Incredible business people are the real deal

Every year in May, the Sunshine Coast Chamber Alliance holds its annual breakfast to celebrate Small Business Week, where we hear from previous business awards winners.

Jennifer Swaine.

OPINION:

WHAT do you get when you invite a leading chef, a manufacturer and a publisher, who all happen to be Sunshine Coast Business Awards winners, for an afternoon chat where they share their business insights?

You get honest, raw and incredibly inspiring conversation.

Every year in May, the Sunshine Coast Chamber Alliance holds its annual breakfast to celebrate Small Business Week, where we hear from some of the previous year’s business awards winners. It is normally a time to celebrate and acknowledge the 33,000-plus small businesses we have in the region.

Sadly, there has not been a lot to celebrate this year. But that did not stop Leanne Layfield, who is an executive committee member of the Alliance, from being determined to deliver this event in a different way.

So, on Tuesday last week, we settled in to watch the Virtual Business Roundtable, hosted by Kim McCosker from 4 Ingredients, as she chatted with Peter Kuruvita (Noosa Beach House), Naomi Elliott (Concept Labs) and Deb Caruso (IN Noosa magazine).

Each of these businesses have been impacted by the current pandemic in very different ways. The trio shared many important insights but what resonated throughout this whole discussion was their heart and the commitment they have to ensuring we are supporting local people and businesses.

And they are walking the talk. Peter’s new menu will use only local or Australian produce, Deb’s magazine will continue to be a collaboration with the people of Noosa, and Naomi is excited at the prospect of significant growth which will provide employment opportunities for locals.

For me, what came through loud and clear was authenticity. These incredible people are the real deal. They are genuine, true to themselves, approachable and they absolutely embody the entrepreneurial spirit of the Sunshine Coast. They are deserving winners of last year’s Sunshine Coast Business Awards and are true ambassadors for our region – we should all be proud of them. You can watch the full video on the Sunshine Coast Business Awards Facebook page.

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