Project Emerald Collective

Eve McIntyre

The Project Emerald Collective Podcast A podcast for women who know there has to be more than rushing, consuming and living on autopilot. Hosted by Eve McIntyre, these conversations explore identity, confidence, authenticity, conscious living and the power of small choices to create meaningful change. The podcast is part of the broader Project Emerald Collective ecosystem - a growing community and marketplace app helping women live with intention, express themselves authentically and keep quality fashion in circulation. Because every choice matters. And every woman has the power to create change. Join the movement. Join us today.

  1. 6 hr ago

    When “I Have Nothing to Wear” Keeps You From Showing Up | Tanya Ellis

    Have you ever turned down an invitation because you felt you had nothing to wear? Sometimes the worry isn’t really about the clothes. It’s about wondering whether we’ll fit in - or belong - once we get there. In this conversation, I’m joined by Tanya Ellis, fashion and identity stylist and president of the Tasmanian Fashion Festival. We talk about how uncertainty about what to wear can hold us back from experiences we might otherwise say yes to, and how personal style can help us feel more like ourselves. Together, we explore: • Why “I have nothing to wear” can become a reason to miss out • How personal style can reflect who we are and how we want to feel • Questioning the unspoken rules about what we should wear • Finding confidence in your style without feeling you need to buy more • The Tasmanian Fashion Festival’s role in creating opportunities for emerging designers What invitations or opportunities have you talked yourself out of because you weren’t sure what to wear? Continue the conversation with us in the Project Emerald Collective on Skool: https://www.skool.com/learn-to-trust-the-process-2733/about Take your power back. One conscious choice at a time. #PersonalStyle #Belonging #SelfExpression #TasmanianFashionFestival #ProjectEmeraldCollective

  2. 6 days ago

    Have You Outgrown Who You’re Supposed to Be? | Dr Rebecca Chabot

    Have you outgrown an identity you’re still trying to live up to? Dr Rebecca Chabot joins Eve McIntyre on the Project Emerald Collective podcast to explore identity, change and how we begin listening to ourselves beneath the busyness and expectations of everyday life. Rebecca is a PhD ecologist, founder of Pure Wellness Tasmania and creator of the Science of Adapting. Drawing on her scientific background and decades of mindfulness, breathwork and yoga practice, she shares her approach to navigating change with greater awareness. We touch on her TEDx Hobart talk, Strong Identity, Loosely Held, and its central analogy: a crab must shed the shell that once protected it so it can continue to grow. What might that look like in our own lives? In this conversation, we explore: • Recognising when an identity or someone else’s words are limiting us • Letting go of the masks we wear • How constant busyness can drown out self-awareness • Making space for rest and recovery • Sleep habits, phone boundaries and everyday wellbeing • Gratitude and social connection as daily practices • Allowing difficult emotions alongside joy • Finding the courage to take small steps towards change Rebecca also shares her personal experience of reclaiming her sense of self after allowing someone else’s words to define her. Her invitation is simple: get still enough to listen. Notice where something feels misaligned, and consider what small change might help. CONNECT WITH REBECCA Explore yoga classes, coaching and more: https://purewellnesstasmania.com/ 2027 WELLNESS RETREATS Make space for yoga, breathwork, rest and reflection: • Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania: 26–28 February 2027 • Ubud, Bali: 25 September–1 October 2027 Retreat details and bookings: https://purewellnesstasmania.com/retreats TEDx Hobart talk discussed: Strong Identity, Loosely Held ABOUT PROJECT EMERALD COLLECTIVE Honest conversations with women about identity, self-expression and living more intentionally. A space to share what we’re learning, question what no longer fits and explore who we’re becoming. https://www.projectemerald.com.au Subscribe for more conversations, and share your reflection in the comments: is there an identity you’ve begun to outgrow? Take your power back. One conscious choice at a time. #ProjectEmeraldCollective #RebeccaChabot #Identity

  3. 16 Oct

    If You Have Something Worth Saying, Say It | Women in Leadership with Di Tompson

    What changes when a woman recognises that her voice matters—and decides to use it? Di Tompson has spent decades building businesses, challenging systems, creating opportunities and advocating for women around the world. Di is Managing Director and co-owner of the Powercom Group and Vice President for Asia and the Pacific with FCEM, the global network for women business owners. She is also a former International President of The International Alliance for Women and the creator of Business Without Borders, a mentoring program supporting women across the Indian Ocean region and beyond. Her achievements include being named the 2005 Tasmanian Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, becoming the first woman to receive the Australian Institute of Company Directors Gold Medal and, in 2024, becoming the first Australian to receive FCEM’s Yvonne Foinant Award. But behind those achievements is a woman who has navigated motherhood, career changes, business pressures, inequality, disappointment and the persistent feeling that she needed to prove her worth. In this conversation, Di and Eve explore: • Building an international business while raising three children • Why women often feel they must work twice as hard • Trusting your intuition when making life-changing decisions • The difference between networking and genuine relationships • Creating opportunities for women through mentoring • What good leadership really looks like • Why meaningful success and change take time • Finding your voice and using your seat at the table • What “taking your power back” means to Di Di reminds us that leadership isn’t about making yourself indispensable. It is about empowering others, creating something that can continue without you and speaking up when something needs to change. “If you think you’ve got something worthwhile to say, say it.” Subscribe to Project Emerald Collective for honest conversations with women who are questioning expectations, making conscious choices and creating lives that feel like their own. Learn more about Project Emerald Collective: https://www.projectemerald.com.au Take your power back—one conscious choice at a time. #WomenInLeadership #WomenInBusiness #FemaleLeadership #FindingYourVoice #ProjectEmeraldCollective

  4. 3 Oct

    It’s Your Turn: Backing Yourself, Dressing for You and Beginning Again | Jessica Lawrence

    What happens when you finally stop waiting for permission and back yourself? Jessica Lawrence has spent most of her working life in fashion, across retail, styling, management, design, patternmaking and production. But it wasn’t until her thirties that she returned to study fashion design and began turning a lifelong creative instinct into a clearer sense of purpose. In this conversation, Jessica shares the courage it took to begin again, the unexpected career paths that followed and why moving from Melbourne to Hobart in 2024 became the catalyst for creating a different kind of life. That move also inspired her new Tasmanian label, Map of Tassie Swim and Après Swim - a playful, provocative and deeply considered brand exploring female empowerment, self-expression, local creativity and our responsibility to care for the places we call home. Jessica believes women should feel sexy for themselves before anyone else. We talk about dressing unapologetically, allowing other women to express themselves without judgement and using clothing as a tool to reveal who we are on the inside. We also explore how knowing ourselves can reduce overconsumption. When we understand our personal style, we become less vulnerable to trends, more confident wearing what we already own and more open to choosing secondhand, vintage, handmade and thoughtfully produced pieces. In this episode, we discuss: • Returning to study and pursuing a creative dream in your thirties • Moving interstate to consciously create a different life • How Tasmania’s women, landscape and wildlife shaped Jessica’s vision • The story and meaning behind Map of Tassie • Designing swimwear and limited-edition Après Swim pieces • Collaborating with Tasmanian artists • Dressing for yourself rather than for other people’s approval • The relationship between self-knowledge, personal style and consumption • Creating a made-to-order model with less waste • Taking risks, backing yourself and recognising when it is finally your turn For Jessica, taking her power back means gathering everything life has taught her, putting herself in the driver’s seat and becoming the person she feels she was always supposed to be. As she reminds us, there doesn’t need to be a hierarchy of turns. It can be all of our turn. Subscribe to Project Emerald Collective for more honest conversations about identity, self-expression, intentional living and what becomes possible when women choose to live by their own values. Take Your Power Back. One conscious choice at a time. projectemerald.com.au

  5. 25 Sept

    14-Year-Old Fashion Designer on Purpose, Family & Growing Up Without Screens | Olivia Robertson

    What happens when a young person discovers her passion early - and is given the support, opportunity and belief to pursue it? In this episode of The Project Emerald Collective, Eve McIntyre speaks with 14-year-old Tasmanian designer Olivia Robertson about creativity, determination, family, technology and what becomes possible when young people are encouraged to take their ideas seriously. Olivia began sewing when she was just four years old and presented her first design at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival at only 12. Now returning to the runway for her third year, she is creating an ambitious transformative garment that shifts from an elegant maxi dress into a striking mini - combining historical influences, contemporary fashion and the technical skills she has developed through experimentation and mentorship. Olivia shares how her 12-month mentorship with Tasmanian designer Celyna Ziolkowski has expanded her understanding of patternmaking, drapery, textiles and the business behind fashion. She also reflects on the importance of experienced people believing in emerging creatives, particularly in Tasmania, where education and industry opportunities can be limited. But this conversation reaches far beyond fashion. Olivia speaks thoughtfully about growing up without personal technology until high school and why she believes it strengthened her relationship with her parents and sister. She shares how working from a young age has taught her communication, responsibility, leadership and the true value of money—and offers a moving reminder of how much parents quietly do for their children. In this conversation, we explore: • Beginning to sew at four and entering a runway at 12 • Discovering your passion and having the courage to pursue it • Designing a transformative garment for the TFF runway • Mentorship and the importance of someone believing in your potential • Balancing school, work, sport, music and creative ambitions • Learning through experimentation, mistakes and constructive feedback • Why Olivia is grateful she grew up without constant access to technology • How reduced screen time can create stronger family connections • The opportunities young Tasmanian creatives need • Building resilience, discipline and a positive mindset • Living intentionally and refusing to apologise for who you are • Using your voice and power to inspire other people Olivia’s perspective is an important reminder that wisdom isn’t defined by age. Her creativity is remarkable, but it is her gratitude, work ethic, self-awareness and determination to keep learning that make this conversation so powerful. As Olivia says, life isn’t a dress rehearsal. We have one opportunity to pursue what matters, embrace the people we love and make the most of the life in front of us. Olivia will present her latest design at the 2026 Tasmanian Fashion Festival, held on 10 and 11 October at Princes Wharf No. 1 in Hobart. Festival information and tickets: https://www.tasmanianfashionfestival.com.au/tickets If this conversation resonates, subscribe to The Project Emerald Collective and share it with a young person, parent, educator or creative who may need to hear it. Take your power back—one conscious choice at a time. #ProjectEmeraldCollective #OliviaRobertson #TasmanianFashionFestival #YoungDesigner #TasmanianFashion #EmergingDesigner #IntentionalLiving #DigitalWellbeing #Parenting #YouthVoice

  6. 21 Sept

    From Waste to Wearable Art: Creativity, Activism and Change with Natalie Hamblin

    What if the things we throw away aren’t worthless, but materials waiting to carry a message? In this episode of The Project Emerald Collective, I sit down with Tasmanian artist, designer and environmental advocate Natalie Hamblin, whose extraordinary wearable artworks transform discarded materials into powerful statements about waste, consumption and our relationship with the natural world. Natalie’s environmental story began before she could walk, when she was carried on her parents’ backs at protests against the damming of Tasmania’s Franklin River. Today, she continues that advocacy through art, creating sculptural garments from milk bottles, plastic packaging, discarded wedding dresses and other materials destined for landfill. We explore Natalie’s journey from lifelong artist and educator to sustainable couture designer, and the moment during the pandemic when her frustration with our throwaway culture compelled her to bring fashion, waste and activism together. Natalie also shares the story behind Quel Dommage—her striking paper garment inspired by Tasmania’s ancient mountain ash trees and the destruction of old-growth forests. Photographed in takayna/Tarkine during a Bob Brown Foundation art residency, the work demonstrates how creativity can become both protest and contribution. We also discuss: • Why Natalie sees fashion as a vehicle for environmental storytelling • How discarded materials can inspire greater creativity and resourcefulness • The confronting double standard between household and business recycling • Why art can help transform environmental overwhelm into meaningful action • The labour and intention behind Natalie’s one-of-a-kind couture pieces • What audiences can expect from her “Lady Gaga meets Audrey Hepburn” collection at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival • How each of us can use our own talents to advocate for the issues we care about Natalie’s work reminds us that we don’t all need to protest in the same way. Our contribution might come through art, speaking, running, teaching, creating, or simply having the courage to question what we have been taught to accept. Because taking action, however it looks for us, is often how we move from feeling powerless to recognising the influence we already have. Follow Natalie’s work on Instagram at Natalie Hamblin Couture and see her collection on the runway at this year’s Tasmanian Fashion Festival. If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to The Project Emerald Collective, leave a review and share the episode with someone who believes creativity can be a force for change. Take your power back. One conscious choice at a time.

  7. 16 Sept

    Wear Our Stories: Courage, Creativity & Sustainable Fashion with Olga Blake McKenzie

    What if the clothes we wear could tell the stories we struggle to put into words? In this episode of The Project Emerald Collective, I sit down with award-winning designer, author and artist Olga Blake McKenzie of Olly Macs to explore the relationship between fashion, storytelling, resilience and the human experience. With 50 years of sewing experience and more than three decades working across film, television and theme-park production, Olga brings extraordinary knowledge and perspective to her creative practice. Her wearable-art designs are made using at least 80% recycled materials, transforming discarded objects into powerful expressions of identity, courage, mental health and hope. One of these pieces, Homeostasis, was constructed from medication blister packs to represent the delicate balance between the body and mind. Olga is also the creator of Wear Our Stories, a series bringing together 40 short stories and accompanying wearable-art designs. The first book, Timelines and Threads, launches in Brisbane on 30 October. Each design gives physical form to the life of a character—including Magenta, whose story reminds us of the importance of moving through life in our own time. In this conversation, we explore: Olga’s journey through five decades of sewing and creative practiceHow recycled materials can carry meaning, memory and possibilityThe childhood experiences that shaped her resilience and commitment to authenticityWhy courage and vulnerability are essential to taking our power backThe inspiration behind Timelines and Threads and Wear Our StoriesWhy questioning our purpose is a natural part of life at every ageThe importance of kindness, curiosity and living without judgementWhy Olga has no intention of retiring from creativityHer dream of developing independent theatrical runway shows and touring the projectWhat it means to live intentionally, keep learning and leave the world better than we found it Since recording our conversation, Olga has been named Designer of the Year at the Women in Fashion Global Awards in Brisbane. She also received the Most Creative Designer Award at Darwin Fashion Week—two wonderful recognitions of the imagination, purpose and heart behind her work. Olga will next bring her storytelling through design to the Tasmanian Fashion Festival in October. This is a conversation about far more than fashion. It is about turning our experiences into art, finding meaning in what has been discarded and having the courage to keep creating, at every stage of life. If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who needs the reminder that it is never too late to begin, evolve or tell your story. Follow The Project Emerald Collective for more honest conversations with women choosing to live, create and lead more intentionally. #OlgaBlakeMcKenzie #OllyMacs #WearOurStories #TimelinesAndThreads #SustainableFashion #WearableArt #CircularFashion #TasmanianFashionFestival #WomenInFashion #IntentionalLiving #ProjectEmeraldCollective

  8. 11 Sept

    Raising Children Who Know Who They Are | Niloufar Pepperell on Values, Agency & Intentional Living

    How do we raise children who know themselves, trust their inner compass and understand that they have the power to contribute something meaningful to the world? And perhaps the bigger question is: how do we teach our children to live intentionally if we're not willing to examine the way we're living ourselves? In this episode of The Project Emerald Collective, I sit down with Niloufar Pepperell — mother, pharmacist, community volunteer and teacher of spiritual education in Southern Tasmania — for a deeply thoughtful conversation about parenting, values, spirituality, agency and raising children in a world competing constantly for their attention. As the daughter of an immigrant and refugee from Iran, Niloufar grew up within the Baháʼí Faith with a strong understanding of humanity as one interconnected family and a belief in service, community and contributing to the betterment of the world. Those foundations now shape how she approaches motherhood and the work she does with children and young people. But this isn't a conversation about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions. How do we help our children understand what they value before the world tells them what they should value? How much space do we give children to develop their own agency? What's the difference between happiness and genuine joy? And how much of raising our children is actually about working on ourselves? Together we explore: • Raising children with a strong sense of identity and values • How parents can nurture agency rather than unintentionally shut it down • Why children need opportunities to make age-appropriate choices • Spiritual education and what it can look like beyond traditional ideas of religion • The importance of community, service and positive role models • Helping young people navigate social pressure and outside influences • Teaching children the difference between wanting something and truly valuing it • Consumerism, money and helping children understand what “enough” looks like • Why joy, connection and service offer something material possessions can't • The role gratitude plays in contentment • Why our children notice the gap between what we say and what we actually do • How motherhood becomes an unexpected journey of our own personal development • What living intentionally looks like in everyday life One of the ideas that stayed with me from this conversation was Niloufar's belief that children naturally have agency — the question is how much space we allow them to exercise it. When we constantly rush in, fix, micromanage or make every decision for them, we can unintentionally diminish something that was already there. And perhaps the same is true for us as adults. Niloufar shares a beautiful interpretation of taking your power back: imagining herself as a flute, with something greater flowing through her. Her role isn't to manufacture the power, but to remove the things that obstruct it — ego, distraction and everything that disconnects her from who she wants to be. We also talk about coming back to ourselves as women and Niloufar's surprisingly simple suggestion: create some space. Put down the phone. Allow yourself to be bored. Garden. Make something. Play music. Sit quietly. Because sometimes creativity can reconnect us with parts of ourselves that thinking alone can't reach. This is a conversation about raising our children intentionally — but it's equally a conversation about raising ourselves. Subscribe to The Project Emerald Collective for new conversations each week with women sharing their experiences, perspectives and collective wisdom for living more intentionally. Take Your Power Back. One conscious choice at a time.

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About

The Project Emerald Collective Podcast A podcast for women who know there has to be more than rushing, consuming and living on autopilot. Hosted by Eve McIntyre, these conversations explore identity, confidence, authenticity, conscious living and the power of small choices to create meaningful change. The podcast is part of the broader Project Emerald Collective ecosystem - a growing community and marketplace app helping women live with intention, express themselves authentically and keep quality fashion in circulation. Because every choice matters. And every woman has the power to create change. Join the movement. Join us today.

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