With rising living costs and fast-paced lifestyles, the timing couldn’t have been better for the launch of Lunch with Locals at Beach Road by 4 Pines on Friday 19 September.
This inspiring new series kicked off with a powerful message: small changes can lead to big impact.
Curated by Christine Mackay of Key Elements by Christine, the event blended practical advice, personal stories, and meaningful connections.
A full house of locals gathered to enjoy live music by Chris Cobb, a soulful Sunshine Coast artist whose career has taken him from market stalls to national TV as a standout on The Voice Australia 2025.
Beyond entertainment and good company, the event supported Waves of Kindness, a local charity making tangible change through school breakfast clubs, emergency relief, and welfare advocacy across the Sunshine Coast.
The stars of the event were the guest speakers, three local women offering real-world lifestyle hacks designed to empower and uplift.
Four lifestyle hacks for a better life:
1. Turn work into a privilege, not a punishment
Ali Pilling, family wealth coach, founder of Money Savvy, and owner of ePlants, shared a refreshing mindset shift about work and wealth.
“Work is our privilege. It’s our opportunity to do something, to participate and to contribute,“ Ali said.
“What is that number one thing that you love and enjoy doing so much, that you’d be willing to do it for free? Just imagine getting so good at that number one thing, that someone would be willing to pay you for it. That’s paid passion. Humanity, the planet, the world needs what you have. Your work will bring you wealth in all areas of your life.“
2. Fly for free using loyalty points
Deena Shanahan, founder of Committed to Collect, is a wizard of loyalty programs. Her strategy? Turn everyday spending into free travel.
“I’m not talking about spending more, just your normal money that you’re currently spending, turn it into loyalty points,“ Deena said.
“All of us spend and have expenses, and if you truly learn how to just swipe your cards, connect everything, set and forget, make it nice and simple, then every single one of you within two months can have a domestic flight for free. That is the absolute reality.“
“This year, from the 1st of January till now, if I was paying for flights, I would have spent $80,000 but I spent just $4000 for taxes.“
3. The three C’s: Curiosity, celebration, connection
Amanda Stevens, a consumer futurist and bestselling author, offered a simple framework for creating more meaningful relationships.
“I think everyone can apply these three things not only in business, but personally, professionally, to increase our levels of influence and also create and deepen and strengthen the relationships that we have with people around us… But none of this matters without health.“
4. Turn faeces into fertiliser
Amanda’s final message came from resilience and the unexpected ways life connects us all.
She shared the story of her friend Sophie Smith, founder of Running for Premature Babies, who lost her triplets – Henry, Evan, and Jasper — but turned unimaginable grief into a powerful mission.
Her charity raises money for neonatal equipment, one of which later saved Amanda’s own son’s life.
“Sophie’s decision to turn her very shitty situation into fertiliser is the reason that I’m mum,“ Amanda said.
And years later, in a twist of fate, it also saved Amanda’s life.
Amanda recounted a health scare in 2021, where a sudden blood infection nearly claimed her life. A doctor’s quick action, and her own fitness, a result of training for Sophie’s charity runs, meant she survived what doctors called “a medical miracle”.
After a trip to the hospital with what she thought were symptoms of gastro, Amanda headed home while waiting on test results.
“I was at home by myself. I went to bed, woke up at about 5am, and felt so unwell, and my temperature was so high I was hallucinating,“ she said.
“Then I felt really cold. I crawled into a shower, as hot as I could. It scalded my skin trying to get warm, and I couldn’t get hot. So I remember thinking, I should probably go back to hospital. So I crawled back to bed to find the phone and I passed out on the carpet. I woke up in the morning to the phone ringing. My doctor said ’Amanda, where are you? You’re really unwell aren’t you.’
She said, ’I’m sending an ambulance for you. You have a blood infection.’
After trying every treatment, the doctors rang her husband Chris, who was stuck in a lockdown in Melbourne, and said, “We’re really sorry, we’re literally out of options. She’s about four hours away from complete organ failure, you’re going to have to say goodbye.“
The doctors had one last antibiotic to try.
“Spoiler alert, the last antibiotic worked,“ Amanda said.
