Shows
You are so French! Success stories à la françaiseAnia Benhamadouche, Director of Bistrot Media: from Paris's fashion world to Sydney's hospitality scene – a journey into French Art de VivreWelcome to a new episode of You Are So French! I’m excited to share my conversation with Ania Benhamadouche, Director of Sydney marketing agency Bistrot Media. From working in Parisian luxury with renowned brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel to making her mark in Sydney's hospitality scene, Ania has built a career that spans continents and industries.
Starting with a working holiday visa, Ania quickly made her way into the heart of Sydney's food scene, working behind the scenes with a range of restaurants—both new and established. She has developed a deep understanding of the indu...2025-03-1948 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseAlliance Française French Film Festival: A conversation with new CEO Frédéric AlliodIn this special episode of You are so French!, I sit down with Frédéric Alliod, the CEO of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, to explore the cultural impact of French cinema in Australia. Recorded just before the start of the 36th edition of the festival, Frédéric shares insights into how it has grown to become the largest French film event outside France.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the selection process and discover some exciting highlights from the upcoming 2025 edition. Frédéric explains why this annual event is so important for both th...2025-03-0247 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseLaurent Boillon, founder of Laurent Bakery: how a French pastry chef revolutionised the way Australia eats breadMeet Laurent Boillon, the trailblazing founder of Laurent Bakery, on this episode of You are so French! The Podcast.
Discover how Laurent transitioned from a budding pastry chef in from Aix-en-Provence to revolutionising the Australian bakery scene over 35 years.
Experience Laurent's passionate journey as he mastered French baking techniques, introduced Australians to the art of sourdough, and scaled his business in a market unfamiliar with high-end French baking. Learn about the cultural challenges he faced, his triumphs in Melbourne, and his journey to creating a recognised brand throughout Australia.
Whether you're an aspiring...2024-12-0345 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseEva Bonnet @Bonjour.Mate, the power of cultural transmission: connecting her sons—and the world—to French language and cultureWelcome to another episode of You Are So French! Today, I’m joined by Eva Bonnet, better known as Bonjour Mate on social media. With over 500,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, Eva brings the quirks of French culture and language to life through her engaging and humorous videos.
Eva’s Australian’s story began in Melbourne with love and a corporate job. Passionate about pastry, she created a small side business of choux to cater for local sweet enthusiasts.
Her life took a major turn when she was diagnosed with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, facing...2024-11-1356 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseMax Chaury, co-founder of Upworth: personal finance for all and the expat perspectiveWelcome to another episode of You Are So French! Today, I am excited to chat with Max Chaury. Even though Max has only been in Sydney for a year, it’s clear that he doesn’t need much time to make a mark and embrace new opportunities. In his early thirties, Max has already lived across five continents and worked in diverse fields, including a stint with the French army.
Max is now settled in Sydney, where he’s spearheading Upworth, a fresh player in the personal finance arena. Upworth’s mission is to make long-term wealth manageme...2024-09-2046 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseOlfa Hafsa: the Australian wellness journey of a French practitioner and the impact of migration on mental health and wellbeingIn this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Olfa Hafsa, a naturopath, nutritionist, and counsellor who has called Brisbane home for the past 12 years. Olfa initially came to Australia as a consultant, drawn by the promise of the so-called Australian quality of life. Through her personal health journey, she developed a profound interest in alternative medicine and the impact of lifestyle choices on health.
In 2016, after four years in Australia, she made a leap of faith and transitioned careers to become a practitioner, focusing on nutrition, naturopathy, and counselling to help others achieve better health.2024-07-2847 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseJean-Pierre Chabrol: leading the digital transformation of Australian cultural institutions NGV and Museum of Contemporary Art AustraliaIn this episode, we sit down with Jean-Pierre Chabrol, a digital media expert specialised in cultural institutions. Having spent two decades in Australia spearheading digital transformations at prestigious art organisations like the National Gallery of Victoria and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney, Jean-Pierre recently made a significant move back to France for a new chapter in his career and personal life.
Jean-Pierre shares candid reflections on his Australian journey, from arriving as a young family full of dreams to navigating the complexities of leading innovation in renowned cultural institutions. He recounts memorable moments and...2024-06-2737 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseMelbourne Design Week edition with Mathilde Delatte, founder and creative director of Belleville Studio: exploring French flair in Australia's local Design sceneWelcome to today's episode, a special design edition for Melbourne Design Week 2024. We are joined by Mathilde Delatte, the founder and creative director of Belleville Studio in Melbourne. In this conversation, we explore Mathilde’s journey in Australia, which began with a dream and a lot of courage. We delve into the essence of French style, Mathilde’s perspective on the local design scene, and her insights on building a network as a creative professional in a saturated market.
Enjoy this conversation with Mathilde Delatte.
And if you are seeking a French touch in this year...2024-05-2340 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseOlivier Vojetta: exploring the multifaceted journey of a French creative from finance to philoIn this episode we have the pleasure of hearing from Olivier Vojetta. Much like many of our previous guests, Olivier has been living several lives, before Australia and since he settled in Sydney in 2012.
Throughout his journey, he has grappled with duality, and Australia has provided him with both the space and the mindset to fully explore this aspect of his life.
In this conversation, Olivier shares with us how he has managed to strike a balance between his left and right brain, his creative passions and analytical skills. He discusses the pivotal moments that...2024-05-1146 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseThomas l’Ingénieur - waves, work, willingness and warmth: a guide to build your Australian DreamWelcome to today's episode where I am chatting with Thomas, also known as Thomas l'Ingénieur on social media. Originally from Britany in France, Thomas has been living—and surfing!—in Sydney for ten years now. He's living his Australian dream and is passionate about helping other young professionals do the same.
Thomas is a real go-getter. He creates YouTube content in French to share his valuable advice on finding a job and building a successful career in Australia and beyond. He has more than 48,000 followers on this platform where he publishes content regularly. He also hosts a podcast where he in...2024-03-311h 01You are so French! Success stories à la françaiseEric Fusil: bridging worlds for a better future - from submarine defence expert to bilingual education leadershipWelcome to today's episode, where I have the pleasure of chatting with Eric Fusil, a remarkable individual wearing many hats: naval architect, consultant, Associate Professor, and expert in submarine defence based in Adelaide. But Eric's Australian story goes beyond his professional expertise. When he, along with his wife and three young children, embarked on a new life in Australia in 2015, they faced a myriad of challenges. Yet, amidst the fresh start, Eric saw an opportunity for his children to experience life in an English-speaking country with a foreign culture while retaining their French roots. His passion for bilingual education...2024-02-2553 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseMatthieu Megard, founder of L'Artisan Cheese-Organic: making Traditional French cheeses in AustraliaWelcome to the first episode of 2024, and what a better way to start the year than talking about cheese! Today we speak with Matthieu Megard from L’Artisan Cheese-Organic. Matthieu is the founder, managing director and master Cheesemaker of L’Artisan and has been researching how to bring the best of French cheese tradition to Australia since 2009. Through his own experience and story, Matthieu brings us a mini masterclass on French cheese, the ingredients and the requirements to make excellent products, as well as some insights on the Australian cheese market. Matthieu also shares what it's like to live in r...2024-02-0244 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseElise Leger on French politics in Australia, why does it matter and how it shaped her Australian journeyIn this new episode of the podcast, I meet with Elise Léger. If you are a French person in Australia, you probably receive emails from Elise every now and then. Being an active member of the French community is indeed one of Elise’s many hats. Elise is an elected member for the French Citizens in Australia, Fiji, Papua Guinea and she also sits at the Assembly of the French People Overseas representing French people of the Asia-Oceania region.
You would think that these roles keep her busy enough and they do but Elise is also a F...2023-11-0659 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseJean-François Rupp founder of Alpine Nature Experience: an invitation to discover the beauty of the other Alps in Victoria’s High CountryIn today's episode, we follow Jean-François Rupp founder of Alpine Nature Experience in Victoria's High Country and the Australian Alps. Jean-François grew up in the French Alps and the mountain is its happy place. At first glance, we may wonder why he decided to call Australia home then. But it seems that life had a plan for him down under.
With Jean-Francois we talked about the Australian mountain leisure industry, how to develop a sustainable business with limited resources (spoiler, it helps!) and his way to build a life where he can enjoy the freedom of...2023-09-2144 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseElise Pioch Balzac founder of Maison Balzac: the creative power of nostalgiaIn this episode of You are so French we are warmly invited into the beautiful world of Elise Pioch Balzac, founder of Maison Balzac. During this conversation, Elise takes us on a journey. We travel through her childhood memories in the south of France and her debut in the fashion world in Paris. We then fly with her to Australia where she first landed twenty years ago. With Elise we talked about style and fashion, the creative power of nostalgia, the infinite source of inspiration that are her family and homeland and how she built this joyful homeware brand...2023-08-0356 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseJean-François Ponthieux, founder of So Frenchy So Chic: how Australia fell in love with French musicIn today’s episode I meet with Jean-François Ponthieux, the man behind So Frenchy So Chic. Many of us know this annual rendez-vous with French music hosted as a joyful picnic in the heart of the Australian summer. Over the years, the festival has showcased more than 50 of France’s top talents, including The Dø, Clara Luciani, Lou Doillon and Brigitte to name only a few. But So Frenchy So Chic is not just a festival, there are also music compilations, artists collaborations and more parties.
With So Frenchy So Chic, Jean-François wants Australia to connect with French culture...2023-06-2240 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseDominique Portet: a French winemaker in AustraliaI am very honoured today to receive in You are so French! Monsieur Dominique Portet, a French winemaker who has been living and working in Australia for more than 40 years. Dominique is the ninth generation of winemakers so we talked about his family background from the Bordeaux region in France and how he exported his skills and heritage to Australia when the country was still a very young player in the wine industry. Not only a talented winemaker and businessman, Dominique is also very generous and committed to share his passion and knowledge with young winemakers in training who...2023-05-2549 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseMatthieu Jacomin: the French expert of the Australian digital tech sceneIn today’s episode, I am chatting with my tenth guest Matthieu Jacomin. Matthieu works in the digital tech industry as an investor, advisor and expert in growth and revenue and is based in Sydney Northern Beaches. In a nutshell Matthieu is living the Australian’s dream of many. But his story with Australia didn’t start so fancy. Before Sydney, there was a farm in remote WA and a ride from Perth to Adelaide hitchhiking trucks as he couldn’t afford flight tickets.
So I asked Matthieu the questions everyone wants to ask him: how did he make...2023-04-1544 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseCarole Sarasa, Board Member at Alliance Française & ex-advisor for an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation: a commitment to promote cultural diversityIn this episode of You are so French! I chat with Carole Sarasa, who is from the south west of France and is now based in Melbourne. Carole shares her experience working for an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO). She explains how this chapter of her professional life changed her deeply and gave a new meaning to her life as a white immigrant in Australia. Carole is also a Board Member of the Alliance Française in Melbourne and is passionate about politics and culture.
This is a special episode where we talk, among other things, about a...2023-03-1837 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseNicolas Fleury: Principal Horn of the Melbourne Symphony OrchestraNicolas Fleury is the French-born Principal French Horn of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. With generosity and a sincere enthusiasm for the city he chose to call home, Nicolas is sharing his Australian story and is telling us why Melbourne makes his heart sing. A melodious surprise is hiding in this episode, bonne écoute!
Follow Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to keep in touch with Nicolas' music and concerts.
Nicolas' French musical recommendations:
Debussy's La Mer, Ravel's Bolero, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Thierry Escaich.
More recommendations:
Australian Festival of Chamber Music
M...2023-02-2743 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseClaire Voss @Voss.Moves: a French ballerina moving through the Australian life with intuition and emotionIn today’s episode we are chatting with Claire Voss. Claire is a French Perth based professional ballerina who performed at a soloist level and who has just retired from the West Australian Ballet in December 2022. Her new venture Voss Moves is all about movement just like Claire’s life and energy. Be ready for a conversation full of moving faces - you can hear laugh and smiles! - moving memories and travel stories.
Bonne écoute !
Follow Claire: @vossclaire @voss.moves
References of the episode:
Swan Lake at the W...2023-02-1759 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseOlivier David: The West Australian Ballet, L’Oréal and Swiss watches, an Australian journey led by a taste for beautiful thingsA conversation with Olivier David, former Executive Director of the West Australian Ballet and former Head of Customer Service at L’Oréal Australia and Swatch Group Australia.
From his first local connections made through music to his professional experiences as a senior executive at luxury global companies and the WA Ballet, Olivier’s journey in Australia has always been led by his heart’s beats. His passion for the Arts, the pleasure he takes in helping others and Love with a big L have been the drivers to create his happy Australian life.
Follow Olivier...2023-01-0526 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaisePetit Podcast: catch up with 2022 French of the Year in Australia Laure LegrosIn the Petit Podcast series of You are so French! we catch up with previous guests to hear what they have been up to.
In this short conversation with Laure Legros @ClimateFresk, our guest from episode 4, we talked about her achievements of the year including her 2022 French of the Year in Australia award, her holidays travel plans and an update on her return to France.
Bonne écoute!
2022-12-3110 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseWrap up season 1, Trailer season 2 and what happened between for Podcast’s Founder Aurélie (spoiler: baby & travel)A special episode wrapping up season 1, announcing season 2 and telling you what happened between seasons for You are so French! founder Aurélie.
2022 marked a chapter in Aurélie's own Australian success story with the arrival of her baby boy and a long overdue trip back to France.
Follow @youaresofrench.thepodcast on Instagram and watch this space for Season 2 coming soon.
2022-11-3002 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseAlexandra Ganipeau @The French Hack: settling in Australia 25 years ago and making French grammar fun, when everything feels possible!In the 5th episode of You are so French! we chat with Alexandra Ganipeau the founder of The French Hack, a tuition solution where learning French is meant to be fun and feels like a club more than a school. Alexandra also takes us back in time when she arrived in Melbourne 25 years ago and tells us how the city and the local French community have changed since then.
Find and follow The French Hack:
Instagram and Facebook
Website
Bonne écoute!
2022-01-2825 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseLaure Legros: aligning the expat life and career with personal valuesIn this first episode of 2022 we meet with Laure Legros who re-invented her career to align with her commitment to the environment and her actions to fight climate crisis. Laure tells us how her dedication to the climate issue has also re-shaped her perspective of the expat life as a French in Australia.
Find and follow Laure Legros:
LinkedIn
Write to Laure
Laure's recommendations:
La Fresque du Climat / Climate Fresk - to get up to speed with the science.
WorkforClimate - Laure's current employer - to amplify your climate impact by taking ac...2022-01-2029 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaisePauline Rotsaert @Po.La.Doula & @Pepinskincare: women's health in Australia and how to create opportunities for yourselfIn this episode, I talk with Pauline who has been wearing many hats since she arrived in Australia, from Art to French pastry to skincare and women's health. Pauline's story is a great example of how every stage of life is a chance to explore new territories. An inspiring conversation full of passion and laugh.
Find and follow Pauline:
Instagram: @po.la.doula and @pepinskincare
Website: poladoula.com
Bonne écoute!
2021-12-1923 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseMarcel et Compagnie: keeping up with French language and identity in Australia through theater and improvisationA conversation with Marcel et Compagnie, a French theater and improvisation troupe based in Melbourne. With the 3 founders we talked about the freedom of performing in their mother tongue in a foreign country, the richness of playing in front of a multicultural audience and how to refill our creative cup after months of lockdown.
Find and follow Marcel et Compagnie:
Instagram marceletcompagnie.melbourne
Facebook marcel et compagnie
Marcel et Compagnie shows and productions:
2018: Les 3 Versions de la Vie de Yasmina Reza.
2018: Death in Double Time: a music-themed...2021-11-2837 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseSolveig Coulon, founder of Le Marché-French market: connecting people together around the best of French and Australian produceIn this first episode, I am meeting with Solveig Coulon the founder of Le Marché Willoughby. With Solveig we talked about her last venture created in the middle of the COVID crisis, her passion for connecting people together, her determination to overcome challenges of a life in another country and the way she has to beautifully combine together the best of Australia and France.
Find and follow Le Marché Willoughby:
Instagram @le_marche_willoughby
Facebook @Le Marché-Willoughby
Bonne écoute!
2021-11-1156 minYou are so French! Success stories à la françaiseYou are so French! The Podcast: introduction episodeIn this introduction episode I tell you a bit about myself, what this new podcast is about and why I am launching it. I hope you will enjoy this preview of You are so French! The Podcast, and will look forward to listening to the next episodes with our inspiring guests.
2021-10-1704 min