PepTalks Roadshow 2017
- Words by Peppermint
In an era of screens, online streaming and social media, there’s nothing quite like talking to people in real life, hearing their stories and making real connections. That’s why we created our PepTalks events – to give people a chance to hear from individuals from the pages of Peppermint magazine and beyond who are working to create positive change in their own unique way.
This June, we’re delighted to be taking PepTalks on the road, bringing a collection of incredible speakers to Brisbane, Byron Bay, Sydney and Melbourne. We’ll hear words of wisdom from raw foodie and life coach Kemi Nekvapil, environmentalist and plus size model Laura Wells, meditation teacher Jacqui Lewis of The Broad Place, TOMS Australia managing director John Elliot, slow fashion activist Leah Musch, happiness coach Angela Simson, textile designer and maker Samorn Sanixay and others. Whether it’s sharing how they got started, the things that drive them, the lessons they’ve learned along the way or their highs and lows, each person will give you food for thought, fill you with positivity and inspire you to get out there and live a meaningful life.
The best part of the evening was hearing three inspiring stories from people who are doing things a little differently and making a positive impact on the world. Thanks for a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable evening!
Held in beautiful venues, each PepTalks will be an evening to remember. Tickets include a glass of wine (or a non-alcoholic) drink on arrival and sweet treats during the interval, and there’ll be a chance to purchase dinner from a food truck beforehand and mingle and connect with likeminded people in your community. We’ll also be running The Peppermint Pitch – a one-minute opportunity for three attendees to share their life-changing concept for a creative, sustainable or social business – with the audience favourites receiving $300 from Peppermint magazine and a feature on our blog to help promote their vision.
If you’d like to experience a new kind of evening out that’ll leave you feeling informed, uplifted and inspired, don’t miss out! Click on the locations below to get your tickets now.
Brisbane – Wed 7 June 2017, Lightspace
Byron Bay – Fri 9 June 2017, Byron Bay Surf Club
Sydney – Thurs 15 June 2017, Nest Creative Space
Melbourne – Fri 16 June 2017, Allpress Studio
Here’s what some of our previous PepTalks attendees have said…
Boy, I was due a pep talk and listening to the highs and lows of such inspiring women was right on cue! Great night… gorgeous wine, nibbles and very cool space. @perchandpantry
Thank you Peppermint magazine for hosting such inspiring trailblazers at tonight’s PepTalks. The food was also amazing. @lizziebluedog
The best part of the evening was hearing three inspiring stories from people who are doing things a little differently and making a positive impact on the world. Thanks for a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable evening! @_allthelittlehappythings
PepTalks is one of those events that really opens your mind and thinking to socially and environmentally sustainable ways of “doing life”. What strikes me is the array of interested consumers from all walks of life that choose to come to these events to learn. @cassandra_trezise
—————————————
PHOTOS: COLIN HOCKEY
VIDEO: GABRIEL VEIT
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Have you made the Viola Quilted Jacket yet? This pattern hits the sweet spot for both established sewists keen to learn a new skill (quilting!),…
Hang out with us on Instagram
“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
