Thats Audacious

Nicole Lamers, an award-winning Australian entrepreneur and educator, dedicated 22 years to the hairdressing industry, including 15 as a salon owner. Driven by a deep passion for well-being and sustainability, she worked hard to implement conscious choices within her salon.

Despite her efforts, Nicole was shocked to discover that many products, even luxury and seemingly natural ranges, contained harsh chemicals that contradicted her values. She realised that the industry needed genuinely clean and safe hair care options. This realisation lit a fire in her to protect herself, her loved ones, and her clients, leading her to believe there was a solution she could create herself.

The desire to offer a superior, clean, and safe alternative spurred Nicole to spend a couple of years on research and development, collaborating with local chemists and manufacturers. Her goal was to create something Australian-made, sustainable, and luxurious. The brand, AER Wellness Co., was born not just as a business, but as an extension of Nicole's core values, filling a gap she had identified for safe, clean products for professional hairdressers and the general public.

As the company grew, Nicole sought to elevate her personal profile and the brand's credibility beyond local and industry recognition. She needed to validate her efforts on a bigger stage to support her dream of becoming a business educator, specifically supporting women in business, and expanding AER Wellness Co. globally.

Global Recognition and Increased Self-Belief

Nicole's journey into the world of international awards proved to be a pivotal and successful move. Having previously entered skills-based and business awards within the hairdressing industry, she decided to “give it a go” with global recognition programs.

The most significant achievement was winning the Bronze Stevie Award for Best Female Entrepreneur in Australia, Asia, and New Zealand at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. This win provided immense validation, especially considering she was a solo female business owner from Perth competing against large, established corporations like Microsoft and IBM.

Key outcomes achieved through this recognition include:

• Validation and Confidence: The award served as tangible evidence that her work was excellent, significantly boosting her confidence and resilience for future projects. It helped her silence self-doubt and affirmed that her message and expertise are valid.
• Community and Support: Attending the awards ceremony in New York allowed Nicole to connect with a community of Australian women entrepreneurs. This network of like-minded individuals provided invaluable support and connection, helping to combat the loneliness often experienced by solo business owners.
• Brand Amplification: The award provided a platform to promote AER Wellness Co. and Nicole's profile as an educator. A highlight was seeing her brand featured on a billboard in Times Square, a "pinch me moment" that cemented the success of her passion project.
• Strategic Growth: The international recognition supports her next steps: moving further into business education to support women entrepreneurs and expanding AER Wellness Co. globally, starting with distribution to the US.

Result

• Bronze Stevie Award for Best Female Entrepreneur in Australia, Asia, and New Zealand. Nicole crafted her own entry and submission and attended the Stevie Awards in NYC on the Audacious Agency Tour in 2025.

Message from the Client

Nicole’s story is a testament to trusting one's instincts and the power of taking a chance.

"I remember thinking we would never ingest these ingredients so why are we putting them on our body which is like the most absorbent organ we have".

"It wasn't born just as a brand, it was an extension of my values".

"I just feel very very grateful to have even experienced going to New York and going to the Stevie Awards and being surrounded by amazing other women in business was a real pinch me moment".

"It is that conversation you have with yourself... I guess the award gives you more confidence. It gives you a little bit more resilience to go into the next project".

"What I what I'm saying and what I'm sharing is actually valid and I know I've got evidence and I've got backing".

"I would definitely tell my younger self to trust my intuition. I've always led with my gut and when I question that is when it doesn't feel right. So I guess trusting in myself, backing myself... If it feels uncomfortable, that's generally where you get the most growth. So I always sort of say, you know, there's no comfort in growth".

Contact

To learn more about Nicole Lamers and AER Wellness Co., please visit the links below:

• Website: https://AER Wellness.co/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-lamers-9100a716a/

Marissa Candy, the dynamic force behind The Marketing Factory, has dedicated over 20 years to the media and marketing industry, navigating its complexities and helping businesses thrive. The Marketing Factory specialises in providing key insights and strategies to drive growth and sustainability in the face of constantly evolving customer needs and an overwhelming economy. They are particularly adept at handling franchise marketing with multiple location outlets.

Marissa's journey began with a curious start at Stockland Shopping Centres, where she initially didn't even know what marketing was. Under the mentorship of incredible women, she quickly embraced the field, pursuing formal education in the late 90s and 2000s, before the digital revolution. This traditional grounding gave her a deep understanding of foundational marketing principles, which she feels is often lost in today's digital-first, low-barrier-to-entry environment.

The core issue The Marketing Factory aims to solve is a lack of strategic clarity. In the modern business world, it's too easy for businesses, particularly small ones, to create marketing content without first asking: "Why am I doing it? Who is it for? And what outcome do we actually want from this?". Many business owners don't fully understand marketing, often assigning marketing roles to undertrained staff, such as a graphic designer, just because they are good at social media, which results in efforts not being attached to a strategic outcome.

Marissa and her team at The Marketing Factory address this by deliberately focusing on the unsexy side of marketing: strategy, and by looking at a business holistically. They assess every element, from signage and sales team operations to the front-of-house experience, knowing that every part impacts the marketing result.

Marissa's goal and aspiration is to elevate the standard of marketing knowledge and awareness. She is passionate about helping people and finding solutions to problems at the core of marketing. Her forthcoming initiative, the Rebel Marketing Club, launching in 2026, is a testament to this, aiming to provide low-cost, high-value monthly lessons and Q&A sessions to uplift the entire industry.

Matthew Manahan, a talented actor and performer, found himself on an unexpected journey that led him from the stage to the inner workings of Precedent Productions, the company behind the prestigious Australian Small Business Champion Awards. He was introduced to Steve Loe, the founder of Precedent Productions, who was also a keen supporter of the arts, after a theatrical show wrapped up and with no immediate acting gigs on the horizon. Matthew joined Precedent Productions, starting in an administrative role, and his initial tasks included the meticulous and arduous process of hand-scanning over 50,000 archival images. This behind-the-scenes work, coupled with his background in the performing arts and his keen eye for storytelling, set the stage for a new and audacious project that would showcase the profound impact of the awards - the Champions book. His challenge was to find a creative way to encapsulate the rich history and human stories that defined the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.

Matthew and the team at Precedent Productions have been part of a monumental project - the creation of Champions: The Legacy That Shaped Small Business for a Nation, a premium, pictorial and inspirational coffee table book that celebrates the history of the awards. The book was born from an accidental moment - Matthew, in a clumsy error, sent an email with the wrong documents, including his boss Steve Loe's personal banking details. Though he feared being fired, Steve instead noticed Matthew's creative and persuasive writing in the email and tasked him with creating a sponsorship proposal book. What was initially a six-month project evolved into a three-year endeavour, resulting in an opulent publication that showcases the triumphs, struggles, and real-world impact of small business owners.

The book, which has been described as a laudable addition to any collection of Australian works, aims to inspire readers and provide an honest look at the lives of business owners. It captures the personal stories of those who have won the coveted Champion statuette, exploring their journeys and the financial, communal, and economic effects the award has had on their lives. This project has allowed Matthew to leverage his storytelling skills to honour the legacy of the awards, while also providing a valuable resource for small business owners and a testament to the life-changing power of recognition.

Message from Matthew

"Don't sweat the small stuff," Matthew advises, a lesson he learned from his own accidental career pivot. He believes there is always a solution, even when faced with a heart-sinking moment like sending your boss's banking details to a group of people. This experience taught him to trust the process and embrace the unpredictable journey of life and career.

Matthew also encourages businesses entering the Small Business Champion Awards to share their true story, not just their financial success. "We're also looking for the heart of your community," he explains, urging people to focus on their involvement, their staff, and their value system. He cautions against using AI to write award submissions, noting that the judges "can smell it a mile away". Instead, he suggests using it as a tool for structure and then "put it in your own words" to ensure the genuine, human element shines through.

"We get you guys," Matthew states, highlighting the awards' focus on the Australian small business community. He notes that the free resources and marketing materials provided to finalists and winners are a direct reflection of the team's understanding of small business needs. "We would want the same in return," he says, reinforcing the program's commitment to championing and rewarding hard-working entrepreneurs.

For more information and to enter the Small Business Champion Awards, go to: https://www.championawards.com.au/

For more information about the book or to become a sponsor of the awards, go to: Precedent Productions: https://www.precedent.net/

Michael Arnot, co-founder of Encore Speakers and Mainstage, is a prominent figure in the Australian speaking industry. His journey began not as a speaker, but as an event manager, where he co-founded an event management company. While organising events, he and his team frequently needed to book speakers and quickly realised there was a significant gap in the market. This experience, coupled with the difficulty they faced in finding the right talent for their clients, led them to pivot into a new venture: a speaker agency.

Michael's goal was to create a different kind of agency - one that focused on understanding the client's needs on a deep level. He recognised that event organisers were not just looking for a person to stand on a stage; they were looking for someone who could create an electrifying impact and deliver practical, transformative value for their attendees. This understanding became the foundation of Encore Speakers' value proposition: to have in-depth conversations with clients about their event's purpose, attendees, and desired outcomes. This focus on the attendee experience, from invitation to follow-up, was what set them apart from competitors and became a crucial lesson that Michael believes is essential for any speaker to understand.

Through Encore Speakers and Mainstage, Michael has achieved significant results by focusing on the business of speaking and helping others do the same. He proudly shares two key achievements that highlight the impact of his work.

For Encore Speakers, a major win was helping an education industry association curate an entire three-day conference. By carefully placing speakers, they were able to create an experience where attendees felt not just professionally developed, but personally transformed.

With Mainstage, Michael's focus shifted to helping speakers grow their businesses. A proud moment was witnessing a speaker completely transform their enterprise after implementing the program. This individual, who was considering returning to corporate life, instead built a globally impactful business, proving the value of being coachable and following a proven process.

Recognising the need for credibility and differentiation in a crowded market, Michael also made a strategic decision to enter Mainstage into business awards. This move was not just about winning; it was about seeking independent validation from industry experts. The awards provided an external stamp of approval and helped build a credible profile, justifying the value and expertise they offer. Michael believes this independent validation is crucial for speakers and businesses alike to justify their value to potential clients and stand out from the competition.

Michael also expressed immense pride in winning three Stevie Awards, and was especially proud of winning the category of for "best business process". To him, this is world-class validation from independent judges that the Mainstage Speaker Academy process is world-leading. Michael also pointed out that they won in a category that also featured IBM, well known for its innovative systems, which took out the gold award. To be ‘rubbing shoulders’ with such well-known brands and being recognised for the innovative approach they are implementing with such impressive results for speakers is a massive achievement.

Message from the client

Michael’s insights are direct and practical, stemming from years of experience on both sides of the speaking industry. He emphasises that speakers are "not selling to the audience, but rather to the person who signs the check". His core message to those in the industry is that success is about more than just being brilliant on stage; it requires "understanding the business of speaking". He advises speakers to make themselves easy to book by having a "laser focus" on their specific value proposition, and to ensure their messaging "does exactly what it says on the tin".

Michael’s key business advice is to "partner quicker". He believes that entrepreneurs should avoid trying to hold everything precious and instead collaborate with others to scale their businesses.

Contact

For more information about Michael Arnot, The Mainstage Speaker Academy and Encore Speakers, please visit:

• Encore Speakers: http://encorespeakers.com.au
• Mainstage: http://mainstage.com.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelarnot

The Leap of Faith: From Engineering to Entrepreneurship

Dr. Younes began his career as an aerospace engineer with the Australian Department of Defence and Boeing. However, a life change prompted an audacious decision. When he and his wife, Sarifa, an education professional, couldn't find a suitable childcare centre for their young son, he suggested they build one themselves. This was the start of a new career path.

For the first five years, he worked behind the scenes while still at his engineering job, but his passion for business grew. Despite a handsome salary at Boeing, he decided to take a leap of faith. He took a few months of unpaid leave to test out full-time business management. This period allowed him to be fully present with his family, taking his kids to school and being part of their daily lives. The experience was so rewarding that he decided to resign from his engineering career and become a full-time entrepreneur.

This pattern of identifying a gap in the market and filling it became the blueprint for his future ventures. When he and his wife needed a travel agency in their suburb and couldn't find one, they started their own. This travel business quickly expanded to three locations. The same philosophy led to the founding of a successful training organisation. As Lauren notes, this "fabulous grassroots approach to entrepreneurship" is a common and inspiring story in Australia.

The ABLE Book Awards and Expo: A Platform for Authors

The idea for the ABLE Book Awards and Expo was born from another personal experience. In 2019, after Dr Younes and his wife published their books, they realised their books were "just in a box on the shelf." They hadn't properly launched them to a wider audience. They saw a need for a professional platform where authors could launch their books on a real stage, with media coverage, photography, and video.

Dr Younes explains that many authors put immense effort into writing their book but then stop, failing to promote it properly. He believes this is due to a lack of understanding about the marketing process and the belief that they need a huge online following to succeed. The ABLE Book Awards and Expo fills this gap by providing a professional, ready-made platform that gives authors the marketing support, exposure, and community they need.

For an author to participate, they simply register, provide professional assets like their book's images and a bio, and the ABLE team handles the rest—marketing, promotion, event organisation, and stage management. Authors get to enjoy the "spotlight and the exposure." This includes a physical expo where authors can speak, get professional videos, and sell their books, as well as an opportunity to connect with other authors and industry leaders.

The Able Book Awards is a key component of the event. It's open to authors from around the world and from any genre, whether fiction, non-fiction, children's, business book or autobiography. Authors who launch their books at the expo are automatically entered into the awards. Authors who aren't launching can also nominate their books, regardless of when they were published. Dr Younes and his team use a thorough, collaborative judging process that includes a panel of judges and author interviews to ensure every book is given a fair and comprehensive review.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Dr Younes's answer is simple and powerful: "Start everything sooner." Reflecting on his journey, acknowledging the mistakes and failures along the way but seeing them as essential learning experiences, he emphasises that life is short and that it's important to put your heart and soul into what you're passionate about, learning and growing from every experience. His journey is a testament to the idea that success is not a straight line, but a series of ups and downs from which you learn and grow.

If you have a book sitting in a box in your garage, the ABLE Book Awards and Expo offers an incredible opportunity to share your message with the world. Your book deserves to be well-known, well-paid, and wanted.

Links:

• EXPO: https://www.authorexpo.com.au

ABLE Book Awards: https://www.authorexpo.com.au/gba-nominate