Leigh Robshaw is a journalist, editor, freelance writer and as of August 15, a published author. Leigh completed a BA in Communications at the University of Western Sydney in 1992 (majoring in journalism, PR and media production) and began her career as a journalist in Sydney, specialising in feature writing and travel writing. Leigh spent five years travelling, living and working overseas, including three years in Latin America, one year in London and one year in Tokyo. She lives in Maleny with her husband, Herrin (a musician and digital marketer) and her  sons, Jasper, 13 and Cohen, five.

Leigh, you wear a number of hats in your career at the moment – tell us a little bit about what you do and how you make it all streamlined to work for you as you are obviously a busy woman, juggling being a Editor, Journalist, Author etc?

I’m the deputy editor of My Weekly Preview and a staff writer for both MWP and Salt. MWP and Salt are my regular gigs, however they are part-time roles, so I also freelance and take on project-based editing, business blogging and copywriting work. I’ve stopped most of my freelance work over the last few years in order to write my book. Next, I’ll be marketing my book and doing some speaking engagements – I already have one planned for the Sunshine Coast. How do I make it all work? I have a supportive husband who does more housework than I do, as well as the school run. I was a single mother for a few years before I met him and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. On an organisational level, I schedule everything and I prioritise. It’s hard when work takes priority and the kids are demanding attention, but I believe it’s good for children to see their mothers happy, creatively fulfilled and doing work they are passionate about.

What made you decide to write your book ‘You Had Me At Hola’?

I left Australia for the first time in 1995 at 23 for a three-month backpacking adventure through South America and ended up staying over three years. It was a life-changing and at times, life-threatening, adventure. I fell in love – not just with a South American man, but South America itself. What transpired during that time was a book just begging to be written, but it took me many years to gain the confidence to write it. I stopped and started and wasn’t sure how to write it or what I wanted to say. I spent a long time thinking about the best way to write it and settled on memoir, which was terrifying. I found a wonderful writing mentor in Coolum, Rose Allan, and she strongly suggested it should be a memoir, rather than fiction. I enjoy memoirs about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and I believed others would enjoy my story and find its themes of self-discovery, self-acceptance and the search for one’s true life purpose helpful and universal. While it contains deep themes, it’s also fun and gives the reader a sense of just how incredible South and Central America are. I hope it inspires more people to travel there – they need the tourism dollars.

You would spend a lot of time working to deadlines… what systems or skills do you use to manage this and keep focused and on track?

I can’t remember a time in the past 25 years when I didn’t have a deadline looming, apart from my years in Latin America. I think carefully before I accept a deadline because once I’ve accepted it, I stick to it. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, it’s highly unprofessional to miss a deadline. I’ve even written stories on my laptop while lying in flat in bed with the flu so as not to miss a deadline. I see it as a debt that must be paid eventually, so the sooner you get it out of the way, the better. A couple of times I’ve asked for an extension well in advance, but then realised it would have been better to complete the task on time. You end up letting the team down and wasting time, giving yourself the luxury of taking longer than you really need. The minute I’m given a deadline, it goes straight into iCal on my iPhone, which is synced with the calendar on my Macbook Pro. It gets categorised under ‘work’ and I always add an alert for two days prior. I’m a big fan of electronic alerts and reminders. The phone was my only system for years, but recently, I’ve started using a planner as well, where I also scribble my deadline dates as a backup.

Who are some of the most memorable people you’ve interviewed over the years and why?

Michael Franti, Leo Sayer, The Proclaimers, Xavier Rudd, Noni Hazlehurst, Mia Freedman, Lisa Messenger, Constance Hall, Michael Caton, Jane Caro, Karni Liddell, Michael Robotham, Peter Watt, Jeanette Allom-Hill, Sue Brierley, Alan Mackay-Sim, Ross Noble, Catpower, Roy Thompson, Steve Backshall, Jessica Rowe, Jelena Dokic, Jessica Townsend, Donna Penny, Debbie Platz, Ian Kiernan, Miranda Gibson, Mark Forbes, Jim Lagopoulos, Jan Becker, the Harlem Globetrotters, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, Stuart Wilde… the list goes on. All of these people have experienced fame but also pain, success but also self-doubt. Sometimes the most famous are the most down-to-earth and the most ordinary are the most extraordinary. Interviewing people who are following their passion and living with purpose, adding something positive to our world, are my favourite people to interview.

And what’s next on the agenda for Leigh Robshaw?

The most exciting thing for me at the moment is publishing my book, You Had Me at Hola – In search of love & truth in South America, which is now available for pre-order from my website (www.leighrobshaw.net) and is on sale August 15. It was my lifelong dream to write a book and there are more where this one came from. I was a ghostwriter early in my career, writing self-help books for New Age gurus that went on to sell hundreds of thousands of copies. I had a burning desire to write my own book, but it took me a long time to realise I could write my own book. Finally, that moment has arrived and I plan to be celebrating and promoting my book, while staying committed to my job with My Weekly Preview and Salt, for the foreseeable future.

Favourite movie?

I have many favourites but two recent films that come to mind are Roma and Call Me By Your Name. Two old favourites are Il Postino and Stand by Me.

What do you do in your spare time?

Read books and magazines, scan social media, watch shows (The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things 3 and Big Little Lies 2 are my recent faves), walk in the forest, meditate, hang out with my kids, have coffee with my husband or catch up with girlfriends for Prosecco or margaritas.

Who do you look up to and admire?

Elena Ferrante, Isabelle Allende, Elizabeth Gilbert, Stephen King, Frida Kahlo, Maya Angelou, Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, Pema Chodron, the Dalai Lama, Lisa Messenger, Constance Hall, Mia Freedman, Greta Thunberg, Richard Fidler, Leigh Sales, Annabel Crabb, Marie Colvin, Turia Pitt, Malala Yousafzai, Bob Dylan, Bruce and Denise Morcombe.

www.leighrobshaw.net

or
Facebook

@leighrobshawauthor