Last week I was announced as Brisbane’s Women in Business Ambassador for 2026-27, and the response since has been overwhelming in the best possible way, messages of congratulations, stories from women building businesses across the city, and a lot of invitations for a coffee, a quick Teams call or 30 minutes to pick my brain.
A warm welcome too to everyone who’s joined us here after seeing the news, I’m so glad you’re here.
When your own advice comes back to you
Within a couple of days I realised I was facing exactly the problem I talk to founders about all the time. Every one of those requests came from a genuine place, and I’d love to say yes to all of them, but if I did, there wouldn’t be much time left for anything else, including the work the role is actually designed to do.
The best advice I was ever given came from Sir Richard Branson, that until you get comfortable delegating, your growth will always be limited by your own personal capacity. It turns out that applies just as much to connection as it does to running a business. If the only way I can help is one coffee at a time, the impact of this role is capped by the hours in my week.
So I’ve had to do what I’d suggest to any of you, step back and design for scale. For this role, that means putting my energy into the rooms where one conversation can reach many people at once, through Women in Business events with the Brisbane Business Hub over the coming year.
Where’s your capacity ceiling?
It’s an easy place to end up, particularly when the demand is a sign things are going well. Here are three questions worth asking this week.
What are you saying yes to that only you can do?
Look back at last week’s calendar and mark the things that genuinely needed you. Everything else is a candidate for handing over, batching together or gently declining.
Where could one conversation reach many?
If you find yourself answering the same question again and again, for customers, your team or people asking for advice, it could become a group session, a short video, a set of FAQs or a regular team catch up.
How can you say no without closing the door?
A kind no that points somewhere useful, a resource, an event or another person, keeps the relationship warm and protects your time at the same time.
If you’re in Brisbane
Over the coming year I’ll be at a range of Women in Business events through the Brisbane Business Hub. Keep an eye on the Brisbane Business Hub on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, and if you’re moving from doing everything yourself to leading a business that can grow beyond you, keep an eye out for their upcoming Founder to CEO program too.
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