Meeting with some Tom’s Talk Time fans!
Ita Buttrose and Jessica Rowe!
Backtrack to last Tuesday night and I am not going to lie… I was a little nervous. The idea of travelling alone made me feel a little uneasy. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited and I love being out of my comfort zone and I definitely enjoy a good challenge, but this was a little different… This was big. Huge. I had been selected to attend a media conference in Newcastle and I knew that I had to put my best game forward.
Getting on the plane by myself was a little strange…It felt bizarre knowing that I was going to be flying all the way across the country to have no one waiting at the other end. Bizarre to go to lots of different tourist attractions and to travel to beautiful oceans, heritage-listed buildings and iconic Opera Houses and have no one alongside me to say ‘… do you remember when…?’. However, when Tuesday came I grabbed a mirror, looked myself in the eye and told myself that as a future journalist, this is something I would have to get used to. I said it in a stern tone – you know the one that everyone uses when they’re pulling themselves together.
The flight over was great – I enjoyed watching ‘Robbie Williams live in LA’ and Series 4 of Friends. God, I love Jennifer Aniston. I arrived in Sydney at the bright hour of 6:30am and headed straight to Channel 10. The driver assumed that I was a TV presenter from Perth and I let him believe it. Why not? It was fun… He said he’d never driven a journalist before and I didn’t want to squash his dream… or mine!
Arriving at Studio 10 was a real thrill and I enjoyed every moment. I was greeted by a lovely man by the name of Lenny, who was more than happy to provide me with a chicken sausage in a bun and a half-strength, slightly cold cup of tea in a paper cup. Sweet. In the holding room stood a gigantic image of some of my favourite people – Ita Buttrose, Sarah Harris, Joe Hilderbrand and Jessica Rowe. Their smiles jumped out at me and I slowly began to get butterflies at the prospect and sudden realisation that these people who I admire so dearly would soon be within my reach. 8:25am came and it was the five-minute call to take our places. “Mr. Marlow, you will be sitting behind Ita this morning” a voice called out. What!? ME? Behind ITA? I don’t mind if I do…!!
8.30am soon came and the hosts strutted through the door – the lights and monitors hummed and it was all things go for a full two and a half hours. Jessica Rowe came up to me during the first ad break and welcomed me to the show. She said she knew that I was coming and she was looking forward to hearing all about Perth and my studies. The next ad came and my world stopped a little. Ita turned around and came over for a chat. Gracefully, she held out her hand and told me that she was thrilled to meet me. My internal dialogue was going into over-drive (not dissimilar to that of Nina Proudman in Offspring)… It was Ita Buttros talking… to me!! I told her how much of an inspiration she was and how well she’s done in the industry. We had a good chat about the changing face of journalism and she gave me some wonderful advice. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to discuss Asher Keddie’s portrayal of her in PaperGiants: The Birth of Cleo.. to which she said that she was thoroughly impressed… (as was I). I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of fabulous people, but this is most certainly a conversation that has inspired me like no other, and one that I hold incredibly dear. A few segments later I enjoyed my first experience on live TV. Again, it was SUCH a thrill and it solidified the fact to me, that this industry is exactly where I want to be. The hosts were so fantastic and I had a lot of fun. You can watch the segment here: http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/studio-10/extra/season-2014/15-oct–what-s-in-the-box-audience-guess
After the show I continued my conversations with the hosts and producers, snapped a few photos and made my way to the to the train station to head up to Newcastle. After two and a half hours and re-playing my conversation with Ita Buttrose a thousand times over in my mind, I arrived and settled in for the evening.
The next two days were fabulous. The DIG (Design, Interactive and Green-Tech) media conference and festival was filled with fantastic and innovative speakers and guests. I enjoyed two full days of networking and learning about small business, the media, mental health and different innovative techniques. The conversation and ideas were inspiring and I learnt a lot about communication and the importance of social networking. There were people from all backgrounds – media professionals, international graphic designers, radio broadcasters and students, as well as the general public who were interested in having a listen. Working together collaboratively and efficiently allowed the full two days to be effective… I had such a wonderful time and I hope to return again next time the conference runs.
I returned to Sydney early on Saturday morning to enjoy a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend. Sydney is so beautiful – I have been several times before, but I think that my love grows every time I come. Circular Quay and Darling Harbour are my favourite places – they hold themselves with such grace and dignity and they represent so much that Australia offers… and the atmosphere surrounding them is unbelievably eccentric.
During my stay I had the fabulous opportunity to meet and engage with some of my ‘Tom’s Talk Time’ fans. The conversations that I enjoyed and the compliments that I received have left my heart warm. I am stunned at the reception that I received and I am sitting here pinching myself, knowing just how lucky I am to be understood. The positive talk that you all gave me and the admiration for my interviewing technique leaves me with a huge smile and a sense of relief… I have so much fun doing what I do and I am glad that a few other people can enjoy it too. It was such a thrill to meet with those who communicate with me online and I can’t wait to do it again soon. I also had the opportunity to meet with my very dear friend Micayla. We enjoyed a beautiful night at the markets and dessert at a TO-DIE-FOR chocolate cafe on Saturday night. The one thing about my friendship with Micayla that I love, is the ability to pick up right where we left off. As everyone knows, maintaining a friendship from two opposite ends of a country can be difficult and tiresome at the best of times, but my friendship and the ability that we both have to understand each other is something that I am so grateful for – and something that I know will last a very long time.
One thing that I have received a lot of while I was away was messages asking ‘how I do it’. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I am going to give my little piece of advice… To future journalists and to everyday people. I am such a believer in working hard to achieve your goals. If you want something, you need to WORK for it. You need to do everything you can to achieve your goals and everything you can to make your dream a reality. When the going gets tough, think of the reason that you held on for so long and continue doing your best. For journalism students, this means involving yourself in conversations and speaking to those that inspire you. Get amongst the industry and enjoy getting a feel of a life as a journalist. Nothing that I have ever done or nothing that I still do has come with ‘luck’, and I don’t want to ever be ‘lucky’. I want to know that I have set my mind to something and that I’ve achieved it and I want to enjoy the process of education and growing – both as a journalist and as a human being.
Once again, I am SO grateful to everyone for their beautiful messages and words of encouragement. I am so thrilled with how well Tom’s Talk Time is doing and I can’t wait to enjoy another experience similar to this soon. When I get home, I have a few interviews lined up that I am incredibly excited for, and then I am keen to hear YOUR suggestions… Where would you like to see Tom’s Talk Time head? Who would you like to see me interview? Until then, I’m going to love you and leave you. With thanks, Tom.
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