Q&A with S&A

<p>In this episode, Shane and Andrea sit down with mother–daughter powerhouse Jane Willox and Maddie Devereux, the team behind Kitchen Queens Catering.</p><p>The pair share how their shared passion for food grew into a thriving business, and how working together as family has strengthened both their bond and their brand. From the joy of cooking to the fulfilment of feeding others, Jane and Maddie talk about the heart behind their hospitality and the simple pleasure of bringing people together over a great meal.</p><p>They also open up about their experience on <em>My Kitchen Rules - </em>the lessons learned, the realities of competing on national television, and the challenges of being in the public eye. Despite it all, they reflect on the meaningful takeaways from the experience and the heartwarming reason they chose to participate in the first place.</p><p></p><p><strong>More from Jane &amp; Maddie:</strong></p><p>IG: @kitchenqueens_ | @janeywillox | @maddiedevereux</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://kitchenqueens.com.au/">https://kitchenqueens.com.au/</a></p>

<p>In this episode of <em>Q&amp;A with S&amp;A</em>, Andrea sits down with Mary-Anne Brasacchio and Geena Di Stefano, founders of the Social Soirée Collective, to talk about the importance of connection, especially for mothers who are rediscovering their identity later in life.</p><p>Born out of the lull in the events space following the COVID pandemic, the Social Soirée Collective was created to give women a place to connect, unwind, and belong - a space just for them. No corporate networking expectations. No kids’ schedules. Just genuine connection and community.</p><p>Mary-Anne and Geena share how they’ve combined their backgrounds in business ownership, branding, travel, and event hosting with their personal experiences of motherhood and reinvention to build something truly special: a movement that reminds women it’s never too late to find your people, or yourself, again.</p><p><strong>Find out more about Social Soiree Collective:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.socialsoireecollective.com.au/">https://www.socialsoireecollective.com.au/</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/socialsoireecollective/">@socialsoireecollective</a></p>

<p>In this episode, Andrea chats to Val Coin from Via Technology about all about the joys, challenges and benefits of transformation, systems and processes and being a husband-and-wife business team.</p><p>They talk about how all businesses can learn from hospitality when it comes to the importance of system and process, and how technology should be the last thing on the list when you want to successfully transform your internal processes - it's all about the people!</p><p><strong>Connect with Via Technology:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.viatechnology.com.au/">https://www.viatechnology.com.au/</a></p><p>@<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/viatechnologyau/">viatechnologyau</a></p>

<p>In this episode of Plant Grow Reap, Andrea and Shane catch up with <strong>event photographer Melissa Hobbs</strong> to explore her creative journey - how discovering a love of photography in adulthood led to building an in-demand business trusted to capture life’s most meaningful moments. </p><p>Mel shares what it’s like to photograph the <strong>energy, emotion, and connection</strong> that define an event. She also chats about <strong>travel, networking, business ownership, and motherhood,</strong> and how each of these experiences has shaped her perspective behind the lens.</p><p><strong>Find out more about Melissa’s work:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://melissahobbs.com">melissahobbs.com</a></p>

<p>In this episode, Shaun de Vries, founder of Open Pantry Consulting, shares the remarkable story of his diverse career in hospitality — from early success buying his first bakery at just 21, to hard lessons learned through rebuilding his life and business after a life-changing car accident and navigating insolvency.</p><p>He reflects on the power of strong business relationships, the importance of being proactive with debt, and how honesty, transparency, and learning from mistakes can turn even the toughest experiences into opportunities for growth.</p><p>Today, Shaun has found his calling helping hospitality venues across Australia scale with confidence — specialising in recruitment, operational strategy, and technology integration.</p><p>About Open Pantry Co: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.openpantryconsulting.com/">https://www.openpantryconsulting.com/</a></p>