audio Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

How to Get Through the S**ttiest of Times

October 18, 2022October 18, 2022
by Claire

Our episode this week follows hard on the heels of some personally challenging anniversaries. We share how, even after the s++ttiest news possible, Claire has moved forward and thrived, thanks to some very specific mindset choices.

She shares those choices and we talk about what’s become her north star in terms of how she views work and life.

You’ll also hear from our special guest Heidi Hackemer, now Executive Director of the innovation and future focused Oatly Climate Culture Lab in New York.

Prior to her starting her time with Oatly, Heidi had had an ‘annus horribilis’ where her world fell apart. She shares her key lesson from that time and also what she did and does to get out of tough times.

You’ll also hear:

About four key building blocks to become more resilient
How your thoughts have a MASSIVE influence on your quality of life
A simple exercise you can do to improve how you look at life, and
Why being kind to yourself is absolutely essential to build resilience

Now if you’re thinking this episode will be all sombre and sad, think again – in fact re-frame those thoughts right now coz you be wrong sista!

Enjoy this episode!

Interview

Allison Kent-Smith – Not your Typical Entrepreneur

June 22, 2021June 29, 2021
by Claire

Our episode this week features an American woman who abandoned the security and prestige of working with some of the world’s most sought after ad agencies to start her own businesses.

Her name is Allison Kent Smith and one thing that really stands out about her is that she has consciously refused to pretend to be someone she’s not when trying to find VC investors for her startup.

That startup, giide.com, is a new platform for creating rich audio learning experiences featuring a host of multimedia options such as links, articles and graphics.

In our conversation you’ll hear how

Allison has experienced a few seminal moments when she just knew she had to leap out of her comfort zone work-wise
What a Silicon Valley VC told her when she met with him for funding that nearly made her give up
Why she asks herself how can she do less when she wakes up
And how she’s found her tribe of investors and supporters by staying true to herself

So sit back and enjoy this episode with the not so typical entrepreneur, Allison Kent Smith.

Useful Links

Giide Website

iOS app in the app store

Allison on LinkedIn

Interview

Michelle Garnaut AO – Fabulous Stories from One of…

December 17, 2019March 19, 2020
by Claire

Our guest this week has taken the road less travelled, and pioneered her industry in Hong Kong and China for more than 30 years. We’re talking about one of Asia’s most celebrated restaurateurs, and a philanthropist as well, Michelle Garnaut AO.

Michelle grew up in Australia but always knew she wanted to travel. The fact she founded and launched her business, the M Restaurant Group, in Hong Kong in the late 1980s makes her one of the first independent restaurateurs to set up shop anywhere in Hong Kong or China.

Time Magazine has even described Michelle as an ‘industry celebrity’ and someone who ‘pioneered the fashionable-dining scene in China’.

Michelle is well known for the upscale restaurants and bars she’s created and launched in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing – including M on the Bund restaurant still delighting diners in Shanghai.

She’s also committed to giving back, and founded the Shanghai International Literary Festival the M Literary Residency, the Village People Project and the women’s initiative, Mentor Walks, which she started in Beijing.

Michelle has won numerous international entrepreneurial awards and accolades, and last year was awarded an Order of Australia for her numerous contributions to business and society.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Michelle became one of the most successful fine-dining restaurateurs in China
Her hard fought lessons about starting and running a business
Why she started out with her cash locked in a fridge, and
How she had to fight to win back control of her business.

We think you’ll just love Michelle’s amazing stories and all-round fabulousness.

Happy listening!

Interesting Links

Michelle’s Restaurant in Shanghai – M on the Bund

M on the Bund on Facebook

M on the Bund on Weibo

Mentor Walks China

Mentor Walks Australia

Scan to Follow M on the Bund on WeChat

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:42 — 36.5MB) | Embed

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Interview

June Dally Watkins – Redefining What’s Possible for Women…

November 19, 2019
by admin

This week’s guest is a woman who at the age of 92 is still inspiring thousands of women to be the “best they can be!”. We’re talking about the incredible doyenne of etiquette and deportment, June Dally Watkins.

Miss Dally, as she is known, grew up on a sheep farm and attended a one teacher bush school in regional Australia. Her teacher told her mother that she “would be an absolute failure in life”. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

At 22, June became Australia’s Fashion Model of the Year and soon became Australia’s first supermodel. She lived the high life as part of the global jetset becoming great friends with Hollywood stars Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby and Gregory Peck (who asked her to marry him!).

When she came back to Australia she started her now famous etiquette and deportment business which made her one of Australia’s first female entrepreneurs. The June Dally Watkins School has gone on to change thousands and thousands of people’s lives.

She is now, at 92 years of age, an absolute sensation in China where she goes for weeks at a time to teach thousands to be “the best they can be”.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How hard it was to be one of the first business women in Australia when women were expected to play the traditional housewife role
Why June pushed through condemnation and criticism to build her business
How she came to be so in demand in China in her 90’s
And her advice on how to stay young.

Enjoy this episode with the delightful and determined June Dally Watkins.

Useful Links

June Dally Watkins Website (JDW)

Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend Article on June Dally Watkins

JDW on Facebook

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:35 — 30.9MB) | Embed

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How To Episode

How to Have a Difficult Conversation

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019
by admin

We get it, no-one likes having a difficult conversation do they?

Yet, it’s a fact of life that we all need to instigate them at different times both at work and at home. And if you want to be successful at work, it’s fair to say that having constructive difficult conversations is a skill you just need to master.

But difficult conversations are hard because they often illicit emotion. Hence many of us procrastinate or dodge conversations that we know we really should have, which can lead to resentment and festering emotions.

Procrastinate no more! This week we provide you with some simple tips and tools to help you navigate these tricky situations.

In fact, we teach how to have difficult work conversations in our leadership programs at companies around the world, including Google, Pinterest, Uber, etc, and our participants tell us that these skills really help.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Practical steps you can take to ensure your difficult conversations go as well as possible
Why it’s so important to have difficult conversations
A super useful way to give feedback well
And, how to say No

Plus, you get to hear an, almost, Oscar-winning feedback role-play (if we say so ourselves)!

So don’t delay that difficult conversation you’ve been putting off – click below and have a listen and then try it for real!

You’ve got this!

Oh and email us at claireandgreta@dontstopusnow.co if you’d like us to send you our Values Assessment Exercise.

Useful Links

The SBI Feedback Model

Additional Reading:

Crucial Conversations – Tools for Talking When Stake are High by Kerry Paterson

Radical Candour by Kim Scott Malone

What’s Worst Than Having a Difficult Conversation? Avoiding One! by Deborah Rowland – HBR article

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:38 — 20.9MB) | Embed

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