SECRETS OF THE NEW ONLINE ENTREPRENEURS

The definitive guide for creating, building and scaling an online business in today's fast-moving digital economy.

Packed with candid stories and hard-won lessons from more than 30 of Australia’s leading online founders, this book reveals what actually works when it comes to online business.

The digital mavericks behind ventures like Boost Juice, Airtasker, Luxury Escapes and OzHarvest didn’t do things by the book. They followed their passion and did what others weren’t prepared to do. They relied on their creativity, grit and gut instinct to create world-leading brands worth millions and, in some cases, billions.

In Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs, bestselling author Bernadette Schwerdt distils the proven tactics and actionable lessons of online empire builders. You’ll discover how side hustles are turned into standout brands, how early mistakes become the foundation for future success and how tiny ideas can become transformational startups.

The stories and insights inside reveal the surprisingly random, remarkably honest origins of Australia’s biggest digital brands — and show what actually works in launching, growing and selling a business.

HOW TO BUILD A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS

Co-author of the business biography of Radek Sali, the former CEO of Swisse Vitamins.

Radek's incredible journey began as an usher with Village Cinema and culminated in his transformation of a $30 million business with 30 staff into a $2 billion industry-revolutionizing powerhouse.

Fuelled by his passion for cultivating a positive culture, making a meaningful impact, and doing good, Radek has since gone on to found Wanderlust and Conscious Impact Investments and many other ventures.  

I worked closely with Radek to uncover his extraordinary business journey and document the insights and formative influences that makes him the outstanding entrepreneur he is.  

I worked with Radek to help him craft the publishing proposal, secure a publishing deal with Wiley Publishing, edit the book, and bring it to market.

HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS OTHERS WANT TO BUY

Ghost-writer for the business biography of Kobi Simmat, one of Australia's most successful business coaches and business improvement experts.

Kobi's business, BestPractice.biz, achieved a $20 million valuation and then a successful sale of the business.

This book empowers small business owners and entrepreneurs to independently fund, own and sell their businesses, identify essential drivers of business value, and build a resilient, results-driven team.  

CATCH OF THE DECADE

HOW DID TWO BROTHERS DISRUPT FOUR SECTORS AND BUILD AN EMPIRE OF DIGITAL BUSINESSES THAT THEY SOLD FOR OVER $1 BILLION?

My third book, Catch of the Decade, was ghostwritten for Gabby and Hezi Leibovich, the two brothers behind the iconic brands, Catch of the Day, Menulog, Scoopon, Luxury Escapes and many others.

It was released in November 2020 and went straight to #1 on Booktopia’s Best-seller list for Business just three days after launch. It continued to be the best selling Australian business book  from
November 2020 - January 2021.

Catch of the Decade is the guide for anyone who hopes to bring an exciting business idea to life.

HOW TO BUILD AN ONLINE BUSINESS

Australia’s top digital disruptors reveal their secrets for launching and growing an online business.

After the runaway success of her first book, Secrets of Online Entrepreneurs, Bernadette’s new book reveals the new and updated strategies Australia’s top digital disruptors use to build and grow their online empires.

Uber, Booktopia, Showpo and others feature in this ‘warts and all’ story of how they got started, plus an in-depth analysis of the strategies, tech tools and leadership principles they used to grow their business.

Debuting on the "Top 10 best seller list" (Book Scan/Nielsen Ratings) in its first week of release, it's proving to be as popular as her first book.

SECRETS OF ONLINE ENTREPRENEURS

Australia's Online Mavericks, Innovators And Disruptors Built Their Businesses...And How You Can Too.

Named in the Top 100 Business Books in 2016 and 2017, this best-selling book received over two dozen 5-star reviews and continues to inspire and educate novice and experienced entrepreneurs alike.

Whether you're looking to build a global online business, or just want to make some extra money on eBay, this book will show you how.

Based on over 35 in-depth one-to-one interviews with Australia's most successful online entrepreneurs, Bernadette will reveal the insights, the secrets and the little-known strategies behind their astonishing achievements.

HOW TO MANIFEST SUCCESS

Editor and book coach for Hilton Misso, a leading philanthropist, Australian entrepreneur and lawyer.

In How to Manifest Success, Australian entrepreneur, lawyer and philanthropist Hilton Misso shares a powerful, practical approach to creating success in both business and life. Drawing on 60 years of experience, he reveals a proven method that blends mindset, strategy and action to help you think bigger, move with purpose and recognise the opportunities that matter.

This isn’t about wishful thinking. It’s about aligning your thoughts, decisions and habits so success becomes something you build, not something you wait for.

THE BOY WITH A SUITCASE

Ghostwriter of The Boy with a Suitcase, the extraordinary true story of Holocaust survivor Steven Krulis and his journey of courage, resilience and survival.

Steven Krulis grew up surrounded by privilege in pre-war Prague. But when the Nazis arrived, his comfortable childhood was shattered.

Deported to Theresienstadt at just 13 and Auschwitz at 15, Steven survived starvation, torture and the infamous death march. Meanwhile, his younger sister Misa was making her way across war-torn Europe, desperately searching for him.

Against extraordinary odds, the siblings were reunited. Orphaned and still teenagers, they boarded a ship bound for Australia with little more than a suitcase and $10 between them, determined to start again.

In The Boy with a Suitcase, Bernadette Schwerdt brings Steven's remarkable story to life through firsthand interviews and rare family archives. The memoir also reveals an extraordinary discovery made decades later, when Steven's son Tom located his father's original suitcase in the Auschwitz archives.

More than a Holocaust survival story, this is a deeply moving account of resilience, family and the importance of preserving stories that must never be forgotten.

MISA'S STORY

Ghostwriter for Misa's Story, a memoir, documenting her remarkable journey of survival and resilience.

Misa's early years in Prague were filled with privilege, family and the carefree adventures of childhood. But as war swept across Europe, the life she knew was torn apart.

With her family separated and her beloved brother Steven enduring the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, Misa's childhood became a story of uncertainty, loss and survival.

Against extraordinary odds, the siblings found each other again. With the threat of Communist persecution looming, they escaped Czechoslovakia and made their way to Australia, where they faced the challenge of building a new life far from everything they had known.

In Misa's Story, Bernadette Schwerdt captures the memories of a remarkable woman whose experiences offer a deeply personal glimpse into life before, during and after the Second World War.

Through recollections of family, childhood and the upheaval of war, this moving memoir preserves a precious piece of history and reminds us why the voices of those who lived through it deserve to be heard.

INVENT.BUILD.SELL

Book coach and editor for Michael Potas, technology entrepreneur and founder of Boost Design.

Michael came to Bernadette with a 40,000-word manuscript and a wealth of experience turning product ideas into successful businesses. The challenge was transforming that knowledge into a book readers could easily follow.

Together, they unpacked Michael's Boost Method, organised complex concepts, refined the structure and brought his startup stories and hard-won lessons to life.

After plenty of writing, rewriting and reshuffling, Invent. Build. Sell. became a 65,000-word business guide, published by Wiley, that helps aspiring entrepreneurs take their ideas from concept to commercial success.

VERY GOOD MARKETING GUIDE

Book coach for Amy Miocevich, founder of Lumos Marketing.

Bernadette helped Amy shape her publishing proposal and introduced her to the team at Wiley who subsequently offered her a publishing deal.

Over a series of mentoring sessions, we worked together to unpack Amy’s unique intellectual property, business processes, stories, insights and structure that resulted in this extraordinary book.

EMPOWERED: A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS

Book coach for Aviv Palti, Australian businessman and founder of Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST).

Book coach for Aviv Palti, Australian businessman and founder of Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST).

Empowered tells the remarkable story of how young people from rural Cambodia are transforming their futures through education, mentoring and leadership.

Through CRST, students who once faced limited opportunities are now leading projects that tackle poverty, inequality and environmental challenges, helping more than 20,000 rural students each year.

The book shares inspiring stories of personal transformation and the leadership lessons learned along the way, demonstrating what young people can achieve when they're given the opportunity to lead.

EARNING POWER

Book coach for Roxanne Calder, recruitment expert and Managing Director of EST10.

Published by Wiley, Earning Power: Breaking Barriers and Building Wealth for Women explores how everyday career decisions can have a lasting impact on women's financial futures.

Drawing on Roxanne's extensive recruitment experience, the book tackles the gender pay gap, workplace bias, salary negotiations and the often overlooked choices that influence earning potential over a lifetime.

Featuring insights from successful Australian women, including Nagi Maehashi, Kristina Karlsson and Leila McKinnon, Earning Power offers practical strategies to help women recognise their worth, build confidence and take greater control of their financial future.

FIND BUILD SELL

Book coach for Stephen J. Hunt, award-winning publican and founder of Hunt Hospitality.

With 30 years of experience buying, renovating and selling pubs, Stephen knows a thing or two about transforming struggling businesses into profitable ventures.

Published by Wiley, Find. Build. Sell. brings together his business experience, practical advice and lessons learned along the way.

From developing a business idea and raising capital to building a team, tackling competitors and turning an underperforming business around, the book offers entrepreneurs a practical guide to building a successful business and taking control of their future.

RETHINKING STRATEGY

Book coach for Steve Tight, business strategist and leading advisor on innovation and future planning.

Steve has spent his career helping organisations anticipate change, explore future possibilities and develop strategies that put them ahead of the competition.

Published by Wiley, Rethinking Strategy challenges conventional approaches to business planning, showing leaders how to prepare for uncertainty rather than simply react to it.

Drawing on real-world case studies and practical tools, the book explores how organisations can identify emerging opportunities, encourage fresh thinking and involve their people in shaping the future of their business.

COLOUR: THE SECRET TO CREATING A SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE

Book coach for Donna Cameron, personal stylist, colour specialist and advocate for sustainable fashion.

Donna's passion for colour and ethical fashion comes together in this beautifully illustrated guide to building a wardrobe that's kinder to the planet.

Drawing on colour theory and principles from art and design, Colour shows readers how to make more considered clothing choices, create a wardrobe they genuinely love and break the cycle of fast fashion.

Launched during Melbourne Design Week in 2021, the book brings a fresh perspective to sustainable style, proving that looking fabulous doesn't have to mean buying more clothes.

STANDING ON CEREMONY

Book coach for Morris Misel, Australian futurist, author and keynote speaker. 

In Standing on Ceremony, Morris explores a fascinating question: as artificial intelligence takes over more of the routine tasks we perform at work, what makes human contribution truly valuable?

His answer lies in ceremony, the uniquely human qualities of intent, presence and witness that no machine can replace.

Written for people who work with people, from teachers and healthcare professionals to those in customer service, the book combines thought-provoking stories with practical questions that encourage readers to reconsider the meaning and value of their work.

SURVIVOR: LIFE IN THE SAS

Book mentor for Mark Wales.

Bernadette served as a book mentor for Mark Wales, offering guidance and support in bringing his unique experiences in the SAS to the printed page.