Let’s get real about #girlboss life

Posted on 17 May, 2019

‘Start your own business’, they said. ‘It’ll be fun’, they said.

There are so many great things about being an entrepreneur: the freedom to run with your own ideas, flexibility, being your own boss. But it can also be a tough journey—especially in the early years. And sometimes we’re so busy celebrating #girlboss life that we forget to tell it like it is.

That’s where Real Business Talk comes in. We’ve teamed up with Artisan Aesthetic Clinics to bring together four women behind thriving local businesses to get the warts-and-all stories of their success.

We’ll be joined by Amanda Whitley, HerCanberra Founder and CEO; Suzie Hoitink, cosmetic nurse at Artisan Aesthetic Clinics and brand ambassador for the group’s premium medical aesthetics brand; Kate Freeman, Founder and Managing Director of The Healthy Eating Hub; and Julie Scheer, Founder and Director of Dance Central.

HerCanberra’s Associate Editor Emma Macdonald will host a frank and fearless chat with the inspirational panel and she won’t be afraid to ask the tough questions: What were the early years like? How did they grow the business from side hustle to household name? What do they wish they’d done differently? What have been their biggest learnings? What are they most proud of? What do they really wish they could forget?

You’ll have a chance to shape the conversation by suggesting a topic when you register for your ticket, and there’ll also be a dedicated Q&A session and post-panel networking time where you can ask our panel those burning questions.

Join us at 6 pm on Thursday 20 June at Pialligo Estate for a conversation that will inspire and resonate with any woman who’s working to make their dreams a reality, whether that’s in business or other areas of her life. Ticket price of $59 includes free-flowing sparkling and grazing stations, and a gift bag filled with things you’ll love.

The team from Artisan Aesthetic Clinics will be on hand to provide skincare and treatment advice as well as extending an exclusive offer to guests, in line with their mission to empower you to look and feel your confident best.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

GET TO KNOW OUR PANEL

AMANDA WHITLEY

Amanda Whitley is the Founder and CEO of HerCanberra. She loves to Zumba, cook (and eat), and has another pretty much full-time job as a Dance Mum. She’s done everything from present the TV news to operate a stop and go sign and is passionate about connecting Canberra women.

In 2011, after enjoying a diverse career in public relations and media, Amanda launched hercanberra.com.au.

Today, the website has a monthly unique readership of more than 100,000 and a social network exceeding 90,000 followers, providing a resource which tells the city’s stories, highlights things to do, facilitates connections, and encourages people to engage with their city as a great place to live.

HerCanberra has grown to be one of the city’s leading media brands, also boasting a print Magazine and event series.

Amanda was ACT Woman of the Year in 2016 and recognised as a member of the University of Canberra’s Distinguished Alumni in 2013.

SUZIE HOITINK

Suzie Hoitink is a cosmetic nurse at Artisan Aesthetic Group (AAG) and a brand ambassador for the group’s premium medical aesthetics brand, Artisan Aesthetic Clinics. In these roles, Suzie promotes and reinforces Artisan’s position as a premium, quality focused leader within the non-invasive medical aesthetics industry, whilst delivering exceptional results for her clients.

Suzie is an experienced registered nurse who is passionate about helping clients achieve confidence through beautiful, healthy skin. This passion led to her establishing Clear Complexions in 2005, which she quickly grew into a leading medical aesthetic brand with six clinics across Canberra and Sydney. Suzie’s success in building Clear Complexions led to the brand being acquired by AAG in 2017, with the clinics becoming a part of AAG’s premium medical aesthetics brand Artisan Aesthetic Clinics in 2019.

Highly regarded within the non-invasive cosmetic sector, Suzie is skilled across a wide range of treatment modalities, particularly in combining light-based technologies with medical-grade skincare to treat common skin concerns such as pigmentation and acne. Suzie is a recipient of the ACT Telstra Business Women’s Award and was a finalist in both the University of Canberra Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Nokia Innovation Award for developing the Clear Complexions Client Clinical Pathway.

She is an in-demand authority on skin care, appearing on the ABC as an expert panellist and as a presenter at the Cosmedex Cosmetic Surgery Conference, and is a well-known and sought after keynote speaker on light-based therapies and best practice in the rapidly evolving industry of non-invasive medical aesthetics.

KATE FREEMAN

Kate Freeman is the founder and managing director of The Healthy Eating Hub, a private nutrition and dietetics practice with two locations in Canberra.

As a Registered Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of Australia, Kate’s advice is based on sound scientific evidence combined with over 14 years’ experience in the nutrition and weight loss industry. She is passionate about showing people practical, easy ways to make good nutrition a regular part of their life, especially for those who are busy or manage a family.

Kate is also a consulting nutritionist for ACT Health and worked with a large of range of business on both individual and public health nutrition projects.

The Healthy Eating Hub, now a team of eight, was created to teach people healthy eating habits, so they can consistently eat well long term. No quick fixes or fad diets! In 2018, The Healthy Eating Hub piloted a 12-month online habit building program with great success and is looking to scale this concept to a wider market in 2019.

JULIE SCHEER

Julie is the founder and director of Dance Central, a modern dance and fitness school in Canberra that inspires and empowers the young and young-at-heart to embrace a fuller, fitter, fun-filled life through dance, movement and fitness.

Starting in 2005 with 40 toddlers in a first-ever rhythm and dance foundational class for young children, Julie has since grown Dance Central to become Canberra’s premier dance school. DC now has 50 teachers teaching over a thousand students in more than 200 classes per week ranging from pre-schoolers through to adults, and catering to beginners through to international award-winning professionals.

In 2018, Julie launched a new line of adult fitness classes with DC Fit to further her vision and passion for holistic health, fitness—and most of all, fun. Dance Central is also home to #goturback, an anti-bullying initiative by Julie dedicated to instilling empowering teamwork values, both to those who have been targets of bullying and to those who commit acts of bullying.

Julie has always been a creative and passionate go-getter, which explains her colourful background in fashion, model management, public relations, and even competitive skiing. Born in Sydney, she’s the second youngest of six children and grew up in Cooma before attending college in Canberra. Never far from her dancing shoes, Julie went on to become an accredited dance teacher through the British Ballet Organisation in 1999 and has more than 24 years of teaching experience for all ages.

Julie lives in Canberra, where she is wife and best friend to William, wonder mum to Karl and Olivia, and an owner of an humongous in-ground trampoline as well as many house plants she doesn’t get to water. She escapes it all with long soaks in the bath, long walks with her husband, rollerblading adventures with her children, and sharing good laughs with friends and family.