CoLab Strategy partnered with The Beautiful Bunch to develop a three-year Strategic Plan and explore sustainable business model options – supporting the organisation to grow and diversify its revenue while extending its social impact for young refugee women.
“Working with Cherie and the team was a turning point for The Beautiful Bunch. I had previously been very reluctant to engage a consultant to work with us on a Strategic Plan, often finding that they recommend the obvious and cannot fully grasp nuance and complexity. I’m pleased to say my hesitation in this instance, was completely unwarranted as what CoLab produced for us was exceptional. ”
– Jane Marx, Founder, The Beautiful Bunch
The Ask
The Beautiful Bunch was at a pivotal moment in its journey. With a strong social mission and growing impact, the organisation sought to clarify its strategic direction and strengthen its financial sustainability to support long-term growth.
Led by Founder, Jane Marx, the Leadership team and Board wanted to explore new opportunities – across markets, products and business models – while staying true to their purpose. They were looking for a strategy that would not only articulate ambition, but provide a clear, practical framework for decision-making and investment over the next three years.
The Challenge: Balancing Growth, Impact and Sustainability
Like many social enterprises, The Beautiful Bunch faced complex strategic challenges, including:
- growing revenue while protecting and amplifying social impact
- identifying and testing opportunities across markets, products and geographies
- creating a shared view of viable strategic pathways and trade-offs with the Board
- developing a strategy that was robust yet flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions
- clearly communicating the strategy to philanthropists, investors and partners.
“They guided us through a thoughtful, inclusive, and disciplined strategic planning process that resulted in a clear, Board-endorsed three-year Strategic Plan. For the first time, we have a document that doesn’t just sit on a shelf, but actively guides our decision-making and provides a practical roadmap for The Beautiful Bunch’s impact and growth.”
– Jane Marx, Founder, The Beautiful Bunch
Our Approach: Insights-led, Collaborative and Board-focused
CoLab Strategy partnered with The Beautiful Bunch to support the Board and leadership team to gain clarity, alignment, and confidence as they defined the organisation’s next chapter. Recognising the organisation’s growth ambitions and the dynamic sector landscape, we designed a strategic planning process that combined evidence, collaborative design, and practical decision-making.
3) Understanding Context
We started by building a deep understanding of The Beautiful Bunch’s story, strategic ambitions, and operating environment. Through consultations with key stakeholders and market analysis, we identified the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry and the organisation’s future. These insights provided a strong foundation for informed decision-making.
2) Exploring Strategic Directions
Working closely with the Founder and leadership team through a series of in-person collaboration sessions, we explored multiple potential pathways for organisational growth and impact. This phase encouraged creative thinking, robust discussion and strategic alignment around the options that best supported the organisation’s purpose. It prepared the Board to make confident, forward-looking decisions during the strategy workshop.
3) Board Strategy Workshops
The engagement culminated in a Board strategy workshop, bringing directors and leadership together to translate insight into direction. During the session, we guided participants to:
- define what success would look like over the next three years
- identify the initiatives that would deliver the greatest value while aligning with purpose
- clarify trade-offs and prioritise investment
- translate strategy into clear actions and accountabilities
This collaborative approach ensured the agreed strategic direction was both ambitious and grounded – giving The Beautiful Bunch confidence to move forward with clarity and purpose.
What We Delivered?
Strategic options analysis exploring multiple pathways for revenue growth and impact expansion
A Balanced Scorecard and action plan to guide delivery over the next three years.
A clear ‘Strategy on a Page’ articulating vision, purpose and strategic priorities to funders, philanthropists and investors
The Outcome: A clear, actionable strategy for the next three years
As a result of the engagement, The Beautiful Bunch achieved:
- a clear, Board-endorsed three-year Strategic Plan that guides decision-making and investment
- shared alignment around strategic priorities and sustainable business model pathways
- a strong foundation for subsequent decisions, including agreement to pursue Rooftop Roses – an innovative urban farming initiative focused on growing locally produced roses using sustainable practices in Melbourne
- increased confidence among Board and leadership that the strategy is ambitious, realistic and adaptable.
“One of the most valuable outcomes was the shared alignment we built across the Board and leadership team. Cherie and the team helped us surface assumptions, and have the robust conversations we had been postponing. As a result, we now have genuine clarity around our strategic priorities and a collective commitment to the path forward.
Importantly, the strategy created a strong foundation for major decisions. It gave us the confidence and grounding to move forward with Rooftop Roses, an innovative, sustainable farming initiative. What might once have felt like a bold leap now feels like a well-considered strategic move, fully aligned with our mission and long-term sustainability goals.”
– Jane Marx, Founder, The Beautiful Bunch
Why This Work Matters
For-purpose organisations often operate in complex environments – balancing social impact, financial sustainability and stakeholder expectations. Without clarity on strategic direction and viable business models, even strong organisations can struggle to scale their impact.
This work supported The Beautiful Bunch to step back, explore new possibilities, and make informed, collective decisions about its future – grounded in evidence, aligned around purpose and focused on what is achievable.
Why This Matters for Organisations Like Yours
Many organisations face the challenge of balancing growth, impact, and financial sustainability – particularly when scaling operations. Without a clear, co-designed strategy, even strong intent can result in fragmented priorities, misaligned decision-making, or missed opportunities for revenue and impact.
By embedding structured planning and practical frameworks, organisations can make informed, collective decisions that drive both impact and sustainable growth.
This case study demonstrates how a collaborative, insights-led approach can help organisations:
- clarify strategic priorities and viable business model options
- align Founders, Boards and leadership teams around shared objectives
- translate strategy into actionable plans that guide implementation,
How Can CoLab Strategy Help?
Whether you are a not-for-profit, social enterprise or purpose-led organisation seeking to strengthen your business model, align your board or develop a practical strategy for growth, CoLab Strategy can help.
Book a free 30-minute strategy session to explore your next chapter.
“I am grateful for CoLab’s expertise, insight, and facilitation, and we would highly recommend them to any purpose-driven organisation”
– Jane Marx, Founder, The Beautiful Bunch
Let’s Chat!
Reach out to CoLab Strategy today to discuss how we can help you grow your organisation for greater impact.