Looking for a sweet sparkly new desktop wallpaper? How about a delicious watercolour print to download and stick on your wall? How about three of each and an interview with Kendyl from beStella about finding inspiring rural and regional women and sharing their stories via her gorgeous blog? It's all below...

Kendyl from beStella and I have teamed up to bring you some goodies to help bring some extra positivity to your desktops and walls/workspaces! If you love glitter, or you're currently crushing on watercolour, or perhaps you prefer a bolder brush script style...we have one of each for you! Just follow the instructions below to collect your desktop wallpapers and printable PDF's.

I've also picked Kendyl's brain on all things beStella and her serious passion for exploring the paths that inspiring regional women have followed to be where they are today.

Desktop Wallpapers: sign up to my newsletter using the form below and I'll send you a link to download :) Existing subscribers will also be sent the link automatically.

Printable PDF's: Visit beStella here to access three delicious downloadable/printable designs!

Read on to learn more about beStella and the exciting things Kendyl and her team have planned for Bendigo!

Tell us a little about yourself...

I was born and raised in Bendigo and am married with two children. I love travelling and sport. London and Langkawi have been my favorite travel destinations but I still have so much more of the world to explore. I am a huge fan of netball and I’m heavily involved in playing and coaching at my local club, Golden Square.

How did you come up with the idea of beStella and what is it all about?

beStella was an idea that came from a time when I was at a crossroads in my career and looking for new opportunities. After completing an amazing leadership program called Ahead of the Game, facilitated by Leigh Russell from Inspired Heads, it got me thinking and motivated me to spark up some courage to do something for myself that I had a passion for.

It was during a family holiday that the idea of beStella came to me. Although it’s very early days for beStella and it is continually evolving, there is a lot more to come.

beStella is a platform showcasing rural and regional women and sharing their career journeys and pathways. beStella has a strong purpose and focus of inspiring, informing and motivating other rural and regional women who are on their career journey.

What do you love most about encouraging/empowering women?

I strongly believe everybody should have the opportunity to start somewhere. For me, I love hearing and sharing the journeys of regional women with the beStella community. After each interview I always feel inspired by each woman’s individual journey.

If I can share what other women are doing and how they got there, and if that then encourages other women to try something new, gain a little more confidence or take a leap of faith then the blog is doing its job. By collaborating we can achieve more.

Andrea from Bendigo Magazine, Paige from Frankie & Co, Miranda from The Eternal Vase

Tell us about something of the women you've met and connections you've made through the journey so far...

It’s been a fast-paced journey to date. I have made so many connections and met so many people who are amazing leaders, willing to lift others and more than willing to mentor and collaborate with other women.

I was extremely fortunate to meet with Helen McCabe and Emily Brooks from The Australian Women’s Weekly. This was at the very beginning of beStella and both Helen and Emily gave me the most valuable hour of my life. They were full of ideas, questions and advice that really got me kick started!

The beStella partners – Soho Boutique Bendigo, Regional Management Group and MGR Accountants – are all extremely important connections to have made. They have all been enormously encouraging and added so much value to the beStella journey.

Every single person I have interviewed has been amazing and truly inspiring. Each interview is individual, some with lots of laughs and some with tears, but it’s an amazing feeling to showcase and share the journeys of these inspiring women, so others can read and learn from them.

Who else makes up the team or contributes to beStella?

I have some amazing contributors behind the scenes who all help with articles, interviews, and the technology side of things. They all have great ideas and skills and are extremely passionate about supporting regional women. Visit bestella.com.au to meet the team.

How do you find it working on beStella in addition to having a full time job and a family? Any tips & tricks that you'd love to share?

Extremely busy but I’m loving every minute of it!

Some days are a complete juggling act with my family, full time job (which I love) and beStella. Also throw a bit of netball into the mix and the weeks fly!

My best tips are to be to be very organized, have good time management and plan ahead. Surround yourself with key people and never stop asking questions to learn more.

Are there any books/magazines/podcasts etc. that you would recommend as a source of inspiration and motivation?

I am addicted to the Renegade Collective magazine. It is such a great read and fills me with new motivation every month. If you haven’t discovered this magazine yet, it’s a must read.

I also recommend getting your hands on a copy of Lisa Messenger’s Daring and Disruptive if you are looking for a major injection of inspiration and motivation.

What are your favourite apps/sites/tech that you couldn't run beStella without?

The two major items would be my iPhone and Facebook

I use my iPhone all the time! For interviews, photos and social media. It’s probably the most important tool I use for beStella.

Facebook has been a major help when it comes to “spreading the beStella word”. It’s such an effective way to reach people, so that’s another thing I rely on.

What's next for beStella?

Definitely bigger and better things are to come.

In the near future events will be launched as part of beStella. Behind the scenes the beStella team is preparing an exciting event for regional women in October 2015. ‘Like’ beStella on Facebook to stay tuned for event details.

Long term, beStella is also busy planning and preparing some useful programs and development opportunities that regional women can easily access without having to travel to a major city.

We are so excited by our collaboration with great partners and the opportunities this will present for regional women, we can’t wait to launch the bigger and better beStella soon.

What's your favourite thing about living and working in Bendigo?

I love the fact that Bendigo is significantly growing in population and the city features amazing facilities that regional people can access. The Bendigo Art Gallery, Ulumbarra Theatre, the new Bendigo Hospital and the huge variety of cafes and restaurants we now have makes Bendigo an amazing place to live, work and raise a family.

Thanks so much for sharing Kendyl! You can find beStella here, and on Facebook here.

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