Our team is wrapping up the week on a high after holding our very first GRACE TALKS event in Brisbane on Wednesday. The premise of GRACE TALKS? The struggle, the juggle and the joy of motherhood. We cover it all...
We were thrilled to partner with one of my favourite brands (and a brand I’ve worked with for a long time), the iconic Swiss brand Bally. We gave away a beautiful handbag along with gorgeous gifts for all attendees. We were also thrilled to have Little Kisses with us. We profiled the gorgeous co-founder Rachel Bryce – Quentin’s daughter-in-law – on the site last week, so make sure you read her inspiring story. When I started The Grace Tales, almost five years ago, I wanted to create an inspiring content platform where women could share their stories. Stories that would inspire, but also stories that talked candidly about some of the less glamorous realities of motherhood – the physical and mental changes we go through as mothers, the emotions and the daily challenges. I wanted women to know they’re not alone. And that’s why GRACE TALKS is so wonderful – we bring together our community of Grace mamas and talk candidly about motherhood – the ups and the downs. For us, being honest is everything. When my team and I were brainstorming who our guest would be, there was only one name that came to mind. She’s a woman I’ve admired for many, many years. She’s one of the most admired mentors for Australian women. She is passionate about the future of our youth. She made history as the first female Governor-General. She saw three different Prime Minister’s in the five years she was Australia’s head of state. Her words – ‘you can have it all, just not all at the same time’ – inspire me daily. ‘In her letter of advice to her teenage self, she said: ‘Be bold. Have a go. Believe in yourself. Volunteer. Stand tall and proud.’ She has done all those things and more. It was a rare privilege to have interviewed the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce at our GRACE TALKS event on Wednesday. We’ll be posting the video shortly, but in the meantime, here’s a few words of wisdom from one of Australia’s most distinguished women and a glimpse at a morning we will never forget… Photography: Bridget Wood
On female friendships:
“They’re vital! that’s what you’re all doing here. I mean it’s the most important thing in my life… my friendships with women.”
Editor Georgie Abay interviewing the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce
Rachel Moor Bryce with her mother-in-law, Dame Quentin Bryce
On the importance of sisterhood and solidarity:
“I think they’re enormously important… because you depend on each other so much.”
The Grace Tales’ Marisa Remond, Georgie Abay, Emily Armstrong, Jenny Guo
On work:
“I think that work and family inform each other… work-life enriches family life and family life enriches work life.”
We also gave away a beautiful hamper from Little Kisses
On mother's guilt:
“Well, I’m just totally loaded with that… It’s a very big thing and all mothers are affected by it and torn in two ways.”
On equality for women:
“We have got a lot of hard work to do before we have genuine equality.”
On advice for new mums:
“Having another pair of hands at home… it’s enormously important to put every resource that you can garner into the first months.”
On self-care:
“A lesson that I pass on to young ones around me is that it is about your physical wellbeing. I think we all push ourselves very hard sometimes.”
On resilience:
“The most important thing I can do for my grandchildren is to build in them the stores of resilience and inner strength that they will need for their futures no matter what the challenges are that they will be facing.”
The Grace goodie bag (check out all the treats we pampered our guests with below!)