As an officer in the Australian Army, psychologist Libby Thompson divides her time between running her business, managing a private practice and travelling as part of the army. She has served in East Timor and the Middle East, but has recently decided to scale down her travelling to focus on her training and coaching consultancy, All You Can Be Psychology. In the first few years of establishing her business, though, Libby had to travel extensively to maximise business opportunities. Over the years, she has a built a strong client base through word of mouth. With more and more people embracing online technology, she hopes to limit her travel time from her location in the country, which often meant travelling up to two and a half hours just to get to the airport. Libby has overcome some of the challenges of working in the country, which she says can be isolating, by partnering with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Being able to access webinars and articles from her remote location has helped her feel part of the broader business community. Through the networking opportunities provided by the ABN, she has been inspired by like-minded businesswomen. As well as having participated in MentorNet, Libby also attends the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable whenever she can.
“I have met some fabulous women at these meetings and I now have a stronger network of professional women which has given me access to some really good professional expertise,” she says.
Technology has also been integral to Libby’s day-to-day management of her business.
Libby relies on her iPad, from which she accesses many web-based services, while her cloud system allows her to access business documents no matter where she is. She has also stored yoga and fitness videos on her iPad so that she can train wherever she is! Libby’s favourite part of running her own business has been the diversity of work she has been able to do. “I love being answerable to myself and I am fortunate enough to be able to choose work I really love doing,” she says. Her advice to women who are starting their own business in a regional or remote community is to join the ABN, and to use its resources and networking opportunities to contain your self-doubt.
“Acknowledge and accept it – and find someone out there to mentor and support you through it.”
Libby Thompson was interviewed as part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s ‘Beyond the City’ initiative, which highlights the achievements of women in regional and rural Australia. You can read more profiles here. And, for more information on you can connect, learn and grow, regardless of your location, learn more about the benefits of membership.
