Tag: active

active CEO Podcast Garry Mills (Garry Mills Peak Performance) – Yes Prime Minister

active CEO Podcast #33 Garry Mills Yes Prime Minister

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Garry Mills – CEO Garry Mills Peak Performance

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Garry Mills about lessons from the police force; being a Bodyguard for former Australian Prime Minister John Howard; and being a mental health advocate with Beyond Blue and Blokepedia. We also talk about learning to live and cope with depression; living a playboy lifestyle; staying in the moment; setting social media parameters; the importance of situation and self-awareness; and helping people improve their lives.

Garry Mills is a resilient, determined and trusted freelance entrepreneur, facilitator, Keynote Speaker and Trainer. He is a former bodyguard for the Australian Prime Minister and other dignitaries, an executive level Australian Public Servant and former police officer. Making a difference in other people’s lives is his passion and has recently joined Blokepedia as a Director and continues to be an ambassador for Beyond Blue.

As a devoted father he loves the challenge of being an Ironman triathlete. He is an entrepreneur with Garry Mills Peak Performance, as well as a very talented TV actor and corporate video/podcast presenter and has spent time on the radio. In 2017, he became famous for finishing second with Team Australia in the Photonis Ultimate Forces Challenge, an international outdoor sports and survival competition & reality TV show.

Garry talks about:

  • Dreaming of being a fighter pilot and police officer as a child.
  • Working in the wool industry as a Jackaroo, before joining the Victorian Police in 1996.
  • Fears around presentations and speaking with lots of eyeballs looking at you.
  •  “I am” rather than “I want to be”
  • Enjoying the moment when on the start line of a triathlon.
  • Being reactive as a policeman, versus being proactive in the background as a bodyguard.
  • Your communication goes to a whole new level as a bodyguard for the Prime Minister
  • Leaders need to be adaptable and flexible, because of the rate of change.
  • Living someone else’s life as a bodyguard.
  • Learning to know when you can relax and when you can be on.
  • During the 2,000’s his mental health started to deteriorate and work becoming his only focus.
  • Hitting rock bottom in 2012 and the decision to seek help for his depression.
  • Being present in the moment. Not worrying about what happened yesterday and what is going to happen tomorrow.
  • Working with Josh Cornby, who started Blokepedia in 2017.
  • “Conversations that matter”
  • Breaking down barriers and providing a safe and open place for men to be honest about how they are feeling and supporting their mates.
  • There is so much serious stuff in the world and laughter is the best medicine.
  • Being part of the Photonis Ultimate Forces Challenge with his wife in Bali.
  • Eating a bowl of silkworms in the food markets.
  • His wife Nicole having the greatest influence on his life.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Energy Management – Most CEO’s and Leaders spend time focusing on managing their time rather than managing their energy. If you focus on managing time you will tend to create overload and over time you will run out of energy. You have to manage your energy and productive down time as it will allow you to maintain a higher threshold of performance over a longer period of time.

Tweets

“Having a close network of friends, who all look after each other. We will all reach out. You don’t have to have gone through it to help somebody.” Being there for friends who have depression with Garry Mills, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Why cant we just make happy films?” Garry Mills has one question he would like to solve, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Garry Mills LinkedIn
Garry Mills Peak Performance www.garrymillscoach.com
Garry Mills YouTube
Blokepedia www.blokepedia.com
Blokepedia Facebook
Blokepedia LinkedIn
Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au
Beyond Blue Facebook
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast Alex Richardson (Art of Mentoring) – The Art of Mentoring

active CEO Podcast #32 Alex Richardson The Art of Mentoring

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Alex Richardson – The Art of Mentoring

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Alex Richardson about his creative world; growing up with dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome; the positive effects of meditation on staying focused; the effects of music on the brain; and painting an audio picture. We also delve into the Art of Mentoring; leading a virtual team; the power of mentoring on a mentor; and how they have grown to matching 6,000 mentoring pairs each year.

Alex Richardson – The Art Of Mentoring

Alex Richardson is a highly successful and determined entrepreneur, who is at the forefront of the HR technology space. He is a man who is extremely passionate about people and culture.

Alex has excelled in audio and visual production, sound engineering, 3D Animation and the typography space, working with Charles Fisher who produced top bands such as Savage Garden and Hudu Gurus, as well as doing front of house production for many artists and festivals such as Bluesfest.

Since 2013, Alex is a co-Founder and Director of his family businesses Art of Mentoring and Horizons Unlimited. He is at the forefront of mentoring technology and program design in Australia. They design, implement and support over 6,000 mentoring partnerships each year in Association, Corporate, Government and University industries.

In his spare time he is a Board member of 2bbb radio station and is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute and Family Business Australia. O

Alex talks about:

  • Seeing the world through a creative lens.
  • Compartmentalising the curiosity and focusing on the task at hand.
  • How meditation brought clarity to Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome as a child.
  • His morning ritual of meditation, Kung-Fu and eating a bowl of fruit.  
  • Finding his passion in music and meeting a fantastic mentor, Charles Fisher, who produced Savage Garden and the Hudu Gurus.
  • Sound engineering is like painting an audio picture.
  • The effects of music on the brain and the way that shapes our perception of the world, of societies perception and the social fabrics that are created through music.
  • Music is the most engaging activity for the brain out of any activity that you can possibly do.
  • Social fabrics that are created through music and music genres
  • Using 3D animation as a very powerful way to teach and allow people to learn.
  • Establishing the Art of Mentoring with his mum and transitioning from employee to business owner.
  • Using mantras & learning’s from the music industry, & bringing them into the business world.
  • Leading a virtual team of 14 staff across Australia.
  • Taking the best practices and core standards that are tried and tested.
  • Mentors saying that the mentee will never understand that I got more out of this than the mentee did.
  • Matching 6,000 pairs of mentors and mentees over the last 12 months.
  • Waking up in the morning knowing he goes to work knowing he will make a difference to the world, not just a dollar.
  • Would love to solve how humans can coexist in a positive way.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Checking in With Yourself – It is important that we ask the questions of yourself. Are we on track to achieve our goals? Are we happy how we communicated today? If we weren’t happy with the answers, then how can we resurrect on it and get ourselves back on track. What is your purpure on life and what we are driven for and making sure that we stay in line with that. Take some time at the beginning or end of each day. It might be every day, every 3 days or at the end of each week or the start of each week. Its about finding that routine and making sure we have the right things in place, doing the right things and making sure we are staying on track with our goals.

Tweets

“The downside of being a really creative person is that you do have a lot of ideas and marinating that focus is an important piece of the puzzle.” The creative mind of Alex Richardson, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Both music and sound have a responsibility to paint a picture, evoke an emotion and to create that activity in a persons brain.” The power of music with Alex Richardson, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Alex Richardson LinkedIn
Art of Mentoring www.artofmentoring.net
Art of Mentoring Facebook
Music & Effects Website
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

Holly Ransom (Emergent) – Next Generational Leadership

active CEO Podcast #31 Holly Ransom Next Generational Leadership

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Holly Ransom – CEO / Founder Emergent

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Holly Ransom about being forensically curious; the richness of a conversation; importance of pre-game routine; the power of reverse mentoring; learning to harness fear; and intergenerational leadership in the 21st Century.

We explore conversations with Sir Richard Branson and former US President Barak Obama; high performance leadership; what makes New Zealand Primeminister, Jacinda Ardern a great leader; signing up 100 days before her first Ironman triathlon; and Learning from a Lifetime of Experience on the Coffee Pods Podcast.

Background

Holly Ransom is a highly articulate, pragmatic, futuristic, energetic and curious young leader. She is a thought-leader who thrives on challenging the way people think, facing market disruptions head on, unlocking opportunities and helping leaders build their capacity to effect change.

A high achiever and born leader, she held numerous sport captain and leadership roles, while at Methodist Ladies College. She holds a law degree and a BA Economics from the University of Western Australia, however she will quite openly state that she didn’t quite fit in at University.

As a teenager she thrived as an events manager at Challenge Stadium in Perth, before becoming a paralegal at Francis Burt Legal Chambers. Her talent was recognised early by Rio Tinto CEO, Sam Walsh, which paved the way for former Australian Primeminister Tony Abbott to appoint her as the 2014 G20 Youth Summit Chair. She was Chief of Staff to the NAB Wealth Chief Executive, before taking on her current role as CEO and Founder of Emergent in 2015.

As a Director, Chair and Advisory member she currently sits on the Boards of Hudson, Hub Australia, Cox Architecture, United Nations Global Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs, Victoria Police, the Prince’s Charities Australia, Port Adelaide Football Club, Black Sheep Capital and was the youngest President of a Rotary Club.

In her spare time she loves to stay fit, compete in Ironman distance triathlons, speak all around the world and moderate conversations with world leaders such as Barak Obama, Sir Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama. O

Holly talks about:

  • Being described as forensically curious by her mentors
  • Her Grandma’s life lesson, “If you walk past it, you tell the world it is ok.”
  • How easy it is to jump into action without seeking to understand context or appreciate nuance.
  • Running Virgin Disrupters in London with Richard Branson.
  • How leaders of the business world failed to consider themselves as leaders as equivalents as high performing athletes.
  • Her people-orientated, interactive and engaged leadership style.
  • Leading the Youth Summit for the G20 in 2014.
  • Encouraging people to reflect on the diversity of the 5 people they spend their time around.
  • Facing a new fear every single day for a year.
  • Like an elite athlete, you need have someone who is continually giving you that performance feedback.
  • The biggest change in her life was shifting from managing her time to managing her energy.
  • The most important habit to build is ironically to continually reflect on your habits.
  • A lot of CEO’s have trouble making time for on the business and they get too lost in the business.
  • Learning from a lifetime of experience, the catalyst behind the Coffee Pods Podcast.
  • Jacinda Ardern being an extraordinary example of a next generation leader.
  • Making a habit of doing something new every day, one thing you are afraid of everyday.
  • How do we prepare the next generation?
  • Layne Beachley AO and Jan Owen having the greatest impact on her career.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Habit Reflection – As CEO’s we need to be aware of our Habits and know that the best Habit is to reflect on your habits. Allocate some time 2-4x per year where you find the space to reflect on your habits and determine what habits you could tweak slightly, commit to stop doing, rethink, start doing more of.

Tweets

“Great leaders are hungry for new knowledge, different perspectives, to be challenged on their view on the world or to seek insight into something they may not of thought about yet, and find great benefit in surrounding themselves with a real diversity of people.” Holly Ransom, on the active CEO Podcast.

“With a role in a large organisation, you appreciate that as one person you can never turn the titanic” Holly Ransom talking about the complexities of leadership, on the active CEO Podcast.

“The compassion, empathy and the way she has put her arms around the community.” Holly Ransom describing Jacinda Ardern, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Holly Ransom Linkedin
Holly Ransom Instagram
Holly Ransom www.hollyransom.com
Emergent www.Emergent.global
Coffee Pods Podcast
Layne Beachley www.laynebeachley.com
Jacinda Ardern Wikipedia
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

Magnus Grimeland (Antler) – Fast Tracking Entrepreneurs With Antler

active CEO Podcast #30 Magnus Grimeland Fast Tracking Entrepreneurs With Antler

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Magnus Grimeland – Founder & CEO of Antler

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Magnus Grimeland about his desire to make a positive difference in the world; excelling as a Norwegian Navy Seal; studying at Harvard University as Facebook launched; global learning’s working at McKinsey & Company; accelerating into Managing Director at Rocket Internet; capitalising on the diverse markets in Southeast Asia with fashion e-commerce companies Zalora and Global Fashion Group; and turning the world’s best talent into great founders of great companies with his new company Antler.

We also delve into three characteristics to be successful; front-loading; failure is not an option; knowing the right time to become an entrepreneur; senior leadership being close to the customers; why it is important to support the direction of your suppliers; fully aligning your own passion with the work you do; and why being healthy allows you to put a lot more energy into work.

Background

Magnus Grimeland is an entrepreneurial catalyst and game-changing futurist who is driven to accelerate global aspiring entrepreneurs through connecting them with compatible co-founders and investors. He is a venture capitalist and angel investor who is on the search for the right talent, drive and ambition to change the world.

Born in Norway he dove in head first to kick start his career as a Navy Seal, before heading to Harvard University to study a Bachelors of Science and Economics. He then exceled as an Associate Principal and Junior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he discovered his true talent, as a leader.

In 2013 he found his feet in the entrepreneurial and venture capital space when he took the reigns of Rocket Internet GmbH as Managing Director, as well as co-founding Zalora Southeast Asia. He then successfully transitioned into Managing Director and COO of Global Fashion Group, which offers over 8,000 brands, and operates across four continents and 28 countries, employing over 10,000 people.

Magnus is currently the Founder and CEO of Antler, a new start-up generator turning the world’s best talent into great founders of great companies. In less than two years he has grown Antler to more than seventy staff and is in the process of expanding to 6 cities across 5 continents in less than one year.

Magnus talks about:

  • The influence of his grandmother on considering the meaning of being on earth.
  • Decided early that he wanted to have a positive impact on the world.
  • Becoming a Norwegian Navy Seal with the intention of being an astronaut.
  • Developing a SPIKE, knowing what drives you and having the grit to make it happen.
  • Deciding to leave the Navy Seals to go to Harvard University.
  • The impact of his teacher at United World College of the Atlantic in Wales.
  • Starting life in the corporate world, and the huge learning curve at McKinsey and Company
  • Taking the leap into the unknown and setting a deadline to make the change from employee to entrepreneur.
  • Any great business must have a great team, validate their business model and identify the tipping point that will lead to incredible growth.
  • Convincing brands that you are a great sales channel for them and why you are the company of choice for the major brands.
  • Being inspired by Steve Jobs who would respond to customer requests and feedback.
  • Creating a platform that enables entrepreneurs a jump from whatever they are doing now into building a truly impactful company, much easier.
  • Antler providing a tremendous network of advisors and external investors and capital that most people would not have access to.
  • Finding that passion, your why and really make a difference for people.
  • Sharing the common passion about what you are building as an entrepreneur.
  • The Antler process and why its global platform enables entrepreneurs in a whole new way.
  • Ironman triathlon as an outlet from work and a form of active meditation.
  • The power of front-loading your work.
  • Taking on one uncomfortable thing every year, ensures you think outside the box.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Workplace Motivation – You can’t build a company culture on free snacks in the boardroom or a foosball table in the office. Company culture is built on talking with your team and understanding what motivates each person. What makes them tick, why are they there and what do they want in the future. You also need to remove the negative influencers in a team before they effect the behaviour of other employees. Because this is important for not only for your welfare as a leader, but also to ensure you keep the team, long-term.

Tweets

“Many people don’t become an entrepreneur, as they get caught up in life instead of setting the direction for your own life.” Why people don’t become an entrepreneur with Magnus Grimeland, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Great teams are put together when every team member knows what they are good at and what they need around them.” Building a great team with Magnus Grimeland, on the active CEO Podcast.

“A lot of start-ups fail not because they don’t have a great team or business model, because they give up when the first challenges arrive.” What challenges entrepreneurs face with Magnus Grimeland on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Magnus Grimeland LinkedIn
Magnus Grimeland Facebook
Magnus Grimeland magnus@antler.co
Antler www.antler.co
Antler LinkedIn
Antler Facebook
Antler Twitter
Global Fashion Group Website
Zalora www.zalora.com
Rocket Internet www.rocket-internet.com
McKinsey & Company www.mckinsey.com
Harvard University www.harvard.edu
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

Jana Kapr (Billigence) – Delivering Insights to the Fingertips

active CEO Podcast #25 Jana Kapr Delivering Insights to the Fingertips

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Jana Kapr – CEO Billigence

Craig Johns explores the leadership styles between Logica and Vodafone with Jana Kapr; the challenges of merging different cultures andbusiness structures; reacting to being told you are dictator; becoming anentrepreneur; and understanding the vision of the client. We also talk about managing family, work, exercise and other focuses; why sport allows her to perform at ahigher level; the impact former Vodafone Australia CEO, Grahame Maher and her dad had on hercareer; and the importance of blocking time in your diary for yourself.Over the past ten years Jana co-founded Billigence, with her Husband Michael, which is an international consultancy delivering innovative business intelligence solutions. She transitioned into the CEO role at Billigence, four years ago.

Background

Jana thrives on collaboration, going the extra mile and is known to deliver beyond expectations. She is passionate, committed and easy to work with as she excels in managing and leading complex projects. In her spare time she loves to compete in triathlon, snowboard and cross country ski.

Growing up in the Czech Republic, she completed a Masters Degree in Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague. She continued her education at the University of California Irvine and in Australia with an MBA Graduate Diploma in Economics, Law and Finance at Deakin University.

Her career took a leap forward as she took on a Senior Consultant role at Logica, whereshe delivered Energy and Utilities projects in Europe, US and Australia.

In 2001, she commenced 9 successful years at Vodafone Australia, working her way up to Head of Marketing Planning. During this time she has delivered major projects and programs with global companies such as Apple, Google and HTC. Her expertise in integrated business plans, cross-segment product roadmaps and designing strategic processes has led to receiving Vodafone Hero and most prestigious employee excellence awards.

Jana talks about:

  • Growing up in a little town near Prague, being very active in sport
  • Being inspired by her mum and dad to study engineering
  • Having the opportunity to work on real-life technology problems while studying
  • Knowing Czech Republic was too small for her and the desire to travel.
  • How Logica offering her a role as a graduate to work in England, Netherlands and then in Sydney, shaped her leadership style.
  • The differences in the leadership style between Logica and Vodafone.
  • How the former CEO’s of Vodafone Australia, Grahame Maher and Russell Hewitt had major impacts on her career and leadership style.
  • Managing the launch of the first Apple and Google phone plans.
  • Juggling having her son Martin while continuing to grow as a Senior Manager at Vodafone.
  • The tough decision to leave when Vodafone merged with Hutchinson,
  • Why starting Billigence, with her husband, was her best career decision
  • Getting the feedback that she was a dictator by her team as a young manager.
  • The importance of reflection being authentic and making leadership your own.
  • The Purpose of Billigence, which involves delivering insights information to the fingerprints of the end users
  • Synergistic learning from their customers and clients
  • Managing stress levels, mental health, travel, family and juggling everything is the biggest challenge
  • How she wouldn’t be able to do her job without being active and doing sport.
  • Billigence sponsoring a kids triathlon program called Go series, in Sydney
  • Why Billigence sponsors their employees to do Parkruns.
  • Prague Orbit project which fundraises money for families with disabled children
  • Going on her first girls trip to Bhutan before Christmas.

ActiveCEO Wellness Tip                                                

Priority Meeting – A workout is just as much of an investment in your career as it is an investment in your physical and mental well-being. Exercise is even more effective than anti-depressants and ADHD medication for enhancing your mood and mental focus. Therefore you have no reason not to make exercise your number one priority meeting of the day.

Tweets

“Understanding the vision of the customer and how we can possibly deliver to that customer”. Jana Kapr explains howBilligence focuses on customers, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Everyoneis in charge of their destiny and it is up to you to how you organize yourtime, how you make yourself happy and healthy, and how you make your team andpeople around you happy and enjoying what they are doing. ” Jana Kapr on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Jana Kapr LinkedIn
Jana Kapr Facebook
Billigence www.billigence.com
Vodafone www.vodafone.com.au
Logica https://www.cgi.com/en
UC Irvine www.cgi.com/en
Czech Technical University www.cvut.cz
Go Series Sydney
Parkrun www.parkrun.com.au
Prague Orbit www.prague-orbit.cz
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book

active CEO Podcast #24 Carl Wegner Financial Blockchain Evolution

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns talks with Carl about the “why” behind learning Chinese, life in Asia over the last 30 years, falling into banking by accident, and his passion for financial technology and start-ups. We uncover Blockchain technology, R3’s innovative approach to raising finance, the power of the Corda platform, the challenge of writing code and his passion for cycling.

Background

Carl Wegner is not afraid to challenge the status quo, build lasting cross-border relationships and stimulate innovative thinking. He has spent more than 30 years working in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, making a difference in the Cash Management, Institutional Banking, Financial Supply Chain and Distributed Ledger Technology sectors.

During his time in Asia, he has held Managing Director and Executive Vice President roles at prominent banks such as Bank of Boston, Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) and Deutsche Bank (China). An interest in financial technology led to a role as Chief Representative of technology at TradeCard in China, which is now known as GTNexus, and since 2016 is the Managing Director and Head of APAC, at R3.

R3 is a gamechanger and world-leader in Blockhain Digital Ledger Technology, creating the Corda Enterprise platform, which growing global ecosystem comprises over 200 companies and regulators on six continents, making it the largest collaboration of its kind in the blockchain space.

Growing up in the USA, he completed a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Chinese Language and Chinese History at Georgetown University. He has also completed an executive study program in International Management at INSEAD.

Carl has held Board Director roles at Taipei American School, Orbis Taiwan and the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. He has used his experience an expertise to create, invest, advise and mentor a number of start-up businesses such as LiqEase, Chinaccellerator and Veterati

He is an avid cyclist, supporter of his children who are talented athletes, and enjoys lecturing and speaking on Cash Management, Financial Supply Chain Management, FinTech and RMB Internationalization

Carl talks about:

  • Learning Chinese and travelling to study Chinese in Taiwan on a Study Abroad program.
  • Living and working in Asia for more than 30 years.
  • Not thinking math would be a tool for the future.
  • Extending his stay in Hong Kong to witness the handover from British to Chinese rule.
  • The changing role of expats working in Asia.
  • Trade wars going on between China and the USA, doesn’t just affect China but everyone that trades with them.
  • The importance of understanding the culture and being as open-minded as possible.
  • Thriving as an expat when everything is so foreign to you.
  • Why R3 caught his attention and how Blockchain is going to change our lives.
  • By 2025 10% of the value of the worlds goods will be processed on Blockchain platforms.
  • R3’s innovation approach to raising capital.
  • Why 40 plus banks have all invested in the R3 business and Corda platform.
  • Blockchain is likely to take ten years to get to those “uber-type” moments.
  • The major legal and security issues that Blockchain is currently facing and what they are looking to overcome.
  • Having a down to earth and collaborative leadership style.
  • The attraction of cycling and why Taiwan is so great to cycle around.
  • Travelling upwards of a quarter of a million miles this year.
  • The challenge of keeping fit while travelling for work often.
  • Balancing rest with exercise.

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Fitness Friend – Do you find it a challenge to stay motivated and consistent with your workouts when you train by yourself? Finding a workout friend is hugely helpful for keeping motivated, ensuring you turn up each day and making it fun. It is important to find someone who is positive and will inspire, rather than discourage you. Write down a list of your friends who love to exercise and then mark down whether they are available to meet on a regular basis, are they supportive of your goals, and can they keep up with you or even push your limits in key workouts? Once you have identified someone or a group of people, then now is a great time to give them a call and get started.

Tweets

“What I see is what you see and that is the truth.” Carl Wegner explaining distributed ledger technology on the active CEO Podcast.

“Blockchain is the Paradigm shift on how data is shared.” Carl Wegner on the active CEO Podcast.

“Here is a gap, here is something you haven’t thought about and just because you have Incredible energy doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense. You have to think practically.” Carl Wegner on the active CEO Podcast and why he likes investing in start-ups.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

R3 www.r3.com
Carl Wegner LinkedIn
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book

Natalia Cohen (Losing Sight of Shore) – Embracing the Unknown Presents Endless Opportunities

active CEO Podcast #23 Natalia Cohen Embracing The Unknown Presents Endless Opportunities

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Natalia Cohen – Losing Sight of Shore

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns has a conversation with Natalia Cohen about choosing how we feel, what it takes to row across the Pacific Ocean, lessons taken from overcoming major challenges and embracing the uncomfortable. We discuss strategies on how to minimise conflict, the power of the mind and what it takes to achieve your dreams and goals.

Background

Natalia Cohen is an incredibly resilient, tenacious, ground-breaking and pioneering lady, who has defined logic by purposefully losing sight of shore.

When most people are looking for a goal to challenge themselves physically, mentally and spiritually, they decide to run a marathon, do a triathlon or visit a new country, not this young lady, she decided to row across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Cairns with 3 (plus 2 who would join later in the adventure) other people she did not know. Yes you heard that right! That’s 257 days or 9 months at sea, covering 8759 nautical miles with a stopover at Honolulu, Hawaii and Apia, Samoa.

Known forher nomadic approach to life, she has now lived in 60 countries, working in thetravel and tourism industries. From Tanzania to Peru, she has seen the world,but nothing like the beauty, power, isolation and serenity of the vastness ofthe Pacific Ocean.

She is now a known inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator and mindset coach continuing to travel the world and sharing her insights, Through the Eye of the Nomad.

Losing Site of Shore

Natalia talks about:

  • Having supportive parents who encouraged her toexplore her passions and do things she love.
  • Our mind can control almost anything in our lives.
  • First taste of ultimate freedom, travelling to aplace all on her own, to the other side of the world where if I liked a place Istayed, if I didn’t like the place, I left.
  • Her mother being the catalyst to being a global tourleader.
  • The opportunity that something incredible mighthappen that day
  • Learning a lot of her life skills through being partof the travel industry.
  • Being thrown into situations where you are immersedin very different cultures, languages, the unknown, being surrounded by a lotof alien situations.
  • Learning to appreciate that a lot of things in lifeare out of our control, and we can only control the controllable.
  • When you deal with challenges, you learn and grow.
  • Seeing the advert with Laura looking for team matesto row across the pacific.
  • The recruitment process including interviews with sportpsychologist, Keith Goddard and completing SAS type drills.
  • The last thing we wanted was four women on a pinkboat being rescued.
  • Doing sea-survival skills, capsize drills, 24hrpractice rows, and strict strength and conditioning programs.
  • It was 90% mental training that we needed to havefor the expedition.
  • We had to get to know each other inside out. Weshared our hopes and our fears.
  • Entering and about to embrace the unknown in anextreme way possible.
  • We just rowed off into the darkness.
  • The first ten days were probably the mostchallenging.
  • We all had our own mental demons that we had tobattle.
  • Making light of the situations out there and makethe girls smile and laugh.
  • The most powerful thing out there is that we havethe ability to choose how we feel.
  • Trust and respect were something that I think reallyhelped us cross the ocean.
  • What holds people back from achieving the life anddreams that they really desire.
  • The ability to look for the positive, even if justonce a day. Stop and reflect each day

ActiveCEO Wellness Tip                                                

Kick Start Your Day – Doyou feel exhausted, tired and like you have no time for exercise at the end ofthe day? Try developing a morning fitness routine when you first wake. Byexercising at the crack of dawn you increase metabolism, avoid unwanteddistractions, promote endorphins in the brain to enhance your mood, increasemental capacity, improve blood flow, support productivity and have a sense ofaccomplishment. 

Tweets

“The 6 people who came to the project didn’t know eachother. They were very different people with different backgrounds and diversepersonality types. The learning how to work together and how to bring out thebest in each other. Understanding what brought out the worst in us. That was ahuge part of the project. They got very used to giving each other constructivefeedback, because out on the boat in the middle of nowhere, there is nowhere torun and nowhere to hide. ” Building a strong team with Natalia Cohen on theactive CEO Podcast.

“Quite often in life you do have to start again. Youdo have to go back to the drawing board, whether it be in your business orpersonal life.” Natalia Cohen on dealing with adversity on the active CEOPodcast.

“We may have crossed our literal pacific, we believethat every has their Pacific to cross and their challenges to face.” NataliaCohen inspiring you to achieve your challenges on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Losing Sight of Shore www.losingsightofshore.com
Coxless Crew www.coxlesscrew.com
Losing Sight of Shore YouTube
TedX YouTube
Coxless Crew Twitter
Eye of the Nomad www.eyeofthenomad.com
Natalia Cohen LinkedIn
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book

Robert McMurtrie (Sports People Recruitment) – Pioneering With Green Fields

active CEO Podcast #22 Robert McMurtrie Pioneering With Green Fields

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Robert McMurtrie – Founder Sports People Recruitment

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we are talking about recruiting talent, leadership performance, being an entrepreneur and managing your energy levels. We discuss the interview process, who should apply for roles, is the employer right for you and the changing landscape in sport.

Background

Robert McMurtrie has been at the cutting edge of the sports industry for the last four decades. He is a man of integrity, respect, trust and a sharp eye for detail when it comes to ensuring people have the best chance of securing that dream job that desire.

It is very rare that someone gets a “green field’, clean slate, in every role they have ever worked in. His career in sport took a giant leap in 1985, after being a Sport & Recreation officer at the Australian National University and Macquarie University, when he was appointed the National Executive Director at Netball Australia. He then put the pedal to the metal with a highly successful tenure as the CEO and Event Director at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Sporting events are special and Robert was fortunate to lead the delivery of five World Championship events, including three Motorcycle Grand Prix’s, the 1992 International Six Days Enduro and the 1988 Coca-Cola World Youth Netball Championships.

The 1987 Confederation of Australian Sport – Sport Administrator of the Year, is the founder and director of Sports People, the world’s first online job board for sport and is now the number 1 place to find sport, fitness, aquatics, recreation and leisure jobs. In 2018 they sold Sports People Job Market and now focus on People Recruitment Group.

Sport has always been a real passion, completing a Bachelor of Physical Education at the University of Western Australia and a Master of Education at the University of Sydney. He also studied Applied Personal Consulting, HR at Deakin University. O

Robert talks about:

  • You are not a great value to your family or employer if you are constantly tired.
  • Growing up in Woy Woy with a full on active lifestyle, where he first found a love for swimming
  • Starting out in the sport industry at Australian National University in Canberra, and setting up the first Sport and Recreation program at Macquarie University in Sydney.
  • People who was are the most likeable, are the most likely person to get a job.
  • “Any idea is not a bad idea”
  • Managing Australian Netball Captain, Liz Ellis, who made the comment that he had 100 ideas, 99 were really bad and one of those was really good.
  • The biggest change in the sport sector over the past 40 years.
  • Within sport the most consistent things about salaries are their inconsistencies.
  • Being first to market in the early days and being exclusive for the first ten years.
  • Establishing People Recruitment Group with his wife, after selling Sports People Job Market in 2018.
  • People Recruitment Group expanding with Fashion People and People Recruitment.
  • When recruiting People Recruitment Group staff they look for the ability to engage with people, to listen more than talk and to be a good judge of people.
  • People not reading the position description and information
  • Just because you can apply, doesn’t mean you should apply.
  • Its important to structure an interview process so it is conversational and incorporate an audition element such as a pre-planned scenario presentation
  • The power is always in the hands of the candidate.
  • Australia wins one gold medal and that is in the obesity stakes.
  • The influence of the late Deirdre Hyland AM, who was President of Netball Australia, had on his career.

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Quick Fix – How much time are you prepared to allocate and schedule each day of the week to ensure your mind and body are ready to deliver peak performance in the workplace? If you have a tight schedule, family commitments and travel often, it cannot be underestimated how beneficial doing short, intense sessions can be. If you are struggling to regularly keep fit, high-intensity exercise done in as little as 15-30min, 2 or 3 times a week, can still be incredibly beneficial for your health and fitness. No one can tell me that they can’t find 15-30min in their day, to take care of themselves!

Tweets

“Recruitment is a two-way street. The employer is assessing if you are the right candidate and more importantly you are assessing whether they are the right employer for you.

” Deciding on a job with Robert McMurtrie on the active CEO Podcast.

“It doesn’t matter what your cash flow is, you can still run a business. Just make sure you have enough to cover the basics and keep doing what you do and it will improve.” Robert McMurtrie reveals what Peter Burns taught him in the early days as an entrepreneur on the active CEO Podcast.

“A coach being more than a coach, they teach you about what is possible, what you can do and why you should do it.” Robert McMurtrie explaining that there is more to a coach, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Sports People Recruitment www.sportspeoplerecruitment.com
People Recruitment Group blog
Sports People Job Market www.sportspeople.com.au
Macquarie University Sport & Recreation Link
Australian National University Sports & Recreation www.anu-sport.com.au
Netball Australia www.netball.com.au
Motorcycling Grand Prix Australia www.motogp.com.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book link

active CEO Podcast #21 Bridie O’Donnell Leadership Driven by Authenticity

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Bridie O’Donnell – CEO Office for Women in Sport (Victorian Govt)

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we get an intricate look inside the energetic life of Bridie O’Donnell, changing careers, her highs and lows as an athlete, the lessons learnt on the bike that have transferred to her role as a CEO, and the mindfulness required to claim a world record. We delve into her work as a CEO and the This Girl Can campaign, leveling the playing field for women and girls in sport and her view on leadership.

Background

Bridie O’Donnell is driven to positively change they way we think, believe and act. Growing up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands of Australia, she transformed her career from improving the wellbeing and health of people as a doctor in the medical industry, to being a professional athlete racing to put food on her plate, and now as an up-and-coming leader in the sport industry.

Her medical career included being a physician at Epworth Healthcheck and Epworth Breast Service, as well as paving her way to be a medical expert on Network Ten’s “The Project”, a co-host on Everyday Health, Doctor on the AFL Injury Report, and tutor at Deakin University Medical School.

Not only is she well educated, a talented physician and an astute businesswoman, but she is also an impressive cyclist setting the UCI women’s hour record of 46.882km at sea level, 2008 Australian Road Cycle Time Trial Champion and a 3x Australian representative at the World Road Cycling Championships, she is also completed the Ironman Hawaii Ironman World Championships and is a 7x gold medallist Australian Masters Rowing Championships.

She is clearing the fields and creating new pavements as the first ever CEO for the Office For Women in Sport and Recreation at the Victorian Government. This year, she wrote a book: Life and Death: a cycling memoir.

Bridie talks about:

  • The beginning phase of your life and the parents you choose, are keys to success.
  • Getting the most out of your body as an athlete and the most out of your mind as a student.
  • People who aren’t good at choosing active transport are very good at finding reasons not too.
  • Going sub 11hrs at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, but not being happy as she wanted to be winning and being on the podium.
  • Being extensively ignored by coaches as she didn’t start rowing until she was 26.
  • Going from 0 to winning the Australian Time Trial Champs in 1 year.
  • Being coached by Donna Razer Lynskey.
  • A lot of athletes overtrain, they do too much, think more is better, or they don’t train specifically enough.  
  • Riding in support of Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Chloe Hosking.
  • The mind games and staying focused for nearly 200 laps when she claimed the world hour cycle record.
  • The challenges during her first year as a CEO.
  • Decline in female sport participation and the lack of female leaders.
  • People keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
  • Life & Death – A Cycling Memoir, her recently released book.
  • Being CEO at the Office for Women in Sport & Recreation
  • Her job being in equal parts a privilege, thrilling & completely terrifying
  • Going surfing for the first time last week.
  •  “Why wouldn’t you do that?”

Active CEO Wellness Tip

 3 C’s to Success –At least once in a CEO’s career they will have a goal to lose weight. It can be a real challenge to maintain a healthy weight if you are constantly travelling, having dinner meetings, socialising with your clients, working long hours, sitting at a desk and under high levels of stress. To break the model you need COMMITMENT, CONSISTENCY and CONTROL. Commitment to healthy lifestyle is about 80% mental and without mental strength and commitment your life change is unlikely to last. Any type of success requires consistency over a long period of time, even when you feel tired, frustrated and cranky. You need the self-control to say no to a beer, calorie-filled deserts, a second take at the buffet and the burger bar. Control the forces in your life to ensure you have time to sleep, rest, exercise and enjoy the basic human rights of eating, resting and exercising. 

Tweets

“As a road cyclist, when you race, you very rarely win, so you have to start to manage your disappointment or your failure by determining what impact you might be able to have through your performance.” Life on the bike with Bridie O’Donnell on the active CEO Podcast.

“Where you see dysfunction is where the leader does not acknowledge it, assign roles properly, where people don’t commit and aren’t accountable, or where there is undermining and people are desperately thinking of themselves over the wellbeing of the team.” Talking about dysfunctional teams with Bridie O’Donnell on the active CEO Podcast.

“People want leaders to be authentic these days, people who have lived experiences that can be flawed and difficult. No one wants to be lead by a person who behaves as though they have never had hardship and doesn’t feel challenges.” Bridie O’Donnell speaking on Leadership in 2019 on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Bridie O’Donnell LinkedIn
Bridie O’Donnell Website www.bridie.com.au
Bridie O’Donnell Instagram
Bridie O’Donnell Wikipedia
This Girl Can www.thisgirlcan.com.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Life & Death – A Cycling Memoir By Bridie O’Donnell Link
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book Link

active CEO Podcast #20 Sean King Leading Within Proximity

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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active CEO 20 Sean King Leading Within Proximity 2

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we chat with Sean about his path to becoming a lawyer, innovating in the legal services industry, becoming an entrepreneur, never defining himself by his career and being a co-CEO. We also speak about the triple bottom line, fostering an active and healthy lifestyle in the workplace, being involved in the community and seeing the world through the eyes of an adventure racer.

Background

Sean King is a young thriving entrepreneur who has disrupted the legal landscape of Australia, is scaling his business Proximity at a rapid rate and knows the importance of his team having the energy to perform.

He is an adventurous Canberra lawyer, who founded the Proximity legal practice in 2011 with James Dunn, following a successful career at law firm, DLA Piper and Phillips Fox. Proximity is an award winning law firm with a difference providing legal, procurement and commercial, and governance and assurance solutions through innovative advisory practices.

He has a Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering and Bachelor of Law from the University of Canberra, as well as a Graduate Diploma Legal Practice from the Australian National University. In his spare time, he is a Director of EarlyBird Events, supports Menslink, loves being in the outdoors and recently competed in the Adventure Racing World Championships held in Reunion Island in Madagascar.

Community is a huge part of his life and has been a great role model for his team in supporting and getting involved in the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival, which is the most accessible triathlon for the corporate, government and community.O

Sean talks about:

  • Having a traditional upbringing and growing up in country victoria, Australia.
  • Being open minded where your career takes you.
  • The drivers that led to Sean setting up Proximity with good friend and co-CEO James Dunn.
  • Challenges that some of the big law firms have with some pretty significant mental health challenges that result from the work pressure, long hours.
  • Having to be strategic about what you are going to pursue.
  • The backstory behind the name Proximity
  • Being forced to innovate as a new entrant as you have advantages and disadvantages to a market, especially an established market.
  • Focusing on getting the flexible work environment right for staff.
  • Bringing the corporate, government and community together for the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival.
  • Staff participating in the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival.
  • Proximity being proud to put back into the community.
  • Menslink and the relationship with Proximity.
  • The spark that led Sean to becoming an adventure racer.
  • Finding new limits for yourself and navigating adventure racing with your friends. 
  • Focusing on leadership that gets a lot of people involved in the decision making.
  • Having a collective decision making process, so people feel a part of it.
  • Going horse riding and jumping for the first time.
  • Why he would love to solve how we do better by Australia’s indigenous population.

Active CEO Wellness Tip – Be the One!

Be the one! Developing a positive frame of mind about your exercise is important. Align your exercise efforts with things that are both positive and reassuring. Exercise in a fun & enjoyable environment. Objectively measure results. Do things that you enjoy. Exercise with a group of positive people. 

Tweets

“The good feels so good, when you navigate to a point because it is often the hard part to get there and I think that is true of life. If everything came perfect all the time and super easy, then you might not enjoy those highs as much.” Sean King navigating business and life on the active CEO Podcast.

“How you relate to people with inside your organisation, dealing with clients, and providing meaningful and useful advice that helps people solve the problems and issues they come to you with.“ Discussing the importance of people with Sean King, on the active CEO Podcast.

“I didn’t want to find myself in 20 years looking back and saying, ‘I have carved out this great legal career but it is at the expense of everything else that interests me.’” Sean King on becoming an entrepreneur on the active CEO Podcast.

“At certain points you have just got to say what have I got to do right now, because if you think of the whole thing, it is just a bit overwhelming.” Being in the moment with Sean King on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Sean King LinkedIn
Sean King Facebook
Proximity www.proximity.com.au
Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival www.proximitytriathlon.com.au
Proximity LinkedIn
Menslink www.menslink.org.au
Earlybird Events www.earlybirdevents.com.au
Adventure Racing World Championships www.arworldseries.com
Australian National University www.anu.edu.au
University of Canberra www.canberra.edu.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben’s best selling book www.nrg2perform.com/portfolio/book

Previous active CEO Podcast Episodes:

#19 – active CEO (NRG2Perform) – The Gift That Keeps on Giving Link
#18 – Dina Al-Tayeb (Dentalia Clinics) – Arabian Tri Eagle Link
#17 – Patrick Kidd OAM (Invictus Games) – Healing Power of Purpose Link
#16 – Liza Pavlakos (lizapavlakos.com) – Adversity Transforms Lives Link
#15 – Michael Sewards (SkyBus) – All Aboard the SkyBus Link
#14 – Jamin Heppell & Jen Ziegner (Mountains & Marathons) – Leading From the Mountain Tops Link
#13 – Chris Dean (Choice Energy) – Disrupting the Energy Spectrum Link
#12 – Kate Palmer (Sport Australia) – Changing the Game Link
#11 – Tim Cosulich (Fratelli Cosulich Group) – Navigating the Global Family Business Link
#10 – Dr Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien (Rising Tide Africa) – Magic Happens Outside the Comfort Zone Link
#9 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #2 – Creating an Earthquake Link
#8 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #1 – Your Strengths are What Energise You Link
#7 – Trina Gordon (Boyden World Corporation) – Recruiting World Leaders Link
#6 – Indiran Padayachee (RentCorp) – Winning Only Matters Link
#5 – Suzie Hoitink (Clear Complexions) – Enemy of a Great Life is a Good One Link
#4 – Rene Zondag (Peter Burwash International) – People Are Our Greatest Asset Link
#3 – Anne Gripper (NSW Office of Sport) – 6 C’s of Leadership Link
#2 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 2 Link
#1 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 1 Link