BUSINESS MINDS WITH INGRID ROTHE 29. BUSINESS MINDS

This month Business Minds interviews Urallabased producer and community advocate Tara Toomey, a New England local who wears many hats. Tara is the driving force behind Aurelia’s BnB, The Humble Cook, Seasons of New England Producers, Makers & Creators Expo, and, most recently, the New Englander train experience.

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Uralla, am married to Andrew and we have two children. I studied classics and ancient history at UNE and went to Greece on an archaeological survey project. I came back aware that there were lots of things I wanted to do, and promptly fell in to work in the insurance industry in a dispute resolution unit.

I always wanted to come back to Uralla, and Dad, who is a builder, was planning to retire. I knew that I had one last shot to work with Dad, so I came home, married Andrew and Dad offered to build one more house. It was a great journey building our home, our cottage and, more recently, our commercial kitchen where I make my food as The Humble Cook. Tell us about your fi rst business.

We were still building; I was effectively site manager and we worked on the property after hours and on the weekend. It was perfect timing: starting a family, starting building and starting a business! I started at the Farmers Markets with a stall featuring baking and confectionery - a lot of hard work for not much return, but it allowed me to stay at home with the children. I wanted to work in a way that was family friendly and fl exible. Aurelia’s Farm, a two-bedroom BnB cottage, was offi cially launched in 2009. And The Humble Cook?

Diversifying is key. I really wanted my own food to be a big part of our BnB story. I spent two years creating a good banana bread and toasted muesli recipes. Everything we served at the B&B was local and I was also selling my products under the Aurelia’s Farm brand. We decided to start The Humble Cook, where our product range includes nougat, brittles, hot chocolate, and rocky road. What were your biggest challenges starting out? The Farmers Market platform was challenging. No matter how good the product, it was hard to be found between markets. We didn’t have a value proposition to differentiate ourselves from mass produced products.

I road-tested markets, expos and events, and many did not work either. It was a problem that would roll around in my head. I asked myself where the right event would be and what it would look like. It needed to be affordable, have access to transport, and provide a platform that achieved a level playing fi eld for makers and producers. The idea behind Seasons of New England developed. What’s the secret of Seasons’ success? We started in 2014 with a goal of 25 makers and 500 patrons. We had to close registration at 52 stalls and 3,200 people came through on the day. We’ve collected postcard data from day one and the numbers have grown. Locals are steady, but out-of-towners and international visitor numbers have signifi cantly increased.

There were many talented, creative people who wanted to help as much as they could but didn’t want to run it, so we decided to set it up as a company - supporters would help when they could, but I had to take on the majority of the work. As both a producer and an organiser, I’m part of that network and it’s really important to the strategy. We’ve recently introduced The New England Hamper range, with all products sourced from New England Makers, Creators and Producers. Tell us about The New Englander.

I’d tried to get a heritage train here for seven years, but couldn’t get anyone to engage with me. Finally, Lachlan Valley Railway, a not-for-profi t train and rail For me, it’s all about celebrating community. Small communities are the natural home for makers and producers, as they are directly connected to the communities they call home.

restoration organisation, responded. We had a clear vision: a bar and a good kitchen for a great chef. Everything served on the train is from the New England. Our patrons will travel from Newcastle to Uralla and Armidale on the Friday, experiencing Seasons, the Uralla Arts Lantern Parade, the Uralla Rotary Art Show and Uralla’s shopping and café strip. There will be four shuttles between Armidale and Uralla on the Saturday and then back to Newcastle on the Sunday. What inspires you?

For me, it’s all about celebrating community. Small communities are the natural home for makers and producers, as they are directly connected to the communities they call home. From the really tiny ones that often get lost to the really big ones, I’m determined to create opportunities to showcase their work. Our local makers and producers are the heart and soul of rural Australia. I live this 24/7, because it’s not just a job. What’s next?

There are two things this year. Firstly, I am working on developing the New Englander Hampers, with good sales and strong interest already for 2020. Secondly, this year we will be introducing the Copper Oakleaf Awards to recognise producers and makers who have achieved something extraordinary, in terms of product and business. Thank you, Tara.

Gretel Vincent was raised in Wallabadah and after living away for some years both in Sydney and overseas, returned to the Tamworth region with husband Craig to raise their children, Stella and Harry. Gretel loves the region but is also inspired by travel and natural products, and this refl ects in the beauty and ambience of Bungalow G - her new specialty homeware and lifestyle store.

Hi Gretel. How did you come up with the idea for Bungalow G?

It’s been a dream of mine for many years. I have always worked in corporate roles but felt the strong urge to do something creative, and I knew it had to be interiors related, because that is where my passion lies.

I studied Interior Design at the International College of Colour & Design in Sydney, which I graduated from a few years ago. Since then I have been styling homes part-time, but I always knew that the dream was to open a furniture/home/lifestyle store. I love spending time in the Byron Bay area, which is full of inspiring spaces and businesses, and I wanted to create that same feeling in my store, where people walk in and get that instant feeling of calm, but also leave feeling inspired. The building your store is located in is quite unusual! What can you tell us about it?

The Old Bell Tower was originally St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and was built in 1882. It still houses the original bell in its tower, hence the name The Old Bell Tower.

My fi rst customer in the store was married here over 60 years ago, and I have had several other customers with similar stories. I love that the building is known and loved by so many people and is a part of their history and the history of Tamworth. It is a special space to be in, and we feel grateful to be its caretakers. What types of products do you stock, and how do you decide what's worth stocking, and what's not?

We stock furniture, homewares and lifestyle products. Being someone who loves interior and homeware products, it was easy for me to choose brands and products that I already love and have in my own home. I chose brands and products that I felt would fi ll a gap in the Tamworth market, which were not already being represented here.

Before opening the store, I went to some Trade Fairs and The Designers’ Markets, where I met some amazing designers with unique products to offer, some of which we now stock in our store.

Regarding the furniture, I wanted to offer pieces that are unique but still timeless enough that they can easily fi t into any style of home. I’m drawn to the beauty and texture of natural products, so I have a lot of linen, leather, wool, natural stone and timber furniture pieces on offer in the store. I provide a sourcing service as well, so if you can’t fi nd what you are looking for, I can look for that special piece for you. How do you feel Bungalow G differs from other homeware stores?

I think it’s in the feel of the store. It’s a special space, and my customers often comment on how calm the space feels. The old building and light fi lled space is a beautiful backdrop for browsing. I have lounges and arm chairs scattered around, so people will often sit down and have a look through our coffee table books.

I also think we differ from other homeware stores because of the unique brands we stock, which weren’t already on offer in Tamworth. I think it’s important to be authentic in this type of business. If I don’t genuinely love a product, I can’t sell it.

When sourcing new products, I choose items that speak to me and give me that instant “feel good” vibe. Life can be challenging at times, so I think it’s important to surround ourselves with things that make us feel happy and relaxed.

Tamworth has some amazing furniture and gift stores, all of which are beautiful and offer different things. I think it’s great that we support each other as small businesses and we all have different styles, because that benefi ts our customers by having more variety to choose from. How would you describe your own personal style?

This is a hard one for an interiors addict like me to answer, because I appreciate many different styles. Your home should tell the story of the people who live there. It’s important to have personal and meaningful items in your home décor, because it’s what gives your home soul. My home’s style is relaxed with a neutral and monochromatic colour scheme. I usually throw in a few pops of muted colours with accessories such as cushions, ceramics, and art. I love using texture to make a home feel relaxed and calm, so I usually layer things such as wool, leather, natural stone and linen. Every now and then I think I’m going to change and introduce lots of bright colours to my home, but somehow I always end up paring it back to the neutrals. Having said that, I absolutely love colourful interiors, and I defi nitely feel inspired by colour. My neon sign in the store is hot pink, and I absolutely love it. My main inspiration for interior styling is travel. My family and I love traveling, and I spend a lot of time wandering around admiring buildings, homes, interiors of hotels, restaurants etc. I love Palm Springs style, which is evident in my store. The hero piece in my store is my beautiful counter, hand made out of white breeze blocks by the very talented Jeff from Industrial AF. What are your plans for Bungalow G moving forward?

I’ve just attended an amazing seminar in Orange called #The Huddle. I came away feeling really inspired to try out a few new ideas in the store. We are a new business, so it’s still evolving and will continue to do so. I have a few new brands coming on board in the next couple of months, and I will just keep making it interesting and fresh for my customers. I think providing the best customer service and the best experience for my customers, both while they are in my store and also after they leave, is my constant goal. What's the best way to contact you?

The store is on Instagram at Bungalowgstore and our website is www.bungalowg.com.au I can be contacted via phone or email; details are on my website. Thanks Gretel. I love using texture to make a home feel relaxed and calm, so I usually layer things such as wool, leather, natural stone and linen.

Over 85% of people enquiring to own their own home with Hibbards are women. Women are the doers, the influencers, the mothers (even to those who are not their own) and arguably a driving force behind the continual success of businesses and society - to say the least. Women are so highly valued within this company, and we attribute our success at Hibbards to the collaboration between the amazing women and men we have on staff. Here are just some of our awesome team at Hibbards working in Head office, Coffs Harbour: Kath Sparke: with Hibbards for 20 years! Together with her daughter Keryn Sparke they are the cracking team that run the conveyancing department. Tash Stengert: Pre-Construction Manager; managing the work leading up to the construction of each home. Kelly Frewen: Sales Administration Manager.

An integral part of driving each sale through to settlement across all our regions; assists with special projects and acquisitions. Karen Lauder: Accounts Manager, with Rachael Newman: accounts receivable; these ladies are the heart of the Accounts Department. Trisha Barry and Fiona Whalan: the clever duo forming a fundamental part of our estimating team. Kim Purcell: Service Consultant; running our After-Sales Service Department. Taking care of current clients, past clients, and assists property managers for our investor clients. Tamzin Shotbolt: Promotion; Marketing; PR and Media. Responsible for bringing in new business and making sure everyone in all our regions knows who we are. This is big business. And we’re changing lives by creating opportunities for people to fulfill their dream of home ownership. Bron Byers Meg Barnden-Hyde

Please introduce yourself and your business. We're Meg Barnden-Hyde and Bron Byers. We were both parents at TG’s, and we loved it so much we didn’t want the experience to end! So, we became educators, team leaders, and now we are Centre Managers! TG’s has empowered us women to be who we are today. Meg is at Armidale and Bron is at Uralla! TG’s has become such an important part of our personal lives that we live, breathe, eat and work the TG’s Way. What are your greatest strengths in business?

We are mothers at home and mothers to the TG’s Family! For Bron, children are her biggest influencers in what she does. Meg loves staying open and curious to the needs of each child. Listening to them helps her to learn about each child’s gifts and how she can help them discover and find joy in developing them. As parents,

Meg and Bron have first-hand experience and are convinced that TG’s is an industry leader in child care. TG’s makes a difference in the early years because of the quality of care and education from educators, who are also supported in their growth and development. Educators have each other’s backs and are encouraged to discover their gifts to help make the children from six weeks to six years shine and reach their full potential. That is why TG’s is always growing, and Playing is Learning for Life! Building relationships, sharing their gifts and collective thinking come naturally to those who have experienced the loving and nurturing TG’s Way. “Going to TG's every day is awesome. It is our second family!” You’ll always have a loving family waiting for you at TG’s!

Please introduce yourself and your business. I was born and grew up in Droitwich Spa in the heart of England. I studied and worked as a radiographer in Cambridge, before accepting a two year contract position at Tamworth Base Hospital Radiology Unit in 1992. I then became the Chief Radiographer for BreastScreen North West, where I worked for ten years. My life as a financial adviser began after I met a wonderful Tamworth dairy farmer, who soon became my husband. We had two beautiful girls, and I found myself wanting to spread my time better between work and family life. I studied remotely through Deakin University to become a qualified financial adviser. I’m now a Principal at Forsyths and work with clients and manage a team of exceptional financial planners and superannuation experts. What are your greatest strengths in business? Supporting my clients plan for the momentous moments in life is where I find a huge amount of personal satisfaction. I love that I can be a voice of reason and guidance when my clients are experiencing or planning for life changes such as parents or spouses moving into aged care facilities, children moving away to university and planning for a happy, settled retirement. It’s wonderful to be able to share in their sense of comfort and happiness that comes with financial security. Tell us about your involvement in the community? One of our greatest achievements at Forsyths was establishing the Forsyths Foundation. Through the Foundation we support local community groups with more than $10,000 each year. It’s a way that even with my busy family life with my two girls and busy job I can support and encourage the huge contribution community groups make to the New England North West. This year in Tamworth we supported batyr through the White Elephant Ball. We felt that particularly during these times of drought, our young people need the skills to recognise possible signs of anxiety and depression within themselves and their family members. What are your tips for maintaining a balanced lifestyle with work, home and self? When I arrived in Tamworth as a young radiographer, I never dreamed that I would meet and marry a strapping young dairy farmer! I’ve been so lucky to have a supportive, kind husband and father to my children. It’s not something I could have planned, but to have a wonderful partner in life means I can balance being a mother, a wife, a daughter and a voice of reason to my clients and colleagues. I could never fulfil these roles without the lovely farmer I met 24 years ago. If you were down to your last $20, how would you spend it? With my background in health, I have a huge respect for emerging medical research. After nursing a dear uncle with motor neurone disease, seeing a cousin, and recently a client diagnosed, I support research to find a cure wherever I can. JULIE SHERWOOD Principal - Forsyths

Financial Planning / Audit / Accounting / Investment / Superannuation / Insurance Armidale / Inverell / Coonabarabran / Gunnedah / Tamworth

Bronwyn Pearson is the seemingly indefatigable CEO of Pinnacle People Solutions. Launching in 2013, the regionally based HR consultancy has grown from strength to strength, garnering multiple awards in the process. In that time, the team has also expanded significantly to meet demand from regionally based SMEs and not-for-profits. While their home base is Armidale and Tamworth, Pinnacle People Solutions is actively engaged with businesses from across regional NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT.

Gretel Khan is the team’s recruitment consultant, Gina Mackenzie and Lauren Quaife are HR officers, Michelle Westlund the newly appointed project officer, and Jessica Kliendeinst is the team’s administration coordinator. The team also includes Jessica Pearson, a registered psychologist who delivers psychological testing as well as education and training regarding mental health in the workplace. “Three team members are originally from Armidale. They left our region to study and work and have now returned home, bringing with them extensive experience and a genuine love for, and commitment to, our region,” Bronwyn said.

Pinnacle People Solutions’ success has been built on an understanding of the unique challenges faced by businesses operating in lower population areas. These include attracting and retaining quality candidates in the regions and the greater impact on reputation and productivity when you get recruitment decisions wrong. However, the impact of the drought on the economy, in both the short term and long term, has changed the landscape significantly.

Bronwyn Pearson’s background in HR at senior levels gives her unique specialist skills and strategic insight, while her passion for helping regional communities has seen Pinnacle People Solutions blossom. The need for highly skilled, empathetic HR support in our regions has never been greater.

“In the last eight months we have really seen the challenges presented by the drought

start to impact our regional communities and the businesses we work with. Sadly, this has meant that many businesses have needed to recalibrate for survival. We work with our clients to downsize with dignity,” Bronwyn said.

When handling downsizing in smaller regional communities, it is critical that it is handled in a way that doesn’t compromise opportunities for future growth and identifies prospects for displaced staff to gain alternate employment in the region wherever possible. “We need to deal with the issues each business is facing now, helping them where they need to contract and consolidate, but still prepare for future growth. Increasingly we are playing a role in partnering with businesses planning for that future,” she continued. The Pinnacle People Solutions Team Since launching Pinnacle People Solutions, Br onwyn has achieved NSW-wide Local Government Procurement approved contractor status for the provision of HR services and selection by tender as a preferred HR, Safety and Training supplier for Armidale Regional Council. Pinnacle People Solutions has also been appointed as recruitment partner to support Homes North, the social housing provider for the New England North West, in scaling to meet the demands of the Social Housing Management Transfer project, taking effect in 2019.

Consistent with the commitment to building the regional community and economic capacity, Pinnacle People Solutions was awarded the contract to deliver employment facilitation services and the Regional Employment Trials program for the

Regional Employment Trials program for the Northern Inland region by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment in 2018. In one of only 10 regions selected for the Program by the Australian Government, Bronwyn works with a colleague and local stakeholders across the region to develop place-based strategies to address employment challenges and provide opportunities for those who are unemployed or at risk of unemployment.

In 2018 Bronwyn won the Outstanding Business Leader category at both the Armidale Business Chamber and the New England North West Region Business Awards, going on to represent New England at State level.

Most recently, Bronwyn has been appointed to the Regional Growth and Place Activation Peak Advisory Committee at Armidale Regional Council. The Committee’s primary responsibility is to act as a link between the council and key industry sectors, ensuring open two-way communication, and developing and promoting partnerships and initiatives to drive economic growth. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of our region by attracting business and investment and creating opportunities for local job creation,” said Bronwyn. Bronwyn is inspired by the huge efforts made by small business owners every day to provide goods and services, as well as employment for over 40% of

Australia’s population. She relishes the opportunity to support their success.

Gretel is the team’s recruitment consultant, working closely with business to run effective recruitment processes and building staffing strategies to attract and retain the right people to support their businesses’ objectives. Gretel is passionate about facilitating the perfect match between candidate and client, working to ensure that each business reaps the rewards of making a great hire.

Lauren and Gina, the HR officers, work closely with the Pinnacle People Solutions’ team and clients to deliver high quality, fitfor-purpose HR support and advice.

Lauren has more than eight years’ HR and talent acquisition experience across a diverse range of industries including health and wellbeing, travel, and education. “I am passionate about helping people reach their career goals and aspirations and setting them up for success,” Lauren said.

Gina was attracted to the position at Pinnacle People Solutions because of its regional focus and what she saw was the fit with her personal and professional values. “Having grown up in regional NSW, I understand the importance of sustaining regional businesses, so I am really excited to join such a passionate and dedicated team where I am able to help make a difference,” Gina said.

Michelle Westlund, the team’s project officer, supports the team in delivering targeted research, systems development & tailored project solutions and HR frameworks that solve the problems Pinnacle People Solutions’ clients face.

Pinnacle People Solutions’ unique ability to provide regional businesses with education and training in the mental health sphere, focused on the workplace, empowered with delivered Jessica Pearson, a registered psychologist with a background in HR and an understanding of regional communities and workplaces.

Policy making is, of necessity, informed by the statistics that come out of our regional economies. However, the statistics don’t necessarily pick up the realities of what is happening. For example, for redundancies to be recorded by the Federal Government, the number needs to be 15 or more - in one hit. Clearly, this excludes proper reporting of the impact of the drought on our regional businesses, their community and, more importantly, the human beings - the staff and their families who are directly impacted by even the smallest of downsizing programs.

“What lies at the very heart of our business is our central mission to foster the growth and sustainability of regional communities. To this end, we participate in programs and projects at every level of government, not only do we keep our fingers on the pulse of what is happening, but we ensure that policy and decision makers are informed about the realities of what is happening in our regional communities.

“As a member of a number of boards, and as an employment facilitator for the Regional Employment Trials, Northern Inland Region, and through interactions with our clients in the regions, we are able to provide a more accurate picture of the employment environment and advocate for the needs of businesses, employers, employees and other stakeholders across the region.

“We are a learning business, investing in strategic planning and professional development so we are better positioned to help regional businesses navigate the complexities of HR and their greatest asset, their people. Recently, we held our 2020 strategic planning workshop where we focused on really aligning our services to meet the future needs of our clients.

“We will continue to support our clients and advocate for regional business, but we are also really focused on preparing our clients not just to recalibrate to survive - whether they need to contract or consolidate - but to build the foundations for their future success. We are working with them to identify the people, products and services that present business opportunities and helping them design a workforce and supporting structures that set them up to thrive in the future. At the end of the day, we want each of our clients to know that we have their back and will support them through any challenge” Bronwyn concluded.

We’ve got your back 1300 856 231 admin@pinnaclepeoplesolutions.com.au pinnaclepeoplesolutions.com.au