Wild Spark Mt Isa 2020

Well I honestly can’t believe that our 2nd Wild Spark Mt Isa event is done and dusted (Read about Wild Spark Mt Isa 2019 HERE). Where does the time go? Gosh we were lucky that we had it when we did, if it were any later we would have had to cancel with all that is going on in the world. Haven’t things escalated in the past week! Crazy times my friends, but lets talk about Corona in the next blog post, for now I want to tell you all about our amazing Wild Spark even that was held in Mt Isa on Friday 13th March!

To be honest Ed and I were a little worried on numbers being down, it is a real slog to get people along to an event, especially something that is pretty new and lots of people don’t really know what it is all about. If only I were a marketing expert… but it is just the two of us and we try our best.

As Ed says – if it were easy everyone would be doing it, and isn’t that the truth. Well it turned out to be such an amazing day with around 80 ladies in attendance – a great number. We also had 10 Pop Up Shop, it really was fabulous. Thanks so everyone who supported our day. The Red Earth and The Isa Hotels were our accommodation partners, offering all the ladies a special rate.

Our 3 guest speakers were inspirational. One thing I always find with our events is that even though I may not know the guest speakers very well (or even at all) somehow they always seem to fit with our values. I am always blown away with how well they fit with Wild Spark and what we are all about. I guess this quote is true…

This year we had Reegyn McElligot, Sonia Hornery and Steve Hoey speak to us.

First on stage was Reegyn McElligot – owner of The Skin Coaches in Mt Isa. At only 30 Reegyn has achieved great things, she is determined, motivated very driven. She spoke about growing up on remote cattle stations and her love for all things beauty – so the directed her passion into becoming a beauty therapist.

Everything Reegyn spoke about really resonated with me and was in line with our Wild Spark values. She is definitely a Wild Spark! Well done Reegyn for all that you have achieved, you are an inspiration and we loved listening to your story. Reegyn also had a pop up shop – offering all the ladies a free skin assessment and consultation.

Next up was Sonia Hornery. I have met Sonia down in Brisbane, at Brookfield, a few times but didn’t really “know” her.

Sonia spoke from the heart about losing her husband to cancer 12 years ago – leaving her to raise 5 children aged from 12 down to 2. Sonia’s honesty and rawness was the real inspiration, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house and I am sure quite a few women could relate to her story. Sonia could have fallen in a heap but she decided to get up and carry on the legacy of her husband breeding Wagyu cattle and building a business on her own to educate her 5 children. Sonia, it was such a pleasure to meet you and I had the best few days really getting to know you in Mt Isa, what fun we had together! Thanks so much for travelling up to Mt Isa for our event.

Our final guest speaker for the day was Stephen Hoey, owner of Therapy Solutions in Brisbane.

Steve and Therapy Solutions have been a huge supporter of Wild Spark from the very beginning and we we so grateful to have him fly up to speak at our 2020 event in Mt Isa. Steve has a passion for assisting people with chronic pain and mental health challenges. Steve is also passionate about supporting rural and remote women, his talk focussed on healing from the inside out. He spoke about old brain and new brain, gut health, sleep, stress, depression, fasting and what we can do to improve our health step by step form in the inside out. We would love to have Steve back in Mt Isa to hold a dedicated Pain Clinic session with our ladies. Steve’s generosity and urge to help others is really something else, we are so grateful to have him on board with Wild Spark and I know our ladies got so much out of his talk and are keen to see him back in the Isa.

Steve flew up with his PR/Marketing guru – Chris – and Chris joined us all the way from Prague – Prague for goodness sake. We had so much fun with both Steve and Chris and they slotted right in with Wild Spark. Welcome aboard boys and thank you for everything you did for us.

We also had Joy McClymont from Off The Track Training pop up on the screen via video to get all the ladies out of their chairs and moving. Joys message was also in line with all of our guest speakers – she spoke to the audience about self care and the importance of exercise and healthy eating, especially for your mental health. Our ladies always enjoy getting up to move with Joy.

Our Pop Up Shops were fabulous – as the ladies entered the auditorium they were welcomed with the smell of freshly brewed coffee from the All Quotes Direct pop up and then all the amazing bath bombs, soaps and scrubs from Ashlee Rose Bath & Body.

Heidi from All Quotes Direct has been with us from our very first Wild Spark event in Mt Isa last year. She has travelled around the country side with us – to Brookfield and Mudgee – and we just love having her on the Wild Spark wagon. Heids had her Mum, Shiona – all the way from Coolah NSW – and our lovely friend Nicky helping her.

Deanne from Ashlee Rose Bath and Body not only set up a gorgeous pop up but also helped with the guest speakers presentations – putting them together for us so things ran smoothly on the day. We can’t thank you enough Dee, we are so grateful for all of your help. Oh and I am loving the smell of the bath bombs I bought from your pop up – I have actually put them all around the house because they smell SO GOOD!

Chloe from Willow and Hide Designs travelled all the way up from Childers, with her Grandmother – Evelyn, to be with us – what a legend! It was so great to meet them both and we have definitely found some new Wild Sparks there! Chloe designs and makes clutches, earrings and accessories – she paints the canvasses and turns them into clutches. Chloe also popped into Rockhampton to pick up boxes of Graziher magazines. Graziher so very kindly provided a magazine for every lady in their goodie bag – thanks so much.

Another gorgeous lady who has been with us from the very beginning is my good friend Karen from Priceless Pearls. She was back this year with all of her beautiful jewellery. We always have so much fun together but only get to see each other a few times year.

Joanie from Snippit Designs drove all the way up from Grafton in NSW! Joanie is another massive supporter of Wild Spark and embroidered tea towels for every single lady to go in the goodie bags! Joanie also came along to our Brookfield event last year.

Radha is an amazing bush lady from a station down near Boulia – this lady can do anything – drive a road train, fly a chopper and anything in between – everything I tell you. Radha and her daughter Ellie were at our launch event in Mt Isa last year and they were back again this year with a pop up, selling Modere. We love having you girls on board and it was so great to see your smiling faces this year.

We met another Mt Isa local lady – Rachel from Isa Girl Friday, who came along this year and held a pop up. I love meeting ladies from Mt Isa because I don’t really know that many. Of course I bought a pair of pink button earrings with green polka dots – of course I did, how could I not?

Sarah & Melinda from Love Thy Farmer also travelled a long way to attend our event with their pop up shop – all the way from Brisbane and Dalby. It blows me away how far some ladies travel and we are so grateful. I totally get it because distance means nothing to me – if there is a good time to be had and new ladies to meet I am so there Jackie O.

Another lovely local lady who had a pop up was Helen King – More Than Scents. So great to have you along Helen and so pleased to have met you last year.

And lastly we had a little cheeky pop up selling merch and my dodgy cookbooks. Yep, I have decided to throw caution to the wind and just sell the bastard as is – warts and all. I will get this website sorted very soon so you will be able to purchase online using your credit card. Will let you know when I have that sorted.

Ed and I were so kindly gifted the new “Danielle” technical shirt dress from Styling You The Label to wear on the day. The new Raspberry colour will be available to purchase from 29th March. Heads up on the sizing, I am wearing a size 10, but would have preferred a size 8, I am usually a size 12. So I would suggest sizing down. Very comfy with lots of room. Thanks so much Nikki – you had me at hot pink!!!

All of our ladies went home with a fabulous gift bag jam packed full of goodies. Thanks to all of the amazing businesses who sponsored these bags especially Worn Out West, Graziher, Allflex and Snippit Designs…

A big thank you to Leigh from Pharmacy First in Mt Isa for all the little bits and pieces you gave us to pop in the bags, it was so generous and kind of you.

Our events would not be possible without the support and sponsorship of so many businesses and people. We are so grateful to everyone who supports Wild Spark. Kelli has been with us from the beginning. Kel came all the way up from Brisbane to help us out and we couldn’t have done it without her, so thanks for being part of our team, we have so much fun together and really appreciate everything you do for us!

That is Kel there on the left with Tilly from Trek West Tailored Hiking Tours. Trek West have also been with us from the very beginning and this year they shouted all of our ladies a glass of bubbly. My beautiful friend and owner of Trek West – Shelly – wasn’t able to be with us on the day so Tilly flew the Trek West flag, thanks so much Til and Shell for all of your support. We love doing this with you and really missed you Shell.

When we walked into the Auditorium on Thursday it was like a dark empty cave, but thanks to the kind support of Mt Isa Furniture & Bedding we were able to transform it. Kirsty let us go in and choose anything we needed, they then delivered the gear and came back to collect it all on Saturday. Can you even believe it. Their generosity and kindness is really something else, loaning us thousands of dollars worth of stock out of their shop. So anything you see – the flowers, the lamps, the signs, the trees – they are all on loan from Mt Isa Furniture & Bedding. Thanks so much Kirsty!!!

They also donated a gorgeous cowhide chair as a lucky door prize. Megan and her daughter were just beside themselves when they realised they were the lucky winners!

We have so many amazing people who have supported Wild Spark from our very first event last year in Mt Isa and it just warms our heart when we think of everything you all do for us. We can’t thank you enough. Ed and I just love bringing women together – helping them be the best they can be no matter where they live. Celebrating rural women. After our amazing day this year a bunch of us headed over to The Red Earth Hotel cocktail lounge and celebrated another great day. Gosh we had fun. Steve from Therapy Solutions was very generous and shouted us far too many cocktails and so many platters of food. I mean, seriously, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to end our day. SO MANY LAUGHS!!!

The next morning we headed to The Xtra Mile – Mt Isa’s best cafe. Trine, the owner, was at our event. Her coffee shop is really something special, you feel like you are in New York City. I especially love all the quotes on the walls and this one really resonated with Ed and I – it is exactly what we stand for at Wild Spark, our mission statement if you will!!

To all of our Wild Sparks – we love you and we just love bringing you all together. We hope you had a fabulous day and perhaps made a new friend.

To my Wild Spark partner – Ed – I couldn’t do this without you. Gosh we have some fun but we also put lots of hard work in, thank god we each bring different strengths because I would be nothing without you! Here’s to many more amazing Wild Spark events!

Of course, we stayed on Saturday night for a “team meeting” – here is the gang – the last of the stayers! Thanks for all of the laughs girls, I had SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

I tell you what, aren’t we just so lucky we held our event when we did, because once we all got home it is like Australia decided to shut down. Crazy times ahead. If you can, please reach out and support these local businesses who supported us, they are going through a really tough time and are going to need our support now. Please remember to shop local and support the businesses who usually support you. Get online, find them on facebook or give them a call. They need us more than ever.