Kate interview
===
[00:00:00] This episode is one part of a series unpacking my brand campaign, Peachopoly. I cannot wait to share the behind the scenes of how we pulled this crazy thing together. You're going to be hearing from everybody who was involved in the campaign because I wanna really show what goes into creating something like this.
I really hope you enjoy All right, so I have a very special guest on the Money Secrets podcast today. It is my very good friend, client, and supplier, Kate Forsythe from Good Day Club. Welcome. Thank you, Fiona. I'm glad to be here. Good day. And a good day to you. Um, so to everybody listening in, I just wanna hear a little bit about your career.
Like, tell me, you know, as a business owner, you, you've been in business now for 10 or 12 years, I think. Uh, yeah, I think it's, uh, 12. 12. [00:01:00] So take me on a little mini journey of what that's looked like for you. Well, we started out doing vintage furniture hire. Uh, that was our very first kind of, uh, product, and that was because I wanted to hire furniture for mine and Dave's wedding, and I couldn't find what I wanted.
Uh, so I was just like, "Why not? Let's just buy the furniture off eBay." Mm. Um- Simple. Yeah, simple. And we'll start a business, and Dave said, "What about warehousing and logistics?" And I'm like, "It'll be fine." He was right. That stuff was actually really hard. Really hard. That is the hardest stuff. Yeah. But yes, so we started putting our offer out there, doing l- a lot of, uh, small weddings and that sort of thing.
Mm. And before we knew it, it was, it was kind of picking up the pace. I started adding other services, so some styling, some design, graphic design, and then eventually I did a couple of interiors for people. And- Explain your [00:02:00] style, like your aesthetic. Sure, yeah. 'Cause to me it's just, like, color just spewing out of everywhere, but somehow just looks amazing.
Well, the reason that, that I wanted to buy the furniture was because the existing vintage furniture hire, event hire furniture, was very, uh, rustic. Mm-hmm. It was, it was not fun, colorful, or it did not bring me any joy. So my aesthetic's always been, like, things that are interesting, weird, fun, uh, not particularly, like, fancy or, um, kinda stuffy.
Mm. Uh, and yeah, a lot of color, and I think that our first collection was full of color, and all the work that we've done has just added more and more color, texture, pattern. So, and, and real... Uh, I guess my aesthetic is really very much a mix of old and new. Yep. So bringing the best of both worlds together.
Mm. And that's from an aesthetic point of view, but also a sustainability point of view, for me. So yeah, I guess we got through COVID, an events business, obviously that was pretty difficult. Um, and I [00:03:00] did a couple more interiors, and then after COVID, I went back to school to do interior design. Because I wanted to have more time on the weekends.
Mm-hmm. 'Cause events is, in fact, incredibly antisocial. Yeah, hard for a family. It is, yeah. I had two kids. So I had oh kids when I started the business- ... and I had Remy within the first year of the business, and then I had Bon, uh, 2021. So yeah, so it's been mainly a few events and... But interior design the last few years.
I absolutely love the event side where you get to bring something to life that wasn't there in the morning, and then it's there a couple of hours later. You know, set the scene, create something amazing for a particular person or business, that sort of thing. But the in- interiors I've been really enjoying after sort of 10 years of doing things that come up and go away in a day- Mm
or, you know, a couple of days, doing things that are a little bit more permanent. Mm. So helping people create spaces that bring joy, color, and really show personality. Yeah. But they're really useful, too. I think that's something you underestimate about [00:04:00] your skills, is that your sort of understanding of space and how to use it well, to me really, like, that's a real selling point of what you do.
You're not just making the place beautiful, you're actually making it work better than it used to. I definitely am very... Thank you for noticing that, actually. I love things to be highly functional and, you know, I think why can't things have more than one function? Why can't... Like, are we really thinking about- what we're trying to achieve here and how we're gonna do that, whether it's an event or your lounge room.
Are we thinking about it sort of in totality, or are we kind of just being like, "Oh, I like that couch. Oh, I like festoon lights"? Mm. It's kind of going back and saying, "Why are we kinda doing this? What are we wanting to get out of this? How do we wanna feel? How do we want people to feel?" Mm. So kind of getting away from, like, the endless cycle of very fast cycling trends- Mm
and actually working out who am I and what do I like. And I think that's kind of been one of the things that's really helped me to grow my business, [00:05:00] is that I help people to really make that visual statement- Mm ... of who they are. And you've gotta be really memorable. And so the designs I do have been very memorable for, for people and, um, help them to build that brand awareness and that sort of thing.
So it's kind of bigger than just making a cute space. Yeah. We're sitting in Kate's dining room, kitchen, and there is so much color around. It's just so beautiful. Did you wanna just explain a little bit about- ... what your house looks like? Sure. Uh, well, it's, it's quite a lot of pink. But I would say it wasn't always like this.
We bought this house 13 years ago, and it was ... It had been given the four shades of beige, um- ... uh, color treatment inside and out. It's a cute little weather board. And it had been completely gutted and renovated and beautifully painted. Like, the craftsmanship was just amazing, but it was not our style. Mm.
But we also had $0. Yeah. So it stayed that way, quite beige, for a long time. But we slowly changed the color of pretty much everything. So there's only, like, one little bit of beige left now, [00:06:00] which is the garage door, which I also always said I would never touch, but I actually look at it now and think, "It's gotta go."
You don't belong here. Yeah. So we, you know, we started with doing painting. Like, we painted Remy's room first, and then we did a bit more and a bit more and a bit more. And then in 2023, we did a renovation, so and it was a small extension, which just meant, again, like thinking about function. Mm. So it was like seven meters by one and a half meters.
But it meant that we were able to get a much better kitchen, laundry, a walk-in pantry, which we did not have. Mm-hmm. Um, everything was not very functional. It had a galley kitchen. We also were able to put in an en suite and a walk-in robe. Yeah. So we, like, really increased what we could have in this very small footprint.
Mm. But it also meant that I could-- So I went- Yeah ... with the function first. But then I was able to do things like choose, uh, a watermelon pink for my kitchen cabinets. Yes, and it is delightful. And I mixed that with... So I've got three different colors for my cabinets. I've got like a light [00:07:00] blue, which is a lami- like a Formica color.
The, the watermelon pink is a two-pack. Mm-hmm. And then, um, a timber laminate. And I love the beautiful timber handles that are on those colors. Like, it just makes them look so elegant. Yeah. And like those sorts of things like ended up being like quite expensive, but like they are really beautiful and functional as well.
Mm. And my inspiration was like '50s kitchens that are like pastels, but I wanted like the modern version of that- Mm ... because, like, I wanted the function. So, yeah, so we're sitting b- basically in like a blue banquette, banquet, banquette. I don't know. Whichever you prefer. Booth. I never know the word. Booth. Um- A lovely booth.
There's a guy on a home show in Australia, and he says, "Bonquette." Ooh. Like going to Target. It just cracks me up every time. Oh. So yeah, so, so this is the journey. You've started- Yes ... with the vintage furniture. You did all these incredible events, not just the furniture, but the styling, and then you moved into [00:08:00] commercial interiors.
You're studying interior design now. Mm-hmm. So what does, what does your business world look like now? Well, it's about 50/50 events and interiors. Mm-hmm. And so at the moment I've been doing an office glow-up. Mm-hmm. So taking like a very plain but also like bit drab office- Mm-hmm ... with dark gray walls into something that's like a beautiful sort of maximalist-
layered, mid-century kind of, um, vibe- Mm ... for a small marketing agency. Mm-hmm. And y- And you did an amazing fit out for one of my clients, or now- Yes ... a mutual client. Yes. Um, Melissa Williams from Zebras Australia. Yes. Yeah, that was an amazing glow-up of their new premises. Again, taking out a lot of dark gray and creating like a really beautiful space.
Uh, and I guess for them, it- they could've easily just gone, "We're just gonna do that clinical kind of white," 'cause they're the health professionals. Mm-hmm. Um, they could've just gone, "Yeah, we'll just do that kind of plain old same, same thing." But they actually [00:09:00] invested in creating... U- using that space to, as a manifestation of, of what, how they wanna serve people, h- what they wanna be known for, using that as a way to sort of directly communicate that to people.
Yeah. And it's about how, how they want people to feel in their space. And I was there one time and a, a lady came in and she said, "Oh, this place is just so wonderful. I've never been anywhere like it." Mm. And I was just like, oh, it was like she was planted. Yeah. Um, honestly made my- I'll pay you later. And she'd just come in for a treatment, and she just said it off the cuff.
I was doing something there, and... Because you're not of- you're not, you're not there- Mm ... in someone else's business to hear the, the feedback, and people will tell you, but- The fact that, like, people can go into a space that you've created and it actually is working the way that, that the client wanted and that you helped to deliver, you know, it's pretty special.
Yeah. So yeah, doing colorful interiors, um colorful, personality-filled, personalized spaces that are fun and joyful, and just, like, I wanna make [00:10:00] spaces better. Yeah. Yeah, I think this idea of, like, thinking about how you want somebody to feel in your space is so underrated. Yeah. Like, we talk about in marketing all the time how we want our marketing to make people feel- Yeah
and what, what we want our brand to make people feel. But in a... If you are lucky enough to have a business with a physical space, whether that's a shop or a warehouse or a wedding chapel or whatever it might be, like, thinking about how you want people to feel in that space is ... That's what you do.
Absolutely. Mm. And people will often say to business owners who want to do something different, "Well, you don't need that." Mm. So- But, but they don't need it. No, exactly. That's true. But, like, your business is gonna be better if you do it. Exactly. So when I, I did, uh, the first Mama West salon in, in Maidstone, and Sheridan was getting told by lots of people, "You don't need to spend all this money.
You don't need, you know, a special space." And I said, "Yeah. Well, you, you actually... You... They're right. You don't. But you are building something that's beyond hair, and this [00:11:00] is your home base, and this is what's gonna show the world who you are." Mm. And so it's okay to invest in that. Yeah. It's part of your marketing.
It's part of your brand. It's, it's like an integral part of what you look like and who you are. Mm. And so, you know, it's a... It is a big deal. Yeah. So yeah, you don't have to, and I don't want anyone to ever think they have to- Mm ... for any of this sort of stuff. You can l- you can have your business or your home any way you want, but if you, it feels like it's not quite right, and you're not really enjoying it or it's not doing what you want it to do, then there's absolutely ways to make small and big changes- Yeah.
Yeah. .. that can be, like, so impactful. Mm. So we've done some pretty fun things together. We have. Um, a couple of the fun things we did together was that you did the stage and event design for Ripple Festival One and Two. Mm-hmm. And the amount of comments that we got about how beautiful the spaces felt, and that was all you.
And you, you really sort of took that brief and kinda just went for it and, yeah, [00:12:00] what you put together was amazing. I will never be able to look at a Besser block the same way- ... though. Besser blocks were part of the design- ... which was so damn clever, but you and I were the ones who carried those- Lugging them around
fucking things. Like 15 kilos each or something. I mean, they seem kind of manageable when you're just- Doing one ... picking up one and taking it somewhere. Yeah. But when there's many, many of them, and they need to be moved many, many times, it's not so much fun. But those are a couple of the projects we've done.
But most recently, probably bit more crazy, would you say? A bit more- Well, yeah ... different. Quite different. Yeah. Because when, you know, obviously we did the, the video shoot for your latest campaign- Yes ... which is a completely different brief to- Creating a space for a couple of hundred people to hear you- Yeah
you know? So. Yeah. Yeah, so let's talk people through this- Yeah ... campaign. So to give people some context, I made a decision a few months back that I felt like I wanted to change the way that I was [00:13:00] positioning myself in the market. I wanted people to see me the way that I think my clients see me when, when we're working together, which is that I'm someone who's a lot of fun, very caring, but also I have really great strategies and ways of working with them to help them make more money.
And I wanted to make sure people realize that I actually work with quite a lot of businesses that are pretty significant, like in the multiple millions of revenue, and I didn't really know how it was gonna come together. The first stop was Steph Hansen, which is the creative director. Yep. She is just absolutely insane.
She pitched this idea that we were going to have a life-sized game board inspired by another game, and what we were gonna do was we were gonna bring my clients in, and each of them were going to play the game, and we were gonna work through a particular business challenge. This is sounding really boring, but it totally wasn't.
And so then I came to you, and I was like, "I don't know what exactly you're gonna do, but I [00:14:00] know I need you to be part of this." So maybe talk me through what your perspective or point of view was when we first brought the idea to you and how you approached what I would call kinda world-building for me.
Yeah. Well, I would have to say that it felt completely normal that you would come to me with this. Yeah. Because if anyone's got a bit of a weird brief, a bit of, like, an odd thing they wanna do, something that's not standard, I usually am the person. And I just feel incredibly, like- I love that ... humbled and, like, like grateful and proud.
I don't know what the word is, but I'm like, I wanna be known for that. Yeah. Like, if you've got... Like, I will never say that's too weird or too silly or, like, "Why are you doing this?" I'll be like, enable you, absolutely. Yeah. In the most positive, most wonderful way. Yes. So when you came to me, I was like, "Yeah, absolutely."
Like, straight away I was like, this is how we'd probably... How we could do it, and I'm immediately m- making a game board in my head. Yeah. Will it be made out of this? Will it... Oh, I could cut up, um, MDF. I could put little feet on it, and we can move them [00:15:00] around. She could keep it like, uh, you know, kind of really getting in there in my brain about, like, ways to create that life-sized game board.
Mm. But I guess I would say that it just felt like immediately like a good idea. Yeah. And immediately like something that has heaps of scope to be, like, interesting, personalized, funny, fun. And just like a cool thing to do. Yeah. That also, uh, you know, we, we can't just be going around spending however much money and time doing cool things, but it is nice when you are getting to do the cool things for the work- Yeah
and then getting to put that out in the world. Yeah. So to me it felt like I knew immediately what we could do. Yeah. And you are a pretty good client, and I don't want this to sound like a bit of a circle jerk, but you are pretty great- ... in that you give me the brief and you trust me to Kind of bring the details together, and of course I'm running things past you, but not- Yeah
maybe not to the level that I would with- Yeah ... other people. That, that was really cool, actually. I think 'cause we've got such a great relationship- Yeah ... I don't feel [00:16:00] that I need to have you ask me everything, and that means that you can just move faster. And I think that you get more out of your creatives too if they're not needing to constantly stop and check.
Like, you, you get to be your most creative. Yeah. I mean- I think, I think you said something to me like, "Do you want me to just do it or do you want me to ask you things?" Yeah. And I was like, "Whenever you feel you can just do it, just do it," and I, I trust that you will come to me when it's something that's significant enough that I need to be involved.
And that's what I always ask everybody. It's like, how much do you want to... Do you want to just say yes to that, "Yep, that's the budget. You go for it, you do it," or do you- Mm ... wanna actually, like, make these decisions along the way? Yeah. And both things are, the, it's, any answer to that is valid- Yeah ... and it's totally fine, but I think you do get the most out of your creatives by letting them go a little bit.
Be creative. I mean, it does mean that, like, embarrassingly, like, I did give you some presentations that I, I should've said, "This is not for anyone else to see," 'cause I hadn't, I didn't do them, uh, to the standard I normally would. [00:17:00] No, it wasn't that bad. Oh my God, I just whacked it in there. I hadn't even edited it 'cause it was just like, "This is what I'm thinking," and then later on I hear that you've shown it to other people.
Sorry. Lesson learned. Um- Um, I mean, my memory of it is that we had lunch at Advi in- Yes ... um, Seddon? Yep. It's on the cusp of Seddon and Yarraville. You were already thinking sort of- I was drawing it out in my book Yeah, you were drawing it out in your book, and then we were trying to work out, okay, so there's this game board and there's gonna be some kind of game being played with an objective.
And then we decided that there was going to be four worlds, and those four worlds are the themes that I talk about. So they're, they're what underpins my work, which is money psychology, money making, money management, and impact making. And so that, I feel, is where you had your most fun. Yeah. So talk to me about your process.
So essentially we needed each of those worlds to have its own set- Yes ... and its own scene in the [00:18:00] campaign. So yeah, talk me through your process. How did you kinda work through those worlds? Well, I think that was the part that was kind of the most, like, back and forth, getting to the point of saying, "Okay, this is what we're gonna build."
So between you and I, with Steph as well. Yes. So that was the part where we all put our creative brains together to work out what each of those sets should look like, so they tell a story even without- people in it even without, you know, so the- that's the first sort of thing. Like, you, you see that and you- it's already starting to tell you something about what's happening.
Mm. So some of the things that you initially suggested, I was like, "I don't know what that means." Mm. "I don't get that," and like, w- "How would that work?" That sort of thing. So we're going back and forth and, you know, restrictions make things better. Yeah. So it's like, "Oh, I don't, I don't know how we would do that, so what about this?"
So then, you know, they went around a few times and we kind of came up with the different worlds, and then, then I could go away and actually go, "Okay, well, what would Money Psychology look like?" We don't want it to be, like, [00:19:00] reductive and- Serious ... yeah, we don't want it to be, like, too serious or too silly. Mm.
We want it to have personality. We want it to have little, um... We want it to sort of speak to what's going on here. Uh, we want the people in that scene, so yourself and Ella, to feel comfortable and confident to kind of tell the story in it. So it was like, what are all the different parts of it? So this is the part that I would say is kind of very similar, whether it's an interior design, an event design, a design of a set, is that you are working out what parts do you need.
So it's, like, kind of getting back to the function of it all. Mm. So it's like, okay, well, we're gonna ha- you have to have somewhere to sit. You're not standing up at the psychologist. No. Not usually. So, you know, starting at that level, it's like, okay, here's all the various things we'd need. Okay, how do we then use what's at that studio?
'Cause, you know, none of us are millionaires, so we wanna use what we can. That studio was so bloody amazing. Yeah, it was like- The studio in Moorabbin. Shout-out to you guys- Yeah ... for having such an amazing space. The Studio Melbourne. Yeah. Yeah. It had so much stuff there that we could then build on with the, just the smaller things.[00:20:00]
Mm. Because that's really does add up if you're trying to bring every single thing in. Yeah. And that's when it be- Not just the money, but also the labor of bringing things. Yeah. Yeah. It becomes, like, too big a, a burden for a small operation- Yeah ... like a day or two shoot. Mm. Becomes like a, you know, a TV shoot, basically.
Yeah. Yeah, so starting with the things that kind of make it function, and then you're sort of adding layers. Okay, well, if we use that couch, um, because that's the one they've got, what cushions would we have? How would we have it set up? Okay, we would need a rug. We wanna create, like, uh, a- Like depth, like a real scene- Yeah
not just a photo. Absolutely, and- Yeah ... and, and then it was like, well, here's the part where I'm gonna start adding layers of the Peach brand in there, because obviously you're in love with rugs. I don't know if- I am ... I don't know if people know this about you. Addicted. So it was like how we, um- How many rugs can we bring into this shoot?
Yes, so, you know, the elements that, that make Peach Peach, so obviously things like brand colors and style, you know, the bits and pieces that you [00:21:00] add to each scene and set kinda start to build that, that Peach vibe. And so obviously I went to your stash of rugs and- ... used quite a few of them. Yeah. But also, um, the one I'm talking about now, Money Psychology, obviously w- we were like, "Well, can we put up a little, uh, qualification?"
Like, as you would as y- if you're a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Mm. So we did, um, a Peach HD- ... certificate for the wall, and it did actually have a frame on it, but the frame kept on falling off the wall. It did. So that had to, um... Unfortunately we weren't able to have the frame, but- There were ghosts in the frame
Oh, sad. But and then, you know, like we had mugs because, you know, you might have a cup of tea with your psychologist perhaps. Uh, and we had one mug that was a boob mug, and one was a bum mug, so it was just like- They were perfect ... cute little Easter eggs. Yeah. But then things like layers like tissues, which you'd have, and stress balls- Mm
Peach stress balls. So it was like- They were very popular. Yeah. Yeah. And they were a lot cheaper than buying actual real peaches, which- ... um, at that time of year. Wrong season. Yeah. But so just adding layers that [00:22:00] tell that story about that, that set, but also about Peach. Yeah. Yeah, so we had the money psychology was this gorgeous little psychologist's office with lovely textures and plants.
We had money management, which we turned into a supermarket- Yes ... where you could buy a contractor or an employer, or you could pay your BAS. Yeah, so you feel- I feel like you had a lot of fun making those products. I really did. Um- Yeah ... I got real products from the supermarket and then transformed them into Peach products.
Yeah. And, um, I, I do wanna see them in the background of some of your, like, you know, your Zooms and stuff. Yeah, they will- You'll use them to, um- They will be there ... decorate your office. So yeah, so- Yeah, and then what was the next one we had? I'm thinking as we went around the room. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, our next one around was the impact making space.
Mm-hmm. That one was so out of left field for me. Yeah. I would never have been able to imagine how you were going to make that real. So do you wanna try to explain? Yeah. [00:23:00] Well, impact making was about how all the, all the parts, all the small parts, medium parts, all the things that you do to create impact, how they can sort of come together to create a bigger impact again.
Mm. Which is something that you really wanna do with your clients. Yeah. You wanna help them make impact. Yes. And so, um, Mount Zero have done a million different things, big and small, um, to improve the impact. So what I actually did was create little sort of, um- A5 sized cards in different colors, uh, with the different things that they have done.
Mm. And then created essentially like a big, giant sort of mobile- Mm ... kind of thing, like suspended from the ceiling so that you kind of walked through that, and you got a sense, like in a, in a sort of a 3D way of, like all those different things that kind of make up the path to go on to, um, doing something bigger.
Mm. So it was a bit more abstract than the other ones, like money making. Yeah. You know, that was a supermarket. Like you go there, you- You buy things ... buy a thing. Yeah. You're spending money. So this one, and the same with the psychologist as well. Mm. This is a bit more abstract. Yeah. Um- And it just, it looked [00:24:00] so good.
It was so, um... I think when Richard saw it, I feel like he, I think it w- made a real impact for him too, to sort of see all of these different things that they've done in their business that are so positive. Yeah. Yeah. I thought that was amazing. And when you're in your business doing all the things, you don't sit down and go, "Well, let me take stock."
Yeah. You're just busy and you're doing stuff. Yeah. So the idea of doing that, um, I think that anyone's been in business for a little bit of time knows how valuable it is to sort of see those parts- Yeah ... and see what, what a next step can be from all of that work. Yeah. And so, yeah, it's like the reason that I kind of visualize it that way is because I know, for me, all of those small things that you do in your business, they're not small.
Mm. They are a lot of work, time, effort, money. It could take years to do, tick one of those things off your list- Yeah ... when we're talking about impact making. And so it isn't tiny, like- Yeah, like solar panels on your roof or- Yeah ... you know, whatever, anything in that sort of realm. Recycled packaging, um- Staff culture- Yeah
[00:25:00] and, um, all that type of stuff. Some of them are ongoing. Like it is actually like a huge amount of the effort and the labor that goes into it. Mm. And I guess one of the things for me that I know is that what's good for the staff is good for the business. Yes. And so all of those things, they sort of speak to me about why that business does what they wanna do.
Yeah. And so sort of seeing it as that kind of big mobile- Mm ... and they're all hanging down with bits of colored string and stuff, so that again, we're bringing color and depth into how all the, the areas looked, and some other bits and pieces. We had, um, plants and other- Other stuff in there too. Um- Mm. I think in this context it probably helps also that you are a comms person.
Yes. Like, that's your original trade, is really- Yes ... understanding the power of words and strategic messaging. Mm-hmm. Um, so I think that came into your set design too. Yeah. I think it always does. Mm. If I'm doing, uh, something for somebody, again, like I'm doing a commercial interior for a business, it's like, well, what are we trying to achieve here?
Yes. Like [00:26:00] that's, yes, I want to make it feel certain ways and stuff, but it's also gotta be driven by what are we actually doing here. Mm. Um, because making something pretty alone or interesting or whatever isn't enough. Mm. Things have to have a story and a purpose, and you have to have goals. Otherwise, these things can feel like failures.
And you can't see me right now, but I'm doing like the finger- In, you know, adverted- ... you know, the quotations, because- ... com- inverted commas. Yeah. Yeah. Um, like things like people do like, um, the, like market stalls or like expos and things like that. And so when I work with people on those types of things- I want them to have thought about, like, what is your comms plan around this?
Yeah. Like, what are you actually... Like, how are you planning to talk to people? How are you planning to tell people you're here? How are you planning to capitalize on that? Because having a nice space isn't enough. Mm. And I think that goes for whether you're doing a set design. Like, if w- I'd made those nice spaces for you, but you, you hadn't done all that work on scripts and [00:27:00] development and how you're actually telling the story through this- Mm
it wouldn't-- You couldn't have just rocked up and- No ... made it this good. Oh, God, no. I wish. So I didn't-- Not that I needed to have that talk with you, because you get that stuff. Yeah. But yeah, I always want people to be thinking about that bigger piece. Um, so yeah, I do bring that into how I develop- Mm ... my different things.
I wanna talk to you about the fourth set- ... because you became a larger-than-life version of yourself for a couple of hours on set, and it was the best thing I've ever seen. So the fourth episode that we shot was money-making, and we... Actually, Mia Farmer from Campaign Del Mar was very cool in helping me work out these worlds as well, and it was her original idea to say, "Well, making money is like dough."
Like- Making dough ... making dough. And- A bakery ... it's a bakery. So we decided that the scene for making money or money-making was gonna be a bakery, and I don't know how to explain what happened, so [00:28:00] please. Okay. Well, that one again is very literal, right? Yes. We're making money, so we're making dough. So we literally had dough.
So I made a little bakery scene. Uh- We had baked goods and flour and- We had, yeah, real-life baked goods and flour and- Actual dough ... yep, and, like, a lot of kitchen utensils and, um, we had some signage and stuff like that, um, so that it felt... Like, it's obviously not a, a bakery, but it was enough- Mm ... uh, of a structure to feel like a bakery.
And then we had-- Then I added again, added in color, texture, and layers- Mm-hmm ... to bring in that, those, that peach feel. Yes. And then, um, then I added me as a baker. There's, there's no other way of explaining it than you became- ... the Swedish Chef- Yes ... in baker format as a human being. And it was-- I don't know.
It wa- I don't know how we weren't laughing for the whole three hours straight. Was it three hours? Um- Well, I mean- Yeah ... yeah. The, each scene or each sort of episode was a three-hour shoot window. Yeah, that's true. So yeah, you may not have been, um, Swedish Chef for three hours, but pretty close to [00:29:00] it Well, I mean, part of it is I really like throwing things.
Yes. So I had to throw ... I was throwing a lot of flour. It was part of the script, so it was kind of like as part of you talking to, uh- Yeah ... Aaron and Jodie. Yeah. Um, part of it was like, uh, using sort of bits of flour throwing and dough making- ... and stuff as like a punctuation on what was happening. Yes. And so look, I really love throwing things.
That's number one. Um, number two, one of the props I did get was a pink, um, chef's hat. So like one of those really big- And it was glorious ... gigantic ones that are so ludicrous. And some like vintage aprons and that sort of thing. So again, like kind of adding that personality to the scene. And then just because of how you had set the shoot up and made it fun and interesting and it's not some like stuffy kind of like sort of format where we're crossing, going across to a few dot points here and, you know- Yeah
it all had personality, I, I was able to also bring some silliness and personality to it. So yeah, there was a lot of ... I actually invent- ended up pulling the p- uh, the dough into three parts and juggling it 'cause I can juggle. And [00:30:00] by the end of the shoot, that dough was not really dough anymore. Oh, no. It had turned into like very hard Play-Doh.
It had. But yeah, so it was a lot of fun. And I think when it's, things are fun like that, it's accessible. Yeah. So it made it, it made it, um, like accessible for, you know, you had your clients coming in and, and, and acting. Yeah. So, you know, they're not actors. They're, you know, Jody and Az, they run a adventure- Adventure park
park, essentially horse riding and that type of thing, school camps. Like acting's not their thing. Mm. But it's kind of instead of making it into this big, serious, difficult thing- Yeah ... we, we created something that was fun and- Yeah ... alive. Yeah. And it kind of was dynamic too. Like I hadn't planned to do any juggling, but But here we are.
Yeah. Yeah. Look, I think what we pulled off, and I hope that people listening who've seen the campaign would agree with us, you know, what we're trying to talk about is like what it's like to be in business. Mm-hmm. And all of the decisions you need to make, and you've gotta make money, you've gotta spend money, you've gotta have your mind [00:31:00] working with you, and you also wanna be creating impact because I don't know any business owner who just wants to make money.
We wanna make money and more than that. Yeah. And so we're trying to explain something that can be quite sort of complex and layered and maybe boring to some people. It's not boring to me, and it's not boring to the clients I work with, but trying to tell the, those stories of what it's like to have me by your side.
Mm. But also just, like how do we make these decisions? Like how do we make money, and how do we spend it, and what are the decisions that we're making that, you know, having an impact on us personally and financially, et cetera. So it feels like we hit the, hit the nail on the head with the brief of trying to make something really fun and entertaining.
Yeah. And I was gonna say, it comes back around to what we said at the start, which is that you did all this work to personalize it and, like understand who you are and what you're trying to talk about. Mm. And so for me to come in and create those worlds and the board and that sort of thing and make [00:32:00] that, sort of bring that from being an idea into a real-life 3D things that you get to shoot in front of, makes like everything that we
It was easy to make decisions because it made sense because you had done the work on, you know what Peach is, you know who you are, and then you're, you know, you're bringing that into this campaign. Mm. This well-thought-out pr- planned campaign that like has objectives and goals and, and understand, you understand what you're trying to do.
Yeah. And so with that, it makes it, like, easier and better for everybody else to be involved as well. Yeah. Yeah. So I think that i- again, it's about that personalization. Yeah. And God, it was just, it was so much fun. It really was. It was just the most fun couple of days. Such an awesome crew. Everyone that was involved was just so awesome.
Shoot days are my favorite days. Yeah. I've done a lot of them for wedding style shoots- Mm ... where you create a whole, essentially a fake wedding- Mm-hmm ... and shoot them, and that's been my training ground for this because you kind of like, you're building up this whole thing that's, like, not, it's not actually somebody's wedding, but you make it look like [00:33:00] that for marketing purposes.
Mm. And so creating all these different scenes and shots and that sort of thing for video and for photography, and yeah, what a wonderful training ground that has been. Yeah. 'Cause yeah, shoot days are my favorite days. Yeah. And it was awesome and I, yeah, I think that a lot of people will be seeing a different side of you that, yeah.
Hope so. Yeah. Yeah. So you've been part of marketing for a lot of different brands. You know, you're a comms person. You're an amazing writer. You have your own really strong brand. You've worked with lots of other businesses and their brands. What do you think that people are missing out on? Like, w- what, what is it that people should be doing with color and design and, like, using their interior spaces- Mm
as part of building that kind of brand story or brand world or whatever you wanna call it? Like, just tell me what you think we're getting wrong 'cause I see a lot of very beige, very boring- Yeah ... marketing out there, and sometimes it's mine. It is not yours. I think that [00:34:00] it, again, it's about, uh, do you know yourself?
Do you know your business? Have you really sat down and thought about- Who, you know, it gets back to that stuff like who are you trying to sell to? Who are your customers? It's like, it's not, it's not exciting. It's literally just getting a piece of paper and working out those basics of what your business is, what is, what are your goals, and who are you trying to sell to, and what do you truly like, and what does this brand stand for?
Like, all that sort of stuff shapes how you can visually express yourselves through your brand marketing and physical spaces. Mm. And I think that many people don't do that, or if they do, they're too scared to truly be themselves. Yeah. And I had a real crossroad moment many years ago, and I was like, when I was, we were very much doing mostly weddings, and I was like, do I get more white vintage furniture?
You know, do I do- do I get a bit more sort of like of the mainstream- The neutrals ... yeah, and the mainstream wedding industry, like, uh, customers, do I get more of that? And, [00:35:00] you know, I was kind of like running out of ways to say like, "Here's a nice chair." Like, "You should hire this chair" kind of thing. And I realized it was because I was trying
Like I, I had to make a decision, like was I gonna go down this path of making it a bit more neutral, white, traditional, or was I gonna just be myself? Mm. And I thought, "Fuck it, I'm just gonna be myself." Yeah. And that's when it really started to, like the ba- brand became stronger, and people were more interested 'cause I was, you know, that authentic- authenticity, like I hate saying that because of how it's used now.
But essentially- But it's also specific as well ... to me. Yeah. And so I was being myself. I wasn't, like, watering myself down. And I had been a comms manag- a comms person for 12 years- Yeah ... so I had always been writing for everybody else. Yeah. So as well, I had to get my own voice- Mm ... into it. So I think it's really saying, "What is it that I love and like, and how do I filter that through what I'm doing here?"
And I think it's very easy to be like, "Oh, you know, like neutrals are neutral, and it won't [00:36:00] date and stuff," but it also isn't memorable. Yeah. And like if you truly love that, then lean in. I don't know. Be the most neutral or something. Yeah. But I just feel like people don't tend, don't really know themselves necessarily, or they just think, "I've gotta be, I've gotta keep it safe."
And I think, why? Like you can always go back to that. Yeah. Like why not truly delve into- You can always paint the pink wall back to white if you really feel you need to. Yeah. Yeah. Truly delve into how you wanna express all the various parts of your business- And go from there. Because I just think if no one can, can tell you apart from that other person, and that other person, and lots of industries are so saturated, then, like, you're just gonna be spinning your wheels.
Mm. And also, people don't tell their story. Like, you have to have a point of view. Yeah. And a point of view is your story, but it's also how things appear, like visually and stuff. So again, it's like actually, [00:37:00] like that whole term, like best friend marketing. Mm. Say more? Uh, so Zoe Foster Blake talks about it.
Mm-hmm. So Go-To Skincare. Mm. She- she's been doing best friend marketing. It's got a name now, but- Mm ... but what I realized when I read about that, it's like, I've been doing that from, from that point at which, probably about 10 years ago, that I realized that I just needed to be myself and, like put myself into things.
So it's like talking to people like people- Mm ... and not just being like, "Here is the, you know, the benefits of this thing." It's like actually interesting people with information and, like, knowledge and all that sort of stuff, and treating people like other humans rather than like consumers. Yeah. I think there's like, you know, using color and physical textures and shapes and, like it...
Is there a faster way to get somebody to feel something about your brand? I don't think so. No. I think I would agree. I think that it, it's gotta make sense for the brand and stuff, but go with your gut [00:38:00] instincts too, and get the right people in to help you. Like, you, I'm not saying that you need to go like work out how to build a, all your brand assets and stuff.
Like, you find the right person who does that type of work, that understands what you're trying to do and that sort of thing, and has their own way of getting the most out of that particular thing for you. So, you know, get the right graphic designer- Mm ... and get the right interior designer, get the right, you know, people who understand what you're trying to do.
And if people are telling you like, "Oh, why would you do that?" Or whatever, like they might not be the people to talk to. Mm. Like, I would show my parents my work, and they would be like a little bit confused. What is this? Yeah, they like didn't understand why I'm like, "Look at this, it's so great." Like I- I'm so happy how this turned out.
And they're just like, "What the..." So I realized it was like they're not the people to show- Mm ... or ask what I should do, 'cause they don't... They're not the right... Like, it's kinda like tattoos. Like whenever I go get a tat- well, I'm gonna get a tattoo, I don't tell anybody. Mm. 'Cause it's like people have opinions.
Mm. And that's great, but it's like, do I really want all these different [00:39:00] people's opinions about that thing that's for me? Mm. And perhaps, like you do need to seek some adv- you need to seek advice from people when you're making, you know, big moves and that sort of thing. But, uh, make it the right people.
Mm. Like trusted people. Um, that was a really long answer. I love it. So before we wrap this up. Okay. Because this is a money podcast. Yes. Anything that you've learned about money, either from me or anyone else, that might be useful to other people? Yes. Uh, I have learned some things about money- Mm-hmm ... from you.
Mm-hmm. Uh, look, the biggest thing that I have learned, there's been many things. Plan. Yeah. Plan your money. Mm-hmm. Stretch yourself. Have those goals. You think you can't do it, but that's the only way to do it. Yeah. And so that's like, you know, on your sort of m- short to medium to longer term stuff, like at, you know, three months, six months, a year, two years, whatever.
So that kind of stuff. And the other stuff around money is more day to day. [00:40:00] So learn to move through your decisions fast. Yes. Do not exhaust yourself deciding, and I think I probably said this last time I was on your podcast, whether or not to spend $300 on a Sonos speaker. Yeah. Which is something that Dave and I did.
Just buy the speaker. Yes, early on, and we were like, "We can't make a decision." Mm. Because we, we just were like, we didn't wanna get anything wrong. Yeah. Every time we'd sit down about money, we'd say, "Oh, we really want this thing," and... But oh. Anyway, so you gave us a way to be like, "Is it revenue generating or not?"
Okay, a speaker is not revenue generating. Okay, if it's revenue generating, get it, if you can afford it, great. But if it's not, then it's like, is it something that's important to you? Does it give you joy or... You know. It's like, yes, we both love music. We need music around in the office. Mm. So it was like, "Buy the speaker."
But it wasn't really about the speaker, it was about the ability to have confidence in your decisions, move through them quickly. Most things can be undone. Mm. Like, most th- And then you just truly burn yourself out [00:41:00] otherwise. Yeah. Yeah. I think they're the biggest things for me. Love that. Awesome. So stretch yourself.
And, but plan it. And just make it. Yeah. Stretch yourself by planning into the future and just get through your decisions faster. Stop spending all of your energy trying to work out the decisions, and just make the decision and move on. Yeah. And I totally agree, your business will be better because you've been able to make faster decisions.
Because you can't do it perfectly. Yeah. And the more you try to, the worse you'll do. Love it. Well, thank you for being on the Money Secrets podcast. Thank you for being the set designer for Pete Chopley. Well, it was my very favorite. Like, it was probably my, couple of my favorite days on, of, of work ever, so.
Yeah. Aw, that's awesome. All right. And where can people find you if they wanted to work with you? You can go to my website. Mm-hmm. Gooddayclub.com.au or on Instagram, gooddayclub_au. Love those awkward Instagram handles. I know. I'm like, "Is that, is that it?" That's it, yes. Yeah, you could give me a call.
Awesome. Old, old [00:42:00] school. But don't, don't just call. Like, just send a DM or something. Thank you, Kate. Thanks, Pete. Bye.
