Episode 20. Creating Your Own Business Opportunities in Sport & Beyond with Lisa Middleton

Written By Andrew Ford

In this episode of Build Your Own Business, I sit down with Lisa Middleton - advanced sports dietitian, long-time client, and someone I’ve known for over 15 years.

Lisa’s career is a little different to many of the business owners we’ve had on the show. She’s worked with elite athletes, AFL and basketball clubs, netball teams, the VIS, and corporate groups - all while flexing her work around her family and life. What stands out about Lisa’s journey is the way she’s built a career with intention. She’s chosen work that fits, not just chased every opportunity that came her way.

We talk about the early days - from her first job in a deli, to hustling for clients out of a tiny gym office when no one would hire her, to landing roles at Essendon, Collingwood and Melbourne. We get into how much of her career came down to creating opportunities, not waiting for them. And why relationships, referrals, and reputation matter more than formal job ads.

Lisa also shares the balance she’s found over 25 years in sports nutrition: working at the highest level while making space for family, writing a book, and picking projects that bring her energy. We cover the reality of self-employment, contract roles, and how building a personal brand gave her options at every stage.

What I loved most was Lisa’s honesty about the choices she’s made - turning down work to spend time with her kids, finding flexibility in her business, and knowing when to say yes and when to step back.

“You can’t just sit at home waiting for the phone to ring. If you want to build a career, you have to create your own opportunities - talk to people, get out there, and make it happen.”

This episode is packed with insights for anyone thinking about how to build a career that works around your life, not the other way around.

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Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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Episode 19. Making Money Matter: Family, Legacy and Values with David Murdoch