Having finished up at my (Stu) last place of employment I started to get excited about the prospect of starting something new. We had owned and run a company once before and so we were not new to the complexities of setting up a business and the long hard yards that go into making a new business a success, especially in the early years, however we felt it was the right time, place and need that made us take the leap of faith (again).
A little over ten years ago we moved to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Since then, a number of local initiatives have started that we feel optimistic will provide innovative, creative businesses many opportunities. Furthermore, during our time living and working here we have met many ambitious, young people with enthusiasm, great imagination and entrepreneurial thinking – essential ingredients for new pursuits. We also noticed that many would leave and move to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or even overseas to find employment. In our experience we know your physical location should not limit your potential to work on exciting projects, meaningful and purposeful work. This got us thinking. What if we created a company based on the Sunshine Coast that could create employment opportunities and be an exciting business that worked for Interstate, national and international clients?
Story Strategist was established in 2020, at first registered as Sole Trader in February, and later incorporated as a company in July at the start of the new financial year.
Unknown to anyone, the world was shutdown by a global pandemic and so Story Strategist was initially shaped by the demand for online and technical creative solutions that would help our clients continue to engage with their customers. Two years on, as we emerge we’ve been able to travel and produce more content in-person.
Having successfully delivered well over 150 projects since beginning this journey we have a good sense of why people keep coming back. We combine decades of commercial marketing and content experience with a positive can-do attitude to every solution. A common phrase we often hear ourselves say is, we’ll find a way.
We also believe in the importance of businesses contributing financially to advancing the greater good. Personally, we’ve always contributed financially to good causes, and we believe businesses can create greater good through long term commitments to particular causes that they feel called to support. This became another motive for starting something new. Two for-purpose initiatives caught our attention. Wakisa – Providing refuge, medical care and a path to a brighter future for outcast young mothers and abused girls in Uganda, and Freedom International – helping prevent vulnerable children across Cambodia from being tricked, trafficked, and sold into brutal slavery.