TIME - Travel Industry Mentor Experience
TIME - Travel Industry Mentor Experience
Reflections, Mentorship, and Croissant Adventures: A Year-End Celebration
Ever tried to perfect the art of finding the ideal croissant? It's been a humorous and delicious journey for us this year, filled with unexpected twists, wardrobe choices, and, yes, the occasional pastry mishap. We also take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude as we wrap up an incredible 2024, celebrating our 50th episode and reflecting on our climb in Australia's podcast ranks, all thanks to our amazing guests.
Mentorship has been our guiding light, illuminating the path for both the seasoned and those just starting their careers. In our latest episode, we celebrate these bonds that extend beyond the workplace, forming friendships that last a lifetime. We share tales of growth from graduation events, emphasizing that the journey of personal and professional development is ongoing and rewarding, with or without financial incentives. The tales of personal triumph and connection have been nothing short of inspiring, reminding us of the power of mentorship networks.
As we gear up for 2025 and the 15th anniversary of the TIME program, fresh formats are on the horizon. We also reminisce about some quirky revelations from past participant stories—did you know we had a guest who was once a Russian opera singer? Looking forward, there's excitement in the air for future Mardi Gras plans. This year has been a memorable one, and with a sprinkle of gratitude and a dash of humor, we thank our listeners and look forward to more enriching adventures together.
Welcome back to our last episode of the year 2024. Today, I only have one guest in the studio besides me and my alter ego, and that is the one and only Sleepless Arnaud.
Speaker 2:Hi, timo, how are you?
Speaker 1:Hello, how are you? I was just thinking maybe next year you just do the introduction all the time and you get the opportunity to comment on me, just to be fair well, yeah, it's. It's absolutely fair that next year I comment on what you're wearing every time that we meet right well, to be fair, I usually at least wear something when we do those recordings, but if I look at your um outfit today, it's definitely limited I'm wearing clothing, so it's it's it's covering most.
Speaker 1:most of you, that's true. Yes, wow, 2024. What a year. We've managed another season too. I think we recorded 14 episodes, if I'm right.
Speaker 2:We recorded 14 episodes. We reached the milestone of the 50th episode for the podcast, which was really really good. We went really high on the rankings in Australia. So we've actually kicked a lot of goals that we didn't necessarily set for ourselves, right.
Speaker 1:I wanted to say we didn't have any goals, but we definitely kicked them.
Speaker 2:And that's awesome, because I mean especially the rankings for me. I don't know what your thought is on this, but seeing the rankings going up for a podcast which is about mentorship right in the travel industry, that for a lot of people might seem like something very, very niche, right, we're not talking about diet, we're not talking about fashion, we're not talking about, like, current affairs. We're talking about something like very specific to an industry, right, which is also quite, quite small. And then seeing that we are so high in the rankings, like it's, I find that very positive, but also like satisfying and rewarding to be part of this and, wow, it makes me feel really proud of what we've done with with that podcast.
Speaker 1:Really yeah look, I couldn't agree more, and it's rare that the two of us agree on something um yes true, but yes, it is an absolute niche product, I have to say, and the fact that we made the top 20 not only once but, you know, several times um, and that not only in australia but in other countries as well, is extraordinary, um, and and encouraging to see that, you know, the numbers of people who download or tune in, by whatever channel, is consistent and growing. I would have never thought about when this whole thing started, like four years ago, three years ago, whenever it was. Yeah, it's very extraordinary and yeah, thank you for being the partner in crime on this absolute crazy journey where we record from airports, submarines, wherever we just are.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean, you have to admit like we've had a few technical issues. All right, I'm not gonna lie, my phone has shut down, like so many times during our recordings, and you know, and you've done an amazing job to be able to keep it together with our guests. Um, we've had yet the airport series.
Speaker 1:That was quite interesting highlight for the audience that, uh, not, we had technical issues.
Speaker 2:It was your phone that constantly overheated and shut itself down so yeah, I mean we have a very professional studio and a massive recording budget and somehow we've managed to pull it off, so it's really good.
Speaker 1:It's definitely a very impressive recording budget. I agree, and thank you also for the team behind the scenes that organizes everything for us, including hair and makeup. Although we only do audio, it's really cool, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Of course, we need to thank all the people in um, makeup and costumes, all the producing team which is in the background that pre-interviews, all the guests that come to the podcast, give us a run sheet with, obviously, all the time codes as to, like you know, all the questions that we need to ask that are pre-prepared, and thank you very much to the team because they've done an amazing job they're stunning.
Speaker 1:I fully agree. But, um, I also want to obviously thank, on a more serious note, obviously, our guests for this year we had on the show and obviously the time community in general for being supportive with the whole project. Um, I know that for me, 2024 has been a very what's the right word? Wild, reorganizing, crazy, inspiring, sad, everything at once. Yeah, it's been a very intense year and I noticed throughout this year how important it is, um, to, first of all, have a mentor, have someone by your side or some people by your side that you can ask for advice, but also how helpful it can be to listen to other stories and this is, I think, probably why our podcast is successful because, despite if you're in the industry or not, you hear about someone going through whatever kind of phase where help guides them to a new start point. A starting point If you think about your year and in considering, in taking time into consideration, what were a couple of your highlights from our podcast this year that helped you outside of the podcast, with whatever situation.
Speaker 2:It's really interesting because I think that there's been a few people that have been a little bit inspiring some of the guests that we had on the podcast also because maybe some of their stories really related to some of the things that I experienced this year. For me, for example, someone like Brian Swadling I kind of resonated with a lot of stuff that he was talking about and also, you know, like talking about his career and the company that he was working for and some professional avenues, you know, that kind of, you know, eventuated after or while he was. It was during the program. I thought that that was quite inspiring.
Speaker 2:Shelley Martin, you know, definitely she really gave me a lot of inspiration, you know, for someone who has been in the industry for a long time and you know probably thought at some stage that she was kind of inspiration. You know, for someone who has been in the industry for a long time and you know probably thought at some stage that she was kind of done right. But she also showed that at any stage of your professional career you can have like this kind of professional checks, and I thought that this was really inspiring. Obviously, I really loved the interview that we had with Brett, because I've known him for a little while and it was really interesting to see that someone who I see as very senior in the industry, you know to go through that mentee's journey. And obviously Daryl Dixon, when we talked about Taylor Swift and all this you know.
Speaker 1:I think Daryl had a very tough time on the podcast because we were both so energized and on fire.
Speaker 2:The poor guy got barely a word. I feel sorry for him. No, I mean, I think he really enjoyed it and obviously that episode did not only talk about Taylor Swift, right? So let's put it back to you know, like it came in the conversation. But also, you know, like, like for him, it was really interesting to see, like, how he navigated his professional career, especially like coming into covid and out of covid and all the changes and all that and and how time you know, helped him, um, come out of that. So, yeah, these were my highlights. How about you?
Speaker 1:look, I was, I was thinking about it, um, obviously in preparation for our meeting today, and tuned in, you know, randomly in a couple of episodes on my way to work back home tennis court, whatever it was and often I realized sometimes it was just a small sentence and when I thought about it there's actually so much more wisdom behind it than what I probably realized in that moment. Interviewing people, because, as you know, we have to watch the technical side of the podcast and and then I have to look what you are doing because you're just like a little toddler, the constant supervision. There's so many things going. You know, for me sometimes I don't have really time to fully process the exact answer and you know the depth that's actually into it. But then when I tune in later, especially if it's a few months later and can't really call a conversation very well, I find it often very interesting that just a small little side note, you know, resonates a lot with the current situation that I'm dealing with.
Speaker 1:Again, we had, you know, the comment about mentoring and age, which is probably quite common for people who are 45 plus, 50 plus, thinking I'm kind of at the last third of my career, maybe a little bit longer, but definitely 50% plus. Is it still worth? Am I still eligible for that, and so on. And I found it quite inspiring someone being just so positive about it and say you know what? Yes you are and yes you should, and you can keep going full steam until you retire and you decide whenever you retire, unless your health tells you otherwise.
Speaker 1:But you know that was, I found, pretty, pretty inspirational. It was so good to see that you know people towards the last third of their career also start using time to help them on their career pathway. I think for me, probably this year that was the biggest inspiration, just because in the previous years when we recorded podcasts, it's been usually people slightly or extremely younger than us. So I found that very, very important to send that message also out there to tell people hey, I guess you might be 50, 55, whatever, you're still eligible for this and you should definitely go for this because you can still benefit from that and you can also give something back to your mentor at the same time yeah, I agree yeah and I felt.
Speaker 2:I felt like you know, this year we probably had I mean, I know that in the past we had some but also seeing that there's in organizations that are, you know, supporting this staff to go through the time program and investing funds in there, and seeing that you know they're doing that also for some of their most senior you know like people that are more senior, you know in their professional career it's a really good sign that you know like organizations value, what mentorship can you know do and the positive effect that it can have on their own employees. And I thought like, yeah, this is great.
Speaker 1:And I think it's. Maybe not many people know that, but we're not a charity or something. So if people sponsor someone or if people become an official partner of Time, it's not as easy, if at all, tax deductible as if you give money, a donation, to a charity, you know. So that means those people who really support financially the institution and the community. They really do that out of a good heart. You know there's no tax benefit or anything and I think that's also worth a big shout out to. You know the partners who, some of them just recently joined and see the benefit in it, and those obviously who do it since years and even throughout COVID when no one had money. That's really impressive and probably it doesn't get enough recognition often enough. Obviously we talk about sponsors at every event. It was kind enough and donated towards the functional in general, but it definitely deserves a minute of thinking about what that really means for a lot of people in their life, and being rewarded with a scholarship can be life-changing for people, like really life-changing, literally. So it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do agree. One of the things also that, um, really I really appreciate this year was I don't know how to word it, but that kind of sense of friendship that emerges from the time program. And you know there was Christina Kiki, right, who talked about her mentorship. You know experience with Alice Ager, right, and everyone knows that I love Alice Ager. I say that pretty much every single episode. I just love her. So it's no secret and she knows that because I tell her every time I see her anyway.
Speaker 2:But I did really like that because it kind of gave a different dimension.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is a professional environment, yes, we're doing that for people in their professional career, but there's another dimension to that and the network of people coming at a time creates these bonds.
Speaker 2:And it doesn't have to be between mentor and mentee, like yes, it is a bond that is there and for you know forever and ever, but it's also like between also some of that is there and for you know forever and ever, but it's also like between also some of the mentees where you know we form relationship with people, that we meet at time events and at other events and and, and I think that these bonds are kind of like lasting um, you know, outside of the, the realm of of the travel industry, and I thought that this year there was a lot of stories, um, out of that, you know, and I do feel like when you remember peter, she came and she had been mentored by um and and, and I kind of felt like when I saw them at graduation, that there was something more than just like that mentor mentee relationship there and I thought this is it was a lot more positive than just, you know, like her graduating and being really happy that she'd gone through. I don't know, there's this.
Speaker 1:You could see it right, um, I don't know how to describe it with words, but it's just like something that happened, that kind of like sparked between them two, and so that was quite nice yeah, no, I fully agree, and, um, I think that's why I really enjoy going to the graduation slash networking functions as well, because, first of all, I love hearing the two three-minute stories when they graduate and see how excited they are, but also how nervous they are because it's a public speaking opportunity, as I see it, and a lot of people are just uncomfortable with that.
Speaker 1:I see it, and a lot of people are just uncomfortable with that. But it's just great to see how they step up and, just you know, go for it and just really deliver energy and vibe into the room. But also then the networking part, where exactly what you just mentioned happens. There's not much talk about business as such. You know, it's just getting to know the person. What does that person obviously do in the industry? Yes, that's interesting to know. What does that person obviously do in the industry? Yes, that's interesting to know. But in the end we're there to learn as people from the job, you know, and not necessarily as a position or whatever role you fulfill within your company. For me, I'm a person who is extremely driven on connection to whatever I do, so for me that's absolutely crucial and extremely enjoyable. Unfortunately, I got a co-host at a podcast, you know where. That just doesn't work at all. But hey, who's asking for the stars, right?
Speaker 2:we're getting the stars, we're getting the likes right and the and the and the and the listeners and, and I think you, you know it's a, that's, that's our recognition right at the end of the day, you know if it doesn't come from you, it comes from the audience.
Speaker 1:You know, know, what can I do? And, for whatever reason, I'm always perceived as the bad guy, although I'm actually the good guy. Oh my gosh, everyone always thinks I'm the bad guy and you're the good guy. I just want to clarify for everyone who's still listening it's exactly the other way around. Exactly the other way around.
Speaker 2:Well, look, someone's got to do it, someone's got to be perceived as the good guy, and I'm happy to take that role, like you know, anytime. But it's also because I'm French and people like French people, because we have good taste in food and in fashion.
Speaker 1:Did you look at your shirt today? I wouldn't necessarily say that qualifies for good fashion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so true. Actually, you're so much better dressed than me, I just had to bring that up Anyhow. Yeah, true, I mean, yeah, let's be honest, like I will admit it today, you are much better dressed than me and I really commend you on your sense of fashion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Thank you, that will be my new ringtone. So, if you think about 2025 and the podcast and we haven't discussed this, so this is a pure spontaneous thought collection what do you think we want to try different next year? What are your expectations for the next year for season? Sorry, we can't say that on air. Fantastic me, we're not beeping this. Yeah, what are you hoping for in 2025?
Speaker 2:Look in 2025, I hope that we're going to have good quality people like we had this year, but I already know that we will because I've already seen some people that I want to interview.
Speaker 2:But I think that next year we'll probably have the opportunity to do things a little bit differently, in the sense that we might revisit, maybe not necessarily some past, but maybe some people that are involved in time in different capacity, just because 2025, that's correct me if I'm wrong but the year where we're going to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the time program and you know like we need to go out with the bank in a way right, because we need to pay tribute to all the people that have paved the way in the last 15 years to get time to what it is today.
Speaker 2:And you know it's a very it's a high quality program. It's very well regarded in in our industry. You can see that in award ceremonies like ntia, the women in travel awards and all that sort of stuff, like if you look at some of the nominees and how many of them in proportion are, you know, coming out of the time program, say that you know the ratio is really high. I haven't calculated with my little abacus, but you know, so I think this is what I think we need to expect for 2025, like for the audience, that they're going to get a lot more out of it.
Speaker 1:Interesting. I was hoping for one live show actually, where we have kind of a panel, so in-studio thing. We actually sit there with our guests and have either people join online or in person as well and just do a bit of a live podcast, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And hopefully be able to dive even deeper into people's personal part of the journey.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Because for me, that's always the most inspiring, most interesting part, you know.
Speaker 2:Yes, I agree.
Speaker 1:When you say dark secret, or when they start talking a little bit about how they actually affected their real life, rather than just okay our progress from supervisor to manager, from manager to ops manager, whatever it is. There's obviously something happening in between with the person, and that's, I think, the interesting part. And I hope next year we can even get that out a bit more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we probably need to rebrand the dark secret thing. I think so.
Speaker 1:That's something fancy for season five.
Speaker 2:Because the thing is that those secrets don't seem to be really dark Like in my books. They don't qualify for dark secrets.
Speaker 1:Look, not everyone has such a naughty past.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly because I'm such a bad person, so obviously clearly some of the dark secrets that we got, I'm like, yeah, it doesn't qualify for dark secrets. But anyway.
Speaker 1:Speaking about the dark secrets, do you remember your favorite Dark Secret from this season?
Speaker 2:Not really. No, no, actually no, Nothing. I've got high standards. So you know, like I said, for me that didn't necessarily all qualify for Dark Secrets, so no, yeah, I think, if I remember right, it was Peter who was in the beer brewery for didn't she play in a band? Peter played in like a rock band with like a family member and yeah, she was like a like a heavy metal band. That's what that she did yes, you're right, it's true.
Speaker 1:Who was that? Who was the beer brewery? Someone, someone from the club?
Speaker 2:That was Peter was like yeah, maybe she was playing in breweries, but Peter, she was like the most unexpected thing from her. Like I didn't expect this you know from her at all, because she looks like you know very proper and everything. And then when she said that she was in a heavy metal band, I was like, oh yeah, this is cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, in a heavy metal band, I was like, oh yeah, this is cool, yeah and yeah. So I thought that that was pretty cool. Obviously we had. We had our russian opera singer. Yes, that was one of the highlights. It was one of the first dark secrets actually we had on the show. Yes, that was the first one. I think that was pretty cool. I think the whole dark secrets actually started and I have unfortunately have to tell the story again. It all started with you dressing up in your very specific way, going to buy a croissant in the morning and then being upset about the croissant not having the quality that is expected for a French person. So I believe we were talking about having some, if I recall right purple high heels and a tragic shirt, and then you had a wig on or something or a hat and you walked into the bakery and came out pretty badly mooded and made a bit of drama about a terrible croissant. You smashed it on the floor and your wife finally said that's not a croissant.
Speaker 2:Well, the story was not quite like that, but look, I've got to say it still happens to me. I still go to bakeries and test their croissant and see if they, if they, measure up to to my standards. Yeah, and it's really interesting because there was an article in the city morning herald the other day about a new I mean, they're not new, but you know a croissant shop which is opening in rosemary from one of these big chains in from melbourne. Um, you know, they're supposedly, I mean, or claim that they have the best croissant in the world, which in my book is really far from it. But so, you know, I think that they're popping up a lot more. I do follow a lot of people who go around in a wonder world and test the croissant everywhere they go, and so, yeah, and I do that myself.
Speaker 1:You know where the Chemist Warehouses in Alexandria are? Yes, and then opposite there is Tuga Bakery. Yes, actually I haven't tried their croissants, but I do think they're actually pretty good. They have amazing pastries.
Speaker 2:I think they have amazing pastries, but sadly I don't think that their croissant is really good.
Speaker 1:I can't think that their croissant is really good. Testify for that. I didn't have it. But yeah, unfortunately it's not quite in line with my diet requirements, so I can't say yeah, so yeah, but they're pretty cool Back to time. So we obviously have the 15-year celebration coming next year and there will be like a big networking event. At some stage we thought about a gala, but it's been settled back to what really makes the essence of time, which is, you know, the people coming together in the community. Um, hence, you know, a big networking cocktail function. Um is probably more in line with what the spirit of time usually is. So I'm really looking forward to that. I expect a lot of people. Obviously, I believe september I'll send you the invite for your calendar. So for people who don't know, I know, if you don't send him a calendar invite at least 12 months in advance, it's pretty much.
Speaker 2:You have it to get five minutes of his time. I do have it and I will be there, and I'm already planning on my outfit. What can we expect? Well, you, you know, in my mind, the theme should always be shine bright like a diamond. So I'm going to try to shine bright like a diamond.
Speaker 1:We should actually coordinate our outfits. I think we can do something cool there. I also remember, while we talk about this, we had one episode where I described to the audience what you were wearing for Mardi Gras and, for whatever reason, for several functions. After that. People remember that. Yeah, I know they're like ooh, where's your Mardi Gras outfit?
Speaker 2:That shows you that people actually listen to the podcast.
Speaker 1:It shows people are fascinated by your outfits.
Speaker 2:Sometimes we shouldn't be worried about what we say there. But you know what, Actually, talking about this, there's a lot of people that are, I mean, in travel, not necessarily involved with time, that tell me that they've listened to the podcast, right, and so sometimes it's a little bit like I'm like, wow, this is cool. I didn't expect that, you know people would be, you know, tuning in even though they were not involved in time. So, yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1:I think it is important, though, that people do get involved and really just give it a go. You know, sometimes people think it is difficult to find the time sorry, the time to do time, which we discussed with quite a few of our podcast guests as well, and I think the general answer was it's just worth making the time.
Speaker 2:Yes definitely.
Speaker 1:People shouldn't be shy to join and potentially end up on our beautiful podcast and hear some questions about what they think about your fashion.
Speaker 2:Talk it in. Talk yeah.
Speaker 1:Maybe we should organise a time fashion show. That would be fun here we go.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, like Fashion on the Field for Melvin Cobb, bring your best fascinator.
Speaker 1:Have you thought about your Mardi Gras outfit for the next year? Can we give a little spoiler?
Speaker 2:I will not be in Sydney for Mardi Gras 2025, regrettably, not.
Speaker 1:Regrettably, actually, one man will be here. I will be in the parade. You are not there.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, you're going to be in the parade. Oh my God. I just have to say this now One of my best friends is turning 40 and he's originally from sri lanka and we're all going to sri lanka to celebrate his 40th birthday you have very old friends I have very old friends, yeah, but, believe it or not, they're actually younger than you, but you know so.
Speaker 2:So this is where I'll be next year for mardi grasas. I'll be in Sri Lanka partying on the beach with my friends. So I will miss Mardi Gras, but the good thing about Mardi Gras is that there's always one the following year, and so if you're not going to Mardi Gras, I have a resolution for you for 2025.
Speaker 1:And I'll probably have to put the same down for me, because we briefly spoke I think, think mid-season about it that once you've completed the graduation program, you're entitled to additional annual mentoring after your graduation. And we both actually said, hey, let's do it. Yes, we both haven't done it. Is that right? We haven't done it, no.
Speaker 2:Talking about the time to do time. Look, to be honest, I've really thought about it in the last, in the last few weeks, there's been a lot of changes in my work and, um, you know, sometimes I yeah, I just need to have, I feel like I need to have a little bit of a guiding star, and so I was about to email um marie to ask her if she, if she could hook me up with someone.
Speaker 1:Another thing for 2025, I tried to organise that in 23 and 24, is actually finally have Marie on the podcast. She always sneaks out of the conversation very smartly. Every time I bring it up she's suddenly busy at another room, at another corner in the room. So 2025 is the time I want her on the podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean definitely she should be interviewed because, again, like what I was saying, you know it's the 15th anniversary of time and you know she's obviously like a key person, you know, in a part of the process and so definitely like we should get her on the….
Speaker 1:She's observed every single not every single, but I'd say I would assume most, if not all, graduates in their process Her knowledge in regards to what are potential challenges, what are good ways to overcome that, what has worked in the past for people, what hasn't worked. She's a plethora of wisdom.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 1:It would be very sad to not have her on the show, so I'll leave that with you to organise it.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'll talk to her.
Speaker 1:Lovely thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2:And I'll try to bribe her in order to come to the podcast.
Speaker 1:She will obviously speak highly about your fashion because she loves you Every time I speak to her.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know, out of respect, I will probably wear something.
Speaker 1:You should maybe wear a little bit more than today. For work function Definitely.
Speaker 2:It sounds very wrong.
Speaker 1:Actually, I just want to clarify. I know it's actually appropriately dressed. It's just a bit more casual than business.
Speaker 2:It is also very, very hot today, and so you know like it's more like weather appropriate than than anything else. So, yes, I am dressed like I do every day, it's just that, yeah, it's a little bit light because it's very, very warm where I am, I see I see.
Speaker 1:What else do we need to know about time, or you for 2025?
Speaker 2:look, I think that also we need to leave a little bit of mystical expectation. Not mystical, is that a word? A?
Speaker 1:mystery, mystery.
Speaker 2:We need to leave a little bit of mystery, because if we reveal everything now, then what's the point? It's like when Santa brings you presents you don't always know what you're going to get, depending on whether you've been describing the fact that you don't have a plan at all.
Speaker 1:But hey, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Talking about Santa.
Speaker 1:We still use, you know, because it's not very good to have everything out there before we actually do the actual recording Exactly, I have no plan what I'm actually doing.
Speaker 2:He's so straight to the point. Exactly no, but look, I appreciate that. I think that this is also why people like coming to chat with us, because you get a little bit of both sides. You get that very, you know, structured way of yours and the a little bit less structured way of mine, right?
Speaker 1:That was cautiously, cautiously worded. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2:I mean it was in a very French, politically correct, you know way worded right.
Speaker 1:French politics, especially today, to the date where we record this podcast. The French government has just exploded a day ago. I would not necessarily use that as a guiding example, Just saying it is what it is.
Speaker 2:Let's focus on the essential. They've just reopened Notre Dame. You know a few days ago which I think that they've done a wonderful job at rebuilding this beautiful architectural structure, and so let's just leave it. You know, leave it there for the French.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's leave leave it, you know, leave it there for the French Cause. Yeah, let's leave France. And I just want to bring something else up. What was very impressive about 2024 and time is actually how excessively New Zealand has grown the time community they started very, very small and boutique. Just a year prior and 2024 was just their year they smashed everything Incredible. They found a lot of valuable, good quality partners who really believe in what they do.
Speaker 1:A very dedicated committee who really works hard to make this a success. I don't know how many a huge volume of graduates, people who join the community for networking, so they're having an absolute ball over there like it's super impressive and huge congratulations to them. So, hopefully in 2020, after we had mario on the podcast, that we can get some third attempt to get someone from new zealand.
Speaker 2:Yes, we should yeah, I mean talk about like a great way to rebuild the industry over there after the pandemic. You know, I think that that's also a testament to what the time program can bring, you know, to the industry. Um, you know, in in general and I agree, I guess you can really see that they've been extremely active. There's a lot of people, people that have joined the program and hopefully it's on an upwards trend over there. So, yeah, great job.
Speaker 1:My disappointment of the year was actually besides you, obviously, yeah true. When I was at the doctor recently and they said you know what's this called here?
Speaker 2:between the goes from the nose down to the lips, those little those wrinkles kind of like a dimple, a dimple between the cheeks, from the nose down to the lips, those little, those wrinkles like kind of like a dimple Wrinkle between the cheeks and the lips or whatever, and yeah, so the doctor was looking and said, oh, they're actually very deep, exactly. And I thought wow, how dare they.
Speaker 1:Exactly, I was devastated for days.
Speaker 2:How dare they decide they think it's appropriate to actually judge the way you look?
Speaker 1:Luckily you never do that, arno.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that. Never, never. I'm always on the receiving end of it, if only, if only. But you know, at the end of the day, those wrinkles that we have and all the people that were on our podcast like we've earned all of them. Um, and I'm very proud of my body. Don't do video anymore. This is the shallow end of the podcast exactly just audio.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, um gosh, we're already over time. Like heaps, I think we have to wrap it up. Okay, a big thank you to you for being, for being, with me all year it's been an absolute pleasure and I can't wait to record our next season and, um, you know, as I, as I said on linkedin, nothing but love. Thank you for being with me.
Speaker 2:Nothing but love and it's a mutual sentiment. And thank you very much for being here as well, because I thoroughly enjoyed every single session that you and I have done and the people that we've had on the podcast. It's been an amazing year. So I'm very much looking forward to 2025 and, and you know, like with, with, to me, like that climax, which would be the the 15th anniversary. So it's not, isn't that the word climax? Whatever works for you, it is in french, so I don't know what it is in english, but but you know like, well, you know, we'll leave it there. We're going to end up, I'm going to end up on the naughty list from.
Speaker 1:Santa, we have to make this an 18 plus show now. No, anyhow, merry Christmas.
Speaker 2:Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I'll see you very, very soon. Take care.
