Series 1: Episode 7 – Ellie Bigwood

[00:03]
Ellie Bigwood you moved where
[00:06]
I moved from Sydney to the Pilbara region of Western Australia and
[00:12]
you grew up in Franklin River in the Great Southern Region of WA
which as a fellow Great Southern Region girl. I’m very bias about
it. Tell me what the experience was like growing up there.
[00:26]
Yes, so obviously started in the west moved East and have moved back
to the West Inner little simple bubble there, but I loved the
upbringing in the country back as you will have had so many fond
memories about as well, but it’s just it’s very wholesome. You know,
you grow you eat your own food you’re surrounded by this community
of people who
[00:50]
Know you from the day that you’re born care about you until you
leave and go to wherever across the world. That’s that’s always this
connection with a small town community and growing up on a farm and
yeah, once you’ve once you’ve left the farm and gone and seen other
places you look back in it and you’re like, wow, most people don’t
get an upbringing like that. So I’m very very fortunate with been
raised that way and then you go from that
[01:18]
small community into a much larger Community when you go to Perth
for high school given, there’s no High School sort of close to the
region. What was the adjustment like going from Franklin River to
Perth a big city? Yeah, like I’ve gone from
[01:34]
a
[01:35]
you in grade seven in year seven at primary school. There was six
people in my year, which will be a lot for some tiny towns, but it
won’t be much for others and then I’ve gone to 170 in year eight so
big big adjustment, but I also loved it like I
[01:53]
Extroverted person. I love meeting new people and being surrounded
by lots of different characters and I loved the change of scenery
and the new opportunities that came with boarding school. It was it
[02:05]
overwhelming sort of when you you know got into that City
environment and you had gone from being such a small Fish I
suppose into this huge Pond. Was it intimidating or how did you sort
of?
[02:22]
You know Embrace that transition.
[02:26]
intimidated, but it
[02:27]
was a little bit.
[02:29]
overwhelming
[02:33]
Community of I guess 400 people and then we’ve obviously got other
towns where we do our grocery shopping. So you’d that are a little
bit bigger so, you know,
[02:42]
you know a lot of people in the community back home and then you go
to a city and yes, we still say that it’s a small world but
[02:51]
in Perth, like that’s your first introduction to the world’s
actually not so small as I thought it was and a lot of these people.
[03:00]
Aren’t connected to the way that I grew up and aren’t really
interested in necessarily in where their food comes from or you know
things that would just bread and butter to us a very different young
girls or young people that have grown up.
[03:16]
in the city, so I guess it
[03:18]
yeah it
[03:20]
I wasn’t yeah, what wouldn’t have been intimidated but it’s just
very different back which is a good thing. You know, when you go
into an environment that’s different and out of your comfort zone.
That’s when you grow. So
[03:31]
I really grew to love boarding school. So your mum alerts you to the
Australian wool Innovations inaugural graduate training program,
which looks like a good opportunity to use. So he took a punt you
applied. Of course, they picked you and it took you from wa to
Sydney. What was that transition like for you the move to Sydney? I
didn’t necessarily think I wanted to
[03:51]
live.
[03:53]
In another city at the time. I probably more thought I would go
somewhere remote or I guess like a regional City like, you know
Wagga Wagga to Warnabool somewhere like that. But Sydney was really
really fun and I didn’t expect to be going there for at any point
for that length of time. But no, it was really really fun back. I’ve
got a lot of regional
[04:17]
experience but no when I first was moving there I felt a bit like,
oh my goodness. This is this is a good change this big change. But
yeah, it was really really exciting and a lot of extra
opportunities, I guess came out of it. So it was
[04:34]
I yeah, I wouldn’t say it was gonna start of a lot of things but
another great step
[04:40]
forward. So what did the Australian wool Innovations inaugural
graduate training program actually involve.
[04:45]
Yeah, so it was an 18 month training program where essentially we
worked three months rotations through each aspect of
[04:56]
awis department, so I spent
[04:59]
Three months in I guess the research and development team three
months in like the I will grow Services team which essentially
provides like Hands-On workshops and deliverable outcomes to will
Growers face-to-face events, things like that.
[05:15]
all the way through to their product development their marketing
sections in Australia and abroad and it included that 18 months
included six months abroad between so three months between Shanghai
and Hong Kong where
[05:32]
They had Global officers and in London another three months in
London as well. So you can imagine the move to Sydney was exciting
but knowing that London Shanghai and Hong Kong were on.
[05:47]
The cards was very exciting for a person who’s already like very
excited. So like overflowing at this point.
[05:58]
And what we’re
[05:59]
telling when you were in Shanghai London and Hong Kong in those huge
cities, what was some of the things that you really embraced or
enjoyed or found challenging?
[06:10]
In Regional WA well, even Western Australia and Australia as a
whole, you know, we’re always like oh, you know the first thing you
do when you meet someone you is trying to establish a connection
with them. Oh where you from offer Frankel? Oh, do you know the big
words are yes, and it’s such an Arts a small world. And that’s the
first thing you say to someone within five minutes in Shanghai. I
through that so far out the window. It was it is not a small world
at all gone from I guess my hometown of 400 people in the community.
There are 400 people in my building in Shanghai. And yeah, it was it
was just so different. But yeah, like when you when you know the
least you learn the most there’s so many
[06:58]
I guess I’d say unknowns about.
[07:03]
I guess about China a lot of people.
[07:07]
Well, I other than my University mates who we went.
[07:11]
On a tour together with at University. I don’t know a lot of family
or friends that have actually been to China for a for a holiday or
to experience the culture and my experience there was nothing short
of extraordinary. It was so good. I absolutely loved it. And the
people were amazing like just so hospitable like to the point where
my colleagues over there and friends would literally like hold my
hand crossing the road to make sure I was safe and that cared for
and I remember I had my birthday in
[07:47]
the Shanghai office and all the staff there. We just contributed to
pay for like a chef to cook us lunches and stuff and on my birthday.
[07:57]
He took me aside and was like
[07:59]
said to me in.
[08:01]
Chinese and my mandarins got really sloppy. But today we’ll be
making jobs which means dumplings in Chinese. And so we had this day
making dumplings and he was from the Northern parts of China. So
very strong accent and at the end of it I’d say, oh these are hard
to which means good taste and he’d be like not how true and it was
just, you know, it was just a brilliant brilliant experience and the
cultural aspect of it.
[08:29]
in Shanghai, it’s just so much history there and so many things
about
[08:33]
I guess China and greater parts of Asia, which I don’t think enough
people in Australia know about so I loved it back and the experience
was equally as amazing in Hong Kong which
[08:46]
obviously when I was there
[08:48]
It was a separate. It was a separate region speak a different
language, and it’s probably more.
[08:55]
I’d say I describe Hong Kong as a place where the Western World
meets Asia just
[09:00]
this a lot of similarities about it, but also a lot of differences
but a lot of fun such a vibrant City. Yeah. I I just have so many
fond memories.
[09:11]
So you’ve been living the city life in Australia and overseas. Now
you’ve got used to all of these things like busy roads and new
culinary experiences and lots of people but then covid hits and you
leave Big Smoke behind and head back to the bush. Can you talk me
through this moment?
[09:31]
again not planned
[09:35]
it yeah, and I came back with one suitcase in March 2020 to
[09:42]
I thought oh don’t want to deal with this Global pandemic. That
sounds sounds a little bit foreign to me. I might just fly that kind
to one of the most Regional remote parts of the world and go back to
the farm in Franklin River and get to know my parents again, and you
know just work. We’re really good.
[10:02]
In saying that yes, you can go back and work remotely from there. So
look at yeah honestly came back with one suitcase thinking I’d be
there for three months and that this whole covid thing. So yeah,
silly it’ll blow over.
[10:14]
and by October I was thinking this was looking rather permanent, and
I’d also
[10:21]
during that time of sort of six
[10:24]
Six months or so that I’ve been working remotely back in wa we were
in a position.
[10:29]
in Western Australia, where
[10:31]
we were still able to have events and we didn’t have restrictions as
much as they were experiencing on the east coast and in other parts
of Australia, so I was able to go out to events and
[10:43]
be with Wool Growers and
[10:45]
you know see people interact and that’s sort of where I thought
actually there’s a lot of work to be done here and this could really
[10:55]
be a good Catalyst to
[10:59]
I guess Advocate to have a person here full-time and I can do it.
Like I I know a lot of these people and
[11:06]
you know everyone loves a person that’s
[11:10]
understands where they’re from and just having that I guess.
[11:14]
not
[11:16]
Mutual respect but yeah, just I guess that’s that connection. That
would we’re from Western Australia and having a wa person based in
Regional WA to do that job worked really well. So so yeah towards I
guess October November. I started of 2020. I started thinking about
basing myself out of WA full-time and then
[11:37]
In February, I moved to narrogen and worked.
[11:44]
There with AWI out of their local Depot office, which was great fun
and worked out of there for 12 months. So yeah, really really fond
memories there the marriage and Community was amazing with sporting
clubs and yeah just such a fun vibrant group of
[12:05]
people of all ages absolutely loved it. And then yeah did that for
12 months and then I
[12:10]
snuck North you’ve gone back into this Regional Community where
things are obviously a bit smaller again, and then you decide to go
even smaller my heading up to the pilbara region in Northern WA what
made you want to go ahead and make that move.
[12:29]
Yeah. I’ve gone from Market.
[12:32]
really went from
[12:34]
a city of 26 million in Shanghai to like a population of six people
I do. Um, I guess there are a few things I felt with
[12:47]
with my job in marriage and
[12:50]
I guess I’d I’d missed having a team of people around me. Like I had
when I was living in Sydney a team around me, you know, you get
excited about similar things you’re working on at work or similar
achievements Milestones that you can celebrate.
[13:05]
And so it wasn’t it wasn’t awis fault. I loved working remotely, but
I just felt as though to step up and grow I needed to have a team.
[13:15]
of people around me and like some good mentors and
[13:19]
leaders nearby and
[13:22]
so I was ready for a change in that regard and also had picked up my
lovely partner and he was based. He was actually based in the pilbra
already.
[13:33]
So at that point I still I still wanted to work in agriculture. And
yeah, I found a job as
[13:42]
a health and safety environment. So HSC coordinator based
[13:46]
in Purdue on a I guess a wagyu beef.
[13:51]
Enterprise there, so pardoo about 12,860 kilometers
[13:56]
East of Port Headland and yeah based myself there for 12 months. So
[14:03]
again, I’ve kind of gone one extreme to the other but
[14:09]
part of the reason why I sort of came back to marriage and well
Franklin and their marriage and I never looked back to the city was
[14:17]
my country girl at heart. I loved the hustle and bustle.
[14:21]
and for I guess for a period but
[14:24]
I missed the things that make
[14:28]
a community a community so having your sporting clubs where
[14:33]
like in marriage and where we train with the girls for hockey
training twice a week play a game on the weekend and you’ve just got
this bond, which is
[14:44]
You know unlike sort of any other friendship you train to get a
sweat together. It’s fantastic and I guess that sense even more so
in Padu and in on a station, you just don’t have that.
[14:59]
obligation to be anywhere on a weekend which in Shanghai in Sydney
even in narragen at times because it’s quite like a big Regional
Center for wa that’s just always that
[15:12]
it’s just always that obligation to all they’re having a barbecue.
We better go around for drinks or they’re going here and ask us to
come like we should go and
[15:21]
You know, it’s all fun, but I just really enjoyed not having to be
anywhere on a weekend and being able to.
[15:27]
Cultivate succulents in my backyard and grow veggies and you know
crochet things because a lot of people tell me I’m a granium very
mature for my age, but you know, like I would just I’ve just through
Covenant things had the time and space to actually explore different
crafts and other things that I like doing and yeah part of really
provided that being on a station I guess allowed.
[15:53]
That no obligation Factor. You had more freedom on your time off to
explore the coast stay home. And I really enjoyed that.
[16:03]
slower paced
[16:04]
Lifestyle, which also made you realize that there’s a lot of things
[16:09]
that you can live without so people often make an assumption that
you know Regional life is the same across the board, you know that
it’s going to be kind of a similar experience. If you’re living in
Wagga Wagga or if you’re living in coach now, but as you just
described within, you know International countries, there is Nuance
across all of the different regions as it is over there.
[16:32]
So
[16:33]
what’s the difference between Regional living and then really remote
living on a station having a good station
[16:40]
Community is really the key I think to really enjoying it and
[16:47]
you know the first
[16:48]
the first half of my experience there, like obviously some of our
key families moved on which
[16:55]
changed the dynamic and that’s that’s just the way life in the
north. But you know, we had some really beautiful families there a
lot of like young kids running around with had some we had some
coconut palms there. So our Chef would climb up these trees and I’d
be holding the ladder very securely because health and safety is
important right and you know with cut down these coconuts and have
fresh coconut water with like it’s just they’re just so many things
that matter really special and unique and I love that. So it was it
was a change again and new experience again and everything up until
this point whether it’s been on the station or in a regional
[17:40]
town or in China in Perth. Sydney has just every time it just
[17:46]
leads me to right what do I like what I feel like I want more of and
what am I going to do next? I think that’s
[17:54]
a really great way of looking at the you know,
[17:58]
Vast spectrum of experiences that you’ve been through that you can
cherry Peak the things that you really enjoy and then look to build
them into your next experience. Even if it’s completely different.
Can you tell me one thing that delighted you about living on a
station that you didn’t expect?
[18:16]
I just
[18:17]
grew so much confidence
[18:19]
in myself because I was around people that
[18:22]
when I started there they had more confidence in me than I had in me
and over time just
[18:29]
Just these really incredible leaders fostering conversation asking
for my feedback on things how I would do things, you know, they
didn’t.
[18:40]
they didn’t necessarily always take my suggestions on board or
someone else’s suggestions on board, but
[18:46]
I think the point.
[18:48]
Was was that everyone could have a say at table and and from that?
Yeah my confidence just really grew and I think yeah one one year on
the station. I’ve
[19:00]
I cannot quantify the amount of experience that I’ve gained from it.
You’re
[19:05]
a young person with so much passion and a lot of wisdom because you
have had so many different career experiences. What advice do you
have for older Generations about how we might be able to better
connect with and involve the younger Generations coming through
especially, you know, taking note of the different perspectives and
experiences that you’ve had
[19:26]
I was
[19:27]
Say that.
[19:28]
empathy is
[19:31]
probably the key to
[19:34]
where I’ve
[19:36]
got to today and obviously I still have so much to learn about and
grow on but
[19:42]
empathy just listening to the perspective of another person. I’ve
certainly been in working environments and situations where some
people in the room are just so focused on their idea being right and
like they just have to be right. It has to be what they’ve said
rather than listening to other or even asking other people for what
their thoughts are on an idea. Like it’s my belief is that it should
always be about what’s the best outcome for the team or what’s the
best decision for the team? Not necessarily what my decision will be
and yeah, too often. You still see.
[20:23]
a lot of ego and there are
[20:26]
you know, I want it to be my way and
[20:29]
by all means, you know, a lot of the time people with a lot of years
of experience are gonna have great ideas to bring to the table and
[20:40]
I guess I’m not saying that you should always just do what a younger
person says, but every voice at the table deserves to be heard and
that’s like that’s diversity 101 that’s having.
[20:55]
people from different races people of different genders and
identities and
[21:02]
you know male female backgrounds all that stuff is really important
because
[21:08]
everyone can just bring such a different perspective and like a
different solution to an idea and I think the more that the older
generation can lean into that and just just ask questions just be
like, well, this is what I think like what do you think or even
better ask for a younger person’s view first and actually encourage
encourage them to talk. I do see particularly in yum some younger
women that they’re hesitant to bring forward their idea. Even if
they’ve got actually a good idea going but they don’t have as much
confidence to
[21:43]
let someone else know what they’re thinking. Yeah, we want it. We
want those people we want to encourage them those young men and
women who are like more timid. We want them to encourage to have
encourage them to have their voice at the table. And I think that’s
the best thing that you can do one because you’re going to hear
[22:01]
New Perspectives and ideas through a new lens that you may not have
thought of but also you’re going to build rapport with those people
and trust with those people.
[22:11]
And do you have some advice or tips to offer young people about why
living regionally or remotely is a good opportunity for young
people.
[22:18]
Yes. I certainly do in the regions particularly out here in the
pilbra.
[22:27]
By pure default that there’s less people out in these parts in my
experience that has just led to being able to get into leadership
positions and experience career growth at a faster faster rate
because down in the cities like anywhere across Australia,
obviously, there’s pros and cons to everywhere that you live. I
guess in the regional areas. You’re not saturated by so many people
who are living in the city, you’re not competing with the same
hundreds of thousands of people that have worked as an accountant or
a working as a physio or as nurses in the city and they always want
to base them Perth. But if you go regionally there’s less people
there and there’s more opportunity for you as a young person to get
into leadership positions, and I guess grow your skill set faster.
Of course, you’ve got to come with a winning attitude.
[23:27]
I guess confidence is always good but getting your foot in the door
is a great start use all the tools that you have LinkedIn is great
online platforms like that work functions. Just get out say hi and
ask people ask other people.
[23:44]
A lot of questions people love talking about themselves, which is
what I’ve been doing for the last however long it’s been great.
[23:50]
Love it. Tell me quickly. What did you give up? And what did you
gain about moving back to Regional, Australia?
[24:01]
I gave up Barista Coffee.
[24:05]
and being able to go out to brunches whenever I felt like on the
weekend and
[24:14]
going dancing on this particular night and and whatnot. But being
back in the bush and particularly.
[24:22]
living on a station
[24:24]
It’s really humbling because it makes you realize that there are so
many things that you can live without like going and get a cop
getting a coffee in the morning.
[24:33]
It’s a privilege like being able to go out for breakfast have a good
hair hairdresser nearby like these are privileges like we live in
such.
[24:43]
and amazing world where like amazing country where we just we take
these things for granted and so many parts of the world which which
don’t have these which don’t have these things but when you’re
living in a city because they’re
[24:59]
Always there around you. You forget to be grateful for them or you
you forget that not everyone has access to it and it’s just becomes
a part of life. But yeah being away from it all.
[25:11]
It gives you a really healthy perspective and just remind it’s a
really good reminder of the things that you can live without and how
we should.
[25:20]
really be grateful for
[25:23]
all these
[25:24]
Outlets, whether it’s coffee, whether it’s a sporting club around us
that many other places in the world
[25:33]
don’t have
[25:35]
Absolutely, and it sort of that.
[25:38]
Beauty in the Simplicity isn’t it reminds you to kind of enjoy
things like nature and you know, the things you mentioned earlier
like craft activities where you get that buzz from making something
with your hands and and that sort of you know pleasure that you can
get that is just totally different but just as for feeling yeah,
[25:59]
yeah, and if not more so because
[26:04]
yes, I guess City Life a lot of
[26:09]
a lot of the things whether you’re going out for breakfast dinners.
[26:12]
Coffee’s just a few examples of shopping in big shopping centers. A
lot of it is directly linked to spending money, but you know working
on
[26:22]
Your backyard doing DIY. I’m growing things. It’s
[26:27]
it’s not this obviously like monies involved in a lot of things but
getting your hands dirty making things. It’s
[26:35]
it’s a different kind of satisfaction. Well for me anyway, it’s it’s
really really rewarding and creating the space to do that or being
in an environment like a station.
[26:47]
Where that’s or in the regions where a really honed into that and
now it’s just become a part of who I am and I I wouldn’t change it
for anything. I love my set of crochet hooks.
[27:01]
Like if I’d been in city in Sydney or in a city the whole time it’s
probably an aspect of my character that I
[27:07]
would never really lent into so Ellie imagine that you’re in a
boardroom of execs which you’ve you know experienced many times over
and you have to pitch to them. Why you think moving to Regional
Australia is the best idea. Can you give me your elevator pitch?
[27:27]
Back people of the boardroom. Thanks for your time this afternoon.
[27:32]
why people should move to Regional Australia one for your own
growth, so
[27:41]
In the cities you are in a saturated Market where?
[27:46]
thousands of other people want the job that you want and you’re also
competing with a lot of
[27:51]
other experienced people for similar positions. Whereas out in the
bush just by default that this less people out there and smaller
population. You actually have a much
[28:04]
better chance at
[28:06]
at growing your career your career.
[28:10]
Skill set like hire because those leadership positions and roles
aren’t filled to the level. They are in the city. So for your own
career growth also,
[28:20]
Also the adventure, you know in the city you’ve got.
[28:25]
everyone develops like a beautiful routine wherever they are, but
[28:29]
My I have a preference and you can call me bias. But I believe that
there is so much that can be offered from a regional lifestyle
whether you go and join a local sporting club or whether you’re
living on the coast in Australia’s Northwest and you can go out
boating on the weekend and explore the beaches or if you’re in the
Kimberly in go and see the gorgeous wherever you are in Australia
the regions offer so many hidden gems and
[28:57]
little places which aren’t on a map that there’s less people there
and you just it’s exploring Australia the country in which you live
in such a
[29:07]
I guess in a more intimate way like get get to know your backyard
better be in touch with this beautiful country that we call home and
offer.
[29:17]
enjoy the offerings of
[29:20]
career acceleration, but also a really nice lifestyle that offers
adventure and it’s you know beautiful out
[29:29]
there.
[29:30]
You’ve got me where they’re all running out the boardroom to book
their their flight to the pure you.
[29:37]
That is brilliant. Thank you so much for joining me today Ellie.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to talk to you. You always give me
things to go away and think about your perspective is so fresh.
[29:48]
Oh thank you back. It has been a delight and thank you for wanting
to include my voice as part of this discussion. I think there are so
many people in Regional areas, which have great great stories to
tell. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me
[30:05]
your passion and excitement. It’s just so palpable and it’s really
contagious and I think that a lot of people are gonna be compelled
to head out to the regions once they hear from your perspective
because you’ve uncovered a couple of thoughts that aren’t, you know
necessarily the dominant ones that we get things like the fact that
yes, you can have career growth really accelerate your aspirations
when you’re not, you know metropolitan area, which is a fascinating
thought to consider. So thanks again for your time.
[30:37]
Absolute pleasure. Thank you so much back.