Michelle Tolhurst

Michelle Tolhurst is the Founder and Director of Creative Desk, an Australian marketing agency providing ongoing and project-based marketing support to service-based businesses.

With over 25 years of experience in marketing communications and more than a decade leading her own agency, Michelle has supported over 150 businesses across Australia. Established in 2015, Creative Desk has grown steadily into a trusted team of Australian-based marketing professionals who deliver consistent, reliable marketing support without the need for an in-house team.

Creative Desk works primarily with service-based businesses, including finance, coaching and education providers, who are time-poor, inconsistent with their marketing or unsure whether their efforts are delivering results. Through support across social media, email campaigns, websites and content creation, Michelle and her team help businesses move from marketing overwhelm to clarity, confidence and consistency.

Unlike freelance or offshore virtual assistant models, Creative Desk operates with a dedicated team of employees who understand each client’s business and provide continuity over the long term. Many clients have partnered with Creative Desk for years, valuing the stability, collaborative thinking and proactive approach the agency brings.

Michelle believes many businesses approach marketing the wrong way by relying solely on social media, marketing only when they urgently need clients, or copying tactics that worked for someone else. She advocates for building a strong online foundation, including a professional website, consistently showing up, testing new ideas and adapting as the market evolves. Marketing, in her view, is about building genuine community, connection and long-term trust.

Based in Glenbrook in the Lower Blue Mountains, Michelle works with clients nationwide while also expanding Creative Desk’s hands-on support for local businesses seeking in-person collaboration for content creation and community engagement.

Approachable, organised and practical, Michelle leads Creative Desk with a commitment to helping business owners feel confident in their marketing, knowing it represents them well and is handled by a team invested in their success.