business woman Archives - Page 2 of 2

Kristina Karlsson – Tough Times Never Last But Tough…

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020
by Claire

Our guest this week is Kristina Karlsson, the entrepreneur and founder of global Swedish design and stationery business, kikki.K.

What’s unprecedented about this episode is that just as we were in the process of putting this out to the world, Kristina’s beloved nearly 20 year old business fell in to Administration with the latest news saying they are looking for buyers or investors to keep the business alive.

When we recorded our interview with Kristina just a few weeks ago she talked about challenging times in retail but, not surprisingly, she didn’t go into details of the current situation.

What we’ve been struck by is how positive and strong Kristina is, even now in her social posts. And that comes through so strongly in this episode where you’ll hear about:

The ups and downs of starting your own retail business and how tough you need to be
Kristina’s passion for having dreams and chasing them (She’s also written a book called ‘Your Dream Life Starts Here’ to inspire others to write down and chase their dreams.)
How she credits becoming a Mother with giving her more balance
And the quirky yet ingenious way Kristina learnt to perfect her business English early on!

Plus, 3 lucky listeners have the chance to win a copy of Kristina’s book here but hurry, entries close in a few weeks.

We’re sending loads of positive energy and good wishes to all involved with kikki.K and hope the business survives.

Now without further ado enjoy this conversation with the inspiring and positive Kristina Karlsson.

Links of Interest

Kristina on Instagram

Kristina on LinkedIn

Your Dream Life Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:16 — 31.5MB) | Embed

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Interview

Mandy Birch – On Being Yourself (in a Man’s…

February 25, 2020
by Claire

Our guest this week is former military leader and now Quantum Computing pioneer, Mandy Birch.

Born and bred in the USA, Mandy is super qualified . . . she has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT; another Masters in in Military Operational Art & Science, and a third Masters in International Relations!

Mandy’s entire career has been in male dominated industries. She spent 16 years climbing to senior ranks in the United States Air Force and now she’s working on Quantum Computing with a company called Rigetti. Rigetti is one of four companies (Sept 2019) to have a fully operational quantum computer.

During our conversation, we were fascinated to hear how Mandy only truly thrived in her career in the military when she learnt to be herself. She talks about how important it has been to her career to feel comfortable in her own skin, even when she was different to nearly everyone else in the room.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How to summarise Quantum Computing in a single sentence
How being under-estimated became a positive and shaped Mandy’s leadership style
Why she believes over-planning your career can be a problem
And why getting used to being different and seeing the value in that made all the difference.

Enjoy this episode with the passionate and mission-driven Mandy Birch.

Links of Interest

Mandy on LinkedIn

Rigetti Computing

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Interview

Cecilia Tham – Predicting the Future

February 11, 2020
by Claire

If you’ve ever wondered about what we’ll all be eating in 10-15 years time then this is the episode for you!

Our guest is Barcelona-based Cecilia Tham, a Social Technologist and Futurist. She happens to have the coolest day job working for Alpha, which is Telefonica’s innovation arm briefed to build moonshots to address some of society’s biggest problems, including the future of food.

Cecilia was raised in Macau, attended high school and Harvard university in the US, and then found herself in Spain having to start from scratch, language included. She describes herself as an entrepreneur by heart, a designer and biologist by training, and a maker for life.

On her journey to working at Alpha, she founded and co-founded 3 separate ventures including a Maker cafe, a co-working community, and a coding and tech academy for women.

We think you’ll find Cecilia’s life and career lessons really inspiring. In particular you’ll learn:

How Cecilia’s former husband’s gift of a sewing machine first insulted her and then led to her uncovering a passion and her first entrepreneurial venture
What ‘Trim Tabbing’ is and why it makes her more productive
How Cecilia managed to turn her mindset around and be comfortable being different to everyone else in the room
And…. how she and her colleagues are looking at future scenarios where you’ll be able to grow an entire meal, including meat and veg, with the one plant – yes you read that right – grow your dinner!

Enjoy this episode with the multi-talented and dynamic Cecilia Tham.

Links of Interest

Cecilia’s website

Alpha

Makers of Barcelona (MOB)

FAB Cafe

allwomen AI Training School

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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

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Interview

Laura Anderson – On A Mission to Mars

December 3, 2019December 3, 2019
by Claire

This week’s guest has an insatiable passion for learning and the future and she has the career portfolio to prove it! We’re talking about international company director, entrepreneur and global philanthropist, Laura Anderson.

Laura grew up near Chicago in the US. She found out early on that she was good at maths and loved ideas and set about immersing herself in areas that fascinated her. As a girl she wanted to be an astronaut and to this day is convinced the Space Program is critically important. And yes, she’s passionate about humans getting to Mars!

Laura’s “why not?” attitude ultimately led her to a career in the technology industry where she worked around the world for companies such as HP, KPMG and Perot Systems, as well as starting her own successful supply chain company.

Laura is now based in Australia where she has a full and fascinating portfolio of local and international interests and directorships including being Chair of LaunchVic (a Government organisation to foster a start-up ecosystem), the Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Technology in Schools, and SVI Global Pty Ltd.

She’s also on the boards of: the Fulbright Commission, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Epworth HealthCare, the National Basketball League, and the Defence Science Institute.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Laura goes about influencing people, particularly in a male dominated environment
What tools and tactics she uses to manage her mindset
How she thinks about her global network
Her advice to entrepreneurs
And the reasons why she’s on a Mission to Mars!

Sit back, buckle up and enjoy this episode with the very accomplished and delightful Laura Anderson.

Links of Interest

Laura’s Website

Laura on Twitter

Laura on Instagram

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:28 — 34.4MB) | Embed

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Interview

Jordy Fu – Child Prodigy Artist to Sought After…

October 8, 2019
by admin

This episode features a super creative thinker and former child prodigy who’s on a quest to bring beauty and emotion to all that she creates and builds. We’re talking about renown architect, interior designer, fashion designer and artist, Jordy Fu.

Jordy grew up in Chengdu in China. At the age of just six years old, 200 pieces of Jordy’s art work were exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Beijing Capital Museum. By the time she was seven a book of her artworks had been published!

Jordy went on to study in London at the iconic art school, Central Saint Martins, before qualifying as an architect and eventually starting her own multi-disciplinary firm.

Now based in Bangkok, Jordy and her team work on a diverse range of projects… and Jordy in particular works on everything from iconic buildings in China to statement fashion pieces for the runways in Dubai.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why she believes most architects are boring
Why being a child prodigy can make you feel like a failure when you’re an adult
How she manages to juggle multiple projects and be a parent; and
How she’s trained herself to have a positive attitude, and how you can too ….

If you aspire to be more creative or have a more positive mindset, then don’t miss this episode!

Jordy as a six year old at Beijing Capital Musuem; artwork she drew as a five year old; Jordy’s fashion collection at Dubai Fashion Week; putting the final touches on her paper chandelier; Jordy in her egg chair in her office; Greta Thomas, Jordy Fu and Claire Hatton in her Bangkok office; one of Jordy’s architectural designs.

Links of Interest

Marques & Jordy Website

Jordy’s TED Talk

Jordy on Linkedin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:21 — 37.1MB) | Embed

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Interview

Cyan Ta’eed – From Imposter Syndrome to Rich List

July 2, 2019
by admin

Our guest this week is a serial entrepreneur and one of Australia’s richest and most successful women. She’s also one of the humblest and most honest people you’re likely to meet. We’re talking about Cyan Ta’eed, Co-Founder of digital marketplaces business, Envato, and Founder of ethical luxury chocolate company, Hey Tiger and Milkshake, a new app for Instagram influencers.

Cyan is a true creative and started her career as a graphic designer. However after a brief stint working for someone else she decided working for herself was the way to go. She and her then boyfriend, started a side hustle to sell stock photographs and digital assets to other creatives.

Fast forward 13 years and Envato, the name of that marketplaces company, is now worth more than A$1bn, employs over 500 people and has more than one billion digital goods for sale. Not only that, but Cyan has gone on to start, amongst other things, Hey Tiger, a chocolate social enterprise aimed at women as well as her latest start up Milkshake, a website building app for Instagrammers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Cyan and her husband, Collis, took the Envato business from zero to being valued at over AU$1bn without any real plan
How an eye ulcer and sleep deprivation led her to start her chocolate social venture Hey Tiger
What she did to get over her “massive imposter syndrome”
Why she views self care as a non-negotiable
Her learnings about difficult conversations

Enjoy this episode with the inspiring and down-to-earth Cyan Ta’eed.

Serial entrepreneur and rich lister Cyan Ta’eed & her husband Collis. Cyan with her Hey Tiger chocolate brand which is designed for women with a social conscience and a love for amazing chocolate …yes please!

Episode links

Cyan’s personal Insta

Hey Tiger Insta

Hey Tiger website – order your chocolate here (delivery to Australia, NZ & US for now)

Milkshake Insta

Envato Insta

Envato website

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Interview

Caroline Issa – Feel the Fear and Do It…

June 4, 2019
by admin

Our guest this week has a habit of saying “yes” to things she doesn’t know how to do… such as designing women’s wear collections for Nordstrom when she’d never designed clothes before!

We’re talking about the unbelievably stylish entrepreneur, Caroline Issa, the CEO of the Tank group which includes the revered global fashion and culture magazine, Tank Magazine. Despite her quiet humility she’s also a fashion influencer and paparazzi favourite.

Caroline started her career as a management consultant working in San Francisco, Singapore and London. One day a friend introduced her to the Founder of Tank Magazine, and she fell in love with the business. Much to the horror of her family and friends she left her big expat consulting gig and became CEO of the fledgling business. That was 17 years ago.

Fast forward to today and Tank is one of the few boutique global print magazines still thriving. What’s more, the business has grown to include a creative agency and Caroline is constantly innovating and embarking on new projects including designing those aforementioned clothing collections for Nordstrom.

Whether she’s supporting other story tellers, advocating for young talent, working with cultural institutions or designing clothing collections, Caroline Issa has learnt the benefits of saying ‘yes’ to the opportunities that come her way.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The ‘one’ thing you must know about running a business
How Caroline found a way to succeed in the fashion world despite ignoring the advice she’d been given
What makes her say ‘yes’ to opportunities even when she feels terrified
Why she’s reassessing how she uses social media.

So without further ado, enjoy this discussion with the inspiringly positive and courageous Caroline Issa.

Links

Caroline on Instagram

Caroline on Linkedin

Tank Magazine on Instagram

Tank Magazine website

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

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