Midweek interview with Cloud Nine’s Kate Lalak
This week we gave Cloud Nine’s CEO and co-founder an Italian lesson. And by that, we mean we ate pizza with her and watched La Dolce Vita.
The challenge for the industry is…
Making travel more comfortable and convenient.
My sister and I live on opposite sides of the world and travel frequently. During our frequent flying we saw a gap in the market to make travel more luxurious and so Cloud Nine Global was created.
The things I like about my job are…
The variety of each day, the amount I’m learning, the freedom I feel and that I’m finally building something for myself.
And the frustrations are…
Finding the right small business partners to work with. Also, going from being part of a big corporate to a small unknown business means it’s hard to get people’s attention.
It also makes things really interesting and I love a challenge.
If I didn’t work in travel, I would be…
Travelling a lot throughout the year. It’s always been a huge passion and it’s a dream now getting to work in the industry.
My favourite airline is…
Etihad as I fly to the UAE and Europe a lot.
My proudest moment was…
The day we sold our first Cloud Nine travel pack. It was a huge risk leaving the safety of the corporate world and launching a new business but it’s the best thing I ever did and I couldn’t be happier.
The naughtiest thing I ever did was…
A secret. And it needs to stay that way.
I try to relax by…
Cooking. It’s my favourite way to unwind at the end of the day. The more intense my day is the more complex the recipe!
The last time I feared for my life was…
When I went skydiving. Never again.
If I can, I always try to avoid…
Driving in peak hour traffic. It’s the quickest way to ruin a perfectly good day.
I really wish I had…
Learnt to speak Italian. It’s my favourite place in the world and I’d love to be able to banter with locals.
The best advice I’ve ever received was…
To pick my battles. There is always going to be stuff going on so best to save my energy for the things that are really important.
I don’t understand why people…
Aren’t more empathetic. We get so caught up in our own world we forget to walk in each other’s shoes occasionally.
My greatest weakness is…
Stubbornness.
And my greatest strength is…
My courage.
If I won a $1 million lottery (aside from travelling), I would…
Buy property on the South Coast of Sydney close to the beach with land for a huge vege patch and garden.
If I was prime minister, I would…
Find another job.
If I could be someone else for one day, I would be a…
Florist. I adore flowers and would love to work with them everyday. Not sure about the 4am visit to the markets though.
I’ve always wanted to travel to…
Cuba.
My favourite holiday was…
In 2015 with the highlights being Taormina and Rome.
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