Early in my career in not-for-profit community education, I won a place *blushes furiously* in the Gippsland Education Leadership Program. Among the many things I learned in the program’s six transformative months, ‘leading from the heart’ shaped how I’ve managed and mentored others ever since.
‘Ever since is ‘quite a while,’ * blushes again. * In fact, it’s been over twenty-five years since the formidable Maree MacPherson’s passionate advocacy for ‘leading from the heart’ set ‘newbie manager me’ on the path I still follow today.
Back then, I’d never heard anyone influential in leadership training talk about the value and virtue of being a heart-driven manager. But the principles made perfect sense.
Connect to people by opening your heart – and theirs. Dismantle hierarchies and ditch power trips. Have open, honest conversations and listen, really listen. Create space for people to feel seen, be heard, belong, and contribute.
Lead from the heart, and you can’t help but create a workplace culture and a wider community where people thrive on knowing they’re valued for who they are, what they do and the difference they make.
Community is at the heart of what I do.
For me, ‘community’ is not a place. It’s not buildings or organisations. It’s a web of relationships connecting people who feel a sense of belonging and a shared commitment to supporting the greater good and making a difference.
That strong sense of community grounds my practice as a marketing and business mentor and trainer. It’s also the overarching value that inspires and drives my amazing clients.
Whenever a new client trusts me to help them realise their vision of bringing people together for the greater good, I do a happy dance.
I help heart-driven organisations and businesses to be more visible.
I do my bit for the greater good by helping heart-driven small business owners and community organisations become more visible and valued for:
who they are – their strengths and quirks, their achievements and potential
what they share – all of the beautiful, useful life-enhancing things they do or make
how their presence, energy, and effort, however large or small, help build thriving communities
My tiny piece of work is one part of their overall jigsaw. But, as marketing’s impact is highly measurable, we can see where and how it helps them make a difference.
This is the work that inspires me. It’s part of my ‘why’. Here’s what it looks like in practice.
In any given week, you’ll find me:
Supporting a business owner to identify and overcome marketing or business process obstacles holding them back so they can build a business that works for them. For example, a community education client struggled to reach out to remote learners. I trained their team in making videos, giving learners anywhere, anytime access to courses that can lead to further study or work and change their lives.
Working with a community group dedicated to breaking down isolation and building a sense of belonging to help humans live healthier, more connected lives. It was my absolute pleasure to manage the socials for Creative Harvest Gippsland. This inspiring open garden event showcases Gippsland’s creative talent and encourages people to learn about sustainable food gardening to start or enhance their own veggie patches.
Helping not-for-profit organisations get recognition and support for their life-changing work. For example, I work with several Neighbourhood Houses throughout Victoria, mentoring and creating marketing campaigns that help bring people together, reduce barriers to education and create meaningful pathways for people to find jobs or go on to further education.
Making marketing magic with a small business whose products and services bring people joy and positive vibes or help them navigate difficult times. For example, I manage the socials for a counsellor whose clients have lost loved ones. By sharing information and resources for moving through grief, she’s reducing the stigma around discussing and dealing with death.
I lead, mentor and train from the heart for all the reasons I’ve mentioned above. And because of these wise words (which may or may not have first been said by Theodore Roosevelt), ‘Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.’
Could some skilful marketing magic make a difference for your heart-driven business? Let’s find out.
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