Transcript: Edwina Bartholomew and Pip Brett on Friendship, Fear and Fast Walkers
And We're Rolling with Stephanie Hunt | Season 2
Note: This episode was recorded on a bed at Edwina's house, dodging tradies with power tools downstairs, a barking dog, and a sleeping baby. Exactly as chaotic and wonderful as it sounds.
The Sleepover Interview
Steph Hunt:
It’s lovely to see you both in the flesh, sitting on your bed. It feels like a sleepover.
Edwina Bartholomew:
Only because I’ve booked every tradie in Sydney to come here on the same day using power tools throughout the house.
So I apologise to podcast listeners if my daughter, the dog, or a tradie interrupts.
But yes — it’s lovely to see you.
Pip Brett:
It’s so lovely to see you.
This really is proper sleepover mode.
Steph Hunt:
You two are besties. I didn’t realise just how far back this goes.
You met at boarding school?
Edwina Bartholomew:
Yes, Pip had already been there for a year before I arrived.
Pip Brett:
Edwina turned up in Year 8 and looked so mature and exotic.
Like the girl off Dawson's Creek. It was massive at the time.
We all thought she was so cool.
And she was from Japan!
Edwina Bartholomew:
I was exotic for Wahroonga in the late ’90s.
Pip Brett:
Totally.
And Ed was fascinated by all these girls she’d suddenly been thrown in with.
That’s boarding school — instant intensity.
You’re suddenly living with these people.
Not everyone loves it, but we were lucky.
We had an incredible year group, and many of us are still best friends.
Edwina Bartholomew:
We still see each other all the time.
And that’s pretty rare.
The Moles
Steph Hunt:
You still have your friendship group now — The Moles?
Pip Brett:
Yes, that’s our WhatsApp group.
We are, in fact, moles.
Edwina Bartholomew:
After school, we all lived together in Bondi — or more accurately, Bondi Junction pretending to be Bondi.
And yes, there was a “cookbook.”
Though “cookbook” is generous.
It was basically a folder of magazine clippings and photocopied recipes.
Steph Hunt:
I was imagining a publishing empire.
Pip Brett:
If anyone wants 50 ways to make toasted cheese sandwiches, we’re available.
The Power of Female Friendship
Edwina Bartholomew:
One thing I’ve always found unusual is when women don’t support other women.
That’s just never been our experience.
We’ve lived and breathed female support since Year 7 and Year 8.
We celebrate each other’s wins.
We show up when things go badly.
That’s just normal for us.
Pip Brett:
And we’re brutally honest with each other.
To the point where people would probably wonder if we actually like each other.
But that’s what happens when you’ve known people for nearly 30 years.
Steph Hunt:
That kind of friendship is gold.
The people who can cut through the noise and tell you the truth.
Pip’s Empire
Steph Hunt:
Pip, Jumbled is incredible.
Jess described you as “the dreamer of dreamers,” the energiser bunny, and the fastest walker alive.
Pip Brett:
I love fast walkers.
I would absolutely hire someone based on how fast they walk.
There’d be a speed test.
Walk around the block. Timer’s on.
Steph Hunt:
You built Jumbled from scratch.
What’s been the secret to your success?
And no modesty.
Pip Brett:
Honestly, it’s just everything I love in one place.
It feels natural.
It’s authentic.
I’m not manufacturing something fake.
And I think people connect with that.
I’ve also always had a really clear vision.
But things evolved.
I opened my first store, Igloo, when I was 21.
I had no idea where it would all lead.
A lot of it is ignorance being bliss.
Edwina Bartholomew:
I remember driving to Bathurst for Pip’s opening night.
It was one of the worst drives of my life.
Fog, mountains, terrible roads.
But we were determined to get there and support her.
And now look what it’s become.
It’s extraordinary.
The Collaborations
Steph Hunt:
Your collaborations are epic — Kip&Co, Robert Gordon, and more.
Were those daunting at first?
Pip Brett:
Not really.
The Robert Gordon one happened because I mentioned on a podcast that my dream collaboration would be ceramics.
They were listening.
They messaged me while I was sitting poolside with Edwina on her babymoon.
I was so excited I swallowed a lady beetle.
Which I’m convinced is lucky.
That’s how things happen.
Put it out there.
Steph Hunt:
Manifestation by podcast.
Perfect.
Edwina’s Career
Steph Hunt:
Edwina, you’ve had an extraordinary career.
What’s the secret?
Edwina Bartholomew:
I’ve just worked relentlessly hard.
And I’ve been very lucky — though I agree with Pip’s diary quote:
The harder you work, the luckier you are.
I don’t really believe in luck as a standalone concept.
You create your own opportunities.
And I’ve said yes to everything.
From making coffee at Seven to interviewing Lady Gaga at 2am.
You end up with these bizarre moments.
One day you’re cooking with Jamie Oliver on Zoom.
Another day you’re broadcasting live from Machu Picchu while Australian politics implodes.
It’s surreal.
Most Daunting Moment
Steph Hunt:
What’s been your most daunting moment?
Edwina Bartholomew:
Hosting Dancing with the Stars.
Absolutely terrifying.
I’m standing backstage in this giant sequinned gown, convinced I’m about to fall apart.
And Tina Arena, who was competing on the show, walked over, grabbed my shoulders, looked me in the eye, and said exactly what I needed to hear.
It steadied me instantly.
And then we had an amazing night.
That kindness stays with you.
Self-Doubt
Steph Hunt:
What’s been the biggest challenge?
Edwina Bartholomew:
Believing in myself.
Honestly, self-doubt.
For too long I listened to outside voices more than my own.
Especially social media comments.
I thought reading criticism would help me improve.
It doesn’t.
Eventually, I stopped reading it.
And it was one of the healthiest decisions I ever made.
Pip Brett:
No one can survive that level of negativity.
And people forget real people actually read those comments.
Edwina Bartholomew:
Exactly.
You’ll get 99 lovely comments and fixate on the one awful one.
It’s human nature.
But eventually you have to stop caring what strangers think.
The Huddle
Steph Hunt:
Let’s talk about The Huddle.
Where did that idea come from?
Pip Brett:
It was during drought.
Regional businesses were struggling.
We’d been rethinking what Jumbled stood for and realised giving back needed to be part of it.
So we created a space where female business owners across regional NSW could come together, learn, connect and feel inspired.
Edwina Bartholomew:
And Pip absolutely undersells what she built.
It was colourful, thoughtful, joyful and beautifully executed.
It wasn’t some sterile convention-centre corporate event.
It felt real.
And watching Pip create that was incredible.
Pip Brett:
And watching Ed host it was next level.
She blew everyone away.
Not just polished — truly listening, asking thoughtful questions, deeply present.
It was exceptional.
What Holds Women Back
Pip Brett:
My biggest takeaway was realising how often women are held back by themselves.
Not by circumstance.
Not by other people.
By their own doubt.
I don’t think men talk that way nearly as much.
Edwina Bartholomew:
I found an old letter I’d written to myself recently.
It reminded me how important it is to trust yourself.
We forget.
Until something shakes us awake.
Did You Ever Imagine This Life?
Steph Hunt:
Did those girls at boarding school ever imagine this?
Pip Brett:
Honestly?
No.
I don’t think we thought that far ahead.
Edwina Bartholomew:
You can’t predict any of it.
And that’s freeing.
You think life should follow a map.
It doesn’t.
And once you accept that, it’s wonderful.
Closing
Steph Hunt:
Ladies, this has been a joy.
You’re both beautiful inside and out.
Thank you.
Edwina Bartholomew:
Thank you.
It’s lovely to reflect like this.
And exciting to think about what’s still to come.
Pip Brett:
Thank you.
And We're Rolling is hosted by Steph Hunt and produced by Stephanie Hunt Media and Habari Productions. If you need help with media training or your next on-camera appearance, head to stephaniehuntmedia.com. If you like this podcast, please share it with everyone you know, and follow, rate and review. Thanks for listening.
