As part of a three-week campaign, Frankston Business Network partner Bayside Centre held a Creating Change charity lunch on May 24 to raise awareness of and money for the homeless. Raising over $20,000 in much needed funds for Community Support Frankston over the whole campaign was an amazing result by Bayside Centre.

Carrum Downs local and guest motivational speaker Stacey Currie spoke with high energy and resonated with the audience exceptionally well.  Guests might not have expected to hear such a troubling story from an author (she wrote The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Can Too in an impressive six months), a busy mother of five and a successful businesswoman, but Stacey is a survivor of homelessness and hardship. She spoke about her experiences with refreshing humour and honesty, including embarrassing photos to boot. With a detailed telling of her rags-to-riches life, she touched everyone’s hearts. She refutes the notion that homeless people don’t try to change their lives or have no chance to.

At a young age her future was looking far from positive.  A child abuse survivor, Stacey was pregnant at 15, homeless at 19 with two babies, and suffered domestic abuse at 21 with three kids to care for. Stacey had no mother to grow up with, and was brought up in a Housing Commission property. From a very unstable and violent childhood, it could be assumed that she’d end up on the streets, in jail, a victim of drugs or even dead.

After extensive counselling with a lady she could really relate to, and her own ambition to not accept this was how her life would continue to be, she began to rebuild her life.

She explained how she’s repeatedly asked how she managed to overcome many risk factors, and how she continues to juggle life with five children (meal prepping included) and a successful career.  Her answer?  “Don’t overcomplicate things; that’s the best advice I can give.”

In 2011 Stacey was nominated for a Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award. How? By defying the odds and following her passion, she turned her friend’s small printing business into a multi-million-dollar company.  With no sales experience, just a serious motivation to achieve results, Stacey helped a small business that was bringing in $100 in sales a month make $100,000 a month.

This remarkable young woman has defied the odds and is so passionate about helping others achieve their goals.

“I don’t allow the negative thoughts in,” Stacey told us. “Just find your addiction and be passionate about it.”