The Net Result
Winners Stories – Book 2
Australian Executive Woman
of the Year Awards
Published by LUCILLE ORR
Edited by Nancy Flannery
for the
Australian Executive
Women’s Network
Why You Will Love This Book
The success stories, personally written by members of the Australian Executive Women’s Network, who entered and won State Awards in the Telecom Australian Executive Woman of the Year award (now known as the prestigious Telstra Business Women’s Award) are documented in this wonderful book.
Since 1993 these stories have assisted thousands of young women (and men) to gain the self-confidence they needed to plan their own future careers. The books in “The Net Result” series have been used by teachers and lecturers extensively in schools, business colleges and universities. Career and Business Planning courses have been developed from the true, practical experiences shared by these women who tell exactly how they achieved their individual success in business and the professions.
You will learn how they overcame difficulties and persevered to make their goals and dreams come true. The further education many undertook to climb corporate ladders and how at times they even changed career paths or worked just for the experience to gain valuable knowledge and the support of Mentors.
All the women gave the same advice – you can get everything you want in your life if you believe in yourself and focus on your future and not let anyone or anything stand in your way.
Dedication
To our fathers, sons, life and business partners
and to the men we have used as mentors, who
have willingly shared their knowledge and
experience to enhance our opportunities as
business and professional women.
We also dedicate this book to Nancy Robinson Flannery who died on 1st September 2011. Nancy will be with us forever in our hearts and minds as she did so much for the Australian Executive Women’s Network and its members.
An anthology by national and state titleholders of the
Australian Executive Woman of the Year, 1992.
Edited by Nancy Robinson Flannery
Foreword: Leonie Still
Produced and Published by Lucille Orr
for the
Australian Executive Women’s Network
107 Carrington Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: 61 8 8232 1469
Email: [email protected] Lucille Orr – Mobile 61 413 069 006
Re-designed as an e-Book, by Steve Orr
Email: [email protected]
Published in eBook format by Lucille Orr
Converted by http://www.ebookit.com
Copyright 2012 Lucille Orr,
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9871-5984-7
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the consent of the publisher.
All the stories in this book are true and personally written by the women in the book.
Foreword
by Professor Leonie V. Still
Dean, faculty of commerce
University of Western Sydney, Nepean
The last thirty years in Australia have been a “golden age” for women in terms of career advancement. No longer forced to resign from organisations on the advent of marriage, women can now forge any career path they choose if they have the drive, enthusiasm and desire to achieve and to make something of themselves. Whether it’s a career in a large organisation, or the thrill of self-employment, women have many opportunities to test their potentiality. To the career oriented woman in the 1990s, the world is indeed her ‘oyster’!
This year’s contributors to The Net Result 2 represent just how women have progressed in terms of their career paths. The women include two engineers and a vet, a publisher, a tourist operator, a funeral director, a number of training, speaking and seminar presenters and a florist.
Not so long ago many of these careers would not have been considered by women, let alone been open to them! When their stories are read, there is a pattern of risk taking, determination, goal setting, hard work, enterprise, high professional standards, the wisdom and drive to change direction when necessary and the lack of aggressive feminism.
However, despite the progress there is still the element of female-pioneering (such as the engineer from North Queensland and the vet in rural Western Australia). Let us hope that such pioneering never dies; that we never become too blasé for there to be no new fields to conquer or new paths to tread.
Many of the stories also concern achievement in small business and entrepreneurial ventures rather than in large corporations. The women who have sought that career direction mirror a world-wide trend: the movement of women into self-employment to gain autonomy, self-direction and career satisfaction through their own efforts rather than at the direction of others. There is no better way to avoid the ‘glass ceiling’ than to become managing director of your own enterprise!
Another theme also emerges: despite their achievements the women have managed to keep their sense of humour, to show warmth and compassion and to develop philosophies which have stood them in good stead despite obstacles and difficulties.
In six years Australia moves into the 21st Century. The women contained in this book thus represent the foundation and future on which other women can build. What exciting adventures lie ahead for women? Only time will tell. In the meantime today’s women are forging ahead and testing the boundaries. Out of such activity will come opportunities for other women as new paths are opened, new skills developed, and new contributions made to the benefit of all.
This book also has a dedication to the men in our lives – those who have both helped us and watched our progress. It seems fitting then to offer this encouragement from the great male adventurer, Don Quixote:
I am I, Don Quixote, the Lord of La Mancha,
My
