Using LinkedIn to promote your business

LinkedIn is a social media platform that has been used by individuals, companies, and organisations to connect, network, and promote their products, services, causes, and brands. Entrepreneurs have also recognised the value of LinkedIn to their business, and EO Members share with us how they utilise LinkedIn to promote their brands and organisations and take advantage of the platform’s network.

Create brand awareness

As more and more professionals connect on LinkedIn, it becomes an effective venue to push for brand recognition. Although most users tend to use it for business purposes, it doesn’t mean one cannot get creative and playful on this platform. Let your brand’s personality shine and inject a bit of fun to make your posts stand out.

“I use LinkedIn for business to create brand awareness and get known in my field. It is mostly for PR purposes. To be honest, I treat it more like Facebook and do not take it too seriously as some of the comments I leave are more for fun than serious engagement. LinkedIn can be a bit dry sometimes, so why not spice it up,” quipped Alex Louey, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Appscore.

Attract new prospects

Raising awareness for your brand can help generate prospective customers and new clients for you. If you use LinkedIn well by regularly expanding your network and posting quality content, you will be able to attract a potential market for your business.

“We use our LinkedIn to re-purpose awesome content that will help us attract new prospects to our community and world that, in turn, will hopefully see our brand as a source to learn from,” said Nathan Chan, CEO and Publisher of Foundr Magazine.

Promote one’s products and services

While you’re at it, go beyond your regular posts. Talk about your products and services so that readers become more familiar with what you do and what you can offer. Your content doesn’t have to be a hard sell as you can subtly present your offerings that can pique the interest of your readers. 

“We use it to post and share videos that we have produced for our clients. It's a great way to showcase what we do on a mass scale. And every month, we always win new clients that say they found us through the videos that we share,” Anthony Lam, Managing Director of Punchy Digital Media, claimed.

Tell a story

LinkedIn is a platform for professionals, but remember that they are also individuals whom you can inspire and motivate. The users can also relate to your experiences, so use the platform to reach out to them through your stories.

“LinkedIn has been my go-to marketing platform to tell an authentic story without spamming people’s inboxes. During COVID, when we had no budget for marketing but still needed to tell the story to the world, we used LinkedIn to showcase and as a case study of what we were doing. The result from this was a 75% increase in new customers. Being able to connect with people at a one-on-one level was important to me. Few important things on LinkedIn -- personal profiles and personal articles get better traction than company updates,” Arosh Fernando, Founder and Director of WooHah Productions, shared.

Build credibility and authority

There is power in your LinkedIn profile and posts. Whatever you put out there can make or break your image. Make LinkedIn work for your advantage by sharing things that can build your portfolio. Share your wins, give and ask for recommendations, engage with people in your network, update your profile, and be consistent in your messaging.

“I use LinkedIn in building credibility and as a way of being seen. I try and post an article weekly that is in alignment with how I want to be recognised, which is as an authority on People,” remarked Jeni Clift, Director/General Manager of DWM Solutions and a Professional EOS Implementer.

If you have some great experiences on how LinkedIn has helped you in your business, share them with us through the comments section below.

Check out the EO Melbourne LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/eo-melbourne.

How to become an impactful public speaker

Every entrepreneur has a good story to tell. But, how do you tell a story and make a difference? How do you deal with stage fright? How do you make sure that you create an impact every time you come in front of the audience? Some of our EO Melbourne members share how they overcome this fear and make sure that their story and learnings reach their audience effectively.

We’ve got help from Appscore Co-Founder and Managing Director Alex Louey; Punchy Digital Media Managing Director Anthony Lam; WooHah Productions Founder and Director Arosh Fernando; DWM Solutions Director/General Manager and Professional EOS Implementer Jeni Clift; and Foundr Magazine CEO and Publisher Nathan Chan, who shared with us their learnings on how to become an impactful public speaker.

Preparation

“Public Speaking is something I enjoy doing, although I still get nervous after 20 years. But I know this is a good thing as preparation is key to a flawless presentation in any public speaking event,” Arosh Fernando pointed out.

This is why many public speakers always say this, “Practice, practice, practice,” which Anthony Lam also reiterated. “The first proper public speaking event I did was the Digital Marketing Summit 3 years ago. I practised the presentation until I knew it by heart. I had 4 weeks to learn and I practised 2-3 times throughout the day. But having done it once, I think it would be pretty easy to do it again, going forward,” Anthony enthused.

Proper preparation also includes putting together the right materials needed for the presentation. “Make sure your slides don't have too much text,” Nathan Chan stated, to which Jeni Clift added, “Just a handful of slides – not death by PowerPoint.”

Connecting with the audience

Being able to resonate with your audience is an important factor in a powerful presentation. “Really make sure that you understand the audience you are speaking to,” Nathan remarked. That entails “Talking TO the audience and not to the lectern or the screen behind you,” as Jeni advised.

In order to keep your audience focused on your message, “Keep still and stay in control of your hands. It is so distracting for people to be pacing the stage or waving their hands around as that will probably make you lose your audience,” Jeni added.

It also helps that you acknowledge your audience every now and then during your presentation. “My biggest tip for public speaking is to pump up your audience by telling them how amazing they are,” Alex Louey said.

On the other hand, Anthony shared an interesting insight. “Lower the bar. I always try to share very advanced tips, which I find they confuse the audience at times. It's always better to lower the bar on how ‘amazing’ the content needs to be and keep it simple. More times than not, what I find as ‘common knowledge’ is what the audience will relate to and find most interesting,” he stated.

Delivery and presentation proper

Once you have prepared well and connected with your audience, be mindful of the delivery of your messages. Arosh’s tip is to break it into segments. “Have an intro or icebreaker, make your content interesting like ‘5 Things I Love Doing When Public Speaking’, and highlight the value and summary. This helps the content to stick because sticky content is what people remember. Keeping it short and sharp will make it impactful rather than long drawn out speeches,” he shared.

For Alex, it is also important that you “slow down your speaking by pausing so you don’t sound rushed.”

Moreover, a good story can make the audience relate to you and remember what you are trying to convey. “I love to use a story to articulate what I need to get across,” Arosh said. This is echoed by Nathan, “Tell as many stories as you can. They are what people remember the most. Lastly, be vulnerable.”

These are simple yet very helpful tips for those who may soon be facing a group of people to speak about their business or a particular topic. If you have additional tips on public speaking that you’d want to share, please feel free to drop them in our comment section below.

Ways to motivate your staff at work: 5 tips from EO Melbourne Members

One of the factors of a successful business is having a strong and dedicated team that keeps the organisation running like a well-oiled machine. However, no matter how passionate, hardworking and talented your people are, they still experience exhaustion, burnout, boredom, frustration, disappointment and all other things that may slow down or hinder your progress.

Your workforce is an important asset of your business. It is just fitting that you look after their welfare and keep them motivated at work to inspire them to do their best, perform well and hit their targets. EO Melbourne members share various ways on how to encourage your team members and inspire them to keep going.

Communicate your vision and plans

Having a shared vision and goal, such as where you want to bring the business and how you want to get there, is essential in leading a team. Apart from being transparent when it comes to your objectives and plans for your enterprise, there are also advantages when you present to them how they can grow and develop within your organisation because it helps them to visualise and understand that when your business advances, it also has a positive ripple effect on them.

A helpful tip from John Liston, Director at Liston Newton Advisory is “I try to communicate clearly the vision of the business and where we are going together. The vision of the business is that we grow in size, and there are more opportunities for career growth, development and personal wealth for all those involved. The price of admission to be on that journey is that all staff own their numbers and hit their targets.” 

Give affirmation

Sometimes, all it takes is a little push or a few words of encouragement to bring out the best in them. Trusting in your team’s capabilities enables them to prove themselves worthy of such trust and empowers them to come up with strategies and plans that will help them achieve their targets. Affirming their good works also emboldens them to always put their best foot forward in everything they do. That is why Carlo Santoro, Founder of RetailCare, makes sure that he is “standing alongside the team at all times and giving them deep confidence in their skills and ability.”

Conduct regular huddles

Constant interaction and communication is key to a stronger team. And even when some of your staff may be working from home or in remote locations, find time to have regular contact and huddles to discuss various updates, concerns and other aspects of their job and areas that may also be affecting their work. Take this also as an opportunity to talk about light matters that can make your regular meetings more interesting and fun.

As an example, Punchy Digital Media Managing Director Anthony Lam shared, “One of my favourite things that we do is we start our Friday weekly huddle with a communication starter and go around the team. These can range from light-hearted to some very deep questions that let us learn more about each other.”

Jason Ellenport and his team at Edison Partners also do something similar to what Anthony imparted. “During the lockdown, we ran regular short 30-minute daily WIP sessions to ensure the team was on the same page. This was supplemented by a ‘Friday drinks’ session to maintain informal team interaction and culture,” Jason conveyed.

Have some fun activities with the staff

Organise some fun activities and interesting initiatives for you and your team outside of your regular meetings. You can do team building sessions or have monthly or quarterly get-togethers or arrange for small put a hobby corner at your workplace. There are many things you can do and you can even tap on your staff to take the initiative on this. Sometimes, it’s good to see the various sides of your team members where they are not confined to stiff and structured environments.

Professional EOS Implementer and the Director/General Manager of DWM Solutions Jeni Clift shares a brilliant idea on how to inject enjoyment in the workplace. “I am an eDISC Practitioner and run some activities around the different behaviour styles to give people a greater understanding of how different people behave. One of these is set in a pretend café and is always different and fun.”

Reward them for a job well done

Having a reward system is one of the methods business owners implement in organisations because it’s a key motivation as well as a form of recognition to those who do their job well and even beyond expectations. Some rewards may come in the form of incentives, awards, promotions or gifts. It’s also important that you understand the kind of remunerations that will appeal to your team. There may be those who appreciate getting material gifts while others may prefer having a one-of-a-kind experience.

One example is going on trips like how Nathan Chan, CEO and Publisher of Foundr Magazine, and his team has done. “We did an all-expenses-paid trip with our team to Thailand for hitting our annual revenue goal targets. It was an incredible shared experience and brought the team closer together.”

There are various ways to encourage your staff to perform well and achieve their goals and targets. Please share with us your experience on how you have done it in your organisation through the comment section below. We’d love to hear your story as it may also inspire others to do the same.

President's Update - April 2021

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

I am writing this President Update having just chaired the bi-monthly Moderators meeting where I was listening to stories of how well forums are running and the amazing peer-to-peer support occurring to help each other move forward together. It is great to hear about forums planning their retreats in locations like Queenstown in New Zealand (yes the travel bubble has arrived!) and the Northern Territory, focused on meeting forum members' personal and business development goals. The general discussion was around how connected everyone was feeling within their forums.

Brené Brown is a research professor in the US who writes and speaks on courage, vulnerability shame and empathy. One of her quotes that really resonated with me is: “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” My hope is that you are all experiencing this level of connectedness within your forums, and as a Chapter, we will continue to champion this with events like the upcoming “Member Connect Night Out” which is all about fostering Chapter-wide connections.

I am looking forward to taking over officially as EO Melbourne Chapter President at the June hand-over Gala celebration. In the meantime, I will continue to see out the theme for our year being "Lead With Hope". I look forward to introducing our new theme at our Gala celebration. It gives me immense pleasure and a sense of pride to be leading this awesome chapter. I am excited about working with a talented board that are sacrificing their time to ensure we advance the chapter and grow together. We have so many exciting experiences being planned for the Chapter. On that note, I refer you to these links regarding renewal details (Membership Renewals | Accelerator Renewals) and encourage you all to continue this EO journey in what will be an exciting year you will not want to miss.

Warmest regards, 

Socrates Capouleas, Finance Chair and Forum Chair, 2020/2021
President 2021/2022

EO: A strong business support system during challenging times

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

– Helen Keller

A few years back, no one has ever imagined that we would be experiencing this tough global crunch that we have today. Every corner of the world has been affected by the pandemic, affecting many industries and economies. It is undeniable that it has also taken a lot of toll on business owners.

However, being among peers and colleagues and surrounded by like-minded individuals who are going through the same worries and lending support to each other can be a huge help during this time of crisis. As depicted in a fable, a single stick can be easily broken while it would be difficult to do it on a bundle of sticks.

The same can be said for entrepreneurs who have strong support from a group like EO. For members of EO Melbourne, the chapter is a huge help and comfort as they navigated through the crisis. One of the benefits that they pointed out in belonging to this group is the Forum.

Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners, echoed this sentiment. “Above all else, it was my forum which assisted me to navigate the crisis. We went to twice forum meetings per month to ensure we were there for one another.”

Information sharing

At a time when movements were limited and things were at a standstill, connecting with people is essential and helpful. It is also necessary for business owners, especially in getting the necessary information about various industries and recommendations for leads.

“The (EO Melbourne) WhatsApp group helps a lot by quickly sharing information and links to resources. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 crises, it was good to have information shared so quickly and, more importantly, verified or dismissed as a rumour. We changed our forum to twice monthly, which helped to disengage from the frenzy and take a higher-level view of life with the other forum members,” said Liston Newton Advisory Director John Liston.

These sharings also includes first-hand experiences, especially on products and services that others have availed and used. For RetailCare Founder Carlo Santoro, the network of connected like-minded people has helped him ensure that he stays on top of all the latest ideas and government regulations by learning from the experiences of others.

Relatability

Having someone or a group that understands what you are going through is very important at this crucial point of our global events. People who can empathise with your situation can often help lift the burdens that you have been carrying all along.

According to Cesar Aldea, Founder and Managing Director of Aldea Consulting, “As a group of business owners, we shared our challenges, fears and wins during these difficult times. The level of relatability makes the group a safe platform to share EVERYTHING that’s happening to you personally or with your family and business.”

Supporting each other

When one is going through difficulties, whatever kind of help – big or small – can go a long way. “Certainly, having my forum has been the biggest support,” Cesar declared.

Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder, still remembered how it was when the pandemic started. “I was fortunate enough to start EO at the beginning of COVID. I remember clearly my forum training with Carlos the very day everything went haywire. One of my first experiences was a breakfast meeting where listening to so many EO members already having lost their entire business – but with the resolve to turn things around – was a humbling, emotional and pivotal moment.”

She further elaborated, “When I was placed in a forum, I had no idea what to expect. It’s taken me a long time to understand exactly what forum is about. But now that I do, I can honestly say my forum has pulled me through some of the most difficult times I’ve ever experienced in business and life. I said this just recently, ‘I am so lucky to have stumbled into this forum at the perfect time.’ Having a group of absolutely awesome humans with such vastly different but often with the same core experiences is priceless. It’s such a blessing knowing you’re not alone. And all the things you go through as an entrepreneur, while it seems as though everyone else is breezing through it, most have been there or will be there. Oftentimes, we can’t see the gold because we’re too absorbed in digging through the dirt. My forum had helped me see the gold in so many situations. I’m forever grateful for joining EO.”

At this time, we may still not know what the future – short-term or long-term – holds for every one of us. But having a strong support business during a challenging entrepreneurial journey can help you stay on track and continue towards your goals by a considerable margin than when you’re all by yourself. Helen Keller’s inspiring quote “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” still rings true in our present time.

Mentorship Story: Reflecting from the rearview mirror to drive forward on the entrepreneurial highway

To be a better leader – this is the goal this year of James Murray, Founder and Managing Director of Work Healthy Australia. And for him to drive himself forward in achieving this goal, he recognises the value that the mentorship program is offering entrepreneurs like him, who aims for continuous personal and professional growth.

James is thankful to have Steve Sacks, Chairman of Sonnant, as his mentor because of the value that their relationship has brought to James’ professional development. “My journey for my self this year is to become a better leader, which means to become a better listener. Steve has been very helpful. Even if I've only changed 1% or 2%, I attribute a lot of that to some of my conversations with Steve because he's just such a good listener,” James professed.

For both James and Steve, their mentor-mentee relationship is like a two-way street where they get to learn from each other and be inspired by what the other has done in his entrepreneurial journey, notwithstanding the differences they have in their respective phase in the journey.

Restoring things to make them more efficient

Steve has enjoyed being a mentor to James because of the many facets of entrepreneurship that James brings to the table. “I've enjoyed hearing James' agenda of activity, like the amount of stuff that he packs into a week is pretty inspiring. But I've enjoyed telling him to slow down as well. I've found great value in learning about a completely different sort of business sector. Well, it’s two actually, between the egg farm and Work Healthy Australia. And also, I like hearing about James' various non-work activities like his passion for old Saabs,” Steve shared.

Whilst Steve is learning from James’ involvement in such a diverse range of activities – both business and personal interests – he is also imparting with James some of his learnings from his entrepreneurial journey. “One of the things we've talked about has been around where James’ company is at now, with 70 staff members. I've taken a couple of companies from startup up to that number of people, and some of the challenges that you face when you get to around 25 and then around 50 are that the management structures typically need to change. Some of the control needs to devolve. Some of that I learned painfully and I think most founders learn painfully even if they hear it from somebody else. But I've tried to reflect on that in some of the conversations with James as he goes through that same challenge. I'm sure he'll get through it,” Steve said.

From Steve’s experience, James could draw out his thoughts and realisations and then apply them to his business, hoping to make it better, the same way as to making his Saabs up and running. “It’s helpful hearing about what you have to do at 25 people, which is a lot different than what you have to do at 50 and how different those businesses are because, for me, I've just been adding a couple of people at a time. I haven't looked at it like it’s 25 then 50. That reflective view, back in the rearview mirror, is helpful because as an entrepreneur, sometimes we don't want to let go of things, especially if they were like our favourite thing or they were something that we used to think we're good at. That ability to recognise that you've got to let some stuff go to let other people do well is a great experience to hear,” James reflected.

He added, “When Steve shares some war stories from a couple of the other business he was in – some of his tough times, the hard things that he's had to get through and the hard decisions he's needed to make – those are awesome learnings because typically in my experience, I've had to make every mistake to learn from it. Those are much cheaper lessons to work my way through, so I appreciate how genuine and how deeply Steve shares them with me.”

Slowing down but moving ahead to the future

Driving a bus loaded with a lot of people towards the goal can often be tiresome for entrepreneurs. Trying to accelerate their speed to get to their destination faster can sometimes take a toll on their wellbeing, which may affect their families, businesses and those who rely on them.

In James’ situation, “There's a lot of people around me right now. I've got 70 staff members and four kids as well, and everyone just wants a little bit of me. They just want to pull me here and there. Sometimes, I don't know how to say ‘no’. It's great that I like to help people but it's also really hard on me. What I've learned from Steve, and he’s good at telling me this, is to just slow down a little bit or make a better choice or just find some time to turn down the volume in my brain and chill out. I think that's good because no one who works with me is going to tell me that. Having someone external to me who can just say, ‘hey James, grab a hold of that volume button and turn it down a couple of notches.’ It's helpful because I can't see myself from an outsider's perspective. That deeper reflection from a good place has been helpful. I have learned a lot from that.”

“Steve's been successful and he's done a lot of great things. He's in a different phase than me. That phase where you get to pick and choose what you want to do and you don't have a lot of people who are on to you all the time, that ability to embrace your own choices and then also be disciplined within your own choices and enjoy those, it has given me a lot of hope for the future and a lot of inspiration to create my own life,” James remarked.

Driving the Mentorship Program forward

As a former EOer himself, Steve appreciates how mentoring is done in the organisation. “The past few years, I've been doing increased involvement in more informal types of mentorship situations, but given this is EO and I can relate to the culture and the ethos of experience-sharing rather than telling people what to do, I thought that it'd be a good one to have a more formalised kind of mentor-mentee relationship. I think part of it is that we're trying to keep to a reasonable structure here. I think it has worked well trying to structure the program and have some intentionality into what you're going to cover and how you prepare them.”

On the other hand, for James who is currently the Mentorship Chair, the program is a significant pillar of the chapter. So, while he works towards further strengthening the program, he also participates in it as a mentee and gets various benefits from it. “I think it's a great program because if you look at the calibre of mentors that we've attracted into the program this year in Melbourne, and we're talking about over 30 mentors now in in the program, we've got some incredibly experienced individuals and they're volunteering which is amazing. I love the program and I’m going to do it next year. Because the maximum that you can do in EO is three years, I think I'll probably keep it for the third year. I’ll try and build it up to be a real cornerstone of the chapter experience for the members of Melbourne. I don't think there are any downsides being part of it.”

Moreover, James couldn’t stress enough the idea that “Mentorship creates the environment through which both of us can share our experiences for mutual benefit. I hope that Steve would like to continue our relationship after the official mentorship is over. This isn't a business transaction and the mentorship relationships provide critical value that is added to our membership in Melbourne. This is part of our entrepreneurial journey where we can continue to learn and grow.”

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If you’re an EO Melbourne Member, have you already signed up for the next mentorship intake? Find out more on our Mentorship page.

3 different ways innovative entrepreneurs use cryptocurrency for their business

As the online space and financial world merge more and more and break boundaries, the interest in cryptocurrency is increasing by the minute. People looked into it as a way of boosting their financial resources. As its popularity rises, cryptocurrency has become an option for entrepreneurs to use in their business. How can it be done?

While many can not wrap their heads around this new concept, we tapped into the expertise of EO Melbourne Member and Nugget’s News Executive Director Ben Simpson, who shared with us his thoughts on the subject matter.

1.       Investment

Eliminating financial institutions in the process, cryptocurrency provides an alternative method for investment, which may be advantageous to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. One thing to note, however, is that while it provides opportunities for expanding one’s business, it can also pose certain threats because it’s highly volatile.

According to Ben, “Cryptocurrency is one of the best performing asset classes of the past decade, but it’s also the most volatile. There is a wave of innovation in the space that can touch a range of different industries and create a huge amount of opportunity, and I think entrepreneurial types are very much drawn to that. It also helps that entrepreneurs typically possess a relatively high-risk tolerance and a thick skin which is very much needed if you’re going to participate in this space in any way.”

2.       Payment

As it can be used worldwide without going through banks, cryptocurrency can make processes swifter and cheaper. Given that, Ben said that businesses can use it for payment transactions, international payments included. “One method (which is what we do in our business) is to use cryptocurrency as a method of payment. For most of our team outside of Australia (predominantly the US), we pay them via cryptocurrency to avoid the excess fees, poor exchange rates and slow transaction times offered by our local bank,” he said.

3.       Trade and other transactions

Cryptocurrency is also advantageous to use not only in sending money but also in receiving them easily. Ben added, “Another method is to start accepting cryptocurrency payments in exchange for products or services. These days, it’s far easier for businesses to set up cryptocurrency payment gateways, and also to automatically convert it into their local currency if they want to avoid volatility risk. Of course, entrepreneurs will first want to consider their customer base before deciding to accept cryptocurrency payments.”

While cryptocurrency seems to be attractive to many, particularly business owners, it is still good to have a full grasp of its advantages and disadvantages, as well as opportunities and risks. Ben’s recommendation is to “Educate yourself. Blockchain is a bleeding-edge technology that can deliver great opportunities, but with great opportunity comes great risk. Users are faced with several challenges including (but certainly not limited to) scams, security and price volatility underpinned by the knowledge that most mistakes are often irreversible.”

If you feel that you still need to know more about cryptocurrency despite the many resources available, don’t rush yourself. Seek experts’ advice, if needed. As Ben pointed out, “There’s a rather steep learning curve to understanding the basics of cryptocurrency and blockchain, which leads many people to invest blindly in the space without taking the time to learn, research and understand it. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way in this space to ensuring you act safely and securely and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible without exposing yourself to a disproportionate amount of risk.”

Investing your money and resources into cryptocurrency also entails investing your time and effort in learning more about it before dipping your feet into the water. Look into it more closely and see how it can benefit your business growth and resilience. Cryptocurrency holds great promise, so it’s better to be prepared for what is to come as cryptocurrency can usher businesses to the future of financial technology.

On trends and predictions: how it will help chart your business growth

Setting targets and goals is an important part of keeping a business running. It provides the team with the direction of where the company is heading and allows them to come up with strategies based on the objective set. Looking ahead may include forecasting, which helps gauge if the target is attainable and feasible within the given timeframe and resources on hand.

Entrepreneurs prepare for the future by looking at trends and coming up with a prognosis of what is to happen. EO Members share how they keep themselves updated on the latest trend in their industry.

• I talk to suppliers and partners to get to understand where the business is changing, as well as to the leading businesses in each industry category that we work in. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• Being an avid reader certainly helps with staying abreast of the latest trends in the translation and localisation industry. In my spare time, I regularly read global industry news, blogs and reports. When I am on the move, I also listen to industry podcasts. I also enjoy exploring research papers from academia to help understand how research and evaluation can help influence our translation company. Finally, staying connected with other professionals in the industry, including attending networking events, as well as arranging one-on-one meetings has been incredibly valuable. – Costa Vasili, EthnoLink CEO and Founder

• I read a lot of books, listen to podcasts and follow thought leaders on LinkedIn. – John Liston, Liston Newton Advisory Director

• Edison has M&A Advisory, Strategy & Transformation Consulting and Private Equity business lines, so it’s important I’m up-to-date across all three areas. To do so, I read extensively, listen to podcasts – including www.Disciplinn.com (which Edison proudly sponsors) – but most importantly, I engage with entrepreneurs and business owners to understand their priorities and listen to how their respective landscapes are changing. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

Watching out for trends and conducting research enable business owners to have a foresight of what to come. It may not be 100% accurate, but it gives one a preview of what to expect and prepare for possible opportunities and threats. It also provides a different perspective on how we would be doing things and have a better understanding of things around us.

And what are some of the business predictions entrepreneurs have for the rest of the year? Here are a few we’ve gathered from our members:

• I believe many businesses have simply realised the number of unnecessary processes-protocols-routines that are nothing more than decorative stuff, mostly a waste of time and energy that until now has never been questioned. Today, we know that people can be more productive working from home and managing their own time. We know that we don’t always need fancy offices; that you can maintain relationships without travel; and that Zoom overtime sucks! I’m predicting a simplification to the way we do business. This is the time when we have the opportunity to adjust our work our lifestyle and start living the life we always wanted. – Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director

• Heightened activity in M&A markets, with continued domestic and cross-border inbound interest in ANZ assets. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

• Integrations and automation is the biggest growth area for business in 2021. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• Staff will not go back to normal pre-COVID work. As a business, we’ve seen the fall out of extended lockdowns and the way it’s affected how people prioritise work-life balance. Several team members have decided that travelling 2 hours every day for a job they love with an incredible culture - isn’t enough when they can work 5 minutes from home and be home at 5 every day. Priorities have shifted with people working from home and I am expecting many offices will see their people demanding to spend some of their time working from home with more flexible hours. I think we’ll also see a lot of people changing careers. – Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder

• Increased volatility in listed-equity markets will likely drive an increased appetite for alternative private equity investment classes. – Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners

• E-commerce and digital products will be bigger than ever. I can see that the convenience of having everything accessible online at any time is something that won’t be going anywhere. And I think this world will see a lot more exciting innovation in the coming years as companies have pivoted their technology and operations to adjust to a covid normal. But I think the businesses in the tech space who will do best are those who have a broader purpose clear to the consumer. Even though we’ve gone online people still crave connection and genuine care. – Gry Tomte, HÜD Skin + Body Director + Founder

• High growth for all business that is focused and listening to their customers. – Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder

• My biggest prediction is that people will prioritize happiness; spending more time doing the things you love with those you love, over money and career. Therefore employers will need to shifts their focus from KPIs to KHIs to motivate, retain and attract new people. – Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director

How about in your industry? What are the trends you currently see and from those, what predictions can you formulate for the rest of the year and the coming year? Share with us your thoughts through the comment section below.

President's Update - March 2021

Source https://www.markmathews.com/

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

“The only way through fear is experience.” - Mark Mathews

Rewind to a few weeks ago, we held an event that many described as “one of the best EO events I’ve ever been to”. No exaggeration...well, it could be that we’ve been deeply deprived of live in-person action but nevertheless, it was an experience that we, at EO, would describe as once-in-a-lifetime.

It was only at the eleventh hour that news broke that QLD borders were opening up and so the team worked some magic to have one of the world’s best Big Wave Surfer fly over and keynote this OILE.

As Mark Mathews delivered a heartfelt and impeccable talk that had us on the edge of our seat and blinking back tears of emotion - there was a big message here he wanted to hit home.

Fear is inevitable. Everyone experiences it.

Courage is not the absence of fear; instead, it is the ability to keep going in spite of it.

As entrepreneurs, we face fear daily. Some fears we are able to push through easily, other times, we procrastinate and tiptoe around what we know we should be doing.

We revel in being the person at the top because we don’t have anyone to tell us what to do and hold us accountable. Yet, when it comes to our goals and aspirations, we seek accountability especially when we’re not too sharp at doing that ourselves.

For me, EO and forum have been key to pushing through that fear to grow — from being inspired by other members to being called out in my forum if there’s a reoccurring 5 percenter in my monthly update. The self-fulfilment ultimately comes from the work I keep avoiding.

On that note, I’ll be signing off for the last time as Chapter President as I embark on my next life-changing chapter - motherhood. 

I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the entire EO Melbourne Chapter Board for working tirelessly and selflessly, during a challenging year, to bring our members together and make them feel supported in every way possible.

With Socrates Capouleas taking over the Chapter President role, you’re all in great hands.

Hopefully, I’ll get to see you all at the Board Handover and End-of-Year Gala Dinner on 18 June, Friday. 

Warmest regards, 

Sheryl Thai 
President 2020/2021

The path of entrepreneurship through acquisition

Not all entrepreneurs start their journey from a garage; some entrepreneurs decide to jumpstart the process and follow the entrepreneurship by acquisition path.

This is not a made-up term. As a matter of fact, top-level universities and business schools like the Harvard Business School, Columbia University, The University of Chicago, and Duke University, among many others, offer Entrepreneurship by Acquisition in their main MBA curricula.

The truth is that you don’t really need to have a brilliant new idea or a unique opportunity to become an entrepreneur. Some people prefer to look for an existing business that already has the available resources and assets and then scale it or do a pivot or bring the company to a better position than from where it was before. Acquisition entrepreneurship is a good option for those who want to put their advanced entrepreneurial skills into good use from the get-go because they can spend more time on implementation and putting things into motion rather than be stuck on conceptualisation, trial-and-error, and ascertaining the business environment.

Is it the right path for you?

This was the route that Mobile Skips Owner and Managing Director Jacob Spencer took, who acquired the business from the original owners. He said, “Whether choosing to start a business from scratch or acquiring an established business, both have their relative pros and cons, usually quite different from the other. In my case, I chose acquisition, as the option best suited my strengths and weaknesses.”

“Before making this decision, I spent quite some time identifying and listing clearly what I needed (and wanted) in a business to acquire—with fundamentals like valuation and profit a given. I then spent the lion share of my time on the non-financial attributes that would complement my experience and skills. The first challenge then presented itself: a very limited amount of acquirable businesses that fit my detailed list of requirements…there were none. So, the first lesson was prioritising the list so that the right compromises could be made,” Jacob continued.

While buying a company may seem less risky than creating a start-up from zero and then building it, there are still varied difficulties to face for those who choose this path. One of these challenges is looking for the right business that corresponds to the needs, wants, capacity and capability of the entrepreneur.

To successfully acquire a business, would-be business owners must be able to:

1.)    Do a proper search for the right business to acquire

This is a crucial phase in acquiring a business. According to Damian Blumenkranc, who has founded and sold businesses before like Creativa Videos and now taking the entrepreneurship by acquisition path, recently acquiring Sunset, a concrete precast factory in Melbourne, “The first challenge, and it is not a small one, is to find a business you are comfortable with to buy and run and close a deal.” It has to be done properly, checking into the background of prospective companies you want to buy, their profitability, and other factors qualitative that are important to you.

2.)    Review or come up with a good proposal and negotiate

When you have done proper research and preliminary due diligence, you can then prepare an offer and negotiate all the terms of the deal. It is critical to try to get the whole picture of where the company currently stands and what is important for the current owner for this transaction.

Another important factor in acquiring a business is having the capital needed to invest in the company. Here are a few options when it comes to financing the business:

• Direct investment – you put your own resources to invest as capital to acquire the assets or ownership of an enterprise. This is usually done without an intermediary or broker.

• Loans from banks – you apply for a business acquisition loan which you can use to acquire an existing company, buy a franchise or buy out your business partner.

• Search funds – if you have limited resources for capital, you can look for other investors to pool funds into acquiring and financing a business.

3.)    Take the reins and lead the transition of the company

The success of the acquisition does not end with the signing of the agreement. As Damian stated, “That is just the beginning. I would say the second big challenge of buying a running small business is that the business won't wait for you to adapt, learn and take over. You, as a foreign entity, need to catch up quickly and find your place in the new business. It is like jumping in the cockpit of a commercial plane in mid-flight and taking over the controls without causing too much turbulence.”

Once the deal is done and the sale is closed, immerse yourself in the company, engage with your internal and external stakeholders and review your plans and the changes needed to implement. You may need to reassure your new employees and customers, present a plan and work towards adapting your team, systems and processes.

Lessons learned

Damian shared the lessons he learned in every stage of the process. “For the search stage, I would say, you must have real clarity of the parameters of the business you are looking for (i.e., industry, size, markets, financials, structure, capital requirement, etc). For the deal stage, be as clear and specific in the letter of offer as you can regarding the deal – from what type of contract you will expect to use to even specific guarantees you will expect to have. If you have investors, keep in constant communication with them, and set clear expectations of the type of shareholders agreement you will want to sign. Finally, for the handover stage, make a good 90-day plan, grab every key aspect of the business, such as people, cash, occupational health & safety, marketing, sales, and manufacturing, and set a weekly plan for 15 days to 90 days with all the things you want to do for each area of interest. This will help you manage the workflow, prioritise and ensure that you don't drop the ball on something critical to the business.”

He added, “To be able to launch and build a brand that existed before, the first thing for me is to understand the history and heritage of the brand, do nothing until we totally get it and understand the market and consumers well. Once we feel comfortable that we understand and get the brand, it is time to plan the strategy for the next few years.”

The rewards of entrepreneurship through acquisition

Despite the challenges, struggles and difficulties, the whole experience and the results can be rewarding. “One of the significant rewards is that instead of having to start from scratch, you can immediately grow the business and make it more profitable, experiments and small changes can be meaningful from day one compared to a startup where you need to build momentum first. With a running business, you might be able to make small adjustments and get significant rewards quicker,” Damian pointed out.

Similarly, Jacob also finds his journey of entrepreneurship through acquisition satisfying. “The benefit of the acquisition is that much of the hard work proving out the product or service model had been achieved. But much like buying a house vs building one from scratch, some things needed remodelling, renovating and even rebuilding. When I bought Mobile Skips, much of what we could see and review was in great shape, but some elements needed to be rebuilt to enable our skip bin hire to be scaled. I realised these unforeseen things seem to be more normal than not and having available capital to deal with them (and expecting some issues) meant we dealt with them quickly, getting us back on track and growing the business with limited disruption. Having enough capital and resilience to ride the bumps in the early stages ensured we weren’t snagged down early on.”

“My most enjoyable part of the acquisition was having an established group of customers we could learn from and quickly improve our skip hire offer. This meant we were able to do some great research early on and update the service offering, making it even better and getting instant feedback from our customer base. This helped drive more sales quickly and also built loyalty with our customer group by listening and reacting to their feedback. Happy and loyal customers are a huge part of the acquisition valuation. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my journey with Mobile Skips since the acquisition almost 5 years ago. I hope these small experience shares somehow contribute to your journey as well,” Jacob shared.

Share with us your experience on entrepreneurship through acquisition, if you have any, or drop a question in the comments section below if you are contemplating acquiring a business.

Entrepreneurs' biggest lesson learned in 2020

EO Members share the biggest lesson they learned from the past year, with the hope of taking their learnings with them as they move forward in their entrepreneurial journey.

Acknowledge your vulnerability

“The power of vulnerability.” This is the fundamental realisation that Cesar Aldea, Aldea Consulting Founder and Managing Director, has gained from his experiences last year.

“At the start of the pandemic, our business was booming. We had 10 full-time doctors working with us across 4 states. As a General Practitioner Locum Agency, we thought COVID will bring more work for us. However, the 40% drop in patients attending GP clinics forced our clients to cancel the service. The impact on our business: we went from 10 FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) dropping to 1 FTE within 72 hours. Our revenue fell by 90%. The worst part, and at the same time the most relevant, was having those hard conversations with the doctors (90% of our workforce) to let them know they’ve lost their jobs,” Cesar recounted.

But he didn’t let these ordeals get the better of him. “I knew the way we handled this challenge was going to be paramount for the future of our company. Looking back, I remember the stress levels needed to quickly come up with a contingency plan to save the business, as well as the relationship with our workforce and our clients. The option taken was simply to be vulnerable and share our fears, hopes and plans, something as a business owner you often keep to yourself. Six months later, the result was that we managed to bring back all of those who once we lost, and the relationship with our people and clients certainly has strengthened. Today, our business is no longer driven by the fear of losing people or clients but by a much stronger sense of purpose and service,” he shared. 

Don’t forget to Take care of yourself first

For Gry Tomte, Director + Founder of HÜD Skin + Body, “There are no lessons better than those who smack you in the face. So thanks to the year that was 2020!”

It was not an easy year for Gry and her team. “Being in an industry -- amongst many -- that was closed for pretty much eight months, the biggest lesson I learnt was that you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. When we first went into lockdown, the adrenaline kept me working 18-hour days consistently to ensure that not only we could pivot in terms of operation but also we could pivot the way the team worked and felt engaged and connected to their brand new roles - much different to what they’d signed up for. There were so many challenges thrown my way every day that I completely forgot to look after myself. In a normal world of running a business, this is fine for a short amount of time. But sustaining this type of adrenaline over eight months can be detrimental. The result was a business and a team that made it through in good shape, while for me, having adrenal fatigue and burnout,” she recalled.

“Having reflected on the lessons learnt throughout, I can see I have become very familiar with the term amygdala highjack. I forgot to put on my oxygen mask before attempting to help others around me, which made it hard to function at my optimal,” Gry added.

Then, one of the lessons she picked in a learning event came to mind. “I had the pleasure of spending three days with Warren Rustand at a conference in Vietnam, and I remember his story of when he went through a very tough time. What he said was when he was faced with extreme pressures, he carved out MORE time for all the things that made him a better person. Double the time on gratitudes, more time exercising, more time doing the things that filled his cup, such as spending time with family. By doing so, only then can you have clarity of intent and laser-sharp focus on the road ahead. Somehow I’d forgotten this very valuable lesson. So my biggest takeaway is: the more consistent you are at taking care of yourself, the more consistent your results will be. And of course, like most business owners, I learnt that having a cash reserve is a must!”

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Transparency and constant communication have been key to many businesses, given the limitations and restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. Many have to work from home and conduct most of their transactions online. With the lack of physical interaction, people often miss certain things and can put some strain on them. This is where one’s presence, albeit virtual, can be of value to individuals or groups.

“Our success in 2020 has been communication with customers, suppliers and team,” stated Carlo Santoro, RetailCare Founder. They have achieved this because, according to Carlo, “We have over-communicated across the board to ensure everyone knew we are there for them.”

Stay connected with others, empathise and be resilient

“The biggest that I learned in 2020 was the power of resilience. Resilience is what gets you through the toughest of times,” EthnoLink CEO and Founder Costa Vasili remarked.

He pointed out, “Since EthnoLink was founded in 2011, we’d had a reasonably steady growth trajectory and never experienced a recession. The year 2020 was truly challenging for the world, and what I discovered was that resilience was a skill I needed to develop — quickly. I did this in particular by staying connected with my networks and speaking with our team, as well as our clients and suppliers. By staying connected, it enabled me to feel like I was in control. I could empathise with the situations that others were going through, which helped keep my situation in check.”

Meet the challenges with confidence and adapt fast

In the case of Liston Newton Advisory Director John Liston, his biggest lesson from 2020 is that “everything can be taken away from you very quickly, whether that is your freedom, your business or your life.  When I realised it can all be taken away so quickly, it makes me want to go for bigger and bolder goals.”

Having experienced such difficulties in 2020 have even made John bolder and more determined than ever. “As far as business conditions go, it couldn’t get much worse than last year, so I feel that surviving this is like surviving all the things you fear in business. You realise that you can adapt and operate in these conditions, which give you more confidence in yourself and your business,” he noted.     

Be Proactive

“In the challenging and uncertain times, a proactive approach to determining the future will almost always outperform a reactive approach to ‘weathering the storm’,” said Jason Ellenport, Principal at Edison Partners. This has been his biggest learning last year.

He cited how they made a proactive stance during the crisis and the benefits it has brought to businesses. “During the COVID lockdowns of 2020, Edison reached out to over 200 privately owned businesses to better understand their needs and understand how we could be helpful. Fast forward 6-12 months, those businesses that established operational clarity, a strong team and cultural alignment and a proactive strategic outlook (despite all the uncertainty) have fared demonstrably better than their more reactive and conservative counterparts.”

The previous year, due to the pandemic, may have created a huge dent in economies, markets, industries, businesses and people’s lives. Some of the damages may be irreversible. However, instead of shrinking from the difficulties, it is an opportunity for business owners to stretch their entrepreneurial muscles, learn from the experience, move forward with more resolve.

Share with us your biggest lesson you learned in 2020 through the comment box below.

President's Update - February 2021

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities.
In the expert’s mind, there are few.”
- Shunryu Suzuki

My journey into EO started in 2015 when I was ready to revert back to the beginner’s mind.

At that stage, I had only been in business for 5 years but already felt like it was a lifetime after living and breathing it each day.

The “fake it till you make it” mentality that helped me launch the business in the early days was starting to wreak havoc on the entire business and life. I experienced what I call a “bakedown”, which made me realise that pretending to know all the answers was causing me great damage.

So, I emptied my mind of what I thought I knew in order to download more.

Since my EO journey began, the forum has been a core pillar of growth in my life. One particular memorable moment stands out to me -- it was when one of my forum members shared this gem with us...

“In 12 months' time, I want to look back at the person I am today and be embarrassed. If I’m not embarrassed by who I was a year ago, I’m not learning enough.”

Looking back to when I stepped into my first forum, I am proud to say I’m completely embarrassed by the person I was back then. What a gift of a perspective to have.

Warmest regards, 

Sheryl Thai 
President 2020/2021

5 ways you can easily make your business more environment-friendly

“Go Green.” We often see this call-to-action in advertisements, advocacy campaigns and establishments. Businesses have become more conscious of their impact on the environment and have joined efforts in minimising their carbon footprint to help preserve our planet’s biodiversity. But how do you get your business and your entire team to go green?

Making your company more environmentally friendly entails great responsibility as it involves the way you do business. However, you can always start with a few steps that can lead to achieving greater things.

Before you map out how to make your company be a green business, it is good to first take a look at companies that practise eco-friendly methods or consult experts that are knowledgeable on this area, then have a committee within your organisation that will help plan and execute your initiatives.

At EO Melbourne, we are privileged to have all these businesses that are operating in this field: Energy Ease, Pacific Solar, Sunwiz, Sunpower Renewables, TCK Solar, and Your Energy Partner.

To give you ideas on where to start, here are five ways on how your business can become eco-friendly:

1.       Reduce, reuse, recycle

Minimising waste, utilising things again after use, and making new products from waste or used items are among the basic methods of being an environmentally-responsible citizen. These three words summarise the ways we can help our planet. To put these into practice, you can segregate your wastes so that you can reuse bottles and plastic containers or create something from fabric or paper products.

To cut down on waste, avoid the use of paper cups, plates or utensils and instead choose reusable mugs and utensils in your office. Go paperless by having forms or documents in electronic copies. If printing on paper is necessary, use both sides or utilise again the blank pages at the back of old files. Also, brief your employees the proper way of doing this because educating your team is key to getting them on board and encouraging them to take action.

2.       Use products and supplies that are energy-efficient or from sustainable sources

Make sure you use non-toxic cleaning products or you buy organic products for your meals and other supplies. Replace old appliances with energy-efficient ones and use LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs. Prefer recycled products as much as you can. Choose suppliers that are also practising eco-friendly ways and look for local vendors for your materials and equipment.

Also, check out your office design and find alternative ways where you will be able to use more energy-efficient materials or tools in your day-to-day office activities. Carpool if you must, and limit transportation by doing online meetings or voice calls.

3.       Conserve water and electricity

Water and electricity are a staple for every household and most especially businesses. As we use them every day, we need to be conscious of their usage as there can be activities or practices that result in a lot of wastage of these resources. Use as much natural light in your offices as much as possible. If the design limits having natural light in your workplace, consider installing motion sensors for lights in your meeting or rooms and faucets in your toilets and pantries.

Another option is to observe lights-off hours during breaks or after office hours. You can shift to desk lights when there are fewer people in the office. Always put reminders to turn off lights and electronic appliances when not in use.

4.       Put plants or have a garden in your office

Plants not only make an office attractive but they also clean the air. Also, plants help reduce noise levels, relieve people from stress, increase productivity, enhance creativity, combat illnesses and lower absence rates.

Aside from that, having some greens or a garden in your office also reminds you and your team to be always conscious of the environment. Assign them a plant or give them a schedule to take care of your office garden so that everyone takes accountability in looking after them and carries these responsibilities wherever they are, being mindful of their duty in protecting our planet’s resources.

5.       Use alternative sources of energy

You can install solar panels, windmills or rain catchers in your work areas to utilise alternative sources of energy. While this may be easier said and done, it can be achieved with careful planning and good execution. It is a good step towards becoming a more environmentally friendly business.

You can start with these initiatives and expand your company’s green campaign as you go along. And before you bring this to your external audience, be sure to run an internal campaign among your team members so that it becomes part of your corporate culture. The important thing is to embed the mindset and values of being responsible for taking care of our environment within your organisation.

Do you have other suggestions on how to make a business eco-friendly? Share with us in the comment section below.

A recipe to a successful mentor-mentee relationship

(An EO Melbourne Mentorship Program Story)

“Access to knowledge is easy, but access to wisdom is difficult.”

- Kym Huynh

Founder of WeTeachMe and EO Melbourne’s Past President

During one of their most recent mentorship sessions, John Paolacci, Director at KMG Advisory, invited over Kym Huynh, his mentee, to his house and prepared his father’s gnocchi with him. Kym watched John closely while he cooked gnocchi in his kitchen. Kym found meaning and inspiration from this experience.

“I appreciate the degree of care that he takes in explaining every step of the process. John was incredibly specific and very conscientious and thoughtful that I understood the ingredients used, where the ingredients were sourced from, and how much to use in the cooking process so that the gnocchi comes out the way that his father makes it. It made me question whether I applied that specificity to the things that I do in my life. John is a lot more deliberate in how he does things and the processes he uses, and I derived a lot of value in that by just watching how he operates and how he works. That's an example of an intangible benefit that comes out of the mentorship program,” Kym shared.

Care and Love

Kym acknowledges that this was only possible because John has opened up himself in his home and welcomed him. Although this is the third time that Kym has participated in EO Melbourne’s Mentorship Program, he cherishes the learnings during their sessions together and the relationship that developed along the way. “He shared something with me that's quite intimate to him and special to him. That was a big learning for me, just seeing the intention that John puts into his cooking, how he shares it with others, and the love that he puts into it.”

“Through that interaction, I was able to ask a lot of questions and understand what was John's journey, what were his lessons, what are the things that are important to him, what were the failures, what are the things that he did well, what are his concerns, what are the things that he's most proud of, and how is he with his family. These are the intangible benefits that I've taken away so far from our mentor and mentee relationship,” Kym remarked.

Open to change

For John, on the other hand, he finds the experience as an eye-opener in various ways. “What I’ve found in mentorship is that it gives me exposure to a younger perspective or a different generation. If you hang around with people your age or who have similar experiences, (whilst) I think it's good you share a lot of common knowledge and other things, it doesn't necessarily challenge you or put you into the picture of what's happening out there.”

Seeing how the younger generation can use technology seamlessly and use it to their advantage personally and professionally has opened John’s eyes and made him more open to change. “I think the change part is a big element for a mentor, where a lot of the times if you keep doing the same thing and you're not exposed to new experiences it's very hard to not only change but even consider making a change or consider the need or benefit in making any changes,” he added.

As a mentor, it was an opportunity for John to share his knowledge and experience but also reflect on his business and personal life. John explained, “The exposure I've had to Kym and his business and his objectives, in terms of what he wants to achieve, has helped me assess from my perspective: am I doing things like that in my life? This mentorship has made me confront issues that are relevant to me personally and relevant to my business.”

Trust and friendship

Both Kym and John find the experience refreshing as it does not only help them learn more on how to deal with their respective businesses but also enhance their perspectives in life and contribute to their personal development. Moreover, they both appreciate the bond that was formed between them because of the program.

According to Kym, “I put a lot of value on his friendship. There's something quite bolstering in knowing that another person sees you and hears you and understands you and reassures you that whatever issue you have for that month and whatever issue you're experiencing is normal. It’s quite bolstering knowing that you have a friend and ally every step of the way, someone in your corner shouting for you and cheering for you and working with you. That’s a benefit that I didn't anticipate coming into the mentoring program. I thought it would be – here’s my problem, here's the issue, here's how to resolve it, this is the person you talk to – and you just get to it in a very methodical problem-solving approach. But what I've come to experience with John has been more of inner strength and fortitude. Again, that came as a big surprise, a very welcome surprise.”

John acknowledged that through the mentorship program, “you get the opportunity to meet someone and get to know someone. It allows you to delve into their life in a way that you wouldn't normally do with a person that you just met. So, I think personally and professionally, it's been a major benefit to me. If I can see that Kym gets some benefit or development out of our interactions, then that gives me a lot of fulfilment, knowing I'm able to assist and help while I'm also developing myself.”

Kym echoes the same kind of appreciation for John. “Having the benefit of his experience and his wisdom is invaluable to me. The interesting thing is that I came to John for business advice but what I'm getting from him is life and wisdom, which I think is 10 times more impactful than the business advice.”

Many others have become part of the program either as a mentor or as a mentee. From John’s and Kym’s experiences, there are a lot of things one can get out of the program, but it can only be achieved as long as one puts in the effort and the right ingredients to make it a success.

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Are you interested to be an EO Melbourne mentor or mentee? Learn more about our Mentorship Program and apply to be a mentor or mentee through this page.

A Reflection: EO Melbourne’s “Our Best Year Yet!”

In retrospect to the year 2020 and how it has become one of the most challenging years in modern times, EO Melbourne Past President Kym Huynh recalls how it has affected the Chapter and highlights the lessons that the experience has brought to him.

“Think of that one thing that when you achieve it, will make you want to jump up on the table, pop open a bottle of champagne, and start dancing.” This was the picture that Kym painted when he wanted people to consider what needed to happen for the 2019/2020 year to their best year yet. It also coincidently happened to be the EO Melbourne’s 2019/2020 theme.

“Our Best Year Yet!” provided a singular focus for Members to select one high-impact item that would make a difference in their own lives. Similarly, Kym applied this idea to his Board as he asked each Board Member to focus on the single highest impact item in their respective portfolios. As President, Kym saw his role as making sure every Board Member focused on the highest impact item. But who would have anticipated a pandemic to take place midway through the 2019/2020 term, causing the entire world to collectively halt and slow down?

Five lessons to remember

Maintaining focus is a challenge in itself. With COVID-19, the pandemic forced the world to shift gears as it shocked the world and affected so many lives. Kym acknowledged the crisis as both a difficulty and an opportunity for great leadership to emerge. He witnessed, and is grateful, for how the EO Melbourne Board and management team stepped up to look after the well-being of its Members. When asked to reflect on the year in five words, he shared: (1) stronger together; (2) methodical; (3) progress; (4) stronger; and (5) connected.

Strong Together

“Witnessing how invested the Board and the management team was in the well-being of the Members it serves was both inspiring and humbling,” says Kym, who has been a Member of the Board for six years. An example he cited was the appointment of a Resident Psychologist that was completely supported and funded for by the Chapter. He also acknowledged the Member-to-Member reach-out that took place during COVID-19. “During crisis and times of difficulty, we must focus on the relationships that we have with one another, and witnessing so many Members reach out to check and support one another made us collectively stronger together.”

Methodical

“Before COVID-19, the Board were already intentional in achieving milestones and delivering on promises every month. During COVID-19, the Board increased their cadences and were increasingly methodical in coming together, planning the response strategy, planning the communication strategy, and delivering on the execution strategy. What impressed me most was that the Board also placed a high degree of importance on not only managing the current COVID-19 situation but also managing what happens after COVID-19.” For Kym, witnessing the Board utilise the three lenses of short-term, mid-term and long-term planning when it came to Chapter guardianship was inspiring.

Progress

When it came to the Chapter’s programs – the Key Executive Program, the Accelerator Program, the Mentorship Program, the Significant Life Partner Program and the NextGen Program, Kym is satisfied with what the Board and the management team achieved during the 2019/2020 term. “I subscribe to this idea that when we have the opportunity to lead, we must leave things better than how we found it,” Kym professes, “and these programs were left in a very strong position for future Boards.”

“Whilst I am proud of the progress of the Board, the management team, and the Chapter, what I am most proud of is the progress in our humanity. At the end of our lives, I don't think it's our accomplishments and achievements that determine whether or not our lives have been that of substance, success and meaning, but rather, I think it is the quality of our relationships that we have with one another that make our lives meaningful. The progress in our humanity gave me a lot of meaning, gave me hope, and makes me feel incredibly proud because we exited 2019/2020 and COVID-19 as kinder, more caring, and better humans.”

Stronger

Going through the difficulties together has made the Chapter stronger than how it was before. “I, our Board, and our management team were tasked with looking after the Chapter. We had to make sure that as we rolled off our term, the Chapter was left stronger and better. It’s an investment of our time and energy into our Members because strong Members make strong Forums, and strong Forums make strong Chapters.”

“We also expanded our capabilities of delivering virtual events. Moving forward, I expect that these new capabilities will augment live in-person events.” Kym states.

“There's also greater inclusion of significant life partners and the family because it's the totality of the entrepreneur that makes us strong. These tools that we learn to master our businesses can also be used for our personal lives and the lives of our families and children. Now, that’s where the real power lies,” explains Kym.

Connected

Highlighting the value of relationships, another word that Kym wanted to describe his term was being connected. “The idea that we feel safe enough to reach out to one another when needed, and we have the environment for that, means that we are more connected as a Chapter,” Kym remarks. “I believe in this quote that says, “If you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go far, go with others.” By ensuring that we are connected, we will go further,” he quips.

“Our Best Year Yet!”

When reflecting on the 2019/2020 year, one singular thing stands out for Kym. “The thing that we have achieved, that made the 2019/2020 year the best year yet for me, is the growth in our humanity. As Board Members, entrepreneurs, family members, parents, community leaders and as a Chapter, the growth in our humanity is our best achievement. It gives our lives substance, gives us meaning and means that we can all go out into our respective businesses, communities and families, and lead our lives that are better, kinder, and more compassionate.”

Moving forward

After a year of leading the Chapter to navigate through one of the worst global crisis in modern times, Kym has grown and learned from the experience. He made a conscious effort of leading himself first so he could lead others, and then he looked after the Board as leaders of the Chapter, and then made sure that the Members were looked after as well. “Once I knew that I had those three foundation pillars in place, I knew that then was our opportunity to make decisions that would make a lasting and positive contribution,” says Kym.

But for Kym, the greatest compliment a leader can receive is when they're not needed anymore. “We have built such a strong foundation and structure and systems and processes for the Chapter. There is an opportunity for incoming Presidents and Boards to stand on the shoulders of what we have collectively built, and to look further into the horizon to see what's possible, just as we did when we came into our term and stood on the shoulders of the Boards that came before us. I am incredibly excited about the new perspective and the new vision future Boards would have.”

“As for me, I would like to one day become Global Chair of EO, and so I will be taking my next steps into that pathway, but also mindful that my roots come from EO Melbourne. And so, EO Melbourne will always hold a soft spot in my heart,” Kym reveals.

Since stepping down from his position as President, Kym is approaching life with more wisdom, courage and humility, mindful that he does not hold all the answers. He looks back to the years he has served as a Board Member and leaves an excerpt of a poem he loves that sums up about the value of our humanity, the most valuable thing that can make us celebrate “Our Best Year Yet!”

"The Paradox of Our Time"

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have more food, but less appeasement; we build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology has brought this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference or to just hit delete...

Level Up Your Life

Having clarity of vision and developing habits, tools and life-hacks to bring your B.H.A.G. into fruition this 2021 and beyond

As we leave 2020 and all its challenges behind, it is but apt to make 2021 a year where we level up our lives and set our minds to accomplish the things we want to achieve. Often, the big question is: where do we start? The “how” can be daunting.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

– Steve Jobs

To help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential and enable transformational growth in the lives of its members, EO Melbourne recently held the virtual workshop “Level Up Your Life” where OAK Journal Founder and EO Colorado Member Keith Roberts shared the tools, structure and habits to reach one’s limitless potential through the 90-day structured OAK Journal.

One of Keith’s key takeaways from EO was having clarity of vision due to its importance for goal-setting. Through science, spirituality and generosity Keith’s vision was to help others become the best versions of themselves, which is how the OAK Journal evolved, as a tool to help guide others on their life journey.

In the process of implementing the 90-day goal, the journal aids users to find their “why” or ikigai (one’s life purpose). The focus is to set three goals for 90 days (personal, business, and family/relationships) that will lead them to achieve their Big Hairy Audacious Goal (B.H.A.G.) and, eventually, their purpose.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

– Thomas Edison

The creators of the OAK Journal developed this tool to share over 20 years of collective experience that will empower one to achieve what they set out to do. It has taken decades of wins and failures, along with countless hours of continued education and endless consumption of reading materials and books, such as How to Win Friends and Influence People, Great By Choice, Mastering The Rockefeller Habits and Scaling Up.

Keith also touched on the importance of writing vs digital. Based on science and research, many studies have shown that writing something down almost doubles the probability of accomplishing it.

“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”

– John C. Maxwell

Along with writing down the long-term and short-term goals, the OAK Journal provides the method of how to achieve them. One of the things it encourages everyone to do is to follow Warren Rustand’s 10-10-10, wherein 10 minutes are spent on meditating, another 10 minutes on reading and another 10 minutes for journaling.

It is all about creating healthy habits from morning routines to evening activities. Keith stresses that it is an exercise in building willpower and discipline and motivating others to finish what they have begun. The journal additionally has sections where one can write down and track their daily and weekly progress.

“Be afraid, not of failing but of never trying.”

– Adam Beasley

As Keith recommended, more than just putting pen to paper, the best way to make sure that healthy habits are being developed and that the 90-day goals are being achieved is to have an accountability partner. Finding one in EO may not be too difficult as most members of this business community have similar experiences, qualities and aspirations.

Apart from gaining access to learning events like this, one of the advantages of joining EO is being surrounded by like-minded leaders, which provides life-enhancing connections and real conversations that can help one unlock their potentials and grow beyond their personal limits.

What is your goal in 2021? How do you plan to achieve it? Share your answers in the comment box below.

President's Update - January 2021

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

If you had one word to live by this year, what would it be?

"Intention" would be mine.

You see, every decision we make takes us on a different path. And as leaders, these decisions can significantly shift the needle on the compass for our people and our business.

Settling into the new year, we can find ourselves swept away into the day-to-day activities, being pulled into meetings and called upon to fight fires.

This year, I seek to sit with intention each morning and have the clarity to make decisions that serve the future. I must remind myself that long-term thinking will improve my short-term decision making.

To help you on your journey of growth and learning, we have sent you all an exclusively branded EO Melbourne OAK Journal. This tool was created by an EO member in Colorado who has tied in some of the most life-changing techniques from books such as Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and Scaling Up in the one journal.

2021, I am ready for you.

Warmest regards, 

Sheryl Thai 
President 2020/2021

Motivational quotes from EO Members from around the globe

“When things get exceptionally difficult to handle, I often fall back on quotes that I’ve saved or memorized for inspiration and hope.

I’ve been saving quotes for years — they’re scribbled in the inside of matchbooks, or highlighted in yellow, gems of light gathered in well-worn notebooks.

Sometimes they’re fortunes from cookies, often they’re arranged and rearranged on a bulletin board stretched on a canvas with beige linen fabric.”

- Kalika Yap, Founder and CEO of Citrus Studios and

EO Global Communications Committee Member and Member of EO Los Angeles

Quotes. We all love them. And they often come in handy when we are facing our best or even our worst situations.

A great way to start the new year is to take inspiration from entrepreneurs who have faced so many challenges and made through them with their passion and determination. Whether it’s a little push to keep you going, a new idea that you can bring to your journey or a thought that will let you take a giant leap, these nuggets of wisdom will help guide you to move forward towards your goal.

Entrepreneurial insights

It’s always good to hear the experience and learnings of other entrepreneurs, especially those who have taken the journey ahead of you. If you will browse through various EO online resources, you will find inspirational insights from EO members across the globe.

“Corporate culture is the most important asset in any business. It needs to be defined and deliberately nurtured to avoid a default culture that doesn’t serve your goals or your team.”

- Will Scott, Founder, Culture Czars® and

Finance Chair and President-Elect of EO Wisconsin

"As an entrepreneur, you have to be quite visionary. But not just visionary, you have to be willing to drive it. You have to drive it.”

- Dean Cherny, Founder and Director at Marketing Melodies and

Past President (2018-2019) of EO Melbourne

“I would tell myself: Trust yourself; have confidence in yourself. But also surround yourself with people who give you confidence — because they are so highly capable and confident themselves.”

- Melissa Harris, the CEO and founder of M. Harris & Co. and

Member of EO Chicago

“Always put one foot in front of another. Keep chipping away and pushing forward no matter how daunting things may get. Hard work pays off. As they say, if you don’t fail at something every now and then you may not be trying hard enough.”

- Andrew Pharo, CEO of Cahaba Brewing and

Strategic Alliance Chair of EO Birmingham

“ ‘You have no idea how amazing it’s going to be to see your employees grow personally and professionally.’ This has been my greatest joy in being an entrepreneur. I aggressively invest in people. And seeing them hit their stride, find their passion and thrive in our culture is beyond fulfilling.”

- Tracy Call, founder of Media Bridge Advertising and

Member of EO Minnesota

“Surround yourself with exceptional people and turn them loose. Avoid the temptation to do everything yourself and be everything to everyone. Focus on your strengths and leverage your team.”

- Kevin Tucker, CEO of SOLitude Lake Management and

Member of EO Southeast Virginia

On joining EO

Many of these entrepreneurs found great benefit and opportunity in joining the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. It has helped them in their personal and professional growth as business leaders. Read below how members from various chapters find EO relevant in their entrepreneurial journey.

"Being an EO member for almost 5 years now has been priceless to me. I have learnt to share things I couldn't before - and I didn't know the way to do it! I have gained value from entrepreneurs' experience and not from their advice - and this is the most expensive school! I have served as a Chair in the Chapter - and I have explored new ways of leadership. When I joined EO, I was thinking of it as a high-end business network. After almost 5 years in the EO, I have realized that is just the minimum!"

- Rebecca Pitsika, CEO of People for Business and

Member of EO Greece

“I joined EO because it’s a powerful international community in which I could adopt worldwide perspectives. The most important EO experience for me has been expanding my horizon on different cultures.”

- Aditya Burman, Director of Oncquest Laboratories Ltd and

Member of EO New Delhi

“EO membership inspired me to improve in every aspect of my life and to reach a better version of myself. Encountering fellow entrepreneurs enables us to consult and learn from the experience of others, which sharpens our thinking and motivation. Being part of an international organization like EO enables us to meet with entrepreneurs from around the world who are facing the same challenges, learning & growing together.”

- Galit Bar-Tal, CEO and Owner of Sycamore Group and

Member of EO Israel

“We help each other get through the trials and tribulations of starting businesses, owning businesses, and dealing with the realities of who we are and what it takes to become a successful business entrepreneur.”

- William Palisano, Lincoln Archives & LACyber and

Member of EO Western New York

“EO helped me get my business and personal goals aligned and energized me to grow my business. It has helped me with small things like dealing more efficiently with daily issues and more transformational ones like how to restructure my business to be less dependent on me.”

- Benjamin Knopp, Founder of V Coffee and

Membership Chair of EO Tokyo Metropolitan

How about you? What inspiring entrepreneurial insight can you share with us? We’d like to hear from you through the comments section below.

Bring out your inner warrior to confront an uncertain 2021

By Tui Cordemans

Instagram posts are full of inspiring optimism for 2021. We just couldn’t wait for 2020 to end and for 2021 to start. It is as if something magical happens when one year turns into another. Hence, we make New Year’s resolutions. But why do we have to wait for a New Year?  I don’t know about you, but I have never had a New Year’s resolution come to fruition unless I have worked hard at making it happen. Things do not magically transpire just because one year turns into another.

When I ponder over the concept of uncertainty and how uncertain we are feeling about next year, I realise that in reality, the future is never certain - so why do we worry about it now? If you reminisce about your years as an adolescent or young adult, you will probably admit that you never thought about the future, let alone whether it was certain or uncertain. One merely lived in the moment. I practice yoga regularly, and when I am doing my yoga poses, I consciously bring myself back to the present moment; when I achieve that moment, I feel much stronger in my poses.  If professional athletes took their minds off the present moment, they could compromise their balance and the game.

Life is always uncertain, but now it seems to be more so.  Who would have ever thought that a government would shut businesses down in a blink of an eye? This possibility is what is causing the most uncertainty. Does this uncertainty have an end?  Happily, we can prepare for this possibility and have our businesses ready to navigate a crisis. Remember, a business should always be crisis-proofed – prepared for the unexpected.

Warrior strategies to help you thrive in 2021

Focus on the present moment

As leaders, we must have goals and a clear picture of our future. But, the truth is that there is nothing more real than the NOW. You can save your ideal future for a visualisation exercise.  However, when you are in business, living in the present moment is when you will be most powerful.  What is more, just watch how your stress levels drop. When you are with your customers, be present with them. The more you know your customers, the more you will be able to satisfy their needs. When you give your customers what they want, you will become important to them and they will remember you when there is a crisis.

Be a creative and perceptive warrior

There were times during the pandemic when I felt I was slipping into victimhood – why did I not do more? Chastising oneself is not the way of a warrior; neither is pitying oneself an effective way of dealing with a crisis.  In November, I had a couple of bad days, so I took some time out to analyse the year and what had led to this state of affairs; what part had I played?

I visualised a Viking riding a magnificent horse and leading his people into battle. What were the stellar qualities that made him a strong leader?

The qualities I imagined a warrior would need to get through a crisis were: focus, strength (good health), caring for the needs of others (your customers/staff), standing up for their beliefs (purpose), foresight (strategy), faith and determination. Warriors have a purpose and a belief. They are courageous and they instil in their followers a winning spirit. They do not wallow in pity or expect others to make them feel better; they push forward, leading the way through adversity.

We can adapt the qualities of a warrior to our respective circumstances. Using our creativity, we can navigate our way through the crisis. Now, imagine yourself as a creative warrior on a horse and work out which qualities you need to get yourself and your people through a crisis.

Buckle Up

This year, I discovered that we could not always predict where our money was going to come from, but we could predict what we will spend. Last week, I admitted to my 80-year-old neighbour that my generation had been spoiled, and she agreed. She went on to say that as a child, she only owned one pair of shoes and that during the war and the recession, her mum had tightened her belt and kept expenses to an absolute minimum. In other words, business owners need to buckle up!

Know your purpose

In the same way that a warrior in battle is clear about his purpose and why he will win, we need to be just as clear as to why we are in business and why our business will excel. When our goal is infinite, we do not need to worry about finite goals not being reached. It is about believing in something bigger than ourselves. At Koh Living, our purpose is to make people feel important and loved through the creation of unique art-inspired gifts. What big goal are you working towards that will have an impact on this world or the people in it? Is it infinite and are your staff connected to this big vision?

During an EO APAC meeting this year, I realised that one’s purpose can begin in one’s own backyard. Do not be deterred by bigger businesses that devote part of their profit to grandiose philanthropic activities. What you can achieve is relative to the size of your business. As you grow, you can do more; the more people you impact, the more it will benefit you and your business.

 "Never let a good crisis go to waste."

- Winston Churchill

Learn the lessons – what will you stop doing, what will you start doing, what will you keep doing?

Many people have noted how weird or difficult 2020 has been, and we agree. However, our generation has had a fairly easy ride. Past generations have suffered more. But suffering can be beneficial as it can make us more empathetic, stronger and resilient. Successfully navigating a crisis can prepare us for confronting the next crisis.

Winston Churchill always said, never waste a crisis – this will mean something different for each person. For myself, suffering is only beneficial if I am open to the message it is sending. What is that one lesson I have to learn?

When we failed to reach our finite goals in 2020, I was hard on myself - until I realised that what mattered was our infinite goal. I also realised that it’s not even about the goal, it’s about reflecting on the journey. If it’s about the journey, then I need to understand that journeys will always have ups and downs. I then asked myself, “What had I done over the last few years that was stifling our growth?” At that point, I knew what it was that I needed to STOP doing and what I needed to START doing. This gave me 3 strategies for 2021 that I could use to feel confident in navigating an uncertain environment.

As business owners, we are often too ‘busy’ to stop, slow down, reflect, (be receptive) or meditate. This is usually to the detriment of our business and our personal lives. We should always start our days in meditation, reflection and visualisation to ‘create’ the environment in our minds that will allow us to live our most purposeful, authentic and sovereign lives.

How have your market and your customers changed?

To keep your business going forward, you have to understand what your customers need - this is not something new. However, during a crisis, people’s needs change temporarily and it is important to understand what these changes are so you can give your customers solutions. People are creatures of habit, and their basic needs will not change. After the great wars, people eventually returned to their previous way of life, but initially, they tightened their belts and their spending. So, adapting your prices according to customers’ ability to spend would be something to take into account. People’s shopping habits were already changing before the pandemic, but now, this change has shot forward by at least 5 years.

There is a multitude of strategies you can implement during a crisis, and I have chosen some of the most useful. Crucial to success is creating the right state of mind. From a holistic perspective, it’s important to have a healthy mind and body to keep 10 steps ahead. It is often hard to keep up with our personal or work routines when a crisis strikes, but this is exactly what we need to do. Routine in a baby’s life ensures stability for both mom and baby; routine keeps things ticking along nicely and this is no different to anything else in life. When life is rocky, we need that stability. Routine and discipline support us along our path of purpose, towards our infinite goal. Applying the lessons we have learnt will make that journey even more stable.

About the author: Tui Cordemans is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Koh Living. She is also a member of EO Melbourne.

President's Update - December

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

A year that simultaneously feels as if it’s been the fastest yet longest 366 days.

A year that has pushed all of us into realms of discomfort and growth.

A year that will go down in history for all the right and wrong reasons.

There’s something comforting about starting a new year fresh, even if it’s only a clock’s hand tick away from the year before. The significance of being able to turn to a new page on a brand new year can bring a sense of relief and a spark of optimism.

We’ve all been dealt with some nice curveballs this year, and as we arrive at the tail end of 2020, there’s only one last thing left to do.

To celebrate.

Celebrate with those, such as our team, that stood by us.

Celebrate with those that supported us and inspired us.

Celebrate with those we love most.

On that note, it was wonderful to have celebrated with so many of you at our Christmas lunch. Even though we may have broken a few rules (bound to happen with 100 entrepreneurs in one room!) it didn’t dull the fact that we were finally able to clink glasses and share laughs.

We’ve got a full schedule of events planned for early 2021 so rest up, recharge and we’ll see you in the new year.

Keep the celebrations going until then!

Warmest regards, 

Sheryl Thai 
President 2020/2021