I'm honoured to welcome Dara Simkin to The Debra Shepherd Podcast this week.

Dara is Australia’s leading Playful Work Design specialist, and is the founder and Chief Play Officer of learning experience design consultancy, Culture Hero. She has worked with organisations like The LEGO Foundation, McKinsey & Co, Silicon Valley's IDEO Play Lab and world-renowned play researcher Dr Stuart Brown and has presented to brands like IKEA, AGL, Royal Canin, MYOB and Google.

As an expert facilitator and passionate advocate for the potential of play in the workplace, Dara believes play has the power to transform the way we live, work and lead. In 2024 Dara is undertaking a major research project exploring the impact of play in business in partnership with RMIT University.

In this episode, Dara shares her story. We talk about connection, engagement, culture, creativity, innovation and incorporating play into business and the way we work.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How play changes the way we live, work and lead. 
• The impact of new technology on business and why businesses must be adaptable and flexible to survive. 
• Dara explains why play is important in business and shares examples of what play is and isn’t. 
• How Dara and her team at Culture Hero incorporate play into the way they work. 
• Giving your people an opportunity to play in business. 
• Dara shares the benefits of integrating play into business as well as tips and advice to businesses that may be hesitant about incorporating play into the workplace.  
• Why we can’t be at our best creatively or effectively drive innovation without play. 
• The importance of imagination breaks during the day. 
• Why a psychologically safe and trusting workplace is essential for integrating play into business.  
• Dara shares tips for business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders wanting to incorporate play into business. 

Plus, more!

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SHOW NOTES  

Get all episode show notes here:  

www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast  

CONNECT WITH DARA

www.culturehero.co

www.darasimkin.com

CONNECT WITH DEBRA 

www.debrashepherd.com.au

Instagram @_DebraShepherd  

Get my FREE audio: The Power of Simplicity. 9 powerful reasons why simplicity will transform your life and business. www.debrashepherd.com.au/the-power-of-simplicity