Donna Bates

[00:00:00] Speaker A: We're back in the IPL studio and I'm super excited because I have my friend Donna Bates in with me today. Hi, Donna, how are you? [00:00:08] Speaker B: Hello. Amazing. Just go, well, I'm fabulous. [00:00:10] Speaker A: It's so exciting because I've always wanted you as a guest. So I'm really happy that you're here because you are an integral part of this community and it's something that I feel very passionate about. So to have you here to obviously help business community. First of all, we'll start and introduce yourself because a lot of people may not know you well, my listeners, and if you don't, then you're about to find out about this amazing person. [00:00:36] Speaker B: Well, firstly, thanks so much for inviting me on. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to chat to you and all your listeners, which is really great. My business is called Donna Bates Strategic Consulting. And so I help business owners strategise to grow their businesses in any economy. So. So I don't worry about what's happening in the economy. I work with individual business owners to help them grow their business. And a lot of the times what happens with that is that I realize that the owner doesn't have a strategic plan or a business plan, and it's all in your head. And when it's all in your head, if your head's not going right on a particular day, then your business may not go right either. And you often see your business veering off the tracks and you have to keep bringing yourself back on. So what I do is I have a program called Activate for Impact. So essentially I come alongside business owners and I work with them to be their own best CEO. So teaching and helping people to run their businesses effectively. So we all have blind spots, right? And we all have things that we can't see until someone points it out for us. And so I just come alongside and have a look into people's businesses and work with them. So it might be HR issues, there might be staffing issues or tech issues or finance issues, and we just start digging deeper into those things and then I help build a plan to support that owner to get out of wherever they're at and move forward and grow. [00:02:08] Speaker A: I knew I had to be prepared when it came to this interview. And one of the words that I used is intuitive when it comes to you. When you sit down with a new client, you really, like, put your feelers out there to find out what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, how can I really help? [00:02:26] Speaker B: Absolutely. Because I think one of the things is, as well, it really comes down to a. A connection with that person. Like, I want to make sure that they get the best out of me and also that I'm able to see into their business. So if someone's very open and transparent to say, hey, look, I've hit this point, I just don't know where to go, and so that I can sort of come in and, like, I say, walk alongside, because my whole thing is, it's a partnership. It's actually my whole purpose is helping someone grow their business. So if I can't see what's happening in the business or someone's being, you know, not wanting to disclose anything, then it makes my job a lot harder. [00:03:06] Speaker A: And it can be tricky, you know, talking to someone about maybe the sore points within your business and being that open. And I think it's great that you are who you are, because you're like warts and all. Let me have it. [00:03:18] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah, I. I work best like that because I love when someone says, look, I'm just not sure. I'm not sure what. Where to go. I don't think this is my strength. How can I do this differently? You can work with that. And I try to be as gracious as possible in that space so that someone can grow through that. Just chatting through and talking to alleviate the stress around, whatever that might be, but then also to help find a solution. So it's really, the whole point is to go, okay, you've been where you're at. What do we need to do to help grow you and grow your business and to move to that next evolution? So essentially, essentially, you know, some people have a blind spot around money, for example. So one lady who I know, who's an absolutely gorgeous entrepreneur on the east coast, once said to me, oh, my clients won't pay for that. And I said, well, why wouldn't they pay for your skills and expertise? You know, that's what you've had to pay to get those skills and expertise. [00:04:22] Speaker A: It's. [00:04:23] Speaker B: It's blood, sweat and tears that you've had to invest in yourself and your business. Why wouldn't I pay for that? And when we dug deeper, we realized she had a real issue around money and expecting others to pay for her services. So we actually did some work around that and worked through a lot of her own belief systems around money and appreciation and valuing herself. Now she's a highly profitable business owner. But it was really interesting, and I think that really allowed me to see what my secret sauce was. You know, when people say, well, what's your secret sauce, Donna? What do you do? And I think that word you mentioned, intuitive, really does hit the nail on the head because sometimes even myself, I go to people I actually don't know how. But we will get there because I need to hear from you. What is the issue that we need to be working on today? [00:05:13] Speaker A: You talk about digging a bit deeper, and that's exactly what you do. You get like a real good landscape of a business. And sometimes it's not always face value what you see at the shop front. There's a lot more that goes on behind closed doors when it comes to especially small business. Yeah. I asked you whether you could give us some tips in regards to small business. Can you do that for us? [00:05:37] Speaker B: I can do. One of the things I mentioned just quickly before we go on, was what my three core values are. Because I remember you said to me when you asked me about the interview, can you talk about why you do what you do? And I guess now is probably the time to do that, before we get into that, is that my values are integrity, gratitude, and service. So everything I do in my business or my life comes from that framework. And that's important because everything we're going to talk about moving forward, you can sort of see how it sort of trickles through. I hold myself 100% accountable to that. I ask people like yourselves and my friends and family and colleagues to do the same. Because being accountable to my own principles and my own ethics and values is important for me because that helps me align and stay on the track for myself as well. And when you're open to that, you know, and when people say that with love, so you gotta. You gotta share that with love. Like you're not on your track of where you're at, so. But I find that is a really good litmus test to have strong people around you. [00:06:43] Speaker A: Is that a question that you ask your clients? [00:06:45] Speaker B: It absolutely is. Yeah. That's my number one thing. So I have what's called purpose driven strategy. So everything in strategy comes from your mission, vision, and values. So if you had my strategic plan here in front of you, it would actually start. Start with integrity, gratitude, service. And everything I do in my business or company comes from that. [00:07:05] Speaker A: I need your services. No doubt. Everybody does. [00:07:11] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Well, I think the thing is I'm just interested in people, so I'm interested especially small to medium business owners, because that's sort of the realm that I work in. And that's us. We're our own business. And this there's so many facets to that that you bring to the table every single day. And like I said, sometimes it's a blind spot with us, sometimes it's a blind spot with our team. But ultimately it's we're trying to do the right thing around the edges for that. [00:07:38] Speaker A: You talked about purpose being one of your, you know, motivators. What is your purpose when it comes to coming to a client? You obviously get a great feeling out of helping people. [00:07:49] Speaker B: I do that. That's why one of my top values is service, is I love people to be in integrity with themselves and integrity with what they want to achieve. So essentially what that is, is what feeds me is watching people succeed to what they decide is their success measures. So not everyone's going to be the same. So you might have someone who makes $30,000 a year and absolutely adores what they do. They doesn't want to earn anymore. That's their thing. But they're in integrity with what their values are and also what their goals were. So they've said, this is what I want to achieve and as long as they're happy and they're achieving that, then that's a tick for me. And then I've got, you know, other business owners who want to make $100 million and they're, you know, totally different style of business, but they are really driven to achieve those profitability in their business. And so that's the sort of thing like I apply the same rationale to very small businesses, to very large businesses [00:08:50] Speaker A: as well, gauging their capacity. What can you achieve? [00:08:54] Speaker B: That's right, absolutely. Because in a big business you've also got the challenges of a team and creating a high performing team, but also making sure that your corporate culture, which is obviously based around your values, permeates through everything you do. So. [00:09:09] Speaker A: So we talked about corporate. You've actually had such a corporate career, haven't you? [00:09:13] Speaker B: Yes, I have. I have. So I've worked in the media for quite a lot of years. I've worked with Department of Defense and the Royal Automobile Club, RAC WA and a few other organizations. And I think the funny thing is, is every position I've worked in has sort of fed me to this moment, you know. Yeah. [00:09:32] Speaker A: So you found your purpose along the way? [00:09:34] Speaker B: Absolutely, yes. Because I didn't know it as a young person. I was sort of like, I knew what I believed in and that I was passionate about people and wanting to help and business. I just didn't know where it was. So over taking on These roles that started off in marketing and then working my way up through into senior management, I learned all these skills. And then when I stepped away from that, I married an army man, which means I moved around a lot, that I was able to apply that and create my own company to teach that to other people. Yes. [00:10:07] Speaker A: Well, I think that's amazing that so much of your experience has come from the corporate world, that you've now been able to develop that into small business and helping so many. Tell me, how can you help small business? Because it is a challenging economy at the moment. [00:10:22] Speaker B: It really is. It really is. And I guess everything that, I mean, the five tips that I have for small business owners today really does feed back into who we are as people. So first of all, though, make sure you know your numbers. It's easy to get too much in your head. Like I often hear, oh, yeah, I've got a plan, it's in my head, I know what I want to make. But then when you don't make it, that's actually a personal integrity fail. Because if you set it for yourself, this is my goal, and you don't make that goal. Do you let yourself off the hook and go, that's okay, I'll do it again next time? Or do you hold yourself accountable and go, what did I need to change about that so that I can achieve it for next time? If you let yourself off the hook, that's where you're not living up to your own personal integrity in that space because you're letting yourself off the hook. And it's tough to talk like this, but it's actually really important. And so knowing your numbers is really important. Particularly if you don't have a great bookkeeper or accountant. Get one, because they're going to be your lifeline for your business. I see a lot of people try to do it themselves. It just doesn't work if you're not a bookkeeper or you're not an accountant. [00:11:31] Speaker A: You're just speaking to my heart right now. [00:11:35] Speaker B: They're not very particularly very good bookkeepers. You may pay a little bit more, but they will actually help you make more money in your business. Yeah. And it takes it out of your head. You don't have to worry about it. They'll drive that side of the business for you. So essentially it's a business partner, understand your basic reports. If you don't know how to read profit and loss or a balance sheet, just ask. You know, there's. I have programs where I talk to even organizations like sporting groups and that on how to read your profit and loss and your. And your balance sheet and know what levers work for you in your business. So key performance indicators, what matters for you and your business. So, for example, some businesses are all about sales and profit margins. Some need to manage costs because the sales aren't an issue, but they manage their costs effectively to increase their profit margins. Some is all about building business equity. So how do they build equity in their business? So know which ones work for you. And that's why it's important to know your numbers, because that can help drive the effectiveness of your business strategy. [00:12:41] Speaker A: The tip I took out of that is hire a bookkeeper because obviously they're going to develop the numbers. [00:12:46] Speaker B: Yes. [00:12:46] Speaker A: And help you understand those. [00:12:48] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:12:49] Speaker A: You do understand your profit and loss statements. [00:12:51] Speaker B: Absolutely. And there's some amazing, amazing bookkeepers out there. I know a lot of them personally. Particularly now local area here in Rockingham, Mandurah, up in Kwinana, you know, there's some really great bookkeepers, so it's good to find one and also try and interview them as well. So ask them for some examples of other clients and would it be possible to speak to those clients to think, you know, to see what they think about it? So, yeah. Another one is run your own race. So distraction is really easy when you take comparison. I know. Well, as they say, comparison is the thief of joy. Right. And so whilst it's important to know what your competitors are up to, it's important not to get stuck in that comparison trap. So you compare because you want to know where your competitors are at, but then you let that go and say, I'm running my race and this is how I differentiate myself, or this is something that I do in my business that they don't. And you just keep running and you run as fast or, you know, or as slow as you want to go. I always try to ask people to run fast because that's how you build your business and grow your business. [00:14:02] Speaker A: And how is it important? Is it for you to identify the skill set that you have that sets yourself apart from competitives? Because really, that's like kind of a marketing tool, isn't it? [00:14:12] Speaker B: It really is. So part of the process in the Activate for Impact program, I have a whole session around that. Vision, mission, values. But also, what does it mean to be you? Like for Jess Goble, what does it mean to be you? What does it mean to be part of your podcast and your program? And what does that need to look like? And you've got the Sandcastle company as well. And so what would that look for you to compare against your competitors? Where do you sit in the marketplace? What unique things do you bring to the market that no one else can bring? [00:14:41] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's really important. [00:14:44] Speaker B: Absolutely. Third would be keep investing in yourself and your business. I personally have a budget that I spend every year for myself, so I take from my business any profit I make, I give a large portion away [00:14:59] Speaker A: and that a little bit later. [00:15:02] Speaker B: But for myself, I make sure that I invest in my own personal and my professional development because anything that I spend on myself growing myself will help grow my clients as well because I'm feeding into their businesses as well. And I always want to be sort of where the market's at. I don't ever want to feel like I've been left behind. [00:15:20] Speaker A: When you talk about investing in yourself, how do people invest in themselves? So it would be when you turn talking about business. [00:15:28] Speaker B: Yeah, well, for me personally, I'm. I'm big into governance of organisations and things like that, so working with boards and senior management, that kind of thing, or business owners. So I'm a part of the Governance Institute of Australia. I'm a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, so I'll do a lot of their courses where I get CPD points and things like that. You might be a real estate agent, so you would actually go and invest in courses to help you be a better real estate agent. So how do you identify good customers? What does it need to look like? And could be photography. Exactly. And you would, you would do things that a interest you. But I try to do as many things that may not be my strong point. So how do I build into myself? I know that a particular issue for me, like for me, filing, I hate filing. It's my number one pet peeve. So I try to do as much digital, but you'll see always a pile of of things on my desk which is done. But it just sits there because, you know, I just. It's not my thing. But I've always had someone who's a personal assistant that would help make that happen for me because I know it's not my thing, but I've got amazing people around me that I pay to do that for me. And it's important because that's their jam, that's what they're really good at. And leave it to the professionals, you know, that's what I say. [00:16:48] Speaker A: Yep, leave it to the professionals. [00:16:51] Speaker B: And then you really need to be your own confident captains. That's number Four. So there's heaps of things that feel like they're coming against you in business. So it might be things like your sales may be going down for market from market forces, that kind of thing. Your costs may increase because supply charges are going up. And we're seeing that happen a lot at the moment, particularly with a lot of the supply chain issues that's here in Australia and wa. You might have some team issues going on. A couple of staff might be fighting one another, you know, it's very real. Yeah, absolutely. Or finding it hard to recruit and train staff. So that's a big thing at the moment. Has been since COVID actually a real challenge for small businesses. But you need to be resilient no matter what is coming your way, because you need to be your own best champion. When you sort of push that out to a third party and you're not championing yourself, you're missing out on a great opportunity to be your own captain. So that when people look into your business, they go, she's got it together. Yes, she's had a bad day, but this is how she's dealt with that. And speak to yourself with care and rein in any negative thoughts. So we're always going to have those niggling thoughts. But I just. I put myself in a pink bubble, so I imagine myself in a pink bubble and so. [00:18:12] Speaker A: Of course you do, Donna. [00:18:14] Speaker B: So if anything comes my way, I go, nut, nut, nut. You're not getting into me today. I'm actually having an amazing day. I'm moving forward. This is really great opportunity for me. And here's my top 10 things I'm going to do today, no matter what's happening in my space. And sometimes it can be really bad, but you've got to stand strong for yourself. [00:18:32] Speaker A: I'm actually really glad that you brought this up because sometimes small business can be such a lonely space, especially if you are working on your own. You might have employees, but you may be your sole employer. You might be the only one working your business and it can be a lonely space. So mental health can definitely come up with that. [00:18:51] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, take me, for example. Even though I have team, I actually outsource a lot of the work. I'm sort of a solopreneur, so I get my energy from other people. So I'll always. If someone says to me, do you want to come and do an interview? Yes, I'll come out and do that, because I need that interaction from other people. I'll often meet people out at a cafe if, for A meeting rather than in an office space. And I do that. So it takes the business owner out of their normal day to day so we can have real conversations, but also so that we're getting energy from the people around us. That, that positivity and something that's different and not the same old day to day. [00:19:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I totally get that. [00:19:32] Speaker B: So important. [00:19:33] Speaker A: I can relate to that a lot. [00:19:34] Speaker B: And then finally, just be real about your business. So sometimes when I first meet someone, I say, is this really what you want? Is this really where you want to be? And I go back to thinking in my career where I've asked that of people and I've had business owners break down and go, no, this isn't actually what I want. I took this on from my ex husband and then I got stuck in doing this, or my ex wife and I got stuck doing this or whatever it might have been. And that was the sticking point because energetically they'll bring in that to work every day. I don't want to be here, I don't want to be doing this. So that was my place to start. For others, it might just be thinking that they've got it all and they don't need to ask questions or don't need to do education, that kind of thing, or get help from others. Sometimes it's just a business owner who's like just doing the do every day but doesn't realise you've got to stop and go, oh, I'm not being effective in this area. How can I get help to help me get to where I need to be? That often happens in the teamwork dynamics because we've all got people around us from lots of different backgrounds and lots of different needs. So it's important to go and get help. If you're not an expert in that [00:20:50] Speaker A: area, and I guess you find that passion too, is when you're talking to someone straight up and they're talking about their business, you either see that spark of passion that you really love doing this, or maybe this isn't. Maybe this isn't for you, maybe you're not where you want to be. [00:21:05] Speaker B: That's right, Absolutely. And I think that was one of the things. You can be excited and be positive in your business, but be real. So if it's not your jam, then it's okay to say, enough's enough, I'm done. And look for something that does spark your joy, as Marie Kondo says. Because I think if you're going to work every day and you hate it, well, what's the point. And I remember saying a lot of years ago in corporate, if I get to a point where I don't enjoy what I'm doing, I'm going to step away. And so I think you have to be that brutal with yourself to go, you know, I want to live a good life, I want to be happy. If this isn't what I'm going to be doing, ask yourself, what do I want to be doing? [00:21:44] Speaker A: And that's the. I think that's the benefit of coming to speak to someone like you. If that is the question you ask and you say, I'm not where you want to be, it doesn't end there for you. You're like, so where can we get you? What sparks you, Joy? This business may not be it, but hey, let's talk about that and the development of you and where do you want to be? And you set them on that path. [00:22:04] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I think when I was preparing for today, I remember this scene where Dumbledore talks to Harry and Hogwarts and he says, help is given when you need it. Help at Hogwarts is given when you need it. And I often think about that. Sometimes you gotta ask, sometimes you gotta go, I need help. And no matter what that is, it's finding a trusted person who is there for your best interest. So not to make money out of you, not to do anything like that, but to actually help you find a way through. Because that's the thing, it's all about the journey. It's not about the destination. So it's how you're going to get there, what do you need to do. And if you've got a family, having them involved in setting your targets is really important. So trying to keep the two separate is actually really hard, particularly for young families. I've worked with a lot of young families building amazing businesses, like stunning businesses. And just one. Recently, I remember saying to Mum and Dad, they're on the Egg east coast running an amazing hotel. And I said to them, you know, you need to share with your children what are you trying to achieve from this? What do you want to get from it? And so I said, what do they want to do? They said, well, they want to go to Disneyland. I said, great. So on your vision board, they help you cut out the pictures of Disney, they help you write it, and every week you put to your target how you're going to achieve that. So the kids are going, mom, dad, we're so close. Why aren't we getting to where we need to be? And it was really interesting. They've actually just booked, they achieved their goal and they said the kids are now so happy. They understand that mum and dad have to go to work when they go to work and they may have to work on a weekend here and there. But now they've grown so much in their business that I've been able to help them move into getting a hotel management company to manage the company for them. So they now have a lot more time that they can build their company and move to more family time. [00:24:02] Speaker A: I don't know whether you can see the smoke coming from my ears at the moment, but it's actually given me quite a bit to think about is including my children, children more into my business. Because it actually will help the development for them for career wise is if they see me moving towards goals in my business and say, hey, let's set some goals for you and make that a part of my business. Definitely, then obviously they become more a part of it. But also it, it actually paves the way for their success as well. They know the development. What do you have to work hard for to achieve your goals? I love that. [00:24:35] Speaker B: Absolutely. And it will keep you afloat on those days. Like I don't have children, I wasn't blessed to have children and. But I look after my friends kids as they mine. But for business owners that do have young families or families and keeping them involved and excited will help you afloat on the days when you go why am I doing this? And there will be, there'll be wall kicking moments. We all have them in our businesses where we just go, I just don't even know why I'm in this now. But they're the moments when you look at the vision board and you look at what they're bringing to the table and going, you know what mum, you're doing a great job. And just those little moments that help keep you buoyant on those days. [00:25:16] Speaker A: Having someone like you, a part of your team means that in those moments too that you can contact you and say, hey, I am feeling like this. And you can remind people where the passion came from, where the integrity hold them accountable. [00:25:28] Speaker B: Absolutely, absolutely. Well, like everything goes through those three filters. So integrity, gratitude, service, so being in integrity with yourself, with your business and your community, in yourself in terms of showing up every day, like making sure that you show up no matter how hard it is, how difficult it is and you put a smile on your face, you go, you know what? Nothing is going to get me down. For me, nothing's Going to get through my pink bubble today, you know, and I did not let it go through that. [00:25:59] Speaker A: Yes. No. I love, you know, anyone who meets you that you're infectious and I love that about you. You're passionate about the person's business and you're just like, hang on a second, that's. That's my business. I should be super passionate about it. And, yeah, I just love the, like, the infectious attitude that you have. It. It absolutely makes me smile. [00:26:19] Speaker B: Oh, I'm so glad. That's great, because that's how I want people to feel. [00:26:22] Speaker A: And. [00:26:23] Speaker B: And, you know, I've often said to people, you know, why do you want to work with me? Like, what is the thing that you want to do? Why do you want to work with me? And, you know, that everyone will have a different reason. And I have had a couple of clients where I've actually referred them onto other people because I felt I didn't have the right skill set for them. I was really happy to go. You know what? You're not. I really feel from us talking that you don't need me, you need this person. And then I've done an introduction and they've gone on to grow and develop in a whole different way. But it's so exciting to me because, you know, two or three years, they come back down the track and they might have won an award or something and said, you know what? If you hadn't have told me that I needed to go and do that, I never would have got to where I need to be. Now. It's not just me. I'm just showing and guiding in a particular direction. They took the steps. Steps, they did the work. But sometimes you've got to be able to have someone who's willing to speak the truth into your situation rather than just what's right like. Like, right for now, you know, sometimes, you know, you don't just want to coach, you need someone who's going to consult. And that's why I call myself a consultant, because I'll have a look at all the scenarios. I won't just tell you, yeah, you're doing great, keep doing it up, you know, keep doing what you're doing. But I want to make sure that you actually get the cut through. And where do you need to be as a business owner? [00:27:41] Speaker A: Can we just go through and summarise? Did we get through all five and summarise those five points? [00:27:45] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:27:46] Speaker A: So that people, they may have just locked into one of those key points. Let's just go back to all Five of them. And what are they? [00:27:53] Speaker B: Okay, so number one, know your numbers. Number two, run your own race. Number three, keep investing in yourself and your business. Number four, be your own confident captain. And number five, be real about your business. [00:28:09] Speaker A: Now I don't know whether you know this about yourself, but I'm sure that you do. You have this unbelievable ability to connect to people. You're intuitive and things like that. And now you actually have a great history of writing as well, don't you? Can you tell us a little bit about that, about yourself as well? Because you, you been published in quite a few newspapers and things like that with your articles about business? [00:28:34] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, it happened a few years back, quite a few years, actually probably about 15, 20 years ago, working in media, I was seeing a shift, what was starting to happen to the 24 hour news cycle. And I was really struggling at the time and since with the fact that there's been a shift and a change in the voice of media. So now anybody can get on and put stuff onto Facebook and anyone can look at that information as an expert rather than looking at the trusted, tried and true analysis that might come out to support that. So being in integrity with that was really an important thing for me. And so I realized that there was stuff happening in government, stuff happening in business that just wasn't being called out because the 24 hour news cycle was, was being chewed up by big events. So when something really big happened that might be incredibly tragic, it chews up the airtime during that, that period. So when we had the bushfires, you would have noticed that tragic, catastrophic story, but it took up the airwaves and the TV and YouTube and everything for a good week to two weeks after that. [00:29:51] Speaker A: Do you believe that they used to sometimes use tragedy as a distraction away from an issue? [00:29:57] Speaker B: I think there's drama in that and I don't want to sound sort of not understanding through that process, but it does make money for big business. And so it's important to balance that. And I've always felt that tell the story and tell it honestly and unbiased. So don't get caught in the trap of having like continual opinion about an opinion about an opinion. I write opinion pieces, but it's usually to call something out that I see is wrong, that's happening and it's not being picked up either by the media or being picked up by the media, but it's not getting the cut through that it needs to. [00:30:42] Speaker A: That can be quite hard to do. [00:30:44] Speaker B: It really is because doing it in a Way I always like to think that whatever I write is calling something out, but with integrity. So it's telling people why, why, why do they need to listen to this? Why is it so important for this message? Because when you've got so many messages going out, trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me. There's never been a time in history when the trust has been lower in government or even big business now. And so there's been a few things that have happened in the last 12, 18 months. Particularly where I started going on radio and started writing these articles was really to highlight governance fails in boards where boards should have really called out bad behavior of their own people on the board or also their senior managers of the organization. One of those was PricewaterhouseCoopers. You may remember the scandal that happened with the tax department. Yes. And so I think there was a lot of poor governance. There was a lot of lack of adherence to their own corporate culture. And the issue that they had was that it was to all their employees and they've got three and a half thousand amazing employees. They're just, it's a fantastic company. But the people who are driving the company, what was infiltrating was that they weren't adhering to their own values. So there was a lack of, there was a lot of reputation damage when they had these fails. And also their lack of disclosure and their lack of trust that was in their clients towards them, really broke their corporate culture. And so they've had to do a lot of work now to try and gain that ground back again. That, to me is something I'm extremely passionate about, is if you've got values in your organisation and that's your purpose for being, then anything you do that's contrary to that, where you're not living up to that standard and you're not picking it up, you're not not self identifying that, then that's a problem. So, and what's happened in this particular case? It was called out by the marketplace and so that's why I wrote the article about it and got on radio and spoke about it. So that was one that for me, that conflict of interest and that issue was really important because that does need to change in corporate Australia. If you've got values, live by them. And the other one was the supermarket price gouging and the lack. I know, right. And the lack of integrity around the transparency and the pricing for the supermarkets, what that is doing to our supply chain and our farmers, it's decimating the system. But they're not Realising. Well, they may be realising it, but I think with the Woolworths chief just stepping down very, very recently, you just saw there was a lack of connection between this is what we're doing strategically to what it's doing to the supply chain and our farmers and really undercutting that. So now with the inquiry, it's putting them on notice, but it's also they're on their toes because this is an integrity test. For the next 12 months, they're under scrutiny. They've already been through one in 2008 where what they tried to do was every new lease in a supermarket, I'm not sure if you knew this, but in every new supermarket that could only be a Woolworths or a Coles. Whereas now, because of that inquiry, they said, well, you can't do that, it's anti competitive behavior. So the ACCC told them, no, you've gotta, you've gotta do that. You've gotta make sure that every lease, any supermarket can go in there. [00:34:18] Speaker A: And I guess the push for Audi to come in as well, they were definitely probably pushing that as well, saying, yes, we are a competitor and we want to enter the market. [00:34:26] Speaker B: That's right. Well, sort of Aldi came a little bit, bit like further along down the track. But you're right, you know, there should be, should be as many competitors you want to be that price, you know, flexibility in the market and sensitivity. We don't necessarily see that here in Australia and there's a lot of companies coming over from America and Spain and other organizations that are large primary producing organizations and they're buying up a lot of the farms to be able to supply big supply chains for them. So that's why I felt it was important to call it out for what it is and support the inquiry. We need to support these inquiries because they're doing some amazing work, but we need to hold them accountable as well to say that if they find something and it is proven, they need to act on it, similarly to what happened in 2008, they've got to do it now. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Yeah, well, it makes no sense to me that they would undercut like a farmer, which potentially would put them out of business, which means that they have no supply chain. [00:35:25] Speaker B: Well, what's been happening, and it's such a good point, because what's been happening is that a lot of the smaller producers are being actually marketed out of the market, so to speak. So they're amazing primary producers, but they just can't afford the kinds of prices that they're expected to Accept from Woolworths, Coles, whoever. And so what's been happening, they've been going out of business, selling out to another primary producer who's been buying up the farms or buying up their companies. And so they're running it as a really large farm, large organization that can sort of deal with these lower margins with woolooarts and Coles. And the problem you've got though, is that we're losing the competitiveness and we're not the variety. Yeah. But there's also a food safety and security issue that we've got there because when you're only dealing with, with one or two different groups, a, you can't question the market as much because, you know, they don't want to lose their, their bread and butter. [00:36:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:30] Speaker B: So they'll say, oh, yeah, these, these, these companies are doing a great job. I get everything I need from Coles, I get everything I need from Woolworths, whoever the supermarket is. And we're losing those dissenting voices because they just can't compete in that market. And that's the travesty for Australia because we need to support the farmers. We need to support more of these farms and small producers. Yeah, exactly. So that, that way we can really take it as a country to these big supermarkets and say, not on our watch. But. And that's why I'm so passionate about it, because that's not integrity, who we are. We're a fair go nation. Right. [00:37:08] Speaker A: Yes. [00:37:09] Speaker B: And yet these companies aren't giving small producers a fair go. So they talk about it, but it doesn't translate down well. [00:37:17] Speaker A: It also speaks to. My passion is. I love markets and things like that where you're buying directly from the people that produce the jams, the chutneys, all the food things that you want. So you actually know when you're speaking to someone, they're telling you exactly what they've put in the product, how they've processed it and things like that. When you go to Woolies, Coles and things like that, you're buying off a shelf where you may only see Coles or Woolies brand brands, which we don't want. We don't want just Coles and Woolies brands. We want a variety. And you can see the mums and dads. And you want to see like, you want to see someone produce something that goes to Coles or Woolies. You want to see that success story, don't you? [00:37:58] Speaker B: That's right, yeah, definitely. And I love that example of the farmers market because we need to see a Renaissance of that we need to see. And, and some areas of Australia are doing this magnificently. We've got here the night markets that, that you look at. [00:38:15] Speaker A: Yeah, Rockingham, Twilight market, you've got the Peel estate markets also that do really great produce. You know you've got, you've also got, which I really love your second hand markets as well. You see lock at a lot at Rockingham Rotary markets as well where people are selling second hands goods. So yeah, I love the market scene and I love to be able to network and talk to people there and [00:38:37] Speaker B: that's a sustainable economy. Right. So you know there's a, there's a theory, an economic theory called the doughnut theory of economics which is like a circular economy. So sort of like you recycle to go back into the economy. You sell your product, you distribute your product and you put it out into the marketplace. And then when it's had its shelf life, then you recycle and it goes back into the whole thing. [00:39:01] Speaker A: Donna, like many of my listeners, all I heard was donut and now I'm hung. Stay right there. We're gonna need a drink. We've just covered so much. We're gonna listen to an ad for IPL radio but also a song. Stay tuned, we've got more Donna Bates. We are back in the studio and honestly I feel like I've gotten so much from this interview with the incredible Donna Bates strategic manager. You can contact her, look, if you, if you can relate like I have to the information she has been providing. She has an incredible website which at the top it says let's talk and it's at www.donna bates which is easy to spell.com and it says let's talk. Click that button. Send her your information on your business. Give her as much information as she can so that she can either tee up a meeting with you or as she said, said, provide you with the support because she has lots of connections in the community to be able to support. Because the best thing I love about her is she wants to see people succeed. She has an invisible cape. You don't see it when she's, she can fly. I'm pretty sure she has come and helped me out many times. And we're going to get to the philanthropy of Donna Bates. Previously last year we ran the Rockingham charity gala. Now it just came from an idea which I had seen before and I thought, yes, I can do this, I can definitely do this. But I didn't realize it was definitely more difficult than it seemed. And Donna was the spearhead that actually made the Rockingham charity gala happened. Not only did she throw a whole heap of money behind it, but she put the governance in place so it could actually happen. Because I just thought you could just throw a party for charity and money could be given. No, that's not the case, Jessica. It is not the case. Donna, you do so much in the community. Can we talk a little bit about the things that people don't know about you? [00:41:12] Speaker B: Wow. Well, I guess starting with, you know, one of my values. Well, you know, my values. Integrity, gratitude, service. But service is a really big one for me. So that means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. But to me, that it's includes looking after the community that looks after me and making sure that I give back. So a lot of what I do, I look after the people in my church, I look after the people in my community. I look after the people in government, particularly, like, I want to make sure that our leadership are supported, you know, just with positive words and encouragement and that kind of thing as well. It says being in service doesn't have to just be about doing things for people. Sometimes it's just an encouraging word. And there's been times when I'll just, you know, write a note to a leader and say, you're doing great. You know, I know it's been a hard week, but I just want you to know that you're appreciated and all your efforts are worth something to us in our community. And so that's an act of service. So it's things that you can do for others that you don't need to put a price tag to. So it's the things you do in the moments that people don't see that sometimes have the most impact and you don't need to have to get something from it. You're actually giving from a place of giving with no expectation of return. [00:42:34] Speaker A: It's actually one of the keys to happiness. [00:42:37] Speaker B: It really is. [00:42:38] Speaker A: It's about what you give you. Actually, what you get in return is actually a feeling of happiness. [00:42:44] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:42:44] Speaker A: Which is sometimes what we're all missing in our lives. You've been an integral part of IPL Radio as well, which obviously we're all volunteers here. Can you tell us a little bit more how you got involved here? [00:42:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Great. Well, I think there's a few people that had reached out to me to work with this amazing team, you mainly tracking me down and. But you know what? There's an amazing team here at IPL Radio doing amazing Things with little, you know, and it's really important to make connections. And my whole thing is all about legacy leadership. So it's what you leave behind when you work with a team, you work with a group, you work with an organization. It's not about where you are now, but where will that organisation be in 10 years time. And the values that this organization aspires to and its mandate of helping people in the community with their mental health is such an important thing and really spoke to me in my heart because obviously working with a lot of business owners, mental health can be a real challenge at times. And so making sure that you, you stay in that positive community building space. So everything we do speaks into other people's lives in a positive way, but so they can pay it forward. Yes, right. So it's that, that's the whole thing for me. So I invest my time, my finances, resources into building that next generation of leaders, whoever they are, wherever they are, from whatever background they are, it doesn't bother me. It's just what are they doing for the community? What are they doing for the people around them? Are they looking outwards or inwards? And I'll invest with anyone who's looking out was to support other people and grow their community to build that legacy leadership. [00:44:30] Speaker A: So you've actually developed networks and things like that and joined organizations like the RKCC and things like that? [00:44:37] Speaker B: That's right. [00:44:38] Speaker A: Because that's what you want. You're actually trying to find and investigate and find these organizations that are doing good things in the community, aren't you? [00:44:46] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, the vice president on the Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce and that came about of me sitting on their committee for executive committee for a couple of years and we knew that there needed to be changes and things are growing and developing. The market shifted after Covid. We needed different things and needed to attract different members and grow and we have some amazing people serving in that organization in volunteer and in paid spaces. Incredible CEO and operations manager who are fabulous. And I believe that you've got to be part of the story and you have to contribute to the overall effect of what you where you're trying to get. So if you want to change a culture in the community and you want to invest and make it more positive, you have to be the change you want to see in that community. So that's why I put my money where my mouth is and essentially that's time. So even as a small business owner, you may not have the physical cash, but can you contribute Time and your expertise to that organization. And so that's what I tried to do with Rockingham Kwana Chamber of Commerce. But then also I'm the chair of the Rockingham Community Bank. So for the Bendigo bank in Rockingham. [00:45:59] Speaker A: And I do absolutely incredible work, don't they? [00:46:03] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:46:04] Speaker A: And seeing them more and more and more around the place. [00:46:08] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:46:09] Speaker A: They've been a part of. Part of so many great events and provided families with free activities and things like that that are beneficial to our community on a grassroots level. [00:46:20] Speaker B: That's the important part, isn't it? It's the grassroots. And I mean how that bank came about is astronomically fantastic. I love the story of it. It's so great. So there was a small group of business owners about 22 years ago that the big banks had closed all the branches along the foreshore in Rockingham. And so there's a. The small businesses had nowhere to take their cash, had nowhere to draw money from that kind of thing. And so they decided to start their own bank. And so Bendigo bank had a model where you could create your own community bank and be essentially sort of underwritten or be a franchise of the Bendigo Bank. So these business people who are amazing, like pioneers in this community, they created the bank, they built the bank bank. And I came on board to support the. The who was then the chairperson, Barb Holland, who's an amazing community, well known [00:47:14] Speaker A: family, she's a powerhouse. [00:47:16] Speaker B: And so Barb kindly allowed me to come alongside and work with her and, and the board. And so we actually looked at things that weren't going so well in the bank and what did we need to do to change that? So we spent a lot of time building the strategic plan, obviously. Yes. And then what did we need to do do to make ourselves accountable to get the result that we needed. And we had a lot of tough conversations because some of it actually meant closing down a branch and investing in our second branch, which is in Kwinana. It's actually. No, it's actually in Secret Harbor. Yeah, yeah. So it's only 10 minutes down the road, but essentially you're taking away a branch to feed into the other branch. However, the growth of the organization has been astronomical since then. And so we've been able to then invest more of our funds back into the local community because that's the whole purpose of a community bank. Right. So anytime anyone wants to start a new account or anything like that coming to the Secret Harbour Shopping Centre, we're actually located in there. And anytime you Invest and you put your money into the Bendigo Bank, Rockingham. We actually take a portion of those funds and we reinvest them back into community activities. So I think we've put just over $350,000 into the local community. [00:48:40] Speaker A: So it means why wouldn't you go with a community bank? [00:48:43] Speaker B: Exactly, exactly. And that's where that whole integrity, gratitude, service sits in, because I align very much with their values. And that's why I said I'm happy to step into that role recently as the chair, because we're taking it to that next level. What do we do for a community bank to support the community and you know, that donut economy thing we're talking about. So I guess I'm doing that in the background with the activities that I'm doing to help support our local government, the state government, federal government initiatives. But how do we all work together and make sure that it grows the community. [00:49:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Trickles back through to the community you're actually in. [00:49:21] Speaker B: Absolutely. And it's that accountability. Accountability piece. Right. So it's whatever money we're putting into the community, we make sure. Sure it's getting to where it needs to be. [00:49:30] Speaker A: Donna, can I ask you, who have been people within your life that you've kind of aspired to? Because obviously I look at you and there's so many things that I find inspiring about you and I love having you in my network. But I'm interested to know who are the people that you admire and, you know, things like that. [00:49:52] Speaker B: You know, it's interesting because I got asked to write a piece about this probably about six or seven years ago. No, I love it. I really love it because they're really insightful questions, you know, and I think they're people who are no longer alive. But I think one was from a very long time ago, which was Joan of Arc, and I just loved her story. So the story of Joan of Arc, she went up against. She led armies at 15. Right. So that was one. And the other one was Queen Elizabeth Elizabeth I and now Queen Elizabeth II are on par. But they led their countries through times of war, through times of strife, and held them up. And they were more profitable after their leadership over those 40 and now, you know, 60 odd years than at any time in the history of the country. I think with that kind of thing, they just stayed true to their beliefs. They were unfaltering in their belief systems. And I really. That's what I loved about it because that's how I feel. It's like if I say I'm going to do it. I make sure I do it. And so I love that. I guess there's so many examples of women in leadership in Australia who are amazing leaders. Absolutely. We're very blessed here in Australia, I have to say. We've got some incredible leaders and they've [00:51:08] Speaker A: worked hard to pave the way for future women. [00:51:11] Speaker B: Absolutely. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Right. So every generation steps up and it's because someone else has paid the price before them. And I think women like in the media industry, like Ida Butros, that kind of thing, like they came through in an industry which was very male dominated at the time. They didn't say, oh, well, I don't get, I haven't got. They just did their thing and were highly successful doing it. And so now they're in their, you know, late 70s or I'm not sure, that sort of age group. But essentially they're the women I look up to because they've done it. They did the hard yards. I was able to come in behind them, people come in behind me. So I think that's the, they're the sort of group that I really look to. [00:51:55] Speaker A: Yeah, it, it's amazing to see. And as I said, you celebrate everybody's success. [00:52:01] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:52:01] Speaker A: What does leadership mean to you? Because we've had this conversation before where I've said to you before, I actually don't envision myself as a leader. And you said you've got to change your mentality around leadership because it doesn't necessarily have to be the person at the front. [00:52:17] Speaker B: That's right. Well, we're all leaders. So we're leaders of our lives, our families, our communities, people in leadership roles, whether it's a company, an organization, you lead your own business, or there's people in government who lead in government. And if you can be the best version of you and know and learn about leadership qualities and traits. Because I ran a whole program around the 21 qualities, qualities of leadership, which John Maxwell did. I'm one of his international speakers. So when you actually learn those 21 qualities, you can actually see where do I. What are my strengths, what are my weaknesses? What do I need to work on as a leader? And you take that to every situation that comes before you. So I think being a leader, the most important thing is showing up. If you say you're going to do it, do it and live by your values. So I think they're the core thing, because if you are showing up and living by your values, everything else will sort of come from that, you know, that's that purpose driven leadership which we spoke about. [00:53:25] Speaker A: Yeah. I love everything about you and you, Jess. So tell us, how is IPL gonna change? Because I'm gonna get Tris in here in a minute and I'm hoping that you will stay, given the fact that you have. Have such a strong skill set when it comes to the media and things like that. Have you heard IPL are going to develop a magazine? [00:53:48] Speaker B: Ooh, how exciting. [00:53:50] Speaker A: That's really exciting. They're looking at, you know, how much media is actually out there, what we spoke about before and how much isn't getting through. We want to put the good news stories back into the community. We want the people that write those media releases about their sporting groups, about their events and things like that to be able to be seen. So, yeah, we're looking to change it up a little bit and develop a magazine. What do you feel about that? [00:54:18] Speaker B: Well, my background is working with newspapers and magazines, so. Isn't that funny? Yeah, TV and marketing. So, I mean, I. I love that idea. I think anything where you're showcasing the community and showcasing people succeeding to like what I said before, their best self. So their best organization, their best self. What are you achieving? What are you putting back into the community? I think is super important. And having a magazine like that would be great because I think they're the sort of things that people can hold on to. So. I don't know about you, but I still do clippings of articles. [00:54:55] Speaker A: I actually still have a book. Well, this is back in my Kalgoorlie days, days where I cut out articles. And that was because my dad was in journalism and we had that little book where you would cut out all his articles and put them in. So, yeah, I still did that. The little clippings of everything absolutely faded so much. I should have photocopied them. [00:55:14] Speaker B: Well, you know, I think what's so important about that is what you might talk about, particularly in terms of values and that kind of thing 10 years ago is as relevant today, if not more so relevant today because there's so many voices in the marketplace. We have to return to family values like we're going to return to. What does it mean? You don't have to have a nuclear family. You just need to have family values. People who come alongside you, people who support you, lift you up, people who champion you in. In the space. [00:55:44] Speaker A: What we're looking for, isn't it? [00:55:45] Speaker B: Absolutely. And we need that from our leadership as well. And so you often hear me Talking about that, particularly in my. On my pod, my own podcast and things like that. So. Which is the Bates Debates. That was a bit of a plug there. [00:55:59] Speaker A: Can we talk about that, though? Because we're going to have to release that on a phenomenal level because just the information that you've provided me has been of such value. So I can only imagine the information in the Bates Debate podcast. Where do we find it? [00:56:16] Speaker B: So you can actually go to the website. So just Donna Bates.com and there's a blog or podcast podcast page, and it links through to my Spotify account. So. And really at the moment, it's when I'm interviewed on radio about a particular issue or whatever it might be, and then I've loaded it up as a Bates Debate, and then into the future, we'll grow that and develop that by talking like, what we're doing today is a perfect. This. This interview, if you let me, will probably go up on that as well. So absolutely no copyright. You tell me. So. So, yeah, so it's really. It's really that. [00:56:57] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, I'm looking forward to watching a lot more about that. I'm. I've got a small business myself. I know a lot of my listeners have small businesses. I highly recommend you go to www.donnabates.com. it's got podcast up the top you can go through. And it's got very visual. It's very visual, but it's also got a very good description that you might relate to straight away and go, I need this in my business. [00:57:23] Speaker B: Yep, absolutely. And look, sometimes just reach out and ask the question. You know, sometimes people just send me emails from my website and just say, hey, I've got this type of business. What do you think this would be the right thing to work for me? I'm actually really happy to have those conversations. It's not a problem at all. [00:57:37] Speaker A: You're not going anywhere, are you? Because we have our next guest coming in shortly, the beautiful Hayley Edwards. I think she's just walked in the door and I would love to have you stay with us. And yeah, I know that you're not afraid to ask the tough questions. I am.