Get to know The Parenting Couch co-host, Sarah Levett

Meet Sarah Levett, co-host of The Parenting Couch podcast. Sarah is a single Mum to her 9-year-old daughter. Sarah has spent much of her life treading the boards in many of Australia’s comedy clubs as a stand-up comic. She's hosted breakfast radio shows in Geelong and Newcastle, and also been on air for Nova 96.9 in Sydney. Recently, she's added marriage celebrant & wedding MC to her list of career credits.

FIND OUT MORE

• https://sarahmonialservices.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/Sarahmonial-Services-105321041268205/
• https://www.instagram.com/sarah_monial_services/

#theparentingcouch #theparentingcouchpodcast #parenting #northshoremums #parentingexperts #parentinginterviews

Transcript

Unknown Speaker  0:02  
Welcome to The Parenting couch with Rachael Chappell and Sarah Levett honest conversations about what parenting is really like, because let's be real, it can be hard, proudly brought to you by North Shore moms.com a year.

Unknown Speaker  0:19  
Well, welcome to episode number two of the parenting couch podcast. We caught up with Rachel Rachel's idea for us to get to know each other in the first couple of episodes. And that was absolutely lovely Rachel to get to know you a little bit more. So thank you for sharing. Thank

Unknown Speaker  0:35  
you Now it's

Unknown Speaker  0:38  
my turn. All right, then well, I'll throw over to you and

Unknown Speaker  0:41  
turning the tables. I'm not used to being interviewed. What I'm most interested about is your radio history because you've been on radio for many many years. And now doing a podcast. So how did you get into radio?

Unknown Speaker  0:59  
I was doing stand up because you know, that's I started stand up at 90 My mum managed comedian. So growing up, that's just what I did. I went to comedy clubs, I hung around with comedians, it all seemed very normal to me, she ran the office from home low and offshore. I was cool actually, because I went to school in Lane Cove and I'd often have different people picking me up like whether that be a comedian turning up like in their Porsche or, you know, one of the people coming in their car and like it was a bit was a bit fun, right as a bit rock star. I don't know, you know, it's just was my norm. And then I wanted to be an actress because I don't know my my biological father, who I don't actually know and didn't grow up with, maybe once or twice is an actor, director, Mum, also, she sort of dabbled in acting. She went to NIDA briefly, she got in at 16, which is incredibly young, moved out of home and tried to tackle this big thing. And so she didn't actually make it through to the end. But it wasn't really her passion. It was actually her dad's passion that she become an actress and she was just fulfilling that I guess to please Him. And so then she went on to start this management and, you know, agency, and her background is actually ice skating. And so she actually started with an ice show that she managed that would go into shopping centers and you know, set up this was so long ago, you know, and then it moved into then she got a juggler magician onboard. And then she got comedians and then that just grew into an and then it grew into an event business as well. And how amazing yeah, so she before that she ran a rock and roll agency in the 70s as well a manager AC DC and so you know, ya know, this is wow really like so different but yet so normal for me. Yeah, I just wanted to be an actress and I just kept studying that and doing that and you know, dance class C and class all of those scenes and just wanted to perform. And then I was rejected from NIDA. Funnily enough, I had my heart set on Nida. So I was going to NIDA two years in a row, I was rejected. I remember crying in the taxi leaving going Oh, wow. Because it was just broken. Oh my God. And so then mum said, You've got great timing, you should try stand up, because there's not many women that do stand up. There was a course funnily enough at night of stand up, though. So I did that. I did that course. And then I did another course. And it's a great way if anyone's ever for you to stand up, which is not many people. But if you were doing a course is great, because you go Yeah, eight week process of writing a five minute set, and you get up and you do it in front of everyone's friends and family and it's over, you know, inviting you to be throwing yourself out there like that. And one of the most vulnerable things you can ever do most feared.

Unknown Speaker  3:45  
Yeah, I have so much respect for stand up comedians, like, whenever I've been to a comedy show. I'm just in awe of their courage to do that. Because, you know, to make people laugh must be a really hard thing. It is it is

Unknown Speaker  4:05  
a very niche skill. Not many people can do it. And then there's only a very small amount of people who do it on that world scale level one. Yes,

Unknown Speaker  4:12  
it is. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  4:14  
Ricky Gervais is one of my favorites are incredibly dark. But you know, very clever I say but there's so much to it like because it is a craft as well. And so, I did the course I performed and then I kept doing it and kept and kept doing it and you know, got to travel overseas and do it and do the Olympics. I remember that in front of 2000 people in Martin Place for very amazing. Yeah, it was great fun. We did one of the first all women's stand up shows we performed at the Tilbury hotel at Willem Alou. Brilliant and we actually ended up by the second season second runner but we were selling out and we had to turn the mayor away at the time the mayor of Sydney and yeah, then we took it to Melbourne to the festival as well it was called Show us your wits. And so then obviously since then lots of women have put on we're not lost on this Lots because there isn't lots of females doing stand up. But it was a big deal. And it was really like, well, this is different. Because being a female stand up, and I have dipped my toes back in at times in the last few years is hard as a woman in Australia.

Unknown Speaker  5:15  
Yeah. So what percentages stand up comedians would be female.

Unknown Speaker  5:21  
Like on any given night that you might have a say, an open mic night? Yeah, you know, like, so you'd have maybe a male emcee which is more common. And then say eight or nine comedians on in that scenario, you may have one or two, sometimes none that are female. And it was really funny when we would do these all female nights. And we didn't just do that, like that show was specifically put on and done that way. But then other times, we'd have an all girls night just for the hell of it. And people like man can't believe you're doing it. And the men aren't capable of you doing an all girls night. You know, we don't do all men's nights. It's like, yes, you do all. You know, it's like that whole thing about why do you need international women's style? Like, why is international man's don't? It's like, well, because, yeah. That's the thing. That was tricky, I think. And when I did it, I did do some performing. I got up in LA quite a few times over many years. And I think performing there was very different because there's people who are African American, Asian women, so many walks of life, get up and do it that the audience isn't having to adjust to that. Whereas here a woman gets on stage, especially if it's been blocked by a woman, it's you stand out. And you know, we can be a little bit more backward and sexist here. And so especially then we're talking about the 90s, into the 90s into the early 2000s. And I think that, you know, there's a lot of judgment going on for women, you know, the men is like, When was she attractive? The women are judging gun, you know, and then it's just you breaking like, you've got all these hurdles before you've even like, you know, Julia, Gilad, as prime minister, you've got all these hurdles, just in the way you look before and I was actually listening to what you're saying. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And so don't get me wrong. There were heaps of great gigs. But there were times where you knew and felt that that was something that was hindering for sure. Yeah. Harder?

Unknown Speaker  7:18  
And is there an expectation as well that you can't be as rude or, you know, out there as a male? Because Hang on, you're a woman? You can't say that?

Unknown Speaker  7:27  
Absolutely, of course, and depending on who was in the crowd, so older gentleman obviously would find that harder, older generations. And it's funny, because my mom said, and she could say this, because she was experienced because she was, you know, working in the industry. And she would say about me when I was 19, and 20, you know, I have these dimples in this sweet looking face. And then I'd come up there and say these really like, rude out there things. And that was I think, hard. Whereas I think now like when I've done stand up being older, and certainly since becoming a parent, yeah. You have more authority? Yeah. Yeah. So you do it is easier then to get away with without you a you have more authority within yourself, you feel more powerful, you know what I mean? As you age, hopefully, you become more wise and more comfortable in yourself. And then you can present on stage more, so not not being as concerned about those things. And going well, I have a right to be here and say these things. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  8:25  
And when stand up comedians are on stage, and they're telling stories about their girlfriend or their boyfriend. are they true stories? Like are they writing? You know, I always think cutting you're allowed to say that.

Unknown Speaker  8:40  
Yeah, I mean, look, I think comedy is always an extension of the truth, I think. Yeah. I mean, of course, I guess people that wouldn't be comedians that makes stuff up, but I always feel like it's not as authentic then you know what I mean? Because comedy is about attitude, you know, and so, you're going to more likely it's going to be funnier. If it's coming from a place of truth. I did. I mean, I used to do jokes about my when he was used to, because then well, then I went on to be on the radio, which I'll explain how that came about. But the, you know, I used to make jokes. He was a Pizza Hut delivery guy in our early 20s. And I used to make jokes about that and teamed up to sit there on the ground. And like, you know, it was true. And you punch line onto it, and you extend on a new exaggerate, because comedy is always about that as well. Yeah. Yeah, I think it is. I think it is. I think that's your forum. You know, Taylor Swift gets to write love songs about her relationships, and comedians get to do jokes and

Unknown Speaker  9:38  
watch out.

Unknown Speaker  9:40  
Exactly, exactly. But again, it's such a small percentage of people that actually do stand up, even men included. I mean,

Unknown Speaker  9:46  
yeah, it's extremely niche and extremely brave.

Unknown Speaker  9:51  
Thank you. Again, I don't feel I mean, I think other people are brave, like maybe people that get up and sing or people that you know, do other types of work that Tim He seems different and like something that, you know, like I had my teachers, you know, things like that where I think, Oh God, you know, but how I came into radio then was because that's what I thought Yes, start with the stand up and say that I then was at the Comedy Store one night actually. And someone said, while they're looking for people to be on nova 969 street team got in touch because a Canadian female comedian I knew actually was working there at the time, got in touch with the manager of the promotions team and went in for an interview. And it was really funny because I didn't actually listen to now over the time. It was pretty new. It was yeah, just launched. I remember sitting having this and they called the straight team. The Casanovas. Yes. And I remember her saying to me, so what do you think the role of a Casanova is? I had no idea what she was talking about. I was like, Well, I don't know how I got the job. So I ended up working on the street team, what a hoot. And fun fun, fun, fun, met some amazing people, other comedians as well, that I'm still friends with to this day.

Unknown Speaker  11:10  
And so we live crosses for customers. Yeah, correct. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  11:15  
take the sound right out. They bought those big red. At the time. They Sandman. They've just redone them. Yes. Yeah, those, and then having all the free stuff to give away out of the back. So but we were lucky because Santa, right. And we didn't have scripts. So we were given a credit line. And all we then had to do was use that credit line for the brand and then create our script. So we got to write them and be funny and creative. Because Nova was pushing the boundaries and trying to do it all so different to any other radio station. Yeah, Ross. So obviously, we're the breakfast team and went number one during that time. So the whole thing was very exciting and fun. And because of race, so and because of like listening to them every day and listening to you know, all of that. And I did get some opportunities. I started doing mid dawn. So I'd go in there at midnight, till 5am and do the night shift of just being a jock on air. But I realized the technical side was not for me when I took the station off air one morning at 6am. And Merritt came running and he's like, where are fan? We're off air. I was like, Oh my God, I know.

Unknown Speaker  12:20  
Oh, my goodness.

Unknown Speaker  12:24  
Oh, my God, I was like, I do not I just want to do the talking part. I do not.

Unknown Speaker  12:32  
Say you're the only one there. You're the only one in the home like company, no technical person, you're doing everything. But obviously the breakfast teams have a big crew of producers and and they

Unknown Speaker  12:44  
come in at about 5am 430 are aware that they're suddenly entering the building and that they're potentially listening. So you're already a bit and then that happens. So then I went off, I actually really want to do breakfast radio. So I started doing community radio show with a couple of comedians got together a demo, sent it around. And my first gig was julong. So I sent it down to Geelong to a station down there, and actually did it all over the phone. Then I got the gig and moved down to Geelong. I turned 30. And I went just packed it all up and went down and great, great place great people, unfortunately, experience because my co host ended up being a bully. And so things went south.

Unknown Speaker  13:24  
How long did you do that for?

Unknown Speaker  13:27  
It was interesting, because for the I wanted it so much. It was so exciting. And I was so you know, like I've arrived, this is exactly what I meant to be doing. And it all seemed okay in the beginning. But then the cracks, you know, he started to be you know, like putting me down. And it was a bit insidious. You know, like he said, one minute, he'd be offering to lend me money. And then the next minute, he'd be saying that my ideas were stupid and things like that. And because it was my first job, I wasn't like entirely secure in myself and doing breakfast radio, because I've never done it. Yeah. And so and I was living away from home. And my boyfriend at the time actually ended up breaking up with me at the same time all of this was going on. So it really just compounded unfortunately, this whole thing Yeah, I did go to management and try to manage it, you know, as best I can. Yeah, first, but I didn't want it to be true that this was hard. And this was turning into something not rude. I just ended up in a in a bad way. And it was full. Yeah, it was awful. It was such a shame, such a shame. So then I had to come back to Sydney and I came back in heels so I needed to heal from the whole

Unknown Speaker  14:35  
ordeal almost like being in a toxic relationship, you know, like a toxic marriage or you know, just being in that kind of environment at work would hope that there was things in place to protect you from that kind of behavior, and you should have been treated a lot better.

Unknown Speaker  14:50  
Well, they tried you know what I mean? It was it was hard because when it is insidious and subtle. It just it was such a tricky situation and it was very difficult. I took some time. And then I started sending my demo out again. And I ended up getting a job on Newcastle radio, at a radio station called New FM, where, you know, I got to have the experience that I should have had and had a very kind co host, who was also my program director as well. And so he and I became very good friends, we're still friends to this day. And so I was there for years and block to really build that confidence and, and step into that geek and go, okay. And it was extraordinary. I mean, all the things we've got to do are saying to someone the other day, actually, I saw some monster trucks up on a screen. And it reminded me of the time the monster trucks came into Newcastle. And they strapped me to a car with the mic on and everything and put me through a ring of fire on the front of a car lying on it with my hands for them, and I was in the bonnet, through the Wow, the things you do right on radio for writing, wow.

Unknown Speaker  16:01  
That is hilarious variances.

Unknown Speaker  16:05  
One of the many fun things to write a book. Ah, it's fascinating. And then I ended up for some reason my partner and I at the time decided, or I was in my 33 By now and hadn't had a baby and just decided to get testing done to see where things were at, because we thought about freezing eggs at that stage. So we could live together and, you know, just do a bit more together before we had babies. And then I found out I was running out of eggs, didn't mean they weren't good quality, but I had very low. And so basically the obstetrician, and he was in Sydney, said In fact, he was head of IVF, Australia at the time and considered one of the best that there was, and I wasn't IVF. He just said, he swore actually. And so I knew I wanted him to be my obstetrician, because he said, You need to hurry the EFF up. Just do it and do it naturally. Don't worry about pulling eggs. And I was like, Whoa, here we go. And so my partner was like, well, we're going to do it eventually. So this is what we need to do. I ended up leaving living in Newcastle and doing the show from home in Sydney, because I wanted to keep doing stand up as well all the time, because it was harder to do it in Newcastle and you know, not as many opportunities. And so then I ended up going down the well wasn't even a process because as I said, it wasn't even IVF but I ended up pregnant. So I was pregnant doing the show from Sydney back into Newcastle. And then my daughter Scarlett was born in 2014 and the whole of Newcastle that listen to the show we're writing on the whole, in fact, when she was born, I remember them texting me and saying when can you talk and I was like, I'll be right like so I'd given birth at four and it was 8am and it was primetime listening. Oh, my goodness and most listened to time and radio and I said I'll be alright, I'll talk now. After I gave birth I did it naturally which that's by the by but that was what I wanted. And I'd done a calmbirth course and it was something was important to me. And then he said right well I have to give you a general to get the placenta Adams stuck. So I had to go straight under and have a general so there I am coming out of a general anaesthetic eight o'clock. Yeah, I'll go on the Radio Live sure I'm fine. I'll be fine. So I get in the shower, and basically pass out like just like, okay, so quickly just handed the phone to my partner, the diamond said you're going live. Have fun. Have a chat. So he had to go and I've still got the recording of him talking to them live about the birth.

Unknown Speaker  18:30  
Oh my goodness.

Unknown Speaker  18:31  
Oh no, I write like no.

Unknown Speaker  18:35  
But relatable because we've all well as parents as moms we've all been there haven't we just that weird weird time you're in this such a weird little cocoon bubble, baby some drugs leftover in your system and hormones going everywhere? It's It's bonkers, bonkers,

Unknown Speaker  18:55  
like just and then I remember them saying to me was he had to be careful about pushing me back into work and saying, you know, the four week mark, I think it was a three week mark or when do you think you'll come back and cuz she was sleeping all the time. As you know they do. For the first few weeks. All they do. And then in about six weeks, I wake up from this special little slumber and they give you a little taste of what it's really like and I didn't know that. I thought I'll come back in six weeks. Oh, well, yeah. Wow. Better on a bounce desk. And I'm like, Ah,

Unknown Speaker  19:26  
so how long did that last? Did you continue or do you try and hang on all I tried

Unknown Speaker  19:32  
for ages and then there'd be times you know, there's a photo of me pumping one breast feeding her on the other and talking on a microphone right? In my pajamas because as if I was gonna bother getting dressed, roll out of bed and onto air and like have her on my fitness and she'd been feeding every two hours through the night. She did that for the first 12 months. She had a lot of growing to do. She's going to be tall and and so I ended up I think it was at about the four month Mark maybe so I got that far. I don't know how of juggling that. And then I got my mum, my mother in law and and then I actually hired a babysitter to cover that five mornings. But it was good because then after 10, we've done everything we needed to do. I had the rest of the day with her and got her mother's group and do all those things that I wanted to do. So it was actually whilst it was tricky, it was a lovely arrangement because, yeah, I had the time with her still,

Unknown Speaker  20:25  
was that the last kind of radio proper? You had or Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  20:29  
it's one of those things that I'm sure so many parents have to contemplate. And I did at the time. She was one, I'd said conundrum of, I'm either going to feel guilty, because I'm not giving enough to my job, or I'm going to feel guilty because I'm not giving enough to my child. Yeah. And I chose obviously my daughter, because that one, I can return to Radio One day, probably. And she's nine now. So a long time has passed, but even stand up, I had to set aside those things I've had to set aside and then I became a marriage celebrant. So in some ways I've managed to fulfill, so stand up. But as we were talking before we started recording about, you know, you do get to pepper in some funny things and perform a little bit to a point. So I feel like I'm satisfying those things that I enjoyed about radio stand up into other means that fit with my daughter at this point in my life. And I'm a single parent. So So I

Unknown Speaker  21:23  
was literally about to ask about that. So how is single parenting when When did you split from your partner five years

Unknown Speaker  21:30  
ago? Right? So she was now what? Four? Four?

Unknown Speaker  21:35  
Did she kind of understand what was going on at that stage? Or was that kind of a good age to do it?

Unknown Speaker  21:43  
No, there is, though. I mean, the reality is they say the younger, the better. Because they actually before for before five, I think they say because they don't actually then have a recollection of it being that way. So this is way more than norm the way it is now then, you know, it'd be hard for her to really picture like she likes the idea of us living together. My mother chose to do it on her own. Yeah. So I didn't have it. So I didn't lose it. Whereas, you know, I think kids that do that have that experience, probably their ultimate wish is that their parents were together. Yeah, you know, but we still he'll come Christmas morning. And we do presents with her still on Easter morning and things like that. And so, you know, we're fine in that respect. So we've managed to muddle our way through all of that, and, you know, get to the place we are now and as I said she spent more life without him living here with us. Yeah. The other end in that time, we've changed houses as well, which has been good, you know, different fresh start. This is. Yeah, and so the single parenting thing, I think, because I grew up with a single parent, it's not like this is so astonishing, like, Oh my God. Yeah, you know,

Unknown Speaker  22:49  
it's what you're used to.

Unknown Speaker  22:51  
I watched her do both roles. I think though, I wanted the opposite, though. So because I had that I wanted the two kids two parents scenario,

Unknown Speaker  23:02  
does she talk about wanting a sibling ever? Or she's just happy time? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  23:06  
One of her friends mom's is currently pregnant. And you can. It's on she's very maternal, though. And I was at that age too. So I can see that she being nine would be more helpful and everything I certainly think about 40 So I must be some sort of lunatic but I mean, Stranger things have happened. I wouldn't want to do it on my own. I've said that to people reasons. I would actually like to have the experience of doing it on an equal playing field and have that experience so the only way I would do it would be that way.

Unknown Speaker  23:36  
And are there any men on the scene? Any any fellas in the background? Maybe Maybe every now and

Unknown Speaker  23:45  
then I have a little crush. But no, I'm not really saying. I've done my whole online dating and it's just a nightmare. Oh my goodness. I've been catfished twice. Ah,

Unknown Speaker  23:57  
seriously. Seriously? How do you find out that you're being catfish? Like what well it kind of the first

Unknown Speaker  24:06  
one was just so obvious because he sat there like his photos were like he was some Hollywood looking after like headshots and enforce highs and really and then he just bullshit about like being some famous actor in America and really successful and he could hardly talk properly. Like the other thing with me is because I asked a lot of questions because I'm used to doing lots of interviews. They don't like me catfish people because they're like what they want is someone young and naive that they can pull the wool over and go whereas I was like, right question question and then he just basically got a phone call and goes Oh, my mom's ringing I need to go and I was like, Oh good. A good reasons right?

Unknown Speaker  24:47  
What are these people what do these people gain because surely when they do finally meet the woman, they're going to be like, You are not who you said you were. How is that actually going to lead that lead to anything?

Unknown Speaker  24:57  
The second one though? They are a different story like he was next level good at it. And he had me hooked for sure. Obviously done research. So he was hooking into things to do with me that had me. Yeah, like he said he grew up like on the same street or his family homes in the same way that my mom grew up in, in a suburb, right?

Unknown Speaker  25:18  
And other crazy. Oh, my God is so

Unknown Speaker  25:22  
crazy. When I realized afterwards I went had lunch with him for two or three hours or something. And Curability actually, so he picked Curability, I was at work to nice suburb, he paid for lunch, he had all these stories, he wore a nice suit, you know what I mean? Like it was very believable, and I was really struggling during it kind of going, you know, like, there's already a bit of skepticism, right? But then it was so elaborate. And he told me that he was a movie producer. And so then I went, this guy, I'm gonna look up the name. So I looked up the name that he had given me of himself. And it was someone totally different. That was an American movie producer that had produced the film he was talking about, but it wasn't him at all. He taken someone else's identity. And then when I realized I was like, Oh, my God, wouldn't I tell him about myself and my daughter? And like, there was a moment of that was really creepy, whereas the first, so you might you'll be right.

Unknown Speaker  26:15  
Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. So Well, on that note, let's hope Love finds you. And I think over the next few weeks, maybe you'll have some updates. Hopefully, with men.

Unknown Speaker  26:26  
I'll keep you posted. I'm more than happy to keep you updated. And of course, you can email me at Sarah Levett one@yahoo.com. If you'd like to go on a date and look out for my profile on all of the sites and or a wedding look at it.

Unknown Speaker  26:43  
Right or swipe left if you like the person I don't even know swipe right.

Unknown Speaker  26:47  
Or sometimes you make a mistake and yeah, striking swap the wrong way. And you know, come back. I didn't mean to swipe you that way. You are one of the potential Gone. Gone gone. not meant to be.

Unknown Speaker  26:57  
And then you never see them again. God.

Unknown Speaker  27:00  
That's it. You know. It's funny, it's a whole nother episode of he was the

Unknown Speaker  27:05  
one well, that's right. Well, he obviously

Unknown Speaker  27:07  
wasn't right, because otherwise he would have the right way. That's how I have to look at it. Otherwise, yeah. Crazy. Yeah. It's been fun. So there we go. table's turned. Thanks for Thanks for that, I guess.

Unknown Speaker  27:20  
Pleasure it was, I loved learning more about your journey and the whole stand up comedy to radio. It's amazing. Lots of great stories along the way.

Unknown Speaker  27:32  
Very colorful. I mean, I feel like when I went to have my daughter I was you know, live to live good life live life, you know, so that's important, isn't it that you get to this point 44 And go right. I feel like yeah, satisfied at the at this juncture and, you know, doing this is great fun. I love doing this. So thank you to everyone. for tuning in. You can always jump on please and rate and review wherever you listen to your podcasts. And of course, you can catch us on the socials and Northshore mums as well on Facebook, and also moms.com.au

Unknown Speaker  28:03  
So thanks for tuning in and we will be back in two weeks time

Transcribed by https://otter.ai