Ron Serdiuk, Brisbane

Not long before my father’s final illness, we organised Michelle to interview him about his early life.

Dad was born in 1923 in a village in rural Ukraine.

After he arrived in Australia in the late 1940s, he lived a very typical working-class Australian suburban existence. But we knew little about his childhood and early adulthood amid the chaos of invasion and war and becoming a refugee – and losing his first wife and child.

He didn’t talk about it very much. 

When he started speaking to Michelle though, he opened up and the memories came flooding out. Things I don’t think he’d thought about for decades. Memories both painful and joyous – stories which gave us a better handle on understanding him.

Dad passed away several months after these interviews.

Listening to him relate his tales of a world long since vanished is like holding hands and travelling in time with him. We’re so grateful to have these recordings now he’s gone.

January 2026

HB, North Melbourne

I was gifted a series of interviews with Michelle when my daughter was born. It was an unusual and brilliant gift! My daughter was very premature and the hospital schedule kept me too busy and distracted to properly process my thoughts and feelings in a diary.

Michelle was warm, curious, intelligent and gentle in her approach, and knew just how to draw out my story. I really enjoyed the process, and it was good to have such a keen and sympathetic listener!

The recordings are a treasure to me now. There is so much I would have forgotten and I’m grateful to have such a special and coherent record of my first weeks of motherhood and my daughter’s first weeks of life.

January, 2026

Louise Skajec, Melbourne

Michelle helped me prepare for a series of radio and television news interviews surrounding the recent unveiling of one of my public sculpture commissions.

Although I’m comfortable talking about my work, I can sometimes struggle to find the right words when I’m suddenly in the spotlight. I was particularly aware of feeling anxious and lacking confidence in the lead-up to these interviews, so working with Michelle was a real game-changer.

She has a wonderful ability to put you at ease while gently encouraging you to find your own voice. Through thoughtful questions, perceptive listening and practical techniques, she helped me feel more grounded and gave me the confidence to stay present and retain a sense of agency, whatever direction the conversation took.

What I particularly appreciated was that Michelle never tried to impose a way of speaking or a ‘performance’ on me. Instead, she helped me draw out and trust my own natural expression. Her approach is intelligent, empathetic and incredibly insightful — and, unexpectedly, a lot of fun!

All that preparation really paid off on the day. I found myself feeling surprisingly calm and present, able to redirect the narrative when necessary and, most importantly, able to enjoy the experience far more than I had imagined.

I’m very grateful to Michelle for helping me approach the interviews with greater confidence, clarity and a sense of calm. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone who wants to feel more comfortable and authentic in the spotlight.

August 2026