A true entrepreneur, Gail Austen’s business nous is a natural attribute and she has been creating her own enterprises from the tender age of seven. Gail is also a recognised crusader for the rights of the disadvantaged and disabled.
Where did the idea for Goodtime Surf & Sail come from?
My brother and sister made surfboards and surf gear. They started the idea and enjoyed what they did best. I came along and created an entity from that very great idea. The name ‘Goodtime’ simply came from a saying my brother had: “Goodtime, that’s what surfing is all about”.
What gave you the courage to make the move into your own business?
I started my first business at age seven. It had nothing to do with courage and everything to do with necessity. It was a natural thing for me to do – organising things, making things, creating, thinking, risking. It was all in that first deal and it’s in every deal.
What has been the biggest hurdle?
Being a woman in a man’s world. What is the motivation? To make the pathway the way it should be for all women. To make the system work for all of us and to get a fairer and more amicable deal for women in particular and the disadvantaged.
Who are your mentors? Inspirational books/people etc?
My grandmother, my godmother and my mother…. all great women. I love Tina Turner and what she has done and overcome. Every time I see someone overcome great difficulty I am inspired. The one time tears fill my eyes is at the sight of human endeavour maximising time and opportunity for the good of us all.
What is your top strategy for success?
Set the plan and the pace and stick to it like glue.
How do you stay on top of it all and focused?
I love what I do.
Gail Austen OAM has created an environment where business is a lifestyle, the bottom line is the thing you are standing on, vital assets are people and shares are what are distributed amongst those not so fortunate. The walls of the store display many honours and records, and the medals are just some of the reminders of the great moments on the sporting dais. Her belief that you can only enrich your life through enriching the lives of others underlines the very essence of her drive and energy. In May, 1997 she launched a campaign to nominate for the position of Lord Mayor of Brisbane in the year 2000.
