WLM is proud to share an inspiring story from one of our clients, Victoria Lewis, founder of Business Activators and MPreneurs
After three decades leading businesses, reigniting brands, building teams, and driving growth for others, Victoria Lewis found herself at an unexpected crossroads in midlife. When her corporate role came to an end, what followed was a pause, and a moment of what now?
“I had spent years helping other businesses succeed,” she reflects. “Then I found myself asking, what’s next for me? What do I want to do in the future?”
It is a question many professionals face in midlife. Redundancy, restructure, or a simple desire for change can prompt a re-evaluation of priorities and purpose. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than one in three new businesses are now started by people over 45, showing that experience and reinvention often go hand in hand.
For Victoria, the transition became an opportunity to reshape her professional life on her own terms. Drawing on her background in business strategy, leadership, and digital marketing transformation, she founded Business Activators, a consultancy helping established companies align strategy, systems, and marketing to scale sustainably.
“I saw the same pattern again and again, business owners working tirelessly but stuck in the messy middle,” Victoria says. “I help them realign their strategy, build better systems, and rediscover momentum, with a little fun along the way.”
Soon after, she launched MPreneurs, a community and platform for professionals in midlife who are ready to start or grow a business of their own. “There wasn’t a space built for people like us, people with experience, drive, and a new sense of purpose. Mpreneurs gives them practical tools and support to turn that next idea into something real.”
Reinvention isn’t about starting from scratch, it’s about applying decades of knowledge in a different way. Victoria believes that the most powerful growth happens when strategy meets experience.
Through her work, she’s seen clients rediscover confidence and direction once they reconnect their strategy to a clear plan for growth. “When you have a clearly articulated plan, have the right systems and support behind you and can see where you’re going, everything starts moving in the right direction.”
Beyond the support of a coach, such as Business Activators, an accountant is a much needed support during reinvention when it comes to guiding you through the financial perspective and various decisions that can be made.
The financial perspective focuses on growth, consideration of shareholders and profit, and should be enhanced by improvements in other areas of your business. Some considerations include:
Business structure
A restructure of the company, to allow for new equity holders or to simplify accounting, can be the boost a business needs to reinvent itself.
Does the business have a complex web of companies and trusts and confusing cashflows to the business owners? Perhaps tax consolidation could clean this up or a tidy up of the structures.
Perhaps additional structures are required, where business partners wealth building (non-business) is intermingled and need separation.
Key person risk
It is typical in a succession planning session to realise the need to address key person risk. To attract the right talent to reduce this risk (which also increases the value of the business), consider offering equity - perhaps by a form of vendor finance to key staff, engaged family members, or go out to market for a business partner.
Getting back to basics
During a reinvention phase, the business may benefit from a fresh eyes to review the management accounts – get back to basics.
WLM’s advisors work alongside their clients to plan for changes with expertise, reviewing business structures, preparing for exit or handover, and ensuring your financial strategy supports your evolving goals and underlying values
If you’re ready to look under the hood of your marketing and uncover what’s working, what’s wasting effort, and what could be the catalyst for your next phase of growth, Business Activators is offering WLM clients a Free Marketing Audit.
Request your Free Marketing Audit via businessactivators.au
For guidance on business transition, taxation or succession planning, reach out to WLM today - and take the next step towards your own reinvention.