October 14, 2024 • 12 mins
Rowena is a wongi from the northeastern Goldfields region. She has connections to the Wajarri Yamatji Traditional Owners in the Murchison, as well as the Esperance Noongar and the Mirning Traditional Owners in the southern Goldfields. Rowena operates a mining & civil contracting company with her sister Katrina from their hometown of Kalgoorlie/Boulder in WA, celebrating 10 years in business this year.
Rowena completed a Law and Arts degree at the University of Western Australia. She is actively involved in her community, chair of Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Community Inc. as well as Chair of the Goldfields Aboriginal Business Chamber, helping Aboriginal businesses connect with opportunities in the Goldfields region.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Podcast Unite our voices. We respectfully acknowledge the watch up
new of people as the traditional owners of the land
in which these was created. Hi, I'm Krystal Kinsella. I'm
(00:27):
a proud Jarwin and Brad Drew woman, a supply diversity
expert and published author. Welcome to Meet the Mob, a
series dedicated to showcasing Black excellence in business. I get
to interview deadly First Nation business owners from around the
country and learn about their wife. Today I'm joined by
Rowena Leslie from Cairo Contracting, who will share with us
her wife, why she got into business and why she
(00:49):
does what she does. So let's kick it off. How
you're going, Ma Winna? Hi Crystal, how are you do?
It's too bad? Hey? Tell us who you are here
your mob. So I come from the Goldfields.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
My mom is a one guy from the northeastern Goldfields
region and my dad's also yumagy Watchery, so we have
connections bit through those two areas.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, tell us a little bit about your why, like
what's driving you in business? You know, what do you
do when you do? So we have a.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Long history of being in business in the mining industry.
I actually grew up watching my parents run a business
and contracting company, and so we sort of grew up
with that mentality of this is the space we're working in,
going out bush pegging blocks and just being really involved
(01:44):
in how mining can build an economy for Aboriginal people.
So being around those people, hearing them talk, it just
became second nature to us. And I say us because
it's my sister and I that run the company, and
so it felt like it would be the easiest transition.
And I actually went to university to study law, and
(02:08):
my whole goal in doing that was to come back
and help Aboriginal businesses to succeed.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
It's so amazing because quite often when I meet business
owners their first generation business owner. But for you to
have that, you know, growing up in the in the
family environment, watching learning, and as you say, it becomes
second nature to you. It was always going to be
that natural pathway, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
It was.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And when we started, my sister and I both had
young children, and we sit around at the kitchen table
and say, let's start this business. Let's talk about how
we can enter this space. Because we had the right
networks connections, we understood what the requirements were and so
(02:55):
we said, well let's start with the dry high so
we started doing dry machinery to mining in the mining
space and a discroup from there.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Yeah, it will. Obviously we're in Western Australia and there's
such a big mining is the biggest industry over here.
I really like what you're said in regards to know
how it can impact and positively impact a community and
you've seen that grow. You know, just talk to us
a little bit about, you know, the differences that the
(03:26):
mining industry has made for your family.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So you know, mining it makes a lot of money
off our country, and we know our country really well.
And in terms of I'll just take it back a
bit to my history. I love history, so I always
get into this. It's my great grandfather. He never signed
up to any of the ration stations, so there's not
(03:52):
a lot of history of tracking where he was. But
the way he survived was to be able to find
gold in his country and.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Live off that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So a lot of times my mum would talk it
that they lived out in the country and had their
own prospecting lease and looked for gold and if they
found gold, they were living and if they didn't then
they'd have to look for food.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, it was really.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Living up the land. But having that background that it
made us realize, right, we have to be able to
formulate our own economy, so looking at ways where we
can build that build that platform and then being able
to help one another. So that came in predominantly through
(04:41):
my grandfather. So he taught us, you know, make sure
whatever you're doing that you support other people as well.
So he had that mindset when he set up organizations
in Calguli to be able to support other communities and
we grew up with that mindset of thinking, how do we,
through our business be able to supports people.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, definitely, So talk to us a bit about your business.
What does your business do?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So we provide mining services to the companies, so that's
not actual earthworks, that's the services that support them. So
right now we do we run a lot of waste
management on mines, we do clearing, we do road maintenance,
We manage water and fuel service as well for mining companies.
(05:33):
We also do road works in the main road space.
So we've just been a ordered to sit on the
panel in the gold Fields region for main Roads WA
so that's something we've been doing for the last four years.
That's not what we grew up in, but it's something
that it has a good has a long history with
(05:54):
Aboriginal people working in main roads.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Yeah, definitely. Has the Aboriginal Procurement Policy helped, you know,
to establish contract with main roads? I think so.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I think their goals and the way that they've made
it a priority for them that has helped. When we
first started talking in that space to other contractors, they
were unsure about it. So it was just starting, you know,
and they there wasn't that desire. But now I see
(06:29):
that there's more interest of working in partnership with other
Aboriginal businesses. How can we meet those targets. The larger
Tier one contractors they know that they have to have
that five of contract work for Aboriginal businesses, so they're
more willing to say, right, let's carve this out for
(06:51):
what your capability is.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Definitely. So I heard that you've also been involved in
the establishment of the Goldfield's Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce. I
talk just a bit about why that's important and the
journey you've been on. Yeah, so, I think about five
years ago we started. Well, look, we're always.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Talking to other Aboriginal businesses in the gold fields. But
it started to become clear to me that, you know,
we needed a network, a place to network and talk
to one another.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So I'd catch up.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
With them at other events and we'd have yarns and
then we talk about what opportunities, if there's anything we
could work together, and it just became more and more
obvious the group of us there, we really wanted to
work and support one another, and there were more opportunities coming,
so we wanted to make sure that Aboriginal people were
getting those opportunities. And I think it really cemented the
(07:44):
idea when we were approached by a Tier one contractor
that knew we were gathering together once a month, you know,
just informally having these get togethers, but they heard what
we were doing and they said, well, we're going for
a large contract. How can this group of yours work
with us too to tender for that? And we were really,
(08:06):
you know, we've got everybody in the room. We looked
at what opportunities there were and we thought, this is great.
They didn't win the tender, unfortunately, but I think it
was a great start to us thinking about how we
can work together to get those opportunities at the table
and so from there, you know, becoming incorporated and you know, formalized.
(08:28):
It took a bit of support from the mining industry
because they provided the financing for our organization, but we've
had lots of lots more of those opportunities where people
have given bigger contracts or bigger pieces of the pie.
I guess to Aboriginal businesses.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Now that's oh look, I commend you for doing that
and establishing that because there's strength in numbers, right, and
you know you're all talking to the same you know,
same buyers. You know you're in the same space. It
makes sense to come together and be collaborative, support each
other and have that network. So it's great that the
mining sector's got behind to support that too.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, well we beat their need too because they want
they have targets as well that they want to achieve.
And again, one of the things that I found, because
our business is ten years old, so I've been trying
to put our name out for a long time, and
every time i'd meet up with a client potential client,
(09:33):
they'd say, well, we don't know that there's Aboriginal businesses
in the region.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And I thought, you know, how do you not know?
But that's because they're busy with their business.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Of mining and I'm busy with my business of being
in my community of what I do.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
So that that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Knowledge I had of the region, I thought they need
to be it needs to be shared, It needs to
be put on a platform so everybody can be accessed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Definitely. So what's the legacy piece for you? Like, what's
the future hold? I hope that.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Our business, you know, we really want to grow to
a capacity where we are able to not only successfully
deliver the services that we provide, but also provide opportunities
for other businesses, for the other Aboriginal businesses that are starting. So,
you know, like you said, we've been blessed with this
(10:30):
opportunity of having you know, second third generation of business owners.
So I want to be able to support those new
businesses coming in.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
To the region.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And I think if there's more opportunities, there's if our
region produces all of these businesses, because our regent has
produced really good business people, hoping that it spreads not
just the Goal Fields, but the Murchison where my dad's
family is from, and through the rest of Wa.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So if you had a final key message for my audience,
what would it be.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I think, you know, take those risks, be bold in
what you're trying to achieve, and.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You know, just get out there.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And and really understand what you're capable of. I think
that took me a little bit to realize that we had.
Like I said, you know, we had a lot of knowledge,
and this knowledge that we had, we didn't realize it
was unique.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
So just just back yourself.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I think that's the important thing to do for other
Aboriginal businesses, for clients or potential clients out there, those
buyers that are looking to engage Aboriginal businesses.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
You know, really, if.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You really want to do it, you can make it happen.
It's not impossible.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, great advice there. So thanks so much for coming
and joining me today on the show. Thank you for
having me, Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you
love it, please share it on your socials with your mob.
Let's help amplify as many Indigenous businesses as possible and
get everyone supporting each other. Thank you.
Podcast Unite our voices. We respectfully acknowledge the watch up
new of people as the traditional owners of the land
in which these was created. Hi, I'm Krystal Kinsella. I'm
(00:27):
a proud Jarwin and Brad Drew woman, a supply diversity
expert and published author. Welcome to Meet the Mob, a
series dedicated to showcasing Black excellence in business. I get
to interview deadly First Nation business owners from around the
country and learn about their wife. Today I'm joined by
Rowena Leslie from Cairo Contracting, who will share with us
her wife, why she got into business and why she
(00:49):
does what she does. So let's kick it off. How
you're going, Ma Winna? Hi Crystal, how are you do?
It's too bad? Hey? Tell us who you are here
your mob. So I come from the Goldfields.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
My mom is a one guy from the northeastern Goldfields
region and my dad's also yumagy Watchery, so we have
connections bit through those two areas.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, tell us a little bit about your why, like
what's driving you in business? You know, what do you
do when you do? So we have a.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Long history of being in business in the mining industry.
I actually grew up watching my parents run a business
and contracting company, and so we sort of grew up
with that mentality of this is the space we're working in,
going out bush pegging blocks and just being really involved
(01:44):
in how mining can build an economy for Aboriginal people.
So being around those people, hearing them talk, it just
became second nature to us. And I say us because
it's my sister and I that run the company, and
so it felt like it would be the easiest transition.
And I actually went to university to study law, and
(02:08):
my whole goal in doing that was to come back
and help Aboriginal businesses to succeed.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
It's so amazing because quite often when I meet business
owners their first generation business owner. But for you to
have that, you know, growing up in the in the
family environment, watching learning, and as you say, it becomes
second nature to you. It was always going to be
that natural pathway, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
It was.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And when we started, my sister and I both had
young children, and we sit around at the kitchen table
and say, let's start this business. Let's talk about how
we can enter this space. Because we had the right
networks connections, we understood what the requirements were and so
(02:55):
we said, well let's start with the dry high so
we started doing dry machinery to mining in the mining
space and a discroup from there.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Yeah, it will. Obviously we're in Western Australia and there's
such a big mining is the biggest industry over here.
I really like what you're said in regards to know
how it can impact and positively impact a community and
you've seen that grow. You know, just talk to us
a little bit about, you know, the differences that the
(03:26):
mining industry has made for your family.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So you know, mining it makes a lot of money
off our country, and we know our country really well.
And in terms of I'll just take it back a
bit to my history. I love history, so I always
get into this. It's my great grandfather. He never signed
up to any of the ration stations, so there's not
(03:52):
a lot of history of tracking where he was. But
the way he survived was to be able to find
gold in his country and.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Live off that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So a lot of times my mum would talk it
that they lived out in the country and had their
own prospecting lease and looked for gold and if they
found gold, they were living and if they didn't then
they'd have to look for food.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, it was really.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Living up the land. But having that background that it
made us realize, right, we have to be able to
formulate our own economy, so looking at ways where we
can build that build that platform and then being able
to help one another. So that came in predominantly through
(04:41):
my grandfather. So he taught us, you know, make sure
whatever you're doing that you support other people as well.
So he had that mindset when he set up organizations
in Calguli to be able to support other communities and
we grew up with that mindset of thinking, how do we,
through our business be able to supports people.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, definitely, So talk to us a bit about your business.
What does your business do?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So we provide mining services to the companies, so that's
not actual earthworks, that's the services that support them. So
right now we do we run a lot of waste
management on mines, we do clearing, we do road maintenance,
We manage water and fuel service as well for mining companies.
(05:33):
We also do road works in the main road space.
So we've just been a ordered to sit on the
panel in the gold Fields region for main Roads WA
so that's something we've been doing for the last four years.
That's not what we grew up in, but it's something
that it has a good has a long history with
(05:54):
Aboriginal people working in main roads.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Yeah, definitely. Has the Aboriginal Procurement Policy helped, you know,
to establish contract with main roads? I think so.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I think their goals and the way that they've made
it a priority for them that has helped. When we
first started talking in that space to other contractors, they
were unsure about it. So it was just starting, you know,
and they there wasn't that desire. But now I see
(06:29):
that there's more interest of working in partnership with other
Aboriginal businesses. How can we meet those targets. The larger
Tier one contractors they know that they have to have
that five of contract work for Aboriginal businesses, so they're
more willing to say, right, let's carve this out for
(06:51):
what your capability is.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Definitely. So I heard that you've also been involved in
the establishment of the Goldfield's Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce. I
talk just a bit about why that's important and the
journey you've been on. Yeah, so, I think about five
years ago we started. Well, look, we're always.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Talking to other Aboriginal businesses in the gold fields. But
it started to become clear to me that, you know,
we needed a network, a place to network and talk
to one another.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So I'd catch up.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
With them at other events and we'd have yarns and
then we talk about what opportunities, if there's anything we
could work together, and it just became more and more
obvious the group of us there, we really wanted to
work and support one another, and there were more opportunities coming,
so we wanted to make sure that Aboriginal people were
getting those opportunities. And I think it really cemented the
(07:44):
idea when we were approached by a Tier one contractor
that knew we were gathering together once a month, you know,
just informally having these get togethers, but they heard what
we were doing and they said, well, we're going for
a large contract. How can this group of yours work
with us too to tender for that? And we were really,
(08:06):
you know, we've got everybody in the room. We looked
at what opportunities there were and we thought, this is great.
They didn't win the tender, unfortunately, but I think it
was a great start to us thinking about how we
can work together to get those opportunities at the table
and so from there, you know, becoming incorporated and you know, formalized.
(08:28):
It took a bit of support from the mining industry
because they provided the financing for our organization, but we've
had lots of lots more of those opportunities where people
have given bigger contracts or bigger pieces of the pie.
I guess to Aboriginal businesses.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Now that's oh look, I commend you for doing that
and establishing that because there's strength in numbers, right, and
you know you're all talking to the same you know,
same buyers. You know you're in the same space. It
makes sense to come together and be collaborative, support each
other and have that network. So it's great that the
mining sector's got behind to support that too.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, well we beat their need too because they want
they have targets as well that they want to achieve.
And again, one of the things that I found, because
our business is ten years old, so I've been trying
to put our name out for a long time, and
every time i'd meet up with a client potential client,
(09:33):
they'd say, well, we don't know that there's Aboriginal businesses
in the region.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And I thought, you know, how do you not know?
But that's because they're busy with their business.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Of mining and I'm busy with my business of being
in my community of what I do.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
So that that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Knowledge I had of the region, I thought they need
to be it needs to be shared, It needs to
be put on a platform so everybody can be accessed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Definitely. So what's the legacy piece for you? Like, what's
the future hold? I hope that.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Our business, you know, we really want to grow to
a capacity where we are able to not only successfully
deliver the services that we provide, but also provide opportunities
for other businesses, for the other Aboriginal businesses that are starting. So,
you know, like you said, we've been blessed with this
(10:30):
opportunity of having you know, second third generation of business owners.
So I want to be able to support those new
businesses coming in.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
To the region.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And I think if there's more opportunities, there's if our
region produces all of these businesses, because our regent has
produced really good business people, hoping that it spreads not
just the Goal Fields, but the Murchison where my dad's
family is from, and through the rest of Wa.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So if you had a final key message for my audience,
what would it be.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I think, you know, take those risks, be bold in
what you're trying to achieve, and.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You know, just get out there.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And and really understand what you're capable of. I think
that took me a little bit to realize that we had.
Like I said, you know, we had a lot of knowledge,
and this knowledge that we had, we didn't realize it
was unique.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
So just just back yourself.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I think that's the important thing to do for other
Aboriginal businesses, for clients or potential clients out there, those
buyers that are looking to engage Aboriginal businesses.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
You know, really, if.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You really want to do it, you can make it happen.
It's not impossible.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, great advice there. So thanks so much for coming
and joining me today on the show. Thank you for
having me, Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you
love it, please share it on your socials with your mob.
Let's help amplify as many Indigenous businesses as possible and
get everyone supporting each other. Thank you.
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