What Times Square taught me about legacy
I didn’t expect to cry in Times Square (although my husband might disagree!).
But there I was – standing beneath a billboard with my face on it, surrounded by the chaos and colour of New York City – and I felt something shift. Not just in me, but around me. It wasn’t pride. It wasn’t even excitement. It was something deeper.
It was legacy.
Just weeks earlier, I stood on stage at the Queensland Premier’s Export Awards, accepting the First Nations Exporter of the Year award. I accepted it on behalf of every First Nations founder who’s ever asked, “Why not us?” Because at Elephant in the Room Consulting, exporting isn’t just about taking services offshore – it’s about exporting values, vision, and voice.
We’ve shared Indigenous wisdom with global boardrooms, built capability statements that speak across cultures, and shown that storytelling is one of Australia’s most powerful exports. That award proved that when we lead with purpose, the world listens. That our humour, our resilience, our cultural intelligence – they’re not just marketable, they’re magnetic.
The night before I stood in Times Square looking up at my billboard, I stood on another stage – this time at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, surrounded by female founders, leaders, and changemakers from around the world. I was a finalist in four categories, and I walked away a winner in Building Sustainable Supply Chains and taking away silver awards for Best Female Entrepreneur in Asia, Australia or New Zealand; Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion – Advertising, Business Services, Marketing & PR; and Women-Run Company for Social Good. Yes, it was incredible to win. But what I wasn’t prepared for was how powerful it would feel to be seen. To be celebrated. To be recognised – not just for what we do, but for how we do it.
As a proud Bundjalung woman, I carry my culture wherever I go. Sometimes that looks like weaving in boardrooms. Sometimes it looks like walking Wall Street in Air Jordans. And sometimes, it looks like standing in Times Square, remembering that visibility isn’t vanity – it’s a vessel.
Because when we’re visible, we’re viable. And when we’re viable, we’re powerful.
Legacy isn’t built in a single moment. It’s built in the quiet choices – the ones that centre community, honour culture, and challenge systems. It’s built in the way we show up, the way we listen, and the way we lead.
So, what did this incredible Times Square moment teach me?
That legacy lives in the ripple.
That systems change starts with story.
And that when we walk between worlds, we build bridges.
To every business that’s joined us on this journey – our wins are yours too.
From Country to the concrete jungle, we’re not just changing business.
We’re changing what business can be.
