Gloss october 2013 by GLOSS MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE

Founder & Editor in Chief Janine Garner | janine@littleblackdressgroup.com.au EDITORIAL Managing Editor Kate Stone| kate@glossmagazine.com.au Contributing Editors Melissa Browne Nikki Fogden-Moore Guest Writers Blythe Rowe Christina Giudotti Fiona Craig Lee Ussher Vicki Stirling Carolyn Dean ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES ads@glossmagazine.com.au EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@glossmagazine.com.au Published By: LBDG littleblackdressgroup.com.au MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES AND FEEDBACK www.littleblackdressgroup.com.au info@glossmagazine.com.au ÂŠ LBDG 2013 All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of LBDG is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this online magazine at time of going to press, and we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors.

A Message From Me

Welcome to the last quarter of 2014 and only 11 weeks or 82 days to Christmas. As we approach the tail end (and pointy end for those in retail) of the year, business and personal wellbeing is critical. Our October issue is dedicated to wellbeing wellbeing of you, your teams, your business critical numbers and your business overall. It’s time to check in, review and determine what support and help is needed if any. Often in the world of planning ahead, timelines,

spreadsheets, reports and milestones, the year races ahead of us - and we are often operating in the future and forgetting about the present. Leaders of course need to have a vision and a plan - that clear trajectory towards future success is critical to maintain direction. At the same time, true leadership is the ability to do a physical and mental check-in of those important aspects that are going to ensure healthy growth of your business - and that is what this issue is all about. Welcome to all the new LBD members this month that have joined our growing community. LBDG is about community. It’s about business leaders and entrepreneurs collaborating. It’s about creating sustainable, leverageable and successful businesses. Our members are described as fearless, funny, fiercely intelligent, outspoken, thoughtful, proud of their achievements (and rightly so), forthright - but there is one word that resonates from all newcomers, but doesn’t surprise those who have been within the community for longer than a few months. Generous. Generous of time, knowledge and spirit. Have a fabulous October and remember this is Breast Cancer Awareness month - make sure to include yourself in the wellbeing check.

If you would like to write for GLOSS, or are interested in advertising with us, please contact us via editorial@glossmagazine.com.au

Contents A MESSAGE FROM ME

THE BOTTOM LINE

BODY & SOUL

Janine gives her run down on this month’s issue.

Find out more about our regular columnists and the expertise that they bring to GLOSS every month.

What’s on this month’s LBD schedule...

How do you keep your brand from stagnating and getting ill? Vicki Stirling tells us how.

OK - so you have a website. Is it actually doing what you want it to? Carolyn Dean gives a rundown on how to get waht you want, web wise

Fiona Craig runs us through a way to get rid of the career blues without going cold turkey.

A Message From Me

The Wellbeing of Brands

Contributing Editors/Writers

A Website Healthcheck

Events Calendar

Detox Your Career

SPECIAL REPORT

NEWS & REVIEWS

LOIS LANE LIVES

Blythe Rowe talks about a healthy workplace - and a happy one!

Christina Guidotti talks focus - and how to get it.

Lee Ussher gives you an overhaul of your brand’s online health

We look behind the scenes at the First Seeds and Club Kidpreneur initiative at Warwick Farm.

What’s hot this month in blogs, books and websites

Sometimes you have to admit - if not defeat, then vulnerability. What happens if you are sick - how do you keep your business healthy? Kate Stone talks very personally about it.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Special Report

Hit Your Target!

News & Reviews

Keeping Your Brand Healthy

Lois Lane Lives

Contributing Editors

Melissa Browne

Nikki Fogden-Moore

Melissa Browne is an author, entrepreneur, business owner, and shoe & jumpsuit lover.

Nikki Fogden-Moore is all about practicing what she preaches – and what she preaches is balance. Balance between work, home and maintaining your personal best.

She has two successful, award-winning businesses - Accounting and Taxation Advantage & Business Advantage Coaching and is the author of the recently published to rave reviews business book, More Money for Shoes. Being an accountant, she understands the numbers but as an entrepreneur understands that numbers are only part of the story. She knows what it takes to achieve results that defy the trends and create incredibly robust, successful businesses . She is a tax expert with a particular passion for seeing small business owners develop profitable, successful businesses. A regular contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald, find Melissa on twitter at @melbrowne_ or visit acctaxadv.com.au

She uses nature as her playground – and wants all LBDG members to do the same. “Ultimately health, vitality and getting the most out of life do not have to be last on the list. It’s about finding the best information, tools and support that suit your own goals and needs. We are here to inspire, educate and help people stay motivated, with practical tools and information enabling them to make the best decisions for long term health and wellness – My motto: CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT” The owner of Life’s A Gym, Nikki is a motivational speaker, trainer and all round powerhouse who will help you to bring your body and soul together. Connect with her on twitter @nfogdenmoore or visit lifesagym.com.au

Guest Writers BLYTHE ROWE

Blythe is widely recognised for her expertise in people, culture and performance as well as her ability to shake things up. Organisations hire her to help recognise and boot the Bullying, Blaming and Bludging behaviours from their business to REV up productivity and performance. Blythe has over 13 years corporate experience, in global corporations where she held Senior HR & Organisational Development roles (so she gets it from the business perspective). She has led her own teams and consulted to large operational teams, senior leaders and 100’s of business owners/franchisee’s about their most important resource - their people. She also partnered with CEO’s to drive diversity strategies in order to achieve some fantastic results for women in business. In addition, Blythe has also been teaching for TAFE NSW since 2005 in HR, Leadership/Management and Small Business. http://blytherowe.com.au

FIONA CRAIG

Fiona Craig is a specialist in building leadership and career confidence in women. Through her keynotes, workshops, coaching and mentoring programs, Fiona loves inspiring and helping women to create a career and life full of success, meaning and joy. http://fionacraig.com.au

CHRISTINA GUIDOTTI

Christina Guidotti is an authentic, energetic and entertaining speaker, author, mentor and trainer known for her expertise in Personal Effectiveness and her passion for sharing her powerful messages. Christina is an expert in helping you get more of what you want at work and in life by teaching the mechanics of productivity and the mastery of fulfilment. Christina’s message is centered on success being a combination of both Achievement AND Fulfilment , and she has cracked the formula with her unique methods that work. Many people climb up the ladder of success - but Christina ensures that when you get to the top, you are leaning on the right wall. It’s not just about getting things done, but getting things done that matter. http://christinaguidotti.com.au

Guest Writers LEE USSHER

Lee Ussher is a leading Australian Social Media Strategist whose social media knowledge is greatly valued and publicly sought after. She is interviewed regularly on radio and web TV, has featured in Australian & U.S magazines and is a requested writer for social media marketing articles published in Sydney newspapers and business media websites. Lee has been twice nominated for an Australian Telstra Women’s Business Award for her successful accomplishments in achieving business growth using dynamic and innovative online marketing strategies. Specialising in CEO reputation management, Lee has secured top 1% LinkedIn rankings for her clients, positioning them as industry leaders and exposing them to regular fresh leads and new business growth opportunities. A full extent of projects she has worked on can be viewed on her LinkedIn profile. http://socialmediababe.com.au

CAROLYN DEAN

Carolyn is a sales and marketing expert, with over 21 years experience in a broad spectrum of companies. Originally from the UK, Carolyn has a background in sales and consulting for a number of major corporations in London, Europe, South Africa, Asia and Australia. Carolyn in the last nine years has successfully launched two businesses helping health care, dental and medical professionals achieve private practice success via sales and marketing. Carolyn is currently Managing Director at Wellsites, the award winning specialist in marketing services and website design for dental, medical and healthcare professionals who currently manage a portfolio of over 200 web sites. Wellsites services are designed to assist practices in attracting new and keeping existing clients. Our solutions are developed to best represent your business in style and affordability. Wellsites services include: website and graphic design, branding, copy writing, photography, online and print marketing, search engine marketing, PR, and more. http://wellsites.com.au

VICKI STIRLING

As Vicki says: ‘I am a creative and dynamic marketing specialist, with a philosophy of authenticity and honesty; a No Bull approach to Brand & Business Improvement. I have a high energy “Why-Not” attitude and a passion for creative thinking. I am brave and willing to jump right in. My expertise is in building brands - making them more attractive and recognisable to the consumer, while making them more profitable for the organisation. I have an insights-driven approach blended effortlessly with a large serving of Gut Instinct; by identifying what consumers think and want we are well equipped to develop lifelong partnerships with them… as long as it is constantly evolving before their eyes.’ http://sunrisejunction.com.au

fill a niche in the community between a dermatologist and a beautician with a medical approach to healthy skin 4V[JF )PJUJOL 'PVOEFS Clear Complexions Clinics

A medical approach to flawless skin with treatments performed by experienced and qualified nurses and doctors. Individual treatments for: t "DOF t "HFJOH t 4DBSSJOH t 4VO EBNBHF

Click through to receive a $100 gif t certificate

clearcomplexions.com.au The Bijou Building " 3PXOUSFF 4U #BMNBJO 5

Bruce $OS PG 5IZOOF 8BULJO 4U 5

Erindale $PNSJF 4U 5

Gungahlin 4VJUF 5IF .BSLFUQMBDF 5

“

Have you always wanted a Clear Complexion?

“ We

Events

OCTOBER

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

01 06

08 BRISBANE EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

15 SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

Calendar WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SYDNEY BUSINESS FORUM

30 MELBOURNE EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” - Mother Teresa

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY!

Blythe Rowe

We have all heard the phrase “happy employees equal happy profits” and many of us from HR/ people backgrounds have been harping on this for decades. The problem being we have been harping on many deaf “show me exactly how it impacts our ROI” cynical ears! Finally research out of Harvard and also reports done here in Australia show the quantifiable correlation between happiness and productivity at work. In Australia, the difference is estimated at some $32 billion. Gallop research consistently shows that only 18% Aussies LOVE their job and at the other end of the scale are the actively disengaged. These people hate their job, don’t particularly like their boss, they think about quitting daily but the problem is they don’t. They turn up, fail to check in mentally and still get paid. Research shows 1 in 5 people fit this description; so another words more people in Australia hate their job than love it. Taking these

statistics into account, the Employee Engagement Capability Report by RedBalloon and AltusQ put the average cost of disengagement at the multi-billion dollar price tag. The 2013 report found that organisations with the highest levels of happy/engaged employees outperformed others in every single commercial metric - sales and turnover, percentage profit, productivity, staff retention, attracting talent, customer loyalty and satisfaction. When compared to 2012 figures, the percentage of organisations with 80% or greater employee engagement reported the following improvements across key commercial metrics: t

Productivity – 68.4%

Customer satisfaction – 64.1%

Attracting talent – 63.2%

Percentage profit – 60.7%

Staff retention – 50.5%

But we sure can influence it.

The Hay group found that of the 18% of employees who were highly engaged, 15% of them were not t Sales and turnover – 50.4% enabled to act. In other words, the best employees who were ready and wiling to perform - couldn’t! The best bit is, happiness not only has commercial Instead they were left frustrated, unhappy and many impacts, happiness at work matters significantly for left their organisation. No surprises there! individuals. Pryce- found at the heart of being happy at work is In her research, Jessica Pryce-Jones, author of individuals feeling as though they can ‘achieve their “Happiness at Work”, compared the unhappiest and potential’. happiest people at work and found that if you are really happy, you: Here’s where I think our role as leaders comes in…. In this connected age, a leaders role is to act as enablers are 180% more energized to make this possible. Leaders must ‘give people the authority and means to act’. are 180% happier with life One of the key aspects of being an ‘enabler’ is to are 155% happier in your job remove the roadblocks, both people and processes. -

are 108% more engaged

love your job 79% more

are 50% more motivated

have 40% more confidence achieve your goals 30% more

There are many potential roadblocks to an individual’s happiness and success at work. More importantly, here are a few tips how leaders can help remove them: 1. Build confidence BEFORE competence:

One of the most important roles of any leader is to build the psychological capital of their people; contribute 25% more the confidence, the resilience, the self belief. Every individual needs to feel that someone believes in Wait, there is more….. The happier you are the them, and that someone needs to be their leader. stronger your immune system. You are less likely to Enablers focus on building confidence through be affected by stress hormones, you develop more challenging their people’s limiting thinking and antibodies to flu vaccines and you are less likely to beliefs, supporting them and showcasing them get heart disease, diabetes and lung problems. to others. This is the first step to unlocking an individual’s potential. WOWSERS! pretty convincing motivation for us as leaders to give a damn about the happiness of our 2. Get rid of toxic behaviours people – don’t you think? It’s fair to say if toxic behaviours such as bullying, She goes on to define happiness at work as “a blaming, backstabbing, bitching or bludging are rife mindset which allows you to maximize performance within an organisation the impacts are huge! Bullying and achieve your potential”. alone has long-term emotional, social, psychological and often physical effects for individuals both at So what’s our role in influencing the wellness and work and home. Enablers take the steps to get rid of happiness of our people? the toxic behaviours by taking the ‘right road’ when it comes to managing these situations (which often Granted, we can’t make someone happy if they don’t lead to conflict at work) rather than the ‘easy road’ of want to happy. ignoring in the hope it will go away.

If we are serious about the health and wellbeing of our team, ignoring toxic behaviours is simply NOT an option. 3. Forget the smoke ‘n’ mirrors Transparency and openness is another key to being an enabler. If we want our teams to achieve their potential we need to call things straight. None of this ‘beat around the bush’ - avoiding conversations because they might lead to confrontation or conflict. People are NOT mind readers and nor can we expect them to be! We need to be prepared to have open conversations about reality (good and bad), the future, our expectations as well as consequences. Only then do they have the chance to reach their potential. 4. Cut the crap Fair to say there is a lot of crap that teams and businesses have to operate in: unproductive, unfocussed meeting after meetings; multiple and unnecessary levels of sign off; impossible deadlines; archaic systems and processes; outdated and unchallenged policies or procedures not to mention the ego’s that can barely fit through the door. These are the barriers to actually getting the job done, let alone performing to potential. As leaders we have the challenge to find ways to either remove or reduce as much of these barriers so our people have any chance of getting their jobs done. Whether it be some crazy process or policy or some political game, enablers need to challenge the status quo and help cut the crap! Engagement is a waste without enablement! So if we want to create teams who are achieving to their potential, feeling safe, valued and truly happy at work, then leaders need to step up their role as an ENABLER to help make that a reality!

HIT YOUR TARGET! Christina Guidotti

It may not necessarily be easy, but the way to reach your desired destination is often more simple than you think. When we get clear and stay focussed we are more likely to hit our TARGET! High achievers can make success look easy. But we know that success is NOT always easy to come by and takes discipline and commitment. There is often an interesting back-story to someone’s success that involves a lot of hard work! While it may look easy to the onlooker there is rarely an easy road to success. Ask anyone who has reached a high level of success in their personal and/or work life and you will hear their stories of effort, courage, persistence and resilience. Their cool, calm and collected exterior may make it all look like it’s been easy but once you hear the back story you know that their journey has had its fair share of bumps in the road. So how do high achievers make success look easy? 1. 2. 3. 4.

They get on with it rather than talking about it. They get the things done that matter. They take responsibility and stay out of drama. They are focused on a clear path ahead.

There are high achievers who work hard, stay focused and get on with it but are still not happy – fulfilment escapes them. Getting things done is one thing but getting the things done that really matter is where fulfilment lies. One road to success is “achievement” but the road less travelled is the one of “achievement and fulfilment” – it’s not always an easy road but it does lead to a life that rocks!

Think back over the last few years - have you set a goal and not reached it? Have you missed a few targets? Don’t be surprised – it happens to all of us. And did you get frustrated and annoyed with yourself for not reaching your goal? When this happens time and time again we can lose motivation, start feeling stuck and settle for a mediocre life. As the author of “How To Have It All” I’ve identified key characteristics of those who maintain motivation and consistently hit their TARGET. They reject mediocre and live a life that rocks! I’ve created a model that shows you how. But before we get going in any direction – let’s stop and start at the beginning. It starts with deciding why you want to hit your chosen TARGET. Without a strong why many miss hitting their TARGET all their life. Finding clarity by getting super clear about your why is what will drive your productivity, fuel your discipline and lead you to your desired destination. The secret to success is not so much deciding what your target is but why you want that TARGET. Get clear, stay focussed and hit your TARGET!

Keeping Your Brand Healthy Online Lee Ussher

With the fast pace of keeping up with day to day business activities we often let the marketing aspects slide. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get around to keeping the appearance of flyers, business cards and websites fresh and up to date. We push to the side adding regular articles, sending email updates and social posts thinking it is not important because we are too busy. But if you stop to think how you became busy it is because you were networking, building relationships, sharing information and exposing your brand to be seen by your extended social circles for new introductions. Unfortunately, many businesses create a cycle built around focusing on marketing their own business when things are slow, and focus on clients when things are busy. What this cycle does, without knowing it, can turn potential customers away. People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to be switched on and off or be left hanging after a trusted relationship has been developed. The danger of not continuing

to keep your marketing up to date – especially on social media and online methods such as blogging and emailing can have a huge downward spiralling effect. This is because you stop focusing on why people are doing business with you, why they are talking about you and referring more business to you. Staying focused around what makes you different to other businesses, how you treat your clients and how you nurture those relationships is how others decide whether they will stick around and do business with you. So, pausing it all with your current client database and potential customers in the public eye says only one thing. Bluntly, you don’t have time for them. The wake up is usually when you start to lose clients, or stop getting enquiries and referrals because they have chosen to do business with someone who will give them the time. If you are someone who just shifted uncomfortably recognising you are in some way on this cycle then I am happy you have recognised it before you ruin your reputation amongst those who are your best marketing assets – your clients and their connections. Having a regular marketing strategy to keep your website up to date with relevant business and topical stories will give you great information to share via article sites, social media and email updates without falling in the trap of just sharing when you want to promote. This in turn helps you build a professional reputation for being a source of help or great service that then is generally shared beyond what your normal market reach would be. This is also known as brand reputation. Your reputation becomes known and talked about - but in this case you are controlling the information shared by producing it. Tied to your business’ reputation is often you. You are the reason quite often why people decide to use your business services or products. It is not for everyone to build a personal brand as a marketing tool but it can become a very powerful way to increase referrals and expose your business more publicly if you choose to. Richard Branson is a classic case of a company using a personal brand to create a ‘company personality’ that the public want a piece of. There are a large number of airlines we don’t have a clue who is behind them, and therefore we don’t think of anything to differentiate them from the rest. Because we prefer to do business by building trusted relationships, social media is rapidly becoming the source of how we find information via friends. This on a small scale is how personal branding can easily be created. Authoring blog articles with your name instead of the default ‘admin’, or sharing video tips on YouTube under your Google+ account, means when your name or business is passed onto friends and searched these pieces of information are easily found and likely to start building that trust to do business with you. Keeping content up to date and regular across your business and personal spaces means you not only increase that trust with this potential client but it tells them you are always there for your clients. You are organised and on top of things. You have methods to share updates with them by email instead of making them find time to ‘check in’. Which obviously brings me back to the beginning of what most businesses do as a cycle. Managing the well being of your business has everything to do with continually building and strengthening your business relationships. Relationship marketing is what builds business and personal brands and if you want a great reputation then it should never be switched off.

The Wellbeing Of Brands Vicki Stirling

I was delighted when Janine kindly asked if I would contribute towards the Well-being issue of GLOSS Magazine and it got me thinking of the many synergies that exist between our body and our brand. Now, I would never profess to be a well-being expert - I’m lucky if I remember to drink one glass of water a day! – but I do know this, without nourishment we will perish. In the same way we must look after our own well-being, we must also put time and energy into maintaining a healthy brand; nurturing it, feeding it, and providing it with the opportunity to flourish and grow. Investment in brand health is important for improving brand awareness, consideration, and thus conversion to sales. We refer to Brand Health in marketing terms as a measure of how well our brand is received by its loyal consumers. A healthy brand is solid, consistent and focused on its core competencies. They understand the importance of staying true to their Heritage, their Purpose and their DNA.

Nike is an inspiring example of how Heritage, Purpose & DNA can define a brand: Bill Bowerman –founder of Nike, was a running coach, it was in his DNA to be competitive, to try new things and to be better, faster than ever before. Over time at the running track Bill Bowerman came to a realisation; the one thing holding back his runners, was their shoes! He set about looking for ways to reduce the amount of rubber in the soles of running shoes, hence making them lighter, and the runner faster. His discovery came when he poured liquid rubber into his wife’s waffle machine to form the first “waffle racer”! Phil Knight was a runner, he and Bowerman became business partners in 1964. Phil began by selling these revolutionary shoes from the back of his car at the running track in 1965. This story is a part of Nike’s history; it is instilled in every employee in the company. The heritage of the brand

drives the company forward, it is in their nature to innovate and it inspires athletes around the world to: Just Do it! A Brand’s DNA is not a magic pill, or some mysterious Gene, the DNA lays in our roots, in our story, in our reason for being. The birth of a brand is an important milestone which often underpins our values, our purpose and our vision. As brand owners it is important to look back at our conception and understand how it can influence our future. Angela Ahrendts CEO of Burberry understands this; ““We are British, everything we do has got to be quintessentially British. The music, the models, everything… a huge differentiator is the outerwear; we were born from a coat. It’s what we are, it’s our DNA.” (BoF interview 2013) For Power Brands the internal workings of the company are as much part of the DNA as the glossy façade we all see as consumers. Angela Ahrendt is aware of the need to drive a strong culture which reflects the company’s values and purpose. Employing the best people; those that are reflective of the brand’s values and are true brand advocates, ensures consistency and clarity throughout the organisation, enabling decisions to happen easily and remain on-brand at all times. Anya Hindmarch (The quintessentially English Bag Lady) really understood the need to “be very clear about what we stand for”, when she appointed their external CEO. He taught her that an unstructured and fractured brand will not provide the strong foundation on which to grow. They decided to go back to their roots and focus on Leather Accessories. She discovered the importance of strong internal business processes and the need for a strong merchandising team to keep the brand on track. Hindmarch has been in existence since 1987; the brand lives and breathes by its distinctively British personality, a personality which the Financial Times described recently as - Taking the piss out of oneself, combined with regular displays of stiff upper lipness. Staying true to our brand personality contributes greatly towards our Brand’s well-being. A Brand persona will help to focus efforts on what really matters; it will keep you on track and keep you grounded. Decisions within your business will be made easy; if it is not on brand it will be dismissed. Your market position can be clearly defined by your persona; merchandise and store locations all must remain true to the brand. A brand personality provides clarity in identifying the target market and consumer demographic, and as a consequence delivers a complete holistic picture of our consumers’ lives. This insight combined with smart, targeted marketing techniques will talk directly to our target consumer with profound accuracy. When we are able to engaging our audience with authority, accuracy and a sense of understanding the consumer will respond positively, talk about us, provide feedback, and eventually become Brand Advocates. The Well-being of our brand is paramount in this ever crowded consumer driven market. The Savvy Shopper needs to be constantly stimulated, the Brands that have a clear purpose and stand out from the crowd can do that; they have the knowledge and power to respond quickly to consumers’ ever changing needs. Brands that listen and respond positively will be the brands of the future. So how do we build a healthy brand, what is the nourishment it needs to grow? In my eyes Brand Well-Being is based on three important factors; t

DNA (great genes!),

Culture (a strong heart!) and -

Personality (sunshine!).

A 9 Point Health Check For Your Website Carolyn Dean

You have probably spent a huge amount of time, money and effort marketing and promoting your business. You may have been handing out your business cards crazily, spending hours a day on social media, networking like a crazy person, or spent huge amount of money on SEO, SEM or PR. The end game of all of this effort is to get somebody to go to your website so that they can find out more about you and your business and to ultimately but from you or do business with you. But what if your website isn’t up to scratch? What if it doesn’t live up to their expectations? What if they can’t easily navigate around your website? All at that time, money and effort could be potentially wasted. This article gives you a nine point check list for you to carry out on your website to see exactly how healthy your website really is.

Do you know the no.1 purpose of your website?

What is the purpose of your website? You got a website because everyone said you needed a website but you’re not really sure what it does. Better yet, do your customers know what the purpose of your website is? You need to have a goal for your website and give it purpose. If you’re website is simply out there to “provide information”, you have a large amount of lost opportunity. What do you want visitors to your website to do? What should your website accomplish? Your very first step should be to define the goals of your website. Most businesses should have at least three: to create an online presence, to differentiate your business, and to capture leads. 2.

Does your website clearly state what your business does?

When a user visits your website you have about 5 seconds to grab their attention before they click off. Your homepage will generally be the initial point of contact with your consumers. A good homepage will answer the questions “What do you do?” and “Why should I trust you?” Visitors will make a split-second decision on whether they’ll stay to learn more or go to a competitor. Don’t lose them at the start. 3.

Are you capturing leads from your website’s visitors?

Get consumers to sign up for your email list. This means you no longer have to wait for them to come to you, you can go to them. You can offer your core consumers specials and keep them up to date on new products or changes. Email marketing is a really effective way to generate sales. 4.

How easy to navigate is your website?

Website navigation is the most important aspect to consider while designing a website. The primary aim for effective navigation is get your visitors to stay in your site and also for visitors to easily find what they are looking for easily and quickly. How quickly can users locate a particular page on your site? If it takes more than two or three clicks, you may have to reconsider your site layout.

Do you have Call to Action Buttons?

A Call to Action (CTA) is the button, link, or text on your website that encourages users to complete certain behaviour. Some examples of website CTAs might be “Get Started,” “Contact Us,” “Sign Up Today,” or “Download a Free Trial.” CTAs can have a deep impact on your online success. Think about the purpose or goal behind your business website (see point 1). To achieve these goals your business website must point visitors in the right direction. Adding thoughtfully designed and carefully placed call to action buttons on your site can cause a higher percentage of visitors to make a purchase, complete a sign up form, or contact you. 6.

How is your content structured?

Did you know: People rarely read web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. Research on how people read websites found that 79% of test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16% read word-by-word. Therefore the content of your website need to be structured in such a way to enable scanning. To do this you should: t t t t t t t t t

Use headings to break text into separate topics. Use meaningful sub-headings (not “clever” ones) – questions often make great headings. Use bulleted lists. Highlighted keywords - hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others Have one idea per paragraph. Witte the first sentence to capture attention. Start all pages / articles with the conclusion at the beginning. Use short paragraphs – 50 words or less. Try to say what you need in the shortest, clearest way possible. Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing (300 – 500 words per page) Are you thinking about SEO?

Yes SEO rules are always changing; in fact Google changes its algorithm 500 times in the last year! BUT

the reality is that good content has always and will always work for you. 1. Create content that people will have an incentive to share. 2. Do keyword research, so you don’t waste effort writing about things people don’t care about. 3. Put all your content onto your main website (i.e. don’t have a separate blog site) 4. Stand for something, and write about it. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. 5. Don’t separate your brand from your content. Write about what you are selling. Also look at your Google Analytics and Google Webmaster tool reports and get in the experts to help your further. 8.

Are you using relevant images?

Photos, charts and graphs are worth a thousand words. Using visuals effectively can enhance readability when they replace or reinforce long blocks of textual content. A recent study suggests that users pay "close attention to photos and other images that contain relevant information." Users, however, also ignore certain images, particularly stock photos merely included as decorative artwork. What you can do: t t 9.

Make sure images you use aid or support textual content. Avoid stock photos and meaningless visuals. Are you blogging?

A blog can become one of the most valuable tools in your marketing toolbox if done well. If a website is the hub of your online presence, a blog located on your site is the heart. A blog allows you to tell stories about your business. It allows you to provide important information. It shows your customers (and potential customers) that you know what you are talking about. And it provides much of the search engine optimization (SEO) that is needed to get better placement in search engine results. When it comes to blogging, the more you commit to it, the greater the reward will be: t

57% of marketers who blog monthly have acquired a customer through their blog

t t t

This number jumps up to 82% when they blog every day 43% of people surveyed have acquired a customer through their blog this year alone Not surprising that over 60% of companies now publish a blog.

When you’re building an online presence, the most important aspect is your website. It’s your hub and your first impression. Are you using the right elements to maximize your website’s effectiveness? Does your website pass its health check?

Detox Your Career Without Going Cold Turkey Fiona Craig

In your lifetime you will, on average, spend nearly 90,000 hours at work. Yes -NINETY thousand. That’s a huge part of your life. Doesn’t it therefore make sense to manage that career to make sure it’s a healthy and happy one, and that it nourishes you during your lifetime? Career Nasties: The 90,000 hours mentioned above does assume one thing - that you manage to maintain consistent employment throughout your working life. Unfortunately there are many career nasties that can get in the way of a healthy and happy career and

creep in to cause toxicity in your career.

Here are two commonly found career nasties.

t t

Uncertainty: Growing unemployment fuelled by economic uncertainty and global factors such as: -

service outsourcing; technology making roles redundant; and a trend towards greater casual positions

mean job security is becoming a rarer beast than in days gone by. Many industries are going through a major shake-up. The IT sector is a case in point. In the last 20 years the IT industry expanded at a phenomenal rate and promised solid career progression and opportunities. Now, technology outsourcing is a major part of running an efficient and profitable business. The latest annual study by benchmarking and sourcing consultants ITNewcom interviewed 60 executives at top IT spenders in Australia about their outsourcing intentions. It found 75 per cent of organisations already outsource some of their applications, while 85 per cent outsource some of their infrastructure. That’s a good number of local jobs that will no longer exist. Similarly, the legal industry in Australia is experiencing radical changes due to outsourcing and rationalisation as more global firms join forces with Australian firms. It is more important than ever now that you remain ahead of the curve in your personal and professional development, and your career planning and decisionmaking.

Around 70% of employees surveyed are not engaged in what they do on a daily basis; Around 20% are actively dis-engaged; which means 50% just couldn’t really care one way or the other.

Australia’s numbers would not be too dissimilar. Being engaged in what you do on a daily basis has been linked to higher rates of overall life satisfaction, and better mental and physical health. Simply speaking, it’s better for you, and better for everyone, if you are actively engaged in your work on a daily basis. Engagement is about more than being “satisfied” at work. It’s linked to a sense of emotional and intellectual commitment in a role, which results in a higher level of ownership and involvement. This leads to greater enthusiasm and you wanting to do whatever you can to better the organisation and ensure its customers and clients also benefit. You might think creating strong employee engagement is an organisational responsibility. I believe it’s also our individual responsibility to seek and create our own engagement. I point out some ways you can do that below. Choices: The irony in all of this is that we also have many more choices than we ever had, as professional women in previous generations. Want to travel overseas? Join a major global company. Want ultimate flexibility in where and when you work? Join the growing number of work-from-anywhere aka “suitcase” entrepreneurs.

Just like you have to train and look after your body, you also have to be pro-active in looking after the health of your current and future career.

Want to go back to University and change your career direction? Join the ranks of mature age career changers who refuse to settle for their current career choices.

Dissatisfaction:

Relentless hours. Lack of job security. Dis-engagement. The pressure of choices.

If the career uncertainty doesn’t get you, being in a job that doesn’t engage you, just might. The 2012 State of The American Workplace poll by Gallup found that:

It all combines to create a potentially toxic environment in which your career must commence, continue and thrive.

Healthy Solutions:

Build Your Influence:

I work with professional women every day who tell me they want relatively simple things from their career.

Job security will be less of a concern when you follow the tips below.

t t

Market Your Own Brand:

Control over their own career destiny To feel energized, stimulated and to enjoy, most days, what they do To feel as though they are making some difference in the world, in our own way

While we can’t control all the potentially toxic ingredients that get mixed in with our career, we can help reverse the effects of them. Here are 3 ways you can detox your career and be the natural you, in your career. Understand Yourself Create a greater sense of engagement and wellbeing using the tips below. Know What You Love Work out what makes you feel full of joy when you do it. This allows you to choose roles, projects, and opportunities from a place of knowing rather than hoping that it is something you will enjoy. Know What Motivates You Understand what makes you tick and how you tend to behave at work and in life. This allows you to make better decisions – both on a day to day basis and in the longer term. It also provides a lens through which you can view your behavior objectively and modify it to improve relationships and performance. Know What Your Strengths Are: There are few things more fulfilling in your career than knowing you are doing something brilliantly well. The correlation between loving what we do and using our strengths every day is massive. The Gallup poll I mentioned above found that employees who have the opportunity to use their strengths every day are more engaged than those who do not. Work out what your natural talents are and use them.

What do you want to be known best for in your market? What makes you unique and stand out from the crowd? What do people think when they meet you or hear your name mentioned? Creating and marketing your personal brand is essential for building the level of credibility and professional respect that makes you a sought after commodity in your field. For tips on how to do that read my earlier article. Build and Nurture Your Network: Studies estimate that between 60-70% of roles are never advertised. That means they are filled internally or through employee referral networks. The face of recruitment and job search has changed. Your network is more important now than it has ever been. There are groups that cater for every style – intimate and personal to large and loud. And then there is the massive online professional network, Linkedin. With over 200 million users and it’s an incredible way to build your influence as well as build your networks. Get In The Conversation: You will hear this time and time again as a professional woman – you MUST speak up. Investing in your communication skills is something you cannot afford to neglect. I tell my clients the story of a very successful partner of a professional services firm. After being “passed over” for partnership 3 years in a row, she went into her supervising partner’s office, ready to resign. When she had finished telling him how frustrated she was at continually missing out of promotion, he looked at her, in a rather confused way and said “You mean you are telling me you want to be a partner? We didn’t know that.”

Focus on what you want to say, and how you want to say it. And get in the conversation. Know Your Direction: Become your own career futurist and take control of your own destiny. Plan – look backwards then forwards Every successful business owner will tell you that planning is key to ongoing success. Take a leaf out of the business owners’ book and do the following: -Understand your position in the market. -Do a SWOT analysis – make sure you know where the opportunities AND the threats lie in relation to your career. - Test and measure – look to the past to see what has worked for you and what hasn’t. Be objective in your assessment and change your approach where necessary. Seek Help Fast-forward your career success by not being afraid to ask for help when you need it. Developing strong relationships with colleagues and others in your industry will be invaluable when you need extra guidance. Seek Inspiration We all need a dream. Take time to get off the hamster wheel and assess your career in the context of your life. Are you living the life you really dream of? If not, why not? Find people who have followed their dreams and glean inspiration from them. Without dreams, our life becomes stagnant, and our career suffers. Know what you want out of life and go for it. Recipe for Good Career Health: Like a healthy body, creating a healthy career is a matter of persistence, consistency and understanding what ingredients make up a great career for you. Take action today to work out where the toxic danger lies in your own career, and create a plan to eliminate it.

SPECIAL REPORT Building A Business: First Seeds And Club Kidpreneur

When you think of Warwick Farm on the outskirts of Sydney, what is the first image that comes to mind? Possibly the racecourse; but it’s doubtful that other than that you give it a second thought. And this is how Warwick Farm has become a ‘forgotten community’ - in our own backyard. Three generations of unemployment. Child prostitution. Teen pregnancies. Drug rings. Women and girls being left behind, and not able to achieve their dreams. With the incredible presence of some amazingly strong women who said ‘no more’ to the conditions in Warwick Farm, the First Seeds Fund, LBDG’s philanthropic arm, has been incredibly busy implementing practical programs to make sure that these young girls, and those around them, are no longer forgotten - and are giving practical guidance on how to achieve golas, such as an education beyond primary school - and just recently, how to set up a small business. In conjunction with Creel Price’s Club Kidpreneur Fundation, 11 young girls were given the chance to design, set up, and market their own business ideas - and sell the results at Fairfield Markets to profit the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Here is a report on the day from Lydia from Club Kidpreneur: The girls arrived full of excitement. Sharon the bus driver told me she tried to get them pumped up on the way there, and they certainly were rearing to go when they arrived. Some began the day a bit shy, but by the end they were all eager to get out in front of their stall table and stop foot traffic to sell their homemade wares. The initial goal the girls set was to raise $464 between them for the Children’s Hospital. Here are their very impressive results: “Light Me Up” owners Sky and Melissa raised $111 (goal $84). Celine and Renee, co-founders of “Glorious Greetings” made $99 from the sale of their stunning greeting cards-well in excess of their $75 goal. Sarah and Natasha smashed their key ring business goal right out of the park, earning $205 after setting a goal of $150. “Fame & Frames” sold $131 worth of photo frames. Directors Maria and Emily initially set a goal of $90. Susana, Julie and Lauren worked hard to make “Jewelicious” necklaces and bracelets, coming away with $122.90 - almost doubling their goal of $65. The girls also had a couple of donation jars at the stall. Many marketgoers were happy to donate to the Children’s Hospital without making a purchase, or to donate their change. One man walked past and said ‘my daughter was in that hospital just last week’ and popped a $50 note in the jar. A total of $207.95 was received in donations. That makes the grand total of money earned in the space of just 3 hours a whopping $876.85!

Not only did the girls smash their targets, they learnt incredible skills; resilience, teamwork, goal setting, marketing - and it has resonated throughout the Warwick Farm community. LBDG members and mentors from Club Kidpreneur gave up a week of their time to implement this program. They gave of their skills, their knowledge, their compassion - and their generosity. What does a program like this mean for these girls? It’s quite simple - a future. To quote Sharon, the community project worker supervising the girls - and this was with tears in her eyes, “You have no idea just how significant this has been for these girls, thank you so much for giving them this opportunity.” LBDG is all about giving back - giving back to those who should have, by those who have. And it’s about not just funds, but time and energy. Those members who have given of themselves to First Seeds and Warwick Farm have gotten back so much from these girls - and the girls will never forget what they have learnt. For as little a four cups of coffee a month - you can give back too. Click here to find out how. Club Kidpreneur has now offered to make up the total of the girls’ fundraising to $1,000 - watch Facebook on First Seeds Fund and Club Kidpreneur to see the presentation to the Children’s Hospital by the girls themselves.

Money Talks: Why Your Business Needs A Weigh-in Melissa Browne

I know someone that recently underwent the Michelle Bridges 12 week program and every Wednesday she had to weigh herself to find out how she was progressing. Now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that works for some. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it, if your goal is to lose weight then you have no choice but to weigh yourself regularly to make sure your exercise and meal plans are working.

Personally, I would hate it. I don’t have a great relationship with scales and have consciously not weighed myself in over five years. However I do checkin by occasionally trying on a pair of trousers I’ve owned since I was 25. So there is still monitoring being done, it just doesn’t involve scales. What is important is that I’m making some type of regular assessment. It really doesn’t matter whether it’s with scales, a pair of trusty trousers or measurements taken. This assessment may be for no other reason than to determine if I’m going to have to buy a new wardrobe next season because I’m a size bigger than I was a year ago. Trust me, my hip pocket can’t afford that type of expense. It’s also important to have a regular monitoring system in your business. Just like a regular weigh-in, the form this takes is up to you. For some this might be a daily check of critical numbers, a weekly workflow meeting or a sales meeting. What is important, is that you are assessing how your business is performing regularly. Why bother? If I don’t monitor my weight it might mean having to buy a new wardrobe but if I choose not to monitor my business, the results can be far more costly. For example let’s take a start-up cafe. The owners might determine they need sales of $150,000 to cover costs but decide not to track this in their first year. Instead they simply put their heads down, bums up and work really hard. Twelve months later they take a look at their financial reports and eureka, they hit $160,000 worth of sales. A great result, right? Not necessarily. Instead, the owners have no money in their bank account, they can’t afford to pay themselves a regular wage and they have a large overdraft so they’re stressed about what went wrong. The issue when they looked back and assess their numbers is that the wages bills were too high and this ate up all their profit. If they’d monitored their three critical numbers regularly – revenue, cost of plate and wages – then they would have picked this up earlier and ended up with a much more positive result. It doesn’t matter whether you are a café, a manufacturer, a consultant, a PR firm, you sell goods, time or services. The numbers you track may be different but the fact you will still regularly track them remains the same. Regular monitoring is not a difficult thing. It usually involves a quick check of the most important numbers in the business (usually no more than three) to make sure that the business is on target and is healthy. It

also means you can be proactive about solving small problems before they become large problems. In the same way that it’s easier to remove that sneaky 1 kilo weight gain than it is to remove the 20 kilo gain. How do you start? That’s the easy part. Work out the most important things you need to be monitoring in your business, share these with your team so everyone knows what is critical, set a date and simply start your weekly ‘weigh-in’. It might feel unnatural at first or you may forget some weeks. That’s OK, just keep going. I know some business owners feel squeamish about sharing their numbers with their team but I highly recommend it. Part of the reason I love the concept is transparency. By sharing your critical numbers and tracking them with your team, they know exactly what the business needs to achieve to be healthy and thrive. And if you’re concerned about them knowing how much you make – trust me, they already think you make much more than you do. Plus part of the reason why I love the concept of sharing the numbers is for buy-in. As Verne Harnish puts it, ‘by sharing the numbers everyone’s hair is on fire, not just the business owner’s.’ If you’re not meeting your numbers then accessing everyone’s collective intelligence is much better than you simply stressing about it at home in the dark. With chocolate. Many people, if they’re honest, would probably admit they don’t love their regular exercise routine. What they do love however is the effect that regular exercise brings and the motivation they receive when they start to see the difference on the scales and the positive changes on their body. The same goes for your business. Regular monitoring of your critical numbers will probably not be the thing you enjoy doing most in your business. However the motivation you receive from the positive results you start seeing in the financial health of your business will be. That and a much healthier bank account, less stressed business owner and a team that is all working towards the one goal. Now that’s a goal worth striving for.

Body & Soul: Myth Busting Mini Workouts Part Two Nikki Fogden-Moore

Wow what a month it’s been and according to retail Christmas has started – that’s if you’ve been standing in Coles or Myer lately! Here’s a mini workout that will target your metabolism and muscle definition – it can be done at home, or take your workout to a park or the beach.

I have also included a fresh green “smoothie of the month” to have post workout. I’m cutting straight to it this month with a no excuses effective workout. Print it out and give it a go! TONE AND STRENGTHEN TO COMPLETE YOUR WORKOUT BALANCE Some extra exercises that you can easily fit into your day Equipment: Use a kettle bell or some hand weights. 1. Push Ups – try incline, decline and tricep based push ups (3 sets of 25 or try and test your maximum number of classic push ups in 1 minute)

2. Reverse Flys: Open out those shoulders 3 sets of 25 interchanged with Arm raises to really get the shoulder area working double time

3. Kettle Bell Squats: A dynamic quad booster and metabolism ‘maximiser’ 3 sets of 25 – watch your technique ensuring your back is straight and arms are straight while you use your quads and lower body to do the work)

4. Arm raises - gets those deltoids going – Fine tune your triceps and biceps for long lean arms and defined shoulders – 3 sets of 15 super set (interchange) with reverse flys

5. Russian twist - you’ve seen this one before in previous issues but it’s great for engaging the core. Love this ab exercise –> back straight, shoulders back and use your core to twist. Legs stay in one line in front of your body while your torso and oblique’s do the number crunching!

NB: “Reverse Flys” Technique: The reverse fly will also work supporting muscles like your shoulders, triceps, core, and quads plus more when performing from the push up position. Go to a solid push up position with keeping your back straight. Hands below your shoulders and with one hand the weight goes up to 90 degrees towards the ceiling. Keep your arm straight. Focus on pulling movement from your back, between your shoulder blades. You will feel the tension run through the back of your shoulders and triceps as you try to keep your arm locked out. KEEP YOUR HIPS UP, tighten your oblique’s to help this. To bring the arm back down keep it locked straight and in a controlled movement, bring the weight back to the ground in the same direction. Speed is not important – TECHNIQUE is. A Green Machine Smoothie

Spinach chopped 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay) 1 apple, core/chop 1 pear, core/chop 1 banana Juice of ½ lemon or lime Optional: 1/3 bunch coriander (stems okay) 1½ cups water or coconut water 1 head lettuce, chopped Preparation (use organic ingredients when you can): Add the water, chopped lettuce and spinach to the blender. Start on a low-speed, mix until smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the parsley, apple and pear. Add the coriander if you choose. Add the banana and lemon juice last. As always – don’t make it too complicated. Go for fresh is best, start throwing as much as you can in your blender and have fun discovering what healthy eating really feels like!

Watch this space - Janine and I are looking forward to the exclusive LBDG Business Vitality Retreat in Noosa in March 2014. I can’t wait to meet you, to inspire you with all things health & wellness! In the meantime hop online to my blog or lifesagym.com. Health & Happiness Nikki

News & Reviews

Featured This Month BOOK: FAST, FLAT & FREE - by Gihan Perera. Do you know the Internet has changed your business, but you don’t know how? And – more importantly – perhaps you don’t know what to do about it …. “Fast, Flat and Free” shows you what has changed, and helps you create a practical strategy to take advantage of the incredible opportunities. http://fastflatandfree.com/buy-the-book/

BLOG: Catriona Pollard - CP Communications Catriona is an expert at finding innovative solutions to your PR headaches - read her fabtastic blog for practical advice and great tips. http://www.cpcommunications.com.au/_blog/

WEBSITE: Success Every issue of SUCCESS magazine strives to bring you the thought leaders and success experts, both past and present, and reveal their key ideas and strategies to help you excel in every area of your personal and professional life. http://success.com/

Mark Webber

Lois Lane Lives: In Sickness And In Health

Kate Stone

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets.â&#x20AC;? Henry Ford

There’s something about running your own business which goes beyond just being satisfying, in my eyes at least.

Do you have income insurance in place? Have you talked to your bank about overdrafts and options for ‘what may happen’?

It is about pride, and ownership, and feeling as though you can conquer the world - not necessarily all on your own, but leading the charge from the front.

Talk to your clients. Don’t try to cover up what is happening - because believe me, it will soon be evident that something is not right if you try to do the ‘oh, no issues here’ line of thinking.

If you are very fortunate, and more to the point, if you work damn hard, your business will not only get on the right path, but become a success. A healthy, happy, entrepreneurial ideal.

Be honest with yourself and with the people you service. How much are you realistically going to be able to achieve over the period of your illness? Do you even know how long it’s likely to be before you are back at full strength?

But, as most people who have their own business or brand know, you are your brand. Your business is only as good as you make it. So what happens when your brand is healthy - but you aren’t? This is an issue for managers in corporate, absolutely; not just if they themselves are ill, but if their team members are not one hundred percent fit. But for a self-employed individual, whose brand basically consists of them - what are the options? How do you keep business on track, and on the upwards path? This is something very personal to me, as yes, I have my own business - and yes, this year I have faced (and am facing) a big health challenge. So I speak from not just the head, but the heart, when I talk about what you need to do in order not to spiral in sickness as a business as well as a person. The biggest thing - if you are lucky enough to have some prior warning about a lack of wellness (in other words, if you are sick rather than being in an accident) - PLAN. Plan. Plan. Plan. And then plan some more. Get measures in place to cover your business bases - have a back up person whom you can trust. Schedule within an inch of your life. Make sure your systems work - don’t leave anything to chance.

I am an extremely stubborn person. I hate admitting failure, or weakness, or defeat especially when my mind is whirring at a million miles an hour, but my body is saying ‘nap time’. But having been there, and done this, and acted as more than a mule in terms of trying to keep my boat afloat solo - believe me when I say this; People will help. People will understand. People will be generous, in terms of their time, their flexibility, and in wanting to see you continue to succeed. But - and this is a biggie - if they remain in the dark about what the hell is happening, then don’t expect empathy. You don’t deserve it. I hope that each and every person who reads these words never has to face illness. It’s yuck, it’s boring and it makes me want to kick and scream and gnash my teeth much of the time. But if you are challenged by the chaos that sickness can bring - make your business world a far healthier one by acting, speaking out and planning like a maniac. It may not make you feel physically better - but mentally? You will still be able to take on the world. Promise.

The Power Couples: Who Is The Person Behind or Beside - the Entrepreneur? Some surprising combinations... Sign Up Now To Find Out More - Next Month

NEXT ISSUE...

CONNECTION. COLLABORATION. NETWEAVING. BUSINESS BUILDING.A VOICE. A VISION. A COMMUNITY. CHANGEMAKERS. GENEROUS. THOUGHTLEADERS. HONEST. AUTHENTIC. SUCCESSFUL. UNIQUE. ENTREPRENEURS. PROFESSIONALS. FEARLESS. OUTSPOKEN.

LBDG is about community. It’s about business leaders and entrepreneurs collaborating. It’s about creating sustainable, leverageable and successful businesses. Who Are We? Members of the LBDGroup are cross functional and cross industry. Lawyers, bankers, marketing and PR few. And with a fabulous mix of corporates to own business it is the quality of conversations that we have that make us so different. Membership Levels We offer three levels of membership for women that are committed to building their businesses, to fast track their growth and to ensure that they are surrounding themselves with the best in the businesses. BLACK, DIAMOND and PLATINUM membership levels are designed to offer increasing one to one mentoring and group mentoring and business education and training. Depending on where you are in your journey there is a membership level that’s right for you If you are just starting out in corporate, or making the change to your own business, and looking for guidance from those who are already walking the talk, then Black might be the new Black for you. An more, and to join, click HERE. With access to all that LBDG has to offer, Diamond membership means dinners, seminars, and most of HERE. With exclusive access to one on one mentoring from the powerhouse that is Janine Garner, Platinum membership is the choice of those who want to make the most of their business - fast. With all of the Dinner Series attendance in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne as some of the other attractions, HERE.