Beyond the Sales Pitch
Want to hear the full conversation? Listen to the podcast episode here.
In this episode of the Inside Riva Podcast, Sophie sits down with Naomi Lynn from BDO for a conversation around business development, leadership and the quieter realities behind building meaningful professional relationships.
Rather than approaching networking as performance, Naomi speaks about the value of genuine connection, emotional intelligence and creating long term trust over time. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on career growth, community and the momentum building across South East Queensland as more businesses begin recognising the region’s long term potential.
Naomi Lynn | Director at BDO
Growing Alongside a Changing Queensland
Naomi’s connection to Queensland has shaped much of her personal and professional journey. After spending time between Brisbane and the Gold Coast throughout her younger years, she witnessed the region evolve into one of the country’s fastest growing business communities.
Studying at Griffith University across both campuses gave her an early understanding of the relationship between people, place and opportunity. It also laid the foundation for a career built around relationships and long term growth.
Naomi also reflects on the momentum building across the region ahead of the 2032 Olympics, and the opportunities emerging for businesses, industries and the wider community as Queensland continues to evolve in real time.
The conversation also touches on BDO’s decision to invest in a physical presence on the Gold Coast. It’s an interesting reflection of the confidence many national organisations are beginning to place in the region and its long term potential.
Learning Through Relationships
Some of Naomi’s earliest ideas around business and connection came from watching her father build SportsCo.
Growing up around entrepreneurship gave her an understanding of people long before she entered the corporate world. Client experience, relationships and community were never treated as separate things. They were simply part of how business was done.
That perspective still shapes the way she approaches networking today.
Throughout the episode, Naomi speaks about connection in a way that feels refreshingly uncomplicated. Not as performance or self promotion, but as genuine conversation. A willingness to listen properly, stay curious and build trust over time.
In her words, a lot of it comes back to being a “helpful human.”
A More Human Approach to Networking
One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is Naomi’s perspective on networking and business development.
Rather than treating networking like a sales pitch, she speaks about the importance of genuine conversation and building relationships naturally over time.
Throughout the discussion, Naomi reflects on how different people communicate in different ways, and how emotional intelligence plays a big role in professional relationships. A lot of it comes down to listening properly, understanding people and approaching conversations with authenticity.
There’s a simplicity to the way she talks about connection. Less about trying to impress people, more about being present, consistent and genuinely interested in others. Leadership, balance and the spaces in between
Creating Meaningful Connection
At the centre of the conversation is the idea that business is ultimately built through people.
Not through perfectly rehearsed networking strategies or polished sales conversations, but through consistency, emotional intelligence and showing up authentically over time.
Naomi’s perspective offers a quieter and more considered way of thinking about professional growth, one centred less on performance and more on connection.
You can learn more about Naomi Lynn and the work BDO does here.
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