What Hustle & Heart Really Means to Us

We just won gold at the Roar Awards, and we're still a little speechless.

If you'd told us a few years ago that we'd be standing up accepting an award in the Hustle & Heart category, we probably wouldn't have believed you. Not because we don't work hard (we do) but because hustle and heart has just always been how we do things. We didn't know it had a name.

A few people have asked us what that category actually means, so here's the answer.

It's not about turnover, the most modern shop, or the flashiest marketing. It's about the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and the reason you bother putting in that hard work at all. Showing up, learning as you go, and never losing the personal touch. That's it, really.

It means learning as you go.

That's been true since day one. When we bought Stewart's Menswear back in 2004, my background was in admin and banking, not retail, so budgeting, stock, and running a shop day to day were all things I had to learn on the job. Gerard knew the customers and the shop inside out, but buying had never been his side of things either. It was a steep learning curve for both of us, and we worked it out together.

A few years ago, that same approach showed up again when we moved into e-commerce. I had to learn digital marketing from scratch. No background in it and no shortcuts, just a lot of trial and error (and a huge thank you to Kylie and the team at Hello Media for all the guidance along the way). From there, our website together with our whole online presence including social media and email marketing was built from scratch piece by piece.

We've now had our online store since late 2020, and we've sent out over 1,000 orders to customers all over Australia. Every single one still gets packed with the same care as if you'd walked in and picked it out yourself.

That's the hustle.

It means showing up, year after year.

If you've ever walked into Stewart's Menswear, there's a good chance you've met Gerard. He's given over 45 years of his life to Stewart's Menswear. That's decades of getting to know customers, their families, and the suppliers we work with — so well that a lot of them aren't just customers or suppliers anymore, they're friends.

That's the heart. It's why people keep walking back through our door, and why we've never wanted to be the kind of shop where you're just a transaction.

It means never losing the personal touch.

In a world where everything is moving faster and getting more digital, we've always believed that the personal touch is what sets us apart. Knowing your name. Remembering what you bought last time. Caring about whether you actually love what you walked out with.

Why Enter Business Awards?

It's not just about the trophy on the shelf. Filling out an awards submission forces you to sit down and actually look at your own business: where you've come from, what you've built, and where you're headed. That's harder to do than it sounds when you're flat out running a shop day to day.

This award means a lot to us. It's been a real journey, and winning it feels like recognition of both sides of what we do: building something new, and holding onto what's always mattered. This award is not just a trophy to us, but a reminder that the way we do things matters.

It also means something for you, our customers. It's a bit of outside reassurance that you've made a good choice shopping with an independent, family-owned business, and it's a nice bit of recognition for our small team who help make it all happen.

Thank you to the Roar Awards for recognising it and thank you to everyone who's been part of our journey, whether you've been shopping with us for decades, or just found us online last month.

This one's for you.

Want to know more about who we are and how we got here? Read our story →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hustle & Heart award category?

The Hustle & Heart category at the Roar Awards recognises small business owners who combine relentless hard work with genuine care for their customers, team, and community. It's not about being the biggest or the flashiest: it's about showing up every day, learning as you go, and never losing the personal touch that makes a business worth coming back to.

What are the Roar Awards?

The Roar Awards are Australian business awards that celebrate small business success across a range of categories. They recognise the real stories behind independent businesses including the hard work, resilience, and heart that goes into building something from the ground up.

Who owns Stewart's Menswear?

Stewart's Menswear is owned and run by Gerard & Sue Walker, who purchased the business in 2004. It's a small, independent, family-run business based in Northern NSW.

How long has Stewart's Menswear been operating?

Stewart's Menswear has been serving customers for almost 100 years. Gerard & Sue took ownership in 2004, and the business has continued to grow including launching an online store in late 2020, which has since fulfilled over 1,000 orders to customers across Australia.

Why should I shop with an award-winning small business?

Shopping with an award-winning independent business means your money supports real people, not a faceless corporation. At Stewart's Menswear, every order is packed with care, every customer is remembered, and the service you get in-store or online reflects decades of genuine expertise. Awards like this one are outside recognition that we're doing things the right way.

Why do small businesses enter awards?

Entering business awards gives small business owners a chance to reflect on what they've built, benchmark themselves against peers, and gain credibility with customers. The process of writing a submission alone is valuable because it forces you to articulate your story, your values, and your achievements. Winning is a bonus, but the reflection is worth it regardless.