Camberwell Catchup 7 – Business Strategy Theme
After hosting monthly events for people who live, work or network in Camberwell under the brand name Camberwell Network from 2012 – 2022, I have re-started monthly Camberwell Catchups on the 1st Wednesday of the Month from 7:30am – 8:30am at My Other Brother, Rear of 586 Burke Road, Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria 3124.
Our seventh event was held on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and our theme was ‘Business Strategy.’
Guests Tips
The fabulous guests who joined us provided the following health and wellness tips:
Cherie Werner-Jones – Connections and networking. Connect with other people. Meet people at several events and it is important to ask for contacts and if the attendees know someone. Cherie shared an example of how asking for a referral led her back to a hair and makeup artist she had met many years before and finding it to be a full circle moment. Help others in their business and be more visible with good imagery.
Di Gillies – Consider going outside the square. Di shared a story of a well known person from the Camberwell Traders Association who had to completely change the direction of their future but they had to consider a relocation and look for other opportunities with a different lens. Also, think about how your life and business fits into the broader community. Digital technology can isolate people and it is important to keep humanity in business as dehumanisation is impacting on people. Look for business and think about how your behaviour is a model for the next generation.
Maryn Gaya Gunawardene – Make connections and reach people in person. Created an information night and ran a phone text campaign that attracted a lot of people to the event (and then future clients).
Moné Clay – Consider having a coach. You need a strategy. Have found that people have underestimated me because of my age but I have learnt from people both younger and older. I have two personal coaches for my business and for using AI and the AI person teaches me how to implement AI in my business as my ‘second brain’ and to act as my agent to do follow up and prepare proposals for review shortly after meetings someone and file documents in relevant folders. Finding that people in business both overseas and in Australia are feeling fearful. Also important to have multiple income strategies if you lose a client. Helps you diversify and not be reliant on a major client. Currently meet 50 people a week and happy to connect. Also find playing golf a great networking activity.
Nicholas Plummer – Look after yourself as much as your business because if you burnout, you can’t look after anyone…
Roberto Russi – Keep healthy and focus on helping other people. Recently started volunteering as a small business mentor which is a great way to connect and see both similar and different problems and get a lot of energy from these discussions for 10 hours a month. Former teacher that has provided pastoral care. Offer business evaluations and have chosen to align with the pharmaceutical industry for the next 12 months. Also sponsor the Westerfolds Sports Centre on the front tin of the main squash court which creates a lot of attention as a lot of business professionals play squash and it is a good community of players and also appear on their website. Better for me to have someone push my wheelbarrow. Make sure you perform a good service and not master everything.
Sue Ellson – Keep a close eye on outstanding invoices and follow up regularly – do not let the time between due date and collection run out too long and if necessary, send a direct text message. My invoices make it clear that unpaid invoices can go to a debt collector and in a reminder text message, I mention that if that happens it could lead to a report to their credit rating and this has resulted in a very speedy response. Secondly, be ready to adapt and change to the changing marketplace and spread your risk by offering products or services across a range of customers and clients.
Vishal Thalari – focus on personal development and make learning a part of your role and become a lifelong learner. Learning doesn’t stop at the end of your formal education (including an MBA). Always plan for tomorrow today otherwise tomorrow is a lost day. There are plenty of tools out there to be more efficient.
Wendy Hui Wan – Do good work for your clients, happy clients equals a happy business. Be generous with your time and add value and also talk outside the questions that your clients ask so that they can see they have received a lot and you have exceeded the value they paid for so that they will come again and refer you to other people.
Yvonne Junor – Get support from people who are smarter than you. Get out and about networking. In a creative business and it is hard to know where it will go in the future so you need to be flexible and have trust that all will work out in the future. Have also contacted Beyond Blue and provide guest speaking services for them.
Photos
Feedback
1. What was been most helpful to you?
Learning about other people’s experiences and advice
Love the tips and the new connections
Getting to meet other local professionals
Business strategy from different people
In person networking
Personal experiences and ideas shared eg AI Coach
Hearing people’s suggestions
2. What else would have been helpful?
Sticky notes – connections, support for others after their pitch
More time to connect with people would have been good
Hearing from others
Execute on ideas and strategy – personal health and AI strategies
3. What will you do next?
Put these ideas into practice
Reach out to my new connections
Connect with everyone and follow up
Connect with people have a coffee catchup
Keep showing up
To grow business
Take action
4. What would you like to learn next?
What people have learned from their failures
How to plug in to the Australian market
How do people manage teams
Learn about other business networking events
What failure has taught me
More feedback welcome via the Workshop Evaluation online questionnaire
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Camberwell Catchups
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