women in leadership Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

Future Proof Me – Career Decisions

October 26, 2021October 26, 2021
by Claire

Welcome to this week’s mini episode all about how you should think about career opportunities. Making career decisions can be really stressful can’t it?

One guest who made a big impression on us with her career advice is the well known Australasian leader, Michelle Guthrie.

Michelle has had an international career including being CEO of Star TV in Asia, a senior executive at Google in Asia, and she was Managing Director of Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC – a term which ended in great controversy and was a challenging time for all involved.

Michelle really believes all of us need to take a few more risks and think about our careers with the long term in mind. She also has great advice on how we need to back ourselves more and trust we’ll figure it out even if it seems really daunting.

So if you’re in need of some reassurance and perspective on a career decision, then this is ten minutes you need to spend right now!

Useful Links

Our Full Interview with Michelle Guthrie

Michelle on LinkedIn

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Raising Girls

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021
by Claire

This week’s mini episode is a tribute to all parents and everything they do for their children, particularly when they raise their daughters and sons to believe that women can be CEOs, adventurers and innovators.

When we thought of all that parents do, we were reminded of our conversation with the wonderful social entrepreneur Navyn Salem who has 4 daughters. She started a social business called Edesia Nutrition aiming to end malnutrition in the world.

Edesia produces a life saving formulation called Plumpy Nut which is given to very malnourished and unwell children in developing countries. So far this mission-driven business has nourished more than 14 million children in 60 countries to date.

When we spoke to Navyn nearly 3 years ago, we asked her about how she manages the juggle of leading her business and raising 4 daughters. We also asked her about how she thinks about what she’s role modelling for her four young girls, and it’s pretty inspiring.

Enjoy this mini episode – a tribute to all parents everywhere.

Useful Links

Our full interview with Navyn

Edesia Nutrition website

How To Be A Great People Person

June 9, 2021
by Claire

This week’s episode is all about becoming a great ‘people person’. It’s something we believe is probably the most important trait of a great leader.

Of course, it’s not always easy to do, particularly these days when many of us are working from home at least some part of each week.

Thanks to Covid, we’re all losing a bit of ‘muscle tone’ when it comes to building and maintaining healthy working relationships with our colleagues, direct reports and networks.

But fear not as we have just the info you need to hear to reinvigorate your working life!

In this episode you’ll hear:

How one CEO was advised not to think she was running a company and instead to think of it as managing a group of individuals;
Great advice on the key ingredients for strong working relationships even when everyone is working remotely;
What mistake younger women make in particular when it comes to interactions at work;
And the one special ingredient you need to build enduring relationships in ways that are otherwise impossible.

So rediscover the ‘people person’ you want to be, and enjoy this episode!

Useful Links

Link to Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas Interview

Link to Connie Mckeage Interview

The Trust Equation by Charles Green

Interview

Connie Mckeage – Resilience and Perspective

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021
by Claire

This week, we’re really thrilled to be able to share our conversation with experienced founder, CEO and all round impressive operator, Connie Mckeage.

Connie recently sold OneVue, the listed fintech business she ran in Sydney for 14 years. It was a dramatic journey at times, particularly when OneVue was left being owed $31 million dollars by another company which had collapsed.

Connie is Canadian and has spent most of her career in financial services. With OneVue she and her 200 employees were looking to disrupt the funds management market by creating a new digital model that aimed to cut out the middleman and reduce fees for end investors.

Connie has an impressive list of awards to her name including being awarded the Centenary Medal for contribution to Australian business leadership; as well as twice being named CEO of the Year at the Women in Finance Awards, including last year at the same time she was fighting to keep her business afloat when it was owed $31 million.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How Connie started her career in financial services by accident
How she dealt with her husband’s vehement opposition to her business for years on end
What she learnt from the hardest 18 months of her career; and
Her advice if you’re looking to disrupt an industry.

So get comfy and listen now because Connie has such wise and thoughtful insights on so many topics …

Useful Link

Connie on LinkedIn

Interview

Heidi Hackemer – On Navigating the Worst

April 27, 2021June 1, 2021
by Claire

We have a very special episode this week because we’re sharing the vulnerable story of how one of our guests was subsequently fired from a high profile role in the US and how she navigated her way through the dark times that followed.

That guest is Heidi Hackemer and what she shares in this episode is so generous and valuable for all of us to hear; after all nothing is permanent and plans fall over on a regular basis.

Heidi is a leading creative who had her own brand agency in New York and also headed up the Creative Studio at the philanthropic Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) in California.

Not long after our first conversation with Heidi in July 2018 things went wrong, very wrong. Heidi was fired from CZI and not only that, when she got back to New York, she had to close her brand strategy agency, W&W too. We learnt about this because Heidi wrote an extremely brave and vulnerable article on Medium (link below) describing what had happened and how low she was feeling.

Admiring her generous honesty, we reached out to her just as COVID was taking hold everywhere round the world last year. Heidi agreed to speak with us.

After our conversation, we made a decision not to publish the interview last year, as it just felt too raw. With Heidi’s permission, we’ve all agreed that now is the right time to share the story she has been so generous in sharing with us. She’s well and truly bounced back from the lows she describes and is now the Executive Creative Director for North America at the booming global company, Oatly.

In this episode Heidi shares:

How, after being fired, she initially couldn’t stop worrying about money
Her advice for others who lose their jobs
Heidi’s generous sharing of all the things she did to pull herself out of depression and bounce back,
And the inspiring reason she shared her extraordinary piece on Medium

Even if you are securely employed right now, we really recommend you listen to this unique conversation. And if you know someone who’s lost their job make sure they listen to this too! They’ll thank you later.

Enjoy this episode with the generous, and very thoughtful, Heidi Hackemer …

Useful Links

Our first conversation with Heidi in July 2018

Medium article that prompted this second interview

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – It’s Not Personal!

April 6, 2021
by Claire

This week’s mini episode is about keeping things in perspective and not taking things personally at work. We hear great advice from one of our wisest guests, Julia Paige, Uber’s global head of Social Impact.

How often have you been rattled by something someone has said to you at work, then spent hours ruminating and worrying about how you’re perceived by others?

We both have in our time, and the wasted hours of angst trying to second-guess the motivations of others or their perceptions of us, were truly a waste of time.

Spare yourself the pain and check out this mini episode to help you realise if it’s work …it’s not personal!

Useful Links

Link to Julia’s full interview

Julia on LinkedIn

Interview

Ronni Kahn – The More You Give, the More…

January 19, 2021
by Claire

Hello, Happy New Year and welcome to our first episode for 2021!

We couldn’t think of a better guest to start the year with than social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn, the Founder and CEO of OzHarvest.

Ronni is a South African who’s lived in Australia for many years. The story of how she founded and then grew OzHarvest is really quite something.

If you’re not familiar with OzHarvest, it’s Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, ensuring that quality, untouched food from supermarkets and big events gets delivered to provide meals for those in need and saving good food going to landfill.

Incredibly OzHarvest has delivered 160 million meals in Australia to date. Plus, it’s expanded overseas as well.

Ronni recently released her memoir, called A Repurposed Life and we explore her fascinating life and career journey in this episode including:

How Ronni’s early life, from growing up in South Africa, to living on a kibbutz in Israel helped shape her ultimate purpose to end food waste
How her earlier entrepreneurial endeavours with florist shops, pyramid-selling skin care, and a flourishing events business, helped her build her self confidence and enabled her to think bigger
How OzHarvest has had to pivot and adapt through COVID, and
Why Ronni advises you not to wait to give more than you get

If you’re looking to find your purpose, get some inspiration or hear how someone else has made career transitions then don’t miss this episode with the focused and impressive Ronni Kahn.

Useful Links

Ronni’s Book – A Repurposed Life

OzHarvest website

Interview

Michelle Guthrie – Playing the Long Game

December 15, 2020
by Claire

Brought to you by Microsoft’s The New Next

We can’t think of a better note to finish 2020 on than this week’s episode with an incredible woman and international leader, Michelle Guthrie.

Michelle may be best known for her time as Managing Director at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation which is Australia’s equivalent to the UK’s BBC). She was dismissed halfway through her contract amidst great public controversy.

Prior to her role with the ABC, Michelle spent much of her career based in Asia where she was CEO of Star TV with more than 4,000 staff; and she also spent 5 years at Google Asia Pacific as a Managing Director there.

Nowadays, Michelle sits on a number of company boards and advises tech companies on scaling globally.

We had a really fascinating and uplifting conversation with Michelle and you’ll hear how:

Michelle transitioned her career from lawyer to global media and technology executive
Joining Google after running Star TV was a bit of a culture shock
She bounced back from her very public end at the ABC and how she thinks of this time;
And, hear her views on women being held to different standards in business.

We really loved this open conversation with Michelle and think you will too. Don’t miss this one!

Holiday Wishes from Us

This is our last episode for 2020 as we take a break and recharge our batteries. The podcast will be back again on 20th January featuring a great conversation with the amazing social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn.

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful, happy and healthy festive season (if you’re celebrating) and great transition to the New Year.

If you enjoy our podcast and would like to make our year a little brighter then please rate and review our show on your podcasting platform of choice. We’ve heard Santa really rates people who do this too! 😉

Useful Links

Michelle on LinkedIn

Board’s Michelle Sits On:

Maria MacNamara – On Reinvention

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020
by Claire

Our guest on the show this week is someone who’s a textbook case in career reinvention.

Maria MacNamara completely reinvented her career after two and a half decades working in professional services. After finally getting sick of what she describes as misogyny and bad behaviour, Maria knew she had to call it quits and leave professional services for something completely different.

Now, that’s not to say professional services today has the same issues Maria experienced, and Maria is the complete diplomat on this topic, but suffice to say she needed a change and knew she wanted to do something completely different.

And so she did! Maria worked in politics and government in completely different roles including digital transformation for a number of years and immersed herself in the startup world. Today Maria’s role is CEO of Advance which is all about connecting global Australians with one another and to Australia, in order to create economic and cultural opportunities, collaborations, investments and innovations.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How being an immigrant set Maria up for successful reinvention
What it takes to reinvent your career
Maria’s principles for successful innovation, and
Her advice on networking and connecting.

Enjoy this episode with the constantly learning and always connecting Maria MacNamara.

Useful Links

Start-ups Maria has Mentored

1. Stone & Chalk and its new acquisition Ribit.net
2. Faethm.ai
3. Curious Thing
4. WithYouWithMe
5. Hyper Anna
6. Startup Muster

Interview

Mitra Azizirad – How Resilience and Persistence Can Make…

June 16, 2020June 17, 2020
by Claire

This week’s episode features a trailblazing woman in tech who’s had an extraordinary 28 year career at Microsoft.

Mitra Azizirad is Corporate Vice President of AI and Innovation Marketing at Microsoft based in Seattle.

As you’ll discover, Mitra’s heard it all, including a senior Defence executive telling her he had shoes older than she was! This indomitable woman has also got used to hearing plenty of ‘No’s’ at work but has repeatedly found ways to prove the naysayers wrong.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How it’s almost an accident Mitra got into tech in the first place, given she studied and wanted to work in International Relations
What it was like being Chief of Staff to the CEO of Microsoft and why she turned the job down several times in the first place
Why she’s never taken anyone’s advice
And the secrets of innovation she’s learnt from working on the cutting edge of technology.

We spoke with Mitra in Seattle during the coronavirus shutdown but before the Black Lives Matter protests.

Without further ado enjoy this episode with the forward thinking and very persistent Mitra Azizirad.

Links of interest

Mitra on LinkedIn – see her speeches here too! Well worth a look!

Microsoft Innovation – Mitra’s team

Microsoft AI – also Mitra’s team

Microsoft’s AI Business School – Free Course