From Paris to Sydney

With Quentin - Bringing the french excellence to the Aussie tables

Just go (live elsewhere) !

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- The interview centers on a bakery entrepreneur in Australia who champions freshness, high-quality ingredients, and seasonality as the core of her cake business. She explains that the secret to great cakes lies in making them fresh the same day, using superior ingredients, and paying attention to the combination of selection, technique, presentation, and flavor. Without true taste, she argues, a cake won’t be good, no matter how beautiful it looks.

- The guest’s background is framed by a high-end gastronomic career in France. She previously worked in Paris at a major hotel and had the opportunity to work with a world-renowned pastry chef. She describes this period as formative, but positioning herself for new challenges became a priority. She felt the pull to grow and to test herself in a new environment, which led to a decisive move to Australia.

- The move to Australia was impulsive in a sense: she was young, seeking challenges, and decided to take a two-week window to decide, resign from her job, and move with essentially nothing but a plan. She arrived in Sydney with no friends, no job, and minimal language skills, and she recalls it as a difficult period. Despite the initial hardship, she persisted, became selective about the type of work she pursued (aiming to maintain the same level of atmosphere and quality she was used to in five-star settings), and gradually built a career in Australia.

- Ten years on, she has become a permanent resident and eventually a citizen. Today, she runs a bakery business from a shop in Australia that began during the COVID pandemic and has since grown into a full-fledged operation. Her business is presented as a “collection” of cakes—emphasizing variety and seasonal flavors, all produced fresh and by order to minimize waste and maximize quality.

- The brand’s operational philosophy centers on a made-to-order model: everything is prepared fresh on the day, with strict controls to reduce wastage and to ensure consistent quality. The best-selling cake is a Saint-Honoré, a classic French pastry. She explains that this cake is often one of the first things taught in pastry school, embodying a range of techniques from puff pastry and choux to creams and caramel, and representing an archetype of traditional French pastry craftsmanship. She even presents a Saint-Honoré cake on camera, underscoring the craft involved in its creation.

- The conversation highlights themes of craft, apprenticeship, and the merit of maintaining traditional techniques while building a modern business. The guest’s narrative—from Parisian apprenticeship to Australian entrepreneurship—illustrates resilience, deliberate risk-taking, and a commitment to quality through a structured, seasonally driven product line.

From Liege to Sydney

With Anissa - Creating space in Bondi

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- Background and roots: The interviewee is from Belgium, specifically Liège, and has ties to Morocco through family. She spent a significant period in London (five years) to pursue her interest in fashion and beauty and to improve her English, before moving to Australia. The move was partly motivated by weather and a sense that she needed to pursue something she couldn’t fully articulate at the time.

- Early work in Australia: After arriving, she found work in a Bondi shop, where she initially applied broadly by printing her resume and visiting multiple shops. She started as a casual employee, and her English gradually improved. Her leadership trajectory progressed quickly: within months she became a shop manager, a role that recognized her growing responsibility and capability.

- Transition to entrepreneurship: Several years later, she launched her own beauty business in Australia. She chose to operate from a private home studio rather than a traditional storefront, emphasizing a personal, intimate environment. She began the business about a year ago, testing the waters before fully committing.

- The business philosophy and approach: Her core aim is to help people feel good about themselves. She emphasizes listening to the body to understand what the skin and overall condition need, advocating for a strong mind-body connection as a foundation for effective skincare. Her studio atmosphere is designed to be private and winding down-friendly, with meditation music and a calm environment to help clients unwind.

- Services and techniques: Her practice combines cosmetics and facial therapies, drawing on a beauty diploma she earned long before starting the business. The studio is equipped with a range of technologies used during treatments (such as LED masks, hydrafacial tools, and radiofrequency devices) and a selection of scrubs. Treatments are customized to each client’s skin type and needs, with a focus on relaxation and skin improvement. She notes that her clientele are primarily women, but she intentionally welcomes men too, highlighting a gap in the market for men seeking a private, stress-relieving space.

- Client experience and environment: The home studio functions as a retreat where clients can unwind, listen, and be seen as individuals rather than just customers. Beyond the facial itself, she integrates elements like soothing music and potential breathwork or mindfulness practices, providing a holistic experience aimed at reducing stress and enhancing skin health. The emphasis is on a tailored, client-centered approach rather than a rushed, high-traffic service model.

- Personal and professional stance: She underscores the importance of self-experimentation as part of refining her treatments—she tests approaches on herself and brings those insights into her work with clients. This practical, evidence-informed stance reinforces the credibility of her methods and the trust she aims to establish with clients.

- Summary takeaway: The speaker’s journey—from immigrant worker to private-practice skincare professional—centers on personal growth, adaptability, and a commitment to creating a calming, individualized experience. Her story illustrates how a private, client-focused studio can become a trusted space for wellness and skin health, leveraging both traditional beauty skills and modern technologies.

From Paris to Sydney

With Stan - all rounder artist

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- The interview introduces Stan, a French artist who blends dancing, singing, and modern performance. He’s described as both a singer (Dan Sal is mentioned) and a contemporary artist, with a focus on his multi-disciplinary work.

- Early career and training in France: • Stan started dancing at age nine, initially in hip‑hop, with a long‑term goal of becoming a top-level choreographer. • He earned a scholarship through an audition, which funded his studies and allowed him to broaden his training beyond dance. He trained in singing and a wide range of dance styles (jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet) and also pursued acting. • He took on various gigs in France, including dancing for Lacoste in a charity campaign and performing in the musical Greece. • He auditioned for TV but didn’t land The Voice. Instead, he won Tara Academy (a major French talent show), which significantly raised his profile.

- The reality TV effect and transition away from France: • Stan notes that while he was on “the castle” (a reality-show setting), he didn’t understand what was happening outside; the notoriety came after leaving the show. • He describes a dramatic shift from being well‑known in France to starting anew in Sydney, Australia, indicating a deliberate move to pursue international opportunities.

- Why move to Sydney? • His core goal is to be an international artist, but he reasoned that staying in France wouldn’t automatically make him international. • He decided to explore abroad and felt drawn to Australia after a holiday with his best friend and manager. He was struck by the country’s beauty, the friendly people, and the supportive industry environment. • Part of the move was also about improving his English and aligning his music with the kind of music that’s promoted internationally at the moment. He identified his previous disco/funky style as not necessarily in line with current trends in France, and he saw Australia as a place with fresh opportunities.

- Establishing himself in Sydney: • Stan has started building a local footprint, including hosting on Bondi Radio (his first edition aired recently). He now appears weekly, every Tuesday from 9–10 PM, using the platform to talk about music history, origins, and the journey of various genres—essentially educating listeners about the music’s evolution. • He expresses genuine enthusiasm for this ongoing work, highlighting it as a meaningful way to engage with audiences and explain the sonic roots of contemporary sounds.

- Current projects and future plans: • He is an ambassador for a streetwear brand called EMAT, signaling a growing cross‑branding approach beyond music. • He is preparing to release a new single, reportedly titled Dot (or Dot in English), with a broader concept around “the artistic life.” The track is framed as a reflection on the advice his mother gave him and the caution needed when pursuing a difficult life in the arts (the tension between ambition and the realities of a creative career). • The France-based stage identity is referenced (e.g., “David artist” and other phrasing in the transcript is a bit unclear), but the core message is a personal, motherly perspective on pursuing art while staying mindful of the risks. • Stan also mentions continued activity on social platforms (Instagram and TikTok) and hints at upcoming appearances for TikTok Awards.