Sally Steele

At 21, I was desperate to see the world. I took a chance and moved to a tiny village in northwest Japan. Already fluent in French and German, I taught myself Japanese. I became a protocol officer, helping visiting dignitaries navigate life in Japan.

I fell in love with Australia at first sight. When I visited with my husband in 1996, it felt so vibrant and exciting: the opportunities, the food and culture, everything. We jumped through hoops to get here. I started in a job promoting films. But I wanted to work for myself, so I formed my own media agency for the entertainment industry. It went nuts: within a year, I had five staff and a $500,000 turnover.

Three weeks after our first child was born, my mum needed a double mastectomy, and my dad had a heart attack. I had to step up, but I couldn’t do it all. Winding down the business was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.

My mother inspired my new career in Brisbane (steelemystyle.com). Mum was always stylish and fashion-conscious, but after having breast cancer, she lost her sense of self. When I helped her shop for a new wardrobe, I realised how transformative clothes can be. Now I style people for a living.

My dream is to live off the grid (a little). I want chooks, a vegie patch and so on. You can’t be afraid to try the unknown; we’re trying to pass this on to our kids.

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