RTO Coach (and mentor)
Running an RTO often feels like you’re steering a busy harbour: constant movement, shifting conditions, and a stream of decisions only you can make. Most leaders won’t admit it, but the real strain isn’t the paperwork — it’s the weight of being the one everyone relies on. It’s the weight of holding the whole business together. The people, the policies, the students, the physical space…I could go on. One misstep and everything could topple. It’s stressful, overwhelming, and exhausting. My role is to help them step back, see the pattern, and put out the fires before they spread. When women come to me, they’re usually carrying a blend of confidence and exhaustion. They know their training. They know the standards. But beneath that capability sits fatigue, decision overload, a team needing direction, and the quiet sense that the RTO is starting to direct them. Sometimes I see it as a heavy curtain drawn between the RTO owner and the clarity they need to make confident decisions. Behind that curtain, they’re juggling staffing issues, compliance updates, running courses and growth strategies, and they can’t always see the path forward. Working together, we gently pull the curtain aside. And along the journey the chaos becomes manageable. The path becomes visible, and the next steps are clear. This is where RTO coaching becomes more than strategy – it becomes realignment. This is the heart of coaching Where clarity that cuts through noise, strategy that feels aligned, and leadership that finally breathes again. Because your RTO is more than a business. It’s a legacy. It shapes futures, opens doors, and lifts people into new possibilities. But it can only rise sustainably when its leader is centred, supported, and clear. Through a combination of strategic planning, leadership development, and holistic coaching, I help RTO leaders move from operational overwhelm to strategic freedom. We design growth plans, implement new strategies, and build leadership capacity so they can step out of day-to-day firefighting. The results are not just operational; they’re personal, and sustainable. Owners start earning more, working fewer hours, and rediscovering the joy and purpose that led them to start their RTO in the first place. It’s deeply rewarding to watch leaders transform, not just in how they run their business, but in how they show up for themselves and their teams. If you’ve ever felt like the ocean is beginning to boil up into a storm – or that curtain is too heavy to lift anymore – you don’t have to navigate it alone. My FREE online Discovery call can help you step back, see the bigger picture, and create the space to grow both personally and professionally. RTO coaching isn’t about adding more to your workload — it’s about giving you the space to lead at the level you’re truly capable of. Book a call today
Unveiling Vulnerability: Naked Gardening Day
There are so many lessons from the garden for RTOs. Last week over lunch I was listening to a podcast about plant wisdom, and seeking wholeness in nature. Earlier in the week I was discussing a team building day with an RTO, out in the garden. Then today I noticed a new “world day” about nature. I saw the pattern, the theme, which got me thinking about RTOs and business. With so many peculiar holidays that pass by on social posts, I often don’t take notice. One that stands out for me as being eccentrically fun is Naked Gardening Day. Observed the first Saturday in May, this day invites enthusiasts to shed their inhibitions along with their clothes and connect with nature in the rawest form. At first, I took this idea with laughter and scepticism. Then I realised it actually holds a lesson for us all, the power of vulnerability. Picture this: a team of RTO professionals, clad in gardening gloves and sun hats, embarking on a interesting journey of growth and discovery. They decided to trade the boardroom for garden beds and their laptops for shovels. They are knee deep in dirt and manure. Yet laughter fills the air, there is much conversing and the spirits soar. Whilst this act of gardening is not naked, each person is unafraid to get their hands dirty in pursuit of innovation and creativity. The childlike wonder comes to the fore, and participants explore the mysteries of nature. As they dig, plant, and nurture, they discover that beneath the surface lies a wealth of untapped potential waiting to bloom. And in that moment, amidst the laughter and the sunlight, they realize that the true beauty of growth lies not just in the destination but in the journey itself. This team are learning about each other, and apply lessons from nature into their own training practice. Authenticity lies at the heart of both successful gardening and thriving businesses. In the natural world, plants thrive when they’re in environments that align with their needs – the right amount of sunlight, water, other plants and nutrients. Similarly, businesses flourish when they operate authentically, staying true to their values, mission, their client needs and unique identity. Just as each plant species has its own requirements for growth, each business has its own distinct qualities that set it apart from competitors. Honouring these unique traits brings beauty and success. Just as a garden filled with diverse flora creates a rich tapestry of colours and scents, a business that cultivates a distinct identity that attracts customers will foster loyalty. However, authenticity doesn’t mean presenting a flawless facade. Just as every garden has its weeds and imperfections, every business faces challenges and shortcomings. Embracing vulnerability in business means being willing to acknowledge these imperfections openly. It’s about being transparent with customers, employees, and stakeholders, even when the truth may be uncomfortable or inconvenient. Customers appreciate being real (not rude), just real. In our current environment of polished marketing campaigns and carefully curated social media feeds, consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that show their human side. So how can we learn from the lessons of the garden for RTOs. Businesses that are honest about their values, their struggles, and their journey appreciate their journey and the time it takes to grow. They plan for the long-term, and plant now for the future. AND (relating to the naked gardening) By embracing vulnerability and exposing their imperfections, businesses can build trust and forge deeper connections with their audience. Gardening is an act of nurturing and growth, both for the plants being cultivated and for the individuals who tend to them. It involves tending to plants, providing them with the care and attention they need to thrive. Gardening teaches us the importance of attending to the needs of others and fostering their well-being. We learn the importance of observation and responsiveness. We pay attention to the signs of the plants, whether they’re wilting from lack of water or showing signs of disease. We adjust our care accordingly, watering them, providing shade, or administering treatments to restore their health. This attentiveness teaches us empathy and sensitivity to the needs of living beings. Being attuned to the needs of customers is essential for innovation and progress. Businesses must listen to the feedback and preferences of their customers. By understanding their needs, desires, and pain points, a business can innovate and adapt their products and services to better serve their customers. Successful gardens are about the overall environment in which they grow, and so is a business. Creating an environment of growth and development with employees, providing them with the support, resources, and opportunities allows them to thrive. By nurturing the workforce, businesses cultivate a culture of engagement, creativity, and innovation, driving progress and success. The practices and principles of gardening offer a powerful metaphor for personal and organisational growth. Just as a well-tended garden yields a bountiful harvest, businesses that invest in the personal and professional growth of their employees will reap the rewards of a motivated, engaged, and fulfilled workforce. So what is the purpose of me writing this post? I’m asking you to consider what is happening in your RTO? How are you inviting authenticity? When we strip away the layers of protection to connect with nature in its rawest form, embracing vulnerability in business involves shedding pretences to connect with ourselves and with others authentically. Thus we can cultivate cultures of openness, trust, and innovation that empower individuals and business to thrive.
Training and Assessment strategies – getting them right (Updated Mar2021)
Your TAS document that you present says nothing in particular and was put together just to meet and audit many moons ago. The big thing is, it is NOT compliant now. It hasn’t been updated and this means during your next audit it wont pass. You need to make changes to it right now.
Keys to RTO Initial registration compliance
I find these are common questions so wanted to assist where I can.
The first one, “How long will it take?” has been answered by ASQA recently; the ASQA Application processing times are shorter if the RTO is compliant, and everything is done correctly.
Good Practice in RTO Assessment
It is not mandatory that you map to the unit of competence. It is however mandatory that you demonstrate how you will meet the unit of competence. Therefore most RTOs undertake mapping.
Feedback, coaching and learning in your RTO
Giving feedback is just as beneficial as receiving feedback, because it makes us think, reflect, and consider other views as well. How do you use feedback?
Are you reflective? Or do you dismiss it as someone having a bad day?
Here Merinda considers ways for you to use it to your advantage.
Establishing an RTO to unlock opportunities
Education is the key to unlocking opportunities and breaking the chains of limitations that many in the community faced.
Should I start an RTO business from scratch, or buy an existing one?
There are numerous factors to consider, so I’d like to offer a guide to help simplify your decision-making process. This article covers so many aspects. Starting at the approach of thoroughly evaluating all the potential advantages and disadvantages of buying an RTO before making your final decision. Have a look and see what not to miss
How to allow your RTO to thrive
By implementing a comprehensive marketing system, your RTO can effectively reach and engage prospective students, ultimately contributing to the growth and success of your educational institution. You are passionate about your industry, you want to help people. So you decided to have an RTO. You knew that by becoming an RTO you can help one person at a time. You got your registration and you started to deliver your training. Your clients come in small doses, and you still love helping others, yet are you still having fun? Maybe not, maybe it’s becoming too hard. Your business needs to pay you a profit, and when it doesn’t do that the fun dries up. You become stressed, and you stop loving your business. When you have a system in place to drive clients to your door, the fun keeps going and help more people. You can help more people for longer when your business is solvent. This reduces your stress, and allows you the time and energy to care about your business, your staff and stakeholders. Marketing your business is a key component of its operations. It is through your marketing consistently that your receive students. With all the systems required to set up in your RTO, so often marketing systems are missed. Marketing involves all aspects of someone never hearing about your services, to signing them up, delivering the course and then having those satisfied students telling others about your amazing courses. This of course is called word-of-mouth marketing – it’s free and when done well it can help your business to boom. One of the observations I’ve made whilst working with RTOs is this whole process of marketing is not being considered. The RTO Standards say your RTO must honour all commitments made in any marketing or advertising materials. All information on any advertising or marketing material referring to your RTO and training and assessment must be accurate. People manage to do this, mostly, yet they neglect having a marketing system. Another observation is RTO’s love to deliver their courses to ‘everyone”. Yet the reality is when you niche down and only deliver your courses to a specific sector, you actually become known for that, and get more clients. Let me explain, when you have a leadership qualification on scope you can market to everyone. Yet if you marketed just to the plumbing sector it enables you to be super clear about how you serve your audience. You then become known within the value you bring to the sector with your leadership courses. You market just to them, increase your profits because you are not marketing to everyone; and they talk about you – in a positive way. This reduces your marketing costs, increases your trust and credibility and reduces your competition. WIN, WIN, WIN. Market Research Communication with your stakeholders will help you find out where your niche is. Conduct thorough market research to understand the demand for training programs in your niche. Identify your target audience, their needs, and preferences. Analyze competitors to identify unique selling points. It also needs to be a part of your marketing system. You need to know what they want. You need to be regularly asking them simple questions like What do they actually want? What has changed since I last asked you? How long should the course be? What problems are they facing right now? What specifics do they need training in? Continuously improving your approach to regulation will help your clients, students and your RTO compliance. NCVER reports that micro credentials are on the rise. This means working with the qualifications you have already on scope, and maybe selecting just one or maybe two units and creating a course for your clients where their greatness needs are. Develop a system for your marketing that includes a process for this whole client experience will allow your RTO to be successful. Going from not knowing about you to having testimonials and word-of-mouth marketing. Include in your process how you cover off on all the requirements of your RTO Standards. Systematic monitoring and evaluation provides your RTO self-assurance. Branding and Positioning Establish a strong and memorable brand identity. Clearly communicate your RTO’s values, mission, and unique offerings. Position your organization as a reliable and quality-driven education provider. Managing your risk is about having a systematic approach and critically examining your approach. You need to demonstrate how you monitor your systems, and this includes your marketing. Give yourself a strategy that is going to move your RTO forward. Content Marketing Develop a content marketing strategy to showcase your expertise in your industry and to engage your audience. Create valuable content such as blog posts, articles, social posts of successful students, and videos that address industry trends, career advice, and relevant topics. (Make sure you meet the RTO Standards on photos and content). Leverage social media platforms to connect with your audience. Share educational content, updates, and success stories. Engage with your followers, respond to inquiries, and participate in relevant conversations. Email list Build and maintain an email list to communicate directly with prospective students. Gather emails from your social posts. Send targeted newsletters to potential students, course updates, and promotional offers. Personalise your emails to enhance engagement. Attend Industry Events Participate in relevant conferences, trade shows, and networking events within your industry sector and within the education sector. These events provide opportunities to connect with potential students, industry professionals, and partners. Looking for support? If you need some help, then I can be there to support you. Book in for a discovery call – it’s a free 15 minute online call. What are you going to do over the next 6, 12 months to ensure you are complaint, and have a sustainable business? If you need some help, then I can be there to support you. Book in for a discovery call – it’s a free 15 minute online call. BOOK HERE Strategy planning Move from being exhausted and lacking clarity and focus to
5 RTO ideas to do right now
Normally I would ask for a breakdown of the next 90 days, yet at this point in time, I think that is too far ahead. 90 days can overwhelm you, so let’s break it down, and commence with 30 days.
So set a plan for what you wish to accomplish within the business, and for you.
💜💜 Purpose – know your why for doing what you intend – have a number 1 goal.
💜💜 Plan – plan your actions, remove the panic. Be clear on what it is to move forward.
💜💜 Passion – have passion, drive or energy. Be energised to conquer the way forward.
Focus on what’s your #1 goal for the next 30 days. Personally and professionally.
Here are 5 more things to help you along the way to your RTO success:
Are you frustrated just like me?
The industry is changing rapidly, some would complain and argue about it, others are grateful of the changes. The fact is we need to be on a continuous learning journey. All of us, VET consultants as well.