This is the story of a woman who moved her agency from the heart of Brisbane’s CBD to one of its outer suburbs. And prospered. It’s the story of a travel writer, a local magazine cover girl, and the woman who started Ladies Long Weekend. But mostly, this is the story of a woman who loves her community. This is the story of Tina Pizzoni.
It takes Tina Pizzoni, the owner of Helloworld Rochedale, about five minutes to walk to her office. School is just around the corner and daycare’s just a couple of blocks over.
“I’m so lucky. It’s a truly great community,” Tina tells Karryon.
At last count, the Brisbane suburb of Rochedale had a population of a little over 3,000 people. Tina and her high school sweetheart, Adam, bought their first home here in 2005 and Tina eventually moved her office from Roma Street in Brisbane to here in September 2018.
“People aren’t in the city to make big decisions and commitments like travel,” she says about the decision to move her agency out of the CBD.
“They’re in the city to work and they make those decisions [about things like travel] at home in their communities with their families.”
And when an opportunity arose in the centre that Tina is now in, “it all just sort of happened from there”, she says.
“And it was terrifying at the time, but I’d always wanted to be part of this community.”
The company was still relatively new to Rochedale when COVID hit, she says.
But that didn’t stop the locals from showing their support.
“They couldn’t travel. They weren’t clients, but people would drop into the office with chocolate and tell us to keep going,” she recalls.
But despite the love of well-wishers, Tina still couldn’t do what she does best: sell travel.
“I knew I couldn’t promote travel back then. The best thing I could do was promote myself.”
So with her son Nate starting school, Tina saw an opportunity to join the school community. The principal at the time was a client, and the school was on the hunt for parent committee members. And that’s how Tina found herself heading up the school’s Parents and Friends Association.
Knowing her clients, and her clients’ children and friends and families makes Tina’s job so much more rewarding (and simultaneously stressful too).
“I’m terrified of taking that call in the middle of the night because something has gone wrong,” she says.
“I care about these people who just happen to be my clients too.”
On the cover and in the pages of Logan City Guides
Tina was on the front cover of local magazine, Logan City Guide in December 2021. Think about that for a moment. A travel agent was on the front cover at a time when our borders were not yet open.
The photo was taken on the fly in what Tina was wearing at work that day. She was asked to start writing that day too.
Her stuff is great. But she admits it can be a struggle sometimes just getting it out.
“I procrastinate. Or profaffinate, which is procrastinating while faffing about at the same time.”
But when she does get her piece out, you can hear her voice in what she writes. There are always some great food and wine recommendations. But, more importantly, you really get a sense of someone who knows what they’re talking about, sharing their passion and experiences.
The Ladies Long Weekend
For some people, owning a travel agency, writing for the local guide, being a mum to two kids and heading up the P&F would be enough. Not Tina.
Tina also creates itineraries, markets and accompanies weekend getaways for her side project, Ladies Long Weekend.
“Creating and building Ladies Long Weekend was a way for me to look forward through the hard times,” she says.
“I’m a very social person and love spending time with people. It’s even better when there’s good food or wine included!
“Ladies Long Weekend is a way I could share my love of life, travel, food and wine with women who might sometimes forget to put themselves first.
“I find that all too often women put family, work or other commitments ahead of their own well-being. My belief from a professional and personal perspective is that a long weekend away will replenish them and bring them back feeling ready to give it their all once more.”
Sign me up, Tina.
