I am a music publicist. I run PR campaigns for artists and bands under Kick Push PR and the newly launched Ruckus PR.
Why do you do it?
Besides my love for music, I do it because it is a service that artists and bands need. When I started, I hated seeing friend's bands who were making awesome music just drop an EP and have it go completely under the radar because it never reached the hands of editors and radio presenters.
What do you love about the city you live in?
I live in Melbourne after having lived in Brisbane my whole life. I love the long, summer days with daylight savings and I just love the massive variety of things to do. I cannot wait for venues and the live music scene to be back to where it was.
Where did you go for your last holiday?
It seems like a life time ago now, but I went on a road trip at the end of last year to Adelaide. I had never been before and I officially fell in love with SA. I went up and down Mt Lofty in like 40 minutes, which is apparently a pretty decent time.
What's your favourite item of clothing?
It has to be my Blundstone boots; so easy to slip on and perfect for almost every occasion.
What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid?
'Hey Arnold!'. The music is absolutely amazing. Go back and listen to that music – Jim Lang's compositions were out of this world.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us?
First, I'd pour you some wine to settle you in with the cheeseboard.
While you're grazing I'd finish preppin' a vegan, cashew cream carbonara. The cashew sauce is actually super easy to make: soak the cashews, blend them with some salt, veggie stock, lemon juice and soy/ almond milk (add as required to reach desired viscosity). Then on a pan, soften a tablespoon of miso paste and mix with the cashew cream.
You can realistically fry up any veg to add to this: onion, mushroom and capsicum coated in paprika is easy. Run the sauce through the pasta and serve the crispy veg on top.
What's the best lesson you've ever learned?
I've been listening to this programme ritualistically for a number of years now called 'How I Built This with Guy Raz' on NPR.
Guy has interviewed so many amazing entrepreneurs and creatives who have built their own businesses. I've taken away a lot from this programme, but my point in saying all of this is simply, don't stop learning and learn from others experiences.
Tell us one thing about yourself that nobody else knows...
I am both a complete nerd and sports buff at the same time. Do you need a computer built? I'll do it for fun while watching replays of the weeks biggest games be it AFL, NFL, cricket, basketball or football.
Are you happy with your work/ life balance?
Definitely. I am always grateful to be doing what I am doing and I'm very lucky that I've been able to continue working over the past seven months with COVID-19 restrictions in play.
As I'm my own boss and because I have the opportunity to help put awesome music out into the world, it doesn't generally feel like work. I am fortunate that I can easily allow time for life and my general well-being.
How do you define success?
Success is that thing hanging above in our minds that is like a motivational tool we all need to continue moving forward.
All of those little wins you have on a day-to-day basis is success, but they also contribute to the larger picture – if I didn't have this feeling of gratification on these little goals, I'd find it very difficult to keep going.
Fortunately, publicity is peppered with wins in lots of different places all the time and I get to share that joy with the artists and bands I work with (double win).
