The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award recognises and empowers women driving innovation and leadership across rural and emerging industries, businesses and communities.
Each year, state finalists are selected for the impact they are making in their sectors and regions. While many are experienced leaders, engaging with media and communicating their story to a wider audience can be unfamiliar territory. That’s where we come in.
Turning expertise into clear stories
Since 2023, we’ve partnered with AgriFutures to deliver media training workshops for Rural Women’s Award finalists across the country. We help participants understand the story they have to tell and give them the skills to tell it well.
Working with finalist groups in most states, we break down how the media works, explore what makes a strong news angle and explain what journalists are really looking for in interviews. From there, participants refine their key messages, identify proof points that demonstrate impact and learn practical techniques for managing interviews with confidence.
Practice builds confidence
A key part of the workshops is giving finalists the chance to practise.
Through mock interviews and open discussions, the finalists get to test their messages in a supportive environment. It’s an opportunity to refine how they talk about their work, anticipate challenging questions and become more comfortable sharing their story publicly. The most valuable part of this we often find is the open feedback they receive from their fellow finalists. For many of them, this is the first time they’ve had the chance to step back and think strategically about how their work is communicated and what they want their story to be.
Ready for the national stage
By the time finalists progress through the program, they have greater clarity about the impact of their work and the confidence to engage with media when opportunities arise.
That preparation helps them represent themselves, their businesses and their communities more effectively, while also strengthening the profile of the Rural Women’s Award program and the leadership it celebrates.
Interested in media training for your business? Find out how we can help: [email protected]
Alex Williams
Image credit – Chloe Smith Photography