TIME - Travel Industry Mentor Experience
TIME - Travel Industry Mentor Experience
Celebrating 15 Years of Transformation in Travel Industry Mentoring with Penny Spencer
Penny Spencer, the visionary force behind the Time mentoring program, joins us to celebrate 15 years of transformative impact in the travel industry. Discover how Penny nurtured this initiative through tough times like the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19, all while expanding its reach to New Zealand and increasing its vibrant community of mentees and mentors. Her insights into the resilience and passion required to sustain such a program promise valuable lessons for anyone interested in career progression and industry retention.
Reflect with us on the multicultural tapestry that unites our hosts and our guest, celebrating shared roots and the crucial support from partners like Air New Zealand. As we gear up for the grand 15-year celebration event, expect lively discussions on gratitude, humility, and aligning personal and professional goals. Hear anecdotes that highlight the power of networking and mentorship in sparking inspiration and fostering a supportive network, even for those who can't directly participate. This episode is a heartfelt homage to the connections that fuel growth and the community spirit that makes it all possible.
Hello and welcome to season five of the Time Podcast. Welcome to 2025 and welcome to my co-host, surprisingly the same person as in 2024, the one and only the French First Lady, arnaud Michelin.
Speaker 2:I didn't know I was a French First Lady. I thought her name was Brigitte Macron, but anyway, I'll take it.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I just envisioned, when you went getting your croissant in your wig and your dress, that you look similar.
Speaker 2:I do look similar to Brigitte Macron with my Birkin bag and my bodyguards.
Speaker 1:I know who did you bring as a guest today.
Speaker 2:Tell me all about it. We have a very very you bring as a guest today. Tell me all about it. We have a very, very, very, very special guest today. Um, we have penny spencer with us welcome thank you so much for joining us thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I'm very pleased to be here, especially the first session for 2021 and, as a matter of fact, we all would not be here if you would not be here because you started time.
Speaker 3:That's right. I did 15 years ago.
Speaker 1:I know that's the big news of the year 15-year anniversary. Wow, this is impressive, penny. Congratulations, thank you, and I'm sure it has been very tough along the 15 years at some stages of the process Tough and rewarding, very rewarding, probably more rewarding than tough. I would say Awesome.
Speaker 3:That's good to hear.
Speaker 1:We want to learn a bit more about the challenges a bit later. I want to start with a very obvious question. If you think about time 15, 14, 13 years ago and compare it to today, especially for the mentoring program, what has changed?
Speaker 3:Actually not a lot has changed. Our format, our processes, our systems are still the same. Our graduation format's the same. I quite often say to the board I think we need to change after graduation because it's the same same same, but everyone always says it works like don't, don't fix it if you know it isn't broke. So, um, I think the other thing that I forget I've been doing it for 15 years, so I see the same same same, but everyone that's coming in is new to it. So that's probably why it does work. But, um, yeah, I mean it. What has changed probably is we've grown. We're a lot bigger than obviously, we were 15 years ago. A lot more mentees, a lot more graduates, a lot more mentors, and we're in New Zealand and we have our state reps, which you know is fantastic as well, and we have a really great family of time. So what's next world?
Speaker 2:domination. What's that? What's next world domination, absolutely of course it's Penny Caesar.
Speaker 1:Is that a French thing to say? No, really, germany wouldn't say that.
Speaker 2:No, of course, not. No, but I mean really when you, when you see it like I'm just wondering if you might know that, penny, I haven't done any research on the topic, but do you think that in other countries um, you know some markets like the uk or the us is there something similar to time as far as you know?
Speaker 3:Not industry specific to travel. Okay, there's lots of mentor programs obviously everywhere, but not specific to travel. Travel, tourism, aviation, aviation and cruise probably have some mentor programs overseas, but time is very specific to our industry.
Speaker 1:I think what is also special about time and Penny the board we looked into that last year. We compared to other offers that cover at least a similar approach in regards to personal development and it turned out time was by far, even financially, the best offer, not even talking about the quality of mentor. You get Femi when you started Time. How?
Speaker 3:did you get those quality people to volunteer their time?
Speaker 2:I just made them do it. So there was no bribery, no threats, no blackmailing.
Speaker 3:No, not bribery, but lots of phone calls, lots of copies, lots of meetings to talk about. You know my vision and what I wanted to bring to the industry and how everyone could come along for the journey.
Speaker 1:And why was it important for you to launch Time back in the days?
Speaker 3:Because I'd always been mentored throughout my career and I had mentored as well informally mentored Very rewarding absolutely loved the whole mentor situation and felt that you know this is what our industry needed, because what I hate to hear is people get to a certain level in their career and travel and don't know how to get to the next level and then leave the industry. So part of it was also for retention. I really wanted people to stay in the travel industry, because we need that and obviously to help people grow their careers, because it's difficult. I mean, I even found when I got to a certain point in my career that, okay, how do I now become a manager from being a team leader? So, yeah, I really felt that having a mentor was the way to go and let's put together a program.
Speaker 1:That's my idea. I think sticking to it, especially in the beginning, when it costs a lot of energy and time to convince people to get it kicked off, that's really, really remarkable, Penny, and then for 15 years going through it with all the things that have happened. Gfc obviously we had COVID, which was a tough period for time, especially being a network community as well, where we come together and you know, want to connect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was definitely tough times, I know. May I ask, are you actually playing around with a pen? No, I'm not. I hear something on my microphone.
Speaker 2:It's not going to observe that.
Speaker 3:Now he's got his hand behind his back. I don't have any pens, okay.
Speaker 2:My hands are behind my back. I don't have any hands. Okay, my hands are behind my back.
Speaker 1:You'll be forgiven for this time, forgiven for this time Hands up Penny do you still follow most of the graduates, like do you kind of follow their career pathway or do you kind of you know after five years they're kind of out of mind or how does it work for you?
Speaker 3:No, no, not at all, I mean, I love LinkedIn and that's where I can follow people and see what's happening in their careers. But yeah, there's certain graduates that I still talk to who were on the first program, second, third program, always, you know, connecting with them. I mean, some are overseas now, trying their careers to be living overseas, so connect on LinkedIn with them. No, no, no, I definitely like to keep in touch with what's going on in their career. What I don't like to see is when they've left the industry.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Do you feel it would be like the godmother of travel in Australia and New Zealand?
Speaker 3:Not really, but you know I do love you know, knowing what's happening within everyone's career.
Speaker 2:And by godmother I meant like it was more a reference to the fairy godmother in, you know, in the Wizard of Oz.
Speaker 3:But anyway, yeah, my magic wand.
Speaker 2:Your magic wand. Yeah, glinda, we can call you Glinda.
Speaker 3:Yeah, glinda other, not the other one no, not yet oh my god.
Speaker 1:um, okay, so penny, when was the first time where it really got difficult to continue time? Was that the gfc, or was there anything before? Or COVID was the Definitely?
Speaker 3:100% Because we didn't know if we would have any funds. Obviously, you know we needed the funds to continue the program and it was really difficult. There was talk of just shut it down. I was completely against that. I was like, no, we need to support this community through COVID. So many people are losing their jobs. You know what happens after COVID and there's no time to help people get back on their career path. We can't shut it down. So we just worked really hard at making it happen and, as you know, you were sort of living through it with us at the time. Making it happen and, as you know, you were sort of living through it with us at the time. We did a lot of online, online sort of mental health seminars.
Speaker 1:It was all about keeping people right and supporting them through that time and do you want to explain because not everyone is aware how the funding works within time and what we need it for?
Speaker 3:Yes, so the funding works in the sense that we have partnerships. So, like sponsors who support the program, there's a couple of different group packages that they can do and then the rest of the income comes from the mentees' fees that they pay to be part of the program and that runs the program. Obviously we have Mari, who's our secretariat, who's the program manager, who we couldn't live without, so obviously she gets paid. It is not for profit, so it's not about making a profit. It's not about I don't get paid. No one else gets paid. Mentors volunteer their time for free, so it's really just running the program, covering the insurances, all the bits that we need to run the program and pay Maring.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's probably also worth to say that even the graduation functions, the networking functions, is for free. You're not taking an entry fee or anything there, so it's really an open community that's very welcoming and allows everyone to be a part of it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And the partners also, you know, are very, very supportive in giving us their venue for the graduations, et cetera. So the industry is very, very supportive.
Speaker 1:Indeed. Do you maybe want to tell a little bit how time has made its appearance in New Zealand and how that went, because that's quite a success story I've heard.
Speaker 3:Yes, it was. It is a success story. So I'm a Kiwi, so you know, part of me was always about if it's successful in Australia, I'd love to take it to New Zealand because, again, there's no such thing in New Zealand as a mentor program. So, you know, I talked to a few people that I know in the travel industry in New Zealand and said, you know, what do you think Can we get it there somehow? And a couple of them came to the party and we worked together and made it happen. So it's been very successful.
Speaker 3:Again, we have an amazing program manager over there, margaret, who is like Marian, runs it with a committee, because New Zealand actually reports to the board here in Australia and they're smashing it with partners and putting through mentees, mentors. They're a little bit low on mentors but we can help them with Australian mentors. And this year we're going to do a roadshow around New Zealand and take it to Auckland Sorry, not Auckland, it's already Auckland, wellington, christchurch to get it out there, although we're already getting mentees from rural New Zealand. So it's great.
Speaker 1:I didn't know you were from New Zealand originally. What do you think of being Australian?
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, exactly, I am Australian. I'm an Australian citizen. I've been here longer than I was ever in New Zealand, but I still have some Kiwi blood in me. Of course, of course.
Speaker 1:I know I have to stay with my French roots. I have to stay with my German roots.
Speaker 2:And I'm also an. Australian citizen.
Speaker 3:You are also an Australian citizen.
Speaker 2:Also yes, so am.
Speaker 3:I oh well done. We all have Australian passports.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 3:We all don't.
Speaker 1:Fantastic. We made it A fully Australian podcast. We made it.
Speaker 2:What do you attribute the success of of new zealand to a penny like? Is there something that like some sort of a spark that really you, you know um, really work there? Um, I'm not saying that it's not working in australia, but why did it take so well in new zealand?
Speaker 3:look, to be honest, I think air new zealand got behind it. Uh, they are the major sponsor and being the national carrier, and obviously, you know, in the travel industry, everyone was wow. If Air New Zealand's behind this, then obviously we need to support it. So I think that, along with you know, the committee are very strong and Marg is very strong and I think, again, it was necessary in the market.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, absolutely fully agree, and success obviously proves that. And also in Australia, I think, especially 2024, we've seen such a positive development in interest and dynamic again. I still remember the feb 24 function, which was such a beautiful kickoff to the year. It was so energizing. You could just feel something is in the air for the year. Yeah, yeah, um, what's your prediction for 2025? Tell us a little bit about the 15 year 12 month celebration. Yeah, 12 month celebration.
Speaker 3:So the february the 12-month celebration yeah, 12-month celebration. So the February the 12th, which is our first graduation and induction for 2025, it's going to be even better than 2024 because we're going to have the excitement of the 15-year celebration. I think everyone's already excited about it, just the fact that we've got 15 years and put through 400 graduates in that time. So everyone's really looking forward to that and we're just going to have a very not simple, but we're going to have an event where it's all about the mentors, the mentees, the graduates. It's about them.
Speaker 1:Beautiful. I know we talked a long time about the celebration and what's the right format to celebrate 15 years of this community and I think we came up with a very beautiful format which will strive, will connect a lot of people again, you know, and create relationships.
Speaker 3:We're going to have so many people from you know all of those programs in 15 years and see where they are in their careers. Yeah, we're going to have videos. I was wondering.
Speaker 1:so you said, we had about 400 graduates and we will have several graduates for the past pardon me, several graduates from the past at the February function. If you think about Arnaud's graduation and my graduation, which graduation speech did you prefer?
Speaker 3:Oh, don't ask me that. I think you both did an amazing job.
Speaker 1:That was very diplomatic. Thank you, Penny.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, very diplomatic.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I know it was much better.
Speaker 3:It's fine.
Speaker 2:No, she prefers you, timo, that's fine.
Speaker 1:No, no one will prefer me over you, please.
Speaker 2:Oh, come on, Stop it. It's not a competition.
Speaker 3:No, it's not a competition, absolutely it's not a competition, no it's not a competition, absolutely, actually, a very good point.
Speaker 1:I wanted to ask you as well, penny A competition? So I perceive you as a very business savvy and business focused person, but you don't have the same negative competitive edge that a lot of white men have and I say this only as a white man. I know that Of course he has that as well, a little bit.
Speaker 2:So can you please?
Speaker 1:enlighten us. How can we stay down to earth and humble, but still be so focused and successful?
Speaker 3:Well, it's all about your purpose and your passion, like at the end of the day. You know, I have a real passion, obviously, for the travel industry and I love everything about it and the people in it and what it's given me throughout the years. I feel very humbled and appreciative and grateful for my career. So I think that's what keeps me sort of I don't know humble or appreciative gratitude, because at the end of the day, it's given me an amazing life purpose and passion.
Speaker 1:I love it. Yeah, what's your purpose and passion for 2025?
Speaker 2:my purpose and passion for 2025. Look, I've got a lot of goals for 2025 um, on a personal level, um, you know um. So I'm I'm working on on um and try to make sure that my professional career is still also, like you know, growing and it's not in competition with my personal goals. So that's where, that's where I'm at in 2025, you know so, um, so you have personal and professional goals.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1:Do you have personal goals?
Speaker 2:yeah, yes do you want to share them? Personally no, I mean I don't particularly want to like on my professional goals. I do not particularly want to talk about that on the time podcast today I always say your goal should be about your mind, body and soul exactly, and that's exactly where I'm at your mind something for your body?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah, personal, obviously like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I thought I know one of your um goals would be, should it be nice on the podcast to me or something.
Speaker 2:But obviously that's not shortlisted, so that's okay oh well, I mean not on the podcast anymore. I can do that offline, but you know like not what we're recording, because otherwise, actually, it seems to never happen. That's the interesting part. Not on the podcast, timo. I can do that offline, but not while we're recording. Actually, it seems to never happen. That's the interesting part. My main persona on the podcast then will come down, so it needs to stay the same. You need to be the good guy, I need to be the bad guy and keep it like this. That's what's cool.
Speaker 1:As Ben just said, don't fix what's not broken right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, as you said, listen to the godmother of the travel industry.
Speaker 3:That's right. Listen to the godmother with her wand.
Speaker 2:I was going to ask you something, Penny, because you've been a mentor several times. Right yeah, but did you wish that one day you could have been a mentee of the Time Program?
Speaker 3:I've never thought about that. I do have a couple of mentors outside of the Time Program, mainly because probably it's people outside of the time program, mainly because probably it's people outside of the industry that are mentoring me as opposed to inside the industry. Because, you know, I know a lot of people within the industry and there's certainly people I look up to within the industry and think, oh, it would be amazing to be mentored by them. But I think I'd probably get more now outside of the industry?
Speaker 2:Yeah, fair enough, fair enough, fair enough. And are you going to mentor people in the coming 15 years? Oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker 1:Oh, so you shouldn't.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I will definitely. I mean, it's difficult for me at times because when I read through the expressions of interest that come through, there's so many that I want to mentor. I read the expressions of interest and I really want to mentor that person, do so much with that person or, you know, help them in whatever way. But I have to obviously be strict with myself because I do have other things that I need to be doing. But this year, yes, I mentored Peter Godfrey. Last year, 2024, and reading her ERI was just like, no, this is what I really want to do.
Speaker 1:And I'm also very excited that finally, after a month of trying to convince you, you finally agreed to also be a speaker at a time function.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, I do feel a bit funny about doing that, because I sort of feel like everyone knows my story, but, as a few of you on the board said, not everyone knows my story.
Speaker 1:See, I know that's exactly what I meant. She has so much to share and tell and a billion things that we all don't know about her, but then she always thinks like, oh yeah, no, it's not interesting enough. That's, that's the humbleness I was talking about you and I. We don't have that. We are just like yes, I want to talk.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've like brought my instagram and you find everything about my life, yeah, everything about your personal goals, everything about my personal goals. But I mean, everyone knows about my personal goals. Everyone knows that you know like I run marathons and I want to do bigger and better every year, so you know like this is also a part of it, right? So it's not really anything which is very secretive. That's all you know.
Speaker 3:It's a.
Speaker 1:Thing to find, if you want to find it, you know. Ah, look, I've given up. Look, I just exist now. It's fine, I just go with the show.
Speaker 2:No, of course not. What do you wish for the next 15 years, penny? I mean beyond like for the program to still be be there, but are there some specific um things that you think the program should go into different directions, or yeah?
Speaker 3:yeah, so I would like it to expand into other countries. Okay, so we've kind of done australia, we've done new zealand. Um, I'd it to expand into other countries. Okay, so we've kind of done Australia, we've done New Zealand. I'd love to expand it into Canada. I feel Canada is very similar to Australia and the travel industry in Canada is similar to Australia. So that would probably be my next step in the next couple of years. Obviously, we've done 400 graduates during, uh, the last 15 years, so I'd really like to get to a thousand graduates in the next 15 years. Yeah, you know, we went through covert, so we had three years where there was no graduates and no, no new mentees. I'm I'm sure we can kick that goal.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I think so as well, I think 600 is definitely doable, definitely doable. Yeah, I like Canada, but that's not your favourite travel destination. Have you not ever considered Mexico?
Speaker 3:Oh, of course, that's my favourite travel destination. I could think about Mexico. Yeah, it's just a short flight from Canada and I could do two in one.
Speaker 1:I like the practical approach yeah, exactly two in one.
Speaker 2:It's on the same time as on two. You know, once you're there, you're there, indeed, indeed there you're there indeed, indeed.
Speaker 1:We spoke about what's the plan for the next 15 years. We thought about obviously one day you want to move to Mexico and retire, and I know it's not in the next 15 years. How do you think about succession plans already? If so, do you have an or in mind? I guess not, but you clearly do not have the same hair. I fully agree on that one with you. Is that things that you think about already, or am?
Speaker 3:I still very young.
Speaker 1:You still have a few years to work, obviously.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Well, you know I have a lot of other businesses. I have seven odd businesses. So over the next 15 years some of those you know probably I will retire from or sort of sit back a bit from um. I'll always have time for time because that is, you know, secretly my favourite child. So I think over time yes, I'm thinking about succession now around what it's going to look like in the next 10 to 15 years for me. But it would be very hard for me to step 100% away from time because it is something that I just love.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I wouldn't even imagine how it would be if you wouldn't be there. It's not acceptable.
Speaker 3:No, I think I'll probably be there until I die. But you know, in a different way maybe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course, of course. So when you approach a potential partner and they come up with, oh yeah, no, we don't know if that's right, how do you convince them to join?
Speaker 3:Yeah, the main thing I think that's really important for people to understand time is to come to a graduation. At the end of the day, everyone walks away from those graduations going. Oh my God, those people that spoke at their graduation speeches, you know, you can tell that it's made a difference in their lives and I think once you see and hear that and also feel the and I don't want to say love in the room, but there's definitely in our networking, everyone knows everyone and it's and if you don't, people are introducing people there's a real buzz because we're strategic about the people that are in the room and they're all there for the purpose of helping other people.
Speaker 3:So it's not about just going there and having lots of wine and food, it's about being there to help people so I think you feel that in the room I mean, I Hopefully you two do as well when you're at those functions but that definitely helps by getting someone there that I'm trying to get them on board as a partner.
Speaker 1:I think there are many times actually where it's super stressful. I really have to make sure I really be as quick and as efficient as possible so I can actually go to the meetings, and on the way there I felt like I'm completely de-energized just because.
Speaker 2:I'm tired.
Speaker 1:But you're right, you're there and I'm happy to see the people and I would definitely say there's the love in the air. You know, it's just a very special community and obviously there's not many people that you see outside of time or job professional functions, so not many. You go to the beach with, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But it's still that Friendship Atmosphere there, that inclusive atmosphere, and even when I see, I know, I'm happy, it's just it's very outstanding.
Speaker 3:Very energising.
Speaker 2:Believe it or not, when you see me, you're happy, I know right.
Speaker 1:Who would have thought?
Speaker 3:It's a smile, it's a smile, it's a smile.
Speaker 1:It's a smile, I would say the same effect as you have when one of those ugly dogs walks in the room and you still like them. No, I know, you look beautiful, you look beautiful. Can you please tell us how you feel when you come to the Fountains? Do you have a similar experience?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can totally relate to what you're saying. Sometimes it's a really hard day, especially for me now. I work in operations. My days, some days, are like crazy busy, but it's important for me to when I can, because sometimes I can't go, but when I can go I can feel like, yeah, the change of mood, seeing all these people, the smiles, familiar faces, and you know you're going to have like a good chat. It's a great way to, yeah, feel the love. I do agree, even though sometimes I don't necessarily feel the love from Timo, but that's a different story.
Speaker 1:That's why the one thing I don't like about it is this Every time I leave a time frame, I have a massive to-do list, just because I get so inspired by talking to people or listening to their speeches oh, this, this, this. So I actually come there with a big to-do list and I leave with an even bigger to-do list.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's very true. Or people that you've got to catch up with outside of time because you know they're going to help you with something or introduce you to someone.
Speaker 3:And that's what the networking is all about. And I'm always sort of saying that to the mentees when they come on to the program in that induction workshop. Even if you are a bit shy and you don't feel comfortable coming to the networking, just make the effort, because that's where you're going to grow a lot of your career and your contacts and your network and you walk away feeling excited about who you've met.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Maybe you also get your little to-do list there, like what was the last idea you got out of a graduation speech where you thought, oh, that's actually something I also want to implement or use for something?
Speaker 3:Well, sometimes it's the workshops. Actually, I mean the graduation speeches. A lot of the time I'm just like in awe of what they've got from the mentor and love the story. But the workshops I walk away with a to-do list. Or sometimes it's the keynote speaker, sometimes some of the things they come up with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, there was. There was a. I forgot who the speaker was. He always said like, oh, how lucky that this happened. It was this concept throughout the speech.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That was so brilliantly done. And so often when something happens that seems to be a big objection or hurdle in the beginning, I kind of hold in for a moment and say how lucky I have this fantastic opportunity to resolve this issue.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes exactly.
Speaker 1:And it really does something in your mind. It was really cool actually. I did enjoy that yeah, yeah. I know what was your last big key takeaway that influenced you positively, apart from seeing us, obviously.
Speaker 2:Look, I do get inspired by a lot of the graduates. Actually, yeah, I think that some of the speeches give me a lot of inspiration for something that I want to do, you know, that I want to take to work with me. I don't have, like, maybe like a specific example, but I think that there was probably someone that worked for Sabre, I think that she had, and she was talking about her journey and there's something that she said. I was like oh yeah, this is actually a really good point, and then I implemented that at work. I thought it was good.
Speaker 2:I do, yeah, I mean, for me, sometimes it really boosts my energy, like, how do I say it? It generates more opportunities to work more with my team right, my teams, because I've got several teams, um, and the people within the teams, and so I've taken on a few things of like mentorship, and so I do one-on-ones in a different way. Um, I do them monthly. So, as you can imagine, it takes a lot of my time, but I try to incorporate in my interactions with my team members when I'm one-on-one, some of the things that I've learned here and there at either graduation or, potentially, a workshop or something like that.
Speaker 2:So, for these people who probably don't have at the moment the opportunity to do time, either because, um, the employer is not supportive of that program or because they don't have the funds to be able to self-funded. But at least they're getting something and I think that you know when you want to grow in your career. Even though I would be sad to see them go, you know, I think it's important to do it. Yeah, so I've taken a lot of over the years. I've taken a lot of little things here and there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, last year we spoke a bit about the mentoring after the graduation opportunity that time provides, and I think Arno and I had the idea that we both do it, but for whatever reason, we both failed.
Speaker 3:So it's back on our list. 20 minutes, 20 minutes, yes, correct.
Speaker 1:From your point of view. I'm not sure if you have some data around that, by the way, but if we have data, it would be interesting to know how many of the 400 are actually still using that um. And maybe what's the concept of the 90 minutes um for for the year and what? How was that idea born, what was it meant to do, and is there something that we do in the future to change it? As in, is it not fixable? As in doesn't need to be fixed. Sorry, yeah, um, yeah, what's your insights, please?
Speaker 3:yeah. So the concept around it was to keep everyone within the family number one because we we originally had what we called an alumni. After you graduate, you become part of this alumni, which you cannot still be part of the family, come to graduations etc. That didn't really work because I think the generation that we were pitching it to they didn't really know what alumni was. So then we changed the name. I can't remember what we changed the name to but none of that worked. We thought we'd do you know sort of trivia nights at the pub where everyone can get together. People didn't want to do that, so we felt to keep them engaged and also learning and growing was to have the access to any of the mentors, which there's about 250 of, and have a 90-minute session with them on whatever they need to do. So I've had quite a few that have done that with me, had quite a few that have done that with me. Out of the 400, I would say maybe 100 would have taken that up.
Speaker 2:I'm going to do it next week. Good, do you?
Speaker 1:Yes, you can go on to 2025.
Speaker 2:Hey we talked about it, she said to me we need to do this and I was like yes, this is such a good idea. It's 2025.
Speaker 3:Like you know, this is it Well there's so many amazing mentors yes, incredible mentors that you can and wherever you're at in your career will be different to when you were doing it, when you were a mentee, right? So I think you'd be mad not to do it.
Speaker 1:I fully agree. It's one of those things where you think do it, and then you don't do it and you shouldn't. So I promise 2025, I will do it as well, and I know I will definitely make a podcast about the 90-minute mentor session, because that is actually funny enough, something that we barely rarely rarely talk about.
Speaker 3:No, that's true. No, we don't. And it's an amazing opportunity to have access to some of these mentors for free, for 90 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I fully agree. I fully agree. I'm a bit time away now. We're already over time, like significantly, which for journalists is not in a positive way. But, benny, thank you once again for being on on the podcast.
Speaker 3:I think that was your third time you're here. Is it the third? I thought it was the second well, at the beginning we had.
Speaker 1:We had like a form. It was like a two fiveminute video thing or something. Oh, that's right. Yes, it was not officially the podcast, though there was the test phase, the test and trial phase of what media format we're choosing.
Speaker 3:Well, look how far you two have come with the podcast I mean you do an incredible job and thank you for your support because again you're doing all this voluntary, which we really really appreciate, and I know everyone listens and loves them and you two are amazing together.
Speaker 1:Thank you, and I can't say how much I love my time with Arnaud. Actually, I know he never believes me, but I really enjoy having him in the studio.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 2:Don't lie, don't lie.
Speaker 1:Okay, if that's how you talk to me, the show is over awesome. No, thank you, penny and uh I see you on the 12th actually um for for um in. I think we meet in north sydney this time, is it're?
Speaker 3:going to cover more offices on the 12th. That's amazing 12th of. February.
Speaker 1:Don't miss it.
Speaker 3:And it's going to be a big one. It's going to be big because we've got quite a few graduating and quite a few I'm still matching madly the new ones coming in.
Speaker 2:Fantastic and if I remember well, it's what's? Deb Corbett. That is the speaker, yeah, speaking, yeah, and I love her, she's so cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she's so great CEO of. Panop yes.
Speaker 2:She's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we'll see you there.
Speaker 1:See you there. I definitely see you there, awesome. Thank you everyone and have a great day.
Speaker 3:Bye, bye.
