Don't Stop Us Now AI Edition

Our guest this week is entrepreneur and philanthropist, Bobbi Mahlab. 

We think you’ll love Bobbi; she’s authentic, brave and very humble! 

More than 20 years ago, Bobbi founded the content marketing and communications agency, ‘Mahlab’. Given how much the publishing and content businesses have changed in two decades, it’s a testimony to Bobbi’s foresight and agility that the business thrives and continues to evolve today. 

Much more recently, Bobbi also co-founded the fast-expanding Australian arm of Mentor Walks, an initiative she was exposed to when she took part in a Mentor Walk in China, the brainchild of one of our earlier podcast guests, Michelle Garnaut. 

Bobbi’s business has won multiple awards and accolades, and Bobbi herself also has her fair share of honours including recently being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to women, publishing and philanthropy. 

Bobbi has some fascinating insights and perspectives on women in business and being an entrepreneur, particularly thanks to the insights she gleans from all the women taking part in Mentor Walks as well as from being a Juror on the prestigious international Cartier Women’s Initiative awards for entrepreneurs. 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How it felt to grow up with a very high profile and feminist mother
• Why Bobbi thinks leaders need to act like a hammerhead shark 
• What it was that made her walk into her office one day and say “everything changes from today” 
• The formative experience that taught Bobbi to think bigger 

Enjoy this episode with the humble, wise and entertaining, Bobbi Mahlab. 

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Our guest this week is Kristina Karlsson, the entrepreneur and founder of global Swedish design and stationery business, kikki.K.  What’s unprecedented about this episode is that just as we were in the process of putting this out to the world, Kristina’s beloved nearly 20 year old business fell in to Administration with the latest news saying they are looking for buyers or investors to keep the business alive. When we recorded our interview with Kristina just a few weeks ago she talked about challenging times in retail but, not surprisingly, she didn’t go into details of the current situation. What we’ve been struck by is how positive and strong Kristina is, even now in her social posts. And that comes through so strongly in this episode where you’ll hear about:  The ups and downs of starting your own retail business and how tough you need to be  Kristina’s passion for having dreams and chasing them (She’s also written a book called ‘Your Dream Life Starts Here’ to inspire others to write down and chase their dreams.)  How she credits becoming a Mother with giving her more balance And the quirky yet ingenious way Kristina learnt to perfect her business English early on!Plus, 3 lucky listeners have the chance to win a copy of Kristina’s book here but hurry, entries close in a few weeks.We’re sending loads of positive energy and good wishes to all involved with kikki.K and hope the business survives. Now without further ado enjoy this conversation with the inspiring and positive Kristina Karlsson. Links of InterestKristina on InstagramKristina on LinkedInYour Dream Life Podcastkikki.K on Instagramkikki.K websitekikki.K Pinterestkikki.K Facebook

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Our guest this week is Kristina Karlsson, the entrepreneur and founder of global Swedish design and stationery business, kikki.K.

Sold in 190 countries around the world, and in its more than 100 stores, kikki-K’s beautiful notebooks and stationery represent a 20 year journey for Kristina, as well as a massive breath of fresh air for stationery lovers around the world. 

Swedish born and bred, Kristina moved to Melbourne in Australia as a young woman in her 20’s to be with her partner, now husband Paul. She knew she wanted to start her own business but didn’t know in what field; until she went shopping for stationery.

Kristina’s also recently published a book called ‘Your Dream Life Starts Here’ and her mission is to inspire 101 million people to write down their dreams and chase them. 

(You have the chance to win a free copy of Kristina’s book here but hurry entries close in a few weeks time.)  

We both loved this conversation with Kristina who’s really honest and humble about what she’s achieved and the lessons she’s learnt along the way. 

In particular you’ll hear about:

The truly quirky way Kristina learnt to perfect her business English early on

Why she’s grateful she launched kikki.K without knowing much about business

How she credits becoming a Mother with giving her more balance

And why Kristina genuinely believes anyone can achieve what she has.

And stay listening at the end of our conversation for your chance to win a free copy of Kristina’s book. 

Enjoy our conversation with the inspiring and entertaining Kristina Karlsson. 

Links of Interest

Kristina on Instagram

Kristina on LinkedIn

Your Dream Life Podcast

kikki.K on Instagram

kikki.K website

kikki.K Pinterest

kikki.K Facebook

Our guest this week is former military leader and now Quantum Computing pioneer, Mandy Birch.Born and bred in the USA, Mandy is super qualified . . . she has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT; another Masters in in Military Operational Art & Science, and a third Masters in International Relations!Mandy’s entire career has been in male dominated industries. She spent 16 years climbing to senior ranks in the United States Air Force and now she’s working on Quantum Computing with a company called Rigetti. Rigetti is one of four companies (Sept 2019) to have a fully operational quantum computer. During our conversation, we were fascinated to hear how Mandy only truly thrived in her career in the military when she learnt to be herself. She talks about how important it has been to her career to feel comfortable in her own skin, even when she was different to nearly everyone else in the room. In this episode you’ll learn:  How to summarise Quantum Computing in a single sentence How being under-estimated became a positive and shaped Mandy’s leadership style  Why she believes over-planning your career can be a problem And why getting used to being different and seeing the value in that made all the difference. Enjoy this episode with the passionate and mission-driven Mandy Birch.   Links of InterestMandy on LinkedInRigetti Computing 

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If you’ve ever wondered about what we’ll all be eating in 10-15 years time then this is the episode for you! Our guest is Barcelona-based Cecilia Tham, a Social Technologist and Futurist. She happens to have the coolest day job working for Alpha, which is Telefonica’s innovation arm briefed to build moonshots to address some of society’s biggest problems, including the future of food.Cecilia was raised in Macau, attended high school and Harvard university in the US, and then found herself in Spain having to start from scratch, language included. She describes herself as an entrepreneur by heart, a designer and biologist by training, and a maker for life. On her journey to working at Alpha, she founded and co-founded 3 separate ventures including a Maker cafe, a co-working community, and a coding and tech academy for women.We think you’ll find Cecilia’s life and career lessons really inspiring. In particular you’ll learn: How Cecilia’s former husband’s gift of a sewing machine first insulted her and then led to her uncovering a passion and her first entrepreneurial venture What ‘Trim Tabbing' is and why it makes her more productive How Cecilia managed to turn her mindset around and be comfortable being different to everyone else in the room And…. how she and her colleagues are looking at future scenarios where you'll be able to grow an entire meal, including meat and veg, with the one plant - yes you read that right - grow your dinner!Enjoy this episode with the multi-talented and dynamic Cecilia Tham.   Links of InterestCecilia's website AlphaMakers of Barcelona (MOB)FAB Cafe allwomen AI Training School  

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Our first ‘How To’ episode of 2020 brings you super useful tips and advice to set yourself up for an awesome 2020!To put this episode together, we scoured the latest research and we drew upon the content and expertise we’ve developed delivering leadership programs around the world for major companies such as Google, Salesforce and Pinterest.And, as usual, you also get to hear thoughts from some of our amazing guests on the topic as well. You may well have thought about some New Year’s resolutions or goals recently, but whatever your situation, we’re confident that this episode will turbocharge your prospects for the rest of the year. Here’s a taste of some of the many invaluable things you’ll learn from this episode: The somewhat surprising first step we advise you take when planning a great year ahead The huge benefits you can reap from cultivating a more positive outlook and mindset,  plus easy tips to help you do just that How to avoid being over-ambitious with all the goals you want to set for yourself and spare yourself from feeling you’ve failed when you don’t achieve them all And, the one thing you can easily do to increase the chance of you achieving your goals by more than 30%. Improve your chances by more than 30% - that’s insane isn’t it?So don’t delay, make sure you listen now to give yourself the best chance for a fantastic 2020. Enjoy! Useful linksHow to Breathe Easy About your Purpose episodeTim Ferriss's Reflection ProcessAchieving your goals: An evidence-based approach, Michigan State UniversityWhy a Happy Brain Performs Better - HBR 

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From extreme disadvantage in her childhood, Honeywell Connected Enterprise (HCE) President and CEO, Que Dallara, has been driven all her life to ensure she and her family are far from the memories she has of begging for rice as a child refugee. We’re in awe of what Que has so thoughtfully achieved over the years taking her from supporting her family and herself through school and uni, to reach the highest echelons of corporate America.Que grew up in Australia and worked there for McKinsey and numerous corporates before moving to the US almost 20 years ago via an MBA at Insead. She worked in senior roles for Microsoft, TE Connectivity and now is running HCE for Honeywell. Que is leading the industrial giant’s transformative push into software sales and the Internet of Things. Alongside all of this, she’s also the mum of three kids!We urge you not to miss this episode which shares not only Que’s incredible life story but also some of the finest career advice you’re likely to hear. In this episode you’ll learn: What impact Que’s dramatic and dangerous escape from Vietnam has had on her life How having to pay for her education and support her family, saw her running a successful business by the age of 16! The one key thing Que realised she (and others) need to develop to keep progressing in their careers How she goes about leading a major innovation play within a huge conglomerate.Enjoy this episode with the humble, yet ever so impressive, Que Dallara.  Useful LinksQue's LinkedInHoneywell - click on Honeywell Forge to see Que's Division 

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Our guest this week has taken the road less travelled, and pioneered her industry in Hong Kong and China for more than 30 years. We’re talking about one of Asia’s most celebrated restaurateurs, and a philanthropist as well, Michelle Garnaut AO.Michelle grew up in Australia but always knew she wanted to travel. The fact she founded and launched her business, the M Restaurant Group, in Hong Kong in the late 1980s makes her one of the first independent restaurateurs to set up shop anywhere in Hong Kong or China. Time Magazine has even described Michelle as an ‘industry celebrity’ and someone who ‘pioneered the fashionable-dining scene in China’. Michelle is well known for the upscale restaurants and bars she’s created and launched in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing - including M on the Bund restaurant still delighting diners in Shanghai. She’s also committed to giving back, and founded the Shanghai International Literary Festival the M Literary Residency, the Village People Project and the women’s initiative, Mentor Walks, which she started in Beijing. Michelle has won numerous international entrepreneurial awards and accolades, and last year was awarded an Order of Australia for her numerous contributions to business and society. In this episode you’ll learn: How Michelle became one of the most successful fine-dining restaurateurs in China  Her hard fought lessons about starting and running a business Why she started out with her cash locked in a fridge, and How she had to fight to win back control of her business.We think you’ll just love Michelle’s amazing stories and all-round fabulousness. Happy listening!  Interesting LinksMichelle's Restaurant in Shanghai - M on the BundM on the Bund on FacebookM on the Bund on WeiboMentor Walks ChinaMentor Walks AustraliaScan to Follow M on the Bund on WeChat   

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This week’s guest has an insatiable passion for learning and the future and she has the career portfolio to prove it! We’re talking about international company director, entrepreneur and global philanthropist, Laura Anderson.Laura grew up near Chicago in the US. She found out early on that she was good at maths and loved ideas and set about immersing herself in areas that fascinated her. As a girl she wanted  to be an astronaut and to this day is convinced the Space Program is critically important. And yes, she’s passionate about humans getting to Mars!Laura’s “why not?” attitude ultimately led her to a career in the technology industry where she worked around the world for companies such as HP, KPMG and Perot Systems, as well as starting her own successful supply chain company. Laura is now based in Australia where she has a full and fascinating portfolio of local and international interests and directorships including being Chair of LaunchVic (a Government organisation to foster a start-up ecosystem), the Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Technology in Schools, and SVI Global Pty Ltd. She’s also on the boards of: the Fulbright Commission, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Epworth HealthCare, the National Basketball League, and the Defence Science Institute. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Laura goes about influencing people, particularly in a male dominated environment What tools and tactics she uses to manage her mindset How she thinks about her global network Her advice to entrepreneurs And the reasons why she’s on a Mission to Mars!Sit back, buckle up and enjoy this episode with the very accomplished and delightful Laura Anderson.  Links of InterestLaura's WebsiteLaura on TwitterLaura on Instagram 

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This week’s guest is a woman who at the age of 92 is still inspiring thousands of women to be the “best they can be!”. We’re talking about the incredible doyenne of etiquette and deportment, June Dally Watkins.Miss Dally, as she is known, grew up on a sheep farm and attended a one teacher bush school in regional Australia. Her teacher told her mother that she “would be an absolute failure in life”. He couldn’t have been more wrong.At 22, June became Australia’s Fashion Model of the Year and soon became Australia’s first supermodel. She lived the high life as part of the global jetset becoming great friends with Hollywood stars Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby and Gregory Peck (who asked her to marry him!).When she came back to Australia she started her now famous etiquette and deportment business which made her one of Australia’s first female entrepreneurs. The June Dally Watkins School has gone on to change thousands and thousands of people’s lives. She is now, at 92 years of age, an absolute sensation in China where she goes for weeks at a time to teach thousands to be “the best they can be”.In this episode you’ll learn: How hard it was to be one of the first business women in Australia when women were expected to play the traditional housewife role Why June pushed through condemnation and criticism to build her business How she came to be so in demand in China in her 90’s And her advice on how to stay young.Enjoy this episode with the delightful and determined June Dally Watkins. Useful LinksJune Dally Watkins Website (JDW)Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend Article on June Dally WatkinsJDW on Facebook 

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