Jim Collins was selected by Forbes as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.

Jim has authored or co-authored six books that have sold in total more than ten million copies worldwide, including classics such as Good to Great and Built to Last. Jim is Driven by relentless curiosity and passion for his work, for more than a quarter of a century Collins has been researching what makes great companies tick.  Collins began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. But instead of taking a traditional career path in academia, Collins began researching a question of particular personal interest – how some leaders build companies that remain visionary for generations, which became the basis of his 1994 bestseller Built to Last.  The success of Built to Last allowed Collins to set up his own management laboratory in Boulder Colorado, and in 2001 he published his second hit Good to Great.

Collins has gone on to publish further bestsellers including How the Mighty Fall and most recently, Great By Choice.  In addition to his work in the business sector, Collins has a passion for learning and teaching in the social sectors, including education, healthcare, government, faith-based organisations, social ventures, and cause-driven nonprofits. He is also an avid and highly accomplished rock climber, completing one-day ascents of the north face of Half Dome and the 3,000 foot south face of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.

Join us and hear Jim’s perspectives on “How to Lead in a Disruptive World” and dive into;

• The behaviours and characteristics necessary to lead effectively in a fast changing world.
• What it takes to build long-term sustained performance into the DNA of an organisation.
• The keys to achieving a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship.
• How we can increase our Return on Luck, making the most of our good luck and bad.
• Recognising and stopping the five stages of corporate decline.

The New York Study Tour is designed for  individuals who are focused and invested in their business and personal growth, who are passionate about the future and are driven to get ahead of the Curve! It’s for Budding Leader, Business Owners and Directors and C-suite executives who are clear on their ambitions and need business alignment to achieve success. This exclusive and fully immersive experience will help expand your thinking and evoke new strategies to view change as a catalyst for business growth, Innovation and new ways to lead.

Book today to avoid missing your place https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/new-york-study-tour-for-business-innovation-leadership-tickets-64647676942 

This tour will enable you to learn the art of networking and then implement it in your business and personal growth. It will inspire you to learn from the best in the business and master the art of speaking like a leader just like Jim Collins.

Jim’s Bio;

Collins is a student and teacher of what makes great companies tick, and a Socratic advisor to leaders in the business and social sectors.  Having invested more than a quarter century in rigorous research, he has authored or coauthored six books that have sold in total more than 10 million copies worldwide. They include Good to Great, the #1 bestseller, which examines why some companies make the leap to superior results, along with its companion work Good to Great and the Social Sectors; the enduring classic Built to Last, which explores how some leaders build companies that remain visionary for generations; How the Mighty Fall, which delves into how once-great companies can self-destruct; and Great by Choice, which is about thriving in chaos—why some do, and others don’t. His most recent publication is Turning the Flywheel. It explores how leaders can best harness the flywheel effect to build and accelerate momentum.

Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research and engages with CEOs and senior-leadership teams.

In addition to his work in the business sector, Jim has a passion for learning and teaching in the social sectors, including education, healthcare, government, faith-based organizations, social ventures, and cause-driven nonprofits. In 2012 and 2013, he had the honor to serve a two-year appointment as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences and an MBA from Stanford University, and honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado and the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Jim has been an avid rock climber for more than forty years and has completed single-day ascents of El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley.

Books by Jim https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html

TURNING THE FLYWHEEL

This monograph grows out of two decades of Jim’s observations of how leaders have employed the flywheel concept to build and accelerate momentum. Drawing upon cases from massive growth corporations like Amazon to small companies, nonprofits, hospitals, and even K12 schools, this work breaks new intellectual ground. It also gives practical guidance to help leaders crystalize the components in their specific flywheels—this is the key to harnessing the full power of the flywheel effect.
GOOD TO GREAT

This book addresses a single question: can a good company become a great company, and if so, how? Based on a five-year research project comparing companies that made the leap to those that did not, Good to Great shows that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline. This book discusses concepts like Level 5 Leadership; First Who, Then What (first get the right people on the bus, then figure out where to drive it); the Hedgehog Concept, and the Flywheel.
BUILT TO LAST

Coauthored with Jerry Porras and based on their research project at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, this book investigates the question, Why are some companies able to become and remain visionary through multiple generations of leaders, across decades, and even centuries? Among the findings are Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress, BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), and the Genius of the AND. Like Good to Great, Built to Last compares great companies to good ones during specific eras in history, asking, What systematically distinguishes the great from the average?
GREAT BY CHOICE

Great by Choice answers the question, Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of research, buttressed by rigorous analysis, and infused with engaging stories, Jim and coauthor Morten Hansen enumerate the principles for building a truly great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, fast-moving times. The findings in this book are contrarian, data driven, and uplifting.
GOOD TO GREAT AND THE SOCIAL SECTORS

This monograph sprang from the realization that the Good to Great concepts have use far beyond business—in government, nonprofits, schools, and just about everywhere else. The monograph rejects the idea that the social sectors should operate more like business and shows how the Good to Great concepts can be successfully adapted to arenas in which success is not measured in economic terms.
HOW THE MIGHTY FALL

How the Mighty Fall presents the well-founded hope that leaders can learn how to stave off decline and, if they find themselves falling, reverse their course—in part by understanding the five step-wise stages of decline uncovered in the four-year research project behind this book. Every institution, no matter how great, is vulnerable to decline. Anyone can fall, and most eventually do. But decline, it turns out, is largely self-inflicted, and the path to recovery lies largely within our own hands. We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, our history, or even our staggering defeats along the way. As long as we never get entirely knocked out of the game, hope always remains. The mighty can fall, but they can often rise again.

BEYOND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Beyond Entrepreneurship is a roadmap for entrepreneurs and leaders of small-to-mid-sized enterprises who want to build enduring great companies. It provides conceptual frameworks and practical guidance for becoming a great leader, setting a compelling vision, articulating an effective strategy, and achieving consistent tactical excellence. This, Jim’s first book, was coauthored with his mentor Bill Lazier.

JOIN US November 18-22nd 2019 at the New York Study Tour

Imagine getting a clear perspective on your ambition, defining your business and career objectives and creating strategies to achieve that success all in 5 days! 

Digital Women’s Network and Tony McGinn invite you Join them in NYC for the NEW YORK STUDY TOUR and achieve all this and more in 5 days that will help you each year of success in the future. 

It’s 5 days of Jam- Packed Learning, networking, strategy building and gaining insights from the most brilliant minds on the planet !

Phase 1 (pre-tour workshop): Mindset & Mapping your journey. 

Phase 2: Five day Study Tour in New York. Including: Ambition Alignment Workshop; Effective Networking Workshop: Attend the World Business Forum (WOBI) Conference: Business Strategy Masterclass; Leadership Speaking Workshop; and of course sightseeing around NYC and drinking and dining in the most exclusive bars and restaurants this city has to offer.

Phase 3 (post-tour) Refresh & Integration Workshop.

Learn more at https://newyorkstudytour.com

Look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Angela Mellak

Founder Digital Women’s Network

Founder- Digital White Space

M:0466619631

E. hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com

Level 3, 162-168 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 

The post Achieving Greatness in Turbulent Times with Jim Collins appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

So here we are with three big reasons to join us as we take you on a journey to discover, learn, and grow in the heart of the most competitive City on the Planet.

1. Get into the ‘New York’ state of mind

The Big Apple boasts of a thriving business community and is regarded as the world’s most innovative incubator for businesses. 

As home to a large population of exceptional tech and creative talent, this is where the big industry trends get formed. This tour will bring you front and centre to business innovations as you discover and learn about them from the world’s most progressive minds over five days (November 18th-22nd 2019)

Being the ideal destination for ambitious and creative leaders CEO’s and Business Owners searching for transformative professional growth and development, New York is where you’ve got to be to stay ahead of the curve! 

2. Get a once in a lifetime experience

It may be hard to carve out the time to attend a personal development course because your plate is always full and you’re constantly chasing that never-ending to-do list. But there’s nothing more hindering to your personal or business growth than letting go of brilliant opportunities like this one.  

The New York Study Tour with Digital Women’s Network offers a uniquely personalised experience to align your business and career ambitions through our exclusive pre- and post-conference Business Masterclasses with Tony McGinn from The McGinn Partnership. Plus, you will network with like-minded industry professionals. You will also get first-hand knowledge of what it takes to adapt, innovate, and thrive in today’s ever-changing business landscape. 

3. Gain a brand new perspective 

In this Digital Era in many cases, much of what we do and our interactions with people become restricted to the screen in front of us. This tour encourages you to step out of your “day-to-day grind” and embrace change as a catalyst for business growth and innovation. 

Immerse yourself in innovation hear from the worlds leading minds with us at the World Business Forum conference featuring the most incredible line up over two days these ten leaders will blow your mind. 

SIMON SINEK, JIM COLLINS, HAL GREGERSEN, KORY KOGON, IAN WILLIAMSON plus, GARY HAMEL, ZOE CHANCE, MARCUS BUCKINGHAM, JANET YELLEN & RANDI ZUCKERBERG 

The prep work, pre-masterclass, networking, and hearing from these leaders will spark your creativity, take home a renewed approach that will bring a new-found perspective and energy to your work from one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

There you have it — three solid reasons to be part of the New York Study Tour this November. Grab this opportunity to be the change you’ve always wanted to see!

Find out more at https://newyorkstudytour.com/ to join us for this personalised and very Exclusive Business Tour. 

The post Three Compelling Reasons to Be a Part of Our New York Study Tour 18-22 November 2019 appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

LEADERSHIP SPEAKING WITH ILLUMINATED STORY & DIGITAL WOMEN’S NETWORK

Wednesday 21st August 2019 we held Part one of our three part public speaking breakfast series, which was a great success.  Our guests were spoilt with a delicious breakfast provided by Guy Grossi’s Merchant team while listening to Carmen Sederino from Illuminated Story impart many great tips and techniques that will enhance our guests speaking ability as leaders in business.

Carmen shared that a recent study found that 79% of people surveyed find presentations to be boring. And it’s true. How many of us haven’t struggled to sit through dreary and passionless presentations? It happens all too often.   

If you’re the leader of an organisation or team and you don’t come across as a confident and articulate speaker, it will be difficult for you to attract people to be a part of your team or have customers do business with you.  She also discussed the fact that public speaking is a skill you can learn, not just something you are born being great at.  If you’re challenged by public speaking, there are several techniques that can help you overcome your fears.

The presentation concluded with Carmen sharing many great practical tips and exercises that emphasised the importance of tone, pace and body language, to help the group hone and polish their hidden skills and Illuminate the presenter inside them.

If it is fear that is holding you back, it may offer some comfort to know that Carmen mentioned even business magnate and billionaire Warren Buffett admitted to being “terrified” of public speaking early in his career. But he knew that “If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential”. And, so he chose to conquer his fear. You can, too! 

Join us at one of our two remaining Breakfast Series on public speaking.  If you lead a B2B sales team or are the owner of an organisation the next ‘Improve Your Sales Presenting’ breakfast on the 11^th of September is perfect for you.  Hosted by the wonderful team at Guy Grossi’s Merchant in the Rialto tower, Carmen will not only share techniques to enhance your presentation delivery but take you through a ‘standard’ sales presentation versus a highly effective ‘stand out’ sales presentation.

If you are a female leader or a female wanting to head into leadership then don’t miss our ‘Leading Women and Speaking’ breakfast on the 25^th of September at Guy Grossi’s Merchant.  Carmen will challenge you to stand up and be seen and heard, and to move forward confidently so that you allow others to follow you, or for Senior Management to see the potential lying within.

We looking forward to seeing you soon at our next event or tour,
Cheers Digital Women’s Network Team; Carmen, Angela, Nicola, Amanda, Jesse, Bek, Kelly, Carmel, Hina, Jade, Ruby, Justin & Adrian. xx
hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com 

The post FIRST IN OUR BREAKFAST SERIES FOR 2019 appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

• Women hold 13.7% of chair positions and 25.8% of directorships and represent 17.1% of CEOs and 30.5% of key management personnel (WGEA 2019).
• 35.2% of boards and governing bodies have no female directors. By contrast, only 0.9% had no male directors (WGEA 2018, Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard).

Here are some insights and thoughts of Samantha’s first-hand experience in creating systemic change in the Royal Australian Air Force. 

How do we remain feminine and be equal/in charge and respected? 

I think we first need to acknowledge and be comfortable in our own skin. You’ll never lead to your potential if you are grappling with trying to fit in and adapt = that takes energy.

Where do we as Females go it wrong or get it wrong? 

We may perceive our environment to be a mans world. In my experience it is the fact that I felt as though I stuck out. And when you stick out, you don’t get the luxury of a bad day, or a good day for that matter, when you stick out, good performance, and poor performance blends in with all performance. And this is a constraint within our organisations. 

What gave you the courage to want to make a changes in the RAAF?

A supervisor who enabled the change to be articulated and developed and ultimately supported.

What drove you to take the action?

The knowledge that if I did nothing, then nothing would change.

Is it women that perceive there is a glass ceiling?

No. But it does depend – how’s that for a non-committal answer?! I feel there are a number of barriers to the progression of women into senior leadership positions. A report released yesterday actually by Rapid Contact into defence Industry, found not only does recruitment pipeline need addressing, the progression and retention required a big focus.

Are women still cutting other women down to reach their own goals?

I don’t believe so – maybe some still feel as though they are surviving, and not able to thrive. Only when given opportunity to thrive can you truly help others.

Here is Samantha speaking at the World Economic Forum earlier this week.

We are delighted to host Samantha Freebairn for a very interactive dining event at Grossi Group Venue – Merchant on Collins Street.

JOIN US FOR SOME GROSSI HOSPITALITY

THREE COURSE DINNER

WEDNESDAY JUL 24, 2019

6PM-9:00PM

AT GUY GROSSI’S MERCHANT 495 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE VIC 3000

DARING TO LEAD CULTURAL CHANGE, WITH SAMANTHA FREEBAIRN

WWW.DIGITALWOMENSNETWORK.COM

TICKETS;

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dare-to-lead-cultural-change-tickets-62246410690

Tables of 10 can be purchased however tickets are now limited, get yours before we sell out.

Earlier in Samantha’s career, she worked as an Air Force Pilot, flying both combat and on humanitarian relief missions. As a highly skilled pilot, Samantha was the first woman in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator.

As a Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Samantha wrote the RAAF policy which enabled her and other women the ability to return to operational flying positions after having children.

Later Samantha was employed as the Operations Flight Commander for 36 Squadron and their fleet of eight C17 Globemaster aircraft.

In 2014, Samantha won the QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award in Business Innovation for her Graduate Pilot Scheme, which incentivises military aviation to women who had never previously considered it. Increase in Female pilot numbers had been stagnant for over 30 years, Samantha’s new initiative resulted in successfully doubling the number of Female pilots in the Air Force in a two-year period.

• 2016, World Economic Forum, Young Global Leader most influential global leaders under 40 years
• 2014 QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award winner, Business Innovation (Graduate Pilot Scheme)
• Wing Commander, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force
• First Women in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator
• Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate
• Currently the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation and Women’s Leadership Specialist

Never be afraid to speak up and challenge the group norm and unconscious biases. “Samantha Freebairn”

Samantha’s Education & Qualifications include;

• Bachelor of Science degree,
• Masters of Management in Leadership,
• Certified Workplace and Business Coach
• Graduate of Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ program.
• Operational C-130H Hercules Pilot
• C-17 Globemaster pilot

Today Samantha is a keynote speaker, Wing Commander, Pilot for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), World Economic Forum Global Leader, Telstra Business Woman, Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Mentor and Women’s Leadership Specialist the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation activities, works and a Business Coach a busy Wife and Mother of two..

The post Our sit down with World Economic Forum Global Leader, Wing Commander for RAAF Samantha Freebairn appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Our Daring to Lead Cultural Change event is born from Samantha’s first-hand experience in creating systemic change in the Royal Australian Air Force. Samanthas work has been globally recognised in 2016 by the prestigious World Economic Forum, where she was identified as a Young Global Leader, and Most influential global leaders under 40 years old; for her outstanding leadership drive and qualities. Further her entrepreneurial flair has also been recognised Across Australia by Telstra in 2014 by taking out the QLD Telstra Business Women Award for Business Innovation of the Air Force’s Graduate Pilot Scheme.

We hope you can join us;
DARING TO LEAD CULTURAL CHANGE
WEDNESDAY JUL 24, 2019
6PM-9:00PM
INTIMATE DINNER AT GUY GROSSI’S MERCHANT
495 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE VIC 3000
TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST;
https://events.humanitix.com.au/dare-to-lead-cultural-change­
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dare-to-lead-cultural-change-tickets62246410690­

https://youtu.be/_nzah964_Sg­

Samantha is one of the top Pilots in the World, hear her from this week speaking in China;

Earlier in Samantha’s career, she worked as a Air Force Pilot, flying both combat and on humanitarian relief missions. As a highly skilled pilot, Samantha was the first woman in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator.

As a Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Samantha wrote the RAAF policy which enabled her and other women the ability to return to operational flying positions after having children.

Later Samantha was employed as the Operations Flight Commander for 36 Squadron and their fleet of eight C17 Globemaster aircraft.

In 2014, Samantha won the QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award in Business Innovation for her Graduate Pilot Scheme, which incentivises military aviation to women who had never previously considered it. Increase in Female pilot numbers had been stagnant for over 30 years, Samantha’s new initiative resulted in successfully doubling the number of Female pilots in the Air Force in a two-year period.

• 2016, World Economic Forum, Young Global Leader most influential global leaders under 40 years
• 2014 QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award winner, Business Innovation (Graduate Pilot Scheme)
• Wing Commander, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force
• First Women in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator
• Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate
• Currently the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation and Women’s Leadership Specialist

Samantha’s Education & Qualifications include;

• Bachelor of Science degree,
• Masters of Management in Leadership,
• Certified Workplace and Business Coach
• Graduate of Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ program.
• Operational C-130H Hercules Pilot
• C-17 Globemaster pilot

Today Samantha is a keynote speaker, the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation activities, Women’s Leadership Specialist and works and a Business Coach.

The post Meet one of the Top Pilots in the World and learn how she created change in the RAAF. appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

As a child, Samantha always wanted to be a pilot, she is grateful her upbringing didn’t discourage that interest and passion. Growing up with one sister, Samantha attended an all-girl’s school for her secondary education.

“This ensured I didn’t have a socialised or gendered view on what I could or should not do.”

All the leadership positions in her school were held by girls, and if you were good at something, it was expected you would pursue it. This provoked Samantha to focus on STEM subjects – traditionally seen as a “boy’s subject” – before eventually going back to her true passion and joining the Air Force.

I used to drive to my flying lessons on my L plates, I’d get in a plane and fly on my own but then my grandad had to sit beside me while I drove home.”

Today, the Ms Freebairn has her driver’s licence and she is now ranked as the most senior female pilot in the RAAF as evidence in her recent promotion to Wing Commander. Wing commander is a senior commissioned rank It ranks immediately above squadron leader and immediately below group captain.^[1] It has a NATO ranking code of OF-4, and is equivalent to commander in the Royal Navy and to lieutenant colonel in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

As the only woman in my pilot training course in 1996, I spent the early part of my career trying to fit in and grappling with complex negotiations of femininity in a male-dominated environment.

Post flying the humanitarian relief mission with the Bali Bombings made Samantha see that being different is in fact the value she added. This has further driven her to focus on supporting aspiring women leaders to;

• Never be afraid to speak up and challenge the group norm and unconscious biases.

Ms Freebairn said she sought to encourage more women to join the air force after being the only woman in her graduate class of 1996. In 2013 Samantha developed a graduate pilot scheme for women. The scheme, run in partnership with the RAAF and Griffith University, grouping female students together to provide them with mentors, and in some cases can pays university fees.

2014 Samantha Freebairn Won the Queensland Telstra Business Women’s Innovation Award for her work to encourage more women to study military aviation rather than civil aviation.

I’ve seen the number of female pilots double in the last two years after it remained stagnant for more than 30 years before, knowing I’ve made a difference to the amount of women pilots coming through is amazing progress!

Following this in 2016 Samantha Freebairn whilst Squadron Leader in the RAAF was selected as a 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

This honour is bestowed by the World Economic Forum each year to recognise the most distinguished leaders under the age of 40, nominated from around the world.

Mrs Freebairn’s selection is in recognition of her record of professional accomplishments, her commitment to society and her potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through her leadership.

As an honouree, she has been invited to become an active community member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders for a period of five years. The community forms a unique global network of peers from diverse backgrounds and fields, with a highly visible opportunity to significantly impact world affairs and shape the global agenda.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/women-leaders-gender-gap/

Today Samantha is a keynote speaker, the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation activities, Women’s Leadership Specialist and works and a Business Coach. 

We are thrilled to have her join for our event DARING TO LEAD CULTURAL CHANGE
WEDNESDAY JUL 24, 2019
6PM-9:00PM 
INTIMATE DINNER AT GUY GROSSI’S MERCHANT
495 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE VIC 3000

TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST;
https://events.humanitix.com.au/dare-to-lead-cultural-change
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dare-to-lead-cultural-change-tickets-62246410690

WWW.DIGITALWOMENSNETWORK.COM

The post Navigating Leadership, with one of the top Pilots in the World. appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

In the lead up to our event 22nd May 2019, here is my sit down interview with the inspirational Katrina McCarter the Guru of Marketing to Mum’s. Please, e-meet (though I’m sure you may already have heard of her) Katrina McCarter, International speaker, Founder and CEO of Marketing to Mums

• Katrina has over 18 years sales and marketing experience working across diverse industries including grocery, hardware where she was always targeting mum as the purchaser this drove her to create the Bestselling book “Marketing to Mums’
• 2018 Finalist in B&T’s Women in Media Awards (Marketing category)
• 2017 Finalist in B&T’s Women in Media Awards (Entrepreneur category)
• #1 on Booktopia’s Business Best-seller list
• Book listed in ‘Must Read Australian Advertising and Media Books’
• Regularly speaks internationally – Moms & Marketing Conference (Paris 28/9/18) and M2Moms Conference (New York 3/10/18).

I am aware of the huge success you had with your online shopping website for mums called Bubbler.com.au. I believe you grew to a community of 150,000 mums before selling in late 2016, (amazing)

• What were some of your key learnings? What was the main focus of your business to grow it to such a large community?

Great question. I think I was only successful in growing my first business to such a large community of mothers was because I could really relate to them. I was in their shoes with three young children at home. I recognised their problems, motivations and wants. This enabled me to demonstrate a level of empathy which other big brands couldn’t. I was very connected with my community and this allowed my stay relevant with what we offered on our website. This deep level of customer understanding was an important factor in my success.

• What motivated you to start Marketing to Mums?

When I was running my first business, I quickly learned that brands were really struggling to understand mothers. They would lump them all together in one big group, perpetuate old stereotypes and wondered why their creative wasn’t being well received. I saw mothers becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the way they were being communicated with brands and, with that, I spotted a gap in the market and launched my marketing and research consultancy in late 2015.  I now support brands with education around mothers, research around their mothers and help them build a strategy which delivers sales growth and market share gains.

• What are some challenges facing marketers in 2019?

I think there is a great deal of pressure on senior marketers to deliver growth and this can be extremely challenging when your customers are changing so quickly and there are so many tools you could use. I see increasing overwhelm in the market as to where to start and working out what strategies will perform best for a brand. There is also increasing pressure on marketers to be able to demonstrate ROI for their marketing investments.  Successful marketers today are great storytellers who deeply understand and are connected to their customer. They are also happy to do things differently and are happy to take some risks.

• You teach at ADMA what are you seeing as the key areas of interest for students and companies?

Yes, I am the Instructor for the Digital Marketing Certificate and Digital Marketing Essentials courses for ADMA in Melbourne. Our first class always kicks off with understanding what the student’s current challenges are. In many cases, they’ve done their marketing degree but their digital skills are not up to date and this is what motivates them to enrol in the certificate class. In other instances, they are a senior marketing manager and managing all the marketing function but there are current areas they don’t feel strong in and I aim to fill that gap for them over the ten weeks we spend together.  Much of their initial interest lies in learning about the more technical aspects of paid advertising and search marketing however I feel that over the course this really expands.

• Can you please give us some insights into how you see the current digital landscape?

I’d like to answer this question from my client’s perspective. Clients say to me that they find the current digital landscape overwhelming. Many don’t have strong digital skills and they are finding it tough to keep up to date. These issues are particularly highlighted when these people are managing a market team. They feel that there are so many different tools and strategies which could be used but they need help understanding what will be most effective. I always bring them back to their customer. Typically, I start with an assessment to better understand where I think they have gaps or unmet opportunities. Then I undertake a research project to identify and understand their most profitable of the Mum market. I take my time in this stage as I need to understand their customer very deeply. I want to also understand their journey to finding the brand also. Once this is identified I can assist them to work out what are the best digital strategies they can employ as I have strong expertise around communication preferences of different segments of mothers based on my ongoing research into Australian mothers.

• What are the top trends for 2019/2020?

We are seeing kids and dads getting a growing voice in large purchasing decisions as younger Millennial families adopt a more egalitarian approach to parenting. Many brands need to be considering their strategy to reach these segments as well as mothers now and this means considering different digital marketing channels. A classic example is in the travel industry. Kids are shaking up the family travel market as we know it. They are heavily influenced by You Tubers they follow (from around 9 years of age) and they want to travel to places they’ve seen in their favourite You Tubers videos. So, we are indirectly seeing travel being impacted by You Tubers targeting tween and teens. Most travel companies aren’t considering this factor at all.

Amongst mothers, we are seeing a growing use of Podcasting which represents a great opportunity to get her uninterrupted attention. Brands could be sponsoring or looking to be featured on podcasts to build stronger, deeper relationships with mothers.

Another trend we are seeing is the return to minimalism. Marie Kondo has really led to enormous change as mothers are looking to simplify their lives. It’s about quality over quantity, particularly amongst Gen X mothers in Australia right now.

Mums are also rewarding brands who demonstrate diversity, sustainable business practices and bring more fun and playfulness into their brand communications. It means there needs to be a rethink about how you are communicating with mothers.

Digitally speaking Mums in Australia are still lovers of Facebook, although we are seeing increasing use of Instagram as younger women become mothers. YouTube is overlooked in my opinion and I am also seeing a return to greater use of Google advertising as brands become dissatisfied with their results from Facebook advertising.

• Last we spoke you had recently returned from a speaking tour in Paris and New York – what were some of the key global insights you can share?

I am writing about this at the moment in my book. I speak in the US each year and last year I also had the opportunity to share my research about Australian mothers. I have found that there are some insights which are universal. Brands still don’t understand mothers in enough depth and this means they are wasting much of their marketing investment with poor marketing channel selection. Many brands are continuing to perpetuate old stereotypes. There is a growing dissatisfaction with brand communications amongst mothers across the world which many brands have not woken up to. Globally, I see that opportunities within the Mum market abound. Whether that be in exploring poorly catered for sub-segments of the Mum market, to launching into other geographic markets, there are plenty of opportunities for brands to drive sales, profit and market share.

• What’s next for Marketing to Mums?

I am currently writing my next book which is pitched at Board Directors, C-Suite and Senior Marketers. The book helps answer the question of ‘Where can I get growth for my brand over the next decade?’. I highlight the enormous financial opportunities which abound in key sub-segments, geographic locations and industries. It will launch in October.

I’m also very committed to my podcast which I launched late last year. Marketing to Mums the Podcast helps marketing professionals improve their communications and sales to mothers around the world. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to interview global brand leaders, leading researchers and best-selling authors to share the latest insights about mothers.

We are delighted to host at Digital Women’s Network, Katrina McCarter on the topic of the ever-changing digital landscape! On the night we will explore what all business should be doing digitally, unpack the landscape, explore design thinking and its application. Discuss the digital trends, tools, service design, digital innovation and customer data strategy. Hope that you can come along and hear more from Mark and our incredible line up of speakers including;

• Mark Cameron Digital Strategist, keynote speaker, media commentator and CEO W3 Digital
• Katrina McCarter, International speaker, Founder and CEO of Marketing to Mums
• Lisa Wade Founder and Principal of CareerXD.com
• Angela Mellak MCIM, Top 3# Australia Linkedin Influencer, Anthills Judge top 100, Marketing Strategist Co-Founder and Digital White Space and Founder of Digital Women’s Network.

Join us to network the evening away, meet like minds and enjoy the Grossi hospitality.

• Arlechin.
• May 22nd 2019
• 6-8:30 pm
• Mornane Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000 (in the alleyway just behind Grossi Florentino)
• Nibbles provided by Grossi!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-keep-up-with-the-ever-changing-digital-landscape-tickets-58364636198?aff=erelexpmlt

The post Here is my sit down with the guru of Marketing to Mum’s appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Mark has worked on a vast array of digital and customer focused projects including major political elections, global brand strategy, innovation strategy, transformation initiatives, and digital product development a few of the things you may know Mark by include;

• Digital strategy columnist for BRW for over 5 years.
• Columnist for Major Australian magazines Marketing Magazine and CMO.com.au.
• Columnist for global publications such as Marketing Week and Smart Data Collective.
• His writing has also been featured in The Australian Financial Review, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.
• The only person in Australia to be certified as an Experience Economy Expert, the framework that brands like Lego, Ikea and Disney use to develop and commercialise their customer experience.

Please tell us about your journey, how did you get into Digital?

• I started my career in an advertising agency in NZ, the office Jnr. I worked my way up and then went off to design School. After school started some early website roles, in the early ’90s before Google was a thing! Then joined hyperactive which was eventually bought out by Accenture. By this time (mid to late 2000) I had quite a few big web projects under my belt and in 2001 came to Melbourne for a bit en route to my big role in New York, but then September 11 happened and everything stopped. I was doing freelance work for some well known FMCG clients and stayed in Melbourne, 2003 joined Working three. By 2007 I took it over and over the years through a few iterations I’ve turned it into a digital transformation agency. Working with companies such as SAP North America, GSK, AustraliaPost and Telstra.

I understand you are a certified Experience Economy Expert, that you were the 225th person in the world to earn that title — and the first person in Australia. How did you get this qualification and what drove you to get certified? can you share with us some of the key concepts?

• Few years ago whilst working with SAP in Nth America, met a guy called Joe Pine he is the author of Mass customisation and the experience economy (He coined both these phrases).

Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. In his speaking and teaching activities, Mr. Pine has addressed both the World Economic Forum and TED, and is a Visiting Scholar with the MIT Design Lab. He has also taught at Penn State, Duke Corporate Education, the University of Minnesota, UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, and the Harvard Design School. He serves on the editorial boards of Strategy & Leadership and Strategic Direction and is a Senior Fellow with both the Design Futures Council and the European Centre for the Experience Economy, which he co-founded. For more, see www.StrategicHorizons.com.

• We kept in touch and Joe reached out and asked me to come to the US and get certified, at their offices called Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings.
• They only accept 4-5 people a year, I went through the process it was pretty amazing. The way they broke down the approach is incredible, they turned “experience design” into an experience itself, getting you to look at who are your actors, what is your stage, what is your script? They really think of all the elements involved in the process of developing the experience.
• They have a different angle from many other academic approaches on how to make the customer experience and experience of design understood and accessible. In recent years it has become very academic, Joe and his business partner are turning this on its head to make it accessible and easy to understand, as in order for it to get the traction it needs business leaders need to easily get it!

Tell us more about your design lead philosophy?

• Happy to answer that from the perspective of Digital Transformation. First Let’s unpack what Digital Transformation means, it means different things to different people and it continues to evolve. The language has changed and the meaning has morphed, Digital Transformation was initially very technology lead. Initially, it was all about cost out of a business “how do we keep wages flat” or “reduce headcount with Digital Transformation. Then it became Digital Transformation which was all about the customer- the customer marketing tools – marketing automation, personalisation etc.
• In recent times particularly after businesses have found out more about their customer, its focus is now all about business transformation. Most importantly how businesses can find new ways, what is the business cadence in a rapidly evolving market? The business model revolution as opposed to doing things faster- marketing, accounting etc. Its all about how can we reinvent our business around a digital world?
• A design lead approach means you have to break through the entrenched ideas and old thinking that “they can control this (their brand externally), and control that”. Corporate culture wants to jump to the solution. In the past companies identify a problem then rush to develop the solution, you start working on the solution sometimes for years and don’t fix the problem or it can take years to get any traction with the solution as it’s not really solving the problem.
• With a design lead approach, you investigate more than before you go back to the problem, you go back to the customer and you ask questions and take the themes that emerge and continue to dig beneath to uncover the real issues.
• From the designer thinking, he/she wants to spend time unpacking the problem, because if we really understand the problem the solution should be self-evident.
• For many businesses, it can feel like you’re in research for a long time, but once you get momentum developing the solution is fast and most importantly effective.

One of my favourite quotes in life is “the same consciousness that created the issue can’t solve it”- Everything is about the customer experience, whom do you see doing this really well? who do you see is really stuck and why?

• Nike plus is a great example globally of how they putt the customer experience first- the brand is all about performance, so they merged the digital world and created an ecosystem all the way to the Apple Watch.
• Locally I think Grilled is doing customer experience really well.
• Many brands in Australia a confused about customer experience and price. Price (price beat) is a hygiene factor, for instance when you go into Bunnings the best part of the experience is the service, not the price guarantee, how they deal with your issues and returns and of course the sausage keep you coming back!
• Many companies are really getting lost, they are trying to boil the ocean instead of just think of the 1-2 things they can do better than anyone else.
• Australian Retail has maintained a level of complacency and arrogance for a very long time. They have been singing “our economy is doing fine” and did nothing for years! Now its catch up time and they are trying to make everything work, racing up the personalisation curve and data curve and inevitably what happens is they do nothing well.
• Business in Australia have held off investing for a long time, I really noticed when working with the US, they were in pain, the GFC but they are in a state of acceptance. They know they needed to look at everything in a new way and 90% of things they take on test and trial possibly will fail but the 10% of things they do would do the opposite and would be amazing. The most exciting part is during the process it changes the culture, re-sets is so much so it builds the foundation for the next 50 years of business.
• Australia, however, is now trying to leapfrog, we need to accept that we need to fail. The burning platform hasn’t been here that’s why complacency has been alive and well. Intergenerational conversations are going on but really the issue here in Australia is fear of change.
• We have had growth year after year- why change!

Nothing breeds innovation like a necessity- if the burning platform is not there they don’t change.

• I am however really encouraged in hearing at a board level the patterns in the US are starting to happen here. High performing CEO are being asked about their customer strategy, boards are demanding their CEO have a forward plan and true customer and digital strategy this risk of not having forward-looking plans is too much of a risk and in many cases, they push the CEO out. It needs to be all about new ways of working, ensuring sustainability and reducing risk.

2017 You stated in one of your blogs “Developing capabilities now, both human and technological, that create focus and velocity among the resources and processes within your organisation has to be a priority. ” What in this still as relevant today? What are the current opportunities?

• More in focus now is what is your operations model, is it less of the old model “command, control and extract as much value out of your product as possible”
• If your market is moving you become nowhere fast. The question is how do you improve the business cadence and respond to a dynamic environment? How does the organisation work in a dynamic environment- You still need structure and process but you need to fatten out the organisation and build in things like continual customer enquiry.

Its key to knowing what your customers are actually saying. What do they want?

• The Banks just worried about their NPS score and look at what happened there! NPS is the only old metrics the boards tick off. You need a deep down into what is your customer trying to tell you?
• Imagine if the banks knew this? maybe we wouldn’t have needed a royal commission- if they would have listened they would have known.

Beyond Social platforms, mobile apps, analytics, understanding customer journey and the performance of services what do you see as the top trends are for 2019/2020?

• Trends are going to be what the software companies want us to buy; AI, “machine learning cut up”, marketing automation, more optimisation. It’s going to come thick and fast product, service platform and rammed down our necks!
• However, the big trend is happening at the board level. They are looking at how do we structure an organisation that is sustainable and growth focused. The businesses should be thinking deeply about who is the customer- who are you serving. For instance the old thinking from an Education standpoint, who were they selling to? originally it was academic, then it moved to the student however it’s really the Industry that is bidding for the students.
• People are having to learn to deal with that balancing and ambiguity, boards are getting their arms around the new thinking and are expecting their teams to be all around changing the way the organisation works.

We are delighted to host at Digital Women’s Network, Mark Cameron on the topic of the ever-changing digital landscape! On the night we will explore what all business should be doing digitally, unpack the landscape, explore design thinking and its application. Discuss the digital trends, tools, service design, digital innovation and customer data strategy. Hope that you can come along and hear more from Mark and our incredible line up of speakers including;

Katrina McCarter, International speaker, Founder and CEO of Marketing to Mums

Lisa Wade Founder and Principal of CareerXD.com

Join us to network the evening away, meet like minds and enjoy the Grossi hospitality.

• Arlechin.
• May 22nd 2019
• 6-8:30 pm
• Mornane Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000 (in the alleyway just behind Grossi Florentino)
• Nibbles provided by Grossi!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-keep-up-with-the-ever-changing-digital-landscape-tickets-58364636198?aff=erelexpmlt

The post Here is my insightful chat with Mark Cameron appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Kate Boorer & Rachel Service,

Kate Boorer

Kate is one of Australia’s leading experts on career, confidence and personal brand. She is a sought-after speaker mentor and facilitator who helps CEO’s, leaders and professional women achieve commercial, professional and personal success. Her strong corporate experience and financial acumen combined with years of working as a consultant, facilitator and coach provide a unique blend of skills and experience that guarantees practical and commercial outcomes for her clients.

Kate’s an active thought leader and advocates for gender equality and founder of Young Professional Women Australia – an organisation with a collective voice of more than 4,000 members committed to supporting the progression of professional women in their early-mid career. For over 5 years the organization has provided free advice, education and networking events as well as professional development programs that empower and inspire women to challenge the rules, ultimately becoming role models and change makers in their organisations.

Rachel Service;

Focussed on the crossroads between psychology and work, Rachel exclusively speaks on opportunities for businesses to retain, develop and grow their people.

Overworking, depression and anxiety was Rachel Service’s life. At 22, she passed out before work. At 24, she couldn’t walk after working herself to the ground. At age 30, the warning signs were appearing again. After years of ignoring helpful advice, it took a pivotal moment in her career in New York City, when she realised she turn the beat around.

Rachel Service is the Founder of Happiness Concierge, a training company most well known for its work with global firms who want to help their teams kick ass at work.  Now a keynote speaker and advisor to fast-growing businesses, Rachel divides her time between growing the Happiness Concierge stable of trainers and speaking internationally.

Kate

“What is confidence anyway, and how do we build it?

The confidence conversation is different for men and women”

It is many things from walking into a room and taking up space, but we have all felt at one time or another in our lives, probably as a child dancing around Woolworths! “Confidence is in us all the time, so we don’t need to ‘create’ it. We give it away too easily with self-talk, comparisons to others etc. It’s all about reconnecting with your core confidence.”

“Everyday you have the opportunity to act confident.”

Men and Women are very different when it comes to confidence, this plays out very much in job hunting.

Job hunting is brutal, we know how much it can affect confidence. Men will apply for a job if they can do a few things listed women won’t apply if they can’t do one of the set criteria. we encourage women to go for job’s they don’t think they will get and a job they think they can .. basically to prep them for and guess what happens? Yes, they get interviews for those jobs.

“So, for every job you think you can do, apply for another you’re not sure you could do and see what happens.”

“Confidence links in with your personal brand.”

A lot of the time its not about just working really hard and know your stuff, as this can equate to being invisible or if you don’t know how to blend the two burnout. We need to do personal brand building (HerWit)

“Everyone has a personal brand – it’s the things you say and do, and the things you don’t say and don’t do. The key is figuring out how you market that.”

“Think – if I was a product, what would I want to be known for?”

“Often it comes down to relationships and owning your own personal brand.”

“Digital has given us accessibility, but we only tend to share the good stuff so there’s an unrealistic perception built.”we have the ability to tell a story – we only tell positive stuff but we need to start telling both parts (good and bad). We need to be authentic.

Personal brand, five years ago it was all about image but now it’s evolved, no longer about how you look and what you wear – it’s about changing careers, gig economy, how people work. Changing, adapting and therefore you need to package yourself up to a point that you are clear about who and what you want.

This is where it moves towards networking, taking ownership and accountability for your personal brand, get a clear picture of currently what people think about you. Do some simple research with key people around you, your boss, colleagues. Have a respectful and have a mature conversation about it.

Once you know what you want to be known for then start to articulate it to them, then they will think of you in that way- positioning this helps to not be invisible.

Rachel

Thought her body had betrayed her when she collapsed in the shower one morning. She went against it, and ended up not being able to stand up and use her legs. Adrenal fatigue!

“Only one person can change the way I do things … Beyonce.” So off I went to her concert in NYC and realise “I couldn’t enjoy the things that meant so much to me anymore.”

As a self-confessed perfectionist and workaholic, I know that its up to me to set the balance. Its natural If you’re inclined to seek work as your primary source of joy, you’re inclined to want to overperform. You just need to self-regulate. Why not do a case study of what you have achieved?

Evidence + validation (from someone you respect) + self-belief = confidence.

“Comparisons are the thief of all joy!”

“Happiness is whatever the fuck you want it to be!”

“Think to yourself – how do I want to feel every day? What do I want to have? Get clarity on what you want, and what gives you your mojo!”

“Every now and then, turn off your notifications and go into self-indulge mode”

“Companies need to get clarity on what archetype their people have. If you know that, you can alter your style to match that.”

“There is such a need to have constructive conversations on both sides – grown-up conversations.”

“Understand your staff, and what gets the best from them. Things like – do you work best in the morning or afternoon? Get to know that about your team.”

“What does a happy life look like?”

“Say yes to things, but that means you’ll have to say no to other things.”

“What’s most important, and what will bring you most happiness? Get clarity on that!”

“In this moment right now – what is most important?”

The world today moves at an epic pace – we need to learn to say “no” to things – we feel compelled to success and Perfectism. We need to learn to say no without emotion.

How to say “No” it is called a ‘No Sandwich’ –

1. validate the other person, show respect with things like  “oh yeah, I hear you” or “oh I haven’t heard that one before?” etc.
2. say no without emotion or excuses.
3. Dangle the opportunity – “hey, while we’re talking about that I would love to talk about resourcing”.

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Get clear on what help you need, then go and seek it out!”

How can we be happy in the digital era?

Kate – It’s clarity – get clear and make decisions what is important right now! Most people find it hard to do

Set up little things you can do at work that make you happy, watching a video of your child, friend, niece or cat at lunchtime, have lunch outside every day. Call a fun friend, find whatever it is and set it in your day.

Rachel- Stop comparing yourself, ask how do I want to feel every day..write this down work on having clarity in what brings you joy…

Mentor -how to find one?

Kate – Get into programs, network – make sure your clear on what help you need, and go seek that but don’t’ start with can you be my mentor, begin with I’d love to understand your thoughts..  “can we catch up for breakfast? then if you get along and you feel this person is someone you would get along with try to do this every few months”

check out the full gallery https://digitalwomensnetwork.com/galleries/

The post Confidence and happiness in the digital era wrap up appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

5) GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Winter is about slowing down, recovering and preparing again for the warmer months. Our bodies need a decent, good quality sleep to restore everything in preparation for the next day. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep, often throughout winter, our body actually wants and needs more than this, so listen to your body and sleep when you’re tired.  

6) SCARVES, BLANKETS AND JUMPERS
Layers should be your best friend throughout winter. Keeping warm and covered is super important to ward off sickness and protect yor immune system. Scarves are really helpful at keeping your neck covered and to reduce the risk of any sickness entering your body. Keep an extra jumper or jacket in your car or at work to keep you covered.

7) WINTER ESSENTIAL OILS

A good combination to have in your diffuser at home throughout winter is lavender, lemon, peppermint and eucalyptus- this has great antimicrobial benefits as well as helps to open and clear the sinuses. This combination is calming, clearing and uplifting to help boost energy, calm the nervous system and clear the head from congestion.

About the Author :

The post 7 tips to keep warm this winter – by Maya Chinese Medicine appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.