HATCH with Edwina Sharrock: Turning ideas into action

On Saturday, 14th August, fourteen founders and soon-to-be founders spent the day pressure-testing ideas, mapping the first steps, and finding the confidence to speak about their work with clarity.

Edwina Sharrock, our Entrepreneur in Residence, led the event. Edwina has a way of making the hard questions feel safe. She invites people to be honest about what is working and what is not, then stays with them long enough to find the next right step. It is practical and human at the same time, which is precisely what early-stage building demands.

What HATCH is designed to do

HATCH is UNE SRI’s free flagship program for early-stage ideas and for business owners exploring a new product or service.

HATCH is designed for momentum. Participants sketch a simple one-page plan, name the customer and the problem, shape a value proposition, and practise saying it out loud. It sounds basic until you try it, because the act of choosing those words forces clarity. For established founders in the room, a decisive shift came from treating a new product line as a new business, with its own customer, costs and proof points, rather than an add-on. For first-timers, the group feedback turned vague ideas into testable steps they could take straight away.

Who was in the room

We had a mix of established business owners testing a new arm of their business and first-timers at the very beginning of exploring a new business. For the established founders, a key unlock was treating the new arm as a genuine new venture rather than an add-on. For first-timers, being in a supportive room with real-world feedback made the path forward feel doable.

The sales masterclass that followed

After HATCH, Edwina ran a sales masterclass for the health founders she mentors. It began not with scripts but with feelings. First, write six words that come to mind when you think of sales. Then choose one feeling that shows up for you when you sell. Next, write six words on what profitable sales would change in your life. Only then move to strategy and technique.

It was a simple sequence that did something important. It brought sales out of the abstract and into real life. The group could see where old stories were getting in the way and where a small change would open a door. From there, they used the classic “sell me the pen” prompt to practise discovery: ask better questions, listen for the problem behind the problem and then make an offer that fits, rather than push a list of features. Confidence rose as people realised they did not need to become someone else to sell. They needed to be curious, speak plainly, and keep the promises they were making.

The participants left with language that made sense to their customers and a short list of next actions. More importantly, they went with permission to build at a sustainable pace. Test the smallest thing. Learn. Adjust. Repeat. It is not glamorous, but it is how real businesses are made.

What people said

We always ask participants for honest feedback at the end of the session, and the response to both the session overall and Edwina as a presenter was overwhelmingly positive.

Here is a small sample of what people shared in the post-event survey on 30 August 2025:

“Possibly one of the most inspirational women I have come across lately. Thank you.”
 “Edwina is so engaging, encouraging and supportive, and also challenges you in the best ways.”
 “Amazing speaker. So inspirational, uplifting and knowledgeable. She is positive and inspires you to take action.”
 “Amazing value with Edwina’s depth of knowledge and practical experience.”
 “Sensational. The program is great, but Edwina’s take is just amazing.”

What’s next

HATCH runs across the New England North West throughout the year, with new dates announced to our mailing list first. Want early access to sessions and resources? Sign up below to our eNews!

The NSW Government proudly funded this event through the Boosting Business Innovation Program