SMALL TOWN GIRL GONE GLOBAL

Rebecca Green is a beautiful, funny, and smart woman. She is a mother of two, and a wife to one. But, she is also a real estate agent, a wedding and event planner, a personal trainer, and a serial mumpreneur—running sevenbusinesses!

A local girl to Hobart, Tasmania, Rebecca experienced just how hard life can be when her twin brother tragically committed suicide, just months before their 18th birthday. Life forced her to grow up fast, and she had to be resilient to overcome the ensuing trauma.

So, with a fire in her belly, and not knowing what she was going with her life—only that life was too short—Rebecca left her retail job with no education nor experience in any other field. But she did know her strengths—talking—and with excellent communication and negotiation skills, she started with the idea of becoming a real estate agent; after all she was good at talking with people …

By the age of 23, Rebecca was at the top of her game; not only making good money, but winning awards as well. A normal person may have stayed in what was arguably a safe and stable job, but then Rebecca’s world changed when she met her husband, Shaun.

What followed was a whirlwind romance; an adventure on the horizon; a move to the Cayman Islands to follow her husband's new job—whatever it was, it didn’t matter because Rebecca jumped all in, at the chance for a new adventure that saw that local girl from Tasmania, travelling to the other side of the world.

With the opportunity and support from Shaun, Rebecca decided to be a wedding planner—which she says might have been influenced by Jennifer Lopez after she had watched the movie The Wedding Planner. And who could have known that her newfound career was perfect for her new home … which just happened to be one of the world’s top wedding destinations.

Did she have any experience? No. Did it matter? No. With her determination, sheer will and her ability to talk, Rebecca began her career as a wedding planner with a large production company.

Of course, in true ‘Rebecca style’, she realised that she no longer wanted to be working on other people’s terms: long hours, little pay, not to mention the office politics. And she knew that she was capable of more. So, after just two years of being a successful wedding planner, Rebecca toyed with the idea of starting her own wedding and event planning business.

Making the transition wasn’t easy, especially in a foreign country that was notoriously challenging to receive a work visa—let alone the permits—as well as finding business partners, creating business plans, and getting funding. And yet, Rebecca rose to the challenge. With audacious decisions, a lot of late-night researching, and the implementation of different tactics to grow her brand, Rebecca's business, Parfait Weddings & Events, was soon ranked number one as the ‘go-to’ for all wedding plans.

Beyond that success, Rebecca’s natural ability as an entrepreneur saw her and her husband successfully own and operate more and more businesses. Not only did they add four F45 Fitness Studios to their list—which were very successful—they also added a sip and paint business called Colour & Cork. Their portfolio continued to grow, and soon, so too did their family when Rebecca birthed two beautiful boys— who became their world.

How did this wildly successful Mumpreneur manage such great success? Well, Rebecca shares that it all comes down to marketing and branding; which both must be spot on for any business to grow and be recognised in the marketplace.

For her businesses, if a client compared her website and social media presence to that of the other big players in the marketplace, Rebecca knew that there couldn’t be much difference in their professional look, and she must have been doing something right: trustworthiness and credibility.

She also shares, that she focused her own marketing towards that personal touch—of her being the face of the business—so that every single client, received the same amazing customer service, and honest advice, which all led to an outstanding customer experience. As far as Rebeccas is concerned, being self-taught did not hinder her in any way, and here are her top tips are:

Online presence for marketing. Leveraging off other businesses/contacts in a related field (networking). Grow your presence online through social media and SEO. Think outside the box. Find opportunities to grow your brand authority and ask for what you want. You never know what you might get.

What’s in the future for Rebecca and her husband Shaun—the dynamic duo? Well, knowing that they can empower others through their ventures, the two are looking forward to doing just that through their new fitness concept, with the intent of causing a

ripple effect within their own community that will help empower others.

They aim to host their first ’Music for Mood’concert—an event close to Rebecca’s heart—

which will be an event for the community to come together, mingle, laugh, dance, and share

Along with supporting and listening to music, Rebecca and Shaun will be speaking on the effects of suicide in young Australian men, as well as sharing their own experiences, raising funds for charities, and reaching out to those who need it most.

Rebecca says that creating an experience that everyone can remember is her vision; an experience that can also cause a positive ripple effect for those in need.