Ignite Berry Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Clover Hill Diaries

Ashleigh McGuire – From Imagination to Innovation

At the Ignite event on 5 September at the Berry School of Arts, every speaker gave us something to think about. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from each presentation. You can find the presentations as they are published here.

Ashleigh McGuire’s story was one that moved the room. She spoke with honesty about growing up with dyslexia and sensory issues, struggling to make sense of a world that felt too bright, too loud, and not built for her. Later, as a teenage mother navigating trauma and the aftermath of domestic violence, life felt like a series of battles stacked against her.

“Innovation comes from lived experience, from people who have been told no their entire lives.”

But where others saw limitation, Ashleigh found imagination. She described how, in quiet moments holding her children, she began to picture a different life, one where they had security, independence, and a future they could be proud of.

Imagination was not escapism. For her, it was resilience. It was the spark that helped her reimagine her story and chart a way forward.

“Your imagination is the most powerful asset you have. It is the compass that will guide you and the forge where your innovation will be born.”

From that spark came innovation. Ashleigh built a social enterprise that connects Aboriginal culture and skills with business markets, proving that heritage and creativity can be powerful economic engines. She taught herself the language of business, from grant writing to tender applications, and when the obstacles piled up, she returned to imagination to find a way through.

Her message was clear and deeply inspiring: innovation does not only come from labs, boardrooms, or textbooks. It often comes from lived experience, from those who have been told “no” their whole lives, and from mothers who refuse to give up.

“Imagination was not a distraction. It was my deepest form of resilience.”

Ashleigh’s journey from imagination to innovation is more than a business success. It is a reminder that the future can be reshaped when we dare to see it differently. And it is proof that the stories we write for ourselves can be stronger than the ones the world tries to write for us.

“I refused to read their script. I imagined a different one.”

📸 Images used in this post are for commentary and community storytelling. Credits belong to the original photographers and sources. Please contact me if you would like an image credited differently or removed.

#IgniteBerry #AshleighMcGuire #FromImaginationToInnovation #Resilience #SocialEnterprise #AboriginalCulture #LivedExperience

Stu Brunsdon – the maths teacher who says to get outside

Stu Brunsdon with Maggie Dent – Photo Credit Stu Brunson

Stu Brunsdon, a local high school maths teacher, spoke with both humour and conviction about the world his students are growing up in. He sees how teenagers’ lives are increasingly dominated by their phones, leaving them siloed, less connected, and often overwhelmed. Instead of letting the phone define their world, he argues that young people need structure and opportunities that pull them outward.

“Teenagers really want to explore their world, but they also need structure in which to do it.”

“If we do not give them positive structures, they will find their own and phones fill the gap all too easily.”

One program Stu highlighted is the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. This global youth development framework, running in more than 130 countries, encourages participants aged 14 to 24 to commit to a balanced program of activities over 6 to 18 months. Young people set personal goals across four key areas: community service, skill development, physical recreation, and an adventurous journey. As they progress from Bronze to Silver to Gold, they learn teamwork, resilience, leadership, and the value of giving back.

Stu believes this kind of structured program offers a healthy balance to the fragmented, phone-based life that too many teenagers find themselves caught in. Volunteering, playing sport, learning new skills, and planning outdoor adventures are not just activities, they are scaffolding for growth. They give young people the chance to explore, connect, and thrive in ways that endless scrolling never will.

His key takeaway was simple but powerful: “Get outside.” Not just outdoors into nature, but outside the narrow world of phones, and into experiences that build skills, relationships, and confidence.

“Get outside, not just from your house, but from the siloed world that mobile phones trap you in.”

#IgniteBerry #StuBrunsdon #GetOutside #DukeOfEdinburghAward #Teenagers #PositiveStructure #BeyondPhones

Monica Willis Learnt to Reframe the Flips from Lessons from the River

Monica Willis speaking at Ignite Berry 5th September 2025

Today’s spotlight is on Monica Willis, who recently completed an extraordinary adventure: whitewater rafting 110 kilometres down the Franklin River.

Eight set out, eight returned, and every single one with all limbs intact. Monica Willis and her adventurous crew on the Franklin River, proving that teamwork, humour and a little courage can carry you through the wildest rapids.”

Monica described herself as “a four star hotel kind of girl,” but she set off into pure wilderness with no phones, no tents, no bed, just a tarp and the rapids. The experience was breathtaking, relentless, and sometimes frightening, but it also became a powerful teacher. Her talk was also full of humour, with the audience laughing as she described everything from bush toilets to slipping bum up over rocks.

Her key insight was clear: Reframe the flips.

When Monica was flung from the raft into a torrent of rocks and water, panic surged until the guide turned to her and said, “Amazing swim.” That single phrase shifted her whole perspective. What could have been remembered only as a near disaster instead became a moment of courage and learning.

“When I was flicked out of the raft, the guide said, ‘Amazing swim.’ That shift in perspective changed everything.”

She carried that lesson throughout the trip, reframing every setback as a new way of seeing. Nights without sleep became “magical” with glowworms for company. Bush toilets became “loos with a view.” Hauling gear over slippery rocks became a masterclass in teamwork and resilience.

Portage is the process of carrying boats and gear over land to get around obstacles in a river. On the Franklin, this meant scrambling over slippery rocks and massive boulders, hauling supplies piece by piece through tough terrain. There are no tracks or shortcuts in that wilderness, so every step required teamwork, problem solving, and persistence. For Monica, portage became more than a physical challenge. It was a lesson in resilience and adaptability, showing that sometimes the only way forward is to shoulder the load together and keep moving.

“Portage taught me that problem solving, adaptability, and the support of your team are what get you through the obstacles.”

Monica reminded us that life is just like the river, wild, unpredictable, and sometimes overwhelming, but we always have the power to choose how we respond.

“Life is like the river, wild, unpredictable, breathtaking. You cannot control the current, but you can choose how you show up.”

#IgniteBerry, #MonicaWillis, #ReframeTheFlips, #LifeLessons, #CourageAndResilience, #Storytelling