The Spotlight Series - Don’t just survive, thrive!: Recent Episodes
Nicola Steel
Welcome to "The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive”. Season 1 was launched to help people through the pandemic by talking to a variety of experts about topics such as psychology, finance and health. Season 2 focused on more work related issues including HR, marketing and leadership. Now it is time for Season 3! Season 3 is centred on the IT industry, specifically tech startups. There are also Career Spotlights from senior IT people revealing the secrets to their impressive career trajectories.Your host is Nicola Steel, founder of JJP Talent Solutions, an Australian IT recruitment company. For over 20 years, she has helped tech startups and innovative SMEs to attract, recruit and retain technical talent.
In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founding Director of JJP Talent Solutions, talks to Ceri Jury, Founder of Advancer and a seasoned HR leader with over 20 years of experience in workforce development and leadership transformation. Ceri takes us through her career journey, starting from pivotal HR roles in government and Queensland Health to her bold leap into the world of AI-driven innovation with Advancer.ai - Australia’s first AI-powered HR platform.
Ceri shares the vision behind Advancer, which has been providing affordable and cutting-edge HR solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises for nearly nine years. Advancer’s AI co-pilot helps HR teams streamline tasks, improve compliance, and deliver fast, culturally relevant HR advice - all while enabling HR professionals to shift focus toward strategic leadership initiatives.
We explore the early challenges of transitioning from a structured corporate environment to the fast-paced tech startup space, from finding the right technical partners to building a capable team to develop AI solutions. Ceri highlights the unique struggles faced by women founders and the importance of supportive networks, mentorship and accelerator programs in fostering collaboration and innovation.
The conversation also covers how Advancer ensures its AI-powered tools are ethically developed, adhering to the highest standards of trust and data security. Ceri talks about the company’s future plans, including customising AI solutions for specific organisational needs, expanding to international markets, and forging strategic partnerships with other apps.
As a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ceri shares effective strategies for fostering diverse teams, empowering employees with flexible working arrangements, and encouraging creative problem-solving.
Finally, Ceri discusses the transformative potential of AI in HR over the coming years, envisioning a future where AI automates repetitive tasks, freeing HR leaders to focus on higher-level strategic thinking and innovation; without replacing the essential human element.
Listen now to discover what’s next for Advancer and to access an exclusive 50% discount on their AI package using the code "podcast."
In this episode of The Spotlight Series - Don’t Just Survive, Thrive, Nicola Steel chats with Mike Nedelko, a seasoned product executive with over 20 years of experience.
Mike’s career journey is unique - starting in Germany, where his family built and sold sailboats, to creating a golf event business that funded his university education. After living and working in China, he helped launch a new business unit at Cyberlink before moving on to work with global companies like Microsoft, Google, and IBM.
Mike shares how AI and machine learning are transforming the field of product management, shifting away from traditional development cycles to more iterative, data-driven approaches. He emphasises the need for product managers to understand AI models, data science and emerging trends such as the "agentisation" of AI, where specialised AI agents collaborate to solve complex problems.
We also dive into the ethical challenges AI poses, particularly around intellectual property and the risks of AI-generated content impacting human creativity. Mike offers his insights into balancing AI innovation with preserving human originality, and how product managers can lead AI-driven teams to success.
Whether you’re passionate about AI, product management, or navigating today’s tech landscape, this episode offers a wealth of insights from Mike’s incredible career.
Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, sits down with James Hallahan, Founder of Subscribr. Subscribr is a user-friendly platform designed to help people consolidate and manage all their subscriptions in one place. James shares his journey from selling real estate on the Mornington Peninsula to launching a tech startup aimed at tackling a common financial problem.
Highlights from the Episode:
- From Real Estate to Tech Startup: James discusses his career shift from selling houses to founding Subscribr. The idea was sparked during the COVID-19 lockdowns, as he moved from a small coastal town to the expensive city of Melbourne. Realising he was spending a significant amount on various unused subscriptions, James saw a widespread issue that needed solving.
- Overcoming Challenges as a Non-Technical Founder: Despite his non-technical background, James learned to code with Python to create a basic prototype. He shares his struggles in finding a technical partner and managing the company's finances, and how he successfully navigated these hurdles to launch Subscribr.
- Advice for Aspiring Founders: James emphasises the importance of finding a technical co-founder early on, building a solid network, and being resilient. His journey is a testament to the power of persistence, even when faced with daily setbacks.
- Subscribr's Vision and Future Plans: James reveals his long-term vision for Subscribr, aiming to create a comprehensive financial wellness platform that helps users understand and improve their relationship with money. He also talks about the team's growth and their plans to introduce new features based on user feedback.
- Personal Reflections and Advice: James offers candid advice to his younger self about the importance of not worrying about others' opinions and focusing on what makes you happy.
Check out Subscribr in the App Store and provide your feedback.
Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, sits down with Andrew Pedley, co-founder of Carbonaught, a pioneering company dedicated to delivering scalable carbon removal solutions and enhancing food security worldwide. Andrew brings a wealth of experience from his extensive corporate career in investment banking and mining to his innovative approach in the environmental tech space.
Andrew shares the compelling journey that led him to start Carbonaught, driven by a mix of necessity and frustration with the status quo. He reflects on the critical moments and thought processes that fueled the inception of the company, including his desire to create a meaningful and impactful business. We dive into the challenges Carbonaught faced in its early days, from complex logistics to market validation loops, and how they navigated these hurdles with a small but dedicated team.
We also explore Andrew’s approach to building a team, where he prioritises kinship and intellectual horsepower aligned with the company's mission. Andrew offers insights into the strategies that secured funding for Carbonaught, including the pivotal moments when the company gained international recognition, solidifying their path to success.
Throughout the conversation, Andrew provides candid advice for startup founders, emphasising the importance of building something solid, staying true to your vision, and creating your own validation layers. He also shares his skeptical view on mentorship, advocating instead for the value of having "co-pilots" who have navigated similar challenges.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, carbon removal technologies, and the journey of transforming a bold idea into a successful, impactful company. Whether you're in the early stages of your startup or just curious about the future of carbon removal, Andrew's story will inspire and inform.
In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founding Director of JJP Talent Solutions, talks with Kent Bolton, the Chief Technology Officer at Foodini, who brings two decades of experience from both corporate and startup environments. Kent shares his fascinating career journey, highlighting his initial role as an analyst programmer, moving through various positions in tech sales, and even running his own company. His path led him back to the tech space as a business sales project manager before taking on the CTO role at Foodini.
Kent delves into the differences between working in large corporations and startups. He explains how startups offer a more direct and immediate approach, with transparent differences of opinion and the ability to get products to market quickly. In contrast, larger corporations are characterised by more predictable processes and extended timelines.
Throughout the conversation, Kent emphasises his passion for technology and creativity, discussing how his diverse roles have shaped his approach to tech leadership. He shares insights on the importance of strategy, understanding processes and fostering high-quality outcomes.
Kent also touches on the challenges he's faced, particularly in understanding and communicating with people from diverse backgrounds. He discusses his continuous effort to improve leadership skills and the importance of recognising personal strengths and weaknesses.
To stay up-to-date with technological advancements, Kent dedicates time daily to reading about relevant topics and running multiple servers and tools. He highlights the importance of transparency and empowering team members to make decisions in their areas of expertise.
Kent introduces Foodini's mission, which began with an ex-lawyer's passion to solve food allergy issues. He describes how Foodini aims to make finding safe food for people with allergies and lifestyle diets simple and accurate, using AI tools to gather menu data.
Finally, Kent offers advice for those considering transitioning from corporate environments to startups. He underscores the need for adaptability, communication, and involvement in the startup setting, and emphasises the importance of finding roles that align with one's skills and passions.
Tune in for an engaging discussion filled with valuable lessons and insights from Kent Bolton's extensive experience in the tech industry.
In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions talks to Jonathan Milgate, Chief Technology Officer at Camplify.
Jonathan is a seasoned tech leader with an impressive career spanning 20 years in various roles and industries. With a background in Software & Systems Development, Jonathan has worked with startups, multinationals and government. His passion for agile software delivery from a technical and cultural perspective has shaped his leadership style and approach to fostering a culture of innovation.
Jonathan shares insights from his pivotal moment of choosing leadership as a career, not just a promotion, and discusses how he fosters a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety within his teams. He highlights the importance of retrospectives, individual learning and the autonomy to solve problems.
We delve into Jonathan's daily routines and habits that contribute to his success, such as his love for walking his dog, listening to podcasts and networking with other tech leaders. He also provides invaluable advice to aspiring tech leaders, emphasising the need for continual learning and a broad knowledge of technology.
Finally, Jonathan reflects on the best advice he has received: to take one step at a time and understand that "good enough" is often good enough. Tune in for an inspiring conversation filled with practical tips and wisdom for anyone looking to advance their career in tech leadership.
In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, talks to Alex Ferguson, a visionary tech leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience in AI, startups and leadership. Alex has an impressive track record in driving innovation and building successful tech teams.
Alex describes his diverse background, including an engineering degree in Aerospace, a degree in Chinese from the University of Queensland, and a Master’s degree from Taiwan. He provides unique insights from over a decade of experience in engineering, design and helping businesses embrace digital and AI-driven transformations.
Alex and Nicola discuss the challenges faced by startups, from navigating rules and regulations to seeking innovative opportunities in today's tech landscape. Alex shares fascinating stories of helping customers bring transformative ideas to life within organisations, focusing on technology and problem-solving.
Alex talks about how to avoid common pitfalls in startups, such as not solving the right problem, managing cash flow and building the right team. He discusses strategies for attracting top talent and the importance of self-reflection in leadership. Alex emphasises the value of surrounding yourself with smarter individuals, avoiding micromanagement and allowing team members to excel in their areas of expertise.
Alex also focuses on AI automation, ethical considerations in AI design and training, and the most exciting emerging tech trends. From AI agents to augmented reality, Nicola and Alex explore how these advancements will shape the future.
In this episode, Nicola Steel speaks to Dawid Naude who is Co-Founder of Pathfindr.ai, an AI innovation studio.
Dawid shares his journey from a tech-curious kid to a leader in AI and innovation. He began his career with a 5-year stint as an Associate Director at NAB Financial Markets.
Dawid's career took a pivotal turn when he joined Accenture, where he quickly transitioned to senior roles in AI, Salesforce, Cloud, Digital and the Metaverse.
Inspired by colleagues who successfully launched and sold their businesses, Dawid saw an opportunity to start something focused on AI. This led to the creation of Pathfindr with a mission to help businesses embrace AI and amplify its impact.
Dawid discusses the challenges of growing his team, particularly hiring senior staff with high salaries, and the importance of generating quality leads. His strategy focused on creating demand before worrying about supply, significantly enhancing Pathfindr's lead generation approach.
For aspiring founders, Dawid advises making your business about you, positioning yourself as an industry influencer and developing a robust lead generation strategy. Reflecting on his journey, he emphasises embracing risk early and understanding that discomfort often signals growth.
Dawid describes entrepreneurship as an intense learning experience, teaching him more in 16 weeks than the past 10 years. Despite longer hours, he feels more energised than ever and encourages others to give entrepreneurship a try and learn from those who routinely start businesses.
Justin Hennessy has over 20 years experience in the software industry growing several startups to successful acquisition including RedEye, Outfit.io and Neto eCommerce. He has extensive technical expertise coupled with a passion for leadership and empowering people to reach their potential.
Beginning his adventure in software development back in 1997 in Adelaide, Justin quickly expanded his expertise into networking, routing, switching and data centres. Not just a technical wizard, he also excels in project management, coaching and leadership, skills honed over decades in the industry.
From a young age, he was drawn to technology. At just 8 or 9 years old, Justin was already programming, painstakingly handwriting code from magazines into his first computer. By high school, he was running his own IT support business, showcasing an entrepreneurial spirit that would serve him well in his career.
Discover how he landed his first leadership role, stepping up during a critical moment when the founder of his company had to leave. This pivotal experience taught him the importance of courage and seizing opportunities, a key piece of advice for aspiring leaders.
Learn about his approach to enabling team members to reach their highest potential by granting them autonomy and pushing decision-making power to the execution level. Justin shares what he looks for in team members, emphasising the need for leaders who understand the business context before implementing changes.
Justin also dives into the chaotic yet exhilarating world of startups, explaining the balance between chaos and scaling, and the rewarding challenge of getting the business formula right.
For those looking to grow startups, Justin shares the importance of transparency, clear communication, and having a people-centric leader with a clear vision. His recommended reads, including Stephen Covey’s "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and Andrew Chen’s "The Cold Start Problem," have significantly influenced his personal and professional development.
Dive into the vibrant world of startups with Antler Partners Mike Abbott and James McClure as they talk to Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, in this illuminating episode. With a wealth of experience spanning from founding companies to working with tech giants like Google and Uber, Mike and James share their perspectives on what draws them to startups, the highs and lows of their careers, and invaluable insights on Antler's approach and their recent Queensland launch.
Discover what makes startups attractive to both founders and investors, as Mike and James delve into the importance of problem-solving, assembling motivated teams and seizing opportunities. Gain valuable advice for aspiring founders, including the significance of surrounding oneself with the right people and embracing risk-taking.
Explore overlooked skills for startup success and reflections on their own journeys, as Mike and James candidly discuss the learning curves, regrets and the rewarding camaraderie of the startup ecosystem. Tune in for a rich discussion filled with practical wisdom and inspiration for anyone embarking on their entrepreneurial path.
Jonathan Gamez has over 20 years' experience in the IT and OT domains. He began his career as a software engineer and progressed through various leadership roles, including CTO at Interlate.
Jony explains how he first became interested in technology when he broke the family's new PC, a problem he needed to solve before his father discovered what he had done!
It took Jony over 6 months to secure his first paid role in tech. Prior to this, he did two unpaid internships at Mincom which set him up in his career. His advice to graduates and emerging professionals is to make sure you take any opportunity that come your way, even if it is not the ideal one because it will take you in the right direction.
He explains how the ability to really understand people and emotional intelligence are both critical to be successful in tech leadership. Jony advises developing your soft skills, for example by studying Behavourial Studies, as well as the importance of introspection and self reflection to progress in your career.
Jony discusses his predictions for digital transformation in mining and resources including:
- greater adoption of autonomous vehicles and robots
- the ability to remove people from the hazard and therefore do all the hazardous work remotely
- the AI revolution and importance of critical thinking skills.
Embark on a captivating journey with Andrew Beitz, a tech guru who has boldly navigated the ever-evolving landscape of the technology industry for three decades, and now sits with us to peel back the layers of leadership, innovation, and strategy. Andrew imparts his wisdom on how to strike that elusive balance between advancing a career and nurturing a life, all while sharing his rise from a curious software engineer to a visionary executive. This episode isn't just a trek through Andrew's career—it's a roadmap for embracing the discomfort that comes with growth and the thrill of leading teams to uncharted success.
As we peel back the veneer of corporate transformation, Andrew offers an insider's look at the trials and triumphs faced when reengineering a company's soul. Through the lens of his experience with Vasco Data Security and other global ventures, he reveals the foundational pillars of fostering an effective team culture: shared vision, celebrating quick victories, and the magic of mentoring. Andrew's anecdote about applying his tech leadership finesse to Major League Baseball strategy is a testament to the versatile nature of true leadership. For anyone at the helm of a tech team or simply aspiring to lead, this discussion is a treasure trove of strategies, anecdotes, and insights that transcends industries.
Anthoney Rimmer is the Co-Founder of Edsure, a growing edtech startup which specialises in student information and management systems. Prior to Edsure, Anthoney lead a large R&D team at Technology One where he worked for over 17 years.
In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, discovers more about Anthoney's personal story and career highlights including growing up in Toowoomba, moving to Brisbane at 18 and travelling the world.
Anthoney discusses the challenge of being a technologist dealing with non-technical people. Overcoming this challenge and learning to communicate what was going on with non-technical people is one of the reasons for his success as a technical leader as he progressed his career to Director level at TechOne.
Edsure specialises in student information and management systems with the mission to make universities in Australia more successful and students to get on the right study pathways.
Edsure's core values are:
- Be respectful
- Be creative
- Have fun
Anthoney discusses how founding a tech startup compares to working for a large corporate organisation. His advice to potential startup founders is ensure that you really know what you are getting involved with.
Michael Collet has over 30 years technical leadership expertise including over 8 years at Super Retail Group as Head of IT Infrastructure & Operations and then Head of IT Procurement & Asset Management.
Michael talks about his career starting in the 1980s in South Africa and how he secured his first leadership role. He migrated to Australia in 2004 and struggled to find a role initially because he was considered to be overqualified. He eventually secured a role at Super Retail Group through his connections. After 8 years at Super Retail Group, he started a successful career in property development.
Michael is highly engaging, positive and optimistic in this podcast episode with Nicola Steel from JJP Talent Solutions.
Andy How has extensive technical leadership experience in SaaS startups and scaleups as well as corporate environments. In this episode, Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions and Andy How talk about the start of his career in the late 1990s as the world moved from analog to digital.
Andy provides advice to people starting out in their tech careers. He talks about the important lessons he has learnt along the way. Andy also explains what he thinks makes a great leader which includes:
👀 Vision
❤️ Compassion
👄 Communication
He provides some critical advice on work/life balance together with his book recommendations:
📖 Atomic Habits by James Clear
📖 Mindset by Carol Dweck
📖 Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Scott Lawry is a Senior Leader with extensive expertise in Digital Transformation and Programme Management. He has worked in a variety of sectors including over 10 years at Rio Tinto.
In this episode, Scott talks to Nicola Steel, Founding Director of JJP Talent Solutions. He explains how he secured his first role in IT back in 1999 - the year the world faced the Millennium Bug! He provides advice to graduates and emerging professionals who are looking for their first tech role and also for those aspiring to be tech leaders.
The biggest challenge for Scott over the last 25 years has been the pure velocity of change in technology. It is next to impossible to remain qualified across everything! Instead, he believes that it is important for leaders to have enough knowledge of the technical changes and impacts to provide the business with informed advice.
We also discuss how flexible working has been an incredible opportunity for everyone. It is a great way to retain valuable employees. He believes that making it work for both employers and employees is crucial although he does believe that employees can become disconnected from the business.
Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, speaks to Luke Vear, the CTO of YQueue, a startup which is tackling the challenges faced by the Food and Beverage industry.
Luke begins by explaining how he was drawn to tech and how he secured his first role in software development. His advice to aspiring leaders is to make sure taking on a leadership role is something that you 100% want to do and to grab every opportunity that presents itself.
Luke explains that his biggest challenge is the non-engineering elements of being a CTO including managing relationships between individual team members. Retaining people in a small team and ensuring that you've got buy-in from everyone within the company, not just direct team members and colleagues, are the things that really keep him up at night.
What he loves about working in a startup environment:
- Freedom to experiment
- Can get feedback quickly so can iterate very quickly
- Intimate knowledge of how the business working
What frustrates him about startups:
- The rush to get something out of the door so solutions can sometimes be band-aided together
His top productivity hack is to avoid tacking shortcuts!
Highlights from The Spotlight Series - Don't Just Survive, Thrive podcast in 2023. Guests include:
- Dinesh Palipana
- Tony Schirmer
- Henry Boulton
- Christin Marshall
- Ben Shapira
- Kody Cook
- Charlie Wood
- Yas Grigaliunas
- Rithik Illankovan
Nicola Steel speaks to Rithik Illankovan, a highly experienced Delivery Lead/ Project Manager. Rithik is also the Founder of a startup called Gezzin. Gezzin's mission is to promote peace in the world by connecting and uniting families.
Rithik tells his personal and professional story migrating from India to Australia as a young student in the early 2000s. He describes his achievements and challenges over the last 20 years.
Rithik's idea for the Gezzin app started when he was living alone and missing his family back home. This made him consider how he could bring families together on a daily basis sharing their moments. It was this thought that led to him creating a free app with a family tree where users can upload photos, videos, host parties and be involved in group chats.
The word Gezzin means Cousin in African and Family in Dutch which Rithik believes is a perfect word to describe how his app is uniting families with their extended families from around the world.
Download the free Gezzin app from the AppStore and PlayStore.
Yas Grigaliunas is an Impact Entrepreneur and the Founder of Circonomy. She has many accolades including Global 100 Inspirational Leader of 2022 alongside the likes of Jacinda Ardern, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Sheryl Sandberg, Sara Blakeley and Oprah.
Yas tells her story from pizza delivery driver to her first startup followed by the World's Biggest Garage Sale and now the CEO of Circonomy. She talks about being an impact entrepreneur and how Circonomy is creating a world without waste and that includes human potential. She is passionate about the global Sustainable Development Goals and building a business that is bigger than just sales and metrics.
Yas always brings her authentic self and is proud that she shows up every day as herself regardless of what is going on in her life. She believes that one of her greatest strengths is being coachable and being able to have real conversations. The secret to her success is being comfortable in the uncomfortable.
Yas is very values driven and her core values are:
- Love
- Optimism
- Empathy
- Growth
- Integrity
- Resilience
- Transparency
To help Yas on her mission, go to Circonomy- renewed furniture, tech, apparel, toys at affordable prices
Charlie Wood is the CEO of Wiise, the fastest-growing cloud ERP platform. He has over 25 years of tech experience. Charlie is a successful Sydney-based entrepreneur and business leader, who formerly headed up Dropbox ANZ, held leadership roles at Microsoft and Salesforce, and has built and mentored several startups.
In this episode, Nicola and Charlie discuss his main career highlights and challenges. They discuss what qualities he looks for in new team members when building high performing teams. They talk about what factors drive successful business transformations and the traps that cause businesses to fail.
Charlie describes his plans for Wiise over the next 12 months as well as what he looks for when assessing aspiring entrepreneurs.
They finish the podcast discussing Charlie's main business lessons he has learnt over the course of his career and what habits really drive his success.
Kody Cook is the Head of Software at Gilmour Space Technologies. Kody has extensive experience of space and aerospace technologies working at the Australian Space Agency, Fleet Space Technologies and Boeing. His experience encompasses mechatronics, software and systems engineering. Gilmour and Kody's team are working towards launching Australia's first sovereign made orbital launch vehicle.
Ben Shapira has extensive experience in the digital advertising and marketing industry. More recently, he has become a tech founder, solving problems in the financial services industry with his innovative tech solutions. His newest venture is dineiro - a mobile app focusing on the interactions between consumers, mortgage brokers and financial advisors.
Ben and Nicola discuss a variety of topics including:
💲 the future of tech in financial services
💲 the democratisation of financial data
💲 the importance of financial literacy, particularly for young people
💲 how young people get can get on the housing ladder
Christin Marshall is the Founder of Sol & Sonder. Sol means sun and Sonder is the realization that each person has a life as vivid and as complex as their own. Sol + Sonder is a lifestyle brand which is looking to integrate renewable energy into everyday accessories which use solar energy so that people can have access to the power of the sun at any time. Her first product is a solar travel wallet which combines solar power banks wrapped in leather with beautiful colours.
Christin talks about her career and personal background. Her experience of investing and equity crowdfunding. She explains the challenges of not getting as much capital as her male counterparts.
Christin's words to her 16 year old self - “You should be so incredibly proud of the resilient woman that you’ve become...you should be extremely proud, and you'll come across a few roadblocks, hard things to get across, but you’ll make it out the other side and you’re gonna do well”
Henry Boulton is the Chief Innovation Officer and CoFounder of FocusBand. He is an innovator, entrepreneur and performance coach. FocusBand has created a wearable brain sensing headset that helps people improve their performance.
Henry explains that only 2 out of 10 people are actually engaged at work. Many people are "time travelling" into the future or they are stuck in the past rather than being in the present moment. We need tools to overcome this with neurofeedback to train the brain. Many people are leaving work feeling exhausted or stressed. FocusBand helps people enjoy going to work and being more efficient so that they can get the best out of their day in the shortest amount of time!
Henry explains how he was obsessed with golf growing up. He studied electronic engineering and wanted to take technology into sports. He initially developed 3D sensors on the body and realised that something was still missing so he started measuring the brain and mental processes with wearable products that could be used in motion on the golf course. Henry also talks about other career highlights such as working with Facebook/ Meta.
Henry describes how the headsets can help people improve their performance by picking up brain frequencies. He talks about flowstate which is an optimal state where you are free of emotion and judgement and can get things done faster. We also talk about brain analytics and how his workplace engagement platform provides insights and training for people to sustain optimal performance.
Henry believes that the secrets to his success are having a pioneering spirit and believing that anything is possible. If he was to do anything differently, he would simplify his offering. Building the right team has been very challenging and he would ensure that he had a dedicated sales and marketing team together with a good UI/ UX and Data team.
Tony Schirmer is the CEO of CQSola and Co-founder at Neocreative. CQSola builds cutting edge technology which reduces losses in Solar Farms by up to 25%.
Tony explains how he studied Mechatronics at university but ended up dropping out to set up his own business. In this episode, he talks about the various highlights and challenges in his career.
Tony talks about both the benefits and problems of solar power. For example, if one solar panel fails then the whole string fails. A simple everyday comparison is when one Christmas light fails then the whole lot fails. Tony explains how the technology at CQSola overcomes this problem.
Tony discusses the future of solar power in both Australia and on a global scale.
The episode concludes with the secrets to his success and if Tony would do anything differently.
In the first episode of Season 5 of the "Don't Just Survive, Thrive" podcast, Nicola talks to Dinesh Palipana OAM. Dinesh is a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate and the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland. He has many accolades including Queensland Australian of the Year.
Nicola talks to Dinesh about his personal story including his highlights and challenges. They discuss how tech and his research project, Project BioSpine, is helping people with spinal cord injuries. They also explore the impact of automation and robotics on medicine and how it can give back the most important element - the doctor/ patient relationship.
They finish by talking about how his disability has set him free and what he would say to his younger self prior to the accident. To discover more, read Dinesh's book "Stronger" - Stronger - Palipana, Dinesh | 9781760984786 | Amazon.com.au | Books
How can data and geospatial analytics help us understand climate change and climate adaption? Gopal Erinjippurath is CTO and Head of Product at Sust Global, a Climate Intelligence SaaS company based in San Francisco.
Gopal has an impressive background. He moved from India to the US to study electrical engineering to then work in a research lab, studying a PhD and working as a research scientist. He believes that this background in academia and research has helped build his foundations and passion for enabling widespread use of the application of fundamental research to commercialise products.
For example, Gopal drove the research, development, and technical delivery of an imaging IP portfolio for Dolby Vision which was licensed to tier-1 media players including Sony and Apple.
Prior to founding Sust Global, he was Senior Director of Analytics Engineering at Planet where he built and scaled 4 diverse Agile engineering teams. Gopal’s advice for building high performing teams includes:
• Focus on diversity
• Respect each other
• Have a unified mission & purpose
Gopal finishes our conversation by explaining that he would tell his 15 year old self to stay hungry for more information and knowledge. Basically, maintain your curiosity!
What would you say is the secret to your success? Which of the following resonates most with you:
⭐ Being in the right place at the right time
⭐ Knowing when to quit and when to quit early
⭐ Being willing to take risks in decision making
Rav Raniga, Partner Lead at tech startup ELARA, believes all of the above are the secrets to his success.
After a brief break from podcast recording, I was thrilled to speak to Rav who has extensive expertise in Mathematics and algorithmic software solutions. I find it fascinating how he has the ability to deconstruct complex problems and create elegant solutions using customer-centric design. Rav is also just a fantastic and humble person so it is always a delight to speak to him!
Rav tells the story of his father’s upbringing in Fiji and how his determination and work ethic led him to a career in pharmacy and then a pivot to law! The family moved to Australia and Rav says that he had a privileged life which allowed him to follow his interests in arts, sciences, mathematics and the science of decision making.
We talk about his role at Elara.AI, a well-funded early-stage tech startup which has a totally unique proposition. It is a programmable AI platform which is bridging the gap between business and technology by improving the developer experience and providing business with the best insights so it can make intelligent decisions.
Rav and I discuss his predictions about AI, Machine Learning and data optimisation. Rav talks about the highlights of his career including the opportunity to travel, meet different types of people and making an impact. We talk about the problems of communicating with both technical people and the business to provide the best solution.
Rav is helping build a highly talented team at Elara. The characteristics he looks for in new team members are:
⭐ Passion for problem solving
⭐ Customer first
⭐ Trust
⭐ Innovative
I ask Rav what his advice is for attracting and retaining high performance tech teams. He starts by saying use a really good recruiter who takes the time to understand the business (I didn’t pay him to say this, I promise!). He also says that paying a competitive salary should be a given as well as the opportunity to work on exciting tasks with clear end goals.
Jonathan Girroir is Technical Evangelist at Tech Soft 3D, a company which provides 3D software development toolkits that power world class engineering applications. Jonathan has 25 years experience in the software development industry and has a passion for building the next generation of 3D software.
Jonathan talks about Tech Soft 3D’s main software – HOOPS – 3D software development toolkits (SDKs) which power world-class engineering applications. HOOPS is an anagram for Hierarchy of Object-Oriented Picture System. We talk about how HOOPS is enabling the AR industry and his advice for handling massive data sets with web and mobile engineering applications.
Nicola Steel and Jonathan discuss Jonathan’s career highlights including being part of a startup after college, being a lecturer at Harvard University, travelling the world and taking a major investment in Tech Soft 3D. They also talk about his main challenges which include living in a small US city and overcoming the 2008/2009 Global Financial Crisis.
Jonathan believes that the crucial characteristics of high performers are:
⭐A desire and hunger to make a difference
⭐A doer
⭐Ability to learn and be teachable
⭐Shared values
Jonathan’s values are integrity, hard work and kindness. His company values are be agile and responsive, have fun, build positive relationships, pursue excellence!
In this first episode of Season 4, Nicola Steel talks to Colin Goudie and Charles Connell. Colin is a serial co-founder of various tech startups including Userlot - Customer Success Management, Social Pinpoint and Dogeared. Charles is the other Co-Founder of Userlot - Customer Success Management and was also a Co-Founder at Social Pinpoint.
They begin by talking about their backgrounds and purpose behind Userlot and Social Pinpoint as well as their core values which are be customer driven and get stuff done!
Nicola asks what advice they would give to startups when they are being acquired based on Colin and Charles’ experience of the acquisition of Social Pinpoint by MySite Group. Their advice is to be friends with your competitors - listen to learn why this makes sense. They also believe that the secret to building high performing tech teams is to create a really good network and have your team fully understand what customer success is.
And finally, I asked what advice would they give their 21 year old selves:
⭐ “You got to love what you do and stick with it” – Colin
⭐ “Work hard, take risks, enjoy the ride!” - Charles
That’s a wrap for Season 3 of “The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive” podcast for 2021. Here are podcast mashup highlights from this year talking to startup founders and senior tech leaders.
⭐Maree Beare, Founder of Wanngi (and more recently Clinials) talking about disrupting health tech and her purpose behind Wanngi (0:33- 2:58)
⭐Tony Ryan, Education Futurist, talking about the future of work and if there is a 50% chance that we live in a computer simulation (3:02-5:12)
⭐Stewart Marshall discussing how SaaS companies can scale and grow (5:15- 7:15)
⭐🦜 Jeff Jaraved and Taryn Syratt, Founders of CAAsie, talking about how they are revolutionising billboard advertising and their purpose behind CAASie (7:18- 10:13)
⭐Rosie Attwell discussing how she went from a degree in Art to a career in AI (10:16- 12:20)
⭐Mike Seidle from Pivot CX providing advice to aspiring entrepreneurs about how to start up, persevere and succeed (12:23- 13:44)
⭐David Davies, Founder of AgUnity, talking how smartphone and blockchain technology helps smallholder farmers lift themselves out of poverty (13:47- 15:26)
⭐Ken Auer, Founder of Role Model Software, talking about the key characteristics of high performers (15:29- 18:36)
⭐Simon Keefe, former Atlassian tech leader, advising how to recruit and retain high performing teams (18:39- 21:18)
⭐Justin Falk, Founder of TalentVine, provides about hiring in a highly competitive market (21:20-24:46)
⭐Adam Amos, Founder of Robotic Systems, telling his story and how his company was ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 (24:49- 26:19)
⭐Madhu Sundararajan & Abhinav Raje talking about their humble beginnings in India to successful IT careers in Australia and tips for migrants (26:22-28:04)
⭐Leanne Kemp ★★★ 康灵安, Founder of Everledger, about why she turned down an investment (29:07-30:56)
⭐Vijay Solanki🦄, Founder of Parental EQ, about being an older startup founder and how Parental EQ helps with children’s emotional health (30:59-34:16)
⭐🤖 Yaniv Bernstein Bernstein, former Head of Engineering at Google and Airtasker, talking about the highlights of his career (34:19- 36:58)
⭐Miriam van Heusden, Founder of Maralytics, and how her core values have driven her culture (37:01- 38:56)
⭐Eli Harrell, Founder of Valhalla.team, advising how to grow and nurture high performing remote teams (38:59- 42:01)
⭐Evan Cummack, CEO of Fin.com, providing advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and succeeding in Silicon Valley (42:04-43:55)
⭐Mary Callaghan, Senior Director of Product Management at Hitachi Energy, discussing what the key characteristics of high performing product teams (43:58- 45:13)
Mary Callaghan, Senior Director of Product Management at Hitachi Energy, talks about her career and the secrets to her success.
Mary was born in Dublin and was the youngest of 7 children! She visited Australia for a year of adventure and has been here ever since. One of the key highlights of her career was being awarded Global Product Manager of the year in 2019.
She believes that the secrets to her success are:
⭐ Having a strong foundation in her childhood and upbringing
⭐ Being true to her core values and treating people equally
⭐ Being respectful
⭐ Learning to keep her ego in check
⭐ Being open to change
Mary discusses her experience as a woman in technology and how it has changed over time. She talks about the comprehensive programme at Hitachi Energy including the female talent development program where female participants are assigned mentors for professional and personal development.
Mary’s team’s core values are:
⭐Authenticity
⭐Connection
⭐Kindness
⭐Harmony
⭐Gratitude
Mary finished the podcast with this final advice for listeners:
⭐ “Every day is an opportunity to learn whether its technology, meeting new people, new habits.”
⭐ “This is the gig, it’s not a dry run or practice. This is it.”
⭐ “I believe that we are all responsible for our own happiness so keep it real.”
⭐ “Everybody has challenges but its how you deal with the challenges, that defines you.”
Would you be bold enough to leave a small suburb north of Wellington, New Zealand, borrow some money from your mum to fly to San Francisco and then contact VPs of leading software companies to introduce yourself over a coffee?!
This is the bold (and successful) move Evan Cummack made at the end of 2010. He moved from a small team at NEC creating fingerprint identification technology for the New Zealand police department to then join Twilio as one of their early employees in 2011. Evan is now the CEO of Fin, a company shaping the future of work which was founded by former Facebook VP Sam Lessin and Venmo Co-Founder Andrew Kortina.
In this latest episode of “The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive” podcast, Evan and I discuss a variety of topics including:
⭐ Transitioning from NEC Corporation to a tech start-up, Twilio, as one of their early employees
⭐ His recent experience of raising US $20 million capital for Fin in San Francisco
⭐ Evan’s thoughts on the future of work
⭐ His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs
We finish by talking about the secrets behind his success. Evan explains that he was very attracted to the software industry when he was young and the tech industry has had unbelievable growth since then. He didn’t have to go and teach himself the fundamentals as an adult. Basically, he believes that it is really hard to have influence inside technology companies if you don’t understand technology at a fundamental level.
“Saying yes to the weird things” has been one of the highlights of Eli Harrell’s career. Eli explains that realising that the things we tend to shy away from because they are unknown or scary is really where the growth is.
Eli Harrell is the Co-Founder and Chief of Strategy at Valhalla.team, a company which helps tech companies build high performing teams which create products with purpose.
In the latest episode of “The Spotlight Series – Don't Just Survive, Thrive”, I talk to Eli about growing up in the US as the eldest of 8 children who were all homeschooled . Eli’s parents were both entrepreneurs and he worked in his dad’s business whilst growing up. He is an advocate of self-directive learning and has a diverse range of experience. His thirst for knowledge and experience led him to moving to the Philippines in 2014.
Eli is very values focused. From a personal experience, he is constantly growing and learning with the purpose of helping people. He is also always open to change. Business for him is most rewarding when the problem you are solving really matters to you.
Eli believes that you should never stop seeking to make your business better by constantly understanding your target market and really understanding their problems. With regards to creating a great software product, you need constant clarity on your product road map. In terms of leading remote teams, he says that having a genuine awareness of how people are doing is even more important as is being creative in doing events to connect with each other.
Eli’s attributes the following to his success:
- learn how to build habits
- learn how to maintain energy
- learn how to improve yourself
- Be future- focused
- Have openness to change
“Don’t take life too seriously and make sure you have fun” is the advice Miriam van Heusden would tell her 16 year old self in the latest podcast episode of the “The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive”.
Miriam is the founder of Maralytics, a software startup which has created a marketing performance program that provides accurate results for sales revenue and customer acquisition. Miriam has many years’ previous experience in the hospitality and travel industries. It was Miriam’s frustration of not being able to find a solution for her restaurant which would allow her to accurately analyse the results of her advertising spend that led her to create Maralytics.
Miriam talks about her main challenges. She worked three jobs for the first few years to fund Maralytics and to keep her dream alive. Another challenge has been finding her ideal customers and providing a solution that they both want and need.
Miriam’s end goal is to sell Maralytics and to be the next tech unicorn! She has lots planned over the next few years including various partnerships, officially launching her software, her book launch as well as travelling and exhibiting on the international stage when Australia’s borders open.
“Time is a valuable commodity and taking too long to make any sort of decision comes at a really significant but invisible cost” are the wise words Yaniv Bernstein would tell himself if he could turn back time. In the latest podcast episode of “The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive”, Yaniv advises that you should act early, act quickly, be courageous and don’t look back!
Yaniv Bernstein has extensive experience as a Software Engineering Manager working for Google twice both in Switzerland and then Sydney. Until recently, he was VP Engineering and then Chief Operating Officer at Airtasker.
We talk about his time at Google and how the company has changed over time. Yaniv worked in different parts of the company including Google Search, YouTube and Google Maps. One of the highlights was working on a system for managing copyright in YouTube which detected copyrighted material before it went live on the site. Today, he feels that Google has somewhat lost its way with increasing distance between leadership and the people working on the ground.
We discuss how the transition from working at Google to startups was a bit of shock. Having spent 10 years with Google, he was somewhat institutionalised. Google has a reputation for having very high hiring standards. In a start-up, it was his job to make the team perform to the high level of Google whilst being involved in the entire interview process, hiring decisions, salary negotiations etc. We talk about his transition to COO at Airtasker where he was tasked with creating a high performance cross functional organisation spanning from engineering to customer support and HR.
Yaniv’s advice to grow teams where individuals can really grow, thrive and deliver massive value is for individuals to really understand THE WHY. When he is growing high performance teams, Yaniv looks for the following:
⭐ Intellectual curiosity – i.e. individuals who really need to understand and get to the bottom of things rather than blindly following instructions
⭐ A great mindset
⭐ Hiring for both technical talent and attitude is equally as important
He keeps team members engaged and committed by giving them a sense of purpose so they really understand why they’re doing what they’re doing. It is important to create an environment where there is genuine recognition for the value they provide.
We also talk about his newsletter – People Engineering. His initial purpose for the publication was because very few people really understood what a COO actually was - it was a mysterious role! It quickly developed to a broader discussion on leadership, organisational design and organisational purpose.
“You can’t do the hours of a 28-year-old but the wisdom you have as a founder over 50 is the counterbalance” are the sage words from Vijay Solanki.
Vijay is the co-founder of ParentalEQ, an app which helps parents manage their children’s emotional & social development. Vijay has had a diverse career that traverses marketing, digital and innovation, delivering a succession of major marketing and digital transformations at a global scale with BP, Philips and Blackberry as well as being the launch marketing director at Shazam.
With a background in Psychology, Vijay is obsessed by what people do and why they do it. The traumatic loss of his mother in adulthood made him rethink about what to do with his life and his parenting style. This became the purpose behind ParentalEQ.
Vijay was born in Kenya to Indian parents and spent most of his earlier years in Yorkshire. His upbringing has really molded his core values which are:
⭐Diversity
⭐Equality
⭐Democracy
Vijay is a recent cohort of the Activate programme with River City Labs. He explains how RCL is a great place to learn and gets you into shape to present to investors. His advice is to find the investors you think best suit your style and also be very clear of what you want from them and your objectives. One of his main challenges as an early-stage start-up founder has been unlearning and relearning. It is essential that you are coachable.
Vijay will continue to create a more personalized service with ParentalEQ and grow the customer base in Australia and in the UK. His end goal is to impact one million families.
http://parentaleq.comVijay Solanki🦄 | LinkedIn
“Be stubborn on the vision and flexible on the details…. the “why” is what drives you to keep fighting the good fight” is some key advice from Leanne Kemp.
Leanne is the Founder and CEO of Everledger and until recently was Queensland Chief Entrepreneur. Originally from Brisbane, Leanne describes herself as unemployable and a serial entrepreneur. She is a self taught engineer who loves to solve problems and scale and grow companies. She talks about how being an entrepreneur is like throwing yourself out of a plane (which she has done many times along with many other extreme sports!).
Leanne talks about how she wanted to increase truth and transparency of supply chains and how she started with tracking the traceability of diamonds. She is driven by sustainability, believes that all businesses should have a profit, loss and impact statement and that people and planet should be at the forefront of decision making.
Leanne is a female founder and unconscious bias has actually been one of her superpowers! She can code like the best of them and spends most of her time on a keyboard rather than with people. Leanne’s values are really important to her and have driven the culture of Everledger as she has grown the company to over 100 people globally across 6 locations. These values include:
o Be the trust.
o Be you, be united.
o Pack light, work right.
o Bring the future forward
Leanne stresses the importance of having aligned principles when attracting investors. You can’t simply get rid of an investor!
Leanne also talks about how she plans to innovate and disrupt the insurance industry. We discuss her time as Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and how innovation and entrepreneurship can really create change.
Leanne was talking to me from Seattle and the sound quality is not as good as I would have liked. Nevertheless, it is an insightful, engaging and fun conversation!
“Learning is the main skill of the future” is my favourite quote from the latest episode of the “Don’t just Survive, Thrive” podcast with Madhu Sundararajan and Abhinav Raje. In this episode, we talk about their journeys from humble beginnings in India to successful careers in Australia.
Every couple of years, Madhu asks himself if he is learning and if he is being useful. His role model is himself in 10 years so he looks forwards, not backwards, and has no regrets. Madhu and Abhi have a podcast called “Inspiring Ideas” which aims to inspire people and provide a better understanding of what is happening in the tech world.
We talk about the challenges of migrating to Australia from India including starting your career from scratch again and having no existing networks. Madhu advises new migrants to listen to Australian radio and also invest in your soft skills training not just your technical skills. Abhi says that the right mindset is imperative to overcome the challenges of moving to a new country. He advises that you should be highly active on LinkedIn with the right professionals in the country you are moving to.
We discuss emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, Cloud and Data Science and how it is necessary to gain a better understanding and upgrade your skills in these four key areas. We talk about how emerging tech must always be managed with the risks on humanity and ethics at front of mind.
Adam Amos is Director of Robotic Systems, an engineering consultancy that specialises in accelerating the journey from initial idea to manufactured device. Robotic Systems brings together electronics, software and hardware to turn customers’ practical experience into game changing new products. Robotic Systems have also been ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500.
Nicola Steel, Founder of JJP Talent Solutions, talks to Justin Falk, Founder of TalentVine about how hard graft, hustle, pivots and a sprinkling of luck have led to the success of his start up.
TalentVine is a marketplace which connects employers to specialist recruiters with key data & performance metrics. Justin talks about a series of mistakes he made with regards to what he thought employers actually wanted. One of these mistakes was the thought that employers simply wanted the cheapest recruitment solution - he quickly discovered that this was not the case!
Justin spent the first few years doing the grunt work of talking to lots of employers to discuss the concept and validate the idea. One of his successes led to an introduction to an early stage investor where he gained his first Seed funding which meant that TalentVine could grow.
Justin comes from an employer branding & recruitment campaign background and is not a technical founder. Apart from a $400 WordPress site, there was no tech until 2 years later. He then found a tech co-founder, joined the River City Labs Accelerator programme and hired interns before hiring full time employees.
Nicola and Justin discuss how Talentvine handled Covid when the number of roles on the platform dropped from 80 to 4 in less than 2 months. He ensured that he was still talking to his clients and adding value rather than attempting to sell anything. Justin also experienced the pain of having to make some people redundant which he found particularly hard.
They talk about how the market has completely changed and the competition for talent has skyrocketed. Justin's key advice is to ensure that employers focus not just on hiring but on retaining their existing talent. He also advises that employers partner with a specialist recruiter when hiring rather than a generalist as well moving fast because most candidates have multiple offers at the moment.
"Don't be afraid to succeed" is the advice that tech leader Simon Keefe would give his 15 year old self.
Nicola Steel talks to Simon, a highly experienced software engineering lead who has worked for Atlassian & various organisations in the UK & Australia.
Simon talks about his life growing up in a poor area of Liverpool where his headmaster told him that he would "amount to nothing"! He was fortunate enough to ignore this "advice" and gained a 1st Class degree which propelled his tech leadership career.
He talks about how working for Atlassian was a massive culture shock because the company actually lived & breathed their values across the organisation with a very open culture & candid feedback.
Simon believes that the most important aspect of high performing teams is TRUST (as opposed to fear) as well as psychological safety & empathy. We talk about diversity & how men are a crucial part of the conversation.
The main challenges Simon has experienced are toxic work environments, imposter syndrome & the discrimination he faced because of his sexuality.
We also talk about his passion for philanthropy.
Simon's Linkedin Profile - Simon Keefe | LinkedIn
Ken Auer is the Founder of Role Model Software in North Carolina in the US. Since the mid-1980s, Ken’s passion and commitment to software craftsmanship has made him a respected leader in the creation of sustainable software and high performance teams. He was introduced as "the father of software craftsmanship" at the inaugural Software Craftsmanship North America conference in 2009.
As a teenager, Ken’s main passions were baseball & maths which lead him to a degree in Computer Science specialising in software & management. In the 80s, he was introduced to GUI & OO programming including Smalltalk, the father of all OO languages. In 1997, he founded Role Model Software.
Ken started various workshops including the Software as a Studio Discipline which was the first world leading extreme programming studio. We talk about the benefits of situated learning & sustainable software.
There have been various highlights during his career including been introduced as "the father of software craftsmanship" at the inaugural Software Craftsmanship conference, mentoring young people who have gone on to do great things as well as his Lightning framework for designing custom SaaS products.
Ken’s advice – be humble, get rid of your ego, learn from everyone and serve others.
For more information, visit these links -
https://www.cutter.com/journal/software-programming-craft-impact-agile-development-487186
https://LightningCAD.com
In the latest "The Spotlight Series - Don't Just Survive, Thrive" podcast, Nicola Steel speaks to David Davies. David is the Founder of AgUnity & has a fascinating story! He grew up in Outback Australia & his interest in tech took him to Hong Kong & the UK, time in West Africa & 12 years working in investment banks in Japan & Singapore. During his adventures on a UNESCO project in Africa, he came to understand the challenges of smallholder farmers (as well as being shot at, working on fields with land mines & been circled by hyenas - life is never dull with David!).
David explains how AgUnity happened by accident when he competed in a hackathon to win the prize of Singularity University & was introduced to the Gates Foundation. AgUnity is a simple concept whereby blockchain allows transactions to be recorded securely & giving the farmers smartphones leads to trust, co-operation & collaboration to create a more level playing field. We discuss the dangers of how blockchain can be abused & lead to human trafficking.
AgUnitys’ global technology platform empowers thousands of organizations working toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals to connect with ‘the last mile’ farmers and communities. This customised smartphone & OS solution serves as a technological ecosystem; providing the people living and working with remote food supply chains with practical, accessible tools to connect, establish effective lines of communication and ensure an ethical, accountable means of trade.
Widely recognized by major NGO's and studied my leading universities, David’s team at AgUnity are currently running projects in Africa, Asia Latin America and the Pacific positively impacting farmer lives with profound and long-lasting effect.
Learn more via their website (www.agunity.com) and follow their journey across their social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram @agunity, Twitter @AgUnity).
A warmer world will hurt this group more than any other | Bill Gates (gatesnotes.com)
AgUnity | A Global Technology Platform - YouTube
Mike Seidle is Co-Founder of PivotCX, a company based in Indiana in the US which delivers awesome candidate experiences & saves recruiters time with live, human-to-human communication.
Mike is a serial entrepreneur who has founded 6 businesses. Last year, he had to reinvent his company very quickly when his revenue dropped by 85% & PivotCX was born.
Mike and Nicola talk about the importance of human to human interaction in the recruitment process. How it speeds up the process whilst improving the candidate experience. They talk about when it is best to use chatbots and when a human is better. Chatbots are best for yes/ no questions but are terrible at carrying on conversations because they lack empathy, humour etc. His solution was to have live human conversations via text which is both efficient & inexpensive.
When building his teams, Mike looks for exceptional communication skills, a love of learning & shared values. His advice to entrepreneurs is to ask questions & really listen to the answers & also keep your ego in check!
His final piece of advice comes from Jack Welch - "Know the facts & act on them"!
How can you transition from a career in art to a career in AI?
In the latest podcast episode, Nicola Steel talks to Rosie Attwell. Until recently, Rosie was Artificial Intelligence Delivery Lead at CUA. Rosie puts the pivot into pivoting! She studied a degree in Fine Art then moved to marketing in digital agencies followed by innovation & AI.
They talk about how Rosie applied for over 60 roles at the start of her career. Eventually, she applied for a Director role at a Digital Agency. They were intrigued by her so invited her for interview & offered her an entry level role. This was her foot in the door! Basically, be bold!
Rosie talks about one of her achievements being the Robotics & AI Ethical Practice Policy at CUA. She also discusses the challenges of building trust with & between internal teams across AI, data, etc.
Rosie advises that you nurture your connections to progress in your career. She also believes in the importance of good habits & surrounding yourself with empathetic people.
As a woman in tech, Rosie has been discriminated against and even been told “you don’t belong here”. This has driven her to succeed & mentor young women in AI.
In the latest episode of “The Spotlight Series – Don’t just survive, thrive”, Nicola Steel talks to Jeff Jaraved & Taryn Syratt. Jeff & Taryn are Co-Founders of a startup called CAASie. CAASie stands for Contextually Aware Advertising System and is an online pay for click advertising model which is revolutionising the billboard industry.
In this episode, they discuss Jeff & Taryn’s non-linear journeys into the world of tech startups. Jeff started with his childhood passion for space and rockets which led to a PhD in Drones and Robotics then branding and eventually CAASie! Taryn from genetics to marketing to tech startup
Jeff & Taryn are co-founders and also life partners which makes life easier but also more difficult. They really understand the pressure & passion for CAASie but as a result they spend very little time apart. The main challenges they have faced is overcoming Imposter Syndrome and projecting confidence to potential clients to gain their trust. The end goal is to grow the user base and team and make CAASie a fun and quirky SaaS platform which becomes a household name.
Nicola recorded this episode from home & there were several technical problems which was compounded by her dog barking! As a result, there is a lot of editing which sounds like they are interrupting each other!
Did you know that 90% of SaaS startups fail within the first 3 years?
In the latest episode of “The Spotlight Series – Don’t Just Survive, Thrive”, Nicola Steel speaks to Stewart Marshall about the reason behind this extremely high failure rate.
Stewart AKA “Mr SaaS” is a Commercial Software Strategist and bestselling author. He describes SaaS as the modern gold rush however many SaaS companies waste vast sums of money which leads to failure. He believes that there are several reasons including:
· Not being properly organised in their software development practices
· Making software that no-one actually wants!
· Targeting very saturated markets leading to low grade customers & high churn rates.
Stewart helps companies to get focused by getting the basics right. He uses a 4 point methodology to help SaaS companies scale.
Nicola and Stewart talk about the importance of software “as a SERVICE”! The software needs to solve a genuine problem! One way to overcome this is for software developers to spend more time with customers to really understand their needs.
What will the future of work look like in 2051? Nicola Steel speaks to Tony Ryan who predicts that there will be more change in the next 30 years than in human civilisation!
Tony is an Education Futurist who helps education systems prepare for the future. He is also the author of 8 books on innovative thinking & lifelong learning, his latest being “The Next Generation”.
Tony believes that capabilities will be more important than skills in the future. These capabilities include resilience, empathy, adaptive agility, entrepreneurship & tech capability. He thinks that the future of learning & the future of work are interlinked. Continuous learning for life will be essential to progress in the future.
They talk about eudemonia, a Greek word meaning the joy of living which he believes our future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy & appreciate rather than just working for money. Tony discusses how we need to solve the RIGHT problems and how AI, Robotics, AR & VR will improve quality of life and remove humans from the everyday drudgery.
He finishes by discussing the theory that we are living in a computer simulation!
In the first episode of 2021, Nicola Steel talks to Maree Beare, the Founder of Wanngi, a health tech startup. She is a Consumer Health advocate and is listed in Forbes Top 50 Women Led Startups disrupting Healthtech.
Wanngi means alive, living one, well, or healthy. It is part of the Djinang language which is spoken in north-central Arnhemland (Northern Territory, Australia). Maree's startup, Wanngi, is a health management app that allows patients to track symptoms, immunisations, set medication reminders and manage medical and fitness information, in one secure HIPAA Compliant online location.
In this episode, Nicola and Maree talk about Maree's long career in tech managing corporate and government projects. They discuss how Maree wanted a change in career whilst solving a problem in digital health, for example, 62% of patients don't have access to their health information. Wanngi is empowering patients by improving their communication and control.
Maree is also a previous cohort of the Activate programme with River City Labs. She talks about absorbing all the mentor help to scale Wanngi such as seeking partnership opportunities. Maree's advice - "say yes and go for it" because people can see things in you that you cannot necessarily see in yourself. She talks about the challenges of managing her time and wearing many hats as well as securing funding.
In the final episode for 2020, Nicola Steel speaks to Dave West. Dave was Lead Data Scientist at Origin Energy. In November, he founded a tech startup called BatNav. In this episode, Nicola and Dave talk about Dave’s passion for the future of energy, merging digital & AI technologies with engineering & business, & how this can benefit both people & the planet.
They discuss Dave's varied background & his love for science, maths & problem solving. BatNav combines his varied experience in Materials Engineering, Machine Learning & AI. The BatNav SaaS product reduces the time, money & risk associated with energy storage.
Dave talks about his main challenges which are constantly changing including timing, capital, the right team & finding the right product & market fit. His team is focused on collaborative decision making & stretching technology so they can do more with less.
We also talk about Dave's love for volunteering & what he has gained from the experience including learning & meeting new people.
Sharyn Doolan has many years’ experience as a radio announcer and professional voice over artist. She is also the founder of an early stage tech startup called Zijit which she describes as 'Shazam' for Creatives. In this episode, Sharyn and Nicola talk about the challenges in the creative industry and how Sharyn is overcoming them with Zijit.
You may not know Sharyn's name but you are extremely likely to have heard her voice on the "Australian Government Canberra" ads about COVID.
We talk about Sharyn's 18 year radio career which started in the 1980s and her voiceover career which began in 2001. We talk about the problems within the creative industries and how Zijit will solve them. She describes Zijit as the love child of Shazam and IMDb for the creative industry!
Sharyn is a previous cohort of the River City Labs Activate program. She talks about the fast pace involved and the fabulous advice she received from the mentors. Her main challenges have been finding the right tech when you are not a tech person as well as the vicious circle of securing investment.
Prasanna Nagar worked at Commonwealth Bank for 6 years as the Executive Manager for Customer Engagement and Decision Science. For the past few years, he has co-founded a start up called Zivora. Today we are going to talk about the secrets to his success in his data career as well as the challenges and benefits of co-founding a startup.
We talk about Prasanna's thrill for problem solving and how working with smart mentors & leaders have been the highlight of his career. We talk about the challenges of applying theories in the real business world. Prasanna believes that his curiosity to try new things and his eagerness to learn is the secret to his success.
Prasanna and I also talk about the challenges of finding the right people & what he looks for when building his team. He prefers to consider the whole person and not just their skills. His advice is to not underestimate their potential and they will outperform your expectations.
Prasanna is candid about the mistakes he made with his startup & how it was hard transitioning from the corporate world where there are solid processes & support in place. He discusses the importance of having trust in his team & the freedom to really think about solutions.
Links
Prasanna LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasanna-nagar/
Website - http://www.zivora.co/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Stephanie Khalil is the founder of an early stage startup called OnRoute App and was in the previous cohort of the Activate Programme with River City Labs. In this episode, Nicola and Steph talk about the challenges of being a young female early stage startup founder and Steph's plans for the future.
Key takeaways
- How to get the most out of the River City Labs Activate programme
- How to overcome the challenges of being a young startup founder
- The challenges of securing investment as a young female in tech
Links
Steph LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-khalil-733776137/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Kshira Saagar is Group Director of Data Science and Analytics at GFG, the parent company of The Iconic and various other organisations. He has been named as a Top 10 Analytics Leader in Australia in both 2019 and 2020. Today the spotlight is on Kshira’s rapid career journey and how he achieved this level of success.
Key takeaways
- The chain effect of mentoring and helping future talent
- Human beings are the challenge when working with data rather than the numbers!
- Working with really smart people is a beautiful osmosis
Links
Faith LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kshirasaagar/
Website - http://www.kshirasaagar.com/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Faith is the Founder and CEO of SixPivot and Cloud Ctrl. SixPivot is a cloud first innovator which helps startups, SMEs, corporates and governments by building software that creates real change. Cloud Ctrl is a multi-cloud service management platform, providing customers with insights and financial control of their cloud subscriptions. Faith is also mentor and adviser for various organisations and panels. She is a judge and has won numerous awards and accolades herself including the 2016 ARN Women in ICT Entrepreneur of the Year and also Start-up of the Year Award.
Key takeaways
- The difference between male and female founders
- The differences between tech unicorns and zebras
- The importance of serving the wider community and being a positive role model
Links
Faith LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/faithrees/
Websites - sixpivot.com.au (Company Website), agilegirl.wordpress.com/ (Blog), cloudctrl.com.au (Cloud Ctrl)
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Simone Joyce is the CEO and Founder of Paypa Plane and a Board Director for FinTech Australia. In this episode, Simone and Nicola Steel discuss the challenges in an early stage fintech and how to overcome them.
Key takeaways
- Resilience is key in the fintech world
- The importance of diversity of thought
- The benefits and learning opportunities of making mistakes
Links
Simone LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-joyce-42025b72/
Website - paypaplane.com
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Anna Chipperfield is Head of People & Culture at businesDEPOT & Founder of Secret Women's Business. In this episode, we talk about the importance of being part of a “tribe” and also reset planning.
Key takeaways
- Think about who you are surrounding yourself with
- Think about where your future self is headed
- Be flexible and realistic in your goal setting
Links
Anna LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-chipperfield/
Websites -
- businessdepot.com.au
- https://secretwomensbusiness.com.au/
Blog - https://businessdepot.com.au/blog/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Luke Faccini is Chief Brand Strategist at The Sponge, Co-Founder of Good North and also author of “Impact Brand Storytelling - A how to guide for founders hell-bent on changing the world”.
Key takeaways
- Why it is important for a company brand to have purpose and be perpetuating good
- The importance of an authentic, consistent and unified culture in improving your customers' experience and increasing productivity
- Why misaligned and undefined values create a toxic culture of mistrust
Links
Luke LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukefaccini/
Websites -
- thesponge.com.au (Company Website)
- lukefaccini.com (Personal Website)
- goodnorth.co (Luke's Tribe)
Book - https://thesponge.com.au/book/
Webinar - https://thesponge.com.au/monthly-marketing-munchies/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Bianca Dillon is the Founder of B:Content Marketing. She is a certified inbound marketer obsessed with digital technology. In this episode, Bianca and Nicola Steel discuss the magic of inbound marketing, lead nurturing and marketing automation.
Key takeaways
- The importance of the buyer journey
- How to use inbound marketing to build trust
- How to use marketing automation
Links
Bianca LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancadillon/
Website - https://bcontent.com.au/
Blogs - https://www.hubspot.com/inbound-marketing
https://www.hubspot.com/interactive-guide-to-inbound-marketing
https://www.hubspot.com/why-go-hubspot
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Kylie Denton is the Founder of Performance Advisory Group. She is a professional coach and leadership expert who specialises in leadership development and sales training to develop high performing teams in financial services. She is also a speaker and bestselling author.
Key takeaways
- How leaders can embed behavourial change successfully during the pandemic
- How leadership teams can communicate more effectively when dealing with flexible working conditions
- The importance of Emotional Intelligence for high performing leaders
Links
Kylie LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyliedenton5/
Website - http://www.performanceadvisorygroup.com.au/
Books
Sales Genius - https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B084DH5BT7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Fit for Purpose Leadership - https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/1912774526/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Chloe Rees is a Programme Manager, “Change Wizard” and Innovator. In this episode, Nicola and Chloe talk about the impact of change during the pandemic and Chloe's predictions for the future.
Key takeaways:
- Main benefits and challenges created by pandemic
- Impact on digital transformation and innovation
- Predictions for the future of work
Blogs Chloe discusses:
https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/covid-19/understanding-covid-19-s-impact-on-the-technology-sector-.html
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/australian-companies-pivot-coronavirus-supplies/
Links:
Chloe LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-r-a79b3237/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Nerida Trappett is Director of Rivers Insurance Brokers and Tanya Williams is a Digital Marketing Specialist and Chief of Everything at Digital Conversations. In this episode, we talk about how Tanya has helped pivot and reinvent Rivers’ marketing campaign during the pandemic.
Key takeaways
- The importance of pivoting your marketing strategy quickly
- Why your values are intrinsic in your marketing to remain authentic and relevant
- How to connect and humanise your core message
Links
Nerida LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerida-trappett-director-20533831/
Tanya Linkedin profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalconversations/
Websites - http://www.riversinsurance.com.au/
http://www.digitalconversations.com.au/
Blog - https://www.digitalconversations.com.au/case-study-how-i-pivoted-this-clients-marketing-during-covid-19/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Sueanne Carr and Peter Turner are the Founding Directors of Customer Frame, a company which helps businesses close the gap between their business strategy and operations by putting the customer at the heart of everything they do.
Key takeaways
- Why businesses should put the customer at the heart of everything they do
- Key competencies needed to build a successful customer strategy
- Why now is the time to reinvent customer strategy and emerge stronger and more resilient
Links
Sueanne LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueannecarr/
Peter Linkedin profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwturner/
Website - www.customerframe.com
The Customer Conversation (Facebook Group) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCustomerConversationwithCustomerFrameThe Customer Recovery Program - https://customerframe.com/recovery/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Chris Skehan is a telecommunications expert and entrepreneur who through a series of life events was led down the path of life coach and author.
In this episode, Chris tells the story of how a near-death experience in the 2011 Floods in Toowoomba was an epiphany which change the direction and purpose of his life. This and other pivotal events made him decide to write a book about mentorship and having balance in life as well as the importance of progress over perfection.
Links
Chris LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-skehan-communications-5g/
Website - https://chrisskehan.com/
Blogs and videos - https://chrisskehan.com/blog/
Book - https://chrisskehan.com/product/the-unfair-advantage/ - use code "mentor" to get a free copy
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Mel Telecician is the Owner & Head Strategist of Loyalest.com. She specialises in marketing strategy especially analysing why previous marketing efforts didn't work and which marketing efforts are worth investing in.
Key takeaways
- Why your marketing should change during this crisis
- Keep your marketing message agile and relevant
- Make your marketing decisions based on facts and evidence
Links
Mel LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meltelecican/
Website - https://loyalest.com/
Blog - https://loyalest.com/should-we-be-marketing-right-now/
Blog - https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/sme-law/27823-don-t-stop-marketing-your-firm-especially-now
Podcast - https://customercentriccoach.com/podcast-list/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Edwin Trevor-Roberts is a Career Expert and Co-founder of Resugraphic. He also has a PhD in Career Development. Helen Gough is Founder of Growth Curators, a management consultancy which leads organisations through the dynamic interplay of systems and strategy, and the other Co-Founder of Resugraphic.
Key takeaways
- How careers will change and evolve over a lifetime
- The questions we should ask to build a career of substance and meaning
- Main pain points when curating your CV and how to overcome them
Links
Edwin LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwintrevorroberts/
Helen Linkedin profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-gough-227475/
Website - http://www.growthcurators.com/
Website - https://www.trevor-roberts.com.au/
Blogs - https://blog.trevor-roberts.com.au/building-a-career-of-substance-the-search-for-meaningful-work
https://blog.trevor-roberts.com.au/bhutan-dialogues-meaningful-work-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness
https://www.resugraphic.com/what-your-resume-needs-according-to-a-career-expert/
Resugraphic coupon code - THRIVE50 for 50% off a premium Resugraphic (normally $29.95) until 30 Sept 2020
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Naomi Wilson and Alistair Green are HR Consultants and the Founding Directors of Focus HR. Their main goal is to have a positive impact on the working lives of over 100,000 people by 2030.
Key takeaways
- Options other than redundancy which will enable companies to thrive
- How to keep employees engaged and doing meaningful work
- Questions employers should ask to keep teams focused on the future
Links
Naomi LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiwilsonfhr/
Alistair Linkedin profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-c-green/
Website - http://www.focushr.com.au/
Covid-19 Business Response page - https://www.focushr.com.au/urgent-Situation/business-response-covid-19/
Special offer for listeners - https://www.focushr.com.au/index.php?id=2671&no_cache=1&fbclid=IwAR3BxjonZPGyP--mBUqCHPEvGlPPAsGh3FO4u2iEpl7IweNVslUNSGEJggw
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Mike Clark is an Author, Speaker and Queensland State Leader for Key Person of Influence. He develops entrepreneurs to stand-out, scale-up & make a meaningful impact in the world.
Key takeaways
- Why mindset and perspective is critical
- Now is the time to innovate, create and be an entrepreneur
- Examples of billion dollar companies which have been created since the GFC
Links
Mike LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeclarkentrepreneur/
Free KPI Book - http://keypersonofinfluence.com/au/thebook/?cookieUUID=660c54ca-da35-409f-9449-aba082125232
KPI Workshop/Webclass - www.KPIQLD.com
Scorecard - http://scorecard.keypersonofinfluence.com//
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Janine Lee is the Founder of Domestic Violence Business Solutions which helps corporate leaders and private professionals to reduce domestic violence and abuse in the workplace and at home.
Key takeaways
- Employers' obligations and duty of care regarding domestic violence and abuse
- The potential impact on companies' reputational brand
- What employers can do to support victims
Links
Janine LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janinelee-dvsafer/
Website - https://dvbusinesssolutions.com.au/
Factsheets - https://dvbusinesssolutions.com.au/fact-sheets/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Lorrie Brook is a Mediator, former Family Lawyer and Founder of Family Law Services Online. She advises couples about how they can maintain a cooperative relationship post separation which focuses on the best interests of their children.
Key takeaways
- Tactics to manage strained relationships during the crisis
- Now is a good time to plan and prepare for the future
- Co-parenting during the crisis
Links
Lorrie LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorriebrook/
Website - www.familylawservices.online
Instagram - @familylawservicesonline
Free ebook regarding parenting agreements which can be found at the bottom of the Our Children website - www.ourchildren.com.au
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Ceri Jury is the CEO of Advancer, a virtual HR company which is on a mission to help businesses get HR confident. She has over 20 years’ experience of people development, HR & change management.
Key takeaways
- How companies can create high performing teams in the current crisis and beyond
- How people can best combine work from home and school from home
- How expectations will change when employees can go back into the office
- How tech start-ups can develop and maintain culture during rapid growth
Links
Ceri LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceri-jury-62b16625/
Socially: The Micro Events Company - https://www.socially.world/
Advancer: Free 15 minute HR or Business advice consult - https://www.advancer.com.au/virtual-hr & 3 tips for remote working article https://www.advancer.com.au/hr-insights-news/remote-working-tips-for-parents-with-kids
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Kelly Prosser is Director of Fluid Health. She has extensive expertise as an Exercise Physiologist and is an Epigenetic health coach.
Key takeaways
1. How exercise can prevent chronic health conditions and boost the immune system
2. How personalised healthcare (epigenetics) is revolutionising healthcare
3. Starting and maintaining an exercise regime you will enjoy!
Links
Kelly LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyprosser/
Fluid Health website - www.fluidheathco.com.au - currently undergoing a revamp
Facebook page - www.facebook.com/fluidhealthco
For special initial consult fee - $110 for an hour (saving $27.50) and free 30 day trial of the epigenetic program for the duration of this pandemic, email Kelly -kelly@fluidhealthco.com.au
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Georgia Henry is a Culture Strategist and the Director of Henry Reed. With over 25 years’ experience in HR, Culture and Organisational Design & Development, Georgia explains how organisations can optimise organisational effectiveness and culture in both the current crisis and in the future.
Key takeaways
1. Impact on businesses’ organisational culture in the wake of COVID-19
2. Recommendations on how companies can best manage work from home
3. Vision for the future of organisational effectiveness
Links
Georgia LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/culture-change-hr-consultant/
Henry Reed website - www.henryreed.com.au
Culture self assessment - http://culturefirst.com.au/
Webinar Series - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/henry-reed-pty-ltd-17562782886
Blog - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/choose-innovation-hibernation-georgia-henry-gaicd/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Llew Jury is Director and Investor at Sprint Ventures, Advancer and Reload Business Group as well as Entrepreneur In Residence at River City Labs.
Key takeaways
-
Impact on start-ups/ scale-ups in current crisis
-
Recommendations for companies to emerge stronger from the crisis
-
Tips for successful digital transformation
-
Bonus – working and schooling effectively from home
Links
Llew LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/llewjury/
Reload Media: Free Digital Campaigns Audit - https://www.reloadmedia.com.au/services/free-digital-campaigns-audit/
Sprint Ventures: early stage venture capital - https://www.sprint.vc/
Socially: The Micro Events Company - https://www.socially.world/
River City Labs: - https://rivercitylabs.acs.org.au/about-us.html
Advancer: Free 15 minute HR or Business advice consult - https://www.advancer.com.au/virtual-hr & 3 tips for remote working article https://www.advancer.com.au/hr-insights-news/remote-working-tips-for-parents-with-kids
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Tanya Meessmann is Founder of Girl Shaped Flames, a keynote speaker and also an activator at SheEO.
Key takeaways
-
Girl Shaped Flames' (GSF) ultimate goal to empower teenage girls and build their confidence and self esteem
-
How teenage girls are handling the crisis and what parents can do to help them thrive
-
What GSF is currently doing to support high school girls
-
What advice Tanya would give her 15 year old self!
Links
Tanya LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyameessmann/
Website – www.girlshapedflames.com
Teen Resilience Kit (for Parents and Daughters) - https://girlshapedflames.com/gsfconnect
USECODE SPOTLIGHTON to save $10
’Stronger Than You Know’ Online Course for Teen Girls - https://girlshapedflames.com/styk-course
USECODE SPOTLIGHTON to save $10
Subscribe to the ‘Raising Girl Shaped Flames’ Podcast https://raisinggirlshapedflames.buzzsprout.com/
Subscribe to the Girl Shaped Flames Mailing List: https://girlshapedflames.com/maling-list
Join Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisinggirlshapedflames/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Megan Kelly is Director of Superannuation at businessDEPOT and has extensive experience advising businesses about their finances. She is also the Winner 2017 SMSF and Accounting Professional of the Year.
Key takeaways
1. Impact of COVID-19 on Self Managed Super Funds
2. Advice regarding company finances to survive and thrive in the current crisis
3. Government Stimulus package for employers and obligations regarding employees
Links
Megan LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-kelly-smsf/
Website – www.businessdepot.com.au
Blog - https://businessdepot.com.au/blog/government-cheque-book-to-ease-pressure-on-coronavirus-economy/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Sue Lester is an executive coach, mindset trainer, author and keynote speaker. Her business “Growing Content” earned Sue the SIMNI 2017 International Small Business Woman of the Year award!
Key Takeaways
- How to clear your "head trash"
- Ways to feel more in control, less stressed and find joy in the current situation
- Ways to stay connected
Links
- Sue LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suelester/
- Website - www.SueLester.com
- Free video series De-Stress Your Mind Tips available from www.SueLester.com
- De-stress, head trash clearing and mindset tips and techniques in Facebook group "Staying Sane In Crazy Times" - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1063164557376182/
- Blogs: Numerous blogs on www.SueLester.com website, the latest being https://www.suelester.com/like-a-crystal-ball-to-predict-the-future/, plus almost 50 on https://www.womensnetwork.com.au/member/sue-lester/, and articles on https://www.linkedin.com/in/suelester/
- Book - “The Face Within – How to Change Your Unconscious Blueprint”
- Free consultation - a 15 min exploratory initial chat via Zoom to discuss your pressing problems and Sue's solution options. Link to book - https://my.timetrade.com/book/SPXCJ
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
·
Cara Brett is a senior financial adviser and wealth coach. She is one of the founding directors of Bounce Financial, a boutique financial planning firm which specialises in providing advice to business professionals and small business owners.
Key Takeaways
1) how to successfully manage your personal finances if you have been stood down (and if you have not)
2) how to access the JobSeeker and JobKeeper government allowances
3) different ways to invest and grow your personal wealth
Links
Cara LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carabrett/
Website - https://www.bouncefinancial.com.au/
Blog - https://www.bouncefinancial.com.au/how-to-survive-and-thrive-financially-in-a-post-covid-world/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bouncefinancial/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/
Margie Ireland is a leadership coach and psychologist. She helps leaders and their teams develop effective stress management strategies.
Key Takeaways
1) how to tap into your "smart brain"
2) how leaders can engage with virtual teams
3) how leaders can be more proactive in their leadership style.
Margie Ireland works one-on-one with CEOs, Executives, Business Owners, Leaders and Managers to not only survive challenging times but to thrive too. Margie’s techniques are helping Leaders and their teams work through this pandemic which will help them thrive on the other side. She is offering listeners an initial free 15-30 minute video consult to get started. Go here to find a time that suits you. Please mention the "Don't just survive, thrive!" podcast.
Links
Margie LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margiei/?originalSubdomain=au
Website - https://www.connect-inspire-transform.com
Blog - https://www.connect-inspire-transform.com/leading-during-covid-19-2/
Videos - https://www.connect-inspire-transform.com/covid-19-leader-support/
JJP Talent Solutions website - https://jjptalent.com.au/
Spotlight on Software Development YouTube series - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnOgXovhfFeggMrOkBWCAQ
Nicola LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolachristinasteel/