The New Dreaming Podcast
The New Dreaming is more than just a podcast - it’s a truth-telling movement. A space for real, meaningful conversations that empower, challenge and inspire. Through the voices of those who have broken barriers, found their purpose and reclaimed their stories, - we uncover the truths that shape who we are.
For those ready to listen, learn and be part of something bigger - each episode is a step towards truth, healing and collective empowerment.
The New Dreaming Podcast
Country Boy, City Voice: Bob's Journey to Media
Bob Smith's journey from small-town chef to influential CEO and media personality unfolds as a powerful testament to identity, purpose and authentic leadership.
Growing up in Beaudesert on Mununjali country, Bob's early life experiences shaped his deep connection to community values that would later define his professional path. The conversation delves into pivotal moments of transformation, particularly when Bob became a father at a young age. "Big lessons in that because you have to sort yourself out as a person first to be able to be a good dad," he reflects, articulating how parenthood catalysed profound self-discovery. Following the separation from his children's mother, Bob embarked on a courageous exploration of his identity as a fair-skinned Aboriginal man, asking fundamental questions: "Who am I, where do I belong and what's going on?"
Bob's professional evolution from chef apprentice to CEO demonstrates his commitment to community service and representation. His Master's in Narrative Therapy fundamentally changed his perspective on storytelling, leading him to pursue media opportunities - most notably as a cast member on Gogglebox - to ensure diverse voices are heard. "Do I hear myself? Do I see myself? Is our humor out there?" he asks, highlighting the critical importance of authentic Indigenous representation in Australian media.
The podcast reveals Bob's thoughtful approach to leadership, grounded in humility and empowerment rather than authority. "My staff I quite often say to them, you mob are the experts in what each of you do. My job is to help lead and bring the best out of you," he shares, offering valuable insight for listeners in leadership positions. His emphasis on "controlling the controllables" serves as a practical philosophy for navigating life's challenges while maintaining personal accountability.
Connect with Bob through his social media channels to learn more about his work in community leadership and media representation. His story reminds us that authentic self-acceptance and purposeful storytelling can transform not only individual lives but entire communities.
Bob, welcome to the podcast, Thank you.
Speaker 2:Bala, I'm very happy to be here. Thank you?
Speaker 1:No, you're welcome, and let's get started. Let's name mob a little bit about yourself and what you do.
Speaker 2:Totally Bob Smith. So Camilla Roman, with Ties Out West, raised in Mullinjali country in Bow Desert, so used to be a much smaller town than what it is now. But yeah, very grateful to be raised out there.
Speaker 1:Now let's talk about those first 10, 15 years childhood growing up, forming identity, culture. Let's explore that.
Speaker 2:So we had a few different movements growing up. So I'm one of four kids I'm the second oldest, pretty much the one in the family that helps keep everyone together and bosses everyone around and does all that stuff. My mum and dad had met when my mum was 17, um, and so for us, um, we moved around a few different places lived in tasmania, lived in at roma at that ways, um, and then also in eagleby. So I grew up in eaglebyby throughout my primary school years and then, when I was going into grade seven, my parents decided to buy a house out at Chimboomba.
Speaker 2:It was a point in my life where I was like why are we moving out into the bush? I was very much against it as a young fellow but as years went on, very blessed to be able to be raised out there now that I look back when I was in high school. Very blessed to be able to be raised out there now that I look back, when I was in high school I wanted to be a chef, and now things have completely gone a whole nother way. So that was my first trait. Apprenticeship. Chefing Killed my passion a little bit while I was in it, but that was my first qual in that little country town.
Speaker 1:And then those years sort of coming into late teens, early twenties. You leave school, you discover life, the ups and downs you know. Give us a brief summary of stuff that's in there. Maybe some bigger lessons you learned, good and bad.
Speaker 2:Probably the biggest lesson coming into early adolescent years was becoming a father. That was probably the biggest lessons that come through it and how to be independent, moving out of mum and dad's doing your own thing. So realising that you have to step up tenfold when kids come. It's a bit of a shake up. So I met my children's mother. She was my hairdresser back in the day and from there we spent a number of years together and had our two boys, which we're very blessed to have now. They're hairy and in high school, so we're very fortunate that we have good people in this world. Big lessons in that because you have to sort yourself out as a person first to be able to be a good dad or parent in general, practice what you preach, type of thing. And it's funny because you know you see, as they get older, bits of yourself come out through them and that's where you really understand the power of having good parenting. There were some big lessons I had in that part.
Speaker 2:Big lessons as years went on and my children got older around my own identity. What did that look and feel like? Was I being true to myself? And so there was a part in my life where me and my kid's mother separated. No ill feelings, no ill, nothing in that space. I decided to move out of town, out of bed as it, to try and have a bit of a reset. Who am I, where do I belong and what's going on? And that was probably my biggest next chapter of identity for myself was as a fair-skinned black fella. What does that look like? Where's my identity in that? And then also moving out of town where you know everyone and everyone knows everything. What does that look like? Developing a new circle of people in your life for that safety net? So yeah, went through a bit of a rollercoaster in that space.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that identity and being fair-skinned as well, that's a tough one. Yeah, well, that's a tough one.
Speaker 2:Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's a tough one. I remember being young as well and people saying is that your dad, he was white. And then there's that identity, and then you're in relationships, and then there's society, and now you're working in and with community. How did you get started in that?
Speaker 2:My background was in Indigenous education, so I did about 13 years in Indigenous, led across many different roles, very blessed and privileged to have been able to work with the communities that I worked with. I think for me I just needed a bit of a break from being in the public sector for the better word and go back to the not-for-profit sector. What does that look and feel like now? You know, before I went into education I was working in not-for-profit and it was one of the most rewarding jobs, and so for me I just wanted that check to go. Hang on a second. What fills my cup up? Where are my passions lying? Also, step out of the safety spot of doing the same thing every day. And so they become an opportunity that come up um, and I applied for in a nala um as a ceo. So there's an organization there that's been around for a number of years now, um, called a nala wongara, and that organization really had similar values and morals to the organization that helped raise me being malajali housing. Yeah and um, I applied for it. Never in a million years would I have thought I would get it, but then I got it. So that was really powerful that moment and to be able to see how I can roll out leadership, how can I bring the best version of myself, but also people, yeah, and that started that chapter there. So I was a part of bringing on another community member from Manala. That's someone that's born and bred there and helped coach her in different parts so she can learn to take on the ropes.
Speaker 2:My passion, within media purely, is a storytelling point, making sure that our narrative is really out there. Quite often, you know, you turn on the TV or you put on the radio and it's like do I hear myself? Um, do I see myself? Is our humor out there? Um, because quite often it's the same stories that you're seeing and hearing unfortunately.
Speaker 1:Yeah, correct, and you mentioned story and storytelling. Was there anywhere before you stepped into that role where you saw maybe we're writing, exploring with music or another avenue of storytelling that maybe just got put somewhere before it made its light again?
Speaker 2:Not necessarily. I think what started me thinking really well and truly about storytelling was I started doing my Master's at uni and it was a Master's of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, and narrative therapy is big on using questioning to reauthor your story and draw out your story to bring power to, and so that, for myself, really shifted my thinking with how, you know, media really can misconstrue things, yes, and really do we have the right people asking the right questions? So that was a powerful shift for me and I thought well, if I can get into media, whether it's through radio, whether it's through TV, whatever it may be, how do we shift that and get the right people asking the right questions, but also having a humour on top of it, because it doesn't have to be dark and deep all the time.
Speaker 1:That's right. I like the word reauthor that you said. And this podcast is about empowering by telling our story, our voice. And yeah, you know I spoke with another guest and we talked about a lot of the shows, some of the commission, the films. There's a lot of reliving of trauma and you know that intergenerational trauma has been passed on through us, compounded with society and social media. You know you're involved with a bit of a series as well, which is fun and I love when black comedy first came out because it was like what the fuck is this People dancing, you know. So tell us about your little venture that people have probably seen you on.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So we were lucky enough to put in an application through Endemol Shine, which is a production company out there, and it was through a show that we'd never in a million years would have thought we'd go on, and that's Gogglebox, and trying to explain that to our old people is a whole story in itself. So it's a show where you watch people watching people on TV. That's Gogglebox, and trying to explain that to our old people is a whole story in itself. You know, um, so it's a show where you watch people watching people on TV. Like it's a whole narrative in itself.
Speaker 2:Um, so we applied for the actual gig. Um, because we thought there is no black follow representation on that show. Um, why, yeah? And we think we're funny. Yeah, um, so we thought we're funny. So we thought, well, give it a crack. And so originally, me and my partner, kevin, who's a walker, walker, south Sea man, we thought let's put our application in, give it a crack. And so we did.
Speaker 2:And we got through to the second stages and they said to us well, do you want to just have yous? Do you want your kids, do you want friends on there? And gave us a few different ideas that we could come back to them with in order to progress through. And our kids at the time were just starting to come into high school and we thought, well, we don't know what this is going to be like for ourselves, coming on into the mainstream media scene and we understand the violence that can exist in social media and everything else in the world. So we thought let's just do us for the time being and protect our kids as much as we can.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And we thought, well, bring on two good friends. That was a whole conversation in itself. We're like who can we run down? Who can we have a good laugh with and not get offended? Yeah, who can we trust All that type of stuff? And that's where two of our good friends, jared and Mia, we put them in an application with us. They're really deadly fellas. Jared's like a clone of Kevin with their sense of humour and they cut each other with their tongues. So that's really cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, we went through the audition part and then what are we now? Five, six seasons into it.
Speaker 2:So it seems like there's you know you're aligning with, with your purpose yeah, I think, look, my bigger mission and purpose is to, a first and foremost, make sure that what I bring to the table in community, um, in my role paid or not, um, no matter where I go that those morals and values that I carry with myself is across everything I do with integrity. And that's something that I find constantly change as you get older as well, because when you know better, you do better type stuff, and I'm just constantly learning, and so things shift every now and then about what I now want to include in my values or include in my morals. But, most importantly, making sure I can see that filtered down to my kids. They're becoming adults.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know you've got the small window, I think with teenagers, where you've got to get it right as best as you can.
Speaker 1:If not, you've got to pick up the pieces. I'm in that window too, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, window too, yeah, yeah, um. And I don't think we honestly take the time sometimes to reflect on how you know what we do in our workplaces, what we do in community and that how we're really installing that um with our kids.
Speaker 1:You know um properly, yeah yeah, I find myself having to just stop and go. Okay, I'm focusing so much on this creative work and output. Okay, let's, let's check in, let's have some conversations. Yeah, now you're creating a lot of content through, through media, um, and the community. Are there any pieces of content that you're watching any? Any people you're listening to, whether it be podcast or youtube, that are giving you value? Feeding, feeding your soul, filling your cup, as you said?
Speaker 2:To see how mob are successfully navigating so-called Australia, navigating political statements, political realms, the discourses in media. They're tools that you just can't put a price on right when you're listening to mob explain how they navigate and work in that space. But also the sharing of best practices. Yes, there's not one podcast, there's not one TV show or anything that I'm hooked on to. Yeah, but, like most of us, I think those round table conversations or the lunchroom conversation or even just listening know to radio, I think there's so much power in just those casual yards, like what you're doing here in this podcast. Yeah, you learn about people, you learn how they navigate a path to get to where they are, um, and there's not a cookie cutter approach. That's right to success. I didn't complete high school um dropped to halfway through grade 10, 10. So for me to be able to get to where I am is a really good example to show. Well, I had to work with other mob and community to navigate and build on those successes.
Speaker 1:Now let's just say we have some young mob out there, or even early 20s. Of course they're not quite sure what they want to do. They feel they have a story or a purpose. How would they get into media radio? Just some steps for young mob out there, just kind of want to step into their truth.
Speaker 2:I think one of the things that I go back to, what started my journey in community sector years ago before I went into education was I had some really good uncles that were in community that offered me a shot to volunteer, and so I volunteered in community in a few different spaces and that in itself taught me the power of not everything comes with a dollar and there's community service that you need to do and so that there, because I wasn't locked into anything employment-wise it gave me an opportunity to touch on a few different platforms that I wanted to experience or try, and then from there I picked on the parts that I really liked and honed in on.
Speaker 2:So for people that are out there, these young fellows that are out there wanting to get into storytelling or getting a message out there, I think the same thing Touch on a few different mediums and that's a good starting course, to be able to touch on podcasting, touch on film, touch on socials, you know, so you can go. Where do I really fit in this? I think sometimes people get caught up on, but I want to be on the camera, I want to be the one that's being watched.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Sometimes we also need to think about who's behind the scenes, because there's power in production, yes, there's power in editing, um, and that's sometimes where we need to get into to be able to get the right story out, because if there's one thing that we can learn from a lot of media is that, no matter how deadly the people are in front of the camera, it's a production team that can often manipulate a story.
Speaker 1:Right, agreed yeah, we talked about the edit, the power of the edit the power of the edit.
Speaker 2:It's powerful, you know, and there's so much violence that can happen as a result of bad editing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, music choice, pacing, all of it shot selection. Yeah, I mean a lot of young creatives that, um, they're just starting, but they want to get to your chapter 12 and they haven't even opened the first page yet. Yeah, they haven't made the 10 hours of terrible content for your youtube and your facebook and your attempted skits and your little health vlogs. They haven't put the work in the content. So I guess that can come around to something stopping them a hurdle mental health you probably witnessed a lot of this and the impacts of mob and the things that can hold us back. Let's explore that. Maybe some personal stuff that you're happy to share or what you're noticing in the community that we can try and help.
Speaker 2:I think the biggest thing is making sure you have that support network. Um. A lot of people go into doing media as a lone ranger, um, and then we'll cop the hits yeah, um. And if you don't have a good support or circle around you, those hits can be harder to deal with, yeah, um. So I think we underestimate the power of media and the damage it can have on people's social, emotional well-being. But mental health, yeah, um. And depending on what part of media you're playing as well. So I think you know the support circle around you is powerful, um.
Speaker 2:But then also the people that you're working with that space, that you're working in the team, the production crew, all of that they play a massive part in making sure that safety's there and that your story's getting put out properly too. Again, this is about if you get to have a play with all the different parts of a moving part of media, you get to appreciate everyone's contributions and how you can control the safety realms within that. Kevin will often say to me have you controlled the controllables? Like you know? Yeah, and I think that's something that we all can take a bit of a pause and look into sometimes is if we don't want something to happen in a negative light. Have we controlled the controllables?
Speaker 1:yeah, I love that because you know, um, I've stepped onto sets different sets, short films, student films, bigger sets and not felt safe. And I am a fully grown man and I can look after myself. But if I don't feel safe, I can't imagine what someone like my daughter who you know, maybe in a few years if she was a 16-year-old, stepping onto a set where she wasn't safe. So I think having the conversations about if you don't feel safe, reaching out, they go well, who do I reach out to? Because I'm not talking to mum and dad because they don't understand me. So maybe little things like reaching out to you, mob inboxing people Are there people that you feel young mob can reach out to, even traineeship things like that but for someone to talk to, yeah, I think we don't really lean into our role models enough, the people that have been through the industry, the hustle, starting from earning nothing to earning the bare minimum stool.
Speaker 2:There's this assumption out there that once you get in the industry and you're on TV or whatever, that you've got all this money and that you're doing really deadly and you know. Far from the truth for most people, yeah, and so, I think, for mob that are, you know, trying out this, whether it be through podcasting or whether they're in production or whatever, make sure you have people that you can bounce off and yarn with and strategize with. Um, it can be a lonely world out there, and so if you have people that you can bounce off, that have hustled their way through experience what you experience, work with them to share that best practice. Um, work with them to get their strategies around.
Speaker 2:How did you deal with your mental health? You, you know we don't know what we don't know, yeah, and it's hard to keep up with what services are out there, what you can claim you know, all that type of stuff. So the first point I often say is again, who's in that circle around you as that safety net to go? You've been through this. How did you navigate it? Or when you do get to that boiling point, you know someone that's been through it. You can kind of have a yarn to and know they're going to give you the best type of advice or maybe suggestions on how to navigate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lean into your role models. I like that, that part, and don't be shamed to message them.
Speaker 2:No, that's the other part, like don't shame to message them. No, that's the other part.
Speaker 1:Don't be ashamed, reach out, yeah, I didn't want to message. Other people say to me I didn't want to message you because I'm like, why Don't put me on an imaginary pedestal? I'm a normal person and I too have days where I need to lean into some content and some people to just realign Absolutely, humanize, exactly. It's a shared struggle and don't let social media fool you. Sometimes it's nice to just turn your mobile data off Go for a swim Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Go for a walk Absolutely. We often do road trips, me and Kev, to places where you get no reception.
Speaker 1:Love it.
Speaker 2:Well, if we go on holidays overseas, we go to places where you don't get reception Because you just want to tap out and again just to exhale. I don't think we often think about outside of you know, having those role models and people in your circle. What are you doing just with you, your self-care, and whether that means tapping out and doing a road trip with no phone reception, whether it means getting a massage, whatever it is is self-care stuff. I don't think we prioritize that enough.
Speaker 1:You basically already you sensed my next question. I was going to say what does bob do when he's not creating, when he's not part of a tv series, when he's not sharing storytelling? Yeah, bob like does bob do so.
Speaker 2:Bob, um can get people fatigue. So because at work it's constant all the time, you got people coming in and out all the rest of it and you're a leader, so you got to lead um. Then when you got filming, you know you're constantly on the hustle there, and then when you're community, you're talking to everyone. So I get people for fatigue and so I quite often at night time or on the weekends, just like to be calm. Yeah, um, and so often that would mean going down by the water, um, with the kids and just laying there all day. Yeah, um, it could be getting a massage.
Speaker 2:I store a lot of stress in my body. People underestimate how much stress you can store in your body. Yeah, um, so like how people deal with stresses in other ways and how to get it out of your system sometimes unhealthy habits, but for me I'm just like have a massage, pump it out, chiropractor yeah, all those things that self-care stuff. You know, one of the main things that I do for filling my cup up is making sure that I go at home to bed desert, whereert, where I was raised just to be around those who have helped raise me friends, aunties, uncles because I don't have to entertain anything. We can sit in the backyard and do what we've got to do or whatever. So that fills my cup up just with simple times. Not everything has to be up there.
Speaker 1:Did you have to grow into that being aware to self-love more? Was that something that came natural, or did you have to work at that?
Speaker 2:Becoming more self-aware was through my identity of exploring sexuality. Where do I sit with that? So, going through the divorce with my wife ex-wife at the time now. So going through the divorce with my wife ex-wife at the time now and raising two kids was what's my identity. And once I figured that part out, I was like, okay, this is how I can take care of this person now, Because the person I was is still there.
Speaker 2:But now that I lean more into my identity sexually, who I am as a person in community, who I am as a father, a partner, that's shifted. How I do self-care now. 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I wasn't getting massages and chiropractor you know all that stuff because I wasn't living in the city. I got to have that downtime living in Bedersville all the time, you know. So how I do self-care now looks very different, you know. So going through and exploring those sexual identities, parts of am I straight, am I bi, am I gay? And then going through that um and now fully sitting in my full self, um and give myself permission to be everything that I am, there's power in that Spirits align, beings align, purposes align Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Now people out there struggling with that identity, cultural identity, sexual identity again feeling like they're alone. We've talked about some of the resources and leaning into your role models, maybe just some self-care they can do at home to help them guide through that, because that's a process that takes time. You can't rush that. Let's give some advice to any mob out there that are struggling. They may not be young mob. You know, any advice there?
Speaker 2:So one of the best things I ever did was make friends with this one follower up here when I first moved to Brisbane, by the name of Phil, and Phil is an openly gay man and he really helped me establish myself in the way of the pathway I have defined to explore my identity. And so he was already connected in the Brisbane queer community and knew a lot of people and stuff, and so he was my first the brisbane queer community and knew a lot of people and stuff, and so he was my first, I guess, standing point as a new friend in that circle. I speak of um, which kind of just kept me in check and saying it's okay to feel these things, um, and gave me some tips and tricks. So there was that part there, having that one go-to person, couple go-to people that you can do some yarns with. The other part was um journaling.
Speaker 2:I did a lot of journaling. There's that storytelling, correct. So if I could write a story to myself, what would it say? And so I was doing a lot of that at the time to process my thoughts and then I'd go back and read it and see if things have changed and then write progress notes, for the better word. So that was quite powerful in processing thoughts, because I find when you write, especially with a pen or a pencil, it's different. Yes, you know, this is all the time. You know this is work and I find the older you get, the more you use the computer and everything, the messier you're writing it. I could be a doctor writing scripts, but I think that really helped me process my thoughts. If I was moving forward, if I was stuck and also being able to, I would often go through and circle keywords that I mentioned in my journaling.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of self-awareness that you're already sort of showing.
Speaker 2:Well, when you're alone in your thoughts, you have no choice. Yeah, you can either keep thinking in a depression state and that can be really dangerous or if you don't feel like you can talk to people about things, or you're scared to talk about things to people.
Speaker 1:that journaling stuff is pretty cool and it's rewarding to look back at it when you do get to that comfortable spot and then some people can use substance, not give themselves enough time to be alone with their thoughts to start the journey of healing.
Speaker 2:Use substance, yeah, look it's quite often the sad story that you do see painted out there when people go through their journey of identity, of whether you're coming through sexual identity or finding who your mob are. Sometimes you don't know how to get in. How do you get into finding you know, moving forward into that next chapter of identity? How do you get into finding you know, moving forward into that next chapter of identity? And I think one thing I encourage mob, whether they're exploring identity and sexual. You know preferences or identity, or whether it's connecting with your mob if you didn't grow up with mob.
Speaker 2:I think it's important to do double listening and double observation, rather than more talking. Quite often we talk too much, we can over talk things, um, and so being able to listen to how mob have navigated you know, finding who their mob are, or finding out what's a safe way to explore your sexual identity, you know all that stuff, I think if we listen more and watch more, yes, I think that can help shift that part in I love that on listening, that's something I've had to learn to be better at is listening and I think that's just your 20s and then evolution into 30s and self-growth.
Speaker 1:Is there always been part of you that I touched on this earlier, this self-awareness part there? If you go back to the first 10, 15 years Bow Desert were you aware of a lot of people I talk to? They don't have this journal and then I can go back and then I can circle things and be accountable. They don't have the accountability. That's what I'm trying to find.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I did to a small degree. Living in a small town, you have no choice. You have to be accountable for your actions a lot of the time because everyone knows everything. So if you fuck something up, like you know, you've got to own it, Otherwise you get dragged for it. So to a degree I had it. Drag for it, so to a degree I had it. I think as we get older, we learn more in that space around accountability. For myself, as I've professionally hustled through into leadership positions and whatever accountability becomes tenfold, You've got to be transparent, you've got to be accountable. And so I think, because I was career-driven as well, wanting to do better no matter what job I was in, how do I take the next chapter to impact positive change? I had to do the inward stuff and have that personal accountability, Because we can be accountable in the community and we can be accountable professionally and all the rest of it if you're not accountable to yourself it's a big lesson there.
Speaker 1:That's, that's hard. Massive, massive. What's that stuff?
Speaker 2:you know you've got to stop pointing fingers and start pointing thumbs proper proper, you know, and when you ask yourself questions and you can answer them um, that's, that's power. You, because that's growth. Yeah, and I think we need to get to a point where you don't have to know everything. Quite often say to other leaders out there is just because you're the CEO or just because you're a manager doesn't mean that your staff should be able to come to you and you have all the answers.
Speaker 2:My staff I quite often say to them, like you, mob, are the experts in what each of you do. My job is to help lead and bring the best out of you. Love it. You know, I wouldn't have the first thing about how to do another paddling for radio, would have the first idea about how to do canva or any of those things. Know, that's what the team are there for. Yeah, and I think with that I got to that point of my approach and leadership. Because of that self-reflection, self-accountability, what can I be accountable for? I can't be accountable for you know how to switch on something on the panelling, yeah, but I can be accountable for being a good person, a good leader and and bringing those things out.
Speaker 1:Where's Bob in 10 years? Oh God.
Speaker 2:Hopefully with a lot of them or something that would be cool. Look, 10 years, 10 years, just Bob, just Bob. Like, honestly, I wouldn't have even seen myself where I am now as someone you know I quite often reflect on. For someone that dropped out of high school in a town with two sets of traffic lights, doing an apprenticeship in cheffing, to get to where I am is just like you know, and that's not a big noting thing, that's just how you know.
Speaker 2:I think if I didn't have kids, things may look different, you know, but when you have little people in the world, it's kind of like what's my role in that space? I often reflect and go what is my retirement job? Am I happy with just having a little coffee window somewhere where all people care about is a cup of coffee? Or do I want to continue in that hustling space? And how do I impact change? Because we're forever going to need change, you know. And one thing that I see out there is that there's so many opportunities. We just got to jump on and flip on sometimes. Where you know people aren't opening doors for us, how do we kick them in? And that's something that all people have been doing forever. Otherwise we wouldn't have spaces like we do now. That's right.
Speaker 1:Chefing didn't want to do that. Who does the cooking at home?
Speaker 2:Me. I know I didn't cook for years after finishing my apprenticeship and now, like both mine and Kevin's family know me as doing the catering, kevin he stresses out in the kitchen, so for me I'm just like, the more he stresses out in the kitchen, the more I stress out, so it's just easier for me to get it done. Just get out of the kitchen. You know he's good at what he does, um. You know. So for me I'm the cook, um. But it's good to see that shift in my older son now he loves cooking, so he's in the kitchen, so I'm just like getting there now we're breathing life and lessons and value into our kids.
Speaker 1:What lessons are they teaching you in 2025?
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, there's so many lessons. I think the number one lesson they teach me every day is to give love. Just to pause and give love. My kids will tell me 20 times a day Dad, you're all right, I love you, and that's pretty powerful, and I don't think we do that enough for our family. Sometimes we get about doing our thing, we hustle, we go to work, but it's pretty cool to see how young fellas that are normally doing what teenage boys do share that love, that love part. So they teach me a lot in that regard. The other thing that they teach me is the forever changing world that we live in, with, um, new things and new challenges that young people are going through. Yeah, um, I think there's so much power in having young people at the table, so they teach me to be accountable.
Speaker 1:In that space, every day I find you know my mom with their phone. Um, you gotta do this. My 13 year old's doing that. How do I do this? She grabs the phone.
Speaker 2:She grabs the device every day, yeah, every day. I I'm constantly learning about technology. It's changing, and it's funny because I sit down. My god, I feel like my old man doing this, like I never thought I'd get here. But here I am, you know, in my 30s, and I'm doing that. And it's funny because I sit there and I'm like God, I feel like my old man doing this.
Speaker 1:Like I never thought.
Speaker 2:I'd get here. But here I am, you know, in my 30s, and I'm doing that. Wow, it's just constantly changing, you know.
Speaker 1:I can see you as a natural host, a natural leader, programming leading documentaries. Is that something? I'm just throwing this out there. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:You can see for yourself. Yeah, I'll be. Look, I'm so open to new challenges. Um, I'm always open to learning something different and you know, I've been able to prove that over the last, you know, 15, 20 years and in everything that I've done, in going from chefing to where I am now, and it's because I've forced myself into those different chapters. Do I see myself working more in media? I would love to. I think media is constantly changing and if we want to constantly shift narratives and we want to challenge the discourses in media, I think, yeah, I'd be definitely keen to do that. You know, I have a certain approach to how I put things out in the world, and so I think there'd be power in bringing that into it further. So, yeah, my book is open.
Speaker 1:Now. What scares you about the future?
Speaker 2:Oh God, what scares me about the future. I wonder if we are investing enough time in our young people to continue being good people out there and to be able to take on the roles that we're all in, whether it be as leaders, all in um, whether it be as leaders, ceos, whether it be on a board um, whether it be doctors, nurses, whatever. Are we investing some, you know, authentic, genuine time um to getting our young people into those spaces, so we don't sit in these jobs forever, um, and that we remain current with the times? You know, it scares me that part. I think we do it well in some parts. In some parts, we can do some working.
Speaker 2:We've got some amazing young people out there and I just think how do we get them, young people, on a board? How do we get them young people to think about how they can be a leader, a CEO? And leadership looks different in many different ways. You don't have to be a ceo or a manager to be a leader, um, but how do we support them on that journey wholeheartedly, um, because for me, it took a number of people in different ways to be able to get in my thinking and my rhythm of how I do leadership um, but I just wonder how are we wholeheartedly doing that?
Speaker 1:We talked about leadership, the natural talent you have, the self-awareness Outside of leadership. Bob, just Bob. What is Bob's greatest strength?
Speaker 2:I think being able to bring people together we quite often will host family events or even just getting mobbed together to show love and appreciation we don't have to have a reason or go and see a show. I think being able to have someone that can pull mob together just show love, that's something I think I'm good at, good to know. Yeah, I'm pretty cool with that sociable person when I'm not, you know, strained of all my people energy. But yeah, I think I'm pretty good at doing that type of stuff. Um, and then also just being a support person for people to reach out and have a yarn, so people can sort of reach you through your socials and stuff as well.
Speaker 1:and yeah, we'll chuck all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Reach out. I think there's something out there. We've got to start sharing resources. Yes, we've got to start sharing support networks, best practices, absolutely, so there's power in reaching out on socials, even if you don't think that person's going to reply to you.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:If they want to, they will yeah and if they don't reply, it just not.
Speaker 1:Might not be the right time or place for it, or their loss or their loss of phone right, or they're on a holiday with no wi-fi reception that part, that part yeah, so if I don't answer your messages.
Speaker 2:So yeah, absolutely. I think we should be reaching out more, like I said earlier, to these role models and staff and people that are working in the spaces. If you want to learn about how to get into certain spaces, reach out to those people that are in them. Love it. That's the only way you find out.
Speaker 1:Now we talked about strength. Let's go the opposite way. You sort of know the other question, again, I talked about. I wasn't always a great listener. I'm still trying to listen, so maybe it doesn't have to be a weakness. I don't like that word weakness. What's something that Bob can improve or you're striving to?
Speaker 2:I think what I'm striving to improve as I get older is to be more present. Well, that's a big one. Every day is a hustle, and whether it's sitting at home with my dad or going out to, you know, see family, whether it's just being at home with Kev without having the distractions of TV and phones and computers and work, and just zoning in and just being present, um, we're so wrapped up in having to make money and pay the bills and, you know, got to pick kids up and do this and this and this. I think learning how to be present, um, and again, with that double listening part, I think that's something I really want to continue to improve on Because, you know, while it sounds so deadly having a CEO role, and you know you're on TV and you do this and this, it's busy, it's work.
Speaker 2:You know it's work A lot of work and that being present part, like even the other week we went for a cruise and just be able to sit at the water and just close your eyes and just be present in sound. It doesn't have to be with people, yeah, um, just being present with sound or being present on country and just having that deep listening, you know, I think that's something that also helps with coping in the world, I agree you know, shoes off, absolutely grounding.
Speaker 1:Just that spirit just goes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm home absolutely, you know, and in this forever changing world that we live in, where a lot of us um didn't grow up on country or we don't live on country from where we're from, you know, traditionally. I think it's important to note that you can do that anywhere. Yeah, you know, your home is where you make it, um, and I think, quite often wherever we're living, in the city or by the water or wherever just check out, take your shoes off, close your eyes and just listen love.
Speaker 2:Love it. So that's my number one goal this year Be more present in that. And probably the other one is to do away with the people that don't contribute positive things in your life. Agreed, you get to this point where you're just like, do you deserve my time? And really controlling where you put your energy and your time too. That's like the best feeling that's a hand emoji, right now.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's the best feeling trying to go. Actually, I don't need to have this conversation with you. I don't need to, um, do that job. I can knock that back and that's okay. Um, because that's energy I don't want to give you.
Speaker 1:I dig it, man. I love that. It's just amen straight to that. Now I've sort of picked up so much from you and these questions are a bit you know outside of where I was going, but this is a hard question to answer because there's so many. But I want to know two or three of your favorite movies of all time, and the reason I'm asking this is because of all that self-awareness that you could pick up on in that early age and things like that. There's kind of iconic, memorable moments and films and pieces of music that you are nostalgic about and that really shapes who we are. So I'm curious to know about those films, just to help me understand young Bob. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I guess they will play different things at different parts of my life. If I go back to one film as a young fella that really just spoke to me in so many ways was Yongaboi. And Yongaboi is a really solid film, in particular for young men and really exploring how you can have three young fellas that grow up together and they can all end up in very different pathways. But what is important is that circle, yes, to be able to check you, you know, be able to hold you accountable, to be able to love you. And I think too often in this world that we live in that masculinity stuff kicks in. It's dog shit, isn't it? You know, and I've learnt that as I've come into my sexuality, as I've gotten older, and I noticed it as a leader sitting in a room full of males that are in leadership positions, a lot of chest beating stuff.
Speaker 2:So younger boy played a big part in my life and you can go through men's business, live on country, have mental health issues, whatever else may be out there, but as long as you've got that circle of friends around you that can love you and be there, you'll be right. They're grounding, yeah, grounding, yes. Sad story within it with the stuff that takes place in that movie. But I think that story is one that's too often taking place out there and we don't draw enough light into it. So I think they've done really well in that movie with painting that. Another one would be the Colour Purple. A lot of reasons. It's a deep one, yes, but my mother got me to watch that when I was younger. But my mother got me to watch that when I was younger and just to be able to see how that picture was painted Powerful, very powerful and how she was able to whoopee, reclaim her story.
Speaker 1:Movies teach us a lot about life. We don't know until we're older.
Speaker 2:There's power in it. There's power in movies, power in media, and this is why it's important that we have black producers, black actors, black screenwriters, because we've got to start controlling that so that we can kind of help shape and guide people's lives and how they can go into these chapters. And that is possible. Whether it's a factual movie or not, it's neither here nor there, that's right. But if you can give hope maybe to people around how you can navigate it, you're laughing.
Speaker 1:Brother, I want to thank you for giving up your time on the beach, grounding, breathing, listening to music, to be here with us.
Speaker 2:You're welcome.
Speaker 1:And let's keep yarning outside of this and look forward to the future. Absolutely, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you, brother.