Kate Vale – Has an Uncanny Eye for Picking…

This week’s episode of Don’t Stop Us Now! is with the wonderful Kate Vale, a distinguished leader in the technology and media space in Australia.

Kate was Google Australia’s first employee and Managing Director, and built the Australian business from one employee to hundreds. She then did the same for YouTube.

In 2011 she joined Spotify, the Swedish music, video and podcast streaming service before most of us had ever heard of music streaming, let alone the name Spotify. She grew their business in Australia to be a hugely successful brand. Clearly she has an eye for the winners and a great talent in starting and growing strong teams in the digital space.

She’s recently moved to LA with her husband, a serial entrepreneur, and her two children. She’s a Non Executive Director for two prestigious tourism boards in Australia, Tourism Australia and Tourism Tasmania, and is currently enjoying a sabbatical with her family before she jumps into her next venture.

In this episode with Kate you’ll learn:

– How asking for help is one of the most fundamental success factors for female leaders, particularly those who have a family.
– How terrifying, yet exhilarating, it was to be Google’s first employee in Australia
– How she bounces back from adversity
– Her strategies for feeling strong and confident

Enjoy!

Photo credits: AFR

Had a listen to Kate and hungry for more? Links of interest:

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Tina Sharkey – Web Pioneer, Industry Disruptor & Tech…

Meet Tina Sharkey – serial innovator, entrepreneur and Silicon Valley legend

What can you say about the woman who literally coined the term, ‘Social Media’ and has had numerous accolades including being named One of the Most Influential Women in Technology (Fast Company)?

Tina Sharkey is a true web pioneer and serial entrepreneur. She’s been involved with the online world since the mid 1990’s and co-founded the iconic iVillage which in its day was the largest online destination for women. She created the online brands for Sesame Workshop, and has held key or CEO roles with AOL, and the massive parenting online community, BabyCenter.

These days you will find Tina disrupting another sector with her much lauded and awarded startup, Brandless where she is Co-Founder and CEO. Honoured by Fast Company and Ad Age amongst others as one of the most innovative startups this past year, Brandless is changing the way you buy essential groceries and products for your home and much, much more.

In this episode we chat to Tina about key lessons to date from her stellar career journey. You’ll learn:

• How she and her co-founder set about building Brandless and how they’re going about disrupting an entire industry
• How Tina has gone about thinking ‘what next’ in her career
• How she has juggled career and family and the tradeoffs she chose to make
• What she thinks really matters at the end of the day

We spoke to Tina online from her office in San Francisco.

Enjoy!

 

Links of Interest

Brandless website

Instagram: @Brandlesslife

Twitter:  @Brandless

Tina Sharkey on social

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Audette Exel – Make Your Own Rules

Keen to make a positive difference in the world? Then you’ll love this latest episode of Don’t Stop Us Now! Audette Exel has mastered the art of making her own rules to her achieve her world-changing vision.

Audette Exel is founder of one of the world’s earliest and most inspiring businesses for purpose, the Adara Group.

She’s one of the youngest women in the world to have run a publicly-traded bank; is a former World Economic Forum Global Leader of Tomorrow; and has been recognised as a Forbes Hero of Philanthropy amongst numerous other honours.

Audette’s mission is to build a bridge between the world of business and the world of people living in extreme poverty.

In this episode with Audette, we were blown away by her refreshing and candid thoughts including:

• The advantages of being a female entrepreneur and pioneer
• The liberating way she thinks about money and her own financial security
• Why she’s such an optimist even in today’s tumultuous times
• Her thoughts on why so many young women have a fear of failure.

Don’t miss our conversation with this world-changing human dynamo…

 

 

Links of interest:

Gloria Steinem (wikipedia)

Leymah Gbowee (Wikipedia)

Rosa Parks (Wikipedia)

B Corp Global Website

Follow Audette Exel:

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Rachel Botsman – TED Talks, Writing Books and BHAG…

Rachel Botsman’s TED talks have been watched more than 4 million times and subtitled in 29 languages. What’s more, Monocle magazine has rated Rachel as one of the world’s top 20 speakers.

However not only is Rachel an incredible speaker, she’s recognised internationally as a world class author, thought leader and original thinker.

Rachel is author of the book Who can you Trust? She also pioneered the idea of the sharing economy with the launch in 2010 of her book What’s Mine is yours – the rise of collaborative consumption.

This is your chance to hear Rachel speak frankly and ‘unplugged’ in a very raw and human way – no stage, no audience – just us!

We think you’ll love:

• Her personal tips for giving a world class speech, including the power of one word she writes on the top of every speech she gives
• The honesty as Rachel talks about her inner critic and self talk
• How this acclaimed author was told she couldn’t write and what effect that had
• HHow Rachel sets goals for herself and why her approach makes a big difference.

Rachel’s work has been honoured multiple times including:

• ‘One of the “Most Creative People in Business’ by Fast Company
• ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum
• ‘Thinkers 50’ Breakthrough Idea’ award for recognising a “radical idea which has the potential to change the way we think about business forever.”

Don’t miss this fascinating discussion!

 

Links of interest

Rachel’s TED Talks

We’ve stopped trusting institutions and started trusting strangers

The case for collaborative consumption

The currency of the new economy is trust

 

Rachel’s Books

Who Can You Trust

What’s Mine Is Yours

 

Follow Rachel Botsman

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Courtney Hohne – The truth about innovation

Ever wondered what life is like and what really happens in Google’s elite innovation division: X, the Moonshot Factory? We certainly have!

It’s just one reason why we love this episode with X’s Chief Storyteller, Courtney Hohne.

We think you’ll be fascinated by her insights about how the world’s most famous innovation team work, what it’s like to be a woman amongst a very, very geeky team and how to think about leading.

What you’ll learn:

• The blueprint for innovation at X and the truth about the innovation process
• How she finds a way to help X’s Engineers incredible inventions survive in the outside world
• Her views on how leadership can more often than not be about the smaller moments
• How she deals with imposter syndrome
• Tips and advice on how to take opportunities to grow your career

Courtney talks to us over Skype from Silicon Valley. Enjoy this inspiring conversation…

 

Links of interest:
The Atlantic “X and the science of radical creativity” by Derek Thompson

 

Follow Courtney at:

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