Put yourself forward: Why Queensland’s emerging leaders should nominate for 40 Under 40
Queensland’s next generation of business leaders is being encouraged to back themselves as nominations open for this year’s 40 Under 40 awards, with past finalists urging founders and operators not to wait for someone else to recognise their success.
For many entrepreneurs and business owners, particularly those quietly building sustainable businesses behind the scenes, self-promotion can feel uncomfortable.
But 2025 finalist Brittanie English, founder of Brisbane content marketing agency The Content Division, says the awards offer an important opportunity to step back and acknowledge just how far a business has come.
“I self-nominated with the support of my team,” she says. “My motivation for entering was to gain recognition for the business I’ve been building alongside my team for nearly 10 years.
“Small businesses that grow and are sustainable are rarely celebrated, despite the reality that most fail or at least fail to scale.”
Based in Newstead, Brisbane, The Content Division has grown steadily since English co-founded the business at just 24 years old, with less than 10 years experience in the industry.
Over the years, the agency has expanded beyond traditional client work. In 2023, it launched Content Summit Australia, which has become the nation’s premier conference for brand and content marketers, strategists and creatives.
“This has helped to diversify revenue streams and essentially means we have built our own major client which is great for the sustainability of the business,” English says.
The business now employs 14 team members and recently received national recognition after winning B&T Agency of the Year for People and Culture in 2025.
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“At the end of 2024, I bought my business partner out and I’m now the 90 per cent shareholder,” English says.
“Being female-led and having gender equality measures in the business is important to me. We have complete pay transparency and no gender pay gap in like-for-like roles.”
While English self-nominated with the support of her team, fellow finalist and 2023 winner of the Food Innovation Award Cara Aprile, from family food platform Lilly’s Little Lunchbox, entered the program in a very different way.
“I was actually nominated by a business partner without my prior knowledge,” Aprile says. “I received an email saying I had been shortlisted in the Top 100, which came as a complete surprise.”
Aprile initially doubted whether she belonged alongside the other finalists. “To be honest, I didn’t think I had any chance of winning,” she says.
“The calibre of the other finalists – their expertise, leadership, influence and business success – was incredibly high.”
Like many founders, Aprile had spent years focused on building the business rather than seeking recognition.
Lilly’s Little Lunchbox originally delivered fresh, pre-made bento lunchboxes to homes across Australia’s eastern seaboard before evolving into a digital platform focused on meal planning, nutrition education and reducing the mental load for families.
“At the core of the business is solving a very real problem for families – the daily mental load of deciding what’s for dinner and what goes into lunchboxes,” Aprile says.
“We’ve built a platform that removes that stress through structured meal planning, grocery lists and practical, family-friendly food solutions.”
Subscribe for updatesShe says being named in the final 40 was an emotional moment. “I felt incredibly proud and emotional. When you put everything into building something over a long period of time, it’s very humbling to have that work acknowledged.”
The 40 Under 40 awards recognise Queenslanders under the age of 40 across industries including professional services, hospitality, technology, health, property, media, retail and social enterprise. Judges assess nominees on leadership, innovation, business growth, community contribution and long-term impact.
While some finalists are nominated by peers, colleagues or mentors, organisers say self-nominations remain one of the strongest pathways into the program because they often come from founders and leaders who have never previously sought recognition.
English says too many business owners underestimate the value of what they have built because their success does not always look flashy from the outside.
“It’s nice to be recognised in business,” she says. “Usually the people who have the best and most sustainable ‘boring’ businesses don’t win awards like this. They should apply.”
For English, being named in the final 40 brought a sense of validation after years of steady growth.
“I feel gratitude for the recognition of the hard work I’ve put into this and the acknowledgement of the business’s success and growth so far,” she says.
Aprile says the recognition also strengthened confidence in both herself and her business. “Being recognised at a state level has helped strengthen credibility and trust in both myself and the business,” she says.
The awards program arrives at a time when many Queensland businesses are navigating economic pressure, talent shortages and changing consumer behaviour. For younger founders especially, recognition programs can help build credibility, attract partnerships and create new opportunities.
Both finalists say the experience highlighted the depth of entrepreneurial talent emerging across Queensland.
“You genuinely have nothing to lose: go for it,” Aprile says. “When you work hard building something you’re passionate about, any opportunity to be acknowledged for that journey is motivating.”
English agrees, encouraging founders not to wait for someone else to validate their work before applying. “It’s a great opportunity to show your own network and others that your journey and business is worth the recognition,” she says.
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