In May, the Fazzino sisters, Laura (Year 11) and Emma (Class of 2014) set up a podcast. With Emma living in Perth and working as a teacher, it was a great way to stay in touch despite closed borders, and a way to reach out to others who might be struggling in isolation. 

“As a teacher I’ve always been passionate about helping others and in particular young girls,” says Emma. “The podcast is a way to merge my professional interests with my personal interests about health and wellness,” she says.

“The idea sprang from us supporting each other through COVID,” she says. “We were chatting about home learning, and our own journeys with mental health and study tips. We were just bouncing ideas off each other.”

“We thought that by creating a podcast we can give advice, talk about our experiences and have a good chat at the same time,” says Laura.

Called The Smart Sisters, their weekly podcast delves into topics ranging from study skills, relationships, positive mindsets, healthy eating, stress, body image and moving out of home. “Mental health pops up in every episode,” says Emma. “One in four young people experience mental health problems, so we really wanted to broach that gap,” she says.

For Laura, that honest approach has had an immediate impact in her friendship circle. “I didn’t even know they were going through something, and then because of the podcast they felt like they could talk to me about it. I’m actually helping people,” she says. “It’s a real confidence boost.”

Despite COVID-19, the sisters say the podcast is more about their cross-continent relationship than the pandemic. “It’s a way for us to maintain our connection as sisters,” says Emma.

Their relationship has deepened as they’ve gotten older. “I consider Laura as one of my best friends now,” says Emma. Laura agrees. “We have a pretty unique friendship,” she says. With parents preoccupied with their brother who has special needs, the sisters spent a lot of time together as children. “From a young age I’ve always felt like I had that big sister role,” she says. Today, they inspire each other. “We feed off each other.”

This strong relationship forms the bedrock of the podcast. “We want to share our wisdom and our knowledge,” says Emma. “All those questions about getting your licence, applying for jobs, university…”

The target audience is young women between 16 and 25 years old. “Our primary goal is to redefine the word ‘smart,’” explains Emma. “We want to get rid of the negative stigma behind being an intelligent woman,” she says.

“Often people think of smart as academic,” says Laura. “We want young women to be able to go for your goals and be really confident,” she says. “To listen to yourself and go for what you want in life, and not think about others’ opinions.”

“Being smart is about living with intention and having a purposeful approach to life,” explains Emma. “Being intentional with your health, how you study, your career path, and your choices and your daily routine.”

“Not just letting things happen to you but deciding on how you want to feel and how you go about life. We want to share that message.”

“It really ties into the message of ‘Our Girls Speak For Themselves,’” she adds.

To date, the podcast has been a big hit, with a broad audience from around the world. The sisters have done promotional interviews with GirlEdWorld, an organisation for girls and women in STEM, as well as a local radio station. “Lots of my friends have reached out and said it’s really helped them,” says Laura.

It’s also had an impact on the girls themselves. “I’ve found it’s given me a whole of extra skills,” says Emma. “Editing, recording, hosting, all the back end stuff, social media marketing. A wider skill set,” she says.

“I feel like I’m getting better at public speaking and articulating my thoughts,” says Laura. “I have confidence in my own views in life and the things I value".