Leading You

Today I’m joined by the wonderful and inspiring Jo Gaines, a seasoned professional who has worked in the technology and media sector for over two decades. Jo's career journey has seen her work for high-profile companies including CBS, Krux, Yahoo and more recently, as Area Vice President of Salesforce. Jo is also a dedicated mother-of-two and a fierce advocate for equality, lending her support as an ambassador for women's shelters. She shares with us her journey through hardship to finding resilience and how changing her mindset helped reshape her story.

Through facing a challenging turning point in her career due to redundancy, Jo embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery that saw her turn to practices such as weight training, breathwork and meditation. She shares the new mindset she adopted through these practices, and how her determination to thrive in the face of uncertainty led to a completely new outlook on life. 

In our conversation, Jo shares the grief she experienced when her role at Salesforce came to an end, and how lost she felt when it came to her future. However, she notes there are two choices we can make when it comes to facing adversity. Either we can see it as a downfall, or treat it as an opportunity to expand. Jo chose the latter, and decided to view this new path as one she was destined to be on. 

Resilience can often be misunderstood as a suppression of emotions or ignoring our problems. However, we define what resilience really is and discuss its ability to help effectively manage our thoughts and feelings. Jo believes that releasing control and trusting everything will eventually work out can free us from fear and the temptation to give up. 

We talk about how navigating through our own life challenges produces empathy, and when we view others through this lens, we become more effective leaders. Recognising that everyone experiences change, particularly in a post-pandemic world, we’re able to rally with our team and prioritise their wellbeing. How can we communicate in a way that resonates for each individual? How do we lead in a way that not only gets them through, but also builds resilience? 

Jo also shares her shift in perspective that inspired her to live more fully in the present and pursue the passions that had been sitting on the backburner for too long. She talks about the bucket list she created and the importance of making time and space in life to achieve each goal. 

Jo's story is a powerful testament to the transformation resilience can create, and the potential for growth when we embrace change with gratitude. I just know you’ll be as inspired as I was by Jo’s incredible wisdom, and hope you find confidence to implement strategies for a full and rewarding life in leadership and beyond. 

LINKS

Connect with Jo Gaines

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/jogaines 

Instagram: @gogaino

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have the privilege of sharing a conversation with Renee Giarrusso today, a powerhouse in the field of communication, leadership, and mindset. As an internationally recognised speaker, international 3 time award-winning author, facilitator, educator and coach, Renee has dedicated herself to helping leaders and organisations unlock their potential and create exceptional workplaces. Today, we’re diving into Renee’s third book, "The Gift Mindset” to explore some of the profound insights and transformative ideas she has to share.

 

Renee Giarrusso is the CEO & Founder of RG Dynamics & Limitless Leadership and her mission is to make workplaces exceptional, fostering purpose, connection, and contribution. Believing that everyone is limitless in their abilities, Renee’s expertise is in growing and developing capability and behavioural change around leadership, mindset, communication and creating leadership presence which leaves her clients inspired, re-energised and with improved results.

 

In this episode, Renee introduces us to the power of the gift mindset and shares the catalyst behind writing her book. She explains that her own life experiences, including the loss of her father at a young age, inspired her to find the gift in every situation. By embracing the unwelcome and learning to unwrap the gifts in challenging circumstances, Renee discovered a path to personal and professional growth. Renee’s book, "The Gift Mindset," offers practical insights and tools to develop 12 key skills associated with the gift mindset. Today we discuss two of the gifts highlighted in this conversation; curiosity and optimism.

 

Renee emphasises the importance of curiosity in fostering collaboration and creativity within teams. By encouraging individuals to question the status quo and appreciate diverse perspectives, magic can happen. She suggests flipping statements into questions to spark curiosity and open up possibilities for growth and innovation.

 

Optimism, according to Renee, is a powerful mindset that focuses on what we have rather than what we lack. It involves finding hope in the present and future, allowing us to navigate challenges with resilience. Renee shares some different strategies to help cultivate gratitude, which is the linchpin to resilience and happiness. 

 

We also talk about common barriers that hinder the development of a gift mindset, such as fear of judgment and a culture of competitiveness. Renee encourages all leaders to create psychologically safe environments where team members can share challenges, mistakes, and successes. By fostering a culture of appreciation and recognition, organisations can empower individuals and drive growth.

 

This conversation is such a great reminder of the power of mindset in both our personal and professional lives. By approaching challenges with curiosity, optimism, and gratitude, we can transform every adversity into an opportunity. Renee's insights serve as a guiding light for leaders and individuals seeking to create exceptional workplaces and lead lives of purpose, connection, and contribution.

LINKS

Connect with Renee Giarrusso

• The Gift Mindset: https://reneegiarrusso.com/product/gift-mindset/
• Website: https://reneegiarrusso.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneegiarrusso/

 

Previous episodes mentioned:

• Swapping Stilettos for Snow Boots and Leading the Way for Climate Change
• Getting Off the Conveyor Belt: It's Okay To Quit Your High Profile Career
• The Power of Self-Belief and Role Modelling the Way Forward for the Next Generation with Robyn Foyster

 

Connect with Julie:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
• Instagram: @juliehydeleads
• Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With me today is serial entrepreneur, experienced business owner and super connector, Jules Brooke. We’re talking today about the need for role models and support for young women in corporate environments and how lifting each other up will enable women to have greater levels of influence.

 

Jules is the founder of She's the Boss, a group that hosts events to connect women in business and the host of the She's the Boss podcast and YouTube channel. A PR guru, Jules is also the founder of Handle Your Own PR and is passionate about empowering women and making them more visible in the business world.

 

In a world where women over 50 appear in less than 4% of media globally, it is crucial to create visibility and role models for women in business. In this conversation, we talk about Jules’ mission to change this narrative, the importance of women supporting women, the challenges faced by women in corporate environments, and the need for women to make themselves more visible. 

 

While progress has been made in gender equality, women still face very real challenges in corporate environments where competition and survival of the fittest is still the norm. We talk about the need to challenge the patriarchal model and promote collaboration and empathy and how this will reshape corporate cultures and create more inclusive and supportive work environments. This will of course lead to increased innovation, better decision making, and improved overall performance.

 

Jules talks about the need for women to support each other and how a lack of support from other women can stem from a fear of competition and a scarcity mindset. However, when women learn to lift each other up, they empower the next generation to pursue their dreams and overcome any self-doubt or imposter syndrome they may face. 

 

By supporting each other, we’re going to see a much needed increase in the representation of women in leadership positions and a more inclusive and diverse business landscape. I know you’re going to love Jule’s contagious personality and passion that shines through in this conversation today. 

LINKS

Connect with Jules Brooke

 

• Handle Your Own PR website: https://www.handleyourownpr.com.au/
• She’s The Boss website: https://shesthebossgroup.com/
• She's The Boss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUCcrB5bSn6kEpOvaf2NyyQ
• She’s The Boss Podcast: https://www.shestheboss.com.au/chats
• She's The Boss Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/shesthebossgroup
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesbrooke/

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With me today is the incredible Liz Courtney, an award-winning environmental filmmaker, climate change communicator, global multimedia platform leader and social entrepreneur.  

 

For more than a decade, Liz has built a global multimedia platform to educate and mobilise online communities for social and environmental change. A passionate storyteller, Liz uses her 20 plus years of experience in brand strategy and communication to lead the narrative on social change in the climate sector with innovation, digital, and experiential content to inform communities, government, and policy planning on long-term solutions in high risk regions.

 

Liz has been awarded 100 Women of Influence, inducted into the Australian Business Women's Hall of Fame, and in 2018, she delivered her first TEDx Talk on Lateral Thinking for Climate Solutions. She now sits on boards for Women for Change, the National Foundation for Australian Women and Youth4Planet. And that’s just the start of what Liz has accomplished so far.

 

In this conversation, we explore Liz’s career path which saw her trading in stilettos for snow boots to follow her passion for filmmaking. She also shares how her experience in brand strategy and communication has propelled her to the forefront of the climate sector, leading the charge in creating narratives that inspire social change.

 

We delve into the heart of behavioural changes for sustainable living, and Liz reveals her family's unique experiments with sustainable living. From a 'quiet week' sans music to 'eating the fridge,' she emphasises the lasting impact of small lifestyle changes, inspiring each of us to play our part.We also discuss the pressing issue of food waste on a global scale, exploring innovative ways to repurpose waste as a resource and create a closed-loop system that ultimately eliminates waste. 

 

Finally, we take a hard look at the growing instability of our climate system and how it's affecting communities worldwide. Liz talks about the harsh reality of communities from the Arctic to Africa who are grappling with the repercussions of climate change, underlining the urgency of taking action now and reflecting on the role we play in our planet's health. We talk about the human brain's response to visible changes and how today's generation has the power to make a lasting impact and so much more.

 

This is an important conversation not to be missed and one I’m sure will inspire us all to be more mindful of our actions and their effects on our planet.

LINKS

Connect with Liz Courtney

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-courtney-72742919/?originalSubdomain=au

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Alex Ansaldo, a former mechanical engineer, transdermal drug delivery researcher, medical doctor, and now the lead graphic designer at Bamby Media, Australia’s largest independent podcast production company run by his wife, Brianna. 

 

Alex has such an inspiring story of how he has been the leader in his own life, making big changes in his career to get off the conveyor belt and prioritise happiness and time with his young family. I know so many of you are going to resonate with our conversation today. 

 

In this episode, Alex shares his journey into mechanical engineering through to becoming a  medical doctor and the years of unfulfillment he experienced while working long hours and not being able to be present with his children. 

 

Alex shares the definable moments that caused him to take a step back and think about what he really wanted in life. This process of evaluating eventually led Alex to leave medicine and take over domestic duties, enjoying the opportunity to make up for lost time with his kids and enabling Brianna to focus on growing her business. Alex shares how he then transitioned into working with Brianna, his parent’s response to this and why he’s never looked back.

 

We talk about the feedback Alex received from his peers and family when he decided to leave medicine and the journey he has been on to detach from the identity of being a doctor. Sharing his advice to others who aren’t happy in their career but fearful of taking the next step, Alex encourages a healthy dose of nihilism to look at the bigger picture and think about what you want your life to be about. We talk about the importance of understanding the legacy you leave behind, being present in what you are doing and why we shouldn’t hold ourselves back from pursuing the things in life that bring joy and happiness. 

LINKS

Connect with Alex Ansaldo:

Website: www.bambymedia.com

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've been coaching and mentoring for 15 years now, and one of the most common questions I get asked is about how to be more confident as a leader. Confidence is something that many people feel they are lacking and so today I’m talking about how to be a confident leader at any level in business. 

 

Leading people can be one of the biggest challenges, but also one of your biggest rewards if you do it well. In this solo episode, I share six common reasons why leaders feel a lack of confidence and reflect on a time in my career when fear and doubt about my leadership capability began to grip me.

 

I talk about comparing ourselves to others, people pleasing, imposter syndrome, and how a lack of experience can cause us to doubt our capabilities as a leader. I also share how high expectations, ongoing criticism and complex environments have a negative impact on us and how defining your values will give you a solid foundation for success as a leader.

 

Understanding who you are, what you stand for and what you’re working to achieve is an amazing way to boost your confidence. I share my personal values that underpinned everything I did as I stepped into a challenging new role and how these values helped me to persevere through some really confronting situations to achieve an incredible outcome. These values were authentic to me and I encourage you to take the time to discover what your leadership values are to help boost your confidence. 

LINKS

Previous episode mentioned:

Stop Playing a Small Game with Dr Amy Silver

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an age where many industries remain heavily male-dominated, it’s vital for women to feel empowered as they strive to build success within their chosen field of work. Today I’m joined by Robyn Foyster, who dedicates her life to supporting the next generation of women to rise up in business and achieve the careers of their dreams. 

 

 Robyn is an award-winning journalist, editor and media executive. She was a 2023 Champions of Change Finalist for Women Leading Tech and is the CEO of Foyster Media, a multi-platform media company. 

 

In today’s conversation, Robyn takes us through her fascinating history as a journalist, and how she transitioned into the world of technology. She speaks about the encouragement she received as a child from her grandfather, and how this defining moment empowered her to believe she could achieve anything she set her heart and mind to.

 

Robyn is passionate about supporting women to have this same belief about themselves, and to know that when they are brave, they can be extraordinary. Though progress with equality in the workforce appears to be slow-moving, we can influence change in our own spheres with small, incremental steps. We discuss the ripple effect this can cause that alters the behaviours we see around us. 

 

We talk about the positive effects of reversing typical gender roles in the home can have on children, and Robyn discusses how she and her husband role modelled this to their own children through the years. We discuss the importance of having priorities outside work, and Robyn shares how she changed her mindset to focus on her health and wellbeing, rather than solely on her career. 

 

Robyn believes that as female leaders, it’s our responsibility to inspire the younger generation to achieve amazing goals for themselves and recognise their own capabilities. As we show up in strength and passion on our own journey, we lead the way for others coming up after us to see what is possible for them and their world. 

 

I just know you’ll love Robyn’s energy and passion for life as much as I do, and I hope this episode inspires you to discover your own strength and rise up to achieve all that you desire. 

 

LINKS

 

Connect with Robyn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-foyster-3a07754b/ 

Website: https://thecarousel.com/foyster-media/ 

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest for this episode is Rebecca Christianson who is the Founder and Director of Thriving People Consulting, focusing on executive coaching, strategic people & culture management consulting, leadership facilitation and keynote speaking. 

 

We’re talking today about the feeling of not being good enough, the impact this has on leaders in the workplace and what we can do to turn it around. 

 

With a background in psychology, Rebecca is passionate about coaching leaders to embrace the highs and lows at the top. She partners with Executive teams to drive cultural change, build leadership capability, and organisational transformation and brings a global perspective, having worked and consulted across the globe. 

 

One of Rebecca’s superpowers is stretching senior leaders to the edge of their thinking to support mindset shifts in areas where they are stuck, which is exactly what we are talking about today, specifically in the area of feeling not good enough. 

 

In this conversation, Rebecca shares how feeling inadequate played out in her life from a young age, causing her to strive for validation and recognition in the workplace. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she knew she needed to change the way she was operating and she talks about the process she went through to establish new patterns of behaviour that served her in a more positive way. 

 

We discuss how many leaders carry the feeling that they aren’t good enough and Rebecca shares four practical tips that we can implement today to help reduce the impact. Rebecca talks about the power of meditation and mindfulness practice and how this helps not only calm our minds but also helps us observe automatic negative thoughts so that we can reframe them. 

 

Rebecca also recommends journaling to get our thoughts out on paper and recognise what situations trigger us to feel certain ways. She also talks about the power of implementing a daily reflective practice to focus on the things that we are doing well. 

 

If you have days, weeks or entire seasons when you feel inadequate, know that you are not alone. There are times when we all feel this way. I hope you find this episode really helpful in understanding how you can move forward to build a greater sense of confidence in your life and in the workplace.  

 

LINKS

Connect with Rebecca Christianson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-christianson/

Website: https://www.thrivingpeopleconsulting.com/

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is the incredible Scott Curley, who is joining me all the way from Dallas, Texas. From an early age, Scott experienced a rollercoaster of hardships, including abuse, drug addiction, prison sentences and homelessness. Yet he managed to use all these experiences as a vehicle for personal growth, turning his life around to become a self-made millionaire on a mission to inspire others.  

 

Now, Scott is the CEO of one of the largest tax resolution firms in the USA and is an author, keynote speaker, and mentor, inspiring many to take ownership of their lives and step into greatness. Scott’s self published book, Absolution, has also recently been picked up by a major publisher, meaning that many more lives will be impacted by his incredible mindset, resilience and perspective on success and failure.

 

In this conversation, Scott shares his epiphany about needing to commit to his commitment, inspiring him to start his own business, which is now worth $40 million, while he was still homeless. He shares a powerful distinction between obstacles and barriers and the power of turning our mistakes into opportunities for growth. 

 

As Scott reflects on the obstacles he has faced, including 9 felonies and decades of drug addiction, he talks about the power of taking ownership of your mistakes which empowers you to move forward in life. We talk about moving out of victimhood, having a deep inner belief and understanding that there is no such thing as failure. 

 

This is such a powerful episode with so much value for us all. Scott’s life is such an incredible example that life is what we make it and we have the power to choose how to respond to all of life’s challenges. 

LINKS

Connect with Scott Curley

Book: Absolution

Website: https://scottallencurley.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-curley-47a498228/

 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With me today is Founder of Ladies Finance Club, Molly Benjamin, whose mission is to help women get rich so they have full control and freedom over their lives. Molly released her book, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, earlier this year and I’m delighted to share a conversation with Molly today about what women can do to become more money savvy. 

 

At first Molly was not very good with money. Realising her friends were also a bit clueless when it came to personal finances, Molly put on an info night with a money expert in her living room. From there, things really took off and in 2018, The Ladies Finance Club was born. Now, LFC has had over 35,000 women attend their events, masterclasses, webinars, and workshops.

 

In this conversation, Molly talks about the steps she took to turn her money situation around, particularly the mindset shift to go from spender to saver. She talks about the first step of building up an emergency fund, even if you start with just $10, and the empowerment this gives women to take control of their finances. 

 

Girls Just Wanna Have Funds is specifically designed to be gone through with a friend and we talk about the importance of accountability when it comes to changing your money habits. We talk about why women are reluctant to look at their finances, the impact from generations before us and how half the battle is just getting started. 

 

Toward the end of the episode, Molly shares 4 simple tips that we can implement tomorrow to take care of our finances. She talks about the importance of getting clear on your goals because, without them, we don’t have the motivation to save. We also talk about getting familiar with how much money is coming in and going out and creating a new spending plan.

 

Check out the Ladies Finance Club website for loads of free resources and tools to help you get started today. You don’t have to be a maths genius, you just need to get started. I love Molly’s mission and how she is really helping women change the way they think and behave with their money. You’re going to love this conversation. 

 

LINKS

Connect with Molly Benjamin:

 

Book: Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmollybenjamin/?hl=en

Website: https://www.ladiesfinanceclub.com/

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/

Instagram: @juliehydeleads

Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.