Natasha Panetta: Empowering Businesses to Thrive in Competitive Markets and Economic Downturns

Natasha Panetta, Director and Founder, Busy Goddess Marketing Co.

As Michelle Obama once rightfully said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” From shattering glass ceilings to breaking down societal barriers, women have rightly so defied the odds and redefined what’s possible. In the cutthroat world of business, women have been making significant strides and carving out their space with determination and resilience. To see the force of nature that is a woman building a successful empire from the ground up, while seamlessly juggling or balancing the demands of motherhood is the quintessential model of success.

This question however still beckons; can women really have it all? Let’s be honest here, the balance is not 100% always in favour and does involve facing hurdles along the way. So what can be done to help women to remain inspired, and to be continually supported and uplifted to keep charging ahead in their businesses and to strive to build successful brands?

In this edition of the APAC Entrepreneur Magazine, we are proud to share with our readers the inspiring story of one such admirable mumpreneur, founder, and marketing wizz, Natasha Panetta.

Natasha was born and raised in the region of Wollongong, a beautiful coastal city located 1.5 hours south of Sydney. She always from a young age had a passion for creating, computers, and marketing. Over time, she turned a love of design and a knack for taking innovative ideas and turning them into gold into a career. She started working at the tender age of 14 at McDonald’s, a relatively normal rite of passage for a first job, however, she went through all the levels of training, dedicated to learning, working long hours, advancing, and eventually training others. Moving out on her own by 16, she at such a young age found herself juggling three jobs simultaneously to simply make ends meet. Throughout her teenage years, she hustled tirelessly – five days a week at a law firm, nights and weekends at McDonald’s, and two evenings at a call centre conducting telephone interviews. Natasha calls this her period of surviving, but not a period of thriving. Despite the challenges, Natasha’s relentless drive never wavered. She set her sights on roles that offered growth, constantly striving for better and step by step eventually securing herself a better future. In her early 20s, she took on a role with Fairfax Media, a decision that marked a turning point in her career trajectory. This role not only solidified her expertise in marketing alongside media but also propelled her to push boundaries and innovate in particular in the world of digital marketing, shaping her into the dynamic and versatile marketer she is today. This role taught her a key experience in building resilience, and how to overcome and move on when experiencing workplace bullying and gender pay gap issues. After many years in varied roles. and climbing the corporate ladder, she had gaps in between whilst on maternity leave that like many women did impact Natasha in securing promotions, pay raises, and driving her career ahead in ways she had hoped for as she approached her 30s and beyond.

From Corporate Constraints To Entrepreneurial Freedom

Content in her final corporate role ahead of taking the full entrepreneurial leap, she was the regional marketing manager for a large group of companies, Natasha found herself thriving within the corporate framework, making an impact and building solid relationships. But despite her success, there was a nagging sense of dissatisfaction stemming from the lack of creative freedom, and the odd agency relationships that were letting down franchises and not producing solid campaign outcomes. Then, one morning, an unexpected email landed in her inbox, informing her and a large portion of her team of company-wide redundancies —a blow that left her reeling. Not only did she lose her job and career overnight, but she also faced financial losses, including a significant setback of a $170k loss in a property settlement due to a vendor refusing to delay settlement due to this unexpected redundancy news.

Sitting in a ball of anxiety, Natasha chose to shift her thinking and surrounded herself with an amazing group of women she deeply admired. It was at this time she shared her idea of establishing a niche marketing agency that would offer a difference, a bespoke solution with a hands-on approach—something entirely different from the norm—to address the challenges constantly faced by businesses, and faced by herself in her prior marketing manager roles. Drawing on her diverse skill set, Natasha envisioned a holistic solution that would eliminate the gaps and miscommunications inherent in traditional marketing agencies. “The concept was to encompass a vast array of roles as the founder and director, a hard-working mum, an expert in people management, sales, and marketing but also a graphic designer and website developer who would personally provide an honest and integral approach to all areas of business marketing – no gaps and no lost in translation briefing,” elucidates Natasha. To her delight, the concept resonated deeply with her circle of support. Within a mere eight hours, she had 4 clients signed up and within two days, she had her new brand and website up and running. Thus, Busy Goddess Marketing Co. was born.

Embracing A Hands-On And Integrity-Driven Approach

When it comes to her clients, Natasha goes above and beyond. She doesn’t just advise her clients from afar; she immerses herself in their world. Whether it’s spending time on-site, meeting their teams or even families, and understanding their specific needs, she goes the extra mile to be able to advocate for her clients inside and out. This deep understanding allows her to provide personalised guidance, standing firmly behind her recommendations with confidence. Natasha knows that the business landscape can change in the blink of an eye, especially for small businesses. That’s why she’s always on the lookout, ready to pivot and adapt to keep her clients compliant, and ahead of the curve and ultimately reduce their stress. A recent example highlights her agile, client-first mindset in action. When her client was faced with a sudden need for a quick comprehensive overhaul due to the recent FPA changes impacting cosmetic injectable providers, Natasha sprang into action. Within a mere 48 hours, she designed a complete rebrand, a website overhaul, content and copywriting, and the rectification of all historical social media content. This swift and decisive action not only saved a valued client from potential fines but also ensured minimal disruption to their day-to-day operation. By leading with integrity and staying hands-on, Natasha exemplifies agility and effectiveness, safeguarding her clients’ success even in the face of unexpected challenges, and reducing additional layers of stress.

Juggling Motherhood And Entrepreneurship

Natasha wears many hats as a “mumpreneur,” skilfully balancing the demands of motherhood with her business and community endeavors. She observes that while the corporate world often revolves around chasing the biggest paycheck and financial stability, priorities naturally evolve once children enter the picture—flexibility and work-life balance for many women take centre stage. “The biggest piece of advice I give anyone is that understanding that work-life balance or flexibility is in many ways still a myth, and one person’s idea of flexibility or balance to another’s can be vastly different,” states Natasha.

She finds herself like many small business owners working late into the night and starting early morning to cover accounts, designs, and meet deadlines, however, the main reason she chooses to do this is to ensure she can pick up her daughters from school every day and be actively involved in their day to day adventures. To manage her time most efficiently she strategically tries to schedule face-to-face meetings within school hours but is also an active member of several key business groups, networking events, community sponsorships, and charitable organisations that do require after-hours and evening work. Natasha remains steadfast in her commitment to forging her own path, one that defies expectations and embraces the true essence of fulfillment and achievement. Her mission from day one was to empower and support women – those trying to build something special, provide for families, or simply find a piece of themselves that was missing. As a woman entrepreneur herself, Natasha understands the challenges women face and is dedicated to providing them with the opportunity to thrive, not just survive. Busy Goddess has become a lifeline for many clients “To be able to give people a voice, in particular women, and to take an idea, a concept and to create a brand and business – a way of life and a way of the future is something that is profound and special beyond words,” opines Natasha.

Fuelling Growth Through Diverse Offerings

In the future, Natasha has the vision to support more clients with her specialised packages, and vast CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) services without the complexities of PAYG, super, and other administrative burdens. Providing a diverse range of solutions is a key to the success of Busy Goddess Marketing Co.

Natasha proudly supports small businesses across social media management and content creation through to PR (Public Relations) and website development. A large portion of client requests are for content initiatives like email newsletters, and digital strategy aligned with advertising and paid ads. Natasha hopes to not only maintain a diverse offering but also ensure she continues to exceed the expectations of her clients by carefully curating and crafting each marketing campaign and strategy personally. As a mum of two, she is working toward creating a solid future for her daughters while simultaneously reinvesting in marketing strategies and supporting community events and sponsorship needs across Australia. One area that particularly excites Natasha is the expansion of her guides and the development of her “how-to” series tailored for businesses seeking frameworks and reference materials to bolster their own internal and external marketing strategies. She envisions these resources as a valuable addition to her business, empowering clients with the knowledge and tools to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape successfully if they have the time and ability to do this work in-house.

Insights And Advice From A Journey Of Resilience

To women hesitant to take the entrepreneurial plunge, Natasha offers words of encouragement forged from her own journey. “I would say that it only takes an idea to create something amazing, however, you must have a circle around you that will support you. If you don’t have that circle, create one. I realise this isn’t always easy – however, if you want to grow and achieve greatness it’s not a solo effort, let someone in and share in your successes” she affirms.

At 41, she feels blessed for the opportunities and life she’s created, but it hasn’t come without overcoming adversity. Many women Australia-wide have been impacted by, or are overcoming trauma associated with workplace bullying, cohesive control, or are trying to flee from domestic violence – we need to support and guide women who are of these minority groups to overcome and flourish. Her journey has taught her the importance of helping others to succeed by practicing kindness first and foremost. Aspiring to inspire is a mantra that Natasha lives and breathes.

Natasha’s other piece of advice is to remain coachable and hungry to learn. “Power is knowledge and no matter what level we are there is always more to learn, especially in an ever-changing landscape that is marketing, and even more so in digital marketing. The shifts and changes are constant, and the need to be agile, upskill, and be accessible is crucial,” she asserts on a concluding note.