The business community in Brisbane’s north is booming with strong, independent women using their unique entrepreneurial skills to benefit those around them.
This select group of award-winning businesswomen showcase how, no matter the field, large-scale success is within reach for Brisbane residents willing to go that extra mile.
From the arts, to telecommunications and beyond, be inspired by the women who are carving their own path through the corporate world.
ANITA EAST, ANITA EAST MEDISPA
Nurse practitioner and anti-ageing specialist Anita East used her experience in her renowned Sandgate clinic to pen an award-winning novel on self-confidence and society in crisis, which has since achieved global recognition from the likes of Oprah and the Feathered Quill Book Awards.
The book Beautiful Unique Faces launched mid-2020 and was a gold medal winner at the 2020 Roar award and the 2021 Feathered Quill Book Awards, skyrocketing to the top spot on Amazon for new releases.
As the first to be awarded official aesthetic nurse practitioner status in Brisbane, Anita experienced first-hand the impact social media and filtering apps had on her patients, whose demands for more chiselled jaws, sculpted chins, big lips and perfectly frozen faces grew exponentially.
In an effort to help her patients and women across the world realise inner joy did not come from external appearance, Anita chose to push against the trend and add her “one little voice” to the growing chorus of influencers praising self-love and authenticity.
Anita East Medispa continues to operate in Brisbane’s north, where it has become the first aesthetic medicine clinic in the state to consider the whole body and incorporate IV micronutrient infusions to encourage patients to feel good on the inside, as well as the outside.
NAOMI PRICE, THE LITTLE RED COMPANY
Stafford resident and former semi-finalist on The Voice Naomi Price co-founded The Little Red Company, one of Australia’s most celebrated independent production houses.
When COVID struck the live entertainment industry, Naomi, one of Australia’s leading cabaret and theatre performers, lost all of her gigs for the year within a shocking two hour frame.
But she took it in stride, flawlessly pivoting to a live, online show called ISOlate, a late night variety show which broadcasted local talent to an estimated 30,000 people and raised over $110,000 for the Actors’ and Entertainers’ Benevolent Fund.
These efforts earned her the recognition of the Brisbane Lord Mayor, who awarded her the 2020 HSBC Award for Excellence in Business Adaptation, and the Courier Mail, who nominated her for Queenslander of the Year.
With restrictions now eased, Naomi will be starring in a production of There’s Something About Music, a nostalgic spin on the rom-com mixtape, to premiere at the Brisbane Powerhouse on February 24.
ANIKA WELLS, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LILLEY
Former lawyer turned federal member Anika Wells has prioritised the success of north Brisbane businesses throughout the COVID period, launching the Shop Local Buy Local directory to advocate for and support small and family businesses.
The project includes an interactive map with recommendations from residents, allowing shoppers to easily find small businesses to support.
In the wake of the economic downturn, she has also held a number of information sessions for small business to help residents navigate the changing landscape and take advantage of much-needed assistance.
Recently she has also thrown her political weight behind increasing the Jobseeker rate and changing the structure of business tax to ensure the bigger players pay their fair share, with a stated goal of “building a strong economy that works for all”.
MAXINE HORNE, VITA GROUP
North Brisbane resident Maxine Horne founded the Albion-based Go Vita group with her former husband in 2005.
The savvy businesswoman has since guided the evolution of the company from singular retail store Fone Zone to multimillion-dollar global telecommunications empire.
Maxine was named QBR Business Woman of the Year, Retail in 2006; received the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year award for the industry category, Northern region; was inducted into the Businesswoman’s Hall of Fame; and received the Courier-Mail Award for Business Person of the Year in 2019.
As the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Vita, Wallmine and Simply Wall Street estimate her annual compensation to be around the $1.5 million mark.
Horne worked hard for her success, boasting a true rags to riches story that spans all the way from “Struggle Street” at Ipswich, northeast of London, to a $10.5 million riverfront pad in Ascot, later sold to Domino’s Pizza boss Don Meij in 2016.
MIRANDA GILLESPIE, LUXE.IT.FWD
CEO and founder of Luxe.It.Fwd Miranda Gillespie took her side-hustle and expanded it into a multimillion-dollar e-commerce company, reselling luxury handbags to diehard collectors across the globe.
Six years in, the company has gone from strength to strength throughout the COVID period, boasting $2 million in annual revenue.
“We’ve been growing at more than 100 per cent year-on-year,” Miranda said.
“That demand has even increased since COVID has brought so many more shoppers online.”
Luxe.It.Fwd was named by the Australian Financial Review as one of Australia’s fastest growing new companies in their 2020 Fast Starters list and a finalist in the 2020 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards for XERO Award for Outstanding Micro Business.
TRACEY SEIPEL, SEIPEL GROUP
Renowned naturopath, clinical nutritionist and researcher Tracey Seipel spent two decades developing and refining Urox, a medically-proven natural treatment to improve the bladder control for everyday Australians.
The game-changing and award-winning formulation, first conceived of in a Brisbane suburban home, propelled Tracey into the spotlight as a world leader of natural urological healthcare.
As the founder and CEO of Seipel Group, based in Kelvin Grove, Tracey has expanded globally with a range of high quality, clinically-proven and natural products, with research extending into the areas of male LUTS, often inappropriately identified as prostate – only problems, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence and children’s bed-wetting.
Zoominfo estimates the company’s yearly revenue to be around $4 million.
Last year Seipel Group won the Optus Business Platinum Award, the Australia Pacific LNG Award for Business Innovation and received a special mention for the Urban Utilities Award for Product Innovation.
LOUISE POLE
Captain Louise Pole has broken ground for female pilots across the country.
The Qantaslink pilot was named the Bowen Hills-based Australian Federation of Air Pilots’ (AFAP) 32nd president in 2018 and has made her mark as a voice of the industry, including on the future of Australian pilots in the wake of COVID-19.
She was the founder of the founder of the AFAP’s Women's Network and has been an advocate for women in the field.
She was also the winner of the 2019 Greater Brisbane Women in Business of the Year Award.
CAROLINE MCCULLOCH
The Brisbane podiatrist and physiotherapist, with podiatrist husband Alan, launched footwear label FRANKiE4 in 2010.
She is the face behind the brand’s popular Windsor shoe boutique as well as a list of other successes including their flagship store in Indooroopilly as well as stores in Sydney and Melbourne.
The popular brand, which focuses on footwear with both podiatrist-designed support and style skyrocketed to success, sourcing to a growing base of stockists.
The former Clayfield College student has won a swag of awards over the years including the 2017 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards and 2018 Australian Small Business Champions Awards in the fashion category.
CARA BRETT
The Fortitude Valley-based financial planner launched her successful financial planning business Bounce Financial in 2014, bringing a decade of experience with her.
Since then she has been nominated for numerous awards including the IFA’s 2018 Excellence Awards Best Client Servicing Award and Best Goals-Based Adviser of the Year.
Cara specialises in helping Gen Y and X clients reach their financial goals in today’s world.
She has also empowered countless women by sharing her financial literacy skills through classes hosted by Brisbane Women’s Club.
SIMONE GARSKE
Simone was appointed Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation CEO in 2018 and brought with her a wealth of top-tier leadership experience.
Having achieved outstanding philanthropic goals in previous leadership roles at QUT, she has now lead an abundance of projects for the Herston-based hospital foundation including the highly successful annual Giving Day.
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