Season 3 | Episode 5 | Your Website Isn’t Marketing. It’s Infrastructure.

In this episode on the Fempire Rising, Her Future Her Voice Podcast, Trudy speaks with Sandy Loudon, founder of Loud and Clear Digital, about treating a website as a strategic business asset rather than a “pretty brochure.”

Sandy shares her path from corporate roles and running Baker’s Delight franchises and a cafe to creating and selling handbags online, which led her into website design and becoming a strategic digital partner for businesses.

They discuss common website mistakes, including leaving the website idea until last, lacking strategy, overwhelming menus and too many pages, unclear messaging, outdated content, poor mobile responsiveness, and misused stock imagery.

Sandy explains the difference between a site that looks good and one that converts, emphasising clarity in the first three seconds, strong calls to action above the fold, simple navigation, updated SEO-focused copy, and purposeful images, videos, and testimonials to build trust.

If you have a website that needs some TLC, or want to create a converting website from the get go, this episode will give you applicable tips that will get you thinking about how important a website is for your business in contemporary times.

Click here to join the Academy and use the code RISING for 25% off!


00:29 Sandy Intro

01:27 Sandy’s Career Journey

02:46 From Franchises To Family Business

04:53 Handbags To First Website

07:25 Websites Need Strategy

09:17 Looks Good Versus Works

12:28 Common Website Mistakes

14:24 Quick Website Fix Checklist

15:34 Sponsor Break

16:18 Simplify Pages And Update SEO

17:08 SEO Explained 

18:31 Mobile Ready Websites

19:03 Simplify Your Homepage

19:30 Above The Fold CTAs

21:13 Trust Builders And Proof

23:04 Images Video And SEO

25:03 Clarity And Consistency

27:05 Websites As Business Assets

27:49 Innovation And Asking Help

30:38 From Pretty To Strategic

32:08 Optimism For Women

34:36 Final Takeaways And Wrap Up


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Connect with Sandy

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I always say it can look absolutely pretty. It can look amazing. It can be beautiful. But what does it do for you? What does it do for your business? So a website is a business asset. You've put money into it. You want people to come, you want them to take some sort of action when they come to your website. So yes, I think it does get left to last. They want it to look nice. It's a little bit like a social media post, you know, oh, it looks beautiful. But let's think about the strategy of what you're wanting to get out of that website.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Hello and welcome to the Fempire Rising Podcast, Her Future, Her Voice. This podcast is all about the women building businesses, creating impact, and shaping the future of female entrepreneurship. And in season three, we're speaking to the women behind the infrastructure of business, the experts who help business owners build something strong, sustainable, and successful. Because building a business today isn't just about having a great idea, it's also about the systems, structures, and visibility that support the idea. And one of the most important pieces of that infrastructure is your digital presence. So today I'm joined by Sandra Loudoun, founder of Loud and Clear Digital, who works with businesses to create websites and digital platforms that not only look good but actually work. Sandy, welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Oh, thank you so much, Trudy. It's an honor to be here.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Oh, it's so great to have you. So before we dive into websites and digital strategy, I always love starting with the story behind the person. Because very few people grow up thinking they're going to become a website designer, right? Yes. So for those meeting you for the very first time, can you share a little about your background and what led you to website design?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Okay, absolutely. I've always been creative, so that's something that I've always been right from the start. But I started my working career with the Golka City Council. I then moved on to work with the Scholastic Book Fairs, so it's a children's publisher.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Wow, okay, I remember those from my children.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Oh, I know, absolutely. It was so much fun. So we were doing book fairs around Australia, and it was it was actually really amazing because now when I travel around Australia, I remember some of the schools that we used to send books to. Oh, I did. Money for the schools. So I did that, and then we relocated to Melbourne, and I was doing some temp work, but I ended up getting a temp position with Baker's Delight in their head office in Campberwell. And that was amazing. I was working with the leases for the franchisees, making up the contracts, getting the connection between where they wanted to open the store. Um, so that was really, really cool. Working in their corporate. Work in their corporate office, yeah. So that was wonderful. And through that, we were given the opportunity to take on a couple of bakeries. So we dived in with cool feet at that point in time, and we took on, so we did the franchisee training. Uh, that was amazing. And then we took on a rundown store in Burwood, Burled East, in Melbourne. And so that was a really big eye-opener into food, hospitality, having to get up at midnight, making bread, having fails, all those sorts of things. If it didn't go well at that time of the morning or staff didn't turn up, then you know, so it was a really hard time. At the store when we actually took it over, it was really disgusting. Yeah, the guy had let it run down, it was just not clean. So we really had to work hard to get that store back up and running, but we did. And through baptism of fire. It was a baptism of fire, absolutely, absolutely. From that point of view, though I'd been in corporate, that was probably my first real experience with hiring staff and bringing staff on that would represent us, you know, at the counter and have our level of customer service that we were looking for. And then we were given an opportunity to come back to Brisbane and open up a brand new store at Arana Hill Shopping Centre. So we did that. We did that for a little while, and look, it it was hard work. And my father was in construction and he decided to get out because we had the skills that we'd built up with Baker's Delight. We went in as a family and we bought a cafe in Broadbeach. Talk about going from the pan into the fire. Yeah, we bought a cafe, which was really hilarious, actually, because the guy running it, we ended up finding out when we actually took over and we were running it that it was like a bikey's destination. So yeah, good old Rob was running a little bit of a shady deal. But look, it's good. We did that for 18 months, and that was seven days a week, seven o'clock till sort of four, five o'clock, just no break. My parents ended up not being part of that. So that was a really big tough time. But you know what? I look back on that experience as amazing. Anyway, suffice to say, we sold that. I ended up having three kids, and in that, while I was at home as a stay-at-home mum, I started to get my creative back on and I started to make handbags. So I was I designed all my own handbags and they were all one-off designs. And I started selling them at markets, but then I was also selling them on eBay. So eBay was all right, that was okay. And then a friend of mine introduced me to Zen cart way back then, and I went, hang on a second. And it was like a penny had dropped. It was like, hang on a second, I don't have to get up at five o'clock in the morning and go to a market. I can build a website and I can have people shop online. And it was just that I didn't look back. Honestly, it was amazing. Obviously, with something of your own, you're not paying eBay fees, you're not paying. So I was able then to sort of control my own business doing that. So I did that for a little bit, only a short amount of time before I started to just talk to people, friends or whatever. Yeah. And I just started to go, oh, well, let me have a go at doing one for you. And so it was just a natural progression. And I absolutely loved it because I think I came from corporate small business, running our own sort of entrepreneurial space, which I could then see with friends or or clients of knowing that. They didn't add value to their learning about their business and and leaning in and going, okay, all right, well, this is what you want to achieve. We can do that online. Let's just bring that bricks and mortar business and we'll put it online. Yeah. And I just, as I say, haven't looked back and I absolutely love it. So that's great.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

And I think you're what do they say? If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Yeah, that's right. But I I love that story too, you know, because what it shows is that you have made the mistakes and you you admitted that as a you know, working with lots of entrepreneurs and business owners, you know that, and so you know the pressures that they're under, which is fabulous. Oh. And you it's not somebody fresh out of university that you know may have all of the theory behind them, yes, but doesn't really have that practice of understanding exactly what needs to work and have and what the commerciality of it is. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

Yeah, no, no, absolutely. Like Baker's Delight, one of the quotes that I got from them was to work on your business, not in your business. Yes. And I just that is probably one of my most favorite sayings because it's so true. And when you work with business owners, they're deep in it and they can't sometimes see. Absolutely. They need to see.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Yep, absolutely. And I think that leads me into my next question is that I think many business owners treat their website like a bit of a digital brochure, which is you know something that they create once and just hope it does that job forever and stays current forever. What are you seeing when it comes to how women in business approach their websites?

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Yes, okay, I completely agree with that. It's most times I find when talking to clients at the start of our relationship is that the website's been left to last. They've done, they've got all the business going, they've got it all, and then they go, okay, well, I guess I should be online, I'll get a website. And then that and that that idea, there is no strategy, there's no idea, there's no concept to that at all. And it does become that digital brochure if you treat it like that. So why I always say it can look absolutely pretty, it can look amazing, it can be beautiful, but what does it do for you? What does it do for your business? So a website is a business asset. You've put money into it, you want people to come, you want them to take some sort of action when they come to your website. So, yes, I think it does get left to last. Yeah, and it does they want it to look nice. It's a little bit like a social media post, you know, oh, it looks beautiful. But let's think about the strategy of what you're wanting to get out of that website.

unknown 8:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Absolutely. And I think one of the things that I always say when I'm coaching clients is very much your website is your credibility. So you know, all of your social media is essentially just a journey to get to your website. It is the draw card to get you there. Yes. And then your website should actually show what you're capable of, what you do, and it needs to be something that is is you're right, not just beautiful, but it's got to actually support your business. So, in your experience, what's the biggest difference between a website that looks good and one that works?

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Okay, so one that looks good, people will come and go, oh wow, isn't that pretty? Yeah. Oh, I recognize your colours, or you know, if they've come from social media, oh, this looks lovely. Because I was talking about a client journey. So if it doesn't have the client journey, i.e., they come, you've got three seconds pretty much. So if they come to your site and they don't understand what you do, or they don't understand how you can help their pain, frustration, need, or whatever, then it literally is just pretty. But if you take time to work on this is what I want people to do when they get to my website, this is what I want them to understand that I can do. I'm the industry expert that they are looking for. And this is the call to action that I want you to take. Yep. So yeah, that there's a massive difference between, and you know what, you can still have it looking amazing. You can still have it on brand, you can have all of that, but you just need to understand what is the purpose of this site and what do I want them to do when they get there. And the thing with that is that that gives clarity to your business when it's online. Absolutely. The clarity builds trust.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Yes. Yep. And I'm also a big believer in the KISS principle. So and often I say you, when you are looking at your particularly your social media or any of your digital presence, you need to actually assume that the people who are viewing it don't have the same knowledge that you have. So your your verbiage and your anything that you're asking them to do needs to be really clear and succinct so that there is no mistaking what you want them to do when they get there.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yeah, that's absolutely true. And depending on what industry you're in, using technical industry-specific jargon is just off the table. You have to be really, very, really clear in your mind of they don't know what I know, but I know that I can help them with this. And then they understand.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Yeah. Yep. And it's also about you know understanding uh again, Nick, it comes down to you know what we talk about in coaching is understanding their pain points. You know, so when somebody comes, why are they coming and what is it that's concerning them? And how do I provide that solution? Absolutely. And that's what you said in that three seconds that you've got, you want to communicate that really quickly.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Because they'll just go. Honestly, they will go. And you know, that's the other thing about when I talk about the structure and the strategy of the site is that you want them to, your most important high impact information is at the top of the page. And as you go down the page, you can start to put some other stuff in there, but if you don't have them captured at the first instance, then they're not going to scroll further. So no, if you've got the important information down the bottom of the page on your home page, you've already lost them.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Absolutely. And I think you can see that by looking at your own analytics, can't you? Yes. Where they come and how long they stay. And half the time they're not getting to the bottom of that page. So no, absolutely not. Yeah, yeah. So you must see the same issues coming up again and again when people come to you for help.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

What are some of the most common mistakes that you see business owners make?

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Okay, so I think the most common one is that they don't actually see or recognize the value of their website as an asset. Okay. Okay, so I think that's the most thing is that they really go, I've got a website, yeah, great.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

I've got to have it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Or if they haven't got a website and they come to me and they go, Right, I've got a business, I think I need to get an online presence, I need a website. Majority of the time they don't actually know what they need or what that even entails. So a lot of my process in with a new client is discussing, okay, what does your business do? Who do you help? Who's your audience? What are you wanting to get out of it? So a lot of it is business strategy at the beginning. And I think that's the biggest mistake that people make is that they don't have that strategy built in. You know, because the thing is that, you know, if you look at financials or you look at staffing or you look at, you know, HR or I mean, uh all the areas of business all have a strategy. So there's no reason why your website is any different. Your digital presence. So your digital presence needs to have exactly that, you know. And like you say with the analytics, it's absolutely measurable. It's measurable to the point where you can see the bounce rates, you can see where people are coming. You know, it you can even get down to the point where you're tagging buttons in your tracking to see if they're actually clicking on that particular button on the page. So you can get really in depth with your analytics and look at that structure. But I think the biggest mistake is people think it's a pretty brochure, or they haven't got one, and then they come and they go, Well, I need one, and then it all of a sudden it's like, Oh, okay. Yeah, here's my colours, here's my logo.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Yeah, that's exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

That's enough. And it's like, yeah, not really.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

That's fair. That's fair. So I I would assume that many of our listeners now are probably sitting back going, oh, hang on a minute. Well, I probably have that really pretty brochure, but my website, I don't know that it's actually really doing what I need it to do. So maybe I need to revisit that. So if someone realised their website isn't doing its job, yeah, um, what are the first things they should look at fixing? Okay, so Aside from developing a strategy?

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Yeah, from there. Yeah, okay. So I always think it's a really good idea. So there's a first one is open your homepage, look at it for three seconds and close it, and then ask yourself if you understood who you are and what you do, and if you get that message conveyed. So that's the first thing I would do. So ask others, would you ask people you know to do that? You would absolutely ask others. Yeah, have a look at it for me. Tell me if you if you think it's clear.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Um well, I'm gonna come back to strategy, but uh okay, so the question is not that necessarily. That's fine. Well, I would be looking at the pages that you've got, okay? So we'll talk about your headings, talk about your copy, have a look at all the pages.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Before we jump back in, if you know you need more support in your business, but you are not ready to commit to one-on-one coaching, the Fampire Academy is your next step. This is our stepping stone program for women who know they need more guidance, more structure, and better support as they grow. Inside, you'll have access to thousands of dollars worth of business training, a monthly QA session with one of our coaches, and our sisterhood Facebook group, where we share exclusive content, insight, and support for women building serious businesses. And because you're a podcast listener, you can join with 25% off using the code RISING. You'll find the link in the show notes. Now let's get back to the episode.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Is the information on your website clear and concise? Will it be understandable? If you've got lots of pages, like I've literally had clients come to me that have got 150 pages. Now they're not all live, but that's just way too many pages. Yeah. Like, how are you ever going to get someone to click on the 50th page? Or, you know, do you even need that? You know, I've seen drop-down menus that are insane. So I think it's all about trying to pull it back so that it's not overwhelming, there's not too much information. And I think also, is the information that you've got on your website current? And this is specifically talking about SEO, because if you're wanting to get results on SEO and you're wanting people to search, you need to keep that information updated. Google doesn't like it if it's been sitting there since 1955.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Can we just sort of expand that on SEO just very quickly? Yes. Because I'm sure people hear that term, SEO. Oh, yes, sorry. Uh actually, I'm not really quite sure what that is. Okay, all right, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

I will break that down. So it's search engine optimization. And at the moment, because of chat GPT and AI, yeah, it's actually answer engine optimization as well. So you'll notice when you search for something now, it will come up with an AI answer. Yes. And a lot of people see that and they won't click. Okay. But if you were optimizing your copy on your website, so that's all your text, that's all the information. If you were making that optimized to what you think people would be searching for in your industry, if the best way to look at it is what do people ask you when they come to you? Like what's the most popular questions that you get asked? It's probably what they're searching. So if you can answer that on your website with your copy and your text and your paragraphs or whatever, then there's a better chance of you coming up when people search. So that's what we're talking about. So if you've got really outdated information that's not on trend, it's not uh or even really outdated terminology, I would imagine. Terminology, absolutely, all of that sort of stuff. You know, if we look back in the 90s, we're doing things completely different. These because I mean, people still have a website that was built in the 90s. So, you know, like if they don't update that, and of course, just I'll slot in as well, if it's not mobile responsive at that point too, if you've got a really outdated website, it's not necessarily going to convert over the multiple of different devices that we have available to us these days.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

But that's just the difference between looking at it, say, on a laptop screen or on a desktop, or then going to how keys on mobile or you know, iPad or something.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, so those sorts of things are really important. So, you know, they would be the first things that I've looked at. If you've got an existing website, is it clear? Do you have too much going on on the website? And can you pair it back a little bit and make it a little bit clearer? Revisit some of your images, revisit some of your text, revisit some of your headings and be thinking about what people are searching for and questions you get commonly asked.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Okay, fabulous, fabulous. Then let's talk. I come to the website. What are the three things that you think every business should have on their website that's going to convert from I'm here, I love what you're saying, I want to talk to you and do business. So I'd imagine things like particularly for personal services, having the ability to book an appointment. Absolutely. So we call that a call to action.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Yes. Without fail, and we call it above the fold. So it's the first, if you open up your desktop or your laptop and you open up a website, what you see on the screen before you scroll is where your prime real estate is, and that's where your call to action has to be. You, if you say, okay, the purpose of my website is to have people book, then you absolutely have to have a book now button. And it has to be easy. So what we want to do is emphasize easy. So is it just a one-click and it goes to a form? Is it a one-click and they call you? Is it a one-click and they email you? So whatever it is, just to keep it really super simple and easy to do. Call to action is really, really imperative. A very easy menu. So you want to have a menu on your website that says home, about services, contact, whatever it might be. Or if it's a shop, purchase, you know, like visit my store or whatever it is. So that if I mean you obviously can't get loads into that first screen, sure. But if you know that that menu is going to be very, very clear where people can click and it'll take them to that information straight away, then that's really important. And probably some nice, simple, clear heading and a little bit of text so it does convey what you do. Okay. Testimonials. It's important to have, but it wouldn't be up the top.

unknown 21:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

No, that's I think I think it's important to have testimonials. Obviously, you want to build trust. You want people to understand that other people have had this experience with you and they've guessed the result, or they've purchased something from you and it was a really good product. Obviously, you want to have that, but I would not be suggesting that that is front and center up the top. Maybe if there was something that was really strong and obviously really good at explaining what you do, you could maybe put that under the heading and copy at that beginning as a little block quote from someone. But yeah, no, I would put that further down. But it is important to have because you want to build trust. And it's also things like you would have maybe a portfolio if you're providing. Service like branding or something like that. That this is work I've done before. Yep. As a brief. Yeah, as a brief, or you might have maybe featured products. If there's something like a brand new product you're releasing, you might want to feature that somewhere close to the top of the page. Then obviously, always important. It doesn't get talked about enough. But when we go down to the bottom of the website, we call that the footer. Sure. And that's can be an undercapitalized piece of real estate if you like, because that is where you can keep your important information like your privacy policy, your terms and conditions, any licenses that you might have if you're a contractor or and then also reiterating where you're located and how people can contact you.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

Great. And I think that's the key, isn't it? Is that people need to know how to engage you. Yes, absolutely. But don't do not make that a difficult task.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Absolutely not. That's what I mean. If it's one click that they can get the result they want, like booking or whatever, absolutely. That's just key. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

What about images versus text?

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Okay, so both are really important these days and video even more so. There's a couple of best practice with videos. Videos are great, but you don't want them with any sound. Uh most of the browsers will block that. You can put a button that says play unmute if you want to do that. But yeah, best practice not to have a video actually playing with sound. But videos and images are really important and text that matches what you're showing. Okay. So look, images, don't use stock images just because you want to have something pretty that looks good and here's a person. And really, if you look at stock images and you're based in Australia and you've got people that are don't look Australian and you have just used stock images or does the destination. American currency and you're not going to be able to do it. Yes, absolutely. You know, all of those things, if it doesn't look like it's from Australia, don't use it. It destroys your credibility. It destroys credibility straight away. And it also doesn't have any relationship. So images are really emotive. Yes. Okay. So if someone comes there and they see a particular image that's relevant to your business and solution you've got, then people will connect with it. But if it has no connection, no relevancy, it's just an absolute waste of time. No, it has to support your team. It has to support, absolutely. It's just not they're not, and we come back to the pretty brochure. We don't images. Images can be very helpful for SEO as well because we can put they're called alternative tags on an image, and they serve two purposes. One is for accessibility. If people are unable to access that image, like maybe they've got a disability or they've got a problem with their internet, it will load up with what the image is. So it will turn out. But also that comes up in search. So if people are searching that particular term that you've got on your image tag, then that is so it gives you that double whammy. It's a double whammy. So yeah, images are great, but you need a balance of both. Of course.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

Yeah. That's fabulous. Now, one of the themes we're exploring this season is what it really takes to build businesses at last. So I'm going to ask you a few questions that I do ask all of our guests. Okay. From your perspective, what is one thing women in business need to understand earlier if they want to build something strong and sustainable?

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Clarity and consistency. So I think if you're wanting to do it long term, you need to be really clear on what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how you're going to do it. So you're really, really clear, and then be consistent through that. Because it's so easy to look sideways and see something shiny and sparkly over there. Or that next shiny thing. Yeah. Or look at someone over there, and all of a sudden you've got comparisonitis, you know. And so then you're going, oh, maybe I should be doing that. So the thing is to be really, really clear and not be tunnel vision, but really, this is what I'm doing, this is what I'm here for, this is who I'm serving, most importantly. And then just stay with that trajectory and but be consistent in that.

unknown 26:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

And I think that builds the long term.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

And I think that it's really interesting because that shows up, that is a consistent message with everybody that I talk to, but it's also very consistent in you know the coaching. When I meet with a client for the first time or a lady who's been training to become a coach with us at Fempire, the key thing is their why. And I always, you know, when I particularly when women are becoming coaches and I ask them, well, why you want to do this? Most of the time, the answer that comes out of their mouth is, I want to help other women, I want to see other women succeed. And my answer to them is I can teach you all of the other things, but I can't teach you your why. So you need to understand that because that's the thing that keeps you on track.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

Oh, that's right. Because when it gets tough or whatever, or you wake up in the morning and say, Why am I doing this? And then you realize, well, this is why I'm doing it. This is why I'm doing it.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

This is my why. So yeah, absolutely. In your field, what is one mistake you see business owners make again and again?

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Oh, in my field, not understanding that the website is a business asset. I think that's got to be the absolute key. Because you spend money on it, but you want to return on investment on that. It's part of your business structure, it's an asset.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

So I think that's one thing that I think Well, I think any asset or any investment that you make into your business, there is an expectation of return on investment, and you need to understand what that should look like.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

Absolutely. And I think that sort of winds back to, oh, this looks really pretty. I'm finally online. Yeah, no, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

So that's that's probably the biggest mistake. No, that's that's great, great advice. When you've worked with as many businesses as you have, you know, and you've you've talked through your journey, you start to notice what separates the ones that grow and the ones that stay stuck. So, what do you think separates women who are building lasting businesses from those who struggle to gain their traction?

SPEAKER_00 28:06

Oh, I think we're I think we're gonna have to come back to clarity again. And uh it takes confidence to continue to build and trust in yourself that that's what you actually want to do to keep it going. And to be able to sort of also read the room as as of what's happening in the business environment around you and to take that on board as you continue to grow. Yes. So I think the ones that stay stuck are just they're comfortable, they're not doing anything new, they're maybe not up on trend with what's happening in the market.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

You need to be comfortable to innovate, I think.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

I think you do, you do. And that's but maintaining your clarity in your why, but also being able to go, okay, if I'm gonna continue to grow in this environment, I mean, look at how many people have got completely freaked out by AI. Yeah. Now that's something that you can't ignore. You have to take that on in some form or measure with your business. So I think that's right. Or actually taken the chance to see opportunities in front of them.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

And I think that's it, isn't it? Is that you know there's there are people who are adverse to change. Yes. And they are the ones that tend to stay stuck. Those who and change is uncomfortable. We all know that. Yes. But if you embrace it as an opportunity, as you said, and see things through the lens of it being an opportunity rather than, oh my goodness, you know, this is a negative all the time, that glass half full, half empty. Yes, yeah, that's right. Is I find, in my experience, they are the ones that embrace change, innovate, see opportunity, are the ones that continually move forward and develop their, whether it be their product or their service.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

And I think also accommodate the changing market. Yeah, absolutely. But I think also to say to the ones that are stuck and haven't gone anywhere is that sometimes you need help. Might be best to ask. Absolutely. Ask if you need help. If you're not sure of the next move, or if you're not sure what you're doing with your staff, then ask. If recruitment's an issue, ask. You know, get yourself a business coach. If it's financial, then look at someone who can help. So some businesses I think go, this is the way it's always been done, and they're not willing to ask for help, or they don't think they need the help, and that doesn't move them forward. Don't be the ostrich with your head in the Don't be the ostrich.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

What is one decision or shift that had the biggest impact on you and your professional journey?

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Okay, deciding not to just make pretty pages, but making a strategic outcome for business. So tell us a little bit about that. Okay, so it's very easy. Like when I started, it was about probably doing the this is the brand, I've got the colours, I've got the logo, I've put it all together, it looks lovely, great. But it really does. And the more I worked with people, like I said earlier, there was more of a strategic conversation with them about well, what are we doing here? Why are we doing it? So now I've really moved into being more of a strategic partner to a business, instead of just going, here's a pretty space you can put online and start to share it with people, and it'll give you results. Because that is not how it works. So it's more about like being walking side by side with a business, going, okay, well, let's this is the outcome we're looking for, how are we going to get there?

SPEAKER_01 31:37

So I think that's that collaboration, I think, is critical. And I think having those strategic partners in business is identifying that you are great at some things in your business, but it is very often the case that you are not great at everything. And if you want to be successful in business, whilst it takes ego, your ego can't be that big that you think you can do it all. No, that's right. No, there's no benefit in doing that. No, that's exactly right. That's right. Okay, so finally, let's look forward. When you look at the future of women in business, what gives you the most optimism?

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Oh, I it's just amazing. I love, I mean, you know, the moments that you end up in a social media scroll. And but just seeing so many women doing amazing things, taking different steps in different directions, having more confidence, I think being clearer. I mean, the vulnerability's been around for a while. We talk about Brene Brown, but I don't know that it's really been absolutely absorbed and used as much as it could be. Sure. So seeing a bit more vulnerability. But yeah, I think people are doing some amazing things. I was looking the other day and I found a young girl and her brother that have got this nutritional health business on the Gold Coast and it's going just like great guns, you know. The younger women coming through have got a lot more confidence than, you know, probably my generation living and learning. But you know, just being like just taking those opportunities with two hands and going for it. I think there's just so much out there. There's so much more conversation. If you looked on LinkedIn on any given day, there's just so much conversation, collaboration, help out there, conversation. That's exactly that's right. I think it's amazing. There's no reason why you can't just reach out and ask someone, another woman, to yes.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

And I think there was, I think, yeah, I came from a corporate background myself, as you know. And it used to be I've got to keep these things so closely held because every other woman's competition for me. And that has changed. And I think that is such an amazing world that we live in now. I think is that it's women being prepared to share. Yeah, and you know, women of our generation being prepared to share with the younger ones because we don't see them as a threat.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

No, no, absolutely not. And you know, being global as well, seeing what other women in other countries are doing, you know, like you're just stepping out of your own backyard. Yeah, no, I think it's really exciting. I think obviously the future is female, but you know, we are doing some really great things out there.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

We are, we are. I think we're stepping. I look, there's still many, many, many hurdles for us to jump. Um, and we're not, I think we are heading in the right direction, which is fabulous.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

It's not even reliant on just International Women's Day anymore. You know, it's happening every day of the year, which I think is more exciting than just having one day where, you know, many years ago it was just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. It's it's not a it's happening all year. So we're celebrating it everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

Sandy, thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your insights. We will put all of Sandy's contact details in the show notes. Please reach out to her. I know that she would love to walk alongside businesses as their digital partner. And from a personal perspective, she certainly works, walks alongside Fempire. Thank you so much. Your digital presence is often the first impression someone has of your business. So these conversations are incredibly valuable for business owners. And if you can take on board anything from the conversation that we have had, is that don't use your digital presence as a brochure, use it as a business building tool. Sadie, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

Oh, thank you so much. It's been an honor and a pleasure. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

Thanks for being here for another episode of Fampire Rising. If this conversation gave you value, challenged your thinking, or helped you see your next move more clearly, share this episode with another woman in business who needs to hear it. We'll include the links to our guest in the show notes so you can connect with them directly and learn more about their work. Make sure you're following the podcast, and I'll see you in the next episode.