Claire, Author at Don't Stop Us Now

Passionate about Stories and Play – Anna Rafferty

August 9, 2023August 9, 2023
by Claire

Our guest on the show this week is Anna Rafferty who runs a global team of more than a thousand people at Lego, the company with play at the heart of its DNA.

Based in London, Anna and her large team oversee Lego’s consumer relationships including digital and social engagement, apps, websites, memberships, magazines, community management, digital safety, and events. Phew!

Anna’s had a remarkable career journey starting out of university with early dotcom ‘rocket ship’ Last Minute.com, where she worked for one of our former guests, Martha Lane Fox.

Her career has also seen her work with Penguin Books, the BBC and blockbuster author JK Rowling’s company, Pottermore. To this day she retains her links to the publishing world as Chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Suffice to say, Anna is one busy woman!

In this episode you’ll hear how:

She had a career epiphany at 23 years of age
What working for author JK Rowling was like
How one question helped her deal with overwhelm; and
The 3 behaviours that Lego values most in its leaders.

Anna’s worked with some truly amazing brands and organisations in her career to date so we think you’ll love hearing more about her impressive journey. Enjoy this episode with the passionate and playful Anna Rafferty.

Links

www.Lego.com

Women’s Prize for Fiction

Anna on LinkedIn

Anna’s current top ‘Must read’ books:

Books recommended by Anna in her own words:

In no particular order:

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe – the original mistress of reinvention and the cat who had nine lives.

Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries by Kate Mosse – an encyclopaedia of incredible women from history who you should know but probably don’t.

The Power by Naomi Alderman – winner of the 2017 Women’s Prize for Fiction, presenting an alternative universe in which there’s a new physical dominance in town.

Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor – compulsive thriller set in the height of the Irish famine and depicting a true story from the area where my mother is from. Think Titanic crossed with Agatha Christie crossed with Dickens.

Trespasses – Louise Kennedy – Waterstones calls it “A blistering account of encroaching violence and fractured loyalties in 1970’s Belfast” and I couldn’t put it better except to add that it’s darkly funny and full of love of all kinds – romantic, maternal, fraternal, platonic. So good

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki – The perfect summer read, so original and funny and sweet and loving and clever and magical and sad – a must-read!

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – absolutely compulsive, beautiful and horrifying retelling of the siege of Troy.

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson – like nothing else ever and will blow your minds.

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis – my go-to funny comfort read.

As a bonus – I would add that, honestly, every book long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction every year is excellent; from Circe to Hamnet to Piranesi to Salt Lick and so on. I am biased but please let me offer this gift to you: read these books.

Finally here’s our interview with Martha Lane Fox, Co-Founder of Lastminute.com, the first company Anna worked for.

Interview

Inspiring Others with Her ‘Why’ – Lina Xu

July 26, 2023July 26, 2023
by Claire

If you’re inspired by people who have a worthy and clear purpose or mission then you’re going to love our episode this week.

Our guest is Lina Xu, co-founder of a Medtech startup called Telecare which offers under-served people living in regional and rural areas virtual access to specialists and other healthcare professionals.

When Chinese born and raised Lina moved to Australia seven years ago and became a mum shortly after, she felt very isolated, out of touch with her new country and alone.

Whilst still breastfeeding her second son four years ago, Lina realised she needed to make a change and do something more in her new country and so this quietly spoken and determined woman, along with her husband, co-founded Telecare.

Two doctors joined them as co-founders and all were inspired by the potential of Telecare to fill a vital healthcare gap by enabling regionally based patients to have affordable access to city based specialists and allied healthcare professionals.

As luck would have it, Telecare was founded just 6 months before Covid happened, so their foresight and careful stakeholder management has really paid off. So much so that Lina was awarded a Cartier Women’s Initiative Fellowship this year as one of Oceania’s leading female entrepreneurs.

In this episode you’ll hear how:

A family tragedy helped Lina develop the resilience and adaptability that’s so valuable as a female founder
How having a clear and impact-focused Mission has made it much easier for Telecare, and Lina personally, to garner supporters
How she and her co-founders are making headway with innovative technology in what is a very conservative and risk averse healthcare sector; and
Why relationships are so important to her.

What struck us about this inspiring conversation with Lina is how clear she is about her ‘Why’ and how that’s morphed into becoming something much bigger and even more meaningful with her business.

We think you’ll love this episode with the humble and mission-driven Lina Xu.

Useful Links

Telecare Website

Lina Xu on LinkedIn

Cartier Women’s Initiative

Interview

Taking on Goliath – Sue Fennessy

July 11, 2023July 11, 2023
by Claire

We have a truly incredible guest in this week’s episode. We don’t think we’ve ever met someone with so much drive and conviction as serial entrepreneur, Sue Fennessy.

Sue’s vision for her latest, purpose-led-business ‘WeAre8’ is absolutely epic. So large is the vision, that she’s spent the past 8 years building the technology platform required to take on the social media giants of the world. Yes, this one woman ‘tour de force’ is taking on the goliaths of social media with a determination to make social media better for all.

She’s also invested more than $11 million of her own money to get WeAre8 to where it is today. She’s been able to do this because of her phenomenal track record building and exiting businesses. To date, she’s scaled and sold three previous businesses.

The last business that Sue co-founded and then sold in 2022, the global Standard Media Index, was bought for $200million. SMI, as it’s also known, was a pioneering data and technology business recording global media spends across different advertising channels. It required years of persistence and serious influence skills to get all the world’s largest media agencies on board to have access to all that data. Sue has these in spades!

These days, after numerous years living in New York, Sue is based in London where we visited her at her HQ in central London.

In this epic conversation you’ll learn :

How Sue thinks about her Purpose in life
How she plans to transform the worlds of social media AND digital advertising
The high personal cost of Sue’s single minded focus on making WeAre8 a success; and
The crazy and sexist things Venture Capitalists have said to her.

In short, this is a truly memorable conversation so please enjoy this episode with the purposeful and driven, Sue Fennessy.

Useful Links

WeAre8: https://www.weare8.com/

Sue on LInkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-fennessy/

Interview

Deep Tech Community Builder – Sally-Ann Williams

June 26, 2023June 26, 2023
by Claire

We’re really excited about the wonderful guest we have for you on episode 169 this week: Sally-Ann Williams.

Sally-Ann (aka Sally) is CEO of Cicada Innovations, Australia’s leading deep tech incubator for startups and scaleups with everything from quantum computing to life sciences, ag-tech, space and hydrogen startups. Cicada provides office space, custom labs, specialised equipment and training.

Over the years, Cicada has helped its resident companies raise 1.7 billion dollars in funding and they’ve also had 1.4 billion dollars in successful exits.

And right at the heart of the Cicada ecosystem is Sally.

Before joining Cicada, Sally spent nearly 13 years at Google in diverse roles mostly in the engineering team. There she was responsible, amongst many other things, for bringing street view to Australia and influencing school curriculum to ensure better teaching of technology and STEM subjects. She’s also always been a huge proponent for the start up ecosystem and women in particular.

In this episode you’ll hear how

Sally coped working with Google’s tech engineers without any technology background
How she goes about building or harnessing diverse systems to deliver positive long term change
The biggest challenge Sally faces running a deep tech incubator
Why she thinks seaweed is actually more exciting than generative AI; and
Her strategies for coping with chronic imposter syndrome.

Sally definitely sits in the box seat of what’s happening at the forefront of tech so we’re confident that you’ll find this conversation with her super interesting.

Enjoy this episode with deep tech and community champion, Sally-Ann Williams.

Useful Links

Sally-Ann on Linkedin

Cicada Innovations website

Top Tips

5 years in – Here’s what we’ve Learnt

June 6, 2023June 6, 2023
by Claire

Blow out the candles and sing a merry tune for Don’t Stop Us Now! is 5 years old!

A lot has happened in the past 5 years and we’re so grateful to have had some incredible conversations with incredibly inspiring women.

So in this special birthday episode, we take a step back and reflect on the key insights and lessons our guests have shared over more than 165 episodes. What we find is that there are common themes that keep cropping up again and again.

Whether it’s a female leader and innovator in London, Bangkok, Silicon Valley or Costa Rica or Sydney, it turns out there are universal challenges our amazing guests have faced. We’ve also faced them and we’re pretty sure these are challenges that you’ve likely had, or may be facing too, they’re that universal.

It’s not that our stellar guests are in a different league to the rest of us, it’s simply that they’ve found a way to work through these challenges en route to their success.

And you can too.

In this episode you’ll hear:

The 5 key challenges that crop up again and again
The lessons to navigate these challenges more successfully
Thoughts, confessions and struggles from leaders including internationally renowned author and speaker, Rachel Botsman; former entrepreneur and current member of the House of Lords and board director of Chanel, Martha Lane Fox and Forbes Philanthropy Hero, Audette Exel; and…
How we all have fear and if we’re not feeling a bit of it right now, then we’re playing too safe.

In short, this episode is jam-packed with 5 years worth of wisdom.

So grab a slice of (birthday) cake and enjoy our special 5th birthday episode.

Episodes we feature:

Rachel Botsman – https://dontstopusnow.co/ever-wanted-to-do-a-ted-talk/

Audette Exel – https://dontstopusnow.co/audette-exel-make-your-own-rules/

Courtney Hohne – https://dontstopusnow.co/courtney-hohne-the-truth-about-innovation/

Lindley Edwards – https://dontstopusnow.co/lindley-edwards-wisdom-to-live-work-by/

Caroline Issa – https://dontstopusnow.co/caroline-issa-feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway/

Holly Ransom – https://dontstopusnow.co/holly-ransom-curious-on-purpose/

Martha Lane Fox – https://dontstopusnow.co/martha-lane-fox-a-powerful-voice-where-few-women-are-heard/

Que Dallara – https://dontstopusnow.co/que-dallara-unlocks-what-it-takes-to-be-successful/

Tina Sharkey – https://dontstopusnow.co/tina-sharkey-web-pioneer-industry-disruptor-tech-legend/

Ann Sherry – https://dontstopusnow.co/ann-sherry-the-positive-change-agent/

Julia Paige – https://dontstopusnow.co/julia-paige-the-stories-we-tell-ourselves/

Bonus Episode

Decoding Generative AI and all its Hype

May 24, 2023May 24, 2023
by Claire

(Image created using DALL-E)

If you’re like us and have been playing a lot with Generative AI models such as Chat GPT or Bard lately then you’ll be fascinated by today’s episode on all things Artificial Intelligence and particularly Generative AI.

Today, we’re joined by a world class AI expert in what will be the first of a series of occasional episodes we’re doing on different aspects of AI and machine learning.

In this episode, we explore the hype surrounding Generative AI and explore its positives as well as issues and shortcomings.

Listen in as we speak with AI expert and entrepreneur, Asaf Somekh. Asaf is Co-Founder and CEO of Israeli-based AI company called Iguazio, which management consultancy McKinsey has recently acquired because of its prowess in helping companies successfully adopt and scale AI.

Asaf has been working with Artificial Intelligence since the 1990’s and his take on all the recent hype is fascinating.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How most businesses have struggled to operationalise AI to date
Exactly what Generative AI is and where it falls short§
How Chat GPT compares to the professionals when it comes to humour; and
How important ‘explainability’ is going forward.

Plus, we share some of our favourite resources to help you keep abreast of all that’s happening in this fast-moving world of AI.

Enjoy this episode! And if you do, why not share it with a friend?

Useful Links and Resources

– Neat Prompts – AI newsletter

– Hard Fork Podcast – Tech podcast

– Chat GPT– AI chatbot by OpenAI

– Google Bard – AI chatbot by Google

– Hey Pi – AI chatbot by Reid Hoffman

To receive a list of additional AI resources and links, email hello@dontstopusnow.co.

P.S.

Join us next time for a special fifth birthday episode and an interview with one of this year’s award winners from the global Cartier Women’s Initiative.

Interview

Winning Ways – Zali Steggall

May 2, 2023May 2, 2023
by Claire

Today we have a big ‘first’ for this podcast, our first Olympic medallist!

However Zali Steggall, Olympian, barrister and now an independent member of parliament in Australia is so much more than these labels!

Last year, Zali was re-elected to Federal Parliament after a stunning and, for some, an astonishing victory in the same seat at the previous election, three years earlier.

Zali really is a pioneer (and winner) in so many fields: she was Australia’s first ever individual medallist and first Australian female medallist at a Winter Olympic Games. Plus, when she won the World Championship slalom skiing event a year later in 1999, she became the first ever person from the southern hemisphere ever to win that event.

Not one to do anything by halves, when Zali was first elected as a member of Parliament in 2019 she defeated a former Prime Minister! What’s more, she did all this as an independent candidate with no big political party to support her, however she had an army of enthusiastic supporters and volunteers.

In this episode you’ll hear:

The key things Zali learnt from her Olympic skiing career that still serve her well today
Zali’s strategies for dealing with the fear of failure
How she made the transition from being a competitive skier to becoming a barrister
Why Zali decided to enter the competitive and often antagonistic world of politics
How she deals with negativity and criticism; and
The one thing she wants you to walk away with.

Zali truly has unique stories, experiences and advice to share so enjoy this episode with the indefatigable and purposeful Zali Steggall.

*For full transparency, Greta worked pro bono on Zali’s re-election campaign last year for several months.

Useful Links

Zali’s website:

Amazon link to Zali’s mum’s book Alpine Beach: (it’s an e book)

Photo credit: Zoom /Allsport

Interview

Nothing by Halves! – Kerry James

April 5, 2023April 5, 2023
by Claire

Our fabulous guest this week is Kerry James, CEO and co-founder of not one, not two, but three different businesses! Not so remarkable you may be thinking if these businesses came one after the other, but no, Kerry is doing this all simultaneously.

After spending many years successfully running and co-owning a high end real estate business in Singapore, Kerry is now building two other businesses in completely different industries.

The first new venture is in the flower delivery and subscription business, and the second business is filling a niche she spotted more recently in online and corporate gifting.

Now while Kerry knew everything about real estate in Singapore after building that business for more than twenty years, she and her friend, turned co-founder, Sandi Sadek, knew nothing about the flower industry, delivery logistics or e-commerce prior to launching their online flower business, Flower Addict. What’s more they both still retain their big full time work roles.

Despite these novices starting from scratch, Flower Addict has been a roaring success, being voted number one florist service in Singapore for five years, and they’ve only been going for five years!

In this episode you’ll learn how:

Kerry manages her time juggling three businesses and a big family
The huge learning curve she had with the ins and outs of a fast moving ecommerce business
How asking for help and being prepared to invest in getting the help she needs makes all the difference
How she shifts her attention from one business to another in the most positive way; and
Exactly why Kerry even wants to run three businesses all at once.

Enjoy this episode with the positive and unstoppable Kerry James.

Useful Links

Flower Addict website

Flower Addict on Instagram

GiftBoxLove website

GiftBoxLove on Instagram

Citiprop website

Interview

Life Beyond Work – Natalie Yan-Chatonsky

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023
by Claire

Our guest this week is founder and author, Natalie Yan-Chatonsky.

Natalie founded her start up Full Time Lives some years ago and she’s just launched a book, called ‘The Art of Full Time Living’ which is a guide to help turn women’s mid-life transitions into fulfilling and rewarding transformations for their second half of life.

Natalie is on a pioneering quest to ensure mid-life women take the time to think proactively about living fulfilled and connected lives in the decades ahead, whether that’s post kids leaving home or stepping back from a full time career.

We know Natalie well and she’s bowled us over in the past few years with her dedication and commitment to making a difference to women’s lives, particularly the second half of their lives.

In this episode you’ll hear how:

Natalie has carefully navigated her various career transitions
She originally started researching big life changes ahead of her father’s potential retirement but it’s ended up being her life that’s changed the most
Why she worked 7 days a week for a year in order to complete her book; and
The magic ingredient and habit that’s made all the difference to her focus and productivity.

Whatever life stage you’re at right now, there are lessons in here for all of us… A life proactively shaped is a life that will make us more fulfilled.

Enjoy this episode with the disciplined and purposeful Natalie Yan-Chatonsky.

Useful Links:

Natalie’s website Full Time Lives

Natalie’s book – ‘The Art of Full Time Living’

Natalie on LinkedIn

How To Episode

How to Ace the Interview

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023
by Claire

Job interviews can certainly be intimidating and nerve-wracking, yet how we use that finite window of time that can really make a huge difference to our careers and sometimes even our lives.

Whether it’s your dream job at stake or one you’re not so sure about, make no mistake, you owe it to yourself to perform to the best of your ability. And this week’s ‘How To’ episode explains why.

The people we work with around the world regularly ask us for advice and support going through their interview process. So we decided it’s time to share some of our tried and tested tips and frameworks, as well as share special ‘insider’ contacts and content, with you now as well in this episode.

Not only will we walk through our key interview tips, you’ll also hear invaluable insider advice from leading Russell Reynolds executive search consultant and Managing Director in Australia, Nick Fletcher.

Plus we also bring you Caitriona Staunton who’s Improbable’s Director for People Ops, responsible for recruiting hundreds of people a year in the UK. She’s previously headed up recruitment in Asia Pacific at tech unicorn, Atlassian, as well as worked at Google internationally so really knows her stuff.

You may be surprised by what they both share.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The key pre-work we recommend you do before your interview
What the experts say on how to give yourself an amazing advantage before the interview even starts
What internal hiring managers look for during the interview; and
How to manage your nerves and perform at your best once the interview begins.

We all have to do interviews at some point and who knows, something you hear today could make all the difference for your next one!

If you’d like to hear more from our ‘vault’ on this topic then please let us know on LinkedIn (Claire or Greta) and we’ll think about how to share more content with you.

Enjoy this ‘How To’ episode.

Useful Link

Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk