The Collective West Podcast: Recent Episodes

Michael Lim and Julia Truong

We help young people to connect and thrive.

For young people who feel a bit lost and dissatisfied with life, Collective West is a podcast that provides a platform for university students and young professionals to connect and thrive. Unlike other self-development podcasts, Collective West is hosted by young people so that it is relevant and applicable for what young people are going through right now. We see our audience as our peers.

Julia and Michael have diverse experiences that cover entrepreneurship, social impact while also being conscious about building a local community.

🌯 We wrap up Part 2 of our #HealthyWest Series with the release of yet another insightful interview!

In episode 40, Julia talks to Jessica Collard - who has been working as a Registered Nurse specialising in Oncology and Immunisation at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne for the past 7 years.

💖 Not only was Jess working with some of the most at-risk, immunocompromised young people during the pandemic, she fell pregnant in early 2021, herself becoming more vulnerable to the potential complications of COVID_19.

👉 Listen to learn more about Jess's journey into nursing and experiences working in the Children's hospital...

Jessica Bonello is a Clinical Nurse Coordinator/Specialist at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne where she has been employed for the past 7 years specialising in Oncology and Immunisation.

She is currently on Maternity Leave after welcoming her baby daughter in late 2021.

Having grown up and completed all her education in Melbourne's West, Jessica continues to call the West home. After many years of support from Western Chances during both her secondary and tertiary schooling, she remains involved as an Alumni and a member of the Star Committee which is a great passion of hers.

😮 This is the episode that left Michael speechless (yes, it is possible!) and brought tears to our eyes...

So, grab the tissues and join us for this extra special interview with Dr Melissa Garwood, as she shares what it was like working in a public hospital during the pandemic!

From not being able to see a patient's face or show her own, to this year's emergency 'Code Brown' - episode 39 gives you the inside scoop on what really went down for our healthcare workers.

🤩 A #MelbsWest local - born and bred - and one of the first Western Chances scholarship recipients, Melissa's personal story is an inspiration for anyone who thinks their current circumstances will hold them back or dictate their future achievements...

From the 8 years of university study to surviving COVID and now training in Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre - we are honoured and privileged to be able to share Melissa's journey on the Collective West podcast. 🙏 🙌

Melissa Garwood is a doctor who through Western Health worked for nearly two years providing care to COVID patients. Her connection to the Western suburbs stems from childhood and continues with involvement as an alumni and STAR member of Western Chances. She has recently commenced specialty training in Medical Oncology.

Starting and running a business is difficult at the best of times.

Even more so when you are running an event management business during COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

Today, Michael interviews Julia Truong (co-founder of Collective West podcast) and Victor Tran (Julia's partner in life and crime) to discuss their experiences of managing a business during one of the most uncertain periods in human history.

Happy listening!

For episode #37 we had the privilege of speaking with Dylan Alexander, a clinical psychologist and the founder of WestSide Psych, a private practice in Footscray - the heart of #MelbsWest

In high school, Dylan dreamed of being an actor but his interest in helping people and hearing their stories eventually led him to study behavioural sciences and then a Masters in psychology. Aside from seeing his private clients, Dylan also works with the Orygen Youth Health program - working primarily with adolescents and adults.

In this episode, we dive deep into the mental health impacts that COVID_19 has had on young people in the West. Dylan shares some o the signs to look out for and tips for cultivating good mental health...

🥖 🍜 ☕ Don't worry, it's not too heavy and serious - Dylan's love of food also leads us to reveal all THE BEST Banh Mi, Pho, coffee and fish and chips in the West... See we told you this was an important episode!

This podcast is supported by the Victorian Government Department of Health.

We are so excited to be in the studio recording new episodes and interviewing more inspiring community leaders.

So much has happened since our last episode, so we thought we'd take a moment to reflect and share our experiences with COVID from the past couple of months.

If you're living in Victoria, it seems like the world changed overnight.

From suppression to acceptance, we were suddenly faced with record COVID-19 infections.

We had constant news from friends, family and even pets getting COVID-19 over the Christmas and New Year period.

Today's episode kicks off the first of another 5 #Healthywest episodes. This series aims to educate and empower young people in Melbourne's west with trusted and accurate information about the pandemic and other important areas of health and wellbeing.

🎧 Listen to episode 35 for some great advice for this busy time of year, from our latest podcast guest, Amy Leong - who works as a Physiotherapist and is the CEO of the @chase.program in #MelbsWest

🏃 CHASE - which stands for Community Health Advancement & Engagement, is an organisation that partners high school students with University mentors in a year-long program designed to empower and educate young people about the importance of looking after their health.

In this last episode for the #HealthyWest series, Amy and Michael talk about the impact that COVID_19 had on CHASE over the past year, some of the healthcare challenges experienced by young people in the west and the importance of having trusted role models or mentors in your life, and seeing healthcare as something that is preventative... plus lots more!

👨🏻‍⚕️ 🩺 We wanted to talk to someone whose been on the front line in #MelbsWest, working in our healthcare system before, during and now post-pandemic (sort of!) - so we asked Dr Simon Benson, a Senior GP at Sunshine Medical Centre, one of Melbourne's largest medical clinics to talk to us for episode 34 of our #HealthyWest podcast series!

We are so grateful for his time, honesty and expertise, as we asked all the big questions like: why was Melbourne's west such a hot spot and then lag behind in the vaccine rollout and should we trust this new MRNA technology?

Dr Benson also explains why healthcare workers are experiencing burnout right now, why we all may need a booster or third dose of vaccine, why we shouldn't trust the information on social media and so much more!

Are you interested in hearing more about the LARGEST health infrastructure investment in Victoria's history? 🏗️ 🏨

Well, we've got the podcast just for you!

This week we are speaking with Kelvyn Lavelle who is the Chair of Plenary Group Health, the organisation responsible for bringing the new Footscray Hospital to life.

Julia and I have had the privilege of being involved in the tender process of the Footscray Hospital and we are really excited to see the vision coming to life.

Melbourne's west has been the region most impacted by COVID-19 in Australia. The investment in a world-class hospital next to Victoria University is a step in the right direction.

You can connect with Kelvyn on LinkedIn: HERE or visit Plenary Health: HERE

🥳 🥳 🥳 We are so EXCITED to release our second #HealthyWest episode with Dr Michael Mrozinski on the podcast this week!

Dr Mike - as we now call him, graduated from medical school in Glasgow, Scotland back in 2008, before moving to Australia - settling in the inner-west suburb of Yarraville, and working at clinics in Tarneit.

📱 Many of you will know him best as 'the TikTok Doctor' or @dr_michael_says on Instagram.

We talk to Michael about his journey to becoming a doctor and his passion for public health awareness. We also chat about his use of popular social media apps TikTok and Instagram to dispel misinformation and empower people with evidence-based information that empowers them to make informed decisions.

⚠️ Warning - we had some technical sound issues BUT this podcast isn't one to miss!

We know, the health of young people living in Melbourne's west has been significantly impacted as a result of the pandemic - so we've secured funding from the Department of Health to run a new five-part series that will look at the effects of COVID_19 and how we can create a #HealthyWest.

💪 We'll be sharing our own experiences, as well as chatting to healthcare professionals and community leaders to get the low down on all things health and wellbeing!

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Marisha Nair is 28 years old and was born in Australia and raised in Melbourne’s Western suburbs by migrant parents. Her dad is from Malaysia and has an Indian background and her mum is from India and has a British and Persian background.

She grew up in Hoppers Crossing and attended Victoria University completing a Bachelor of Communications in 2014. Post-graduation, she worked in marketing and advertising for over 3 years at ad agencies, start-ups and ran her own consulting business.

In 2016, she began a Master of Human Rights, with a focus on climate migration, in an effort to pivot her career to be more purpose-driven. While studying and working she completed 5 internships which were based around climate change and migrant/refugee rights, 3 of these were overseas in Geneva, Switzerland, London, England and New York City, USA.

Upon returning to Melbourne she worked as a Cultural Development Officer for Wyndham City Council and in November 2020 she completed her Masters.

Marisha currently works as the Australian Program Manager for ygap and as the Head of Community for SaariCo. In her spare time she likes to hike, read, curate playlists and drink lots of coffee :)

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Simon is a dedicated member of the community who has extensive experience working in youth-related programs with governments (all levels), community groups, the education and training sector and national sporting organisations. Simon has a proven track record of designing, developing and delivering nationally accredited training programs across Australia that are aimed at stimulating involvement in local communities.

While working with a range of disadvantaged cohorts to promote the benefits of increased community activity, Simon has honed his skills at developing and maintaining networks to provide outcomes that meet shared goals. These experiences have given Simon a strong understanding of stakeholder engagement as demonstrated by his ability to work in close proximity to management, fellow team members and key internal and external stakeholders.

Simon sees links in the community, through stimulus such as sport and community engagement, as an essential component of a healthy society. Simon is passionate about continuing to improve my understanding of policy, programs and procedures that deliver real and positive local opportunities to those in need.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Deirdre Hardy is currently the Executive Officer of Future Connect, a not-for-profit seeking to support young people in their transition from education to employment across Brimbank and Melton. Future Connect has extensive local networks and connections with schools, training providers and employers in the area as well as with the community.

Deirdre’s has predominantly been in the not for profit area and her career purpose has been to use her skills to empower others. Deirdre has worked with diverse people supporting them through recruitment and training to have greater choices and self direction. She has particularly enjoyed working with people living with disabilities, CALD and Indigenous Australians. Her current role gives her the opportunity to work with all these groups and many others.

Deirdre is grateful that she gets to live and work in the West. She believes there is a fantastic diversity that adds to the culture of the area and a sense of community that she hasn't seen anywhere else.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Zac Lewis recently commenced as CEO at Western Chances, an organisation dedicated to assisting young people in Melbourne's west realise their potential by providing scholarships, opportunity programs and ongoing support.

Zac joined Western Chances after more than 12 years working across the not-for-profit and government sectors.

Recently, Zac led Foodbank Victoria's Food program and partnerships leading teams across community development, food supply and school program delivery. He is passionate about tackling social challenges and loves working in the non-profit sector where people, passion and creativity collide to create better outcomes for the community.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Karen Jackson is Yorta Yorta, a Footscray resident and a member of many local western suburbs Aboriginal community groups and committees. She is an advocate for the recognition of Sovereign First Nation Peoples and traditional lands never ceded; for developing culturally safe spaces that enable Aboriginal people to aspire to personal, family and community goals; and the delivery of relevant tertiary education and community-based programs by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people.

Karen is the Director of the Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit at Victoria University that aims to deliver Aboriginal curriculum by Aboriginal academics to all students, undertake community-led research, support Aboriginal students and engage in local Aboriginal empowerment. She is a member of the Western Metropolitan Partnership that provides advice and direction to the State government on the needs of the local community.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

The Hon. Wade Noonan is the Executive Director of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance and operates a consulting business (Impulsum Consulting), specialising in social procurement, executive leadership, and public policy.

In addition, Wade serves on a number of boards and advisory groups in the public health, human services and community sectors. This includes Jobs Bank, Forensicare, Western Bulldogs Community Foundation and most recently, Homes Victoria.

Wade has also worked in a range of challenging and complex policy and political environments, including as Victoria’s Minister for Police and Corrections (2014-16), and more recently as Minister for Industry, Employment and Resources (2016-17). He was a Member of Victoria's Legislative Assembly for 11 years (2007-18), where he held the seat of Williamstown.

In 2020, Wade received a Companion of the University Award from Victoria University for his contribution to Government and Melbourne’s West.

He is the number 1 ticket holder of the Williamstown Football Club and an Ambassador for the Indigenous Marathon Foundation.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Mehak Sheikh has been in Australia since 2012, and in this time, she has exclusively dedicated her work and passion to the Western suburbs. Some of her notable works in this area are running a travelling exhibition called the Humans of Brimbank (2015-2017), supporting placemaking and community engagement projects by local non-profits and founding a life skills social enterprise (2018-present), called Unconventional Learning – that makes skill development accessible to the West.

In addition to running projects in the West, she works primarily in Capacity Building and Community Engagement in the youth, small business, and local government sectors. Her work is influenced by her experience as a psychology graduate-researcher, migrant young person and through her passion for systems change, intercultural engagement, education, health and women’s empowerment. In all her decisions, she hopes to contribute to the creation of a fair and equitable world.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Gail Bray is responsible for leading a team to create the digital division of VU Polytechnic, the TAFE arm of Victoria University. This includes leading three strategic initiatives, the Wyndham Tech School, Sunshine Skills Hub and Cybersecurity Training Centre to provide STEM training from Year 7 right up to mature age adults.

Gail engages in regular speaking events and podcasts to increase the visibility of careers that involve STEM and to educate education leaders on the skills required for the future of work.

Gail is passionate about promoting the growing job opportunities available to the young people of Melbourne’s West and believes anything is possible if you put your mind to it!

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government. The Collective West Podcast is a proud recipient of the Department of Fairness, Family and Housing CALD Youth Content Campaign.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Jeffrey Lai is a social entrepreneur working with communities in Melbourne’s West. A first-generation migrant from Hong Kong, Jeff has lived in the West ever since arriving when he was 3 years old.

Passionate about education and becoming ever more aware of the disparities in career and education outcomes experienced by young people in his community, he founded Equal Ed, a social enterprise that aims to empower young people as drivers of change through academic support, networks, skills and active involvement.

In a past life, he studied neuroscience and did a brief stint in banking before deciding that lab work and corporate life was not for him. These days he’ll still get super excited when meeting someone doing neuro research and tries to apply the small amount of banking knowledge he has into running his business whenever he can.

Lachlann Carter is co-founder and CEO of 100 Story Building, a social enterprise providing creative learning opportunities for children and young people in Footscray. Since opening doors in 2013, 100 Story Building has had over 30,000 program participants, supporting their literacy skills development, confidence and sense of belonging.

A former teacher at Footscray City Primary School, Lachlann has extensive experience in delivering professional learning to teachers from across Australia around literacy and student engagement.

He sits on Victoria University’s Vice Chancellor’s Schools Engagement Reference Group; is a founding board member of SENVIC, Victoria’s practitioner-led social enterprise network; is a committee member of Arts West; and a founding member of Writing Our World, a global network of creative writing organisations for young people.

Lachlann has a strong interest in social change for good, the power of creative and critical thinking for learning and future success, and amplifying the voices of children and young people in our community. He is also an amateur woodworker and general maker of things.

How much does public speaking make you sweat?

After death, public speaking is the most commonly reported fear. They call it Glossophobia and it is estimated to affect up to 75% of the population. That’s crazy! This means that most of the world does not like public speaking. What’s up with that?

People can view public speaking as a potential threat to their reputation, popularity or image. This usually starts in school. We often dread having to talk in front of the class. That one embarrassing moment in Grade 5 can make you hate public speaking for the rest of your life.

We’ve all been there. The fear of making a mistake or embarrassing yourself can feel enormous and irreparable. It can feel daunting to stand up in front of strangers, family, colleagues and your peers. Even the thought of public speaking is enough to make your palms sweaty.

But public speaking is one of the most high value skills that you can invest in. Especially at a young age. The greater your ability to influence people through speaking, the great your odds of career and life success. Public speaking is a skill you will need to master if you want to be in any position of leadership or influence.

Speaking personally, both of us are big public speakers. We pretty much do it as part of our everyday job or get paid to speak professionally. In this episode, we will go over some of our public speaking mistakes, how we improved the skill and what you can do to get over the fear.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

We’ve all been there. Tired, anxious and stressed out.

As chronic over workers ourselves, we’ve had our fair share of encounters with work-related burnout. We are not proud and we don’t wear it like a badge of honour. But the great part of this podcast is that you can live through our experiences and make sure you don’t do what we did.

If you don’t already know, we are huge hypocrites so as the old saying goes: ‘do as we say, not as we do.’ Hopefully you can avoid some painful experiences we’ve had to go through.

In this podcast, we dive into some of the causes of burnout, how we’ve managed it in the past and what mitigation strategies we have implemented to manage it in the future.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

No matter what you do, being able to communicate your value in an interview format is essential.

Improving your interview skills is going to be a challenge but a worthwhile investment. They aren’t just a necessary part of getting a job but also being able to get a promotion, board positions or any other meaningful opportunities you want.

We have both collectively interviewed over 100 candidates for potential jobs, committees or volunteer positions. We have also been on the other side of the table (or Zoom call now?) as an interviewee, so we have a pretty good idea on what potential employers look for and the dos and don'ts of a good interview.

In this podcast, we go over the top 10 tips you need to focus on to nail that next interview. We tried our best to do these in order of most important to least important but as always, our conversation tends to jump around a little bit.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

This podcast episode is a bit more personal and a topic that is really important for us.

As first generation Asian-Australians, we reflect on some of our experiences growing up as third culture kids. From trying to fit in at school, reconciling differences in Australian and Asian cultures and encounters with racism, we’ve got some stories that will make you laugh, break your heart and everything in between.

The migrant experience is diverse, so we are not aiming to represent everyone. We can only tell our own stories. So while our experiences may be different from yours they don’t minimise or negate your own experiences.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Join Julia and Michael as they reflect on the #ChoosetoChallenge podcast series, featuring three incredible and inspiring interviews with:

💜 Rhyll Dorrington, formerly the CEO of Western Chances

💜 Reana Cazar, a senior associate at a social enterprise in Melbourne’s west

💜 Jasmine Nguyen - a graduate at NBN Australia, and the youngest elected Deputy Mayor at Brimbank City Council

We are running a Collective West mini-series for International Women’s Day. Michael will be taking a back seat for these podcasts, whilst Julia interviews some incredible women who have done or are doing incredible things in Melbourne’s west.

We are blessed to have strong, empowered and incredible women in our lives and community who are working to make the future a better place.

In this podcast, Julia chats to Jasmine Nguyen who is the Deputy Mayor at Brimbank City Council and youngest elected councillor. We explore Jasmine’s experience running for local government, being a Deputy Mayor at such a young age and balancing everything on top of full-time work.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

We are running a Collective West mini-series for International Women’s Day. Michael will be taking a back seat for these podcasts, whilst Julia interviews some incredible women who have done or are doing incredible things in Melbourne’s west.

We are blessed to have strong, empowered and incredible women in our lives and community who are working to make the future a better place.

In this podcast, Julia chats to Reana Cazar who is a Senior Associate at a social impact firm that works in Melbourne's west. As a local westie, Reana is passionate about partnering with local young people to achieve positive social change in her local community.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

We are running a Collective West mini-series for International Women’s Day. Michael will be taking a back seat for these podcasts, whilst Julia interviews some incredible women who have done or are doing incredible things in Melbourne’s west.

We are blessed to have strong, empowered and incredible women in our lives and community who are working to make the future a better place.

In this podcast, Julia chats to Rhyll Dorrington, who was formerly the CEO of Western Chances for more than a decade. In her role as CEO, Rhyll has touched the lives of thousands of young people in Melbourne’s west. She is a mentor to both of us and helped guide us through some rough periods of our lives.

Whenever we think of early mentors, we think of Rhyll Dorrington.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

New Year, New Me!

January is when most of us start to set our goals for the year. Whether it is getting fit or saving more money, the start of the year fills us with an infectious energy for change. Whatever goal you have we know how exciting it can be to embark on a journey of self-improvement.

But how do you sustain this motivation for the entire year?

Statistically, over 80% of New Year’s Resolutions are abandoned by the end of February. That’s only 1 month of effort before people call it quits. As we all know, anything worthwhile takes longer than a month of effort to achieve.

In this podcast, we explore some hacks we have for achieving our personal and professional goals. Come along and share in some of the weird, odd and somewhat scientific ways we keep ourselves on track and achieve even some of our most ambitious goals!

Can you believe that 2020 is already almost over?

We wanted to take some time out to reflect on the whirlwind that was 2020. From pandemics, presidential elections to racial injustice, 2020 has served up to be a year that no one expected.

At times 2020 was difficult to just downright miserable, but it was a year that taught both of us some hard, fast and valuable lessons that we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

We both had extremely ambitious goals for 2020 from travelling the world to scaling a thriving business. We both had to do the pivot, demonstrate resilience and find a Plan B, C and at times a Plan D.

In this podcast, we wanted to reflect on the year that was 2020 and start to think about some of the goals and ambitions for 2021.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

It is all about WHO you know, not WHAT you know.

I am sure we have all heard that saying in one way or another. Whether it is from guidance counselors, teachers or family members, everyone understands the importance of having industry connections and social capital to finding meaningful opportunities in life.

With most jobs and promotions not being widely advertised, networking is a key component in finding a job and moving up in your career.

While networking is an extremely important skill in the new world of work, it can feel a bit uncomfortable to do. Some people find it unnatural, manipulative or exploitative but there are genuine and authentic ways you can network that feels good and supports growing your career at the same time.

In this episode, we explore some tips and tricks with how to network in a way that feels simultaneously genuine and effective.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

There is no denying that COVID-19 has hit young people the hardest.

The industries that traditionally employ young people such as arts, hospitality, retail have been the first to close down and will likely be the last to reopen. Research and lessons from the last recession in 2008/09 demonstrated that it took almost a decade for employment levels to recover and some jobs never came back.

In the context of Melbourne’s west, youth unemployment was already the highest in Victoria pre-COVID. The impact of this global pandemic has only worsened the disadvantages that young people already have and the geographical inequalities that existed.

However, the full impact of the virus is still yet to be felt. The future feels uncertain and looks a bit scary.

In this podcast, we deep-dive into:

The topic of employment and what COVID-19 means for young people in Melbourne’s west and Victoria more broadly
The importance of self-care, mental health and gentleness during an unprecedented and tough period in human history
Our experience of adapting to rapidly changing circumstances, cultivating resilience during uncertainty and developing a strong mindset

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Episode 8: Q and A (Part 2)

We couldn’t fit everything into one episode, so we decided to make a part 2.

Enjoy getting to know us a little bit more!

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

We’ve known each other for almost 4.5 years and have witnessed the highs, lows and everything in between in our lives. In this episode, we wanted to ask each other some deep and not so deep questions about things we didn’t really know about each other. We learned about our favourite movies, advice we would give our younger selves and alternate career paths we almost went into.

We had a lot of fun getting to know each other and we hope you did as well. If there are any burning questions you have for us, please feel free to get in contact with us. We obviously can’t cover it in this episode so there will be a part 2 where we can answer more of your questions.

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Whether we are leading one person, a big group or just ourselves, we will all be in a role of leadership at some point in our lives. Being a leader is hard. You’ll be forced to make tough decisions, have difficult conversations and take risks with little or no information.

Julia and Michael both have diverse experiences of leadership. Julia has spent the better part of a decade creating and leading a small team as a young female entrepreneur in the event management world. Michael has spent most of his early career in the social impact sector, leading a small non-for-profit as the CEO and now as a Senior Manager at social enterprise.

In this podcast we cover:

What leadership means to us and some examples of good and bad leaders
Our own experiences of being young leaders
The dreaded Imposter Syndrome

What have been some of your experiences of leadership?

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

How do you like to spend your spare time?

Whether it is binge watching Netflix or starting your own side hustle, your hobbies and habits make up who you are and what you become. We explore some of our own respective hobbies and habits and the impact they have on our life, relationships and work.

LIfe in extended lockdown has been hard on everyone but it has also given us a unique opportunity and time dedicated to creating new habits, exploring new hobbies and learning about ourselves.

What are some of your hobbies and habits?

Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL:collectivewest@gmail.com

We love challenges at Collective West.

In this podcast, we tackle the age-old debate of following your “passion” versus having “security” in your work. Following your passion is a value that is heavily praised in theory, but rarely implemented in practice. It is a phrase that you will inevitably hear throughout your career and life. It so common in life, but rarely discussed in a deep and nuanced way.

We both consider ourselves passionate people. We have the privilege to absolutely love what we do, to wake up with energy and motivation to keep pushing ourselves. But we take opposite sides on this topic.

What are some of your passions?

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Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

COVID-19, what's that?

Unless you've been living under a well-resourced rock, you would have been bombarded with messages about the Corona Virus pandemic. It has gripped the world's imagination and fundamentally changed our 'normal' way of life. It is a crazy time to be alive. In this podcast, we explore the impacts of COVID-19 on our work, life, and relationships. We discuss what living in isolation is like and how it has changed our perception of the world. We hope you enjoy the episode!

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Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

Part 2 of our podcast on mentors and mentees!

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Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into the topic of mentorship. We explore what mentorship is, how it has impacted our lives and the importance of mentoring especially for young people.

We share our own personal experiences of mentoring. From parents to professionals we see the value of being taught by a dynamic range of people. We discuss the differences between the mentoring and coaching and the cycle of mentoring from being the mentee to becoming the mentor.

Join us for an excellent conversation!

Let us know what you think.

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Want to connect, partner or collaborate with us?

Reach us at:

INSTAGRAM: @_collectivewest
WEBSITE: www.collectivewest.com.au
EMAIL: collectivewest@gmail.com