Elly Hurley : Co-Founder of Nudge Marketing

Elly HurleyAs a kid I grew up (in New Zealand) watching my Uncle play with electronics and build his own computers. I say play because it was a hobby and not his job, a hobby he still enjoys today and he’s in his 70’s. Computers fascinated me then and still do today - not so much from wanting to build them (the hardware), it's what you can do with them - the software and programs.

I brought my first computer (a 386 for those of you in the know) in 1985 but never really did much with it. At that time softball was my one big love and I was offered a contract to play in Australia which I jumped at. So across the ditch I flew - that was some 28 years ago and honestly I’ve never looked back.

Whereas Helen has had her own businesses I always worked for others - mainly in sales and marketing roles until I turned 30 when I decided it was time to live out one of my childhood dreams and I became a Police Officer. I loved it - I got to wear a sexy uniform and I got to help a lot of people.

At 38 I took a huge leap of faith and left the security of a well paid job and went into business with Helen. I won’t lie, it hasn’t been easy but it’s been hugely satisfying, it hasn’t always been successful but my biggest lessons have come from my mistakes and the hours have been long but that’s a choice. I wouldn’t work as much if I didn’t love what I do.

Working on my own personal development and skill-set has been a high priority for 2 main reasons. Firstly it allows me to become a better version of who I am and also keep up to date with all the business and marketing techniques around today; and secondly it allows me to help scores of other people - knowing what makes people tick, why we react to some things and not others, what makes people take action and what scares them off, why we are drawn to certain people and repelled by others, and even how to break boards with my bare hand and snap an arrow with my throat. These are all highly valuable when it comes to growing a business.  All of these experiences and opportunities have enhanced the person I am and given me ever more to share with others.

It’s a wonderful feeling being part of a clients journey, and I consider myself fortunate that I am able to do this.

You’ve read this far so it's time to tell you a bit about my business and marketing knowledge:

  • I ran my own successful 6 figure hypnotherapy practice specialising in weight loss,
  • I did all of my own marketing, advertising and off-line promotion and quickly learnt what worked and what didn’t,
  • I’ve spent over 1000 hours and I won’t say how much money on conferences and courses learning and being mentored by the best there is,
  • Perhaps more importantly I’ve put what I’ve learnt into practice,
  • My qualifications range from being  a Trainer of NLP to being a Certified Digital Marketing Professional.
  • Facebook is my favourite playground, and I love what it can do for any business when you know how to use it,
  • I understand and have the ability to use geek speak and industry language but I prefer to be understood, so whenever possible I use 'normal' language - after all communication only works if the reader or listener understands the message,
  • I’ve worked with hundreds of clients - mostly small business owners in the Natural Therapies Industry - helping them with systems and strategies to improve their business. For the majority of them this has meant increasing the number of clients they work with and therefore increasing the amount of money they make. For a select few it has been transitioning from working very long hours with clients, to scaling up and creating group programs. 

If you’ve got a specific question ask me - if it’s inappropriate you won’t get an answer, or if you do, it may not be what you were hoping for.

Let me finish with a few fun things - things that float my boat and put a smile on my dial:

  • I love communicating with people, I always chat to ‘randoms’ at the shop or walking up the street;
  • I love my 2 dogs and have the best day when it starts with an early morning walk along the beach with them;
  • I have a dedicated mediation area set up, which includes a blessing leaf from The White Temple in Chiang Rai Thailand - and no, I don’t use it every day although I know I should,
  • I am a crazy mad All Black supporter and love most sports,
  • I love my family and one of my most memorable holidays was a 3 week camping trip in a Toyota Hi-ace around the South Island of New Zealand with my 83 year old Grandmother and 61 year old Uncle - I was 36!
  • I spent 19 hours camped outside the Apple Store in Sydney on the 11 July 2008 and was the second person to get the very first iPhone 3 (from the Apple Store) - and I was a Windows User at the time!
  • I love The Matrix, Star Wars and Inception as much as I love Under The Tuscan Sun, The Hundred Foot Journey and Dead Poets Society - watching a movie is a great place to get lost,
  • I have a great sense of direction and can go somewhere once and always be able to get back there,
  • Coffee - I love my coffee so much that I’ve got my own machine at home - I’m a Latte Girl with 1.

Speaking of coffee it’s time to move on. Hopefully we’ll get to spend more time together either in person or via this wonderful world of technology we have at our fingertips.

I’m happy for you to connect with me personally, Facebook is your best bet (click here) or if you prefer the grown up’s Social Media I’m on LinkedIn (here's the link) as well. All I ask is that you send me a quick note to let me know you've come from our website - that way you'll definitely get your request accepted.

Have a great day and here’s to your success.

Connect with the Nudge Team on Facebook...

This is me! Helen Denney-Stone - Co-Founder of Nudge Marketing

Helen Denney-StoneI had an email this morning from my business partner saying and I quote “Hel you HAVE to write your about us page - it you don’t friggin get it done I am going to have to write it for you and that could be disastrous! :-)”

Really I just don’t like this part, writing about me, so I keep putting it off.... procrastination is my middle name particularly when I don’t want to do it ! - give me a problem to solve or ask me to design something and there is no stopping me. But this bit, where I am meant to tell you all my achievements, prove who I am, the reasons why I am here talking to you now and my successes and failures (there have certainly been a few learning curve failures!)

It is all so odd, cold and rather up oneself - but I know I have to do something... So I am going to do this a bit differently recently I was asked on good old facebook to list 10 things that most people don’t know about me, which of course got me thinking....

So my about page will be 3 lists....

  1. 10 of the more serious facts, because this is what an about us page is meant to be!
  2. 10 things I love because this is who I am......
  3. 10 things most people don’t know about me because this is how this whole thing got started!!

Ok here we go.....

First up the more serious facts!!

1.  Born in England spent most of my formative years in Jersey

2. University in Grenoble - learnt to ski and speak French!!

3. Owned my own businesses since 23

4. Sold my first business and made that first million at 29

5. Have had several business since and lost and failed badly on some and succeeded on others.

6. I am qualified in various fields from Marketing to Clinical Hypnotherapy

7. I am LinkedIn very savy for business and lead generation.

8. I have written an Amazon #1 on Vision Boards !!

9. I Have helped many in the Natural Health Industry grow their business, from PT trainers to Lifestyle Coaches to Psychotherapists to Massage Therapists and Heelers.

10. I live in Sydney Australia and have one son called Tobias (Toby)

The easy bit - 10 the things I love....

  1. I love what I do everyday, I love marketing and how it changes all the time and keeps me on my toes, love the learning, adore technology and apps! 
  2. I love my family and animals and of course my close friends...
  3. I love art, museums, design and images - love all things Apple!
  4. I love the smell of coffee, cut grass and the ocean.
  5. I love the feel of soft throws, rose petals and my boxer dogs ears!
  6. I love all the wrong food! (too long to list)
  7. I love hearing the sound of water, and music that stirs or calms me.
  8. I love being naughty (not bad) doing different things pushing boundaries having fun and being daft!!
  9. I love being at a big public or sports event when everyone is singing their anthems and you can feel the vibes of the crowd - just love ‘Swing low sweet chariots”
  10. I love all things connected to the mind, mindset including meditation,  the Buddhist philosophy and yoga.

Ok now for the fun stuff...

  1. I got to meet and speak with the Pope. (Pope Jean Paul 2)
  2. I have driven a Sherman Army Tank and demolished bushes and things!
  3. I was paralysed from the waist down after a diving accident and spent 10 hours in Jacques Cousteau’s decompression tank and at one stage this Nun came and gave my what seemed like my last rights!!
  4. I have won various art awards and just a few years back I won student of the year for my art, airbrushing.
  5. I have “goose stepped” alongside the soldiers, outside Lenin’s tomb .....(and then had to run for my life!!)
  6. I can break a solid wooden board with one blow.
  7. I have held the Web Ellis Cup and one of Prince’s Diana’s tiara’s!
  8. I mentor ‘kids’ for youth off the streets and do Street Walk
  9. I have been up close and personal with the mountain guerrillas of Uganda 
  10. I have done some crazy adrenalin junkie stuff!

P.S I love - dashes !! exclamation marks and gaps and general emotions in my writing 🙂 so sorry to all the grammar experts out there! and Yes I get told off about this all the time - but this is me 🙂 !

Helen - I am happy to connect - I will be delighted to answer any questions you have business or personal - *within reason*... Click Here to connect with me on Facebook or click the image below to find and connect with me on LinkedIn 🙂

Okay so enough about the Founders. The really important people at Nudge are...

Gemma - Customer Care Specialist

Everything to do with support goes through Gemma. She is your go to person for Customer Support and knows Nudge's philosophy, where to get any question answered and will not give up until she has a happy customer.

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To contact Gemma please click here

Chellie - Head VA

Chellie is our head VA and she looks after a lot of our behind the scenes activities. She is one of Nudge's smiling ninja's. 

Brandon - IT Guru

What Brandon doesn't know about Wordpress, cPanel, IT and Website Security isn't worth knowing about. He has been with us through thick and thin for the last 7 years.  

Edgel - Design & Image Specialist

Edgel is a graphic designer, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & CoralDraw X3 Expert. He is our go-to guy for all our designs and giving us the edge - as he says.