November 2021 - Don't Stop Us Now

Stefanie Nissen – Style & Hope Shine Through

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021
by Claire

Happy December everyone!

The end of the year can mean travel planning for a lot of people, and business trips and holidays are the bread and butter for the fashion entrepreneur and founder on the show this week, Stefanie Nissen.

California-based Stefanie founded her business ‘Trvl Porter’ with the idea that you would arrive at your destination to find a hand-picked travel wardrobe waiting for you at your hotel. When you’re heading home, you can buy the pieces you love, or return them all simply by leaving them with your hotel.

The business was starting to take off when Covid effectively put Stefanie’s business into hibernation. All the more frustrating as not only had the business been really starting to get traction, it had also enjoyed some great coverage in the NY Times as well.

In this episode you’ll hear where Stefanie is at today in figuring out the future for Trvl Porter as well as:

How she started her career in fashion design
The advice her designer employer gave her that made her really change direction
How losing her luggage inspired the idea for a brand new business
And, Stefanie shares how a significant trauma actually led her to have the courage to start her new venture

This episode shares stories that are both moving and hopeful. So if you’re after some inspiration, hope and courage in your life, don’t miss this one with the resilient and courageous Stefanie Nissen…

Useful Links

Stefanie on LinkedIn (Stefanie’s new married name is Barkman)

Stefanie on Instagram

TrvlPorter website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Crowdfunding Success

November 23, 2021November 24, 2021
by Claire

This week’s mini episode is all about crowdfunding and in particular equity crowdfunding.

Equity crowdfunding is where retail investors can buy a share in a young company which is seeking funding without having to list on the stock exchange or take on formal VC capital.

Capital raising can be such a time consuming occupation for a Founder yet if you have the right offer for equity crowdfunding, then this can be a great way to proceed.

One of our guests has proven to be a master at successfully completing two extremely impressive equity crowdfunding campaigns. We’re talking about Brianne West, the New Zealander serial entrepreneur and founder of global sustainable cosmetics company, Ethique.

Brianne has a bold and pioneering mission, to rid the world of single-use plastics. She started Ethique to replace all those plastic-bottled products we use in our bathrooms, from shampoos to moisturisers, with solid bars of concentrated product.

Brianne crowdfunded twice to grow her business: once in 2015 when she raised NZ$200,000 in 10 days; and again in 2017 when she raised an extraordinary $500,000 in just over an hour!

Ethique continues to grow, has taken on other types of investment and is now found in more than 20 countries. It’s become a B Corp as well.

In this mini episode you’ll hear Brianne explaining why she felt crowdfunding was best for her and then shares her views on what it takes to be successful if you’re wondering if crowdfunding is for you.

Enjoy this mini episode.

Useful Links

Brianne’s full interview

Ethique Website

Brianne on Instagram

Equitise – Crowdfunding platform

How To Episode

How to Shine on LinkedIn

November 16, 2021
by Claire

With so much talk about the ‘Great Resignation’ and all the job changes that are occurring as a result, what better time to make sure your LinkedIn profile is working for you?

In this episode we share some valuable ‘insider’ tips and gain an insight into how recruiters use LinkedIn to find the right people. We’ll also hear from US based Executive Resume writer and expert Donna Svei who will share insights you may be surprised to learn.

And you’ll glean some valuable tips to ensure that you are doing yourself justice on this all important platform.

You’ll learn:

How you can optimise your LinkedIn profile
What parts of your profile get shared by recruiters with their clients, the hiring managers
And, a simple step you can take that could make a surprising difference.

Here’s to you having an ‘All Star’ profile and shining bright! Enjoy.

Useful Links

Executive Resume Writer, Donna Svei’s website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Beating Burnout

November 9, 2021
by Claire

We’re in the ‘home straight’ heading towards the end of the year and following the crazy year so many of us have had (thanks COVID!) we thought what better time to remind ourselves of tools to help prevent burnout?

We were lucky enough a few weeks back to run an online seminar on burnout with the best selling author, psychologist and leadership expert, Dr Jacinta Jiménez, and, as so many people signed up, we decided we should revisit Dr Jacinta’s amazing advice from our conversation on the podcast with her some months back.

Following the release of her science-backed, best selling book, The Burnout Fix, Dr Jacinta is definitely the one to turn to for advice dealing with burnout. She has deconstructed what burnout is, how it can be caused, and of course how to recover from burnout.

In this info-packed mini episode, you’ll hear that burnout for all of us is caused by one of six mismatches between who we are and our work or roles. Then you’ll hear how using Dr Jacinta’s PULSE model can help you keep burnout away.

Enjoy this mini episode and don’t forget to schedule yourself a mini break for today too! 🙂

Useful Links

Our full episode with Dr J

Link to the Mentor Walks Webinar we did with Dr J

Jacinta’s new book: The Burnout Fix

Amazon Kindle link

Amazon Hardcover link

Jacinta’s website

Jacinta on LinkedIn

Interview

Tessa Clarke – The Difference One Person Can Make

November 1, 2021November 2, 2021
by Claire

We’re excited to be bringing you an inspiring and very relevant guest this week given world leaders have been meeting at COP26 in Glasgow for vital climate talks as this episode goes to air.

Tessa Clarke is Co-founder and CEO of the international food sharing and household goods app called OLIO. Her passion for sustainability and for creating simple ways to help all of us to take simple but powerful steps to help the environment is just what we need right now!

Tessa and her Co-founder (whom she met at Stanford doing her MBA) launched OLIO in 2015 and originally focused on food waste in the home, although now you can find new homes for all kinds of other items as well.

OLIO has just successfully closed a Series B fundraising round raising $43 million dollars from top tier VC firms who have described OLIO’s 5-fold growth in the past year as phenomenal. More than 5 million OLIO users in 53 countries are now reducing not only food waste but also preventing more than 3 million household goods going to landfill as well.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Tessa wished she’d made the time earlier in her career to stop and really reflect about what she was passionate about doing in her career
How Tessa came up with the idea for OLIO;
Her four tips for female founders raising funds;
How food waste globally results in greenhouse gas emissions that would make it the 3rd largest country in emission terms in the world.
And last but not least, Tessa shares how western householders make up for HALF of all that food waste.

So dear fellow citizen of Planet Earth, please make haste and devour this episode with the determined and passionate Tessa Clarke. Enjoy!

Useful Links

OLIO website

OLIO in the App store – Google & Apple

Dana Kanze TED Talk on the real reason female founders get less funding