We’re so lucky to have Mahala on the Bloom team! Once you get to know Mahala and her story, it’s easy to see why.

For nearly four years, Mahala Warren has been at the heart of Bloom’s talent function, supporting clients across recruitment with such a positive and genuine outlook.

Since joining in 2022, she’s built a reputation for delivering thoughtful, high-quality outcomes, and for making the process feel refreshingly human.

With more than 15 years’ experience under her belt, Mahala brings a breadth of knowledge across financial services, government, construction and not-for-profit sectors.

Add to that time spent living and working in Europe, and you get someone who understands people, workplaces and culture from multiple angles.

A career built around people

Mahala’s path into recruitment started with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations, but it didn’t take long for her to find her niche.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with people and helping things come together,” she says. “Recruitment gave me the opportunity to do both.”

That early spark stuck. Even as her career has taken her across industries and continents, the core motivation has stayed the same.

Finding the right fit (and making it count)

While she’s worked across broader HR, recruitment is where Mahala feels most at home.

“At its core, it’s about understanding people and organisations, and then finding the right match,” she explains. “When you get that balance right, it makes a real difference.”

Her philosophy? Keep it simple.

“You don’t have to overcomplicate it,” she says. “Be clear, be honest, and make sure people feel supported. Good communication and genuine care go a long way.”

Why Bloom has been the perfect fit

For Mahala, Bloom brings together everything she loves about recruitment in one role.

“One of the things I value most is the variety,” she says. “Each client brings a different environment, different people, and a different challenge, which keeps the work interesting and meaningful.”

The opportunity to travel across Australia has also been a highlight, offering a deeper connection to the work Bloom supports.

“Getting out to different locations and meeting frontline workers has been incredibly rewarding,” she explains. “You really see the impact these organisations are having, especially supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

That sense of purpose is what makes the role so fulfilling.

“If we can help them find the right person to join their team, someone who genuinely fits and can contribute, then I feel a real sense of job satisfaction.”

Variety, connection and a bit of travel

While remote work has made it easier to support clients across Australia, Mahala still values face-to-face time.

“Flexibility is great, but nothing quite replaces being there in person and building real connections.”

Her recent work has taken her to South Australia and Melbourne, with Darwin next on the list.

What clients say

Mahala’s impact doesn’t go unnoticed:

“Mahala made the entire recruitment process such a pleasure. She was always so kind and easy to communicate with, and I always had complete faith she was acting in my best interests at all time. It was a pleasure to work with her.”

For Mahala, the most rewarding parts of the job don’t always happen straight away.

“The best moments are when you check in with someone a couple of years later and they’re still in the role and loving it,” she says. “That’s when you realise you’ve helped create something that’s really worked.”

Looking ahead

At Bloom, Mahala continues to strengthen the talent function while helping clients attract and keep the right people.

Her approach hasn’t changed, and that’s exactly the point: understand the brief, build strong relationships, and get the fundamentals right.

Because when you do that well, everything else tends to fall into place.

The post Career Story: Mahala Warren – A career built around people appeared first on Bloom HR.

For more than four decades, Havelock Housing has played a vital role in supporting people experiencing housing stress across Canberra, delivering safe, affordable homes and services that help individuals and families rebuild stability and dignity. 

Under the leadership of CEO Kylie Maidens, the organisation continues to strengthen its service delivery model, culture and operational foundations, with a clear focus on consistency, quality and peoplefirst leadership across the community housing sector. 

Kylie’s career story is a powerful reminder that leadership does not follow a single path, and that belief in yourself can be just as important as any qualification. 

A career built on courage, not credentials

Reflecting on her journey, Kylie admits that taking part in a career story prompted a surprising moment of reflection. 

“It really made me think about how I got here,” she says. “About hard work, about saying yes to opportunities, and about not saying no to myself.”   

Unlike many of her peers, Kylie did not follow a traditional path into leadership. She chose not to pursue higher education, something she is very open about, moving straight into the world of work shortly after high school. 

“When I look at people around me, sometimes I still think, how did I get here?” she reflects. “But what I know now is that someone’s capability is not defined by the certificate is framed on a wall.” 

From early on, Kylie learned to focus not on what she could not do, but on what she could do, a mindset that would define her career and leadership style. 

Finding ambition early

Kylie began her career in the not-for-profit sector in the role of Office Coordinator at Lifeline Australia, and it didn’t take long for her ambition to form.   

“I knew very early where I wanted to be,” she says. “I wanted to be the CEO of a small NFP.” 

That clarity became her compass and over the next two decades, Kylie worked steadily toward that goal, building experience, capability and credibility through hands on service delivery, operational roles and leadership positions across the sector. 

At the same time, she was forming strong views about the kind of leader she wanted to be. 

Leading with empathy

Over the past 20 years, leadership styles have shifted dramatically, particularly within purpose driven organisations. But Kylie’s leadership philosophy was remarkably consistent from the start. 

“I always knew I wanted to lead with empathy and kindness,” she says. “That has never changed.” 

Kylie points to former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as a key source of inspiration.  For Kylie, leadership is about tenacity and determination, but just as importantly, about humanity. 

A brief detour and a valuable lesson

At one point, Kylie found herself leaving the notforprofit sector, not by choice but due to a departmental closure and redundancy. She took a role in the corporate world, a move that quickly confirmed what she already suspected. 

“My cup was never going to be full there,” she says frankly. 

The experience reinforced something fundamental about Kylie’s values and motivations, showing that purpose mattered too much. As soon as the opportunity arose, she returned to the notforprofit sector, where she now plans to remain for the rest of her career. 

“My work is grounded in a values system,” she says. “That is nonnegotiable for me.” 

Leadership at Havelock Housing

At Havelock Housing, Kylie brings that valuesdriven approach into every aspect of organisational leadership. 

She is particularly passionate about service delivery consistency across the community services sector, believing it to be the cornerstone of sustainable impact. 

“Service delivery is everything,” she explains. “To do it well, we need strong infrastructure underneath, such as business mapping, clear processes and operational discipline. That is what allows peoplecentred work to truly thrive.” 

Culture, however, always comes first. 

“Culture is the best possible foundation,” Kylie says. “If you get that right, the rest follows.” 

Paying it forward

Some of Kylie’s career highlights are not programs or projects, but seeing what people can achieve. 

Early in her career, she was supported by inspirational leaders who believed in her potential. Now, she is committed to paying that forward through mentoring and peer support. 

“Mentoring is one of the most worthwhile, costeffective and positive things this sector can do,” she says. 

Kylie has mentored colleagues who have gone on to lead major service delivery programs in the Northern Territory, the UK and with the United Nations, with others now operating at executive and senior director level in government. 

“There is honestly nothing that makes me happier than seeing people reach their full potential,” she says. 

She is also passionate about creating exposure for emerging leaders, deliberately bringing junior team members into conferences, government meetings and strategic conversations. 

“They need to see what is possible,” she says. “That visibility can change everything.” 

Advice for the next generation

Her advice is both practical and encouraging.  Think about the career you want and build it deliberately. Do not be discouraged by rejection, a ‘no’ today does not mean you are not good enough. Often, it simply means ‘not yet’. 

“Keep going,” she says. “Next month. Next year. Until you get where you need to be.” 

Looking ahead

As CEO of Havelock Housing, Kylie remains focused on strengthening service delivery, nurturing culture and developing the next generation of leaders within the sector. 

Bloom is proud to support Havelock Housing and grateful to Kylie for sharing her story, her leadership and her belief that life truly begins at the end of your comfort zone. 

The post Career Story: Kylie Maidens – Life begins at the end of your comfort zone appeared first on Bloom HR.

A career of unexpected turns

Caroline describes her journey as “decidedly non‑linear,” beginning in external audit soon after graduating with a degree in Accounting & Finance. Looking back, she says she would reassure her 21‑year‑old self that a non‑linear career is a strength, not a weakness.

“Careers are journeys with intersections, bridges and unexpected turns,” she reflects. “Nothing is finite. Every experience helps shape your next step. Even the roles that don’t energise you help clarify the direction you do want to go, and reveal your real strengths.”

Her first role was with Ernst & Young in Glasgow. Two years in, she accepted a sponsored move to EY Sydney, a temporary relocation that has now been home for 22 years.

Caroline then joined Foxtel, where the culture felt a world away from a ‘Big Four’ accountancy firm. .

“I’ll never forget having a TV on my desk, and a giant slide between floors,” she laughs. “It was a far cry from professional services!”

At Foxtel she worked across major national projects, including the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, new sport channel launches, broadband service launches and digital partnerships with some of Australia’s largest telcos. It was a rewarding commercial career, but a growing interest in purpose‑driven work began to shape her next steps.

A climate wake-up call

In 2018, the release of the IPCC climate report, combined with Australia’s escalating environmental challenges, prompted Caroline to make a bold change. She left Foxtel after 13 years to join Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

Moving from commercial media to a global environmental organisation was a significant shift. Shortly after she arrived, the Black Summer bushfires blanketed Sydney in smoke for weeks, providing a vivid and confronting reminder of the urgency of climate change.

“My time at Greenpeace fundamentally changed my perspective,” she says. “It made the issues impossible to ignore and showed me how purpose‑driven organisations can scale impact in powerful ways.”

Finding the bridge between purpose and commerciality

Caroline joined WorkVentures after an introduction through a professional connection — an opportunity that perfectly aligned her commercial experience with her desire for social impact.

“At WorkVentures, we combine social purpose with a commercial, client‑centred model,” she explains. “It allows us to be sustainable, scalable and focused on quality.”

Her arrival coincided with the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic. While home‑schooling her two daughters, she witnessed firsthand how deeply the digital divide affected families. “Children without devices or digital skills were falling behind. The digital divide widened overnight.

Programs close to Caroline’s heart

Almost five years into her journey as WorkVentures’ CEO, two initiatives stand out among Caroline’s proudest achievements: the Technology Facilitated Abuse (TFA) Playbook and WorkVentures’ support of The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.

The Technology Facilitated Abuse (TFA) Playbook addressed a real gap in support available to domestic abuse survivors and caseworkers.  Sadly, this form of abuse is rapidly on the rise, where perpetrators use digital devices, spyware, & social media to control, monitor, or harass victim-survivors; it’s complex, fast-evolving and increasingly common.  The Playbook provides practical tools, safety checklists and step-by-step guidance for caseworkers supporting victim-survivors. The impact was immediate, the Playbook helped frontline workers support more than 1,000 victim-survivors in a single region in its initial rollout.

Equally meaningful for Caroline is the organisation’s work with The Smith Family on their Learning for Life program, an initiative supporting over 70,000 young people  experiencing poverty to stay engaged throughout their education. These children often start school already behind their peers, through no fault of their own, simply because they lack access to the tools and opportunities many others take for granted.

Working alongside community partners and program specialists, Caroline’s team helped shape a model that delivers not only the digital devices children need for learning, but also the essential digital skills that empower entire families to use technology confidently. For Caroline, the project demonstrated how thoughtful design and technology can improve real-life outcomes for children and their families.

For Caroline, both projects reflect the best of social enterprise.  “This is technology expertise being used for profound human benefit,” she says.

Looking ahead

Caroline’s career shows what can happen when commercial leadership and social purpose work together.

From negotiating Olympic broadcast rights to tackling digital poverty, her journey has been defined by adaptability and a commitment to meaningful change.

Looking ahead, she is focused on scaling Work Ventures’ impact, including the continued growth of the National Device Bank, an initiative aiming to secure one million donated devices to help reduce digital poverty across Australia.

As WorkVentures enters its next chapter, Caroline remains committed to ensuring technology becomes a pathway to opportunity, not a barrier.

Bloom is proud to support WorkVentures and grateful to Caroline for sharing her story and leadership.

Pictured above left, is Caroline attending The King’s Trust Australia Awards and above right, presenting on the National Device Bank to the Women in Tech Fest 2026.

The post Career Story: Caroline McDaid on Leadership, Purpose and Impact appeared first on Bloom HR.

It’s a social enterprise built on community, purpose and social impact. One hundred per cent of HoMie’s profits go towards its mission to support young people affected by homelessness or hardship.

Over the past decade, the organisation has supported more than 4,000 young people, and it’s a story that deserves to be told.

Bloom has had the privilege of partnering with HoMie as their HR partner for the past couple of years. During this time, it’s been a genuine pleasure working alongside, and getting to know, their team. We were delighted when Ryan Neville, HoMie’s Lead Designer, accepted our invitation to share his story.

HoMie’s product design direction is led by Ryan, whose work helps shape a brand where every piece tells a story beyond the fabric.  Ryan has been part of the HoMie journey almost since the beginning, starting as a volunteer before progressing into the role of Product & Design Lead.

In this career story, Ryan reflects on his path through fashion, the responsibility that comes with designing for a not-for-profit label, and how purpose continues to drive HoMie’s creative vision.

A Path Shaped by Purpose

Ryan originally studied graphic design before later specialising in fashion design. Ryan’s earliest roles were spent designing corporate merchandise, working in fashion manufacturing and also some time as PA to a South Australian politician. These early experiences all hold fond memories for Ryan, but he struggled to find a role which he was truly invested in. That was until his path crossed with HoMie, working on a print run of HoMie t-shirts, when he discovered the brand and knew it was where he wanted to be. He began volunteering with HoMie in his spare time, transitioned into freelance work, and eventually moved into a full-time role. Fast forward seven years, and Ryan is now the lead designer in a role that now sees him leading the brand’s product direction.

When Ryan first came across HoMie, its difference was immediately clear.

“HoMie is completely different organisation to any other I’ve come across,” he says, “blending social inclusion and fashion in a way no one else really does.” Ryan firmly believes that it’s that unique quality which is central to HoMie’s success.

Designing for Impact

Working in the not-for-profit sector gives Ryan’s role an added sense of purpose. One of the most rewarding aspects of his work is seeing the progress made by participants in HoMie’s Pathway Alliance and Retail Ready programs.

“It is incredible watching their confidence grow,” Ryan says. “You really see people come out of their shell as they move through the program.”  These experiences influence the way the team thinks about design and the impact each product and the wider team can have.

Creating HoMie’s Best Loved Pieces

Over his seven years with the organisation, Ryan has been involved in developing many of HoMie’s most popular items.

The heavyweight collection is a standout (pictured below), forming a core range of everyday essentials that have become a signature for the brand.

His personal favourite, however, is a new product soon to be released: HoMie’s reversible jackets.   “They are the piece I am most proud of,” he says. “They work well in everyday life but still look polished.”

A Supportive Team and an Inclusive Workplace

While its mission is what initially drew Ryan to HoMie, it’s the people who have made the biggest impression.

“They are the best people I have ever worked with,” he says.“  Supportive inside and outside the workplace.”

As a wheelchair user, Ryan has encountered barriers that exist in many fashion settings, applying to roles that he later discovered were located in small upstairs spaces without suitable access. HoMie approached things differently. Early meetings were held in accessible cafes, flexible work options were built in from the start, and today Ryan splits his time between HoMie’s accessible Collingwood head office and the new Emporium store.

Beyond physical accessibility, Ryan values the collaborative nature of the team. Being part of a small organisation means being involved across the full production process, from concept development and supplier conversations to resolving production challenges and joining photoshoots. That variety has contributed to a role that feels both diverse and rewarding.

Looking Ahead

Ryan’s journey at HoMie highlights what is possible when design and purpose come together. From volunteer beginnings to leading the brand’s product direction, he has helped shape products that support a mission far larger than the clothes themselves.

As HoMie continues to grow, Ryan remains focused on creating work that is thoughtful, practical and aligned with the needs of the young people the organisation exists to support.

Thank you so much Ryan, for taking the time to share your story. 

PS we can’t wait to see the new reversible jackets!

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