Fruitful Conversations

Penny Spencer is an entrepreneur, founder and MD of the Spencer Travel Group of Companies. She and her business have a raft of awards including Penny being  recognised as one of Australia’s top 30 female entrepreneurs by Smart Company in 2016, 2017, 2018  and Spencer Travel featured in the Financial Reviews 2017 list of Australia’s top 100 companies.
Penny has been a finalist in the Telstra BusinessWoman of the year awards, as well as making the Travel Weekly's Women in Power List.

We had an interesting chat  about creating a great workplace culture, and not just from giving away diamonds, working with your life partner, the effect COVID has had on travel agents and the future of the travel agency, tips to succeed in business and in life, and some bizarre requests from clients.

Penny is a baker and a reader. She is wife to Edwin, and mother to Amy and Charlie. She is the owner of a travel agency facing its biggest challenge to survival ever.

Enjoy my chat with Penny Spencer.

Penny's book, Love What You Do and Never Work a Day in Your Life, is available here or on Amazon.

www.spencertravel.com.au
www.pennyspencer.com.au
[email protected]

Connect with Penny on Linked In and Twitter as @PennySpencer1

Books We Mentioned
The Yield by  Tara June Winch
A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
 

www.lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

Lynne's new book, Pick Me! Loving and Living with People You Just Don't Get, will be out in March 2021.  FOR YOUR EARLY BIRD PRICE, PRE ORDER NOW

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

Tim Houlihan is the guy you want to be seated next to at a dinner party. The sort of man you can talk to for a long time about a lot of things.  So when I saw him described as a thirsty explorer with a passion for applying knowledge to improving life, well, I had to have him on the show.

Tim is not only a talented singer/songwriter, but the founder of BehaviorAlchemy, and co host on the excellent podcast Behavioral Grooves, where loads of smart guests are invited to explain why we do what we do. He also manages to include his love of music on that podcast as well as co hosting another podcast, Weekly Grooves.

We talked about psychological safety and looking after our employees during COVID and beyond. We talked about the role our unconscious plays in our behaviour and I learned more about what motivates us.  We got excited as he explained why there is joy in being accosted by a fresh, new, enticing idea.

Tim shared stories of growing up on a farm outside of St Louis and wonderful influences that shaped him into the musician he is today. And we finished with a beautiful story of his favourite guitar.

Enjoy my chat with the charming and erudite Tim Houlihan.



www.behavioralchemy.com
www.behavioralgrooves.com
www.weeklygrooves.com
www.timhoulihan.com

 
Mentions and Links
Dr Elizabeth Dunn on happiness
Scott Jeffrey
Annie Duke on How to Decide and Thinking in Bets
George Loewenstein, Carnegie Mellon, behavioral economics and neuro economics
Saurabh Bhargava - Carnegie Mellon, behavioral economics
David Laibson, Harvard, behavioral economics



Music:
The Temptations, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stiils Nash and Young, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Hoyt Axton

www.lynneschinella.com.au
612 0419 186 984
[email protected]

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

Kim Seeling Smith is founder of Ignite Global and a  speaker, consultant, author and thought leader on the future of work, the future workforce, employee experience, recruitment and hiring skills and employee engagement and retention.

That's a bunch of stuff to talk about before we even got to the elephants and manta rays.
Kim shared the latest on what she calls the Now of Work and the difference COVID has made to employee engagement. She shared stories of great learning and (a bit of name dropping) at Richard Branson’s executive get togethers.

 And we talked about how American she feels, and what it means to be a Cheesehead.

 I’m glad she stopped by on her way to world domination. Enjoy Kim Seeling Smith. 

To learn more of the work Kim does head to Ignite Global.

Notes
Virgin Unite and 100% Human
Ocean Unite
Dean Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean
Lane Cove Community Band



www.lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

Lynne's new book, Pick Me! Loving and Living with People You Just Don't Get, will be out for Valentine's Day, 2021.  FOR YOUR EARLY BIRD PRICE, PRE ORDER NOW

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

A career in communications found Felicity Zadro. And when you hear her story, you understand why.

I had a lovely chat  with founder and managing director of Zadro Agency, Felicity Zadro about the year that was and how to understand it all. We start with the curly hair gene, traverse Felicity’s love of words and books, childhood influences and the power of metaphor. Felicity reveals her company’s journey through 2020 with the backdrop of the Trump presidency and the galvanising power of knowing and acting on your why to get you through the tough times.

Grab a cuppa and join us for this fun, interesting conversation as we share stories of life, work and mothering. Learn more at www.zadroagency.com.au

Brene Brown podcast Unlocking Us
Bringing up the Bodies by Hillary Mantell
Jon Meacham on speeches
Simon Sinek


www.lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

Lynne's new book, Pick Me! Loving and Living with People You Just Don't Get, will be out for Valentine's Day, 2021.  FOR YOUR EARLY BIRD PRICE, PRE ORDER NOW

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

It was a delight to chat with the inimitable Ian Whitworth, author of blog, Motivation for Sceptics, and co founder of Scene Change, a corporate audio visual group.

Ian had been an ad/creative director type guy before deciding to test his award winning ideas on his own business, which, as you’ll hear, has worked rather well.

We talked about the work culture at Scene Change and what it takes to create a loyal, hard working, results driven and trustworthy team, owning a private jet, how refreshing it was to be an apprentice again, his music and his writing and the big lesson for 2020 – that we have carte blanche to try new things, even stupid things because for this year at least, we all have diplomatic immunity. 

Settle down with a cuppa and laugh more than once with the businessman who writes, or is that the writer who has businesses?

Keep an eye out as Penguin Australia will be publishing Ian’s book in June 2021. 

Subscribe to his blog and podcast, Motivation for Sceptics, to keep current, get inspired and learn really useful stuff.

For all your audio visual requirements, or if you need virtual studios from which to broadcast,  get in touch with Scene Change here

www.lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

Lynne's new book, Pick Me! Loving and Living with People You Just Don't Get, will be out for Valentine's Day, 2021.  FOR YOUR EARLY BIRD PRICE, PRE ORDER NOW

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

 What an insightful conversation I had with Andy Moore, CEO of Hello Sunday Morning, an organisation that helps people manage their relationship with alcohol.

Andy has been in civic service for most of his life, working in roles at Northcott Disability, the National Breast Cancer Centre, the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, Sydney Water and most recently, our beloved Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Now CEO of Hello Sunday Morning, we didn't just talk about drinking, although he offers fascinating insights, especially as to our drinking habits during COVID.  Andy shares his high and lows, his battle with depression and consequent unravelling and some great leadership lessons.  No matter how successful, everyone has a back story and most of those house real challenges.

It's always a privilege to be let in to hear of someone's vulnerabilities.  I am grateful, and  there is much to learn here from Andy Moore.


If you need to talk about depression please visit:
beyondblue.org.au
lifeline.org.au

If you'd like to change your relationship with alcohol, check out hellosundaymorning.org

lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

What a pleasure it was to chat to the lovely Larissa Huntington of artisan bakery Little Pudding in Sydney. They deliver artisan cakes to cafes and do beautiful celebration cakes.

Larissa is one of us. Just a hard working woman and mother of two who had a dream, and in her case, for a home based business.

We talked about cake, of course. But we also talked about Larissa’s pivot from journo to baker, how cake is a vital food group, the importance of girlfriends, some pregnancy curveballs, the constant parenting/business juggle and how to stop lemon curd from sliding.

She urges us not to be scared, just to have a go and confirms that no matter how it looks to outsiders, no working mum has it all together.

 Grab yourself a cuppa and a piece of cake and enjoy the quietly confident Larissa Huntington.

Order Larissa’s celebration cakes at www.littlepudding.com.au
Follow her on Instagram @littlepudding

 Book Notes

• Girl Talk by Jacqueline Mroz
• Flour and Stone by Nadine Ingram
• Beatrix Bakes by Natalie Paull

www.lynneschinella.com.au

0419 186 94

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

As an endurance athlete and ex tv guy, Graham Ross learned a lot of lessons he's applying to his businesses. Founding his sports brand, Kusaga Athletic led him on a path to discover the enormous problem we have with unwanted textiles - think clothing, towels, sheets, everything. Blocktexx was born, where Graham and his partner Adrian Jones are doing their best to save the planet from more than a million tonnes of textiles going to landfill each year, in Australia alone.

We talk Blocktexx and how we can all help reduce massive textile waste, his life as an athlete, why curiosity is a wonderful thing, the best Great Wall Marathon story ( which he's done twice) and advice for cycling in France.

Enjoy this informative, thought provoking chat, peppered with warm stories, from Graham Ross.

Find awesome sportswear at Kusaga Athletic.
Learn more about Blocktexx

Buy Australian eco brands:

https://www.patagonia.com.au/

https://www.kusagaathletic.com/

https://homie.com.au/

https://etiko.com.au/

https://www.boody.com.au/

https://www.outlanddenim.com.au/


Find me at lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

By the time you finish this podcast you’re going to want to work for our next guest. Since 2001, Nikki Beaumont has been Founder and CEO of recruitment agency Beaumont People and I’ve never met a CEO who brings so much humanity to a company, and succeeds financially.

Amongst other things she won a lifetime achievement award from the Recruitment Consulting Services Association in 2018. In 2020,  Beaumont People was recognised as the 4th Best Place to Work in Australia for companies with under 100 employees.

She's survived the GFC, she's not letting COVID win and she is a firm advocate for just giving it a go.

We talked about the necessity of placing people first, coping during COVID, career coaching, the four day work week, her awesome team, taking a year sabbatical while she was CEO, and moving to the country.

Restore your faith in management with one cool boss lady.


www.beaumontpeople.com.au
[email protected]
Phone: (02) 9279 2777



www.lynneschinella.com.au
[email protected]
t 0419 186 984

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.

Two years ago, Yvonne McClaren made a decision to pack up, leave Australia and go to live in Vietnam with the plan to set up a food based business. A few months later she was back, diagnosed with head and neck cancer.

Join me for this very honest and real conversation as we track Yvonne’s journey from diagnosis to surgery, to learning how to eat real food again. And she’s still a long way from munching on a chicken schnitty.

Amongst other things, we talked about:

• how she is coping on her own
• how friends reacted 
• how she returned to peak fitness kick boxing again
• how she’s started a business to inspire nourishing and healthy culinary skills
• and gaining a life purpose from it all

As Yvonne says, 'Give something a red hot go and if it doesn’t work this week it might work next week.'  You can't help but love this big hearted and fearless woman. There is much to learn here, grasshopper.



www.thefoodmanifesto.com
Contact Yvonne - [email protected]
Forthcoming book: Easy Follow, Easy Swallow

Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales.

If you like what you hear,  we'd love you to leave a review on Apple podcasts.
Thanks for listening in.


lynneschinella.com.au
0419 186 984
[email protected]

Recorded on Bundjalung Country and thanks to Darrian Warner for the edit on Wadjuk Country.