A Keynote Speech from Joc Curran — Founder of the Zoo in Meanjin/Brisbane.
One of One International Women’s Day Event on March 8, 2023.
Good morning, everyone.
My name is Joc Curran, firstly I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners, The Turrbal people, of the land we are meeting today, pay my respects to elders past, present, emerging and future.
I thought I would give you a quick run-down on my working life, so you know why I was asked to come and speak with you all here today.
My working career started out when I was 14 years old, at the local swimming pool in Yeronga, every Sunday - scooping ice creams.
I then moved onto McDonalds — and their catch phrase instilled in me at a very young age of 15, still rings true today — “If there is time to lean there is time to clean” and I did repeat that many a time with my own staff over the
years. When I finished high school at the age of (16), that being a whole other story in itself. I was lucky enough to go to Gatton Agricultural College
when Tertiary Education was still free. I would hitch a ride with fellow students back to Brisbane every Friday to continue working at McDonalds and then every Sunday evening I would catch the Toowoomba train back, which literally stopped and dropped me off in the middle of a paddock. I then had to walk a kilometre in the dark to get back to the dorms.
But that is where I undertook my Bachelor of Business in Hospitality Management majoring in marketing and tourism. 3.5 years later, equipped to take on the world my first job out in the “real world “- was as a Customer Service Officer for Westpac Bank in Moorooka. Well didn’t I think — I was so great — I got a real pay check each and every week.I thought I had made it, and that I was going places.
Then on my one-year anniversary, my fellow workers, kind amazing women, older ladies who took me under their wing, salt of the earth ladies — they gave me a cake to say congratulations on being there a year, such a beautiful gesture that it was. But it completely freaked me out and I quit that day, for fear that one year would quickly turn into 12 and …. I would still be there.
I then had my what the hell am I doing with my life moment! It was 1990 — and I jumped on a bus, planes didn’t exist back then, well not ones you could actually afford to fly on and I moved to Melbourne where I completed a Diploma of Education in Photography.
I returned home to Brisvegas for a boy, as you do. I then helped form a six piece all girl punk band called — The Creatures Downstairs. Side note we made it into the 4ZZZ Hottest 100 in 1992 reaching №23 with the song
aptly titled — I Don’t Give A Rats Arse. So, at the ripe old age of 25, on the 11th of December in1992 I along with my fellow photographer /business partner C Smith, opened up my own live music venue which some of you might know and may have frequented called The Zoo. I owned and ran the Zoo for 23 & a half years. In this time, I was also the Local Promoters assistant for 5 years for the Livid Festival and the The Big Day Out.
And then, somewhere in amongst all of that, I became a mum to my son Walt who is turning 21 this June. It is almost 7 years since I have sold The Zoo and I am currently working on some regional music events with the
Queensland Music Festival. Local Community festivals — The Hidden Lanes, and I am the Local Promoter for the St Jerome’s Laneway festival, a role I have also undertaken for the past 15 years.
But to rewind for a moment — reflecting back on my first baby, my first love — The Zoo. When you own your own businessnyou are faced with daily challenges — trying to pay the rent, staffing, organising, accounting,
ordering, cleaning, , … the list is never ending. But in amongst this day-to-day routine there is gold and magic that also happens.
I have undertaken and been a part of so many events at the Zoo. We have held numerous benefit gigs over the years — shows for sick people, sick children, sick pets. Houses that had burnt down. Raising money for an electric wheelchair, a back operation. Flights for refugees fleeing persecution in their home country. A fundraiser for one of our own staff members’ who needed to undertake a voluntary foot amputation.
On the night of the event, everyone who attended, as they walked in, we asked them to take off their shoe and paint their foot, we then made a banner that hung in Priscilla’s hospital ward and home during her recovery — to let her know we stood beside her on her journey ahead.
For over 5 years we collected money through our Give Some Back program, where through Brisbane Youth Service we gave our local homeless community, Xmas dinner every year. It was recently the Zoo’s 30th Birthday in Dec 2022, and I was on a panel that was asked to help put together a celebratory program that ran over the birthday week. We also revisited Give Some Back and were able to raise a modest amount of money through selling historic signed Zoo merchandise.
It was the week before Xmas, and we walked into Brisbane Youth Service with a humble donation – but the look of happiness that this random kindness brought and what it would actually mean to the local community of today — and how it would tangibly change their xmas day — It was all worth it!
The Zoo has also held — Fashion Parades, Book Launches, Art Events, Writing Events, Self-defence Classes, Plays, Dance Classes, Exhibitions, A Psychic Fair, Seven Weddings, 1 Wake, many on stage proposals, and countless conceptions (hopefully though — they occurred post show — when back in the comfort of people’s homes). But the reason for these benefits and shows has always been to help and support someone in need.
I am a firm believer – those who can ……. should. If you have the means, the ability, then be proactive, go the extra mile, be all you can be and share the wealth of your time, knowledge, energy, and positivity.
It really is contagious, and it inspires others to be better versions of themselves when faced with a similar choice. Kindness creates kindness, well I have always found that to be the case. So, we then move onto the actual business of the Zoo -Music.
The shows we have put on includes everything from someone’s very first gig, walking out onto the stage for the very first time to selling out the venue — brimming and cascading with people and fans. A lot of the staff of the Zoo have actually been in local bands and to support themselves they worked behind the bar, being a glassy, stocking beers, doing security,
cleaning toilets, until their music was able to financially support themselves.
This includes bands you might know such as The Toothfaeries, Resin Dogs, Powderfinger, Butterfingers, Violent Soho and more recently
Nice Biscuit. We did a calculation for a 4ZZZ interview in December,
again, celebrating the 30-year anniversary and we worked out we have had over 30 000 acts perform in the Zoo over the 30 years it has been in existence, 30 000 dreams realised and moments shared.
This I feel is a success and something I will always be proud of and carry with me throughout my life. But with success always comes its faithful friend failure, Never very far away, always lurking and trying to trip you up.
Failures or “hard times” as we like to call them are the tests that life throws at you on a very regular basis.
Some of those will be daily tests — where are my car keys, did I turn the stove off, where are my glasses ……do I have petrol in my car.
Having to Fix things — when you own a small business, you have to be a jack or jillaroo of all trades — after 23.5 years, I was part plumber, part carpenter, part electrician, part nurse and part psychologist.
But there are also bigger tests — How do I make my business successful and … profitable. How do I try to be thoughtful in my decisions,
supporting local businesses and community, while trying to keep my ethics and beliefs, a part of my business choices. Finally, you have to be able to face things that are completely out of your control — Natural disasters for instance. We had gone through a few of them in our time -
Flooding — the rain would just not stop, and we had an inside water
feature a cascading water fall from the 100-year-old roof –
but remember things dry out. Hailstorm — there are over 50 windows throughout the Zoo and when hail as big as golf balls is raining down on
you, you just have to wait and then clean up ….with closed in shoes on.
Finally, being hit by lighting. In 2015 Our building was literally struck — and where the lighting HIT — it fried everything in its random path — The Phone, The Modem, The Office computer, The lighting desk, random power
sources and when I spoke to my insurance, I was not covered because it was “An Act of God”.
So — how do you go on?
Well, my sage advice to you would be …. Have a CRY
Don’t ever let anyone tell you it is not ok to cry it is medically proven you feel so much better after a good cry.
SWEAR …. a lot, no point in holding it in,
Just get all of that negativity out.
HUMOUR — because you need to look at the shittest thing that has happened to you and still be able to laugh about it. (Even if that might take you a few years). Have a really good support network around you -Lean on your girlfriends. They are an amazing group of loyal steadfast people that will walk with you on your life’s journey, they will always, always have your back. (Some of mine are here with me today). and as corny as it may sound
…just take it one day at a time.
Because truthfully, someone always has it way harder than you, after all we are talking about first world problems here, so always try and keep some perspective in your life.
As a group of women who are thinking of careers, some of you may be starting out, some in the middle, some like me maybe winding down somewhat, there is one element that you will also have to ponder and that is motherhood. I wasn’t always sure I wanted to be a mum, and it came
later to me. I had my son Walt when I was 35 and I still think, even though motherhood is a continual work in progress — Walt is also one of my greatest success stories.
Being a mum is not the path for everyone but those who choose it, good luck. Happy and Healthy was always our mantra from in utereo and every single day since. Again, try to enjoy the journey — and find the humour in
amongst all of the chaos. So, I am a contractor now, I do short term projects and I call them my heart projects.
During 2021/2022 I did not take on very many paid jobs at all.
I was the primary carer for my mum, along with my two sisters.
I made the choice. We as a family were uncertain what the future held,
how much time we had, and I wanted to be there, every single day for my mother. It was the easiest and best decision of my life.
I had time, I had precious moments. I could give back to the one person who shaped me into the woman I am today and I am so so grateful.
Today on International Women’s Day
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our carers
our mothers, our grandmothers, the trail blazers who set the path for us
to walk down in life.
For me it was big shoes to fill, my mother Sister Curran, was a Charge Nurse at the Royal Brisbane Hospital where she gave 53 years of service to those in need. She was nominated as the Hospital Hero, not an easy feat in itself — and was awarded this a total of 3 times, in her tenure.
Maureen ran an Oncology Ward, making each patient feel seen and worthy, giving to them — dignity — in a time, where for many — their own life was ending. If time is not your enemy and even if it is, if you are lucky enough to still have parents, I would implore you to reach out and connect with them — on a regular basis. Just being in your orbit, hearing stories about your life, that truly is the best gift you can give back — time together.
So, what does success look like to me – now I am 55?
I think success is about enjoying the journey.
Making sure you are true to yourself along the way.
Understand that you are going to make mistakes, own them, learn from them, and then move on.
Keeping connected to your good friends, Have enough money to pay the bills and be present in the now, tomorrow is going to sort itself out.
So, If I may be bold, I would like to finish with sharing some of my life tips, that have guided me on my path. I hope they might inspire you, to reflect on your own, and what gets you through your life.
Remember to be kind
Practise being generous and sincere
Learn to listen, woooow that is a really hard one, if you are a passionate driven person.
Sometimes you just have to sit on your hands, I am a hand talker, I get excited, my hands fly around, I gesture, in general, I knock over a drink at virtually every dinner I have ever attended.
Once that has occurred though, my love Guy Webster, always turns to me and says, well, that’s good, Now — we can enjoy the meal. Give space for everyone to come to the table, Everyone has a voice, Everyone has great ideas and Acknowledge other people’s wins and triumphs.
Try to be the best version of yourself and when you are not that is actually ok too. Sometimes, hopefully very rarely, you are going to be mean to a random service person and then you will feel incredibly guilty afterwards,
and honestly — you should, because they are just doing their job.
There have been times, I have gone back or rung up and apologised for taking out my shit on someone — because — I was one, a Customer Service Officer — and I know what it feels like and I want those people to be seen,
and appreciated and valued. They are the future, they are our future — they will go on to be the next generation of small business owners, lawyers, policy makers, care givers, and we can lead By Example — through respect.
Always call out poor behaviour, honestly and calmly.
If it feels icky …. that is because it is.
Listen to your gut and trust your instincts,
Believe that inner voice as she is generally right.
Share Your Knowledge
Give Back
Be Strong
Be Talented
But most important of all
….. be you.
