Latest / She Said It Out Loud with Emma Young / CEO of the Broome Chamber of Commerce, Mala Haji-Ali!

Transcript

CEO of the Broome Chamber of Commerce, Mala Haji-Ali! · She Said It Out Loud with Emma Young

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: You're listening to She Said It Out Loud, where real women share real stories without sugarcoating a thing.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Emma Young, and I'll bring you on filtered conversations with ambitious women who faced challenges, made bold moves, and learned a lot along the way.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: You'll get real takeaways, honest lessons, and stories that you're gonna relate to.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: Righto, let's get started.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Hey there and welcome to the podcast.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Emma Young, and this is of course She Said It Out Loud.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Today's episode is proudly sponsored by Whoop Drumroll.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's right, I have a new sponsor, and that sponsor is the Broom Closet.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Now, the Broom Closet is one of my absolute favourite places to go to, especially on a Friday after work, that's for sure, because they make amazing cocktails.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: So many to choose from.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, there's my favourite, Tommy Margarita, but they always do a secret cocktail.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Not only are the cocktails amazing, but the food menu is out of this world.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: Trust me, go and take a group of your girlfriends, or better yet, date night.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: The Broom Closet.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's there, located above Mr.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: Saigon Restaurant on Dampier Terrace here in Broome.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: Alrighty, on to today's episode.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: My guest is Marla Hajiali.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: She is the CEO of the Broom Chamber of Commerce.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Marla has done some incredible jobs in her lifetime.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we go into a conversation where we discuss how she got to where she is today.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: A small town girl growing up in Wyndham to become the CEO of the Broom Chamber of Commerce.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Now that's no mean feat.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: And we go into that conversation where she discusses all the different roles that have led her to where she is today.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Marla is a great friend and ally of the Broom community where she is a genuine supporter of those people that are wanting to set up a business, have already got a business, and really just building on those networks in town.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: All right, enough of me waffling.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: Here's our conversation.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the podcast, Marla.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: As usual, I would have banged on about how much of a legend you are in the intro, but I am so excited to have you on the podcast today.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: For my listeners out there, Marla is just an absolute go-getter and she has made so many changes already.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: This is my personal opinion.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: So other people in the broom community might be like, whoa, Emma is fangirling.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's okay.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I am fangirling because I feel like Marla has made such significant changes to the broom chamber that have just really, you know, had a major impact already.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: Before we even get into that, Marla, welcome.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Can you explain to my listeners out there?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: There are going to be some broom people that clearly know who you are, but then there's not.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: So can you explain to my listeners out there a little bit about yourself and who you are?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I've lived in Broome for 16 years.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: And uh for a year before that, I lived in Beagle Bay for a year.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Originally, though, I'm from Windham in the East Kimberley, the little tiny top north town of the West.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I've done lots of different things in my life and in my career, and it's been a very, very interesting journey.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Growing up, I mean, I people that know me know that I lived in Wyndham for six years, and I always make jokes about I should have got a gold medal.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: For living in Wyndham for six years.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Probably not for the fact that I didn't have a good time, but probably for the fact that I don't like fishing and I don't like camping.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so those two things are some of the major, you know, hobbies that you do when you live in that town.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: I just want to know more, like what was that actually like growing up in such a small town?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because I'm assuming that growing up there, that would have been when it was still quite busy.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh definitely busier than what it is now.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: But it wasn't necessarily at its peak.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'd probably say Wyndham was really booming when they had the meatworks industry still up and running.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: And back in those days there was, you know, five different football teams and uh population was much larger.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: So when I was growing up in the 90s, I guess, you know, doing my primary school, the population was about, you know, a thousand, maybe 1,500.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's had different iterations of the town kind of dynamics and with the economy changing as well.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so how does a small town girl from Wyndham manage to get into this position where you are the CEO of the broom chamber?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like what sorts of jobs, positions have you held to get to this spot where you are now?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's been again a really interesting journey.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: I had one of my one of my first jobs actually was when I was in high school and I was working at the Top Shop.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: So that was the the supermarket.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: Wyndham had two supermarkets back in those days.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: And so I was working at the supermarket at the top shop near the big crocodile statue and did that for a while as an after-school job.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: I had my first son when I was 16 years old.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: And about a year later, I decided that I wanted to get into the workforce and provide, you know, a certain quality of life for um myself and my my son.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: So he went to daycare there at Wyndham and I walked into the school with my resume and said, I'm looking for a job.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: And the same principal was still there as when I was going to school there.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I finished school uh in year 10.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: And the following year I got pregnant and had a baby.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_02: And so the principal said, Yep, I'll give you a job as a teacher's assistant.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I was working in the post-compulsory class, which was a a mixed class of year 11 and 12 students.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, wow.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm 17 as a teacher's aide.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: In a classroom of 16 and 17 year olds.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: How did that go?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: It was great.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_02: It was it was really interesting.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: I found a photo quite recently of me standing, you know, on the side of, you know, the school photos with all the students sitting down in the middle, and I was just reflecting on that photo recently and thinking how unusual that is to be of the same age, but you're a teacher's assistant in there, kind of supporting the class.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: But that was a r a really fundamental component, I guess, of my career history because from that experience I decided I wanted to become a teacher.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: And in order to study teaching, I had to leave Wyndham.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so I left Wyndham, moved down to Fremantle, where my mum had moved a few years earlier, and I enrolled at Notre Dame University in Fremantle, uh, which wasn't easy because I didn't fit into either category of eligibility to go to uni because I I wasn't a school lever.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: I hadn't finished year 12, but I also wasn't 21, so I couldn't be a mature age entrant.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but the the teaching staff at Wyndham District High School and one of my mentors and someone who I really have looked up on throughout my journey is one of my previous teachers, Danielle Woodhouse, who's now the principal at Wyndham District High School.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they helped me to kind of create a bit of a package together and plea to like the dean of Notre Dame Union in Fremantle to just give me an exemption and let me in, even though I didn't fit in either category.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so they did let me in and I did my 12-week tertiary enabling course, like a bridging course.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you had to get a distinction average uh if you were to be accepted into a degree.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and I did, and that's that's how I kind of did that.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_02: Then along the way, I really love learning and I still love learning.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: I have done lots of different study since then.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: So you became a teacher?
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_02: Did my final prack at Beagle Bay at the school there?
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, yeah.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: And then for a few different reasons, I decided actually I don't want to be a teacher anymore.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: Isn't that funny?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: And uh So many pe so many teachers do that.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: They do the final prank.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: And then they they get out and they're like, I don't know.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's not what I want to do.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what happened.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's what happened.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_02: One of the reasons why I wanted to become a teacher from that experience of being a teacher's aide and growing up in Wyndham in the small town, is I've been raised with a very strong social conscience and wanting to give back to community and help people.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I feel like that's probably my life purpose in a nutshell is to serve the community.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: And so I've always looked for ways and roles that I feel like I can serve people and help with creating positive social and economic impact.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, from leaving Beagle Bay, I got a job at the Kimberley Land Council.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: Supporting different projects there.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I was involved in the legal team with the the gas negotiations.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yes.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: I then went on to work for Cred Enterprises when Wayne Bergman uh left KLC as the CEO and set up Cred, and I went across with him.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: I then managed Josie Farrer's office, the member for Kimberley.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: I then went on to working at Anglercare as the regional parenting coordinator, providing supports and workshops across the region.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: I then worked for Telethon Kids Institute.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: Holy care, you've done research manager.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: I have, I have.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: And so mm the job roles have been really diverse.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: But the common thread for me was all of those jobs that I applied for, I believed that my personal values matched the mission or vision or the the values of that particular workplace.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: And I believed that I could move into that position and make a positive impact in some way.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: So that's that's really filling that kind of personal purpose that I have.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: You should be proud of that.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: Because not a lot of people, I don't think a lot of people would probably go into a job or wanting a job with having that in the forefront of their minds.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I can be honest, I know probably over half of the jobs I've had in my career, it's because I just need a chob.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's like I'm just gonna take that job.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna take a job where I'm doing anything dodgy or that it's gonna have an effect on anybody else.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: The fact that you make that your own personal mission, that's that's really good.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say that's 10 out of 10, God star.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's such a teacher thing.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: And and amongst that, I also became a local government shire counsellor.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I did that for four years on the on the broomshire here, and that was an amazing experience.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: The diversity of having these different roles and having exposure to local government, uh state government, and then through my position uh leading the West Kimberley Futures Empowered Communities before I came to the chamber last year was a lot of involvement with federal government as well.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's really provided me a nice diverse skill set, but also insights and knowledge on how we can shape systems in collaboration with others and the importance of working with different stakeholders for collective impact, essentially.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's one of the big differences that I feel I bring to the chamber is certainly not trying to do anything in isolation, not competing or duplicating, but complementing and collaborating.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's that's really cool.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: And now it makes sense why you're obviously in this position.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_01: Not for the fact that you're certainly qualified, but for to have all those different jobs that have now then can be cemented in your position.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And like you said, that's a significant skill set.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: That is impressive.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I just want to touch on what you mentioned before about how you had a child at 16.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I know you've got four boys, yeah, and they are great, great boys.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: But to have a baby at 16, I feel like I mean, I had my first child the day before I turned 25.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember thinking, I'm a young mum, and this is so incredibly difficult, I don't even know what I'm doing.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: At 16, I mean, that's obviously very young, but he's grown up to be this young man that's obviously in this position where he's doing really cool stuff with high school kids too.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: But what was that like for you?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: I was really excited to have my to have my first son, and there was also some mixed emotions with that.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: Something that I've struggled with throughout my life is fear of judgment and being worried about what other people are gonna think.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: Even though for me internally, I was really excited to become a mum and you know, have this beautiful baby.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: But I remember a memory practically straight after giving birth, and my mum was in the room with me and she could see that I was tired, you know, I've been in labour all night long and had my son at about quarter to seven in the morning, and she said, Oh, pass me the baby, I'll, you know, hold him, you just have a sleep.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember not wanting to give him over to anyone.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: I remember not wanting to fall asleep because I didn't want anyone to stereotype me of being, you know, a typical teenage mum, and she's not even gonna look after this kid and just pass him off to the parents or something.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: You were thinking that even in that moment.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: Even in that moment.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: That's quite interesting for me to reflect on those beliefs of and worries about what the external world might think about me.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: Was incredibly strong.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: Doesn't it?
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: Really deep-seated in my brain.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, and even at that such young age, yeah, I don't reckon I would have been like that.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: I would have been like, sure, take this baby.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: My eyes are hanging out of my head.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: But I can see from you, I can I can see exactly what you're saying, and that makes complete sense.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for sharing that because you know, not a lot of women I feel feel comfortable enough to talk about if they've had teenage pregnancies.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: But I mean, even now, it's just not done.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's just not something that's heard of, and I do think society has changed, or people are more accepting it, just isn't as common as what it would have been, you know, back in the 90s or the 2000s.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I wanna I know that you being a CEO, to me, it's such a big deal to be a CEO.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: I just look at it and go, man, that's stressful.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: But I want to hear from you what are some of the challenges that you know you face in the role of being CEO of the chamber, but also some positives like what are some things that light you up and bring joy?
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_02: Some of the challenges that really frustrate me is not being able to make system process or policy changes as quick as I'd like to see them happen.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: And is that because it has to go through the board?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: Or no, not necessarily, not in regards to internally.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's more in the community or for businesses.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: So thinking about some of the struggles that I hear from not just our members but the business community.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm really passionate about making a difference, and I'm a great problem solver, and I like fixing things.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_02: And there's some occasions where I believe I can see exactly what needs to happen and what needs to be done, but it's actually outside of my control.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: And so there's a reflection thinking about what is in my control and what's my sphere of influence.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: So those sorts of frustrations where I can't click my fingers and change things because it's not all up to me.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: I have to, you know, consult and liaise with the whole range of different stakeholders to push the bar and and turn the dial on certain improvements.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's about leveraging your influence and the different stakeholders that you're connected with and advocating as strongly as you can.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: And even though I don't see the changes happening, you know, overnight, I have learnt to feel more comfortable with even incremental progress.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_02: Is still progress.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_02: And that's that's still something that should be celebrated and be proud of.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's a really good point.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: With small business owners, though, in general, and I know that obviously everybody now, cost of living gets brought up every five seconds.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like that's my middle name at the moment, Emma, cost of living young.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's just something I'm always talking about.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: But I guess you would probably hear it and the issues that small business owners face.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: But for you, if budget wasn't an issue, what are some things that you think would be easy, you know, for small business owners, people that are just starting out, you know, if budget wasn't an issue.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just curious to know.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: It really depends on the individual small business or the individual that's leading the business or the the business owner.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: And the needs are so diverse for each individual business owner.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_02: If budget's not an issue, there still can be some improvements that that I'm you know witnessing where small business owners they need support and they need help and guidance to navigate the next steps in developing their business or scaling their business, but they actually don't know where to go to find those supports.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: So that's something that we have been increasing our communication on and improving the Kimberley Business Network website so that it showcases a whole range of different organisations who provide free business supports and advice.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just the chamber that does that, also uh sharing more communication about the chamber and what our functions are and who can access our business supports and and it's everyone.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to be a member to access our supports.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: You can walk through the door and ask us all kinds of questions.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: And if we don't have the expertise in-house, then we have this whole constellation of services that we can refer individual businesses onto, like business foundations or Morgul or IBA or many rivers, you know, the list goes on.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: So raising the awareness, it's it's not about the cost, so it budget isn't an issue, but actually knowing where to go to get the supports um and how to access those services, I think is still really, really important.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, definitely.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's a really good point that you that you've just made then because I'm obviously fortunate to have a husband that's a financial advisor that knows a lot of things.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember starting out in Emma the Celebrant, my sole trader business, and there were lots of things that I just flew by the seat of my pants.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know what I mean?
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, yep, cool, whatever that sounds great.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess it wasn't through learning the hard way, especially with terms and conditions.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: When COVID hit, there was a lot of like, oh, couples had already booked me, and then there was like, well, sorry, we're now just gonna flat out cancel.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: And my cancellation policy was not watertight at all, and I ended up having to pay back several thousands of dollars that was like a big ouch moment.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now the chances of COVID happening again are obviously very, very slim.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: Touch wood.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: However, now I'm in my eighth year of doing this business.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: I am a member of the chamber, and I'm always whoever I talk to, I'm and especially people that are just going into business, I encourage them to join up because for me, I'm a massive extrovert.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: I love going to the business after hours events.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: I love networking, I love meeting people, but it suits me to be able to do that in the two different roles that I have.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, my you know, choosing your eight judging position and then Emma the Celebrant job, and now obviously with the podcast, I can meet people and be like, oh, there's such and such who then knows somebody else that then might know somebody.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: So in a small town, I feel like it's uh an important thing to have, and especially doesn't matter what size your business is, there's gonna be people that are gonna help you.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I want to say, I personally think you've done such a good job.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's not that the previous CEO wasn't doing a good job.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: I just feel like you've really taken it and run with it where it now feels even more so what's the word?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Inclusive.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, inclusive, welcoming for anybody, like you said, whether you're a member or not.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then I feel like people are gonna all they need to do is come to one even business after hours event and go, yeah, awesome.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: I need to sign up so then I can come and be part of this.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and it feels very community orientated too.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, something that I feel is certainly an early achievement and an example is I've got a board meeting this week, and each month at the board meetings I have a list of new businesses who have joined as signed up as members, and then the board needs to approve them formally.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: And this month we've had 11 new businesses sign up already.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: So within this month of June, which isn't quite over yet.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we've been having a fairly consistent track record this year with that sort of amount of businesses signing up, which I feel is reflective on the communication that we're putting out there and ensuring people understand that we're not a VIP secret club.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Anyone can join.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: And even if you're not a member and you haven't joined yet, you can still access the chamber, you can still receive business advice, you can still attend our free business capacity building workshops and you know, other events, etc.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's great.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: This is an interesting one because if you weren't being a CEO, is there something else that you think you could potentially be doing?
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: I really love my job and I I don't think about actively doing anything else.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: However, in my downtime, I love gardening.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: I love gardening at home.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: I love digging in the dirt and I wouldn't have pictured that.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: Love it so much.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: And most of my garden has filled in because I just take cutting.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Of the existing plants and then chop them in some water, wait for them to grow roots, and then I'll plant them in the ground and kind of just do the same thing.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I get really excited when I see new growth.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, oh, I've got a new leaf.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: Really enjoy that.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I also love doing home improvement things.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'll if I just feel like it on a certain day, I'll be all of a sudden painting a wall in my house without, you know, a big kind of lead-up plan or anything.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: I um you just get it done.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: I just get it done.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: I made a a walk-in wardrobe in my house, which is an old, you know, housing commission house.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that I bought years and years ago now, and wanted a a walk-in wardrobe, so I cleaned out the storeroom that was joining onto a bedroom.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: And then just got a like an electric jigsaw and just cut a big hole in the wall.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: Why not?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: And then patched it all up and painted it and painted the floor and I love that stuff.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: That's really fun for me.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I feel like I would love to be on, you know, home renovation shows.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Or grand designs.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_01: Or so maybe like an architect or very, very interesting and not what I like a house flipper, you know, getting old things.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_02: I love getting even bits of old furniture and like repurposing them and making them new again or recycling bits of scrap wood.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love that.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Love handmade craft things that has a story behind it.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: Really love that.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's cool.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: That I certainly did not know that about you, but I'm here for it and I'm loving it.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, now we're coming to rapid fire.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh like I said, people know me, they know I do rapid fire.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm interested to see what you're gonna say to some of these questions.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: So the first one is what are some things that you wish women knew?
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna focus a little bit on women here before starting up a small business.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: Really consider the time allocation that you think it's gonna take.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how much time do you think this business is gonna take out of your week and probably double it?
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: You know, really be very realistic and generous with the time allocation that that you're putting towards your business.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: It's incredibly difficult juggling a business with, you know, home demands, but you know, if you're a working mum or if you have a partner as well.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: It can be really challenging.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I really like mapping out a timetable, like a weekly timetable like a high school student might have.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: And allocating different things to do, you know, each morning and each afternoon, and you can divide that up into hours if you want to, but actually mapping it out so that you're being intentional about the different hours that you're going to allocate to your business and the different hours that you need to pick your kids up from school or take them to soccer practice so that you have a clear understanding of where your time is going to.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: I feel that's quite important because it can help reduce the stress or the burden on your mind always being concerned about the things that you have to do or worrying about I've got this big to-do list.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_02: But if you've got time allocated to get those things done, it helps me to be in the moment.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_02: Just sit at soccer and watch my kid play soccer and don't worry about the to-do list.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_02: I know I've got time allocated to do those things already.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um so making sure you've got a plan, making sure that you've considered the time that it's going to take.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a really good one.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: I agree on that, definitely.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: Financial literacy too, I think, is something that I bang on a lot of people.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm really good at spending money, but then when it comes to BAS statements and accounting and all that sort of stuff, I've obviously outsourced it, but I feel like not everybody knows that, and not everybody can afford to do that either.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_01: So having your own financial literacy skill set.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_02: Definitely.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_02: Definitely.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_02: And we deliver a whole range, I've mentioned earlier, of uh business capacity building workshops for free at the chamber.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_02: And financial literacy is one of those workshops we we run in person, so keep a lookout for that.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, that's good.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I guess another tip on that point that I was mentioning earlier is if you ensure you've got the time allocation, then prioritising what you need to know, what's your strengths, where's your growth areas, and then actively going to find the supports that you need to build up in those growth areas.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like if you're if you're not a numbers person, then go and do your research, find the supports, yeah, and go and access those supports so they can help you in those different areas.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: Now, what's something that you are proud of?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: In just life?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just in life.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you have a list uh that I think you should be proud of, but that's my thoughts.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: I want to know what just is straight off the top of your head, what's something that you're proud of?
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm proud that I keep going.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just proud of putting one foot in front of the other and getting through the different challenges that have presented in my life, both personally and professionally.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes I think of myself as a bit of a a bit of a phoenix, you know.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_02: I just I can get burned down, but I'll I'll always keep rising up.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: And that's something that I'm very proud of.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely you should be proud of that.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I do like that analogy.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: I ask everybody this question.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone's gonna go, here we go, we know what Emma's gonna ask.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: If I was to get three of Marla's friends, and I'm sure I could probably picture who they are, but if I got three of them and said, Right, give me three words to describe Marla, what words do you think they're gonna peek?
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: So many words.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um calm, okay, driven, independent, tick, tick, and tick.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: I would definitely agree with those.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Now at the end, I do a shout-out to a woman.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: The last couple of people they've done a whole bunch of shout-outs.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's totally okay.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: There's no cap.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: But if there's somebody that has been in your life that has really inspired you, or somebody that you just want to give a shout-out to, that would be amazing.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: And this is your platform to do it.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no pressure.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: There are so many women, but I I'm going, I'm thinking about one person in particular who has seen more than half of my life's journey, and I spent some time with her recently fishing on the boat for my birthday, which was lovely.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Davina.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: And a little personal story is during my run-am up teenage years.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yes.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_02: I ran away from Wyndham.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: Caught a lift when I was 13, and I turned up in Broome and knocked on Davina's door, and then I lived with her for a while.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: Holy cow.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: And we still remained very, very close.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_02: Did you know her then?
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: I had never actually met her in person, but we had lots of yeah, mutual people.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: And she's the godmother of my second son, Taj.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: That's a really special story.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_02: So she's she's always been someone who I've looked up to, someone who I've always been able to go to to receive support and guidance or a kick up the ass when I'm not doing the right thing.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'll bet you she does that.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: She does it real good.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I would love to get her on the podcast.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think she can be on because she's a politician.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: There's probably rules.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: There's probably rules with her being on the podcast.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe I might have to.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: If she's listening, I'm coming for you, Divi.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's thank you for giving her a shout out.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: She is a great, great person in the community and always is trying her hardest.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: And a mother of, you know, five children, a grandmother of three.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh she, yeah, certainly someone that I've always looked up to in specific regard to that balance.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can have a successful career and also be a great mum and be a great support to your family.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_02: You can have that balance and you can do both.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I've really admired that about her.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: And she supports so, so many people in the community in her personal life.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: I think, yeah, she's just an outstanding human being.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_02: I'm privileged to be close to her.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, she is.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, listen, I appreciate you coming onto the podcast and having this great chat with me.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: Even just sharing these stories has been absolutely fabulous.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: I know you're a busy woman, but I do want to say thank you.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's been great.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for listening to She Said It Out Loud.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_01: If you took something away from today's episode, I would love to hear from you.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Go find me on Instagram at officially Emma Young.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: And hit follows to new episodes land straight in your feed.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: See you next time for more real and honest stories from legendary women.