It was one of those rooms that felt energised – equal parts connection, laughter, and “hang on… I needed to hear that today.”

Our BDM Jakki Goodall (also Vice President of the Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce) summed it up best:

“She was inspirational, raw, unapologetic and relatable – makes me think I can run a multimillion dollar, international, business too”.

Here are the seven points Janine left us with – the kind you scribble down mid-speech and keep coming back to when business gets noisy:

1) The meaning of life is learning

Janine’s first principle was simple: if you stop learning, you stop living. Whether it’s business, leadership, technology or personal growth – staying curious is the edge.

2) How winners think

Janine didn’t sugar-coat it: we can talk ourselves out of success using excuses like imposter syndrome, tall poppy syndrome, “the economy”, “I’m not ready”, “I’m not qualified”…

Her message: get out of your own way – and start being more intentional about the way you speak to yourself.

3) Don’t settle for mediocrity

This was the mindset-and-standards moment. Janine shared a simple filter she hires and leads by:

VERB people show up as Victim, Entitled, Rescued, Blame

SOAR people lead with Solutions, Ownership, Accountability, Responsibility

Her point: business will always throw problems at you – what matters is whether you point fingers or take responsibility and move forward. And from there, it rolls into the practical: surround yourself with great people and put the right people in the right roles.

4) Customers rule

Janine reinforced that good businesses are fine when everything goes smoothly – but great businesses are the ones that show up when things go wrong.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, make it right, and remember: loyalty is built one experience at a time.

5) The most expensive words in business

If you ever hear: “We’ve always done it that way” – treat it like a warning light.

Janine’s message was clear: the world has shifted (and it’s still shifting fast). Businesses that don’t evolve don’t just fall behind… they disappear.

6) Be kind to yourself

This one landed quietly, but deeply. Janine reminded the room that mindset isn’t just about ambition – it’s also about self-respect.

Speak to yourself like someone you’re responsible for leading, not someone you’re constantly criticising.

7) Say YES!

Janine’s closer was a nudge we all needed: growth often sits on the other side of discomfort. Saying yes to opportunity, to change, to the scary step – can be the moment your trajectory shifts.

At Hello Sunshine and IN Noosa magazine, we’re all about connecting community through storytelling – and this morning was a perfect reminder that the best stories are the ones that hand you a little courage in real time.