“Whether you think you can,

or you think you can’t

you’re right.”

Henry Ford

Hold onto your hats because this month, we are doing a deep dive into self-reflection and discovery.

The Bigger Picture blog is targeted at women starting out in small business and those of us who have talents and passions that we feel we need to share. We dare to ask ourselves, ‘what if?’ What if we took that dream and turned it into something amazing? What if we could earn ourselves a little bit of money with our skills? What if we could actually change our lives in a little way and find a deeper sense of purpose? What if there is more to my life than what I’m living now? What if?

But then the doubt creeps in. Those ‘what if’ questions become more negative. What if people don’t want what I’m selling? What if people don’t know I exist? What if people laugh at me for trying? What if I’m not as good as someone else? What if people don’t like me? What if I fail?

When good old Imposter Syndrome rears its ugly head, it’s so easy to give in to self-doubt. But you know what? It’s times like these when we need to dig our heels in deep and keep going - because who is going to support us, if we don’t support ourselves first?

I know, that’s easier said than done. How do we develop the skills of resilience, self-belief and self-determination that are so necessary when we’re embarking on a new path?

Welcome to The Bigger Picture; a blog that is all about building NETWORK and CONNECTION. Each month, I feature a woman in small business within my community with the sole purpose of showing support, building solidarity and sharing stories of passion.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by incredible small businesses in the South West run by mums in their spare rooms or out in their gardens and they each have a unique story to be told; a BIGGER PICTURE to be discovered.

This month, we’re considering the concept of self-leadership, which is essentially the practice of intentionally influencing our own thoughts, feelings and actions to achieve our objectives.

Running your own business is not just about the product. You have no idea how many times I have lamented the fact that all I want to do is take pretty pictures – not do all this other stuff!! Most of us are a one woman show and wear all the hats alone. We are the makers, the marketers, the secretaries, the social media managers, the bookkeepers…the list goes on. In order to run a successful business, we MUST have a clear understanding of our core values and goals and know exactly what we are moving towards. We MUST back ourselves and continue to do so, even when it gets hard. We MUST have discipline, motivation and resilience to turn our vision into reality.

I am very excited to introduce you to our feature for August because she is a woman who is passionate about helping others connect with themselves and actively helps them to cultivate self-efficacy on their pathway to success. She is a very well-known local woman in the Port Fairy area; a mum, counsellor and an absolute gem. I am delighted to introduce…

Karen Foster

The High Value Woman Collective

Tell us about your business and what services you offer.

I operate two businesses. One is called The High Value Woman Collective. I use the principles of self-leadership and positive psychology to help women reconnect with their dreams and desires to live rich and fulfilling lives. It's magical work and for me it really is the work of my heart.

My other business is o2 Advisory, which provides leadership development to mid-tier and senior leaders in local government. This brings together my experience as a Mayor and Councillor and as a leadership trainer.

They might sound very different, but they both focus on intentional self-leadership. That's the thing that ignites me. I have seen first-hand many times over just how powerful it can be to step into self-leadership, whether that's in life, in business or in your career, more generally. Everything else just falls into place.

Is there a story behind the name you chose?

I grappled with the name High Value Woman, because I didn't want to give the impression that it was some kind of elite club that was only open to high achievers. But I finally decided that it reflected my ethos that EVERY woman has inherent value, even if they don't see it. My programs remind women of their strengths, their impact and the incredible value they deliver.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I love this question, because it has made me realise that I came to this work simply by following what inspired me. I didn't ever intend to turn what I was learning about self-leadership and positive psychology into a business. I started delving into it to support the leadership development work that I was already engaged with. But I could see the power it was unlocking for me and I kept getting drawn back to the idea of working with women to help them get clarity around their purpose and what they want. So here I am!

Now, in mid-life, I find I am constantly working in a flow state - I am constantly 'disappearing' into this work and losing track of time. That's how deeply engaged and inspired I am. And I am so excited to be able to share it with other women who are interested and open to it.

What is your favourite part of your job?

I am so lucky to get to work with smart, curious and dynamic women. One of my core values is inspiration - to both feel inspired and to inspire others. I get to live that value every single day that I go to work.

What do you offer your clients that no one else does?

There are plenty of leadership trainers out there, but I'm yet to find any with the same focus on self-leadership. I consider the individual in the context of their whole lives, not just their work or their career.

My work straddles the theory and science of self-leadership, but it includes a big dose of personal development. So every program I offer starts with a focus on self and self-awareness.

I also bring to the table many years of life experience (one of the many beautiful things about ageing!) And I wrap all of that up with my unique approach which I believe is warm, supportive and nurturing.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt since starting your business?

There are so many things I have done over the years that I would caution against... so many mistakes! We should all talk about those more because it's only human to get things wrong.

But if I had to give one piece of advice to anyone starting a business it would be to get clear about your values as a person and as a business. Used well, values can be your decision-making filter and they can keep you on track when there are often so many distractions and varying opinions. Beyond that, your values also describe "how we do things around here", so they can also signal your brand and your key points of difference to customers.

I found my afternoon with Karen to be incredibly inspiring. Having been the mayor and a counsellor for many years, Karen is such a well known personality in our community. As someone in the public sphere, you would expect her to ooze confidence. In reality though, she is as fragile and ‘human’ as you or I. We talked a lot about how to pose comfortably in front of the camera and how to ‘own’ your space (something which I am very passionate about) and she absolutely nailed her session. It reminded me that positive psychology can be used in all aspects of our lives

I have also been binge listening Karen’s ‘The Self Leadership’ podcast and am attempting to implement some of her strategies. She certainly asks some hard-hitting questions! Each episode is bite sized and explores topics like; routines and rituals, the power of emotions, behaviours that keep us stuck, identity and figuring out what it is we really want. Yep, I told you it was hard hitting! But on this business journey, that is often fraught with obstacles and setbacks that test our resilience, if we can embody self-leadership and perseverance, if we can view setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable barriers, we can emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before.

I wish you well on your journey!

Edwina xx

If you are a woman who is ready to take full ownership of her life and are interested in the positive psychology behind self leadership, or you’re just wanting a new podcast to sink your teeth into, jump onto the website and look at what The High Value Woman Collective has to offer. For all FAQs, news, and information on stockists, give Karen a follow (and your support) on her social media pages…

Website: www.highvaluewoman.com.au

Podcast: highvaluewoman.com.au/podcast

Instagram: @karen.j.foster

Facebook: Karen Foster

Tik Tok: karen_j_foster