Tania Lacy

Every month the Spotlight is put on a select Australian woman who has either excelled in her career, and/or has established a successful or potentially successful business. Highlighted in Spotlight are business profiles, answers to useful career questions as are some quirky personal points.

Spotlight is designed to give us all inspiration and confirm that anyone can make his or her business dream or that promotion a reality...

Our first woman featured is Tania Lacy.
TANIA LACY
THE GIVING SPIRIT - INTERVIEW WITH TANIA LACY
The book 'The Giving Spirit' is for women. All women who want to be moved, inspired, and motivated. For those who have the good fortune of knowing what their life's passion is, and those still searching. The stories shared in this book by the 20 wonderful women featured, exemplify The Giving Spirit. These are women who are passionate, motivated and determined to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

But these women do more than just give. We have selected a chosen few from the book to speak with Femail, to find out just what it is that enlivens their giving spirit and how they feel to be featured in this wonderful book.

Profile

Full Name:
Tania Jane Lacy

Place of Birth:
Singapore. My dad was in the army and our family was stationed in Singapore for three years.

Organisation Featured in 'The Giving Spirit":
Marie Stopes International Australia, an organization dedicated to providing reproductive health services for women all over the world and particularly in poorer nations where health services for women can be difficult to obtain.

What was your first job?
I worked as a ballet teacher in an outer suburban ballet school. It was great fun and I was so proud of my students. They all worked so hard and were a great bunch of girls.

What does being featured in "The Giving Spirit" mean to you?
While I didn't set out wanting recognition for my work with Marie Stopes, I think it's very flattering to be recognized and to be included amongst this group of very inspiring women.

If you were given 5 blank cheques, you could write any amount on them and give them to anyone, whom would you give them to?
All five would go to Africa, where years of neglect, famine and corrupt regimes have taken their toll on a once proud nation.

What is an ideal day for you?
No real plans, no real timetable, just dagging around with my husband, doing what we like when we feel like it.

What do you find most amazing about human nature?
I am constantly amazed by how resilient people can be.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I would like to be writing and performing in my own comedy films. While female comedians have conquered the television industry and have been successful in getting their work on air, there are no women in the film industry doing the equivalent of say a Woody Allen or Mike Myers. There seems to be some kind of glass ceiling situation operating in the film industry, specifically with female writer/performers and damn it, I intend to bring it crashing down.

What is the most rewarding aspect about what you do?
I get to create. I think I would go quite tonto if I wasn't doing something artistic.

If you were Prime Minister for a day, what would you set about changing?
I would encourage people to accept more responsibility for themselves rather than continually looking to the government to 'fix' things. Whilst it might make things easier initially for the government to take control of our problems, ultimately we are handing more and more of our power to them and henceforth becoming disempowered. I would like people to feel empowered, to be productive members of the community.

What things do you hope people will take away with them after reading 'The Giving Spirit'?
hope people feel inspired by the book and realize that they too, can make a difference.

Have you ever encountered a life-changing experience?
I have had a few life changing experiences, all of them born out of misfortune. On each occasion a particular event has been the catalyst that forced me to take the painful but rewarding journey inward. But as time has passed, I can honestly say I have been grateful for these incidents, having emerged a stronger more honest person.

- Michelle Palmer

Meet Sheryn Cooper-Smith, Author of "The Giving Spirit" - CLICK HERE

BUY THIS BOOK NOW!