Janet Miller’s best life

Centennial Park CEO Janet Miller talks about the need for compassion and the photo that sums up her family’s courage.

Nov 08, 2024, updated Nov 08, 2024
Janet Miller’s best life

Describe the best day of your life.
Children are often cited as highlights here, with good reason. Not only was the arrival of my son an amazing life-changing event, but he has also given me 25 years worth of best days and best moments, and I never take that for granted. I consider myself truly blessed.
On a professional level, a few highlights come immediately to mind. Firstly, in each of my three CEO roles to date I have been the first female CEO appointed to the role (in fact, the first CEO on two occasions). I’m very proud of this and have a genuine desire to support the next generation of female leaders in any way I can.
Secondly, my appointment as deputy chair of the Bedford Group, the second largest employer for people with disability in Australia.  Bedford is an amazing purpose driven organisation that is leading the way in creating employment pathways and true open employment opportunities for people with disability.
Finally, in my role at Centennial Park, the day the café and function rooms were officially opened by the then-Governor of SA was a definite highlight. A first for a cemetery in SA, the opening in 2021 came after many years of planning, and to have created a building that is equal parts warmth, beauty, and function is a testament to our authentic customer-focussed culture and a great partnership with our architects. We have truly changed the way our cemetery is perceived and used by our whole community.

Describe your best purchase.
Italian language lessons – that first block of lessons has become a six-year journey to date and has led to what I’m hoping will turn out to be my second-best purchase… a plane ticket for my first solo overseas holiday. It’s taking me well outside of my comfort zone on two counts – solo travel and being brave enough to try to speak the language when I get there. I’ll soon know if the investment has been worth it!

What is the best photograph you have?
I come from a family of ten-pound poms and this photo was taken by our local paper just before we left the UK for a new life in Australia in the 1970s. My parents showed great courage in moving us half-way around the world to a country where they had no support network – no friends or family – and no idea of how it would impact our lives. I’m so grateful they made that brave decision.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Everyone has a story that could break your heart.
Not a piece of advice, but part of a longer quote by Brene Brown and a concept we are very familiar with at Centennial Park. You never know what someone else is going through and how it is impacting them. Always start from a position of kindness and compassion.
It also has a broader message, I think. We can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we are the only one dealing with challenges and can get so caught up in our own problems that we become very inwardly focussed. We don’t consider others; we miss signals; and sometimes we miss being there for someone else.

The harder you work, the luckier you get.
Doing your best possible work without focusing on the reward, is what brings opportunities – and rewards.  There is rarely luck involved, but there is always hard work.

Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten.
I never really remember the food; just the feeling that the memory of the occasion evokes.  I must be feeling nostalgic as I write this because I’d say the best meals were those traditional Sunday roasts we would enjoy as a family all those years ago. Before all those major life events that happen to us all.

What are the best qualities of your favourite person?
Warmth and compassion. They always have your back and genuinely want the best for you. They understand that happiness isn’t a competition – one person’s happiness doesn’t come at the expense of someone else’s. They listen to your daily dramas. They are honest with you. They’re positive, determined, and fun to be around. Basically, you feel uplifted when you leave their company.

Best five songs on your playlist?
My music taste was heavily influenced by the ’80s, so my playlist is not exactly cool or fashionable!
Hopefully I can be redeemed by my love of podcasts – especially Conversations on ABC (literally everyone has an interesting story to tell) and I love a good audio book too.