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Robert Gerrish
www.flyingsolo.com.au |
Robert is our business coach and mentor; our sounding board and our sanity. We have been working with Robert since we joined forces - even before, in Kath's case. His contribution towards our successes and our growing capacity to learn from our mistakes is immeasurable. Thank you Robert. |
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support for going solo |
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What have been your business successes this year?
First and foremost, working with a wonderful band of inspiring clients. I learn so much from my clients - they cause me to constantly stretch and grow.
Along with co-author Sam Leader, I've secured a book writing contract that should keep me out of mischief for much of 2004. I've had a couple of enjoyable appearances on Channel 9's Mornings with Kerri-Anne Show (great for spreading my message to the masses!); have begun the first steps to an exciting collaborative business and have presented my Love Your Work workshop to some five hundred business owners around the country. |
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Briefly, what do you think has supported you to achieve those successes?
A great love for what I do, resulting in an unstoppable passion and a level of focus that continues to surprise me! Add to this a life partner and coach with an unfathomable belief in my abilities.
Why do you do what you do?
I see my professional mission in life as being to improve the lot of the solo business owner. If we can't enjoy running our own show, why do it?
What inspires you?
I'm inspired by people who are good at what they do - in ALL facets of their life. A 'successful' business owner who fails as a parent, partner or friend is not a success in my book. |
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Matt Salier
Tennis NSW
www.tennisnsw.com.au
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Tennis NSW is a wonderful client. Some of Active Voice's very first projects came to us through Matt. And he continues to send us interesting and varied work - from branding a new tennis competition to developing conference collateral. We find the enthusiasm of the staff contagious and we continue to enjoy working on projects that get results. Thank you Matt for being such a great advocate for Active Voice. |
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Matt on the move |
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What have been your successes this year?
This year we completed the Team Tennis tours - five 14-day tours of regional NSW, visiting more than 40 regional centres, over seven months. The increase in good will in the tennis community and a discernible increase in members has ensured the hard work has been worth it.
The completion of two practice clay courts, initially for the February Davis Cup tie, has left a legacy. These courts provide one of the best player development surfaces available. Securing the funding and completing them in a very tight timeframe, was a big achievement.
Early 2003 also saw the completion of phase 1 of a strategic overhaul of TNSW. Pulling this process together and beginning to see the results has certainly been an achievement.
Finally, the later half of 2003 has seen an increase in one-on-one contact with tennis clubs across the state ensuring suitable club planning mechanisms are in place and participation in the sport can increase. We continue to refine the assistance we provide to clubs to increase opportunities for the sport to grow. |
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Briefly, what do you think has supported you to achieve those successes?
Tennis NSW has few corporate sponsors however those who do support us are instrumental to the inroads we can make into growing the game of tennis. We are also fortunate to have a very proactive Board with a reasonably consistent long-term vision. It's hard to imagine achieving what we have without that unity within the Board.
Why do you do what you do?
I certainly have a passion for tennis and the development of the clubs that deliver the game. Ultimately being a part of sport has been an objective realised, from a major event level with the adidas International to a grassroots community level with tennis clubs. Into the future there is a huge amount of growth to achieve in this sport which I would love to be a part of.
What inspires you?
I am inspired on a daily basis by the people I talk to, both those who work around me and those who voluntarily give of their time to see the sport grow. |
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Judy O'Mara
Active Employment
www.activejob.com.au |
Active Employment is a community-based, not-for-profit organsiation that facilitates participation and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We have been privileged to provide services in strategic business planning, communication strategy, publication design and production, training and workshops. This wonderfully worthwhile work has been engaging and challenging us since Active Voice was born two years ago. |
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employment power |
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What have been your successes this year?
- Continuing to assist people with disabilities to get real jobs and/or achieve their goals while exceeding all targets of our funding body.
- Growing our services. Personal Support Program (PSP) trebled in size from 30 places in Dec 02 to 155 places in Dec 03. Disability Employment Service increased dramatically, with more clients receiving support than any other year. Penrith office doubled in size in May 03.
- Mt Druitt Project - it is a first for Active to have the three tiers of government work together to fund one project. The Project also brings together agencies from all tiers who are developing links to benefit people with a mental illness living in one of the most socially disadvantaged areas in Australia.
- Quality Assurance - writing all client service delivery policies and procedures (not my strength - so a huge challenge). Involving staff in the development of the policies and procedures. Developing a quality assurance culture within the organisation. Achieving all this and becoming certified within a 12 month period.
- Keeping the focus of the organisation 'client centred' amidst all this. i.e. how is what we are doing going to benefit our client group?
- Continuing to achieve recognition from our partners, i.e. government funding bodies, government agencies, non-government agencies and peak bodies, that Active Employment is a high achieving agency.
Briefly, what do you think has supported you to achieve those successes?
Highly motivated and skilled staff. Key staff have, over the year, grasped hold of what was required, willingly taken on responsibility for achieving things and put their energy into it.
Also our General Manager and Board of Directors allow staff to do this. They provide a culture of encouraging and allowing people to take responsibility and use their skills and talents.
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And of course, being able to draw on expert external support and skill (such as Active Voice) has helped to achieve these things. Bringing in expert assistance when we can afford it has saved the organisation so much time, money and heart-burn.
Being resilient - as an individual and as an organisation.
Why do you do what you do?
I guess I am a person that cares very deeply about providing opportunities and support to people that have often had very little encouragement or opportunities provided to them.
I see Active Employment as an organisation that can do that. Active encourages people to take opportunities with our support. We rarely turn people away. We want to provide as many opportunities for people as we can within our funding parameters.
In turn, Active Employment has provided me with opportunities and support over the years. It fits that what I care deeply about doing for others,
I have also been provided with myself.
What inspires you?
People who seize opportunities in spite of many barriers and difficulties.
So many clients of Active inspire me, when they continue to work, or persist to find work, or strive to develop themselves, when they are often dealing with many physical, psychological, social and economic barriers.
People who keep their focus on supporting others and strongly remind us all to keep returning to that focus. |
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George Papallo
Macquarie Community College
www.macquarie.nsw.edu.au |
| Macquarie Community College has been with us from the start. Formerly Elaena's employer, we're happy to say the College soon made the transition to client when we started Active Voice. Macquarie is the largest community college in the southern hemisphere. It offers more than 2,400 courses at 50 venues across Sydney's north shore and north west each year. Active Voice works as part of the College's marketing team on everything from strategic planning through to the nuts and bolts of advertising, PR, internal communication and publications. One of our biggest projects is producing the College's course catalogue each term. Thank you Macquarie, for being such a loyal and longstanding client. |
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lifelong learning |
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What have been your successes this year?
We have many reasons to be very pleased with ourselves this year.
- We changed our corporate structure to that of a company
- We opened our refurbished AMEP Centre at Blacktown with great fanfare and a visit from the then Immigration Minister, Phillip Ruddock.
- We made acquaintance with Helen Macpherson, a former student of the College who, through sheer determination and hard work as a mature age student not only learnt to read and write, but completed a degree at university and her teacher training as well. Next year Helen joins our staff as a "magnet" to attract people with literacy problems to join our College.
- With the cooperation of Ryde Council, we opened The Parsonage, a major restoration of a derelict building that is to become an additional centre next year.
- The appointment of Ross Reid as IT Supervisor has seen ever so many projects achieve completion including the upgrade of our fileserver; a new website and enrolment system; and soon, a complete new master key system for the College.
- Considerable growth in our promotions in the community.
- The completion of our Strategic Plan for 2004 - 2006.
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Briefly, what do you think has supported you to achieve those successes?
The generous support of our College Board and the support and cooperation of an outstanding staff.
Why do you do what you do?
I am a great believer in community programs and lifelong learning and derive considerable satisfaction from seeing the growth of the organisation.
What inspires you?
A vision of low cost, high quality education serving the enormous needs of the community. The satisfaction of seeing the program unfold to become a huge success knowing there have been so many knockers who never believed such outcomes were possible.
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