The Series

SESSION 1 — Strategy & Growth

Thursday 2 July 2026

"Where is your business heading?"

Step back from the day-to-day and get clear on where the business is going.

This session explores growth strategy, business structure, succession, risk, and the systems needed to support growth without increasing complexity or owner reliance.

The focus is on making deliberate decisions about the future of the business, instead of constantly reacting to what’s in front of you.

Presenters:

→ Nathan McGrath, Collins Hume — Strategy, Growth & Business Value

→ John Truman, Keystone Lawyers — Legal Structures, Risk & Transition

→ Anthea Stevanovic, Intelligent Directions — Strategy Execution & Business Systems

MC & Leadership Insight: Victoria Beattie(Banksia Business & The Beach People)

SESSION 2 — Money, Numbers & Funding

Thursday 2 July 2026

"Can we afford it?"

Understand what your numbers are actually telling you.

This session explores cash flow, margins, forecasting, funding readiness, insurance and financial risk, giving business owners clearer visibility across the business and more confidence in the decisions they make.

The focus is not just on reporting numbers, but using them to make better operational and strategic decisions.

Presenters:

→ Nicole Bryant, Macro Group — Financial Clarity for Decision-Making

→ Nathan McGrath, Collins Hume — Strategy Through Numbers

→ Matt Williamson, Good Cover Insurance — Risk & Protection

MC: Ed Riley - Max Sam

Leadership Insight: Matt Williamson

SESSION 3 — Customers, Brand & Digital Content

Wednesday 10 September 2026

"Do they get it?"

Get clearer on who you’re trying to reach, what customers actually care about, and where your marketing may be falling short.

This session explores customer clarity, messaging, digital experience and content, with a focus on making it easier for customers to understand your value and take action.

We’ll also look at how businesses can create more consistent marketing systems without relying on constant content production or chasing every new platform.

Presenters:

→ Kate Keys & Carol Liang, Adacy — Brand, Customer & Messaging Clarity

→ Ryan McCann, Lion & Lamb — Digital Experience & Customer Journey

→ Matt Siegel, Green Thumb Media — Storytelling & Content That Converts

MC & Leadership Insight: Anthea Stevanovic - Intelligent Directions

SESSION 4 — Enhancing Business Performance

Thursday 12 November 2026

"Can we deliver it?"

Build a business that can perform without relying on you for everything.

Strategy, numbers and customers only work if your team, systems and leadership can support them.

This session explores people, culture, systems and technology, help you build a business that supports staff properly, runs more consistently, and relies less on everything sitting with the owner or manager.

We’ll look at how better systems create clearer roles, stronger accountability, smoother handovers, and a better experience for both staff and customers.

Presenters:

→ Anthea Stevanovic, Intelligent Directions — Attracting, Retaining & Developing People

→ Ange Davies, Mind Your Grit — Culture, Leadership & Leading Through Change

→ Andy Vidler, Muller Enterprise / Northern Rivers Tech — Technology, Automation & Adoption

MC & Leadership Insight: Will Stuart - Byron Design Thinking

Session 1: Strategy, Growth & Transition

4th June Presenters


Anthea Stevanovik

Anthea Stevanovik

Founder

Intelligent Directions

New-Logo-White.jpg

Anthea Stevanovic is a business consultant, strategist, and systems architect known for her ability to cut through complexity and identify what's really holding businesses back. 

As the founder of Intelligent Directions, she works with business owners who are stuck in the day-to-day, overwhelmed by growth, or facing ceilings they can't quite explain. With a sharp, diagnostic approach grounded in real-world experience, Anthea quickly uncovers underlying issues. Whether structural, operational, or strategic and implements practical, no-nonsense solutions that create both immediate clarity and long-term results. 

Anthea doesn't deal in theory. She works inside businesses to rebuild how they operate through her proven business operating system. Creating structure, defining roles, implementing systems, and documenting processes so businesses become scalable, self-sufficient, and no longer reliant on the owner to hold everything together. 

At the core of her work is her ability to integrate systems and people, aligning roles, performance, and structure so every part of the business functions at its best. 

What sets Anthea apart is not just her strategic capability, but how she sees. Having stepped into leadership roles from a young age and driven significant growth across multiple businesses, she brings both depth of experience and sharp insight to every engagement. 

She has a rare ability to identify what others miss, challenge ineffective ways of operating, and initiate the changes that actually move a business forward. 

  Services: 

  • Implementation of our business operating system to build a business that is not founder dependant; 

  • Business strategy creation and implementation; 

  • Business systems creation; 

  • Documentation of business processes; 

  • Leadership and management training; 

  • Keynote speaking.

Get in Touch With Anthea

E: anthea@intelligentdirections.com.au

P: 0419 617 219

L: linkedin.com/in/anthea-stevanovic-141805a8/

W: https://intelligentdirections.com.au/


Nathan Mcgrath

Nathan McGrath

Senior Business Advisor

Strategy by Collins Hume

CollinsHume-Branding-2025-Portrait_Stratergy360.jpg

Nathan McGrath is a Senior Business Advisor at Strategy360 by Collins Hume, with over 20 years of experience across SMEs, corporates, and government programs, complemented by senior leadership roles at General Manager and Director level. 

Nathan works with business owners and leadership teams to clarify objectives and focus on what drives results — improving financial performance, reducing operational and strategic risk, and building sustainable, transferable business value. His advisory approach supports confident, informed decision‑making around growth, performance improvement, and business transition. 

As a contributor to Business NSW’s Business of Doing Business series, Nathan delivers practical insight across the Strategy, Growth & Transition and Money, Numbers & Funding sessions. He is known for cutting through complexity to translate strategy and numbers into clear, actionable steps that strengthen profitability and cash flow, de‑risk the business, and support long‑term value growth. 

Get in touch with Nathan

E: nathan.mcgrath@collinshume.com.au

P: 02 6686 3000

L: linkedin.com/in/nathan-mcgrath-65907a30/

W: https://www.collinshume.com/360

 


Victoria Beattie

Victoria Beattie

Founder & Principal Consultant

Banksia Business

Banksia-Business-(1).png

Banksia founder and principal consultant Victoria Beattie is a 3rd generation businesswoman based in the Tweed Shire. 

She’s spent her lifetime in and around family-run businesses. Victoria has spent 12 years as the head of her own international retail company. Alongside her sister, she founded an Iconic Australian lifestyle brand, The Beach People did its first million-dollar sales month within 2 years of launch.

Victoria was awarded the Business Woman of the Year for the Gold Coast in 2018. Today that business thrives and Victoria is applying her experience to supporting others in their journey to start a business, grow a business or refresh a brand through her consultancy Banksia Business. 

Get in touch with Victoria

E: victoria@banksiabusiness.com

P: 0402631938

L:https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-beattie-19a3b093/

W: https://www.banksiabusiness.com/

 


John Truman

John Truman

Lawyer

Keystone

Keystone-Logo-Raven-RGB-1000px.jpg

John practices Construction Law and Commercial Law with Keystone Lawyers.  Prior to commencing legal practice, John worked as an engineer and manager in the local government sector. 

For 25 years John was the Director of Civil Services at Ballina Shire Council.  In this role John was responsible for a wide range of council works and services.  John’s leadership in the sector was recognised by his service as both National and NSW President of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia. 

John’s diverse experience in managing infrastructure delivery in a complex political environment means he brings a practical, commercial, and solution based focus to his legal practice. 

As well as his professional qualifications in Law and Engineering, John has completed a Masters Degree in Business Administration.   John also has experience serving on boards, and is currently the board chair of NSW Local Government Procurement. 

John enjoys applying his experience together with his legal skills to assist builders, companies, developers, councils, and others solve their building and commercial issues. 

Get in touch with John

E: john@keystonelawyers.com.au

P: +61 7 3532 7668

L: linkedin.com/in/john-truman-66a2376b/

W: https://keystonelawyers.com.au/people/john-truman/

Slides and further learning

Download slides for session 1

Strategy, Growth & Transition

Download workbook for session 1

Strategy, Growth & Transition Workbook

Session 2: Money, Numbers & Funding

2nd July Presenters


Nicole Bryant

Nicole Bryant

Managing Director

Macro Group Chartered Accountants

Macro-Group.png

A Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience across Australia and the USA, Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge in business advisory, taxation, structuring and strategic planning, with a practical style that helps business owners make confident decisions.

Based in Byron Bay, The Macro Group has been a trusted partner to Northern Rivers businesses for more than nine years. As a recognised leader in accounting and business advisory, the firm brings together deep regional insight and strategic expertise to help businesses navigate challenges and seize opportunities. By working closely with business owners, The Macro Group provides tailored, values-driven advice that turns financial complexity into practical strategies for sustainable growth.

Nicole will guide us through Money, Numbers & Funding — sharing practical insights to help growing regional businesses better understand their numbers, cash flow and funding options.

B Comm, MTax, JP, Dip Fin Plan.

Get in touch with Nicole

E: nicole.bryant@macrogroup.com.au

P: 0400 621 832

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-bryant-780b907a/

W: https://macrogroup.com.au/

 


Nathan Mcgrath

Nathan McGrath

Senior Business Advisor

Strategy by Collins Hume

CollinsHume-Branding-2025-Portrait_Stratergy360.jpg

Nathan McGrath is a Senior Business Advisor at Strategy360 by Collins Hume, with over 20 years of experience across SMEs, corporates, and government programs, complemented by senior leadership roles at General Manager and Director level. 

Nathan works with business owners and leadership teams to clarify objectives and focus on what drives results — improving financial performance, reducing operational and strategic risk, and building sustainable, transferable business value. His advisory approach supports confident, informed decision‑making around growth, performance improvement, and business transition. 

As a contributor to Business NSW’s Business of Doing Business series, Nathan delivers practical insight across the Strategy, Growth & Transition and Money, Numbers & Funding sessions. He is known for cutting through complexity to translate strategy and numbers into clear, actionable steps that strengthen profitability and cash flow, de‑risk the business, and support long‑term value growth. 

Get in touch with Nathan

E: nathan.mcgrath@collinshume.com.au

P: 02 6686 3000

L: linkedin.com/in/nathan-mcgrath-65907a30/

W: https://www.collinshume.com/360

 


Ed Riley

Ed Riley

Managing Director

Max sam

Max-Sam.png

Ed Riley will be our MC for the Part 2 Business of Doing Business Session - Money, Numbers & Funding .  

Ed Established Max Sam in the mid 90's after a career Growing business in the Construction Ind in Australia and Asia. Eds focus is on Strategic Growth & Client leadership of Infrastructure/Industrial B2B businesses.  

When it comes to "Money Numbers & Funding" Ed realised a couple of things early on in his career; 

  1. Maths & Finance weren't his strength - but he needed to build a base level of skill & take some interest. 

  1. Its accessible - Surround yourself with People that do know.... 

  1. Numbers & money are the Lifeblood and Pulse of a business - Finance and yes sales/revenue numbers. 

Ed welcomes the opportunity to work with the team today, so we build better more resilient businesses across the Northern Rivers.  

Get in touch with Ed

E: ed@maxsam.com.au

P: 0418 421 382

L:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-riley-2250451/

W: https://maxsam.com.au/

 


Matt Williamson

Matt Williamson

Founder

Good Cover

Good-Cover.png

Matt Williamson is the Founder and Principal Broker at Good Cover Insurance Solutions, based in Bangalow on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. 

With over 20 years in the insurance industry — starting as an underwriter at Chubb, through senior roles at IAG and RACQ, and into brokering — Matt has worked across every part of the insurance value chain. He understands risk from the inside out. 

The guiding principle of Good Cover is Risk First, Insurance Second. Matt's starting point with every client is understanding their situation — their exposures, their vulnerabilities, what they've built and what they stand to lose. The right cover follows from that. It's a simple idea, but a rare one in practice. 

Matt founded Good Cover because he believed clients deserved better than a transactional relationship with their broker. He still does. 

Beyond Good Cover, Matt serves as President of the Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce, sits on the Business NSW Northern Rivers Regional Advisory Council, and is a member of the Bangalow Lions Club. He is a Qualified Practising Insurance Broker and Senior Associate of ANZIIF. 

Good Cover is proud to be a 1% for the Planet member. 

Get in touch with Matt

E: matt@goodcover.com.au

P: 0411 011 595

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwilliamson1/

W: https://goodcover.com.au/

 

Slides and further learning

Download slides for session 2

Money, Numbers & Funding

Download workbook for session 2

Money, Numbers & Funding Workbook

Resource from Nathan McGrath - 360 by Collins Hume

7 Levers to Improve Working Capital

Session 3: Customers, Brand & Digital Content

9th September Presenters


Ryan McCann

Founder

Lion & Lamb

Lion-and-Lamb.png

Lion & Lamb is a design agency based in Byron Bay. We do agency differently!

Our studio is a place of inspiration and creativity, where no idea is a bad idea. We value open communication and hire local talent to create exceptional design & marketing campaigns accessible for local businesses, corporations and government agencies.

We’re a team of driven, creative, self-educating individuals developing exciting, passion fuelled results for our clients. It’s not just a job to us, it’s who we are. It’s how we express ourselves.

We’re trusted time and time again for delivering big results. Some of the biggest companies in the world trust us to deliver their in-depth campaigns and projects – you can too.

Get in touch with Ryan

E: ryan@lionandlamb.com.au

P: +61491754133

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mccann-0b85a7a/

W: https://www.lionandlamb.com.au/

 


Anthea Stevanovik

Founder

Intelligent Directions

New-Logo-White.jpg

Anthea Stevanovic is a business consultant, strategist, and systems architect known for her ability to cut through complexity and identify what's really holding businesses back. 

As the founder of Intelligent Directions, she works with business owners who are stuck in the day-to-day, overwhelmed by growth, or facing ceilings they can't quite explain. With a sharp, diagnostic approach grounded in real-world experience, Anthea quickly uncovers underlying issues. Whether structural, operational, or strategic and implements practical, no-nonsense solutions that create both immediate clarity and long-term results. 

Anthea doesn't deal in theory. She works inside businesses to rebuild how they operate through her proven business operating system. Creating structure, defining roles, implementing systems, and documenting processes so businesses become scalable, self-sufficient, and no longer reliant on the owner to hold everything together. 

At the core of her work is her ability to integrate systems and people, aligning roles, performance, and structure so every part of the business functions at its best. 

What sets Anthea apart is not just her strategic capability, but how she sees. Having stepped into leadership roles from a young age and driven significant growth across multiple businesses, she brings both depth of experience and sharp insight to every engagement. 

She has a rare ability to identify what others miss, challenge ineffective ways of operating, and initiate the changes that actually move a business forward. 

  Services: 

  • Implementation of our business operating system to build a business that is not founder dependant; 

  • Business strategy creation and implementation; 

  • Business systems creation; 

  • Documentation of business processes; 

  • Leadership and management training; 

  • Keynote speaking.

Get in Touch With Anthea

E: anthea@intelligentdirections.com.au

P: 0419 617 219

L: linkedin.com/in/anthea-stevanovic-141805a8/

W: https://intelligentdirections.com.au/


Carol Liang & Kate Keys

Managing Director & Business & Strategy Development Manager

Adacy

Adacy.png

Adacy is a locally owned creative agency based in Lismore, working with businesses, 

community organisations and regional brands across the Northern Rivers and beyond. You 

may have seen our work for organisations like Southern Cross University, Regional Australia 

Bank, Casino Food Company, St John’s College Woodlawn or the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. 

For over 35 years, we’ve helped businesses clarify what they do best, who they’re trying to 

reach, and how to communicate in a way that people actually understand and respond to. 

Our team brings together strategy, graphic design, video production, websites, campaigns 

and digital content, turning clear thinking into creative work that businesses can use across 

their brand, website, content and campaigns. 

Too often, businesses jump straight into marketing activity before getting clear on the 

strategy behind it: what makes them different, what customers need to hear, and what needs 

to be in place before they invest time or money into promotion. 

For Session 3 of the Business of Doing Business series, Carol Liang and Kate Keys will help 

businesses sharpen their message, make their offer easier to understand, and work out what 

needs to be clarified before investing in marketing activity. We’ll explore why getting to the 

heart of the brief matters and share practical ideas businesses can use to focus their 

marketing, create more consistent content and make better decisions about what to do next.

Get in touch with Carol & Kate

E: kate@adacy.com.au
E: carol@adacy.com.au

P: 02 6621 9700

L:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-keys-10676814/

W: https://www.adacy.com.au/

 


Matt Siegel

Founder

Green Thumb Media

green-thumb-(1).png

I'm an award-winning documentary filmmaker, former NY Times journalist and the founder of Green Thumb Media, a certfieid B Corp creative production company based in Australia.

We make high-end branded content, commercials, documentaries, and advocacy films for brands, NGOs, and agencies across Australia and internationally, including Lenovo, Shutterstock Studios, Flow Power, Human Rights Watch and more.

The clients I work best with are the ones who care what their story does in the world, not just how it looks.

Get in touch with Matt

E: matt@greenthumbmedia.com.au

P: 0407 456 361

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-siegel-gtm/

W: https://www.greenthumbmedia.com.au/

 

Slides and further learning

Download slides for session 3

Customers, Brand & Digital Content

Download workbook for session 3

Customers Brand & Digital Content Workbook

Resource from presenters

Session 4: People, Leadership & Tech

12th September Presenters


Ange Davies

Founder

Mind Your Grit

Grit.png

Angela Davies is a leadership and wellbeing specialist, speaker and facilitator, and the founder of Mind Your Grit. With more than 16 years of experience across corporate leadership, HR and banking, Angela combines evidence-based wellbeing, psychology and leadership strategies to help people and teams perform sustainably at a high level.

Known for her practical, engaging and commercially relevant approach, Angela delivers workshops, keynotes and leadership programs focused on leadership development, psychological safety, burnout prevention, communication and team performance.

Angela works with organisations that want to strengthen culture, develop high-performing leaders and create healthier ways of working without compromising results.

Specialising in: • Leadership development and team performance • Wellbeing for performance and burnout prevention • Psychological safety and team culture • Courageous conversations and communication • Mindset, resilience and behaviour change

Get in touch with Ange

E: angela@mindyourgrit.com

P: +61406284743

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelardavies/

W: https://www.mindyourgrit.com/

 


Anthea Stevanovik

Founder

Intelligent Directions

New-Logo-White.jpg

Anthea Stevanovic is a business consultant, strategist, and systems architect known for her ability to cut through complexity and identify what's really holding businesses back. 

As the founder of Intelligent Directions, she works with business owners who are stuck in the day-to-day, overwhelmed by growth, or facing ceilings they can't quite explain. With a sharp, diagnostic approach grounded in real-world experience, Anthea quickly uncovers underlying issues. Whether structural, operational, or strategic and implements practical, no-nonsense solutions that create both immediate clarity and long-term results. 

Anthea doesn't deal in theory. She works inside businesses to rebuild how they operate through her proven business operating system. Creating structure, defining roles, implementing systems, and documenting processes so businesses become scalable, self-sufficient, and no longer reliant on the owner to hold everything together. 

At the core of her work is her ability to integrate systems and people, aligning roles, performance, and structure so every part of the business functions at its best. 

What sets Anthea apart is not just her strategic capability, but how she sees. Having stepped into leadership roles from a young age and driven significant growth across multiple businesses, she brings both depth of experience and sharp insight to every engagement. 

She has a rare ability to identify what others miss, challenge ineffective ways of operating, and initiate the changes that actually move a business forward. 

  Services: 

  • Implementation of our business operating system to build a business that is not founder dependant; 

  • Business strategy creation and implementation; 

  • Business systems creation; 

  • Documentation of business processes; 

  • Leadership and management training; 

  • Keynote speaking.

Get in Touch With Anthea

E: anthea@intelligentdirections.com.au

P: 0419 617 219

L: linkedin.com/in/anthea-stevanovic-141805a8/

W: https://intelligentdirections.com.au/


Andy Vidler

Managing Director 

Muller Enterprise & Northern Rivers Tech

Muller-(2).png

Senior Consultant working across government, commercial, and not-for-profit sectors on strategic planning, AI capability uplift, economic development, and programme delivery.
Based in Northern Rivers, working across eastern Australia.

For 20+ years, I've worked at the intersection of technology strategy, organisational change, programme delivery, and capability development.
My career thread: using technology, strategic thinking, and education to create economic opportunity and organisational capability—regardless of context or scale.

Technology Strategy & Services: From enterprise digital transformation to secure solutions for Indigenous businesses to regional SME automation. Whether multi-million dollar government programmes or local business AI adoption, the strategic discipline is constant.

Organisational Change & Adult Education: Technology without adoption is waste; capability without education is fragile. I combine change management with adult education—training government executives on cyber governance, mentoring Indigenous business leaders, or teaching regional owners about automation.

Business Strategy & Economic Feasibility: Extensive work across government, technology enterprises, and commercial organisations. I integrate best practice business strategy design and implementation.

Programme & Project Management: PMP credentials applied across wildly different contexts—multi-year government transformations, enterprise initiatives, regional development. Enterprise programme discipline adapted to organisational maturity.

Economic Development—Indigenous & Regional: Co-founder of Goanna Solutions (Indigenous majority-owned technology enterprise) and leader of NorthernRivers.Tech. I'm committed to economic empowerment through technology access and capability. Indigenous economic participation and regional prosperity aren't separate from mainstream consulting—they're central to it.

Commercial Management: I've navigated federal/state/local government procurement, enterprise development, and family-owned regional businesses. I understand commercial realities at every scale and translate between them.

What this enables: Enterprise-grade strategy for Indigenous enterprises and regional organisations that typically can't access it. Pragmatism from resource-constrained environments applied to government and enterprise.

My approach: Understand context, objectives, and constraints first. Apply appropriate methodology and governance. Principles stay constant; application adapts to people, place, and purpose.

Get in touch with Andy

E: andy@mullerenterprise.com.au

P: +61266814772

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-vidler2478/

W: https://northernrivers.tech/

 


Will Stuart

Founder

Byron Design Thinking

byron-design-thinking.png

Will Stuart is the founder of Byron Design Thinking, a no-nonsense design and product community in the Northern Rivers (NSW). By day, he is a Lead Designer at TAFE NSW, where he leads projects to improve how courses are planned, designed, built and continually improved to make them more customer‑centric. With over a decade driving transformation in government and education, Will is driven by a passion for where technology meets good design. His work spans digital transformation, AI augmented design, and community-building, but at the heart of it all is a driving force to bring people together to design a better future. 
 
And this is one I put on a tender recently for some work: 
 
Will is an Award-winning design and technology leader, and a professional status-quo botherer. Fifteen years in and around the public sector taught Will one thing: organisations rarely lack ideas, they lack the ability to scale them. He’s built his career proving design, technology and AI can actually make a difference, and giving the people around him the courage to back it. He founded Byron Design Thinking, mentors widely, and helps teams change without losing their soul. What drives him is innovation that actually sticks: hands-on, practical, built to scale. 

Get in touch with Will

E: will@byrondesignthinking.com.au

P: +61401476697

L: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williammcdouallstuart/

W: https://www.byrondesignthinking.com.au/

 

Slides and further learning

Download slides for session 4

People, Leadership & Tech - Enhancing Business Performance

Download workbook for session 4

People, Leadership & Tech - Enhancing Business Performance Workbook

Resource from presenters

Book Your Tickets For Upcoming Sessions

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