Carly Fradgley is a remarkable force for positive change within the community. In 2016, she initiated the heartwarming movement of Baby Give Back, a charity that addresses critical gaps in supporting families facing various challenges, from domestic violence to homelessness, with essential everyday items.

Over the years, Baby Give Back has transformed more than 25,000 children’s lives across South East Queensland and Northern NSW, demonstrating the profound impact of community support.

Carly’s commitment to fostering partnerships that truly make a difference is evident through the annual ‘Baby Give Back Parmy-thon’ hosted by Robina Pavilion.

This initiative embodies the power of collective giving, as the venue and the community come together to raise funds for families in crisis. We chatted to Carly about the path that led her to found Baby Give Back and why we should all get down to Robina Pavilion for a parmy, stat.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
Having worked in the charity sector for nearly seven years, one of the wonderful things I have discovered about the Gold Coast is its strong sense of community and willingness to rally together for collective giving. Gold Coasters are always ready to jump in and lend a helping hand when action is required, whether it be during the flood disaster or when we put the call out for urgent baby and children’s items in the wake of the cost of living crisis – the generosity and kind-heartedness of locals continues to amaze me. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a born and bred Gold Coaster, mum of two, former lawyer turned charity founder and passionate change-maker in our community. I started Baby Give Back at the end of 2016 as a make-shift operation in my garage after noticing a gap in the community for charities that could support families facing a broad range of challenges, from domestic violence to homelessness, with everyday essentials. In six-and-a-half short years, we have changed more than 25,000 children’s lives for the better across South East Queensland and Northern NSW, and it’s thanks to the support of our donors, volunteers, caseworkers and stakeholders that our work is made possible.

We will continue to target our support to disadvantaged and vulnerable families who need us most, and with the number of requests for help increasing weekly, we know how critical our organisation is to so many. 

Can you tell us about the ‘Baby Give Back Parmy-thon’ and what inspired Robina Pavilion to partner with Baby Give Back for this charity fundraising campaign?
The Robina Pavilion has been a long-term supporter of Baby Give Back, and we’re thrilled to be continuing our ongoing partnership. The Fitzgibbons’ family-owned, family-friendly establishment has long recognised the important work of Baby Give Back, supporting local families and helping children get a strong start in life.

The Parmy-thon is designed to take our partnership to the next level to raise thousands of dollars for Baby Give Back. From 16 August to 8 October, the Robina Pavilion will donate $1 from every parmy or schnitty sold over that time, conduct a big-ticket prize raffle and encourage voluntary donations throughout the venue. The Parmy-thon will culminate with a lakeside Family Fun Day Fundraiser at the venue on 8 October, to celebrate the work of Baby Give Back and the Parmy Army.

Full details on how to get involved and show your support is available at  www.robinapavilion.com.au

The Parmy-thon seems like a unique and engaging way to raise funds for local families in crisis. How did the idea of forming a ‘Parmy Army’ to support Baby Give Back come about?
The Parmy Army is a way to connect and build on the goodwill in the Baby Give Back and Robina Pavilion communities, raising awareness of the support we provide to families in crisis, and by tucking into a parmy or schnitty at the Robina Pavilion, raise thousands of dollars which will go such a long way.

Our hope is that the longer campaign builds a lasting connection with the broader community and inspire other businesses to engage their local communities to also give back.

Could you tell us about this year’s fundraising campaign and how it contributes to the overall goal of supporting Baby Give Back?
As an organisation that relies solely on the generosity of donors to keep our doors and arms open, fundraising appeals are absolutely critical to ensure we can continue to help the families who rely on us every single day. We know times are tough for so many right now, which affects people’s ability to give to charities, so we are forever grateful to our supporters who donate anything from a pack of wipes or nappies, $5, right through to our big-hearted major donors and sponsors – we truly can’t do this work without our village.

A huge thank you to Robina Pavilion for championing our cause with this appeal – every single dollar raised through the purchase of a parmy or schnitty will help to change the life of a child facing disadvantage and vulnerability. 

The Family Fun Day Fundraiser on October 8th sounds like a fantastic way to end the campaign. What can attendees expect and how will the event celebrate the work of Baby Give Back?
The Family Fun Day Fundraiser will celebrate the work of Baby Give Back by bringing together the Baby Give Back and Robina Pavilion communities for an afternoon of relaxed family fun in the sun down by the lakeside. 

The afternoon will kick off with delicious roving canapes complimented by a thirst-quenching beverage package, insta-worthy activations and for the kids there will be face painting and the bottomless popcorn will return by popular demand.To encourage family fun, kids under 13 will be welcome for free. 

The afternoon will culminate in the raffle draw and handing over the proceeds from the Parmy-thon, raffle and fundraiser to Baby Give Back. 

You can purchase tickets and find out all the details at www.robinapavilion.com.au

As the founder of Baby Gives Back, what message or advice would you give to individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact but are unsure how to start or where to begin?
I would suggest doing some digging to unearth the incredible local charities who make up our community and finding one that resonates with you; then offer to jump in and volunteer in some capacity as most charity organisations have a volunteering program that relies on the help of community members.

This is an excellent way to dip your toes into the not-for-profit sector and create meaningful social impact.

The majority of our team members at Baby Give Back all started out in a volunteering role, so never underestimate the power of giving back if the not-for-profit path is one you are hoping to pursue.

What are your Gold Coast favourites:
Favourite café: Tarte in Burleigh as I’m partial to a bagel and crueller; and as a southern Gold Coaster, I am bursting to try its sister venue Tarte Beach House at Currumbin.
Favourite restaurant: It’s a toss up between Tommy’s at Currumbin for a wood-fired pizza and pasta in the sunshine, or Hideaway Kitchen for a Street Feast and margarita – yum!
Favourite bar: We love an afternoon sundowner at Robina Pavilion – kids menu / dedicated play area + rose on tap + water views = winning combination. The kids are always asking to go there and I love how you can easily see them in the play area while enjoying a meal.
Favourite beach: Currumbin Alley is my family’s favourite spot.  

How do you choose to spend your days off?
A day off midweek is a little rare these days, but when I can steal a moment or two during the week I love to get down to Currumbin and dip my toes in the water. No matter the temperature, putting my feet in the ocean grounds me and helps to keep me focused. I also love nothing more than sitting on the couch or outside with a good fiction novel. 

Some of you may recognise Sasha Mielczarek as a former Bachie contestant, but he’s left the reality TV world far behind and is busy kicking goals as a business owner, builder and family man. Last year was super busy for Sasha as he married the love of his life, completed a stunning renovation on a Bowral property and opened LOCAL in Burleigh. We’re officially exhausted just reading that! We chatted to Sasha about his many ongoing projects and what he loves about living on the Gold Coast.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I moved here in 2019 to pursue an opportunity with some close mates of mine in construction. Quite different to Country NSW where I grew up but I’m embracing the lifestyle of the Gold Coast and everything that comes with it.

Tell us a bit about yourself
I grew up in Western Sydney and Country NSW. Spent a bit of time in Canberra where I went to Uni (studied Engineering/Commerce) and played footy. Played a bit of footy overseas in England and the US.

I started in Construction in 2007 (both commercial and residential) and never looked back. Loved understanding and learning how things were built (must be the engineering brain). This extended past construction and with the influence of my Dad and Step Dad developed a passion for classic cars and bikes (I’m currently building a 1969 Dodge Charger in the US and am just about to finish a 1959 Cadillac here in QLD).

Given a close history with prostate cancer I actively support the Movember Foundation and Men’s health in general having raised close to $90k in 20 years. The biggest thing I encourage everyone to do is to go get a health check on a yearly basis as it could mean the difference between getting something early and getting on top of it OR leaving it too late.

I relocated to the Coast in 2019 where I switched from builder side to subbie side and took up a position as Operations Manager for a facade company that two good mates of mine started back in 2008. These two fellas (Nick and Jack) have also given me a number of other opportunities which I’m extremely grateful for. Putting work aside I have an amazing family, 2 brothers and a sister ( Jay, Jedd and Charlie), a beautiful niece and nephew (Isobel and Reggie), an amazing wife (Carly), a beautiful little puppy (Sadie) and a close-knit friend group. Hopefully, a few ‘tin lids’ (kids) in the future, who knows? Definitely getting in some practice haha I’m extremely close with my mother (Kym) and literally owe everything I have as well as all my successes to her. My parents worked tirelessly to afford me the greatest opportunities in life and I feel extremely fortunate to have them by my side every step of the way.

You recently opened LOCAL in Burleigh. What made you want to get into the hospitality scene on the Gold Coast?
It’s always been a dream of mine and there were limited places I genuinely enjoyed going for a beer that had it all i.e. Good food, drinks, live music, an outdoor beer garden, like-minded people and just a nice space for all occasions.

I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity to jump on board with some close mates of mine who were already in the hospo space and that’s when we stumbled across the old Harry’s site. We always had intentions of doing something great, it just took a bit longer than we first hoped. But we wanted to make sure we did it once and did it right. That’s when LOCAL Burleigh was born and the response has been truly overwhelming.

Side note, would like to thank the Locals and everyone who has come in and continues to pay homage and support us. Locals supporting LOCAL… How many times you think I can say Local in a paragraph, haha!

You have a number of other projects, including a coworking space in Burleigh. Tell us about that.
I seem to jump from one thing to another. It’s usually the odd house on the side however this time my business partners and I decided to do a shared office space on the main strip of Burleigh, James Street. We saw a gap in the market for a professional co-working community (namely those in the construction space). Rather than having people come and go we wanted to create a community of like-minded people where those on board could share information and ideas to help build and grow their own business. Since opening in late 2022 we’ve been full books and have a number of different businesses on deck including a Project Marketing Company, a Structural Engineering Firm and a Facade Company amongst a number of others. Given its success, we are looking to create another Blank Space in the near future so watch this space.

What has been the biggest opportunity and/or challenge so far for you?
Opportunities as mentioned above.

Biggest challenges: Personally – trying to find my feet on the Gold Coast having moved from Country NSW as well as finding a solid friend group and a partner. It’s taken time but I managed to do both.

Professionally – establishing a new business is always challenging little lone making it successful. Still navigating our way through and always looking to continually improve but heading in the right direction.

What do you love most about living on the Gold Coast?
The lifestyle and weather. Being an early riser it’s good to have the sun come up early and make the most of the day. Also being so close to the beach and the vast array of things to do. Growing up it was the local skate park or meet down at the 7/11 with the lads in a VL commie (Commodore) for a Friday night soiree. Being on the Gold Coast I can still do that but there are also so many other activities right at your doorstep to make the most of. 

What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café: I recently discovered Bear Boy Espresso up at Hope Island and it’s bloody fantastic. Everything from the food, to the coffee and the staff was all time.
Coffee spot: Not just saying it because I have a vested interest in the joint but love the coffee at LOCAL. We get our beans from Bellissimo coffee in Bulimba where I first met my beautiful wife. So having that tie makes it a bit spesh. I also love the coffee at Chut & Co in Mermaid. A mate of mine, Joey recently gave up his job in Construction to open up a cafe of all things and he’s killing it. To be honest much better cafe owner than builder haha (he’ll love this when he reads it).
Restaurant: Got a few however my wife and I are all over Sofia’s in Broadbeach like cheap suit at the moment. Also, can’t really go past Etsu. Always on point!
Bar or pub for a drink: Of course, LOCAL Burleigh but also love the Crab Pot down on the water. Good crew of local lads down there and it reminds me of home (with a slightly better view and a tab).

How do you choose to spend your weekends?
I’m always on the go however recently my wife and I have tried to take a step back and enjoy quality time together. We love the odd bike ride up to Main Beach from Burleigh, jumping on the Jet ski and going for a cruise up North, taking our little puppy for a run around down the Alley or simply going out and trying new places. Literally living up all the Goldie has to offer.

Frankly My Dear is a testament to affordable luxury and impeccable style, consistently delighting us with their unique pieces. And consistently lightening our wallets when we visit Pacific Fair! Together Amber Schmidt and Sammi Stephens have crafted a jewellery brand that captures the essence of the Gold Coast and resonates with women who seek both style and substance in their accessories.

These two dynamic women have built an incredible business from the ground up, expertly juggling the demands of business and family life, while inspiring future women in business to take the plunge and believe in themselves. We were thrilled to chat with Amber and Sammi, the brilliant minds behind Frankly My Dear, to learn more about their journey, inspirations and life on the Gold Coast.

How long have you been Gold Coast locals? 
Amber: I moved here 20 years ago, I am originally from Sydney but grew up in Toowoomba so it was definitely a culture shock that was well and truly embraced.
Sammi: I moved here 17 years ago from the Central Coast for a lifestyle change.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
Amber: I love the beach lifestyle, I like that you can be sandy and salty all day and then go get dressed up for cocktails at night. It is the best of both worlds! Mostly I love being a Mermaid Beach local and never having to drive anywhere on weekends with the best food and beaches at my doorstep.
Sammi: The beaches, culture and food. I love raising my children here and them embracing the Burleigh lifestyle, riding our bikes to the beach and eating out in Burleigh. 

Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Amber: I am one half of the owners of Frankly My Dear, I am a mum of 1 soon to be 2. I graduated from Bond University but always knew I had a love and passion for being in business for myself so when the opportunity came up to join my closest friend and build Frankly My Dear I jumped at it.

We have built this business for the last 10 years and had the most incredible time doing it! I hope to inspire future women in business to take the plunge and believe in themselves and also to show mums that you can juggle it all (even though it is definitely a juggle!). I am what we call the ‘brains’ of the business while my business partner is the creative genius, having the two of us with such different strengths is what has made this business so amazing.

Other than raising a family and a business my husband and I love to travel, always active based holidays where we can snowboard or he can surf. 

Sammi: I’ve always had a creative mind, I believe you’re either one of two, an academic or a creative. Unfortunately, the latter doesn’t always pay the bills so I hung up my fashion designer dreams after school and went into the corporate world. It was only once I fell pregnant with my first child Frankie that I was able to stop and rekindle my love for designing again.

Fast forward 10 years and we’ve gone from 3 best friends making jewellery in the dining room to a team of over 30 incredible women, two stores and big plans for building many more. In my personal life, I’m a mum to 4 amazing kids. We’re a blended family so I have two of my own and two stepchildren.

What inspired you to start Frankly My Dear?
Both Amber & Sammi: We wanted to create affordably priced high-quality jewellery to ensure that all women could spoil themselves. We both have a nickel allergy so we were unable to buy pieces from your standard costume jewellery stores, we wanted to fill that gap and provide a product that you could enjoy wearing every single day without breaking the bank that was still on trend.

We have kept this starting mission in our business through the 10 years of growth and even when opening our stores we ensured that our prices stayed affordable. There is nothing more we love than when people are pleasantly surprised about the price and do spoil themselves (especially mums). Walking around the Gold Coast now seeing countless people wearing our jewellery is just the most incredible feeling. 

Tell us about the process of creating your jewellery.
Sammi: Each design is born from a pencil sketch, a rough drawing that I’ll refine and convert to a 3D digital image. Once the imagery is complete the next process is molding & casting the samples and then we go into final production.

This process can take months to complete. Predicting styles and trends 6 months out is a bit tricky, to say the least however as we hand piece our jewellery in-house this gives me the flexibility of designing each piece in person.

Once all my final components arrive, this will consist of the pendants, chains, pearls and stones I’ll sit with these pieces and design the full collection over the coming month before the shoot. I draw inspiration sometimes from the location of our final shoot (especially if it’s overseas!), who the model is and even down to the outfits we select. It all plays an important role in the entire design process. 

As Gold Coast locals, how has the local culture and lifestyle influenced the style of Frankly My Dear?
Amber & Sammi: The style of Frankly My Dear is very versatile and on trend. Naturally being such an active location centred around a lot of water activity we created pieces that are sweat-proof and waterproof so that you don’t have to take your jewellery on and off all the time.

We love that Gold Coast ladies love to follow the trends and are bold with their style so we can get very creative within the collections to allow them to create the perfect style. 

What’s next for Frankly My Dear?
Sammi & Amber: Expansion! We took this year off opening our third physical store so that I (Amber) could enjoy having a baby but next year we are back to getting bigger and better! Soon we hope to have a Frankly My Dear in every state.

We also really enjoy growing the online store and creating an amazing team of women who stand behind the brand. 

What are your Gold Coast favourites?
Café: Amber: Double Barrel, Mermaid Waters, Sammi: Custard Canteen
Restaurant: Amber: Social Eating House, Sammi: Light Years
Bar: Amber: Granddad Jacks. Sammi: Precinct
Beach: Amber: Mermaid Beach. It’s my local, so you can’t beat the beach you can walk to, Sammi: North Burleigh

How do you choose to spend your days off?
Amber: With my family, we usually do the rounds of cafes in the Nobbys/Mermaid Beach area, we spend as much time at the beach as we can and then a perfect weekend would be some drinks and dinner with the girls. Being the mum of a 3 year old my weekends have changed quite dramatically, but it is a lot more wholesome.
Sammi: My partner and all 4 kids play basketball so the large majority of the week is filled with being a basketball mum, which I love!  When we’re not cheering on the sidelines the perfect day off would be a Burleigh to Talle headland walk, breakfast by the water and then a lazy day in the pool with a glass of bubbles and a feast cooking on the BBQ.