Perth Hosts Ditch the Daily Grind and Get the Career You Want

Published : October 09, 2016

Ditch the Daily Grind was a gathering of forty women from various career paths who are interested in starting their own business.

Words: Juanita Pozzi

I had the opportunity to participate in this collaboration, which took place at Spacecubed on Wednesday 5 October 2016.

After a long day dealing with…well…the daily grind, we were delighted to engage in light-hearted conversation over a glass of wine with a delicious spread of savoury and sweet snacks. Penny Locaso from BKindred, who was our host for the evening, invited us into the designated office space where we took our seats at the rectangular wooden tables.

Penny welcomed her lovely panellists, comically known as the “leaper zoo.” Each of these determined women shared their experiences of leaving their corporate and hospitality roles to find their career happiness as solopreneurs. Members of the “leaper zoo” included Lanna Hill from One Small Step Coaching, Rachel Dowdy from Green Goodness Company, Sarah Hopkins from Sarah Hopkins Health and Wellbeing, Bree Taylor from Mariposa Perfumery, and Jos Franciscus from Cord Fundraiser.

Image courtesy BKindred

Our first act of collaboration began with the Round Table exercise, where each group wrote down questions to instigate a discussion with their assigned “leaper” for twenty-five minutes. This was an effective technique to encourage women to raise their concerns without anxiety.

I was fortunate that Penny joined my table for our group discussion. Penny started BKindred in 2012, an organisation that specialises in empowering women to change their lives based on their new career choices. The women at my table, including myself, listened intently as Penny answered our queries by eliminating the BS factor, which was refreshing for aspiring self-employers. The nature of this collaborative effort resulted in us agreeing with Penny’s practical suggestions and noting her recommended resources, which she endorsed voluntarily.

With all of the groups engrossed in constructive discussion, it was time for the “leapers” to rotate. My group welcomed Jos Franciscus from Cord Fundraiser, an art fundraising auction where the money raised is donated to the Fiona Stanley Hospital Spinal Cord Injury Unit. With her trusty iPhone for reference, Jos shared with us her advice regarding her start-up experience. Jos answered our prepared questions but also reminded us to consider our definition of success in business.

Image courtesy BKindred

An audience Q & A with the “leaper zoo” followed which brought about more insight into the realities of a career change. We then filled in the Action Sheet provided highlighting our important lessons and the appropriate course of action we intended to take.

Penny concluded the evening by promoting BKindred’s UnstuckHer Program as well as her upcoming YouTube series, The FBOMB, where she and fellow female professionals will talk about what really goes on in business.

Ditch the Daily Grind and Get the Career You Want was a practical, interactive, and thought provoking evening. Penny and the “leaper zoo” gave us the information we needed in an honest and straightforward manner – with a little wine and humour for networking effect.