Our first major event of 2026 was a major success! Having had more than50 people networking, hosted by our sponsor ANZ, in a beautiful venue, the ANZ building, we were all inspired by an energising keynote from Tamsin Simounds, who explored a powerful approach to personal and professional growth: the experiment mindset.
Tamsin shared her own leadership journey, from wanting to “be the boss” as a young girl to finding herself leading a business in her early twenties. Despite achieving the role she’d always envisioned, the reality wasn’t what she imagined. Her relationships suffered, work felt overwhelming, and even with endless leadership training, something still wasn’t working.
Her turning point came when she returned to study psychology while raising a baby. By testing what she learned in real time, she discovered a fundamental truth: people don’t have a learning problem, they have a doing problem.
Tamsin introduced then the Experiment Mindset, the idea that progress is made not through perfection, but through continuous testing and learning. Instead of striving to “get it right,” the experiment mindset encourages us to gather data, act, observe, and adjust.
Key takeaways from her message included:
· The goal of an experiment is to learn, not to win.
· Growth isn’t linear and failure isn’t final.
· You don’t need the full plan; you only need your first best test.
· Curiosity beats certainty when it comes to building an exciting career.
· Neuroscience tells us we grow through experimentation, even when our brains resist action.
Participants were invited to choose an area of life where they felt stuck and design a simple experiment using the formula: “I’ll test… for… to learn…”
This practical exercise helped translate the mindset from theory into motion — reinforcing that even small experiments can create meaningful change.
A panel discussion rounded out the evening, with Tamsin sharing candid stories of her biggest career challenges and reflecting on how emerging technologies, including AI, make experimentation more essential than ever.
Tamsin left us with a powerful reminder: You don’t need certainty to move forward. You just need the courage to test, learn, and try again.
Thank you to all attendees, members and non‑members, for sharing such a special night with us. We couldn’t be happier with our first event of the year, and we hope you left feeling just as energised and inspired for 2026 as we did.
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible sponsors and partners whose generosity made this event possible: ANZ, Tamsin Simounds, Monica Cugnier Photography, Tony & Marks, Jurlique, Jim Barry Wines, The Lane Vineyard and Karrawatta Wines.
Most importantly, we are proud to share that all profits from the evening will be donated to our Charity Partner, Catherine House, supporting women experiencing homelessness in South Australia.
