In April, Alie Kennedy and Joelle Samaan were invited by Weathertex to attend the Housing Industry Association (HIA) Women’s Lunch, featuring a keynote address by respected sports broadcaster and AFLW premiership player, Abbey Holmes.
The event brought together industry leaders and professionals for an afternoon focused on leadership, resilience, and personal growth.
Abbey Holmes shared her personal journey of building a strong and recognisable brand within the sporting industry. Central to her message was the importance of staying true to personal values and consistently representing what matters most, both professionally and personally. She reinforced that authenticity and clarity of purpose are essential foundations for long‑term success.
A key theme of Abbey’s address was the value of meaningful conversations and genuine relationships. She encouraged attendees to actively nurture connections, noting that strong relationships often lead to unexpected opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Abbey inspired the audience with her unwavering mindset and clarity of vision: knowing where you want to be and committing fully to getting there. She encouraged setting ambitious goals, dreaming big, and backing oneself with determination and discipline. Resilience featured strongly in her message, transforming setbacks into opportunities, turning “no’s” into “yes’s”, and embracing sacrifice as part of the journey.
Challenging the idea of perfection, Abbey spoke about high performance as a focus on progress rather than flawlessness. She reminded attendees that being “wired to win” is about striving for excellence, not chasing an unattainable ideal. This perspective resonated as a healthier, more sustainable approach to personal and professional performance.
One of the most powerful takeaways was Abbey’s reframe of failure. Her reminder — “You never fail, you learn” — reinforced the importance of growth mindset and resilience, encouraging individuals to see setbacks as valuable lessons rather than roadblocks.
Abbey closed with a strong message on effort and perseverance, encouraging everyone to outwork those around them and demonstrate, through consistency and commitment, that they deserve their place in any industry.
The HIA Women’s Lunch proved to be an inspiring and empowering event, leaving attendees motivated to pursue their goals with confidence, resilience, and self‑belief.
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