Dr Samantha Peters
What is a highlight of your career?
There are many highlights in my career. Daily highlights include getting people out of discomfort, fixing a tooth that causes someone embarrassment, and helping people to smile again. I think the thing that I am most proud of, though, is taking over Blue Sky Dental Care, along with my husband, Nicholas.
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfils you?
I am very determined. I moved away from my family, who are based in Hawaii, shortly after high school and went to university in New Zealand to study dentistry. The culmination of experiences during this time helped me to become independent and realise that I can rely on myself during difficult periods.
I have two young children, and while I am very lucky to have a supporting husband who helps out as much as possible, it can be challenging to balance work and family life. I like to think that my determination and independence allows me to give 100% to all areas of my life so that I am there for my family, friends, soccer teams, and patients when they need me.
I feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I am able to balance all of the above, but I am also very grateful to have excellent colleagues, friends, and family that can lend support when required.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
I try to lead by example. Even after a long day at work and organising my family unit, I always show up to soccer training, as a player and a coach, and soccer games where I give my 100%. More than anything, I hope that my kids see this and feel that they can be successful if they are willing to put the effort in.
Suzanne Taylor
What is a highlight of your career?
Being able to bring live music back.
When we started the RV Park back in 2018 we were just beginning to achieve results when Covid came along and stopped us in our tracks. The entertainment industry suffered, and we were left with an empty property. Fast forward, and the tourism and live music scene is recovering slowly. There are many highlights incorporating live music with the RV Park with River Heads Rocks going from strength to strength. This year will also see the Harmonise Fraser Coast Music Workshops at the Kondari Hotel, which is another incentive for live musicians to gain experience. The highlight of my career so far has been to see the continued growth and development of Fraser Coast RV Park with many guests returning to enjoy the natural surroundings and quirky buildings I have amassed.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
By being available to talk things through. When someone says, “that can’t be done” look around that and work out how “it can be done”. There is always a way to make things happen, sometimes you just need to look outside the square.
What advice do you have for women who want to work in a male-dominated field?
Never give up, keep trying and if something doesn’t work for you, there is always a reason behind that. I always say, when one door shuts, another door opens. You just have to find the doors that open for you. When I was organising the building of the structures for Fraser Coast RV Park, there were many obstacles along the way. The builders could not envisage the wheelchair accessible cabin and the innovative ideas that were implemented, like the overhanging vanity recess in Mango Lodge and the stove element style shower heads in the Tank Block. These and many other ideas gave me a great sense of satisfaction whilst working with the men on these projects.
Jane Needham
What is a highlight of your career?
The highlight of my career is owning a successful business in partnership with my husband and being able to offer professional walking tours to K’gari (Fraser Island).
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfils you?
Strength comes from resilience, self-belief, and the ability to keep pushing forward, even when facing setbacks. This is what running a tourism business has taught me. It’s also about the ability to support others and lead by example. I feel that by creating strong female leadership, we’ve been able to achieve more goals and tighten our business model. I am most fulfilled when guiding on the Great Walk and showing customers the beautiful sites of K’gari! I have been inspired by my mother (Kerry), who has been a successful businesswoman. She has always been there to offer mentoring and advice and at 80 years old still runs her own successful training organization.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
Empowering yourself and others often means staying true to your values, setting boundaries, and not being afraid to speak up. When women support each other—whether by mentoring, sharing opportunities, or simply listening—it creates an ecosystem where everyone can thrive.
Empowerment is also about learning, growing, and celebrating each other’s successes. I think it’s really important that women see other women being successful in business. I believe behind every successful business there is a woman, so they need to get out there and shine. Encouraging women to get together and complete a challenge together, like walking on the world’s largest sand island, brings a sense of achievement and a wonderful level of bonding. I would like to offer a 50% discounted 3-day pack-free Rainforest Camping walk/hike to the first 6 ladies that show interest in joining me in this challenge, where we get to camp under the stars, walk under 1000-year-old trees, swim in freshwater lakes and see some of the most amazing places K’gari has to offer.
Vanessa Matthews
What is a highlight of your career?
When I read this question all that really comes to mind is the fact I feel so lucky and proud to be in the same business after 33 years. Over the 33 years I have experienced many highs and my fair share of lows. There is no one highlight but I do love the overseas travel aspect of my business.
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfils you?
I believe my Russian heritage has played a significant role in my determination to succeed. No matter what was going on in my life as a young woman with a family or now in my more mature years Go Girl has always been the anchor to my life.
I feel fulfilled and at my happiest when I’m achieving great sales across both my wholesale and retail businesses. How I do this is by working along side very smart, motivated women of all ages and backgrounds. This allows us all to then provide for ourselves and our families. That’s what fulfils me.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
I feel so blessed to be in a position where I can explore and implement new aspects to my business. I feel empowered when thinking about expanding, repositioning or simply hearing customers are happy with our offering.
I have a mindset that anything is possible and choose to lead by example.
What advice do you have for women who want to work in a male-dominated field?
I’m probably not the best person to answer this question as I work in a completely female dominated workplace and love it.
My advice would be “know your worth” and “treat others regardless of being male or female with the same respect everyone deserves”
Diane Baek
What is a highlight of your career?
Everything I have achieved! Being a single female in her later years of life to build a business from the ground up over the past 10 years. The friendships I have formed with my clients, business partners and through networking.
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfils you?
The passion I have for property management. I have stopped second guessing myself and become confident after a rocky start and listening to what others were saying. I have learnt to bounce back from setbacks and use them to learn and grow. Through these challenges and with my passion, I have become stronger within myself to be very comfortable and confidant. What fulfils me? Knowing my job well and always attending the training within this industry. Seeing where my business is today.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
Confidence. When I first started out, I was worried that I would not fit in, or anyone would like me, or that I wouldn’t succeed. Now, I have the confidence to walk into a room, stand before a crowd and speak. Just believe in yourself. If you have passion, you can do it.
What advice do you have for women who want to work in a male-dominated field?
I believe if someone has passion for their chosen field, they should go for it! Prioritize what they want to succeed in and never let fear hold them back. Try and connect with like minded people in the industry and go as far as getting a mentor. I have had 2 over the years. I still reach out to one of them. I was once told “become a sponge” Meaning, gain as much knowledge as you can on what you want to do and become. This will give you to confidence to stand up and know that no matter what someone says to or about you, you can hold your head high and speak, knowing that your knowledge will shine through, and your delivery will show your passion. Create a network of like-minded females.
Kodie Axelsen
What is a highlight of your career?
Highlight for me would have been when I was asked by Westpac to be a panellist for their International Women’s Day event alongside some of the banks national female leaders and Kerry-Anne Kennerley. I was proud to offer the perspective of a female business owner and mother in a male dominated industry.
What makes you a strong woman? What fulfils you?
Resilience and the willingness to try and fail. To have empathy for ourselves and others and learn from setbacks. I think women are naturally strong we just have to have the courage to tap into our voice and use it. What fulfils me is walking on the beach with my kids at sunset.
How do you empower yourself and the women around you?
By being authentic to myself. By showing up as myself. I think it then gives others the permission to do the same. There’s no other more powerful feeling than just being you.
What advice do you have for women who want to work in a male-dominated field?
Just because it has been male dominated doesn’t mean it has to be. Most men aren’t worried about having women in their industry. We do business differently and I think that is our superpower. Own it.
