Naked Ambition Podcast

Scott OBrien is the Founder and CEO of Humense, a revolutionary Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) platform. Through his experience studying psychology and playing professional sports, Scott conceived Humense as a tool suite, marketplace, and social platform for bystanders to ‘get in on the action’ via augmented experiences. He is a global leader in AR/VR, with over 100 completed projects and 20+ significant world first projects in the industry.

Scott joins us on our latest podcast episode to discuss some of the current trends in AR/VR, including:

• How Scott used his passion for sports to innovate new ways of operating in the AR/VR space

• His perspective on remote work and how employees can flip the script on what it means to work remotely

• The future possibility of a ‘metaverse’ in which anyone can switch from physical experiences to augmented or virtual reality in day-to-day life

• Advancements in AR/VR for virtual stadium experiences and events

• The evolution of VR over the past decade and the new hardware in development that can be used across different realities

Scott is passionate about how AR and VR can be used globally to enhance experience in eSports, traditional sports, road, rail, and airports. He has worked on over 10,000 firsthand AR/VR demos and spent over 10,000 hours coaching sports in schools, prisons and juvenile justice centres. He and his team have delivered hardware and software in numerous industries including global sports events, Hollywood, eSports, theme park overhauls, branded experiences, telco and enterprise.

Follow Scott on LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram: @scottobrien61

Follow Humense on Twitter & Instagram: @humense

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Victor Perton is the Founder and Chief Optimism Officer at the Centre for Optimism, an offshoot of the Australian Leadership Project. Comprised of over 3500 leaders in 65 countries, the Centre for Optimism aims to help leaders combat negativity by asking the question “what makes you Optimistic?”. A respected author, speaker, moderator, barrister and researcher, Victor uses his extensive experience to inspire leaders around the world to lead with joy, optimism and self-mastery.

Victor joins us on our latest podcast episode to discuss his take on optimism, including:

• Why it’s important to find your own personal source of optimism, rather than seeking an external model to follow

• How optimism fits in to the seven key mindsets of design thinking and why optimism is key for innovation

• The difference between unrealistic optimism and intelligent optimism

• Simple techniques you can use as a leader to boost your team’s optimism as well as your own

• The benefits of positive governance and the importance of bringing positivity into the boardroom

Known for his leadership strategy, public policy and corporate governance, Victor spent 18 years in the Victorian Parliament before becoming Commissioner to the Americas on Foreign Direct Investment and Export Promotion and serving as Senior Advisor to the Australian G20 Presidency. He now spends his time facilitating roundtables, conferences, and panels to inspire leaders to be more optimistic, while furthering his research into the complexities of leadership in Australia.

Read more about Victor at the Centre for Optimism website: https://www.centreforoptimism.com/Victor-Perton

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Catherine Hills is a highly experienced leader of people and practice in design and transformation strategy. With a master’s degree in business research and over 22 years in the tech and design industry, she has extensive experience in capability strategy, design operations, and enablement in a variety of industry contexts both within Australia and internationally.

A passionate pioneer of innovation and design strategy, Catherine joins us on the Naked Ambition podcast to discuss:

• How our understanding and application of design has changed over the past 20 years and current changes to ways of thinking in the design industry

• Why empathy is so important to create better communication and value exchanges for everyone in your system, leading to better outcomes both collectively and individually

• How careers in the design space are changing beyond the traditional and the pathway for designers looking to step into the industry or elevate their career

• Catherine’s reflections on her own leadership journey and her experience with leading a team strategically, while also tapping into individual motivations and needs

• The local aspects of design and how First Nations culture and thinking can be integrated with Australia’s contemporary thought processes

In recent years Catherine has been a finalist in the Women Techmakers Scholars Program and Victorian Premier’s Design Awards, has received a Peer Award in Teaching Communication Design Expertise – Digital UX at RMIT, and is a 2020 EMBA Scholarship Recipient at the University of Melbourne. Read more about her work with others in the design community via the links below.

Catherine’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-hills-96a1b515

Follow us: @_nakedambition

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A recent article Catherine wrote for Future Shapers UK https://thefutureshapers.com/why-continuous-reflection-provides-cultural-rewards-for-organisations/

Career Architecture by Mags Hanley https://www.magshanley.com/career-architecture-book

Transition Leadership Lab with Susanna Carman and Associates https://www.susannacarman.com/learning-lab

Human Systems Dynamics at LAST Conference with Ahmed Avais https://www.hsdinstitute.org/

First Knowledges Building on Country by Alison Page and Paul Memmot https://thamesandhudson.com.au/the-first-knowledges-series/

Make Meaningful Work by Dan Szuc and Jo Wong https://www.makemeaningfulwork.com/

A highly skilled leader and strategist, Matt Davis is the CEO of Salvos Stores, servicing 350 stores across Australia with over 2000 team members and 10,000 volunteers. Previously holding roles in large NGOs and corporate retailers including ALDI and World Vision Australia, Matt combines his experience in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors to lead sustainable change and impact consumer experience.

Passionate about social and environmental change, Matt joins us on the podcast today to discuss Australia’s circular economy, and where to go from here. We discuss:

• How the sustainability movement has impacted the retail space and the innovative ways Salvos have improved their stores to diversify appeal and have more impact

• Matt’s experience of the circular economy and how Australian businesses can better utilise resource recovery to both reuse and remake items

• Salvos Store’s new collaboration, Moving the Needle, bringing together stakeholders across the textile space to discuss how to get consumers to be more conscious of the new items they purchase and donating more thoughtfully

• How companies are using blockchain technology to follow their impact through their product’s life cycle

• The strategic reset required for organisations to face the new COVID normal

Matt currently serves as Chair of Charitable Recycling Australia, advancing the governance, innovation and impact of charities and their retail shops around Australia. He has also previously served on the board of EACH, an organisation providing health and disability services. Passionate about purpose, Matt continues to seek new ways to have a positive impact on the social and environmental challenges being faced by our communities.

Salvos Stores Website: https://www.salvosstores.com.au/

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Kate Dillon is the Founder and Creative Director of She Lion, a luxury handbag brand.

Purposefully designed to organise and diversify women on the go, the She Lion range embodies the attributes that Kate believes are key to success – fierce elegance, premium practicality, and bold ambition.

Kate is a true innovator at heart, joining us on the podcast to discuss her personal journey in the design industry and her mission to empower others. We explore:

- How she worked with 22 Australian businesses to create a new, 100% Australian made product during the height of Covid

- The future of Australian manufacturing and sustainable fashion, and the power of collaboration in the Support Local campaign

- Her experience in the design industry, and how she went from corporate lawyer to handbag innovator with her motto “just do it!”

Kate has over 11 years’ experience as a corporate lawyer and currently practices as a National Transformation Lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin. Balancing her corporate career with her growing company, Kate is also mum to 2 children and is a true representation of the fierce, determined brand she promotes. With a passion for design, transformation and innovation, Kate is a keen advocate for supporting local business and making a difference in the lives of others.

She Lion Website: www.shelion.com.au

Instagram and Facebook: @shelionbags

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Conrad Tracey is the CEO of Addiction Coaching Australia, an organisation that utilises their unique Delta Path Method to help individuals break the cycle of addiction. Working with individuals, corporations, government bodies and organisations, Conrad and his team aim to create meaningful societal change in Australia, providing a platform for education and mentorship as well as offering bespoke services to individuals dealing with substance misuse.

In our latest podcast, Conrad shares his lived experience of addiction recovery, and how he is helping others do the same, including:

Conrad’s incredible journey battling his own addiction and how he came to develop The Delta Path, an 8 week program designed to break the cycle of addiction

The importance of taking a holistic approach to addiction coaching and how Addiction Coaching Australia provides a modern, confidential experience for their clients

The negative workplace habits and cultures that senior leaders and executives perpetuate, all of which may contribute to substance misuse

The proven links between substance misuse and deteriorating productivity, and how Conrad and his team work with workplaces to educate employers and their employees on addiction

Trained in psychology and with a wealth of experience as a coach and mentor, Conrad has successfully founded 3 companies, and has worked in senior management for some of the most innovative and culturally conscious organisations in Australia. With professional success coaching high-performance individuals and teams, Conrad uses his professional expertise with his lived experience of addiction recovery to help hundreds of Australians regain control of their life and choices.

Addiction Coaching Website: https://addictioncoachingaustralia.com.au/

Conrad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradtracey/

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"Kath Blackham is a global leader in AI technologies and the Founder and CEO of VERSA, a digital transformation agency powered by conversational AI. The first agency to operate a 4 day work week in Australia, VERSA has been named by Fast Company as one of the best workplaces for innovators globally. Specialising in the integration of conversational voice and AI technologies, Kath and her team are paving the way for digital transformation in Australia and abroad.

Kath is a trailblazer for all things digital and new ways of working. She joins us today to discuss her vast experience with conversational AI and how it’s transforming communication and consumer experience globally. We discuss:

• The future of conversational AI and the difference between automation and augmentation

• Walking her talk - launching the Versa website using real time conversational AI to direct user enquiries and navigation (even when some of the team had their doubts!)

• How the team at VERSA have honed their products to meet market demand, including working alongside global companies such as Google and Amazon

Kath had an outstanding year in 2020, gaining national recognition for her innovation and leadership in the digital sector. She was named Media Executive of the Year by CEO Magazine, was a finalist for CEO of the Year, and won the Entrepreneurship Award for ARN’s Women in ICT Awards. Not stopping there, in 2020 Kath was also named Woman of the Year, Executive Leader of the Year, Mentor of the Year and Leading Entrepreneur/Founder in B&T’s Women in Media Awards.

VERSA Website: https://versa.agency/

Kath’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathblackham/

Follow us: @_nakedambitions

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"Prue Gilbert was named by the Australian Financial Review as one of the top 100 women of influence for diversity and inclusion, Marie Claire calling her the “anti-discrimination guru” and Vogue naming her a “gamechanger”. As the CEO and Founder of Grace Papers, Prue has spent the last 10 years providing a platform for working parents to navigate their careers while challenging gender stereotypes and overcoming discrimination in the workplace.

In this episode, we cover a lot of ground on the topics of leadership, design-led innovation and Prue's vision for our workplaces of the future including:

- Why Prue and the Grace Papers team are using Human-Centred Design to expand the reach and impact of their market-leading and science-backed employee experience platform

- The importance of agency for working parents and how leaders can work alongside their people to curate practical policies and positive culture for all staff to thrive

- What prevention of gender inequality looks like and why this goes beyond supporting working parents

Grace Papers Website: https://gracepapers.com.au/

Prue’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prue-gilbert/

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Asher Tan is the Co-Founder and CEO of CoinJar, one of Australia's leading and longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges + wallet. With over 400,000 users they provide a space for investors to buy, sell, store and spend digital currency - in one place.

In this episode we discuss the evolution, hype and volatility around cryptocurrencies and how what it might take for digital currencies to go more mainstream in the near future. In this chat we cover:

· The origin story of Coinjar and how Asher and team managed to get ahead of the game in the digital currency industry

· The future of cryptocurrency and what being a mainstream currency might look like

· How he and his team use innovation and creativity to provide unique products and services in a newly established and ever-changing industry

To date, CoinJar has traded in excess of 1.5 billion Dollars and continues to grow both domestically and internationally. Winning the silver award in the 2015 [app] design awards, the company prides itself on being an award-winning venture capital-backed business. Asher’s core belief is that digital currency should be accessible to all, with every investor he meets coming away with “objectively better financial experiences”.

Leah is an absolute innovation powerhouse – creating 6 companies in her 20-year career and in this episode she shares the brutal – and at times hilarious truth - of what it takes to bring ideas to life and grow a brand from scratch or bring one back from the brink. She also shares about the people who influenced her – including her successful Mum who is a major influence + partner in many of Leah’s endeavors. If you’re doing enterprise innovation or starting or growing your own thing – this one is stacked with lessons:

*The trials and errors that come with innovation and how to bounce back when an idea ‘flops’

*Where Leah gets her inspiration for new products and how she channels that in her design process

*The power of being your own demographic and collaborating with your team to meet consumer needs

*Leah’s journey of innovating through COVID, and how her team converted challenges into opportunities to see exponential growth in their business

Leah’s mission is to “bring product ideas to life.” With over 20 years’ experience in the design industry, Cachia is Leah’s 6th successful business - and it won’t be her last. Sharing her passion for products with other entrepreneurs, Leah launched her self-titled business, leahbetts.com in 2018 to help like-minded individuals produce their products in a way that works.

Cachia Website: https://cachia.shop

Leah Betts.com: https://www.leahbetts.com/

Leah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-betts-9a610233/

Follow us: @_nakedambition

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