Don't Stop Us Now! Podcast

Welcome to another of our mini episodes where we revisit the specific pearls of wisdom that our amazing guests have shared with us. This week we’re exploring what it takes to really innovate in a big corporate or government organisation. Because, as you’ll hear, successful innovation is about much more than having a great idea. Often the challenge really comes when you try to get that idea off the ground. You may remember a conversation we had with Mandy Birch, an executive with quantum computing company, Rigetti Computing. Mandy also spent many years in the US Airforce in senior operational and logistics roles in the field so she knows all about innovating and getting ideas passed in large organisations.  You’ll hear how Mandy thinks about generating breakthrough ideas and, importantly, getting some of them implemented! Enjoy this Future Proof Me episode. And if you are getting value from our show then please rate and review us on your podcast listening platform, we’d really apprecia

Our guest for this week’s episode is Swedish best selling author, financial journalist and women’s economic champion, Katrine Marçal. Katrine’s two books, ‘Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner’ and her latest book - ‘Mother of Invention - How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men’ explore how women’s roles and contribution have been systemically ignored over time. Katrine has a fun and engaging way of telling stories that show just how much we’ve missed out on by overlooking the value women bring to the table. Not surprisingly, she also shares how frustrated she is that we’ve missed out on countless potential innovations because there haven’t been enough women involved in the process. Katrine’s first book was named one of The Guardian’s Books of the Year in 2015 and she was named as one of the BBC’s top 100 women in the same year. Her latest book builds on this impressive record. In this fascinating discussion you’ll learn: How the founder of modern economics, Adam Smith, overl

This week’s mini episode is a tribute to all parents and everything they do for their children, particularly when they raise their daughters and sons to believe that women can be CEOs, adventurers and innovators. When we thought of all that parents do, we were reminded of our conversation with the wonderful social entrepreneur Navyn Salem who has 4 daughters. She started a social business called Edesia Nutrition aiming to end malnutrition in the world. Edesia produces a life saving formulation called Plumpy Nut which is given to very malnourished and unwell children in developing countries. So far this mission-driven business has nourished more than 14 million children in 60 countries to date. When we spoke to Navyn nearly 3 years ago, we asked her about how she manages the juggle of leading her business and raising 4 daughters.  We also asked her about how she thinks about what she’s role modelling for her four young girls, and it’s pretty inspiring. Enjoy this mini episode - a tribu

Our latest podcast episode takes you on a journey all the way to Kathmandu in Nepal.We speak with Sonika Manandhar, a Nepalese entrepreneur and former senior software developer for Microsoft, who’s now a fintech founder committed to improving the lives of women small business owners in Nepal. Sonika is co-founder and CTO of Aeloi Technologies, an innovative social enterprise and fintech that uses digital tokens to facilitate affordable loans to Nepali small businesses that are working in a sustainable and climate-friendly fashion. Think things such as electric mini buses and sustainable agriculture. She also happens to be one of Nepal’s highest flyers, almost literally, as she was selected to participate in International Space training at the Korean AeroSpace Research Institute.  Not only that. Sonika was named a National Geographic Explorer for 2020, a UN Young Champion of the Earth in 2019, and she attended Singularity University where exponential thinking is cultivated. In this epi

We’ve been thinking about the impact the global pandemic has had on peoples’ careers and one thing that’s been happening is many folk have been wondering whether it’s time for a career change and, in particular, whether they should start their own business. So for today’s mini episode, we’ve chosen to share some brilliant advice for founders and potential founders from the successful British entrepreneur, Debbie Wosskow OBE.Debbie is well known for building and selling her online home exchange business, Love Home Swap for £53 million. Not only that, Debbie is now co-founder of another business called AllBright, an education and networking organisation designed to provide skills and connections to working women particularly in the UK but also internationally. We talked all about AllBright when we first spoke with Debbie on the show some years ago. Having sold her own start-up and also being a start-up investor, Debbie knows first hand what it takes to build a business from scratch and, as you’ll

We’re excited to share this week’s episode with changemaker, leader and author, Holly Ransom. Holly has pioneered her way into boardrooms and forums at the top end of town but what’s really interesting about Holly is her deep thoughtfulness, her fortitude to blaze her own path, and her drive to make the world a better place. This 31 year old Aussie has Chaired the G20 Youth Summit, she’s an internationally sought after speaker and conference MC, and she’s recently completed her Masters of Public Policy in technology at the Harvard Kennedy School of Business - as a Fulbright Scholar no less. Holly has made the most of conversations with some of the most high profile people in the world, interviewing everyone from President Obama to Muhammad Yunus and Malcolm Gladwell. These encounters, plus her own journey, have resulted in her first book, The Leading Edge. Holly was awarded the US Embassy’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Leadership Excellence in 2019 and she was nominated by Richard Branson a

Greetings everyone! This week’s mini episode is all about challenging our beliefs about who we can and can’t ask for help. A couple of years ago we spoke with serial entrepreneur, and now author, Rebekah Campbell about her career journey and her childhood growing up in New Zealand. Rebekah happened to mention that she met with the Prime Minister of New Zealand when she was just 12 years of age as part of a school project she was doing. She went on to explain how this seminal meeting, that she had arranged herself, became an incredibly valuable lesson for her as she started her entrepreneurial career. We love this story and its lesson that reminds us all to get better at asking people (when we have a good question for them) even if they seem way more senior or more powerful than us. Enjoy this entertaining and valuable story from Rebekah.Useful LinksRebekah’s websiteRebekah’s new book 138 DatesRebekah on LinkedIn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week’s episode shares the story of founder Sophia Matveeva who found herself having to make a big pivot when the global pandemic hit. Before Covid, Sophia, a Russian by birth and based in the UK, had been making inroads with her fashion app called Enty. Think of it as a kind of ‘Uber for fashion stylists’, used by growing numbers of consumers, and being featured as App of the Day on Mashable.However the global lockdowns last year quickly put an end to the need for we consumers to seek stylist advice on our outfits. Fortunately, Sophia had also been developing a side-hustle giving talks and creating a course called ‘Tech for Non-Techies’ where she shared what she’d learnt as a non tech founder and CEO running a tech startup. So whilst Sophia’s fashion-tech business stopped dead last year, her side hustle started to build real traction. In this episode you’ll learn: How hearing her app developers painful feedback was the best lesson she could have hadHow it took Sophia till well in

This week’s mini episode features a global branding and design icon talking about the renewed power branding has in today’s ‘social’ world to create change-making movements. When we invited the designer, author and podcaster, Debbie Millman, on the show last year she talked about how branding has evolved in the past decade and how the power has shifted to us as consumers and citizens. She explained it in a historical context that really stuck with us and we thought it was so important, we wanted to share it with you again.Debbie is a global authority on brands, as well as creating them, she co-created and teaches a Masters in Branding at New York’s famed School of Visual Arts.Understanding how branding, as well as content, has been democratised and how it can be harnessed for good and even turned into social movements is important; not just for future proofing our careers but also for future proofing our planet as well. On that note, sit back, pretend you’re in NYC and drink in Debbie’s wise words n

We are so excited about this episode featuring an inspiring and no-topic-off-limits conversation with the globally renowned Sarah Wilson.Sarah has achieved massively in multiple arenas; she’s a former journalist and TV presenter, she’s an author and activist and successful entrepreneur. She wrote the New York Times bestsellers I Quit Sugar and First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which best-selling author Mark Manson described as the best book on living with anxiety that he’d ever read. Along with her latest book, ‘This One Wild and Precious Life’, Sarah has been ranked as one of the top 200 influential authors in the world and her online wellness ‘I Quit Sugar’ program was taken by 1.5 million people around the world.These days, Sarah’s a campaigner for the causes that matter and, in particular, the climate crisis. Her determination to motivate us all to do what we can, is matched only by her research, her passion and her own crusading life. In this open and vulnerable episode you’ll learn:How Sarah

This week’s Future Proofing mini episode is all about not letting your ego get the better of you.We were blown away by the maturity and wisdom of young New Zealand entrepreneur, Brianne West, the founder and CEO of Ethique, the global and sustainable cosmetics company. We spoke to her on the show last year. Brianne’s mission is to rid the world of single-use plastics and Ethique replaces bottled products like shampoos with solid bars of concentrated product.Brianne has won all kinds of honours including New Zealand’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year and she was named an Obama Leader for Asia Pacific.With these accolades Brianne could be forgiven for running her global business exactly as she pleases. But what’s so refreshing about this entrepreneur in her 30’s is that she’s well aware she’s never worked in any other business and so she knows she needs other people's expertise to help her succeed. And that’s where mastering your ego comes into it. Brianne is so authentic and open about what she does an

This week we feature the first ever visual artist on the show when we talk with the entrepreneurial and talented American artist, Taylor White. Taylor has worked around the world creating incredible street murals and fine art. You may have seen her work in Melbourne, Oslo, Berlin, LA, Miami, and her hometown of Raleigh in North Carolina.Taylor spent a lot of last year driven by the goal to create and produce her own solo exhibition (The Pursuit of Happiness) inspired by her observations of life in the time of Covid. As you’ll hear, producing your own exhibition is no small undertaking.Being a professional artist is a tough gig - a recent study showed that only 17% of artists make most of their income from their actual art practise. So Taylor’s experiences make this all the more interesting.  In this episode you’ll learn: How Taylor creates large scale street muralsHer advice for anyone who wants to be more creativeWhy focusing on what you can control is so important And, why she belie

This week’s Future Proof mini episode is all about what it takes to get a big idea signed off. We’re excited to share very wise advice from senior Microsoft exec, Mitra Azizirad, who heads up their AI and Innovation division. Mitra speaks about what you should do when that fantastic idea or innovation you have gets knocked back.  (Hands up who knows that feeling!) Mitra is someone who’s had plenty of practise selling-in new ideas and approaches, and one of her top pieces of advice from our conversation was all about how you should react to being told “no” when you pitch an idea in a big corporate.  It’s important advice and we’re excited to revisit this with you here. Enjoy! Useful LinksMitra’s Full Interview with us - Mitra Azizirad – How Resilience and Persistence Can Make All The DifferenceMitra on LinkedIn - see her speeches here too! Well worth a watch!Microsoft Innovation - Mitra’s teamMicrosoft AI - also Mitra’s teamMcirosoft’s AI Business School - Free Course  S

Our episode this week features an American woman who abandoned the security and prestige of working with some of the world’s most sought after ad agencies to start her own businesses.Her name is Allison Kent Smith and one thing that really stands out about her is that she has consciously refused to pretend to be someone she’s not when trying to find VC investors for her startup.   That startup, giide.com, is a new platform for creating rich audio learning experiences featuring a host of multimedia options such as links, articles and graphics.In our conversation you’ll hear howAllison has experienced a few seminal moments when she just knew she had to leap out of her comfort zone work-wiseWhat a Silicon Valley VC told her when she met with him for funding that nearly made her give upWhy she asks herself how can she do less when she wakes up And how she’s found her tribe of investors and supporters by staying true to herself  So sit back and enjoy this episode with the not so typic

Our mini episode this week is packed with wisdom from one of our most thoughtful guests. Social entrepreneur, author and one of Forbes Magazine ‘100 Greatest Living Business Minds’, Jacqueline Novogratz, blew our socks off with her inspiring purpose and thoughtful wisdom when we spoke with her last year.We particularly loved how Jacqueline spoke inspiringly about courage and creating change, and she uses the analogy of bulls and doves in a brilliant way. At the time she was releasing her latest book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution. Jacqueline starts by stressing how important it is not to spend ages thinking about doing something but to make a start, even if it scares you. You’ll also learn how she channels her inner bull and dove and how she overcame her fear of public speaking.Enjoy this episode. Useful Links Our full interview with Jacqueline NovogratzAcumen WebsiteJacqueline’s Books: Manifesto for a Moral Revolution – Practices to Build a Better World The Blue Swe

This week’s episode is all about becoming a great ‘people person’. It’s something we believe is probably the most important trait of a great leader. Of course, it’s not always easy to do, particularly these days when many of us are working from home at least some part of each week. Thanks to Covid, we’re all losing a bit of ‘muscle tone’ when it comes to building and maintaining healthy working relationships with our colleagues, direct reports and networks.But fear not as we have just the info you need to hear to reinvigorate your working life! In this episode you’ll hear: How one CEO was advised not to think she was running a company and instead to think of it as managing a group of individuals;Great advice on the key ingredients for strong working relationships even when everyone is working remotely;What mistake younger women make in particular when it comes to interactions at work; And the one special ingredient you need to build enduring relationships in ways that are otherwise im

This week’s Future Proof Me mini episode is all about asking for what you want. It sounds so simple in theory but it’s not always easy to do is it? Listen up for great and pragmatic advice on asking and negotiating from the unique and gutsy former advertising CEO, Cindy Gallop. She’s now a Founder and international speaker and she’s passionate about women being treated equally in business. You’ll hear Cindy initially talk about being posed a great question about what she wanted to do by an old boss at the famed ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty that really got her thinking and changed her career. Then you get to hear her invaluable advice on promoting yourself and things you can do if you need to negotiate your salary. Enjoy this mini episode. Useful LinksLink to Cindy’s full interview with usAsk Cindy Gallop Chatbot MakeLoveNotPorn Cindy’s TED talk Cindy on Twitter Cindy on Facebook Cindy on LinkedIn  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out infor

This week, we’re really thrilled to be able to share our conversation with experienced founder, CEO and all round impressive operator, Connie Mckeage.Connie recently sold OneVue, the listed fintech business she ran in Sydney for 14 years. It was a dramatic journey at times, particularly when OneVue was left being owed $31 million dollars by another company which had collapsed. Connie is Canadian and has spent most of her career in financial services. With OneVue she and her 200 employees were looking to disrupt the funds management market by creating a new digital model that aimed to cut out the middleman and reduce fees for end investors. Connie has an impressive list of awards to her name including being awarded the Centenary Medal for contribution to Australian business leadership; as well as twice being named CEO of the Year at the Women in Finance Awards, including last year at the same time she was fighting to keep her business afloat when it was owed $31 million. In this episode you’ll h

This week’s mini episode is all about facing your fears and not being held back in life by the fear of failure. It’s important to know that we don’t always recognise how we’re feeling as ‘fear of failure’ when we hesitate or say no, but often that’s what lies behind any hesitation.  In this episode we hear again from Kat Dunn. Kat was running Grameen Australia when we spoke a year or so back and these days Kat is working for herself and very much still focused on social ventures. Kat has thought a lot about failure and has held numerous failure-themed events in the past, and as a result, she has all kinds of wisdom to share as you will hear in this future-proofing, mini episode. Extra InfoHere are the 4 different lenses we shared at the end of this episode that can help when you’re worrying about failing. . . 1. Growth Mindset - overcoming a fixed mindset and embracing the prospect of growing and learning;2. The practise of Gratitude - to be more positive;  3. Purpose -

This week’s episode features one of the most unassuming and humble entrepreneurs we’ve met.Adina Jacobs is the Co-Founder of an international technology accessories company called STM Goods that basically created a whole new category of product when it launched it 23 years ago. (Think really functional and yet not boring laptop backpacks and bags, ipad and tablet covers, chargers, and a whole host of other accessories.)Adina’s success as a young entrepreneur is testament to the power of building win-win relationships; whether it’s with manufacturers or retail clients. It was thanks to great relationships with Apple resellers that led to her products landing coveted space in Apple’s own destination retail stores when they launched. And not only does Adina work with Apple but STM are also key suppliers of Microsoft accessories as well, plus many other brands. Adina is also Co-Founder of Mentor Walks in Australia, a not-for-profit expanding all around the country with its ‘walk and talk’ model. We had