I'm Jen
Whenever I speak at an event, or work with a group, I go out of my way to relate to my audience. I want to share those parts of myself and my experience that will be most likely to help the people in that group walk away inspired, energised and ready to take action!
That means I find it nearly impossible to write an "about me" section!
Like everyone, I'm multifaceted - and I am happy to draw on all manner of personal and professional experiences to connect with and assist my audience. I don't just draw on the highlight reel either, and can delve way beyond the obvious winning moments on my CV.
That said, here's a few moments in my life that may help to illustrate the experiences I draw on and how I can help you and your team:
A few highlights
Professional
Founded, scaled and successfully sold pure-play online retailer MTB Direct to a private equity firm. We went from totally bootstrapped startup to strong 8-figure turnover, and featured in the Deloitte Fast 50, AFR Fast 100, Telstra Business Awards and various other accolades.
I was regularly recognised as one of the Top 50 People in Ecommerce in Australia for my work as founder and CEO of MTB Direct.
Speaking
I have presented at events across Australia and the USA, from ecommerce conferences to university startup incubators and women's leadership events, and everything in between. Highlights include:
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MC of the 3-day Retail Fest Gold Coast for the last five years
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Opening and closing keynote at Retail Global Las Vegas
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Keynotes at EcommerceFuel Live in New Orleans and Laguna Beach.
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Panelist for the American Express Idea Exchange roadshow alongside Shark Tank's Andrew Banks, Thank You's Daniel Flynn and Adore Beauty founder Kate Morris.
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Facilitating a breakout session at Hubspot's Inbound conference in Boston
Community
I am co-chair of the board of Retail ROI - a non-profit that enables the Australian retail community to support community projects aimed at vulnerable women and children.
I developed and championed the Dollars for Dirt program at MTB Direct, that saw us give over a quarter of a million dollars to clubs and trail care groups around Australia and New Zealand.
Education
My undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Economics (and half a law degree - that's a story for another day!), and somewhere in between founding MTB Direct and baby #2 I completed a Master of Development Practice. This is a community-focused degree that informs my own work and experience, as well as how I work with my audiences - facilitation is the art of working with a 'community' that has formed at a certain place and time, with a certain united purpose.
Personal
My husband is my co-founder, and we also homeschool our kids - I know what the reality of business and family looks like! I also know what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry, and this is an important conversation I can have with your audience.
