Boundless Possible

On this episode we interview a young Territory entrepreneur. Angus Copelin-Walters is nine years old and founder of Croc Candy, a Territory business that sells rock candy, croc eye lollipops and candy pillows. Angus talks about what motivated him to start his business and some of the interesting people he has met along the way including Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. Listeners can order Angus’s candy online at Crocandy.com or at Mindil Beach markets.

Andrew Lewis is CFO of Jacana Energy. He is a newly minted Territorian having only moved to Darwin in January with his South African wife and two young children. Originally from the UK, Andrew has moved around; spending time in Cape Town, Doha and Dubai, before arriving in Darwin. We discuss all these moves and of course, what prompted him to come to Darwin and experience Boundless Possible.

The Australian Federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019. Leon and Peter discuss the outcome of the election, the lessons both parties are likely to take away from it and the implications for the Northern Territory.

Dave Malone is CEO of Master Builders NT. Dave was born in Darwin and has mostly grown up here. He’s spent all of his working life in the Territory, at various times as a public servant and with Master Builders NT, the peak body for the construction industry. Dave shares his early childhood stories; he was in Darwin when cyclone Tracy demolished the city. We also ask Dave about his thoughts on the Territory Budget, the deficit, the US Defense spending in Darwin and fracking. Dave is a delight to speak with and his observations and opinions are always well considered and respected. We hope you enjoy this discussion with Dave Malone.

This week’s podcast was recorded in Milan, Italy, where Leon was attending the Lawyers Associated Worldwide, Europe Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting. Leon took the opportunity to speak with Debbie Foster, from the Affinity Consulting Group, who was one of the presenters, about the issue of diversity and inclusion. It is a hot topic and following AJ Kulatunga’s comments on last week’s podcast about finding diversity ‘annoying’ because every initiative on diversity excluded him, it was an opportunity to take a deep dive on the topic with Debbie.

AJ Kulatunga was born and raised in Darwin. His parents were migrants from Sri Lanka. AJ has gone on to become a professional speaker with a passion for entrepreneurship. In this podcast AJ talks about growing up in Darwin, and now that he lives interstate, what draws him back and why he believes the Territory is unique. It’s another great conversation. We hope you enjoy it.

Adam Drake is an ordinary guy taking on an extraordinary challenge. Whilst many in the community are incensed about the level of indigenous youth crime and point to political weakness and ineptitude in dealing with the problem, Adam is quietly working away, one smile at a time, at the grass roots level to change lives. He doesn’t have big answers to the big issues facing indigenous youth, but what he has is a big heart, a positive attitude and a strong desire to make a difference. In this podcast we get to know Adam, where he’s from, how he came to the Territory and how he’s developed a deep spiritual connection with Aboriginal people and culture. Listen to how Adam is quietly achieving his own Boundless Possible.

Athina Pascoe-Bell is the Mayor of Palmerston. Palmerston is a satellite city of Darwin and one of the fastest growing cities in the Northern Territory if not Australia. Athina moved to Darwin from Sydney in 2004 (to escape the cold weather). She has always been active in the community but things got to a head when changes to the way rates were calculated in 2015 forced her to get more involved in Council matters. After a brief stint as an Alderman, Athina was elected Mayor in 2018. We speak to Athina about all of this and what the Council actually does. We then change tact and take a deep dive into crime in Palmerston. It is an open and honest conversation and Athina gives us her own (not Council’s) view on the issues. We hope you find the conversation interesting and thought provoking.

Olli Berst is an inventor, an entrepreneur and a Territorian. Originally from Germany, Olli came to Darwin in 2006 and fell in love with the place. He’s about to start a new venture offering tourists and locals, electric scooter transportation in a kind of Uber style. We spoke with Olli about his move to the Territory and his new business. What we found was a Territorian passionate about his work and his boundless possible.

In this episode, Peter and Leon speak with Jeff Zuber. Jeff is a lawyer with Zuber Lawler Del Duca, a firm based in Los Angeles. The boys met Jeff in Singapore recently at the Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW) Asia Pacific meeting. Jeff has had an interesting life, having grown up in New Jersey and being half Korean and half Polish. He talks about his move to California as a screenwriter. They also talk about Flight of the Conchords, accents and tipping, including whether Jeff tips when he’s outside the US. Finally, Jeff reveals his perception of Australia, as he hasn’t been here...yet. It makes for some hysterical conversation.

Brian Kelleher was born and raised in Maryborough and then lived and worked in Sydney as a migration agent. He moved to Darwin in 2011 to work for Ward Keller. Brian now commutes between Maryborough and Darwin. In the first part of the show Brian talks about how he came to Darwin and what it’s like being a migration agent. He then discusses his hobby; tropical architecture on his instagram account where he has developed a cult following. Finally we reminisce about 80s music. It was a fun conversation and although we are still working on getting the sound quality right, we hope you enjoy it.

In this inaugural episode of Boundless Possible, Peter and Leon discuss how the Boundless Possible slogan came about including their divergent views on supporting it. They then introduce themselves and talk about how they came to the Territory. There are some funny stories including one involving a car engine hanging from a mango tree. In the final half of this episode, Peter and Leon discuss how Ward Keller, the oldest and largest law firm in the Territory, became a member of Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW) and their recent trip to Singapore for the Asia Pacific meeting of LAW. Sorry for some of the sound quality in parts of the podcast. This is a completely unedited first take, so please enjoy.