Business Owners' Wisdom. Brett Kelly
Clown Publishing
PO Box 1764, North Sydney NSW 2059, Australia
Telephone: (02) 9923 0800 Facsimile: (02) 9923 0888
Email:[email protected]
Copyright Text (Australia) © Brett Kelly
Copyright Photographs © Brett Kelly, Collette Dinnigan, Lorna Jane Clarkson
First published November 2012
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright recorded above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
Every effort has been made by the editors and publisher to trace and acknowledge copyright material. The publisher would be pleased to hear from any copyright holders who have not been acknowledged.
National Library of Australia Catalogue-in-Publication data:
Author:Kelly, Brett, 1974–
Title:Business Owners’ Wisdom: Great business owners share their stories / Brett Kelly.
ISBN:9781742982557 (ePub.)
Series:Business Owners’ Wisdom ; No. 1.
Subjects:
Entrepreneurship–Australia.
Businesspeople–Australia.
Entrepreneurship–Australia–Anecdotes.
Businesspeople–Australia–Anecdotes.
Dewey Number: 338.04
Editorial Management: Filtered Media
Editor: Megan Drinan
Sub-Editor: Dan Stojanovich
Copy-Editor/Proofreader: Ella Martin
Design /Print Management: Reno Design, Sydney R31025
Designers: Graham Rendoth, Ingrid Urh | Reno Design
Photography: Simon Carroll, Kurt Sneddon (Harry Triguboff), Louise Smit (Lorna Jane).
Images not credited are from the individual’s files. All reasonable efforts have been made to correctly reference images and contact relevant copyright holders.
Digital distribution by Ebook Alchemy
Conversion by Winking Billy
For Rebecca, Thomas, Nicholas and Audrey
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Stories
Brett Blundy Retailer
Bill Bridges Real Estate Agent
Mike Cannon-Brookes Software Developer
Mark Carnegie Investor
Nicola Cerrone Master Jeweller
Lorna Jane Clarkson Activewear Designer
John Cutler Bespoke Tailor
Collette Dinnigan Fashion Designer
James Erskine Entrepreneur (Sports / Entertainment)
Matt Moran Chef / Restaurateur
Imelda Roche, AO Entrepreneur (retired)
Andrew Simmons Entrepreneur (Fitness)
James Stevens Entrepreneur (Retail)
Peter Stutchbury Architect
Harry Triguboff Entrepreneur (Builder)
Tom Waterhouse Bookmaker
‘There is also a part of me still today that enjoys creating new businesses … You know, what are people going to want, what’s happening out there that’s not being delivered that people would want? Some people call that entrepreneurship.’
– Brett Blundy
Preface
It never ceases to amaze me just how generous busy people can be with their time and wisdom. This book is the first in a two-part compilation of interviews I conducted with Australian business owners between June and September 2012.I approached thirty-four business owners, and the first sixteen conversations appear in these pages.
Each person not only carved out time from their busy schedules to sit down with me, some even met me twice. I learned plenty of valuable new lessons about running a private business, and in the process made some new friends.
I also confirmed a little understood discovery. When people become successful in business and life, they’re also happy