Laurie wants to stop and retire. Originally from New Zealand, he built a landscaping business from nothing in 1986 to the best on the north coast. He reckons he is working harder than ever. Finding and keeping staff is getting harder. Dealing with their attitudes is...
Bella has run her small architecture firm for over 20 years. As the demand for her work grows, so do her costs. At 52 years old, she had hoped for more options. Since a messy divorce seven years ago, she has spent all reserves from the settlement and parent’s...
I spent many Saturday mornings at Harry’s Hardware on Whistler Street in downtown Manly after Anna and I bought our “renovator’s delight” on Manly flat. Harry had an old-style cluttered store when hardware stores used to be as common as...
Both my parents smoked. Like chimneys. As kids, we’d munch down our morning cornflakes surrounded by last night’s dirty ashtrays. The perfect Christmas present for Dad was a sparkling new ashtray. Little did we know the dangers of smoking. Kind of...
I’ve run three marathons and a dozen half-marathons. I take my running gear whenever I’m travelling overnight. I love what running does for me. That’s thanks to Pete Talty. Regardless of the conditions, Pete was always there. 6am every Saturday, waiting at the bottom...
My wife Anna loves book club. She comes home from their dinners with a new thought-provoking discussion sparked by the book, regardless of whether she liked it, read it or hated it. Their latest was Lessons in Chemistry, which also recently began as a series on Apple...