Treechangers… about people who change their lives to settle on the Range and why they choose to stay.
Marlene Jackson
Why did you come here?
I drove to Queensland at Christmas 1994 to visit my twin sons and help them settle into their new home at Mooloolah. As I was leaving to drive back to Sydney, my son Anthony said, “Mum before you go, you must drive to Maleny. I know you will love it.”
So, I drove through Maleny, stopped, walked through the town and drove around some more. Completely irrational as it sounds I felt like I had found ‘home’. I drove back to Sydney and flew up the first two weekends of 1995 and found the block of land that I now call home.
What did you have to change in coming here?
I knew if I was to move to Maleny before retirement, I had to change my life. I left behind my career as global marketing director for one of the world’s largest consulting firms and set up a franchised gourmet food business that was new to Queensland at the time. It was during this phase that I realised just how little advice and expertise was offered at the grass roots level to small business owners.
The next phase of my plan was to find a business that would allow me to live and work in Maleny. I kept my gourmet business until late 2007and started up a finance broking business here in Maleny. However, through word of mouth, my clients now live all over Australia and overseas.
What will keep you here?
From a business perspective I am in the development stage of setting up my next venture. As I mentioned, I see so many people in business, not just here in Maleny but throughout regional Australia, who cannot afford to employ the necessary skills to grow their businesses. Often, they need advice and coaching to take a strategic view of their businesses so as to survive in our current environment. Conversely, when times are good, they need the expertise to help them move into new markets, or streamline their operations to become more profitable.
I have found a need for my skills, and I am looking to assist those that can benefit from what I can share. I have learnt so much from my years of living overseas and working across a diverse business landscape.
From a personal perspective I love this place. I am so comfortable and at peace here. I love the fact that I have found so many like-minded people who have also had interesting journeys, and have made big changes in their own lives, to come here to live.
I’ve learned enough from life to know that the high flying career does not necessarily bring happiness. It is my time to give back in whatever small way I can. I joined the Blackall Range Maleny Lions Club and have had the pleasure of working with good people who have a genuine desire to help the community.
This town has a strong support network and nothing shows that more than the fantastic response we had to the Vic Bushfire Appeal Variety Concert that we organised at the Upfront Club on February 22. The townsfolk dug deep to help us raise almost $6,000. The community spirit of this place beats anywhere that I have lived in Australia and I cannot imagine not calling Maleny home.
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