Simon Bowden is a seasoned business coach and sales consultant based in Melbourne, Australia, with over 30 years of experience helping entrepreneurs, executives, and sales teams achieve sustainable growth and success. He is the founder of Simon Bowden Coaching, where he offers tailored services in business coaching, sales training, marketing strategy, and sales consulting.

Background and Approach

Simon’s journey into business began early, he started his first venture, a lawn mowing service, at just seven years old to support his single mother. Later, he built a $2 million business within 18 months by developing his own sales system, which now forms the foundation of his coaching methodology. 

His coaching philosophy is rooted in practical, results-driven strategies. He focuses on helping clients streamline operations, improve profitability, and build systems that support long-term growth. Simon’s approach combines mindset coaching with actionable business strategies, making him particularly effective for small to medium-sized businesses navigating Melbourne’s competitive market. 

Services Offered

Business Coaching: Customised programs to enhance leadership, operational efficiency, and profitability.

Sales Training: Interactive, modular training designed to foster behavioural shifts and boost sales performance.

Sales Consulting: Comprehensive audits and strategy development covering sales processes, team performance, and marketing alignment.

Sales & Marketing Alignment: Strategies to unify sales and marketing efforts, creating a seamless customer journey. simonbowden.com.au 

Client Success Stories

Simon has worked with a diverse range of clients across various industries:

JMAX Engineering: Transformed from a small Melbourne-based firm into a global player under Simon's strategic guidance .

BISTEC Global: Collaborated with the CEO to revamp sales processes, aiming to double revenue from $5 million to $10 million within a year. simonbowden.com.au

Contact Information

If you're a business owner or sales leader in Melbourne seeking to enhance your performance and growth, Simon Bowden offers a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success. 

Simon Bowden Coaching is located at Suite 2, 94 High Street, Berwick VIC 3806 Australia. 

📞 +61 419874619  ✉️ simon@simonbowden.com.au  🌎 www.simonbowden.com.au

Simon Bowden

KRISTINE BELL CUSTOMER STRATEGY (& SPARKIT)

Kristine's experience includes working on a variety of highly strategic projects for both international and local food and beverage manufacturers, health and well-being service brands, beauty providers, financial institutions, automotive, retailers, tourism and travel organisations and technology companies.

Examples of results:

- Discovery of deep insights into women’s relationship with their own beauty and beauty enhancing services, leading to a new & empowering brand positioning for the client.

- Development of a ‘trust’ framework, exploring and identifying all the key elements to building trust with consumers, from the company ethos down to ensuring every message is on brand.

-Assessment and refinement of a range of new product/meal solutions, market gaps and blue sky ideas, stimulated by food trends insights and consumer co-creation workshops.

- Training & coaching startups and small businesses in how to do their own market research and customer strategies and solutions in their business.

FOUNDER: CUSTOMER STRATEGY DIRECTOR

UNSW Business School

I am excited to have accepted casual employment with UNSW Business School teaching and tutoring 'Collaboration & Innovation' workshop classes for the 2nd term. 

In my long career in agency world and as a business owner, I have always loved teaching, up-skilling and empowering others to be their best in their job and business.

I can't wait to support 45+ students in the Innovation process, guiding them on how to successfully develop a new product/service offer from scratch, drawing on the Double Diamond Design Model which has four critical Innovation stages: Discovery, Definition, Development, and Delivery.

Casual Teacher, Facilitator and Tutor at UNSW Business School

Fishburners

For the last 1.5 years + I have the pleasure of being a mentor at Fishburners co-working community, supporting startups and founders looking to grow and scale their businesses. 

Since May 2024 I have been a mentor with Fishburners and Westpac Accelerator program (The Ascent Project) for female founders looking to grow and scale their business.

I have also had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate, co-create and co-facilitate a session for the full group of 16 Founders on the Ascent Project on developing a compelling, unique and emotionally engaging Value Proposition and Brand Strategy.

Fishburners & Westpac Accelerator program

GALKAL

Responsibilities: 
Strategic client and project leadership, developing powerful insight-driven customer strategies, client growth and management, new business development, facilitation of consumer and stakeholder research and client ideation workshops, work with different internal and external client teams to implement insights into business, line-management, staff mentoring and training sessions including ‘from insight to brand/message proposition’ and Qualitative Research 101

Businesses worked with: Unilever, Westpac, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, UNICEF, Birch & Waite, GSK and more…

Examples of results:
- Identification of a number of opportunities across channels and shoppers to drive business growth for a global household good manufacturer incl. valuable shopper intelligence to guide optimisation of below the line activation plans, point of purchase strategy, channel strategy and path to purchase strategy through category thought leadership

- Clear guidelines on how to grow ongoing supporter base and increasing supporter loyalty (retention) for a non-for-profit organisation by uncovering a number of insights that inspired a compelling and effective communication strategy

- Facilitated introductions to L'Oréal (Singapore), GSK Australia, Samsung Frucor, and bringing in new business, positively impacting billings.

STRATEGIC QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DIRECTOR

NextStep Research & Strategy

Responsibilities: Client acquisition and relationship building, Strategic project leadership, Customer Strategy recommendations, facilitation of consumer and stakeholder workshops and research

Businesses I worked with: Unilever (directly) and Lion Dairy & Drinks and Westpac (in collaboration with agencies)

Results: Optimised advertising strategy, a tailored customer strategy and new product development

CUSTOMER STRATEGY AND INSIGHT DIRECTOR

Bread & Butter Research & Strategy

Responsibilities: 
Strategic client and project leadership, developing powerful insight-driven customer strategies, client management, identifying and developing new business opportunities, IP development, facilitation of consumer and stakeholder research and ideation workshops.

Businesses worked with: GSK, Lion Dairy & Drinks, Lion Nathan, Unilever (local and international), YUM!, Fonterra, Nestle and more.

Examples of results:
- Exploration of consumers relationship and journey with cheese, identifying how to grow consumers consumption and love of cheese by leveraging 3 powerful cheese brands in the Australian market.
- Developing and facilitating a creative ideation workshop with key stakeholder in the Asian post shampoo market, identifying ore than 10 innovative product ideas and propositions (and claims), based on powerful consumer insights, new technology, perfume trends etc. allowing the brand to claim leadership in the category in Asia.
- Clear guidelines on how to grow a Cold & Flu brand in the future and specifically via the pharmacy channel.

STRATEGIC RESEARCH DIRECTOR

The Leading Edge

Responsibilities: 
Strategic client and project leadership, developing powerful insight-driven customer strategies, client growth and management, facilitation of consumer and stakeholder research and client ideation workshops, work with different internal and external shareholders to implement insights into business, creative brief writing for KFC advertising, develop and facilitate innovation workshops for clients, line management and mentoring/training staff in best qualitative research and customer strategy practices. I also spent 2-3 months in TLE’s office in Singapore, servicing clients across Asia.

Businesses worked with: Qualitative lead on KFC / YUM! (TLE’s biggest client at the time) for over 2 years, GSK (local and international), VISA, St. George, Colgate Palmolive Dyson, Woolworths and more.

Examples of results:
- Bringing over AUD$40,000 in profit per month.
- Developing training tools and running training courses internally to staff in qual research and ‘hands on’ mentoring and coaching in all aspects of qualitative research.
- Facilitating client workshops with a focus on innovation and NPD development for key clients.
- Identifying key consumer insights into how best to communicate 'fresh' in the world of fast food and co-authoring the creative brief.
- Developing a new brand positioning for a prominent restaurant group in the Philippines.

STRATEGIC QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANT

Simpson Carpenter Ltd

As a senior qualitative researcher on the Retail & Consumer team, my responsibilities involved consulting clients on insights and implications on their customer strategy, conduct and manage research projects from start to finish as well as developing younger staff. I worked on projects in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia. 

Clients included Tesco, Boots, Liberty, Diageo/BAA, SKY, Debenhams, Energizer and Nokia

SENIOR QUALITATIVE SPECIALIST

Ergo ID

Ergo is an established innovation consultancy based in London. As a strategic planner and researcher, my responsibilities included: 
- NPD, Brand and communication strategy development 
- Creative brief development and liaising with creative team throughout the process 
- Managing local and international research projects including consulting clients, designing research solutions and carrying out qualitative research 
- Design and co-run client workshops 

In this role I also worked on a number of projects across a number of countries and categories, including the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Holland, Belgium for clients such as Dandy (now Cadbury’s), Carlsberg, Coco Cola and Swedish Match.

STRATEGIC PLANNER AND RESEARCHER

Euro RSCG

During my time working as a Strategist, I developed and wrote Creative Briefs, ensuring it delivered a single-minded promise that delivered to the overall objective of the advertising strategy as well as being founded in a rich customer insight.

STRATEGIC PLANNER

Heart-centered Strategist | Customer Strategy, Brand Strategy, Messaging & Market Research | Consulting, Co-creation & Skill-building | Register for Free Strategy Session below

I help business owners, founders and entrepreneurs ignite brand & business growth by aligning their Unique Value Proposition with the motivations of their ideal customers. 

This includes clarifying, simplifying and bringing their vision, purpose and competitive edge to life in their offer, brand positioning, message promise and customer experience in a compelling and memorable manner.

Having a 1-Pager umbrella Customer Strategy Blueprint ensures your offer and marketing tell the same story across all the executional elements.

This is the key to building meaningful customer connections, having greater impact, memorability and persuasion power. Ultimately enabling you to convert more sales with ease and joy.

I also offer one-off co-creation sessions to clients including a Marketing Strategy & Market Research soundboard session, an Effective Messaging that Connects session and a Rediscover your Superpower session.

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BIG BUSINESS & BRAND OFFER

I continue to work with large companies and brands, helping them gain rich insights into their target groups and identify deep insights, human-centered strategies and new growth opportunities.

My offer includes start-to-finish 'qualitative in-depth research, strategic insights and recommendations.

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I have  25 years experience as a Customer Strategist & Market Researcher, working internationally as Insight Specialist and Strategist in Advertising, Branding & Innovation and Market Research.

I have extensive experience across a wide range of sectors incl. business-to-consumer and business-to-business, both internationally and in Australia.

Specialities include:
- Business vision, purpose and mission.
- Market opportunity scoping. 
- Motivational Target Market Mapping & Strategy.
- Unique Value Proposition development.
- Product and service innovation.
- Brand positioning, identity and personality.
- Customer decision journey mapping.
- Customer experience optimisation..
- Communication strategy, message promise and creative brief development.

Website: www.sparkit-insights.com

Kristine Bell

Welcome to my Live Business-focused Learn & Grow Snappy Chats. 
 
My intention for these Business Focused Snappy Chats is for us all to have an opportunity to 'Learn and Grow' from each other’s challenges and successes in business. 
 
This week's Snappy Chat is with the straight-talking, supportive Founder & Managing Director of Bond Financial, Sarah Pyke.


Please follow and connect with Sarah here: https://lnkd.in/gYVSZKTT


In these Snappy Chats we discuss the following topics: 
 
1. A big challenge/lesson faced in business 
2. How we can 'learn and grow' from challenge/lesson
3. Advice to others in business
4. What’s next in business 
 
ABOUT SARAH:
I know what it’s like to feel stuck in a system that wasn’t built for you. After years in corporate accounting — and getting fired for taking a birthday holiday (yep, really) — I realised I didn’t just want to do things differently… I needed to.
 
I’m the founder of Bond Financial — a straight-talking, supportive accounting practice for business founders who want to feel calm, confident, and in control of their finances. I help you simplify the money side of your business so you can stop winging it, stop worrying, and start building something sustainable.

Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gQ_Dazzp


🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://lnkd.in/gCXMQwRd

Get Your Strategy Right with a Human-Centered Approach to Business, Brand, Communication, Innovation & Experience | Strategic Advisor & Facilitator | Teacher @ UNSW Business School

Learn & Grow Snappy Chat w/ Founder of Bond Financial, Sarah Pyke

A reflection for the end of the week…


None of us are on the exact same journey.

And none of us truly know how life will unfold.


What feels easy for one person

may be a hard lesson for another.


Life promises us nothing – 

yet it gives each of us the opportunity

to discover who we really are.


Perhaps it begins with finding peace within ourselves,

and then choosing to uplift each other through

connection, community, and opportunity.


Because even in a chaotic world,
 
life becomes more meaningful when we grow together.


Wishing you a wonderful Friday and weekend ahead.


#humancentered #growthstrategy #community

When was the last time you did something purely creative?

Years ago, after burning out, I quit my job. 

I had zero motivation for my usual work — so instead, I chose to create.


I gave myself space.
 
Space to breathe.
 
Space to figure myself out.
 
Space to grow.

And it felt good.


Out of that season came a simple idea: 

A beautifully designed fridge water bottle - easy to hold, easy on the eye (at least I think so).


I had 1,000 made in China.

I sourced premium Japanese Binchotan activated charcoal for natural purification.

I sold them at local markets and placed them in a few stores.


Here’s what I learned:

I didn’t enjoy standing at markets all day.

Retail markups made the price too high.


Creatively fulfilling? Yes.

Commercially viable? Not quite.


Was it a waste? Not even close.

It reconnected me with my inner creator.

It gave me peace.

It helped me heal when I needed it most.

Sometimes the value of a project isn’t profit — it’s who you become in the process.


We’re all born with talents and gifts. 

The real work is giving ourselves permission to use them.


What do you do to access your creativity?

Wishing you a wonderful Friday and weekend ahead.


Please follow me here https://lnkd.in/gdsCHZNi for valuable tips on how to successfully convert more customers with human-centered growth strategies for your business, brand, innovation and communication.


#growthstrategy #creativity #personaldevelopment

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

- Albert Einstein

 
Honest question.

On a scale of 1–10…

- How curious are you about other people?
- How open-minded are you with different beliefs?
- How attached are you to your own way of thinking?


I ask because business isn’t built on our view of the world.

It’s built on our customers’.

They may not see the category the way we do.

They may not value what we assume they value.


When we question our assumptions,

and test them with real customers,

we uncover blind spots.

We sharpen our strengths.

We clarify our message.


Curiosity isn’t soft.

It’s a competitive advantage.


I’d love to know. How has curiosity shaped your business or life?

 
Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday


PLEASE FOLLOW me here https://lnkd.in/gdsCHZNi for valuable tips on how to successfully convert more customers with human-centered growth strategies for your business, brand, innovation and communication.


#humancentred #growthstrategy #curiosity

Excited to join The Pitch Club - Women's Edition next week in Bondi


If this wonderful event catches your interest, book in and come along

Thank you Aarti Soni for the invite 🙏💛

View company: The Pitch Club - Women's Edition

🎙️ 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
↳Strategy powerhouse, Kristine Bell, our final panellist for the evening, is bringing her strategy hat to our pitch night - https://lnkd.in/gHG2fM67

Kristine Bell is a human-centred strategy expert and business owner with 27+ years of experience turning market insights into clear, differentiated strategies that drive growth and competitive advantage.

As a strategic advisor and workshop facilitator, she helps her clients (from founders to corporates) ignite brand and business growth by getting their strategy right with a human-centered approach to business, brand, communication, innovation & customer experience.

She is a veteran qualitative researcher and expert facilitator of large strategic workshops, aligning teams around actionable outcomes. 

She is also a teacher in Collaboration & Innovation at UNSW Business School and a corporate trainer with CCE at University of Sydney.

💛 Along with Kristine, you'll be able to vote for the best pitch in the evening and celebrate with our amazing lineup of founders - 🎫  grab your ticket now! https://lnkd.in/gHG2fM67

Bondi Innovation Ross Dawson Tibo Roumagoux Aarti Soni Harshita Sood (Harsh) Nia Barnabie Chris Clark International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) Tap4Change EMERi ketch-Up Antler Startup&Angels Stone & Chalk Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce Stacy N Henderson The Pitch Club - Bondi, Parramatta, Brookvale and more Startmate Teem Monique Marani Tina Ott Poonam Kishan Georgia Gebrael Preeti D.  WOTSO Blackbird SPOD Tech Global Sisters David Kenney Timo Lorenzen Sophie Luen Arabella Steel Julie Perrissel Rachel Tucker Jaemie Dela Pena Joni Fleischer Catherine Mary Said

A common mistake in business:

Assuming prospects already know they need what we offer.

Often, they don’t.


Not because the solution isn’t valuable,

but because no one has helped them connect the dots yet.


This is where leadership in marketing matters.

Our job isn’t just visibility.

It’s education.

Helping people understand how our product or service 

can move them closer to what they truly want - in life or business.


And addressing the barriers that stop them from even considering our solution… or our category.


When we do this well, we don’t just compete.

We shape the market.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. 


FOLLOW me here https://lnkd.in/gdsCHZNi for valuable tips on how to successfully convert more customers with human-centered growth strategies for your business, brand, innovation and communication.


#humancentered #growthstrategy #education

Welcome to my Live Business Learn & Grow Snappy Chats. 
 
My intention for these Business Focused Snappy Chats is for us all to have an opportunity to 'Learn and Grow' from each other’s challenges and successes in business. 
 
This week's Snappy Chat is with the very insightful and inspiring Retail & Shopper Strategist, Advisor & Key-note Speaker, Peter Wilson.

Please follow and connect with Peter here: https://lnkd.in/gpw5vcUU


In these Snappy Chats we discuss the following topics: 
 
1. A big challenge/lesson faced in business 
2. How we can 'learn and grow' from challenge/lesson
3. Advice to others in business
4. What’s next in business 
 

ABOUT PETER

Peter is an experienced retail advisor who consults to brands and retailers on creating better and more meaningful engagement with their customers. 

With 30 years of experience in insights and strategy, Peter spends much of his time nowadays in a coaching capacity. 




🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://lnkd.in/gCXMQwRd

Learn & Grow Snappy Chat w/ Retail & Shopper Expert Peter Wilson

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The Battle

Simon Bowden

Kristine Bell

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kristine Bell's LinkedIn Performance

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