A Week Speaking in Melbourne | Aware Super & Heathdale Christian College

Every trip is different.

Last week was filled with corporate keynote events around Melbourne. This time, I had one corporate leadership event and one high school presentation, but what made this trip even more memorable was that I got to bring my beautiful mum with me.

She'd seen me speak before, but never interstate and never at a corporate event. She was excited to come along, but I think she was even more excited that we'd simply get some quality time together.

Mum flew down from Ballina with a quick stop in Sydney, which worked out perfectly because we were able to catch the flight to Melbourne together.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon, checked into our Airbnb, found somewhere for dinner and snapped one of my favourite photos we've ever taken together.

Monday | Aware Super

Monday morning started at Aware Super's Melbourne head office.

A few months earlier, Lance had reached out while planning a two day leadership and development conference for around 30 team members. The focus was building individual resilience while continuing to grow as a team.

Those are the conversations I love being part of.

Every corporate event is different. Different industries, different challenges and different people, but the message always comes back to the same thing. Life doesn't always go to plan, but we always get to choose how we respond.

The room was fantastic from the moment I walked in. There was genuine engagement, plenty of laughs and some really meaningful conversations.

One of the best parts of my job is hearing what happens after I've left.

Later that afternoon Lance sent me this message:

"Thanks for this morning mate. Has set a great tone not just for today but for the coming weeks and months... really powerful story."

After asking how the rest of the conference went, he replied:

"Day went great! We were able to link back to your session and themes throughout the day which helped bring our sessions to life. Very happy with it all."

A few days later, Colleen also reached out.

"There was so much positive feedback about you after you left. You came across as genuinely warm, down to earth and authentic, and people really appreciated how openly and honestly you shared your story."

Feedback like that means a lot because my goal isn't simply to deliver a keynote. It's to create conversations that continue long after the presentation finishes.

A quiet afternoon

After the event we had big plans to explore Melbourne.

Instead, the weather had other ideas (like it often does in Melbs).

It was freezing, so Mum suggested we head back to the Airbnb, order Uber Eats and spend the afternoon watching movies.

To be honest, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

When I'm travelling, I'm usually either speaking somewhere or catching up on work from my laptop. Spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing with Mum was something we probably both needed.

She was asleep by seven that night, which even for me was early. I wasn't too far behind.

Tuesday | Heathdale Christian College

Tuesday morning started slowly with more Uber Eats, coffee and a relaxed morning before heading to Heathdale Christian College.

I'd spoken there previously, and I always say the same thing. I love returning to the same schools and organisations year after year.

It tells me the message connected.

The students were fantastic and asked some incredible questions throughout the presentation. Every now and then I'd glance across the room and see Mum sitting quietly at the back watching.

That made the day even more special.

Until next time, Melbourne

One thing I've realised over the years is that while I love speaking around Australia, it's often the moments between the events that stay with me the longest.

Sharing an important leadership conference with Aware Super, returning to Heathdale Christian College and spending a couple of quiet days with Mum made this Melbourne trip one I'll remember for a long time.

I'm already looking forward to the next one.