Sharon Banfield // HR Consultant, Strategic Coach & Owner of Ikonix Business Solutions

HR Consultant & Strategic Coach, Ikonix Business Solutions

Senior Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine 

What has shaped the way you work and contribute to the local business community?

Nearly fifteen years as a business owner on the South Coast has shaped the way I think about business, leadership and contribution. Over that time, I’ve worked alongside business owners at different stages of growth and seen the realities of running a business when time, resources and capacity are stretched.

My work has evolved significantly during that period, from practical business services into consulting and coaching across people, systems, technology, leadership and sustainable performance. What has remained consistent is that I want my work to make a genuine difference.

That also shapes how I contribute locally. Being part of the Shoalhaven Business Chamber, connecting through WorkLife, and supporting local business initiatives gives me opportunities to share practical ideas, contribute to useful conversations and stay close to the issues business owners are navigating.

I value being part of a business community where people share ideas, create opportunities and support one another to grow.

Tell us about your work. 

My work sits at the intersection of people, systems, leadership and performance.

I work with founders and business leaders to solve the challenges that quietly get in the way of growth. Sometimes that means building stronger people systems or supporting change. Sometimes it’s selecting and implementing better technology, or helping a leader think more clearly about how they work and lead.

A big part of what I see is that many people are managing teams, making people decisions and carrying significant responsibility without ever having been formally prepared for that part of the role. They may know their business or profession extremely well, but still find themselves navigating performance conversations, workplace issues, changing expectations, compliance obligations and team dynamics largely through experience and instinct.

That gap is something I’m increasingly interested in. There is a real need for practical, accessible guidance that helps people understand what is happening, make better decisions and deal with issues earlier, before they become more complex or costly.

The common thread in my work is that I look beyond the immediate problem. A people issue is rarely only a people issue, and a technology problem is rarely only about the technology. How people communicate, make decisions and use systems all shape the outcome.

My background across HR, business operations, digital HR, coaching and applied psychology allows me to bring those pieces together. I’m most interested in solutions that reduce friction, create clarity and make work more sustainable for leaders and their teams.

Alongside consulting and coaching work, I’m a Senior Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, where I write about business, leadership and mindset. It’s another way to share practical thinking with leaders beyond the organisations I work with directly.  

What are you noticing about the way business owners and leaders are working at the moment?

I’m noticing a lot of capable business owners and leaders are still getting results, but the way they’re getting them is becoming harder to sustain.

Sometimes that looks like believing there’s no real choice but to keep pushing through, treating one difficult period as proof that everything is getting harder, needing certainty before making a decision, or carrying responsibility for problems that could be shared or solved differently.

These patterns are hard to change because they feel reasonable in the moment. If the business is still functioning, it’s easy to tell yourself the current approach is working.

It’s rarely just a time management issue. Underneath, it’s a mix of pressure, responsibility, identity, habits and business systems. People can see that something needs to change and yet still carry on in the same way.

That’s why I think the conversation needs to go beyond productivity. The more useful questions are: what am I assuming, what am I carrying unnecessarily, and what would change if I looked at this differently?

How has your thinking about work-life balance changed, and what does a sustainable way of working look like for you now?

My thinking has changed quite a bit. I’m less interested in trying to achieve a perfect balance between work and life, and much more interested in whether the way I’m working is sustainable.

Running a business means there will always be periods when work asks more of me. The difference is recognising when that’s a temporary demand and when constantly pushing through has become the way I operate.

I’ve become much more intentional about protecting my capacity. I use focused work periods, build space between demanding activities where I can, and notice when continuing is producing diminishing returns. I also value genuine time away rather than being technically “off” while still mentally carrying everything with me.

One of the biggest shifts has been recognising that recovery isn’t something that happens after all the work is finished. In business, the work rarely is. Recovery has to be part of how the work itself is designed.

I still have busy weeks and imperfect days, but I ask a different question now. Not just, “Can I keep doing this?” but “Is this a way of working I want to sustain?”

What helps you recharge outside work?

For me, it’s usually the simple things. I love going for walks, fossicking and spending time along the coast. It gives me space to slow down and switch gears.

Coffee with friends is another favourite. Good conversation and moments of connection that have nothing to do with work matter a lot to me.

I also write for pleasure. It’s a different kind of creative outlet, and depending on what I’m writing, it can be both reflective and energising.

Which of your articles has resonated most with readers?

One of the articles I’ve had the most feedback on is “The Hidden Cognitive Cost of Unmanaged Pressure,” published by Brainz Magazine.

People have told me it resonated because it put words around something they were experiencing but had not necessarily recognised: sustained pressure can affect far more than energy levels. It can quietly change the quality of our thinking, decision-making and performance, often before we realise it is happening.

What happens to your thinking when pressure becomes constant?

That is the question at the heart of the article. It explores what to watch for when functioning starts to mask the real cost of sustained pressure, and why continuing to perform is not always proof that the way we are working is sustainable.

You can explore more of my work IkonixBusiness.Solutions or connect with me on LinkedIn.

What’s been the most valuable aspect of being a member at WorkLife?

For me, the most valuable part has been having a professional environment that supports both focused work and meaningful connection.

The flexibility is what makes it work. I can work from home, onsite with clients or at WorkLife, and choose the space that suits the day. I use WorkLife when I need the boardroom for a meeting, when there’s a member lunch or event, or when I feel like working around other people for a change of scene.

It suits the way I work now: the right space for the right kind of day.