Rebecca (00:01.09)
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Champagne Lounge podcast. Today I'm joined by the wonderful Kay Fox. Welcome to the show,
Kay (00:08.332)
Thank you so much, Rebecca. I'm really pleased to be here.
Rebecca (00:11.308)
Now I'm excited for this conversation for several reasons. Number one, this is the first time you've done a podcast interview. So congratulations for saying yes and jumping on out of your comfort zone to come and share your story. And the second reason for me is that you and I have been connected and met through a mutual friend of ours, Janine Garner, who again, runs her own community in the business mentoring space for female business owners. And I just love this, how female businesses and female communities just
blend and connect and share resources and people and connections. And I think it's wonderful that we're connected.
Kay (00:45.045)
It is and I'm so pleased I was. Janine said you must meet my wonderful friend Rebecca out in mudgy and you're in orange and that's how we met.
Rebecca (00:54.114)
That's it, that's it. And so what took you to Orange? Tell us a little bit about you and how you ended up living regionally.
Kay (00:57.753)
Yeah. So originally from Brisbane, worked overseas for a few years and then as you do met my well not as you do met my then husband on a Contiki tour overseas ended up in Sydney. Sydney for thirty odd years no longer married but that's by the way and then thought is it time to get out of Sydney but a friend
Short story, a friend had a house in Orange for ten years. They turned it into an Airbnb and said, Kay, come up and tell us everything that we're missing or what we're doing great, what we're not. Came to Orange, loved it, kept coming back and then it got us thinking with my current partner who I've been with for ten years, what are we going to do? Are we going to sit here in Sydney forever? The answer was no. Where might we move to? We go, we love Orange, not ready to move now.
Bought a house in Orange, we airbend, bear. And then I started, that was a five year plan to maybe move to Orange. Then I started looking for HR roles and went, there's not many good HR roles that come up. One came up working for a dairy farm. I've been in corporate finance my entire career in HR. Finally put my hat in the ring and said, we'll just give it a go, test the waters. Three months later.
Rebecca (01:58.712)
You
Kay (02:19.147)
I stayed overnight. went to dinner with the family and I'm ringing my partner going they've asked me for breakfast. I they're going to offer the job. Are we doing this or not? We went we're doing it.
Rebecca (02:30.218)
Amazing, amazing. I love how that, you know, you've just thrown your hat into the ring of completely different industry and a completely different space in a completely different town. Like a lot of people, I mean, I'm very similar in that, like bugger it, let's give it a go, let's jump on in. A lot of people would think that's a little bit crazy. Like what were your friends and family thinking when you told them, right, we're off to Orange, we'll see you later.
Kay (02:51.961)
I know it's like I grew up at the beach. I hate to say this bit old fashioned, I say surfy chick. I was not from the country, didn't even know the country. But I don't know you get to a stage in life I've been pretty risk adverse. And I think when you get to a certain point, I was comfortable enough there was no downside. you know.
Rebecca (03:00.572)
You
Kay (03:17.963)
And I had a partner who was willing so you weren't in it it alone and you go, what's the worst can happen? You spend nine months, you rent your house out, you come back and you've had an experience. So it's kind of going more. The question was, why not? Yeah.
Rebecca (03:33.048)
Why not? And so you said you rent your house out there. Did you rent your house in Sydney while you did your test six to nine months or so you had that sort of that buffer in that background of if it doesn't work, I can go back.
Kay (03:40.237)
Yes, we did.
Kay (03:45.759)
Exactly. And we brought our my daughter with me who has a slight disability. So we had to find somewhere that had a community that still had work because we were still working in both professionals but was the right environment for Tara. And I remember at the nine month mark we had to say to Tara we've decided to stay and we're selling up in Sydney and Tara was cheers I want to go back to Sydney.
but it's the best thing for her and us. She learned to drive, she got a job, she's now married, six years on, and it's worked on so many different levels.
Rebecca (04:23.136)
Amazing, amazing. Now you touched there on you needed to find a community. I know a lot of people listening and a lot of people that moved to new towns struggle with meeting new people and finding new friends and that can be the really isolating bit when you feel really disconnected, you don't really know where to meet people. How did you go about building that community factor for you?
Kay (04:43.893)
Yeah, it was, we were somewhat lucky in a way, although I do put it down to luck. Well, you had your job, so I met some great people through that environment. But there was this group that was kicked off at about the time we arrived here, no longer operating, called Orange is the New Sydney. So it was people who had moved to Orange who wanted to meet people. So we joined that community, went to a few events.
And then I guess like anywhere there's, there's an overall culture, then there's subcultures. We had a subgroup that kept hanging around with each other and that subgroup lasted for years and I've still got a few great friends. So that kicked it off. When I left the dairy farm I was working with, I contracted to other companies. So you meet people through that. And now that I've got my own company and I've had that for the last business for the last three years.
you're meeting lots of different people. But even in the shops, you go into the shops, you'd know this Rebecca, I'm a bit of a shopaholic. You go into the shop to say hi and hang out and have a chat. You would never do that in Sydney. You'd never know who worked there and it's fabulous. Coffee shops, how are you today? And you build up.
Rebecca (05:47.0)
Yeah.
Rebecca (05:55.532)
I know.
Rebecca (06:00.994)
I think it's fantastic. You know what? After recording this, I'm going to be editing it and putting it live pretty fast and heading off to do just that. know, I'm going to see a couple of people. I've had someone send me a text saying, I've run out of magazines. Can you bring more down? I've seen on Facebook that a new shop's open today. So of course I'm going to go down and say hello and find out all about it. And you're right. It wouldn't happen that way at all in a big city environment. So I think that's the beauty of living regionally in a regional country town.
Kay (06:31.019)
It is and lots of people saying still I was invited to lunch at the Cannibalus Hotel yesterday by the general manager and the marketing person. saw them at a Eric Kramer event that we had a few weeks ago. I'm why they're inviting me for lunch, but it was for no reason at all. And we sat there and they're they're orangeites through and through and lots of people find that orange can be a little bit exclusive rather than inclusive, but that's not been my
experience at all. So I found them very welcoming, doesn't matter where you're from and everyone's up for a chat. It's yeah.
Rebecca (07:01.58)
Mm.
Rebecca (07:09.312)
It's wonderful, isn't it? I I got I think we've got that ripple of country towns can be really clicky and as you said, exclusive. And I've also found it very inclusive to move to a new space and a new town and and meet people. And I wonder if that comes down to the personality type of the individuals. mean, I'm very positive person. I will talk to anyone. I will happily have a chat and spark up a conversation. Would you say your personality is similar or, you know,
Kay (07:36.835)
Yeah, I'm an.
Rebecca (07:37.432)
Could it be very different if you're a more of an introvert, do reckon?
Kay (07:40.811)
I think so and not think so, I know. So yes, I'm very outgoing and I'll talk to anyone. So that makes it easy. My daughter is the opposite, really shy, doesn't want to put herself out there. But in saying that, you've just got to find one friend. There's a friend she's got who was her, not matron of honor, chief brides of aides, whatever. She's outgoing and she's in the Orange Theatre Company.
and we encouraged Tara to get there and she did backstage because she doesn't like so she was part of that community and now she's in a singing group that meets every Thursday. I started can't sing I've left that to her but she's part of that community even though they're she's shy and stand backage they put they sang at Tara's wedding they came along all 20 of them so they even look after those people who are more reserved once you
Rebecca (08:23.758)
you
Kay (08:38.531)
You find your tribe, I think it's all about, isn't it?
Rebecca (08:41.378)
Definitely, definitely finding your tribe is a huge thing, particularly when you're something new. So tell me about starting your business. You've been in corporate and in a secure role, I'm gonna say secure, because the joy of business and the roller coaster of cash flow is real. You were in that space for a really long time and then what sparked you to start your own business and go for it solo?
Kay (09:08.301)
there's two reasons for this. one I'll put it out there. I went for a job in Orange thought I was a shoe in. my corporate knowledge. Didn't get the role. Okay too sad me which was I came home and remember I played the Rolling Stone song. You don't get what you you don't get what you want you get what you need. So then I started to to think about it and I don't know did I ever really fit into corporate? I had a very successful
career in corporate but I didn't like to follow the rules. I liked I'm probably the worst employee ever. Wanted to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and I was always a little bit opinionated and I've got strong values and strong relief beliefs and I think for the last ten years in corporate even before the GFC and after I spent my career doing restructures, doing retrenchments and if we look at values
Rebecca (09:45.121)
You
Kay (10:06.985)
or every company nearly says you put people are your most important asset we put them first and when you come up against the tough times what's the first thing they do cut cut their people so I thought what do I want to do it's very there's lots of public service roles in Orange in that I went don't think I'm very
following the rules is not my thing. I can't be public service and some friends had been saying go out on your own for years and I didn't have the confidence. So I went now's the time didn't do I did what I wouldn't recommend anyway didn't do a business case spoke to a few recruiters in town. How many HR consultants are there? Do you think they need? yeah, you'll be great. Go for it. Okay. So again, I just went in the deep end and went okay.
Why not? What do you got to lose again that? Yeah, let's give it a go.
Rebecca (11:02.358)
Yeah. And what's been the journey? What's it been like doing, like starting your own thing and doing it differently? Has it been hugely successful? Has there been the ups and downs where you've had those moments of like, what was I thinking? You know, what's the, cause you know, it sounds very glamorous, right? We make it sound glamorous. We make it look glamorous, but really it's not as glamorous as we make it out to be in the Instagram reels or the shows that we talk on.
Kay (11:15.789)
You
Kay (11:29.248)
It's.
Rebecca (11:30.67)
So what's it really been like for you starting that from scratch?
Kay (11:32.601)
But I will, I'll start with the positives because we all should have a positive mindset. again, I use that word luck. I attribute lots of things to luck. Probably shouldn't, but I had, yeah, I had a good base to start with. had from my connections in Sydney and they've actually got an office in Orange, believe it or not. They're a global company. So I started.
Rebecca (11:38.688)
yeah.
Rebecca (11:45.656)
Hard work. No, it's hard work.
Kay (11:58.829)
with some dedicated work a few days a week with them. So I had like two days guaranteed work, which is always nice. And then I'd spoken to this recruiter in town. was a recruit. Recruiter actually placed me in the role that brought me to Orange and said, you know, I'm starting up my shackles are on the door. And he said, I think I've got a company, Kay, that could do with your services. So went in and met them. Yay. One day a week. That relationship was two years and they still refer me. So.
Rebecca (12:27.758)
Amazing.
Kay (12:28.045)
had a good base and I was just lucky referrals when you country towns I don't know if you find it's very different in corporate get three quotes and you've gotta go through layer and layer of approval in the country towns I'm still a standard we don't want to appraise appraise your proposal they recommended you no let's go and I go okay and I'm still astounded that they don't don't do a fancy thing like that
It's good enough. So I got those referrals and those referrals lasted for the first three years and I was very very grateful and still am. And then I started our mutual connection Janine and there were a things that started to resonate. Are you visible? Are you easy to buy from? I thought I was pretty easy to buy from but by doing everything doesn't mean you're easy to buy from. So I decided to
start to work on my business rather than in my business. And the whole way it's been energizing, but you do work long hours. I find working from home, the day morphs from six or seven through to eight, cause it's that flexibility. I take the dogs for a walk or you go and have a coffee, but then I go, I still got to do this. So what I'm finding not difficult, but is the day extends and that way it's where you have to learn to stay. No.
say no, manage your own boundaries, not take on too much work and I think the plight of every consultant is that drought or going where's my pipeline coming from? You sit here and go I've got no pipeline or I shouldn't say this October, November, December but you have to also trust that if you do the work it will come and it has but it's trying to manage your anxiety levels around where's the next gig? Will it come?
Rebecca (13:56.425)
Mm -hmm.
Rebecca (14:22.53)
Mm
Kay (14:23.043)
Do you trust in that or do you actually have to do that work on your business to get you out there? And you do.
Rebecca (14:28.122)
It's a lot, isn't it? It's a big juggle, particularly when you have that meaty pieces of work and you're not on a retained thing or you have a retained membership model or anything like that. It can be very, very ups and downs. So you talk then about boundaries. And I know when you commented on my LinkedIn post that I posted about being in Mudgee for two years and all the things that I listed off, all the things that I achieved, because one of the big things I like to do, which is why we call it the Champagne Lounge,
Kay (14:33.89)
Yes.
Rebecca (14:56.192)
is to celebrate all those micro moments that we look back and go, I forgot we did that. I forgot we did that. But the only reason I could write that list is because I have strong boundaries. And your comment on the post was, that's amazing, but when do you sleep? And I've just replied going, I sleep for eight hours a night, actually. I've got pretty good boundaries. And that's taken a lot to learn. What have you got in place there to help you manage that anxiety and manage that?
Kay (15:09.709)
Yeah.
Rebecca (15:21.731)
Balance work life balance, essentially, because you could take everything on and you could work long hours every day. It's easy to do as a business owner. So how do you manage that?
Kay (15:33.073)
I'm a very honest person Rebecca and I have to say I don't manage it very well. And I had I've got I've got on my wall up here my game plan for the quarter and I went up yesterday because we're coming down to the end of the quarter to tick it off and there was one thing that says that no client work of a weekend. July August September. Cross cross cross didn't achieve that.
Rebecca (15:37.101)
Ha
Rebecca (15:55.371)
Mm -hmm.
Kay (16:01.919)
Okay. What are we going to do? Okay. So that is still a work in progress. What I'm finding though is I have not been this energised in my career for so long. So I don't necessarily feel like it's work because I'm enjoying it. but that can lead to burnout so you do need to manage that. Talking about posts I put a video up there.
probably wasn't very LinkedIn -ish but I said I have to stop and a friend goes do you want to catch up Saturday? My first response is no I've got work to do and then you've got to go stop it Kay. We went out had our scones hung around in Dirty Jane's acted silly took some videos and I think it's those little things that just remind you there is more out there and don't do this all the time. is so easy for it to become a habit.
Rebecca (16:45.659)
perfect.
Kay (16:59.596)
that it's just part of that but I do have a light at the end of tunnel I go away in six weeks for a month so I go okay there's a turning point I'll get this stuff done have a break step away and come back with new habits
Rebecca (17:06.434)
Amazing.
Rebecca (17:16.77)
Fantastic. I love that. And I'm going to hold you accountable to that one. I'll be touching maze to make sure you're following it. Because one of the things that I found really, really quite useful and it's all a work in progress, right? It is all trial and error doing different things. I know that for me, Do Not Disturb was really good on my phone, which was super helpful. I booked things in my calendar at a ridiculous rate. My husband looks at it goes,
Kay (17:20.099)
Thank you. I needed a capability.
Rebecca (17:45.154)
When are we going to have time to work on the house? Yeah, but people are here and it's energizing. We can entertain them and it's fun and I meet people. So I probably flipped it completely the other way and packed my calendar so full that there's no time to do the housework or the renovations that we need to do. So it is about finding that what works for you. And sometimes those things have to change. Right now I'm experimenting on deleting the Gmail app off my phone. Yes.
Kay (18:11.833)
Rebecca (18:13.998)
I've taken off the home screen and now I'm working on do I hit the delete button? Quite freeing I feel, yeah.
Kay (18:21.119)
I that. It is. I've gone to turning my phone over and turning the beeper down. The next is I need to take it and put it in another room on another level so that bing it's all of those little things. I do block my calendar out. I was going to show you something here. My partner bought me I don't know where it is a little timer and I like to use the
I call it the pomegranate technique but it's not that. Pomerano, that's it. Yeah. So I do that when I really need to focus. 25 minutes on, you go away for a five minute break and you do that four times and then you have a half an hour break. Because I think that everyone trying to find that deep focus work and I was listening to one of your podcasts this morning actually gearing up with Donna McGeorge and it was
Rebecca (18:52.28)
The, I know the, the pomerado, is that the one? Pomerani.
Rebecca (19:07.254)
like that yeah
Kay (19:19.289)
You know, everyone has their different time for doing that deep work. Listen to our body clock, not the 5 a club, not everyone operates like that, but finding that groove, putting that discipline in place with a timer, don't move and doing it. So that's one of the techniques I use.
Rebecca (19:35.694)
I like that. I like that a lot. so it's finding what works for you. And I think it's okay to do that and give yourself permission to do it in a different way as a business owner, because we don't need to be working nine to five and being at the gym at 5 .30 in the morning. We don't need that in our world. Not all of us do anyway. Yeah.
Kay (19:51.353)
7 o 'clock's my gym time, not earlier.
Rebecca (19:57.354)
Yeah, yeah. and I've got the dog walks. I've attempted. haven't actually joined a gym since being here because I figured I'd walk the dogs and be more present with them. So that's it. You know, all these things, they all take time. Micro habits. think Donna calls them. Yeah, they do. Now, OK, we've gone around a lot in this episode, and I will make sure that we link your details in the show notes so people can come and find you and explore more and connect with you online. Before I let you go, I do ask everyone on the podcast.
Kay (20:09.955)
They do.
Rebecca (20:25.484)
why they're part of our wonderful community and what community means for them. So what sparked your interest in joining the Champagne Lounge and what has it meant for you?
Kay (20:36.177)
there's two things. Working at home, working in your own business and working at home and in a regional town can be very isolating. so we all want that cheer squad to help you on and be your accountability buddies. We wanna network. We wanna meet like minded people. And so for me it's about connection. Having a laugh. Having fun. And getting support. And the Champagne Lounge.
delivers that in spades.
Rebecca (21:08.03)
Amazing. I'm so glad you just said that. I've had a lot of people say to me over the last few weeks, but is it all drinking champagne? I don't drink. I'm like, no, no. The lounge is that virtual space to meet people. That's what it's all about and the fact that we can celebrate those micro moments. So I love that's giving that in spades for you. So thank you so much for sharing that and thank you for coming on the podcast. I hope we've inspired you to jump on some more episodes and some more shows sometime.
Kay (21:34.467)
Thank you so much. definitely, I think I postponed it once, didn't I? Going, I'm not ready. That little voice, you go, no, I'm going to do it and feel great. So thank you for helping me get out of my comfort zone for my first podcast, Rebecca. I love
Rebecca (21:40.007)
I always get them.
Rebecca (21:50.678)
You smashed it. Always cheering you on and always there to make it happen. So thank you so much, Kate.
Kay (21:55.597)
Thank you. See you soon.
