Episode Fifteen - The Hairdresser

[TRANSCRIPT]

0:00:01 - (Nicole): Bring Your Kid to Work is being recorded in Meeanjin, and we acknowledge and pay our respects to the Yagurra and Turrbl people as the traditional custodians of the land and waters on which we learn, work and play, and we extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

0:00:16 - (Nicole): It's time to bring your kid to work. Hey, everyone. It's time to bring your kid to work. It's the family podcast that explores the world of work through the eyes of parents and their kids. Each week, we interview one parent and their child to chat about what they do for work, what they like, what they don't like and how they got there in the first place. Let's find out who we're talking to today. Our super special guests today are Janice and her granddaughter, Kate.

0:00:48 - (Nicole): Janice Gordon is retired these days, but for most of her life, she's been a hairdresser. She loves making people feel as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. She's been a hairdresser in her own salon, she's been a hairdresser traveling home to home, and she's even been a hairdresser in a retirement village.

0:01:07 - (Nicole): She's done lots of other things in between. But one of her most important jobs, if you ask me, is being my mum. So I'm really excited to welcome my Mum, Janice and my daughter Kate to a special episode of Bring Your Kid to Work.

0:01:21 - (Nicole): Can't wait for you to hear this conversation. So let's get on with the show.

0:01:28 - (Nicole): Welcome to bring your kid to work. I am really excited today to welcome two very special guests because for the first time, I've got my mum and my daughter Kate. So how about we start with introductions? Can you introduce yourself, please special guest.?

0:01:40 - (Kate): I'm Kate.

0:01:42 - (Nicole): How old are you, Kate? I know the answer to that, but I'm asking for them.

0:01:46 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:01:46 - (Kate): 13.

0:01:47 - (Nicole): And Kate, what grade are you in school?

0:01:49 - (Kate): Grade eight.

0:01:49 - (Nicole): What do you love best about grade eight? What's your favorite thing?

0:01:53 - (Kate): Italian. Like a subject or like a thing about grade A?

0:01:57 - (Nicole): Either. Any of those things.

0:01:59 - (Kate): Probably Italian. The subject.

0:02:02 - (Nicole): Nice.

0:02:03 - (Nicole): What's best about being 13?

0:02:08 - (Kate): It's not much different to twelve or whatever.

0:02:12 - (Nicole): It's being a kid. It's being cool. This is all getting cut.

0:02:15 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:02:20 - (Nicole): So who's our other special guest? Who did you bring with you?

0:02:23 - (Kate): My gran.

0:02:24 - (Nicole): What's your gran's name?

0:02:25 - (Kate): Janice. I had to think about that.

0:02:27 - (Nicole): You're like - Gran!

0:02:28 - (Kate): Yeah. I was like, Gran! Ha

0:02:30 - (Nicole): Yeah. Your gran is retired now. But what was her job before then?

0:02:37 - (Kate): A hairdresser.

0:02:38 - (Nicole): A hairdresser. And that's why this episode is called The Hairdresser. Mum?

0:02:44 - (Janice): Yes, Nicole? Good morning.

0:02:49 - (Nicole): Good morning. Being a hairdresser, what did that mean? In your day to day work, what did you actually do as a hairdresser? I'd ask Kate, but she doesn't know because having a hairdresser for a grand means she's never actually been in a salon. So what did you do all day? As a hairdresser?

0:03:04 - (Janice): Do you mean when I was learning or do you mean when I was fully qualified?

0:03:08 - (Nicole): When you were qualified?

0:03:09 - (Janice): When I was qualified. I owned my own salon, so very busy at that stage at a young age, because I was qualified at 19 and had a salon wow. Which was a lot of work. But I loved it.

0:03:24 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:03:24 - (Janice): So it was in the place where I lived, which was in Lavaton in Victoria. I actually bought the business from my boss and then I just took over it, so I knew all the clients. Everything was lovely and I had a great time. My mum used to come in and help me. She used to make cups of teas for all the clients and in those days they used to smoke was terrible. So we used to have ashtrays on our workstations, which was horrible.

0:03:53 - (Nicole): But apart from that, it was lovely.

0:03:56 - (Janice): I really enjoyed my job very much.

0:03:58 - (Nicole): And so every day, what did you actually do during the day?

0:04:03 - (Janice): Well, first of all, I'd go in early to get the salon all set up for the day because you've got to have everything ready. So I worked six days a week wow. Which was quite a lot. So there wasn't much time. And a Thursday night as well. So Sunday was the day of catching up on all your housework. But in the salon you would have your workstations ready for your customers to come in and then it would be your perms or your colors know, just your trims. We did a lot of children there because at that stage there was lots of children in.

0:04:36 - (Janice): It was a housing commission area and you just went on with your day. So from one client to the next. But it was a lot of fun. We did enjoy it and they were very happy. And I still actually keep in contact with one of my clients from all those years ago when I used to do her three daughters hair and herself.

0:04:55 - (Nicole): Wow.

0:04:57 - (Janice): She's 87.

0:04:59 - (Nicole): Goodness. That's amazing. And so all day long you were cutting hair, perming hair, keeping everything flowing and going. Did you ever get to sit down as a hairdresser? Or do you have to keep nothing?

0:05:13 - (Janice): No, there was no lunch breaks, no sit downs. You'd get a cup of tea made, but it was always cold. I always thought that's how you had your cup of tea was cold. It was not very nice, actually, but anyway but sometimes you didn't even have a chance to go to the toilet. So the bladder gets a very good workout of not going. Yes, but yeah, there wasn't any breaks, really, especially on busy days. Thursday, Friday, saturdays were our busiest days.

0:05:39 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:05:40 - (Janice): And so there wasn't a lot of break. And then on Saturdays, sometimes, if it was brides, I'd go to their house.

0:05:45 - (Nicole): After work and put their veils on.

0:05:48 - (Janice): And things like that.

0:05:50 - (Nicole): So you'd do on a Saturday, help them out before they went to church or wherever they were going for getting.

0:05:55 - (Janice): Once I finish work on Saturday, I'd go to their house.

0:05:58 - (Nicole): Oh, wow. Yeah, just to finish off. That is a lot.

0:06:05 - (Nicole): Kate, is that something that you think.

0:06:09 - (Nicole): You might like to do, be a.

0:06:10 - (Nicole): Hairdresser when you get big?

0:06:11 - (Kate): Probably not, no?

0:06:13 - (Nicole): No.

0:06:13 - (Nicole): What do you think you might like to?

0:06:16 - (Kate): Professional dance.

0:06:19 - (Nicole): So what kind of dance?

0:06:20 - (Kate): Anything. Depends on what company or whatever.

0:06:25 - (Nicole): So are we talking ballroom dancing or tap dancing or no. What kind of dance do you like?

0:06:32 - (Kate): Probably jazz, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, maybe, yeah.

0:06:37 - (Nicole): So as a professional dancer, are you wanting to be in a company that is in a theater, that kind of thing?

0:06:44 - (Kate): Probably that. Or maybe working on a cruise ship or something.

0:06:50 - (Nicole): You like cruise ships?

0:06:51 - (Nicole): Nice.

0:06:52 - (Nicole): That sounds fun. What happens if the sea gets a bit big and the stage starts moving about a bit? If it gets a bit rocky a bit? Does that make it difficult?

0:07:01 - (Kate): Probably, yeah.

0:07:03 - (Nicole): Probably want to wear flat shoes for that. Yeah. When you were little, Mum, did you.

0:07:08 - (Nicole): Want to be a hairdresser?

0:07:09 - (Kate): No, I didn't.

0:07:10 - (Nicole): What did you want to be?

0:07:11 - (Nicole): A nurse.

0:07:12 - (Nicole): Why did you want to be a nurse?

0:07:14 - (Janice): Because you could make people better.

0:07:17 - (Nicole): And so what happened to change you from a nurse to a hairdresser was.

0:07:21 - (Janice): Actually my mum's decision, because I used to work on a Saturday helping in a salon, and I was offered an apprenticeship, and Mum said, yes, you'll take it.

0:07:30 - (Nicole): Wow.

0:07:32 - (Janice): So I didn't have a choice in those days. No, you didn't argue because in those days you had to get out to work to help the family.

0:07:41 - (Nicole): Right.

0:07:41 - (Janice): So you had a paid job.

0:07:43 - (Nicole): Yeah. So paid job is better than a dream of something in the future.

0:07:47 - (Janice): Well, probably couldn't afford to go to university or learn to be a nurse then, because with hairdressing it was different. You were paid as you were learning and you were in a salon as you were learning.

0:07:58 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:07:59 - (Janice): So it was different back then to what it is now.

0:08:02 - (Nicole): Yeah, absolutely.

0:08:03 - (Janice): But I still think I'm a nurse because I think a mum's a nurse every day anyway.

0:08:07 - (Nicole): That is very true.

0:08:08 - (Janice): So you see, I'm doing both.

0:08:10 - (Nicole): You are? Yeah. And I think you're very good at both.

0:08:13 - (Janice): I hope so. I try to be.

0:08:15 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:08:15 - (Janice): I'm good with Band AIDS.

0:08:17 - (Nicole): We like a good Band Aid. I remember, actually, you were really good with oh, love that stuff.

0:08:23 - (Janice): Yes.

0:08:24 - (Nicole): Smiley faces on my cut knees.

0:08:25 - (Janice): I remember that. Very good at that. Put a hat on your knee to make a baby. Looks like a baby. Yep.

0:08:31 - (Nicole): Gran hasn't done that for no, no.

0:08:33 - (Janice): Because we don't have chrome anymore, do we?

0:08:36 - (Nicole): Was it bad? Is it poison?

0:08:37 - (Janice): I don't know. Are your knees all right?

0:08:42 - (Nicole): Is it poison?

0:08:43 - (Janice): No, it's not poison. I think they've just stopped making it because you've got Betadine instead now.

0:08:48 - (Nicole): Okay, that makes sense.

0:08:49 - (Janice): Brown not red.

0:08:51 - (Nicole): It's not as much fun putting brown on your knee.

0:08:53 - (Janice): That's right.

0:08:54 - (Nicole): Gross. Now I've lost my train of thought.

0:08:57 - (Kate): That's what my brain was just doing.

0:09:00 - (Nicole): Maybe we have similar brains. So, Mum, when you trained to be a hairdresser yes? Did you have to go into the salon every day and just be in the salon, or was there other things you had to do when you were training to be a hairdresser?

0:09:12 - (Janice): Went into the salon every day, but on a Thursday, that was the first day that I used to go to trade school, which was a school of hairdressing in Melbourne. So every Thursday I had to go by train into Melbourne. And you're at the school and you learn at school how to do all your hair, cutting everything, even the very cleaning of rollers they torture there at trade school. And then I had to come back after school, go straight to work and do the Thursday night.

0:09:42 - (Nicole): Wow.

0:09:42 - (Janice): Yes.

0:09:43 - (Nicole): I can't believe anyone would need to teach you to clean anything, though. That's ridiculous. You would have told them.

0:09:48 - (Janice): I knew how to do that anyway. But it was part of the training.

0:09:50 - (Nicole): And so what was your favorite thing about being a hairdresser? People.

0:09:55 - (Janice): I love people and I find people very interesting now. Conversations were great.

0:10:02 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:10:02 - (Janice): But everybody was different. So what they were telling you would stay with you? I know that hairdressers have a bad name for a bit of gossip, but I never, ever did that because what they said to me, that stayed with me and my client.

0:10:15 - (Nicole): Yeah. It's a very special relationship, isn't it?

0:10:17 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:10:17 - (Janice): You get very attached to them as well and you try to help them. I like to help people, too, so I think a nice, kind word and.

0:10:24 - (Nicole): A hug makes all the difference in the world.

0:10:26 - (Janice): It's not just about the hair.

0:10:28 - (Nicole): No, it's never just about the hair, is it?

0:10:30 - (Janice): It's not just about the hair. Everything else that goes with it.

0:10:33 - (Nicole): Yeah. Kate, what do you think you're going to love most about being a dancer?

0:10:39 - (Kate): Dancing. No. I don't know. Like just feeling the moves.

0:10:46 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:10:47 - (Kate): Grooving.

0:10:47 - (Nicole): Groovin. Do you think that you're going to be dancing by yourself or do you think you'll be dancing with other people? What do you prefer?

0:10:53 - (Kate): Probably dancing with other people.

0:10:55 - (Nicole): Yeah. Is that when you like it most?

0:10:57 - (Janice): When?

0:10:58 - (Nicole): Because you go to dance classes quite.

0:10:59 - (Janice): A bit, don't you?

0:11:00 - (Kate): Yeah. It's always fun to be around different people and make new friends.

0:11:05 - (Nicole): That's always nice. Mum, was hairdressing your first job?

0:11:09 - (Janice): My first real job, yes. I did work in a little milk bar for a while, but that wasn't very long because I was still very young, because I left school before I was 15, so I started work before I was 15. But I just used to work in a cousin's little milk bar for a while, so that was nice. Helen. Helen and Edmund. Yeah, they had a milk bar.

0:11:30 - (Nicole): Where was that at?

0:11:31 - (Janice): Was at Pascovale.

0:11:32 - (Nicole): Oh, okay. So what did you do in the milk bar?

0:11:35 - (Janice): Like, make just serve customers. The tills were, oh, gosh, ancient. Press the buttons and up, pop the little numbers and all that sort of thing. So it was quite interesting.

0:11:45 - (Nicole): Like back in time for dinner kind of thing.

0:11:48 - (Janice): You'd probably see that in the show, that sort of till. Right, so it's quite good. And just putting things in bags, like they used to make a lot of their own sweets and things like that. So, of course you sell lollies. We used to sell lollies.

0:12:02 - (Nicole): Did you get to get paid in lollies? That would be my dream.

0:12:05 - (Janice): I didn't get paid in lollies, but I think I just about ate my pay in lollies while I was there, so yeah, that's pretty good.

0:12:12 - (Nicole): It was your bonus.

0:12:12 - (Janice): It was my bonus.

0:12:14 - (Nicole): When you first started hairdressing, how much did you get paid, do you remember, as a trainee?

0:12:18 - (Janice): My first pay that my first pay ever was $9 a week.

0:12:23 - (Nicole): $9 a week.

0:12:24 - (Janice): And then I had to buy scissors because you have to start buying your equipment. And my scissors cost $9. So there went the pay.

0:12:32 - (Nicole): Wow.

0:12:32 - (Janice): And I've still got that pair of scissors. My first pair of scissors.

0:12:35 - (Nicole): Really?

0:12:36 - (Janice): Yes.

0:12:36 - (Nicole): That's really cute.

0:12:37 - (Janice): They've got my name on them.

0:12:39 - (Nicole): Of course they do. You'd be very proud of them. Kate, do you think you're going to work in a milk bar as your first job?

0:12:45 - (Kate): Probably not, no.

0:12:47 - (Nicole): What do you think your first job is going to be?

0:12:49 - (Kate): Maybe working at Maccas.

0:12:50 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:12:51 - (Kate): Or woolies or something.

0:12:53 - (Nicole): Yeah, something that you could walk to, maybe.

0:12:55 - (Kate): That'd be great.

0:12:57 - (Nicole): Let me put that out there. Yeah. Maccas woolies. That sounds good. Discounts on food. Either way. Happy days. And with your dance, what kind of training do you think you're going to need to do to become a professional dancer?

0:13:11 - (Kate): Maybe go to university and study something to do with dance.

0:13:16 - (Nicole): Yeah. Is there a particular place you want to go to university?

0:13:20 - (Kate): Well, there's a place in Scotland that's a university and they do contemporary and ballet.

0:13:27 - (Nicole): Excellent. So somewhere for me to visit when you go to university. I like that. Grain's going to come too, just so you yes. Yeah.

0:13:35 - (Janice): Thanks, Kate.

0:13:37 - (Nicole): Go to uni.

0:13:38 - (Nicole): We're coming with you.

0:13:40 - (Nicole): So, Mum, so you wanted to be a nurse, but you didn't think that you were going to be able to afford to go to university. How hard was that when you were younger? Did that feel hard, making a choice that wasn't yours?

0:13:51 - (Janice): I think we knew that Mum and dad were struggling. My two eldest sisters had to go out to work at an early age as well, so we all needed to help the family. No, I don't regret it. I don't ever regret that because I think Hairdressing has taught me a lot.

0:14:07 - (Nicole): Of things as well, and of course.

0:14:09 - (Janice): It has stood me in good stead. I've been able to do that wherever I go, so that's been very handy. I respected Mum and dad and I knew they needed help. So you just put that other part aside and just forgot about it.

0:14:23 - (Nicole): Yeah. And Hairdressing has taken you lots of different places, your own salon, you started there. Where did you actually end when you finally retired from Hairdressing? What was the last place you were hairdressing?

0:14:35 - (Janice): The last place I was hairdressing was in a retirement village, which was lovely. I absolutely enjoyed that now. I think that would be probably one of my most favorite jobs ever, even though I had my own salon, I think the retirement village. I wish I was still there, to be honest.

0:14:52 - (Nicole): Yes.

0:14:53 - (Janice): Even though I'm that age now, which is scary. But it was lovely. So that was my job there. It was beautiful. Yeah.

0:15:01 - (Nicole): So why was that so great? What made it so great?

0:15:04 - (Janice): I think it's given me an insight of what people were going to be like when they were at their retirement age and sort of aging as well. Never had that chance with my gorgeous mum, which is very sad. She passed at 58. So to see these people and think, my mum could have been like that.

0:15:22 - (Nicole): Yeah, right.

0:15:22 - (Janice): I think that's what's held me instead. And I really did enjoy them because they had lots of beautiful stories, very interesting people, very knowledgeable. Not a computer in sight, no Google. It was all in their heads. So that was lovely for me. Very good job.

0:15:40 - (Nicole): And I think the love of stories is something that I definitely get from you.

0:15:44 - (Janice): I love all that. I love conversations and people are super interesting.

0:15:48 - (Nicole): Yeah, they really are. And everybody has a story, which is fascinating. Kate, in your peer group, what kind of jobs does everybody want to do?

0:16:00 - (Kate): I think maybe a doctor or a nurse, a lawyer or fashion designer, which are two very different things. And then possibly a midwife, maybe. Yeah.

0:16:12 - (Nicole): So lots of different kinds of jobs that your friends are interested in. And do you guys talk about that stuff when you're at school?

0:16:20 - (Kate): Sometimes, but definitely not.

0:16:24 - (Nicole): Yeah, definitely something.

0:16:27 - (Nicole): And have you talked to a professional dancer to find out what it's like being a professional dancer?

0:16:33 - (Kate): I can't I'm not sure. I've talked to my dance teachers who used to one of them used to be a professional dancer and then went to dance teaching, so yeah, I guess.

0:16:48 - (Nicole): So, yeah, because that's the thing when you want to do a job, you don't necessarily know what it is going to feel like for you and whether it fits you. So asking other people who do that job and finding out a bit more about it is quite useful often, yeah. And what did they say about it?

0:17:03 - (Kate): Lots of auditions and stuff like that to get into companies, but they said they liked it.

0:17:11 - (Nicole): Did any of them go to Scotland?

0:17:12 - (Kate): Don't think so, no.

0:17:14 - (Nicole): I love that you want to do that, though. That's really cool. And once again, we're coming with you in a different world, Mum, where you weren't a hairdresser and maybe not a nurse. Was there anything else that you thought you'd really love to give a try?

0:17:30 - (Janice): Singing?

0:17:31 - (Nicole): Yeah. Well, because you're a beautiful singer.

0:17:34 - (Janice): I like to sing, but I did do that so late in life, I suppose. I mean, I used to sing as a child. I used to get 20 shillings, so they used to give me 20 shillings to sing.

0:17:46 - (Nicole): Wow.

0:17:47 - (Janice): When we used to all have a get together with a family. So that was interesting. 20 shillings was a lot.

0:17:51 - (Nicole): That's a lot back in those days.

0:17:53 - (Janice): You're a paid entertainer. I know. So I love singing. I think that would have been something I would have maybe gone a bit further with.

0:18:02 - (Nicole): Yeah, but we get the benefit of your singing instead.

0:18:05 - (Janice): Oh, the grandchildren do poor things. Yeah. That's how they fall asleep. My singing.

0:18:11 - (Nicole): That's a heck of which is a you can confirm, Kate?

0:18:17 - (Kate): I can confirm, yes.

0:18:19 - (Nicole): When it comes to jobs, Kate, what do you think makes a good job?

0:18:24 - (Kate): Probably something that like a longtime job. Like something that you're passionate about, maybe, and that you actually enjoy it and it's not just for the pay. Yeah.

0:18:36 - (Nicole): What about you, Mum? What do you think makes a good job?

0:18:39 - (Janice): What, doing the job or the people?

0:18:42 - (Nicole): Any of the above.

0:18:43 - (Janice): Well, I think a good job. Yeah. I think, like Kate said, you've got to have that passion, really, and care and everything else. You've got to have all those good qualities that make you a good person, that brings out the best in the person that you are either working on, hairdressing wise or dancing with, like Kate's doing. I think you've got to have that lovely rapport with people, and I think that makes a difference, too, because get that back tenfold.

0:19:11 - (Nicole): Yeah, you do. That's definitely something you taught me. On a great day in the salon, what would that look like? A great day?

0:19:20 - (Janice): The buzz. Yeah. The buz of all the talking and the laughter and everything. Yes. All the smells. The perm smells revolting.

0:19:28 - (Nicole): But never mind that's.

0:19:29 - (Janice): Okay. You get past all that the hairspray makes up for. It used to be lacquer in those days, which was like honey in a bottle. But it was the buz of all the happiness and people going out feeling good about themselves because they look beautiful.

0:19:43 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:19:44 - (Janice): It's nice to make someone feel and look beautiful, and I think that's very important. They used to float out the salon, and I loved it, so I floated all day as well.

0:19:54 - (Nicole): Yeah, which is lucky, because you didn't get a chance to go to the toilet.

0:19:57 - (Janice): That's right. Broom at the back of your brushing as you're going.

0:20:02 - (Nicole): Yeah. And what about on a rough day in the salon? What would be a hard day at work?

0:20:07 - (Janice): I think Thursdays would probably be the worst days, really, because it was such a long day. I would be at the salon at 730 in the morning, I wouldn't get home till about 10:00 at night, so that was a long day. And then you've still got all your towel washing and wraps to wash and your rollers to clean and sterilize everything, because you were going nonstop. It was a busy day because a lot of the people used to come in from work, that was the only time they could come, was after work, so that's why it was a very busy day. By Thursday, I was pooped.

0:20:39 - (Nicole): And then you had Friday and then.

0:20:40 - (Janice): I had Friday and Saturday as well. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'd never change a thing.

0:20:46 - (Nicole): And when my sister Kylie and I came along, you didn't have the salon anymore?

0:20:51 - (Janice): No, I gave up the salon when I was pregnant with Kylie. Yes.

0:20:54 - (Nicole): And when we were little, there was something else you used to do with hair.

0:20:58 - (Janice): Yes, well, I used to do what they know mobile hair, I suppose, these days, and Nicole and Kylie used to come with me, so we used to go to the houses and I would do lots of friends and family. A lot of my older customers wanted me back, which was lovely, so I used to go and do their hair as well. So I had mobile hairdressing and mobile children who were very well behaved when we used to go Brady's places and.

0:21:24 - (Nicole): Who, to this day, love the smell of perm solution, because it just feels like mum.

0:21:29 - (Janice): I don't know if I smell like perm solution. That's a bit yucky. No, you don't smell it.

0:21:34 - (Nicole): I'm just saying. That sounds terrible. But yeah, that smell. It's nostalgic, almost. Yeah, it is, because we had fun times, but yeah. Kate, you've never been to a salon, have you?

0:21:44 - (Kate): No.

0:21:45 - (Nicole): So you've got no idea what Gran's talking about when it comes to getting your cup of tea. And thank goodness they don't smoke anymore in there. You would have had all that secondary smoke.

0:21:55 - (Janice): Gross.

0:21:56 - (Nicole): I'm glad you quit the salon before.

0:21:58 - (Janice): We came along, then.

0:22:00 - (Nicole): Yes.

0:22:01 - (Janice): I don't even smoke. I've never smoked myself.

0:22:04 - (Nicole): Yet you had to just put up.

0:22:05 - (Janice): With it and you did, because you didn't know any different.

0:22:08 - (Nicole): No, we're talking 1970s and they used.

0:22:10 - (Janice): To smoke like chimneys, too, back then.

0:22:12 - (Nicole): Gross. Kate, when you think about leaving school and going to university in Scotland, what are you most excited about?

0:22:21 - (Kate): I think meeting different people, obviously. Going to Scotland. That's a big change from Australia. So, yeah, definitely meeting new people and maybe new teachers, too, like new dance choreographers and everything, because everyone choreographs differently, so it'll be interesting to meet different people.

0:22:42 - (Nicole): Yeah. What do you class as? A good teacher or good choreographer? What do they do to make it great for when you're dancing?

0:22:50 - (Kate): I think when they make it fun and I don't know how. It's like a friend, almost, because they're very supportive and helpful and help you with the choreography when you're learning it.

0:23:03 - (Nicole): So you don't want one of those total divas who screams at all the dances?

0:23:08 - (Kate): Yeah. Luckily, I've never had one of those.

0:23:12 - (Nicole): Do you think you might teach as well when you become a professional? Do you think that's something in your future?

0:23:17 - (Kate): I think maybe, yeah.

0:23:19 - (Nicole): What do you think, Gran? Do you think Kate will make a great dancer?

0:23:22 - (Janice): Kate already is a great dancer and I'm not being biased at all, I'm being truthful. And I think Kate will do really well. She's a very gentle soul. Got a heart of gold are you crying, Grant?

0:23:36 - (Nicole): Yes.

0:23:37 - (Janice): And I love immensely, so I have cried. Can you see? Oh.

0:23:45 - (Nicole): This is an oral medium, not a visual one. Grant cries when you dance.

0:23:49 - (Janice): Kate I do.

0:23:51 - (Nicole): I think you cried when I danced too much. I did, yes. Nicole that was possibly for a different don't know.

0:23:58 - (Janice): That's not true. Because you can dance and you can sing. That's where Kate gets it from.

0:24:03 - (Nicole): Where do I get it from? Clearly, we know. Is there any advice that you'd give kids? Because I know you've got seven grandkids. I have four grown and out of school and then three who are still in school. What would you give advice as far as careers and jobs and things for young people, like the grandkids that you've got?

0:24:23 - (Janice): I think it's very difficult at a young age to try and decide what you want to be when you leave school or whether you want to go to university, if you can afford to go to university. I think they need to try and think it out clearly, what they'd like to do. But the most important thing is to enjoy what you're doing and be happy. It's not about even the money part of it. I think you've got to enjoy what you're doing, like Kate said before, the passion, if that's in you, you'll go anywhere and do anything you want.

0:24:57 - (Janice): So I really think that's what they've got to do is be happy.

0:25:00 - (Nicole): Is there a time when you just completely failed at something when it comes to work? Because sometimes I think people are really afraid of when they leave school. They think they've got to choose the right thing right then. Otherwise it's a complete failure.

0:25:14 - (Nicole): No, I don't think I've failed and.

0:25:16 - (Janice): I've done quite a few different jobs, which are necessity more than anything else, and I think you've just got to put your heart into whatever you do. I don't think it matters whether you're scrubbing floors, being a hairdresser, being a dancer. I think you've just got to put your whole heart and soul into it and do a good job. Yeah, no, half jobs. Don't like half jobs.

0:25:39 - (Nicole): Definitely not. No, I know that all or nothing. Yeah, you've got to give it a go. So, Kate, what's your give it a go plan? When you go to Scotland, you do the dance course that you want to do. What's after that, do you think?

0:25:55 - (Kate): Probably lots of auditions and maybe the cruise ship idea. Yeah, I think working on a cruise ship would be really fun because you get to travel as well as dancing, I think. Yeah, that'd be cool.

0:26:09 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:26:09 - (Kate): But yeah, definitely lots of auditions and trying to get into companies and stuff.

0:26:13 - (Nicole): Yeah.

0:26:14 - (Nicole): That sounds like a lot of hard work, though. You ready for that? Yes, definitely. I think you are, too. Well, guys, thank you so much for coming to Bring Your Kid to Work today. You've traveled a long way from where you were sleeping this morning.

0:26:29 - (Janice): We're exhausted.

0:26:32 - (Nicole): You flew here in your arms. Thank you both very much for making time to be on Bring Your Kid to Work. This is a special joy for me having my mama and my Kate on the podcast, so thank you, Mum.

0:26:45 - (Janice): You're welcome, Nicole.

0:26:46 - (Nicole): Thank you, Kate.

0:26:47 - (Kate): You're welcome.

0:26:49 - (Nicole): Bye.

0:26:50 - (Janice): Bye.

0:26:51 - (Nicole): Oh, my God. You guys are so cute.

0:26:52 - (Nicole): Coming up next, we'll be talking to Sandi and her grown up son, Ahrie. The kids had a name for you when you were a police officer.

0:27:03 - (Sandi): Kids couldn't say constable. They would call me Comfortable Sandi instead of Constable Sandi. I became Comfortable Sandi, and it just kind of stuck.

0:27:15 - (Nicole): You were a police officer for a long time, but you are now moving on, transforming.

0:27:20 - (Sandi): Yeah, but I've taken a traineeship to become a early childhood educator, and so I work and study, and I work at a childcare center. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I knew it would be hard. Could you imagine having a newborn baby at 50?

0:27:35 - (Nicole): No, thank you.

0:27:37 - (Sandi): Yeah, right. So that's kind of what it feels like. So you've got this beautiful little baby, and your heart fills with love, and you're like, oh, my goodness, this is so wonderful, but so hard.

0:27:48 - (Nicole): You don't want to miss this one. Talk to you then.

0:27:53 - (Nicole): Bring your kid to work is a Lioness Media production. This episode was produced and edited by me, Nicole Lessio. Our music is composed by Rakkuo with graphics and design from Anastasia Makhuka. Subscribe to bring your kid to work. Wherever you're listening right now to hear all our episodes and you can also share with your friends. We hope they enjoy listening, too. You can follow us on Instagram at Bring Your Kid to Work and on Facebook at Bring Your Kid to Work - the podcast. And you can follow me on TikTok Nicole Lessio visit bringyourkidwork.com to see bonus content transcripts from our episodes and to sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates. Thanks for listening.