Why I believe business owners don’t need more information. They need clarity, confidence, and someone who genuinely wants to see them succeed.
Every Business Has an Origin Story
Every entrepreneur has a story.
Some start their business after leaving corporate life. Others, after becoming parents, following a lifelong dream, or simply deciding there had to be a better way.
Mine started when I was 12.
Looking back now, I probably didn’t realise I was becoming an entrepreneur. I just knew I loved creating, solving problems, and building something that was completely my own.
That passion eventually became the foundation for every business I’ve built since.
Recently, I had the privilege of sharing more of that journey on the Success Leaves Clues Podcast, where we explored everything from my first business to building The Growth Manager, the difference between mentoring and coaching, growing businesses sustainably, and what entrepreneurship really looks like behind the scenes.
Reflecting on that conversation reminded me that while my story is unique, the lessons aren’t.
Every business owner experiences uncertainty.
Every entrepreneur questions themselves.
Every founder wonders if they’re doing enough.
If this article helps even one person realise they don’t have to figure it all out alone, then it’s worth sharing.
It All Started at 12 Years Old
Entrepreneurship has always been part of who I am.
At just 12 years old, I officially started my first business.
It wasn’t glamorous.
There were no investors.
No social media.
No sophisticated marketing strategy.
Just a young girl with a creative mind and a determination to turn an idea into something real.
That first business taught me lessons no classroom ever could.
How to communicate with customers.
How to solve problems.
How to manage money.
How to keep going when things didn’t work the first time.
Most importantly, it taught me that business isn’t just about making money.
It’s about creating value.
That belief has stayed with me ever since.
Learning Business From the Inside Out
As I grew older, I continued building my skills through education and real-world experience.
My first formal studies were in fashion, an industry that perfectly combined creativity with business.
After completing my studies in Canada, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life.
I moved to Australia.
Originally, Australia was never meant to be home.
The plan was to complete an internship before relocating to Florence, Italy, to continue pursuing a career in fashion.
Life had other ideas.
Within months, I had fallen in love with Australia, its people, and the opportunities available here.
So I stayed.
Over the next several years, I worked inside businesses across fashion, retail, marketing, business development, sales, e-commerce, and digital strategy.
Each role added another piece to the puzzle.
I wasn’t just learning how businesses operated.
I was learning why some grew while others struggled.
That experience became invaluable later when mentoring business owners across completely different industries.
Why I Chose Mentoring Instead of Coaching
People often refer to me as a business coach.
While I appreciate the sentiment, I actually identify much more strongly as a business mentor.
There is an important difference.
Coaching is incredibly valuable.
A coach helps people uncover answers through thoughtful questions, reflection, and accountability.
Mentoring includes those same elements, but it also draws on lived experience.
It means sharing practical strategies.
- Providing templates.
- Reviewing plans.
- Creating resources.
- Offering examples.
- Helping implement ideas.
- Sometimes it even means rolling up your sleeves and working alongside a client to solve a problem.
At The Growth Manager, we combine mentoring, coaching, education, and strategic consulting into one personalised experience.
Our clients receive homework. I give myself homework too.
Between sessions, I review businesses, develop resources, refine messaging, and create tailored action plans for each business owner.
That’s why I called the business The Growth Manager.
Because my role isn’t simply to coach.
It’s to help business owners manage every stage of their growth journey.
The Problem I Saw Everywhere
As I worked with more businesses, I noticed something surprising.
The problem wasn’t a lack of effort.
Business owners were working incredibly hard.
The problem wasn’t a lack of ideas either.
If anything, they had too many.
The real challenge was clarity.
Too many business owners were trying to follow advice from dozens of experts at once.
One person told them to focus on social media.
Another said paid advertising.
Another suggested launching a podcast.
Someone else recommended email marketing.
The result?
- Overwhelm.
- Confusion.
- Analysis paralysis.
I realised that business owners didn’t need another course.
They needed someone to help them identify what mattered most.
Someone to simplify.
Someone to say, “Let’s stop trying to do everything and focus on what will genuinely move your business forward.”
That philosophy became the foundation of The Growth Manager.
Building Businesses That Support Your Life
One thing you’ll hear me say repeatedly is this:
Your business should fit your life. Not the other way around.
Success isn’t measured by how many hours you work.
It isn’t measured by how exhausted you feel.
It isn’t measured by how many emails you answer after dinner.
Success is building a business that supports the lifestyle you actually want.
For some people, that’s scaling internationally.
For others, it’s working four days a week.
For some, it’s creating a legacy business.
For others, it’s having the flexibility to attend every school concert.
None of those goals is more valid than another.
What matters is that your business aligns with your values.
Because when it does, growth becomes sustainable.
The Season That Changed Everything
In 2022, everything changed.
An accident left me with a permanent brain injury and chronic pain.
Almost overnight, my capacity disappeared.
Today, I can generally work around 12 to 15 hours each week.
That’s it.
There are no extra hours hiding somewhere.
If I push beyond my limits, my body reminds me very quickly.
At first, I wondered whether I could continue running my businesses.
Then I realised something.
Everything I had been teaching clients about systems, priorities, boundaries, and sustainable growth suddenly became essential for my own survival.
I had to redesign my business.
I stopped measuring productivity by hours worked.
I started measuring it by the impact created.
Ironically, becoming more limited made me a better mentor.
Because now I don’t just teach sustainable business growth.
I live it every single day.
Why Transparency Matters
One of the topics we discussed on the podcast was pricing.
Many service providers choose not to publish their prices.
I’ve chosen the opposite approach.
Our pricing is available on our website.
Completely transparent.
Why?
Because I value honesty.
I also value my clients’ time.
I have limited capacity, and I want people to know exactly what they’re investing in before we even have a conversation.
That transparency builds trust.
It also attracts business owners who value mentoring as an investment rather than an expense.
The right clients aren’t looking for the cheapest option. They’re looking for the right partner.
Community Has Always Been Stronger Than Marketing
People often ask where my clients come from.
The answer surprises them.
Most don’t come through advertising.
They come through trust.
- Speaking engagements.
- Podcasts.
- Government mentoring programs.
- Referral partners.
- Previous clients.
- Community relationships.
- Volunteering has also become one of the most rewarding parts of my business. Programs like Mentoring for Growth, university mentoring, and community initiatives allow me to support entrepreneurs who may never have found The Growth Manager otherwise.
Helping first has always been part of our philosophy.
Business simply follows naturally when you consistently create value.
The Biggest Lesson I’ve Learned
If I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this:
You don’t have to do everything yourself.
Leadership isn’t about being capable of every task.
It’s about knowing where your greatest contribution lies.
Today, I focus almost exclusively on my strengths.
- Mentoring.
- Strategy.
- Business development.
- Speaking.
- Relationship building.
Everything else is either systemised, delegated, or supported by trusted specialists.
That’s allowed me to protect my energy while increasing the impact we create.
It’s also one of the first conversations I now have with clients.
Because burnout isn’t a badge of honour.
It’s often a sign your business has outgrown its current systems.
Looking Towards the Future
The Growth Manager has grown far beyond what I imagined when I first started.
We’ve worked with hundreds of business owners.
Delivered mentoring through government programs.
Spoken at conferences.
Partnered with universities.
Been invited onto podcasts.
Received international business awards.
Built an award-winning business blog.
Created an extensive library of Growth Guides and practical resources.
And yet, I genuinely feel like we’re only getting started.
Over the next few years, my vision is simple.
- Reach more business owners.
- Create even better educational resources.
- Expand our mentoring programs.
- Develop more scalable learning opportunities.
- Continue speaking.
- Continue mentoring.
- Continue building a business that proves sustainable growth is possible.
Not despite life’s challenges.
But because we choose to build differently.
Listen to the Full Podcast
If you’d like to hear the full conversation and learn more about my journey, mentoring philosophy, and approach to sustainable business growth, you can listen here:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/from-a-12-year-old-entrepreneur-to-business-mentor/id1811262179?i=1000772563511
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/from-a-12-year-old-entrepreneur-to-business-mentor/id1811262179?i=1000772563511
YouTube
I’d love to hear what resonated most with you.
Ready to Build a Business That Works for Your Life?
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from both this article and the podcast, it’s this:
You don’t have to figure everything out alone.
Business ownership can feel isolating.
It can feel overwhelming.
It can feel like everyone else knows something you don’t.
The truth is, every successful business owner has needed guidance at some point.
Whether you’re refining your strategy, strengthening your marketing, improving your sales process, or simply looking for clarity on your next steps, I’d love to help.
At The Growth Manager, our mentoring is practical, personalised, and built around helping you create a business that supports your goals, your lifestyle, and your long-term vision.
Explore our mentoring services, Growth Guides, workshops, and business resources at: https://thegrowthmanager.com.au/services/
Because growth isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about doing the right things, with the right support, at the right time.
