Vanessa Bamford Strategic Mentor

29/08/2026

In utter silence, without knowing, I was judged, taken down and collectively a group of women decided they didn’t like me anymore.

What did I do?
I don’t know.
What did I say?
I don’t know.

My role in their lives was to offer support, give value and guidance. I did all of those things.

But then at some point they surrounded themselves with like minded people who began to talk about what they didn’t like about me and my choices and so one by one they disconnected from me.

And you know what…

So what?

So what if that happened, so what if they don’t like me, so what if they are speaking bad about me, so what if all of what I gave them was disregarded and forgotten.

I’m sharing this because I get to choose what this means. And to me this means ‘so what’.

And I’m also sharing because this s**t happens all the time to all of us. This is the world we live in.

But I’m also sharing because these are the exact circles and environments I can no longer be part of and why I continue to grow business like a girl for women who are also looking for a space where this is not the standard they surround themselves with.

I value people who will come to me and communicate if I’ve upset them, I value people with integrity and who value not judging others on things they haven’t experienced for themselves, I also know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok, because if I lived like that mattered I wouldn’t be where I am now and i definitely wouldn’t make it where I’m going.

But I value women who can be in a room with me, who can be curious, be compassionate and have huge levels of self awareness. That’s my room, that’s my space, that’s my way.

And that’s lonely, because I remove myself from a lot of spaces. I say no when I mean no to meeting people, events and relationships that don’t serve me.

Did it hurt to hear that people didn’t like me for a reason I had no idea of? Of course, I’m human, but what I choose after that hurt is up to me, and I know this is always more of a reflection of someone else than it is of me.

Choose your circles ladies, because it will either:
Lift you up
Pull you down
Or keep you exactly where you are

💜

21/08/2026

Today has been such a soulful day, and lunch with these beautiful women topped off an already incredible day 💜

Today’s at the table lunch did not disappoint. Our intention has been to create intimate, relaxed and meaningful spaces where women in business can genuinely connect over beautiful food.

As usual Rosalie Pappas was sensational, and the ladies who joined us confirmed for me today that this is exactly how we are going to continue to do these events moving forward.

Last week I started wondering to myself if I should continue doing these lunches, I want ease and impact in what I do and today was a full body YES to doing this again!! This room isn’t about making money, it’s to put women in a room together to create meaningful connections with other women in business that last.

The ladies told me as soon as they walked in they felt calm, relaxed and they were in a space unlike any networking event. That’s the point, the intention in this space is so clear. Women do business differently, we connect meaningfully with humans, not that ‘ick’ networking vibe 🤮, pushy sales stuff or exhausting meaningless conversations.

If you missed out or want to come to our next one, we will be keeping places to 10 women only from now on so we can keep this intimate and meaningful.

To be the first to know sign up to ‘off the record’ mailing list, link in bio. 💜

Danielle Morris | Finance Strategist Morgan Griffin Jacqui Nelligan Amy Springhall Global Leadership Expert | Author | Mentor 𝘒𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘺 ~ Adelaide Photographer Kate Russell Emily Rose

17/08/2026

The most important question in my opinion is always ‘why’, and I never get sick of asking it.

My favourite ‘why’ question that I always ask people is - Why do you do what you do?

I do what I do because from 7 years old I grew up in a small family ran deli during the 90’s recession. I saw the pressure and struggles on my family day in and day out, the mental and financial struggles it caused and the lack of genuine help there was for my family and how much they had to work out alone. Most of the support that was available to them was only there to line their own pockets not to genuinely help my family IMO.

Then in my early 20’s I entered the finance profession working with small businesses, but yet again it only saw ‘numbers’ not people and I couldn’t stand it, I wanted to create businesses that truly cared and helped business owners to grow and thrive, with people who actually gave a f@ck about them not just what they could get out of them.

So that’s why I do what I do, so that I can make a difference to other people’s lives, and give small businesses what my family didn’t have. It’s what lights me up and it means the world to me to make a difference the way we do, not just to people financially but also their whole wellbeing changes when the financial pressure eases and they gain clarity over what they genuinely want to create too.

What about you? Why do you do what you do?

05/08/2026

I’m calling this one out ladies, because I care too much to let you keep using this damn excuse!

Saying ‘I can’t afford it’ for something you truly believe will make a difference is actually your excuse for not backing yourself or not committing to what you keep saying you want.

Your excuses just get in your way, be honest with yourself!

If you are ready to back yourself in business, The Girl Method is waiting 💜

Vanessa x

01/08/2026

Pretty excited to open my inbox to this today! Thank you Amy Springhall for giving me the opportunity to get in front of the Advertiser to tell my story 💜

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=AAWEB_MRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adelaidenow.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fsouth-australia%2Fsouth-australias-top-female-entrepreneurs-lay-bare-their-secret-pain-before-success%2Fnews-story%2F0c1d19e0da4aace715468c53b1a71559&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE

22/07/2026

That feeling of scatteredness is always the sign.

When everything feels like too much and you don't know where to start, that is your business telling you to go back to basics and revisit your foundations; your purpose, mission and values.

If this is resonating and you want to know more about how to build strong foundations in your business, I've been building something that does exactly that. You can find the link below 💜

https://www.businesslikeagirl.com.au/thegirlmethod

Vanessa x

15/07/2026

Those stories didn't come from nowhere.

They were handed down through generations of women who were never given a seat at the financial table, never taught to see money as theirs to understand, earn, and lead with.

I believe we are in a new era of women who are ready to change that. The only place it can start is with the awareness that the stories are not your story.

If you’re ready to do that work, the Properly Paid Woman free masterclass is a good place to begin. You can find the details linked in bio.

What is the money story you have been carrying that you know is not actually yours?

Vanessa x

14/07/2026

I very rarely tell anyone what to do. That’s not who I am and it’s not my style of mentoring.

What I like to do is give you the information, share what I’ve experienced, what I’ve seen, here’s the data, here’s the calculations, and then you make the decision. Because it’s your business, not mine.

That’s how The Girl Method™ works too — a framework, the information, the support, and then you lead.

If that sounds like the kind of support you’ve been looking for, comment GIRL METHOD below and I’ll send you the details 💜

13/07/2026

Being an entrepreneur is messy and a social media scroll hole will have most people questioning everything about themselves and how they are doing because most of the time all we see is how ‘amazing’ people are doing.

My office right now is a s**t show, and a complete metaphor for what goes on behind the scenes for every business owner.

Don’t trust what you see and how you ‘think’ someone is doing, when what you see is only 1% of real life.

Please share with me your messy right now so I don’t feel like a complete idiot sharing my messy 🙏🙏