Starting a Lived Experience Business in australia: Finding North Webinar with Michael Elwan

What does it mean to start your own lived experience business? For many of us, this decision is more than a professional shift - it’s a personal revolution. It's about reclaiming our stories, challenging systems that excluded us, and transforming pain into purpose.

I’m proud to be joining Janine Defontaine and Natasha Siryj for an upcoming panel discussion titled "Starting Your Own Lived Experience Business", part of the Rights in Action Webinar Series, hosted by Finding North; where we’ll explore what it takes to start a lived experience business in Australia. This free webinar is designed for those with lived or living experience who are curious about peer work self-employment, mental health consulting, or starting a values-aligned practice.

Together, we’ll share:

• How our lived experience journeys led to business ownership

• Lessons on valuing your story as expertise

• Tips for navigating boundaries, burnout, and building a sustainable practice

• Reflections on identity, culture, and belonging in the entrepreneurial space

Whether you're early in your exploration or already planning your first steps, this session is for you. Lived experience work is vital, and creating a business rooted in it is a powerful act of self-determination and collective advocacy.

🗓️ Webinar Details

Date: Monday, 28 April

Time: 2:00 PM AEST

Cost: Free

🔗 Register here

A heartfelt thanks to Finding North for hosting this important conversation and spotlighting lived experience voices. It’s not just about inclusion - it’s about transformation.

Based in Perth, WA, LEXs provides telehealth counselling across Australia for individuals, couples, and NDIS participants. Services extend to Social Work supervision, Peer Work supervision, training, and keynote speaking on men’s mental health, CaLD community wellbeing, and culturally responsive suicide prevention; helping people and organisations make mental-health care more compassionate, inclusive, and effective. LEXs provides services across Australia, supporting clients in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and beyond. To learn more about our work across Australia, visit LEXs' services page.