Business leaders often attest to the importance of a role model for guidance and support.

For the Bendigo-based founder of blog beStella, Kendyl Hopley, Fabian Dattner is one such mentor. 

Ms Dattner was last year identified as one the nation’s 100 Women of Influence.

The leadership expert and Dattner Grant founding partner will present at the Schaller Studio in Bendigo next Thursday on finding role models – especially when none seem obvious. 

The event starts at 5.30pm and aims to help women surround themselves with people who motivate and help them achieve their goals.

Ms Hopley is an alumna of Ms Dattner’s Compass Leadership Program for Women. 

She completed the course in Melbourne, but it has since expanded to Bendigo.

About 30 women from central Victoria are expected to graduate from the program next week.

“I think, for me, completing Compass was just about taking that next step in my career and giving me the confidence to know I could do that,” Ms Hopley said.

“And knowing there was someone who was supportive and who I could bounce ideas off.”

Those, to her, are qualities typical of a role model.

“I think it is completely up to the individual - not everyone needs a role model – but if you have a few people in your life who you look up to, you can do some broad scanning and look at things a little more openly and objectively,” Ms Hopley said.

“I think that makes a good leader.”

Find Your Role Model is already half booked, with a capacity of 50 seats. 

“The reason we have decided to run an idea like this is to help our emerging women leaders find their way at the leadership table,” Ms Hopley said.

“It’s not always an easy pathway.”

BeStella contributor Alicia O’Brien said Find Your Role Model followed on the success of Courage or Confidence, the first major event for the blog about regional women, their careers and journeys.

On that occasion, Ms Dattner addressed a crowd of 300 attendees at Ulumbarra Theatre. 

“It was a really interactive event… thought provoking and really well received,” Ms O’Brien said. 

“We’re really excited [about Find Your Role Model] and I think women will get a lot out of it.”

BeStella will host another major event in November.

There will also be a second Compass intake later in the year, following the success of the current course in Bendigo. 

Tickets for Find Your Role Model are $30 and include a drink and finger food.

To book, visit the events section of the beStella website.