A business marketing coach who knows how to have a good time

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Emily Spicer-Stuart is the founder of the business that bears her name. A business marketing coach, Emily helps people to seize opportunities and get the best out of them.

Here she shares what she’s learnt about the importance of meaningful work and embracing the funny side of life, while still smashing your goals.

I grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, then moved to Melbourne after my dad passed away when I was seven. That’s been the biggest influence in my life and has shaped who I am today. I’ve now gone back to living by the beach. It’s been really good for my soul and my headspace – it’s where I go to clear my head and reground myself.

From sadness, a new perspective

My dad died at 41. My mum worked her arse off because he wasn’t around – she taught me to enjoy every day as if it were your last, but also that anything is possible. I’ve grown up with the idea that if you’ve got an opportunity in front of you, grab it now. Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because you just don’t know what’s around the corner. That perspective has been key to my success. I’m always trying to challenge the status quo.

Flowers, cheesecakes and Mad Men

I wanted to own my own business from the get-go: I used to sell lemonade on the street corner when I was a kid! My first job was in a florist when I was 14, but I quickly learnt the only way to make money in floristry is to own your own business, and I had no business skills. So I finished high school and went to uni.

I had about seven part-time jobs and did a lot of unpaid work while I studied. I tested things, trying to get a sense of what an industry was about and how well it suited me – or not. Did I want to work in hospitality or own a restaurant? Open a hairdressing salon or get into weddings? Work in retail or digital marketing? I was able to eliminate things off my list.

After I graduated, I decided to go into marketing with a food company – Sara Lee – followed by a two-year stint in an advertising agency. You could say Mad Men sucked me in! But I wanted to be involved in the big 360-degree plans, not just TV commercials, so I went back into client-side marketing for the next 14 years.

The juggle was a struggle

When I became a mum, I found that working long hours in the corporate world without much meaningful work, kindness or gratitude was a real struggle. I was trying to juggle the family and the house and the never-ending chores. My dream of having my own business, with freedom and flexibility, quickly became a priority.

Getting started wasn’t difficult. I had a great ‘village’ around me. I leveraged my networks and had a heap of support. And being a service-based business, I could scale it at my own pace and didn’t need a huge amount of capital behind me.

The biggest problems I faced were in my own head: I didn’t anticipate how much I’d relied on the corporate world for my sense of identity and community. I realised how important it was to have a network of small business buddies around me – someone on the end of the phone, someone down the road to have a coffee with. Building that network supported me through the journey.

Being bold and having a laugh

If your work holds no meaning for you, it can eat away at you and erode your sense of self. But if it’s meaningful, you’ll find joy and happiness. That’s been one of my biggest learnings since starting my own business – success is about so much more than dollars. To feel good about what you’re doing is critical.

A lot of my thinking about success revolves around the word ‘bold’. I try to be bold in everything I do – willing to take risks, confident, courageous, brave and daring.

I also try to find the funny side in every situation because that’s where happiness and satisfaction comes from. There are heaps of business coaches out there who are really serious, with their corporate suits and headshots, using all the buzz words. But life’s too short – if you can’t laugh at yourself, what hope have you got?

Translating knowledge for small businesses

The small business space is growing exponentially – people want to understand how other businesses have scaled and succeeded. As a result, I’ve got a big opportunity to scale my business now and get my message out to more people. I’ve lined up more workshops, online e-courses and event speaking opportunities.

If I can translate that business knowledge for others, I can help more people bring their ideas to life. And that, to me, is really exciting.

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