Greater Springfield Business Connect

Host Matt Taylor Farrington sits down with Sean & Marie Ferguson and Hue Kedge from Creative Hearts Co. to celebrate their community‑voted Members Choice award from the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Awards and explore how their Brookwater space works as a social enterprise and vibrant creative hub.

They discuss the organisation’s mission to make creativity visible, accessible, and celebrated through exhibitions, workshops, youth programs, wellness circles, and local sponsorships that subsidise participation.

Listen for stories of community connection, the challenges of running a busy gallery, and upcoming seasonal events and collaborations that aim to build impact, inclusion, and a safe space for creatives of all ages.

Host Matt Taylor-Farrington chats with Charlene from Apar Hair Studio about winning the Health and Wellbeing Award at the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, the salon’s focus on mental wellbeing through beauty services, and the team culture that supports their success.

The episode covers their head spa relaxation service, community involvement, staff equality and future plans, highlighting how hair care doubles as a form of self-care.

Host Matt Taylor-Farrington sits down with Neha Arora from the Coffee Club at Orion Springfield to discuss her recent President's Award at the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, the café's community-driven values, and the gratitude she felt after being honoured.

The episode covers how the Coffee Club supported locals during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing meals, how they champion other small businesses on social media, and their focus on training and inspiring young people as Springfield grows.

Host Matt Taylor-Farrington talks with Natalie Moorfoot from Morgans in Springfield about their recent Financial Services Award at the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, client-first wealth management, and practical strategies to navigate mortgage rates and cost-of-living pressures.

Natalie explains their personalised approach to advising families, the importance of staying calm during market volatility, and a key tip for young professionals to review super and insurance early. The episode highlights Morgans’ local focus and continuing goal to support clients through tough economic times.

Host Matt Taylor-Farrington interviews Joelene Yabsley, founder of Literate Learners and winner of the Emerging Business Award at the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Awards, about how she turned the classroom experience into a community-driven tutoring service that supports neurodiverse students and adults. The episode covers the organic growth through word-of-mouth, a relationships-first teaching approach, evidence-based methods, and the role of the Chamber of Commerce in helping the business scale.

Joelene also shares heartening success stories, the challenges of becoming a business owner, and plans to expand services and space while staying grounded in the science of learning.

In this episode of the GSBC Podcast, Matt sits down with Robert & Petra King from Xperion: Proud to be Boring Accountants, winners of two 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Awards: Professional Services Award for the business and Business Person of the Year for Petra.

Being in a profession that is widely considered boring and mathematical would sound challenging to most, but Robert, Petra and their team defy this assumption. To conduct fantastic business, it's important to not overcomplicate the issues to clients. Instead, think like they would, listen to their needs and don't wedge a gap between yourself and your client. The team talks about how their years of experience have shown them what to do and, importantly, what NOT to do.

In this episode of the GSBC Podcast, Matt sits down with Glen Wiltshire, operator and founder of Frosteez Mobile Car Air Conditioning and recipient of the 2026 Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Business Award for Best Customer Service.

Coming off a win shared by a clearly close family and business, Glen shared not only what the award meant to him and his team, but how it has inspired them to to continue and innovate their customer service experience. From the different methods of learning to the similarities to his past experiences, Glen mentions the simple tenets of customer service that have allowed his business to flourish and bring a service like air conditioning into the public eye.

In this episode of the GSBC Podcast, Matt sits down with Hue Kedge, one third of the team behind Creative Hearts Co, a social enterprise gallery and creativity hub nestled in Brookwater that's fast becoming one of Greater Springfield's most exciting community spaces. Hue shares how she, Sean, and Marie came together less than two years ago, spotted a clear gap in a rapidly growing region (arts and culture) and decided to do something about it. With the support of Springfield City Group, what started as an idea quickly became a genuine community hub, running everything from homeschool art classes and after-school programs to adult workshops, wellness circles, artist exhibitions and business events.

In this episode of the GSBC Podcast, Matt sits down with Steve Foulis from MoneyQuest to unpack what a mortgage broker actually does and why it often makes a whole lot more sense than walking straight into a bank. Steve breaks down the broker advantage in plain language: access to 30-plus lenders, a legal obligation to act in the client's best interests, and the ability to match borrowers to the right product first time without damaging their credit file. He also shares what he's seeing in the local lending market right now. We hear some of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to sort their finances alone including the ones that quietly tank a loan application and how Steve and the MoneyQuest team help clients cut through the noise of RBA decisions, budget announcements and shifting lender policy to make smart decisions for their own situation.

Disclaimer:

You should consider the appropriateness of this information in light of your own circumstances before acting on it. We recommend that you seek independent financial, legal and/or taxation advice before making any decisions.

Any examples, scenarios or strategies discussed are illustrative only and may not be suitable for you. Loan approvals are subject to lender credit assessment criteria, and fees, charges and terms will apply.

If specific loan products or lenders are mentioned, you should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or credit documentation before making a decision.

Money Quest Park Ridge is a credit representative of an Australian Credit Licence (ACL 487823).

In this episode of the GSBC Podcast, Matt sits down with Megan Alpe the founder of Her Alliance, a women's counselling practice, and the Packed with Care Foundation, a registered charity supporting women and children in the community. Megan shares the deeply personal motivations behind both organisations, from her frustration with a health system that treats women as a collection of symptoms rather than whole people, to a moment early in her nursing career that sparked the idea for Packed with Care. We also hear about the foundation's next chapter, including a resource library, community workshops, and an online directory opening to local businesses and groups.