Last night I attended the Mount Alexander Business Awards 2019 at the Castlemaine Town Hall. This event is put on by Mount Alexander Shire Council and held bi-annually. My coaching business was a finalist this year in the Microbusiness category.
I was excited to attend this celebratory dinner and catch up with friends. There was such a buzz in the room – a sense of unity and pride in our business successes. Whilst I didn’t scoop up the trophy for my category, I had prepared a speech just in case. I’m sharing it with my readers because I still felt like a winner…
Firstly, I’d like to thank my family for their encouragement in my business and their support tonight.
Thanks to Mount Alexander Shire Council, Eva and Marg for coordinating this wonderful event and to the volunteer judges. Thanks to Workspace Australia for sponsoring the micro-business category – it’s these partnerships that help make these awards a success.
For me these awards are a great opportunity to not only reflect on my business operations, it’s growth and my professional learnings but to CELEBRATE tonight with other business folk in our shire.
Well done to the nominees and the finalists. I was thrilled to hear that Tesha from Mother Lover and Jacinta from Jac the Hitcher were alongside me as finalists. I’ve been following both these women’s business stories both on the socials and meeting them at local events run by Ladies Who Launch.
I launched The Good Life Careers seven years ago after quitting my corporate job in Melbourne and moving to Harcourt. I consulted to HR firms, supporting people on career transition programs whilst I built up my work coaching job seekers and career changers here in Central Victoria.
The best investment I made when I started my business was work with a marketing coach. Marion, a successful business woman with Celine Martine, helped form my vision & mission statements, consumer profile and a marketing strategy. This gave me clarity in my message and brand which then led to my logo, website and social media platforms. With these foundations I had confidence to move forward with my business.
Running your own small business is not dissimilar to looking for a new job or embracing career change. When people invest in my services they develop a strengthened and targeted approach to finding work.
I help my clients by providing a framework for them:
- To reflect on their skills, achievements and strengths so they have clarity about their value offering
- Give them the tools to research companies so they align themselves to organisations with similar values.
- Coach them in communicating a clear message – both in job applications and through talking to their networks.
The rewarding part of my work is when I hear the news that my client has landed an interview or better still…been offered the job.
Through my coaching I see people move forward with greater confidence towards their goals AND this is what drives me to continue doing what I do.
Thank you… and enjoy the night!
Networking is a healthy life skill that’s not just for people in management roles. It’s for everyone. When I speak with people about networking, some shy away from the concept as it’s seemingly daunting. Comments such as, ‘Nothing could be worse than going to an event and having to make small talk with people.’ I’ll pop some resources at the end of this post with useful networking information for people who feel this way or are more introverted. 
The Good Life Careers 