The Bold Edge: The Art of Risk in Small Business

Risk is the heartbeat of small business but not all risks are created equal. In this high-impact (and highly animated) masterclass, Mia Fileman unpacks the role of risk in building a brand that stands out, sticks, and succeeds. You’ll explore the difference between reckless and strategic risks, why “playing it safe” is the real gamble, and how to get braver in business without betting the farm. Expect real stories, sharp strategies, and a generous dose of permission to stop waiting until you're “ready” because by then, it’s already too late.

 Key Takeaways

1. The difference between linear and divergent thinking, and why bold ideas require the latter.

2. Why small business is risky by default (and why the goal isn’t to avoid risk, but to navigate it better).

3. How to take smarter risks using data, testing, and timing.

4. Why safe is scrolled past and how bold, creative moves are often the most strategic.

5. A roadmap for building your risk muscle: from small steps like podcasting to big swings like launching a festival.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Mia Fileman

Besides earning the nickname The Campaign Lady, Mia Fileman is an expert marketing strategist and founder of Campaign Del Mar. You’ll love her hard-hitting, no-BS marketing expertise, honed over 20 years in the industry. Mia has held senior brand management roles for global consumer brands including Vegemite, Kraft, Maybelline, and BIC across Australia and France.

Today, she mentors and trains small business owners and marketers, equipping them with the skills to craft strategic, creative marketing that drives results. Mia is also the co-founder of Ripple Festival, a two-day celebration of small business, creativity, and purpose, and the host of Got Marketing?, a podcast for small businesses who need a different playbook from big brands.

Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Mia is a widely published writer with bylines in Social Media Examiner, Mumbrella, Marketing Mag, SmartCompany, and Better Marketing. She’s passionate about advancing women-led businesses and building a more sustainable, diverse, and ethical small business landscape in Australia and beyond.

Janine Staunton

I’m Janine Staunton, founder of Lemon Crush—often in bright pink, fuelled by 80s power ballads and anything lemon flavoured.

After 20 years in marketing and design, I saw how broken the website industry had become. Seeing smart businesses pour money into pretty sites that didn’t bring clients? Mortifying. That moment sparked my mission: your website shouldn’t just look good—it should attract your dream clients and make it easy for them to work with you.

Here’s how I do things differently: strategy comes first, always. Before a single design choice, I dive deep into what makes your business unique, who you want to reach, and what your goals are. No cookie-cutter templates—everything is custom built around helping you stand out, connect, and actually convert visitors. This means your website becomes a powerful marketing tool that supports your growth, not just a set-and-forget online brochure.

I bring strategy, design, content, SEO and ongoing support under one roof—a rare combo that means I get as invested in your success as you are. If you want more than a “pretty” website—a site that gets your dream clients excited to work with you—let’s talk.

Brook Huckerby

Brooke Huckerby is the founder of Penn & Lytics and a marketing strategist who helps small business owners and marketers stop guessing and start knowing in their marketing. With more than 12 years in digital marketing, and 8 of those spent focused in analytics, Brooke is known for turning messy data into clarity, action, confidence and results.

She doesn’t believe in guesswork or vanity metrics. Instead, she brings a sharp strategic lens and clear frameworks to help clients uncover what’s working, what’s not, and where their next best move is hiding.

Brooke’s work is grounded in confident humility and intellectual accountability, she’s not here to overwhelm you with dashboards. She’s here to make data feel doable, useful, and even a little bit fun.

And most days, she’s doing it with her corgi Penny (Head of Vibe) by her side.