Originally published on LinkedIn: Pulse
1 April 2015
So what has nearly two decades in business taught me?
Never lose touch with where you come from. That kind of sums it up.
I’m fortunate to live and work in regional Australia – a conscious choice after completing my tertiary study.
Growing up on a large working property on the big sky plains of north-west NSW and spending a childhood on the back of a horse creates a certain type of person – and it’s not the stereotype. Marking lambs and calves, stick picking and coming home after a long, dusty hot day in the paddock smelling like cattle and horse sweat are the essence of my childhood. That, and story telling. I come from a long line of story tellers, some of them quite fanciful.
“The stories of rural and regional Australia are gold.
The stories of rural and regional Australia are gold. It’s why after four years with ABC Rural I left to go out and help more people get their story across more effectively. Training has been a big part of what I do for this very reason – I believe in sharing my skills with others whenever I can.
For a long time, the only outlet for these stories of rural and regional innovation, fortitude and resilience were via traditional media. I knew those channels well, and have a great fondness for them. However, the take up of web publishing and social media has since started to merge all forms of media into one. It’s harder to tell the difference between a radio station and an online publisher these days.
What hasn’t change though is the need for stories. For those in the content creation game, finding enough content to satisfy the hungry beast is the challenge.
“…start by tapping into the values and motivations of the people you live and work amongst…
If you’re connected to your community, start by tapping into the values and motivations of the people you live and work amongst – this is where you will find your stories. Real stories.
If only the seven year old me (in the photo) knew what lay ahead…I’m hoping she wouldn’t have changed a thing. Ochre Communications is celebrating 19 years in business today because I believe I’m grounded by the community in which I live and work, and the people who share their stories with me.
Thank you regional Australia.
Kim V. Goldsmith 