Revealed: The inspirational business women of Bendigo
They’re the talented, ambitious and hard working women who’ve taken the business world by storm with their innovative entrepreneurship. Meet Bendigo’s inspirational business women of 2023.
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Bendigo is home to some of Victoria’s savviest, creative and innovative business women in a rich and diverse local economy.
These women have taken the business world by storm, growing their brands into national names through hard work and determination.
Here are how some of Bendigo’s most inspiring business women got started, what they’re most proud of and what they hope to achieve in 2024 and beyond.
Marcia Priestley – International Australian Artist
After conquering cancer, Marcia Priestley rediscovered her passion for art that has since given rise to international acclaim.
A Bendigo based artist, Ms Priestley just returned from exhibiting her works in Madrid, Spain.
An interior designer for 20 years, this creative Bendigo woman turned to her love of art to help her heal.
Making a full recovery, Ms Priestley realised that every day was a gift and “decided it was time to take the plunge”.
“I decided to produce a series of works and then actually for the first time, I put them out there in the world,” she said.
She got “amazing” feedback from boutique designer art company Greenhouse Interiors, who quickly became her agents, starting her journey as a professional artist.
Now she runs her own art business, with her work being bought and sold all over the world.
Ms Priestley’s art has been featured on greeting cards and prints nationally on the shelves of major brands like David Jones.
She has since been headhunted by TV personality Ellen DeGeneres’ wife Portia DeRossi, an Australian actor who started her own art printing company in America, General Public Art.
A professional artist for three years now, Ms Priestley said she loves being her own boss.
“I love the freedom … it’s just more of a relaxed pace that I can work at which is perfect for an artist,” she said.
Ms Priestley’s goal for 2024 and beyond is to connect with the rich artistic community of Bendigo.
Ms Priestley is currently creating her works at home, and is planning on building her own studio in the future.
There Ms Priestley hopes to run art classes and connect with other artists in Bendigo.
“My career is basically overseas … I would like to work with some local artists to create something locally, to have more of a presence and connection here,” she said.
Cassidy McLean: Sporting Chance Collective
Professional WNBL player Cassidy McLean is passionate about giving elite female athletes a “sporting chance” in their careers.
Director of Sporting Chance Collective, Ms McLean runs a successful marketing company supporting small businesses across Australia staffed by a group of elite female athletes.
A star player for Bendigo Spirit and the Bendigo Braves herself, Ms McLean said female athletes playing at the peak of their sport worked and trained longer than full-time hours, but often struggled to afford groceries or their mortgage because they barely attracted liveable wages from the industry.
“I’ve been one of those players that doesn’t get paid much.
“But we’re still expected to commit almost more than full-time hours, and (the commitment) didn’t allow me to get another job or income.
“So things like rent, groceries, petrol and mortgage, those things became difficult pay on a female athlete’s wage.”
Sporting Chance was set up by women, to “empower” female athletes to make a second income while playing at the peak of their sports and build a career for their futures.
“We’re really passionate supporters of women in sport,” Ms McLean said.
“It’s kind of a whole package deal, we teach them how to work with businesses … and the marketing of their own brands.
“As athletes we are a brand, we are a business ourselves, so sometimes we do need to market ourselves — where it’s other teams or to businesses to get brand deals.”
While directing her own marketing company, Ms McLean played for the Bendigo Braves championship team, bringing home the gold for the NBL1 South Conference in August.
They then went on to win the national finals for in Perth, making Bendigo Braves Australia’s #1 women’s team with an undefeated season of 28-0.
Ms McLean said as the business had grown, she had been able to sponsor junior female athletes coming up in their sports to help take the burden of their fees and registrations to allow them to reach the heights of their sport.
“So they have the best chance they can get to reach that professional level,” she said.
Ms McLean is hoping to go “back to back” on another championship with the Bendigo Braves, and to grow Sporting Chance Collective in 2024, picking up more clients across Australia and supporting more young women in sport.
Greta Donaldson: Bendigo Brittle
Award-winning confectioner and founder of Bendigo Brittle, Greta Donaldson’s products have taken the market by storm.
After making a batch of peanut brittle for a family Christmas, Ms Donaldson, who normally “burns toast” created a sweet so good her family told her she should sell it.
After major success at markets across Victoria, Ms Donaldson’s business has boomed and is becoming nationally sought after, with a major airline even looking to stock her treats on flights.
Now Ms Donaldson and her team of Bendigo locals have put the brand on the map with a range of delicious products.
Her business has since won multiple local and national awards. In 2022 Ms Donaldson was named Business Woman of the Year, and in 2023 Bendigo Brittle took home Small and Succeeding at the Bendigo Business awards and Australia Post’s Local Business Hero.
It’s been a tough year in business Ms Donaldson said, but Bendigo Brittle has “survived and thrived.”
Ms Donaldson’s brand of brittle has been rapidly gaining popularity, with online orders coming in from across Australia.
“We just keep growing … The door keeps going, the phone keeps ringing, the orders keep coming through,” Ms Donaldson said.
This year Bendigo Brittle has seen more and more orders from interstate, trading in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, Ms Donaldson said.
Kerry McCuskey: Tea Associates, Artisan Tea Bendigo
Kerry McCuskey has always loved tea, so when her “side hustle” of creating delicious blends of tea took off in the twilight of her corporate career, she decided to pursue her passion full-time.
Coming up on retirement Ms McCuskey was worried about what she would do with all her spare time.
“I was struggling with the whole retirement thing! I thought ‘oh my god, what am I going to do?’,” she said.
“And then the teas just sort of took on a life of their own.”
Becoming a first-time business owner in her 60s, Ms McCuskey said she was probably busier now than before she “retired”, but loved being her own boss.
Tea Associates doesn’t just sell tea, she is also keeping the art of the pot of tea alive, steeped in tradition and ritual, Ms McCuskey said.
A “born and bred Bendigo girl” Ms McCuskey’s teas are inspired by her hometown, like ‘Bendigo Billy’ a bush tea blend with eucalyptus inspired by the outback.
Her teas were a major hit at the local markets, and now her business has taken off, becoming one of Bendigo’s iconic foodie brands and named a finalist for the Emerging and Energised award at the 2023 Bendigo business awards.
Her blends have seen such a surge of popularity, local artisan producers have partnered with her to use her unique flavours.
Maurice Lane Distillery has created a Bendigo Billy Gin with her tea which is stocked at Dan Murphy’s in Bendigo, and Treacy Patisserie uses her Parisian Grey in their cakes.
And her teas are guilt free, Ms McCuskey says, being environmentally sustainable.
“Straight into your compost, my packaging has no plastic … everything is biodegradable or recyclable,” she said.
“We also plant trees through North Bendigo Landcare Group as part of giving back to the environment.”
Rebecca Barry: AVC The Label & The Curators Club
Rebecca Barry started her own clothing brand after her husband Andrew tragically passed away at 35 from a rare heart condition, AVC.
Ms Barry was devastated, left to raise two young children, Taj and Zali by herself and decided she wanted to do something to help stop another family feeling.
With a new determination, Ms Barry steeled herself and started her business AVC The Label in honour of her husband.
Ms Barry donates 10 per cent of all her sales to The Heart Foundation to help prevent and treat heart disease.
Since starting the business three years ago Ms Barry has raised almost $30,000 for The Heart Foundation, and is hoping to raise more.
Ms Barry said she was grateful for all the support of her new business by the community.
“I’m forever thankful for people who do place an order with me because they’re supporting small business and its for a great cause,” she said.
Forever grateful for the community who raised more than $115,000 to support her family after her husband’s death Ms Barry does what she can to give back.
She has been donating 50 per cent of the sales from The Curators Club to the former owner after her six-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Ms Barry has been running her brands as an e-commerce businesses, totally online and working from home so she can be with her children.
As the businesses see more success, Ms Barry is looking to open a brick and mortar store in Bendigo next year, combining the two brands under one roof.
Hayley Tibbett: Indulge Fine Belgian Chocolates
Bendigo chocolatier Hayley Tibbett is one of a “vibrant community of foodies” who have put Bendigo on the global map as a city of gastronomy.
A chocolate shop and a cafe, Indulge is a household name in Bendigo that puts smiles on faces for the joy Ms Tibbett’s chocolates bring.
Ms Tibbett and her team handcraft all their products out of authentic, imported Belgian chocolate combined with local confectionary and aromatic products for fillings and flavourings.
Indulge has become a nationally sought after brand for gifts and personal devouring, being recognised with multiple business excellence awards since opening in 2008.
Ms Tibbett has won Retail Business of the Year and Hospitality of the Year for Bendigo, over the 15 years she’s run the business.
She was nominated for Business Woman of the Year in 2019 before being elevated to a director of the Bendigo Chamber of Commerce, Be. Bendigo where she champions women making waves in the local economy.
“I love Bendigo, it’s such a great community,” she said.
“We’ve got a great business community as well,” she said.
Ms Tibbett comes from a family of cooks, starting in her parents’ pasta shop, the Pasta Pantry, and has 20 years of experience in the food manufacturing and retail sectors in Bendigo.
Ms Tibbett said she was grateful for the support of her regular customers and was proud of building a successful business from scratch that survived and thrived through the pandemic, but it was time for her next adventure.
Ms Tibbett is currently looking to hand the business to someone else so she can pursue one of her many passions.
Before starting Indulge, Ms Tibbett also worked in finance, insurance and was a fitness instructor before becoming a successful chocolatier beloved throughout Bendigo.
She said a foray back into the fitness industry in the near future was a real possibility, but she will remain strongly involved with Bendigo’s businesses through Be. Bendigo.
Abigail Wehrung: Air Bark ‘n’ Bark
Professional WNBL player ‘three-point queen’ Abigail Wehrung is a young Bendigo entrepreneur who’s co-founded the innovative new app Air Bark ‘n’ Bark.
Ms Wehrung completed a business degree while playing at the highest levels in her sport as an elite athlete playing for Canberra Capitals, Bendigo Spirit, Adelaide Lightning and representing Australia in international competitions.
At 27, she co-founded Air Bark ‘n’ Bark with her business partner Vicki Cronan, a service designed to make travelling with your dogs easier.
They’re building a network to connect people who are travelling and looking for a dog minder with people keen to mind their dogs, similar to how homeowners can rent their houses on Airbnb.
Ms Wehrung said she was an “animal crazy person” with five dogs herself and when Ms Cronan pitched the idea of Air Bark ‘n’ Bark to her, she loved it.
Air Bark ‘n’ Bark provides a platform for minding arrangements, but doesn’t take a percentage of fees charges.
Users pay a small subscription to use the service, with minders and dog owners negotiating their own price – and all the revenue going straight to the minder’s pocket.
“You can earn that (subscription fee) back in literally one minding session of a dog because you could charge $20 per hour and you could look after a dog for two hours.
“We’re pretty cheap compared to like other companies that take a percentage.”
The app is still in its early stages but already has about 1500 users after launching in March.
Ms Wehrung said the goal moving forward is to grow the apps user base across Australia, with a long-term vision of going global.
Jaclyn Wilson: Salon Hype
When salon owner Jaclyn Wilson isn’t cutting hair, she’s dominating the track as Australia’s number one female BMX rider.
On top of running a successful business six days a week – Salon Hype on McCrae St – and raising a family, Ms Wilson trains to compete in her sport at the national and international levels.
Born in Bendigo before moving to the Gold Coast at 10 years old, Ms Wilson started her hairdressing apprenticeship at 14 and was managing salons at 18.
At 21, Ms Wilson moved back to Bendigo and opened her own hair business, Salon Hype.
Now at 46, Ms Wilson has won three Australian titles in November, bringing her career total to 28.
After running her salon for 25 years, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this super mum has trained half the hairdressers in town at one time or another, and she’s proud of her girls.
“The staff that we’ve got at the moment are just the most beautiful staff you could ever have,” Ms Wilson said.
“I just look at them and think, ‘you’d be proud to have them as your daughter’, that’s how good they are.”
Elle Penbrook: Piano Bar
A natural leader, Elle Penbrook always wanted to run her own business, so when the opportunity to take over an iconic Bendigo night spot came up, she and her partner Heath jumped on it.
Located on Hargreaves St in the heart of Bendigo, the Piano Bar is one of the hottest spots for live music on a night out.
Ms Penbrook said she was loving making the business her own after taking over the joint just four months ago.
Ms Penbrook brings a business degree and she and Heath both have years of hospitality experience.
The pair pride themselves on being a venue “somewhere that Bendigo loves to visit”, Ms Penbrook said.
“And have that positive, safe environment that people enjoy and want to visit again.”
Ms Penbrook said she loved the day-to-day decision making, and as a mother, the work life balance of being her own boss.
She takes pride in her staff and her favourite part of the business is working with the team she’s put together.
“We’ve got a really positive attitude on our team, really tight knit friendly staff.”
Moving forward, the Penbrooks hope to make the Piano Bar one of the best bars in town.
Sarah Macumber: Sarah The Painter studio
Bendigo artist Sarah Macumber always wanted to pursue her love of painting.
Starting out of her home, selling her paintings at the Trove Makers Market during the pandemic, she saw immediate success.
Ms Macumber decided to take the plunge and open her own art studio on Williamson St in Bendigo, after more than 20 years as a professional graphic designer.
Two years on, Ms Macumber’s studio is thriving.
Now she’s taken her creative passions to the next level, sharing her love of art with like-minded people of all ages in adult and kids art classes.
“We like to be very active in the community. We like to share our love of art and we’ve seen first-hand how that helps with both kids and adults and people who are retired,” she said.
Ms Macumber runs five adult and eight kids art classes, and lots of community events with Bendigo council.
“They go get together and meet people who have the same sort of ideas and feed off that creativity and it’s just beautiful. I just feel so fortunate,” she said.
Ms Macumber said the best part of the job was sending her students home feeling happier than when they arrived.
“It’s just so special to feel as though that you’ve created an environment where people can just come and, have pure joy and it improves their week,” she said.
Ms Macumber said she was keen to start her classes again in 2024, and taking on new challenges and opportunities.
“I would love to continue along my graphic design routes. I made a calendar this year that was really successful so I’d like to look at doing some more product and things like that.”
Karla Tucci: Little Loves Baby Boutique
Karla Tucci opened Little Loves Baby Boutique in 2016 after having her first baby, and being unable to find affordable clothes and accessories locally.
“I had just had my first baby and was on maternity leave when I noticed a gap in the market,” she said.
“I said to my husband, I want to start a baby boutique because I can’t find any of this stuff I want for my kids.
“The idea just bloomed from there, I just wanted to find that middle ground and find all those popular, awesome brands that I just couldn’t get locally and that you had to pay postage for.”
Ms Tucci opened up a little shop on Queen St and had a stall at the Moonlight Market before taking a “big risk” and moving to the Bendigo Marketplace permanently during the pandemic in 2020.
After battling through six separate shutdowns during Covid, and having two more kids, the mother of three overcame challenge after challenge to make Little Loves Baby Boutique the “one stop baby shop” of Bendigo.
“‘We’ve grown to bigger and better things since then, and I’ve slowly expanded the range,” she said.
“The end goal is hopefully to open a second shop in a different town in the next five years.”
Leah Ladson: Leah Ladson Photography & Design
A super mum of three, Leah Ladson is a local Bendigo creative who has turned her passion into a successful business.
Ms Ladson is one Bendigo’s go-to photographers for small business branding after making her mark in the wedding and family space.
A graphic designer by trade, Ms Ladson has worked with massive brands but always had a passion for photography.
Ms Ladson said the best thing about working for herself was the flexibility and freedom to do what she loved and spend her time with family.
“I’ve been able to be home with all of them in their very early years … really make myself available for them, but also filling my need to create and do my passion and also making money while I’m doing it,” she said.
Ms Ladson says she was especially passionate about championing women in business, capturing an impressive portfolio of Bendigo business women.
“My favourite thing is working with small businesses and listen to people’s stories and their passion and why they started their business and be able to support them,” she said.
A creative through and through, Ms Ladson has used her graphic design background to successfully sell art and designs to stationary businesses they brand their products with.
Padtastic, an Australian stationery company founded by mum and daughter team Amanda and Emily, has bought Ms Ladson’s design for their boutique 2024 diary planner.
She is also working on designs for a charity organisation Right the World for the cover of a notebook for International Women’s Day launching in March, 2024.
She’s even sold some paintings she has created with Sarah The Painter.
Ms Ladson said she is excited to keep exploring her passions.
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