November 17, 2024 • 18 mins
Dr Emma Watkins is bringing something new to the table with an exclusive project every parent will want to hear about. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look into her inspiring journey!
In this episode:
- The Wiggles
- Emma Memma
- Dr Emma Watkins' PhD Abstract
- Sign-language
- Self-care & goats
- Balancing dreams with realistic goals
- Endometriosis & fertility challenges
- A Dream for Every Night with Emma Watkins - Audible Book
Related links:
Subscribe to the Happy Families newsletter
Leave a voice memo here or email your questions/comments to podcasts@happyfamilies.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's the Happy Families podcast. It's the podcast for the
time poor parent who just wants answers. Now, Yellow Wiggle
Emma Watkins, known by kids all around the country these
days as Emma Memma, joins me on the podcast today
to chat Wiggles and a new project that every parent
will want to know about, in collaboration with Audible. I
(00:26):
am so excited, Emma Watkins. I've spoken with some pretty
high profile people on the Happy Families podcast over the years,
but I don't know too many that would be as
warmly welcomed by our Happy Families audience as you. So
good to have you on the pod. Thanks for being here, Thank.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You for having me justin.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
That was a lovely and truth Well, I think that
it's well deserved. Let me start with the Wiggles, iconic group,
serious performers, and you wore the yellow jersey for close
to a decade. I feel like I'm Somedden. We're talking
about the Tour de France. You wore the yellow jersey.
Do you call it a jersey, a jumper, a sweater?
What do you call it?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, we used to call it a sk but then
when we were tour in North America, that kind of
means your underwear, so then we would always say yellow shirt.
So you know, you do have to be careful about
you know how you refer to the s giv in
different countries. Well.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
As a keen cyclist, I'm going to go with the
yellow jersey.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I just like, Okay, yeah, I like that. I like that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I mean, you're also the first female Wiggle as well.
I know that you've told this story a lot, but
there's going to be a whole lot of parents who
listen to the Happy Families podcast that don't know how
you became a Wiggle. Can you walk us through the
story of becoming the first female Yellow Wiggle or becoming
the first of the non original Wiggles as well? If
I recall correctly, how did that happen? And as you
(01:38):
look at that decade, what are your memories like, how
do you reflect on that time now that you've moved
on to other things.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh? Look, it was an amazing experience and I spent
my whole twenties at the Wiggles, So it feels like
the biggest apprenticeship of my whole life. I feel like
that was my college, that was my university situation. But
essentially I graduated school and went to film school because
I had an injury even though I was a dancer.
I'm trying to be concise here. So I grew up
(02:04):
as a dancer, went to film school, did film, went
back to UNI, did film and dance. Went back to
dance full time, and then auditioned for a range of shows.
And this audition for the Wiggles came up, and I'd
already auditioned for them before but hadn't been successful. And
they were looking for a fairy, and I had fairy
esque care and happiness and ballet training, and I got
the job. So I worked with the Wiggles for about
(02:26):
a year and a bit as a fairy doing Dorothy
the Dinosaur Wags a dog, and then all of a
sudden I was on the road with the original Wiggles
and it was a dream come true. I was a
Wiggly dancer. I played lots of instruments and then I
just randomly, one day before a show in Sydney, got
asked to be at wiggle That's honestly what happened.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Just in the corridor, backstage, that's random's.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, just backstage, just in my dressing room, yeah, brilliant
and for the first time in Wiggle history a female wigle.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Let's ever what everyone? An amazing experience and obviously the
opportunity to touch so many lives. Since then, parents, I feel
like I'm skipping through this so fast, but there's so
many things I want to talk to you, and this
is the podcast for the type or parent who just
wants answers. Now since then, parents have slightly older kids
(03:17):
may be less familiar with Emma Memma. Can you tell
us about her? Because you graduated? Graduated? Is that the
right word? You moved on from the Wiggles Emma Memma
walk us through the Mmemma character? What that is? Who
that is? For parents who may not be familiar with
the evolution of Emma Watkins.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So I left the Wiggles in twenty twenty one after
a big chunk of time, you know, not touring because
of the pandemic. So at that moment in my life,
I was already parallel studying my PhD integrating sign language
and Dance for children, and so I had more time
to study. But also I recognized that my research was
becoming important and we needed to finish it. So I
(03:57):
decided to leave. I focused on my PhD and through
that research came male brand new children's character and venture
called Emma Memma, which essentially is all music, all dancing,
where visual communication is at the forefront of the media,
so we highlight sign language and gesture, visual language, and
of course dance.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love this. So you've highlighted that you're no longer
just just a wiggle or just Emma Memma. Please forgive
the pejority of with just that's a complimentary thing, but
rather you've done more Again these days you're also doctor
Emma Watkins. I'm fascinated when you've already got this incredible
(04:37):
I'm going to call it a showbiz career. Why a PhD?
And you've hinted that there's a lot of inclusivity sign
language and music. How do these things come together? How
did you turn that into a PhD? I just love
that whole academic story, if you can help me with that.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So it's a good question, justin because I feel like
my life has been very in parallel with UNI and
also performing, but probably because at school and I went
to a performing arts high school in Sydney, we were
always told have a plan B, make sure you've got
other things going on. Because even when I was auditioning
for different shows like Cats or Wicked, you know, I
(05:17):
was at university at UTS studying media in the hope
that I could work in a production company, and I
was earning money editing for other production companies on the side.
So when I finished at UTS, I had an amazing
mentor and he said to me, I think you should
do a PhD. Because you've got such a unique skill
(05:38):
set in dance. And I kept doing all of my
assignments as dance films. So clearly was only interested in
one thing, even though at the time at the university
I was told by somebody higher up, oh, you can't
do dance and film, and so I think from that
point on I was like, nah, I think I'll just
do it. And then when I joined the Wiggles, I
(06:00):
was able to film and edit and also perform, so
I had the ability to do both and so through
that One of the amazing researchers that I was researching
at the time was from America, doctor Karen Perlman, and
she was a dancer in her life. She is a dancer,
and she wanted to learn about and teach how dancers
(06:25):
have a specific intuition with editing, and I was like,
that's weird because I feel like that, as in, I
don't I like filming, but it's not my full I
really love editing. And so when I researched her, I
don't know how this came about, but she magically was
now living in Australia and teaching at the Maccrorie University.
(06:46):
So I contacted her and explained my life story growing
up with dead friends and always having an interest in
sign language, and how can sign language and dance and
film editing be brought together to help visual communication for children?
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Can we do a lightning round quick questions, quick answers? Okay,
all right, Lightning round Question number one, as the yellow Wiggle,
what is your favorite wiggle song?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Ooh, I really like the Giraffe, but mostly because live
we had blow up giraffes going out into the audience,
so that was pretty fun and the children loved it.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Okay, part two of that question that's just popped in
mind as you say that, what was the song that
you would sing at concerts that got the biggest response
from the two to five year old set.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
That's a good question. I mean it would change all
the time. I mean mostly Rocker by Yu Bear, Hot Potato,
do the Propeller things that people were like, yes, I'm
into this.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Yeah, yeah, I'm in Hot Potatoes just become a classic,
hasn't it. It's yeah, exactly, it's gonna last for decades
and decades. Do the audience go crazy at screaming the
same way that they might at a Billie Eilish concert concert?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Really absolute, It's just a different pitch for three year
olds rather than you know, thirteen twenty three.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And what's the weirdest or most unique talent you have?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I can do precision driving.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
As in like a like kind of rally cars.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Style, like rally cars. My dad's a rally navigator and
I grew up doing precision driving on skid pans.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
That is unexpected. I love it. What's the worst advice
you've ever received?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yes? Probably, like before, don't do dance and film at
the same time, or you can't do both, or don't
have extra hobbies.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I want to come back to something that you said
about having the backup shortly, but two more questions have
a lightning round. First, Okay, what's one thing that you've
learned about yourself since leaving the.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Wiggles that I think I've got more to give And
in the last three years I've done so many different
projects that I never would have dreamed of, and I've
met so many people that I've just had the best
and busiest three years of my life.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Speaking of busy, I mean PhD, Wiggles, mm A memo
now the new collaboration with Audible Rally Driver apparently as well,
and who knows what else you're doing. What's your go
to self care ritual when you need to recharge?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I hopefully when I get home. You know, I'm on
tour a lot. But when I'm home, I like going
out to visit my goats in the paddock and actually
just hanging out with them. You have property, well, we
don't necessarily we live in the country, but my goats
because we didn't have a fence when we moved here.
They live with my friend down the road who has
fourteen other rescue goats, and so they're in a herd
(09:29):
and so I go and visit them.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I love this. This is just I can imagine that
the Daily Mail is going to have some fascinating fun
with our conversation. Emma Malkins hangs out with the Goats.
I want to go back to something that you said earlier, Emma,
before we move on to my last two questions. You
(09:53):
highlighted that your university lecturers and people around you always said,
if you want to go and do I call these,
I guess, vanity occupations, occupations where everybody wants to do it,
but only a very small percentage of the people who
want to actually get to do it. So whether it's
radio or media, or dance or music or being an
(10:14):
influencer or a streamer or whatever, these are things where
there's millions of people who are saying, Oh, I want
to do that so bad, I want to be a
Hollywood actor, but you end up waiting tables because it's
just so competitive, so hard to get into. My advice
generally for younger people, I give a lot of talks
in schools to year ten, year eleven, year twelve, especially
as school starts to move towards completion. My advice is often,
(10:35):
don't listen to people like me who have followed my dream,
because people who follow their dreams some of them make it,
and they're the ones that stand up on stage and say,
follow your dream. Follow your dream. Follow your dream. But
there are a lot of people who follow their dream
and end up waiting tables, so to speak. And so
my argument to them is, go on, select a career
where ninety plus percent of the people who want to
(10:57):
do it can do it, and then get into the
top five or ten percent, Like, just be really really
good at that and pursue your hobbies. On the side,
you and I both had the joy and the privilege
of doing things that we absolutely love despite the odds.
And what I'd love to ask of you is is
that good advice or is that bad advice? How do
you respond to that question?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I really appreciate that justin because I think it's always
a moment in your life. You know, when you have
some experience or you're old enough to have self reflection
and go, okay, let's be realistic about you know, where
I'm going to make money and how what's my livelihood?
And I know that seems basic, but it's true, like
how do you survive and work and you know, be
(11:40):
with your family and you know, do the things that
you love. But there is a moment where you do
have to be realistic about potentially not getting that first dream,
and I really admire some of the people that I
went to school with that also dance with me. And
my whole life was dance. Like I can't express it enough.
All I did was dance. I just loved dance. And
(12:02):
there was so many other people in my class that
now don't dance, but they've used their skills in a
very smart way to do something slightly on the outskirts
and have nailed life. One of my really good friends
who grew up with me as a dancer, and you know,
everyone's dream in the dance school is to dance, of course,
but she was one of those people that recognized that
(12:24):
she could bring her dance skills to another industry and
she ended up being a sign language interpreter. She qualified
before me. She'd seen that I was doing sign language
and was like, yeah, maybe I could do that, but
I wasn't doing it in a serious way at that time.
She went and did all of her exams and now
in Australia she's one of the most sought after performing
arts sign language interpreters. You'll see her on social media everything,
(12:47):
and she is nailing it. She's not performing as a dancer,
but she's using her skills that she learned to bring
that to a whole new set of audiences.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
And making a beautiful contribut at the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, and living, you know, earning money, being in front
of a crowd. There is a sense of performing, you know.
I appreciate that, But her skill set is slightly different
now than what she was training for, you know, when
she was eighteen.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Emma, I'd like to ask you a personal question if
I can. The majority of our listeners are mums, many
of whom will have experienced fertility challenges or know somebody
who has. You've been quite open about your own experiences
with dmetriosis and the challenges that presented during your time
(13:36):
with the Wiggles and probably even subsequent to that. Can
I ask you to maybe share a little bit around that.
Hows that shaped your perspective on resilience and self care
and advocating for your own needs and even even decisions
that you have to make on a personal level about
what your family is going to look like as you
move forward, how you're going to live your life. What's
(13:56):
that like in your circumstances.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Look, I was probably very ignorant to my body for
a long time, mainly again, as a dancer, you just
kind of work through pain. I think that's just a
you know, that's just a subset of training and working
your body to a point where you know when you're
even when you're stretching, obviously there's a level of pain
and you push through. And so for many, many years
(14:20):
when I was touring, I didn't realize that I had
endometriosis or symptoms of endometriosis at the time. But then
when things got really bad, then I started to look
into it. And then it got to the point where
I couldn't perform and I had to have a surgery.
Whereas I think now, if I was presented those symptoms,
I would have loved the opportunity to maybe not have
the surgery, but I knew at that time there was
(14:42):
no other option. So I had a surgery and through
the surgery was diagnosed with stage four ENDO. And you know, really,
when I think back, I don't even know how I
missed that, Like, how did I not realize There are
a lot of asymptomatic you know, situations where you don't know,
but mine was terrible and I wasn't stopping to look
(15:05):
after myself. So it has taught me to be a
little bit more kind. And also I'm a go getter
and I love doing seventeen things at the same time.
But I do recognize that rest and sleep and being
home and being with the goats is just as important.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I love that the goats need to feature problem in
this conversation, maybe even in maybe in the title of
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah they can, they can.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Emma, thanks for sharing that you've recently done something new
that I'm really interested in talking to you about. And
as soon as I saw the email about this, I
just thought, my audience will love this. I actually wanted
to create something with my soothing voice doing the same
sort of thing that you're doing. I never did it,
and I don't think that I am the right person
for it, but I think you are. You've collaborated with
(15:50):
Audible and created something called a Dream for Every Night.
Tell us about a dream for every Night? And what's
if I can be so corny, is to say, what's
your for how it's going to fit in with families
who are so busy and so torn and so so stretched.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Look, I take my hat off to all parents anyway,
because I don't know how parents do it. And mostly
I think about my sister in law with her two
little boys. And you know, the projects that come to us,
you know always think, you know, what, are they going
to love it? You know, are they going to be interested?
And that when this project came across, I thought, wow,
what an amazing collection of stories. So essentially, A Dream
(16:30):
for Every Night is the title of a book that's
created by author Angela Cassabeni. And there are one hundred
and sixty stories, so it's not just a few, just
one hundred and sixty of them. And so we decided
to go through and choose our favorite ones, and we
chose forty stories that actually start the podcast or the audiobook,
(16:52):
and we read these stories and have added amazing you know, soundtrack,
animal noises, ambience, and music. And I'm hoping that the
audiobook can be enjoyed by families just before bedtime. I mean,
you could listen to it at any time. I'm not
saying that you have to listen to it at the
same time, but I hope that families enjoy this as
(17:15):
a way to set the dreams off into the night.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Emma, as I've looked at the work that you've done
and the career that you've already had, I mean, and
there's so much more in the future. I just I
think your inspiration. I love what you've done. I have
so so, so, so many more questions that I would
love to ask you, but because this is the podcast
for the time poor parent who just once answers now
and we have already gone over time. Thank you for
indulging those questions. Thanks for your generous answers, and thanks
(17:42):
for the great work you do and the inspiration and
joy that you bring to so many, not just to
strained families, but families around the world. I just I
congratulate you on an amazing life so far.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Thank you so much, Justin, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Emma Watkins former Yellow Wiggle Emma Memma and now host
of the audible series A Dream for Every Night. Your
kids will love it. You probably love laying down beside
them and listening to it as well. You will fall asleep,
but you'll enjoy every single story. Emma. Great to be
with you. The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin
Roland from Bridge Media. For more information about the things
we've talked about today, we'll link to several of these elements,
(18:18):
particularly the Audible series A dream for every night in
the show notes, and if you'd like more andful about
making your family happier visitors at happyfamilies dot com dot
au
It's the Happy Families podcast. It's the podcast for the
time poor parent who just wants answers. Now, Yellow Wiggle
Emma Watkins, known by kids all around the country these
days as Emma Memma, joins me on the podcast today
to chat Wiggles and a new project that every parent
will want to know about, in collaboration with Audible. I
(00:26):
am so excited, Emma Watkins. I've spoken with some pretty
high profile people on the Happy Families podcast over the years,
but I don't know too many that would be as
warmly welcomed by our Happy Families audience as you. So
good to have you on the pod. Thanks for being here, Thank.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You for having me justin.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
That was a lovely and truth Well, I think that
it's well deserved. Let me start with the Wiggles, iconic group,
serious performers, and you wore the yellow jersey for close
to a decade. I feel like I'm Somedden. We're talking
about the Tour de France. You wore the yellow jersey.
Do you call it a jersey, a jumper, a sweater?
What do you call it?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, we used to call it a sk but then
when we were tour in North America, that kind of
means your underwear, so then we would always say yellow shirt.
So you know, you do have to be careful about
you know how you refer to the s giv in
different countries. Well.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
As a keen cyclist, I'm going to go with the
yellow jersey.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I just like, Okay, yeah, I like that. I like that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I mean, you're also the first female Wiggle as well.
I know that you've told this story a lot, but
there's going to be a whole lot of parents who
listen to the Happy Families podcast that don't know how
you became a Wiggle. Can you walk us through the
story of becoming the first female Yellow Wiggle or becoming
the first of the non original Wiggles as well? If
I recall correctly, how did that happen? And as you
(01:38):
look at that decade, what are your memories like, how
do you reflect on that time now that you've moved
on to other things.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh? Look, it was an amazing experience and I spent
my whole twenties at the Wiggles, So it feels like
the biggest apprenticeship of my whole life. I feel like
that was my college, that was my university situation. But
essentially I graduated school and went to film school because
I had an injury even though I was a dancer.
I'm trying to be concise here. So I grew up
(02:04):
as a dancer, went to film school, did film, went
back to UNI, did film and dance. Went back to
dance full time, and then auditioned for a range of shows.
And this audition for the Wiggles came up, and I'd
already auditioned for them before but hadn't been successful. And
they were looking for a fairy, and I had fairy
esque care and happiness and ballet training, and I got
the job. So I worked with the Wiggles for about
(02:26):
a year and a bit as a fairy doing Dorothy
the Dinosaur Wags a dog, and then all of a
sudden I was on the road with the original Wiggles
and it was a dream come true. I was a
Wiggly dancer. I played lots of instruments and then I
just randomly, one day before a show in Sydney, got
asked to be at wiggle That's honestly what happened.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Just in the corridor, backstage, that's random's.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, just backstage, just in my dressing room, yeah, brilliant
and for the first time in Wiggle history a female wigle.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Let's ever what everyone? An amazing experience and obviously the
opportunity to touch so many lives. Since then, parents, I feel
like I'm skipping through this so fast, but there's so
many things I want to talk to you, and this
is the podcast for the type or parent who just
wants answers. Now since then, parents have slightly older kids
(03:17):
may be less familiar with Emma Memma. Can you tell
us about her? Because you graduated? Graduated? Is that the
right word? You moved on from the Wiggles Emma Memma
walk us through the Mmemma character? What that is? Who
that is? For parents who may not be familiar with
the evolution of Emma Watkins.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So I left the Wiggles in twenty twenty one after
a big chunk of time, you know, not touring because
of the pandemic. So at that moment in my life,
I was already parallel studying my PhD integrating sign language
and Dance for children, and so I had more time
to study. But also I recognized that my research was
becoming important and we needed to finish it. So I
(03:57):
decided to leave. I focused on my PhD and through
that research came male brand new children's character and venture
called Emma Memma, which essentially is all music, all dancing,
where visual communication is at the forefront of the media,
so we highlight sign language and gesture, visual language, and
of course dance.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love this. So you've highlighted that you're no longer
just just a wiggle or just Emma Memma. Please forgive
the pejority of with just that's a complimentary thing, but
rather you've done more Again these days you're also doctor
Emma Watkins. I'm fascinated when you've already got this incredible
(04:37):
I'm going to call it a showbiz career. Why a PhD?
And you've hinted that there's a lot of inclusivity sign
language and music. How do these things come together? How
did you turn that into a PhD? I just love
that whole academic story, if you can help me with that.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So it's a good question, justin because I feel like
my life has been very in parallel with UNI and
also performing, but probably because at school and I went
to a performing arts high school in Sydney, we were
always told have a plan B, make sure you've got
other things going on. Because even when I was auditioning
for different shows like Cats or Wicked, you know, I
(05:17):
was at university at UTS studying media in the hope
that I could work in a production company, and I
was earning money editing for other production companies on the side.
So when I finished at UTS, I had an amazing
mentor and he said to me, I think you should
do a PhD. Because you've got such a unique skill
(05:38):
set in dance. And I kept doing all of my
assignments as dance films. So clearly was only interested in
one thing, even though at the time at the university
I was told by somebody higher up, oh, you can't
do dance and film, and so I think from that
point on I was like, nah, I think I'll just
do it. And then when I joined the Wiggles, I
(06:00):
was able to film and edit and also perform, so
I had the ability to do both and so through
that One of the amazing researchers that I was researching
at the time was from America, doctor Karen Perlman, and
she was a dancer in her life. She is a dancer,
and she wanted to learn about and teach how dancers
(06:25):
have a specific intuition with editing, and I was like,
that's weird because I feel like that, as in, I
don't I like filming, but it's not my full I
really love editing. And so when I researched her, I
don't know how this came about, but she magically was
now living in Australia and teaching at the Maccrorie University.
(06:46):
So I contacted her and explained my life story growing
up with dead friends and always having an interest in
sign language, and how can sign language and dance and
film editing be brought together to help visual communication for children?
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Can we do a lightning round quick questions, quick answers? Okay,
all right, Lightning round Question number one, as the yellow Wiggle,
what is your favorite wiggle song?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Ooh, I really like the Giraffe, but mostly because live
we had blow up giraffes going out into the audience,
so that was pretty fun and the children loved it.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Okay, part two of that question that's just popped in
mind as you say that, what was the song that
you would sing at concerts that got the biggest response
from the two to five year old set.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
That's a good question. I mean it would change all
the time. I mean mostly Rocker by Yu Bear, Hot Potato,
do the Propeller things that people were like, yes, I'm
into this.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Yeah, yeah, I'm in Hot Potatoes just become a classic,
hasn't it. It's yeah, exactly, it's gonna last for decades
and decades. Do the audience go crazy at screaming the
same way that they might at a Billie Eilish concert concert?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Really absolute, It's just a different pitch for three year
olds rather than you know, thirteen twenty three.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And what's the weirdest or most unique talent you have?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I can do precision driving.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
As in like a like kind of rally cars.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Style, like rally cars. My dad's a rally navigator and
I grew up doing precision driving on skid pans.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
That is unexpected. I love it. What's the worst advice
you've ever received?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yes? Probably, like before, don't do dance and film at
the same time, or you can't do both, or don't
have extra hobbies.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I want to come back to something that you said
about having the backup shortly, but two more questions have
a lightning round. First, Okay, what's one thing that you've
learned about yourself since leaving the.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Wiggles that I think I've got more to give And
in the last three years I've done so many different
projects that I never would have dreamed of, and I've
met so many people that I've just had the best
and busiest three years of my life.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Speaking of busy, I mean PhD, Wiggles, mm A memo
now the new collaboration with Audible Rally Driver apparently as well,
and who knows what else you're doing. What's your go
to self care ritual when you need to recharge?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I hopefully when I get home. You know, I'm on
tour a lot. But when I'm home, I like going
out to visit my goats in the paddock and actually
just hanging out with them. You have property, well, we
don't necessarily we live in the country, but my goats
because we didn't have a fence when we moved here.
They live with my friend down the road who has
fourteen other rescue goats, and so they're in a herd
(09:29):
and so I go and visit them.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I love this. This is just I can imagine that
the Daily Mail is going to have some fascinating fun
with our conversation. Emma Malkins hangs out with the Goats.
I want to go back to something that you said earlier, Emma,
before we move on to my last two questions. You
(09:53):
highlighted that your university lecturers and people around you always said,
if you want to go and do I call these,
I guess, vanity occupations, occupations where everybody wants to do it,
but only a very small percentage of the people who
want to actually get to do it. So whether it's
radio or media, or dance or music or being an
(10:14):
influencer or a streamer or whatever, these are things where
there's millions of people who are saying, Oh, I want
to do that so bad, I want to be a
Hollywood actor, but you end up waiting tables because it's
just so competitive, so hard to get into. My advice
generally for younger people, I give a lot of talks
in schools to year ten, year eleven, year twelve, especially
as school starts to move towards completion. My advice is often,
(10:35):
don't listen to people like me who have followed my dream,
because people who follow their dreams some of them make it,
and they're the ones that stand up on stage and say,
follow your dream. Follow your dream. Follow your dream. But
there are a lot of people who follow their dream
and end up waiting tables, so to speak. And so
my argument to them is, go on, select a career
where ninety plus percent of the people who want to
(10:57):
do it can do it, and then get into the
top five or ten percent, Like, just be really really
good at that and pursue your hobbies. On the side,
you and I both had the joy and the privilege
of doing things that we absolutely love despite the odds.
And what I'd love to ask of you is is
that good advice or is that bad advice? How do
you respond to that question?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I really appreciate that justin because I think it's always
a moment in your life. You know, when you have
some experience or you're old enough to have self reflection
and go, okay, let's be realistic about you know, where
I'm going to make money and how what's my livelihood?
And I know that seems basic, but it's true, like
how do you survive and work and you know, be
(11:40):
with your family and you know, do the things that
you love. But there is a moment where you do
have to be realistic about potentially not getting that first dream,
and I really admire some of the people that I
went to school with that also dance with me. And
my whole life was dance. Like I can't express it enough.
All I did was dance. I just loved dance. And
(12:02):
there was so many other people in my class that
now don't dance, but they've used their skills in a
very smart way to do something slightly on the outskirts
and have nailed life. One of my really good friends
who grew up with me as a dancer, and you know,
everyone's dream in the dance school is to dance, of course,
but she was one of those people that recognized that
(12:24):
she could bring her dance skills to another industry and
she ended up being a sign language interpreter. She qualified
before me. She'd seen that I was doing sign language
and was like, yeah, maybe I could do that, but
I wasn't doing it in a serious way at that time.
She went and did all of her exams and now
in Australia she's one of the most sought after performing
arts sign language interpreters. You'll see her on social media everything,
(12:47):
and she is nailing it. She's not performing as a dancer,
but she's using her skills that she learned to bring
that to a whole new set of audiences.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
And making a beautiful contribut at the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, and living, you know, earning money, being in front
of a crowd. There is a sense of performing, you know.
I appreciate that, But her skill set is slightly different
now than what she was training for, you know, when
she was eighteen.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Emma, I'd like to ask you a personal question if
I can. The majority of our listeners are mums, many
of whom will have experienced fertility challenges or know somebody
who has. You've been quite open about your own experiences
with dmetriosis and the challenges that presented during your time
(13:36):
with the Wiggles and probably even subsequent to that. Can
I ask you to maybe share a little bit around that.
Hows that shaped your perspective on resilience and self care
and advocating for your own needs and even even decisions
that you have to make on a personal level about
what your family is going to look like as you
move forward, how you're going to live your life. What's
(13:56):
that like in your circumstances.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Look, I was probably very ignorant to my body for
a long time, mainly again, as a dancer, you just
kind of work through pain. I think that's just a
you know, that's just a subset of training and working
your body to a point where you know when you're
even when you're stretching, obviously there's a level of pain
and you push through. And so for many, many years
(14:20):
when I was touring, I didn't realize that I had
endometriosis or symptoms of endometriosis at the time. But then
when things got really bad, then I started to look
into it. And then it got to the point where
I couldn't perform and I had to have a surgery.
Whereas I think now, if I was presented those symptoms,
I would have loved the opportunity to maybe not have
the surgery, but I knew at that time there was
(14:42):
no other option. So I had a surgery and through
the surgery was diagnosed with stage four ENDO. And you know, really,
when I think back, I don't even know how I
missed that, Like, how did I not realize There are
a lot of asymptomatic you know, situations where you don't know,
but mine was terrible and I wasn't stopping to look
(15:05):
after myself. So it has taught me to be a
little bit more kind. And also I'm a go getter
and I love doing seventeen things at the same time.
But I do recognize that rest and sleep and being
home and being with the goats is just as important.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I love that the goats need to feature problem in
this conversation, maybe even in maybe in the title of
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah they can, they can.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Emma, thanks for sharing that you've recently done something new
that I'm really interested in talking to you about. And
as soon as I saw the email about this, I
just thought, my audience will love this. I actually wanted
to create something with my soothing voice doing the same
sort of thing that you're doing. I never did it,
and I don't think that I am the right person
for it, but I think you are. You've collaborated with
(15:50):
Audible and created something called a Dream for Every Night.
Tell us about a dream for every Night? And what's
if I can be so corny, is to say, what's
your for how it's going to fit in with families
who are so busy and so torn and so so stretched.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Look, I take my hat off to all parents anyway,
because I don't know how parents do it. And mostly
I think about my sister in law with her two
little boys. And you know, the projects that come to us,
you know always think, you know, what, are they going
to love it? You know, are they going to be interested?
And that when this project came across, I thought, wow,
what an amazing collection of stories. So essentially, A Dream
(16:30):
for Every Night is the title of a book that's
created by author Angela Cassabeni. And there are one hundred
and sixty stories, so it's not just a few, just
one hundred and sixty of them. And so we decided
to go through and choose our favorite ones, and we
chose forty stories that actually start the podcast or the audiobook,
(16:52):
and we read these stories and have added amazing you know, soundtrack,
animal noises, ambience, and music. And I'm hoping that the
audiobook can be enjoyed by families just before bedtime. I mean,
you could listen to it at any time. I'm not
saying that you have to listen to it at the
same time, but I hope that families enjoy this as
(17:15):
a way to set the dreams off into the night.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Emma, as I've looked at the work that you've done
and the career that you've already had, I mean, and
there's so much more in the future. I just I
think your inspiration. I love what you've done. I have
so so, so, so many more questions that I would
love to ask you, but because this is the podcast
for the time poor parent who just once answers now
and we have already gone over time. Thank you for
indulging those questions. Thanks for your generous answers, and thanks
(17:42):
for the great work you do and the inspiration and
joy that you bring to so many, not just to
strained families, but families around the world. I just I
congratulate you on an amazing life so far.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Thank you so much, Justin, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Emma Watkins former Yellow Wiggle Emma Memma and now host
of the audible series A Dream for Every Night. Your
kids will love it. You probably love laying down beside
them and listening to it as well. You will fall asleep,
but you'll enjoy every single story. Emma. Great to be
with you. The Happy Families podcast is produced by Justin
Roland from Bridge Media. For more information about the things
we've talked about today, we'll link to several of these elements,
(18:18):
particularly the Audible series A dream for every night in
the show notes, and if you'd like more andful about
making your family happier visitors at happyfamilies dot com dot
au
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com