Women in Business - Cath Fowler

with CATH FOWLER

FROM THE DIGITAL LANEWAY

JULIA BLAIR - VIRTUAL BUSINESS SUPPORT

Can you tell us a little bit

After more than 25 years in corporate administration and executive support roles, I now offer those skills ‘virtually’ to solopreneurs and small business owners in a way that’s more flexible than hiring a full time employee. This can be anything from implementing new tech solutions like CRMs, website content updates, appointment scheduling, proofreading, client communication such as email marketing, or just acting as a right hand woman for everyday tasks on the to do list!

As a natural problem solver, I’m able to sift through what’s not working and recommend solutions to fit their needs. Bringing these solutions to life is where I spend a lot of my time.

I love working with coaches the most, as personal development and all things people related are passions of mine.

My values are centred around connection and understanding, so building relationships and working as a trusted partner to my clients’ businesses is what makes me happiest.

I also love building a network of people across the region and, working virtually, across Australia too. Seeing different perspectives or approaches and learning from that is an added bonus which makes my work varied and interesting.

I worked for the iconic brand Bonds for almost a decade and it was a predominantly female-led business. Paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements were accessible there much earlier than in mainstream corporate environments, which allowed the business to retain key talent and intellectual capital. I was able to access both of these benefits when we started a family and still develop my career.

Supporting the GM and leadership team taught me so much. As a creative, peoplefocused yet commercially driven company, it was a dynamic and inspiring place to work.

More recently I have met a whole bunch of women on the Coffs Coast who show creativity, resilience and grit in building their own businesses, so I am tapping into that as I grow mine.

My family moved to Coffs when I was little, and I completed school at “Jetty” High, so I guess that makes me almost a local! I moved to Lismore to study business and from there to Sydney where I have lived with my husband Andrew for 25 years.

We had a period of several moves up and down the east coast, and a serious career break travelling for a year before our daughter started kindergarten, so we’ve seen enough to know how good life is here on the Coffs Coast.

We made a decision to move out of Sydney, and COVID made the transition much easier as our work became remote in early 2020. Working from home gives us freedom to choose a more relaxed lifestyle, and to be closer to extended family. We can see the beach from our place and I’ll never get sick of looking at it!

Build a hype squad around you. It can be lonely if you’re starting out or trying something new. Having a pool of expertise and advice available when you need it is invaluable.

Be YOU. Work takes up so much of our lives, spend that time being true to yourself.

If you are building a business, a coach may be the support that helps you keep momentum and progress and keep you accountable.

Never think you’ve got it all under control; as the pandemic showed, those who can evolve and adapt in a changing environment don’t just survive but can thrive.

Hudson Barry has been competing in triathlons amongst the many, many other sports and activities he manages to fit into his impressive schedule, and he is doing so well we think he is definitely a local to keep an eye on as success is a sure thing for this young go-getter!

Whilst I have always enjoyed running, martial arts, swimming, athletics, AFL, touch football, nippers and rugby league, it was after we returned to Coffs Harbour my parents suggested for me to do the annual BCU Triathlon. I gave it a go and realised how much I enjoyed the challenge. It was a few years before I could join the local club (age limits) and after Dad chaperoning on the bike leg (club rules) for a few years (amongst Covid restrictions), last year Mum suggested I try the sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and I absolutely found my happy place!

At the moment I play and ref Oztag. I do volunteer patrols at the Coffs Surf Club where I am also an Age Manager with a friend for Under 6s. I compete for SLS in the 2km beach run at Country Champs, State Champs and Aussie Titles. With school sports, I also umpire and ref gala days as well as going through the stages to represent my school in CHS (State) swimming, cross country and athletics. I also umpire local senior and junior AFL matches, which I am in the talent pathway for the Next Generation Umpires. I ref in the local Touch Football comp and recently I was selected for the ROSTA (Rest of State Talent Academy for Triathlons). By being involved in different sports it has enabled me to become a well rounded individual/athlete, taught me discipline, perseverance, patience and the understanding that hard work never stops.

To avoid dangerous situations on the road with the other road users, I have started bike training indoors and on the velodrome. Over winter it was hard with lane space in the local pool due to lack of heating in the outdoor pool, as well as reduced opening hours, which meant wearing wetsuits outside and training without a squad most of the time. Also due to Covid major restrictions and cancellations as well as constant rain, flooding and bush fires also caused cancellations and postponements of events/comps/the ability to train with a group.

Most mornings I am up before 5.30am, and I train on average twice a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with each day having a different program. Monday is a run (10km) and swim (3.5km), Wednesday is a bike ride (30km) and run (13km), Thursday is a run (10km) and swim (4km), Saturday is a bike ride (50km) and run (6km). The rest of the week is three training sessions with Tuesday a swim (4.5km), bike ride (30km) and a strength and conditioning session (45 minutes). On Fridays, I do a bike (30km), swim (4.5km) and strength and conditioning session (45 minutes). In addition, every day I do core and stretch exercises (20-30 minutes).

With events/comps spread all over Australia as well as internationally, I have travelled to St Kilda, Canberra, Yamba, Byron Bay and Kingscliff and earlier in the year Montreal Canada. Highlights so far… with the Australian Champs held in Canberra, I came third in my age group. I was the NSW State Champ in my age group at Byron Bay. First Australian Age Grouper across the line in Montreal Canada.

During my race at St Kilda I was involved in a bike crash. I had come out of the water first with a 30 second lead on my fellow competitors, feeling good in myself, I got on the bike and during the second lap of the bike course, I was over taking a group of athletes that had started before me but I had caught up to and I was next to the median strip when another competitor came up beside me and hit my handlebars. This caused me to come off my bike, hit my head on the median strip, knocking me out cold and whilst I was extremely lucky for no breaks or fractures there was blood everywhere, some soft tissue damage to my right leg, grazes on my shoulders and ribs. My bike ended up about 15 metres away from me without a chain, my sunglasses broke, lots of damage to my bike including a massive chunk out of my helmet as well. I managed to get up after some time, grab my bike, put the chain back on and finish the race coming 6th in my age group.

By prioritising, keeping track of time including any “free time” and avoiding what Mum refers to as “fluffing around”. I also utilise early morning study sessions at school and my study periods that I am allocated during school. By doing this I ensure I keep on top of what needs to be done making sure I have time to study/ revise on school work. With reffing and umpiring, this is juggled around not only school work but training and comps.

To learn how to pedal… but my ultimate dream is not only to continue doing sports forever and encourage others to give things a go, things they might think that they are or were unable to do, because hard work can and does pay off, but also to complete the major Ironperson World Championships at Kona. My ultimate dream is not only to continue doing sports forever and encourage others to give things a go, things they might think that they are or were unable to do, because hard work can and does pay off, but also to complete the major Ironperson World Championships at Kona.

The red and yellow flags are familiar sight on any Aussie beach, and those at Park Beach in Coffs Harbour are no exception! The Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club (CHSLSC) has been the heart and soul of the Coffs Harbour coastal community since its official formation in 1923. 2023 will mark a century of CHSLSC - a hundred years’ worth of volunteer efforts, including surf patrol, water safety education and community programs. These are just some of the things CHSLSC does:

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of surf life saving is the beach patrols. It’s quite likely you’re picturing a red and yellow-clad sentinel, gazing out to the ocean or running into the surf with a rescue tube. An Aussie icon, surf life savers are part of our coastal identify and way of life. Surf life savers are trained volunteers that patrol beaches during weekends. Patrols include providing information

about the safest swimming spots (between those flags!), aquatic rescues, and providing first aid and emergency care. Get involved: CHSLSC is always looking for new volunteers and provides full training. It’s a role which is challenging, satisfying, fun and rewarding. Incorporate health and fitness into your role, make new mates and give something back to the local community. Who knows – you might even save somebody’s life.

Nippers is another part of the Aussie coastal identity. A rite of passage for thousands of Aussie kids, Nippers teaches importance surf safety, beach awareness and competence around the ocean. Targeted at kids aged 5-13 years. Nippers is a great way to build confidence, learn new skills, and meet new friends. Whether it’s swims, board paddling, beach sprints, novelty events, or even the opportunity to train and compete in local carnivals, there’s something for every kid at Nippers. Get involved: The 2022-23 Coffs Harbour Nippers season commences Sunday October 16, and runs from 8.45am Sunday mornings at Park Beach with a sausage sizzle afterwards.

Not only do surf life savers run patrols and save lives; they can be a competitive bunch too! Whether it’s sand running, swimming out through the break, or rowing a boat down a wave, surf sports offer an adrenalineraising way to stay fit, have fun and develop those vital life saving skills. Surf sports are open to all volunteer surf life savers. Our clubbies experience a range of sports, including beach and water events. All events aim at developing and utilising key surf life saving skills in a fun and competitive way.

Our boaties focus on surf row boating – a discipline which demands high levels of fitness, commitment, teamwork and skill. The surf sports offer the opportunity to compete locally and interstate, making plenty of friends along the way too. Get involved: the Club is always on the lookout for new clubbies and rowers of all ages!

The Coffs Coast became a Refugee Welcome Zone in 2008, with over 1600 people arriving to Coffs Harbour under the Humanitarian Settlement Program. While Australians take the beach and beach safety skills for granted, many new arrivals do not have basic water skills. Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club works with our local refugee community to help teach water safety. Abdollah Noorani settled with his family in Coffs Harbour after fleeing to Iran from the war in Afghanistan. He’s now a CHSLSC volunteer with a bronze medallion in surf life saving, and teaches many of his peers and other new arrivals swimming skills through Aquatic Tutoring Australia.

Silver Salties is a joint initiative of Surf Life Saving Australia, local surf life saving clubs and Sport Australia’s Move It Aus – Better Ageing Grants Program to encourage the benefits of moderate physical activity for older Australians. They meet weekly, and each session features a welcome and check in, overview of the walking route, warm up and cool down, 15-30 minute walk and talk, and optional social tea/ coffee afterwards at the Surf Club Restaurant and Bar - supporters of the CHSLSC. Meet new friends, develop some fitness skills and embrace the incredible Coffs Coast’s natural beauty too! Get involved: meet at Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club on Wednesday mornings at 8.30am.

There’s more to the Surf Club than just the surf! Volunteers are required not only on the beach, but behind the scenes as well. CHSLSC is always looking for new faces to help with administration and to continue their great work. They’re also always on the look out for new sponsors too! Get involved: email info@ coffsharboursurfclub.com.au for more information.

Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club 100 Year Anniversary Gala: Friday 5 May – Sunday 7 May 2023. Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club invites all members, guests, volunteers and community members to celebrate a century of CHSLSC. Featuring welcome drinks on Friday evening, a gala celebration dinner on Saturday night and a farewell brekkie on Sunday morning, our celebration weekend is a celebration of the past, present and future of CHSLSC! Check out coffsharboursurfclub. com.au for more information!

The CHSLSC would like to acknowledge and thank our major sponsors. The Club seeks sponsors that embrace and represent the values of the Club. Sponsors are a vital part of our club as it requires funding to purchase and maintain life-saving equipment as well as providing training and fitness opportunities to its members to ensure volunteers are able to perform to the best of their abilities. Current sponsorship packages are available. If you would like to inquire about sponsoring the Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club please contact the club on 6652 3245 or info@coffsharboursurfclub.com.au

CASS WILSON

Becoming U is an exciting and innovative new project that involves a small team working side-by-side with youth in the Nambucca Valley and those important to them, designing together innovative and sustainable projects that create connection, well-being and life-changing opportunities.

About four years ago Uniting invested in five communities across the NSW region to try something new and innovative. They knew that place-based approaches were emerging as a method for social change and recognised the importance and uniqueness of place, in addressing complex challenges, such as social and economic disadvantage. This approach focused on addressing local needs and working together with local people and groups to find locally tailored solutions.

The team and I were placed in the Nambucca Heads community and spent a good 18 months building trust, listening to what was important and then worked side by side designing with them local projects that were unique to that community and their challenges.

Becoming U then came to life. A name created by the community with a focus on the theme that kept repeating itself despite who we talked to. The theme was young people aged 8-18 where the community wanted to work together to empower them to unleash their full potential and use it to thrive.

Under the Becoming U Banner we have five projects that represent the different areas the young people, and those important to them, wanted to design.

Inspire U – Digital Storytelling projects amplifying the voices and powerful stories of young people and community. This supports young people to increase their self-belief, confidence and hope.

Guide U – Youth2Youth peer mentoring, community mentoring and career mentoring projects. This supports young people by training more local people to be mentors, so young people can have more role models and supports in their life than they do now.

Future U – Projects that expose our young people to career opportunities, future life paths and networks by working with them at an earlier stage to ignite their passions and give them something to strive for. Active U – This is about keeping our young people healthy and well through projects promoting non-competitive activities, relationships, and skill building. The theme was Opportunity U – young people Projects that remove aged 8-18 where the financial barriers and community wanted to work together to open doors of opportunity for our young people. This supports them through empower them to small grant programs and unleash their full leadership opportunities potential and use it like our youth advisory to thrive. council at Nambucca Heads High School.

I am the Community Impact Co-Ordinator for the project and have been leading this incredible, passionate and driven team for the

last four years since we started. I have two community connectors, Elisse and Isabel, who work with the Nambucca Heads and Macksville community and one social media and content creator, Simone, who helps us communicate what we are up to and the impact we are making – check out our Becoming U social channels and website becomingu.org.au ! I am also so excited to say that we have just expanded into Toormina and Jess has joined the team as a connector who is focused on creating local projects with young people in that community.

Our project is open to young people aged 8-18 or those that are important to them such as teachers, sports coaches, parents. We are based in Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Toormina. We are not a program or program deliverers; we work alongside young people and bring their ideas to life with them. New programs and ideas are emerging and growing each week so if a young person (or someone close to them) has an idea they think will help tackle a local issue then reach out to me and the team and we can chat about it.

Our team wants positive outcomes around a young person’s work readiness, an increase in how healthy they feel, both physically and mentally and an increased connection to opportunities and to their community. We are seeing that in a big way across our Opportunity U projects and Active U projects especially. The first Youth Advisory Council (YAC) for year 11 students have given them opportunities to become community and school change makers. They have had exposure to leadership skill building, connection to community champions and have had a life changing trip to Canberra, to meet other YAC groups, attend Universities and tour Parliament House. The Active U project has seen a big difference in young people’s confidence and self-worth as they learn new skills but also build new friendships and have more mentors in their lives.

The feedback is overwhelmingly positive, from young people, schools, groups and levels of government. We often hear from young people that being part of something that they have designed together has helped them feel empowered, seen and heard. That they feel valued and that their opinions count. Schools have told us having a resource outside of school grounds, who are just as passionate about the students as they are and have the time and resource to help bring things to life with them, has been such an incredible game changer.

Both Guide U and Future U have mentoring components in the project. The Youth2Youth project was designed by students, primary and high school teachers and us as an innovative way to support year six students coming into high school. Ten year nine students are trained

We often hear from young people that being part of something that they have designed together to be youth mentors and are matched with has helped them feel 10 year six students who are feeling nervous empowered, seen and about heading into high school the following heard. year. Over the last term of school each week, the year nine students and year six students spend time together building friendships and completing challenges such as an Amazing Race. Then they continue building their new friendships in term one when they are both in high school together. This has given the older students more responsibility, leadership skills and has dramatically helped the younger students feel less anxious about making the transition to high school.

I see it being invested in and expanding which is so exciting. This project started with one Co-Ordinator and has grown to a team of 5. Long-term presence and sustainability are goals of ours as we hope to prove that place-based and co-designed projects and solutions are a great way forward for communities to grow and prosper. They are the experts in what works in their towns. We would love to see funding opportunities increased for longer than two or three years as it takes time to build trust and bring people together, but when it does incredible things happen.