Fran Molloy
Every November, the Optus My Business Awards celebrates the success of Australia's best business operators. I caught up with Jo Burston, founder and CEO of Inspiring Rare Birds and the 2018 Optus Businesswoman of the Year winner, to hear more about her vision for building a global network of female entrepreneurs.
Serial entrepreneur, Jo Burston founded multi-million dollar employment services firm, Job Capital, before launching Inspiring Rare Birds to offer mentorship, support and funding to female entrepreneurs and and startup.business, which brings entrepreneurial education to schools.
Q: You took Job Capital from zero to $40 million turnover per annum in just five years - talk us through that journey.
A: I started my entrepreneurial journey almost 15 years ago with a 'sliding door' moment; I met an entrepreneur and pitched my business concept to him. At that stage in my life, it was very much about the money and being at the top of my game. This chance meeting led to him becoming my first investor, my mentor and one of the directors of my first company, Job Capital - which was formed six weeks after that pitch.
We turned it into a $40 million company in its first five years with a team of just 12 people. We made smart investments in the right systems and technology and the business is, incredibly, still growing. It's there that I learned how to make mistakes and be okay with that - and how to grow and scale companies.
Q: How did your experience with Job Capital lead you to creating Inspiring Rare Birds?
A: Four years ago, I was on a stage at Government House receiving a peer-nominated award through the Pearcey Foundation for my contribution to technology with Job Capital. It was a great honour and, as I looked out over the audience, I realised that nearly all of the faces looking back at me were men. It was an 'aha' moment - and one that led me to find out more about what's going on.
Q: How did you go about that?
A: I took a film crew to my old public school in South-West Sydney and interviewed around 30 girls aged 8-17 years. I asked them about their dreams, aspirations and what they thought an entrepreneur was. Some didn't even know and, those who did, answered that it was "a man who ran a business". That sparked something in me; I knew I had to change the awareness and visibility of female entrepreneurs and women in business in Australia.
Q: It's a business with an interesting beginning - how did you promote it?
A: We produced a coffee-table book showcasing 50 influential Australian women entrepreneurs, circulated thousands of copies and spoke to leaders in business, education and industry. We told the story of this huge emerging market of discretionary spenders that are changing the GDP and our social environment, and our communities in Australia. I wanted to make role models out of them for younger generations. This helped us grow quite fast - we now have 60,000+ women and men in our inclusive community that helps women to be successful.
"That sparked something in me; I knew I had to change the awareness and visibility of female entrepreneurs…"Jo Burston
Q: Inspiring Rare Birds has helped so many women, including those who might otherwise not be able to afford it. How does it work?
A: We partnered with the Office for Women to provide 100 mentoring scholarships for marginalised women across Australia. This matched them with world-class mentors throughout our 12-month program to help them achieve their full potential. At our nine-month survey, we found that 85% of these women said their mentors helped them grow their confidence and their revenue in that short amount of time.
That said, I built the business to be financially sustainable. A lot of people expected it to be a not-for-profit, but running a not-for- profit is not my area of expertise and I believe in having what I call a profitable, smart heart.
That means making a great impact and having great outcomes - but still creating a viable, commercial business that can sustain itself and make a profit. If you can do that, then some of the profit can go back into creating new programs, building better systems and hiring great people who can help you do more great things. The goal was to create a business that could stand on its own two feet.
Q: Tell us about your latest venture, www.startup.business.
A: Dr Richard Seymour headed up Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Sydney Business School, where his program helped thousands of women across South East Asia learn entrepreneurship at a grassroots level. I asked him to help me do the same thing in Australia. We put our crazy heads together - an entrepreneur and an academic - and built a company called startup.business. The idea was to bring entrepreneurship to classrooms, with a plan to deliver it through the high school curriculum in every state and territory. Sadly, Richard passed away 18 months ago - aged just 47.
It was a really difficult decision to continue the business, but I see it as his legacy that carries on his work through to the next generation.
We're also delivering another program through AgriFutures Australia, based on the schools program, which asks kids to come up with entrepreneurial and innovative ideas to solve problems in remote, regional and farming communities. We understand that high adversity can also lead to some of the best entrepreneurs, so we have some research underway into what the impact of learning entrepreneurship has been in regional and rural areas - and what it's done to change the mindset of these young people and the community at large.
Q: Why did you enter the Optus My Business Awards and what does it mean to you to win?
A: I was nominated by my Marketing and Comms Manager, Simone, who really wanted us to be on this platform with Optus. Inspiring Rare Birds has a wonderful connection with Optus and the brand, and the award certainly provides a great platform for me to speak about women entrepreneurs and what they actually do in Australia and globally.
It also allows us to speak to new markets and people who might not have heard the story of Rare Birds, and the journey of some of the women that make up an extraordinary group of entrepreneurs in Australia. The award is an honour, but the accolade is for everybody else, especially for my team - this is all possible thanks to them. I just happen to be the spokesperson and the visionary at the front!
Want to learn more about the Optus My Business Awards? Read more about it here.
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