Daniele Lazari
General Manager at Daily Living Products

What did you want to be when you were little? A doctor.

Why do you love what you do? Firstly, I love the industry I work in. I enjoy shaping a work environment by setting strategy, developing staff, and building an organisation to accomplish its vision.

What are some of the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis? Time. There seems to be a lack of hours in the working day, and at times, insufficient resources.

Biggest achievement to date in the workplace: I am nothing without a team. I feel my investment to mentor, inspire, and motivate the team here at DLP has given me the greatest achievement. In turn, I am proud of what the team achieves daily and overall.

Who inspires you? My grandmother inspired me. She passed recently, however, her calm, rational, and kind nature has and will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life.

‍

Lauri Curtain
Director & Licensee at Curtain & Co Real Estate

What did you want to be when you were growing up? I wanted to be Tina Arena on the Johnny Young Talent Team - A lawyer or a nurse.

Why do you love what you do? Spending time with my family, cooking, renovating my home, and working out outdoors with my training buddies. Reading when I don’t fall asleep.

What are some of the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis? Managing time and being assertive without behavior being misunderstood.

Biggest achievement to date in the workplace: Commencing Curtain & Co Real Estate, leading a great team and more recently running two successful back-to-back auction campaigns, breaking two suburb price records.

Who inspires you? Older women who’ve lived with and risen above inequality. Everyday working mums, juggling the demands of family and work whilst trying to care for themselves. My daughter, almost 24 and she is a partner, a mum to 4-year-old Charlie, and has just graduated with a double degree in Criminology and Global Security whilst working as a Property Manager - I’m constantly amazed and inspired by her.

‍

Abi Thompson
Marketing Manager at Lobster Shack

What did you want to be when you were growing up? I wanted to be a nurse like my Mum! She’s a superwoman!

Why do you love what you do? I love being around people and seeing new faces, I love busy days in hospitality and breaking new records, I love the seafood industry and I’m a big foodie so it’s exciting that we have created a place we can share with other foodies.

What are some of the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis? Trying to please everyone is always a challenge in the hospitality industry! But we try.

Biggest achievement to date in the workplace: My biggest achievement would be all my work with the family to get Lobster Shack from a small 20-seat lunch shack to a 650-seat restaurant.

Who inspires you? My late father-in-law David inspired me every day with his hunger for the success of this business and generally women in business that are kicking butt!

‍

Rhiannon Osborne
Senior Marketing and Communications Executive at Aloft Perth

What did you want to be when you were little? An air hostess or dental nurse.

Why do you love what you do? I am very passionate about my job because every day is different, making each day unique and exciting. I love working in the fast-paced hospitality environment but also continuously look for opportunities to learn and adapt, this keeps me inspired and engaged.

What are some of the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis? Staying on track is the downside of being in a creative role where you are always moving from one project to the next.

Biggest achievement to date in the workplace: Two things come to mind when I think of achievements. Firstly, winning the 2022 Marriott International APEC Select PR Leader Award, which I feel very humbled to have won. Secondly, developing and launching 450° Pizza, a new restaurant within the hotel. This was an exciting project that involved brand development, a well-planned marketing strategy, fun content shoots, and an epic launch party.

Who inspires you? The supportive team around me.

‍

Nikki Thompson
General Manager at Lobster Shack

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Marine Biologist or Party Planner (Public Relations).

Why do you love what you do? The people and the constant variation, never having the same day twice.

What are some of the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis? My daily activities usually involve problem-solving and decision-making. Alongside this, team management, requiring continuous efforts to motivate and engage our staff while fostering task focus and a sense of accomplishment. Ensuring communication and collaboration among departments is another vital daily task. Compliance would be high up there too, adhering to industry regulations, is a daily concern. Encouraging innovation to meet evolving customer needs is an ongoing challenge and navigating budget constraints and financial pressures while pursuing our organizational goals.

Biggest achievement to date in the workplace: Navigating through the challenges of Covid-19 and emerging stronger with a great team.

Who inspires you? My mum. Growing up, she imparted invaluable lessons about resilience, teaching me the importance of never giving up and consistently putting forth my best effort in whatever you do, especially when faced with challenging circumstances. Additionally, she taught me that maintaining kindness and compassion doesn't have to weaken one's strength or silence their voice. Through her own actions, she demonstrated that it is entirely possible to be caring and empathetic while at the same time, standing firm, asserting oneself, and having a powerful voice.

‍