The Company Road Podcast

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“Creativity is also definitely a superpower in one way or another, and sometimes you can control it, sometimes you can't.”

Sarah Mote

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The role of design in the workplace: Why designers are essential to a functional and thriving team
• Protecting creativity while ageing: How to maintain child-like creativity as you age and your career develops and prioritise approaching work and life through a creative lens
• Inviting & navigating feedback: Knowing when is the right time to invite input and how to receive and respond to both positive and negative feedback
• Organisational transparency: The value of open-door cultures and how to cultivate transparency and collaboration in a historically individual minded organisation
• Innovative problem resolution: How to develop an agile, problem-solving mindset that allows you to unearth objective, creative solutions

Key Links

Dieter Rams philosophy https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/dieter-rams-10-timeless-commandments-for-good-design

ADPList https://adplist.org/

Mark Richardson https://www.monash.edu/mada/design/people/mark-richardson

Selby Coxon https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/selby-coxon

Sarah’s White Night 2015 piece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L_0JUmWtYI

InstantScripts https://www.instantscripts.com.au/

Oliver Grabes (Head of Braun Design) https://minimalissimo.com/creators/oliver-grabes, https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-grabes-947aba5/

About our guest

Sarah Mote (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmmote/) is a Senior Product Designer at Bendigo Bank and Lead Product Designer for InstantScripts, as well as a Mentor through Monash University, Melbourne University, Academy XI and more. 

She is a detail-oriented, award-winning designer, maker and ‘put-it-togetherer’, having worked internationally and within organisations such as NAB, MYOB and Oral-B Braun.

Sarah is motivated by meaningful and emotive problems that create better futures, and ultimately works to shape and contribute to the design world and craft exceptional experiences through the pushing of creative boundaries.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

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“I think there are times to go in hard, be really forceful, drive change. If you can see a problem, you really need to state that and work towards driving that change.”

Carly Neubauer

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Identifying and aligning your personal ‘why’: Gaining clarity on your personal purpose and motivational values, and ensuring alignment with an organisation's values.
• Organisational weak spots: Keys to spotting areas of weakness within a business and making steps toward change no matter the position you’re in
• Addressing toxic workplace behaviour: How to identify the root causes of toxicity and frustration in a workplace and manage the greater problems that may be evidenced
• Balancing commercial focus with culture: Maintaining a healthy, thriving culture without sacrificing business outcomes
• Recruitment & employee retention: Ways to manage turnover and associated costs and prioritise employee experience for retention

Key links

WIIN Global https://www.wiin.global/
IMA https://www.incentivemarketing.org/
Australian Loyalty Association https://australianloyaltyassociation.com/
Elevate Loyalty https://www.elevateloyalty.com/

About our guest

Carly Neubauer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyneubauer/) is the Co-Founder and Director of Elevate Loyalty and Pay2Elevate, delivering digital payment technology solutions to the loyalty industry. Holding additional roles as Co-Founder of WiiN Global, Board member of IMA MEAPAC, Representative of the ALA, and 2024 host of Let’s Talk Loyalty podcast, Carly is actively engaged in the loyalty, incentives and payment industry locally and globally.

To date Carly has developed and managed more than 30+ consumer and employee loyalty and incentive programs in the insurance, energy, retail and finance sectors.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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“I always thought that part of my job was to get fired, but for doing something I would be proud of. My job was to push the boundaries with a stick, and if I wasn't getting in trouble, I wasn't sure I'd be fulfilling that.”

Max Kalis

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Balancing provocation and irritation: Knowing how and when to challenge the status quo and use provocation to your advantage 
• Breaking down intrapreneurship: What it means to be an intrapreneur and the positive and negative connotations the title carries
• Reframing challenges: Strategies for readjusting how you view and respond to perceived risks and challenges to extract value from every situation
• Evolving career stages: The importance of checking in with your own motivations, to realign your values with your work as you grow through time and your career 
• Working with boundaries and risk-taking: How to fruitfully set, follow and push boundaries within innovation, and remain trusted by higher ups

Key Links

Max’s Website: https://maxkalis.com/

Llyod’s Banking Group: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/

Design Strategy: https://www.toptal.com/designers/product-design/design-strategy-guide

LSE: https://www.lse.ac.uk/

Jack Teagarden’s A Hundred Years From Today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_TDW8PePGM

AA Serenity Prayer: https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/the-serenity-prayer

If– Poem by Rudyard Kipling: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46473/if—

Find a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting: https://meetings.aa.org.au/near/

If you require treatment, information or advice for alcohol and drug-related issues, contact DirectLine on 1800 888 236 or find a helpline here: https://findahelpline.com/au/topics/substance-use

About our guest

Max Kalis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxkalis-career-coach/) has 10 years experience working in strategy, culture & experience design. During this time he has mentored countless start ups, colleagues and clients. 

He is now employing experience design principles as a Career Coach and Playbook Creator to help athletes and other exceptional people to unlock progress, change and satisfaction in their careers.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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"Recovery is a program of action. It's about action. It's not about thinking your way out of a problem or wishing yourself better. It's about doing stuff.”

Olly Lynch

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Olly’s personal journey with addiction: How he found himself at a career high yet in deep alcohol and drug addiction & the personal and professional impacts that came with it.
• Finding your space in new roles: The challenge of joining a new organisation and how to establish yourself as a powerful and valuable presence who is comfortable questioning the status quo.
• Ego and self-esteem: How ego and low-self-esteem can feed into addiction, but also influence/mask the way people present themselves in a work context.
• Stagnation in large organisations: The common issue of stagnant thinking and competitiveness within large organisations, and the need to break free from it to foster creativity and innovation.
• Applying recovery principles in work: How principles from addiction recovery, such as self-reflection, honesty, and taking action, can be applied effectively in a work context to drive improvement and change.

Key Links

If you require treatment, information or advice for alcohol and drug-related issues, contact DirectLine on 1800 888 236.

Find a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting: https://meetings.aa.org.au/near/

Omnico https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnico-group/

TravelPort https://www.travelport.com/

Lucid App (Now Imprint) https://imprintapp.com/

Avante Marketing https://avante.marketing/

Find a Helpline: https://findahelpline.com/au/topics/substance-use

About our guest

Olly Lynch (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollylynch/) is a marketing leader, Fractional CMO and consultant with over 12 years of experience, working across B2B and B2C brands in agencies, client side and as an independent consultant. He’s worked alongside some of the biggest brands in the world including IBM,Thomson Reuters, Motorola, Fujitsu, CA and Interflora and is the founder of Avante Marketing.

He is driven by the belief that we only control two things in life: mindset and effort. “There is very little that cannot be achieved with positivity, hard work and an iron will.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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"Your success is only limited by your own ambition... It's very much about autonomy, mastery, and purpose beyond the backlog."

Andrew Broughton

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Balancing business metrics and social impact: The challenge of but need for aligning social impact measures with business metrics to demonstrate the value of socially focussed projects.
• Finding intrinsic value in your work: How to find alignment between your work’s outcomes and impact with your own personal goals and aspirations.
• The role of design in problem-solving: How intrapreneurs can garner influence in the workplace and influence outcomes by focusing on problem-solving and delivering tangible results.
• The art of storytelling: Recognising storytelling as a pivotal business skill for designers to elucidate complex ideas, quantify metrics and convey design’s value… and how to step up your own storytelling capability.
• Handling Curveballs and Side Agendas: How to consider and handle unexpected inputs and side agendas from various sources and repurpose them to the benefit of your project.

Key links:

WorkSafe https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/

Strategic Design https://today.design/approach/strategic-design/

Accenture https://www.accenture.com/

Power of 10 model http://www.placemakingchicago.com/about/power.asp

Ideo Design Thinking https://designthinking.ideo.com/

About our guest

Andrew Broughton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anmbroughton/) is a Strategic Designer and Senior Manager of the Innovation Center at WorkSafe Victoria, managing the innovation portfolio, design practice and governance across a team of strategic, service and experience designers.

He has worked as a design consultant with a portfolio of international clients, and created impacts for many people, clients and projects in social innovation and strategic design. His current mission is to leverage design from a civic perspective, empowering and enriching our community in every possible way. 

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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"The future of the creative industry will be thousands, hundreds of thousands of solopreneurs and micro businesses living in this sort of ecosystem that will come together around projects."

David Webster

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• The evolution of work models: Exploring the evolving nature of work models, particularly in the creative industry & the need for a shift towards more flexible, decentralised approaches.
• Distributed talent: The value of assembling distributed teams of subject matter experts from around the world tailored to specific needs rather than hiring full-time employees.
• Mindset and adaptability: How to adapt your mindset to suit the changing landscape of work and embrace experimentation on a daily basis.
• Changing client-agency relationships: How the talent-driven vs customer-driven approach can rebalance this relationship, with clients needing to treat talent well to attract the best professionals.
• Intrapreneurship vs Entrepreneurship: Weighing up the challenges and benefits of both pathways and how to effectively maximise your experience in both.

Key links:

David’s Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/david_webster_building_a_more_human_centric_organisational_culture

BBDO https://bbdo.com/

BBH https://www.bartleboglehegarty.com/

Michael Baulk https://www.brandnewworld.ch/brand-new-salon/creative-minds/27742/michael-baulk.html 

Procter & Gamble https://anz.pg.com/

Sir John Hegarty https://www.businessofcreativity.com/john-hegarty/

Rishard Tobaccowala https://rishadtobaccowala.com/

About our guest

David Webster (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-webster-aba90219/) is the CEO and Co-founder of The Carrot Collective. With almost 20 years experience in marketing and advertising, David has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative work in Asia for brands such as Nike, Netflix, Uber, Google and Samsung among others. 

He's won over 140 creative and effectiveness awards in his career and helped lead his previous agency to win AdAge International Agency of the Year in 2018.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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“Instead of asking what the individual has to do or what I think they should do, I think it's more so what cultural shift within an organisation has to take place for individuals to eventually be their fullest selves.”

Killian Poolmans

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Digital strategies for inclusivity and engagement: Killian’s unique approach for creative inclusive and productive online team spaces.
• Facilitating change as an outsider: How to effectively facilitate change by coming into an organisation as a co-designer rather than an outsider.
• Challenges of implementing change: The blockers and barriers that organisations face when transitioning to change, and tips to overcome them.
• Creating longevity in change initiatives: Strategies for ensuring the lasting impact of change initiatives, including ongoing measurement and support.
• Balancing perspectives and identities: Acknowledging the value of diverse perspectives and lived experiences within organisations and making space for all voices.

Key links:

PINKHAMMER https://pinkhammer.space/
Pippi Longstocking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking
Trojan House https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trojan-horse
Lufthansa https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/home.html
Rutgers https://rutgers.international/
PwC https://www.pwc.com.au/

About our guest

Killian Poolmans (https://www.linkedin.com/in/killian-poolmans/) is the Founder of PINKHAMMER, which facilitates interactive training programs that boost creativity and inclusion with organisations.

With a background in engineering and systems design, Killian has worked with over 500 teams from startups to global organisations across Berlin, Melbourne and Singapore, to enhance their innovation capabilities and help them embrace inclusivity in their product development.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

Send us Fan Mail

“Change is by nature, inherently disruptive, and it often stresses people out. How can we move it from a source of distress to a source of eustress?”

Friska Wirya

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Change management in organisations: The need for organisations to embrace change as a permanent function and strategies to nurture employees through disruption.
• Transitioning from invisibility to influence: How individuals can move from feeling invisible within their organisations to becoming influential.
• Playfulness and innovation: The role of playfulness in inspiring innovation and approaching corporate challenges with creativity.
• The role of personal branding: Why defining one’s personal values and projecting them authentically through a clear personal brand is important
• Sustained motivation and resilience: Personal strategies for maintaining motivation in the face of ongoing change and long-term goals

Key links:

Fresh by Friska https://www.freshbyfriska.com/

Friska’s new book: The Future Fit Organisation

https://www.freshbyfriska.com/learning/p/the-future-fit-organisation-1

Friska’s TedX Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ63SGtxGwU

MBB https://www.mbbgroup.com.au/

Yammer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yammer

Big Four https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bigfour.asp

Rocky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioE_O7Lm0I4

About our guest

Friska Wirya (https://www.linkedin.com/in/friska/) is a Top 50 Change Management Thought Leader, most known for her work with large corporates - a US$170m cost saving for the biggest gold miner in the Southern Hemisphere, executing the digital response to COVID for Australia's number 1 university, and partnering with the largest engineering company on earth to win the race to net zero.

She is now the powerhouse behind Fresh by Friska, a change management consulting, coaching, facilitation and training service, and was selected by Meta as part of the Top 100 Consultants and Thought Leaders of the world.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

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"If you want the best talent out there, having a commitment to sustainability works because people care very deeply about this topic... people are actually resigning from jobs or they don't apply for jobs when companies don't have a good approach to sustainability."

Christian Smith

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Sustainability as a Business Strategy: How sustainability can be used as a strategy to reduce risk and improve profitability
• Aligning Purpose and Profit: Presenting sustainability initiatives in a way that justifies investments to senior stakeholders
• The Importance of External Engagement: Stress-testing sustainability approaches through engaging with external stakeholder and why seeking collaboration is essential
• Navigating a Sustainable Future: Whether sustainability is a lost cause or there is still meaningful action that can take place in the business world to create change 
• Evangelising Sustainability: How to effectively and authentically promote sustainability as a priority within organisations and to senior leaders

Key links:

Art of Persuasion episode (referenced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9kuheZV5M&t=492s

Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows https://www.amazon.com.au/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557

International Accord https://internationalaccord.org/

Zalando https://www.zalando.com/

NGOs https://www.ngosource.org/what-is-an-ngo

About our guest

Christian Smith has been in the sustainability field for over 15 years, holding positions at major retailers, fashion brands and in the NGO sector. He’s currently Head of Sustainability, Diversity, Inclusion Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement at Zalando where his role is to connect the organisation with the outside world as they navigate the ever changing world of sustainability. 

Christian also acts as an advisor across sectors on how to embed social and environmental innovation into business models, and possesses an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development from UCL.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hud..., is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

Send us Fan Mail

“You can't always succeed, but we keep trying and we keep showing the value or trying to show the value of what we do and why it's going to be in the organisation's best interest.”

Jane Curtain

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Themes & Trends in the Modern Workplace: How flexibility, hybrid work models and remote facilitation have changed & continue to change the way in which businesses and teams operate
  
  
• Breaking Down Design Thinking: Why organisations need to place greater value on inclusive & service design and how leaders can foster greater diversity and inclusivity in the process
  
  
• Mitigating Flight Risk: Staying ahead of employees seeking career change and knowing how to find, motivate and maintain loyal employees
  
  
• Importance of Employee Experience: The right tools, processes and technology that can optimise employee experience and improve retention and productivity
  
  
• Facilitation Engagement: Tips & tricks to improve involvement and contributions when running workshops and presentations and how to shift facilitation styles to meet modern expectations

Key links:

UniSuper https://www.unisuper.com.au/

Jakob Nielsen https://www.designprinciplesftw.com/authors/jakob-nielsen

Flight Risk https://www.aihr.com/blog/flight-risk-employee/

Dimension Data https://www.dimensiondata.com/

Design Thinking https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/design-thinking

Service Design https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/service-design

About our guest

Jane Curtain (https://www.linkedin.com/in/janecurtain/) is an enthusiastic and ever-evolving design thinker, having spent time as a strategic CX design consultant and an in-house service designer across a vast range of industry verticals for over 20 years. She first entered the industry as a Voice User Interface Designer in 2000. She's particularly passionate about directing people's attention to how we think about end users, how we include them in the design process, and how we provide fit for purpose, connected products and services.

Jane is very multifaceted in her approach to CX design, and her role usually requires her to be part researcher, part designer, part strategist, part trainer, part coach, part mentor and part change manager.

About our host

Our host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hud..., is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)

Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy Xi in CX, Product Management, Design Thinking and Service Design and mentors many business leaders internationally.  

Support the show

For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/