Building Brands, Teams and Confidence

Amanda Connors is Chief Executive Officer of Ready Set and a commercially driven leader with more than 20 years' experience transforming brands, growing organisations and leading high performing teams across retail, pharmacy, financial services, beauty and wellness.

Twice named a Finalist in Australia's CMO of the Year Awards in 2025 and 2026, Amanda has led growth and transformation for some of Australia's most recognised brands, including Myer, Westpac, Priceline, endota and Total Beauty Network.

Her career includes repositioning Priceline into Australia's leading beauty destination, founding the Priceline Sisterhood charity, transforming the Priceline Sister Club loyalty program into one of Australia's largest female communities, helping transform endota into one of Australia's most loved wellness brands, and leading global growth and digital transformation at Total Beauty Network.

Today, Amanda brings that commercial experience to Ready Set, where she is passionate about creating opportunities for people facing barriers to employment. She believes confidence is the foundation for opportunity and that the best leaders build brands, teams and bottom lines but always with heart.

I've always believed in reinvention. Every chapter of my career has been about stepping into something new, learning, growing and challenging myself.

I've worked across retail, pharmacy, financial services, beauty and wellness, but the common thread has always been transformation.

People often know me for repositioning Priceline, transforming the Priceline Sister Club loyalty program into one of Australia's largest female communities, founding the Priceline Sisterhood charity, helping transform endota into one of Australia's most loved wellness brands and leading global growth at Total Beauty Network.

These are achievements I'm incredibly proud of, but when I look back, they have all been about creating confidence whether for customers, teams or communities.

Earlier this year, I attended a leadership retreat in Milawa, in the King Valley called "Finders Keepers" with Jac Phillips.  One message stayed with me: 'What got you here won't get you there.' We were encouraged to think about the leaders we wanted to become. I'd been thinking about becoming the CEO of a not for profit for some time, but that retreat gave me the confidence to finally say it out loud. A few weeks later, I was introduced to Ready Set. Sometimes life has a way of confirming you're exactly where you're meant to be.

I've realised that what has always driven me isn't marketing.

It's confidence.

Throughout my career, I've helped build confidence through brands, beauty, fashion, financial services, health and wellbeing, and by developing high-performing teams.

At Ready Set, we help people through clothing, coaching and connections. For me, they all lead to one outcome: confidence.

On my first day, I shadowed one of our volunteers during a styling appointment with a client preparing for a job interview after leaving prison. We found him everything he needed. What I'll never forget wasn't what he wore—it was how he walked out. His shoulders were back. He was smiling. He believed in himself again.

I came home that night and said to my husband, 'I've made the right decision. This is exactly where I am meant to be.'

Clothing, coaching and connections are the tools. Confidence is the outcome. When you give someone confidence, you create opportunities not only for that person, but also for their family, their loved ones and their future.

I would tell myself to always strive to be my best, stay true to who I am and have an unwavering belief in my values and purpose. I'd remind myself to back myself earlier. Confidence isn't something you wait to have. It's something you build

by taking opportunities, stretching yourself and continuing to grow. It is important to embrace reinvention. Success isn't just about what you achieve for yourself. It's about helping others realise what is possible so they can become their best and live their best lives this has always been my purpose.

My purpose is to help people realise what is possible by building confidence, creating opportunity and leading with heart.

That purpose has guided every stage of my career, whether I've been leading commercial brands or a purpose-led organisation.

I'm naturally curious and love learning from people who challenge the way I think about leadership, growth and people.

I never miss the following podcasts, Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett and I also enjoy Keeping It Real with Jac Phillips and Gabrielle Dolan. I'm currently reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. One quote from the Mel Robbins book that has stayed with me is, 'The more you let people be who they are, the better your relationships will be.' I also recently watched the Kylie Minogue NetFlix  documentary, which had some great leadership lessons,  I admired her resilience, continual reinvention and authenticity.