Interview: Sydney Local, Joel Hauer

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Name: Joel Hauer

Twitter handle: @JoelAmigoHauer

Works at: Clemenger BBDO / UnOffice.com.au

What is the idea behind this “green rooftops” movement?

It’s about getting Sydney-siders thinking about different types of work environments, and how integrating these with their normal regime, can an effect on their well-being and creativity.

As this is a new idea, we’re investigating the possibility of building a network of people who are open to working outdoors. We’re interested in activities that and utilize and activate green roof space, and have a positive effect on both our green economy, and personal well-being. Think of it as a mash-up between TED talks and Start-up weekend for Green projects.

Our UnOffice Event activates green roof space by bringing together people from varying private and public sectors, to work outdoors, and collaborate with other who are also interested in developing a greener economy. As we live in an idea’s world, we’re offering the best idea, judged by independent speakers, a development stipend through ticket sales. This event allows us to promote green roof’s, encourage networking & idea creation, and form a culture of outdoor creativity, where any idea can turn into a project that can change the world.

Who else do you think is doing cool stuff in our industries? 

I love crowd-sourced creativity that works to show the possibilities of collaboration and democratization of solutions. I feel that new web platforms can connect vastly different people, with different backgrounds and experiences for the betterment of projects around the world. Kickstarter and Kiva are two of my favorite crowd solutions. Kiva is based on small micro loans to third world, and developing countries, and for those who don’t know what Kickstarter is, if you’re in the creative industries, and want to crowd-fund your ideas and explorations in art, dance, fashion or games etc, you’ll love it.

What local issues or topics are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about bringing the right people together to solve big problems in this world.

The event you’re hosting Friday looks pretty cool, what else can people expect who are attending?

We expect them to be inspired by amazing speakers, and go home feeling empowered to bring fresh ideas from passionate people into their existing networks to collaborate on do-good projects. This event is only the start, and we’re passionate about taking it to the next level by making it bigger and better in 2012. We want it to be a launching pad for environmentally sustainable projects and solutions both for the public and private sectors.

If you can’t make it Friday, are there other ways to get involved or get more info?

Get involved with our conversation on twitter @UnOfficeAust, and if you’re in another state and want to help us spread the word, please get in touch.

Where is coworking going next in Sydney? 

It’s rapidly developing through some really cool government initiatives that are activating building spaces at reduced rates. Though many international coworking establishments are finding it hard to fill seats, the freelance economy is rapidly expanding in Australia thanks to the creative industry expansion into more extensive digital production.

Personally, I would love to see more pop-up style co-working locations, supported in-part by government and councils, though our number 1 priority is to make green roof tops accessible to individuals for outdoor co-working.

Interview: Brisbane Local, Beck Waite

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Brisbane curator Lani Pauli interviews Beck Waite from The Edge, SLQ.

Tell us more about how you ended up at The Edge…
In truth I was aiming for GoMA… but towards the end of my time at uni I was offered a six week, part time gig with State Library doing some project support work for a new digital culture centre they were launching. At this stage the building was still a construction site and the team that would open the doors was still to be hired. Even so, the vision that State Library held for this space was compelling and the six weeks turned into three months, which turned into six months and suddenly I had forgotten about my original intentions and found myself happily working at The Edge!

Who do you think is doing cool stuff in our industries?

There is no end to the cool stuff that is happening in our industries. For me, working a lot with creativity in the context of public institutions, I get excited about projects like Fayetteville Free Library’s maker space (a concept that we are working on for The Edge), which turns a place of learning into a place of creating. I love it when people decide to use digital for good and not evil, like the Code Year project that is running in 2012 and I love that creativity can be used as an excuse to hang algae from the ceilings!

What was your first job?

Cleaning schools. I used to get up of a morning and work out creative ways to get PVA glue out of carpets, permanent marker off whiteboards and that rotten apple smell out of bag racks. I learnt how to make windows shiny and streak free, I learnt how to manoeuvre four scrap-filled wheelie bins up and down hills in tandem and I learned that if I started work at 4am I could cram a lot more into my day!

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve had to face work-wise?

Learning the language of nerd. Each quarter we change our theme at The Edge, from Gaming, to DIY Tech and Bioscience. These were unchartered territory for me. Languages like Python, C+ and Processing weren’t on my radar, I didn’t know to get excited when a RepRap turned up on our desk and if you had of asked me if ‘Arduino’ was a proper noun I would have looked at you in confusion. Nowdays, I still spend a lot of time confused, but I love talking to those people that know this stuff inside out and enjoy the process of getting my head around it too.

What’s the biggest opportunity and challenge for Brisbane to become a truly “Creative City”?

The biggest challenge and opportunity are one and the same for me: learning to recognise and celebrate creativity outside of traditional ‘creative industries’. It is very easy to confine a discussion of Brisbane as a creative city by focusing on our ability to be entrepreneurial in business or push the boundaries in the arts. But I think that a truly exciting, creative city is one that applauds innovative and progressive practice across all sectors, from health and science right through to the likes of education, agriculture, transport and mining.

What are some local upcoming events you recommend?

The Edge’s second birthday bash – 50 free workshops in 5 hours! The Seven w/ Another exhibition upcoming at Josephmark, and a fun exhibition, Goodbye Helvetica by Dominique Falla.

What’s next?

For me? I delight in not knowing! I’ve always enjoyed taking life as it comes and having the freedom to go where the opportunities take me.

You can follow Beck on Twitter here.

Interview: London/Melbourne Local, Michelle Matthews

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Michelle Matthews

Name: Michelle Matthews

Website: www.deckofsecrets.com

Twitter handle/Instagram: @SecretsHQ

Works at: Deck of Secrets

Tell us the story behind Deck of Secrets…

Deck of Secrets is city guide brand that takes the format of a deck of cards. Each deck features a highly specialised topic such the latest Breakfast & Brunch guide for London.

What role has digital, especially mobile, played in publishing and city guides?

The first digital impact was the move to digital cameras. Professional photographers took longer to make the move so I bought a very expensive DSLR back in 2001 and gave it to the photographer to use. A $5k digital camera was easy to justify when it saved $7k of scanning plus film and processing. Then the advances with Adobe Acrobat which allowed for in-screen editing as opposed to printing out hundreds of pages every for every draft. After much flirting with mobile platforms I teamed up with Shaun Ervine in 2008 to release DRINK. Melbourne an iPhone app guide to Melbourne’s bars, one of the first 10,000 apps released. This was followed by a dining guide for Sydney which was featured on the “There’s an app for that” TV commercial. These days I’m looking more to behind the scenes cloud services to manage my increasingly nomadic and minimalist lifestyle. A recent favourite is https://www.receipt-bank.com

Who do you think is doing cool stuff in our industries?

  • Instagram is a real passion of mine. An elegant app, fun and easy to use with just the right amount of features. http://statigr.am and http://printstagr.am/ add the fun and functionality.
  • Lockitron is a hardware and software combo that allows home owners to grant access to their property remotely and allows the front door to be opened using a mobile app. Perfect for Airbnb hosts.
  • Memrise: I’m working on my Spanish with this interactive learning website in preparation for a few months in Madrid later this year.
  • Bitcasa: ”Infinite storage on your desktop” OK, you got me, where do I sign. I love the promise of this new website still in beta mode.
  • The Sixty One: this site isn’t new but I listen to it for hours each day discovering great new music.

You’re a big Airbnb advocate and live a digital nomad lifestyle – what does this involve and what tips do you have for someone wanting to emulate your life?

Airbnb started as a great way to earn revenue while I was on holiday, then a month long booking allowed me to take another location independent trip but now as Airbnb has grown I’m more away than at home and my mortgage is covered. And when I travel, Airbnb is always my first choice for accommodation. It has truly changed my life.

What’s your favourite city in the world?

After countless visits I finally fell in love with London in 2011. In 2009 I would have said Buenos Aires. It was Tokyo in 1995. And it’s always Melbourne.

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve had to face work-wise?

Preparing for the next change, staying positive and not giving up. Last year the equivalent of 50% of my retail outlets shut down, one of my distributors/sales teams is about to shut down and margins are shrinking. In business and I life I now aim for simplicity, efficiency and varied revenue streams.

What’s next for you and your business?

I’m expanding my range of UK titles currently there are two: bars, breakfast and brunch. But I’m heading to Bali next month so perhaps you’ll see a Bali guide come out of that.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Bike Commuter

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This is a guest post by Lara McPherson.

Last year I sold my car and became a full-time bike commuter. Pretty quickly, I wished I’d done it years earlier. I got thinking about what took me so long. Why do we only hear about the negative elements of two-wheeled travel? Rarely do the many positives rate a mention. I think it’s time to set the record straight.

Lara McPherson

CONS

Helmet Hair
The helmet issue seems to be a pretty popular one in Melbourne, as Australia is one of very few countries to mandate helmets for bike riders – and evidently folks in Melbourne are extremely vain. Many women cite helmets and the resulting hairstyle challenges as a particular detractor for jumping in the saddle. Personally, this doesn’t faze me – the simple low pony has become my go-to bike-ride-’do. And in the unlikely event that the mandatory helmet laws be repealed I would still never get on a bike without a helmet. I like my brains inside my skull, thank you very much.

Wardrobe Limitations
Outfit selection is another popular excuse for the ladies and I must admit, bike appropriate attire took a bit of getting used to. I’m self-employed and hence quite flexible when it comes to work wear. But even in my corporate past-life when I was required to suit up daily, the only extra planning required was to leave extra deodorant and a couple of pencil skirts at work to make the daily transition achievable. These days, if I think there is a slight chance of a wardrobe malfunction I make doubly sure I’m wearing respectable knickers.

Other Road Users
Despite the well publicised issues between riders and cars (ahem, Shane Warne), I find most drivers are happy to avoid any potential injuries to bike riders by being sensible and keeping a safe distance. More challenging to navigate are their upright cousins, the pedestrians. In both cases though, any unpleasant encounters can largely be avoided by awareness of the traffic/people around you and a ring of the bike bell or a polite “excuse me”.

Storage
Once upon a time, I tended to lug the contents of my office home with me almost every night. With limitations in on-bike storage space I am now pleased to say I leave my work at work. On the rare occasion that I need to cart something that won’t fit on the bike, I use a courier service and save myself a trip.

Weather
As a Melbourne local, I understand that the unpredictable weather can be a detractor for some. In my past life as a pedestrian, I was often caught without an umbrella in the case of a sudden downpour, so I consider a slight soaking while riding an even trade – though my bike raincoat is much easier to store than an umbrella. For me, it is not so much the rain as the wild winds that prove challenging, but now I prefer to think of them as an extra opportunity to shape my derriere. As an upside to the city’s sometimes volatile weather patterns, we are spoiled with spectacular sunny mornings and stunning sunsets most days, and it is truly wonderful to be able to savour these on my daily ride. I’ll take a the odd soggy t-shirt any day!

PROS

Fresh Air
As I alluded to above, enjoying the sights and sounds of Melbourne on my commute has become one of my daily pleasures. Even the occasional smell of a garbage truck, an over-active exhaust or a mouthful of pedestrian’s cigarette smoke aren’t enough to cancel out how great it is to actually breathe in the city every day.

High Heels
I’m sure many expect that my life in high heels came to a grinding halt the same day my bike commuter life began. I assure you though, the opposite is actually true! One of my favourite things about riding a bike is that it takes you straight from A to B, with bike parking always metres from my destination so I rarely need to walk far at all! This makes it even easier to wear impossibly high heels without looking too ridiculous! Hooray!

Avoiding Gridlock
Just how great it is to live a life without sitting in a traffic jam cannot be under-estimated. Traffic was (and still is) the absolute bane of my existence. Not only does avoiding it save me huge amounts of time every day, it has also saved my sanity and restored my faith in humanity.

Ignoring Timetables
Patience is not one of my virtues. Hence, waiting for trams always seemed a ridiculous waste of time to me. As a bike rider you can go exactly where you want, when you want. No need to worry about when the roads are busy, what time your train leaves, how to plan your route across the city on public transport. Just go. After all, what has patience ever done for me anyway?

Health
While this may be no big surprise to some, getting an average of an extra hour exercise each day with my bike commute has had a huge impact on my health, both physically and mentally. Not only did I lose 10kgs within 6 months, my daily rides provide me with a much needed daily hit of Vitamin D and serves as a great way to plan my day and relax with my own thoughts (while keeping an eye on what’s happening around me). Though don’t get me wrong – no matter how many kilos I lose, I’m still not tempted to deck myself out in lycra. It does no one any favours.

Extra Cash in Your Pocket
Apart from the initial investment in my bike and the rare maintenance cost, bike riding costs nothing. No fuel, no tickets, no fees. Saving approximately $50 a week just in fuel, parking and traffic fines or the same in public transport tickets pretty much means an extra holiday a year. Don’t mind if I do.

Other Riders
The most pleasantly unexpected element of becoming a full time bike commuter is the amazing people I’ve met. Not only the odd person I get chatting to on my rides each day, but those I’ve met through my involvement in Melbourne’s social bike events, which are mostly community driven. Events like Melbourne Bike Fest (a celebration of bike culture), the Melbourne Tweed Ride, and the many relaxed rides by the guys at BikeFun.org serve as a great reminder of just how strong the Melbourne bike community has become.

So, what do you think? For me the balance is very firmly in favour of riding. Granted, there are some small challenges to overcome, but they’re mostly inconsequential. It also tells me that riding my bike has become about much more than just getting too and from work. And that I need to buy some nicer knickers.

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Bio: Lara McPherson is a writer, community manager and sustainability advocate. She runs Sustainable Fashion Australia, The Clothing Exchange Melbourne, Melbourne Tweed Ride and Wardrobe Wonderland. She also works on Melbourne Bike Fest, The AceFantastic Adventure Quest and The Spirit of the Black Dress. She and her partner Marcus have recently acquired Curracloe, and plan to turn it into a self sustaining organic produce farm.

Interview: Sydney Local, Jeremy Somers

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Name: Jeremy Somers

Website: www.wearehandsome.com

Twitter handle: @wearehandsome and

@itsartdammit (personal)

Works at: Co-founder, We Are Handsome

Where do you seek inspiration?

I think rather than seeking it I collect it. I see everything, I gather images and things that inspire and collect them. In no order or organized system, but I go through those files/books/images often to keep my ideas fresh.

Who do you think is doing cool stuff in our industries? (Across business, digital, creative?)

Everyone is. The beauty of instant communication, feedback and collaboration brought on by the internet means that inspiration is easier to find, ideas are easier to express and execution is faster and easier to manage. The upshot of all of this is that more people have access to the resources they need to make/create cool stuff and projects.

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve had to face work-wise?

Doing what you HAVE to do vs what you WANT to do. It’s a tough one when you’re creative, but the day to day and more mundane of tasks must be done.

Are there any exciting 2012 plans for We Are Handsome can you share with us?

There are but I can’t share them at the moment… lots of new products and really pushing our brand and design…

I noticed you guys are on Instagram. How does this fit into the company’s overall social approach?

Yep, we’re all about the visual – photos, design, pictures, illustration and Instagram lets me express this pure visual obsession directly with likeminded fans.

Any quick tips for brands who might be thinking about using Instagram? 

Give your viewers a look into who you are, what you do, what’s behind the brand and it’s mystique. No one wants to just see campaign pictures.

What are some interesting trends you’re noticing in the online world?

More and more people are discovering they are creative and are harnessing that creativity to create. Online used to be more curators but is slowly becoming more creators – which I, for one am VERY happy about!

 What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur just starting off? 

Don’t think – just do. If you have an idea, take the first step as soon as humanly possible – its that step that’s the hardest – you have to build up some momentum and then it’s a piece of cake!

Hello Chloe – our London fetcher

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We went north for Brisbane, but obviously it wasn’t quite north enough! I’m very excited about this next city… today is our official launch day in London and I’m pleased to announce semi-expat Chloe Nicholls as curator. I’ve known Chloe for a while now and have had the pleasure of hanging with her in Melbourne and London (at the amazing Hospital Club!). She’s also a complete community gun and when not fetchin’, makes stuff happen at Newspepper HQ – a global video production startup. Chloe will be sharing the best events, meetups, community news, jobs and more in each fortnight’s fetch. You can submit items to her via email here, via @thefetchlon and don’t forget to subscribe on http://thefetch.com so we’ll arrive straight to your box. Our first appropriately red themed fetch will be sent this morning at 9.30am GMT (ah, the new joys of multiple time zones). As part of Chloe’s welcome, we put a few questions to her

Chloe Nicholls

How did you end up where you are today?

I was born in the UK, but moved to Australia when I was two years old, and grew up in Melbourne. I travelled back and forth, and at sixteen I decided I wanted to move back to London to work in the media industry after my university degree. So I did just that. I travelled around Europe for a year, then settled in London and got my first job for a PR company. By the force of serendipity, I met Hermione Way and began working for her company Newspepper.com. Since then I’ve been working in the tech, social media and startup space for a couple of years and this year I’m excited to be curating The Fetch for Londoners.

What makes you tick? What makes you ick?

I’m addicted to the internet, love a good fancy dress party and dance to the beat of my own drum. Dislike spicy food, people who take games too seriously and trolls.

Why do you love ‘fetchin?

I’m always scouring the internet, finding out about new events, places and fun things to do in London, and by curating The Fetch I’m looking forward to sharing these nuggets of info with the rest of the community and my friends online. I’ve already made a London Guides Twitter list year here, so I thought that The Fetch could be a good extension of my findings.

What things excite you about our community right now?

It’s great to have all things digital, creative and business ‘under the one roof’, with the reach going beyond just tech and startup events. I love that readers can submit their own picture to be featured every fortnight; every issue is completely unique and it celebrates London from a different perspective, not just a touristy, over-crowed and rainy point of view!

What’s your favourite thing about your city?

It doesn’t matter what night of the week it is, there is something always happening. I also love how easy it is to travel around using the Tube and bus system. It may not be perfect – especially at rush hour – but it is still one of the best connected cities in the world.

Where can we find you in London?

Usually at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden or East London Town.

How can we connect with you?

Follow me on Twitter @ThatGirl_Chloe, @thefetchlon, Facebook and send me your event listings, cool jobs and links to chloe@thefetch.org.

Interview: Brisbane Local, Ben Hamley

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Brisbane curator Lani Pauli interviews Ben Hamely of Smart Artz.

Tell us more about the Smart Artz journey…

Smart Artz was founded by Graeme Wood (wotif.com). He has developed and supported a number of creative initiatives and has a particular interest in giving young people more opportunities to participate in projects that affect their peers. Smart Artz workshops inspire creative intelligence by giving young people an opportunity to work on real world projects. Every project is developed for young people by young people. We facilitate workshops for secondary schools, universities and community groups in QLD and NSW during which we develop the concepts and ideas for all our projects.

Who do you think is doing cool stuff in our industries?

One of the coolest things I’ve seen recently (out of Brisbane, too) is Lee Crockford’s Future Postbox. It’s not a new concept, but the first time I’ve seen the idea get taken online. Essentially, you write your ‘future self’ a letter and Future Postbox will deliver it to you on your chosen date. Also this year; QUT’s first intake of producers-in-training will commence in the brand new triple-faculty Bachelors of Entertainment Industries degree. The first of its kind in Australia, and one of the first in the world to approach entertainment as a truly interdisciplinary area of the creative industries.

What was your first job?

My first ‘job’… or my first ‘real job’?

The first thing I ever got paid to do was DJ at parties and school discos, I was the ‘AV Geek’ at my school and I quickly discovered that a lot of the equipment hardly ever got used, lets just say I paid my own way through tuckshop for five years!

As for my first ‘real job’ – I originally trained as a lighting designer at uni, so my first ‘real job’ was as an assistant production manager for the Katarzyna group in Fortitude Valley. That involved being paid to go clubbing every weekend for about 4 years and looking after the lighting and sound systems for Family, Cloudland and the late Empire Hotel.

The problem is that I don’t really want to stay in one particular field for my entire career. I do really enjoy interdisciplinary work and as a result, I can never really be sure of where it will take me.

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve had to face work-wise?

Focus – with so many new projects, opportunities and people constantly flowing through the scene, its hard to not get swept away in ‘what might be’ and focus on ‘what is today’.

What’s the biggest opportunity and challenge for Brisbane to become a truly “Creative City”?

Brisbane already has a huge network of creative and talented young people. What we need is more support for projects that authentically ‘start’ with young people and are not simply ‘provided’ for young people. There is huge potential for Brisbane to become a leader in the way our next generation of workforce live and work. The Australian Government Suburban Jobs initiative is one to watch, there are some exciting proposals in the works looking at decentralising the way we work and investing in high-end suburban co-working spaces. In my vision of Brisbane as a creative city, there is no such thing as ‘work-life’ balance; that doesn’t mean work is your life – it means people feel passionately about the work they pursue and no longer need to conform to a 9-5, Monday to Friday grind.

What are some local upcoming events you recommend?

Smart Artz are hosting a series of public art and design workshops at Brisbane City Council’s Visible Ink space (Fortitude Valley) throughout February. Check out the event details on Facebook or at Visible Ink.

What’s next?

Throughout my work with Smart Artz I’ve done of lot of work investigating Creativity. This has led me into the mine-field of psychological and cognitive science studies on ‘how creativity works’. In one of my new projects for 2012 I will be experimenting with EEG (Electroencephalography) and interactive art to create a piece of work that will – literally – ‘make you think’. Keep an eye on Smart Artz and Ben Hamley for more information.

You can follow Ben on Twitter here.