"Numbers, New Starts and Resilience"

Sharon is the founder of MicroChilli, a remote full-service bookkeeping agency that empowers new start entrepreneurs and micro businesses to take ownership of their numbers.

We dove into Sharon's story, which includes being a single mum at 20, finding her path, immigrating to Australia, two failed business ventures, over 20 years in corporate and finally, creating the business of her dreams.

We spoke about how self-doubt will hold you back and the importance of finding a support team and staying in your own lane.

The time flew by while we recorded this episode, and I feel like we could have kept talking for hours.

Connect with Sharon Crombie

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Key Highlights

01:32 About Sharon Crombie

03:23 From creative to accountant? Sharon’s journey before she started MicroChilli

06:56 Sharon talks about the struggle of leaving a stable corporate job for entrepreneurship

11:42 Same service, different style: The benefit of being yourself

14:15  Sharon on juggling full-time work, a side hustle, and her personal life

17:07 How Sharon found people to support her entrepreneurial journey

21:50 Key lessons Sharon has learnt

24:14 How to know what type of client you should work with

27:04 You don’t have to go 100% into entrepreneurship right off the bat. It’s okay to retain full-time work for some financial security.

29:30 Rapid Fire Questions

38:57  What is one piece of advice that you’d give to someone listening right now who’s thinking of starting a business or at the beginning of their business journey? “If you really want to do it, do it. When you take action to start, the rest just fits into place.”

"Fathers, Finances & Listening"

Dylan is a finance broker that took a chance and started a local small grocers with his dad. 

We spoke about the challenges of starting a brick-and-mortar grocer business without any experience, the benefits of having your dad as your business partner and the importance of supporting and connecting with locals.

Dylan also touched on how they had to pivot and innovate during covid, some of the key lessons they've learnt and what's next.

This is my first episode with a guest who runs a brick-and-mortar business, and it's so interesting to learn about the different kinds of challenges experienced by people catering to in-person customers.

You can find The Farm at Nobbys on Instagram @thefarmatnobbys or on the Gold Coast at Shop 6 2221, Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach, QLD, 4218.

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!

"Creativity, Practice & Worthiness"

This week my guest is Leslie Carvitto, who is a self-taught photographer who helps female business owners and conscious creatives share their stories, services and products through vibrant and authentic imagery while encouraging and empowering them to pursue the path that lights up their souls.

We spoke about the limiting beliefs and stories that play out when you're starting a business, growing and refining your skills, and being empowered by your pricing. Leslie also shared what it was like to pack up her life, relocate halfway around the world and start her business from scratch again and what it's like being a new mum.

This episode is full of little nuggets of gold that hope resonates for you. Leslie is currently on maternity leave, but I am 100% booking a session with her when she's back behind her camera!

You can find Leslie via Instagram @lesliecarvitto.photography or her website https://www.lesliecarvitto.com/

"Intentions, Intuition & Energetics"

Lisa is a soul coach and alchemist who leads people on journeys of discovery and healing. 

We spoke about listening to and trusting your intuition, honouring your business journey and falling in love with your own story.

She touched on why she does what she does, how she balances business, family and life and how her business has changed and evolved over time. 

Lisa has this natural gift of holding safe and sacred spaces for people and this snippet is the perfect insight into Lisa's energy and her 'isms'. I hope you can feel a little bit of her magic in this episode.

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram, I would love to know what you thought of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/siafecreative/

"Illness, Relearning & Creativity"

Katherine is a transformational coach that works with women to find their natural gifts and transition to a path that lights them up. With an extensive career background in corporate HR, Katherine took the leap to explore what else was out there when her life was affected by illness. 

We spoke about trusting ourselves, taking chances and overcoming the barriers we create for ourselves. We dove into the journey of learning how to navigate social media and how to use it as a tool to grow your business. As well as finding the point where your business and personal life merge and honouring that space of creativity.

You can connect with Katherine on social media @katherine.hession.

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram, I would love to know what you thought of this episode: https://www.instagram.com/siafecreative/

"Representation, Impact & Grief"

Social enterprise that supports small scale food makers to thrive. They provide support, market access and visibility to small scale food makers.

They work with underrepresented minorities, primarily people from refugee, migrant and first nations backgrounds.

We spoke about her background in community development, how important representation is in all industries, the impact businesses like hers have on communities and

the essence of food. We also touched on navigating grief while running a business, COVID forced business pivots and that sometimes you need to take a step back to regroup

and refocus.

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!

"Taking Chances, Stress & Safety " 

Confidence coach and visibility consultant Melodie Dewsbury reinvented herself, leaving a full-time stable career as a teacher to build her online business.

She joins me in this episode for a real talk about:

Key Highlights

Rapid-Fire Questions

Resources mentioned

Connect with Melodie Dewsbury

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!

"Priorities, Lessons & Letting Go" 

As a business owner, your business relies on your health and wellbeing.

Intuitive Eating coach Ines Schubi helps self-employed women prioritise their health and stop stressing about food so they can focus on growing their businesses.

Ines joins me in this episode to talk about:

Key Highlights

Rapid-Fire Questions

Resources mentioned

Connect with Ines Schubi

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!

"Marketing, Mindset & Growth" 

Are you working in your business or on your business? One of these guarantees you will be unable to grow and scale your business.

Luke Houlihan is cofounder of award-winning, multimedia agency, Bleo Media. Luke joins me in this episode to talk about:

Key Highlights

Rapid-Fire Questions

Connect with Luke Houlihan

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!

"Social Media, Sisters & Mental Health" 

Mental health affects a child’s performance in school and in life. And yet, there’s very little focus on the mental wellbeing of children.

This realisation pushed Kritz Sciessere and her sister to leave teaching and build The Big Sister Experience, a social enterprise that works with schools and communities to provide mental health education and support to children from year 5 all the way to year 12.

Kritz joins me in this episode, and we discuss:

Key Highlights

Rapid-Fire Questions

Connect with Kritz Sciessere

Resources mentioned

As always, feel free to connect with me on Instagram @siafecreative; I would love to know what you thought of this episode!