WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.960 Today we are talking about reinvention. 2 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:08.060 Now people don't often talk about reinvention 3 00:00:08.060 --> 00:00:11.320 unless it's associated with something like retirement. 4 00:00:11.840 --> 00:00:14.200 And it's often described in very exotic terms 5 00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:16.840 like I'm running away to Tuscany to write my memoir 6 00:00:16.840 --> 00:00:19.320 or I'm going to buy a hobby farm 7 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:22.720 and grow organic grapes and make wine. 8 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:25.900 Or sometimes it's a much simpler thing 9 00:00:25.900 --> 00:00:27.100 like I'm going to join a gym 10 00:00:27.100 --> 00:00:28.900 or I'm going to join a choir. 11 00:00:31.180 --> 00:00:34.620 All those are part of reinvention 12 00:00:34.620 --> 00:00:36.400 but they're not the full story. 13 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:41.680 Good afternoon, I'm Bernadette Schwert 14 00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:45.380 and I'll be your facilitator and your chair for this session. 15 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:48.260 And what we're going to do with the panel and myself 16 00:00:48.260 --> 00:00:52.660 we're going to do a deep dive into the art and science of reinvention. 17 00:00:52.800 --> 00:00:54.520 And hopefully by the end of the session 18 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:57.100 provide you with an inspiring yet practical roadmap 19 00:00:57.100 --> 00:00:59.980 on how you can harness the power of reinvention 20 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.820 and so we can all fulfill the potential 21 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:06.080 that exists within us. 22 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:10.040 So let's start by expanding the definition 23 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:12.500 of what reinvention is 24 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:15.560 and who reinvention is for. 25 00:01:16.220 --> 00:01:19.860 Aren't we all reinventing ourselves all the time? 26 00:01:20.300 --> 00:01:24.740 And I think about reinvention being applied to young people 27 00:01:24.740 --> 00:01:28.000 leaving university trying to forge a new career in a workplace. 28 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:33.140 place. And I think about women who are about to become a mother and redefining their lives 29 00:01:33.140 --> 00:01:37.900 through motherhood. And I think about baby boomers. And by the looks, there's a few baby boomers in 30 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:44.240 the room today who are saying goodbye to their child, their final child, and hearing that 31 00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:49.160 deafening silence of the empty nest syndrome. You know, what does that mean for them? People 32 00:01:49.160 --> 00:01:55.120 newly divorced or separated, or those who are grieving the loss of a loved one after 50 years 33 00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:03.660 of marriage. We're all reinventing ourselves all the time, whether we like it or not. 34 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:11.200 So wouldn't it be great to have a plan, a purpose, a blueprint, or a process by which we can really 35 00:02:11.200 --> 00:02:17.140 harness those forces of reinvention about how to do it? And that's what today really is all about. 36 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:20.880 And I've got a wonderful panel that's going to shine the light on how they've reinvented 37 00:02:20.880 --> 00:02:24.840 their lives. Now, as you're sitting here, it's a beautiful full audience. 38 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:28.780 It's really fantastic to see. You might be thinking, well, who am I? You know, what gives me the right 39 00:02:28.780 --> 00:02:35.800 to stand here and chair a panel of this calibre? And I guess I'd say it sort of started with a 40 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:41.160 phone call from the wonderful Ivy Diegman. And Ivy rang me, and Ivy's from my ACH, and she rang me, 41 00:02:41.160 --> 00:02:45.900 and she said, we'd really love for you to chair this panel. And I said, I'd be delighted. I love 42 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:51.120 the Adelaide Festival ideas, and I love this topic. And after I hung up, well, actually, I said before 43 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:54.260 I hung up, I said, Ivy, why have you chosen me? And she said, well, 44 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.620 we saw you chair a panel a little while ago in Adelaide on digital disruption, 45 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:02.720 and we liked what you did. But also, we looked at your background and your CV. I thought, oh, 46 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:06.960 here's trouble. So we looked at your background and your CV, and we saw that you'd reinvented 47 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:11.860 yourself multiple times. And we thought you'd be a great person to lead this conversation. 48 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:19.180 And after I hung up, I actually reflected on what Ivy said, and I thought, Ivy's right. I have 49 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:24.560 reinvented myself, although I'd never perceived myself to be reinventing myself. For me, 50 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:29.760 I just put one foot in front of the other and took whatever opportunities were coming my way, 51 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:37.260 and basically said yes to everything. Well, not everything. Forget my drift. And so, 52 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:43.780 I guess my stages of reinvention, just for a very potted history, is in my 20s, I spent a lot of 53 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:47.880 time working in advertising and marketing as an account director with advertising agencies, 54 00:03:47.980 --> 00:03:54.300 and then moving into copywriting, writing material for advertisements. And then in my 30s, I put that 55 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:54.820 business career in. And I was a business career. And I was a business career. And I was a business career. 56 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:59.580 And I was a business career aside. And I decided I wanted to be an actor as a true reinvention. And I 57 00:03:59.580 --> 00:04:02.960 applied for all the acting schools around the country, and I got accepted into the Victorian 58 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:07.340 College of the Arts. So, I moved to Melbourne to study acting for three years full-time. And then 59 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:12.120 I spent the 30s working in film and TV and stage, writing, producing, and acting. And then in my 60 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:17.420 40s, I had a son, a little baby boy. And I thought, about seven months of pregnancy, I thought, 61 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:23.620 I don't think I'm going to be able to do what I used to do. It sort of hit me quite late, 62 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:24.180 the piece. 63 00:04:24.840 --> 00:04:28.360 And so, I decided, you know, I didn't want to sort of lose the threads of all the things I've been 64 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:33.500 doing. So, I took a course that I'd been running on copywriting and how to become a freelance 65 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:39.840 copywriter. And I turned it into an online course. And I set up a website. And this is when websites 66 00:04:39.840 --> 00:04:45.160 cost, you know, $10,000 just to do a really simple website. And I set up an online course. And I 67 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:49.440 started selling this course online. And I remember this really distinct moment where I woke up one 68 00:04:49.440 --> 00:04:53.760 morning, and the baby was only maybe three months old. And people had put money into my account 69 00:04:53.760 --> 00:04:54.820 whilst I'd been doing this. And I said, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, 70 00:04:54.840 --> 00:05:00.020 and I slept. And I thought, wow, let's do more of that. So, it was a really, really interesting 71 00:05:00.020 --> 00:05:04.540 moment. Wow, people actually pay, you know, for this sort of thing online. And so, I got really 72 00:05:04.540 --> 00:05:08.460 into internet marketing and thinking, well, you know, if this is what I can do with this small 73 00:05:08.460 --> 00:05:13.780 little operation, how do the people with really big operations do what they do? So, I started 74 00:05:13.780 --> 00:05:18.840 doing interviews with these incredible entrepreneurs about online business. And that became a TV 75 00:05:18.840 --> 00:05:23.440 series for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald websites. And it was this, like, documentary 76 00:05:23.440 --> 00:05:23.920 series. 77 00:05:24.840 --> 00:05:28.060 And Wiley Publishing came along, and they said, we really like what you're doing with that topic. 78 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:33.660 It's really interesting. Would you like to write a book? And I said, sure, why not? So, I wrote this 79 00:05:33.660 --> 00:05:39.800 book. Available at all good bookstores. So, I wrote this book, and then people said, would you like to 80 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:42.700 go on the speaking circuit and talk about it to audiences about how to build an online business 81 00:05:42.700 --> 00:05:46.480 and how to reinvent yourself, basically, as an entrepreneur? So, I said, sure. And so, here I am 82 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:50.460 at 50, standing in front of this wonderful audience, and feeling very privileged to be 83 00:05:50.460 --> 00:05:54.580 talking about this process of reinvention. And that's how I come to be here today. So, 84 00:05:54.840 --> 00:05:58.740 I've absolutely reinvented myself. But the thing I do want to acknowledge is that some people 85 00:05:58.740 --> 00:06:02.720 would say, well, you're fulfilling your passion, or you're following your heart, you're carving 86 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:11.820 out a career. And the honest truth is, I was bumbling. And I mean bumbling. And I don't 87 00:06:11.820 --> 00:06:15.500 mean that in a negative sense. In fact, I think it's a really positive sense. Because 88 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:20.680 for me, bumbling is about starting something and not being quite sure how it's going to 89 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:24.720 finish. And even not even knowing how to begin. But just... 90 00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:30.260 doing something. And so, that's my definition of bumbling. And in fact, I was so enamoured 91 00:06:30.260 --> 00:06:33.580 with the idea of bumbling, I actually wrote a TED talk on it. And I delivered it last 92 00:06:33.580 --> 00:06:38.640 year in Melbourne. And the title of the speech was, How to Succeed When You Don't Know What 93 00:06:38.640 --> 00:06:44.340 You're Doing. So, who can identify with that? Anyone? It's amazing when you start giving 94 00:06:44.340 --> 00:06:48.460 permission to talk about their bumbling journey, they go, hey, I'm a bumbler too. So, we're 95 00:06:48.460 --> 00:06:52.580 still this little club of bumblers. No, it's a great thing. 96 00:06:54.200 --> 00:06:54.820 The thing I wanted to highlight, and I think it's really important, is that we're all 97 00:06:54.840 --> 00:06:56.820 here today. And the thing I also just want to drop into the conversation before we start 98 00:06:56.820 --> 00:07:01.200 is, I did all those things unconsciously. All those steps that I took were incredibly 99 00:07:01.200 --> 00:07:04.040 unconscious. I just literally followed, you know, put one foot in front of the other. 100 00:07:04.340 --> 00:07:10.160 What I'm hoping we can do today with the panel, and with all of your input, is to think consciously 101 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:14.820 about reinvention. I didn't consciously do any of those things. It just was organic. 102 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:19.660 So, let's start being conscious about our reinvention. And that's what we're talking 103 00:07:19.660 --> 00:07:24.360 about today, is giving it some thought. And even you being here today is a great testimony 104 00:07:24.840 --> 00:07:27.180 to that. You want to start thinking about reinvention right now. 105 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:33.200 So the format for the day, very simple. I've got three beautiful guests. And I'll be interviewing 106 00:07:33.200 --> 00:07:38.160 one by one, about ten minutes each. And then once we've done those three interviews of 107 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.320 one-to-ones, I'll be having all the guests on the stage. We're doing a brief Q&A. Then 108 00:07:42.320 --> 00:07:46.120 we'll throw it open to the audience for a couple of questions. And that'll take us up 109 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:53.740 to 1.45. And then the fun doesn't stop. IACH have kindly put on a very light lunch to have 110 00:07:53.740 --> 00:07:54.700 for everybody out there. 111 00:07:54.700 --> 00:08:00.760 And to unveil a new look of a program that I think you'll find very exciting about reinvention. 112 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:07.800 So that is the plan for the day. So my guests, very briefly, because we're going to talk 113 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:12.580 to them in a moment. But Ted Sinitka is a very interesting man. He's an author of a 114 00:08:12.580 --> 00:08:17.860 book called The Lacemaker's Son, which I highly recommend you buy. And Ted has an incredibly 115 00:08:17.860 --> 00:08:23.780 tragic beginning to his life, in that at the age of four, he was sold by his father and 116 00:08:23.780 --> 00:08:24.140 his mother. 117 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:27.040 And he had a very traumatic experience of being killed by a man and a wife, strangers. 118 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:33.380 And then that traumatic experience led to such distress that by the age of eight, he 119 00:08:33.380 --> 00:08:39.900 tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison berries. It's just incomprehensible, isn't 120 00:08:39.900 --> 00:08:40.020 it? 121 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:44.660 And we're so very fortunate to have Ted here today. And Ted will be taking us through his 122 00:08:44.660 --> 00:08:47.900 process of reinvention, and it's quite an eye-opener. 123 00:08:49.640 --> 00:08:54.240 We have Georgia Heath, who gave up a glittering career in the public service. 124 00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:56.220 And if you read her CV, it's incredible. 125 00:08:56.620 --> 00:09:00.580 And she has reinvented herself as an entrepreneur 126 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:04.340 and has created a start-up that is really doing amazing things 127 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:06.540 with people, you know, 50-plus, 128 00:09:06.540 --> 00:09:09.920 and finding, you know, how can we lead purposeful and meaningful lives 129 00:09:09.920 --> 00:09:12.520 as we move through the different stages of our lives? 130 00:09:12.900 --> 00:09:15.360 And last but certainly not least is Ivy Digman, 131 00:09:15.420 --> 00:09:16.360 the woman I mentioned earlier. 132 00:09:16.640 --> 00:09:18.800 And Ivy works with ACH, 133 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:21.420 and she's got some really interesting information about, you know, 134 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:23.460 what does it mean to be growing older? 135 00:09:23.460 --> 00:09:27.800 How do we redefine what older means in this current society? 136 00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:30.000 So, without further ado, 137 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.640 I would like you to please put your hands together 138 00:09:32.640 --> 00:09:35.360 and welcome our first guest, Ted Sinitkar. 139 00:09:43.280 --> 00:09:44.240 Ted, welcome. 140 00:09:44.380 --> 00:09:46.240 When I interviewed Ted at the pre-interview, 141 00:09:46.300 --> 00:09:47.440 which I always do with my guests, 142 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:51.180 I said, is there any topic that you do not want to cover today? 143 00:09:51.260 --> 00:09:53.220 And he said, I am an open book. 144 00:09:53.760 --> 00:09:54.780 And I thought, wow. 145 00:09:54.920 --> 00:09:57.220 And that so sums up Ted's authenticity. 146 00:09:57.300 --> 00:10:01.700 So, we're going to start actually with a, what I call, fast facts. 147 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:03.680 Some people might think it's like speed dating. 148 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:05.220 You ever done speed dating, Ted? 149 00:10:05.640 --> 00:10:06.700 No, I don't need to. 150 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:08.760 Excellent. 151 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:10.960 So, we're going to rip through this fast facts 152 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:11.940 because it kind of sums up. 153 00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:15.180 Ted, you cannot sum up this man in even 10 minutes, 154 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:16.140 but let's just begin. 155 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:19.700 Full name with the lovely accent at the end. 156 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:21.520 Ted Sinitkar. 157 00:10:21.800 --> 00:10:23.080 But I used to be... 158 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:24.900 method until I came to Australia 159 00:10:24.900 --> 00:10:28.660 because Australians had some difficulties of pronouncing my full name. 160 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:29.640 Okay. 161 00:10:29.700 --> 00:10:30.600 And your age, Ted? 162 00:10:31.780 --> 00:10:32.220 68. 163 00:10:33.040 --> 00:10:33.480 Good. 164 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:34.020 Family? 165 00:10:35.380 --> 00:10:38.380 I've got a dog and a beautiful partner, Andrew. 166 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:42.320 No, I shouldn't really tell him, tell you about him. 167 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:43.700 No, we'll stop there. 168 00:10:43.920 --> 00:10:44.180 All right. 169 00:10:45.640 --> 00:10:46.960 And where were you born? 170 00:10:47.640 --> 00:10:50.980 Born in Slovenia, which was part of Yugoslavia. 171 00:10:51.060 --> 00:10:52.520 It was under the communist regime. 172 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:53.520 Okay. 173 00:10:53.560 --> 00:10:54.200 And where do you live now? 174 00:10:54.740 --> 00:10:55.400 Adelaide Hills. 175 00:10:55.520 --> 00:10:56.820 I was born in the mountains. 176 00:10:57.040 --> 00:10:58.020 I live in the mountains. 177 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:00.580 And I hope to die in the mountains. 178 00:11:01.040 --> 00:11:01.480 Beautiful. 179 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:05.360 And what are the three activities or roles 180 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:07.000 that take up most of the time in your life? 181 00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:09.280 Voluntary work. 182 00:11:10.560 --> 00:11:13.200 I've got two, three voluntary works. 183 00:11:13.300 --> 00:11:16.100 One is at the Hutt Street Centre for homeless people. 184 00:11:16.380 --> 00:11:20.080 One is driving the bus for the local community up in Adelaide Hills 185 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:21.580 at Orgate. 186 00:11:21.780 --> 00:11:22.960 It's called The Hutt. 187 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.780 And the third one, I am sort of semi-involved with ACH. 188 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:28.440 Excellent. 189 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:29.640 And author, too. 190 00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:32.020 Did I mention author of The Lacemaker's Son? 191 00:11:32.180 --> 00:11:32.720 Yes, you did. 192 00:11:32.880 --> 00:11:33.060 Fantastic. 193 00:11:33.540 --> 00:11:34.700 Available at Bookstore. 194 00:11:34.740 --> 00:11:37.420 And by the way, all proceeds from the sale of this book 195 00:11:37.420 --> 00:11:39.580 go to Hutt Street Centre for homeless people. 196 00:11:39.980 --> 00:11:40.460 Wow. 197 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:40.960 Yeah. 198 00:11:42.060 --> 00:11:44.320 Ted, what's your number one life motto 199 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.120 that's helped you overcome difficulties and challenges? 200 00:11:47.380 --> 00:11:49.100 Some people say it's, you know, this too shall pass 201 00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:51.760 or, you know, look on the bright side. 202 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:52.240 What's yours? 203 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.820 My motto, it hasn't been always the same, 204 00:11:54.900 --> 00:12:00.220 is just told audience what I tried to do when I was eight years old. 205 00:12:01.260 --> 00:12:04.620 But when I grew up, when I became real man, 206 00:12:04.780 --> 00:12:06.320 that's what I thought when I was 16, 207 00:12:08.400 --> 00:12:12.400 I realised love is extremely important 208 00:12:12.400 --> 00:12:15.640 and embracement of people. 209 00:12:17.180 --> 00:12:17.820 Forgiveness. 210 00:12:19.020 --> 00:12:19.660 Beautiful. 211 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:21.620 And considering your early childhood, 212 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:22.060 that's... 213 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.080 an incredible motto to live by. 214 00:12:26.540 --> 00:12:28.200 Well, when I was 16, 215 00:12:29.680 --> 00:12:31.840 I used to go for walks through forests. 216 00:12:31.880 --> 00:12:32.700 I love forests. 217 00:12:32.760 --> 00:12:33.380 I still do. 218 00:12:33.400 --> 00:12:34.100 I always have. 219 00:12:34.560 --> 00:12:35.820 I've got certain energy. 220 00:12:36.100 --> 00:12:37.940 Andrew laughs at me when I hug trees. 221 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:40.280 But I know the reason. 222 00:12:41.060 --> 00:12:42.460 And when I was 16, 223 00:12:42.680 --> 00:12:44.960 I've had so much hatred within me. 224 00:12:45.040 --> 00:12:46.100 That was in orphanage. 225 00:12:46.760 --> 00:12:50.060 And I realised there are kind people in the world as well. 226 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:51.800 And I did see some kindness. 227 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:52.760 And I was in orphanage. 228 00:12:52.780 --> 00:12:53.780 I had everything I needed. 229 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:54.820 I had the roof. 230 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:55.400 I had bed. 231 00:12:55.560 --> 00:12:56.500 I had food. 232 00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:00.840 But one thing I didn't have was peace within myself. 233 00:13:01.540 --> 00:13:02.820 And the hatred. 234 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:06.440 So I've decided at the age of 16, that was the reinvention. 235 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:10.860 I will never do to people what they have done to me. 236 00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:14.640 That was the big reinvention. 237 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:17.980 Because the second one was when I came to Australia, 238 00:13:19.400 --> 00:13:21.800 I decided to come to Australia when I was 14. 239 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:23.940 Slovenia being up on the top. 240 00:13:24.380 --> 00:13:25.600 Australia is down underneath. 241 00:13:26.020 --> 00:13:28.580 When I come here, yeah, I was a bit concerned. 242 00:13:28.660 --> 00:13:29.840 Will I fall off the earth? 243 00:13:31.880 --> 00:13:37.520 But the other thing that concerned me was how will I survive here not knowing a word of English. 244 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:40.740 And the culture, the tradition. 245 00:13:41.040 --> 00:13:42.520 And yeah, it was totally different. 246 00:13:42.800 --> 00:13:48.000 So I had to work on that one very fast to fit into a society. 247 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:51.320 Because I really wanted to fit into the society. 248 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:55.000 So I will not be a Slovenian migrant forever. 249 00:13:55.300 --> 00:13:56.220 I still am. 250 00:13:56.280 --> 00:13:57.180 I love Slovenia. 251 00:13:57.500 --> 00:13:59.000 But I'm very proud Australian. 252 00:14:00.060 --> 00:14:00.480 Excellent. 253 00:14:00.760 --> 00:14:02.940 So you've touched on reinvention already. 254 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:08.820 But maybe you could just outline for us maybe the top three reinventions you've initiated in your life 255 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:13.700 that have been most critical to you leading a happy and contented life. 256 00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:15.380 Well, they would have been the two. 257 00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:18.780 The third one was when I was in my 30s. 258 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.120 I realized I still had a lot of hatred. 259 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:25.540 I had a lot of hatred towards my father and farmer's wife who was very cruel to me. 260 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:30.080 And I really needed to go back to Slovenia. 261 00:14:30.180 --> 00:14:33.280 It was very risky because it was still under the communist regime. 262 00:14:33.780 --> 00:14:37.820 But I took the risk and went back to Slovenia. 263 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.580 First I found my father in a nursing home. 264 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:42.000 I gave him a hug. 265 00:14:42.980 --> 00:14:46.840 And I don't know if any of you had experience of hating somebody. 266 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:49.280 And go to the person. 267 00:14:49.280 --> 00:14:51.020 Hug that person you hate. 268 00:14:51.960 --> 00:15:00.300 And the feeling of the ease, the pain, the weight that rolls off the heart. 269 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:07.460 And if any one of you has got the opportunity to experience that, you will see what it means. 270 00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:08.460 How it feels. 271 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:12.900 And then I thought I better find the farmer's wife as well. 272 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:14.820 I did learn she was still alive. 273 00:15:15.020 --> 00:15:16.660 So I went to see her. 274 00:15:17.040 --> 00:15:18.600 She was in a field working. 275 00:15:18.780 --> 00:15:19.260 And I went to see her. 276 00:15:19.280 --> 00:15:20.420 I walked towards her. 277 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:22.460 She wasn't too sure what I was going to do. 278 00:15:22.520 --> 00:15:23.800 Nor was my sister. 279 00:15:23.980 --> 00:15:26.540 She thought that I had a hidden knife somewhere. 280 00:15:26.660 --> 00:15:27.440 I would stab her. 281 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:27.800 No. 282 00:15:28.060 --> 00:15:29.220 I went to her. 283 00:15:29.520 --> 00:15:30.580 Gave her a hug. 284 00:15:31.140 --> 00:15:33.620 And I thought I will not judge you. 285 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:35.740 And I will never judge another human being. 286 00:15:36.300 --> 00:15:37.300 And she froze. 287 00:15:37.660 --> 00:15:39.740 She just stood there like a statue. 288 00:15:41.420 --> 00:15:43.220 I don't know if she registered anything. 289 00:15:43.560 --> 00:15:44.900 But it's not my business. 290 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:45.820 It's not my concern. 291 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:47.420 But I certainly did. 292 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:49.260 So that was the second business. 293 00:15:49.260 --> 00:15:50.040 The fourth reinvention. 294 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:53.920 And then I thought I will write a book one day. 295 00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:57.240 And that was really the fourth reinvention. 296 00:15:58.740 --> 00:15:59.860 And when? 297 00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:01.320 When I retire. 298 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:05.280 So the first thing I retired at age of 52. 299 00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:06.540 Sorry, 58. 300 00:16:07.700 --> 00:16:11.760 And the first thing I did was start writing a book. 301 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:13.420 And it was published four years ago. 302 00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:17.000 And that opened lots of doors for me. 303 00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:19.080 And they are still opening. 304 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.820 Did you write it in Tuscany? 305 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:24.160 No, I didn't go to Tuscany. 306 00:16:24.160 --> 00:16:27.360 We've got much beautiful environment in Adelaide Hills. 307 00:16:28.680 --> 00:16:29.520 Well said. 308 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.780 You touched on risk really briefly there, Ted. 309 00:16:33.260 --> 00:16:36.260 And you've experienced enormous risk. 310 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:39.540 And when we say risk, we mean real risk, life-threatening risk. 311 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:42.000 What's your attitude to risk? 312 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:44.100 Because some people say I'd like to try this. 313 00:16:44.140 --> 00:16:46.160 But I'm too fearful. 314 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:47.320 I'm too shy. 315 00:16:47.800 --> 00:16:49.060 I don't know anybody. 316 00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:50.280 Whatever the reasons are. 317 00:16:50.400 --> 00:16:51.500 What's your attitude to risk? 318 00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:55.360 Well, if you don't take risk, you don't live. 319 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.580 Being alive is the biggest risk. 320 00:17:01.400 --> 00:17:02.400 Especially these days. 321 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:06.780 I mean, if I would worry about risk, I would never drive a car. 322 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:08.220 I would never sit in a car. 323 00:17:09.260 --> 00:17:12.400 And I can tell you what is the most risky thing in life. 324 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:16.200 And my mother would say that too. 325 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:18.760 When I was a year old, 326 00:17:18.760 --> 00:17:20.820 my mother was nursing me. 327 00:17:20.860 --> 00:17:22.020 We had bad weather, storm. 328 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:23.720 And my mother said, 329 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:25.420 God, what's happening out there? 330 00:17:25.580 --> 00:17:26.180 I will have a look. 331 00:17:26.340 --> 00:17:27.800 So she opened the window. 332 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:29.940 She was at home, in a house. 333 00:17:30.100 --> 00:17:32.080 So don't stay at home in a house. 334 00:17:32.300 --> 00:17:33.420 She opened the window. 335 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:35.380 She was struck by lightning and killed. 336 00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:39.560 So where is the risk? 337 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:40.560 What is the risk? 338 00:17:40.780 --> 00:17:41.980 You have to take risks. 339 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:44.720 But don't stay at home and opening windows. 340 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:45.880 . 341 00:17:47.860 --> 00:17:49.540 So let's talk about your volunteering. 342 00:17:49.540 --> 00:17:51.300 I know that's a really big part of your life. 343 00:17:51.600 --> 00:17:53.840 And talk to us about, you know, 344 00:17:53.840 --> 00:17:56.300 some people say volunteering is one way street. 345 00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:58.460 You know, we just do that but we don't get anything back. 346 00:17:58.680 --> 00:17:59.900 But you don't see it like that. 347 00:17:59.980 --> 00:18:02.840 No, I get a lot more back than what I got when I was, 348 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.600 when I had my own successful business, 349 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:06.540 catering business. 350 00:18:08.040 --> 00:18:11.380 Yes, I was making good money, working extremely hard. 351 00:18:12.520 --> 00:18:15.780 But volunteering, the money you earn when you are working, 352 00:18:15.780 --> 00:18:16.520 you spend. 353 00:18:17.520 --> 00:18:21.280 But volunteering, you get this big reward. 354 00:18:21.520 --> 00:18:23.780 And feeling of being useful. 355 00:18:24.360 --> 00:18:26.440 That reward stays with you forever. 356 00:18:29.340 --> 00:18:34.940 And also, yeah, to have the feeling of being needed. 357 00:18:35.300 --> 00:18:36.500 That's very important. 358 00:18:36.820 --> 00:18:38.100 And to mix with people. 359 00:18:38.700 --> 00:18:40.500 And giving something back. 360 00:18:41.300 --> 00:18:44.420 I came to Australia, as I said, I was 19 years old. 361 00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:50.820 And I was able to establish myself in this country. 362 00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:53.340 To make my home in Adelaide. 363 00:18:53.820 --> 00:18:56.960 And now it's my duty to return something to society. 364 00:18:58.500 --> 00:19:00.560 And Ted, you mentioned when we spoke earlier 365 00:19:00.560 --> 00:19:03.700 that there was a man in the Hutt Street Centre 366 00:19:03.700 --> 00:19:07.140 who was resoundingly disliked by everybody. 367 00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:11.480 Can you tell us that little story and what that means to you? 368 00:19:11.600 --> 00:19:12.140 Yes. 369 00:19:12.140 --> 00:19:14.160 One Sunday, well, I was working. 370 00:19:14.420 --> 00:19:14.860 I was working on a Sunday. 371 00:19:15.260 --> 00:19:18.960 And helping making sandwiches for takeaway lunches. 372 00:19:19.120 --> 00:19:22.300 On a Monday morning, this gentleman comes to the back door 373 00:19:22.300 --> 00:19:23.700 very early in the morning. 374 00:19:24.320 --> 00:19:27.920 The language he was using wasn't very nice. 375 00:19:28.060 --> 00:19:30.680 And referring to my food as shit. 376 00:19:31.360 --> 00:19:34.640 And who put that shit in my sandwich? 377 00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:36.220 Plus a few other words. 378 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:39.100 And I said, I did. 379 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:41.400 He had a go at me. 380 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.020 Luckily enough, the security door, screen door, 381 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:44.760 was locked. 382 00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:47.780 I was quite frightened because I was there on my own. 383 00:19:49.340 --> 00:19:54.100 Anyhow, a day later he was taken to Glenside Hospital. 384 00:19:55.520 --> 00:19:58.280 In some confined area. 385 00:19:59.840 --> 00:20:03.580 Then I heard he was taken to Lyme McEwen Hospital 386 00:20:03.580 --> 00:20:05.240 up towards Salisbury or whatever. 387 00:20:05.940 --> 00:20:09.600 It took me nearly a whole day to get by public transport 388 00:20:09.600 --> 00:20:14.400 from Crafers to Salisbury or wherever the hospital is up there. 389 00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:15.200 Towards Elizabeth. 390 00:20:15.560 --> 00:20:15.720 Lyme McEwen. 391 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:16.140 Yeah. 392 00:20:16.780 --> 00:20:18.900 And I was very nervous. 393 00:20:20.220 --> 00:20:23.600 But I took the risk of seeing him. 394 00:20:24.580 --> 00:20:25.660 He was lonely. 395 00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:29.500 He's mentally not stable. 396 00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:32.360 So I went to see him. 397 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:34.620 When he saw me, he gave me a hug. 398 00:20:34.940 --> 00:20:37.080 And he says, you came to visit me here. 399 00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:37.820 I said, yes. 400 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:40.360 He says, now I've got two friends in the world. 401 00:20:40.800 --> 00:20:43.400