And honestly? It's not the trophies and it's not the titles. It's not even the awards night itself. It's the moment a woman stops and realises just how far she's come.
As business owners, we're generally terrible at that. We set a goal, achieve it and immediately move on to the next thing – well I know I do this a lot.
We don't tend to stop to celebrate. We don't stop to acknowledge the obstacles we've overcome. We don't stop to recognise the late nights, the sacrifices, the lessons and the growth.
We just keep going.
Over the past five years, I've had the privilege of reading hundreds of ALIBI Awards submissions from women across Australia. Every year, I sit down expecting to read about businesses, products, services and achievements.
Instead, I read stories.
Stories of women who started businesses after redundancy. Stories of mums building businesses around school pickups and sick children. Stories of women rebuilding after divorce, illness, loss, burnout or circumstances that could have easily made them give up.
Some of these women are turning over millions of dollars. Others are just getting started. And what I've learned during this is that success doesn't look the same for everyone.
For one woman, success might be opening a second location. For another, it might be signing her very first client. For someone else, it might simply be having the courage to put herself out there after years of self-doubt.
Every one of those achievements deserves recognition. I often hear people say: "I'm not successful enough to enter business awards."
My response is always the same. “Who told you that?”
The ALIBI Awards were never created to celebrate perfection. They were created to celebrate progress.
The woman who keeps showing up. The woman who keeps learning. The woman who keeps trying even when things don't go to plan.
Because let's be honest, business isn't always glamorous.
Behind every social media highlight reel is a business owner wondering if they're doing enough, charging enough, marketing enough or working hard enough.
The reality is that most business owners are doing far better than they give themselves credit for. That's why recognition matters.
Not because we need external validation but because sometimes we need a reminder of what we've already achieved.
This year marks the 5th year of the ALIBI Awards and we've expanded to 28 categories to recognise even more women making an impact in business and their communities.
Whether you're entering, nominating someone incredible, sponsoring the Awards or simply cheering from the sidelines, I hope you'll take a moment to reflect on your own journey too.
What have you achieved that six years ago seemed impossible? What challenge did you overcome that nobody else saw?
What dream are you living today that once felt completely out of reach?
Sometimes we become so focused on where we're going that we forget to acknowledge how far we've already travelled.
And I think that's worth celebrating.
Kylie King is a hypnotherapist, business and mindset mentor, and the founder of the ALIBI Awards, a national business awards program that celebrates women doing business their way. She believes every chapter of your journey deserves to be honoured. especially the ones that required the most courage. Visit: www.alibiawards.com.au
Access News is the media partner for the ALIBI Awards.
