October 2020 - Don't Stop Us Now

Future Proof Me – Calling Out Bias

October 27, 2020October 27, 2020
by Claire

Brought to you by Microsoft’s The New Next

How do you go with sensitive conversations? They’re not easy are they?

This week’s mini episode shares how NASA executive Trudy Kortes has learnt over time to call out gender bias when she experiences it.

If you’ve not heard one of these bite-sized episodes before, the idea is to focus on the most valuable insights, gems of advice and ideas from our incredible guests . . . all focusing on the theme of future proofing ourselves and our careers.

Trudy’s advice includes some great principles for all difficult conversations, so make your next difficult conversation a little easier with this bite-sized nugget of wisdom and experience.

Useful Links

Trudy’s orig episode: A Career in Space and Real Life Moonshots

Sophia Athas – 20-Something Founder and Creative Trendsetter

October 20, 2020October 21, 2020
by Claire

Brought to you by Microsoft’s The New Next

We’re excited to introduce you to the youngest woman we’ve had on the show to date. But age isn’t the reason we’re happy for you to meet 27 year old Sophia Athas.

Sophia is the self-taught, entrepreneurial founder of a thriving new-age creative agency called Hatrik House.

Sophia’s business started out simply as a creative outlet and side hustle for when she was studying law at university. In the years that followed, Sophia realised she had the makings of a business as her work on social media attracted attention and turned her into a brand influencer in her own right.

Hatrik House has now grown to become a fully fledged agency focusing on social media and content with a talented team of women helping service a whole host of brands.

And full disclosure here, we were so impressed with Hatrik’s work when we saw one of their clients on Instagram, we hired her ourselves about two years ago!

In that time we’ve watched as Sophia’s business has grown and admired how she continues to navigate all the challenges that come with leading a fast growing business as a young woman.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Sophia’s experiences of being taken seriously (or not) as a female boss in her 20’s
What she believes have been the most important factors in running her business
How she thinks COVID will affect both digital and real-life experiences going forward
And, her advice if you’re thinking of setting up a side hustle.

Without further ado, here’s our conversation with the composed and creative Sophia Athas.

Links

Sophia on Instagram

Hatrik House website

Hatrik House on Instagram

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – The Magic of Yes

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020
by Claire

Brought to you by Microsoft’s The New Next

This week’s mini, Future Proof Me episode features some insightful advice about saying “Yes” to the unknown, even when it really scares you.

We hear from fashion entrepreneur Caroline Issa, the CEO of the Tank group which includes the revered global fashion and culture magazine, Tank Magazine.

We loved Caroline’s openness to embrace unexpected and unfamiliar opportunities. It seems so relevant in this time of COVID when nearly all of us are navigating the unfamiliar on an almost daily basis!

Her willingness to embrace doing things she hasn’t done before, even when she’s not sure she knows how to be successful with them, has worked so well for her. It’s as if she channels the magic of saying “yes” and it’s really paid off.

Hear her advice on how she copes when she’s not sure whether she can rise to the challenge or not….

Useful Links

Link to full ‘Don’t Stop Us Now!’ episode with Caroline Issa

Caroline on Instagram

Caroline on Linkedin

Tank Magazine on Instagram

Tank Magazine website

Book: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – by Susan Jeffries

Interview

Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas – Humour as a…

October 6, 2020October 6, 2020
by Claire

We think you’re going to love this week’s episode featuring two super impressive women who, amongst other things, teach at Stanford University’s famed Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Yes, today you get two for the price of one! 😉

Despite their serious surrounds, these two are determined to bring levity and humour to the world having discovered just how powerful humour can be in dark times and at work.

Jennifer Aaker is General Atlantic Professor at Stanford’s GSB, where she has been one of the favourite professors there for around 20 years. She’s a Behavioural Psychologist and author, and her research focus areas include: purpose and meaning and how they shape the choices we make; and most recently she’s been working with our other guest today, Naomi Bagdonas on the power of using humour in a business context.

Naomi Bagdonas was a stand up comic by night and a management consultant by day, never mixing the two, until one day she realised that she was living an almost double life and decided it was time to be herself wherever she was. These days Naomi is a lecturer at Stanford, an Executive Coach, an author and she even teaches improv comedy to inmates at San Francisco’s County Jail.

Jennifer and Naomi began teaching the importance of humour to MBA students and then realised that what they’d discovered was what the world really needed right now . . . hence their new book out this week, ‘Humour, Seriously’.

In this laughter-filled episode, you’ll hear:

Why Naomi and Jennifer believe humour is a secret superpower at work and in life,
How we all fall off a humour cliff at the age of 23 and what we can do about it,
Practical tips to increase creativity and innovation in your team, and
How you can potentially gain an additional 8 years on your life!

Enjoy this episode with these two witty, wickedly smart women …

Useful Links:

Humour, Seriously book website – find out where to buy your copy

Test to see what humour type you are

Jennifer Aaker on LinkedIn

Naomi Bagdonas on LinkedIn