When the COVID lockdowns hit Sydney, landscape architect Jess Hodge turned to cooking for stress relief, discovering a talent that got her into Season 13 of MasterChef Australia.

Her passion for plants and food sparked a hunger to learn about native ingredients and collaborate with Indigenous knowledge holders. Now, Jess is principal landscape architect at Yerrabingin, a Designing with Country practice in Sydney. She shares the milestones, mentors and attitudes that helped shape her unconventional career journey. Find out how to ride waves of opportunity, keep an eye out for burnout, and what to do when a prime minister walks out of your presentation.

This episode is produced in partnership with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA).

Pouring beer and waiting tables during uni, Terrence Stapleton would never have dreamed of his fabulous future career. Now he’s a successful landscape architect leading TCL’s Sydney studio, with rich, complex projects all over Australia.

Terrence reveals how he learnt to be confident in his own strengths, champion his team and curate diverse voices to get the best results.

Find out how to hold your own when your client has 20 years more experience and keep your cool when fighting to save trees on an infrastructure project. Plus, ways to flip the script at your next design review panel.

Dr Libby Gallagher designs major parks in Sydney, teaches at leading universities and advises government on urban tree canopy. Her Cool Streets research gained national media coverage and was featured in the Powerhouse Museum’s 100 Climate Conversations. But Libby’s success hasn’t come easy – she reveals the leaps of faith that forged her career path, the long days and late nights spent honing her work and the courage it’s taken to make sure her message of climate resilience reaches as many people as possible.

Find out how to welcome critique but stand firm against unjustified attacks, how to translate your research into action and why facing your fears can lead to surprising results.