APAC Insider- Australian CEO Excellence Awards 2025 | 14 Nomadic Home & Garden is one of South Australia’s fastest growing landscaping and renovation companies. The company began as a small lawn mowing service and has quickly evolved to become a multi-disciplinary company offering landscape design, general property maintenance, and renovations. Sitting at the helm of this rapid evolution is Matthew Priest, the Founder and CEO expertly steering the company to success. We caught up with Matthew for more, as he is named in the Australian CEO Excellence Awards 2025. Leading Creative Landscape Design CEO 2025 (Adelaide): Matthew Priest Matthew Priest is an emerging entrepreneur with a lifetime of experience in running businesses – spanning sales, fitness, aquatics, bathroom renovations, and now landscaping and renovations. He holds a Certificate IV in building and construction, a Certificate III in wall and floor tiling, Certificate III and IV in fitness, and certification in test and tag electrical safety compliance. These qualifications, paired with almost two decades of realworld experience across sales, trade, business, and leadership, provide Matthew with a unique foundation for both strategic and practical decision making. For Matthew, founding Nomadic Home & Garden was a natural progression, one that combined his extensive firsthand trade experience with his unrivalled entrepreneurial drive. Across his roles, Matthew has built a comprehensive suite of skills, including leadership, strategic planning, customer service, systems development, and team building – all of which he has seamlessly transferred into his role as CEO of Nomadic Home & Garden. “My unique selling proposition lies in my ability to combine entrepreneurial vision with hands-on trade and design experience,” he told us. “I feel equally at home building a business growth strategy as I do leading a site consultation or troubleshooting a complex landscaping issue. This balance has allowed me to position Nomadic Home & Garden not only as a trusted service provider, but as a leading brand known for its innovation, community values, and commitment to excellence.” Leading his company with an expert hand, Matthew has overseen the rapid scaling of his teams, systems, and service offerings, all while ensuring Nomadic Home & Garden’s core values of integrity, reliability, and creativity remain firmly embedded in its operations. Now, Matthew is surrounded by an incredible team – his sister Krystle, who oversees accounts and customer relations – providing ultimate professionalism and care; Alan, Head of Garden Operations, who has been with the company since the beginning and is not only a key leader but a trusted friend and mentor; and Elena, Head of Landscape Design, whose creative excellence and precision elevates every project she touches. “My leadership style is all about building people up,” said Matthew. “Even when I need to address mistakes or areas for improvement, I always make sure my team knows that I believe in them 100%. I focus on their strengths, remind them of what they are capable of, and never let doubt creep in about whether they can succeed. If they know I trust them, they are more likely to trust themselves. The qualities I value most when working with others are honesty, accountability, respect, and a willingness to learn. With those in place, we stay united and move toward the same vision.” This leadership style has proven immensely successful for Matthew, having seen Nomadic Home & Garden scale significantly in size over the years. The challenge has not always been easy for the company, with Matthew citing the biggest challenges to be financial. Early in the company’s establishment, he was unable to access loans due to a poor credit rating. But Matthew built the business from the ground-up – tool by tool, job by job. Despite the adversity, Nomadic Home & Garden persisted. In just a few short years, the company has grown to a fleet of five utility vehicles, a tipper truck, a warehouse and office in Stepney, and a team of staff and contractors almost 20 experts strong. This journey has been difficult, but it has shaped Matthew’s leadership, allowing him to lead with precision, purpose, and most importantly, gratitude. “I care deeply about the people I work with and the clients we serve,” he shared. “Every job we do, every person we hire, and every challenge we face is a chance to make a difference. My journey hasn’t been perfect. It has been full of lessons, hard work, and a lot of personal growth. But I think that is what makes our story relatable. I am proud of what we have built, but even prouder of how we have built it – with honesty, grit, and care. If that can inspire someone else to back themselves, take a risk, or believe they can turn things around – then it has all been worth it.” Contact: Matthew Priest Company: Nomadic Home & Garden Pty Ltd Web Address: www. nomadichomegarden.com.au Jul25004
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