Tag: lifestyle

active CEO Podcast Ellen Derrick Deloitte

active CEO Podcast #37 Ellen Derrick Make Mistakes No Regrets

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Ellen Derrick – National Executive Deloitte Australia

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Ellen Derrick about the importance of being grateful and serving others; her high performance mindset; working with leaders to deliver excellence at Deloitte Australia; and the value of scheduling energy rather than time.

We also delve into coping with her adopted mother passing away from Breast Cancer at the age of eleven; how her children fuel her to deliver better leadership; being open to mistakes and having no regrets; and why speaking on stage with her daughter Kate, who has Cystic Fibrosis, was one of the best days of her life.

Ellen Derrick

Ellen is an impressive Senior Executive who is a leader with a service mentality, who has a bios for action and accountability.

Growing up in the USA she played a lot of sport, including tennis at University before switching to squash, which she played at an international level.

She studied at Nardin Academy, has a BA Government Business at Colby University and has completed an MBA Management from the Australian Graduate School of Management, since moving to Australia.

Her impressive resume includes managerial roles for Accenture, IISM Group, the Australian Federal Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and is currently the National Leader Public Sector and Public Policy and a member of the National Executive for Deloitte Australia.

Now living in Australia she is an affiliate member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, plays an active role in national charitable foundations including Cystic Fybrosis Australia, and is a mentor for the center of economic development of Australia and Institute of Public Administration of Australia.

Ellen talks about:

  • Growing up in an Irish part of Buffalo, New York, USA.
  • The influence of her mother, who passed away from Breast Cancer, when she was eleven.
  • Her mum teaching her to be grateful, serve others, keep perspective and be optimistic.
  • Always being in a hurry, feeling time limited and always looking for the next thing.
  • Loving playing soccer and basketball for many years, before switching to tennis & squash.
  • Her love of history, English, writing and the systems of government.
  • Leading national public practice and public policy at Deloitte.
  • Working with the leaders to deliver excellence and having a lasting impact.
  • How we better our life expectancy.
  • Keeping her mind relaxed and calm, while leading a very diverse portfolio.
  • Are leaders born or made?
    Helping to find the confidence and courage to take big leaps.
  • How her team would describe her leadership style.
  • Coping with her early days at Deloitte, where she felt the effects of imposter syndrome.
  • Coming back from maternity leave, knowing she was a different human being.
  • Adjusting her life when she learnt her daughter has Cystic Fibrosis.
  • Her professional purpose and personal purpose converging every day.
  • The importance of scheduling her own time to free the mind and re-energise.
  • The impact of speaking on stage with her daughter Kate, for the first time in front of influential senior business leaders
  • What we truly need to do collectively in ensuring our sustainability and our prosperity?
  • Feeling energetic, positive and focused when she is in a peak state of mind.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Better Place – It is our role as leaders to be a steward and leave what we are looking after in a better place for our future leaders. We need to ensure our stewardship continues to build it up step-by-step so we leave a positive legacy for the next generation.

Tweets

“How do you really seize opportunity from challenge and how do you keep your perspective when things are truly hard.” Ellen Derrick speaking with her daughter Kate on stage in front of influential business leaders, on the active CEO Podcast.

“We don’t always get it right, but we are perfectionists, we are the big four, it is our job to get it right, and it really hurts us when we don’t.” The challenge of leadership expectations with Ellen Derrick, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources mentioned in this show:

Ellen Derrick LinkedIn
Ellen Derrick Profile
Deloitte website www.deloitte.com
Cystic Fibrosis www.cysticfibrosis.org.au
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 Kate & Sam Cawthorn (Speakers Institute) – The Best Is Yet To Come

active CEO Podcast #36 Kate and Sam Cawthorn The Best Is Yet To Come

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Kate & Sam Cawthorn – Co-Founders Speakers Institute

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Kate and Sam Cawthorn about their life-defining moment; Sam being uniquely wired as a futurist; Kate unlocking your “super powers” of influence through the Gallup CliftonStrengths Finder assessment; the magic of Storyshowing; and Proximity is Power. We also delve into the ‘why’ behind Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe; being a selfless CEO; recovering with purpose; shifting the energy of a room; orchestrating people’s attention; and being in the transformational personal development industry.

Kate & Sam Cawthorn

Kate and Sam Cawthorn are an incredible couple, with the most beautiful souls, who are passionate about transforming leaders into influential speakers. Through adversity, they found opportunity, and made decisions that have led to making remarkable impacts on so many peoples lives.

As Co-Founders and leaders of the Speakers Institute and the Speakers Tribe, they harness their very different personalities and unique strengths to not only beautifully compliment each other, but also to provide a more well-rounded leadership approach.

Kate has spent more than a decade in the personal development space, unearthing many hidden talents in people. Unlocking peoples superpowers and guiding them to live their ‘why’ through understanding and harnessing their strengths, fuels her inner passion, as a renowned certified Gallup Clifton Strength Finder coach.

Sam has transformed into a thought leader in peak performance, bestselling author, speaker, CEO and award-winning educator, after a horrific car accident in October 2006, changed his life forever. The 2009 Young Australian of the Year and 2013 Edupreneur of the year, has two international best-selling books Bounce Forward and Storytelling, which are changing the game for many people around the world, from all walks of life.

Kate & Sam talk about:

  • What inspired Kate as a child and what she dreamed of being a mum.
  • Sam seeking attention growing up in a family of eleven children.
  • Sam’s role as a Youth futurist with the Australian Federal Government.
  • The near fatal crash that transformed both their lives.
  • How Kate coped with Sam’s accident and being in a coma.
  • How Sam approached the adversity and when he realised his ‘why’.
  • What was the trigger for Kate to become a Gallop Clifton Strength Finder coach?
  • What attracted Sam to become a professional speaker and the concept of Bounce Forward.
  • Why Kate has to pull the hand brake on.
  • The catalyst to starting the Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe.
  • Working together as leaders of Speakers Institute.
  • Kate and Sam’s top 5 strengths from the Gallup Clifton Strength Finder assessment and how they compliment each other.
  • The Toggle Framework for speakers.
  • How they recharge their batteries and refuel their tanks.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Fear Less – More than 80% of what we fear and worry about never ever comes true. If we are worried about something, rather than ruminating in our head, we should go and actually talk to the person. We need to look at the problem and do some research and understand whether it will it actually matter. What is the evidence behind what we are thinking? Is there any or not?

Tweets

“People don’t need to be like someone else, that just need to be more of themselves.” Kate Cawthorn dives deep on what makes a great speaker, on the active CEO Podcast.

“The greatest training ground, as a speaker, is to go into your local school and speak to thirteen to fifteen year olds. If you can keep their attention span for a one hour period of time, you will keep anyone’s attention.” Sam Cawthorn talks about starting a speaking career, on the active CEO Podcast.

“If you are not speaking about something that you are genuinely passionate about, you will not come across as genuine at all.” Kate shares the secret of owning your voice, on the active CEO Podcast.

 “When I walk into the room I want to make sure the atmosphere has shifted”. The power of attention with Sam Cawthorn, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Kate Cawthorn LinkedIn
Sam Cawthorn LinkedIn
Sam Cawthorn www.samcawthorn.com
Sam Cawthorn Wikipedia
Speakers Institute www.speakersinstitute.com.au
Speakers Institute Facebook
Speakers Tribe www.speakerstribe.com.au
Speakers Tribe Facebook
Gallup Clifton Strengths 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:

Bounce Forward Sam Cawthorn
Storyshowing Sam Cawthorn
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

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

active CEO Podcast #29 Brent Clayton Richest Kid In The Playground

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Brent Clayton – Firefighter, CEO Fire Recruitment Australia & Authority Marketing Machine

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Brent Clayton about being a serial entrepreneur; turning adversity into opportunity; the determination to become a firefighter; and balancing democratic and autocratic leadership.

We also delve into learning discipline from the military; understanding the intricacies of a job; what it takes to be a firefighter; and the backstory of his businesses Fire Recruitment Australia and Authority Marketing Machine.

Background

Brent Clayton is an active firefighter, author, coach, mentor and serial entrepreneur. He is a top Aussie bloke who has a passion for serving the community, helping people realise their dream of serving their country, and is in training to be on the front cover of the Australian Firefighters calendar in 2020.

A man of true resilience, who overcame failure to rise up and live his dream of being a firefighter. He turned the harsh lessons learnt of failing to meet his goals into being a highly successful entrepreneur with his company, Fire Recruitment Australia, a coaching and training platform for would-be firefighters.

He currently works as a senior station officer in Australia as well as running his own businesses. Before becoming a firefighter he was a prison guard and worked in the military prior to that.

Not one to sit still, he has just launched a new business called Authority Marketing Machine, and was once a star on Channel Ten’s, It’s a Knockout TV Game Show.

Brent talks about:

  • Commencing his entrepreneurial journey as a child delivering newspapers.
  • Being the richest kid in the playground.
  • Dreams of being a helicopter pilot.
  • The importance of learning about a job and its intricacies.
  • Incorporate serving your community or nation into the education system.
  • Dealing with conflict resolution as a prison guard.
  • Coping with being denied before being accepted into the fire service.
  • Monetizing the recruitment process and skills required to be a firefighter or policeman, by writing a book.
  • The five components of the recruitment process.
  • What the key characteristics are to being a firefighter.
  • Understanding what risks there are, how you can rectify the situation and what resources are required.
  • Your mind is clear to start looking for the anomalies.
  • Having a very structured routine around fitness, meditation and nutrition.
  • Routines make you free, because you don’t have to think about anything.
  • It’s only risky if you don’t know what you are doing.
  • Democratic versus autocratic leadership
  • What makes coaching and mentoring fulfilling?
  • The background behind the Authority Marketing Machine
  • The fitness routine of the firefighter.
  • Booking a flight in a fighter jet with a mate.
  • Solving the smartphone epidemic

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Small Incremental Efforts – To be successful you need to make small and consistent incremental efforts each day. Something as simple as 5min walk today and 6min tomorrow, or halving the amount of butter on your toast.

Tweets

“If there is one thing you do, don’t get caught around the smoko table whinging, go do something constructive”. The best advice Brent Clayton received, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Understanding that the idea of something is not always enough to get what you want.” A lesson in growing up, with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

“When the alarm goes off, you get up. It’s not a conversation with yourself about whether you are going to get up.” Discussing discipline with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Fire Recruitment Australia www.firerecruitmentaustralia.com.au
Fire Recruitment Australia Facebook
Fire Recruitment Australia Podcast
Brent Clayton www.brentclayton.com
Brent Clayton LinkedIn
Brent Clayton Youtube
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:

Fire Service Recruitment – The Process to Success Link
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole Link

active CEO Podcast #28 Christine Amour-Levar A Woman On A Mission

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Christine Amour-Levar – Women On A Mission / HER Planet Earth

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Christine Amour-Levar about her diverse cultural upbringing; learning new language through total immersion; the differences in work ethic, leadership, culture and behaviours between Japan, USA and France; the impact Nike has had on her career; and leading through empathy.

We also delve into creating Beijaflor and becoming an entrepreneur; scheduling family time; combining her love for adventure with her social entrepreneurship programs; and the influence Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth are having on the women of war and the underprivileged.

Background

Christine Amour Levar is a passionate, kind and determined marketing & communications expert, adventurer, social entrepreneur, author and speaker.

Of French, Swiss & Filipino decent, she graduated from Sophia University, before embarking on an international career with brands such as Nike, McCann-Erickson, Philippe Starck and her own Brazilian fashion retail business, Beijaflor.

She has a wealth of global experience in brand strategy, social entrepreneurship and advocacy, which allowed her to excel as a marketing and communications consultant for Temasek Trust and Temasek Management Services, as well as her current role as Chief Marketing Officer at iRace Media.

In her spare time she is a passionate advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment, which has enabled her to establish two award-winning non-profit organisations, ‘Women on a Mission’ (WOAM) and ‘HER Planet Earth’.

Her amazing talents include being an Author and Contributing Writer to international publications such as The HuffPost, Forbes and the Straits Times Newspaper of Singapore, as well as speaking at organisations such as INSEAD, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Singapore Woman Award and James Cook University.

In 2018, she was a Finalist of the ‘French of Asia Trophy 2018 and a recipient of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award.O

Christine talks about:

  • Having a multiracial and multicultural upbringing, living in the Philippines and France.
  • Wanting to grow up and work in sports or be connected to sports.
  • Moving to Japan to go to Sophia University, not knowing any Japanese.
  • Here first job was with McCann Erickson, as the only non-Japanese in the graduate program.
  • Working with blue chip clients such as Nestlé, Nokia and Gillette.
  • Moved to United States to work at the Nike Headquarters in Oregon, thinking she new the American culture.
  • The ability to adjust quickly when working with different cultures.
  • Differences in brand, culture and leadership between Japan and USA
  • Transitioning from being an employee to an entrepreneur
  • Felt liberated when getting out of the corporate world and starting her business, Beijaflor.
  • Realising she really needed to be engaged to work really efficiently.
  • The majority of poor people around the world are women who live in rural areas
  • Challenging expeditions to off-the-beaten tracks around the world such as Antarctica, Jordan, Ethiopia, Himalayas and Vietnam.
  • Staying connected in the sisterhood
  • The expedition to Son Doong caves, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Park
  • Finding the time to reflect, meditate and take stock
  • Thriving on going to places she has never been and doing things that she hasn’t done.
  • More men champions for change fighting for gender equality, support women’s careers and opportunities.
  • Her leadership is about putting empathy at the core of it.

Active CEO Wellness Tip – Humbleness & Humility

Tweets

“When you love what you do, it is not work , you are so engaged in it, so focused that you don’t even see time go by.” Finding purpose in your work with Christine Amour-Levar, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Mind-blowing when you look up and marvel in the enormity and the awe inspiring experience.” Christine Amour-Levar, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Christine Amour-Levar www.christineamourlevar.com
Christine Amour-Levar Facebook
Christine Amour-Levar LinkedIn
Christine Amour-Levar Instagram
Women on a Mission www.womenmission.com
Women on a Mission Facebook
Women on a Mission Instagram
HER Planet Earth www.herplanetearth.com
HER Planet Earth Facebook
HER Planet Earth Instagram
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:

Dis-Rupt 3.0 Filipina Women Rising Book
The Smart Girls Handbook to Being Mummylicious Book
Humanity Book
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

Pauline Nguyen (Red Lantern) – Rise of the Phoenix

active CEO Podcast #27 Pauline Nguyen Rise Like a Phoenix

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Pauline Nguyen about her leadership style; the importance of employees acting like owners; thriving in economic adversity; developing a high performing team; staff retention; connectedness with the customer; the importance of entrepreneurship; and being unshakeable in business and in life. We also delve into about the effect of parenthood; becoming an award-winning author; shining as a keynote speaker; finding happiness in the pursuit; why she connects with the Phoenix; and the relevance of Why does the Buddha sit on a Lotus flower.

Background

Pauline Nguyen is an award winning author, inspirational speaker, spiritual entrepreneur and businesswomen who has harnessed energy from extreme adversity to live a successful life and career.

Born in Vietnam, she escaped Communist rule at the end of the Vietnam War by boat with her family. They were taken into a Thai refugee camp before being accepted into Australia, where they settled in Cabramatta, Sydney.

She started working in hospitality at her family restaurant from the age of seven. In 2002 she co-founded the world’s most-awarded Vietnamese restaurant, Red Lantern, with her partner Mark Jensen, who is a phenomenal Chef, Ready Steady Cook TV host and Master Chef Australia guest Chef, and her brother Luke Nguyen who is celebrity TV chef, MasterChef Vietnam judge and author.

Known for captivating audiences, through her aura and energy, she studied a BA Communications from the University of Technology Sydney. She won the 2008 Newcomer Writer of the Year for he award winning book ‘Secrets of the Red Lantern’ and the 2012 Telstra Business Award for Medium Business.

This gifted writer and compelling speaker has a sense for adventure, is eager to learn and is excited for new challenges. She recently launched her new book, ‘The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur’. O

Pauline talks about:

  • Escaping Vietnam as a 3 year old.
  • Having a ferocious work-ethic built-in from a very young age.
  • The choice to give meaning to her suffering and reframing her story.
  • Establishing Red Lantern 17 years a go, with her brother Luke, after waiting at Sydney’s best restaurants under some incredible Sommeliers.
  • Living 5 years in Paris and London, working in film post-production.
  • Leading by example, through inspiration, working in the big picture, surrounding herself with people who live in the detail and without micro-managing.
  • The secret behind having only 10% staff turnover and the average length of employment being 6-10 years.
  • In business and in life it is impossible to please everyone.
  • Changing the business model in the middle of the financial crisis, and the effect that had on their current and future customers.
  • The universe rewards the unreasonably determined.
  • The surprise of winning debut writer of the year.
  • Writing the Secrets of the Red Lantern for her daughter.
  • The launch of her new book, “The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur.
  • To be spiritual is to be in sprit, to be inspired and to talk your absolute truth.
  • How can we be stress less, and lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
  • Getting out in nature as much as possible.
  • Never understating the power of the nature’s medicine and incorporating business walking meetings.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Every Day is a New Day – We need to continually fuel our mind and body. Routines can become very boring and unhealthy if we continue to do the same thing day after day. We need try something new every day to make life more exciting. Start small like taking a different route to work, starting the day with a drink of water, taking staff out for a walking meeting, more vegetables over the food we eat or set a new goal like climbing a mountain. The benefits of attempting new things and really valuable and make life more exciting. It brings you out of your comfort zone, it’s great for our brain and mental strength, it event makes you more confident and courageous, and it provide a sense of accomplishment.

Tweets

“Doing everything we can to stay in alignment every day. To stay in alignment with joy, with inner peace and with inspiration. That’s what spirituality is about. It’s top be inspired. To be in spirit. ” Pauline Nguyen explains one of the Spiritual Entrepreneur strategies, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Happiness in the pursuit, not the pursuit of happiness.” Talking about spirituality with Pauline Nguyen on the active CEO Podcast.

“You can’t make a difference if you are going to be like everyone else.” Pauline Nguyen talks about success of the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Pauline Nguyen www.paulinenguyen.com.au
Red Lantern www.redlantern.com.auh
Pauline Nguyen Instagram
Pauline Nguyen Facebook
Pauline Nguyen LinkedIn
Red lantern Article by Craig Johns
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:

The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur – Pauline Nguyen
Secrets of the Red Lantern – Pauline Nguyen
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast #26 Alvin Hew The Confrontation Room

Posted on by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

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Alvin Hew – Group Managing Director of Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Alvin Hew about the leadership and cultural differences between Proctor & Gamble and L’Oreal; L’Oreal’s Confrontation Room; disrupting L’Oreal’s Asian approach; and Being bestowed the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Merite by French President Jacques Chirac. We also discuss his roles as a Board Director, why he has taken up running and the purpose and vision for Southgate Ventures Ltd throughout ASIA.

Background

Alvin Hew is an experienced CEO and Board Director who has been instrumental in positioning products and leading teams for some of the world’s leading global companies.

Based in Singapore, he is currently the Group Managing Director of Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd, which is an Education platform company headquartered in Singapore with 11 international schools in Indonesia, Korea and India under the name of SIS Group of Schools and Singapore Global Schools. 

His 30+ years of corporate experience covers private equity at The Abraaj Group; financial advisory at H2O Capital; commercial banking at TD Bank and investment banking at Lancaster Financial Inc. in Canada; business development and marketing at P&G in Switzerland, Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Australia; and top management experience at L’Oreal where he was the Managing Director of its companies in Malaysia and Taiwan.

He currently serves on the board of Maxis Berhad (Malaysia’s No. 1 mobile telco), Petronas Dagangan Berhad (Malaysia’s national oil and gas company) and on the Global Advisory Council of Queen’s University Smith School of Business in Canada and served on the boards of the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and Taipei American School. He is also the President of the Queen’s University Alumni Branch in Singapore.

He holds undergraduate degrees from Queen’s University, Canada and an MBA from INSEAD France. He is certified with the Canadian Securities Institute and has attended executive programs held at IMD, Stanford, USC and UC San Francisco.O

Alvin talks about:

  • Spending his teenage years away from his Malaysian home in Winnipeg, Canada
  • The decision of studying economics and finance at Queens University Smith School of Business, and how that set him up for the business world.
  • Having the responsibility to lead Proctor & Gamble South Asia.
  • The Malaysia General Manager role running the consumer sector business with brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline, before becoming Managing Director of the L’Oreal Group in Malaysia
  • The decision of L’Oreal to change the global language from French to English, to meet its ambition to be a truly international company.
  • Proctor & Gamble give the consumer what they want versus L’Oreal giving the consumer what they dream of.
  • His leadership style blending an innovative with process-driven.
  • Doing the homework in getting the data right and then having the guts to make the call and going for it and not being afraid to make some mistakes.
  • The difference in leadership meetings between Proctor & Gamble and L’Oreal.
  • L’Oreal’s confrontation room, where one goes to present new products, new concepts and new markets.
  • Being able to transform L’Oreal Asia through disrupting the approach from shampoo to cosmetics, hair care and skin care.
  • Being bestowed the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Merite by French President Jacques Chirac.
  • Creating the first ever KL Fashion week with Star Publication Group in Malaysia.
  • Transforming into a Board Director for multiple companies, not-for-profit organisations and educational institutions.
  • The purpose and vision for Southgate Ventures Ltd throughout ASIA.
  • Running the Singapore half marathon for the first time in 2018.
  • Packing a pair of running shoes provides and easy opportunity to keep fit while travelling often.
  • Would love to solve the question of, which destination will he retire with his wife Juanita.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                

Plan of Attack What is your plan of attack to ensure that you get some exercise in every single day? Remember ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’. CEO’s and leaders often keep track of their important dates, meetings and deadlines in an online schedule or physical diary. Some may even use a PA that keeps them on time, for them. Your exercise and fitness should be no different. Exercise is a fundamental building block to achieving peak performance as a CEO or Leader, therefore it is important to take the time, sit down and assess each week, month or year and seeing opportunities to block out regular timeslots for exercise. You should treat these time-blocks the same way you would any other meeting.

Tweets

“Doing the homework in getting the data right, and then having the guts to make the call and going for it and not being afraid to make some mistakes.” Alvin Hew explains his leadership style, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Alvin Hew LinkedIn
Proctor & Gamble
L’Oreal
Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd
The Abraaj Group
H2O Capital
TD Bank
Lancaster Financial Inc.
Maxis Berhad
Petronas Dagangan Berhad
Queen’s University Smith School of Business
European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei
Taipei American School
INSEAD
Canadian Securities Institute
IMD
Stanford
USC
UC San Francisco.
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

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