When I was 22 years old I attended the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards as a reporter for the Sunday Mail, covering the young women in business section. I was in awe of these women’s achievements and since then I have attended the awards for the last 11 years, each year more inspired than the next. It really is the Oscars for business women and since I won’t be winning an Oscar any time soon, Telstra is my Oscars!

This year I was very humbled to be nominated by Emma Issacs, the CEO of Business Chicks. I didn’t think I had achieved enough yet to make it through, but I thought if Emma held me in high regard I should enter.

I am thrilled to say I am a finalist this year, along with five other very accomplished women. Being a finalist is a career highlight for me, as mostly at The Red Republic we are behind the scenes for our clients at the awards, not in the spotlight.

I started The Red Republic 11 years ago in Brisbane, formally known as Red PR, and since then have opened an office in Sydney and launched a graphic design studio Design by Republic. We were also the first Australian agency to join the PROI, the world’s leading independently owned agencies from around the world. It has just been my own personal career journey, but I do feel blessed that the folks at Telstra think I’m good enough to be up there with these other sensational women and if I don’t make it any further, being a finalist in such an amazing award program is ok with me.

If you haven’t ever been to the Telstra Awards, this is the year to come!

15 Years of Fame