A WHOLEHEARTED BIRTHDAY: Some years ago my dear friend @mystoriesjk wrote an essay called “Bumps in the Road” that offered a ruthlessly simple lens about bottlenecks really being part of the road to resilience. (I’ve re-shared it below).
Last week, I got my own reminder. What could have been lemons, became a lemonade birthday: the kind that doesn’t pretend difficulty isn’t there, and insists that joy and meaning can be, too. What made it so memorable wasn’t a grand reinvention It was a day in the sun, champagne @village__winebar , Chinese at @thealbertpark the steady goodness of people I love.
(Special Thanks @doeryr@keedoery@kelly_doery@digbycakes@ishrinkthis@stephjdavid@__steph_steph__@mjvesq@gboemo@meipingdoery@dave1886 #kerry @ruthlessfaithfull@hayleybsaddington@angcatalan@freyaberwick@lottieofarmadale )
So thank you—for the well wishes, the calls, the thoughtful gifts, the cards, the messages sent from all corners.
/pulse/bumps-all-kinds-create-resilience-jordana-kirby/
SUMMER ✨🍾🥂: A late look back at a summer that slayed from pavlova to parliament, political picnics to podcasts beachside hangs to pool parties, beach house bench seating 😬😬🤭🫠 to BBQ wins, cousins reunions to tennis nights. We had Christmas firsts, with new memories and lucky-to-have-with-us loved ones still making our life richer. ♥️✨ Here is to a 2026 worth celebrating. 🙌 🥂🍾
PEAK MOMENTS ⛰️
This photo just resurfaced on my phone—a reminder of the time I decided, on a whim, to climb a live volcano randomly🙊🔥💪.
.
.
.
In this occasion at 3am, I booked a car and left my fellow founders on the retreat sleeping soundly.
.
After driving through the night, I found myself in a pitch-black carpark, meeting a group of strangers who’d soon become friends. The world was silent, the stars were out, and all I could hear was the crunch of gravel under our shoes. By sunrise, I was standing at the summit, watching the world wake up from above the clouds. .
.
The view was unreal, but the metaphor was even better: sometimes you have to take a leap in the dark to find your own peak.
.
.
Hope this inspires you to chase your own adventures this week—big or small. What’s your next “peak moment”? ! ♥️
ORCHESTRA : 💫🔥🤓🎶Just a couple of out of work violinists 🎻 (only found out today we both played strings in a former life?!!) hanging @artscentremelbourne
.
Thankyou You @sammyjaynetodd for the most enchanting afternoon at Hammer Hall . As for for the @unimelb orchestral lineup it was utterly sublime.
.
[POWER LADIES] We can agree a picture is worth a thousand words; still there is a LOT to say about the decade between when this shot was taken. Bravo @fionakillackey for finding it 💫💪🙌😳😵💫🤓
.
Brought together by a Melbourne agency and the RockHealth(hello @drnategross ) tour and bound together since by Australia’s tech, startup and small business scene. We’ve collectively witnessed hundreds of founders and business owners pioneering ideas to make change, we’ve witnessed fortunes rise and fall governments come in and out of power, births, deaths marriages and everything in between.
.
I salute these women for all they have and continue to contribute in stitching, connecting and pushing boundaries.
.
To the next ten years @meliarayner@fionakillackey@katedinon
GO-TOGETHER: Thankyou @jess.curl for the endless running inspiration (& patience) - @projectbetter.au girl gang ⭐️🔥💫 you’re the best. Especially at dawn. 🥓😉🙃💫 🏃🏻♀️💨
[DOUBLE-HAPPINESS] What’s better than a day at the track? A day in nature with epic humans (Thankyou Erin, Neil snd Remi) for showing me the gorgeous farmhouse and vineyard you’ve planted. What a dream come true ❤️😍🍷
[ZERO-TO-1] The journey of taking a startup from idea to market is not for the faint hearted. Working with @ashwinnrr and team alongside @hello_mdmd over the past couple of years I’ve witnessed some epic grit, determination and smarts. In HealthTech, it takes an idea and team that is a head and shoulders above the rest to make it.
.
.
From defending IP, passing reg approvals to reaching global markets under immense resource constraint would frankly break most BAU C-suite and middle management types.
.
So hats off @ashwinnrr@sapyen.co Joel, Bas and supporters for a terrific first campaign @asrm_org Denver Colorado. I am so lucky to have been on the ride!
.
Onwards 🚀💫🍾🥂✌🏽🇺🇸
JOY: it’s been an eventful few days; and I only have two images from the weekend nuptials of two of the greatest humans I know @heath.ducker@angcatalan (Rightly, I was so taken by the day) . This final stanza from Dr J Drew Lanham’s poem a veritable manifesto of my beautiful friends & recipe for fearless living:
“…. Joy is the inexplicable coincidence.
Joy is what was meant to be.
The mystery of impossibility happening.
The assurance of uncertainty.
Joy is my seeking.
Your being.
It is mine for the taking.
Ours to share.
More than enough to go around,
when it seems nowhere to be found.
Have yourself a heapin’ serving.
Have seconds. Or thirds.
‘Cause
joy is the justice
we must give ourselves.”
Angela and Heath— you are that gift, to all of us.
Thank you @heidimiddletonartclub for the fab outfit. Loved it.
TIME FLIES: @thereslloyd is one of my oldest pals from med school - who iconically diagnosed subcutaneous emphysema from across the ward looking in the other direction on Grand Rounds. 🤣😵💫🙌🙊
.
.
We’ve had a lot of laughs over the years from “jolly jugs” in Ballarat to sharing a caravan on rotation in Euroa. iIf ever find yourself in the face of a diagnostic dilemma, he’s your guy. Here’s to celebrating with tea @hopetountearooms (and not Tequila shots).
Last summer, I was vigorously encouraged (some might say pushed!) by Stewart McArthur AM 'Ferg' and Michael Gyton enter the Great Ocean Rd Half Marathon. Many will know how freaked out I felt in the lead-up 😱 - as the kilometers unfolded underfoot; it pelted with rain, head-on wind, then hill after hill before being rewarded with a rainbow 🌈 . As my legs turned to fire 🏃♂️ 🔥 🚒 (not in a good way!), it reminded me of the founders and leaders I've had the chance to work alongside; performing relentlessly face-on into often unknown conditions.
Finishing in the wake of Mike's blistering run and witnessing Stuart's decades-long commitment to running, agriculture, politics, and public life was very inspiring. (Stuart is okay with me saying this - he's 86!!! It's mind-blowing!!).
To cap it all off, meeting the local hero - Steve Moneghetti, who used to lap us as medical students jogging around Lake Wendouree when I trained at Ballarat Base, made it a peak weekend. Thank you so much Ferg & Mike 🙏
So, who's up for a run?
![[POWER LADIES] We can agree a picture is worth a thousand words; still there is a LOT to say about the decade between when this shot was taken. Bravo @fionakillackey for finding it .Brought together by a Melbourne agency and the RockHealth(hello @drnategross) tour and bound together since by Australia’s tech, startup and small business scene. We’ve collectively witnessed hundreds of founders and business owners pioneering ideas to make change, we’ve witnessed fortunes rise and fall governments come in and out of power, births, deaths marriages and everything in between..I salute these women for all they have and continue to contribute in stitching, connecting and pushing boundaries..To the next ten years @meliarayner @fionakillackey @katedinon](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6757192514623735206324_0_7affdf2e33824330da686db5ed9106b5.jpg?o=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&h=53b63a0c18a486d3f1a72846a0acf598)
![[DOUBLE-HAPPINESS] What’s better than a day at the track? A day in nature with epic humans (Thankyou Erin, Neil snd Remi) for showing me the gorgeous farmhouse and vineyard you’ve planted. What a dream come true ️](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6768166654644644532215_0_a595058d44fce2e768b86c49048e7797.jpg?o=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&h=3acff894e9a469fdf767df0580cbb420)
![[ZERO-TO-1] The journey of taking a startup from idea to market is not for the faint hearted. Working with @ashwinnrr and team alongside @hello_mdmd over the past couple of years I’ve witnessed some epic grit, determination and smarts. In HealthTech, it takes an idea and team that is a head and shoulders above the rest to make it...From defending IP, passing reg approvals to reaching global markets under immense resource constraint would frankly break most BAU C-suite and middle management types..So hats off @ashwinnrr @sapyen.co Joel, Bas and supporters for a terrific first campaign @asrm_org Denver Colorado. I am so lucky to have been on the ride!.Onwards](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6737172924254635263158_0_f98cd1bce7999a4562e84ccbb0012eb2.jpg?o=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&h=e979672c9bf63036641e6a4029d64e96)
