I used to joke that I was probably the least likely person to enjoy office work or being in business.
I've always been someone who loves creativity, so sitting behind a desk all day? That just didn't sound like me.
So after graduating from RMIT, I chose to pursue a creative path, such as photography and modelling. I always knew I would return to my family's business one day, but I thought it would be years later—after I had spent enough time chasing my own dreams.
But life is truly unpredictable.
Just as a creative project I had poured my heart into came to an unexpected end, our company was also facing a challenge. A colleague who had been with us for more than twenty years needed to leave for family reasons, and my father asked if I could take on that position because it required a trustworthy person.
To be honest, I didn't say yes because I had suddenly discovered a passion for business. I said yes because I didn't have a next plan yet, while my family needed me, so I simply thought, “Why not? I'll give it a try.”
That “try” ended up changing me.
What surprised me most wasn't learning about business. It was finally seeing everything I had never noticed before. I saw colleagues who had quietly spent decades growing the company alongside my parents. I had conversations with customers and partners that taught me not only about business but also about life.
Joining the RMIT Family Business Club made that feeling even stronger. For the first time, I met other next-generation leaders who were also trying to answer the same question I had been asking myself: How do I honor what my parents built without losing who I am?
Somewhere along the way, my question changed. Instead of asking, “Do I really belong here?” I started asking, “How can I contribute in a way that's uniquely mine?”
Today, I contribute by bringing fresh ideas to make work more efficient and by building stronger relationships with our partners.
They're small things.
But maybe that's the point.
Not every generation is meant to rewrite the story. Sometimes, our role is to quietly add our own light to a flame that has been burning long before we arrived, so it burns a little brighter for those who come next.
I've always been someone who loves creativity, so sitting behind a desk all day? That just didn't sound like me.
So after graduating from RMIT, I chose to pursue a creative path, such as photography and modelling. I always knew I would return to my family's business one day, but I thought it would be years later—after I had spent enough time chasing my own dreams.
But life is truly unpredictable.
Just as a creative project I had poured my heart into came to an unexpected end, our company was also facing a challenge. A colleague who had been with us for more than twenty years needed to leave for family reasons, and my father asked if I could take on that position because it required a trustworthy person.
To be honest, I didn't say yes because I had suddenly discovered a passion for business. I said yes because I didn't have a next plan yet, while my family needed me, so I simply thought, “Why not? I'll give it a try.”
That “try” ended up changing me.
What surprised me most wasn't learning about business. It was finally seeing everything I had never noticed before. I saw colleagues who had quietly spent decades growing the company alongside my parents. I had conversations with customers and partners that taught me not only about business but also about life.
Joining the RMIT Family Business Club made that feeling even stronger. For the first time, I met other next-generation leaders who were also trying to answer the same question I had been asking myself: How do I honor what my parents built without losing who I am?
Somewhere along the way, my question changed. Instead of asking, “Do I really belong here?” I started asking, “How can I contribute in a way that's uniquely mine?”
Today, I contribute by bringing fresh ideas to make work more efficient and by building stronger relationships with our partners.
They're small things.
But maybe that's the point.
Not every generation is meant to rewrite the story. Sometimes, our role is to quietly add our own light to a flame that has been burning long before we arrived, so it burns a little brighter for those who come next.
