Having just returned to my desk after 2½ days at the Mindshop advisors conference in Sydney, I took a moment to reflect on why 2025 has already been so rewarding—despite a sluggish economy. It struck me that while we guide our clients through their own Leaders Journey, we are on one too. Here’s a glimpse into our 2025 so far—and why we make these investments of time and money.

January

We kicked off the year with a rare gift—time. Suzanne and I took most of January off to spend it with our three sons, their wives, and all the grandkids—together for the first time ever. We wrangled 15 of us into a house in Queensland for a week of laughs, memories… chaos.

When two zoos collide

Why? To give back to the family who’ve supported us through every late night and business challenge.

February

We joined our fellow Victorian business advisors at a Mindshop Training Day.

Why? - To grow professionally and exchange insights with other advisors. - So we can better serve our clients with fresh thinking and tools.

March

We headed to Sydney for Bullhorn Engage, the flagship event for the tech platform that underpins our executive search business.

Why? - To stay on top of global recruitment tech and AI trends. - To keep refining our platform so we can deliver better, faster search outcomes.

We also recorded for Mindshop's Authentic Advisor Podcast Series. Click here to watch.

April

I traveled to Philadelphia for the NPAworldwide board meeting and our Americas PowerUp conference as well as an NPAworldwide owners' meeting in Queenstown, NZ.

Philadelphia's Liberty Bell

Why? - To give back to our industry. To learn from global peers and bring that insight to our clients. - So we can provide truly global reach and market depth.

May

Just last week, I joined fellow Mindshop advisors from across Australia and New Zealand at our annual conference.

My Mindshop Panel - Leveraging Advisory Services

Why? - To give back (via a panel session), stay sharp on macro trends, AI, and practical advisory tools. To enhance the coaching, leadership development and advisory services we offer clients.

Looking Ahead

This week, I’ll be at TalentX, a showcase of innovation in recruitment and staffing.

Why? To explore tools and ideas that help us better support our clients with smarter tech.

August

We’ll head to Queensland for RCSA Shape, the staffing industry’s peak annual event.

Why? To stay aligned with best practices and external trends, ensuring we always bring our clients top-tier service.

September

We’ll attend two global gatherings: - NPAworldwide PowerUp Asia in Hanoi and the IXPA Global Meeting in Brussels

Why? - To strengthen cross-border search and interim executive partnerships. - So clients can confidently expand, knowing we can provide proven leaders in any market.

November

We’ll wrap up our travel year at NPAworldwide PowerUp ANZ in Sydney (after another face to face board meeting in October)

Why? - To give back to the network that has helped us grow. - To harness insights from our community for stronger client outcomes anywhere.

Beyond the Calendar

This is just the highlight reel. Between these events are countless virtual workshops, peer sessions, and strategy meetings. Our alliances—Mindshop, SpenglerFox, NPAworldwide, IXPA, Xenergie—shape and refine us. Whether it's interim executives, executive search, or systemic change consulting, our sharpened edge better serves our clients in Australia and beyond.

Why? Because our clients deserve a service provider that invests in them.