A life-changing journey for female founders and business owners.
Opening August 2024.
Uncover your deepest purpose.
Take your brilliance to the world.
Build lasting wealth, doing the work you love.
Over the last four years, Northstar has changed the lives of more than 80 women
This is what happens when you know exactly where you are going, and exactly how you will get there.
- One woman bought her dream premises
- One sold her business and is now just enjoying life
- One secured game-changing investment
- One was able to take her family on their dream 4-month road trip
- One was able to hand the running of their business to someone else
- Almost everyone put their prices up
- Revenue was doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled
Opening June 2024
Only 12 places available
As a Professional Development Program, Northstar is 100% tax deductible.
For women who are ready to make waves
Northstar is for Women Founders and Business Owners, who are ready to make waves.
We are thought leaders and change-makers, with lives to change and messages to share. Impact-driven women seeking big, juicy lives.
We know we were made for more.
Hear Rebecca's story of working with Em
Magic happens when we come together
Northstar is practical, efficient and powerful. It has been transforming lives and businesses since 2019. It taps into the power of purpose, community and intentional action, to help you get what you want: faster and easier than ever before.
Purpose brings clarity and drives us towards greater things. It reminds us of the person we are here to be.
Community is the antidote to fear, stress and overwhelm. It is the answer to everything we crave.
Intentional action (a Bloody Good Plan) transcends obstacles, stuckness and overwhelm.
Together they create change which is nothing short of miraculous. Northstar is the first program of its kind to combine all three.
Keep reading to discover how Northstar can help you to create a career - and a life - that you love.
What you will get
During our 12 months together, you will :
Reconnect with your self and the work you REALLY want to be doing
- Connect with who you really are, and what you really want
- Tap into your purpose and ignite your potential
- Map the life you really want, with clear, ambitious business and personal goals
Take your message to the world
- Find your deepest message and your authentic voice
- Be able to talk about your work with absolute confidence
- Learn how to inspire others and raise your profile, with powerful thought-leadership strategies
Create a clear, aligned, strategic plan
- Learn how to create a targeted, strategic, 12-month growth strategy
- Know what parts of your brand-building are working, and which are not
- Make steady, sustainable, progress: every single week
- Tap into your deepest resources of courage and confidence
Northstar includes:
An exquisite two-day visioning and planning retreat
11 x monthly Reconnect Retreats. Time away from the business to re-connect with your vision, plan the month ahead, learn new skills, mastermind and enjoy a delicious lunch
40 x weekly accountability and trouble-shooting sessions
1:1 soundboarding sessions
Northstar changes lives
Emma now spends all her time ONLY doing the work she loves
Emma nailed her zone of genius and created an entirely new business concept. She is now a recognised leader in her field, and is spending her time doing ONLY the work she loves, while earning more than ever before.
Bec and her husband quit their day jobs, for good
Bec and her husband smashed their revenue targets and successfully scaled their 'passion project' so much that they were BOTH able to quit their day jobs. They now both earn a full-time wage doing the work they love.
Cherie supercharged her brand and grew her business exponentially
Cherie's brand awareness went through the roof! Her business grew like never before, and her marketing and growth strategies got easier, quicker and more effective than they had ever been.
Northstar is strategic, intuitive, and deeply authentic
The work we do in Northstar uniquely combines strategy and soul. It takes the strategic tools the big brands use, and applies them in a way which is intuitive, individual and deeply personal to you.
My role is help you identify what you really want, identify the best way to get there, and support you along the way. We will combine your deep knowing with my experience and our proven strategic frameworks, so that you are crystal clear on what you want, where you are going, and what to do next.
Tailor-made for female business owners and founders
If you are a purpose-driven woman with a message to share.
If you want to look back on your life and know you made the world a better place.
If you are looking for a more effective, intentional and authentic approach to growing your business.
If you are ready for change but don’t quite know how to move forward, then Northstar is the place for you.
If not now, when?
Northstar has helped many business owners, just like you, to move:
- From stress, worry and overwhelm... to a clear plan and sustainable growth
- From scrambling to keep up... to doing less, but smarter, for bigger results
- From feeling invisible... to a steady stream of inquiries and a healthy waitlist
Whatever you are searching for, we’re here to help you get it.
Get clear on what you want.
Know exactly how you will get there.
“Emily is such a source of knowledge and delight. If you need to refine your offering and take the next steps, then Northstar is totally for you.”
Louise Flaherty,
Little Big Bush Camps
“Northstar has been psychological and practical, deeply satisfying to find an alignment that I didn’t allow myself time to think about before.”
Lindsay Davies,
Business Consultant
“My goal was to increase revenue by 50%. But Within 12 months, revenue had doubled. Now it's increased by nearly 300%.”
Damia Ettakadoumi,
Straight Up Science
Opening June 2024
Places strictly limited to 12 people only
Learn the strategic tools the big brands use
Northstar's curriculum is based on the exact strategic tools I use with my private clients over two decades of strategic brand-building.
Over 12 months you will learn how to:
- Build a powerful, stand-out brand
- Become a thought-leader in your field
- Effortlessly attract the right clients
- Confidently know which parts of your business you need to focus on
- Create a laser-focused strategic plan
- Know the exact steps you will take, week by week, to achieve your vision
- Instantly know which strategies to focus on and which you can ditch
- Unearth your superpower and nail your positioning
- Find and articulate your niche with confidence
- Become "Good-different" (not just good) using strategic differentiation
- Find your unique, authentic voice
- Harness AI to remove 80% of your marketing load: while ensuring quality and your authentic voice
- Create your thought-leader message
- Use fast-track strategies to grow your audience
- Master the art of building a standout thought-leader brand on LinkedIn (without the hustle)
- Design and build alternative revenue streams
- Identify and build strategic collaborations
- Plan and create content at 8x the speed
- Know where you are going, and how you will get there
- Create a business which you love, doing the work that only you can do
And much, much more.
Hello. I'm Emily Hilder
I’m the founder and head strategist of Human Brands, an award-winning strategic consultancy.
I’m an accredited leadership coach and I have trained under Dr Claire Zammit's amazing Woman-Centered Coaching Methodology. I've worked with hundreds and hundreds of business owners, leaders and founders: just like you.
Over the last 25 years I have supported over a thousand women to grow thriving businesses, find the freedom they’ve been searching for, and do business - and life - on their terms.
I have advised major household brands such as Telstra, Wrigley’s Gum and Haagen-Dazs ice cream. I have been published in Marketing Magazine, lectured at AWARD Advertising School and I have won three Marketing Effectiveness awards.
Equality is a big deal for me. In 2019 I created Northstar: because I wanted to give more people access to the strategic tools the big brands use. I wanted to offer an alternative to coaching programs which lack strategic rigour, and consultancy fees of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Northstar brings together my 25 years experience of strategic brand-building, and my deep understanding and lived experience of what it means to do the work that you love and are deeply connected to.
I absolutely know that with the right strategies in place, running a business can bring meaning, freedom, and joy: as well as an opportunity to step into your power and leave a lasting impact on the world.
If Northstar speaks to you, it would be an honour to support you on your journey.
“The most impressive aspect is its commitment to results. My business has witnessed remarkable growth, increased profitability, and a significant market presence, thanks to Northstar.”
Paula Gillespie-Fotheringham, AkindaCo
The secret to a thriving business which feeds your soul
After 25 years of helping more than 600 businesses to grow to six, seven and eight figures, I know a bit about what makes businesses thrive.
(Hint: It’s probably not what they told you)
It’s not about throwing more and more content (or cash) at the wall and hoping it sticks.
It’s not a case of “do more = get more”.
It's not about sketchy, soul-draining marketing techniques.
I promise you that the secret to growing a thriving business is so much simpler (and so much more joyful) than that.
Northstar will show you how.
“There is no doubt that Northstar gave me the support and confidence to make my first year of trading successful and I would recommend the program to everyone.”
Cheryl Cox, Finesse Tax
What Northstar is not
It's not mystical marketing wizardry
Every single aspect of Northstar has a strategic function, and is grounded in research and based on proven methodology. Northstar is built on what I know works, from more than 25 years experience.
It's not a templated, out-of-the-box solution
Templated solutions strip away your voice and your authenticity, and make your brand easily rip-off-able by anyone who feels like stealing your spot in the market. Instead, with my support and mentoring, you will learn how to use my proprietary strategic frameworks in a way that works for you, your business and the goals you want to achieve.
It's not hustle culture or Bro Marketing
Because hired lamborghinis, cash-flashing and “I-made-eleventy-billion-dollars-in-one-week” is gross, and as transparent as Chris Hemsworth’s t-shirt on a rainy day ;)
It's not a half-arsed effort ;)
Northstar is about intentional action, purposeful planning and learning how to use some of the most game-changing strategic tools out there. With your full commitment, our intention is that it will create extraordinary change for you and your business.
“The learning was rich, challenging and life-changing as I built partnerships, knowledge and confidence that enabled my business to grow and pivot.”
Liz Sanders, The Food Embassy
In Northstar you'll find support like nowhere else.
- A delicious 2-day retreat: to connect with ourselves and create a big, juicy vision for our lives (live, in person)
- Monthly Reconnect days: for upskilling, planning and trouble-shooting (live, in person)
- Intentional networking opportunities (live, in person)
- Weekly accountability and obstacle-busting check-ins (live, online)
- Daily on-tap support of a community of peers, all traveling the same path as you
Each session will bring you back to who you really are, solve problems, give you new strategies, open up possibilities and create connections that will change your life.
Only 12 places available
The secret is Self-knowledge, Community and a Bloody Good Plan.
Self-knowledge
Time, space and support to remember the person you are here to be
When we know who we are and what we really want, decisions become clear and the answers come easily.
When you are crystal clear on what you stand for, and laser-focused on the work that sets your heart on fire, you create a level of momentum that suddenly sees you leaving the hustle far behind.
I will show you how to tap into this superpower.
No more indecision
No more distraction
Just absolute clarity
And absolute confidence
A direct superhighway to hearts, minds and souls.
Community
Accountability, trouble-shooting and the best cheer squad you ever had
Northstar has been designed so that achieving your dream is not just possible, but inevitable.
With monthly planning and weekly accountability, your fellow travellers and I will encourage you to think big and aim high.
We will remind you of what you want. Not the runner-up prize, but your deepest desire.
We will gently bring you back when you wander off-path.
Because when you know what you want, and you know what you need to do to get there, you are nothing short of unstoppable.
A Bloody Good Plan
A laser-focused strategic plan and aligned, intentional action
Northstar teaches you how to use the strategic tools that the big brands use to create rapid, lasting change in your business.
I will show you how to:
Stand out from the crowd with a powerful value proposition.
Know what parts of your brand and marketing strategy are working.
Learn life-friendly, wealth-generating scaling strategies.
Attract clients in a way that is authentic, respectful and natural.
Grow your business with integrity, confidence and grace.
Q&A
How is Northstar different?
You won't find anything like Northstar anywhere else. It is the only business growth program which has a unique combination of purpose and strategy; is designed and delivered by an experienced brand and business growth strategist; gives you never-before access to the exact strategic tools that the big brands use. It has already helped more than fifty founders and business owners grow their businesses - and change their lives - beyond their wildest dreams. You won’t find anything else quite like it anywhere in the world.
I have a VA (or staff member) that does our marketing. How does Northstar fit in?
Northstar is about so much more than marketing. But if you’ve ever said anything like “Why does our marketing cost so much?” or “I’m not sure it’s delivering the results I need” or “I tried to outsource my marketing but it was a total disaster” Northstar is the missing piece of the puzzle. It’s a great way of putting planning and strategic rigour around the work you are already doing (and the dollars you’re paying) into a powerful, predictable, business growth machine.
What will I learn that I can’t find on ChatGPT?
We love that ChatGPT can help with so much of the heavy lifting: and part of what we teach in Northstar is about how to use this amazing technology to your great advantage, and to use it really, really well. But I can guarantee you won’t find any of the insights, processes or framework of Northstar in ChatGPT or anywhere else online.
Who is Northstar for?
Northstar is for women business owners, leaders and founders. It's a perfect fit for service businesses like consultants, coaches, experts, teachers, advisors, thought leaders, course creators, speakers and leaders. If your work involves guiding, advising, or sharing knowledge with other people, Northstar is for you.
Wait, is Northstar about vision and purpose, strategic planning or brand and marketing?
The magic thing about Northstar is that it combines all these things: vision and purpose; strategic planning; brand and marketing strategy; plus accountability and networking. We’ve found this is the absolute best way to get you where you want to go, and keep you on track. No other program has this unique combination, which is one of the reasons we love Northstar so much.
Is Northstar just for business owners?
Previous alumni of Northstar have included leaders, as well as business owners and founders. (A reminder that Northstar is tailor-made for service businesses and is a women-only program.)
But I don’t have time for more marketing!
Abso-freaking-lutely! Who does?? This is why Northstar is designed to cut out the dead wood: the channels, offers, strategies and tactics that aren’t pulling their weight. Our plan is for you to do less, but smarter, for bigger results.
Where will the sessions be held?
Your two-day retreat and your monthly sessions will be held in-person, within no more than an hour's drive of Adelaide. Weekly check-ins will be held online.
Can I do the whole program online?
We have had a lot of interstate and international interest in Northstar. There is not yet an online version of Northstar. We may release one in the future: please add your name to our waitlist and you will be the first to know when we do.
Does Northstar work for non-commercial organisations - NFPs, social change etc?
Absolutely. In fact many of our Northstar alumni are in the for-good space.
Is Northstar only for service-based businesses?
Yes. Northstar is specifically designed for service businesses; including consultants, coaches, experts, teachers, advisors, thought leaders, course creators and speakers. It is not designed for physical products.
Do I need to pay for Northstar upfront?
No. Our payment model is a modest upfront payment, followed by 12 monthly installments.
I can’t commit right now, but I’d like to do it another time. Will there be another one soon?
Another round of Northstar has not been confirmed. If you wish, you can add your name to our waitlist and we can let you know if another round gets launched - but we cannot guarantee when that will be.
I have more questions!
That's fine :) If you have a question which hasn't been answered by this page, feel free to text me on 0497777133 and I can help you out.
Next round opens June 2024
Only 12 places will be available