The Journey - brought to you by BMG

From kitchen hand to hospitality heavyweight, Guru Ghuman’s journey is one of hard work, heart, and a whole lot of happiness. In this episode, Guru shares how he built some of Albury-Wodonga’s most loved venues, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and why true success comes down to community and mindset.

Dee Healey, General Manager of The Albury Club, shares how one of the region's oldest institutions is staying relevant in modern times. From five-star resorts across Australia to leading this iconic venue, Dee’s hospitality journey is full of passion, purpose, and connection to the Albury-Wodonga region.

A BMG Partners & 1494 2AY collaboration.

#TheJourneyPodcast #AlburyClub #DeeHealey #RegionalStories

In this episode of The Journey, we talk with Blair French, CEO of Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), who made the move to Albury-Wodonga just over a year ago. With a distinguished career in the arts, Blair shares his vision for MAMA, the impact of regional galleries, and why he chose to call our community home.

Listen now and explore the stories shaping Albury-Wodonga.

The Journey is a collaboration between BMG Partners and 1494 2AY, celebrating the people who live, work, and thrive in our region.

In this episode of The Journey, we sit down with artist Nat Ward, whose breathtaking oil paintings capture the landscapes of Albury, the Murray River, and beyond. Nat shares her passion for the region and her latest project, the Noreuil exhibition at MAMA, which explores the deep historical connection between Albury’s Noreuil Park and the French village of the same name. Listen now for an inspiring conversation about art, history, and the beauty of our local environment.

Welcome to Season 9 of The Journey! This special episode marks BMG Partners' 50th anniversary as we sit down with founder Ross Black to reflect on his incredible story.

From his early days as a solo accountant to creating a business built on family, community, and care, Ross shares the values and relationships that defined his journey - and what he believes true success looks like.

Celebrate the unsung heroes of Albury-Wodonga with The Journey, where every story inspires us to live, grow, and thrive.

Tune in now to kick off the new year with this heartfelt episode!

In this episode of The Journey, we meet Renee Williams, owner of The Real Florist in Albury-Wodonga. Growing up in her father’s nursery, Renee developed a love for flowers and a deep connection to family values. Despite challenges with ADHD and dyslexia at school, she found her strength in creativity, transforming obstacles into opportunities.

Renee’s story highlights resilience, her support for local makers, and how she kept people connected during the pandemic - all while staying true to her purpose.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about passion, perseverance, and community!

Join us on The Journey as we sit down with Jane Campbell, Managing Director of Campbells of Rutherglen and fifth-generation member of the iconic family winery. Jane shares her family’s rich legacy, from her ancestors' journey from Scotland in 1857 to the challenges and joys of running a 24/7 winery today. Discover the stories behind their famous Muscat and Bobby Burns Shiraz, the tradition of family members working away before returning home, and the unique passion that goes into every bottle. Listen in to explore the heritage, resilience, and heart behind Campbells of Rutherglen.

We sit down with David Pendleton, founder of Stone Hill View, to hear his inspiring story of leaving corporate life in Melbourne for a self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle in North East Victoria. From crafting eco-friendly products using recycled wool to running a thriving family farm, David shares how his passion for the land and love for simple, tactile products shaped his business and his life.

Join us as we sit down with Phil Shanahan, tennis coach, educator, and founder of the Margaret Court Tennis Academy. Discover how Phil has dedicated his life to coaching and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about passion, legacy, and community.

In our latest episode, we sit down with Matt Vogel, the founder of Albury’s beloved ice cream store, Monumental Ice Creamery. Twelve years ago, Matt transformed a spontaneous idea into a community favourite, offering a delightful variety of ice cream and sorbet flavours made from locally grown produce and fresh seasonal ingredients.

In our latest episode, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sharyn Hill’s School of Performing Arts and Creative Expression with a heartfelt conversation featuring its founder, Sharyn Hill. Join host Matt as Sharyn shares her remarkable journey of nurturing young talent in the Albury Wodonga community. Since 1984, Sharyn has helped thousands of children discover their hidden talents, boost their confidence, and apply their newfound skills in all areas of life through lessons in voice, mime, performance, and public speaking.

We sit down with Rod Taylor, President of the Albury Wodonga Chrysler Club and the driving force behind Chryslers on the Murray, the largest Chrysler show in the Southern Hemisphere. Don't miss this inspiring story of passion, community, and automotive legacy!

In this captivating interview, Derek opens up about his remarkable life journey. From dreaming of becoming an AFL player to achieving it at the age of 18 with the Port Adelaide team, Derek shares the highs and lows of his career. Derek's dedication to educating and inspiring both young people and the wider community about the rich history of Australia's First Nations is truly commendable. Join us as we delve into his story of perseverance, resilience, and unwavering passion.

In our latest episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Paul Clancy, the founder of Clancy’s Food Store and a seasoned pastry cook with a knack for creating mouth-watering delights that are loved by our community.

There is no other school like the Flying Fruit Fly Circus - or "Fruities" as it is fondly referred to here on the border. It's been an iconic part of Albury Wodonga's cultural fabric for 45 years now, and we spoke with their Executive Producer Tahni Froudist about what makes it so unique and why she couldn't imagine working anywhere else.

We kick off the new year with a significant milestone here at BMG Partners, as Stephen Mamouney marks an incredible 40 years with us! This special episode is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, exploring the significant shifts in the business landscape, financial regulations, and industry practices. It provides Stephen’s unique perspective on witnessing the building blocks of today’s Australian economy fall into place and the challenges and triumphs that have defined BMG Partners' journey over the years. Reflecting on the transformation of the financial landscape over the last 40 years and inevitable highs and lows, such as working through a global financial crisis, Stephen highlights the exciting changes witnessed in the finance industry as well.

Paul Temple is a fine arts photographer who began photographing concerts with his friend Ian Hood in the early 1970s. Their passion for capturing the bands that they love in film led them to become suppliers of images to media, promoters, and artists’ management. You can see a compilation of their famous images, mixed media and personal mementos that celebrate rock and pop performers from the early 1970s to the present day in an exhibit called "On Stage" at the Albury LibraryMuseum.

As the saying goes, if you choose a job that you love you will never have to work a day in your life. Well, that saying is very fitting for our next guest who is a movie enthusiast and the General Manager of Albury’s Regent Cinemas, Kelly Davis. Although Kelly has worked incredibly hard during her 17 years with Regent Cinemas – due to her absolute passion for the entertainment industry, she has relished every moment and is thriving in her career.

This month we bring you possibly our youngest guest on the program. However, the talented long-distance runner and three-time winner of Nail Can Hill Run, Patrick Stow has packed a lot into his 28-year journey!

We are talking to the owner of Albury Wodonga’s iconic restaurant, La Maison, Wassim Saliba, who has recently returned from an adventure riding his push bike all the way from Perth to Albury. In doing so, Wassim raised $60,000 for The Carevan Foundation, a Border charity that feeds homeless and disadvantaged people.

After requiring emergency open heart surgery in 2020, photographer Peter Charlesworth set out on a 2800-kilometre ultra-distance expedition for the Heart Foundation - and in doing so, set a new world record for the longest distance covered on a stand-up paddle board up, which was the entire length of the Murray River.

Sue Gold has no fear of embracing change - from nursing in the city to running a supermarket in the snowy mountains, to being appointed the Executive Officer of the Border Trust here in Albury. In this episode, Sue explains how everything she has done has led her to where she is now - and how she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Paul Marshall is the Regional Operations Manager for VRA Rescue NSW and also Captain of the Albury & Border Rescue Squad. He has been a volunteer with the Albury & Border Rescue Squad since 2003 and also served with Victoria Police for 17 years, 10 of which were in the Highway Patrol.

In this episode, we hear from Richard Hamilton, a former Olympic rower who now manages a dairy farm in the Mitta Valley. Richard is also a keynote speaker, professional coach, and Ambassador for Boys to the Bush - and he recently founded a leadership program called 'No Matter How Strong the Headwind'.

With over 40 years of high-level motorsport experience, people may take for granted what Brad Jones Racing do on the national stage. Taking on the best of the best, multi-million dollar teams in the premier motorsport class, Brad Jones Racing is proudly the only Supercars Championship team based in regional Australia - with their workshop and production facility right here in Albury.

This month we bring you the incredibly inspiring journey of Danica Erard, one of Australia’s most sought-after milliners who resides right here in Albury Wodonga. Lady Gaga is just the beginning of a very long list of A-List clients for whom Danica has had the honour and privilege of creating amazing headpieces. Zara Phillips, Rebecca Judd, Shani Grimmond and Lana Wilkinson are just some who have embraced Danica’s unique designs. And without a doubt, you will see many of her creations paraded around the upcoming Albury Gold Cup! 

Join us for a trip down memory lane as Kevin Poulton and Stephen Mamouney talk through some of the highlights and lessons learned from over 50 local personalities and unsung heroes that we've heard from over the past five years. We also have a very special announcement for you!

They say that if you love what you do, you never have to work another day. Well, our latest guest on The Journey is undoubtedly someone to whom this saying applies. To wrap up the year with some festive cheer, we’re talking with the talented singer and performer, Niki Strauss. Niki has featured in many of Albury’s large-scale local productions – including We Will Rock You, Kinky Boots, Cats and Chicago – and she will also be taking to the stage next week for the Carols by Candlelight in both Albury and Wodonga.

Our latest guest on The Journey moved to Albury from Canberra with her young family in mid-2019, just before the pandemic hit. Having never lived in a regional area before, the reason for the tree change was to take on the role of CEO and Artistic Director of the Hothouse Theatre. It was always going to be a big job; however, the challenge of the entire industry being shut down was one Karla did not see coming.

Our guest, Public House owner Jodie Tiernan, takes us on a rollercoaster from when she blended cocktails in ritzy bars in Kensington UK, to being handcuffed by local police and transferred to a detention centre in Heathrow, to starting from scratch back in Australia when she was 26.

Jodie is a familiar face in Albury-Wodonga, from volunteering at Carevan, running midnight basketball games to help get homeless kids off the street, to purchasing and running Public House. Her cocktail trees are one of a kind, as many of us would know!

In this episode, Kevin speaks with winemaker and owner of Scion, Rowly Milhinch. Scion is a progressive Rutherglen winery offering a modern spin on the region's traditional grape varietals. Self-taught winemaker Rowly is a descendant of George Francis Morris, one of Australia’s pioneering vignerons of the mid-19th Century. Formerly a graphic designer, Rowly applies creative thinking to his winemaking to craft dynamic wine styles that represent modern Rutherglen.

In this 50th episode of The Journey, Kevin speaks with creative writer and author of children's books, Aimee Chan.

In our latest episode Kevin talks to School Principal and survivor of stage four melanoma, Matt Kean, who is on a mission to raise awareness of this deadly, but preventable disease.

Kevin speaks with talented Albury based artist, Alison Percy, who has worked in the creative industries for over 30 years. Initially training as a graphic designer, Alison freelanced as an interior design consultant and calligrapher. With an eye for detail, Alison likes exploring the land, the figure and the flower in her artwork. Referencing traditional Japanese calligraphy, Alison combine’s her fascination with fluid forms with her knowledge and passion for colour. Alison has held 12 solo exhibitions and 42 group exhibitions – and her work has been featured in publications such as Belle, The Design Files and Est Living.

In our latest episode of The Journey, Kevin Poulton speaks with The Border Mail’s Food & Lifestyle journalist, Jodie Bruton. 

Jodie is literally living her childhood dream. Born and bred in Corowa, Jodie reflects that by the age of 12 she knew she wanted to be a journalist and by the age of 14 she knew she wanted to write for The Border Mail. In fact, Jodie recalls that while her friends were reading Dolly magazine at High School, she was reading the Border Mail feature pages! 

Combine this love of writing with Jodie’s passion for food, travel and cultural activities and essentially, she has landed her dream job. Jodie gets to experience and enjoy what she describes as “the fun stuff” and share her thoughts with the local community in her writing.

In our latest episode of The Journey, Kevin Poulton hears from the delightful Joan Parker, the former Mayor of Holbrook and the person responsible for parking a submarine in the centre of the town and putting it on the map.

Kevin Poulton speaks to a much-loved member of the Albury Wodonga community, Sharon Jacka of Ray White Albury North - a passionate mother, grandmother, fundraiser, cancer survivor and now, an award-winning real estate agent.

We recently shared Stephen Mamouney’s journey with you, so now it’s time to shine the spotlight on the other half of our leadership team - Glen Jarvis. As many of you would know, as well as heading up the Financial Planning aspect of the business, Glen is a passionate para-triathlete.  

Our latest guest on The Journey is Janelle Marsden-Boynton, owner of Feathertop Winery and the Porepunkah Pub, an architect by trade, a self-confessed food and wine lover and a loving mother of two children. Janelle is also incredibly active in the tourism industry and passionate about influencing and developing policy for tourism and economic development. Earlier in her career, Janelle was the Chair of Victoria’s Food & Wine Tourism Council in Melbourne as well as the Director of Tourism Victoria.

Kevin Poulton talks to the founder and owner of The Riverdeck Cafe, Alex Smit, about how he went from a corporate background in the big city to running Albury's favourite restaurant on the banks of the Murray River at beautiful Noreuil Park.

Our latest guest on The Journey is the man at the helm of BMG Partners for the past 33 years, Stephen Mamouney. After spending some time working in New York and Sydney, Stephen returned home to Albury Wodonga at the tender age of 25 to join Ross Black at BMG Partners, taking up partnership in 1988. Stephen has experienced more than his fair share of personal tragedies, which has lead him to be an incredibly active member of the local community. We’ve been trying to convince Stephen to sit down with Kevin for many years now, so we are delighted to finally be able to share his journey with you!

Kevin Poulton speaks to the super fit and incredibly inspiring 62-year-old champion ultra-triathlete and world record holder, Rosie Spicer.

Kevin Poulton speaks to Albury local Jacob Wolki - owner of Albury’s iconic bike shop, Cycle Station, and the popular Café Musette. He is also the driving force behind the regenerative farm and butchery, Wolki Farm. Jacob's many businesses allow him to serve the Albury Wodonga community with fresh, seasonal produce from paddock to plate.

In our latest episode of The Journey Kevin Poulton speaks to the incredibly talented Paul Smith of Supergoat Media. Paul has pursued many different career paths based on his various passions. He spent 18 years serving up delicious home-made pasta at Green Zebra in Dean Street Albury. Prior to this, Paul was an aspiring rock star in Sydney working in recording studios. Now well and truly an Albury Wodonga local, Paul's focus is on creating profile videos and brand stories for businesses. He describes his talent as producing content that establishes trust – essentially ‘finding the essence of authenticity’ in a business.

Kevin Poulton speaks to Sarah Stamm – interior designer turned creator of ‘handmade treasures’ and founder of Salisbury and Maude. With 11.5k Instagram followers and 6.5k Facebook followers – Salisbury and Maude is a unique business model that is solely owned and operated by Sarah.  Everything is original and not made in the traditional way – but more from an interior design perspective, with the end goal in mind.  When Sarah finishes a creation, she posts it on social media and it gets snapped up immediately.  

Kevin Poulton talks to Andrew, who in his 50's is making his own dream a reality by racing motorcycles off-road, in some of the roughest and most challenging terrain around the world. In fact, he is currently preparing to take on the longest and toughest off-road rally event in the world – the 2021 Dakar Rally. This is despite the fact that Andrew nearly lost his life in a serious accident during the 2020 Dakar Rally.

The first thing you forget when you lose a loved one is the sound of their voice. This was the realisation that planted the seed for thought to launch Dimity Brassil's business. In our latest episode, Kevin Poulton chats to Dimity, a freelance educational writer and mother of three young children who has recently created and launched a mobile app called A Lasting Tale – which allows you to record the audio life stories of loved ones.