Australian Experiential Learning Centre

The red carpet was out and there were ladies dressed in 40’s style golden sequins waiting at the entrance. I felt a little bit like a movie star (or maybe I was the bodyguard escorting the QLD Business Icon winner up the red carpet). Either way it wasn’t a bad way to enter a networking event; dressed in cocktail dresses being handed champagne after champagne.

Only a week ago I received an invite to this event; the red carpet networking function to honour the winners of the Sunshine Coast Women’s Business Awards! It came just after being asked to judge the Caloundra Business Awards! Me, little old me at age 23 and having only been in the business community here for a few months is now a business judge and a VIP guest! Hmmm not bad.

Lahnee Thomas - 1st Place Sports Model INBA Brisbane Title 2010

Of course the first thing I do is call and invite the lovely Jenna Waters, QLD Business Icon winner for 2010 and get her into this crowd of ambitious local women.

I think the funny part about this night was perhaps the fact that both of us were at least 10 years younger than anyone else there. That’s right we were surrounded by Gen X! Don’t get me wrong, this was great and what a boost to be the only Gen Y’s invited to this prestigious event.

This brings me to another point; I am known on the Sunshine Coast! It came as quite a shock when some of the ladies approached me saying they knew who I was!!! It might have been the fact that my face has been plastered over the newspapers and mags recently for a completely separate matter (sports modelling) but… I have also been swamped with jobs at my little (and I mean little) Media business so I’m guessing my name is really getting out there.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is that it doesn’t take long to get where you want to be if you put yourself out there to be seen! Take every opportunity to meet people and take up any offer thrown your way. Who knows maybe it will be me they honour on the red carpet one day soon!

You’ve probably heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and in a society of interconnected individuals that statement seems truer than ever. So the question becomes – “How do I get involved in this community of contacts to improve me and my business”? The answer is networking.

It is an unfortunate truth that no matter how much experience or skills you have, you will never succeed if no-one knows you exist. In order to get what you want out of life, you need to be resourceful and utilising the people you know is one of the most resourceful ways you can operate.

In every town in every state in Australia and internationally are groups, chambers of commerce, societies and organisations who meet frequently for networking meetings, breakfasts, galas, functions – you name it and there will be a meeting for it, so the first step to take is to get yourself involved in these local affairs and start meeting people. Join every networking club and association in your field.

Learn to speak with people; anyone and everyone because you will be surprised at who can help you with what. Sign up to classes for public speaking which will not only help give you confidence in your conversational skills, it will help improve your writing skills and speech giving as well as teach you to understand body language.

Get into the practice of talking to people you don’t know everywhere you go. In saying this, be sure to then stay in touch with these people you meet because what’s the point of taking the time to talk to someone, accept their business card and then never contact them again?

Practice the presentation of your own skills and learn to be comfortable in talking to people and asking “what do you do?” with sincerity and interest. At the same time learn to really listen to the responses you get. Honestly remembering the people you spoke with and what they had to offer will help you when following up on any leads.

Lastly, remember that most people you meet will be more than happy to talk to you and assist in any way they can because successful people are people with contacts and not only will you be building your network; the people you speak to will be building theirs too.

#ausvotes #wyattroy
Barely twenty years old and a University student from Queensland is Wyatt Roy; the youngest ever Liberal Federal MP to be voted in by his peers after Saturday’s election.

In QLD, the Liberal National Party picked young Wyatt Roy as its candidate to contest the Labor-held seat of Longman. As a twenty three year old youngster myself, I find this not only inspiring but absolutely incredible that the community as a whole and the members in the party felt that a young inspiring politician with only 20 years of life experience would be better suited to lead than the former State MP Jon Sullivan who is a worldly 59.

Wyatt was quoted in the QLD Courier Mail as saying “I want to thank you for looking to the future with hope, with inspiration, with excitement, and I promise you I won’t let you down”. But this said, he is still a Gen Y and so the Courier Mail also had this to add:

“Mr Roy’s Facebook page yesterday showed he was a fan of American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, KFC, The Economist and State of Origin fights”

Could we be any more typical? The statement continues…..

“He is, however, still a fan of The Economist — and, incidentally, ‘pubs’, ‘going to the footie’, ‘Oreo biscuits’, and ‘trackies and uggies’ ”

But thanks to an on the ball publicist it seems his penchant for Origin fights, KFC and lingerie is now over, with all three today not showing on his list of fan pages.

So there you have it. The North Brisbane region has finally voted in a member of the Gen Y society in all good faith that the country needs a fresh take on things and I would say the Brisbanites are onto something. Although of course some political insiders laughed when told about Mr Roy’s pre-selection (who’s laughing now?).

Personally, I would love to see a 20 year old Prime Minister because how could the country be steered astray when the most stressful thing on our minds is whether or not the Oreo cookie has the cream on both sides?

#ausvotes
It seems as though the circus is still in town although the main act was quite a show with both Tony and Julia ever so close to hanging themselves.

Considering we, as a nation, have not had a cliffhanger election since WW2, the ALP and the Libs have done a great job at creating political history and frustrating the hell out of everyone in the process.

We are now looking at the possibility of a hung parliament. For those of you who don’t know; a hung parliament, also known as a minority parliament, a balanced parliament or a parliament under no overall control, is a legislature in which no political party has an absolute majority of seats.

For a hung parliament to happen, this means that both major parties are evenly balanced in representation, and that means that the ability to pass a vote will fall with any Independents or minor Party people present. It also means that the nation has decided we don’t really want either of the majority parties running the country.

In this instance there is speculation that a hung parliament would mean a revote; but what’s the point?

If Australians don’t want Julia Gillard or Tony Abbot (yes apparently they represent labor and Liberal but we all vote for the person anyway) in the big seat then why can’t we just kick them out and start over; bring in a party who will represent the people and will stand up for the individuals; not just special interest groups. Bring something new to the table and see how that runs.

I understand of course things are not this simple but hey, I can dream! Here’s to picking a winner!

I was out for dinner last night and noticed something interesting. GenYs are cultured.

Now being one of this generation myself and sitting in an up market Sushi restaurant I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised; I mean if I am out sipping green tea and using chopsticks then why wouldn’t others my age be doing the same?

What did surprise me; the topics of conversation going on around the sushi train. Out of around 30 people sitting in the restaurant around 70% were from the Y Generation and of that 70%, around 50% were lost deep in intellectual conversations about the upcoming election, the new show out at the theatre (not the cinema; yes I did say theatre) and I think one couple was even discussing social entrepreneurship!

I like to think of myself as somewhat cultured but even I was talking about trivial topics which is perhaps why the dinner discussions of others caught me off guard.

Generation Y is continuing to surprise the world. The selfish generation is not so selfish anymore. We are starting to really care about what’s happening in the world and are slowly but surely opening our eyes to the greater things in life (like the theatre) and allowing ourselves to indulge a little in the finer things.

With this new found ‘upper class’ attitude who knows what we will be capable of.