Post by Bailey Falls, one of our 2020 Leadership Competition winners. Read Bailey’s entry here!
During the middle of October, I was due to find out if the Country to Canberra panel had chosen my submission as the winner of Tasmania. I had submitted my entry that I had worked on for days, minutes before the midnight deadline, and had read it over what felt like a million times. After a few weeks, I got the call from Han Worsley, the CEO of Country to Canberra. After they had informed me I was the winner for Tasmania, I was overjoyed, it took hours for me to come to terms with it, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
A few days after the winners had been announced, I had been contacted by a few journalists who were interested in having me in the newspaper, and some even asked me to do a radio interview. I was a little nervous, but after talking for a while on the radio interview with Belinda, the presenter, I felt much more comfortable. I had so much fun, and it definitely is an opportunity I was so lucky to receive. I was also fortunate to have my winning post shared on social media by Jacqui Lambie, which I’m forever thankful for as she is definitely a positive influence in my life.
After finding out I was a part of the new programme, Country to Canberra On Screen; a virtual conference where we would meet one another and talk over many different topics ranging from leadership to overall life advice, I was eager to hear about the views and opinions of women and non-binary people from around Australia. I also looked forward to being able to create friendships before the Power Trip being held mid 2021.
During Country to Canberra On Screen, I was opened up to a range of advice about coping with stress, taking on public speaking, as well as talking about current issues around the globe and what we felt could have been changed or handled better. We discussed topics such as Black Lives Matter, the disastrous bushfires throughout Australia, and the current pandemic, COVID-19. I met several mentors who were nothing short of inspirational, and gave advice based off their own experiences, such as networking, being aware of our mental health and wellness, and acquiring leadership skills.
After having group sessions with 3 incredible mentors I gained an understanding of so many great phrases and analogies. One analogy that stuck with me was something that Maddi, one of the mentors said. “We are all juggling plastic and glass balls, if we drop the plastic balls, we can pick them up again, but if we drop the glass balls, they will shatter. We need to prioritise and protect the glass balls.”
Throughout Country to Canberra On Screen, it was clear that the Country to Canberra team dedicated a lot of their time and effort into providing a fun, influential, authentic, safe space for all of the participants. After experiencing Country to Canberra On Screen, I couldn’t be more excited for the Power Trip, and to find out what the Country to Canberra team has in store for us.