Bam! Dark & Stormy. Welcome to wet & wild Bronte Rock Pool magic!
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Explosive 10-15ft waves and wet & wild conditions are pounding the east coast of Australia this week and I was excited to hit Bronte Rock Pool at Sydney’s iconic Bronte Beach with my home-boy (and fellow shooter) JB this morning to capture this little bit of magic.
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Hit me up if you’re keen to snap up one of these wicked photographic prints and I hope that you’re having a lovely week. Stay safe out there, peeps!
“5 more minutes”. Dolphin action at sunrise 🐬🌅✨ I’m generating impetus in life, my ambitions and my career by feeding my creativity. And yep, all of these wildlife shots were captured by 11am in one morning!
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Most days, I am up and out of bed in the dark between 5-6am to hit a sunrise photography walk and this past 3-4 weeks, I have been at Mackenzies Point most mornings, as the sun breaks the horizon over the ocean, eagerly anticipating humpback whales breaching as they migrate north this season.
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2 Fridays ago I switched it up, soaking up sunrise in North Bondi at Ben Buckler with my friend Michelle Louise AKA @ginger_skybird. After spotting a few humpback whales in the near distance and Alex the Seal heading into Bondi Bay for breakfast, I turned to Mish and said “5 more minutes, then let’s go grab coffee and breakfast in North Bondi.”
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Next minute, this massive pod of around 50-100 dolphins exploded on the yellow-bronzed horizon, some stopping off at Ben Buckler to hit a large bait ball swimming off the point (a bait ball is a tightly-packed formation or school of fish), whilst the rest of the dolphins charged across to Bronte Beach and Waverley Cemetery. Magical!
“5 more minutes”. Dolphin action at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia.
“5 more minutes”. Dolphin action at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia.
And the magic didn’t stop there… as I arrived home and was settling down to edit all of the sunrise and wildlife imagery, this small flock of rarer yellow-tailed black cockatoos land on the roof opposite my balcony in Bondi Beach. Sometimes I have to pinch myself about this life that I’m living and the daily joy that Bondi Beach and its surrounds brings me. All of this before 11am!
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My photography is bringing me a lot of contentment and peace right now. 18 months ago, I set myself 3 x new career goals, one of which was to host my 1st ever art exhibition and I made the decision to start selling my artistic works, which I hit mid-2019, when I was commissioned for Art On The Streets in Bondi Beach, with a panel of photography on the streets of Bondi and the exterior of local Asian-fusion restaurant, Mamasan Bondi decorated with my works also (yep, and thanks to Mamasan I became a street artist for the first time too – I never even imagined that in my wildest dreams).
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As the pandemic hit full swing in Australia earlier this year, a lot of advertising industry clients hit the pause button and determined as ever to put a positive spin on things (while I’ve had my rough days and struggled for motivation at times like everyone else), I pivoted to invest my time into pitching new brand ideas, building the next phase of my career, increasing the frequency of my already regular exercise regime and focussing on mental health, which includes investing time into activities that bring me happiness and joy. Photography is a key part of that for me.
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I have been honing my photographic skills further with 2-3 hour DSLR walks, experimenting with my Canon 100-400mm lens, capturing different, more varied subject matter and taken more time with my Lightroom photography edits.
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As a result, in the past 2 months I have actually sold more prints than ever before; more than all of the previous months and years combined and I have been receiving unsolicited little DMs/WhatsApp messages/texts/Comments most days from friends, family and random strangers around the world, which gives me a lovely little starburst of energy each time, as while I shoot for me, I love that it can bring a little joy to the lives of those in the world around me! Thank you to all of you who’ve said hi!
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And the momentum does not stop there. I am continuing the process of re-launching my website to make my prints more readily available for purchase online and as part of that, I am making myself accountable to myself, my friends and the people who are in my world, by setting myself the goal 3 weeks ago, of blogging on a weekly basis on hotndelicious.com for the rest of 2020, as purpose is everything and creating good habits provide me with impetus when it comes to the bigger picture.
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I am my own hard taskmaster, I’m hungry and no-one is harder on me than me, yet little gems await in those sliding doors moments in time when I allow myself to flow with instinct, embrace the moment, feed my creativity and provide my mind with some space to breathe.
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By being kind to myself, taking a break from my “monkey mind” and feeding my creativity, I find fresh impetus that brings me great joy! 5 more minutes… Magic way to kick-off a Friday!
All images captured with Canon 6D with an EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS.
Ben Buckler sunrise. Image of @hotndelicious. Photo credit: @ginger_skybird Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Ben Buckler sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Ben Buckler sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Ben Buckler sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Dolphin action at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Shot from Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Dolphin action at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Shot from Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Dolphin action at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Shot from Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Humpback whales at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Humpback whales at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Humpback whales at sunrise by @hotndelicious. Ben Buckler, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Surfing Mackenzies Point Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Surfing Mackenzies Point Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Surfing Mackenzies Point Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Bondi Icebergs Club by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Bondi Icebergs Club by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Yellow-tailed black cockatoos by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Yellow-tailed black cockatoos by @hotndelicious. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. Prints available on request. info@hotndelicious.com
Random acts of kindness. @ginger_skybird taking photographs of other people watching the sunrise then airdropping the images to them 📷✨ @hotndelicious
@ginger_skybird Ben Buckler sunrise 📷✨ @hotndelicious
Rockin’ the new BentSpoke Brewing Co craft beer swag for my morning photography walk ❄️✨
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I am up and out of bed well before sunrise most mornings shooting sunrise photography and while Sydney’s winter weather is nowhere near as cold as parts of USA, Canada and Europe, it has been fresh as f*ck this past week, just like this BentSpoke Brewing Co beanie.
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Everyone is struggling at the moment and as a lover of premium quality craft beer and the creator of @craftbeerlovin’ craft beer Instagram, given how much growth we’ve had in the craft beer scene globally in recent years, it means a lot to me that this trend and the craft beer industry continues to evolve and grow, as I’m sure it does you too.
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So the next time you’re at the beer fridge/bar at your local, no matter where in the world you are, think about how you can get crafty to support local business. The good news is that the beer will be fresh as f*ck too! So #ThinkGlobalDrinkLocal 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇨🇦💛✨
I was otterly stoked to share my Mackenzies Point sunrise on Saturday morning with Alex the Seal.
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Right now we’re in peak whale watching season in Sydney and I was kickin’ it at Mackenzies Point (Bondi Beach) waiting for the sun to rise over the ocean, gazing at sea spray from multiple pods of humpback whales migrating north in the distance and I glanced down to my right to see this little legend duck diving in the waves and hunting for fish for breakfast.
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I’m pretty sure that the crew from Drone Shark App gave this little legend the ‘Alex The Seal’ moniker a while back and Alex was splashing in the waves for at least 90 minutes while I sat there chillin’… definitely has my seal of approval! Made my day!
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Stoked to be back writing the hotndelicious blog again, as I’ve been spending a lot more time on my photography of late and it feels like the write time as I am in the process of re-launching this website to make my prints more readily available for purchase online. I’ve sold more prints in the past 6 weeks than all of the previous months and years combined!
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So, if you are keen to snap up some hotndelicious sunrise print(s) for home or to decorate the walls of your biz, then email me on info@hotndelicious.com/drop me a DM on IG, check out @hotndelicious on Instagram for Alex the Seal videos that I captured of on Saturday morning and come say G’day!
Vance Joy live at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas. Image by @hotndelicious.
Welcome back to the 2nd ever Sh*t To Do This Weekend!
I am a super active, outdoors person and so if you’re anything like me, then you are craving new shit to do in isolation this weekend to keep from losing your shit! Escape the conversation around COVID19 this weekend. Here are the hot tips for this weekend for all of you legends in lockdown!
Isolaid Festival – Livestream all Saturday + Sunday afternoon and evening (AEST) via Instagram Live channels of each individual artist. For artists, session times and livestream URLs head to:https://www.isolaidfestival.com/.
Music From The Home Front concert on Anzac Day 2020 – Saturday 25th April night 7:30pm AEST on Channel 9 feat. Tame Impala, Missy Higgins, Vance Joy, G Flip, Birds of Tokyo, The Rubens, Marlon Williams & more: https://musicfromthehomefront.com.au/
ANZAC Day Dawn Service Livestreams – Saturday 25th April:
ANZAC Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”. The ANZAC acronym stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. To learn more, check out my Aussie trek to Gallipoli – ANZAC Day 85th Anniversary Gallipoli trip blog & podcast, that journals my trip to southern Turkey to experience ANZAC Day on the Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Peninsula.
LEARN TO MEDITATE – lose all your anxiety/stress and feel more chilled.
From beginner to experienced. Explore these 3 apps to find what you love. I never thought I’d try meditation and 6 years ago I tried for 5 minutes a day for 5 days and it changed my life! The tightness in my chest… gone… and a daily natural high. I did it this morning at 5am and helped me fall back to sleep and calm my mind. If you’re now saying your mind is too busy for meditation, I am still exactly the same and that is exactly the reason why.
The Chaser – Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellencechaser.com.au
The BETOOTA ADVOCATE – “Australia’s oldest newspaper” and satirical news website betootaadvocate.com
GET IN ON THE PODCAST ACTION!
Here are a few of my faves!
Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet! – a weekly podcast where we interview inspiring people and entrepreneurs across a range of industries (incl. music, film/tv, comedy, fashion, travel and more) about what makes them tick and drives their hunger for success. linktr.ee/hotndelicious
The Joe Rogan Experience – a free audio and video podcast hosted by American comedian, actor, sports commentator, martial artist, and television host, Joe Rogan. joerogan.com
Wilosophy – Australian comedian and TV presenter, Wil Anderson, asks smart people stupid questions and tries to find out the meaning of life. Or something… wilanderson.com/wilosophy
INSPIRATIONAL SH*T ON INSTAGRAM:
@hotndelicious – beautiful sunrise, wildlife and coastal walk photography and storytelling from Bondi Beach and the eastern beaches of Sydney photography instagram.com/hotndelicious
@hunter_lawrence – travel the world and snow-capped mountains with Hunter Lawrence, his wife Sarah and Aspen the Mountain Pup instagram.com/hunter_lawrence
@aspenthemountainpup – living on an adventure in the snow and mountains of Colorado, yes, this jet-setting golden retriever even has his own blue tick! instagram.com/aspenthemountainpup
@natgeo – experience the world through the eyes of National Geographic photographers. instagram.com/natgeo
ONE WAVE TRI-WEEKLY SURFING AND MENTAL HEALTH ZOOM CHATS:
OneWave is a non-profit surf community raising awareness of mental health through a simple recipe…saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro. During lockdown, instead of meeting up for Fluro Friday every Friday morning at over 200 beaches worldwide, the team have taken to meeting online twice for week for global get togethers and Zoom calls to share our collective experiences and how we’re all getting through COVID19 in isolation. They have made SUCH a massive impact for me personally and helped me feel connected during lockdown!
I have zero desire to be another one of those generic, self-appointed Instagram “life coaches” or influencers that have popped up during this crisis, however I do have an audience and I want to be able to help the people in my world through this challenging time. Feel free to share the love, hit me back if you love this list and follow me on social media too! (social media links are below too).
If you have more sections that I think you should add to this, then hit me up with your ideas! Happy weekend y’all!
Humankind. This little piggy went to #BondiBeach 🐖😁🌅✨
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All of this online aggression is bacon me crazy! 🥓 HBU?
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This behaviour is not new to COVID19 and whatever you believe is the right course of action as part of #StayHome, our current crisis (and in life moving forward), just remember… there is zero need for aggression or swearing at each other in person or online, even if we disagree. My dream as a digital strategist and content producer is to be part of a world where we enjoy open discussion, without attacking the person.
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I may not be your friend, however that doesn’t necessarily make me your enemy and it is okay to have an open discussion, without attacking the person. We are not going to align on everything, even if we are the best of friends. Civilised discussion and listening is everything!
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Spread love and not COVID19. Happy Wednesday y’all! 🌅🌊✨ #StayHome
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P.S. #StayHome in Australia doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise safely. If you want more information, then head on over to NSW Health’s website or www.health.gov.au to educate yourself.
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P.P.S. Our Waverley Council rangers, support staff, NSW Police Force and Australian Police Force as a whole are just doing their job and what they think is best with the information and resources that they have at hand. I didn’t align with Waverley Council’s initial approach, however I do not have all of the answers and I have put my hand up to be part of a most positive, proactive and long-term approach for us all. In the interim, passive protest and obeying their directives, as opposed to aggression, is the only way forward. Please be kind.
Kick-ass! LA-based Aussie lead singer of Evol Walks, Leah Martin-Brown AKA @adventuresinplasticland is a deadset legend and after 5 years of the podcast, I’m pumped to launch the newly evolved and upgraded ‘@hotndelicious | The Entrepreneurship Podcast’ YouTube version of the show with her!
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We quickly strip off the COVID19 conversation and dive into all of the deep sh*t such as running the bulls in Pamplona, Havok the spicy German Shepherd Husky and Carlitos – Cute Carlos – the weiner dog, Bondi Party Pants “Oh fuck yeah, look at those Party Pants! Have they got pineapples on them?”, life in Los Angeles, Italy, euthanasia, Jackson Firebird and so much more!
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Stream @hotndelicious | The Entrepreneurship Podcast via YouTube, Apple and Spotify:
“The Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk has been closed” – @WaverleyCouncil.
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Dear Mayor Paula Masselos + Waverley Council,
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Are you guys crazy?!!!
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Your announcement to close the Bondi To Bronte Coastal Walk and your advice yesterday to be “a tourist in your own suburb” and that “Council Ambassadors will be monitoring the area over the long weekend to decide whether a closure is necessary” is draconian, only going to make things worse, pushing local residents to further withdraw, will clog up our local streets and neglects to take into account the long-term impact on the community. It will no doubt lead to an increase the likelihood of arguments amongst families/flatmates and even domestic violence. Take a beat. Take a breath.
The news media are only making an example of Bondi Beach as there is no other news. With actions like this, Waverley Council are just feeding the white noise and fear mongering news machine.
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The people managing Waverley Council’s social media account know how privileged I feel to be a part of this community and how much as a whole I love and support what you do. I post images on my photography Instagram account daily tagging Waverley Council. This decision however is a bridge too far and I, like a lot of local residents, have had enough!
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I understand that there are a select few living in the community are not taking heed on social distancing, but Waverley Council really need to stop, take a social-distanced breathe, consider how else you can approach this and the long-term impact of your actions. Contact me. I personally put my hand up to be available to be part of this discussion and better solution.
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Reopen the Bondi To Bronte Coastal Walk! ☀️🌴🌊✨ #KeepItCoastal
I am a super active, outdoors person and so if you’re anything like me, then you are craving new shit to do in isolation this weekend to keep from losing your shit! Escape the conversation around COVID19 this weekend. Here’s the hot tips!
Livestream Music Festivals/Events:
Isol-Aid Instagram Live Music Festival 28/29 March is Saturday and Sunday (Aussie time).
74 Aussie artists livestreaming from 12pm to 12am AEDT – Australia Eastern Daylight Time. 🎹🥁🎸✨
Hot Dub Time Machine is one of the sickest party DJs on the PLANET, playing to audiences of thousands of people around the world each and this weekend he’s livestreaming a wicked party set live on Saturday 28th of March (Aussie time) from Sydney via Twitch! 🎉 Livestream is 6-8pm AEDT. Party at home, livestream and dance online with your friends. Get in! twitch.tv/hotdubtimemachine
Jack Johnson livestream performing this Saturday, March 28 at noon Hawaii time (3pm PST, 6pm EST), which is Sunday 9am AEDT in Australia, Jack will play a #TogetherAtHome living room concert in collaboration with Global Citizen and in support of the World Health Organization.instagram.com/jackjohnson
John Butler Trio is playing wicked blues and funk live sets every single night via Instagram Live. Every night at 9pm AEDT. The good news is that you can also stream them the next day on Instagram via your smartphone and connect it via Bluetooth to your speakers or headphones. I’ve got it in my ears now as I work and wearing a smile on my face. Enjoy! instagram.com/johnbutlertrio
Learn to meditate:
From beginner to experienced. Explore these 3 apps to find what you love. I never thought I’d try meditation and 5-6 years ago I tried for 5 minutes a day for 5 days and it changed my life! The tightness in my chest… gone… and a daily natural high. I did it this morning at 5am and helped me fall back to sleep and calm my mind. It you’re now saying your mind is too busy for meditation, I am still exactly the same and that is exactly the reason why.
The Chaser – Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellencechaser.com.au
The BETOOTA ADVOCATE – “Australia’s oldest newspaper” and satirical news website betootaadvocate.com
Get on the podcast action:
Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet! – a weekly podcast where we interview inspiring people and entrepreneurs across a range of industries (incl. music, film/tv, comedy, fashion, travel and more) about what makes them tick and drives their hunger for success. linktr.ee/hotndelicious
Wilosophy – Australian comedian and TV presenter, Wil Anderson, asks smart people stupid questions and tries to find out the meaning of life. Or something… wilanderson.com/wilosophy
The Joe Rogan Experience – a free audio and video podcast hosted by American comedian, actor, sports commentator, martial artist, and television host, Joe Rogan. joerogan.com
Inspiring photography and storytelling on Instagram:
@hotndelicious – beautiful sunrise, wildlife and coastal walk photography and storytelling from Bondi Beach and the eastern beaches of Sydney photography instagram.com/hotndelicious
@hunter_lawrence – travel the world and snow-capped mountains with Hunter Lawrence, his wife Sarah and Aspen the Mountain Pup instagram.com/hunter_lawrence
@aspenthemountainpup – living on an adventure in the snow and mountains of Colorado, yes, this jet-setting golden retriever even has his own blue tick! instagram.com/aspenthemountainpup
@natgeo – experience the world through the eyes of National Geographic photographers. instagram.com/natgeo
OneWave bi-weekly mental and surfing Zoom chats:
OneWave is a non-profit surf community raising awareness of mental health through a simple recipe…saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro. This past 2 weeks, instead of meeting up for Fluro Friday every Friday morning at over 200 beaches worldwide, the team have taken to meeting online twice for week for global get togethers and Zoom calls to share our collective experiences and how we’re all getting through COVID19 in isolation. Big wins and all welcome!
I have been chatting with my parents and sister this week about us collectively finding things that make us laugh, make us happy and keep us occupied this this strange time. We shared ours with each other and I’ve been sharing meditation links and other resources with peeps on the One Wave (a surfing and mental health community) Zoom calls this past week or so, so I figured that I should actually put them all in one place for my friends and people in my world to discover and utilise at will.
I have zero desire to be another one of those generic, self-appointed Instagram “life coaches” or influencers that have popped up in this past week, however I do have an audience and I want to be able to help the people in my world through this challenging time for all of us if I can, if that makes sense?
If you’ve got more sections that I think you should add to this, then hit me up with your ideas! Happy weekend y’all!
Dan Wilkinson (Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet!) lecturing The #1 Social Media Workshop
Pumped for an exciting year ahead!
Over the past year or so, Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet! have been driving digital/social media strategy & content production for fantastic clients across a range of industries including UNSW, Telstra Enterprise, BoozeBud, Qualitas Health, Synergy Radiology, PropertyNow, IDPet and Mamasan Bondi, launched the inaugural ‘#1 Social Media Workshop for SMEs + Startups’ in Sydney and I lectured Digital Growth Marketing Elevate (10 week course) at Academy Xi’s Sydney campus.
As we kick into 2020, Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet! are taking on new clients in digital/social media strategy, content production (blog/social media/website copy), advertising media management and reporting, plus I am reinvigorated to launch a few of my own personal business development projects alongside client strategy and content, including monetising my hotndelicious Instagram travel/sunrise photography and begin work on branded web series + podcast concepts.
So how is your business, brand or startup primed to take on your Social Media Strategy and Content in 2020? Do you need a digital and social media refresh? Get in touch. We’d love to work with you!
Mamasan Bondi social media content by @hotndeliciousPropertyNow blog + social media content by @hotndeliciousDan Wilkinson (Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet!) lecturing the #1 Social Media Workshop
