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1/ Greenstorm Capital was Australia’s first traditional female-led Search Fund. What is your background, and what motivated you to pursue this path instead of starting a business from scratch?
My first exposure to small business was through my mum—she started her own company when I was one, and I grew up in that world. Over the next decade, I worked in general operations and management roles across a mix of small businesses—tech, startups, not-for-profits, and IT services. I always knew I wanted to run my own business, but I never had that lightning-bolt idea to start something from scratch. When I embark on my MBA, my uni friend Rob Gaunt told me about search funds and I saw him go on to acquire a business (Ace Training), something clicked. I realized that I wanted to build with Lego, not make the plastic. Starting a company means creating everything: the product, the systems, the brand, the team, etc. Meanwhile, buying a company means inheriting a foundation and becoming responsible for someone else’s legacy. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel—I wanted to make it roll faster. It takes a different kind of courage to step into someone else’s creation. I realized I could combine my love of small business with a more structured path to ownership. The rest is history.
2/ The search fund model is still relatively new in Australia. What were the biggest hurdles you faced in securing funding and convincing investors of your vision?
The biggest challenge was simply explaining what a search fund was. I leaned heavily on international investors— more than 70% of my capital came from people already familiar with the model, most international. Convincing new investors, especially locally, was harder. Even friends and family were skeptical. But ultimately, it was a numbers game: I reached out to over 200 investors, had conversations with just over 80, and ended up with 18 on the cap table. WayFinder Capital was my cornerstone investor, and several former Australian searchers and private investors, Pete Seligman, AIJ Global, Vonzeo Capital, etc., joined me on the journey.
3/ What was your search process like? Why did you choose Austral Herbs, and what were the biggest challenges you faced during the acquisition? How did you overcome them?
The search itself was pretty relentless—reaching out to owners, screening businesses, and dealing with a lot that just weren’t suitable. It’s a numbers game (I analyzed more than 1.000 businesses) and a bit of luck—catching the right owner at the right time. Austral Herbs actually came through a broker early on in my search, but I kept going with proprietary outreach for the full process. It stood out because it ticked a lot of boxes and had a strong foundation to build on. The key to overcoming the grind was scale—more outreach, more calls, more patience.
4/ Acquiring a business means inheriting a story and a team with its own culture. In your first months as CEO, you chose to learn from within before making big changes. How did you approach the transition to balance continuity and change, and what was the biggest lesson from that phase?
Those first months were all about learning from the ground up. I focused on what the business needed most at the time—stability—and that meant focusing on the people. They knew their roles and were delighted to share their expertise; my job was to keep them supported and motivated. Three new managers joined at the same time as I did, so we learned together and shared the load. Leadership is not about having all the answers, it is about creating an environment where everyone feels safe enough to ask the right questions. My biggest lesson? Trust my gut earlier, define clearer roles for the sellers, and move with a bit more speed when needed.
5/ Leadership can be isolating. What support systems have helped you navigate the emotional challenges of leading a business? How did you ensure the existing team felt secure and motivated?
My mentor Pete Seligman—who’s also a board member—has been a constant source of guidance and perspective. And my husband, who now works in the business too, has been a key support through the highs and lows. With the team, it came down to consistent communication: one-on-ones, group meetings, and backing up what I said with action. That helped build trust early on.
6/ What key systems did you implement to transform the company? What has been the most significant shift in how the business operates, and what results have you seen after two years?
We introduced an HRIS (BambooHR), which really professionalized our employee experience—from onboarding to documentation. Rebuilding the website in the first six months was huge, moving from an outdated platform to Shopify. And on the backend, we did a major overhaul of our inventory data—bringing structure and visibility that’s helped us make much better purchasing decisions. We also developed a clear accountability framework, so that everyone understands the outcomes of their role. We structured meetings to focus on solving problems and implemented a communication system to empower the entire team to work better together. The business feels a lot more modern and data-driven than when I stepped in (but this took time).
7/ What advice would you give to aspiring search fund entrepreneurs—especially women—who are considering acquiring a business but may feel hesitant about taking the leap?
Be really clear on your motivations. This isn’t a shortcut—it’s a long, intense process and a serious career choice. But if running and growing a small-to-mid-sized business is your dream, this could be the path. You don’t have to know everything to get started—that’s especially important for women to hear. Leverage the people around you, ask for help, and back yourself even when you don’t tick every box on paper. There is a lot of capital available to back new searchers, although in Australia some investors are still waiting to see how the market matures before entering this asset class. Finding the right business to acquire is always challenging, and I avoid taking a strictly geographical approach in Australia—since the market isn’t large enough, you need to look everywhere.
8/ Now that you’re two years into leading Austral Herbs, what’s next? What are your biggest priorities for the future of the company?
Right now, we’re focused on restabilizing after a big period of change—including relocating the entire business. Moving a 3,000 m² factory is exactly as challenging as it sounds—but we had to do it, as we were located in a very small town where access to resources and staff was difficult. In many ways, it feels like a fresh start. Once we’ve rebuilt that strong foundation, growth becomes the priority. There’s so much untapped potential in our current model before we even look at new products or acquisitions. For now, it’s all about setting the groundwork to scale.
