Participants in a Hen’s Treasure Hunt may pose for saucy and incriminating photos, scavenge some “interesting” items, decipher clues in pubs, and complete scandalous quizzes. With chocolate and champagne included, this treasure hunt is sure to be a girls night out that will not be forgotten. Gillian Opie, founder of Hen’s Treasure Hunt, didn’t always cater to giggly girls seeking cheeky fun. Her treasure hunt business began as a team building exercise for the corporate market.
“The corporate market loved the concept and the experience, word spread, and the business steadily grew,” Gillian recalls. “It was very satisfying watching a group of people at the beginning of the hunt looking a bit wary of yet ‘another team building day’ and then to see them shrieking with laughter and raving about the great day they had at the end.”
But then a crisis struck, the global financial crisis, that is. Gillian’s booming business in corporate teambuilding quickly dissipated. At a loss, she decided to join MentorNet, a program that pairs new businesswomen with experienced business experts.
“At first I felt a bit awkward about joining MentorNet as I had been in business for a few years, so surely I should know it all!” Gillian says, “But even though I didn’t have a new, start-up business, MentorNet provided me with a fresh perspective as well as motivation. It was as if I was back at the early, exciting stages of starting my business all over again. It was a good feeling after going through a tough period. Things have really started to turn around, and I can see a much more positive future now.”
MentorNet forced Gillian to revisit her business plan and focus on the core principles of business.
The program allowed her to take a step back from her business and look at it with a new perspective. In doing so, Gillian decided to change the direction of her business.
“I was definitely lacking focus and not sure what to do next,” says Gillian. “Working alone also made things difficult. I needed to talk to other people either in the same boat who could help me see things through fresh eyes. So I joined MentorNet and decided to focus on Hen’s Treasure Hunt because I wanted to develop that market and quite frankly that was really the only market I had! MentorNet gave me focus straight away. I stopped running around in circles, took a deep breath, and started concentrating on the basic core business practices that I needed to revisit. I wrote down goals and actually followed through with them. Having a mentor and peer group to be accountable to really helped me focus, achieve my goals and move forward.”
Since joining MentorNet, Gillian has expanded Hen’s Treasure Hunt from Sydney to Brisbane and plans to branch out to every major city in Austrlia. For more information, visit henstreasurehunt.com.au.
Review, focus and clarify your business objectives. Sign up for MentorNet today.
