Start 2017 by Starting Lean!

We're back in 2017 with boundless energy! We've already heard boatloads of stories of enterprising people as the new year gets underway.

For February we've got a few all stars to talk about making the leap from a career into your own business, taking on opportunities, and the joys and trials of self-employment.

Hopefully everyone's holiday period has been rejuvenating. As 2017 starts, we want to start the ground running with some quality events. This year we'll be asking for a small fee at the door to cover catering, so we can be the best we can be.

Gavin Klose and Kirsty Parkin are partners in South Australian tech communications start-up Feedsy. (http://feedsy.info/)

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Feedsy helps small businesses reach big by automating client communications in a way that looks professional and feels personal.

We developed our communications system because we understand small businesses often don’t have the time or expertise to market both consistently and well.

Feedsy provides clients with relevant news sent to your newspage every week on topics you choose. Each month, we’ll turn that news into a newsletter, which is automatically sent to your clients, all without you having to do a thing. (Unless you want to add your own content, in which case you can add as much as you like, simply and easily.)

We’ll build you an app, too, if you like, which not only receives your newsfeed but contains useful tools for your clients.

Feedsy was developed on Lean Start up principles, and currently has almost 150 clients across Australia. We're growing at the rate of just over a client a week. Because we started lean, we have had to develop our platform using open-source solutions and freelance labour. This is working well for us to date, and we'll talk about what we've done, what has worked and what has not. Both our previous businesses were started and run lean (before Lean-Startup was even a thing).

Gavin and Kirsty Parkin are partners also in life. Prior to Feedsy both Gavin and Kirsty ran, grew and sold businesses in South Australia. Gavin's background in digital design and development complements Kirsty's background in business development and strategy. Both have skills in marketing. Neither of them have always found the journey in self-employment easy, but it's usually rewarding (Kirsty also reckons it's fun!). They're happy to share their story and experience with you.

Audrey Thomas is a coach and facilitator, and the author of I Don’t Have Time: 15-minute ways to shape a life you love.

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In 2009, Audrey attended a coach training course in Melbourne where she met Emma Grey - another student in the same program. They became firm friends and knew they’d love to join forces and create something together one day, despite living 1000km from each other.

In 2013, Audrey and Emma established the successful online personal development program, My 15 Minutes. The program has gone on to attract hundreds of participants and thousands of followers in terms of social reach.

This month, Audrey and Emma’s first co-authored book was released in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, US and Canada by Exisle Publishing, who approached them last year and offered a publishing deal. I Don’t Have Time: 15-minute ways to shape a life you love has been profiled on national radio and TV and in international media. Audrey and Emma are currently writing their next book, on The 15 minutes that Changed Your Life, due for release in 2018.

Audrey will describe the leap from her corporate career into launching her own business, working in the online world and saying ‘yes’ when opportunity knocks — particularly in areas beyond her comfort zone.

Audrey Thomas is an experienced coach and facilitator with a background in project and change management, learning and development, and operations management. After a corporate career spanning the UK, Europe and North America, she now specialises in working with individual clients and teams to discover and develop their untapped potential and improve effectiveness.

We hope you can make it for the first event of the year!

• the Start Lean team