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Meet the Woman Who Doubled Coles’ Indigenous Workforce And Now She’s Helping Small Biz Do Better, Too
When it comes to engaging with First Nations communities, a lot of small businesses want to do the right thing… but don’t know how.
So what happens?
They freeze.
They overthink it.
They worry about saying the wrong thing.
And sadly? They end up doing nothing.
That’s where Topaz McAuliffe comes in and trust us, she’s the real deal.
After transforming Coles into the largest employer of First Nations people in Australia, she’s now turning her attention to small businesses, with one goal: make it easier (and less scary) to take meaningful action.
From corporate powerhouse to small biz change-maker
Topaz’s digital toolkit created for the Enterprising ME program is called First Nations Engagement 101, and it’s designed to do exactly what it says on the tin:
- Help you start engaging respectfully
- Give you confidence to get it right
- Move past the fear and into action
And it’s packed with practical advice, not fluffy jargon, for everyday small biz owners who want to do better, but don’t know where to start.
Think:
- Supporting First Nations employees
- Working with Indigenous suppliers
- Writing meaningful Acknowledgements of Country
- Embracing cultural awareness (not just ticking boxes)
As Topaz puts it:
“The biggest challenge with First Nations engagement is people don’t know where to start, so they don’t. This checklist is your easy entry point.”
