This event is for FBA Advisor Members only.
Advisor Connect is a monthly event designed to support your ongoing professional development in family business advising, while building connections with fellow FBA Advisor Members across multiple disciplines.
Each event centres on a key theme which shapes the speakers, discussions, and learnings throughout the session. It’s an opportunity to deepen your understanding of others’ expertise, share insights, and uncover collaborative opportunities that will benefit you and the family businesses you support.
This hybrid event will be held in-person at ADLV Law, Adelaide and also online. To join online, the link will be provided when you register.
Session Topic: Family Business in the Real World: Where Strategy Meets Sunday Lunch.
Family businesses are some of the most resilient and most complex organisations in the economy. They carry legacy, identity, and family expectations alongside payroll, debt, and market risk.
Drawing on lived experience running multiple businesses, board roles, and working alongside hundreds of SMEs, Simone will explore the practical realities advisors often see but clients rarely articulate.
This session will look at:
- Where family dynamics quietly override business logic
- The difference between ownership, management and leadership
- Why governance structures matter even when the family says they don’t
- How good businesses drift into risk without noticing
- The uncomfortable conversations that advisors often need to help families have
Attendees will leave with:
• Questions they can use with family business clients
• Early warning signals of structural risk
• Ways to reframe difficult conversations with families
• Practical observations from someone living inside the reality of business ownership
Speaker
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Simone Douglas |
Simone Douglas is a South Australian entrepreneur, business owner and advisor with more than 30 years of experience across marketing, hospitality, and business leadership. She is the CEO of Digital Marketing AOK, a consultancy specialising in digital strategy and AI-enabled marketing, and the co-owner of two Adelaide hospitality venues — The Duke of Brunswick Hotel and The Port Admiral Hotel. Simone works closely with business owners across multiple industries and is known for her practical, candid insights into the realities of running and growing a business. Alongside her commercial work, Simone contributes to industry through board and advisory roles and regularly speaks on business strategy, leadership, digital transformation and the operational realities facing Australian SMEs. Her perspective is grounded in lived experience — balancing capital investment, people, risk, and community — while navigating the complex decisions that business owners face every day.
Why Attend Advisor Connect
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Expand your network and connect with like-minded professionals who share your passion for supporting family businesses.
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Gain practical insights and strategies from experienced speakers on topics that matter most in family business advisory.
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Explore opportunities and collaborate with other advisors to strengthen the services you provide and challenge your way of thinking
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Stay ahead, keeping up-to-date with evolving best practices in advising family businesses.
As an FBA Advisor Member you are eligible to attend any advisor events across Australia and New Zealand
Not an FBA Family Business Accredited Advisor?
Becoming an FBA Accredited Advisor gives you the essential knowledge, skills, and practical tools to confidently support family businesses as they navigate growth, succession, and complex dynamics.
By engaging with a trusted community of professionals, you’ll stay informed on best practices, share experiences, and continue to grow your capability as an advisor. You’ll also be part of a supportive network dedicated to helping family businesses thrive for generations to come.
Learn more and become an Accredited Advisor today.
