Celebrating International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a very special day of the year. It’s a day where we get to celebrate all the incredible women in our lives and acknowledge the hard work, they put into the things they’re passionate about each day. Whether they’re creative chefs serving up delicious dishes for the local community, fashion designers creating gorgeous gowns, or simply hard-working mums who are dedicated to teaching their children how to navigate the world, we’re constantly inspired by the women around us and how their diverse range of skills help to make the world a better place.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re taking the theme ‘inspired inclusion’ out into our local centres and showcasing some of our incredible retailers, staff, and community members who are paving the way for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world.
Today, we’re chatting with Dana Pichaloff from Event Cinemas and learning more about what inspires her
What inspired you to want to play a larger role in your community? - I am fortunate to have a wonderful family and a multitude of friends from all walks of life and together with my amazing role as the NSW State Marketing Manager for Event Cinemas, I believe that giving back to society and supporting those that need assistance, feeds my soul. I believe if you can help someone or do something special to put a smile on someone's face, then you should. What you put out into the universe you get back ten-fold and not to mention the feeling of happiness and gratitude.
What does the phrase “inspired inclusion” mean to you? - I practice inspired inclusion every day with my younger team colleagues at the cinema and with my role as a Marketing and Communications teacher at TAFENSW, I encourage inclusion with my students as I can see that many are worried, nervous and anxious about their future so I believe in reassuring them that education is the key to future growth and development and that I am here to help, inspire and to broaden their mindset, they are then at ease and helps with their learning.
Who are some other women in your community that inspire you? - I am blessed to have had many women in the past that have inspired me beginning with my mother and grandmother who encouraged me to strive for a better life than they had and to fulfil my dreams and today I love to work with innovative and inspirational women particularly in the marketing sphere. I work closely with many including Melissa Histon who started the amazing charity Got Your Back Sista who helps women escape domestic violence and Claudia Tolhurst who single handedly runs Hunter Melanoma Foundation as skin cancer is so prevalent in our community and she in fact saved my daughter's life when we reached out to her when Bec was diagnosed with a melanoma. Finally and most importantly, I have three key women that inspire me every day - Deb Austin - my colleague and friend of 40 years - together we collaborate and work on special projects such as the Samaritans Christmas Lunch for the Homeless and two very special ladies in my life - my daughters Justine and Rebeca - two beautiful, kind and highly skilled professional women in their own industries of marketing and education. These ladies have achieved amazed accomplishments and I am super excited to be a part of their journey and future.
How do you think other women can help make their community more inclusive? - I believe women can firstly contribute to the growth and development of other women in our community with mentoring - sharing of information, knowledge and guidance - this will aid to the feeling of being inclusive and the reassurance that someone is there as a sounding board and/or safety net. Secondly, volunteering - I believe in volunteering for various charities, schools and community events therefore encouraging women to share their time with others, will certainly close the gap in class in our society.
What is it about working with your local community that you love the most? The smile on the face of someone that you made their day - nice and simple. Giving back and even paying it forward gives me so much joy and given I work in an organisation that has assets that the community love, helping others to achieve an objective particularly for goodwill, makes me happy and fulfilled.
International Women’s Day is the perfect time to thank the women in your community for all that they do. The next time you’re heading into Stockland Glendale, say hello to Dana and tell them about some of the women who inspire you. Happy International Women’s Day!
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This information has been provided by our Stockland retailers. All reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information is correct at the time of the content going live. However, no warranty is given as to the accuracy of that information. The information may change from time to time without notice. Stocks are limited and only available while stocks last with individual retailers. Products may vary from location to location. Prices may also change without notice. Please contact our retailers for more information.
