[1] Gardner started as an entrepreneur in 1977 when he partnered with Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans (co-founders of Mushroom Records) to run the Bottom Line club in Richmond, Victoria.
Gardner, with Russell Deppeler, manager of Men at Work, promoted the band in support of the release of their first album, Business as Usual.
In the next years he worked as either the tour or production manager for: UFO, Echo & The Bunnymen, New Order, The Sugarcubes, The The, Tangerine Dream, Crowded House and Jane's Addiction.
In 2007 he returned to Australia with Brown and his youngest daughter, he took a year off then started Cross Section Management and Records with Scott Mesiti based on the mid north coast of New South Wales.
In late 2011 Gardner began managing Melbourne artist Ezekiel Ox, taking the reins for his myriad of creative projects.