Rare Conversations

Ep 37 - Leading With Empathy and Grit - a Chat With Sustainable Homewares Entrepreneur, Wiebke Katsoudas

In this episode, I speak with Wiebke Katsoudas, founder of By Native - a collective of explorers, artisans and creatives who produce high quality home textiles and accessories.

In Wiebke's words: "I think an object is only as beautiful as the environment in which it’s made. That's why By Native guarantees quality - not only in the products we make, but also in the lives of the artisans we work with.”

Wiebke works closely with small social enterprises to ensure that every individual involved in the manufacturing process of her goods is treated with respect, works in a safe environment and receives a fair wage."

Instagram: bynative_home

Ep 36 - The Inspiration Behind the Book that Sold over 15 Million Copies. Meet the Legendary Horse Whisperer Buck Brannaman.

In this episode I speak with the legendary Buck Brannaman. The inspiration behind the No. 1 New York Times best selling novel The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans (which sold over 15 million copies). Buck was also the equine technical advisor &  body double for Robert Redford in the subsequent & much-loved Hollywood adaptation of the same name.

For over 30 years, Buck has been working with horses and their owners and today he is one of the world’s leading practitioners of handling horses based on classical concepts from the California vaquero tradition; working with the horse's nature, using an understanding of how horses think and communicate, to train the horse to accept humans, and work confidently & responsively with them. He works to make the animal feel safe & secure around humans so that the horse and rider can achieve a true union. 

Buck travels most of the year doing horsemanship clinics in the United States, Europe, Australia & New Zealand. When not on the road, he lives with his wife Mary and their horses in Sheridan, Wyoming.

To experience one of Buck's legendary training clinics, check the dates here:
www.brannaman.com

Extensive online horse training videos with Buck here at his new channel: www.thebuckchannel.com

Ep 35. An Insight into the Heart of the French Perfume Industry with Alain Ferro, Director of the Grasse Institute of Perfumery

Mr Alain Ferro, is the director of the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP), located just north of the French Riviera. Mr Ferro has been director of this training school for the past 35 years. The art and science of perfume creation is a fascinating and complex world that is very much protected. 

Since 2018, the skills related to the perfume in Grasse - that being, the cultivation of perfume plants, the knowledge and processing of natural raw materials, and the art of perfume composition became inscribed by UNESCO on their Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Scent has the power to evoke feelings of love, happiness, lust, sensuality, peace, energy. The list can go on. It can create strong positive stimuli for your moods and the emotions you feel. 

Our previous experiences also have a very strong impact on how we experience scent.

www.grasse-perfumery.com - Grasse Institute of Perfumery

Instagram: @gipgrasse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrasseInstituteofPerfumery/

Ep 34 - Behind The Scenes with Show Caller & Technical Director Hayden Russ

In this episode I speak with Hayden Russ - a "Swiss army knife" of the event industry. 

Originally from New Zealand, Hayden grew up with a love of musical theatre, and from a young age worked behind the scenes on various productions. Hayden then went on to spend time working in the UK before landing in the United Arab Emirates.  He now co-owns a tech rental company, show calls and covers technical production on events across the country .  Despite a hectic schedule during the peak event season, Hayden retains an optimistic attitude and is always pitching in to help his colleagues deliver outstanding events with a high level of productivity.

Connect with Hayden here: 

www.ihire.ae - IT & AV equipment rental covering the United Arab Emirates

Follow Leoni Milano at IG: @leonimilano

Ep 33 - Why You Are Late! Author, Grace Pacie Unpacks This Uncomfortable Habit

In this episode, I speak with Grace Pacie - author of the best-selling book, Late! A Timebender’s Guide to Why We Are Late and How We Can Change. Grace offers a lifeline to the twenty percent of the population who struggle with lateness, and the people who live and work with them.

A self-confessed “timebender” Grace tackles a subject sadly neglected by psychologists, and reveals the surprising truth about why we are late, what’s going on in our brains, and how we can get ourselves to be on time.

In addition to her BA, MBA and Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Grace has qualifications in Myers Briggs, Emotional Freedom Technique (otherwise known as EFT or tapping) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Ep. 32 - So Help Me Dog’s Sophie Allan on Teaching Dogs New Behaviours

In this episode, I speak with Sophie Allan, owner of So Help Me Dog, a training and behavioural business for reactive and rehabilitating dogs. Sophie’s passionate about educating pet parents to help them understand their dog’s behaviour.

Sophie and her team are professional handlers and qualified dog trainers. They use positive reinforcement methods during training and they assess and provide you with multiple options to help make it easier for you to better understand your dog’s needs. 

Every dog is unique, which makes every training session different.

Sophie is a big advocate for mental health issues - having suffered from anxiety and depression herself, she wants others to see they are not alone and that there is support available.  

www.sohelpmedog.net

Ep. 31 - The Ultimate Work-Life-Travel Experience You Never Knew You Needed -With Michael Youngblood From Unsettled

In this episode I speak with Michael Youngblood - an entrepreneur with a global reach and perspective. 

He’s the co-founder of Unsettled, a groundbreaking travel startup that operates in 20 countries, has attracted customers from nearly 100 countries, and is changing the way people live, work, and travel in the 21st century. 

Unsettled won the 2018 United Nations World Tourism Startup Competition. He’s led research on global entrepreneurship at MIT, taught entrepreneurship on behalf of the U.S. State Department, and his work has been featured in dozens of media publications including the NYT's, Forbes, Outside Magazine, and many more.

Michael is an avid mountaineer, snowboarder, naturalist, sailor, and all-around backcountry explorer. He is a member of the inaugural TED Residency, a member of Sandbox, and of course, a regular participant in Unsettled’s retreats everywhere. Some of the incredible Unsettled destinations include Bali, Cape Town, Tuscany and Patagonia.

www.beunsettled.co

Instagram: @beunsettled

Ep 30 - Kayleigh Franks and Her New Aussie Swimwear Label With a Conscience That’s Helping Women Feel Good About Themselves

In this episode, I speak with Kayleigh Franks from Australian start-up swimwear label, Kayles Renee. Like all businesses, it started as a thought. Kayleigh worked on her ideas and when all the pieces started coming together she was able to launch her unique brand.

Kayleigh wanted to not only create a brand of her own that aligned with her passions, she wanted to take it a step further and make it environmentally-friendly. After many drafts of swimsuit designs and going back-and-forth with her designer, Kayleigh settled on a fabric called ‘Econyl’  for its minimal environmental impact. 

Kayleigh wants women of all shapes and sizes to feel confident in her swimwear. Her all-inclusive sizing across her range, is helping to change the way society looks at women and more importantly, how women feel about themselves. Kayleigh is on a mission to normalise all bodies by using models of all sizes. 

www.kaylesrenee.com

Instagram: @kaylesrenee

Instagram @leonimilano

Ep. 29 - Antoine Abi Aad on Running a Top 50 World Class-Rated Delicatessen When The Odds Are Stacked Against You.

A “different” kind of business checklist:

 

- Business burned down?

- Survived ongoing wars?

- Survived a deadly explosion?

 

This is what life is like for people living in Lebanon. The daily stress of what they are enduring is beyond measure - and what most of us could not cope with. And through this, they are still kind, compassionate and hopeful for the future.

 

In this podcast episode I speak with Antoine Abi Aad from Aziz Delicatesse - a third generation family-owned business that was started in 1955 by his father Aziz in Beirut, Lebanon.

 

Named one of "50 Greatest Food Stores in the World" by the Financial Times in 2021, this is a true testament to the standards they hold and their strength of character to withstand setback after setback. They strive to proudly serve their customers a “top-quality French experience outside of France”. 

 

Antoine imports the finest produce from many countries including France, Spain and Italy to name a few, however his true passion lies with the wine cellar he grew to become one of the largest in the country before the more recent economic demise. 

 

Antoine continues on with his father’s legacy, running the family business with the same amount of optimism and grit that Aziz had. They keep showing up each day with hope for a better future. 

 

www.azizdelicatesse.com

Instagram: @azizdelicatesse, @leonimilano

Ep. 28 - Biplab Paul on His Globally-Awarded Groundbreaking Innovation That Has Helped Over 150,000 Women Out of Poverty So Far.

In this episode I speak with Biplab Paul from Naireeta Services - a social enterprise based in India. 

Biplab is the innovator of BHUNGROO®, a proprietary World Bank-awarded rain harvesting technology and product. Through BHUNGROO and its unique Women Climate Leadership model, Naireeta Services has helped free over 150,000 poor farming families across India, South East Asia and Africa from food insecurity and abject poverty.

Biplab is a globally-acclaimed development professional with 30 years of multi-disciplinary experience across irrigation agri-innovation and government policies. 

His work is the recipient of an incredible 30 global laurels and to name just a few, UNFCCC’s Climate Action, US State Departments IVLP-Gold Star and USAID’s Securing Water for Food. 

www.naireetaservices.com

Twitter: Bhungroo