BOSS WOMAN 071 – DILKARA

What is your drink of choice?This is a challenging question, but I would have to say a true bush blend of organic Australian Tea – it has so many healing qualities, and that’s always a good thing!

Tell us a little about yourself.I am an Independent woman, with many facets to my person. I am a Published Author, Speaker, Advocate, Manufacturer and Mother. I have had many lessons in my life, and some I listened to early, and others I have had to experience many times over before learning from them. I was born into a bi-cultural family with my Mother being a proud Kamilaroi Indigenous woman, and my Father being of English Heritage. I come from a fractured family where losing my Mother at a young age set the precedence for my ability to grow up fast and strong. It was more of a necessity than luxury. I learnt early that there is resilience in myself that I had to rely upon to see me achieve the visions and goals I mapped out for myself, in my life.My most recent achievement was seeing my book Tales of Tinderella be “optioned” by a successful Production Company, to become an Australian TV Series, where the lead character is an independent Indigenous woman.  It is a story I am proud of, with many roller coasters in her story. I am always the eternal optimist and I look for the positives in every day.I always look for the rainbow, which is fitting, since Dilkara means rainbow in Aboriginal language. Tell us about Dilkara and how it came to be?Dilkara was borne through an understanding of my maternal Heritage and my need to stand within my culture that was my grandfather’s and those before him. It tells a story of survival and life. I often have a term that I call my Generation and that is the forgotten one, I stand where many Indigenous peoples had to piece together the jigsaw of the past and build on that to find the way through to our futures. This led me to want to share my newly discovered culture with the industry that I had been involved in for close to 30 years. I began to build Dilkara Australia to be a foundational leader of Reconciliation and Understanding for my Global community.I have been a Hairdresser, a Salon Owner and a Published Creative Stylist for many years, and Dilkara has given me the opportunity to reach more people in that community, to share this beautiful vision of Indigenous Australia. How can we support Dilkara?Dilkara Australia – www.dilkara.com.au is a product platform, where the supply chain ends with you. It begins with the harvesting of Australian botanicals from the Australian Bush. The opportunity to source these elements from Indigenous growers and communities is high on our list. There are many reputable raw material providers that are the wholesale providers to legitimate product manufacturers. Dilkara is fully Australian made and Australian owned while using these selected botanicals within every product in the Dilkara Australia – Original Formula range. By purchasing the products featured on our website, you support Australian business. You have a generational footprint in the positive impact of buying Australian, and providing Australian jobs. Beyond this, you are keeping a culture alive, and providing a bridge to Reconciliation amongst all of our cultures, whilst creating an understanding for all of us to have a future in this great land we call Australia. Any advice for those who are thinking about turning their dreams into a reality?There is an old saying… If it’s to Be – It’s Up to Me. And that is the truth.There are many motivational speakers and seminars that you can pay thousands of dollars to attend, only for them to tell you that the potential lies within you.  I think with the bombardment of messages that we receive it is difficult to maintain our focus on our purpose in life. For this we need to be stronger and remind ourselves every day of the vision we have established for ourselves. I especially recommend studying mentors (in your field of choice), those that have achieved their successes, and learn from their wins and losses. Learn from their journeys; study the challenges that they have faced and understand the way in which they have resolved them. There is merit in watching what other people have achieved and rise yourself up by using them as a motivator to your success. You can always find positive influences to push you forward in your dream to achieve, but as it says…. If it’s to Be – It’s Up to Me.