Meet Fiona Killackey - founder of My Daily Business, a business coach with a passion for inspiring small biz owners, author, podcast host, and a true marketing powerhouse with an impressive career.
As I drove up the steep hills, surrounded by sweeping views of bushland, I anticipated something special but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Fiona’s eclectic mud brick home. Nestled in nature and bursting with character, it was just as breathtaking as the landscape that surrounds it.
This enchanting residence exudes charm at every turn: grand, church-like double doors welcome you in; mud brick walls and stained-glass windows hint at its history; while a soaring thatched roof, reclaimed timber features, and breathtaking views combine to create a truly unforgettable home.
You can find Fiona's books on her website here.
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Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Fiona Killackey, and I help small business owners create businesses that are both financially secure and emotionally fulfilling. Through My Daily Business, I offer business coaching, run a twice-weekly podcast, and have written two books - all focused on giving small business owners the tools, confidence and clarity they need to build something meaningful. I'm passionate about education being accessible to everyone, because I genuinely believe small businesses change the world. We have the tagline, let’s get you loving your business - and your life! - on the daily. That might sound simple, but it's actually kinda revolutionary in a world where we're told to hustle constantly.
Tell us about your career journey! From the very beginning, to now, owning your own business.
My career and business journey has been super varied. In my late teens and early 20s I had a few little businesses, creating and selling jewellery and later, coats and sweaters as part of a little fashion brand. I then started in magazines as an editor for David Jones Magazine, Fashion Journal, and a little arts magazine called Stu. From there, I moved into book publishing, then ran my own content business (getting fashion brands online circa 2007) and wrote the social column for The Age newspaper, before heading to London to work at Open University, Amazon and Audible.
At Amazon, I focused on e-commerce strategy and marketing for kitchen and home categories. At Audible - this was back in 2012 - I was trying to figure out how to get people to start (and keep!) listening to audiobooks, which definitely wasn't as popular then as it is now!
When I returned to Australia, I worked at a digital agency with incredible brands like Porsche and VicHealth, plus startups like Scrunch. Then I move into a brand position and later, Head of Marketing, at MIMCO. After all of those experiences with both massive corporations and smaller creative businesses, I founded My Daily Business in 2015 because I could see exactly where the gaps were with small business owners and how I could genuinely help them.
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What’s the best piece of career wisdom you’ve ever been given?
My mum was a staunch feminist and would always tell all of my siblings (including my sister and I) that we can do “anything you put your mind to”. Her belief was incredible and it helped all of us. Also, my Dad told me early on to stay in a job because you like the work, not the people. He would say “people will come and go, make sure you actually like the work not just the people you work with” - this was massively helpful in my early career as he was right, people do come and go but if you like the work you’ll want to stick around and learn more.
It’s tough being a business owner, especially in these times of economic hardship. What advice would you give to any small biz owners feeling overwhelmed right now?
Firstly, cut yourself some slack and give yourself grace to accept that it is genuinely difficult right now, and a lot of that may be outside your control due to external / global factors. That acknowledgment is important.
But also, don't freeze in these situations. You want to keep moving forward. Focus on building up your brand, strengthening your community, fixing up your systems and nurturing crucial relationships - whether that's with stockists, staff, or customers.
Come back to your why: Why are you in business? What are your core values? What are your three biggest goals right now? Then ask yourself - what small steps can I take toward those goals today? Because when we freeze and give up, nothing happens. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Yes, it's tough, but are you genuinely showing up daily to do the work that matters? Things are always changing in business and with every down there will be an up, even if that feels a bit of a way off right now.
You’re an author of two incredible books, what was the process like of writing these books? Did you enjoy it?
Yes and no - I did enjoy it, but it was intense! The first book, Passion Purpose Profit, was written at an interesting time because I'd just had a baby and was on maternity leave from my business. I actually hired a nanny so I could have four hours a week to work on the book, and I had just three months to write the entire thing.
The second book Business to Brand happened because of the success of the first book, and it focuses on how to build your brand — really helping people move from running a business to being the custodian of a brand. It explores how brands can genuinely change behavior, perspectives, and attitudes around the world.
The second book was harder to write because I was running my business, had two young children, and we were selling and moving house all within the four months I had to write it. Plus, there's always more pressure with a second book, especially if the first one has done well. Whereas with the first one, you have no idea if it will even sell.
But ultimately, I did enjoy the process both times, and it's been wonderful putting these books out into the world and getting feedback about how they've genuinely helped people. I still get such a kick seeing them in people’s homes and spaces all over the world. That makes all the extra work worthwhile.
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Your podcast is a source of inspiration for so many small biz owners. How do you prepare for an interview with someone?
Thank you so much for saying that - every time I get a DM from a My Daily Business podcast listener, I'm genuinely blown away. We're really choosy about who we have on the podcast because we try not to feature people whose stories have already been shared 100x times [Sage x Clare founder, Phoebe Bell has been on twice!].
Our preparation starts with thinking about what we want the audience to get from this episode. We'll look at their business, their business model, their origin story, and who they are as a person. Often I know them personally; they might have been a client or we've connected somehow.
But really, it's about the human story. It's about the challenges they've overcome, who they are as a person, what lights them up. So while we do have questions prepared, we also let the conversation flow naturally and see where it takes us.
What inspires you to be the best podcast host you can be for every episode? Even on the days when you’re feeling a little bit blah.
I think the thing I always remember is that somebody has given up their time to come onto my podcast and share with my audience. The least I can do is show up 100% and be fully present.
If I've had a difficult day, I'll put on good music, make a cup of tea and often I do short meditations to get myself in the best headspace. But ultimately, I keep in the back of my head that I'm showing up for other people; to help other people.
People tune in when there are literally a million podcasts out there, and it means so much to me that people choose to listen to mine. Some people have been listening religiously twice a week for the last five years, and I don't take that lightly.
So even if I'm having a terrible day, I've made a commitment and a promise to my audience. And it's like exercise.. you might start off feeling blah, but by the end of recording, I feel amazing every single time. I'm so inspired by the people who come on, and even with solo episodes, I usually end up feeling much better myself.
Tell us about the story of your home… why did you choose it? And what exactly made you fall in love with it?
We'd been trying to extend our log cabin around the corner in North Warrandyte for a while, but the renovation process was dragging on and we just weren't loving it. Our mortgage broker and good friends kept saying "have a look around," and finally we did.
We found a house that had been relisted after some time off the market. I saw it online Wednesday night, got a showing on Thursday, and we put an offer in by Sunday. It literally had everything we were trying to create with the renovation, plus so much more character and space.
The moment I walked in, I thought "Oh my God, this is our house." What sealed it were two stained glass windows - one of a ship (my father was a ship's captain, so ships are always a symbol of him for me) and another of a kookaburra in the kitchen, which is really important symbolically for my mum. I called my husband and said "You have to see this house. I think this is it.”
Sometimes when everything feels hard, you need to step back and ask if it's meant to happen. That was how we felt with the renovation plans at the first house. With this house, everything just fell into place. Sometimes the universe really does have your back. We feel so incredibly lucky to have a house at all, and then to have one with this much story and character is next level amazing. We literally thank the universe on a daily basis.
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Let’s say you’re hosting a dinner party for a group of friends… what’s your go-to meal and dessert?
It depends on the guests, but I love things people can pick at and create themselves - like mezze or Turkish-style with falafels, salads, and dips where everyone makes up their own plate. For special occasions, I might do a pork roast.
For dessert, I'm really good at New York baked cheesecake, chocolate brownies, or any kind of cake. I love baking and it always connects me with my childhood.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your interiors?
My husband and I are both quite creative and curious people, as are our kids. Our interiors come from things we like, artists we've discovered through magazines or friends, little trinkets picked up on our travels and every single thing in our house tells a story.
I'm drawn to pieces where someone says "This was passed down from my nonna" or "I found this in a little shop on my travels". I really believe your house should be like a map of your life and ours is - from our bedside tables that we carried home on the bus from a Wimbledon flea market, to things from my dad's 1960s ship travels, to a little wishing doll from Japan that a friend gave us when we were trying for our second child. Everything we have is part of us and tells our story. That’s what I’m drawn to most in interiors.
What are your most loved pieces of decor or furniture in your home and why?
There are too many to list! I'm absolutely obsessed with my polar bear coffee table (see images above). I first saw it at Tyabb Antique Centre in 2018 but didn't buy it. I regretted it immediately and had alerts set up for five years on Facebook Marketplace and everywhere else in the hope of reconnecting.
The day before my birthday in 2024, it came up in my alerts - the exact same table! We call him Paulo the Polar Bear. I also love my 100+ year-old panther light from an antique dealer, an Irish bogwood crucifix that's been in my family for generations, beautiful pieces from India where my in-laws are from, and artwork by my husband Jerome. Plus my 12-year-old does little pieces of art and my 5-year-old has a little art gallery shelf outside his bedroom where he displays his latest creations which I love looking at.
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Who are your favourite artists at the moment?
I love Hannah Nolan and Paul Darragh (aka Bemodern). I bought a print recently from CJ Hendry (who your team introduced me to and is coming back to Australia soon). My husband Jerome Rebeiro’s art is amazing and so valued. I love photography and sometimes just get photos blown up. I find vintage art in op shops - I recently bought a velvet painting of a man's face and I've no idea who he is, but I'm drawn to him and I bought another piece painted in the 1960s in Mongolia. There are so many artists I admire online that I don't own artwork from yet, plus street art and photos you see once and never again but they really touch you.
Best books you've read so far in 2025?
Oh so many! I’m an avid reader (and audiobook listener!), here are some faves from this year:
● Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
● The Lies That Bind - Kwame Anthony Appiah
● Good Material - Dolly Alderton
● I Hope This Finds You Well - Natalie Sue
● Water - John Boyne
Shop rugs here, cushions here and bed linen here.
What’s your usual bed-time routine every night?
I try to get to bed early-ish but that doesn't usually happen. I always wash my face with a rice cleanser, use an LED mask, and I'm currently trialling snail mucin - which sounds mad but feels nice - plus a whole bunch of Korean beauty products. Then I take magnesium, try to read, chat to my husband, put on my eye mask, and attempt to get a good night's sleep. My oura ring has done wonders for the sleep actually happening.
You live in a stunning part of the world… a leafy suburb just outside of Melbourne. If you had a day off to yourself, how exactly would you be spending it?
It would definitely involve a long walk in the morning, no matter what is happening in life, a good long walk ALWAYS makes me feel amazing. Then I’d make a coffee at home and sneak back to bed to enjoy it, maybe read, watch YouTube or chat to some friends. I would then cook something delicious for lunch, ideally have a friend over and get into a really deep conversation about anything and everything, then head out to do some op shopping or vintage browsing. I’d collect my kids from school and do something together as a family (there’s a park nearby that has a flying fox we all like) then order in (Thai or Mexican) and watch a film together in front of the fireplace.
Follow Fiona on the My Daily Business Instagram here.
Check out her website here.
Listen to her podcast here.
Purchase both of Fiona's books here.
With a whole lotta love xx