When I first started working full time at age 19, I had little idea about the Melbourne Cup. It wasn’t until I was in my second office job that we decided to dress up a little for the day and organise some sweeps and a lunch, and I realized how big a deal it was.
We’d do some sweeps and some of us would go and put a punt on at the local TAB. One year I was adamant about going to the TAB to put money on Makybe Diva. I was only going to bet $5. I never got to the TAB and of course Makybe Diva won.
Over the years, for me it’s been less about the horse racing and more about the fashion on the field. I’d love to one day head to Flemington to people watch and be inspired by the outfits and head pieces.
I’ve never actually been to a Melbourne Cup function because I’ve either worked or I’ve been at home with my babies.
So when I was asked by the Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland to be the guest speaker at the Partners in Plumbing event for Melbourne Cup at Cloudland, I was really excited.
I needed to find a dress and a fascinator to look the part and then of course I had to work out what I was going to share with the ladies.
I organized my dad to drive in me to the Valley because one thing that hasn’t changed since I stopped working in the city is the traffic on Melbourne Cup day. My dad joked he was my personal Uber. Love how he’s getting in on the lingo of the times.
I had to ask the security guy if I was at Cloudland. Shows how often I get to the city these days…
The event was held in the Heritage Room and there were 100 women (and a dozen blokes) in attendance.
The MPAQ are passionate about helping the partners of plumbing businesses to network. And through getting together at organized partners in plumbing events, the ladies can form connections and a support network of like-minded women who are juggling families and managing their plumbing businesses. The events are really worth the investment for women to have a break from work and even discuss issues that relate to the everyday stresses of running a plumbing business.
My presentation was about fashion and how I studied my Diploma in Fashion Styling during the smoko breaks at TAFE while I did my apprenticeship.
The point of my presentation was to be the best you you can be when it comes to fashion, to always be curious about things that pique our interest while offering tips on being stylish when we have a busy lifestyle.
What I shared will end up being in another blog post, but I was grateful for the opportunity to share my story and give tips. Although one thing I do need to remember is to explain what a blog is. I often assume that everyone knows what a blog is.
Next year there will be more Partners in Plumbing events. And they are worth attending – especially for those women who feel lonely in their role as the partner in the office, running the back end of the business. Sometimes it’s nice to offload the frustrations to someone other than the plumber.
A special thank you to the MPAQ for organizing the event and also to BUSSQ who introduced me and were one of the sponsors of the lunch.
Have you ever dolled up for the Melbourne Cup? Ever been to an organized event to watch the Melbourne Cup?
I’m linking with Kylie Purtell for IBOT.
