I built the business. Then I had to learn how to step away.

EVERYTHING I TEACH, I LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

I grew up in an immigrant family and started school unable to speak English.

I went on to build Classic Finance from the ground up and spent years running a successful finance business until my body forced me to confront the cost of the life I’d built.

I eventually sold the business. Then I had to figure out who I was without it.

Success isn't the same thing as freedom.

I know what it’s like to have the business everyone wants and still feel like you can’t step away from it.

After selling Classic Finance, I began working with other successful business owners.

More than 300 owners later, the pattern was hard to miss.

Different industries. Different teams. Different numbers. But the same problem:

The owner had become the business.

That’s why my work starts with honesty.

Together, we find the real problem, work through the decisions and build the structure that helps you start letting go.

CREDENTIALS

Nancy Youssef is an award-winning business mentor, international speaker, author and entrepreneur.

I’m an award-winning business mentor, international speaker, author and entrepreneur.

My background includes more than two decades in finance, founding and growing Classic Finance, mentoring business owners, keynote speaking and philanthropic work.

I’ve always believed in continuing to learn. I’m a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and have completed advanced leadership programs at Bond University, UCLA Anderson School of Management, the Disney Institute and Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.

I hold certifications in NLP, Hypnotherapy and Life Success Coaching, which inform how I support the personal and professional sides of running a business. I also serve on boards, contributing my experience in governance, business growth and strategic leadership.

I’ve been featured in publications including the Australian Financial Review and The Weekend Australian, and on podcasts including Alan Kohler’s Qantas Business and Lawyers Weekly, sharing my perspective on entrepreneurship, leadership and mindset.

When I’m not working with business owners, you’ll find me exploring somewhere new, sharing stories over good food and wine or deep in a book.

My latest book, Success Beyond Fear, builds on Fear Money Purpose, exploring leadership, mindset and the choices that shape a more fulfilling life and business.

I’m also a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an internationally recognised speaking credential. On stage, I bring together my business experience, personal stories and practical lessons to give audiences something they can take back into their own lives and businesses.

Certified Speaking Professional · GAICD · Board Director, Professional Speakers Australia · Author of Fear Money Purpose and Success Beyond Fear · Better Business Mentor of the Year 2019 & 2020 · Thought Leader of the Year 2022 · MPA Elite Business Woman 2023 · AFR, The Weekend Australian, MPA, The Adviser

Giving back. Shown, not told.

I believe giving back should be part of how we do business.

Together with our supporters and partners, I’ve helped raise more than $300,000 for communities in Africa and the Middle East.

Through The Hunger Project, I’ve supported community-led initiatives in Malawi and Ghana. Supporting communities in Lebanon also has a personal connection to my own family’s story.

Through Trailblazing the Future, we raised funds to support the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association and opportunities for rural communities.

© Nancy Youssef. All rights reserved.

Business Edit

About Nancy

Build a business that works without you.

I help established business owners step out of the day-to-day, take back control and build a business that gives them more freedom to lead, grow and live well.