Target, Stretch, Celebrate: Blair Smith’s Blueprint for Regional Success
Picture a young boy growing up amid the rust-colored landscapes of Western Australia’s Pilbara region, where the dirt stains everything red and mining trucks dot the horizon. Fast forward three decades, and that same person is revolutionising how regional Australian businesses think about growth and success. This is no ordinary business story – it’s the journey of Blair Smith, a man who’s worn many hats: corporate executive, tech startup founder, and now, a passionate champion for regional enterprise.
Blair’s story reads like a masterclass in Australian innovation: from witnessing the pioneering days of the mining boom to launching a game-changing delivery platform in Melbourne, and finally, finding his true calling in helping regional businesses thrive. But what makes his journey truly fascinating isn’t just where it started or where it’s led – it’s how he’s transformed each challenge and setback into stepping stones for success.
Today, from his base in regional Victoria, Blair is rewriting the rulebook on business growth, proving that you don’t need a city postcode to build something extraordinary. His story challenges everything we think we know about the traditional path to business success, and it begins in the most unlikely of places…
Early Years: From the Pilbara to Global Horizons
Born in Mount Tom Price and raised in the mining communities of Western Australia, Blair’s early life was shaped by the dramatic landscapes of the Pilbara region. The son of a mining engineer who worked with Lang Hancock and a nurse-turned-flight attendant who met on a Port Moresby-Darwin flight, he witnessed firsthand the pioneering spirit that built Australia’s mining industry. His parents’ story – a proposal just four days after meeting on that fateful flight – would set the tone for his own bold decision-making later in life.
After completing his education remarkably early – earning a Bachelor of Arts Commerce from Monash University by age 20 – Blair embarked on a two-and-a-half-year journey across Europe, based in France. This international exposure would later prove invaluable in his business ventures.
Corporate Evolution: Building Marketing Expertise
His professional journey began with Qantas’s graduate program, where he quickly found his calling in marketing. The airline sponsored his MBA at the University of Technology Sydney, launching a career that would span various sectors. His journey included roles as General Manager Marketing at Becton Property Group, Marketing Manager at VicUrban (now Places Victoria), and Communications Manager at Siemens, where he led “Picture The Future” – an initiative predicting emerging technologies for energy and water resource management.
Blair’s experience expanded into the energy sector with positions at Simply Energy and into infrastructure with the Lane Cove Tunnel Project. Each role contributed to his growing expertise in strategic marketing, brand development, and business growth. At Salta Property Group, he led the strategic marketing plan – working with Project Managers across a range of segments including residential, commercial and industrial. And it was here, where his start-up idea was validated and he felt he could take a big leap in a new direction.
“The marketing fundamentals are the same across sectors,” Blair reflects. “Whether it’s FMCG like Coca-Cola or services, the basics don’t change.” This insight would later prove crucial in his entrepreneurial ventures.
The Birth of GoFetch: Solving Urban Challenges
The inception of GoFetch came from a personal pain point – the challenge of managing errands while working long hours in senior corporate roles. What began as a concept for a local butler service (initially called Concierge 3182, named after the St Kilda postcode) evolved into a pioneering peer-to-peer delivery platform that would revolutionise urban logistics.
Launched in 2015, GoFetch distinguished itself through several innovative features:
- A true peer-to-peer model where jobs were matched geographically
- Comprehensive insurance coverage for all deliveries
- High-touch communication between customers and delivery personnel
- An 80-20 revenue split favoring delivery partners
Blair Smith: Lessons from the Startup Journey
The GoFetch experience yielded valuable insights about startup success:
- Customer Discovery is Crucial: “You’ve got to listen to the market, to the customers, to your staff,” Blair emphasises. “Your passion shouldn’t be any greater than theirs.”
- Pivot with Purpose: The business evolved from consumer-to-consumer deliveries to becoming a trusted partner for traditional courier companies seeking flexible solutions.
- Focus on Business Development: “BDM has to be above coding. It’s got to be above tech… you’ve got to have your funnel and the process for getting things into the funnel.”
Championing Regional Innovation Through Greywoods
Today, from his base in Bullarto, regional Victoria, Blair leads Greywoods Consulting, a boutique consultancy that combines small business coaching, startup mentoring, and digital marketing expertise. Operating across Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Daylesford, Greywoods represents the culmination of Blair’s diverse experience across airlines, energy, property, and technology sectors.
“Your frustrations are solvable. Your dreams are achievable. Your diary can be emptier. Your bottom line can be bigger,” Blair emphasises, embodying Greywoods’ philosophy of practical, results-driven business growth. The consultancy offers meticulously structured fortnightly sessions, both in-person and online, alongside specialised group programs for businesses at similar stages of development.
What sets Greywoods apart is its comprehensive approach to business growth. Drawing from Maya Angelou’s wisdom that “You can’t really know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been,” Blair and his team begin by understanding the fundamental motivations of business owners. They focus on mindset development, efficiency improvement, organisational structure, and sustainable growth strategies.
His work with organisations like Start-Up Central Victoria and The Start-Up Network highlights the untapped potential in regional areas. From agricultural technology innovations like satellite soil mapping to creative ventures such as regional content streaming platforms, Blair is witnessing and nurturing a diverse range of innovative ideas flourishing beyond city limits.
Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Blair envisions Greywoods becoming the go-to growth specialist for regional Victorian businesses and start-ups. The consultancy’s approach is highly systematic, combining rigorous business processes with practical growth strategies. Their services include:
- Developing clear roadmaps to business goals
- Auditing brand health and establishing clear brand identities
- Prioritising the top 5 actions quarter by quarter
- Implementing effective digital marketing campaigns
- Providing ongoing coaching and growth specialist support
What sets Greywoods apart is their focus on measurable outcomes. “Our success is measured by the achievement of the very financial and other growth targets we helped you to articulate,” Blair emphasises. This accountability-driven approach, combined with his extensive experience across multiple sectors, provides clients with both strategic vision and practical implementation support.
“Being a founder is a calling,” he reflects. “It becomes inevitable. You don’t want to go to your grave wondering ‘what if.'” This philosophy drives both his own entrepreneurial journey and his approach to helping other business owners achieve their goals.
Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
- Validate Your Idea: Research your target audience and the problem you’re solving before taking the leap. Is the pain they feel great enough to make them try your product?
- Secure Adequate Funding: “Try to raise as much as you can in that first instance. Don’t be afraid to be diluted – it’s better to have 60% of something that’s going to work than 100% of something that’s going to fail.”
- Build Strong Networks: Surround yourself with good advisors and industry connections who can help spread the word about your venture.
Blair’s journey from the Pilbara to pioneering peer-to-peer delivery and now nurturing regional entrepreneurship exemplifies the evolution of Australian innovation. It’s a testament to the power of solving real problems, adapting to market needs, and giving back to the start-up ecosystem. If you’re inspired by Blair’s commitment to driving regional growth and want to learn how Greywoods can help transform your business, visit his website at Greywoods Consulting. To connect with Blair directly and follow his ongoing work in supporting regional enterprises, check out his LinkedIn profile. Discover how Blair’s tailored strategies and innovative approach are making regional Australia a hub for entrepreneurial success.
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