigenous counsellor in Wagga. I’ve been fortunate to have good role models. I’ve had all the opportunities put in front of me, I’ve had the chance. That’s the way I see it – all other people need is [the same] opportunities in front of them’.

Do you have a business idea you would like to explore? For more information on IBA’s Into Business™ workshops visit: www.iba.gov.au/itb

James credits his wife Megan, an ambulance officer, with giving him the personal support he needs. He admits juggling the demands of family (the couple have four children) as well as business ownership is demanding.

‘I don’t shut off [from the business]’, he said. ‘I’m thinking of ways to do things all the time. Something pops in my head and I have to write it down. This may be great for business but not always for the home. But Megs has always been involved in this. In the workshops they encourage you to think about your home life. If you are in relationship, you need your home life to be balanced’.

James is excited about the challenges and opportunities ahead as he takes his business forward. Having created a solid framework, he says his confidence in making his business succeed has grown. ‘I had an advantage’, he said. ‘I was in this field already and I know the field. But I still struggled and I found the workshops so valuable. This is the perfect way of helping people set up. I recommend them for anyone. I have been telling people already, “go, take your idea, go there”.

‘There no pressure to do it, you’re the one that puts the pressure on yourself. The beauty of it is, you might realise it’s not, and that’s a good thing. You might end up going “maybe I was a bit erratic”, start putting figures down and realise it’s not going to work. But you get to decide’.

20 issue ten 2013

21 issue ten 2013

Watch this space

S tanding in snow-covered Central Park in New York City in February this year, a young Sydney woman found herself experiencing an emotional ‘pinch me’ moment. Thousands of miles from

her home, standing in that iconic city, about to attend one of the world’s most prestigious fashion events, the reality of how far she had moved toward achieving many of her dreams was hitting home for Kira-Lea Barsukoff (Dargin).

A year after establishing her public relations company and Indigenous modelling agency BellaBoo Beauty Enterprise, Kira-Lea’s business and the vision behind it are attracting a good deal of attention, at home and internationally.

Despite all the excitement, Kira-Lea is determined to see her business become both successful and financially sustainable as she sets about fulfilling her goal of changing the face of the Australian fashion and beauty industry by increasing the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Juggling motherhood – Kira-Lea is mother to three young children – and business ownership while having a positive social impact: it sounds unachievable for such a young person. But if you want to see this proud Wiradjuri woman at her determined best, just try suggesting that she can’t do it.

‘Having that opportunity, I just wanted to live the full potential of it’. Kira-Lea is referring to her recent exclusive invitation to attend and review Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Yet she could be referring to any of the personal and professional opportunities she has seized over the past decade.

‘I was always told whatever opportunities come at you, grab them and run with them,’ said Kira-Lea. As a talented

‘I want to empower future Indigenous women. I want each individual to reach their full potential. My goal is simply to do as much as I can to break stereotypes. In doing so, we reach a greater understanding and open a world of opportunity’.

– Kira-Lea Barsukoff (Dargin), Director of BellaBoo Beauty Enterprise

Director of BellaBoo Enterprise Kira-Lea Barsukoff (Dargin) in Sydney.

22 issue ten 2013

basketballer and contemporary dancer in her teenage years, Kira-Lea learned the importance of self-discipline and a positive attitude in exploring her personal potential. She credits her parents, along with Mark Davis (a basketball legend and former player with the Adelaide 36ers) and Darrio Phillips (a renowned US dancer and choreographer) with instilling the knowledge that it would be her own hard work that would enable her to fulfil that potential.

Kira-Lea had always known she wanted a long-term career in the fashion and beauty industry. As a child, she cut up her clothes and refashioned them to her own taste. When she was a teenager, she used her brothers for “make-up and hair experimentation”. She applied any spare time outside of her study, sports and dance commitments to learning about her chosen industry, taking up modelling at the age of just 14.

‘For IBA to come in and say “we believe in you, in what you

are doing and we’re going to help you out with it” – that was mind-

blowing. That was the biggest acknowledgement and support

I could have hoped for’.

was young, and squeeze it all in... I wanted to get all that experience under my belt. And where there’s a will there’s a way’.

After leaving school, Kira-Lea moved to Sydney where she met her partner and started a family. While that meant putting her dancing and modelling career on hold, she continued her connection with the industry, securing an internship alongside the beauty editor of a fashion magazine.

‘That was probably one of the most important experiences I have ever had’, she said. ‘Just to be in that environment, understanding the background of how they [the editors] work, the editorial process, putting everything together and how much work goes into producing those magazines. That was a turning point for triggering my interest in the public relations side of the industry’.

That interest led Kira-Lea to study a Diploma in Public Relations, through which she learned about creating and promoting messages and brands, and the power of social media in particular for delivering those messages. Using the writing skills learned during her internship, Kira-Lea has created a successful online fashion and beauty blog which she proudly says is being read in nine countries around the world. Through that blog she shares her knowledge about the manufacture of beauty products, and reviews current fashion and beauty trends.

She admits it was quite a leap to take from online blogging at home into full business ownership. ‘Developing the modelling agency, the public relations arm, the blogging and so on, I don’t know if it was a conscious decision, or more me saying “I want to be able to do this, this and this”. I have all this experience and background and learning, so I decided to put it all under one label and just go for it’.

‘I find myself to be one of those people who need to be very practical in learning something; very hands-on’, she said. ’And I actually tried to do as much as I could when I

23 issue ten 2013

Going for it has meant managing the competing demands of business and motherhood as best she can. ‘The girls were aged three and one when I decided to go into business’, she said. ‘And at that same time I found out I was pregnant with my son! So it was difficult juggling everything for a while, but I had great family support and people would step in and help out’.

Among those who stepped in was IBA. Through its Business Development Initiative service, IBA provided Kira-Lea with financial and marketing assistance that enabled her to take up an exclusive invitation to attend and review Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. ‘Living the full potential’ of that opportunity as usual, Kira-Lea used the trip to establish new and productive networks within the international fashion industry, and build her business profile.

Kira-Lea said she was overwhelmed by IBA’s offer of support: ‘They appeared at just the right time’, she said. ‘For IBA to come in and say “we believe in you, in what you are doing and we’re going to help you out with it” – that was mind-blowing. That was the biggest acknowledgement and support I could have hoped for’.

As someone who has negotiated her way through the world of modelling, Kira-Lea is committed to using her business to help other young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to gain a foothold within that highly competitive industry. She said: ‘I want the models to be in every Australian fashion show, to have the same opportunities to go to Paris or Milan. I want them on billboards here in Australia. I want to see Indigenous women represented in their full light. We have so many beautiful young girls who are so talented – I want to see all these girls blossom to their full potential’.

Kira-Lea is asking her industry colleagues to support her vision by ensuring Indigenous models and fashion designers are front of mind during the selection process for runway shows, photographic shoots, advertising campaigns and product branding.

If she occasionally encounters resistance or doubt about her ability to achieve this vision, Kira-Lea says that just fuels her determination to see it happen. ‘A number of people have said “you can’t do this, you won’t get there”’, she said. ‘I find that if you tell me I can’t do it I’m going to do it just to prove you wrong’.

Kira-Lea is quick to acknowledge the many artists, photographers and stylists across Australia who are supporting her cause and business. ‘All of those people have seen what I am trying to do and are supporting it … giving their time freely’, she said. ‘They have put their hands up and said “look, if you want this done we’ll support it”. And it’s a beautiful thing to watch that happening. People are generally very supportive of what I am trying to do. I haven’t just jumped in and gone “I’m going to push this idea out”; I have taken the time to network and build those relationships’.

Kira-Lea’s long-term goal is to establish modelling agencies in every capital city across Australia, and eventually expand her business to represent Australia’s Indigenous fashion designers.

Kira-Lea admits her experiences are not the daily activities and concerns of an average young woman. ‘Having the girls young, and now a young son, I definitely had to grow up quickly’, she said. ‘I’m not your average 23-year-old... I have a sense I’m out of the ordinary, but there are still days I just want to go nuts, and be that 23-year-old young woman too… But I’m very grateful for my journey and experiences. I just want to make the most of it, work hard now, and in five years from now be in a strong position in life financially and professionally’.

Will she achieve that? Just try telling her she can’t.

For more information about BellaBoo Beauty Enterprise visit: www.bellaboobeautyenterprise.com

Helpful and friendly IBA staff are located Australia-wide. Find your local office below, use our online locator tool at www.iba.gov.au/contact-us/locator, or FreecallTM 1800 107 107.**

Australian Capital Territory National Office Street: Bonner House East, 5 Neptune Street, Woden ACT 2606 Postal: PO Box 38, Woden ACT 2606 Phone: 02 6121 2700 Fax: 02 6121 2730

Northern Territory Darwin* Street: Jacana House, Level 4/39–41 Woods Street, Darwin NT 0800 Postal: GPO Box 9820, Darwin NT 0800 Phone: 08 8936 1080 Fax: 08 8941 2085

Alice Springs Street: Jock Nelson Building, Level 2/16 Hartley Street, Alice Springs NT 0871 Postal: PO Box 111, Alice Springs NT 0871 Phone: 08 8958 4290Fax: 02 6246 6300

South Australia AdelaideStreet: Level 7/44 Waymouth Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: PO Box 10414, Adelaide BC, SA 5000Phone: 08 8307 8900 Fax: 02 6246 6277

New South Wales Sydney Street: Level 9/300 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Postal: PO Box K363, Haymarket NSW 1240 Phone: 02 9207 6350 Fax: 02 9212 4398

Coffs Harbour* Street: 17 Duke Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Postal: PO Box 1335, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Phone: 02 5622 8890 Fax: 02 6246 6589

Grafton Street: King Arcade, Shop 9/22–26 King Street, Grafton NSW 2460 Postal: PO Box 266, Grafton NSW 2460 Phone: 02 6643 5944 Fax: 02 6643 5077

Tamworth* Street: Unit 2/180 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340 Postal: PO Box 684, Tamworth NSW 2340 Phone: 02 5712 9090 Fax: 02 6246 6290

Wagga Wagga Street: 70 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Postal: PO Box 786, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Phone: 02 6932 3330 Fax: 02 6932 3339

Queensland Brisbane Street: Level 13/144 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 Postal: PO Box 10906, Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 Phone: 07 3008 8300 Fax: 07 3211 0399

Cairns Street: 59 McLeod Street, Cairns QLD 4870 Postal: PO Box 2499, Cairns QLD 4870 Phone: 07 4048 8480 Fax: 07 4031 0766

Mt Isa* Street: 42–44 Simpson Street, Mt Isa QLD 4825 Postal: PO Box 2416, Mt Isa QLD 4825 Phone: 07 4437 3090 Fax: 02 6246 6314

Rockhampton* Street: Level 1/36 East Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700 Postal: PO Box 550, Rockhampton QLD 4700 Phone: 07 4837 0090Fax: 02 6246 6594

Townsville* Street: Level 4/235 Stanley Street, Townsville QLD 4810 Postal: PO Box 2018, Townsville QLD 4810 Phone: 07 4417 1090 Fax: 02 6246 6296

Tasmania Hobart Street: Hobart Corporate Centre, Level 3/85 Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS 7004 Postal: GPO Box 1236, Hobart TAS 7001 Phone: 03 6270 2252 Fax: 03 6270 2223

Victoria Melbourne*Street: Level 10/460 Bourke Steet, Melbourne VIC 3000 Postal: GPO Box 4512, Melbourne VIC 3001 Phone: 03 9920 6009 Fax: 02 6246 2641

Western Australia Perth Street: Level 7/140 St George Terrace, Perth WA 6000 Postal: PO Box Z5271, St George Terrace, Perth WA 6831 Phone: 08 9229 1400 Fax: 08 9481 3815

Broome* Street: 1 Short Street, Broome WA 6725 Postal: PO Box 613, Broome WA 6725 Phone: 08 9138 7890 Fax: 02 6246 6302

* Denotes offices co-located with an Indigenous Coordination Centre.** Calls to 1800 numbers from your home phone are free. Calls from

public and mobile phones may be timed and charged at a higher rate.