Kinda Planned

In this keynote session for the Careers Festival 2025, I discuss the importance of taking ownership of your career. I emphasise self-development, personal branding, and the significance of building a supportive community. I share insights on cultivating a positive self-concept, embracing a growth mindset, and the role of emotional intelligence in career advancement. I also highlights the importance of defining personal values and how they guide career decisions. The session concludes with a discussion on strategic actions and the concept of planned happenstance, encouraging attendees to remain open to unexpected opportunities.

We dive into the importance of aligning career goals with personal values, the essence of personal branding, and the role of mentor's, sponsor's, and coach's in navigating career transitions. The discussion also touches on handling uncertainty in career paths and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset during transitions.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Acknowledgment

03:07 Taking Ownership of Your Career

05:59 Self-Development and Personal Branding

08:51 Building a Supportive Community

12:08 The Importance of Values

14:57 Emotional Intelligence in Career Development

17:49 Strategic Actions for Career Advancement

21:13 Personal Branding and Its Impact

24:06 Micro Habits and Career Influence

26:58 Planned Happenstance and Career Opportunities

31:17 Aligning Goals with Values

33:24 The Essence of Personal Branding

35:40 Navigating Career Opportunities

39:17 The Importance of Values in Career Growth

43:31 Supporting Career Transitions

46:34 The Role of Mentorship and Coaching

49:17 Handling Uncertainty in Career Paths

In this episode of the Kinda Planned podcast, I interview Robyn Wilson, CEO of Superora Strategy Studio and founder of Coolnomics. We discuss Robyn's diverse career journey, the relationship between culture and economics, and the importance of understanding the zeitgeist in business. Robyn shares insights on shifting workplace culture, the need for meaning and purpose in work, and how to balance comfort and challenge in the workplace. We also explore a framework for seeing ideas through and the importance of critical thinking in navigating complex societal issues.

Connect with Robyn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynfwilson/

Website: https://www.superora.co/resonancereport2025

In this conversation, Kate Brettell shares her diverse career journey from working in international development to becoming a leadership and wellbeing coach. She discusses the importance of personal leadership, cultural differences in coaching, and the need for systemic change in organizations. Kate emphasizes the significance of gender equality in the workplace, the responsible use of privilege, and redefines resilience as a skill rather than a trait. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of these themes and the importance of self-awareness and curiosity in leadership.

Chapters

00:00 Kate's Diverse Career Journey

06:28 Cultural Differences in Coaching

08:49 The Essence of Personal Leadership

12:14 Creating Change in Systems

18:35 Gender Equality in the Workplace

29:19 Using Privilege Responsibly

34:38 Redefining Resilience

In this episode, Skye Harvey, Group Brand Manager at Mertek and President of Hyp, shares her career journey and insights on the importance of networking, volunteering, and building supportive communities for young professionals. She discusses her transition from a marketing coordinator to a leadership role in Hype, emphasizing the value of genuine connections over traditional networking. Skye also highlights the challenges young professionals face and offers advice for businesses to support their growth. The conversation concludes with ways to connect with Hype and participate in their community events.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Skye Harvey and Hype

02:49 Skye's Career Journey and Involvement in Hype

05:57 The Power of Volunteering and Networking

09:12 Redefining Networking: Building Genuine Connections

11:53 The Importance of Communication in Marketing

14:51 Challenges Faced by Young Professionals

18:00 Creating Supportive Communities for Growth

21:07 Advice for Businesses Supporting Young Professionals

23:53 Conclusion and How to Connect with Hype

Summary

In this episode of Kinda Planned, host Alex Cuttiford engages in a deep conversation with Declan Edwards, a happiness researcher, about the journey to understanding happiness and its implications in career development. Declan shares his unconventional career path, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence and the skills necessary for cultivating happiness. They discuss the nuanced definitions of happiness, the role of gratitude, and the significance of aligning career choices with personal values. The conversation highlights the need for individuals to focus on building happiness skills to enhance their professional lives and overall well-being.

Hear more of my journey and how I went from a tradei living in the Central West of NSW to helping people navigate their careers through podcasting.

This episode was my interview with Brad Eather on the Selling's Creative Podcast.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1XXYXlbfB0RvhsTbDtDWI5?si=21675ff857464e24

A rebrand is coming...new episodes dropping in June 2025.

Follow on Linkedin for clues and updates!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-cuttiford-103a881a0/

Alana Kilmartin is the author of Unserious Careers and has decided to spend 2025 roadtriping around Australia speaking to school students about their future careers.

Alana is driven by her own life experiences of growing up in a remote town and rise through the ranks quickly early in her career and burning out. She's now helping young people take the pressure of them selves and learn to get curious and explore their options.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanakilmartin/

https://unseriouscareers.com/

Chloe Spillane is the founder of Chloe Careers and creator of Chloe AI a ChatGPT designed to be your job search assistant.

Chloe is a Sydney sider currently working in New York setting up her business.

With years of experience as a recruiter she is now leaning in to tech solutions to support people to be more efficiant in their job seeking.

We have an open discussion about the role of AI in this space, what it is good for and what it isn't designed for.

Connect with Chloe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloespillane/

Or head to her website to see how you can work with her: https://www.chloecareers.com/

Kim is the founder of Tangerine Tango a marketing adgency empowering brands, leaders and founders to learn the skills to build their personal brand.

She also started the career girl diaries on tiktok and instagram where she has built an engaged audience through relatable content based on all the mistakes she made through her 20's as it relates to her career.

We get talking about Employee Generated content, and how to pitch to your employer your goal to build a personal brand.

Kim is high energy and full of practical advice for taking ownership of your career.

https://www.instagram.com/thecareergirldiaries/?hl=en

https://www.tangerinetango.com.au/insights

Mazz is a clinical Psychologist, executive coach, consultant, and speaker who is an advocate for neurodivergent people. Her goal is to reduce unnecessary human suffering and identifies as a passionate, creative multi-hyphenate.

We go deep into the language in and around the neurodiversity space and how we can make workplaces safer for all types of brains and ideas.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianepower/

https://www.marianepower.com.au/

Alex Cuttiford details:

If you want to get in touch find me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-cuttiford-103a881a0/

If you want to shout me a coffee follow this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/alexcuttiford