#44 - How One Surf School Sparked Careers, Confidence, And Community Across New South Wales

Waves don’t just shape shorelines; they shape people. From the heart of the Bondi Pavilion, we sit down with surf pioneer Brenda Miley to explore how a borrowed van, a teacher’s eye, and a stubborn belief in visibility for women turned Let’s Go Surfing into a community pillar across Bondi, Maroubra, Byron Bay, and Ballina. Brenda opens up about those first uncertain years, the leap from car park coaching to a tiny North Bondi shop, and the unexpected power of showing up as the only woman in the room until the room starts to change.

We dig into practical playbooks for purpose-led businesses on the coast: navigating seasonality, building genuine local partnerships, and earning eco accreditation by auditing materials, cutting waste, and keeping the beach cleaner than you found it. Brenda shares how she and 'Wacca' blended complementary strengths, program design, PR, and contracts to build a culture that prizes people over hype, and how that culture scales with simple systems and a shared mantra: change lives one wave at a time. Along the way, we revisit a community dance fundraiser that raised close to $200,000 for cancer research, proof that fun and impact can go hand in hand.

Mental health and belonging run through every turn in the story. Surfing becomes “me time,” a weekly reset where phones can’t follow, and salt water steadies the mind. Brenda explains how rookies grow into accredited coaches through clear pathways, why reading people matters as much as reading sets, and how a surf lesson can be a first step back to confidence. We close with advice for women entering male-dominated spaces keep showing up, speak even when your voice shakes, and look ahead to new locations, deeper mentoring, and a simple pact with Bondi: take care of your place, and it takes care of you.

If this conversation moved you, hit follow, share it with a friend who needs a push to paddle out, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find stories that build stronger communities.

Transcript

Opening At Bondi Pavilion

Leon Goltsman 0:00

Hello and welcome back to Engaging Conversations. I'm your host, Leon Goltsman, and today's episode carries real meaning as we mark International Women's Day. The conversation you're about to hear with Brenda Miley was recorded inside the Bondi Pavilion, right in the heart of the Bondi community. You'll hear the atmosphere around us, and that setting

Framing International Women’s Day

Leon Goltsman 0:22

matters. But before we introduce Brenda, I'm joined briefly by business leader and board member for Lake Macquarie Business Chamber, Erica Voelkel. Erica, thanks so much for being part of this special episode.

Erica Voelkel 0:35

Thanks, Leon. I love that you recorded this in the pavilion. Bondo represents resilience and community, and you feel that the minute that you walk in.

Leon Goltsman 0:43

You certainly do. There's rhythm to it. Movement, people, the ocean just metres away.

Erica Voelkel 0:49

Well that's right. And in recent times especially, we've seen how the communities come together here. There's strength, care, unity, and that spirit feels very Australian.

Leon Goltsman 0:58

It sure does. And International Women State sits comfortably within that spirit. Don't you agree?

Erica Voelkel 1:04

Oh, absolutely. For me, as a business owner and mother to two incredibly strong opinionated women, it's about example. What young girls see become what they believe is possible.

Leon Goltsman 1:14

It is, and that visibility matters.

Erica Voelkel 1:17

It really does. When women build, lead and back themselves the way Brenda has, it reshapes expectations quietly but so powerfully.

Leon Goltsman 1:26

30 years ago, Brenda started teaching surfing out of the back of a van at South Bondi. No established surf schools. Very few people in the lineup. But what Brenda had was clear conviction. Today, Let's Go Surfing operates across Bondi, Marubra, Byron Bay, and Ballina, creating jobs, business confidence, and changing lives one wave at a time.

Meet Brenda Miley

Leon Goltsman 1:51

Conversations like this are made possible through the support of organisations that believe in strengthening communities. This program is proudly sponsored by Napean Advanced Rehab and Allied Health Centre, empowering movement, restoring life. Erica, thank you so much for helping frame this. And now it is my privilege to welcome Brenda Miley. So without further ado, let's get into it.

Brenda Miley 2:16

Hi, I'm Brenda Miley. I run Let's Go Surfing, which is a surf school that operates in Bondi, Marouba, Byron Bay, and Ballina. And uh started 30 years ago in the back of a van at South Bondi Car Park.

Leon Goltsman 2:30

And you've come a long way since then.

Brenda Miley 2:32

Well, I've moved to North Bondi. But um, yeah, Let's Go Surfing's grown and uh really developed over the last 30 years.

Why She Started Let’s Go Surfing

Leon Goltsman 2:40

So, Brenda, what inspired you to start Let's Go Surfing?

Brenda Miley 2:44

Well, the reason I started Let's Go Surfing was actually all about women. So, as a woman who had my heyday in the 80s, although I'd say I'm still in my heyday, there weren't many other girls who surfed. So I was often one of a few that was out in the ocean. But I also liked to compete, but I always had to compete in boys clubs. I became a PE teacher. So I had all these skills I could I could teach a lot of different sports. And one day I went to a board riders club and I organized some girls to come with me, but when they got there, they were too nervous to go surfing. And I realized I had some skills because I was a teacher, so maybe if I started coaching them, they might be more encouraged to start surfing. So that's how the idea of let's go surfing started. But what's important to note is that there was no such thing as surf schools then. It was a bit of a fledgling industry. A couple of people had started coaching. So I was right at the beginning of the whole surfing movement. So, of course, in the beginning there were lots of challenges. I didn't know anything about a business. I still wouldn't even consider myself a business person. But what I was good at was teaching and developing programs. So I think the first couple of years of let's go surfing out of the back of a van was what you might call these days market research. I just borrowed $5,000 from a friend and I borrowed a combi van, and uh that's when I just started teaching surfing, and I started to see that you know people wanted to come and people wanted to learn, and I I barely had to do any marketing. At the same time, I had a boyfriend who was a muse, but he was also uh someone who worked in the surf and ski industry. So he helped me with all the equipment, which was stuff that I didn't know anything about. He helped me source surfboards, wetsuits, and looked after the vehicle. And uh, you know, eventually I married him. But um, his name's Wacca. But together we run Let's Go Surfing now. But at the time, after a couple of years, we thought maybe we can make a living out of this

From Van To First Shopfront

Brenda Miley 5:01

thing. So um we rented the old laundromat down at North Bondi, which we thought was the worst place in the world to rent, but no one else would rent us any shop on Campbell Parade because they'd never heard of a surf school, and they thought, who are these two idiots? We're not renting anything to them. So we went down there. Turns out that uh, you know, the universe looked after us there because it's the best.

Leon Goltsman 5:26

And you're still there.

Brenda Miley 5:28

And we're still there.

Leon Goltsman 5:28

There we go.

Brenda Miley 5:29

Um, because you could throw a rock almost into the water from our shop front. So it turned out that it was a fantastic place to be. But um, neither of us were business people, we just were passionate people, creative types, and obviously I was a teacher. He, because of his music background, was very good at marketing, PR, and also reading contracts because he had a lot to do with managers over the years. So things that I didn't know about, he was good at, things that he didn't know about, I was good at. So together we we actually formed a really good team.

Leon Goltsman 6:05

Well, you did, you compliment one another.

Brenda Miley 6:08

Yeah, we're very we're very different, we've got very different skill set, but I think that's what also makes it successful.

Learning Business As A Team

Brenda Miley 6:14

But as soon as we went into the shop, that's when the real business started, and we didn't know anything about business. So all of a sudden, neither of us had jobs. We had to pay rent, and we had to see if we could make enough money to survive. So it was very tricky.

Leon Goltsman 6:31

There's obviously a lot of passion and purpose.

Recognition And Resilience

Leon Goltsman 6:34

Now, your efforts have been recognised with several awards. And Brenda, I've known you for a very, very long time, and some of those awards and recognition include being inducted in the Australian Surfing Walk of Fame. How do these accolades reflect the journey you've undertaken with Let's Go Surfing? And what does that mean to you personally?

Brenda Miley 6:54

Well, interestingly, I've never really tried to get accolades. I've always just wanted to do well at whatever I do. And you know, we're uh we look at Let's Go Surfing as a team, like we're all sports people, so we we like working in a team, but we like to win the game as well. And business is like a game. So getting accolades was has always been surprising and a shock because as a woman in business, I've often been the only woman in the room and haven't been taken seriously at various times. So accolades came after 25 years of hard work, but um, you know, I feel very honoured and also it's nice to be seen and recognised for the hard work and determination that you've shown. And I think, you know, for anyone in any business, if you just keep on working hard and knowing what your purpose is and trying the best you can to do the best you can, then uh sometimes you're lucky and accolades do come.

Leon Goltsman 7:58

Well, your overnight success took 25 years.

Community Fundraising And Fun

Leon Goltsman 8:02

But we've had some really good moments over the years. There was one year in particular, 2016, where you and I, we both participated together in the Stars of the East fundraiser for Cancer Council, New South Wales. Can you share your experience of that event and why contributing to such causes is important to you?

Brenda Miley 8:21

So I've been involved in lots of community programs and um and I was involved with the Dancing with the Stars with You, which was a lot of fun. But for me, that ticked a lot of boxes because first and foremost, besides running a so-called business, which is a surf school on Bondai Beach and other beaches, the community is at the heart of what I do. So if I can help the community in any way, I always will. So raising money for cancer research is just one thing that we do for the community. The other thing is I like to have fun, I like to dance, and I'll get involved with anything. So I remember when we got told the different dances we were going to do, and I got hip hop, and I was like, oh no, that is the worst one I could possibly get. But it was it was really fun, and I really enjoyed it, and you know, having

Bondi’s Spirit And Belonging

Brenda Miley 9:16

to wear all the makeup and be a different persona was fantastic. And I know that uh you were fantastic in your dance actually, but it the whole night was a lot of fun.

Leon Goltsman 9:26

It was, and and you know, it's not just the night, it was the lead up to it as well. And that often proves that it's not just the end result, it's the journey of getting there, the preparation, the people. That really was the community spirit as well, come to life.

Brenda Miley 9:43

Well, that's the whole thing, you know, people look at you when you run a business and they think you just run a business because they don't understand business. But really, running a business is it's important to be a big part of the community. And I do so many things, have always done that are for free, and and giving my time and energy just to be part of the community and to help the community because that's uh that's who I am, you know, that's how I grew up. I was from a very working class family, and um my dad always said community's always first.

Leon Goltsman 10:20

Ironically, we were looking for a place to sit down and chat because we're all very, very busy these days, but we still make time for important things, such as these conversations, of course. Yeah. And here we are finding ourselves in the Bondi Pavilion. I mean, there's a lot of history here, even the most recent one, which brings people together. It shows that there is light at the end of every tunnel if you have the right people working together towards that light. And speaking of light, you've been an incredible mentor to so many aspiring surfers, to people, and particularly

Advice For Women In Male Spaces

Leon Goltsman 10:56

women. Now, what advice would you give to women looking to break into traditional male-dominated sports or industries, given that we've also got uh International Women's Day coming up very soon?

Brenda Miley 11:08

Well, for for any woman, there's going to be a lot of people telling you you can't do something or you shouldn't do something. If you're passionate about something, never give up and keep showing up. And even if your voice feels very weak at the beginning, keep keep speaking up if you can and turning up. Like I was often in the surfing industry, I would go to conferences with all the surfers, and there'd be me and a room full of guys, and you know, not many people want to listen to me, but uh, if you keep showing up, you get better at it, and then you can voice what your opinion is. The world has changed in 30 years because there's a lot more women in a lot more leadership roles. We still have a way to go, but it's still about standing up and um and speaking up because a lot of women are taught from a young age that we need to be good girls, whereas guys can be breaking down barriers, but we just have to be strong and and keep keep doing what we love, but keep standing up and being a little bit tough.

Leon Goltsman 12:13

Some form of reassurance is that when you are standing there, you're not really alone. For me, when I see people with courage like yourself who do things like that, you're not just representing yourself and your brand. There's so many people out there who want to do what you're doing and you're giving them hope. You're inspiring them. Speak out, stand, support one another. I mean, we should be supporting good people irrespective of who they are, as long as they do good things. That is important. That is what community is about. And um, and I did mention we're here at Bondi Pavilion, the jewel of Bondi Beach, and that has been the central part of your journey, Brenda. How has the Bondai community influenced the growth and values of Let's Go Surfing?

Brenda Miley 13:01

That's an interesting question. I think, you know, when you've been around

Bondi’s Evolution And Inclusivity

Brenda Miley 13:06

for 30 years doing something, you really see a lot of changes, and obviously the world has changed. But you know, Bondai was very much a working class place in the early 80s, and it's gentrified over the years. There's there's different people, it's now uh much more of a tourist hotspot. But I what I like about Bondi is that anything goes really, everyone is welcome, and it's it's a beautiful beach. Like there's I think there's nowhere like it in the world because there's not many places that have beautiful beach that you can go surfing in with beautiful water that's you know eight kilometres from the biggest city where everybody's working, where the hustle and bustle is. I think Bondi is a really special place. The other thing about it is there's a very strong community backbone. You've got a mixture of tourists who come, you've got the community, you've got lots of kids, and you've got a lot of community groups as well who want to use the beach. So we all have to work in together.

Leon Goltsman 14:13

We do, and and this is the other thing about Bondi is that most people have a living room, have a kitchen, have a balcony, a veranda. But in Bondi, the Bondi Beach is their veranda. The Bondi Beach is their kitchen. The Bondi Beach is their playground, is their backyard, is their front yard. It's everything. That's why people are happy to live in a one or two bedroom apartment because everything is at their doorstep.

Brenda Miley 14:39

Yeah. Yeah, that that's uh one of the great things about Bondi is um we all live in a bit of a small, funny, whether it's a semi or whether it's a unit, um, but we live outdoors and we're very much part of the community. You you walk along the beach, if you're here for a few years, you say hi to lots of people because you get to know people. And you never feel alone actually.

Running Purposeful Coastal Businesses

Brenda Miley 15:04

There is always something you can do, whether it's going to the park, whether it's going to the beach. And having a coffee, going out for drinks, for dinner, like you can walk around. You can actually never leave Bondo if you don't want to, if you if you can work here. Everything is at your doorstep.

Leon Goltsman 15:20

Yeah, yeah. You can really feel the passion. And uh and the passion that you've got, you've managed to turn into a thriving business that supports both lifestyle and of course the local economy. So, what advice would you give to someone starting a purpose-driven business in a coastal or even say a regional town?

Brenda Miley 15:40

So, advice for someone starting a business in a coastal or regional town would be you have to really want to do it because nothing is as easy as everybody thinks it is. Because you're very much weather-based, you're seasonally based. So, winter, not a lot happens in winter in even a place like Bondi. So, you have to make sure that you're ready for that. You have to be supported through winter, through your summer work. You have to make sure you look after your community. Um, particularly for a business like a surf school, we're operating on a beach where everybody is welcome to go to the beach. So you need to make sure, you know, you limit your numbers and you provide a lot of community support and programs that um that help the actual community. And the other thing is we work with lots of different groups and they might come for a surf with us, but we will recommend that they go and have lunch or dinner or something somewhere else, or they go shopping in the back streets so that the people who come, for example, to Let's Go Surfing are also supporting other local businesses by buying coffees, drinks, dinners, or whatever, go shopping. So it's about working together. For example, Team Bondi, we all need to work together so that everybody's sharing the love. And we also need to be careful that we need to be sustainable so that we're not overrunning the beach or, you know, we're we're keeping it nice and cool in the ocean because also we're surfers, so we understand if a bunch of people paddle out and aren't respectful, you don't like that. So, you know, we try and teach that as well to the people who come to us.

Leon Goltsman 17:29

Well, the thing as well, you mentioned sustainable

Sustainability And Eco Accreditation

Leon Goltsman 17:31

and the good thing about your product, it's a product, it doesn't come with plastic wrapping. You don't need to use petrol or power as a surfboard, and the food should come from the local businesses.

Brenda Miley 17:44

Well, there is a lot that can be done in any business when it comes to sustainability. So we are an eco-accredited business, which means that we went through our whole business and looked at all of the things that we do. Making certain things paperless, having recycling, because we do get surfboards, making sure they they don't come with cardboard, things like that. So it's going through your whole business and working out what you can do that is eco-friendly. But the other thing is, as surfers, we're very concerned about the environment because we want our beaches to stay beautiful. So we like to say we leave only footprints. We will go to the beach, do our thing, and then leave the beach. But you'll often see our coaches picking up some rubbish if they see a put in their wetsuit to throw it out later. We also do beach cleanup days. So we're very much about looking after the environment and the people in the environment.

Leon Goltsman 18:39

You mentioned people. So we've learnt from companies, organizations,

Surfing, Wellbeing, And “Me Time”

Leon Goltsman 18:43

when they make it about people and not about money or just profits. That's when we see real benefits. And one of the issues of today that we we hear a lot of, we see a lot of, I still feel a lot more needs to be done, and that is mental health, personal well-being. And surfing has always been seen more than just a sport. And the way you've described it, it's a way of life. How do you see surfing contributing to personal well-being and community cohesion?

Brenda Miley 19:15

Well, surfing is an activity that is a lifestyle. It can be competitive, but it's also a community. You meet a community of surfers in the ocean, and you you can surf by yourself or with friends, but there's something about even if you're just walking on the beach or you're going for a swim, the salt water seems to fix everything. If you go in the ocean, you always feel better if you're having a bad day. And you know, we always like to say even a bad day surfing is better than any other day. So uh, but surfing, it's something that gives you everything because it keeps you fit and healthy, because you're doing activity and it connects you with the community, it connects you with the environment, and generally it makes you feel good and it's fun.

Leon Goltsman 20:02

And as well as that, even just watching people surf and enjoy themselves, that rubs off.

Brenda Miley 20:08

Look, I think if anyone, even if you just dive in the ocean, you're going to you you just feel better. I don't know what it is. It's maybe it's the salt on the side.

Leon Goltsman 20:17

It's connecting with nature.

Brenda Miley 20:18

But it's connecting with nature and and also what I love about surfing is that no

Culture Across Multiple Locations

Brenda Miley 20:24

one can contact you when you're in the surf because you're in the water, you're in the moment, you're focused on what you're doing. Although people do have um Apple watches these days, but generally it's a place, you know, a lot of our lessons where we do courses for locals. It's their their one hour a week where they say, This is for me, it's their me time, and they go off and feel good about it.

Leon Goltsman 20:48

Well, I know a few local businesses. Some people aren't even from here, but they've come and and you've taught them. I haven't asked them if I can mention their names, so I won't mention their name. They're very well known and they have their meetings in the water. They actually have their meetings in the water. They come out with staff, they paddle out and they discuss their weekly agenda. I mean, how good is that?

Brenda Miley 21:09

Well, that's your classic board meeting, isn't it?

Leon Goltsman 21:12

Some of the greatest philosophers they recommend walking. That's where the best thinking happens. Uh, but this is taking you to the next level. Brenda, you know that a place is doing well, not because they just do well in their area, but they expand into other areas.

Brenda Miley 21:28

So in so encouraging um the same standards across all locations, it can be tricky because there's different personalities. The actual areas have different personalities. So we operate Bayer and Ballin and Maribra and Bondi. They all have their own little special idiosyncrasies. So you need to understand that. But basically, it's about the people that we work with. So when we put managers in place, we make sure we discuss and we do. Workshops about who we are, what we're trying to achieve. We're trying to all be on the same page. Basically, we uh we have a statement that we say we want to be the world's best surf school and uh we're changing lives one wave at a time. And we speak like that all the time. We talk about we and we we have a bespoke booking system that work that we have at each location, and a lot of the bookings are done in the headquarters of Bondi, so we're very connected, and we go up and down to the different locations, and yeah, it's just about making sure we're all on the same page, knowing who we are and what we're trying to achieve.

Jobs, Training, And Pathways

Leon Goltsman 22:41

I mentioned regional earlier on, and one of the biggest problems and challenges that the regions face isn't that they've got a growing population. That's fantastic. It means it's a desirable place to live, but it's the growing unemployment rate. And a lot of the people who've been there for such a long time, their confidence has been at a low. I mean, the only way to overcome those challenges is to show that there is work.

Brenda Miley 23:07

Yes, creative jobs is very important to us because you know we're all part of this community, which I think people don't necessarily understand because we create jobs, but we've got a very strong training program. So, you know, we will identify people and say, Do you want to come and work with us? And they start doing their hours, we help them get accredited, and then they're called a rookie, and then they can move up in our system that we've developed into senior coaches. So we give them somewhere to go. Like a pathway to growth. Yeah, pathway to growth, and we try and develop skills because dealing with people all the time and teaching surfing is is quite difficult. It's almost like you need to be a psychologist. So after 30 years, I would say I'm good at reading people and what they need. Because not everybody needs maybe to stand up. They just might need some confidence in the ocean, or they they might have gone through a very difficult time in their life, so they want to do something that makes them feel good. So, yeah, working with people is is really important, and then working with our staff and developing them is also really important because we now have a lot of young people and trying to encourage them to, you know, we always say, what is your legacy going to be at Let's Go Surfing? Because whether you're here for one minute, five minutes, five months, five years, you can make a difference to someone else's life,

Vision, Mentoring, And Growth

Brenda Miley 24:36

but you can also develop your own skills.

Leon Goltsman 24:38

Well, Brenda, there's no better dignity than to have the ability to earn your own money, to maintain your own way, and that's what you're doing. You're instilling that in people, you're giving them hope. And what do you think about that?

Brenda Miley 24:51

Well, I've always wanted, even from the beginning of Let's Go Surfing, I called it Let's Go Surfing for a reason. It was about gathering people, let us all do this together. So we started with teaching people surfing, but then I thought, well, I want to develop career paths. So we have people who've been working with us for 25 years and they've, you know, got children, families, mortgages. So we've created a career path within our own business that people can have a meaningful career because that's what people want and with good purpose.

Leon Goltsman 25:29

So, Brenda, what I'm understanding is you're looking ahead. What are your aspirations for Let's Go Surfing and your personal journey in the coming years?

Brenda Miley 25:38

Well, my aspirations for Let's Go Surfing have always been to be the world's best surf school and to continue changing lives one way at a time and developing our team and possibly going into new locations. But as I'm getting older, I think I've got a lot to offer mentoring other women in business or other people who want to go into surf schools and helping people develop their

Closing Thanks And Listener Invite

Brenda Miley 26:03

business skills as part of what I do. I'm not ready to, you know, throw my board away yet.

Leon Goltsman 26:10

You've still got a long, long way to go. But Brenda, I know personally, but also having an absolute privilege of knowing you and seeing the impact you've had on our local community, but also on people around the world. Let's go surfing is more than just a small little business now, and it's a state tourism significance, isn't it?

Brenda Miley 26:31

Yes, we have developed over the years, and it and it's it's an interesting thing because when I started teaching surfing all those years ago, I never would have thought that we would be where we are today. But it was about never giving up and always wanting to give back to people. And when you look after your people, whether it's your customers or your team, then people will look after you. So that's what we've always done. We've always tried to be good uh community members and and do a great job with what we're doing.

Leon Goltsman 27:04

And you are doing a great job. Always dream and be courageous enough to follow your dreams.

Brenda Miley 27:10

Absolutely. If I listened to all the people who said, What are you doing? when I said, I'm gonna start teaching surfing. Even my mum said I was a PE teacher, and she said, But teaching's such a good job for a woman because you get all those holidays. And I was like, Yeah, but I don't want to do that, so I'm gonna do this thing that you know who knows if it's gonna make me a living or not. But you know, you've just got to take a jump sometimes and have a go.

Leon Goltsman 27:36

Well, I get these little voices in my head. Whenever someone says, You can't do this, sometimes I'll I'll tell them to be quiet. Or I use other colourful words, but no, in my mind, that little voice says, Don't you tell someone that something can't be done when they're already doing it.

Brenda Miley 27:53

Absolutely, like there's there's a lot of naysayers out there as well for everything that you're doing. But you just got to keep on your path, keep going where you think you want to go and see what happens.

Leon Goltsman 28:05

Well, I recommend everyone who has never surfed before try it. Best place to start, of course, let's go surfing. Brenda, what's the best way for people to contact you or get more information about your school?

Brenda Miley 28:20

Oh, well, you can find out lots of information on our website, letsgosurfing.com.au, or any of our socials, which is Let's Go Surfing Australia. Yeah, keep in touch.

Leon Goltsman 28:29

Yeah, fantastic. Brenda, as always, it's wonderful to catch up and I'm looking forward to seeing more and more of the great work that you do.

Brenda Miley 28:38

I'm I'm I've got a board ready for you right now. Let's get going.

Leon Goltsman 28:42

Let's go. Good to see you, Brenda. Thank you for coming in.

Brenda Miley 28:45

Thank you.

Leon Goltsman 28:46

Thank you. Now that was a meaningful conversation. One I truly enjoyed, and one I certainly hope you did too. But before I wrap up, I want to express my genuine gratitude firstly to Erica Voelkel. Thank you so much for helping open today's episode and adding depth to what International Women's Day represents. Your perspective strengthened this conversation. And of course, a huge thank you to Brenda Miley. From starting out of the back of a van at South Bondi to building Let's Go Surfing into a multi-location operation that has become an iconic part of New South Wales' tourism landscape and a true local institution. Your journey, Brenda, speaks volumes. But more than the scale of longevity is the confidence you've instilled in others, the pathways you've created for young people, the opportunities you've opened in an industry that once didn't feel accessible to everyone. To many, you're not just a business owner, you're a pioneer and a legend in your field. And that respect has been earned wave by wave, year by year. In 2016, Brenda and I both stepped onto the dance floor for Stars of the East, raising close to $200,000 for Cancer Council New South Wales, alongside other familiar faces from our community. It was a powerful reminder that when people step forward and rally around a shared cause, extraordinary outcomes are possible. The same spirit runs through this program. We have an incredible lineup of guests coming up on engaging conversations, leaders, innovators, and community builders. I'm genuinely excited what's ahead. And the conversations that continue to shape communities across Australia and beyond. With every episode we're doing more than just sharing stories, we're strengthening connections. So if you have a conversation worth sharing or know someone who does, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me on 1300-423-027 or by email at leon.goltsman at ecohq.com.au. I'm Leon Goltsman and thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay connected, stay curious, and let's keep building stronger communities together.