Local Business Awards

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LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS A WIN FOR ALL

2022 winners of the Blacktown Local Business Awards.

Blacktown’s BEST take the stage

THIS year’s The Blacktown City Local Business Awards was a glittering spectacular that provided a fitting finale to the annual event.

This year’s winners exchanged exuberant hugs and cheers filled the room as they made their way to the stage on Tuesday, September 13.

Awards founder and Precedent Productions Managing Director Steve Loe said the evening was an exciting culmination to a successful awards program.

“The Local Business Awards recognise the vital role businesspeople play in the lives of their communities,” he said.

“The presentation evening not only sees the announcement of the category winners but is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all the finalists.

“We had a sell-out crowd that included our finalists, their families and staff, as well as our sponsors and local dignitaries, who helped to present awards to the winners.”

Blacktown News captured all the excitement as the finalists in each category were announced, complete with images on the big screen, followed by huge cheers as the winners’ names were read out and they took to the stage to claim their trophies.

“The winners’ speeches are always heartfelt and emotional,” Mr Loe said. “This year was no exception.

“It’s very emotional for everyone there to see their tears and smiles as well as hear the beautiful acceptance speeches.”

As official media partner for the Blacktown City Local Business Awards, the Blacktown News will publish a winners’ feature, that recognises all category winners from the presentation evening.

“Of course, the awards are only possibly with the support of Major Sponsors Blacktown City Council, Blacktown Workers Club, NOVA Employment and Westpoint and Support Sponsors, Seven Hills Plaza, Woodcroft Village, White Key Marketing and Greater Blacktown Business Chamber.” Mr Loe said.

“Their involvement proves their commitment to their community and the businesses that thrive there.”

Mr Loe also thanked Blacktown Workers Club for the high quality food and service it provided.

“Thanks to them it was a five-star occasion,” he said. “I would also like to acknowledge the incredible entertainment and our fabulous MC Paul Hancock who kept the evening flowing smoothly.”

Businesses can register for the 2023 Local Business Awards at www.thebusinessawards.com.au

“What being a WINNER means to us”: WINNER

Unpacking uncertainty with Besa Deda

WESTPAC Business Bank Chief

economist Besa Deda will deliver the lunch address at WEXPO 2022. Besa is also the Chief Economist of St George Bank, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and BT – which are other businesses within the Westpac Group.

Besa has been within the Group as a Chief Economist since 2009.

Besa is one of the Bank’s key economic spokespersons in the Group and is responsible for helping to formulate views and forecasts on the outlook for the economy, interest rates and currencies.

She manages a team of economists, gives regular presentations and often appears in the media reporting on economic conditions.

Prior to this role, Besa was with the Commonwealth Bank in specialised economic roles that covered fixed income, foreign exchange, macroeconomics and equities. Before the CBA, Besa was with the Colonial Group.

Besa is the Secretary and Deputy Chair for the Australian Business Economists’ Association. She is also a member of the Melbourne Economic Forum and has previously written a regular property column for The Australian newspaper and lectured for Kaplan.

Besa will be talking about: ‘Unpacking Uncertainty’. She will cover what the next 12-18 months holds for the economy, jobs market, in Western Sydney.

Tickets are just $28 per person includes lunch. To

purchase head to www.wexpo.floktu.com Besa Deda.

OLYMPIC DIVER EXCLUSIVELY AT WEXPO Melissa’s recipe for success

OLYMPIC diver and motivational speaker, Melissa Wu spoke to Blacktown News editor, Michael Walls ahead of her special breakfast presentation at WEXPO 2022 on October 24.

Thanks, Melissa, for spending time with us. Can you tell our audience what lessons have you learnt from sport that translate into business?

How to set goals and achieve them. I always had a vision as a young athlete to compete on the world stage and become an Olympian. My passion for diving made me hungry to reach my goals and I've always been committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve success. This involves early mornings, sacrifices (not only from myself but also my family), discipline, hard work, commitment, persistence and focus - not just for a short period, but over and over and over again.

Resilience is key. It's not just about getting through obstacles, it's about coming out the other side stronger. This has been an ongoing lesson for me throughout my life in both sport and business and has involved a lot of hard work in the areas of mindset and mental health. I believe that the things that challenge us the most are the greatest opportunities for learning and growth. Throughout my diving career I've built resilience from constantly overcoming self-doubt and bouncing back from disappointments, and my biggest breakthroughs usually come after I've been tested the most. During these times, finding the strength to dig deep and never give up has been a huge asset to me. The resilience and grit I've developed as an athlete continuously help me overcome the many hurdles and setbacks I encounter in my businesses. I always try to learn from my mistakes and draw on the strength I've shown in the past to overcome new challenges.

Always find a way. Although I've always been a hard worker and don't give up easily, in sport that's often not enough to make the podium. You need to learn how to be adaptable, whether that's finding a way to perform while carrying injuries, handling high levels of pressure and expectation, overcoming self-doubt, or learning to block out things that are outside of your control. Often, the areas I need to focus on the most go beyond my usual diving preparation and relate to things such as nutrition, mindset, life balance, injury management, strength and conditioning, or recovery. I believe it's up to me to figure out what needs work and I don't always go about it in a conventional way. I will often delve deep into these areas through research, coming up with new strategies, trial and error, leaning on my support network, or seeking further help if necessary. I believe there's always a way, it's just about taking a proactive approach to figuring out what that is and having the persistence to keep exploring new options. The above lessons have translated to my business in terms of having a long-term vision, having the grit and determination to relentlessly pursue my goals, overcoming setbacks and obstacles along the way, and never giving up. Things don't always go to plan

Champion diver Melissa Wu.

or pan out the way I want them to, but I try and find a way to make things work and then stick at it until it does.

How would you define resilience in terms of success?

I think resilience is one of the most important characteristics of success. For me, resilience is about optimism, self-belief, willingness to adapt, and an ability to solve problems. These things are crucial to success in all areas of life and the challenges I've faced throughout my career have been a necessary part of me developing the mental toughness required to perform on the world stage. Resilience also plays a big part in my sense of accomplishment and my greatest achievements in life are linked to the hard work and dedication that went into them and what I had to overcome to succeed.

Your top three tips for achieving long term goals? 1. Set long term goals.

It might seem obvious, but many people don't set long term goals. I try and set long term goals that feel almost out of reach and are sometimes a bit scary to voice out loud. I aim high and set my sights on big things even if I know there's no guarantee I'll achieve them. By setting goals with no limits or boundaries, even if I 'fail' I will likely come close, which should still keep me headed in the right direction.

2. Break your long-term goals down into smaller, achievable goals.

My long-term goals involve being able to achieve short term goals along the way and these short terms goals are what keep me motivated and focused each day. I regularly give myself targets to achieve and I know that everything I do today, tomorrow, or next week will influence whether or not I reach my long-term goal. Competing on the world stage for most of my life has taught the importance of getting the process right, so I don't make all my goals about results and performance. I try to set goals for myself that are based on improvement rather than attaching my sense of achievement solely to whether I win a medal. These types of goals are related more to my work ethic and character, which are completely in my control compared to where I place in a competition.

3. Goal setting is an ongoing process.

I constantly set and reset goals for myself that inch me closer to my longterm goal. My goals usually change and evolve as I reach them or sometimes working towards them steers me in a completely different direction to what I had planned. I like to set daily goals as a constant reminder of what I want to do and so I can reflect on what I was able to achieve each day. Goal setting is an ongoing process that helps me stay motivated and accountable and is something I do so often that I don't even need to consciously think about anymore.

Please define / describe a success mindset.

A success mindset for me is all about positivity, optimism, and self-belief. It sounds simple, but it can be difficult to apply under the pressure of competition or the stress of balancing athlete and business life. When I'm faced with something that brings on self-doubt or a fear of failure, I try to overcome it by making all my thoughts and actions positive. When things aren't going well, or I face a setback, I try and approach the situation with optimism to achieve the best outcome possible. Positivity and optimism are linked to my self-belief, so getting them right allows me to trust that I can get the job done and achieve success.