Title: Executive Director
Company: Business in Heels International Pty Ltd.
Location: Gherang, VIC Australia

Throughout Lisa Sweeney’s long career in big business and retail, she had numerous opportunities to manage women in careers, and saw room for improvement and growth. That’s where her company, Business in Heels International Pty Ltd., comes in. The business networking company was built with the goal of providing support and resources for savvy female entrepreneurs. Ms. Sweeney and her partner, Jo Plummer, purchased it at the end of 2014, and under their leadership, it recently went worldwide. They now reach more than 40,000 women in 35 branches across the globe. As the executive director, Ms. Sweeney is responsible for negotiating multi-site franchises using win-win deals for businesses, overseeing every location, training franchisees, marketing, hosting networking events, and furthering the company’s international reach through face-to-face events and social networks.

To stay abreast of changes in her field, Ms. Sweeney is currently pursuing an MBA from Deakin University, and maintains affiliation with Women in Franchising. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Melbourne University. Ms. Sweeney attributes her ongoing success and longevity to her hard work and determination. Further, her 30 years of senior management has taught her the importance of simplicity and of being goal-focused, as well as how to use the most undervalued business trait, femininity. Ms. Sweeney’s curiosity and hunger for knowledge led her to embark on her own entrepreneurial journey to make a difference to other entrepreneurial women. If she could offer one piece of advice to others, it would be, “be the next one to give it a red hot go.”

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