Who I am
Steph – Sales & Marketing Agent | Entrepreneur | MKR Winner
Steph is a Sales and Marketing Agent with Carter Cooper Realty, currently in her third year back in the real estate industry after previously building and operating a successful restaurant business for over a decade.
Steph and her husband Dan first came into the public spotlight when they won My Kitchen Rules in 2013, later returning in 2020 as Grand Final runners-up. What followed was a remarkable entrepreneurial journey that included building a strong hospitality brand, launching anational sausage range in Coles stores, creating their own television show through Channel 7, and working as regional ambassadors for the Fraser Coast and Australian food brands.
Throughout this time, Steph experienced the full reality of business — from major opportunities and brand growth to difficult partnerships, financial pressures and the tough decisions that come with running and evolving a business.
In 2023, after nearly ten years in hospitality, Dan & Steph made the strategic decision to sell their restaurant and transition into a new chapter. Steph returned to real estate, an industry she had worked in earlier in her career, bringing with her a wealth of entrepreneurial experience, marketing knowledge and resilience.
Steph is passionate about mentoring others by sharing real, honest insights from her journey — the successes, the mistakes and everything in between. She believes strongly in authenticity, resilience, leadership and remembering your “why.”
As a mentor, Steph works well with people navigating growth, change or challenges in business and life. Her approach is encouraging, practical and grounded in real-world experience.
At the heart of everything Steph does is family. She and Dan are raising their daughter Emmy on the Fraser Coast, where they live a busy and structured family life centred around dance competitions, travel, cooking together and creating meaningful memories.
Steph believes that with hard work, strong values and the courage to take opportunities when they arise, anything is possible.
Core Area of Expertise:
Business ownership and leadership, Entrepreneurship, sales and marketing strategy, team motivation and mentorship, building brand presence, and maintaining resilience and drive in competitive industries.
What I do
I am currently in my third year working in real estate as a Sales and Marketing Agent with Carter Cooper Realty, an industry I originally worked in prior to owning my restaurant business/es and competing on My Kitchen Rules. Returning to real estate has brought my career full circle.
My current focus is on the sales and marketing of residential property while building my personal brand within the Carter Cooper Realty network. I pride myself on running my own race, operating with a strong sense of accountability, structure and professionalism.
The work I am known for centers around strong client relationships, strategic marketing, consistent communication and delivering results through dedication and persistence.
My background in business ownership has also shaped my approach — I bring a high level of self-motivation, resilience, organisation and leadership to everything I do.
I am passionate about growth, both personally and professionally – and about encouraging others to stay focused, driven and confident in pursuing their goals.
My strengths
One of the greatest strengths I bring to mentoring is real, lived experience across multiple industries and business environments. I have experienced the full spectrum of business – the highs, the lows, the risks, the successes and the failures – and those experiences have shaped the way I approach challenges, leadership and opportunity.
My industry background
My background includes owning and operating a restaurant business for 10 years, opening another restaurant in a partnership that then did succeed, building a strong local brand, competing on and winning My Kitchen Rules in 2013 and returning as runner-up in 2020.
Through these experiences we learned how to build a brand, market ourselves authentically, take opportunities when they arise and continually evolve to stay relevant.
This included launching our own sausage range nationally through Coles, creating our own television show through Channel 7 sponsorship & working as ambassadors for regional tourism and Australian food brands.
Throughout this journey, my husband Dan and I have always believed in taking opportunities rather than looking back with “should have, would have, could have.” Some decisions worked incredibly well, while others were costly lessons — but each experience taught resilience, adaptability and leadership.
I am very open and transparent about both the successes and the setbacks we have faced in business, including partnerships, staffing, finances, marketing, growth and knowing when it is time to pivot.
After 10 years in hospitality, we made the strategic decision to sell our restaurant and transition into the next chapter of our careers, which led me back into real estate — an industry I had previously worked in and now thrive in as a Sales and Marketing Agent.
How I support a mentee
As a mentor, I bring encouragement, honesty and practical perspective.
I enjoy helping others think outside the box, stay authentic to who they are, remain resilient during challenging periods & continue moving forward with confidence and purpose.
My goal is simply to share my experiences so others can take away ideas, lessons or encouragement that may help them navigate their own journey.
Who I work best with
I work well with a broad range of people, particularly those who are motivated to grow but may be navigating uncertainty, challenges or a major transition in life or business.
My own journey has included significant personal and professional highs and lows, which allows me to relate to people from many different backgrounds.
Before competing on My Kitchen Rules, Dan and I had experienced an unsuccessful IVF cycle and were at a crossroads about what our next step in life would be. That moment ultimately led us to take a chance and apply for MKR — a decision that changed our lives and eventually helped us start our family. It reinforced a lesson that still guides me today: always remember your “why.”
Because of this, I connect particularly well with people who are driven but may need encouragement, perspective or confidence to take the next step. That could include small business owners, people building their personal brand, those navigating career changes, parents balancing business and family, or individuals simply looking for direction and motivation.
I believe the mentees who get the most from working with me are people who are open, honest and willing to do the work.
I bring real-life experience, transparency about both success and failure & a strong belief in resilience, authenticity and staying true to your own path.
Ultimately, I enjoy helping people find clarity, back themselves & move forward with confidence — whatever their version of success may look like.
A personal note
I’m a naturally driven, energetic person who genuinely loves helping people and solving problems.
I’m a wife, mum, entrepreneur and a proud “get it done” type of person. Life has taught me to back myself, work hard and stay true to my values.
Family is my absolute priority. Dan and I built our life and businesses together & our daughter Emmy is our biggest “why.” She keeps us busy with dance and dance competitions, which we absolutely love supporting. I am such a dance mum!
Our household is organised & structured and full of love — we cook together, meal prep for the week, travel whenever we can and enjoy trying new experiences.
We’re also big fans of cooking shows and even tackling the occasional back-to-front Wasgij puzzle, which keeps the mind sharp
I believe if you stay authentic, work hard, keep your values strong and surround yourself with good people, you can navigate almost anything life or business throws at you.