Wow, what an incredible day! We’re still riding the high from Level Up 2024, and we can’t thank everyone enough for making it such a memorable experience.

From the sold-out room filled with brilliant women, to the insightful presentations from our wonderful speakers, and the meaningful connections made, Level Up 2024 truly lived up to its promise of inspiring and empowering us all.

This year’s conference themes of self-leadership, self-awareness, self-motivation, self-wealth, and self-care resonated deeply throughout the day. From thought-provoking discussions to real-life stories of resilience and growth, each session offered something unique for both our corporate professionals and self-employed attendees.

We heard from inspiring women like Lauren Stephens, Jen Richardson, Leanne Faulkner, Prudence De Marchi, Brooke Cousins, Louise Burr, and Laura Jackel. All our speakers shared their incredible wisdom, expertise, and personal journeys. Their authenticity, openness, and encouragement left us all motivated to take control of our own paths and lead with intention, whether in the workplace or in our own businesses.

A special thank you to our sponsors and partners

To our naming rights partner, Genea Newcastle, thank you for supporting us and helping to create spaces for women to connect and grow. Your support has been instrumental in making this event a reality, and we are so excited about what’s to come with our partnership!

To our gold sponsors—Novo Finance, Regional Australia Bank, Beilby Downing Teal, Hicksons Lawyers, and Jen Richardson, as well as our annual partners—Swell Magazine, The Social Haus, and Myf Garven - creative, we couldn’t have done it without you. Your involvement helps us provide these incredible opportunities for growth and learning, and we are endlessly grateful.

An unforgettable experience

If you were able to secure a ticket to this year’s event, you will know that the energy in the room was something truly special. Whether you were attending for the first time or have been part of our community for years, your willingness to engage, share, and connect was what made Level Up 2024 an absolute success.

To our wonderful speakers and everyone who attended—thank you. You showed up ready to grow, to listen, to share, and to support one another, and it’s because of you that our community continues to thrive.

Online Gallery 

Whether you joined us on the day or not, we're excited to share the excitement through our event photo gallery. Discover the highlights to get a taste of the day's atmosphere or perhaps spot yourself if you were there with us!

Click here to browse the full event library and download your favourite photos.

As we reflect on the day, we’re already thinking about what’s next and we can’t wait to welcome you back at future events. 

Thank you for leveling up with us. 💙

The Gen Collective Committee

Adrienne Donnelly, Amy-Lea Pettigrew, Brodey Corbett, Katelyn Stokes, Alex Beal, Caitlin Powell, Darcy Luck, Elena Terol, Jessica O’Neill, Jordyn Ode, Myf Garven.

Another incredible event! Our committee put together an insightful event featuring the esteemed Tarnya Davis from NewPsych Psychologists.

We felt as though the topic, "The Balancing Act - Practical Tips for Achieving Work-Life Balance," would be extremely beneficial and relevant to our community.

Our Key Takeaways:

Self-Care is essential
Tarnya reminded us that self-care isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Simple acts like hitting the gym, enjoying a hobby and having connection with others can significantly impact our overall well-being and productivity.

Establish Clear Boundaries
Setting and maintaining boundaries between work and personal life is crucial. Tarnya emphasised the importance of being aware of the load we are carrying and giving thought to this. Saying no and setting boundaries will allow us to fully engage in more fulfilling activities.

Noticing Time Confetti
Effective time management is a game-changer. We discussed the importance of considering what you are saying yes to and how important it is to recognise how much time confetti you are using. By understanding where your time is spent and how to allocate it, you are more likely to establish a greater sense of wellbeing. In return, you can prioritise what’s important to you and reduce overall stress.

Seek and Offer Support
During challenging times, seeking support from family, friends, or professionals can make a significant difference. Tarnya highlighted that asking for help is a sign of strength, and we should also be willing to support others in their times of need.

Flexibility and Adaptability
Life is unpredictable, and being flexible can help us navigate through unexpected challenges. Tarnya advised embracing change and adjusting our plans as needed to maintain a healthy balance. It is just as important to show self-compassion in these times of hardship and be realistic.

Thank you!

Firstly, we want to say a massive thank you to our event sponsor, Keepr Property for supporting this event, as well as Hicksons Lawyers for offering us your beautiful office space to hold the event.

We hope all our attendees sought benefit from attending. It was a great event and a reminder that work-life balance is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort.

Tarnya Davis's insights have inspired us to re-evaluate our own practices and incorporate these practical tips into our daily routine. It's comforting to know that we are not alone in our struggles to balance work and life.

Sharing experiences and learning from experts like Tarnya helps us grow and support each other in our journeys. Thank you to our community for attending our event and to Tarnya Davis for sharing her wisdom and practical advice.

Let's continue the conversation and support each other in achieving a healthier work-life balance.

The Gen Collective Committee

Adrienne Donnelly, Amy-Lea Pettigrew, Brodey Corbett, Katelyn Stokes, Alex Beal, Caitlin Powell, Darcy Luck, Elena Terol, Jessica O’Neill, Jordyn Ode, Myf Garven.

We are still riding the wave of inspiration after our annual International Women's Day event at the stunning Surfhouse venue!

Over the course of two incredible days, tennis icon Jelena Dokic shared her empowering story from "Victim to Survivor to Thriver" with 390 attendees who were deeply moved by her courage. Her keynote took us on a remarkable voyage through a childhood & career that began at such an early age. Tennis served as a pathway to freedom However, it entailed a lengthy journey filled with pressure and mistreatment from her father to achieve success.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the business community for their exceptional support. A special shoutout to our naming rights partner, Regional Australia Bank, and the enthusiastic teams from Hunter Plastic Surgery, Impero Conveyancing, Galah Cyber, Doughheads, and Swell Magazine. Their dedication was instrumental to our event's success. We would also like to thank Kate Haberfield, the team at Merewether Surfhouse, Nick from Event Speakers Australia, Myf Garven Creative, Amy-Lea Pettigrew, Newy Event Collective, Macleans Book and RIVA & Co for helping us to run these two events. Lastly we would like to thank Mitch Revs and LH Agenda for providing special gifts for Jelena, as a reminder of her time here in Newcastle!

A message from Jelena…

“An amazing two days in Newcastle and two absolutely incredible sold out events with Gen Collective. Thank you all for coming, thank you for the love and kindness and thank you for the standing ovations. My heart is full and I am so grateful. A special thank you to Gen Collective for all your amazing work, for looking after me so well and for putting on the most amazing two events and thank you Regional Australia Bank for your support, Got Your Back Sista for all the amazing work you do when it comes to DV and thank you Macleans Books for doing the most amazing job with our book signing and helping make it happen.
Well done.👏👏👏 Thank you all.”

Supporting Got Your Back Sista

We are thrilled to announce that we were able to raise $15,000 for our charity partner, Got Your Back Sista. This amazing achievement would not have been possible without the generous contribution from the community so we send a big THANK YOU to our all guests for supporting the very important work that Got Your Back Sista does in our region to support those who have escaped domestic violence. A special thank you to Peter Drayton Wines, Zadig Studio, The Forum and Bar Mellow for kindly donating the raffle prizes.

Online Gallery

Whether you joined us on the day or not, we're excited to share the excitement through our event photo gallery. Discover the highlights to get a taste of the day's atmosphere or perhaps spot yourself if you were there with us!

Click here to browse the full event library and download your favourite photos.

Once again, thank you for being part of this vital conversation, and for your participation that propelled this event into a memorable experience for everyone involved. We eagerly anticipate creating more inspiring events together.

The Gen Collective Committee

Adrienne Donnelly, Amy-Lea Pettigrew, Brodey Corbett, Katelyn Stokes, Alex Beal, Caitlin Powell, Darcy Luck, Elena Terol, Jessica O’Neill, Jordyn Ode, Myf Garven.

On Friday 25th of August 2023, Gen Collective in partnership with PKF Newcastle hosted our Level Up Conference out in the serene location of Kirkton Park. There was such an incredible vibe throughout the day of the event, thank you to everyone who shared in the day’s activities.

We're excited to reflect on the amazing and enriching day we had at the Level Up 2023 Conference, a testament to the power of collaboration and learning. This event, in partnership with PKF Newcastle, was a day filled with insightful talks, engaging panel discussions, and the opportunity to connect with fellow community members. Here's a glimpse of what unfolded:

“...being in a room hearing barrier-breaking, culture-shifting, show-up-everyday women speak and share their stories was THE best thing ever.”

— Rianna Bingham

Inspiring Insights from Remarkable Speakers

Kylee Dare:

Embrace Your Uniqueness

Kylee's talk encouraged us to celebrate our individuality and focus on what makes us stand out. She emphasized that our uniqueness is a strength to be embraced and harnessed.

Bessi Graham:

The 'Both, And' Mindset Bessi challenged us to adopt a 'both, and' mindset, showcasing that we can embrace seemingly opposing ideas and find strength in the balance.

Natalie Welch:

Holding Space for Others

Natalie's discussion emphasised the art of holding space for others during vulnerable moments. This skill, she noted, is essential for creating meaningful connections and stepping into our power.

Panel Discussions:

Local Business Women, we had the privilege of hosting a panel of remarkable local businesswomen from Wildflower Espresso, TailoredHQ, Honest Paper, and Clare O'Hara Art. Their insights were a beacon of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.

Leading with Authenticity and Kindness Rianna shared the significance of authentic leadership and highlighted the importance of kindness in our professional journeys. Her insights shed light on how compassion can drive success.

Networking and Community Connection

The true essence of the event lay in the genuine connections forged. Sharing stories, insights, and challenges created a sense of unity and inspired all of us.

Looking Forward to What's Next

The feedback from all participants has been invaluable and heartwarming. It fuels our excitement for future events and the opportunity to improve and expand. We invite you to share your feedback and ideas for the next Level Up Conference. Your input is invaluable as we plan future events to empower, educate, and uplift our community.

Please share your feedback below. We welcome feedback from those of you who attended the event and those who may have been interested but did not attend this year’s event.

Our LevelUp Conference 2023 event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of local businesses. Gen Collective would like to thank our Event Partner, PKF Newcastle, our Gold Sponsor Beam Bookkeeping and our In-Kind Sponsors Purposeful Leadership - Kylee Dare and Both Success And Integrity with Bessi Graham.

Thank you to those that made our event extra special:

MC: 2022-2023 Gen Collective Committee

Venue: Kirkton Park

Wine tasting: The Valley Experience

Speaker Gifts: The Grateful

Lucky Door Prizes: Bartholomew's, Muse Pilates, Blushing on Hunter, Cake Boi, Glow After, Sunrise Fitness, The Grateful, Kate & Kole, Peter Drayton, MOA & Co, Novo Finance.

Graphic Designer: Amy-Lea Pettigrew

Social Media: Adrienne Donnelly & Brodey Corbett

Photographer: Myf Garven

On the final day of March 2023, Gen Collective hosted our International Women’s Day Luncheon with special guest speaker, Sam Bloom. There was such an incredible vibe throughout the event, thank you to everyone who shared in the days celebration.

Our guest speaker Sam Bloom is a 2 x World Para Surfing Champion, bestselling author, and inspiration behind the Australian box-office hit Penguin Bloom.

In 2013, while holidaying in Thailand with her husband and three young sons, Sam unknowingly leant on a rotten balcony railing, falling through it and plunging six metres onto the concrete below. Sam’s injuries were horrific. The near-fatal accident shattered her spine, ruptured her lungs and caused severe bleeding on the brain.

“Feeling very humbled after spending the afternoon listening to Sam Bloom share her incredible story. I can’t wait to read her book.”

— Nurture by Steph

Not only was Sam physically broken and facing the daunting reality of never walking again, but her soul and spirit were crushed. She was not the active, adventurous mother she once was and was convinced if she could not have her old life back, her new one was not worth living.

A serendipitous encounter with a frail and injured magpie chick, her sons dubbed Penguin, was to transform her attitude, change the course of her recovery, and save her family.

Sam and Penguin’s remarkable bond and extraordinary story of parallel recovery was sensitively captured through the lens by Sam’s husband, acclaimed photographer Cameron Bloom. The images formed the basis for the international bestselling book Penguin Bloom, a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive.

Such is the sheer beauty and power of their story that it inspired a major film of the same name, starring Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln. The movie, released in January 2021, became an immediate hit, claiming #1 at the Australian box office and trending on Netflix in North America and across Europe.

Sam’s is a story for the times, with profound messages for us all - of the power of love and family, and of our innate ability to find determination and courage in the face of adversity.

Gen Collective also proudly partnered with our Charity Partner SpinalCure Australia, through ticket purchases, we raised $2,700 to fund groundbreaking research to cure spinal cord injury.

Our International Women’s Day event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of local businesses. Gen Collective would like to thank our Event Partner, Spillane Property, our Platinum Sponsors Synchronicity Wealth, LH Agenda, and our Gold Sponsors MusePilates, A.I.R Recruitment, NOVOFinance, and Coast Finance Group.

“Wise words from Sam Bloom signed in my copy of her book and something we definitely need to be reminded about “Don’t put your dreams on hold.””

— Jazsocial

Thank you to those that made our event extra special:

MC: Kate Haberfield

Venue: Merewether Surfhouse

Photographer: Harry from Poppy Seed Media for capturing the event

On Friday 12 March 2021, Gen Collective hosted our International Women’s Day Luncheon with special guest speaker, Jodie Fox. It was an event that held a lot of significance for our Gen Collective community as it was our IWD event in March 2020 that would be our last in-person event for many months whilst we all adapted to a new world amongst a global pandemic and adjusting to our new normal.

Fortunately, Newcastle and Australia has been able to come back to much of our pre-COVID daily lives and we feel especially fortunate to have been able to once again host an IWD at the beautiful Merewether Surfhouse. 

Our guest speaker Jodie Fox, who, for over 10 years, built a fashion technology empire that captured the world’s imagination and attention. Shoes of Prey raised AUD$37M, delivered shoes to more than 100 countries a month, and even built a factory in China. Jodie heartbreakingly closed the business in March 2018, after-sales growth didn’t match the pace needed for further investment. Considered one of Australia’s female entrepreneur role models, Jodie has inspired an entire generation of women to turn their hand to bringing their idea to life. Her generosity in sharing hard-won lessons continued after the business closure, with the publishing of her book Reboot: Probably more than you ever wanted to know about starting a global business in November 2019. Jodie’s honest, raw, gusty tone delivers crisp, actionable lessons from a place of humble experience, and highly engaging story sharing.

Gen Collective also proudly partnered with the Hunter Melanoma Foundation and through ticket purchases, we raised $3,000 for the Hunter Melanoma Foundation to help fund their important work.

Our International Women’s Day event would not have be possible without the generous sponsorship of local businesses. Gen Collective would like to thank our event sponsors PKF, A.I.R Recruitment, Hunter Plastic Surgery , Spillane Property, and Rapsey Griffiths. 

Take a look through our photo gallery from the day:

Photography: Myf Garven Creative.

Venue: Merewether Surfhouse

MC: Jane Goldsmith, NBN News

Gen Collective kicked off 2021 with our Professional Development Workshop Series. Over three separate workshops, our guests heard from speakers on finding your zone of genius, living your best business life and protecting your digital brand. 

Finding your Zone of Genius - Workshop #1

Ruby Marsh facilitated our first workshop on 23 February, to help our attendees to find their zone of genius. Ruby Marsh is an Architect turned coach for creatives, speaker and host of the small business focussed podcast True To You. Her mission is to guide high-achieving women to unlock their creative bravery and do work that feels meaningful. 

Ruby’s workshop was interactive and thought provoking, leading our attendees through exercises to help identify our ‘zone of genius’ and then to get planning on how to use our zone of genius to plan short and long term goals.

Read more about Ruby here.

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Living your Best Business Life - Workshop #2

Being in business can be tough! But there’s a way to make sure you’re truly making the most of your business to help support the lifestyle that you want. In this session, Mel Hamilton gave our attendees a big picture look at their current satisfaction with their business with a fun online survey to help identify the areas we can improve our business and life. 

Mel Hamilton is a business advisor and qualified accountant with a big passion for helping female business owners to live their best business life. She thrives on helping females achieve harmony between their business and personal life.

Connect with Mel here.

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Take Control of your Digital Reputation - Workshop #3  

With much of our work and business happening online, it can be overwhelming on how to build reputation and trust online.Rochelle McLennan showed our attendees the importance of creating a clear brand image through social profiles and using analytics to make sure our audience is responding to our content. Kimberlie Clare-Campbell taught us the importance of social proof and boosting customer confidence through authentic customer reviews and how to get your customers to be your cheerleaders. 

Rochelle & Kimberlie are Digital Business Advisors with the Hunter Region Business Hub. We offer experienced digital business advice with a practical approach that can be implement to gain maximum benefits for your business. Rochelle specialises in all things digital with an IT background and over 15 years’ experience in marketing. Kimberlie is specialises in website development, search engine optimisation, E-Commerce and content marketing.

Connect with Rochelle and Kimberlie through the Hub here.

To stay up to date with upcoming Gen Collective events, sign up to our mailing list or find us on Facebook, Instagram,  and Linkedin.

A little bit of history and an enormous thank you from our fearless #girlbosses

Mel Hamilton, Director - Hamilton Taggart Partners and inaugural President of Gen Collective

In the early days of forming the network I never thought ahead so far as to one day we would be ten years old. I remember vividly sitting at a networking breakfast when I had the first conversation about forming a new network for women in professions and business, coincidentally with Jen Parkes, Clare Campbell and Gillian Lawrence  and we made a time to catch up later to talk more. One thing was for sure we were all keen to make it happen!

Initially, we all had some things in common, we wanted to build a professional/business network, it was part of our career progression to network and we had the support of our employers to do so.  

We had our first event on May 1, 2008  and over 60 women came to hear Lauren Miller Cilento  speak. As with anything relationships were the key to the success of the first event, supporters such as Meg Purser and Shivani Gupta rallied amongst their networks and invited our target audience to come along.

Following this first event we all had another thing in common, we all loved bringing speakers to inspire and support other women. I recall looking around the guests that day and seeing smiles and thinking wow I really love doing this. 

Jen Parkes, Partner - Hicksons Lawyers and current President

Clearly we still do  love this part of Gen Collective and that is why we keep organizing events month after month! Recently Mel and I caught up and we reflected on how far the network has come, how many events we have held and amazing speakers we have put before our members and guests. Mel, as the accountant, was the one more interested in the stats! Me? I still remember the first conversation with Mel and that passion to bring about a new way to get in touch with people in the professional and business community.

I know I speak for the entire Gen Collective committee that I feel proud of what we have all achieved, grateful for the contribution from every committee member we have had, absolutely thrilled that our supporters and mentors were willing to promote our vision and stick by us and super excited to celebrate our 10 years!

Mel and Jen: We both believe the key to our success has been having like-minded women involved, either at a committee level, sponsorship level or as members and guests. We both hear so many great stories of how relationships both professional and personal have happened because of meeting at a Gen Collective event.

We continue to connect with new people who are meeting for the first time, finding that spark of commonality and filling each other with confidence. We both believe very much that Gen Collective is more than just about networking, it is our community and we will be always very thankful for it!

Thank you for making Gen Collective the community it is today. We would love for you to celebrate this milestone with us on Friday August 3 with a night of luxe cocktails and fabulous food at 48 Watt Street. For more information about our anniversary event please visit out event page here.

We would love to welcome you to Gen Collective's supportive, inspirational and welcoming community.

LEARN MORE

Gen Collective is now offering EARLY BIRD memberships for just $60 (+ booking fee). This special price will be available until 31 July 2018.

As Gen Collective member you will receive a great range of exclusive member benefits including:

• An invitation to attend the AGM and to join our committee (held in September each year)
• Discounted tickets
• Member directory listing on the www.gencollective.com.au website
• Invitation to submit articles and blog posts on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages (two per year)
• Opportunity to promote your business on Gen Collective's social media sites (once per year)
• Discounts and special promotions from our sponsors and partners

Full membership price is $70+ booking fee.

It’s been almost 13 years since you founded the McGrath Foundation with the late Jane McGrath, wife of then Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath. When did you meet Jane?

In 1996, when she moved to Australia from the UK to be with Glenn. Although we were both from the UK, I lived in Manchester and she lived in the Midlands, so we didn’t know each other beforehand but became great friends from the moment we met.

 You were with Jane when she found a lump in her breast. When did the idea for the Foundation arise?

I was with Jane on an Ashes Tour in 1997 when she came to me [about] something concerning her. She took my hand, placed it on her breast and instantly I felt a lump. At 31 years old my friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2000, when Jane wrote ‘Love for Life’, about her experience with breast cancer, they were looking to donate proceeds from the sale that Jane had the idea for the charity and asked me to get involved. At first we didn’t know what we were going to raise funds for.  It wasn’t until Jane was re-diagnosed in 2003 and she had the support of a breast care nurse that the mission for the McGrath Foundation was set.

This article originally appreared in the Newcastle Herald. Read the full interview with Tracy Bevan here.