Surf Coast Creatives Podcast: Ben Hucker and Jess Mellington
“We’re on a mission to bring the stories of creative entrepreneurs to life with the Surf Coast Creatives podcast. And what better place to do it than the Surf Coast in Victoria—a melting pot of creative minds from the city, country and the coast.”
Ben Hucker and Jess Mellington are the founders of the Surf Coast Creatives Podcast. They were both made redundant in the wake of the Corona pandemic and decided do something fun to keep people connected and get inspired to create.
Ben was the founder and host of the Rapid Ascent podcast in Torquay which grew from 0 to 10,000 downloads inside 12 months. When he’s not freelance writing, Ben can be found at a local surf beach getting drowned by a big swell on his 6.9″ fish.
Jess is a creative soul at heart and built and ran her own gym in Torquay called The Ox Effect at the age of 26. She now works as a personal trainer and inspires others to keep fit and active.
The podcast idea was inspired by a desire to help foster creativity in the region and share stories of entrepreneurship. Research released by the Surf Coast Shire Council for a Skills & Emerging Industries audit has identified the Surf Coast as a national hotspot for creatives, home-based businesses and entrepreneurs.
Now, Ben and Jess are on a mission to bring the stories of creative entrepreneurs to life with the Surf Coast Creatives podcast.
Season 1 brought a series of 11 hour-long podcasts profiling local Surf Coast businesses as diverse as Al + Imo’s custom timber beds, a photographer turned brewer at Bells Beach Brewing, custom van conversions by Built for Advanture and many more.
Season 1 generated more than 300 listeners and 2,000 downloads and a whole lot of support for their efforts.
Season 2 starts on 3 September featuring Natalie Martin, one of the Surf Coast’s most talented water colour artists. You can sign up on their website to get each podcast delivered direct to your inbox.
We love what they’re doing so we’ll be sharing their stories as well.
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