How resilience, courage, and a cheeky smile shaped a career dedicated to helping others thrive.

You might be wondering… how did I get here?

Let me take you back to July 1980, when my family fled Czechoslovakia, a communist country at the time. We left everything behind as political refugees, carrying nothing but hope for a better life.

My mother faced the hardest decision of her life:
Do I stay in Czechoslovakia with the support of family, or do I leave everything behind to give my children a future?
She chose to leave.

We arrived in Australia full of dreams. But just three months later, we found ourselves living in a women’s shelter, with only one bag each. My mother—less than five feet tall—had fled from the man she came with, taking her three children with her. I was 15, my brother 11, and my sister 9.

Our new “home” was a small room with no windows and bunk beds. We stayed there for six months.

I will never forget the moment my mother cried saying:
“Cǒ som spravila?”
(“What have I done?”)

We, her children, hugged her and I respond:
“Mum, we’ll be okay. At least now we are safe.”
That moment changed everything.
My mother’s pain became courage.
And that courage turned into strength.

She didn’t speak English, and neither did we, but we learned over time. Today, I like to say I speak a bit of “Vlastish.”

The Beginning

In 1985, I got my first job at an Italian restaurant in Australia.
I was a young blonde woman with a cheeky smile answering the phone with:
“Welcome to Fasta Pasta, Vlasta speaking!”

I didn’t know it then, but that small step into hospitality was the start of a long journey—a journey that would lead me to found Signature Staff, a labour hire and recruitment company that has been operating for over three decades in Cairns and Townsville. I was just 30 years old when I took that big step.

I started from my home office, connecting workers with employers across the region.
With the support of my family—and a great deal of determination—Signature Staff began to grow. We moved offices, opened a second branch, and expanded our services.

Most importantly, we created job opportunities for locals and migrants alike, helping people (just like I once was) find their way in a new country.

The Journey

There were setbacks, moments of doubt, and many hard lessons.
But we kept moving forward—step by step.

Why I’m Sharing This Story

Because behind every resume, behind every interview, there is a story.
Mine started in a shelter.
Yours might be starting now—or taking a new turn.

And if you’re facing challenges today, doubting yourself, or wondering if you’ll ever “make it,” I want you to know this:
You don’t have to be fearless.
You just need to be brave enough to take the next step.