Tactical Advisory
Build a business that's worth more.
Increase profitability, reduce founder dependency and maximise enterprise value with strategic one-to-one advisory for ambitious founders.
Trusted by founders building valuable businesses
25+
years building and scaling businesses
20+
successful business exits
11
acquisitions completed
$400M+
capital raised
EY
Entrepreneur of the Year award winner
This is for founders who…
- Have outgrown relying on instinct alone.
- Are making decisions worth hundreds of thousands—or millions—of dollars.
- Need an experienced strategic partner, not another coach.
- Want to build a business that's valuable without being dependent on them.
A commercial partner in your corner.
Working closely together, I'll challenge your thinking, help you navigate difficult decisions and keep you focused on the priorities that increase enterprise value and create real options for your future.
This is practical, commercially focused advisory built around your business, your goals and your path to a more valuable, less founder-dependent company.
A clear path from today's challenges to tomorrow's opportunities.
Step 1
Discover where value is created.
We begin by understanding your business, your goals and your biggest opportunities. Together, we identify the priorities that will have the greatest impact on enterprise value.
Step 2
Build your 90-day strategic roadmap.
Rather than trying to fix everything at once, we create a focused plan with clear priorities, measurable outcomes and accountability.
Step 3
Execute with strategic advisory.
Through our regular one-to-one TACTICAL Advisory, or our LYFTforum Advisory Boards we help you navigate challenges, make better decisions and stay focused on the actions that move your business forward.
Step 4
Build enterprise value over time.
As your business evolves, TACTICAL Advisory helps you strengthen profitability, leadership, systems and strategy—supporting growth, acquisitions, capital raising and exit readiness as your priorities change.
What we'll build together
Enterprise Value
Focus on the decisions that increase the long-term value of your business: improving profitability, reducing founder dependency, strengthening leadership and creating scalable systems.
Scaling the Business
Develop clear growth strategies, build an executive team, create accountability and delegate effectively so the business can grow beyond you.
Growth Through Acquisition
Explore acquisitions as a growth strategy, identify suitable opportunities and navigate the commercial, strategic and integration challenges of buying another business.
Capital Raising
Prepare your business and your story for investment, identify the right capital partners and structure the process so you raise on better terms.
Exit Readiness
Build a business that's attractive to investors, buyers and future leaders — and prepare yourself for a successful transition or exit on your own terms.
Founder Freedom
Create real options for yourself: a business that can thrive without your daily involvement, and a pathway to financial freedom and your next chapter.
Want to build a more valuable business and more options for your future.
- Want to increase the enterprise value of your business, not just revenue.
- Are preparing for investment, acquisition, succession or exit.
- Need an experienced commercial sounding board for strategic decisions.
- Are considering acquisitions or significant growth opportunities.
- Feel like you've become the bottleneck in your business.
- Want to create more freedom and optionality as a founder.
Strategic support that moves with you.
Regular one-to-one strategic advisory sessions
Direct access between meetings for critical decisions
Honest, practical and commercially focused advice
Accountability and momentum
Support through growth, acquisitions, capital and exit
A trusted advisor invested in your long-term success
A stronger business. A clearer path. More freedom.
Tactical Advisory is about more than solving today's problems. It's about building a more valuable, less dependent business that gives you real options — whether that's growth, capital, acquisition or exit.
Business advisory services, answered.
Straight answers about working with a strategic business advisor in Brisbane and across Australia.
What does a business advisor actually do?
A business advisor works alongside the founder or CEO on the commercial decisions that change the trajectory of the business — profitability, pricing, leadership, structure, growth strategy, acquisitions, capital and exit readiness. Unlike a consultant who delivers a report, Tactical Advisory is an ongoing relationship focused on decisions and outcomes.
How is a strategic business advisor different from a business coach?
A business coach mostly works on you — mindset, habits and accountability. A strategic business advisor works on the business itself, bringing commercial experience to the decision. Vanessa Garrard has built, scaled, acquired and exited companies, so the advice is grounded in having done it, not theory.
Do you work with founders outside Brisbane?
Yes. LYFT Advisory is based in Brisbane and works with founders across the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and regional Australia. Sessions run in person in South East Queensland or online, so location is never a barrier.
What size businesses do you advise?
Founder-led Australian businesses turning over roughly $1m to $100m — typically emerging ($1m–$5m), growing ($5m–$10m) and established ($10m–$100m) businesses, plus those preparing for investment, acquisition, succession or exit.
Can you help me scale my business without working more hours?
That's the core of the work. Scaling comes from stronger margins, a leadership team that makes good decisions, and systems that remove the founder from the critical path — not from adding hours. We build those in sequence so growth doesn't increase your workload.
When should I start exit planning?
Two to three years before you want to transact, at a minimum. Buyers pay for clean earnings, low founder dependency, contracted revenue and governance — all of which take time to build. Starting early means you sell from a position of choice rather than necessity.
Do you advise on acquisitions and capital raising?
Yes. Vanessa has completed 11 acquisitions and raised more than $400 million in capital. That includes acquisition strategy, target assessment, deal structure, investor readiness and integration once the deal is done.
How do I get started?
Book a discovery call. We'll talk through where the business is now, what's getting in the way, and whether Tactical Advisory, LYFTforum or a strategy intensive is the right fit.