What I Uncovered When It All Changed...

The powerful lesson I learned when my $30M business came crashing down.

 In the hardest business moment of my life, I discovered that showing up consistently and authentically is the real key to building a team that stays loyal, no matter the storm. 🌪️

It's 10:25 a.m. on the 8th of November, 2016. I'm standing in front of 30 staff members, but the weight of my words is reaching 110. I’ve just announced that we are shutting the doors on a $30 million business with thousands of clients. It’s one of the hottest business moments I’ve ever been in. 😢 Tears are streaming down my face as I deliver the news, and I can feel the shockwaves ripple through the room. (What the hell am I doing? These people have families, and Christmas is around the corner. 🎄)

There was no Zoom or Teams back then—just a conference call connecting our four offices along the eastern seaboard of Australia. In the Brisbane office at West End, the air felt thick, full of unspoken questions and a collective sense of dread. (Could I have waited until after Christmas? No, Joanne, you couldn’t. It would have been cruel to do this just before the holidays. You had to make the tough call now.)

What came next was something I didn’t expect. (Why am I even saying this? Shouldn’t they just leave and find new jobs?) I asked if anyone would be willing to stay, unpaid, to help me empty the offices and sell the furniture and equipment before the liquidators came. And guess what? 95% of them did. (I’m floored. Why are they staying? They don’t owe me anything. 😳)

That was my first epiphany—they stayed. These people, who should have been scrambling to find new jobs, stayed to help me. In that moment, their loyalty, their dedication hit me like a size 12 boot to the backside. 🥾 (Holy crap, Joanne, look at what you built—this loyalty isn’t just from the business, it’s from YOU. 👊)

At the end of that brutal day, they surrounded me in a group hug 🤗, showing a level of humanity I didn’t know I had inspired. (Why am I holding it together? I should be curled up in a ball right now, but I can’t. Not in front of them.)

Then, just five minutes later, one of my senior staff members knocked on my door. He handed me an envelope with a card the team had bought the day before. The day before, they had no idea we’d be shutting down, yet they still wanted to show their love and support. (How did I miss this? I was always so focused on growing the business 📈, I didn’t realise how much they valued me. ❤️)

We spent the rest of the week moving furniture, selling computers, and emptying the offices.

 It’s a bit like when you have that epiphany that you know your kids have picked up on things you didn't realise they noticed. It’s like when they suddenly blurt out a swear word that you thought they hadn't heard. But they, they pick it up and say it in front of mixed company—potentially with your mother-in-law—and you’re absolutely horrified. 😱

 That day, I learned that your team is always watching. 👀 (I thought I was too busy for them. Turns out, the little things—those daily check-ins, saying good morning, asking if I could help—that’s what mattered most.) It hit me like a sledgehammer: your presence, your consistency, your authenticity—that’s what they remember. 💡

 This is exactly what I bring to the Her Transformation Program. I teach these hard-earned lessons that have smacked me in the arse with a size 12 boot. 🥾 Turning up consistently, authentically, and with a pinch of humble—these are the leadership qualities that shape great teams and businesses.

 Want to know more about how you can lead with this kind of impact? ✨ Type "More" below or book a call with me. Let's talk about how you can bring these lessons into your business, so you can lead a team that will stand by you, no matter what. 💬