Let's get down to business.

My passion for business strategy has fuelled my career for more than 30 years.

As a child, only one thing could distract me from backyard adventures - the lure of pocket money. I hunted out every opportunity to have an extra 20 cents in my pocket. I longed for the day when I could enter the workforce and make 'real money'.

My first taste of success

I earned my first pay pack at 14 years' old, serving burgers at McDonald's for $3.12 an hour. While the new bank balance had my eyes wide, I soon gained something far more valuable. I saw first-hand how systems drive scale in business. I learned the best way to make more money was to add value and then found a way to increase my value as an employee. Within 18 months, my hourly rate jumped by 600%.

Finding my niche

Flash forward to 1999. I sat at the dining table in my apartment, frustrated. I had been consulting to large corporations for a while, but it no longer fed my hunger for learning. Internal politics burned too much time and energy.

I could see that mid-tier businesses often delivered better value to their customers. But they spent too much time doing business rather than building it. That resulted in big opportunities being missed. I mapped out a solution to their dilemma on a sheet of paper. The next day I resigned from my cushy job and visited Fair Trading to register the business name, Eyes Wide Open. Since then, my team and I have supported more than 400 firms to set and achieve their business strategy.

Gaining mastery

The process of mastering business strategy has taken me on a global odyssey. I've seen the challenges of market competition in North America, UK, Europe and Oceania. I've explored the mechanics of business in private and public companies, business-to-consumer, business-to-business and not-for-profit organisations. I've mastered building competitive advantage in agribusiness, construction, professional services, retail and health.

I have continued to fuel my growth through roles as a non-executive director. Recently ticked boxes include:

• Co-founder - Run Against Violence, a member-based organisation engaging communities in family violence prevention

• Non-executive director - The Australian Institute of Management (NSW/ACT)

• Non-executive director - Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH)

• Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

Kirrily Dear GAICD, FAIM