Valerie Khoo: Multi-passionate entrepreneur

Unknown Speaker 0:07

welcome to the podcast again. And the book Bellary. Coup. So great to be here. Thank you for asking you

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had to

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Valerie was on my podcast, one of my earliest episodes of this podcast, the Mr. Level show, talking about microcredentials because I think that's such a great topic. But also, our your book was probably one of the earliest business books I read. So this is pretty like full circle.

Unknown Speaker 0:37

Very exciting. I, I had one I'm going to buy one again, I've got it on audiobook because I wanted to listen again. And to get the message again. But I'm like, I don't know, either. It's somewhere being kept your fabulous copy of the eight Power Stories you must tell for your business. Awesome. So let's kick off. What for the audience? What is your job? Or your business?

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Sorry.

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Fun podcasting. We go from Leeds Kiko Yes.

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The lead let's kick off with what is your job? Or your business? How would you describe that? Well, you know, Emma, that's a really interesting question, because I actually do so many different things. But I guess if we had to chunk it down, I am CEO and founder of the Australian writers Center, which is the country's leading center in providing writing courses. So in that role, I help people in and I mentor people who want to get published and write with confidence, or in particular, change careers, because a lot of people come to us later in life. But also I do a number of other things. I'm also a visual artist, and I have my own art and design business. And that is creating original paintings. But also I could do surface design, which is creating designs for wallpaper, upholstery, fabrics, and, and so on. But also, there's this other side of me, I'm a board director of a small bank. So that's one of the other things I do. So I do also get heavily immersed in the world of banking and finance. I do a bunch of other things as well, but they're kind of like, three of the main buckets, so to speak. Would you? Yeah, and it's hard when you have, you know, we've talked about like slashes, you know, the slashy of the writer, the, I don't know, other

Unknown Speaker 2:38

slashy is something that I was reminded of recently, we went to the content bite summit, but also maybe it's just like, entrepreneur, do you think of yourself as entrepreneur? Oh, yeah, for sure. You know, I guess that's the overriding kind of

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term that would be appropriate. And then these are all of the little things that come in, well, not quite literal, some of them are really big things that come under it. And I'm also open to other opportunities that take my fancy, or really, that I'm passionate about or that I'm interested in, but at the moment, my plates pretty full.

Unknown Speaker 3:14

But like, it was really important for me to include in the book, there's a chapter about diversifying your income. And it took me quite a while to realize like, I would think of myself as that slashy, or the freelancer, especially in writing, that's very common to have multiple different types of ways you write, but I didn't think about the multiple income streams and even having an investment property, it took me a while to realize that was an income stream, because I just thought, well, you get the money, but it goes to the mortgage. So it's not my money. But it was an income stream. Absolutely. Yeah, for sure. And then like looking back on the years of like, oh, how many times having these multiple ways of making money and being open to just, yeah, getting money somehow, how that had helped over the years to keep going.

Unknown Speaker 4:02

Yeah, it's really important, because it's not just about having multiple ways of making income, which I'm definitely all for, and have always believed in. It's about diversifying your risk. It's about spreading your risk across a wide range of things. So if one is there could because there are ebbs and flows, and if one is going slow, you can focus on the one the other thing that is picking up or that is going really well. So it's actually a really good way to ensure a

Unknown Speaker 4:30

it might not be consistent in within each of them, but it's consistent overall, or it certainly has been in my experience with the mix that I have. And let's put it that we use got to shift right because I think somebody entrepreneurs that typically viewed as risky, and having multiple businesses or having businesses you'd be like, Oh, you're you're spread too thin. You're being risky, when actually we've both seen there's times where, you know, we've had to ride out a wave and you're like

Unknown Speaker 5:00

Oh, yeah, that that thing's gone. The in person thing say it was gone with COVID Oh, but I can pick up the commerce piece, or the online piece. For sure. Yeah, in fact, I don't think it's risky. I think it's less risky. It is though, spreading yourself thin in terms of time. So I will agree that in terms of time, you have to really, really be ruthless about where you spend your time. But in terms of an income stream, it's I think it's absolutely the way to go to have multiple streams of income. And it was something that I picked up from your talk. And I'm really like laser in on this microcredentials. In this talk on microcredentials at the content byte Summit, because it was that kind of thing, though, of like, you can have multiple things. And that you can, you don't have to go all in and do a degree on the thing. And I think that's what we've traditionally been taught is like, you pick a thing, and you do the thing, and that's the thing. Yep. And I think that also,

Unknown Speaker 5:56

in the generation before, or people, it was harder in terms of getting traction with anything, but these days, there's no greater time to be able to try different things, because it's so much easier to get a website up to create a social media profile to reach heaps of people, it was a lot harder before. So we can actually test things a lot quicker these days. And so we know much quicker, we don't have to take two years to figure it out, we can go we can know in six months, or even less sometimes whether something has legs or not. Or whether it's something that's going to work for us or that we enjoy, because we can get that traction a lot quicker than say generation before. And you know, I've been helping a friend the last few days of like just putting an offer out there. Like when you're in the coaching space, or you're doing a consulting type thing. You can literally if you've got a payment gateway, even if you don't, you can invoice them and go, Hey, I'm offering five one hour sessions there 200 bucks each pick my brain for that time, take it or leave it that could be that could be a Facebook post or a direct message or whatever. And it's like this Frank is saying, I've got to make the offer. I've got to I don't know, you building a website? What are you doing? Like, literally write some words and send it? That is absolutely correct. Because when I first started out in art, I didn't have a website or anything like that. But because people were able to see what I was doing on social media, people started asking me, Can we buy these? Or can we commission you? Or can do you do this kind of thing. And that was without any website or payment gateway. Because as you say, they can just direct deposit or if you want you they can even pay pal or whatever. And then when you get a little bit more critical mass, then you can look at something like a payment gateway. Yeah, absolutely. Just that, try it. I loved that message I got from you. And how long have you working this way, like this kind of current way, because you've had a career, a longer career.

Unknown Speaker 8:03

I guess when you think about it, when I started freelancing. It was mainly freelance writing. So I was in jobs. Until then I worked in glossy magazines, and I worked for companies. And that was my main source of income. And even when I was working for them, I always had these ideas that I wanted to do outside of work, were not necessarily for the money just because I was interested, right. But when I finally left full time employment with one organization, and went into freelance and admittedly I took Baby steps, I actually took a three day a week gig and freelance the rest of the time just to ease myself into the freelance space. But when I started freelancing, I realized then, even though it was all writing, I realized then that I wanted to diversify into different types of writing. So when I was in a job, I wrote specifically about very specific topics for that organization. And because of the role I was in, I couldn't write about other things, because it just didn't suit my role at the time. But when I started freelancing, I realized that I could write about banking one day, write about the arts and other day write about rock stars, the next day, write

Unknown Speaker 9:23

about innovation the next day, and, and even within writing, I could do writing but I could also do editing, or I could do some editing. So there, there were various different buckets in that as well. I didn't stick to one thing because I, I guess I really just liked the variety. But also, I liked the fact that I was kind of having multiple streams of income within the same type of income, if you know what I mean. And I had the flexibility like if the Olympics are on I could go cover the Olympics or I had the flexibility to be able to

Unknown Speaker 10:00

I put my finger in lots of pies, because I was just a, an I still am a very naturally curious person. So I think the ethos started when I started freelancing, which was, you know, decades ago.

Unknown Speaker 10:18

Yeah. And I, yes, I love that. And then, you know, going into the different things into freelancing, you know, the exploring, and I think it's that whole, it's like, don't put your eggs in one basket. I think that even though there are freelancers, they still tend to like you did the three day a week role to have some stability. And I think that's smart contracting, took me a while again, to realize that, like, I'm not really running a business if I'm taking a contract. And then I was like, oh, that's actually smart, having something steady, while still having all the fluctuating. But I think sometimes people end up getting that 80% client or 90%, client, they star client, and then only having a few of the dabblings. And then that star client goes, and they're in trouble. Yeah, I never wanted to be reliant on one client. So that was always really important to me. So that initial three today, a week gig I think, lasted maybe six months. And after that, I would have chunks, like a one month intensive with one particular client or something like that. But I never wanted to be reliant on one particular client. And during the time of freelancing I had, it gave me the flexibility then to run my own businesses that were not necessarily to do with writing. So I started a fashion and homeless business. And I also then started education and training that was about writing courses. But the freelancing Yes, started that ethos where I could do those multiple streams of income. Yeah, brilliant. And I'm gonna I put this question in there, but I'm like, a pretty putting it on you and saying, You love travel? I'll ask you. Do you love travel? And I know that you have done it. But why do you love travel? And how do you include it? I mean, I just love experiences, write new experiences, and I love learning about things. So which happens whether you travel or not, but it happens a lot when you travel. It's like intensified when you travel. So that is one of the key reasons I don't necessarily love the art of getting on a plane and carrying my bags and that sort of thing. I love new experiences, new places, and I love love learning, learning about the history, learning about the culture, learning about the food learning languages, that bit I love. So yeah, I absolutely think it's fantastic. It's not actually the the act of travel.

Unknown Speaker 12:42

It's the experience at the other end. I'm glad to clarify that because my husband lacks the experience bit, but he doesn't like the traveling bits. So then sometimes he says, I don't like travel. And I'm like, No, you don't like the ARB. And you don't like the anxiety ahead of it. But the travel itself or the the art of traveling or the the mindset of traveling, I do think you enjoy. I think if we could just make that part as smooth as possible, you would enjoy it more. And that's something that I've had to think about when we travel together is how do I make that part is it's easy as possible to get him there? Because once it is,

Unknown Speaker 13:20

that is so true, because I mean, I don't hate it. I know some people hate it. I don't actually hate it, but it's not my favorite. It's not you know, I'd rather teleport myself somewhere, right? But it's so true. It's making it as easy as possible. I'm planning a trip at the moment. And I have chosen all the comfortable things to do. And the the the the least amount of times I have to get my bag off the off the baggage carousel right. The fewest stop overs I can do because then it makes it just a little bit less stressful.

Unknown Speaker 13:56

Like whilst I love the actual act of trying, I love the airport lounge. I love the airport. I like the comings and goings. I like the plane. I like being on the plane and the way my thinking happens. And I sort of threatened and maybe I'll do it one day to write this book on the planes. I was like, I could just book a bunch of tickets. And I reckon I'd write that book on the planes. Like give me 10 hours on a plane. I reckon I could get through at least for four or five chapters. Like I do my best writing in the air I think true, actually. I mean, because you are so isolated, and there's nothing else to do so you can actually be quite productive on planes. Yes. Yeah. Not with my toddler, my husband so that that needs to be rethought. But you said the Olympics so have you managed to travel include traveling your work and I know this is a loaded question because I saw you in Fiji recently.

Unknown Speaker 14:53

So I'm okay. Pre pandemic. I traveled a lot for work and I

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I was going into a city, I was doing whatever gig that I was doing. And then I was leaving. And I did that a lot across lots of states and cities and that sort of thing. And I, I enjoyed it. Absolutely, I and I, and I kind of had a little system. You know, whenever I went to Brisbane, I would always book the theater the night before. So I've seen more Brisbane plays than I do in Sydney plays and musicals and things like that. So every city, I had a different kind of system. And I always did something that I really wanted to do or really enjoyed. And, you know, it was, it was great, I loved it, I loved also catching up with the people that I knew in those cities. So I had this great system. And, and that was and that was fabulous, then the pandemic happened. And that was the end of that for everyone. And but the interesting part was that I realized that even though I thoroughly enjoyed those activities, and the people and stuff like that, I realized that it was a committed part of my schedule. And that's fine. But when you have, there is nothing, I love more Mr. Than an appointment free day.

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Imagine having an appointment for a week or appointment for a month, right. And I realized that those

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appoint appointments, to travel, all those gigs that I had scheduled, were things that limited me from having this appointment of free life, not that you can be completely appointment free, of course, you know, like, I've got to go to the dentist in a couple of weeks, those sorts of things. But I realized that it actually even though it was very liberating, and I loved the activities that I did, it actually did limit me in terms of my time. And a great example of that is that I am next level obsessed with the musical Hamilton. And especially when it was out, you know, when it first came out, and I had made my pilgrimage to New York, I had arranged moved heaven and earth to go to New York just to see Hamilton nothing. Beyond that it was just wanting to you know, obviously I was going to that part of the world anyway. And I thought I'm going to make sure I see Hamilton. And because I'm so obsessed, I would put all on social media, I went to Hamilton's gravesite, I went to where his place of work was I went to where his desk would have been I went to this, I went to that, you know, and my cousin who lives in London, saw it right. So all my next level of obsessed Hamilton posts, randomly, she went to school with a guy who is in the cost of Hamilton, she emailed in Hamilton, New York, me, she emails him and said in an organizes this thing. And then says to me, I've arranged for you to go backstage at Hamilton tomorrow, just contact my old school friend, and so on. And I'm like, This is literally a dream come true. But I have to go on a plane to fly to Sydney to get on another plane to fly to Brisbane to do a gig. And I couldn't. And I had already made that commitment. And I'm not going to renege on my commitment. And that's when I realized, I don't want to have so many of you.

Unknown Speaker 18:39

So post pandemic, I've completely changed the way I want to travel. I used to do that. And that's great. And a lot of stuff has moved on to zoom, not everything. But a lot of stuff has moved on to zoom. But my commitment to myself is I still want to travel, but I want to be doing it for the learning and the experiences for my Hamilton type opportunities and experiences. Not necessarily to deliver a training session or Keynote or workshop. So I still travel but for different reasons. Yes, no, I love the appointment free day I call them go with the flow. And there's because it's an I try to keep Mondays free to now because starting the week and having to get up and do a meeting. It just it just then throws my that's not my schedule. It's somebody else's schedule. And even on holiday, I'm just listening to you and I'm going to India next week. And it is really nice going because I'm often there on a schedule. I'm on a client schedule or I'm running a program and one of my friends said to me such as it does take that mirror she runs a cooking class you'd love it. And she said Hey, you're is coming to Delhi but you're here for such a short time. It's just like do you ever come to just like hanging out? And I'm like, Yeah, I did. I did. I spent a lot of time in my younger years staying in

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Holmes and just just hanging out. But I guess because I'd done that, and I've been so many times, I kind of got to that Been there done that type of thing. When actually when I'm there, I love it again, it's just like, maybe you could come sometime and just kind of like, be here and have a holiday. And that's what we're doing next week, we got one function, I've made an appointment to catch up with her and to do a cooking class. Other than that, we have days where we have no plans, and I just get to be in this city and see what happens. And it's one. It's so this week, like So yesterday, I gave up my go with the flow day, so that I can have it next week. So sometimes we make sacrifices. Yeah, but yeah, I think a lot of my schedule used to be before like, so scheduled. Yeah. And there's no penalty on the go, and you're constantly on to the next thing, and you don't have time to kind of reflect and meditate on the thing that you should be doing, you know, on the thing that you actually want to do Sorry, because you're busy doing things that other people have made appointments with you for? Yeah, I love that you were there already building that into your schedule, like, you know, the plays and, and seeing friends. And so it's like, yeah, if I have to go or I get to go and do this work.

Unknown Speaker 21:16

Might as well make a nice time of it. And that, to me is pleasure. That's the business

Unknown Speaker 21:22

combination, as opposed to just get on a plane, do the thing, go home, get on a plane do the thing, then then you hate that's when people hate travel? Yeah, absolutely. And with the bleisure thing that has definitely,

Unknown Speaker 21:36

as I said, post pandemic, been infused in my philosophy with travel even even more, I'm planning a trip at the moment,

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to the Riviera to go to

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the French Riviera and the Italian Riviera. And what I'm doing is, you know, obviously hanging out and enjoying it and eating lots of food and stuff like that. But I'm combining it with a series of art workshops and art classes. So I'll go and I'll be a tourist or you know, just be during, say the morning, and then I'll do art workshops in the afternoon, because it's that great combination, right? It's, it's exactly pleasure. I love it. And it's one of the biggest tips I get with when people are running retreats. It's like free time, or space or building time because one if something goes wrong, last time, we were in Delhi, there was a protest, and there were tractors on the road, and we were in traffic for four hours. You know, thankfully, we had nothing on that afternoon. So it didn't really eat into anything. But had we had that jam packed schedule, we would have been stuffed. But also, you just need to allow people specially when in group, you know, you need to allow that space. And I think even when people are running workshops, they're just so content content content, or you know that they don't get any downtime or space in between things conferences the same. It's so overwhelming, and then you go to these events, you get your brain burst, and then you'd go home and jump back into work again. Yeah, there's no integration, there's no

Unknown Speaker 23:15

growth, because it's just write a bunch of notes shove them in the drawer next. So true. So true. It is so important to allow your brain to process. Yeah, otherwise he won't you just just get straight back into life. The again, the benefit of a plane trip, I do love but what would be your advice for someone looking to include some more travel in their work or life? I think you've given a lot? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 23:41

I think it boils down to what is it that you want to get out of travel? And how can you do that Venn diagram? How can you do both? So I think a great example is one of the benefits of being say a freelance writer, and that it can apply to absolutely other things. But one of the benefits is anything that I was curious about or interested in, whether that was something in Sydney or not, it doesn't matter.

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I would I would decide, I'm gonna get commissioned to write an article about this. And that gave me the excuse to go to Tasmania, or wherever, you know, it doesn't have to be turned in it gave me the excuse to combine the personal interest with the professional and fortunately get paid for it. So I think that it's easy with freelance writing, but in another profession, it's thinking outside the box, how can you potentially combine those things? Well, my inner My husband works at SeaWorld on the Gold Coast, which is very fixed. The sharks can't go with him he has to go to work. However, when we've gone to cities around the world, we go to aquariums and that's then because

Unknown Speaker 25:00

cuz he's doing research and he works in the aquarium industry, it's a tax deduction. And he can also they can contact ahead, and then he can do sort of, you know, have conversations and there could be potential research or work opportunities there as well. And so it's really cool to see him in what seems like such a fixed job, and a very, you know, location specific job, that he was able to find ways to include it on your trips. Yeah, absolutely. It's just, it's thinking outside of the box, and thinking, well, how can I potentially do that Venn diagram? I love the Venn diagram. That's amazing. And do you think that the bleisure life is I think we've probably established that it's possible, but do you think it's sustainable? So combining business and leisure?

Unknown Speaker 25:52

Oh, absolutely. Because fundamentally, I think it's so important to do what you love. And when you do, which is leisure. In a sense,

Unknown Speaker 26:02

I think it's not only important, it's, it's vital for your soul, to do what you love. When you do what you love, and you continue to do more of what you love, you naturally get better at it, because you love it, and you actually will spend more time you know, then doing it and learning it and absorbing it. So you will naturally get better at it, when you'll get when you get better at something. And when you excel at something people pay you. So, fundamentally, I actually think doing what you love truly doing what you love, not just for one hour, but truly committing to doing what you love, you end up with income, and you end up with good income, because you are generally excelling at it. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm so grateful. I'm going to put it in my acknowledgments what will be my acknowledgments, but also my deputy principal, in high school, he told us in year 10, when we had to pick our subjects for the final two years, he said, do something you enjoy. Because if you go and pick a unit for maths, or you know, economics or something, because it gets a high grade, but then you struggle through it, you're not going to enjoy it, you're not going to do well in it, and then the grade won't reflect what you need to. So you do something that you enjoy you're interested in, then you'll be better at it. And I was like, what sage advice? What is so antithesis to what you would be thought you would hear in school. I thought it was so generous and kind and some people would have taken that on in some way. And I did I was like, Yep, I'm not gonna do that. And don't enjoy it, I struggle through it, I don't need it, I'm not going to do a science based. And if I did, you can do bridging courses. And it was great. I was like, well, not doing math didn't do it. You are so lucky, Emma, that your deputy principal said that to you. And you heard that that's such a young age, because it was something that took me decades and decades to it took me till really, I don't know, maybe my 40s for the penny to drop

Unknown Speaker 28:07

in my early 40s. Because

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even though I understand what you said to me, intellectually, no one actually said it to me when I was younger, and I think and I read somewhere in my early 40s, your genius is what comes naturally to you. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. Because until then I thought, Okay, I need to spend time and work at all the things I'm crap that so that I can be better. So I would spend all this time, you know, on physics or science or whatever things that I wasn't good at, so that I could be better at them. Because I thought, well, that's a weakness I need to overcome. And it took until my early 40s, for me to realize that's ridiculous. Spend more time on the things that you're good at, because you're already good at them, then you'll enjoy it even more, and then you will become even better at them. So if anyone's listening to this, I hope that that's landing. Yeah. And went to sleep 40s for delay. Well, and we've talked off air about, you know, the writing process and what goes in and what goes out. And I have this fear of things that will get left out. But he actually my deputy came to me in a dream the other night and it was like, not only like thank you in the acknowledgments that that, that what he said and he said Another really powerful thing to me, very important, you know, figure in your life when you look back. Just very kind of generous, and I don't know, future thinking, but just that will be included or even that that we've had this conversation because it's been quite cathartic and healing and also bringing up challenges in writing the book because it's like, yeah, this is the book. I wish I'd had, what, 14 years ago. This is

Unknown Speaker 30:00

When I did my speech at my university a couple months ago, I wish someone had stood in front of me and said, 14 years ago, it's okay to go your own path. There is an alternative tip path. I mean, a couple of years after university, I met you. And I was around writers and I saw there was part other parts. But there wasn't someone Yes, standing in front of me. You're offering that up? And it's like, that's what yeah, hope this book. I hope these conversations can help someone see that. There just are other ways to do it.

Unknown Speaker 30:33

I was only thinking this morning.

Unknown Speaker 30:35

You know, there's this whole bunch of things that I wish people had told me when I was younger, like, whether that's my parents or anyone else. It doesn't have to be my parents. And so I love the fact that you are writing a book, that it's the things that you wish people had told you. It's I think they are not they you can't you that's what we got, you can't you can't have someone say you can. Like he said, you can and gave me that permission. And I sort of said in that YouTube speech to us, like, Look, I'm a maverick, I'm a rebel, I'm probably going to do it anyway. And if you tell me not to, I'm going to do it just to prove you wrong. But it would have been so much nicer to have somebody say, Hey, you're on the right track, or it's okay to do what you're doing. As opposed to like, somebody said, the book feels like adjusted. Oh, something I was saying about the book feels like a justification. I was like, it it's, it's a justification of the 15 years of my doing things differently. It is it's a huge, it's a huge fu to the people who said I couldn't I don't know. Or, yeah, a gift to my younger self to say, yeah, don't don't You don't have to question yourself so much. Or you can answer those people who say you can't because you haven't, you can? Yeah, absolutely. You can cover your own life you want. And it's been, you know, I do cover writing quite a bit in the book. And it's something that's always been a nice reminder to myself, is that having a skill that is so transferable, that if everything hits the fan, I can always go back to writing. And even going on these trips. I'm like, Oh, this is content. Maybe this will be an article one day I go, I don't do the commissioning, I tend to do the experiencing, and then go, Oh, hey, by the way, I went here. Do you need a story on this? Great. But you have that like, and I think that's something nice to remember that when you look at all your experiences over life, and what I saw when I would always microcredentials it was like, how are these interests and curiosities and pods? And I was like, Oh, wow, actually, now I can cross those over. I've got this whole new income stream everybody's whole new business from two of my interests coming together. Yeah, absolutely. I love that attitude. Now, how do you make time for self care or find balance in your schedule?

Unknown Speaker 32:55

Okay, that's something that sometimes I forget about, I'm not gonna lie. And I just go really hard because I am enjoying what I'm doing to be honest. And also I like getting things done. So I get a, I get a dopamine hit, I guess I get a sense of achievement out of it. But then sometimes you do realize, no, you're running yourself too hard. And I need to be honest.

Unknown Speaker 33:24

Be aware of that earlier. And that's something I'm working on. I don't necessarily have all the answers. And I'm not necessarily necessarily good at it yet. But it's something that I've become more aware of in recent times. Yeah. And we'll, I think switching off though, and downtime and rest looks different for everyone. And but when you're creative, I think there is an importance to resting and stopping at times. But there's also sometimes your rest could be being in flow. Maybe your rest is painting. It's a rest from the business. And so then the painting when you're in flow, and you have the space. That's the self care.

Unknown Speaker 34:06

Yeah, I think

Unknown Speaker 34:09

I think I used to do it a bit more when I had my very babies, because I would just will rest you know, have downtime with them. But they have gone to heaven at the moment and well, at the moment, but you know, they've gone to heaven and so that

Unknown Speaker 34:27

that's no longer part of my day. So that's why I think I need to consciously bring it back in. Yes, yes. And they are lovely. Sometimes we do need that forced interruption or somebody to be like, Well, okay, and the demands of Pat's is a good break.

Unknown Speaker 34:48

This is a tricky one. Well, I don't know. We'll see. I love it. You answer. Final question.

Unknown Speaker 34:54

gameshow final question, what's your dream destination to work in?

Unknown Speaker 35:00

A dream destination to work in.

Unknown Speaker 35:04

Oh,

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I'm

Unknown Speaker 35:09

okay. I, I actually love working at home. But my dream and this is the thing, I don't know whether reality is going to

Unknown Speaker 35:24

live up to the dream because I haven't done it yet, right?

Unknown Speaker 35:29

My dream is actually even like all over social media there is

Unknown Speaker 35:38

there's this van life movement. And I don't necessarily want to go in a van, and, you know, go into a composting toilet inside the van. for days on end, I actually want a really, really, my dream is to have a really, really comfy mobile office, so that I can go to the beach, or whatever body of water doesn't have to be the beach, it could be just a lovely spot that actually isn't necessarily too far away, but have all my bits and pieces to work and have the back doors open to this incredible view. And I would love to do that for I don't know, several hours a day or on a daily basis anyway. But then come home to my home office and you know, do it in sleep in my own bed.

Unknown Speaker 36:35

That's knowing my bizarre little dream. I don't think that I don't know whether reality is going to live up to those expectations, because I have yet to get a mobile office van right. Knowing you, Valerie, you'll do it. You'll sell the dream. And you will literally sell the van. And then you'll end up like having this fleet of mobile office vans that you rent out or buy.

Unknown Speaker 37:02

I say it I like I want one can I have one? Like Well,

Unknown Speaker 37:07

I bought a camping chair and camping table. And they're now in the back of my car. So I do go out when it's not raining. And I have my laptop and I have my little table and all that kind of stuff. So I do go out pull out my camping chair, pull out my camping table, my, you know, thermos and stuff like that. So I have sort of like an interim einde of scenario but it can get cold. That's why I need to stop the wind. But the hassle is like I have we have a beautiful holiday house. That's it's my in laws holiday house, but it's 10 minutes away. And he's like, Oh, he must just come here all the time. And I'm like, yes and no, because I love it. But we don't keep food in the fridge. So then I've got to pack food to go there. I have to pack up my laptop. Sometimes I forget my cord. We turn off the water in the lights when we're not there. So when I go in, I've got to it's you know, I think the benefit is that what you're talking about is the van would be fully set up. And so it's just drive, start working. If you've got to carry the stuff, do the thing dirty. The The idea is well, I don't like working outside. It looks lovely. It's very Instagrammable. But the reality is there's when sand, there's noise, you got to carry on crap. By the time you sit down and settle. Now I've only got 20 minutes or half an hour to actually do the things. So

Unknown Speaker 38:28

yeah, you need the van, I'll send you a friendly file. And she has decked out this van and it was very bougie very beautiful. She does do the driving thing. But I think I can see the vision.

Unknown Speaker 38:40

I can see the vision and so yeah, I would buy one of those vans. So another business for Valerie crew to do because she just had so much time.

Unknown Speaker 38:50

Thank you so much. I just knew I had to have this conversation with you. You have been a real like Guiding Light and mentor. Even though we don't like talk all the time. Like I look to you as a mentor figure because I think you are forging a path and have done things differently. Which is so inspiring. To by me You inspire me by all the things you do so the feeling's mutual. Look, I love it. I love it. Thank you so much. How do we find you? How do we connect with you look at all the art or the wonderful things? Sure, yeah, if you want to look at the art, just go to Valerie khou.com That's ka H O and that's also on Instagram. And if you want to look at all of the fantastic writing courses, that's at Writer's center.com.au And I can shamelessly plug the Australian writer center because I did a travel writing course. I am a published travel writer in Australian and Virgin Australia and other publications. I also did an editing course realized yes, good but I pay editors

Unknown Speaker 40:00

It's not my it's not my genius I get it not good at it, I pay it it's now so it was a great learning in what not to do in my business

Unknown Speaker 40:11

works both ways and I am very much on my vision board once I've you know finished writing a book is to do the features I think Vivian does the features writing one with the MPs that she does the freelance writing one and the opinion writing one. Yes, which I would love to learn the structure of those and then to keep my skills and and keep it growing and evolving. So Australian writers center, it is amazing having a writing skill set.

Unknown Speaker 40:39

To be able to it can be a great thing to travel with, whether you're doing travel writing or any type of writing because you can do it anywhere.

Unknown Speaker 40:47

Amazing. Thank you. So

Unknown Speaker 40:50

put that on the website.

Unknown Speaker 40:54

Thank you so much, Valerie. Appreciate you. My pleasure.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai