Serena O'Callaghan - Madam Woo

10/15/20 • 73 min

I don't have favourites when it comes to my podcast guests but if I did Serena would be one of 'em! Serena has an amazing cultural tale filled with delicious and insightful stories, relationships and great wisdom gleaned from a life lived with empathy, compassion and a genuine desire to love the stranger well.
Serena has been in the hospitality industry for around 15 years but embodies hospitality in all she is and all she does. She is the daughter of a real estate agent and a diplomat, and started her career as a host at TGI Fridays.
Serena has a 'way' with people which quickly garnered respect amongst her hospo peers, earned her a number of professional accolades and made way for many growth opportunities and leadership roles within the industry including managing the iconic Melbourne cocktail bar - 1806 - under the supervision and tutelage of industry legend and mentor Sebastian Raeburn, Jungle Boy, Tommy Collins, Employees Only and most recently with Merivale.
All the world truly is a stage for Serena who oozes creativity; whether she finds herself behind a mic, a bar, a coffee machine or in front of a camera, in the gym and even in an orchard - which became evident in-and-through one of her most recent iso projects - @madamwoosgoodstuff - an experimental kitchen that was birthed during lockdown after she was gifted car loads of beautiful fruit and produce during a stint on a fruit farm with her mate Jimmy!
There is so much to this human that you can probably expect a follow up episode down the road because I'm not sure we scratched the surface but it was such a privilege and pleasure to begin...
You can find Serena here:
Instagram:
@mdmwoo
@madamwoosgoodstuff
And her take on The Jasmine Cocktail here:
LTS Podcast Guest Recipes
Love thy Stranger is recorded on Wurundjeri land in the outer east of Naarm, that you will find on a map as Melbourne, Australia and we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Sovereignty was never ceded.

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Previous Episode

Sarah Cook - Movement Zone Dance Studio II XtremeInc Youth Projects

On this episode of LTS we talk with Sarah "Sas" Cook, the founder, Director of Movement Zone and XtremeInc Youth Projects who has utilised Dance as a conduit for creating spaces and communities of diversity and inclusion! Sass is, truly, a practitioner of hospitality, not just in and through her work as a Dance Teacher but in and through her entire life - Sass exudes hospitality - and it is brilliant!
Sas grew up in Castlemaine and at an early age shone as a gymnast and dancer and after studying full time dance in Melbourne and after a car accident, she decided to return to her hometown and established Movement Zone.
This passion for teaching was not only confined to the Dance Studio but has extended out into the community and evolved into producing different programs, choreographing works & events for youth, working with different organisations and thousands of young people in Schools all over Australia. In 2005 & 2006 Sarah headed to the Kimberly s, touring for a month at a time in remote Indigenous Communities training & choreographing for their annual Croc Festival.
It was through Movement Zone that Sarah took part in the first To The Xtreme festival, showcasing dance, skating and music which has become an annual event that now includes scooters, parkour, BMX, street art, music, djing, circus performance and more. It was from this first event that inspired her to set up the organisation XtremeInc Youth Projects, back in 2009.
Today as XtremeInc's and MZ Director, she continue's to work with young people in developing various programs and initiatives and, having built this in Castlemaine, her goal is to take this further around regional Victoria.
"I want to train others, to pass the torch, and ensure young people carry on this work. It s successful because it s happened organically. It hasn t come from government, but the community." Sas Cook.
Web...
Movement Zone Dance Studio
XtremeInc Youth Projects
Instagram...
@movementzone
@xtremeinc_youth
Facebook...
Movement Zone
XtremeInc Youth Projects
For the "Sass&Coz" playlist AKA "Recipe for Dance" Playlist check it out here:
"Recipe for Dance" Playlist

Love thy Stranger is recorded on Wurundjeri land in the outer east of Naarm, that you will find on a map as Melbourne, Australia and we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Sovereignty was never ceded.

Support the show

Next Episode

Helen Parker - The Babes Project

This LTS conversation we had with Helen from The Babes Project happened smack-bang in the midst of Melbourne lockdown over zoom and while it has taken a long time getting it up on-the-line, (because half of the the LTS Team (the half that knows how to produce and edit) was going through some serious wedding planning and some full-on health challenges), we're so happy it's finally up!
So... here is our very powerful conversation with The Babes Project founder and CEO Helen Parker - one of the most inspirational humans we've had the privilege of chatting with and whom we now call friend...
After facing her own crisis pregnancy at the age of 20 with limited support Helen established The Babes Project in 2009 with the goal of ensuring women had access to the help and care needed as they prepared for parenting.
Helen continues to run The Babes Project with a fierce determination to expand the organisation until every woman knows she can access support in her pregnancy.
Helen loves her coffee, time with girlfriends, cooking and family - but she has also been known to get onto Tik Tok and shake up a cocktail or two.
We love Helen, Babes Project and our chat; we invite you to listen in on the conversation and to support, partner and/or participate in the work of Babes!
Web:

The Babes Project
Instagram:

@thebabesproject
@Helen.parker_
Facebook:

The Babes Project
Love thy Stranger is recorded on Wurundjeri land in the outer east of Naarm, that you will find on a map as Melbourne, Australia and we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Sovereignty was never ceded.