As I stood in memorial over my candle in the driveway this ANZAC weekend I was transported back. It was the cool early hours of the morning, in October 2007.

We were excited as we jumped into the chopper of the True North to head to the Kokoda War memorial in Papua New Guinea, and were in good spirits as we flew over the misty camouflage greens of the mountains, joking with each other, teasing ourselves out of our last veils of sleepiness. Before we knew it, we were landing.

As soon as the doors opened, we were engulfed by a thick wave of energy, of emotion, and our smiles were swallowed by our hearts and replaced with tears welling. Not just one, or two of us, but all of us. What is this place?

An angel was there to greet us, a nephew of a Fuzzy Wuzzy, the name our ANZAC’s fondly called the many Papua New Guineans who supported them, in their attempts to ward off the Japanese invaders.

Blurry eyed, we were led down some steps to the edge of a plateau overlooking Kokoda, and bordering this curved edge, were four massive basalt pillars – each one standing in testament to the qualities of the ANZACS – ENDURANCE, MATESHIP, COURAGE AND SACRIFICE.

I often reflect on those four qualities when I think about Australian Values and what it is to be Australian.

Standing in my driveway, listening to ABC’s memorial service, Returned Services Nurse Wing Commander, Sharon Down, recited the qualities of the ANZACS as – Endurance, Courage, Ingenuity, Good humour, Mateship and Devotion – devotion to duty, to each other and to Australia.

So, a few more have been added to the sentinel principles of Kokoda, with sacrifice not in the mix.

For over 20 years I have been helping business owners and teams uncover their values, with unique facilitation processes to help them emerge from the depths of who they are. (And this does not involve values-shopping from a list).

If businesses aspire to be truly conscious and values activated, and consistent in HOW they do business, so they can earn trust and respect from their customers and stakeholders, they need to uncover those values that will rise to the surface when the proverbial hits the fan. We can all live positive ‘poster’ values when times are great, but our true nature is revealed when we are stressed and under pressure. What values intuitively rise to the surface then? What belief systems truly underlie the way we operate?

For the Kokoda ANZAC’s it was; Endurance, Mateship, Courage and Sacrifice.

Under duress is when true values, intuitive default values, come to the fore. It is also when, if an organisation has done the work upfront, a manager, even when a little blurry eyed, can use these pre-determined and collaborated values to stay operating consistently to who they say they are, and keep their ship ballasted and on course. And (because they are pre-determined), do this in a way that is recognised, embodied and supported by their entire team.

Working with values for years, I have often talked-back to talkback radio, when politicians broadcast, they have done this or that because that is the Australian thing to do. As a sixth-generation Australian, both sides, I still don’t know what values guide the Australian psyche. What values help us ballast our ship and help us make consistent principled decisions?

The term ‘Australian values’ is bandied about, but actual values have not been referenced or articulated. They have been kept vague, like an invisible cloak, to magically ‘Australianise’ (we’re all in this together) and justify a number of political standpoints.

And that is the thing with values. When you do articulate them, you then have to live them! You are then making yourself responsible and accountable to consistently live them and stick by them and with them through good times and bad.

When you do live your values, no matter what, you attract, as Simon Senek would say, those who believe what you believe.  You earn trust and respect, credibility, power and support as a leader / organisation. Think Jacinda Ardern (Prime Minister of New Zealand). But living your values also makes you accountable, and that is way too responsible and frightening for some.

I would love for Australians in the spirit of mateship, to collaborate on what our Australian values are and have the courage to draw a line in the sand, and govern by and use these overt principles as enduring guidelines for everything we do.

When I think of our boat people, I think, do they have the qualities of the ANZAC’s – Endurance, Mateship, Courage and Sacrifice? Yes, they do. Based on these principles, one could argue that they are more Australian than many of us.

What are the Australian Values that are going to help us make the right call in good times and bad?

What Australian Values are going to help us ballast our ship in not so good times and give us comfort that we are staying true to who we are, no matter what is transpiring out there?

What values are going to fill us with pride and reflect what we believe in?

What values are going to inspire us and give us the psychological safety to ‘have a go’.

What values are also going to include core spiritual values of our first indigenous peoples including land care-taking?

While we are taking time out to reflect. I would love to see our Australian politicians take this time to help us emerge into our future with core values that reflect – what it truly is to be Australian.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth

Cath Sutherland is the Director of Conscious Business – helping businesses to understand who they are, so they can do business better. Cath facilitates leaders and teams through her unique Creating Brand Energy process to develop, through collective consensus, their unique Conscious Business Blueprint – a clear, multi-level guide to manage, direct and develop relationships, operations, and product delivery. Cath can be reached at cath@consciousbusiness.net.au

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What makes us so special?

How do we make friends?

How do we describe ourselves on social media?

What personalises us?

What instructions do we give AI, so any work it does for us, sounds like us, feels like us, could be us? AND here is the big one – differentiates us.

With influencers, ‘experts’, customers and technology telling us to do business a certain way, how do we stay true to who we are?

Firstly, we need to understand and become conscious of all those little, but very important, characteristics and qualities that make us distinctive, quirky, unique.

Or as Cath and Kim would say, ‘Noice, different, unusual’.

Look at Moi Ploise

By clarifying all of our identifying characteristics we can then fully ‘own’ them with a ‘this is me’, and ‘look at moi ploise’, confidence.

This suite of characteristics, our Brand Personality, is also a personal filter to use to align everything we do, with who we are.

So, we ensure, everything we do, looks like us, sounds like us, feels like us, reacts like us – is true to us.

Strategic differentiation

It’s conscious awareness in action. This means we present a strong, powerful and consistent brand identity and strategically differentiate our business, with all of the little things we do.

Having Values is not enough. Values are the pillars of ‘how’ we operate. Our Brand Personality is how we decorate our pillars, with our own unique attitude, style and detail. The devil AND the beauty is in the detail. So, it’s worth taking the time to uncover what this detail is for us.

To start to reveal these characteristics, whether you are a solopreneur or corporate brand.

Ask your friends

Ask your friends, loyal customers, partners and supporters why they like you?

If they had to describe you to a friend, what would they say about you?

Use these positive characteristics to personalise everything you express, create, offer and receive. This includes ensuring alignment with the team members you engage. Because, working with you, they need to be able to live the personality of your Brand.

I can also help

If you are a solopreneur or partnership (2 for the price of one), and live in Perth – you can attend a series of six workshops from 20 February to 3 April 2025. https://consciousbusiness.net.au/services/workshops/

Or if you are a business with a team, I can facilitate this process with your team members to determine who you are together.

It’s a lot of fun!

This is one of the most fun processes I facilitate, for me and for your team members and is a great aligning team building exercise. It is also the foundation work for uncovering your Values. DM me to learn more.

Plus, there is also some great info about this process in my book – Creating Brand Energy. Grab yourself a copy here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate Your Truth

Cath Sutherland is the Director of Conscious Business – helping businesses to understand who they are, so they can do business better. Cath facilitates teams and leaders through her unique Creating Brand Energy process to develop, through collective consensus, their unique Conscious Business Blueprint – a clear, multi-level guide to manage, direct and develop relationships, operations, and product delivery. Cath can be reached at cath@consciousbusiness.net.au

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Your Business Vision is your overarching AIM for your business plan.

Your Vision is your imagined picture of what your business looks like, feels like, is doing and achieving in x years’ time.

From this collaboratively envisioned picture – you then set the goals, strategies and actions that will help you achieve this Vision.  These are commonly broken down into short, medium and long-term goals.

This forms your business plan – your game plan, your road map, that will help you stay focussed and on track over your nominated time frame to get to your Vision.

Your Business Plan helps you to be effective, efficient and profitable.

While developing your business plan you will understand the resources (human and financial) you will need, to achieve your goals and understand the relationships that are key to your success.

Having the big picture view of all of your goals, strategies and actions also helps you to see and uncover, synergies, fast tracks and hacks.

Your Vision gives you the view of where your business is going.

But your Global Vision encourages you to look around and see who you can help along the way.

Your Global Vision is collaboratively derived by your team – what are your passions? If there was one thing you could contribute to in the world (as a collective) – what would that be?

How can you use your business as a vehicle for good?

Here are some examples from my clients:

To realign individual wellness with the collective wellbeing of the planet – Mind Body Heart

To courageously support equal rights and help those in need – Bunbury Senior High School

To support and empower families to live a more conscious today – Pure Home Body

Unlock dreams through education – PS. It’s Fun!

To enable and nurture potential – Office Solutions IT

To grow the good in youth – LG Accounting Solutions

Yes! You’re in business to serve clients, make money and support your partners, team and suppliers.

But you can also support something greater, something outside of yourself, that you can invite all of your energyholders (stakeholders) to participate in and support with you.

Your Vision is the spark of your energy – it gets you started.

Your Global Vision IGNITES this spark – It’s your higher intent for your business and the big WHY you are in business.

Here’s an example of my Global Vision. 

Why define your Global Vision for your business?

• It gives your business a focus for all of your corporate social responsibility.
• It is a great opportunity to develop closer relationships with all of your energyholders (stakeholders) including your team, suppliers and customers. You can invite your energyholders to join you in contributing to something greater,(that they never would have been able to be a part of on their own) – they can contribute through donations, volunteering their time, skills and/or knowledge to your cause.
• It is your long-term legacy as a business.
• You are actively contributing to the change you want to see in the world.
• Team members become more emotionally connected and endeared to invest more into their work, be loyal and have a sense of ownership in the business.
• Your customers feel good buying your product and are more endeared to buy more, pay more and be more loyal to your business.

Why define your Global Vision for your team?

• Your team has the satisfaction of knowing they are investing in something really worthwhile through their work. They have the opportunity to give back, live their personal values and self-actualise through their work.

Why define your Global Vision for your customers?

• It provides a clear position for all of your energyholders to understand what your Brand stands for.
• Conscious Customers vote with their dollar and know that by buying from you they are also contributing to something greater.

So, as you can see your Vision and your Global Vision are very different elements of your business. AND you need both!

Your Vision enables you to contribute to your Global Vision.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth

Claim one of the 12 seats available in my Work a Life You Love Workshop, so you can step into the power of who you are and define your Vision and Global Vision together with your other core energy elements.

Or contact me to chat about how I may be able to facilitate you and/or your team through my process.

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Your Purpose is WHY you are really in business.

You produce a product for a reason and customers buy this for a reason. There are the functional benefits sure, but what are the emotional benefits?

When it comes down to it, what is your intent?

• How do you want your customer to feel after experiencing your product?
• What do they gain emotionally from experiencing your product?
• What end realisation do you want them to have after experiencing your product? Do you want them to feel safe, a sense of belonging, inspired, secure, beautiful, important, invigorated, connected, part of the family, comforted, supported, aware, included and proud?

Your Purpose is to make customers feel a certain way and enhance their lives in a certain way.

Your Purpose for your customers is your public, marketed Purpose and describes your role as a business.

You are in business to provide a certain experience for your customers.

X Cath
Conscious Business
Integrate your truth

Connect and Join The Party

Work a life you love

Sign up for my 6-week step by step Creating Brand Energy Business workshop. Designed to help you, as a business leader, get clear about who you are, what value you offer, attract more customers and build a more conscious and successful business.

There are only 12 spots available for this intimate and fun journey of discovery for your business – starting in Perth in Feb.

Click here to learn more

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We all have certain Values that underlie how we live our lives.

By defining our Values and the intentions of our Values, we then have a filter to guide our actions and behaviours.

If a business does not collectively (that is – as a group) define the Values of their organisation and collaboratively set the context of who they are – then their team and stakeholders will do it for them, with a mash of their individual values and beliefs, to make up an operating context for the business.

They will ‘fill-in’ the gaps.

This mash-up may organically work, but it also may not be the in the collective best interest of the organisation or the majority of their stakeholders.  Without conscious, collectively defined Values (and intentions) for the organisation – there is no mechanism, or guide, for the leaders and team members to actively use to redirect and positively self-correct throughout their day to day.

So, without defined operating Values, the culture of the organisation, ‘how things are done around here’, has no conscious guiding system, and because it is undirected, it may go off track. In fact, it is likely to.

The absence of defined, activated and managed operating Values, leaves a gap for the context of the organisation, it’s culture, to be commandeered by a few strong individuals. And because their conscious or unconscious operating system or beliefs on ‘how things should be done’, is based on the heart of who they are, their ‘way’ is likely to be defended as though their life depended on it.

So, when a business has gone off track and is suffering from an unhealthy culture and is experiencing negative and destructive behaviours in the workplace, there is no point examining and trying to correct the behaviours. You will never be able to unravel the labyrinth of interactions and happenings in the workplace environment that led to these systemic unhealthy behaviours – (these are not linear, nor logical).

You are better to reboot the system.

Get your team together – get buy in, input and consensus about who you are as an organisation and with what Values and intentions are going to guide your way into the future.

When you do this – you are empowering everyone in your team with the understanding to positively contribute to, activate and manage how you do things in your workplace. You are giving your team members the independence to consciously take charge, self-direct and self-determine for the good of the whole team, your stakeholders and your business. With these guidelines your team can also positively, innovatively and consistently navigate any situation, terrain or market condition.

I encourage all of my workshoppers to come up with their very own ‘values cocktail’. This helps them to express, activate and live their values.

It can also help to use your values like a ‘Hat Trick’. Here I explore Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats concept.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth

Connect and Join The Party

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When I facilitate Blueprinters’ through their Brand Personality, I ask a lot of right brain questions. This is so we can fully explore all aspects of who they are – and uncover their truth.

Their real Brand Personality.

With right brain questions – try as they might – they can’t work out where the line of questioning is leading and how these questions could relate to their business.

So, they answer truthfully. They answer intuitively, through what they feel and with what is top of mind.

I encourage them not to self-edit – to just TRUST in the process – and assure them that when they do just ‘go with their flow’, they will get more from it.

And they do.

What they discover (with amazement) is that from all of these disparate questions, the same themes re WHO they are – just keep popping up.

Whereever we go, whatever we do, whatever we are attracted to, there is one thing that is constant, and that is us!

It is our perspective that can have us seeing, tasting, smelling, feeling and hearing the same things from a myriad of different experiences.

This process also gives us insight into the idea, that through our perspective we really do create our own reality.

Are our Personality and perspective one?

Our Personality filters what we perceive.

Our Personality directs how we choose to interact with the world.

So, it makes sense that whatever we experience – will relate to who we are.

By understanding who we are , our true Brand Personality, (not one ‘developed’ for us by an agency), we can get a clearer understanding of our unique (individual or collective) perspective. With this clarity, we can then positively manage, navigate and direct our businesses success.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth

Connect and Join The Party

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Why do we need to determine who we are as a business?

Why can’t we just go out there and sell our Product?

Because our Product is created by who we are, whether ‘we’ – are a solopreneur or a team.

Our Product is the product of (the manifestation, expression and reflection of) everyone who works with us.

Our Product is also wrapped in who we are.

So, it’s really important to be clear on what makes up our who.

When we are clear about who we are, we can then use these guidelines to effectively direct and manage everything we do, so we can create, develop, manage, refine and deliver our Product consistently.

Who we are personalises our Product and creates emotional value.

The more emotional value we offer the more customers are prepared to spend, buy and be loyal to our Brand.

Long term customers connect with who we are (with the emotional value they derive from our Brand and product) – not just the functional ‘what’ of what we offer.

People will either like who we are and want to connect – or not.

When those who are genuinely attracted to who we are connect, because they are ‘like energy’, they will in-turn fuel and energise our business.

Our Brand is not just who we are – our Brand is also comprised of the customers we attract.

So, we need to make sure we stay true to who we are in creating and offering our Product, so we attract the right customers with the right ‘like energy’ to energise and build our Brand.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth

The post Your Product appeared first on Conscious Business.

• Attracts,
• Connects,
• Energises,
• Empowers,
• Drives, and
• Fulfils

Your market, community, customers, stakeholders, suppliers, team, managers and directors (everyone who comes in contact with your business).

Your positive Brand Energy adds value, particularly emotional value, to your product.

By developing and nurturing your emotional value, you are developing and nurturing your business and brand value, and ensuring business sustainability.

Once you have defined your Brand Energy it is vital to keep it healthy and provide a balanced and supportive environment where it can flourish and evolve. When you prioritise the health of your Brand Energy and manage your business with awareness, care and consistency, you will engender trust and confidence in your team, customers and stakeholders. As a consequence they will also buy-in and live your Brand Energy, thereby magnifying and amplifying its presence in the marketplace.

After discovering your brand’s Energy, it can also be useful to summarise it in an Essence. An Essence will give clients and stakeholders a succinct idea of your brand’s Energy, and will help to facilitate a stronger connection with these parties.

A brand lived is infinitely more powerful than a brand merely advertised.

X Cath
Conscious Business
Integrate your truth

Excerpt from Cath’s book – Creating Brand Energy – How To Transform Your Business Energy Into Market Power – pg. 60.

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Your Brand Energy Blueprint outlines the truth of who you are as a business.

Whether you are a solopreneur, small team or corporation.

This Blueprint is an everyday guide to help you, BE YOU, in all aspects of business.

We have been taught by traditional business that we need to be ‘this way’ or ‘that way’ to be successful.

The truth is, being who we really are, is the real path to success.

We just have to believe in ourselves.

When you are yourself, you:

• Do business naturally and intuitively. This saves you time, worry and wasted energy. You can also freely use your natural talents.
• Attract ‘like’ energy – team members, customers, suppliers, stakeholders, or as I like to call them energyholders. These energyholders, because they share your energy, are energised by, and also energise your business.
• Make authentic connections and lasting relationships for business success.

This blueprint doesn’t just take one aspect; your Why, Purpose, Values, Brand Personality or Product.  It looks at all of these elements and how, when aligned, they fuel each other, strengthen each other and integrate into a unique powerful whole.

This unique combination is your differentiation.

This blueprint harnesses your passions. It wraps what you do with who you are into a package that simply and powerfully says, this is me! This is why I am in business, this is how I do business and this is the unique value I offer. If you feel aligned with who I am, join me.

Your Brand Energy Blueprint creates Your Brand (your reputation) – which attracts people to you.

Your Brand Energy Blueprint is made up of these five Brand Energy Elements:

Your Product (your value offering) –is your connection point. It’s how your customers, suppliers, partners and other energyholders connect with you.  When customers connect with your Product they make the acquaintance.

Your Brand Personality  is the unique style of connection you want to make. It sets the attitude, tone and style of everything you do. By activating and living your unique Personality, you develop friendships and enjoy growing your brand and business with like-minded customers and energyholders.

Your Values – fuel your energy and guide your way.  When lived consistently, your Values earn trust and respect.

Your Purpose  – charges your energy and is how you want the experience of your product to feel.  By activating your Purpose, those who come into contact with your business come to love you.

Your Global Vision – is your greater vision and ignites the spark of your energy.  By activating your Global Vision you encourage life partnerships with all of our energyholders.

By activating your Brand Energy Elements; by being true to who you are; you can determine your brand, relationships and business success.

X Cath

Conscious Business
Integrate your truth

Connect and Join The Party

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This role saw me writing radio ads, directing production and being a professional voiceover.

I wrote for all sorts of clients, and my key question for all of them was, “What makes you different? Why should someone buy from you? What are the benefits?

Shopping Centre clients would notoriously say “Oh you can shop in airconditioned comfort and there’s plenty of parking.”

NO just NO.

That’s what you expect.

Today I am facilitating entrepreneurs and their teams to develop their Brand Energy Blueprint. A powerful suite of guiding intentions and qualities, the combination of which, is their true personalised differentiation.

One of the five elements I facilitate, is Values, and when I do this, I am sometimes transported back to my Shopping Centre Clients of the 80’s.

Today, quality, safety, service and looking after our people and planet are expected. They are hygiene factors, they are, the airconditioned comfort and plenty of parking, of the 80’s.

These qualities are expected. They are core competencies of a business. They are among the critical foundations that a business needs, to operate successfully.

Critical foundations may vary from business to business, but here is a set of qualities that may relate to your business.

They are important, yes, you wouldn’t have a successful business without them, but they belong at the very functional core of what you do. Ensure they are an integral part of your business plan, they are built into your operations and managed accordingly.

But be clear, they are not values and not differentiators.  We have evolved and need to set new benchmarks.

Believe me, your clients and business relationships are looking for more.

Your Values qualify HOW you intend to operate and look after your relationships.

They contribute to the higher expression of who you are and provide the context for the clients and relationships you want to attract. Like attracts like.

So, if safety is a core competency for your business, then HOW are you going to operate more safely?

Do your team members need to be caring, considered, respectful?

These potential Values can be employed for all of your core competencies, looking after your people, profits, planet and determining your service, quality of offering and your safety.

And that is what a suite of business values should be, clear actionable intentions that are general.

Values are the bedrock of WHO you are as a business and describe HOW you operate. They are not specific to your business or product. This means if market conditions change, or your products change, you can retain your recognised values and accumulated brand equity and pivot accordingly.

If you are keen to explore what makes you different as a business and define a set of guidelines for HOW you operate (your values) that everyone in your team develops together and agrees upon, then type VALUES in the comments below and we can chat.

If you own a small business and live in Perth, you can also sign up for my annual Work a Life You Love workshop series and join a small cohort (12) business owners to define your unique Brand Energy elements including your values. These workshops will run from Feb 20 to April 3, 2025 and spaces are limited. DM me for details.

Cath Sutherland is the Director of Conscious Business – helping businesses to understand who they are, so they can do business better. Cath facilitates teams and leaders through her unique Creating Brand Energy process to develop, through collective consensus, their unique Conscious Business Blueprint – a clear, multi-level guide to manage, direct and develop relationships, operations, and product delivery. Cath can be reached at cath@consciousbusiness.net.au

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