October 2026 AEC Women's Networking Dinner

Our speaker is Nicole Gaviria.

Bet on Yourself: The Business of Starting Over 

What does it actually take to rebuild from scratch- not just a business, but your entire identity as a founder?

That question became very real for me when I walked away from my activewear brand and started over. What followed wasn't a clean pivot story. It was years of learning to trust an instinct that looked, from the outside, like a massive risk: building a digital coaching brand in the eating behaviour space, grounded in my clinical training as a registered counsellor, and betting on the idea that women deserved something better than diet culture dressed up as wellness.

That bet paid off in a way I didn't see coming. In 2024, my signature program, The Break Up, was awarded first place out of approximately 16,000 competitors in the Steven Bartlett entrepreneurial competition- a $100,000 USD prize, and a global spotlight moment that validated everything I'd been quietly building.

In this talk, I share what the journey from activewear founder to award-winning digital health entrepreneur actually looked like- the pivots that terrified me, the moments I almost gave up, and the unconventional decisions that turned out to be my greatest strategic advantages. I'll speak honestly about the US experience, what winning at that level taught me about my work, and what I wish I'd known sooner about building a business around something you genuinely believe in.

This is a talk about courage, strategy, and what happens when you refuse to play small.

My story speaks directly to the experience of women who are building something that doesn't fit a conventional mould, where the product is your expertise, where credibility is earned rather than inherited, and where scaling requires letting go of the need for external validation before you've received it.

Members will gain insight into what it looks like to pivot with intention rather than desperation, how to position a personal brand in a crowded market without losing your voice, and what it takes to compete, and win, on an international stage as an independent operator. My experience is a masterclass in backing yourself when the data doesn't yet exist to prove you're right.

Key Take Aways

1. The pivot is rarely as clean as it looks from the outside, what it actually takes to walk away from one identity and build something new, and how to make that decision with clarity rather than crisis
2. Your expertise is your edge, why clinical credibility combined with a human brand voice is more powerful than any marketing budget, and how to stop underselling what you know
3. How to compete globally as an independent founder, lessons from the Steven Bartlett competition, including what I learned about my own business by having it scrutinised at that level
4. Playing the long game in a noise-heavy market, how I built a loyal audience and high-converting program without going viral, and why slow, strategic growth compounds in ways that quick wins don't
5. What happens when you finally let yourself want big things, the mindset shift that preceded my biggest results, and how ambition and service aren't in conflict

We have included below, when purchasing your ticket, a Donation option of $5 to support the club charity The Quality of Life Trust.

We cater for Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, and dairy intolerance. We're unable to cater to individual dietary requests other than food allergies and intolerances or religious requirements. If you want to check if your requirements can be catered for, please email Liz on admin@aucklandexecutiveclub.org.nz before booking.

Please be advised that as of 1st September 2026, The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre including their onsite Gladstone`s café/restaurant will be cashless.
They accept Eftpos and all major credit cards and could also accept bank transfers with proof of payment.