Aussie media icon Deborah Hutton to reflect on a diverse career at Wagga business event

One of Australia’s most familiar faces, Deborah Hutton, will be in Wagga this April to ”Do Lunch” with members of the local business community.

Committee 4 Wagga (C4W) is hosting the get-together along with Wagga Women in Business and invited the iconic media personality and entrepreneur to share a message of adaptability and resilience.

“When I think of Deborah Hutton, the first thing that comes to my mind is a great big smiley face, even though she’s been through difficult times,” said C4W chairman Adam Drummond.

“Australia as a nation is going through difficult times and Deborah Hutton’s been there and can always put a smile back on our faces, so I think that she is an ideal candidate to talk to local businesses.”

Adam said the Let’s Do Lunch event was a great chance for the community to connect and share their experiences in a challenging time.

“It’s really important to get businesspeople in that nice safe space where you can talk and ask other businesses about things that are happening locally,” he said.

“It’s a chance to ask each other questions like, what’s working for you, what’s not working, what are the staffing issues like and just being able to network together.”

Reflecting on her long and diverse career ahead of the lunch, Deborah Hutton said surrounding yourself with people you can trust was vital.

“I think one of the biggest things for me is I’ve had a really great support network around me and I’ve nurtured a lot of what started as business relationships but became close friendships,” she said.

“When you’re feeling isolated and feeling like you’re the only one that’s going through a challenging time, it’s very difficult.

“I think men in particular, if they are having a hard time, they don’t really share that very easily with their family or close friends, so being able to be open and honest and having that network around you that you trust and having that loyalty is a massive plus.”

Known for her modelling as the face of Myer, her TV hosting work and a decade-long stint as the editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, Ms Hutton has also launched several business ventures in design and cosmetics and is involved with the Australian Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI).

In 2020, she underwent major facial surgery to remove two basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and she is now an ambassador for the Skin Cancer Foundation and has her own range of sunhats.

Ms Hutton said she was looking forward to sharing stories from her wins and losses over a decades-long career in the public eye.

“This is a great event because it’s exactly what we were talking about in terms of networking and just being honest and open about what’s going on with your life and your business,” she said.

“We’re seeing such an enormous, destabilising change across so many different industries and we need to look at new ways of doing things and that can be very scary for a lot of people.

“There’s no such thing as perfection, so I just think sometimes you’ve just gotta put one foot in front of the other!

“There’s that great expression: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

If you’d like to join Ms Hutton and get a few tips on ”eating the elephant”, pick up a ticket and join C4W in the Champagne Bar at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Friday, 12 April.