H

U

B

ISSUE 33

H

U

B

game changers. thought leaders. rule breakers. style makers

TRAILBLAZERSTHE

ANNE HATHAWAY ON FRAGILITYARIANNA HUFFINGTON SCREW BURNOUT

JACK DORSEY PLAYING FAIR & SQUARE

+ HOW TO STOP EDITING YOUR DREAMS & START OWNING WHAT YOU WANT

COLLECTIVE HUB 000

THE MOST CHALLENGING MOMENT AS A MOTHER SO FAR? Phoenix was in a bad accident last November where he suffered a serious injury to his leg. We didn’t know if we would even make it to the hospital in time as he severed his arteries, muscles and all the nerves. We are still recovering from it and doing physical therapy for this whole year. I can break down thinking of that moment at any given second. Life is so fragile and it taught us to never take anything for granted. But I do believe things are meant to happen for a reason and Phoenix is stronger than ever now; he’s such a fighter. For this to happen at such a young age, having to fight for his leg back, he will always know that hard work pays off and to never, ever give up. >

@dixie_rose

YOU’RE A MUM, DESIGNER AND BUSINESSWOMAN – WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE DAY LOOK LIKE IN YOUR WORLD? Starting Arvo [Cafe] this year has been absolutely insane and flipped our entire lives. We used to practically live at the beach, play most of the day and cook a nice meal and work on Oopsy Daze after Phoenix went to bed. We could be really selfish and just do whatever and go wherever. Now, with a cafe that requires a set schedule, we have been forced to implement a routine. We’re in bed by 8pm most days now and up at 5.30am. [My husband] Mason was always an early bird but for me, this was a huge thing to get used to. The cafe is our baby right now and we need to nurture it, but it’s most important to us to keep Phoenix a priority above all… when I stop to think about it, I seriously start going cross-eyed. Friends now visit us at Arvo and I have more of a social life, which is really great and one thing I missed since becoming a mum.

HOW DID THE CONCEPT FOR OOPSY DAZE COME ABOUT? When Phoenix was around two, we had ideas of what we wanted him to wear and if we couldn’t find it, we figured, why not make it? So one year in Bali, we had them make some printed harem pants and tees, which became his wardrobe staples. With help from great mentors and support from our families, we started our first collection. To this day, it makes me so happy when Phoenix goes to pick my designs out of all the clothes he has!

YOU CO-FOUNDED OOPSY DAZE WITH YOUR HUSBAND. WHAT IS THE KEY TO MAINTAINING A HAPPY PARTNERSHIP WHEN YOU’RE BUSY? We are literally together all the time and it’s not easy. We are best friends as well as each other’s biggest pushers and critics. Knowing we have each other’s back is always so important and knowing our roles in the businesses as well as at home. Getting away from it all is absolutely necessary, even if it’s just for a quick lunch together or a trip somewhere.

THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Not to fuss or freak out. If they fall, they will get back up. You’re not doing them any favours by freaking out with them. Children are a lot more resilient than we think.

FEATURE

Bringing a little human into the planet can open the door to a BRAVE new world where INSIGHT is catapulted into a whole new dimension. We speak to four creative MAMAS about this WILD RIDE.WORDS AMY MILLS

DIXIE ROSELIVES: Oahu, HawaiiOCCUPATION: Designer, co-founder and owner of Oopsy Daze Kids and Arvo CafeMUM TO: Phoenix, 5, and baby number two due in August

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ACHIEVING A WORK/LIFE BALANCE? I have yet to find it, to be honest! However, I have found that when you need help, you need to ask – whether it’s from a friend or family. If you can hire someone, hire them, or outsource the small things because it’s worth being able to do school pick-ups and see your kid run to you. We all know that doesn’t last forever.

YOUR OWN MOTHER WAS RIGHT ABOUT… That when you start having kids, you just can’t stop. She had five. I don’t know if I’m that crazy!

WHAT’S ONE OF THE MOST TREASURED MOMENTS YOU’VE SHARED WITH YOUR SON? I really, really love traveling with him and exploring a new city or revisiting our favourites. We took him to the craziest off-Broadway show in New York called Fuerza Bruta. Looking back, a lot of the content was probably inappropriate for him and I remember I kept looking at his face to see if he was freaking out in the

beginning. But he loved every minute of it – the gunshots, the half-naked dancers, the music and the set crashing onto us. He was screaming and clapping and cheering like the rest of us. I was so proud that he was able to appreciate the art of it all and not take it too seriously. He lives with wide, bright eyes ready to soak everything in. Doing it together is just that much more special.

WHAT’S YOUR PARENTING STYLE? Loose! [Laughs]. People would say that we are a very close family and we raise him with tough love but treat him as an individual. We try our best to be honest with him.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST IN HIM? His one-liners, his little back muscles when he swims, his cheeky smile peeking through his curls. I secretly like it when he calls me Dixie even if I’m supposed to be like, ‘NO! I’m your mother!’ His compassion for other kids.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM FOR YOUR CHILDREN? To be their best selves and follow their heart to be absolutely anything they want to be and to know we will support them no matter how crazy their dreams.

MORGAN BRECHLERLIVES: Arizona, USOCCUPATION: Adventurer, co-founder of Born Wild Project and student (urban horticulture/sustainable agriculture)MUM TO: Hadlie, 4

PHO

TO

GR

APH

Y: @

JAR

EDM

AR

VEL

her imagination. I have always received compliments from my friends about my parenting, the way we expect communication from her when she has those toddler tantrums, how we have made being outside a priority instead of putting her in front of a TV all weekend.

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?It’s cheesy but to appreciate every moment because it goes so fast. One moment you have a newborn baby and you find yourself wishing for a toddler because you’re ready to have a child who is talking, walking and making decisions. Then you have that stubborn, independent toddler and you find yourself wishing you had a 10-year-old because you cannot handle another meltdown over using the wrong colour plate. But it’s important to live in the moment. Don’t miss a thing and appreciate each stage of their crazy lives because at the end of the day, you will want that child to forever be your little baby. They will be 18 and leaving the house to carry on into their adult life in the blink of an eye.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST HEART-WRENCHING MOMENT AS A MOTHER SO FAR? I had a very difficult pregnancy and delivery with Hadlie. I was on hospitalised bed rest up right up until my emergency c-section. Hadlie then had to spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Leaving the hospital without my baby – they wouldn’t let us stay the night with her – was by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to do.

HOW DO YOU HOPE HADLIE WILL DESCRIBE YOU AS A MOTHER IN THE YEARS TO COME? Being a parent is hard. We never feel like we are doing a good enough job. We have many failures and sometimes want to throw a temper tantrum on the floor like our kiddos because it can be so damn stressful. Hadlie has seen me in my best moments and she has also seen me in some not-so-great moments. I just hope that she will describe me as a loving mother and that she will know that I always tried my hardest to be the best role model, protector, best friend, mother, adventure partner and confidant that I can be. >

@morganbrechler

We are not full-time adventurers or professional athletes. We are just parents who have the same

PRIORITY in life and spend as much time as

possible OUTSIDE.

MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE NOW FOLLOW YOUR EPIC WEEKEND HIKING ADVENTURES ON INSTAGRAM. WHAT HAS CAPTIVATED SO MANY PEOPLE?Instagram is by far the best and worst social media platform out there. I have so many bittersweet feelings towards it. Currently, I have a large following and it is so strange to me. My life is beautiful on Instagram! Perfect sunset photos, a slew of photos where my toddler looks blissfully happy at all times, a disgusting amount of perfectly adorable mushy love photos of [my partner] Jared and I. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way saying my Instagram is fake. But people seem to forget that my life is sometimes not so beautiful in between all those pretty square photos. Sometimes I am stuck at work late in an office totally missing those perfect sunsets and Hadlie still has those toddler breakdowns because she can’t have 10 lollipops for lunch while we are out camping. And Jared and I are not perfect – we bicker about who loads the dishwasher better and I lose my damn mind every time he leaves the shower curtain open after he’s done. I just ask people to not be too hard on themselves when they are feeling jealous over someone’s seemingly perfect life, because I promise you, it’s not. With all of that being said, it’s a very rewarding feeling to know that I have so much support, love and am inspiring other parents and showing them that even when living a busy life, it is possible to get outside and make things happen.

WHAT IS THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENT YOU’VE SHARED WITH HADLIE IN THE OUTDOORS?When we take her climbing and I get to see the look on her face after she accomplishes a climb, my heart flutters. When I watch her confidence build after every move she makes on a climb, those moments are my favourite.

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR WAY OF LIFE?I hope that she always holds on dear to our moments and is forever filled with love when she thinks about the way she was raised.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NON-NEGOTIABLES WHEN IT COMES TO PARENTING? Yes, when it comes to nutrition. We live a plant-based lifestyle. Keeping her diet clean and organic is something that is really important to us.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTING STYLE?Probably as a scene from The Jungle Book. We like to keep it wild. On the weekends when we are out camping or adventuring, you can find Hadlie throwing rocks and running around barefoot pretending to be a wild horse and I am usually right there with her, just as filthy and playing along with

THE BORN WILD PROJECT COMPRISES A DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES AND WEBSITE – HOW DID IT BEGIN? It went from just a low-key parents’ get-together to a film. The response to the project has been so positive and people are so excited about it – more than we ever thought! The parenting community needs something like this. There aren’t any films about parenthood that are so achievable and relatable. We are not full-time adventurers or professional athletes. We are just parents who have the same priority in life and spend as much time as possible outside. We want to share that with everyone, to let all parents know how easy it is to give their children a lifestyle that allows them to step away from technology and connect with nature; whether that be climbing mountains, week-long camping trips or more outside play right in your own backyard, parks or local trails. We are not anti-technology, but there needs to be a healthy balance. Children need to spend more time outside.

PHO

TO

GR

APH

Y @

MO

RG

AN

BR

ECH

LER

AN

D @

JAR

EDM

AR

VEL

YOU SAY YOU’RE ‘MULTICULTURALLY IN LOVE’! DO TELL… My man is French-Italian and comes from the Côte d’Azur in the South of France, whereas I am German-Chadish and come from the north of Germany. This is where northern and southern culture meets [laughs].

WHY AMSTERDAM? I moved when I was seven months pregnant and don’t regret it at all. Amsterdam is a city with a great quality of life. People from all over the world live here, adding an international touch; there is a strong positive vibe in the air. People are not stressed or grumpy and enjoy living in this city. This reflects as well on how people raise children. It starts with transportation; almost everyone cycles here and when it comes to parents, they do it with one to four – sometimes more – kids on one bike, no matter the weather. It’s easy to let kids just be kids and have fun.

WHAT IS AN AVERAGE DAY FOR YOU? I work freelance [in PR] and I reserve three days per week for my work. On those days, my son goes to daycare. I mostly work from home or in one of the various cafes in Amsterdam, but I do also travel to Paris quite frequently as one of my clients is based there. In the evenings, we always have a warm meal together as a family – I love to cook! When my son is not in daycare, we take it slow, have a long breakfast and do something fun together.

MOST VALUABLE PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Someone told me that when it comes to small children, everything is just a phase. I know there are people who hate this saying but personally, remembering these words always helps me see the light at the end of the tunnel when things get tough.

YOUR OWN MUM WAS RIGHT ABOUT… No matter the changes life brings, you can always make the best of it and grow into the new role that results.

HOW ABOUT THE WORK-LIFE JUGGLE? Before having a child, I worked a lot; my job was my everything, I really lived for it. However, since I became a mother, I know there is more in life. I still love my job but I also love my child. These first years in the life of my son are so precious and I want to be there with him because time goes fast and we never get it back. I said goodbye to the corporate world to work freelance. This is a decision that my man and I made together because it works best for our family. We are more flexible when our son gets sick or something else happens. It’s good to reduce stress and you cannot imagine how much more creative I have become since I have more time.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A HAPPY RELATIONSHIP AS A WORKING COUPLE? It is so important to spend time together and have moments when we can put the whole parenting thing aside. Going for dinner, enjoying a concert feels so good.

THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENT YOU’VE SHARED WITH YOUR SON? Last summer, we went to my mother’s house. It was hot so when we arrived, my son got naked straight away and ran off. I found him at some point somewhere in the garden where he was eating raspberries from the bushes while looking at the plants all around him. I felt like I could see through his eyes, like I was sent back into my own childhood in that moment. It was so beautiful.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR YOUR CHILDREN? My dream for them is a healthy and happy life where they can be 100 per cent themselves. >

NERAM NIMINDELIVES: Amsterdam, NetherlandsOCCUPATION: PR consultant for brands such as Bugaboo, Kusmi Tea and Løv Organic, blogger (littlebirdsmama.com) MUM TO: Thiago, 2, and baby number two (a girl) due this month

@thereal_littlebirdsmama

IT’S EARLY DAYS, BUT WHAT HAS MOTHERHOOD ALREADY TAUGHT YOU? To slow down and just savour this incredibly special time. It has taught me that women are beyond amazing and our bodies are built do some pretty mind-blowing things. I didn’t think I could love my husband any more but somehow I do – seeing him with Hendrix seriously melts my heart.

TAKE US THROUGH AN AVERAGE DAY PRE-BABY? Every day was pretty different as a lot of my work is project-based, but it would generally start with a morning beach walk, brekky and a strong coffee and then onto the computer for emails and client’s digital projects. After lunch, I focused more on my personal business, the art shop (Peppa Hart) and clothing store (Hartland + Co). I tried to schedule meetings for the afternoon. I usually worked after dinner until I went to bed, just on my laptop on the couch. My husband works interstate so we spend our time between two homes so when I am interstate, the days look pretty similar but my meetings move to Skype

meetings and I work from cafes a little more so I don’t get stuck inside too long.

AND WHAT DO YOUR DAYS LOOK LIKE NOW? My days now completely revolve around the feeding and sleeping patterns of Hendrix. I put him down at around 9am and he sleeps for four hours straight, so that’s my time to smash through work. The afternoons are a little more all over the place at the moment so I just take every day as it comes. I am also very spoilt with my mum and my mother-in-law being available any time to help with baby snuggling if I have a deadline. My clients have been so understanding – the majority of them are mothers and completely get it if we have had a sleepless night and are a little slower getting projects over the line compared to normal.

DO YOU PLAN ON TAKING TIME OFF OR WILL YOU KEEP RUNNING THE BUSINESSES? I took seven days off and then got back into it. I was feeling really good so I thought, why not? I’m not working as crazy as I usually do and am being a little more selective with what I am taking on. I’m not taking on any styling work at the moment as it’s quite physical, but the digital and branding side is easier to do from my home studio.

WHAT QUALITIES OF YOUR OWN MUM’S WOULD YOU LIKE TO INHERIT? My mum was always so supportive of everything I have ever dreamt of doing in my career and my personal life. She always said ‘go for it’ and then would be there for me if it wasn’t exactly how I imagined. No matter how wild or crazy my ideas were, she would support me. I would love my kids to feel they can dream big. My dad has played polo professionally his whole life and made a living from something that he loved.

YOUR BIGGEST DESIRE? I just want Hendrix to be happy and I want him to have the best life we can possibly provide him and grow into a humble, gorgeous person. I want him to know that we will always adore and be here for him. I hope he one day understands the magnitude of our love for him.

MOST VALUABLE PARENTING ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Do not feel pressured to be the perfect mother! Just go with your instincts; that is how we are parenting at the moment. I didn’t get too wrapped up in reading a million books. I want to see how we go and if I need help, I can put my hand up.

HOW DO YOU HOPE HENDRIX DESCRIBES YOU AS A MUM IN YEARS TO COME? I hope he says, ‘My mother loved me unconditionally.’ I hope he says we lived an incredible life filled with adventure, travel and a crazy amount of laughter.

SOPHIE BELLLIVES: Gold Coast, AustraliaOCCUPATION: Stylist, digital strategist and director of Hartland + Co and Peppa HartMUM TO: (brand new) Hendrix

@peppahart