If you haven’t already realised Mother’s Day is fast approaching – which means you better start thinking about how you are going to treat the number one lady in your life. The special day aside, we personally think that you should celebrate mum every day. Not only does she care and cook for you, she often has a long list of other responsibilities herself. Some mums even run a business too! And that is exactly what mum of two, fitness influencer and founder of James Cosmetics, Emily Skye does. No doubt you have seen Emily on Instagram as she has over a whopping 2.5 MILLION followers. Emily squeezed answering a few questions for Inside Gold Coast into her hectic work schedule. Read on to get to know Emily both personally and professionally!

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
8 years now!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a mother of two beautiful kids, Mia and Izaac, and I also own two businesses, Emily Skye FIT, my fitness app, and James Cosmetics, my beauty company. Through my FIT app I’ve been able to reach and connect with millions of women around the world who are working together as a community to strive for a healthier, happier lifestyle. James Cosmetics are beauty products I truly swear by and use myself! I’ve always had a huge interest in the beauty industry and wanted to share products that I love with everyone! I also have an amazing community of women through my Facebook and Instagram pages who inspire me everyday!

How did both James Cosmetics and the Emily Skye Fit app come about?
I started Emily Skye FIT after a very hard time in my life where I struggled a lot with my body image and an unhealthy lifestyle. I was in a very bad place mentally and physically and wanted to make a change. I made healthy changes in my life and started eating healthy and exercising and it completely changed my life! I wanted to share that feeling with other women and made it my mission to share knowledge I had learned along the way with other women so they can make positive changes just like I did! Over the years, FIT has become such an amazing platform where we are just one big community, constantly encouraging each other and helping each other each day! The app has definitely evolved as well as I have, as a mother I really wanted to include a pregnancy program and post pregnancy, and these have had such a great response!

James Cosmetics is my beauty company and something I am so passionate about! I’ve always been interested in beauty and skincare, I even became a qualified beautician 15 years ago! The products we release with James Cosmetics are genuinely just products that I use and want to incorporate into my routine! We started with just our 24K Gold & Collagen Crystal Eye Mask, and it still remains as one of our best selling products!

Tell us what your proudest entrepreneurial moment is?
A couple of things would definitely be being named Forbes #3 influencer in the world, and featuring on the cover of Women’s Health Magazine in more than 20 countries! They are both definitely pinch me things that I’m very proud of!

As a very busy woman, how do you manage your time to really strike that work/life balance?
I’ve found the best thing you can do is plan ahead and have lots of structure. I was never really any good at structure before having kids, I was quite spontaneous and didn’t like planning anything too far in advance. I’ve had to change that since becoming a mother and having businesses. It’s all about prioritising and having a to do list to get through and sticking to it! I’m still learning of course, but having a routine has much a huge difference to my everyday life and my mental health.

What do you love the most about being a mum?
Being a mum is just amazing in itself. Having these little humans that you and the person you love the most in the world created together and they’re like a mini you but with their own personalities. It’s so cool seeing kids grow up and evolve and watch their personalities come out! I love being able to have an impact on someone the way I can with my kids, teaching them what I’ve learned through life and being a role model to them.

How are you planning on spending this Mother’s Day?
I’m looking forward to just spending time with the kids and being grateful for them and being proud of myself as well for what I’ve done and what my body has done! I’ll also definitely be showing appreciation to my own mother as well for the amazing job she did raising my sister and I on her own!

What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café: BSKT
Coffee spot: Three Beans Cafe
Restaurant: Gemelli
Bar or pub for a drink: The only bar I’m familiar with is a barbell at the gym

How do you choose to spend your weekends?
Either outside with the kids playing in the pool or going for a walk along the beach with the kids with a nice coffee. I love spending time outdoors, especially living in a place with such amazing weather!

Summer has well and truly landed on the Gold Coast and while we are still unable to travel internationally to picturesque locations such as the Greek islands and Ibiza, one talented lady has brought her beautiful international interior design and styling to us. Kelle Howard has been an interior designer and stylist since 2012 specialising in her minimalist raw, coastal and luxe style. After an encouraging 2020 where we saw Kelle embark on an epic furniture collaboration with Emma Sweeney and Matt Jamieson of Object X, she is now turning her attention to a busy 2021.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I’ve lived in Burleigh for two years and also four years previously. When I was looking for a place to build Bajo el Sol, I knew there was no other place that I wanted my dream home to be.

What do you love most about living here?
I love the holiday atmosphere, there are so many incredible places to eat and socialise. I’m a typical Pisces and love being by the ocean.

Tell us about your career thus far.
I studied Interior Design in 2012 after the birth of my first child. I worked on projects locally, interstate and overseas and then I took a break for a few years whilst I focussed on being a full-time Mum. I decided to re-launch my business and solely focus on the aesthetic that I am renowned for – which I describe as raw, coastal, luxe. Over the past two years I have shared a lot of my journey on social media and I love the connection and community it brings to my work. I thrive on variety in my creative outlets and last year was so exciting because I had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects such as styling photoshoots, designing a limited edition bespoke furniture collection, magazine features, organised and co-hosted a Manifestation Workshop in Byron Bay and was a guest on several podcasts.

What’s your proudest business moment?
There have been so many highlights and I’m exceptionally proud of the collection I designed in collaboration with local designer furniture brand – Object X. From the very first meeting I knew that we would be able to design some truly unique pieces and I was given complete creative control to design the collection. Object X were an absolute dream to work with and I love every piece we created.

Tell us about your home Bajo el Sol Beach House.
Bajo el Sol is my interpretation of my love for European architecture with an Australian influence. I was designing a family home for myself and my two children so it needed to be functional as well as fit my raw, coastal, luxe style. I love to mix tactile elements together such as architectural concrete, render and venetian plaster, aged brass and raw timbers. I wanted to make sure that we used each space equally with no ‘wasted’ rooms. The house has received worldwide attention and it really does showcase my style as a designer. I love minimalism and prefer to let the architecture of a space be the feature rather than decor pieces. We feel so lucky to wake up here every day – having the opportunity to create my own home from my imagination was a dream.

Tell us about your collaboration with Object X.
I worked with Matt and Emma styling a shoot for their first Object X collection at my home which, at the time, was available to hire as a photoshoot location. A few months later we spoke about possibly collaborating on a collection together and we all agreed it was a perfect match. It was important to me that I was able to design pieces with little to no limitations and Object X were on board with trusting me with creative control on the design. I was inspired by natural elements, raw textures and curves and I wanted to create Objects that could work in various spaces. I designed the curvaceous bottoms to sit under table tops with organic, handmade shapes and Matt is a genius that could recreate the ideas that I had and bring them to life. The three of us had so much fun working together — which is paramount to any working relationship I have.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I am heavily inspired by Ibizan architecture, raw textures, natural tones and fashion. I love taking elements from commercial spaces and translating them in a way that can function in a residential space also. I like to push the boundaries in terms of what a ’normal’ home should look like.

Any advice for someone wanting to get into interior design?
It may sound counter-productive but try not to pay too much attention to what other designers do. The few designers I do follow are because I am friends with them personally but I choose not to look at what everyone else is doing as I find it curbs my own creativity. Instead find other ways to be inspired and that way you can really hone in on your own vision and aesthetic that will help you stand out.

What’s in the works for your for 2021?
I would love to design some boutique apartments or a hotel! Working on multiple spaces and making them cohesive but unique is something I am very passionate about. I am currently mentoring two up-and-coming Interior Designers so I would love to continue that this year also. I plan on purchasing an apartment in the next few months and documenting the renovation again and sharing the process on social media the same way I did for Bajo. I am open to any opportunities that come may way which align with my core desired feelings – free, alive, connected.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Café for breakfast: Palm Springs
Coffee spot: Next Door Burleigh
Restaurant for dinner: Light Years
Bar or pub for a drink: Burleigh Pavilion

How does your weekend usually look?
It varies whether I am with my kids or not, and no two weekends are the same. But I usually wake around 6am and enjoy a slow morning at Bajo. I love making time for the Burleigh to North Burleigh Walk before it gets too hot, or we head to Nippers, hang out at Echo Beach, I love to eat out at Bonita Bonita, Hail Mary or Light Years and afternoon drinks at Burleigh Pavilion. If I can squeeze in a massage on James Street at some point, even better!

As the creative mind behind the Gold Coast’s much-loved food and music venue, NightQuarter, Michelle Christoe knows a thing or two about bringing the good times to the people.

So much so that she’s gifting us another one-day only beer festival next month featuring over 100 beers, workshops, tastings and best of all, unlimited fun.

We sat down for a chat with Michelle about all things beer and the epic Aussie music acts set to grace the NightQuarter stage later this year. 

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I’m originally from the Northern Beaches in Sydney and have been travelling to the Gold Coast for the past 30 years. I became a local only in the last few years.

What do you love most about living here?
The beaches and waterways…can’t get enough of them!

NightQuarter is your creation, how did the much-loved marketplace come about?
My husband, Ian Van Der Woude, and I were dining in an Italian piazza overlooking vineyards, Italian families were wandering around us as we ate amazing food and listened to a street band play. We pondered how fantastic it was to see families out together at night and how we could localise the concept and bring communities together in Australia to create the same environment.

On the way home, we visited shopping centres in Bangkok made of containers and in New Zealand, container bars. We thought they would make a perfect basis for the venue. As I had been travelling to the northern end of the Gold Coast for many years, I felt it badly needed a food and entertainment outlet and so, the concept of NightQuarter grew. We think of it as a venue, as we love to offer events and music to all ages and attracting touring bands back to the Gold Coast has been an exciting process. Every night when we see the kids interacting with bands, I get teary, as NightQuarter has delivered to them more than I ever imagined.

Today we not only deliver food and entertainment but workshops, particularly during the school holidays and functions of all sizes. The local community has embraced NightQuarter so we believe we not only have to give back but incubate the rising talent we are seeing in music, our school based trainees and all the small businesses invested in our concept.

Tell us about life before NightQuarter, what has it taken to get here?
Anyone who knows me will say I have lived a few lifetimes with all my adventures. I started my first business in Los Angeles representing over 60 product lines from Australia, from paintings, to gemstones, to citrus, to lamb, to beer, wine and my own lines of sateen fabrics. I organised exhibitions with the likes of The Smithsonian Institute and Getty Museum, and was also involved in various Australian music events. Since returning back to Australia some 15 years ago, I have been heavily involved in the Australian agriculture industry representing horticulture and seafood industries in international affairs. I have owned my own restaurants and bakeries and lectured on international trade and marketing.

To get to the creation of NightQuarter, my husband and I spent three years in planning. My husband has had a career that has spanned all facets of the hospitality industry, from owning his own pubs to the head offices of the biggest brands in the industry, including executive positions with Lion Nathan Australia, Castlemaine Perkins and Austotels. Our skills combined have made a great team.

The beer festival is back next month, what can we expect?
The Gold Coast Beer Festival is an annual event on June 2^nd held at NightQuarter and representing over 100 beers. The Gold Coast Beer Festival is set to take over the NightQuarter Paddock for one day only, transforming it into a beer lover’s paradise. It kicks off at midday and runs through to 10pm at night. It’s a day filled with beer, food and entertainment. The NightQuarter market will run alongside the Gold Coast Beer Festival with rides and over 100 market outlets so it’s suitable for all the family. Hosted by NightQuarter and proudly sponsored by Channel Nine, The Star and 102.9 Hot Tomato as part of the 2018 Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival.

We encourage everyone to come along and explore the tastes of local and international beers as this expo style event plays host to all your favourite breweries! There will be beer workshops, demonstrations, tastings and competitions throughout the day, so we encourage everyone to mark June 2nd on their calendar, as this is one not to miss!

Our business, Food Focus Australia launched NightQuarter two years ago as well as the Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival, which is hosting the Gold Coast Beer Festival. Both are representative of the change in the culinary landscape that we are seeing in the region. Dining precincts have exploded and there is truly a broad degustation experience starting to emerge. Throughout the Festival we will explore the theme of ‘Evolve’ as a culinary community to make a statement about where the Gold Coast has been and where it is evolving as a gastronomic destination.

What do you have in the pipeline for the rest of 2018?
We have recently been announcing some amazing lineups from the likes of Spiderbait and Superjesus, to the Cat Empire and Amy Shark and we have more to come! If our patrons don’t want to go to the ticketed events, the entertainment and food continues as part of the NightQuarter market. We have also been hosting NightQuarter Spectacular every Friday and Saturday at 6.30pm offering a range of fire shows and acrobatics for all the family.

NightQuarter has also become a well recognised venue for entertainment on the Gold Coast and so, with this we are able to host fun events like Island Night which we are also hosting as part of the Festival on 1 June and a Wedding & Honeymoon Festival in August soon to be announced. We are event managers and love to dress to theme. We have an amazing team supporting us, which makes all these events possible.

What’s the best piece of life advice you’ve ever received?
I have had two major influencers. My grandfather who I loved dearly, taught me not to worry about things you cannot change and some monks I met in my teens that told me that if you visualise where you are going, you usually get there. Every decision you make is towards that end result.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Beach: Currumbin
Cafe: 3 Sixty in Labrador overlooking the Broadwater, they recently refurbished and offer great coffee.
Restaurant: Matsuzaka Teppanyaki. I’m a sucker for Japanese as it is always clean eating. Their service and quality is a standout!
How does your weekend usually look? I get up at 4am on a Friday to write a newsletter to our stallholders so they can embrace what is going on at the venue, walk our dogs then head over to Rocklea markets with my husband to pick up fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers for our front gate at NightQuarter and of course edible flowers for our cocktails. I hit the NightQuarter market around 11am and get home around 2am, then start all over again Saturday. I am starting to show my age these days, as Sundays are my veg out days to recover before the week starts again. I usually end up at the beach with our dogs.