Aleeca Waterman
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
This is a powerful day because it brings focus to so many topics, so many issues that need to be discussed and addressed to continue to give women the power to have choices in their lives. Personally, it means giving myself inner permission to say ‘Yes’, to so many things, without a need to self-justify or question my right to take what I want in life.
Q: How did I start and what are the highlights of my career?
Currently I balance my career goals between co-managing our Restaurant and a separate career in Marketing and Events. The life in hospitality was set from childhood as my mother ran her own busy catering business in the Bay. She taught me to work independently and professionally in this industry, to think ahead for event planning and how to co-ordinate various teams to achieve a smooth service. The skills I learned were incredibly useful as I moved to university, studying Marketing, Visual Communications and Design, During this time I finished my Duel Bachelor Degree, opened a restaurant, bar and function venue with our family and welcomed my two beautiful girls into our world. Setting up the support needed to study, open a business, and raise children in a flexible environment was a challenge but one I will not regret.
Under a year ago my husband and I together opened our own restaurant, the concept of Banksia Seafood and Grill had been with us for quite some time and as the Fraser Coast has begun to develop in recent years, we could really see the potential for a dedicated venue that focusses on regionally sourced high-quality produce. Our success would be nothing without his love and dedication to cuisine but my role behind the scenes to manage and coordinate the business is rewarding as I can be as flexible as I need to be within our family life.
Q: What does an equal future world look like?
Just that, Equal. A future where women do not need to address the issue of unbalanced work representation, unequal income opportunities and biased social expectations.