Lexx Verdichizzi was presented with a youth enterprise nomination by Chisholm’s John McKay. 70574
By Nicole Williams
THE guest speaker got the crowd excited at the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Premier Regional Business Awards breakfast last week.
Former AFL footballer and ex-Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade took centre stage after the nominees were announced for the business awards and the youth enterprise award.
After Mr Eade dished the dirt on well-known players, the questions kept firing from the attendees.
Dermott Brereton, Wayne Carey, Warwick Capper, Gary Ablett Senior and Tony Lockett all came under fire.
“All players are spoilt and live a sheltered life,” he said.
“There is a whole of range of things the football club has got to take responsibility for – they have to teach more skills-sets than just footy.”
He used former Swan player Paul Kelly as an example of meeting hurdles and being able to overcome them.
“He wouldn’t eat or drink anything for five hours after the game – every week he would hit the wall and run himself – he was an absolute lunatic.”
The most eagerly asked question of the morning was met with serious contemplation – Mr Eade’s tip for the Grand Final is Geelong.
For the business awards, Brown Gouge Dry Cleaning and No Bolt Operations were all nominated for continued excellence.
The Youth Enterprise Nominee was beauty therapist and budding entrepreneur Sharna Heitman.
Sharna works at Endota Spa in Chadstone, where she completed her work placement.
She now has eyes planted on the future as she plans to travel to Africa next year to undertake charity work as a volunteer in a small African community helping to build facilities for children.
There are also dreams of taking on a business course to prepare her for the opening of her own spa/wellness centre one day.
Brown Gouge has one of the leading franchises located in Dandenong CBD, run by Theresa and Graeme Ross.
They purchased the store in 2005 and haven’t looked back.
The business has more than doubled in ticket numbers, garments per ticket and turnover since 2005.
Brown Gouge was nominated for Small Business, Retail and Service Excellence.
No Bolt are now Australia’s premier aluminium access solutions provider, after trading as a scaffold business for 10 years.
No Bolt was nominated for Small Business, Service Excellence and Innovation.
