When it comes to doing business, in my opinion honesty and integrity are always the best policies. So I’ll level with you: my business career hasn’t always been a gold-plated success story. After studying engineering at Uni I worked at some of Australia’s largest companies, including Holden and Ramset, but it was only once I launched into my own small business that I learned the hard lessons that have inspired me to help others navigate their own business journey. Almost a decade ago I started a custom cycling clothing business as a side earner alongside my full-time job. Like so many in that position, it took an unexpected redundancy at my regular job for me to launch headlong into the business. And over the next few years it morphed from purely a cycling clothing business, into custom sportswear, retail and so much more. If you’d told me a few years earlier that one day I’d be importing and exporting goods on a daily basis, running a thriving e-commerce operation and delivering sportswear across the globe, I might have laughed you out of town, but here I was, doing exactly that and loving the freedom and challenges that running a small business provided. In the ensuing years I took my company from a small, home-run operation to an industry leader, doing a seven figure annual turnover. We had offices in both Melbourne and Sydney, were selling both locally and abroad, liaising with manufacturers in Italy, China and the Philippines and establishing systems to ensure the business ran as efficiently as possible. As if I needed more on my plate, I also launched a national level cycling team, as a way of putting back into an industry that had given me so much. It’s a source of great pride for me that our little Team Seight won multiple National Road Series races, including against teams with much bigger backing and budgets, and that some of our riders now race professionally overseas, having used our team as a platform to launch their international cycling careers. Of course, every small business has its ups and downs, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t experienced my fair share of challenges. Like many Australians, the downturn in the Australian dollar hit my business hard, and over a period of time I went from turning a comfortable profit to losing money. And the timing couldn’t have been worse, with the downturn coinciding with the breakdown of my marriage. But if you can’t adapt in small business, you won’t survive, and it was during this time that I learned plenty about myself, while receiving the ultimate crash course in the resilience required to make it in business. I further systemised my operation, hired a sales manager and not only became profitable again, but grew the business to the point that someone made me an offer to buy it that I couldn’t refuse. For me, the greatest enjoyment and most fulfilment I experienced during my years of running my business came through the simple act of helping people. And it’s that passion that I now bring to business coaching, consulting and mentoring. I work with small business owners to plan, strategise and streamline, and assist them through what at times can be a challenging and lonely journey. I look forward to working with you on your continued path towards small business success.