WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.279 Have you ever found yourself sitting at your 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:06.179 desk or maybe commuting to work and just thought 00:00:06.179 --> 00:00:09.199 about completely changing your life path? Like 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.019 a total reset. Yeah, exactly. A total reset. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.939 I don't mean switching from, you know, marketing 00:00:14.939 --> 00:00:18.280 to sales or picking up a new hobby on the weekends. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:21.480 I mean the ultimate career pivot. The kind where 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:23.620 you just walk away from it all. Right. Where 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:25.760 you look at everything you've built, you carefully 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.239 pack it into a box, and you just walk into an 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.510 entirely different universe. It's a terrifying 00:00:30.510 --> 00:00:33.450 thought for most people. It really is. But if 00:00:33.450 --> 00:00:35.670 you have ever daydreamed about reinventing yourself 00:00:35.670 --> 00:00:38.909 from the ground up, you are going to find today's 00:00:38.909 --> 00:00:41.630 deep dive thoroughly captivating. Oh, absolutely. 00:00:41.770 --> 00:00:44.009 It serves as this, well, this striking blueprint 00:00:44.009 --> 00:00:46.670 for reinvention. For today's deep dive, we are 00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:49.149 looking at the extraordinary life of a woman 00:00:49.149 --> 00:00:51.630 named Amy Vera Ackman. who would later become 00:00:51.630 --> 00:00:55.070 known to the world as Mother Giovanni. Yes. And 00:00:55.070 --> 00:00:57.450 our source material today is this remarkably 00:00:57.450 --> 00:01:01.450 concise, yet just densely packed, biographical 00:01:01.450 --> 00:01:04.569 excerpt from Wikipedia. It's a short text, but 00:01:04.569 --> 00:01:08.370 it is heavy. It's very heavy. Our mission here 00:01:08.370 --> 00:01:10.930 is straightforward. We want to unpack how one 00:01:10.930 --> 00:01:14.049 woman managed to live what looks like three completely 00:01:14.049 --> 00:01:16.750 distinct, highly accomplished lifetimes. And 00:01:16.750 --> 00:01:20.230 all within a single 80 -year span. Right. We 00:01:20.230 --> 00:01:22.689 want to extract what her relentless drive and 00:01:22.689 --> 00:01:25.989 her constant evolution can teach. all of us about 00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:28.010 the art of reinvention. Because reading through 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:31.469 this source text, it's an exercise in pacing 00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:33.810 yourself. Oh, for sure. It's just a summary, 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:37.510 but literally every sentence introduces a substantial 00:01:37.510 --> 00:01:40.329 milestone. You read one line, you process it, 00:01:40.390 --> 00:01:42.870 and then the very next sentence throws an entirely 00:01:42.870 --> 00:01:45.810 new monumental achievement at you. It really 00:01:45.810 --> 00:01:47.930 demonstrates how much impact a person can have 00:01:47.930 --> 00:01:50.629 if they just refuse to be boxed in by their past 00:01:50.629 --> 00:01:52.549 successes. Absolutely. Okay, let's unpack this 00:01:52.549 --> 00:01:54.209 by starting right at the beginning. What we can 00:01:54.209 --> 00:01:56.930 call her first life. Her foundation. Yeah. Where 00:01:56.930 --> 00:02:00.109 exactly does Amy Vera Ackman's story begin? So 00:02:00.109 --> 00:02:03.269 she was born on July 3rd, 1886. In Sydney, right? 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:06.250 Yes, specifically in Randwick, Sydney. And she 00:02:06.250 --> 00:02:08.610 was born into a Jewish family. Which is an important 00:02:08.610 --> 00:02:12.189 detail. It's crucial because immediately the 00:02:12.189 --> 00:02:14.909 text throws us a fascinating curveball about 00:02:14.909 --> 00:02:17.469 her education. Right, because despite being born 00:02:17.469 --> 00:02:19.979 into a Jewish family. She was educated at the 00:02:19.979 --> 00:02:22.400 Sisters of Mercy St. Mary's Convent School in 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.139 Malmesbury. That is a very specific duality to 00:02:26.139 --> 00:02:28.520 grow up with. What's fascinating here is the 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:31.900 incredibly unique cross -cultural foundation 00:02:31.900 --> 00:02:34.240 she received right from the start. Especially 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.189 in the late 1800s in Australia. Exactly. Think 00:02:37.189 --> 00:02:39.810 about it. She's navigating the traditions and 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:42.069 the expectations of a Jewish family at home. 00:02:42.310 --> 00:02:44.750 While simultaneously being immersed in a Catholic 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:46.689 convent school. Run by the Sisters of Mercy, 00:02:46.810 --> 00:02:49.189 yes. So she's learning their discipline, their 00:02:49.189 --> 00:02:51.229 educational environment. I mean, when you grow 00:02:51.229 --> 00:02:54.909 up navigating multiple distinct belief systems 00:02:54.909 --> 00:02:58.409 like that, you often develop this profound flexibility. 00:02:58.610 --> 00:03:00.949 You see the world differently. You learn early 00:03:00.949 --> 00:03:02.990 on that there isn't just one way to structure 00:03:02.990 --> 00:03:06.090 a life or a community. And that flexibility becomes 00:03:06.090 --> 00:03:08.469 very apparent in her early career choices. It 00:03:08.469 --> 00:03:10.530 really does, because instead of staying in Sydney 00:03:10.530 --> 00:03:14.150 or settling into some predictable path, she travels. 00:03:14.270 --> 00:03:17.669 All the way to London. Yes, to study. And she 00:03:17.669 --> 00:03:20.069 chooses a highly technical field. She becomes 00:03:20.069 --> 00:03:23.479 an optometrist. Which in the early 1900s required 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:26.719 a rigorous understanding of optics, of anatomy. 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:29.780 Patient care. Right. It wasn't a casual pursuit. 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.599 She crossed the globe to acquire this highly 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:35.120 specialized medical skill set. And then she brings 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.520 that expertise back to Australia. She does. In 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:41.219 1912, she establishes her very own private practice. 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:44.159 On Collins Street in Melbourne. Just to frame 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:47.680 that for you listening. Collins Street is historically 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.319 one of the most prestigious premium business 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:52.759 addresses in Melbourne. It's not a quiet rural 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:55.139 shop. Not at all. This is the equivalent of a 00:03:55.139 --> 00:03:57.719 young professional today moving abroad, mastering 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:00.580 a cutting -edge tech specialty, and then flying 00:04:00.580 --> 00:04:03.340 back to launch a self -funded startup on the 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:05.259 most competitive business street in the city. 00:04:05.659 --> 00:04:09.219 It is a profound display of independence. and 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:12.219 professional ambition. By 1912, she had achieved 00:04:12.219 --> 00:04:14.620 what many would consider the absolute pinnacle 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:17.480 of early career success. She was globally educated. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:19.939 She had a specialized medical skill. She was 00:04:19.939 --> 00:04:22.000 an independent business owner. For most people, 00:04:22.060 --> 00:04:24.540 that's the end of the narrative arc. You build 00:04:24.540 --> 00:04:26.860 the practice, you run it for 40 years, and you 00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:30.399 retire. But she doesn't do that. No, she doesn't. 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:33.120 Just five years after opening those doors on 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:35.939 Collins Street, she initiates the ultimate pivot. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.759 The big one. The year is 1917, specifically April. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.319 She leaves her private optometry practice. She 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:45.540 steps away from that entire trajectory. She takes 00:04:45.540 --> 00:04:48.360 her vows. With the Sisters of Charity. She sheds 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:51.660 the name Amy Vera Ackman and becomes Mother Giovanni. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:55.060 Which is just a staggering transition. It really 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:58.439 is. What actually happens after you make a life 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:00.779 -altering decision like that? Does she just retreat 00:05:00.779 --> 00:05:03.939 into quiet contemplation? Not at all. And that 00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:06.439 is the crucial pivot point. She didn't abandon 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:08.939 her past or throw away her medical and business 00:05:08.939 --> 00:05:12.230 acumen. She transferred it. Exactly. She transferred 00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:15.290 those hard -earned skills into an entirely new 00:05:15.290 --> 00:05:18.310 calling of service. The discipline, the meticulous 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:20.829 patient care, the operational knowledge required 00:05:20.829 --> 00:05:23.509 to run a private practice. She channeled all 00:05:23.509 --> 00:05:25.970 of that into the healthcare infrastructure of 00:05:25.970 --> 00:05:29.089 the Sisters of Charity. Yes. It wasn't a rejection 00:05:29.089 --> 00:05:31.550 of her first life. It was a repurposing of her 00:05:31.550 --> 00:05:34.649 toolkit. Which brings us to part two of her life. 00:05:35.149 --> 00:05:38.329 And this part reads almost exactly like a corporate 00:05:38.329 --> 00:05:40.750 executive's steady climb up the ladder. It's 00:05:40.750 --> 00:05:42.850 a master class in management. Where does she 00:05:42.850 --> 00:05:45.370 actually start her work within their hospital 00:05:45.370 --> 00:05:47.810 system? She starts at the foundational administrative 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:51.170 level. In early 1922, she begins working in the 00:05:51.170 --> 00:05:53.589 admissions office. At St. Vincent's Hospital 00:05:53.589 --> 00:05:56.569 in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Right. That feels like 00:05:56.569 --> 00:05:58.910 a very deliberate placement. If you think about 00:05:58.910 --> 00:06:01.829 an admissions office, it requires intense organization. 00:06:02.449 --> 00:06:05.189 Precise record keeping. The ability to triage 00:06:05.189 --> 00:06:08.550 patient needs quickly. Those are the exact skills 00:06:08.550 --> 00:06:11.389 a successful optometrist would have honed over 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:14.110 years of private practice. Precisely. She was 00:06:14.110 --> 00:06:16.170 learning the operational mechanics of a major 00:06:16.170 --> 00:06:18.449 hospital from the ground up. But she doesn't 00:06:18.449 --> 00:06:21.129 stay at the ground level for long. No. Her trajectory 00:06:21.129 --> 00:06:24.730 accelerates. By 1932, she is appointed as the 00:06:24.730 --> 00:06:27.170 hospital administrator for Bathurst. And she 00:06:27.170 --> 00:06:30.670 holds that role for five years, until 1937. Then 00:06:30.670 --> 00:06:33.449 she is moved to Lismore. To act as hospital administrator 00:06:33.449 --> 00:06:37.930 there, from 1938 to 1941. We have to pause and 00:06:37.930 --> 00:06:40.269 look at those dates for a second. Yeah. 1932 00:06:40.269 --> 00:06:43.490 to 1937. That puts her right in the thick of 00:06:43.490 --> 00:06:46.389 the Great Depression. Exactly. Running a regional 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:49.170 hospital like Bathurst during severe economic 00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:52.949 hardship. That means managing profound financial 00:06:52.949 --> 00:06:55.149 strain. Dealing with communities that cannot 00:06:55.149 --> 00:06:58.269 afford care. Stretching every single resource. 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:02.949 And then 1938 to 1941 in Lismore. That's right 00:07:02.949 --> 00:07:05.569 on the brink of and during the early years of 00:07:05.569 --> 00:07:07.879 the Second World War. That means supply chain 00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:10.860 collapses, rationing, critical staffing shortages. 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:12.779 If we connect this to the bigger picture. If 00:07:12.779 --> 00:07:14.980 we connect this to the bigger picture, a very 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:18.000 clear pattern emerges. Mother Giovanni was a 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.500 highly effective organizational leader forged 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:23.060 in some of the most difficult operational climates 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:25.079 of the 20th century. She wasn't just maintaining 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:27.420 these facilities. No, she was actively being 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:29.899 entrusted with increasingly complex institutions 00:07:29.899 --> 00:07:32.519 by the Sisters of Charity during times of global 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:35.079 crisis. Managing complex health care institutions 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:37.769 over multiple decades like that requires intense 00:07:37.769 --> 00:07:40.610 diplomacy, advanced financial literacy, crisis 00:07:40.610 --> 00:07:44.069 management, and an unwavering focus on patient 00:07:44.069 --> 00:07:46.750 care. And clearly she excelled because after 00:07:46.750 --> 00:07:48.970 navigating those regional challenges, she's brought 00:07:48.970 --> 00:07:51.470 back to the city. She takes on a major role, 00:07:51.610 --> 00:07:54.269 serving a five -year term at St. Vincent's Private 00:07:54.269 --> 00:07:57.540 Hospital, Sydney. Back in Darlinghurst, it is 00:07:57.540 --> 00:08:00.319 a steady, undeniable progression of competence. 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:03.480 She was refining a world -class executive skill 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:06.379 set. By the late 1940s, her capabilities were 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:08.420 fully recognized at the highest levels of her 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:11.500 order. Because in 1949, she is elected to the 00:08:11.500 --> 00:08:14.000 Sisters General Council. Which places her in 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.480 a significant macro -leadership position. Here's 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.439 where it gets really interesting. All of that 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:20.519 administrative experience, all of those years 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:22.980 managing hospitals through depressions and wars, 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:26.399 culminate in one specific assignment. The big 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:29.980 project. In March of 1953, she is sent to Kangaroo 00:08:29.980 --> 00:08:32.320 Point in Brisbane. And the stated mission is 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:35.019 simply to set up a town office. But that town 00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:37.659 office was clearly just a beachhead for something 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.360 much larger, wasn't it? Oh, absolutely. The town 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:42.860 office was step one of a monumental project. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.019 What follows completely cements her legacy as 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:48.799 a visionary project man. And an elite fundraiser. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.299 She essentially spearheaded the establishment 00:08:51.299 --> 00:08:53.720 of the Mount Olivet Hospital at Kangaroo Point. 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.320 The numbers provided in the text for this project 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.659 are just staggering. They really are. We're talking 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:02.539 about the opening of a 176 -bed facility in September 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:06.360 1957. And the cost attached to this establishment 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:13.279 was £428 ,000. To put £428 ,000 in 1957 in perspective... 00:09:14.009 --> 00:09:16.049 We aren't just talking about a successful community 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:18.889 bake sale here. No. That is the equivalent of 00:09:18.889 --> 00:09:22.029 a multi -million dollar modern capital campaign. 00:09:22.389 --> 00:09:24.830 Raising that kind of capital requires an immense 00:09:24.830 --> 00:09:27.850 ability to mobilize a community. To articulate 00:09:27.850 --> 00:09:31.090 a compelling vision to wealthy donors. And execute 00:09:31.090 --> 00:09:33.769 a massive financial and logistical plan. She 00:09:33.769 --> 00:09:36.850 oversaw the vision, secured the funding, and 00:09:36.850 --> 00:09:39.830 managed the physical construction of a 176 -bed 00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:42.500 hospital through to completion. Wait, I want 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:44.240 to pause there for a second. When we talk about 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.980 her acting as a project manager executing a multimillion 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:50.039 dollar capital campaign, it starts to sound very 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:52.919 corporate. It does. It almost feels a bit ruthless. 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.240 We have to remember she was doing all of this 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:57.840 under vows of charity. Right. Her motivations 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.100 were fundamentally different from a modern CEO 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.820 trying to maximize shareholder value. That is 00:10:02.820 --> 00:10:05.519 a crucial distinction. However, to execute a 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:08.220 charitable vision on that scale, she had to utilize 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:11.919 the exact same logistical, financial, and organizational 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.340 mechanisms that a corporate CEO would use. Charity 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:17.980 of that magnitude requires corporate -level acumen. 00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:20.960 Exactly. The intention was different, but the 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.720 mechanical execution of building a 428 ,000 -pound 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.000 hospital requires uncompromising business skill. 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:30.580 That makes perfect sense. So we are now in the 00:10:30.580 --> 00:10:33.700 late 1950s. Right. If we track the timeline from 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:36.899 her birth in 1886, by the time the Mount Olivet 00:10:36.899 --> 00:10:40.669 Hospital opens its doors in September 1957, Mother 00:10:40.669 --> 00:10:43.590 Giovanni is in her early 70s. Which presents 00:10:43.590 --> 00:10:45.950 this fascinating paradox. The typical trajectory 00:10:45.950 --> 00:10:48.309 of a high level executive, whether in the corporate 00:10:48.309 --> 00:10:49.950 world or within an administrative hierarchy, 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:53.190 is to accumulate power, finish your magnum opus, 00:10:53.210 --> 00:10:55.509 and eventually retire comfortably. And she just 00:10:55.509 --> 00:10:59.090 built a 176 bed hospital. That is the ultimate 00:10:59.090 --> 00:11:01.710 magnum opus. You cut the ribbon and take a bow. 00:11:01.889 --> 00:11:04.429 But that isn't what she does. Not at all. Her 00:11:04.429 --> 00:11:07.009 drive to serve seemed entirely immune to the 00:11:07.009 --> 00:11:10.009 concept of retirement. At an age where society 00:11:10.009 --> 00:11:13.090 expects you to rest, she executed perhaps the 00:11:13.090 --> 00:11:16.330 most surprising pivot of her entire life. In 00:11:16.330 --> 00:11:19.850 1963, when she is approximately 77 years old, 00:11:19.990 --> 00:11:22.850 she volunteers as a missionary. And arrives in 00:11:22.850 --> 00:11:25.350 New Guinea. She decentralizes all of her own 00:11:25.350 --> 00:11:28.190 executive power to go do ground level work. It 00:11:28.190 --> 00:11:30.929 is a profound shift in environment, scale, and 00:11:30.929 --> 00:11:33.419 function. She goes from the boardroom, from raising 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:35.720 hundreds of thousands of pounds and managing 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:38.360 massive construction projects, to the absolute 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.700 ground level of human care. The source text gives 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:43.919 us a very poignant detail about her time there. 00:11:44.169 --> 00:11:46.490 She was subsequently caring for some 300 children 00:11:46.490 --> 00:11:48.970 in Bundy. The juxtaposition between building 00:11:48.970 --> 00:11:51.309 that massive hospital and personally caring for 00:11:51.309 --> 00:11:53.970 300 children in New Guinea is striking. It highlights 00:11:53.970 --> 00:11:56.210 a beautiful complexity in her character. On one 00:11:56.210 --> 00:11:58.850 hand, she possessed the razor sharp macro level 00:11:58.850 --> 00:12:01.570 administrative mind required to navigate high 00:12:01.570 --> 00:12:04.710 level hospital politics. And secure vast capital 00:12:04.710 --> 00:12:08.009 funding. Yes. But on the other hand, she possessed 00:12:08.009 --> 00:12:11.009 the deep, hands -on compassion required to go 00:12:11.009 --> 00:12:13.970 directly into the field in her late 70s to provide 00:12:13.970 --> 00:12:17.429 micro -level personal care. For children in Bundy, 00:12:17.470 --> 00:12:20.490 it proves that her ultimate motivation was never 00:12:20.490 --> 00:12:23.230 the prestige of hospital administration. The 00:12:23.230 --> 00:12:25.590 administration was merely a tool to facilitate 00:12:25.590 --> 00:12:28.450 the core mission of care. When the hospital was 00:12:28.450 --> 00:12:32.009 built, she simply found a new, direct way to 00:12:32.009 --> 00:12:34.190 provide that care. She eventually concludes her 00:12:34.190 --> 00:12:36.110 missionary work in New Guinea and returns to 00:12:36.110 --> 00:12:38.450 Australia. She comes back to a home in Darling 00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:41.409 Point, Sydney. And the timeline provides one 00:12:41.409 --> 00:12:44.649 final, incredibly full circle moment for her 00:12:44.649 --> 00:12:47.309 story. In her final days, she moved into the 00:12:47.309 --> 00:12:50.990 Mount Olivet Hospital. The very same 176 -bed 00:12:50.990 --> 00:12:53.990 facility that she had envisioned, funded, and 00:12:53.990 --> 00:12:56.809 fought to establish back in 1957. She passed 00:12:56.809 --> 00:13:00.490 away there in August 1966 at the age of 80. And 00:13:00.490 --> 00:13:03.269 she is buried at Nudgee Cemetery. The visionary 00:13:03.269 --> 00:13:05.870 who tirelessly raised the funds and built the 00:13:05.870 --> 00:13:08.210 infrastructure to care for others was ultimately 00:13:08.210 --> 00:13:10.409 cared for within the very wall she manifested. 00:13:10.750 --> 00:13:13.129 It's a quiet conclusion to a life that was constantly 00:13:13.129 --> 00:13:16.029 in motion, constantly evolving. From the Convent 00:13:16.029 --> 00:13:18.399 School in Malmesbury. To the independent optometry 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:20.559 practice on Collins Street in Melbourne. To the 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:23.100 hospital administration roles in Bathurst, Lismore 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:25.879 and Sydney. To the monumental construction project 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.100 in Brisbane. And finally, to the missionary work 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:31.019 in New Guinea. Every single era of her life was 00:13:31.019 --> 00:13:34.259 utilized to its absolute fullest potential. So 00:13:34.259 --> 00:13:37.720 what does this all mean when we look at this 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:41.779 densely packed 80 year timeline? a few clear 00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:44.679 takeaways emerge. First, skills are remarkably 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.320 transferable. You are never permanently locked 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:50.120 into one professional identity. The exactitude 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.240 in patient care required in early 1900s optometry 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:55.860 can translate into the meticulous record -keeping 00:13:55.860 --> 00:13:58.159 of hospital admissions, which can build the foundation 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:00.820 for running an entire regional health care facility. 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:04.220 Second, Reinvention is always possible, regardless 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:06.940 of how far down a specific path you've traveled. 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.500 And third, true drive and purpose do not carry 00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:11.960 an expiration date. If you possess the energy 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:14.379 and the will to care for 300 children in New 00:14:14.379 --> 00:14:17.799 Guinea at age 77, age truly is just a chronological 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:20.279 detail. I think that is an empowering way to 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:22.820 synthesize her journey. And I want to encourage 00:14:22.820 --> 00:14:26.220 you, as you listen, to reflect on your own current 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:29.850 era of life. Are you currently... In your London 00:14:29.850 --> 00:14:33.149 study phase, gathering new specialized skills. 00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:35.149 Are you building your own independent practice 00:14:35.149 --> 00:14:38.750 on your metaphorical Collins Street? Or are you 00:14:38.750 --> 00:14:41.889 perhaps looking to pivot entirely, taking the 00:14:41.889 --> 00:14:44.309 skills you've mastered over decades and applying 00:14:44.309 --> 00:14:47.049 them to a brand new mission? Wherever you currently 00:14:47.049 --> 00:14:50.320 stand on your timeline. Ackman's life is tangible 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:53.340 proof that you have the capacity for multiple 00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:56.100 lifetimes of achievement within the one life 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:57.940 you were given. It certainly makes you want to 00:14:57.940 --> 00:15:00.440 look at your own resume and figure out what the 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.240 next unexpected chapter could be. It challenges 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.679 the idea that we only get to choose one trajectory. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.299 It really does. This raises an important question, 00:15:08.340 --> 00:15:10.039 though, and it is something I want to leave you 00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:12.710 to really chew on. When we look at the monumental 00:15:12.710 --> 00:15:15.389 success she had as a hospital administrator and 00:15:15.389 --> 00:15:18.090 a master fundraiser for the Sisters of Charity, 00:15:18.129 --> 00:15:20.570 we have to look back at her roots. Did her early 00:15:20.570 --> 00:15:23.009 years running an independent optometry practice 00:15:23.009 --> 00:15:25.970 on Collins Street in Melbourne back in 1912 give 00:15:25.970 --> 00:15:28.830 her the exact entrepreneurial toolkit and the 00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:31.549 razor sharp business acumen she needed to later 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:33.450 raise four hundred and twenty eight thousand 00:15:33.450 --> 00:15:36.649 pounds and build hospital empires as a nun? That's 00:15:36.649 --> 00:15:38.710 a great point. Perhaps these weren't three separate 00:15:38.710 --> 00:15:41.250 lives at all. Perhaps they were just one continuous, 00:15:41.330 --> 00:15:44.529 brilliant evolution of a master manager who simply 00:15:44.529 --> 00:15:47.350 kept changing her uniform to meet the needs of 00:15:47.350 --> 00:15:52.100 the moment. One continuous. That is a distinct 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:54.639 and fascinating lens to view her story through, 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:57.559 and a perfect thought to end on. Thank you so 00:15:57.559 --> 00:15:59.580 much for exploring this deeply layered life with 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:01.799 us today. Keep questioning the boundaries of 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:04.159 your own potential, keep learning from the hitting 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:06.639 giants of history, and keep diving into these 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:07.379 stories with us.