Fashion to Fillies - Lorilie Cunningham talks entrepreneurial journeys, philanthropy, horses and Dancing CEOs

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Marisa

Well, I'm so excited today to have one of the most buoyant and colourful people in the whole of Brisbane or maybe the world with us today, the quintessentially gorgeous Lorely Cunningham. Lorely, welcome to our podcast.

Lorilie

Thank you, Marisa. That's a beautiful, beautiful entree. Not sure if I live up to it, but anyway, thank you.

Marisa

Well, your jacket does today, at the very least, i didn't expect you to come in in black or white.

Lorilie

One day I'll shock you in web page. I know I do not believe that will ever happen.

Marisa

Lorilie, it is truly such a pleasure to have you, and we always start our podcast by asking you to talk about your favourite bubbles and perhaps why it's become your favourite. So, through us with what your favourite bubbles is and why?

Lorilie

So? my favourite bubbles is Louis Rotoran, and I say the two four two, and I only say that because Tony John's told me to say that and he's, he's the absolute, i think, the king of bubbles. If Bernadette Shea is a queen, he's the king And he. I have always loved Ferf, but you know, and still love Ferf, but just through meeting Tony and a group of friends and we always drink champagne when we're together I love that I'm becoming educated by a friend of mine over a beautiful glass of bubbles. So that's just a lovely thing. And really my palette was not that sophisticated. I did a course with Bernadette Shea and I think I failed terribly And I was in awe of her, but really that's. You know, i drink it and I love it And I'm learning more and more as I go along. See, you never stop learning about bubbles. So it's a wonderful thing.

Marisa

And I think, lorely, thinking about the last few years, particularly in your and my life, it is. We are definitely the people that embody the drink in your champagne when we're happy or sad or anything in between, because it seems to be that ultimate pick me up and celebrate to drink, but also something you can actually drink when you are a bit down. So, and tell me about 242. I haven't heard of the Louis Roto.

Lorilie

Well, there's a 242 and a 243. And from what I've learned from Tony, 242 is just just has different tones to it. If that's the right word, whatever, but you know it. All I know is, when I drink it, i, the bubbles, dance my tongue and it just is very easy, beautiful, easy champagne to drink. 243 is probably not that much different, but anyway just a digital piece of 242 something 242.

Marisa

And for those of you that don't know, tony and Fran Johns are the wonderful developers and owners of the Emporium Hotel in Brisbane, which is one of the most beautiful hotels in town And it's sophisticated in every way, isn't it? Lorelie design to the restaurants, to the events that we've held there I think individually as well, and so he should know what he's talking about.

Lorilie

Absolutely, and they're amazing people because they have, you know, the artistic design that they put into the original hotel, the original Emporium. And then this one is quite amazing And they're just such a great team, fran and Tony, so they work so well together And they have difference and complementary skills And, yeah, it's wonderful. It's wonderful getting to know them better and spending time. I've known them for many years, but particularly the last couple of years. So it's tones my educator. We all need an educator.

Marisa

I actually want to ask one question before we leave the drinks issue, because I think I said in my first episode of the podcast, i didn't discover champagne till I was in my 40s And, going up in an Italian family, that kind of prioritized Asti, riccadona and Spamante and Prosecco. Do you remember having your first glass of champagne?

Lorilie

I do And I don't know. I think it probably was around then. I really had, as I said, not having, you know, a hugely sophisticated palette, but in saying I still know what I like. I remember my brother when I was quite young, maybe about 19. And he's a few years older And he and his wife are very much into good wines, And I know that he conned me into being I was going to say an escort. That sounds terrible. I'm not an escort. I had a very, very career. I didn't have that on my list.

Take the escort bit back. I know I was. They had some tasting. I was like Miss BYU, marumba Now Marumba was some. I think it was probably a direct full.

I shouldn't have a, you know, a maquisant sort of round, but I remember it was a very inexpensive wine drink. So I sort of thought, oh, get on to this. And then, you know, i used to drink shinsano dreadful things, and really I then stopped drinking anything but white wine And then that led me into drinking. It wasn't champagne, it was sparkling wine, which is pretty dreadful because it was very sweet, and so I stopped drinking that. And it wasn't until I probably, you know, came to a time in my life where I could afford to buy good champagne. That I did, and I actually can't remember the first glass, but I would have been, i think, probably my 40s, and I remember thinking this is so beautiful And, you know, loving it ever since. But strangely we can talk about this later, once we talk about my health journey. But I have loved it more since I've had breast cancer and my taste buds changed, and so silver lining, lovely silver lining, of that We'll talk about a couple of silver linings that you will talk about later.

Marisa

Well, let's cheers, louis Roderwe, and thank you for sharing with us the story of your journey with LR, and cheers to a wonderful podcast. Wonderful Thanks, Marisa Tell me about when we first met.

Lorilie

Marisa, i remember knowing of you and reading about you and wanting to get to know you And we met at a mutual friends house And you. What I was struck by when I met you was your beautiful and warm, friendly nature And I'm always drawn to warm, friendly people. Sometimes, if they're not warm and friendly, it's a little bit of a you know, provides a challenge. So I might as well share the challenge. So I might, might chase those people just to get them. Just to get them, you know, get them right into my sort of area of let's have a good chat. But you were amazingly warm and beautiful And I remember we spoke. I was really in awe of what you were doing with Hanwayth House. It was after the Hanwayth House burnt down but prior to you getting breast cancer.

Okay, so that was probably about eight years ago maybe Yeah, And I was just I delighted to finally meet you, because you're always this person who I was in awe of for your, your beautiful spirit, the way that you got things done, And you know, and I at that time I knew you did wonderful events And I was always, again, very respectful and in awe of people who, who did things and made things happen, and especially in philanthropic areas. So I was very, very happy that day to have you on the veranda to myself, for I think we spoke for about 20 minutes. Oh, that wouldn't down like us, would it 20 minutes.

Marisa

I probably had a couple of Champagne's by then That's right.

Lorilie

I think you and I, you know, had about three breaths because we had a lot to exchange. But I knew from that time that I met you, Marissa, that you would be in my life.

Marisa

And we have been in each other's life ever since, so I'm very grateful conversely, and we've had some wonderful adventures together, so I'd love to explore some of those today. But thank you for those lovely words. I really appreciate them and definitely appreciate you being a part of my orbit these days. But one thing I don't know about you is where you grew up. You know how you grew up, what you did at school, what did you do afterwards? Because I think it's been, i would assume, a very, very trajectory to where you are today, so I'd love you to tell me a bit about that.

Lorilie

Well, i will. It's quite funny that we've known each other. We really have never spoken about this. So I grew up in Camp Hill. I was actually born at the Red Brick Hotel down south of Brisbane. My father was a publican And I was the youngest of five. And my father died when I was 18 months old and had been ill for some time with a brain tumor And my mum was managing the pub and managing five children And he was very ill and passed away. So my mother then moved to Camp Hill and bought a house there And really didn't have any money because in those days the death duties had taken away anything she had. So mum was, you know, really struck me. She was a young mother of you know late 30s with five children. So we moved to Camp Hill. She sent the boys, my old brothers, to Villanova And she met their schoolteacher, peter Roley, and she then married Peter Roley about 18 months later.

So scandalous, is he? a scandalous school? Scandalous Because he was a bachelor, he'd never been married. He, you know, came into. He was at their teachers too, so they had to keep it for a quiet. I mean, the boys would. I can remember one time Michael telling me that he got into trouble from him at school, for not because he forgot his homework, but but Dad had been to our place the night before and saw it, but he had to treat Michael's scandals. Michael never forgave him for it, didn't he say, but didn't you see it last night when you were at our house? Well, that was spawned as secrecy, anyway, when it, when the truth came out that the widow of five and because she also was a publican's wife, it was all a bit scandalous Anyway.

So, yeah, they got married and I being the youngest of five, my older four siblings all left home quite early. For one was the Navy, one went to Melbourne, diane had it, got married, had baby, and my other brother moved somewhere else And they all sit, they all left within a period of 12 months. So I was, i really grew up as an only child. I had four siblings, but you know they, as I was in in my, you know my years at primary school and leading at high school. I was really an only child And I adored my, my stepdad. He was the most beautiful man. So I had a lovely life with my mum sporting me census and him sporting me. We decided he used to take me to. You know great adventures. And he was a lovely man.

So I went to school at Loretto, confident Couparou, and then I finished year 12 and I decided, bizarrely, to study accounting. And I, to this day, i have no idea why the universe led me there. Well, to be honest, i did start off studying journalism because I thought that might be some way to lead me into public relations or something interesting, and the course just all fell apart. So I decided that I would study accounting. So I did a Bachelor of Commerce, hated every second of it, but it's probably one of the best things I've ever done.

The first term of year, when I was at university, i met my husband, gary, so we start dating then. So I was very young, i was 17. And I met him and so I graduated from university and worked. I worked as an accountant for 10 years And Gary and I got married and started having babies and kept working there. And then he went to, he got a job in Melbourne. So I went down to Melbourne and I decided I was having a little break from accounting And I started a fashion label just because I was fiddling around, made myself something, painted it, and those days it was like you know all that hand painting and embellishment Did that, popped the outfit on, went into Melbourne and Melbourne shopping.

This lady said to me, where did you get that amazing outfit from? And I said, oh, i made myself. She said, well, can you provide the store? I said, of course I can. At that stage I really knew no one at Melbourne So I still to this day don't know how I made that happen, but I did So. That was the start of my fashion label called Bows and Hearts Designs.

When we moved back to Brisbane a few years later I opened a store at Rosalie. Again, we'll see. There we go, all comes around. That was the development that Tony Johns did down Rosalie. So I opened a store down there. And then we moved to Nashville, tennessee, to start a business over there. So I closed the store, moved to Nashville So my accounting hat was back on over there.

So it was a very complex, you know, being in the healthcare system over there with all the different healthcare companies. So my accounting hat was back on And I loved that experience over there Country music, amazingly beautiful, warm people And just it was such a challenging but incredible, incredibly rewarding time. So, yeah, we did that for a few years And then I came back and opened up Happiest Place. So I want to go back to the other side of my brain again. So I flipped from accounting to fashion, then accounting again and then back to something beautiful and creative, and so that was all around beautiful interiors. And I did that with my daughter, stephanie, who'd been living in the UK, so she sort of brought all her ideas from the UK, mine from the US, and we just created this beautiful place called Happiness Place.

Marisa

It was a beautiful place. I remember I must have gone there before I met you officially And I the beautiful purple teapot and cups at Hanworth come from my friend Fleur who bought them after seeing Happiness Place. But I've got quite a lot of lovely things from that store. But I'm thinking, how did you flick that mind from accounting to fashion design? I mean, we all have this stereotypical view of an accountant, right? You know, the person that would have walked in here wearing beige this morning would have been an accountant morally. But it really is so diverse. I mean, were you artistic as a child?

Lorilie

No, not at all, not at all. My I think my extent of being artistic was to, you know, decorate my bedroom. I remember it was. I had purple bedspread with orange embroidery through it.

Marisa

They were my favourite two colours too, as a child purple and orange And we are so in these days.

Lorilie

I know, i know And but no, i never thought of myself as artistic. I always thought that I wanted to please my parents and I wanted to go to university and I wanted to get a degree. So I guess doing that first year of journalism which didn't work out was, again, it was me flipping. It was going from a creative degree to something like accounting which is, you know so, on the other end of the spectrum. So my whole life I flipped between the two And I do one for a while and I flipped the other and then you know, it goes back. But now you know it's.

I look back over all of those times And when I was involved in a creative, in a creative part of my life the accounting and the commerce background that I had helped so much And I talk to, you know, qut fashion students now and say to them you know, one of the most important things you can do is school yourself in business, because so many creative people fail because they're so incredibly talented but they forget that they're running a business too And the creative mind doesn't allow them to focus on those, those sort of issues. So I'm very fortunate I'm a left brain, right brain, brain flipper.

Marisa

That's amazing. I just never knew that there was so much happening in your life to between the two universes. So I just desperately want to hear more. One thing before I leave this growing up and the world of business. You said you went to Nashville, but there must have been a motivating force to go to Nashville. I mean what was a very big decision and a very big interest again.

Lorilie

That was probably one time in my life that I left it all in my. It was something my husband wanted, my husband, gary, wanted to do And he had been thinking about for a long time and we had come across a couple when we lived in Melbourne and he, his wife, was an Australian physiotherapist and he was American and he wanted to set up. They went back to Chicago and he wanted to set up a business over there in Australian style physiotherapy. So Gary went over there and set it all up for him And after he did that he, gary, said to me look, i really think that we could do this in partnership with them, but expand it. So we went to Nashville, tennessee, and mainly because of Tracy Corkins, who you would know, who was an amazing Olympic swimmer, so she came from Nashville, so they joined the business. So we changed our mind from setting up in Chicago to setting up in Nashville And I'm forever grateful for that decision because I always have always will love country music. So I was in heaven going to Nashville And in those days it was 1996, it was a very big, a small, big country town, if that makes any sense.

It was similar to Brisbane in size, but it was. It felt like it was about 20 years behind Brisbane And you know, there was no, all the restaurants were chain restaurants. There was no excuse me no decent coffee. The bread was sweet and horrible. Basically, everything was just sort of very small town, but the music was everything. The music just made me. You know, i didn't really care if I was drinking terrible coffee, eating terrible bread, if I had music, and music has always been very important in my life And it was just incredible over there because you'd go to the littlest bars and there'd be someone amazing playing there or there'd be someone you've never heard of before who was completely amazing And you couldn't understand why there weren't some you know, garth Brooks or some amazing star. So we built the business over there over a period of about 20, 25 years And we lived there, we came. We then came back to Brisbane for the kids to be in school And we went back and forth. Gary and I traveled back and forth And it was just incredible. They're just such warm, beautiful people over there.

So we we took all Australians over there to start the business And what we knew was that Australian physiotherapists were trained better and did a better job of rehabilitating people than what the US trained physiotherapists were Back then. The US therapists did a lot of exercise prescriptions, so a lot of their clinics looked like gyms there's lots of bikes, things and they weren't really trained in manual techniques. So we took the Australians over there, set up these you know, outpatient physiotherapy clinics with Australians who were so well trained. And we said to the doctors and it was all, all the patients had to come through doctor medical referral. There's no direct access. So we went to the doctors and said, look, we would like you to send us your hardest patients, your most difficult patients, and we will get them better for you. And we did So. That's how we started And by the time we saw the business there were we had, oh goodness, hundreds and hundreds of clinics in 10 different states.

And we you know it was it was quite a challenge getting the message through without storming and saying we are better than you. But you know, the southern, southern American people are so embracing, there is no tall poppy syndrome at all. They are beautiful people And they wanted us to to achieve and to, you know, to be successful over there, and so they're very supportive And, yeah, so we we very proud of what we did over there, because we we did great things. We prevented many, many people from surgeries and and yeah, so it's still operating over there And we're very proud of it.

Marisa

Amazing. So how long did you spend in the states? So we were there.

Lorilie

Oh gosh, we were there for five years permanently And then we came back with the children and go in our commuter. So one of us would go there One was saying Brisbane with the kids, the other one would go to Nashville to work And then we'd come home to each other for a week and then swap back over. That went on for quite a few years And then when the older three children finished school oh, i forgot to mention the first time we came back I found I was pregnant at 42. So that was that was sort of going to help the, the traveling back and forth a bit.

Marisa

That was the consequence of Gary being away for so long.

Lorilie

It was you being away for so long and having to really catch up when you came back I always say to save his mortification that he was my country music love child And when I say love I get love and he hates that. Sorry, dave.

Marisa

Sorry, Dave Sorry.

Lorilie

Can't imagine he's now 22 just dying at the thought anyway. And my 16 year old daughter also died at the thought that mom and dad were still doing it.

Marisa

And so 42. And so you know how did you react to that I mean, i was just happy.

Lorilie

Look, to be honest, we'd always wanted to have another baby, but we were so busy in Nashville building this business that I knew I couldn't take any time off work. So I had said to Gary, when you're coming back? I said, you know, darling, you know if you want to have that other baby. And they said, well, yeah, great. And I said we'll see. We're going back to, you know, brisbane next year. That's probably going to be a good time. But I said you know, i'm getting that age where things are starting to get a little bit difficult.

And, yeah, it just happened. It was almost like a manifest that we knew. So I come back to Brisbane. And I got back here and no, i found that just before we moved back And so I had to come back and tell all my friends and everyone. And they were like, are you serious? So it was a planned, it wasn't, it wasn't a shock, but it was. It was always one of those things that happened. It happened, it didn't, it didn't. But yeah, then we've got this beautiful, beautiful young man now who you know I loved being being part of his life going back to school, because he started school the year after my youngest of the other three had finished. So I'm starting off in grade one with a grade one when all my friends are out of. You know all the kids have graduated, So it was, but it's been the most amazing experience I've made beautiful friends through through him and and certainly does it does keep you young.

Marisa

How incredible In terms of. you had a comment a little while ago about I just flick between. you know accounting and then creative and accounting. One thing you haven't flicked between is your husband's. That's right. So it's very lovely to see that Gary has been the stable influence in your life, despite your career taking many directions, but Gary seems to be always this incredibly supportive rock.

Lorilie

He is, he's amazing, he's so calm He's. He and I are so different. You couldn't find two people who are more different. But it works because of that, i think, and he is calm, he nothing phases. Gary, you can be faced with the, the biggest issue to deal with, and he is calm, unless it includes children, that he, he. That rattles him more than anything. But anything on a business or anything on, you know, health levels, any, any problem you may have, gary is just very gentle, calming influence in my life And it allows me to do everything I do. I think.

Marisa

Well, it's lovely to see you together.

I'm glad that he had a little spot now podcast discussion as well, because I think that's incredibly important. You've been very interested in startups. Obviously you're American. One was happiness place was. Tell me what you think about. I think your personality is one that lends itself to something new and exciting. You see the challenge and the opportunity and something that's new, But I know a lot of the people that listen to the podcast are starting out in their careers and have a great idea. What do you think are the perhaps the two biggest challenges to starting out a new business? I think you mentioned one of them before about making sure that if it is something creative, that you have a bit of a sound financial, that's from now. It's about it as possibly one of the things. What other things do you think people should think about before they embark on something new?

Lorilie

I think one of the things that people need to to do and understand before they start this startup is do a lot of research first and ask a lot of questions. You may get door slam in your face from people who won't share the knowledge, but there are so many incredible people in this world who want to help you and who want to mentor you and who want to share their invaluable experiences and learning about what you are wanting to start up, and so it may be an idea that someone else has never tried. Even if that is the case, there will be people who've done something similar in those you know, in that severity that you are thinking of starting out in. So I would say, you know, it's just so important to talk to people and find maybe find just one mentor to whom will keep you going after you start the business, someone you can phone and just ask a quick question of. I just think that's so, so important.

And I think the second thing that is really important, too, is to going back to what I said before is understand how a cash flow works and understand how your revenue cycles work, and it's something that you should know once you've been in your business, for, you know, 12 months to use you should have a really good grasp on.

You could take a snapshot of your business and you know exactly where it is and what's happening with it And you know if there's a problem with it, whether your revenues are, you know, decreasing in line with your expenses or whatever is happening there. But you really do need to have someone to help you with that. So, if you don't have that skill, choose someone who can work with you on that or, again, educate yourself so that you know, and that, for me, i feel, is the greatest gift that I had. Was that, anything we did, i had that solid financial account, a play base that gave me the confidence and the knowledge which, whatever business we started, i could find myself with my nose in the books and I knew what. I could understand, what was going on.

Marisa

And you stress the importance of a mentor. Can you articulate, or, looking back at your, what you've established in terms of a mentor relationship? What is the number one characteristic that you think is the most important characteristic of someone looking for a mentor? If I'm going to start a business and I'm looking for someone to mentor me in some way, what do you think the number one thing is that I should be looking for in that person?

Lorilie

I think you should look for someone who communicates well with you, that you can communicate directly with that person. They can communicate with you, meaning that they're honest with you, that they're not going to pretty up a situation to make you feel good about things. That they will be honest with you when you say what do you think about this. So someone you can freely and honestly communicate with, I think is the most important, absolutely the most important thing.

Marisa

And you've probably, conversely, been asked to be a mentor. And as a mentor, what do you think is the number two things that you should be able to give back before you decide to actually take someone on? What process do you go through to determine if you're a suitable mentor for someone who? because you must get asked to be a mentor for many people and you can't be everything to everyone, right. So what kind of litmus test would you use to determine someone who you think you'd be a good fit for as a mentor?

Lorilie

Well, i always say I always ask these individuals what they're, what support they're looking for, and I talk about what experience they've had first. So I get to know them a little bit, find out what support they need, and the first thing I do as a mentor is tell them what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are. So if my weaknesses are something that they are going to rely on, that they need in that business, i would sell not the right person for you, but I think I quite often then try and suggest someone else, mainly usually my husband.

Because my son is talking to you his relationship.

Marisa

That's right.

Lorilie

I direct them to him. But yeah, there's been, you know, there's been businesses that we have invested in And Gary is a very strong mentor for a lot of, has been for a lot of startups And there are things that you know. He sometimes refers to me, but I will, because he has such a strong base on so many different areas. He is a very, very good mentor. But there are things in creative lines for you know, where we know in, say, you know, within the arts and in fashion and different areas like that, where Gary will will pass most of those to me and say you need to speak to Lorylie about this area, she, i have no idea, and so he passes it over and I do the same thing with him. So sometimes we act as joint mentors, which works really well, depending on what the business is. Sometimes I just know exactly it's, it's his, his forte, and sometimes you know it's my forte.

Marisa

I think so. So great relationship, partnership in life and partnership in business, which is sometimes challenging, i would think in many respects as well. But I want to then go and talk to you about it sounds to me that you're often an accidental participant in business. It just comes or your whim comes your way and you decide to take it, which is very ambitious And and throwing caution to the wind a lot of the time with a general feeling about risk management. But I want to perhaps, just after we take a little break and talk about how you came and to indulge your love of horses perhaps, and then I will definitely want to participate in a lovely discussion around philanthropy Beautiful.

So I want to hear about how you stumbled into horses.

Lorilie

Well, we literally did. We stumbled into Magic Millions in 2017. My husband, my son and myself and we have a place at the Gold Coast And I knew that Gary loved racing And he had. I remember when we first met all those years ago, speaking about racing and over the time we probably had been to the races I don't know count less than 10 times but always loved it. But it really was never part of our life because we were busy. We were busy building businesses, having children, and we were overseas a lot, so horses just weren't really anything. That was a big part of our lives Until this day.

And I said to him darling, the auctions for Magic Millions are on. It's just down the road, let's go. And he said, oh, okay, but this wasn't the first time I said this. He had said no And a few times I said to him look, if you don't want to buy racers, we don't have to, but I thought you did. Later on I found out that it was because he knew when we bought one it would lead to 100 very quickly And I thought it was going to be one. So all my encouragement was I don't know if I would have been that encouraging knowing it would be so many. But looking back now, it's the best thing we ever did, though.

We stumbled into the sales, looked around, i thought there'd be a few horses there, there's just thousands. And so we marched up to the information booth and I said to the girl excuse me, we would like to buy a horse but we don't really know how to. She said, right, we'll get someone Outlawed, beautiful Clint Donovan, who was so, who's now become a great friend of ours And he's a wonderful locksheeter at the Gold Coast. He came out and sat down and said I'll tell you how to buy a horse. You need to identify a trainer. We need this, we need. That was sort of horse.

And all of a sudden Gary started speaking with this horsey link And I thought, gary, how did you learn this horsey link? And he was the one to stay, and this one. So, anyway, i just sat there and quieted the new state. Anyway, we we missed out on the first couple of horses, and on the last day we bought this beautiful Philly, who we named light at the room. Well, gary named, which is very sweet of him, he named it after me. So that was a very lovely, lovely thing to do.

Marisa

So he named Is that what Lorilie means?

Lorilie

No, he just called it light at the room because he thinks I like the room.

Marisa

Light at the room. I thought perhaps Laurie meant light at the room, which you do every time you walk into the room.

Lorilie

So no, laurie is actually a very nasty mermaid on the Rhine River. So he said to me OK, and again, not realizing that that we're going by a lot of horses going forward. So he said to me look, i'll name the horse and you design the silks. I thought that I could, that that was just the silks for light up the room, and that I could, if we did buy other horses, that I could do different silks every time. So I just did very quickly And then when we bought the second horse about two weeks later, i said, oh goodie, now I'll just get my little pencil satin on some other little silks. And he said, no, laurie is very direct way. He said, no, those silks are going to be for all of our horses. And I said that can't be. I said that cannot be That was my didn't put enough effort into those.

I don't really like them anyway. That was my trial.

So we bought about 20 horses and they wore those silks. And then a couple of years later, my son, mitchell, who was a Cathay pilot and was wanting to be at home with his little family. So we, gary, then decided being the business brand that is and knowing that racing is a fun thing to do. But Gary wanted to make a business out of it. So Gary decided we should start breeding. So he said to Mitchell why don't you stop flying and come home and start our breeding company, which he did? So I said to Mitchell first thing. I said to Mitchell you can change those silks, even I don't like them. And he said right, so we now have beautiful blue and gold silks. So it's been the most amazing thing for our family. It's after selling our business in the US.

I was a bit concerned about what Gary would do. I knew I was fine. I had other interests in other businesses and I was I would be fine, but I was very concerned for him. It's been the most magnificent thing for our family. He works every day with his two sons. So Mitchell runs a breeding company.

Xavier worked at our breeding farm down the Hunter Valley for 18 months. He's just back home now for his law degree. He will go on to work He's got a dual degree business in law but he will work in the racing or breeding industry, probably go overseas for the next couple of years and work all around the world, but it gives Gary the opportunity to work with two of his boys, and our other two children are very much involved too, on different levels. So it's just wonderful And we've met the most magnificent people in racing. People come from all walks of life And that's what I love And it's most. I mean, you know they're just beautiful people, we who are very passionate about their horses, and they're just interesting, interesting people. And you know we're doing interesting things And at our stage in life it's just wonderful to be able to work with your children and work towards something that we hope will be a multi generational business for our family.

Marisa

But literally I'm perplexed. So you walked into this sale yard and said we want to buy a horse, and think this Gary knew the lingo. Did you just go and choose the most fabulous looking horse you could? I mean or are you kind of giving us the kind of very PR version of what happened that day, Because all these horses to choose from, I mean I'm guessing there has to be a science as to which one you might invest in.

Lorilie

There's an amazing amount of science, but the science isn't good enough to to work out who's going to win a race every time, otherwise it'd be, you know, no way to drink. Anyway, what what Gary did was he wanted to stay out because Australia loves sprinters, whereas horses in overseas, in European countries, people over there love stay. So stay is you know someone who runs more than two miles. Melbourne Cup is a staying race, which is why most horses come in from overseas for the Melbourne Cup, because there's not so many stays in Australia. So Gary knew he wanted to stay. He loves he certain horses that he just knew. But, as I said on that day, he blew me away with what he actually knew. So we were given a short list of six. So he gave the trainer that was nominated by Clint who had his stock stockbroke agent there. He said these people want a horse, that is we didn't care what was a cult, ruffially, we just so Gary gave him the list of him want to stay. You know a few other sort of specifications. So we got a short list of six. So we went around, had looked at six and I thought they're all beautiful.

I think every horse is beautiful, but so am I more beautiful than the other and others? But Mitchell and I loved and light up the room was the last horse that we saw And she was a filly and she was just and they look they. She is beautiful She. They named her Megan Gale in the stable because she was very tall, statuesque and beautiful And she has since had two babies and pregnant with a third and the babies are just starting.

So she was a very beautiful horse to look at, but I don't.

I'm not because I love that. You know, i look at the horse's eyes, so when you see the overall picture of the horse, you can see that some just have a beautiful. You know, mitchell's educated me on a lot of things and what to look for, but honestly, on that day back in 2017, i was just loving the more and I think it was universe working for us to choose or and to get it auction, because it's very competitive to buy these horses a lot of time, and I think it was the universe directing us to her because she was a successful racehorse on the track And she's now. We sold her first, her first colt at Magic Miners this year, so we're now selling selling horses as much as buying them. So that first day I will always, always remember, it being such a magical day of us going and they're not really knowing Gary using the bit of education he had, and us coming up this beautiful horse who is now living on a farm in the Hunter Valley breeding for us.

Marisa

So it's beautiful, it's amazing the way you and I have this lovely conversations about the universe directing us to do things. And I think that's something in life that you can't put a price on, isn't it? But not only are you buying and breeding, and you're also really concerned about what happens to the horses next? Absolutely.

Lorilie

So it's about well groomed Yes. So I formed back in 2021. I formed a group called Well Groomed Racing, which is a group of women who are new, passionate about the horses. And there'd been that you know, dreadful ABC report on what happened to a lot of horses post racing And I knew that that wasn't the case with the huge majority of X-ray horses. I knew firsthand that a lot of the horses went on to become show jumpers and equestrian, you know, involved in equestrian activities and smaller ones could become polo horses few of those because of their size. I also knew that of people who had farms just so that their horses could go to onto their farm after that. But at the same time, there were still unaccounted horses that we didn't know where they went to, what happened. So we decided that we would form the script to raise funds for for rehoming of horses and, of course, being thoroughbreds, they are born to race, they're bred to race, they're born to race, they love racing, so you have to retrain them after they leave the track to become a show jumper or you know equine therapy and really they had this period of retraining. So our trainer's wife, jane Gollin, had a foundation called Transition Thourobreeds So she would retrain these horses to go onto their afterlife and I say after, after racing life. So we raised money for her. So that's how it all started.

And then, of course, i couldn't do anything last year because I was not well. But this year we're doing it again and I went to an equine therapy farm last week who we're going to raise money for, and they help women suffering who've come out of trauma mainly domestic violence situations. Also, children risk, children who are various problems and won't go to school. They provide they have these amazing horses out there. It's out in Western West Brisbane. It's beautiful property and they use these beautiful x-ray horses to help these women and I spoke with the woman last week and it just made me feel so proud of what these beautiful animals can do. And so you know, they're beautiful, they're majestic, they're intelligent, they're intuitive. They can do so much to help people with mental health conditions or people who've suffered trauma. So there's so much they can do.

Post-racing. It's just getting them, leading them into the right hands and and Racing Queen. So now we pay a percentage of our prize money to Racing Queen. So they've got. They've got money there too and they've been trying to work out how to get it through to the best avenues, which they're now doing, thank goodness. So a lot of the therapy farms are getting grants from from Racing Queensland, and so it's a very good thing.

So you know, in some ways that direct, full, awful report has done a lot of good because, whilst it painted a picture that wasn't typical, it also made a lot of people sit up and think we need to do better here. And yeah, so it's been. It's great and I'm so happy that we that I can do that and make a difference. And so having a big fundraiser in September at Eagle Farm Race Track and want to raise a lot of money for the equine therapy farm and also one other organization I'm raising money for which is Kickup, which is an amazing girl for Vicki Leonard. She has created this organization to help people give again, give a positive voice to racing. So when you go to the track and there's protesters outside screaming, you're telling you that you're a direct, full person because you're going to the track or you own a racehorse. She is educating people on the facts and figures so that we can argue the cause and say this is not the typical case. So Vicki's been amazing in doing that.

And the other lovely thing that happened to me last year is her racing. Apart from all the magnificent women I met because I am in quite a lot of ladies only since it gets, gay Waterhouse called me out of the blue one day. I had there's an article in Racing Magazine about my fundraising she called me. We've become great friends. She is one of the most wonderful women in racing. She does so much good, she is quirky, she's fun, she's successful and she's just a great person to be around. She is so full of positive energy, gay, so I feel very blessed. I've got to know her too.

Marisa

It's wonderful. This philanthropic heart of yours is something we're going to explore a little bit more in in a second, but before we go there, there was a pretty special event last year that, um, we're all kind of living vicariously through you as you were celebrating a wonderful course win, would you? do a deltas and tell us about anything there, what it was like, and I don't even know how you would have felt when it all happened.

Lorilie

So we went to Royal Ascot last year for the first time. We had booked to go there in 2020 and that didn't happen due to COVID. So 2022. We just finished treatment and didn't know whether I'd be well enough to go, but I was thank goodness and we went over to England and went to Royal Ascot and about maybe about six weeks, we'd bought into this syndicate for this beautiful horse called State of Rest and because we breed, we typically buy you know, if we do buy horses, we typically buy fillies but we'd bought into this Colt syndicate because he was just such a successful racehorse.

And Mitchell said we need to be involved with this horse. And it was with Newgate, who are fantastic and amazing farm and group of people. So we, about six weeks or so before Royal Ascot, there was a race in Paris that he won and Gary said I think that's going to get him to Royal Ascot. And I said to Gary darling, you know how? you know, sometimes we don't know the horses running until that week. How can this be right? and he said well, it's a little bit different over there. Anyway, i really didn't think that much more of it. And then, you know, newgate had a dinner to celebrate and I thought, well, this is real, this horse is actually going to go and run at Royal Ascot. So you know, number one, just going there for the first time was the biggest, such a thrill in my life. Having a horse run in a race was incredibly exhilarating, exciting. But I've never, ever, felt the thrill of seeing that horse run across that finishing line first. It was a joy like I cannot describe. I know I was making inhuman noises as he was running and going.

I say Mitchell, mitchell, i think I was clinging to Mitchell and going out and I said it's going to win, it's going to win.

And you know just the celebrations afterwards we tailgated into the evening and the beautiful people. It was the fun being with other people and you know, and going into the winners' room at Royal Ascot it was like, oh my gosh, should we just actually standing in the winners' room? and you know Camilla and Charles, it was a Prince Charles cup. So Charles and Camilla presented the cup and I was standing about, i don't know, two meters away from them because only one person could go up and receive the cup and it wasn't me, damn it. But anyway, i was so close to them and Princess Anne was standing next to me and she's amazing because she was walking around looking at our horse and I said to Mitchell I'm going to cup until her. But we owned that horse and Mitchell said, mom, be digged in front of the stand back. I was like, damn it, i'm sure she would have loved it a little bit of a check, because she knows she knows her horses so well.

So when she looks at horses, she knows what she's looking at anyway. So it was a massive thrill, a massive, massive thrill.

Marisa

Well, we were living vicariously, just seeing you at Royal Ascot, and I was saying I don't know who's she there? the horse won, can you believe this? and then there was the royal, the royals, and we said, oh, this is just amazing, and we were so proud of you and everything you've achieved and your family and and everybody who was up there. So we figure it couldn't have happened to a nicer horse. The horse was good too. But, lorrie, it's not all Beds of Roses. I think you and I have shared another journey that we least of us, neither of us, expected. Correct, correct, yes. So do you want to share a

little bit about that.

Lorilie

Sure, well, you know, i ran off my screening appointment for breast breast screening appointment in November of 21. So I'd had, you know, a huge year that year with forming, well groomed and dancing CEOs and lots was going on. A lot, a lot was going on that year horses, everything you know, and just raced off to my screening appointment. I had no symptoms, i had no lumps, it's nothing. I was just doing what I did every year and they discovered that I had triple, triple negative breast cancer and it was quite aggressive and it was just a shock. It hit me like a brick. I thought this can't be happening, it's. You know I this is why I come every year for a screening. So you know they'll, they'll get it before it, it goes, it does anything. So, yeah, and it was just like all of a sudden, in that very moment, everything changes. Your you know what? what was part of the rest of my year that I was planning was full of events and full of things. All of a sudden, nothing mattered, except when I could get to see the, that doctor, when I was going to have my MRIs and all that. So, yeah, it all happened very quickly. So that was on Wednesday. By the Friday I was seeing the breast surgeon. I had to have my gallbladder out the next week, which should have been scheduled, so I had to have that done. And then I had a mastectomy the week after and I had to wait three weeks before I could start chemo. So then chemo start in January and that went on for four months. Two months after that I had my other breast removed, which I decided to do just as a, you know, prevention. Just you know, they told me that the chances were only marginally higher than anyone else to have to get breast cancer in that press also. But I was a personal decision and I decided to have that press removed and prior to that I had also decided that I really needed to think about, you know, reconstruction and what that looked like. So I spoke to various doctors and I went to an amazing plastic surgeon so I decided on having implants. The expanders were fitted when I had the second mastectomy, so the two doctors worked together. So that was in the August and then I just left that.

I went back to the doctor a few weeks to have those pumped up to. I, you know, got to the size that I was prior to, prior to breast cancer and the temptation is always there to go bigger and better. I want my old brass to fit and I want my old clothes to fit. So I did that and so it's been this journey. So it's, you know, sort of around I guess 21 months now. So, and is that right? Yes, it was, yeah, and it's now, you know.

So the other thing that I didn't realize you could get done was you could have 3D nipples made, so like I didn't know anything about that. So I had that done two weeks ago And that was amazing. That was so everything else, you know, i don't only have that. Oh sorry, let me just go back to 2021.

I also fell down and set steps and cut off my legs six weeks before dancing CEO. So that was the first time I'd ever had an anesthetic. Ever in my life I'd never broken anything, cut anything that wasn't your major color or had an anesthetic. So I had that. So I had all these, you know GA's all through that year and then last year, and so when the option of the 3D nipples came up, i said to my plastic surgeon well, i really don't want to have another general anesthetic, because I thought this has got to be building up in my body. So he said no, it's a local piece. You know you have to go through a whole hospital admission thing and you know you're in the operating theater, but we can do it under local, which was incredible And it was just so easy. And now I have nipples.

Marisa

I think you said to me I'm just going to have this operation, but I'll see you in a couple of days. I'm thinking or something like that. you said or see you at the end of the week. And I thought what's she having now? I thought they're both gone. The boobs were gone. What's she having now? Maybe she's having I love Gary kind of tattooed on her nipples or something like that.

Lorilie

I was going to have my love guys on one. I like that. I'm not allowed to give me options, but not.

Marisa

Well it is. We actually did have a little love this morning. I mean, we both can empathize that this journey is something that only really affects the individual. I mean I don't think anyone can ever really know what you go through in that instant that your life forever changes. It does.

Lorilie

And it never is the same again.

Marisa

And there is so many women that we know and so many women everywhere suffering from breast cancer.

Speaker 3: 58:55

There's so many women, Marisa.

Marisa

And in many respects it's good in a way that a lot of it's early detected, which we know. There's a lot more success rates. I mean, imagine years ago when we didn't have the sophisticated technology to detect early, absolutely. I mean, i was early detection as well. But you always live now with the fear or the fact that it's forever changed your life And it makes you more grateful in other ways as well. But we were sharing in a light moment, some of the good things about having breast cancer. So you go first and I'm going to follow, and we should at least name two things from each of us that were some of the positive things about having breast cancer only in a very comedic way, because not every moment was dark.

Lorilie

No, no, absolutely not.

Can I just say first, generally, i feel that there's been specific silver linings, but the overwhelming thing that I'm so grateful for is that I feel healthier and happier than I ever have, and I feel like sometimes you well, i did. Personally, even though I knew that I wanted to get more sleep and eat better and do more exercise, i couldn't give myself permission to do it because I was so busy And I felt like, because I was so busy doing things like fundraising, i couldn't let people down. So I had to make it, i had to do it well and I had to put a lot of time into it. And so the first thing that always happens when you're busy is that you let the things go like going to your exercise classes and getting them going for your walk, because you've got to get onto things and get them done.

So breast cancer gave me the permission to focus on all those things that I knew that I had to do to get myself better, and you can. All the science in the world is wonderful, but you need to change your life to do everything you possibly can. So, again, eat the right foods, exercise exercise is such a major cause in prevention of recurrence, just yeah. Anyway, that's being a bit serious, but.

Marisa

I just wanted to know. No, no, no, I don't mean that We do have some happy outcomes of breast cancer, is what I meant, which? that is one, Of course you always understand. From my perspective, it was your friends and your family become the rocks upon which you base your recovery. I mean, there's just no denying that. It's just like people sometimes don't know how to react, but it doesn't matter what they do. My girlfriends formed the Focker Club, the free of cancer.

Lorilie

Of course that stands for We all really know what it stands for.

Marisa

But immediately Carla and Tracy formed hats and we wore the Focker's hats and we did the breast cancer walk which you and I have done for the last two years for the Mata and used our experience as precursor for our friends to join us and hopefully give us money as well. We've raised probably about $40,000, i guess, for the Mata, chicks and things from that energy. So your energy has never kind of waned, even though you're focused on yourself. Name another thing that was probably a positive If we had to find a positive message we don't want to wish this upon anybody But if you had to find a positive from having breast cancer, something that you learned that you didn't know before. Name another one.

Lorilie

Oh, my goodness, i feel like there's just so many in my life, but I think one of the great things about growth through something like that is the change in almost everything that touches your life. So, for example, taste buds your taste buds change, so you get to enjoy different food, different drinks and different all these things that you never really liked before.

Marisa

They're divine, they're gorgeous. Tell me one thing that you didn't like before, oh gosh.

Lorilie

I couldn't Well red wine. And again, i'm very careful about alcohol intake. These days. I feel like we've been talking about it a lot, but I'm very careful about the amounts. But nothing tastes a bit in that little glass of red wine for a night time with your milk. I never drank red wine before. It tasted awful. I hated it. But little things like that. Just my food palette's changed. I actually love healthy food now And I dislike anything that I don't feel is good going into my body. So it doesn't mean that I don't eat well, incredibly well.

But it's just such a lovely, wonderful thing to be able to discover all these new bits and pieces And just the. As you said, my family have been my complete rock. My friends have been too, and I think the clarity of good friendship is so beautiful And it's something that even though I always knew about that and I always appreciate it my friends I have such clarity now that I don't waste time with people I don't need to be with And I find that very cleansing for many reasons. And it's beautiful to be able to vote your time. I used to say I don't have time to vote to the people I really love. I don't know.

This person's really making things difficult for me. I just don't let them anymore. So that's been such a silver lining And I really don't think I've not had breast cancer that I would have ever have discovered that. I think I was too set, in a way, of thinking I've got a million friends and I need to tender them all And it's there causing me problems. I just need to deal with that. And now it's just such a lovely, really lovely feeling just to know that every time all my time is spent with really good people And I love that.

Marisa

I love that message as well, and I'm a little bit of a humorous, and I think one of the things I quite liked was not spending any more money on waxing or hairdressing for a while.

Whilst you're under tour, chemotherapy and radiation. I was petrified about losing my hair because I have a lumpy head, so I knew that I would never. I used to say when I was younger I hope I never get breast cancer because I'm not going to be able to be bald. So I never showed my bald head ever. I remember you rocked your bald head and you rocked a good scarf. But one test of that was that I had wigs in every length basically. And I remember going to North Queensland to visit my husband's family once And in the morning I wore my little kind of, you know, maxwell smarts agent.

So she's 99. Yes, the really short blonde hair cut. And then in the evening I wore a small, like my hair, which was a longer shoulder length blonde wig And we'd round the dinner table and Philip's mother, mary, who's hilarious, just said you know, through all this treatment, through chemo and radiation, it's amazing you haven't lost your hair. Yes, i had these two different haircuts. I mean most people didn't know on social media I was going through cancer. I didn't share that journey with very many people because I tried to just live a normal life. But I thought to myself, you know what the one thing I was worried about losing my hair was the one thing she had no idea of.

So she obviously I thought it would actually define you. You know, your hair would define you. But in that moment I knew that you know what? the hair is just an accessory And I said, actually I've been wearing wigs all day, really. She said to me She's like, that's gorgeous, and I did actually whip it off in the middle of dinner and that scared everybody to Billy, oh, and I think they actually told me to put the straight back on because my scalp was very bad. But I think that's the other thing. On a more comic note, Yes.

No, no, no hairdressing appointments. Despite my hairdresser being in my life for 36 years, i did start to visit him once a month just to say hello. One thing I think we loved doing was forming the badass prestige in your honor, loretta, and I remember ringing you because we weren't. we wanted to do the Martyr Walk. It was only a few months after you'd been diagnosed. We wanted to do the walk and wanted to do in your honor, and beautiful Sophia from our office turned the word.

We were racking our brains for quite a while, weren't we Team about forming something badass prestige was so you. you know no one's more badass than you, and I remember ringing you to see if this was something that we could do, because we weren't sure you'd be participating. Were you the first to sign up and get? yes, i desperately want to do this. And we were so excited by the fact that. you know you could have just sat back. and, of course, you rallied your troops and we made a fortune. Yeah, it was wonderful And we were so proud of doing it for you and with you, and I think that was not the first time that you and I have been engaged in philanthropy in a big way. And, of course, the dancing CEOs was one of the pinnacle achievements of your life was.

Lorilie

that was amazing. That was amazing. And again, it was a universe, because I had always thought, having three teenage sons and a daughter just, and I'd seen, with the difference in ages of my children, a very, it's just a growth, a increase in mental health for young boys, and I really wanted to do something about that. And I was really. it was on my mind, i was trying to work out what I could do to really make a difference And then God bless you, marissa you put my name forward. I know you did.

And I got a call from Women's Legal Service and I said I remember going to meet with them and I said, look, i really would love to do this, but I really feel like I need to devote my time to mental health. And I went home and I started thinking about it And I thought, you know, i've always, always thought that so much domestic violence is caused by men with mental health issues. And I thought, you know what I can, i'll do this, i'll do it for one, i'll do it once and I'll raise a whole lot of money and then that will allow me to go to move on into fundraising for mental health. And all that didn't happen. Of course, i got breast cancer, and so I feel like it's something that I was meant to do because it and I still still believe that and I still think of ways that I will move further into doing work for mental health and particularly adolescent mental health.

But right now, every time I read of another woman dying at the hands of a violent person, i feel like my work's not done And I want to keep, keep helping and keep making sure that there is an avenues there for these women who are terrified of leaving a volatile situation and the security and the love and the care that women's legal service gives those women through legal advice and social welfare and just general humanity, is amazing. So, yeah, it's going to be hard for nothing, i'm just going to do it. I'll split my time between horses, domestic violence and mental health and make it all work together somehow, and breast cancer.

Sorry, you did a pinnacle, ask a busy woman, donnie, breast cancer is always going to, you know. that sort of course is always going to be close to my heart, so yeah, No, and you made a spectacular.

Marisa

If anyone wants to check it out on YouTube Laurel E Cunningham dancing CEOs you'll see her unraveled in this sheet, and it's just the most spectacular because there's choreography in the family, of course. So it was obviously never going to be a dull and boring dance performance at City Hall. There was nothing, but you were the highest fundraiser ever. At that point in time, i think you were the benchmark against which others plot themselves. So, and we are both very much proud ambassadors now Absolutely So, laurel E, now that we've both done dancing CEOs once, would you consider doing it again?

Lorilie

Yes, yes, look, i think I would. I always thought after the first time I wouldn't, because I knew just what huge commitment it is and I had promised my family that I was going to after you know breast-cats, so that was going to quieten down a little bit, but I still would love. Yes, i think I absolutely would do it again. So I have a thought.

Marisa

I mean next year marks 40 years since Women's Legal Service Queensland started on its operations, and you and I couldn't even count the number of women and children that have benefited from that service. That's right, and we've seen firsthand what offering they make. And did you know that next year it's 10 years since the Dancing CEOs campaign formed? Is it 10 years? 10 years. There you go, 10 years, and I think we worked out there's over $3 million that's been raised for Women's Legal Service from wonderful people like you getting up and dancing and raising money, and so I've heard a rumor that they are doing an All-Stars next year.

Lorilie

Really Goodness me Do you think you might consider coming back as an All-Star? if I consider coming back as an All-Star, Absolutely.

Marisa

That was some hard work.

Speaker 2: 1:12:30

But I have to compete against you Unless. But we can't do that, unless we did it together, i'll stop it.

Marisa

But can you, would I have to do country?

Lorilie

Absolutely. That is the only prerecord I've got As long as you can do some boot skit in country with me.

Marisa

Well, this may be a whole new educational experience for me.

Lorilie

But yes, why don't we do it. I mean All-Stars team.

Marisa

I think we can do this. Yes, i think we can do it. And what? we have such amazing common networks that if we pool both of our resources together, can you imagine how much money we can raise.

Well, let's face it, they're not going to know who to support. We're going to have to have lowerly supporters, mostly supporters, and Switzerland supporters in the middle, exactly, and it's just too confusing. Team Laurel Oh my goodness, team Laurel, team Marysa, and with a sexy name. We'll have to come up with.

Lorilie

Oh, this is amazing. I think this is the best idea you've ever had.

Marisa

Watch out dancing CEOs. We are on the dance floor. We are getting the dance floor. Laurel. We've made a pledge. Now everyone knows about it. Okay, Obviously, on the podcast, we have to commit to it. What's done isn't it? There you go. Okay, high five, there we go, doing it. How exciting.

Speaker 2: 1:13:40

Oh my goodness, what am I getting myself into?

Marisa

A whole lot of work and a whole lot of fun, a whole lot of fun.

There's absolutely every guarantee they'll be fun. Laurel, it's just been. I've got two quick questions to finish off this podcast. Sure, something, and we always ask everybody My goodness, is my team just taking that down? We are doing this for 2024. You better go home and break the news to your family. I know I'll do it gently, very gently, and there's other competitors out there and other people you get your skates onto, because I think next year could be the biggest year ever for dancing CEOs and women's legal service.

Laurel, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Lorilie

Oh goodness, you know, i know this is a very odd answer, but I actually feel like I have grown up. I feel like I'm going to start crying now. I really felt like I had breast cancer. Oh goodness, i need to stop. It made me grow up and I feel very happy that I've become. Oh goodness, i can really speak. I feel like I've become the person I always wanted to be, so is that okay to say that? I think it's very okay, McGee cry for you.

Marisa

I imagine you've always been this kind of person, and perhaps it just gives us permission to express it. Yeah, i think that's probably there's a lot of things that people don't say, and I think sometimes, when a pivotal moment hits you do, you get permission to say what you think. So we've very privileged that we've shared that with you, thank you. Well then, i guess the next question is a natural one about what makes you happy.

Lorilie

My children, my babies, my family, my husband, children, babies. I've got 10 little grandchildren and the joy and the love that they give me and they were there with me when I was not well, and those little darling angels, they're gentle. They knew that they couldn't jump on lolol because lolol had just had surgery or lolol was going through a chemo, but the love at all, the different ages that they, in their own way, gave to me. So my happens is them. My happens is my children and my husband. I am so lucky and not a day goes by that I'm not grateful.

So, that's what makes me happy. Can I add my friends and beautiful people like you too.

Marisa

No well, we would be privileged to be in your orbit, and so thank you so much for joining us today. I hope you had such a good time. I've learned so much about you that I never knew, and I was just thinking back. to light up the room, your first course. is that right? That's right, i think. Lloralee, you light up the universe and it's just a beautiful, and maybe that should be the name of the next course. Can you tell Gary that for me, or perhaps lighting up the universe, at least lighting up the dance floor, is definitely on the agenda. That's what we have to do.

It's been such a privilege to interview you today. Thank you for sharing our space with us, Lloralee, and I can't wait for the next few months.

Lorilie

Marisa, thank you for being in my life and thank you for today. You are amazing. I just loved every second talking to you, thank you.

If you have any questions, you can get in touch with us at podcast@hanworthhouse.com.au to see what else we're doing. You can follow us at Hanworth House on Instagram and YouTube and subscribe to the podcast to get notified of future episodes. We will be back soon with another special guest. Cheers.

Marisa Cheers.