The Relationship Is the Strategy: Why Queensland’s Smartest Businesses Are Done Chasing Leads
Episode 1 | Michelle O’Hara | Founder, Oh Marketing & Connection Central
Michelle O’Hara has spent more than 20 years building businesses, speaking on international stages, and helping Queensland’s growth-stage companies work out why their marketing isn’t working – and what to do about it.
In the first episode of Queensland Business Stories, Michelle sits down with host Chris Tipper to talk about what she’s learned from two decades on the front line: why strategy beats tactics every time, why loyalty is dead but trust has never been more valuable, and why the businesses that will survive the next five years are the ones doubling down on human connection – not just technology.
From Shoes to Strategy: A Career Built on People
Michelle’s path to becoming one of Brisbane’s most recognised marketing voices wasn’t linear. Starting in retail at 14, moving through hospitality and events, and launching her first business 20 years ago, the through-line has always been the same: people first.
“I would work my way up quickly in business, but if the organisation wasn’t looking after the staff and the clients in a certain way, it was time for me to go. Starting my own business was very much about caring for people – because without that, we don’t have businesses.”
Why Most Marketing Doesn’t Work
After building and recently selling Oh Marketing, Michelle is direct about what she sees broken in the industry: businesses chasing silver bullets – SEO, social media, Google Ads – without a strategic plan tying it all together.
“It’s all good to say I need SEO, I need social media, I need, I need, I need. But until you have that overall strategic plan – how all your offline and online strategies come together, and what to measure against your business goals – how do you even know the marketing is working?”
Her observation about Queensland is sharp: 84% of businesses say most of their new business comes from referrals. Yet most marketing budgets ignore that entirely.
“Here in Queensland, we are still the little country town. The relationships are the strategy. Technology should enable that – not replace it.”
The 80/20 Rule – Flipped
When Michelle sat down with clients at the end of last year to plan for 2026, she made a call that surprised many of them: stop spending on acquisition. Start investing in the clients you already have.
“We waste so much energy trying to get new business. But you’ve worked so hard to build these clients. Let’s put strategies in place to nurture them, identify what other solutions we can provide, and make you more sticky.”
The result? Her clients cut Google Ads, cut sponsorships, and redirected that budget toward client gifts, personal outreach, and deepening relationships. The logic: a well-nurtured existing client is worth far more than a cold lead – and far cheaper to keep.
AI Is a Tool, Not a Strategy
Michelle is an enthusiastic user of AI – Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini – and she’s seen it lift her own margins from 25% to 40%. But she’s also watching something concerning play out with the next generation of marketers.
“They’re losing the ability to strategically think. You can put it all into ChatGPT and write an article – but where’s the personal voice of the client? Where’s the original thinking? Where’s the unique point of difference?”
Her prescription: use AI to gather, process, and produce – but bring the human lens to every output. Cross-pollinate ideas across industries. And always check what it’s telling you.
“We have a human on the other end. We can’t forget that.”
Trust Circles and the Death of Loyalty
One of the sharpest observations from this conversation: loyalty, as a concept, is gone. People are going straight to the last page and comparing prices. But trust? Trust is more valuable than ever.
“Whilst loyalty might be gone, the trust circle is very strong. That’s what we want to create — clients who come into our trust circle.”
For Michelle, that trust circle is built through consistent delivery, genuine connection, and becoming the person who can connect clients to everything they need – not just the one thing you sell.
“The companies that can become sticky do it by offering the one-stop shop. You come in for IT, but we can also help you with this, this, and this. That’s the trusted connection group.”
Connection Central: Born From a Strategy Session
Nine years in the making and launched in December 2024, Connection Central is Michelle’s answer to what she saw happening in the market: businesses pulling back on digital spend, and the fastest path to a sale reverting to what it’s always been – a face-to-face relationship built on trust.
“Everybody is handpicked. Everybody is an exceptional operator – which means they care about their clients and their staff. So they can trust each other quickly.”
Members have since gone on to combine for tenders worth millions. The model is expanding: aged care, childcare, professional services – each segment built around the same principle.
What the Next Few Years Look Like
Michelle’s forecast is direct: the gap between adaptive businesses and the rest is widening fast. Private equity is moving. Acquisitions are accelerating.
“Get ready to sell, because you never know when the opportunity might come. And the people who aren’t ready to be adaptive and agile — get out now.”
For those staying in the game: surround yourself with the right people, get your technology in order now, and never lose sight of the human piece.
Connect With Michelle
LinkedIn: Michelle O’Hara
Website: connectioncentral.com.au
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