Blak Wattle in Partnership with SWSB

Between January and July 2022, Blak Wattle worked in partnership with Strong Women Strong Business to deliver a bespoke six-month education, coaching and networking program for 11 First Nations female owned businesses titled ‘Small Business Sisters’. The first of its kind.

Businesses who participated spanned across varying Traditional Owner groups, nations, and clans, from across Victoria, from rural to metropolitan areas. Businesses were also diverse in their product and services offerings, ranging from consultants, artists, those running cultural programs, mentoring programs, consultants, health and wellbeing centres and entertainment businesses, which included:

• Yarli Creative, Founder Madison Connors
• Luruk-in, Founder Aimee McCartney
• Wunyun Healing, Founder Peta Thompson
• Kungari Entertainment, Founder Kim Lovegrove
• Aunty I's Wellbeing Centre, Founder Deb
• Kiilalaana Warrior Kii Foundation, Founder Shantelle Thompson
• K J Williams Consultancy, Founder Kerry Williams
• Nuwa Clothing, Founder Sarah Joyce
• Bal-lung, Founder Anjee-lee Bamblett
• SAH Massage, Founder Sarah Hummel
• Vital Effect, Founder Jamie Lee-Sheriff

The program was highly unique as it relied on holistic principles of Aboriginal Social Emotional Wellbeing and was designed to provide business owners with tailored business acumen, connectivity, and tools to become more confident leaders and business owners.

Using a hybrid online and face to face learning environment, the program ran ten highly interactive and engaging workshops on a range of topics, which included:

• How to understand and manage stress and navigate change
• How to source capital, grants, budgeting, and finance
• How to master your mindset
• Understanding project management systems ways to get organised and productive
• How to increase your marketing, engagement, reach and sales
• How to overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome
• Learning sessions adopted a combination of learning modalities. This included formal workshop presentations, and, informal yarning circles, which included space for dialogue and discussion to promote reciprocity and reflexivity as a group.

combination of learning modalities. This included formal workshop presentations, and, informal yarning circles, which included space for dialogue and discussion to promote reciprocity and reflexivity as a group.

The program also created one podcast that users can access beyond the program and provided businesses with 41 one on one coaching sessions with Founder of Blak Wattle Coaching and Consulting, Caroline Kell. And, Holistic Life Coach and Consultant, Yolanda Finette.

During coaching, the program adopted a versatile coaching methodology as well as Aboriginal knowledge systems and engagement. It used stories or narrative approaches to foster and build engagement between coaches and participants.

Not only did the program support 11 First Nations business owners, but it also contracted and employed nine First Nations business owners and emerging leaders. Using their services in coaching, workshop presenters and speakers. It also contracted services from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander venues, caterers, and Traditional Owners, supporting the Victorian Indigenous economy broadly.

When asked about the program, businesses were grateful that Strong Women Strong Business was able to provide an Aboriginal and locally led program offering for First Nations women, with comments such as:

• - ‘I enjoyed the connection and inclusion. I felt truly heard. Loved all the different speakers that attended. Safe place to learn and ask questions
• - ‘I have learnt the importance of time management and how to plan. Look forward to working through these goals'
• - ‘I felt safe and supported’
• - 'Supported by the group and learning. Really loved the coaching. Sessions ended up being about personal growth, it still intertwined with the business'
• - ‘I enjoyed the networking and comradery’