Remarkable Regional Business

In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Valentina Coin from Via Technology. The conversation shifts from what Via Technology does to how Val got here, where her thinking came from, and what she has learned building a business alongside her husband from the ground up.

Val traces her journey from working in her aunt's villa in Italy at fourteen, through managing a group of hospitality venues on the Sunshine Coast, into a software startup building platforms for the disability industry, and finally into the advisory business she runs today. Along the way she shares the concept that changed how she thinks about growth, creativity and building anything worth building.

The conversation also goes deep into change management, why nobody wants to buy it, why everyone needs it, and how Val delivers it without her clients even realising it is happening.

Topics Covered

/ How Val built the knowledge and experience behind Via Technology

The journey from hospitality in Italy to software startups in Australia and what each chapter contributed.

/ Working in business with your life partner

What Val and her husband learned the hard way and why getting those lessons early was a gift.

/ The concept of liminal spaces and why boredom is a business tool

How creating emptiness and slowing down is often the fastest way to find clarity and speed up growth.

/ Change management in disguise

Why resistance to change is human nature, how to work with it rather than against it, and why co-creating solutions with the people who have to live them makes all the difference.

/ The Kubler Ross Curve applied to business

How the stages of grief can be used as a practical team tool when implementing new systems or technology.

/ Three pieces of business wisdom from Val

Slow down to speed up. Build a circle of trust. Lead with curiosity.

Watch Part One to hear how Via Technology works, the types of businesses it serves, and why most technology problems are not really technology problems at all.

// Links

https://viatechnology.com.au/

Most businesses think they have a technology problem. Valentina Coin from Via Technology says the technology is usually the last thing that needs fixing.

In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with Valentina Coin, founder of Via Technology on the Sunshine Coast. Via Technology works with growing businesses to build what Val calls strategic business systems, combining people, process and technology to help organisations scale without things falling apart.

The conversation starts with what Via Technology actually does and why it is so difficult to explain. Val unpacks why so many businesses mistake a technology problem for what is really a people or process problem, and why solving all three together is the only way to create lasting change.

Val walks through real client examples, from a business with three weeks to migrate its entire operation off a decommissioned platform, to a couple who purchased a business with no systems and all the knowledge walking out the door with the previous owner.

Topics Covered

/ What Via Technology actually does and why it is hard to categorise

Why strategic business systems go far beyond software implementation.

/ The types of businesses Via Technology serves best

Why operational complexity, not industry, is the key indicator of a good fit.

/ Real client journeys

Three examples of how Via Technology has helped businesses at very different stages and with very different problems.

/ Choosing the right technology for the right stage of business

Why the software that serves you today will not be the software that serves you in five years, and how to plan for that.

/ The process Via Technology takes new clients through

How a self-assessment tool helps diagnose whether the real problem is people, process or technology before any solutions are proposed.

/ Why change management never sells but everyone needs it

How Val embeds change management invisibly throughout every engagement so clients get the outcome without knowing they needed it.

This is Part One of the conversation with Valentina Coin from Via Technology. Continue to Part Two to hear how Val built the business, where her thinking came from, and the three pieces of wisdom she would pass on to any business owner trying to grow.

// Links

https://viatechnology.com.au/

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 42 (Part Two) 

Guests: Kate & Todd Newman

Business Name: Todd Newman Builders

Website: https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/

The building industry has changed dramatically in the last few years.

Construction costs have increased, regulations have become more complex, and homeowners are navigating a far more challenging environment than they were a decade ago.

In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Kate and Todd Newman from Todd Newman Builders in Bendigo.

With more than two decades of experience building homes across regional Victoria, they break down the realities behind residential construction and the challenges facing both builders and homeowners today.

The discussion moves into the technical and practical side of building, including the impact of modern energy efficiency standards, the complexity of renovations, and the importance of planning early in the building journey.

Kate and Todd also explain how strong relationships with subcontractors and suppliers help maintain quality across every project.

/ The rising cost of building homes

/ The growing complexity of building regulations

/ Renovations vs building new

/ The importance of early planning

/ The role of subcontractors and trade relationships

Watch Part One to hear how Todd Newman Builders started, the lessons they learned from rapid growth, and why they ultimately chose to scale the business back to a sustainable size.

// Links

https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 42 (Part One) 

Guests: Kate & Todd Newman

Business Name: Todd Newman Builders

Website: https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/

Most people assume a successful business should always keep growing.

Kate and Todd Newman learned that growth can sometimes create more problems than it solves.

In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with the founders of Todd Newman Builders, a Bendigo-based residential building company that has been operating for more than twenty years.

The discussion begins with the early years of the business, when Todd and Kate started from a home office while raising young children and slowly built a reputation in the Bendigo building industry.

Along the way, an unexpected opportunity maintaining fuel stations across Australia created a commercial arm of the business that helped stabilise income while the residential side continued to grow locally.

The conversation also explores a major turning point for the company.

After winning Bendigo Business of the Year 2016, demand for their services surged. The business expanded rapidly, but the growth quickly stretched systems, staff and management capacity.

Kate and Todd share the lessons that came from that period and the decision that ultimately reshaped the business.

/ How Todd Newman Builders started and grew in Bendigo

/ The unexpected commercial opportunity

/ Winning Bendigo Business of the Year 2016

/ When rapid growth becomes a problem

/ The decision to scale the business back

This is Part One of the conversation with Kate and Todd Newman from Todd Newman Builders.

Continue to Part Two to hear their insights on the modern building industry, rising construction costs, and the realities homeowners should understand before starting a build or renovation.

// Links

https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 41 (Part Two) 

Guests: Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche

Business Name: Coulter Legal

Website: https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/

They rebuilt their whole office and the interesting part was not the design. It was why they refused to follow the open plan trend.

In Part Two of this episode of Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal. The discussion shifts inside the business to explore how leadership works, how the firm approaches workplace design, and how modern law firms are rethinking the client experience.

Bonnie and Stefan explain how the director group shares responsibility while still maintaining client work, why their new office design prioritises focus and confidentiality, and how changes to pricing and intake processes are helping reduce stress for clients.

Topics Covered

/ Leadership structure and shared responsibility

/ Balancing leadership and client work

/ Designing a workplace that supports better work

/ Modern client experience

/ What makes a great lawyer

/ Personal brand and community connection

This is Part Two of the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal.

If you have not listened to Part One yet, start there to hear the full story of how the firm grew to where it is today.

// Links

https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 41 (Part One) 

Guests: Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche

Business Name: Coulter Legal

Website: https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/

So we were talking about why some firms grow and others fall apart… and honestly it usually comes down to one thing. Not strategy. Not marketing. Just whether they actually have the right people in the room.

In this episode of Remarkable Regional Business, host Caleb Maxwell sits down with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal in Geelong. With offices across Geelong, Torquay, Barwon Heads, and Melbourne, Coulter Legal has grown into a mid sized firm of more than eighty people while staying deeply connected to the communities it serves.

Bonnie and Stefan share how the firm has grown through major workforce change, including rapid expansion during COVID and the shift to hybrid work. They unpack what it takes to scale a professional services team without stretching people to the point where quality slips, and why hiring for culture is often more important than hiring for technical ability.

Topics Covered

/ Growing from Geelong to a multi office firm across Victoria

/ Hiring for cultural fit and capability

/ Scaling a legal practice sustainably

/ Building systems that support people and clients

/ Leading culture in a hybrid workplace

This is Part One of the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche.

Go to Part Two next to hear how the firm approaches leadership, workplace design, and modern client experience.

// Links

https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/

Bendigo Business Excellence Awards Winners 2025

Awards Category: Creative Industries 

Business Name: Hebron Films

Presented to: Caleb Maxwell

// About the business

Hebron Films is a boutique Bendigo-based video production and storytelling studio that helps regional businesses grow with strategic, high-value video content. They partner with companies and marketing teams to craft creative films backed by clear strategy—bringing stories to life that attract attention and drive results. Known for personalised collaboration, they handle everything from concept to production, delivering engaging videos that elevate brands on the world stage. 

// Links

https://hebronfilms.com

https://bbea.com.au/

Bendigo Business Excellence Awards Winners 2025

Awards Category: Health and Care Award

Business Name: 3D Physiotherapy Health Group

Presented to: Julie Sheahan

// About the business

3D Physio Health Group is a purpose-driven physiotherapy and wellness clinic in Bendigo and Boort that goes beyond pain relief to help people move better, recover faster and live stronger. Their personalised care uncovers root causes, builds strength, and boosts confidence through evidence-based treatment, exercise programs and rehabilitation. With friendly physios and tailored plans, they support injury recovery, pain management and long-term health for every body.

// Links

https://www.3dphysio.com.au/

https://bbea.com.au/

Bendigo Business Excellence Awards Winners 2025

Awards Category: Climate Leader Award & Social Procurement Award

Business Name: Flash Farm

Presented to: Kristy Kemp

// About the business

Flash Farm is a farm-based allied health service near Myers Flat, Victoria that uses nature, animals and evidence-based therapeutic approaches to support people’s wellbeing, skills and confidence. Founded from a vision that connection with animals can enhance therapy, Flash Farm offers individual and group programs—like life skills, social development and horticultural activities—framed around personalised, experiential learning to improve mental health and life outcomes.

// Links

https://www.flashfarm.org/

https://bbea.com.au/

Bendigo Business Excellence Awards Winner 2025

Awards Category: Young and Professional Award

Business Name: Beck Legal

Presented to: Shaun Stephenson

// About the winner

Shaun Stephenson is a senior associate at Beck Legal in Bendigo and the 2025 Bendigo Business Excellence Awards Young and Professional Award winner. A commercial lawyer specialising in mergers, acquisitions and succession planning, Sean is recognised not only for professional excellence but for his deep commitment to mentoring, education and community leadership—reflecting Bendigo’s culture of developing talented young professionals who give back and help others thrive.

// Links

https://becklegal.com.au/asset-protection/meet-our-team-shaun-stephenson/

https://bbea.com.au/