Rolemodel: TOY MAKER

What is a Toy Maker? A creator of quality toys that enrich the world of a child. Not only can we do all the design and create the toys, we also create the equipment required to do specialist tasks in the manufacturing process.

What training or qualifications do you need to fill this role? Imagination, the desire to always exceed your own standards, 3 hands(10 fingers on each helps), a critical eye (so your customers don't need one); and a determination to be ethical in every aspect of your decision making and processes; to learn from your mistakes; and to always expect the next item to be better than the previous one.

What are the key skills and responsibilities of the role? To be able to put into practice a couple of key design aspects, so that the end result is pleasing in appearance, made of the best materials and as robust as can be, so as to be able do many years of hard work. We aim to combine intellingently planned simplicity; a rational use of the world's precious resources; the highest possible built-in safety features and minimal level of maintenance.

How did you get involved in your profession? Literally, we were broke. We lived in Kingaroy and were outspoken conservationists (with other strange political ideas: like non-violence and social justice, etc), and consequently, I could only get low paid labouring work. We both enjoyed making things and my partner has a particularly good eye to fashioning the most superb items. We started at a couple of craft market s and Ma and Pa Kettle sort-of got carried away with their ideas.

Could you break into the industry in other ways? Without a doubt: you could join any of the multi nationals (who dominate the industry) and learn how to destroy the lives of people in third world countries. Just don't worry about the quality of the product, how environmentally sound its' production is, or even whether it is worth having made. Ensure you have a promotional team that can sell anything, and you're up and running.

What do you hope to achieve within your industry? We hope to achieve a huge amount in people's lives: the families where our items go. There, we hope the laughter of generations will reverberate. We hope our items will have a wonderful, lasting impact on the playtime of the kids. But, the "industry" only cares amount mega profits - it will look after itself.

Are you in the industry for the long term? We first registered our business name in 1988, and well, that only seems like yesterday.

What advice would you give someone looking to emulate your success? Start part-time while you get established. You'll earn more and have time to do things for yourself.

Did you always think you would be in this role? No. We're both nurses and we've made a point of doing lots of different things with our time, both to earn money and because they seemed worthwhile at the time.

What was your first paid job? Casual labourer on the Victorian Railway goods yards: I'd travelled to Melbourne to postpone being arrested for refusing to attend an army medical. There was this enforced induction into the army called "National Service" which was being used to ensure enough cannon fodder for that outrage of the 60's, the war in Vietnam.

What would you love to do if you weren't in this role? It's hard to know: we're too involved. We'd need a long break - and a bit of an extended wander - to find something worthwhile.

What inspires you? Each other, the kids, music, the bush.

Who is your role model and why? There have been so many important people in our lives, it really is hard to start naming any particular person. Come and stand at the workbench some time and we can accomplish some practical tasks while talking about the grander, stunning people of this world and some really important things in life.

What are your words of wisdom? "Do it once, do it right, do it with the best of materials, and do it because it matters."