20/04/2026
Who do you run your business ideas through?
Who do you check in with when something feels unclear, exciting, or a bit risky?
Who holds you accountable not in a formal “boardroom” way, but in the honest, grounded way that actually matters?
Back in 2020, I joined a program called Key Person of Influence. One of the simplest but most powerful things they did was buddy us up with someone in business who wasn’t a competitor, but was walking a similar path.
I was paired with Chris Smoje. Fast forward six years, and we’re still catching up. Not because we have to, but because we choose to.
We talk business ideas, challenges, and opportunities. We also talk about the harder stuff, the fears, the doubts, the things you don’t always say out loud in leadership.
Over time, it’s become more than business. We know each other’s families. We celebrate wins, we call things out when needed, and whenever we’re in each other’s states, Perth and Brisbane, we make time to catch up in person.
In fact, he even got to meet one of my team today, Victoria, which says a lot about how far this connection has grown beyond just business.
What started as accountability has become friendship. And I think that’s the piece we often underestimate in leadership. You don’t just need strategy, plans, and performance targets.
You need people who will stay in the conversation with you over years, not just when it’s easy or convenient. Chris has become one of those people for me, and I don’t take that lightly.
It’s also a big part of why I now create and run group coaching programs for leaders nationally, building the same kind of space where leaders can think out loud, challenge themselves, and not do it alone.
