Mr Dunn spoke to 175 business people at a seminar organised by the Wodonga Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Dunn said while his personal success had come on a global scale, his messages were relevant at a local level.

“Businesses came to my seminar because they wanted to know about marketing and advertising, but it’s actually about connection,” he said.

“You first need to connect with yourself, then your team and then your customers.

“We tend to think we can only make a change when we are big and successful, but what if the council turned around and said for every parking ticket you pay a kid gets a meal?

“Or for every coffee sold a tree gets planted?

“It’s all about being a conscious community.”

Wodonga communications business owner Sandra Martin said the event was a powerful and enlightening presentation for Border businesses.

“The fact a world class speaker was coming to Albury-Wodonga was just phenomenal,” Mrs Martin said.

Wodonga has been the only regional city to attract the attention of Mr Dunn, who was the brains behind $23 million IT empire Hartley Computers.

“Most people look at the big picture, but it’s about the power of small and generating moments of connection,” Mr Dunn said.

“Being in business for good, rather than for profit, creates good values on the Border and a good sense of community.”

Mrs Martin said her Wodonga business Universally Speaking would reap the benefits of Mr Dunn’s expertise.

“As business people, we must ask ourselves ‘is the next action I take going to build a relationship, or take from it’,” Mrs Martin said.