Members of the UWA Senate, distinguished guests, proud parents and most
importantly of all graduates. Thank you so much for having me here tonight,
I'm so very honored to have been invited. Not so long ago I almost swore off
making speeches after an unforgettable incident in New York. I'd been given an
incredible opportunity to present to 300 CEOs from cosmetics companies all around
the world. It was a high-stakes moment. Disaster struck one minute 27 seconds
into my 30 minute speech when shifting from one toweringly high stiletto to the
other I lost my balance and crashed to the floor.
I now know the meaning of time stood still. On my way down as I flashed my
entire global peer group my first thought was am I wearing sensible
underwear? My second thought was as I heard the collective gasp of horror from
the audience. Right, I just have to pick myself up dust myself off and get on
with it, because that's life that's what we do no matter what. Despite that
spectacular fall. Here I am anyways still standing. You could say I'm a glutton for
punishment. I'd say I've learned not to take myself
too seriously and not to fear failure. Two approaches I highly recommend. I'd
also like to think I learn from my many mistakes an important life skill for
everyone which is why I'm wearing flats,
lesson learned. There's another reason why if I were of sound mind I would not be
up here at this lectern. Tim Minchin stood here in 2013 and regaled the
graduating class with a lyrically beautiful side-splitting funny
address that covered nine life lessons perfectly how do I know this? I'm one of
over 2.6 million people who've watched him absolutely nail it on YouTube.
So it's lucky I learned early on not to compare myself to others. It's incredibly
liberating and it allows me to be here tonight having marveled at Tim's speech
but not be crippled by it. My advice is don't compare yourself to others there's
just no joy in it. Rather get on and lead your own life. If I shouldn't be standing
here then why am I? It's because I remember sitting where you are nearly 30
years ago at my own graduation ceremony spending half the night lamenting the
fact that my three wonderful precious years at UWA were over and the other
half in a highly anxious state wondering what to do with my life. So I'm here to
reassure you that you should focus on having a hold on to your hats,
risk-filled exhilarating brilliant time on the journey of life rather than worry
too much about the destination. Just to qualify, by risk cells I'm not talking
about bungee jumping out of helicopters, I'm talking about pushing yourselves
into new challenging and uncomfortable areas. It's only by continually teetering
on the outer edge of your comfort zone that you'll actually accomplish all that
you're truly capable of. Now since I didn't have that longed for career
epiphany I decided to travel one year around
the world and then undertake further study. A couple of years of Boston University
doing a master's. Travel and further studies, two things to easily and
wholeheartedly recommend. The moment arrived when it really was time to get a
grown-up job and earn a living and yet I was still stumped so I chose my first
position not because I had a calling but because my managing director to be was
an extraordinary woman and upon meeting her I immediately thought 'huh I think
want to hitch my wagon to this horse.' I truly believe who you surround
yourself with is critical to your success and happiness so search out the
very best people in all that you do. Fast forward nearly three decades and there
have been a few other guiding principles that have helped me that have helped
steer me on my journey. This next one may sound very mundane, sorry about that but
I think it's critical it's just work hard whatever the situation. I learned it
in my first job out of uni at L'Oreal in London. I waltzed in excited at the
anticipated glamour of it all my first three months were spent navigating my
way around congested motorways and pressed high streets always under gray
leaden skies, we're talking England after all trying to locate supermarkets so I
could stack the shelves and straighten L'Oreal bottles. And yes I could have
pondered whether I really needed my two degrees to do the job at hand but in
retrospect it was a wonderful lesson in humility and doing whatever task you are
given well. Anyway, once in head office the imagined glamour was still
elusive but the workload was immediate. It was quite brutally do a good job or
get out. Looking back, I'm not actually sure I did
a great job but I'm certainly grateful for the almost vertical learning curve
and the learned ability to work hard. Now in all good conscience I can't counsel
you to work hard without overlaying and even more important piece of the puzzle
and that is whatever you do actually do make sure it's something you love doing.
And don't settle until you find your thing. If you love what you do you'll
happily put in the necessary hard yards as usual Shakespeare puts it perfectly
'to business that we love we rise to be time and go trip with delight.' I couldn't
resist that one quote I'm an English graduate after all so that's why that one's in there.
My final guiding principle has been to be positive no matter what I've learned
not to let that voice in my head psych me out positivity simple concept tick.
Making the voice in your head your friend well that's a trickier business.
I often think back not to the grand opening day of my first Mecca store,
nearly 20 years ago but to the next day that second morning after much frantic
searching it became clear I had lost the first day's takings. Not only did I
desperately need that $1873 dollars but there was the horrifying symbolism of it
how could I have been so stupid? I didn't find that money for 18 months. So well
hidden was it in an envelope in a box in a cupboard behind a sink and if I hadn't
resolved to flip that incredibly judgmental inner voice into something
kinder and more generous of spirit well my confidence would have taken it
an awful beating and we all know self belief is
essential to any endeavor. Especially a new business startup. My 'aha' moment from
this was to endeavor to be positive about every situation in life. And
without trying to put a philosophical slant on it there's only you and your
thoughts going on up there in that head of yours. So you can spin it any way you
want it's a choice. I choose to spin positive and I so recommend you do the
same. Having tried to decode 27 years of post uni rough-and-tumble into some sort
of frameworks for success and happiness. I think it's important to overlay a bit of
a get out of jail card, in the form of luck.
I'm crystal clear that luck plays an instrumental role in life. For me it was
having incredible parents who dragged me halfway around the world at 14 for their
middle aged adventure and yet who also valued education above all else. Being in
the right place at the right time when I started my business and marrying really
well. Now just before it was not in the sense of marrying a mr. Darcy with wads
of cash and a Pendley like estate in the background but in finding a husband who
is so comfortable in his own skin that he has willingly supported me every step
of the way and now having kids of my own who absolutely demand I have a more
rounded life and who reinforced the importance of family family family and
naturally I hope my luck in business and in life holds, but by recognizing the
role of luck it makes me more accepting of the
potentially good, bad and ugly that may come my way. It's quite empowering to
know that while I may not always be in charge of what happens I am in control
of my response to it that just feels so much more manageable. Your luck is that
you are graduating with a degree in hand from UWA tonight in the prime of life
poised for an incredible life adventure. So go forth seize life by the scruff of
the neck and please allow us all to live vicariously through your adventures. Good
luck to you all, thank you very much.