“Make it your goal in 2025 to not just simplify, but focus. Get more dialed in on just a few things, stuff that will make a difference. Make some hard calls.”

In our final episode for 2024, we are going to cover the five big themes from 2024 that are going to be vital in 2025.

I'm seeing these 5 themes emerge more and more through the work we do with executives and boards. And what I'm seeing is if we don't all lean in and get better at these five things, life is going to get more difficult and frustrating and we're going to find it harder and harder to win.

Chief, the best executives right now are nailing these things. And all the best organisations need people with these five traits right now, more than ever.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/353 👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

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🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“If you spend too much time worrying about the outcome and not about the process, then you just create anxiety and a lack of focus.”

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous CEO guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Rob Patterson, Managing Director of Parkins Lane.

His full episode is titled Humility, relationships and scaling fast.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/351  👂

IS YOUR PROGRESS BLOCKED BY DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS? Download this step-by-step guide to build trust, get buy-in and turn difficult stakeholders into ambassadors: http://chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Rob is a CEO and COO with extensive experience in leading the significant growth of national professional service firms.

He is the former COO of  HWL Ebsworth, where he played a key role overseeing the metamorphosis of a small Melbourne-based legal practice (40 employees, turnover $3m) into a national commercial law firm of over 600 people and turnover in excess of $150m, now Australia’s largest firm by partner numbers.

Rob then joined Macpherson Kelley as COO and led a similar transformation there, followed by an MD stint at Rankin Business Lawyers. For the past 2 years, Rob was GM of FCW Lawyers but has returned to Parkins Lane Consulting Group as the Managing Director once again. The firm focuses on creating and executing on strategy, growth and marketing for professional services firms.

Outside of work he is a keen surfer and he also grows Sangiovese vines.

In the full episode we talk about: 

✅ How he grew their business from $3M to $150M

✅ The importance of relationships and being a known quantity when going for roles

✅ Humility and self-regulation

✅ How to grow your personal brand and business

Stay epic,

Greg

You can reach Rob on LinkedIn and on X.

• Built to Last - by Jim Collins

• Good to Great - by Jim Collins

• Starts with Why - by Simon Sinek

• Vince LeBon, CEO of Rollie Nation, on Streamlining systems, scaling up and business rhythm

• Ben Lipschitz, Co-Founder and CEO of FoodByUs, on Being data-driven, starting and exiting a business, and successfully securing funding

• Celebrity Apprentice Mentor, Nick Bell, on the threat of AI on addressing productivity gaps, looking after his A-players and living to 150 years old

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“A CEO client of mine said that when he dies, his to-do list will be full. Not empty, full. In 10 years’ time, are you going to look back and be happy with how you spent those 10 years?”

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Nigel Marsh, Former CEO Leo Burnett and Y&R Brands, Founder Earth Hour, viral TED Talker, Bestselling Author and Podcaster, on following your own path to achieve balance, getting cut-through, and authentic success.

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/352  👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Nigel is the former National CEO of D’Arcy and Leo Burnett, Regional Group CEO of communications group Y&R Brands ANZ, and the Chairman of strategic and research consultancy, The Leading Edge.

Alongside his 30+ years experience in business leadership roles, Nigel has pursued a number of creative ventures including writing four bestselling books (‘Fat, Forty and Fired’, ‘Overworked and Underlaid’, ‘Fit Fifty and Fired-Up’ and ‘Smart, Stupid and Sixty’), co-founding the global environmental initiative Earth Hour, founding The Sydney Skinny and creating The Five Of My Life podcast.

His TEDx speech on work-life balance, with nearly 6 million views, remains the most watched talk ever given outside of the US.

In today’s Masterclass we will share:

✅  Why you should stop following the masses and rather seek balance by treading your own path.

✅ That clarity of purpose is the most fundamental pillar of any business, and how to do it in a simple way.

✅ How he got cut-through in launching Earth Hour globally and how you can use that in your marketing and communications, and

✅ Using reflection to achieve authentic success in your life and career.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Nigel via LinkedIn.

• The Halo Effect - by Phil Rosenzweig

• Nigel’s TED Talk - How to make work-life balance work

• Deep Work - by Cal Newport

• Nigel’s podcast - 5 of My Life

• Minisode on Is work-life balance actually possible?

• Damien Price, Spiritual Guru on Balance, Life Chapters and Your Rhythm

• Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group, on Career diversity, genuine empathy, and the 4Hs of authenticity

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“What are the things that I do daily to build and maintain relationships with people I deeply care about. And then I just do that to the people that are the next sphere out from me.”

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Mike Smith, Founder and CEO of Zero Co.

His full episode is titled How to build a tribe of loyal customers, creating a better world through business, and personal growth.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/350  👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Mike’s travels around the world exposed him to the devastating effects of plastic pollution, particularly in remote areas.

Inspired to find a solution, he founded Zero Co, an Australian company he launched in 2019 to eliminate single-use plastics in everyday household products by facilitating consumers to switch to eco-friendly, refillable alternatives.

Mike’s background was in advertising and marketing, and bringing products to market and he worked with some of the world’s largest brands, including Coca Cola. He then co-founded, launched and sold Hot Chip, a surfing technology start-up developed in collaborations with some of the world's best surfers and Billabong.

He was also the Co-Founder of Cake Wines, a disruptive winery that aimed to make wine fun again, which he scaled and sold to one of the biggest wine brands in Australia.

Mike is committed to broader environmental change, advocating for responsible production processes and raising awareness about the impact of plastic pollution on the planet.

In this CEO masterclass, we talk about:

✅ How to build a tribe of loyal followers for your organisation.

✅ On why a social enterprise can help you to balance meaningful work with making money.

✅ The evolution of Zero Co’s operating model from a buy-return-refill model to a circular economy model, and

✅ The immense work he has done on self-awareness and personal growth.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Mike via LinkedIn.

• Rory Hunter, Founder and CEO of MODEL, on Spearheading the build-to-rent movement towards sustainability, seeking solitude and healing on the ocean, and the adventure of a lifetime after buying an island in his twenties

• Rochelle Courtenay, Founder and MD of Share the Dignity, on Leading volunteer armies, witnessing female trauma inside prison and eradicating period poverty

• Juliette Wright, founder and former CEO of GIVIT, on Revolutionising misguided charitable giving, having a million conversations, and leaning into anxiety

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“If you spend too much time worrying about the outcome and not about the process, then you just create anxiety and a lack of focus.”

In this Best of Series episode, we replay a chat we had in 2019 with Rob Patterson, Managing Director of Parkins Lane, on humility, relationships and scaling fast.

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/351 👂

IS YOUR PROGRESS BLOCKED BY DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS? Download this step-by-step guide to build trust, get buy-in and turn difficult stakeholders into ambassadors: http://chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Rob is a CEO and COO with extensive experience in leading the significant growth of national professional service firms.

He is the former COO of  HWL Ebsworth, where he played a key role overseeing the metamorphosis of a small Melbourne-based legal practice (40 employees, turnover $3m) into a national commercial law firm of over 600 people and turnover in excess of $150m, now Australia’s largest firm by partner numbers.

Rob then joined Macpherson Kelley as COO and led a similar transformation there, followed by an MD stint at Rankin Business Lawyers. For the past 2 years, Rob was GM of FCW Lawyers but has returned to Parkins Lane Consulting Group as the Managing Director once again. The firm focuses on creating and executing on strategy, growth and marketing for professional services firms.

Outside of work he is a keen surfer and he also grows Sangiovese vines.

In this episode we talk about: 

✅ How he grew their business from $3M to $150M

✅ The importance of relationships and being a known quantity when going for roles, especially useful when you hit a career crossroads

✅ Humility and self-regulation, and

✅ How to grow your personal brand and business

You can reach Rob on LinkedIn and on X.

• Built to Last by Jim Collins

• Good to Great by Jim Collins

• Starts with Why by Simon Sinek

• Vince LeBon, CEO of Rollie Nation on Streamlining systems, scaling up and business rhythm

• Ben Lipschitz, Co-Founder and CEO of FoodByUs, on Being data-driven, starting and exiting a business, and successfully securing funding

• Celebrity Apprentice Mentor, Nick Bell, on The threat of AI on addressing productivity gaps, looking after his A-players and living to 150 years old

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“We built this school. And then over the next 12 months, we ended up building two more schools in other, other villages around. And it completely changed my perspective on what meaningful work is.”

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Mike Smith, Founder and CEO of Zero Co, on how to build a tribe of loyal customers, creating a better world through business, and personal growth.

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/350  👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Mike’s travels around the world exposed him to the devastating effects of plastic pollution, particularly in remote areas.

Inspired to find a solution, he founded Zero Co, an Australian company he launched in 2019 to eliminate single-use plastics in everyday household products by facilitating consumers to switch to eco-friendly, refillable alternatives.

Mike’s background was in advertising and marketing, and bringing products to market and he worked with some of the world’s largest brands, including Coca Cola. He then co-founded, launched and sold Hot Chip, a surfing technology start-up developed in collaborations with some of the world's best surfers and Billabong.

He was also the Co-Founder of Cake Wines, a disruptive winery that aimed to make wine fun again, which he scaled and sold to one of the biggest wine brands in Australia.

Mike is committed to broader environmental change, advocating for responsible production processes and raising awareness about the impact of plastic pollution on the planet.

In this CEO Masterclass, we talk about:

✅ How to build a tribe of loyal followers for your organisation.

✅ On why a social enterprise can help you to balance meaningful work with making money.

✅ The evolution of Zero Co’s operating model from a buy-return-refill model to a circular economy model, and

✅ The immense work he has done on self awareness and personal growth.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Mike via LinkedIn.

• Rory Hunter, Founder and CEO of MODEL, on Spearheading the build-to-rent movement towards sustainability, seeking solitude and healing on the ocean, and the adventure of a lifetime after buying an island in his twenties

• Rochelle Courtenay, Founder and MD of Share the Dignity, on Leading volunteer armies, witnessing female trauma inside prison and eradicating period poverty

• Juliette Wright, founder and former CEO of GIVIT, on Revolutionising misguided charitable giving, having a million conversations, and leaning into anxiety

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“Good character is essential because talent isn't enough to navigate through a messy time.”

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Zaklina Craig, Executive Director - People, Culture & Workplace of Business NSW.

Her full episode is titled Optimising role design for peak performance, managing differences in confidence between men and women, and navigating the decision to fire someone.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/348  👂

GET THE FREE CHIEF MAKER TOP 30 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: chiefmaker.com/interview

Zak is an experienced people, culture and change leader with over 20 years of experience working with businesses in every aspect of their employee lifecycle.

She has led large teams in enabling core business functions delivering systemic and sustainable change. Her niche expertise is integrating strategy, systems, culture and leadership.

Zak commenced her career as a lawyer in private practice and is also degree-qualified in human resources management and industrial relations. She also holds several leadership and coaching qualifications and is one of few practitioners in Australia accredited in Requisite Organisation and Stratified Systems Theory.

She has also held senior roles with Sydney Water and the Australian Retailers Association, and has been the Chief People Officer of Business NSW since February 2022.

In the full episode we talk about:

✅  How to optimise role design, complexity and clarity for higher performance

✅  Overcoming the natural tension between operations, support and commercial teams

✅  The mindset shifts that HR leaders need to have in order to get a seat at the executive table

✅  Moving past confidence barriers for both men and women, and

✅  Hiring and firing people and having difficult coaching conversations.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Zaklina via LinkedIn. 

• Dancing with the Divine - by Julie Vance

• Carolyn Creswell, Founder and MD of Carman’s Kitchen, on How to fire people, doing what you love, understanding menopause and having genuine work-life balance

• Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group, on Career diversity, genuine empathy, and the 4Hs of authenticity

• Cliff Gale, former MD of Lite N’ Easy for22 years, on Leading with passion, respect for your people and keeping the soul alive in your business. 

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“Your brand or your reputation is what people say about you when you're not in the room.”

Chief, today we are going to guide you through the process of mastering the art of influencing stakeholders and partners, such that it catapults you forward (and upwards!) in your career.

Stakeholders have a huge impact - negatively and positively - on your career and your personal life whether you like it or not. These people can be your corporate peers, suppliers, customers, board members, executive team members, your boss, the community, media, anyone out there who's got a key stake in what you do.

As such, getting buy-in from difficult stakeholders is one of the most important tasks and skills of all senior executives and leaders.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/349 👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

In this episode, I talk about:

✅  Sharing a few personal success stories of why strong stakeholder management works

✅  The 4 most powerful tips for building key stakeholder relationships, and

✅  A free downloadable we’ve created for you to develop plans and strategies, and then to be able to execute them with confidence. 

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“For me, the four H's were a very simple way of outlining what I stood for as a leader.”

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group.

His full episode is titled Career diversity, genuine empathy, and the 4Hs of authenticity.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/347  👂

DOWNLOAD THE CHIEF MAKER OPERATING RHYTHM HOW TO GUIDE AND PUT YOUR VISION AND MISSION INTO ACTION FAST: chiefmaker.com/operatingrhythm

Before being appointed to the top role, Mike was the Managing Director of Bunnings Australia & New Zealand and had also led the store operations teams, having joined Bunnings in 2005.

His career has seen him hold a range of senior operational, commercial and human resource roles, both in retail and financial services, most notably at Target, Westpac and The Warehouse Group.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of NSW and has completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD, and the Advanced Strategic Management Program at IMD. 

In the full episode we talk about:

✅ How having a diverse career path has been to his benefit

✅ Why genuine empathy and being a consistent, not predictable, leader is vital to success

✅ What he means by an integrated life as opposed to work-life balance, and

✅ His 4Hs Framework that allows him to lead an authentic life.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can reach Mike on LinkedIn.

• World’s Best by Ric Charlesworth

• On Violence by Natasha Stott Despoja

• Carolyn Creswell, Founder and Managing Director of Carman’s Kitchen, on Running a multinational business, loving what you do and having a genuine work-life balance

• Cass Spies, food industry innovator, founder & CEO of Twisted Healthy treats, on Being nimble, promoting from within, and winning globally

• Julie Mathers, founder of Flora & Fauna and now CEO of Snuggle Hunny, on Bootstrapping a business from start to $30M exit

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

“You're a business leader first, and a HR professional second.”

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Zaklina Craig of Business NSW, on optimising role design for peak performance, managing differences in confidence between men and women, and navigating the decision to fire someone.

🎧👉  chiefmaker.com/348  👂

EQUIP YOUR MIDDLE MANAGERS AND SENIOR LEADERS WITH THE TOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE AND RESULTS. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba

Zak is an experienced people, culture and change leader with over 20 years of experience working with businesses in every aspect of their employee lifecycle.

She has led large teams in enabling core business functions delivering systemic and sustainable change. Her niche expertise is integrating strategy, systems, culture and leadership.

Zak commenced her career as a lawyer in private practice and is also degree-qualified in human resources management and industrial relations. She also holds several leadership and coaching qualifications and is one of few practitioners in Australia accredited in Requisite Organisation and Stratified Systems Theory.

She has also held senior roles with Sydney Water and the Australian Retailers Association, and has been the Executive Director - People, Culture & Workplace of Business NSW since February 2022.

In this episode we talk about:

✅  How to optimise role design, complexity and clarity for higher performance

✅  Overcoming the natural tension between operations, support and commercial teams

✅  The mindset shifts that HR leaders need to have in order to get a seat at the executive table

✅  Moving past confidence barriers for both men and women, and

✅  Hiring and firing people and having difficult coaching conversations.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Zaklina via LinkedIn.

• Dancing with the Divine - by Julie Vance

• Carolyn Creswell, Founder and MD of Carman’s Kitchen, on How to fire people, doing what you love, understanding menopause and having genuine work-life balance

• Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group, on Career diversity, genuine empathy, and the 4Hs of authenticity

• Cliff Gale, former MD of Lite N’ Easy for22 years, on Leading with passion, respect for your people and keeping the soul alive in your business. 

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Give The Inner Chief podcast a 5-star rating on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker