The engines are revving, the coffee’s strong and March has officially arrived.
And when we say March Madness… we mean it.
It’s hands down one of the biggest months on the TLS calendar. Big cultural moments. Major sporting milestones. Campaigns with purpose. Our TLS Talent in full flight.
When there’s genuine alignment; talent who believe in what they’re saying, brands who are willing to back it properly and audiences who are paying attention, things shift. That’s when campaigns cut through. That’s when momentum builds.
Kicking off this Thursday is the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix (March 5–8), culminating in race day on Sunday 8th March – perfectly timed to coincide with International Women’s Day.
This year’s IWD theme, Balance the Scales, calls for action around dignity, safety and fairness for every woman and girl. And if you want to see that conversation in motion, look no further than Albert Park this week.
Motorsport hasn’t always made space for women. But the shift is undeniable. Women aren’t waiting to be invited in anymore – they’re driving the change, which is exactly what our TLS women in motorsport have planned for next week.
Molly Taylor will be criss crossing her way across the country speaking at motorsport and IWD events across the week. Kate Peck is bringing her sharp, respected voice and pre-eminent hosting skills to a series of events both on the grid and on the national stage; and Aiva Anagnostiadis showcases the next generation talking about her F1 Academy experience in rooms, on stages and in conversations that simply didn’t exist for young women drivers a decade ago.
And it’s not just motorsport. Across athletics tracks, diving platforms and looking ahead to the Winter Paralympics, women are competing, commentating, and leading and building the kind of visibility that shifts culture.
Big stages. Big conversations. Big energy and our TLS talent are right in the thick of it.
We’ve also had some big news in our TLS team – with Talent Coordinator Joseph dela Masa celebrating his five-year anniversary at TLS and a new face, Talent Manager Tilly Swindlehurst joining the team.
Here’s to a very full and very loud March – exactly how we like it.
TLS EXPERTS
February may have been a short month but our experts made sure they packed in as much action as possible, cooking up some fantastic partnerships and inspiring projects. Chef Simon Toohey has kicked off an epic shoot for his new cookbook Plants on Fire, due out later this year and also announced he’ll be hosting a Byron Bay yoga retreat in July this year, blending fire, food and feel-good vibes as only Simon can.
Nutrition scientist Dr Joanna McMillan has been in the studio recording the audiobook for The Fibre Factor, ahead of it’s 24th March release (in print, ebook and audio formats) so stay tuned. Jo has also teased some pics of the upcoming Good Chef Bad Chef series, and the dishes are seriously mouth-watering. Last year Jo served up lemon blueberry yoghurt cake, Thai coconut salmon curry and more, and we’re looking forward to seeing what deliciousness she whips up in the new series, which will screen on Network Ten weekdays at 12pm from Monday 16th March.
On the partnership front, psychiatrist Dr Kieran Kennedy has been working with Youfoodz, sharing advice on how the brand’s customers can ease into the new year with a new routine and stave away the post-holiday blues while Dr Preeya Alexander has renewed her partnership with AIA Australia, and also announced a new season of her popular podcast Happy to Health is coming soon.
Finally, congratulations to Shelly Horton for being named finalist in not one but TWO categories of the Heart of Women Awards – Woman of the Year, and Health and Community. It’s much-deserved recognition of Shelly’s hard work lessening the stigma around women’s health issues in midlife.
TLS SPORT
Our TLS women in sport have been killing it lately, and we couldn’t be prouder. Big congratulations to diver Ellie Cole for breaking both meet and conference records with her platform dive at the ACC Championships in the USA and narrowly missing the medals at the Women’s 10m Platform Synchro at the World Aquatics World Cup.
At home, middle distance runner Claudia Hollingsworth kicked off her domestic season in style, winning the Australian 3000m Championships in Hobart this weekend and setting a new meet record. Racewalker Jemima Montag was on hand to guide the International Women’s Day Running Competition in Clifton, Victoria – an event dedicated to supporting and promoting women’s participation in running and ensuring they feel safe while they do so.
Molly Taylor is gearing up for a big year as part of the broadcast team for this year’s Supercar Championships. Her first pitlane gig was at the Dunlop Sydney 500 last weekend and she absolutely nailed it. Molly and partner Dan have also been working hard on a great new series – introducing the Gravel Express-O, a digital content series in which they take an old Subaru and give it some MaD Garage love, ably supported by Supercheap Auto. You can check out the series here. Meanwhile, Molly’s incredible documentary Drive Like A Girl –filmed, produced and edited by Sean Lander and the MaD Garage team, chronicling Molly’s story as a trailblazer in global motorsport – took out the award for ‘best use of digital media’ at the Motorsport Australia Awards last weekend. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can catch it here on 7plus.
2025 F1 Academy star Aiva Anagnostiadis is making the most of her time back on Aussie soil. To help kick things off for F1 season she delighted Melbourne fans at a meet-and-greet at QIC Eastland Shopping Centre during February and over the past few weeks has been working closely with KitKat to help them uncover one of Australia’s biggest F1 superfans and give them a proper ‘break’ It’s a jam-packed week for Aiva next week as she appears at a number of events around the country sharing her story as an up-and-coming racing driver on the world stage. Expect even more exciting announcements soon.
And after her first time back at the desk for WWOS on Sunday, Ellie Cole heads off to Italy this week as she joins Nine’s commentary team on the ground in Milano Cortina covering the incredible stories that we know will unfold as the Paralympics kick off. We wish her a very hearty Buon Viaggio.
TLS SPEAKERS
When it comes to matters of the heart (medically speaking), there’s only one person we turn to: Dr Nikki Stamp. The leading cardiothoracic surgeon and author is speaking at TEDxCecil Street on May 30, sharing insights, breakthroughs and personal experiences to an eager audience.
We already think of Shelly Horton as a goddess, and this only confirms it. Shelly will front the Women’s Health Luncheon on May 2 in association with Coastal Goddess. This event also raises vital funds for WomenCan, supporting research, education and advocacy for women affected by gynaecological cancers – find out more here.
Dr Joanna McMillan dished on two of her favourite topics in recent presentations – talking gut and brain health for the Medibank ‘Work Better Live Better’ series, then presenting a webinar on heart-healthy nutrition for the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association.
And on the corporate front, positive psychologist Dr Tim Sharp delved into positivity at work and life for the C20 Leadership Conference, while author Casey Beros inspired the Harris Real Estate teams with her brilliant keynote ‘Headlines to live by’. And in true Casey style, she had the whole room laughing, dancing and hugging.
SUITE READS
If you’re wondering how to entertain the kids in the upcoming school holidays, vet Dr Claire Stevens has you covered. Her first children’s book Gross Things Animals Eat, inspired by her sons’ love of animals, is a treasure trove of “truly disgusting animal facts” with colourful illustrations to boot. Gross Things Animals Eat is out March 31 through Harper Collins, and will keep the kids busy over the break – and (we think) a little grossed out.der it here.
HEALTH CALENDAR
Things might be bustling at TLS Talent, but we’re not too busy to accommodate eleventh hour bookings. So if you need some support on an upcoming campaign, we can help with talent bookings for these events:
- NSW Seniors Festival – March 2–15
- World Obesity Day – March 4
- World Glaucoma Week – March 8–14
- International Day of Happiness – March 20
- International Day of Zero Waste – March 30
Meanwhile, April is just around the corner, and we’re taking bookings for these dates:
Parkinson’s Awareness Month – all month
Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest growing neurological condition. Our GPs Dr Michela Sorensen, Dr Preeya Alexander and Dr Ginni Mansberg are here to raise awareness and share the latest scientific developments.
World Autism Awareness Day – April 2
Misconceptions about neurodiversity are common, but our GPs Dr Preeya Alexander, Dr Ginni Mansberg and Dr Michela Sorensen will explain the facts clearly and simply.
World Health Day – April 7
Motivate your team and clients to get healthy with nutrition tips from Dr Joanna McMillan and Jaime Rose Chambers, hacks on creating healthy habits with Dr Gina Cleo, or chronic disease prevention advice from GPs Dr Ginni Mansberg, Dr Michela Sorensen and Dr Preeya Alexander.
Youth Week – April 16–26
We rep a high-energy team of vibrant, caring and whip-smart young people to inspire your audience: Paralympians Ellie Cole and Shae Graham, Olympians Claudia Hollingsworth and Ellie Cole (diver), plus motorsport stars Molly Taylor and Aiva Anagnostiadis.
World Immunisation Week – April 24–30
In the age of misinformation, our GPs are eager to share evidence-based knowledge about the benefits of immunisation. Get expert advice from Dr Ginni Mansberg, Dr Michela Sorensen and Dr Preeya Alexander.