**Join us at our first-ever podcast meetup in Sydney. Info below**

Today, I'm connecting with Sophie Mckay, Head of Marketing, Asia Pacific and Japan at Notion. 

Sophie’s career has been all about scaling tech brands across the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). Before joining Notion six months ago, she spent almost a decade at Qualtrics—starting as the first marketing hire in APAC and growing the team to 17, launching across six regions. In her words: “Every country or region we went into felt like a startup within a startup.” 

Now, she’s crafting Notion’s brand story and building her dream marketing team for APAC.

In this episode, we dial into:

• Balancing a high-growth tech career with life as a mum to two young boys (3 and 5) and a pilot husband who’s often in the sky. Sophie shares how she makes it work.
• Could Sydney become “Silicon Sands”? Sophie weighs in.
• Why she loves launching companies across APAC—and the three-part strategy that sets her up for success every time.
• Notion's Australian takeover: A front-row seat to Sophie's "launch moment" (and why community love is everything).
• Her first 30 days at Notion: How she left onboarding in San Francisco with a fully approved marketing plan, ready to roll the moment she landed back in Sydney.
• Leading cross-cultural teams and appreciating the nuances of a region's go-to-market motion.
• Building things from scratch: The signals that tell you it’s time to scale or pivot
• Hiring philosophy: Why you should always recruit someone who "scares you" (and why Sophie spent 18 months finding a first marketing hire).
• Finding Nemo wisdom: "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming" (and remember you're not saving lives).
• Joy as a metric: "Startups are full on. Just make sure you’re always having a really good laugh every single day. If you're not, change up what you're doing."
• Operator shoutout: Carrie Ball, Talent Acquisition Lead APAC at Rippling. "What really stands out is how she brings a human element to the recruitment process. Her posts are hilarious—and honestly, I think she’d be such a fun guest to have on the podcast to talk about building teams from scratch across APAC."

Thanks to Kelly Souders and Kirsty Poynter for helping shape this interview and for your time on the pre-interview chats.

Connect with Sophie:

• LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in the ep:

• Notion {Notion is the all-in-one workspace for teams to share knowledge, manage projects, take notes, and more}
• Hello, Australia! By Andrew McCarthy
• How OpenAI turns shared knowledge into faster workflows with Notion

**📆  JOIN US: Calling Operator x Notion coffee | Apr 29, 10am**

Some of the best conversations happen off-mic. ​That’s why I’ve teamed up with Notion to bring the Calling Operator community together in Sydney.

The deets:
🌞 First-ever pod meetup in our most-listened city >> Sydney
🌞 Tues, Apr 29 at 10am (Surry Hills location) 
🌞 Past podcast guests are coming—swap stories, ask questions
🌞 RSVP here

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

**Join us at our first-ever podcast meetup in Sydney. Info below**

Today, I'm connecting with Olivia (Liv) Panzic, Head of Marketing Communications at TikTok ANZ. A core part of Liv’s belief system? Look after people. And it shows. Her colleagues and mentors describe her leadership at TikTok as “people-centric,” “human-first,” and “transformative for those around her.” This conversation covers three big themes: creating thumb-stopping content, being brave, and leading from the heart.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why everything is better after a good night’s sleep (thanks, Mum).
• Community as strategy—not just support, but a growth engine.
• How a failed startup led her to TikTok—proof that the algorithm of life sometimes gets it right.
• Her first three years at TikTok ANZ—moving to Sydney, stepping into leadership, and building a marcomms strategy that clicks.
• A reminder that growth is layered: internal, external, and relational.
• Want to break into startups? Ditch the “pick me” mindset—find your match (tips inside).
• Leading inside a global company and bringing local context to celebrate culture drivers.
• Creating space for your team to grow and go viral in their own way.
• Why talking out loud to AI tools like ChatGPT changes the game for storytelling, advertising, and attention. Looking ahead to reaching people through voice.
• Staying humble: “You’re never too big for a small job.”
• Operator shoutout: How Elly Strang and the team at Tracksuit rewrote the playbook on early-stage B2B comms and content. Why their customers say: “Hey, I want this company to win as much as I love their product.”

Connect with Liv:

• Connect With Liv on LinkedIn

Others Mentioned in the Episode:

• Elly Strang at Tracksuit
• Kendall Moses at Uber
• Pip Marlow
• Tony Reid

Huge thanks to Hayley Saddleton and Shani Kugenthiran for the pre-interview chats. You're so right. Liv. Is. Magic.

📆  JOIN US: Calling Operator x Notion coffee | Apr 29, 10am

Some of the best conversations happen off-mic. ​That’s why I’ve teamed up with Notion to bring the Calling Operator community together in Sydney.

The deets:
🌞 First-ever pod meetup in our most-listened city >> Sydney
🌞 Tues, Apr 29 at 10am (Surry Hills location) 
🌞 Past podcast guests are coming—swap stories, ask questions
🌞 RSVP here

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Rach Matters, Senior Program Manager at Linktree. Rach’s sweet spot is joining fast-growing organizations with a blank job description, and she’s had the privilege of learning company building through EA-exec partnerships with Linktree’s Alex Zaccaria and seasoned entrepreneur Janey Martino.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why worrying is like a rocking chair—it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere
• Scaling herself alongside one of Australia’s biggest tech success stories
• Supporting leaders through hypergrowth and high-stakes moments
• The EA-executive relationship and the magic of high-trust partnerships
• Creating calm in chaos (while secretly thriving in it)
• Why waiting back isn’t Rach’s style
• Understanding the individual needs of your leadership team (it’s not one-size-fits-all)
• Strategic restraint—bringing deep knowledge of the leadership team into operations and learning to 10x things without adding process friction
• Taking pieces of wisdom from each leader you work with
• Low-key Sundays and the power of rest

Connect with Rach on LinkedIn here. 

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Shipra Mahindra, Principal Product Manager at Octopus Deploy. Let’s just say—Shipra’s peers can’t stop raving about her. She made her mark as the first product manager at Canva, working closely with co-founder Mel Perkins and the early mobile team. Shipra takes us through the highs, lows, and many celebrations that came with launching and scaling Canva’s first mobile app. She shares how she found her rhythm as a product manager and the lessons she's learned, both as a human and a product leader, during rapid growth at Canva, Xero, Creatively Squared, and now at Octopus Deploy. And when she’s not leading product, she’s showing how New Zealand can be an incubator for world-leading, world-class companies as a Partner at Phase One Ventures.

Connect with Shipra Mahindra.

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Harry Uffindell, Chief People Officer at Partly. Harry’s worn just about every startup hat—founder, growth, bizops, revops, people, culture—you name it. But he ultimately found his calling in the people space. Now, he’s scaling Partly, hiring the world’s top 1% talent, and building a culture where people stay excited about their work a decade in.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• Scaling Partly from its first non-technical hire to ~100 employees—and the lessons behind making it the best startup to work for.
• Building a company culture that lasts—where 10 years in, you’re still buzzing to show up.
• Co-founding and selling MeatMail (a food subscription startup) with David Booth—the zero-to-one story.
• “This is a pretty good V1”. What Tim Ryan (Atomic8) taught Harry about quality work and scaling startups globally.
• Tilt to Airbnb: From first APAC hire to Country Manager, scaling Tilt, and what it takes to land a global “boots on the ground” role.
• A bad-reception phone call that changed everything. How Airbnb’s acquisition of Tilt set Harry on a path to making ANZ Airbnb’s most penetrated market worldwide before the IPO.
• Focus as a superpower. Mastering the art of focus is the most impactful skill an operator can develop.
• Learning from the best. How Patti McCord, Reed Hastings (Netflix), and the Collison Brothers (Stripe) are shaping Harry’s playbook as a world-class Chief People Officer.
• Angel investing 101. His advice for operators making their first bets.

Find Harry Uffindell:

• LinkedIn
• Harry’s Newsletter
• [email protected]

Harry Uffindell’s Northstars and Frameworks:

Books:

• Delivering Happiness (people and culture)
• No Rules Rules (Netflix culture)
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things (gritty leadership)
• Amp It Up (high-performance culture)
• Powerful by Patty McCord (freedom + responsibility)
• Radical Candor (feedback and relationships)
• Great by Choice (10x leadership)
• How to Win Friends and Influence People

Podcasts:

• Acquired, a16z, Founders, The Tim Ferriss Show, Crucible Moments, 20VC.

Frameworks:

• The Quarterly Rhythm That Fuels Growth and High-Performing Teams (includes duplicatable resources/Notion pages)
• The One Thing (goal-setting)
• Eisenhower Matrix (urgent/important prioritization)
• Radical Candor (caring personally + challenging directly).

Operators—Future leader/vision:

• Patti McCord and Reed Hastings from Netflix (culture)
• Patrick Collison and The Collison Brothers (execution)

Ones to Watch:

• Pene Barton (CEO at Crimson Global Academy)
• Kirsti Grant (Chief People Experience Officer at Auror)
• Jamie Beaton (CEO and co-founder Crimson Education)

Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:

• Dave Booth (Founder in Residence at Blackbird)
• Mike Duboe (General Partner, Greylock Partners)
• Levi Fawcett (CEO at Partly)
• Tim Ryan (Co-Founder & CEO at Atomic8)
• Andrew Huynh (GTM Strategy Lead, New Products at Culture Amp)
• Dan Brockwell (Co-founder and head of program at Earlywork)

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Connecting with Alice Hehman, a "SWAT team" startup leader who’s built recruiting and operations playbooks for some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names. An under-the-radar operator, you need to know. Alice knows what it takes to scale operations across borders, from leading domestic recruitment for Facebook to moving to Sydney to build regional teams across Asia–Pacific. Following great people led her to Bret Taylor's startup Quip (a competitor to Google Docs), where she ran business operations, including the USD $750M Salesforce deal and post-merger integration into the Salesforce ecosystem. We get real on keeping your head on straight through hypergrowth and focussing on what we can control through these big business transitions. These days, she's teamed up with Molly Graham (if you haven't read Lessons on Substack, you should) at Glue Club, helping startup leaders be better—and feel better—at work. We discuss what makes a great operational leader, why "glue people" are the backbone of scaling companies and US lessons to shortcut operators in Australia and New Zealand.

Find Alice Hehman:

• LinkedIn

Alice Hehman’s Northstars and Frameworks:

• Learners vs Guides: Building Your Leadership Team
• Lessons by Molly Graham
•  The Glue Club  (Leadership Development Program)
• The Four Tendencies Framework by Gretchen Rubin
• Sparketype Assessment 
• StrengthsFinder, now CliftonStrengths

 Operators—Ones to Watch:

• Molly Graham
• Elliot Greenwald

Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:

• Andy Barton
• Bret Taylor
• Ashley Prince Murphy

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Emma Seymour, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Deputy. Emma is no stranger to navigating big transitions—whether steering a company through acquisitions, adapting through CEO leadership changes, driving profitable growth in uncertain post-pandemic times, or achieving unicorn status. Known for her "throw the ball to me" mindset, I hope Emma's story reminds all of our female-identifying listeners of the power of stepping up before you feel ready. 

In today’s episode, we discuss: 

• Her CFO leadership journey: From public practice to JobAdder to Deputy, where she became the youngest female CFO of an Australian tech unicorn
• Emma’s reflections on becoming a first-time mum while managing a "big job"
• Deputy's rise to profitability and unicorn status (for market context, Deputy is the 15th Australian-founded tech company to achieve this milestone)
• How Deputy’s 80% female leadership team drives business outcomes, enriches company culture, and brings them closer to the customer
• Clocking in every day to help customers build a better world for shift workers
• Why you should always "throw the ball to me"
• Alternative strategies for raising capital at different stages of growth
• What’s next for the future of the CFO role in tech.

Find Emma Seymour:

• LinkedIn
• Deputy
• Emma Seymour is just short of her third successful year as CFO of Deputy (read more)

Emma Seymour’s Northstars and Frameworks:

• Goal setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

ANZ Operators—Ones to Watch:

• Mel Perkins (CEO and Co-founder at Canva)

Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:

• Silvija Martincevic (CEO at Deputy)

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Annie Liao, founder and CEO of Build Club. What began as a weekend AI project among friends has now evolved into APAC’s largest AI learning platform. Fresh off closing her pre-seed round and going all-in on Build Club, Annie shares what’s next for her and her team. In today’s episode, we discuss: Annie’s early career journey as a data scientist, consultant, venture capitalist, community builder, operator, and startup founder—and the lessons she gained from each transition; A nod to her recent crowning as a Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 honoree; Scaling the impact of why Build Club started: to empower everyone to build their dreams into reality; Build Club’s internal AI strategy and approach to building; Why providing clarity is the most valuable role a founder can play; Taking a leap of faith to build custom GPTs (a beginner's guide); How to upskill your workforce in AI; The rise of AI workforce manager roles—plus why operators are uniquely suited for this shift. And, of course, I ask the “stupid” questions to help us all accelerate our AI learning journey.

Find Annie Liao:

• LinkedIn
• X
• Art
• Build Club events
• Join Build Club’s waitlist: www.buildclub.ai

Annie Liao’s Northstars and Frameworks:

• The Build Club Story and Why We Raised Venture Capital Funding
• This 23-year-old banked $1.2 million to build the ‘Duolingo for AI learning’
• Goal setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

ANZ Operators—Ones to Watch:

• Mitchell Hughes (Co-founder at NextGen Ventures)
• Clinton Lui (Build Club)

Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:

• Julia Wells (Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney)
• Daniel Vassilev (Co-founder at Relevance AI)
• Jacky Koh (Co-founder at Relevance AI)
• Tom McKenzie (CTO at Build Club)
• Jessy Wu (Founder at Encour)

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Deena Metz, Head of Customer Success at Flagship. For Deena, being at the nexus of a company is where she thrives, so she’s placed herself at the heart of an early-stage startup: customer success (CS). She’s one of 12 employees, building alongside Simon Molnar to establish Flagship as the backbone of retail operations in Australia, the US, and beyond. In today’s episode, we discuss: Deena’s childhood dream of playing soccer for the Matildas; How an internship in New York launched her career in digital health at ANDHealth+ and Perx Health; Joining Flagship as the first female on the team, and her approach to building the company's post-sales function and customer experience; Why CS is a team sport, and how sales, post-sales, and product teams need to be “Batman to each other’s Batman”; Partnering with retail brands to raise the bar in visual merchandising and bring more data to brick-and-mortar stores; And the refreshing reminder: “we’re not saving lives”. 

Find Deena Metz:

• LinkedIn
• Flagship

Deena Metz’s Northstars and Frameworks:

• Gabriel Baker (Co-Founder at Mosh)
• Rachel Kelly (Ex-EVP, APAC and Global Instore at Afterpay)
• Steph Leathers (Managing Director ANZ at GHD)
• Alex Brogan, Faster Than Normal Newsletter
• Wes Kao's Newsletter
• Atlas (Zendesk alternative for customer support)

ANZ Operators—Ones to Watch:

• Zoe Champtaloup (Director of Operations and General Counsel at Perx Health)
• Jackie Rotman (Director, Strategy at OakNorth)

Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:

• Simon Molnar (founder at Flagship)
• Scott Taylor (Co-founder and CEO at Perx Health)
• Hugo Rourke (Co-founder and COO at Perx Health)
• Marcel Ninio (Retail Innovation and Partnerships at Flagship)

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com

Today, I'm connecting with Jackie Rabec, Product Manager at Google. Jackie’s product leadership story is all about transitions—from corners of the globe to non-linear career paths and reframing impact beyond just our work. In our conversation, we discuss: The importance of “doing your homework”; Growing up in South Africa and following her mother’s path into medicine; Definitive decision-making versus directional decision-making and how it guided her transition from medicine to tech and product; Visualising your career as a pond of lily pads; Her journey from being the first PM at Heidi Health to a non-health tech product role at Google; Moving from the balcony to the dance floor and back again as a product leader; Lessons from transitioning from a 40-person startup to a global corporation; How to avoid overcomplicating product by indexing on three things; Her vision to improve healthcare access and delivery in low-income countries and under-resourced communities in countries like Africa. 

Find Dr Jackie Rabec:

• LinkedIn

Dr Jackie’s Northstars and Frameworks:

• The Balcony and the Dance Floor
• Lenny’s podcast
• Tim Ferriss
• Kirsten Mann (Chief Product Officer at Prospection)
• Peter Cronin (Founder and Director at Prospection)
• Paul Redfern (Chief Product Officer at Big Picture Medical)
• Dr. Thomas Kelly (CEO and Co-Founder at Heidi Health)
• Waleed Mussa (CFO and Co-Founder at Heidi Health)
• Yu Liu (CTO and Co-Founder at Heidi Health)
• Trung Ton (Partner at Foundry Health)

ANZ Operators—Ones to Watch:

• So good we named him twice: Paul Redfern (Chief Product Officer at Big Picture Medical)
• Eliza Hillary (Senior UX Designer at RACV)

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
 

Never miss an episode:

Subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• (Other) CallingOperator.com