You are so French! Success stories à la Française – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome 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 treatment while being unable to see her family in France.

On her way to recovery, Eva became a mum and now, as a mother of two sons, she is dedicated to building a strong connection to French culture for them. A creative soul, Eva’s passion for sharing her French heritage led her to start engaging videos online, which quickly attracted a loyal community eager to learn-and laugh- about French language and culture.

In this heartfelt conversation, we explore her journey through resilience, creativity, and the love for her heritage. Enjoy this genuine and inspiring conversation where you can hear smiles along the way.

Bonne écoute!

 

Episode Guide: 03:57 Life Before Australia: St Tropez and Dordogne. 10:57 First steps in Melbourne. 15:00 Finding Love and a Reason to Stay. 19:06 The Choux Pastry Business. 23:12 Navigating Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment during COVID-19. 29:12 Re-Discovering French Culture and Heritage through Motherhood. 36:22 Balancing Life and Content Creation. 50:43 Reflections on Success. 52:00 Les Mots de la Fin.

Welcome 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 management easier for people. An important topic to discuss even for us individuals with global roots who often find managing money in a new language and place pretty challenging.

In the episode we talk with Max about some key moments that set the ground for a life around the world. I ask him about his first impressions of his new city, and what it’s like being the co-founder of Upworth. We also uncover how he quickly became a local expert in finance and home mortgage markets. Plus, we dive into the specific financial hurdles expats face and how to tackle them.

Tune in for an inspiring chat about making bold moves and planning for an exciting future!

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

 

Bonne écoute!

 

Contact Max

 

Episode Guide:

04:40 - Life Before Australia The experiences and background that shaped Max's journey until moving to Australia. 

17:07 - Moving to Sydney and Building Upworth The challenges and triumphs of establishing Upworth in Sydney, highlighting key milestones.

19:16 - Financial Education and Opportunities for Newcomers in Australia The importance of financial literacy and the various opportunities available for newcomers to thrive.

25:40 - Exploring Investment Options Investigate different investment avenues in Australia, from real estate to stocks, and how to navigate them.

32:18 - Australia: A Land of Opportunities? Is Australia living up to its reputation as a land of opportunity, with insights on job markets and lifestyle.

44:01 - Max’s Definition of a Successful Life Max’s personal philosophy on what constitutes a successful life, reflecting on both personal and professional achievements.

 

 

In 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 being in the Nature everyday.

We acknowledge Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise the continuing  connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present. 

Bonne écoute !

Visit Alpine Nature Experience 

Follow Alpine Nature Experience

Jean-François Rupp's cheese recommendation: https://www.lartisancheese.com.au/ 

 

In 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 Maison Balzac that transforms everyday life into memorable moments.

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which this podcast was recorded, the Gadigal/Bidjigal people of the Eora Nation and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation.

Bonne écoute !

 

To follow Elise and Maison Balzac:

Maison Balzac website and instagram

Elise Pioch Balzac's instagram

 

Elise's recommendation:

Emilie Delalande at Etic

The Art Gallery of New South Wales

In 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 and to celebrate life’s simple pleasures à la française. A beautiful mission that hides long working hours, challenges and risk takings. Jean-François’ hard work and contribution to the promotion of French culture in Australia were acknowledged in 2016 by the French Republic when he became Knight of the Order of the Letters and Arts. But these achievements are just the cherry on the cake for Jean-François. He insists passion and fun are what is driving him, without much of a plan. He learnt on the fly as he says it himself, organising a festival for the first time in his life in 2012 with the first edition of So Frenchy So Chic.  With Jean-François we talked about his success story of course, how it started and what's happening behind the scenes.  When I launched the podcast, Jean-François' story was one of the first on my list of stories to tell in You are so French! So I am very happy to share this conversation with you today. Bonne écoute! This episode was recorded in April 2023 at the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne, merci beaucoup for welcoming You are so French! The Podcast. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we recorded this episode. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.   So Frenchy So Chic Follow So Frenchy So Chic on Instagram Listen to So Frenchy So Chic on Spotify Follow Jean-François Ponthieux on LInkedIn   Jean-François' French recommendations: Chef Jacques Raymond Juliette Armanet on Spotify Clara Luciani on Spotify Orelsan on Spotify

I 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 are coming to Australia to learn the craft and experience a new way of life. This is a beautiful conversation about wine of course but also about the kindness of Australian people, the value of hard work and all the meaningful ways to give back to the community. I am sure you will enjoy listening to Dominique as much as I enjoyed chatting with him.

This episode was recorded in March 2022 in the Melbourne’s offices of the French Australian Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to the FACCI for welcoming You are so French! The Podcast.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we recorded this episode. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Bonne écoute!

 

Visit Dominique Portet Winery

Follow Dominique Portet

Dominique's recommendations:

Philippe Mouchel

Laurent

In 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 it down under and what does his working life look like as he admits himself his job remains quite a mystery for most, even his own parents. 

A strong taste for novelty, hard work and destiny, here are 3 of the main drivers of Matthieu’s success story in Australia. I'll let you discover more whilst listening to this conversation.

Bonne écoute !

 

Contact Matthieu Jacomin on LinkedIn

French founders

The French Tech

 

 

In 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 an important yet sensitive topic through our own experiences of French Australian women and with the humble hope to spark conversations in order to better know and understand the History and current reality of Australia’s First Nations.

 

Bonne écoute!

 

Carole’s recommendations:

First Australians by Beck Cole and Rachel Perkins on SBS

Welcome to Country by Marcia Langton

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

NITV on SBS

 

Alliance Francaise in Australia

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 

Melbourne French Theatre

 

Contact Carole on LinkedIn

 

Nicolas 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

MSO Sidney Myer Free Concerts  

 

In 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 West Australian Ballet

Milnjiya, Milky Way

White Elephant Café in Margaret River