Celebrity endorsements have been part of the advertising game for decades, and over the past decade that has manifested into a plethora of social media marketing campaigns using famous folks as well as the rise of “micro-influencers” alongside the stable of paid talent promoting any number of products and services for business across the globe.

Influencer marketing has emerged as not only one of the fastest-growing ways to attract and maintain customers for a brand but also one of the most effective forms of inspiring brand loyalty. But it has to be done right. It has to be authentic and ethical – and since July 2020 there has been an Australian code of practice that affects PR agencies, talent managers, influencers, and brands.

My guest today knows firsthand the harsher realities of celebrity endorsements and says that such endorsements are not a guarantee of success for a brand – or even sales. Philip Masiello is one of the founders of CrunchGrowth Revenue Acceleration Agency, one of the fastest-growing marketing agencies in the nation. He is renowned for his e-commerce and Amazon selling expertise. He is also well-known for his entrepreneurial talent, having launched five unique international brands since the age of 25.

In addition, Phil is an investor in several interesting startups as varied as digital games, the circular recycling economy, real estate, and personal care products. In addition to providing capital, Phil uses his marketing expertise to help these startups to scale faster.

Phil tells a cautionary tale – sharing a view many brands get enamored with celebrities and think that is the key to success. But it can work against you as much as it can work for you.

1. How Phil founded a skincare line with a supermodel for one of the shopping channels but while she had credibility in the space–she had written books on the concept and was genetically blessed, this business partnership wasn’t a slam dunk.
2. In a more cynical consumer world, is there any way to ensure these endorsements can last beyond one campaign?
3. Are new regulations going to make using celebrity endorsements harder for brands to create financial value in? For example, someone getting in a celebrity one-off paid endorsement that has millions of YouTube or Instagram likes but no sales does happen.
4. Does using influencer-style paid posting take away from the authenticity?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Celebrity Endorsements?

Contact details:

W: https://philmasiello.com/ and https://getuplifted.com/)

Corporate innovation is at the heart of any business success.

Bruno Pešec helps business leaders innovate profitably He is one of the rare innovators who can claim that he has worked on a regulation-defying freight train and an award-winning board game for teaching entrepreneurship and innovation.

With ten years of experience in different industries—including defence, manufacturing, education, entertainment, and financial services—he has delivered projects that had positive impact on GDP of several countries, succeeded and failed inventing and innovating, and overcame several problems and challenges with no obvious solutions.

In addition to his corporate experience with brands like DNV, DNB, and Kongsberg Group, Bruno is deeply involved with the global entrepreneurial community. He co-founded Norwegian Lean Startup Circle, Norway's largest Lean Startup community, and Founder Institute Norway, the world’s premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program. He often serves as a mentor and judge at various accelerators, incubators, and events across the globe.

His academic credentials include a master's degree with distinction in industrial engineering and management, specialization in production and quality engineering, and an advanced management diploma with specialization in strategy and innovation. He has also been trained by Toyota in corporate value creation and innovation. Bruno is currently undertaking a doctorate in organizational change, with a particular focus on the issues with innovation in large enterprises.

He has been a passionate practitioner of martial arts since 1997, having trained in karate, wrestling, and muay thai. Bruno resides in Oslo, Norway, with the love of his life, Tamara. We are here to discuss The Politics of Corporate Innovation.

We cover off in this podcast:

1. Corporate innovation can be defined as the process of enterprises implementing innovation opportunities into existing business models. Established companies who engage in corporate innovation typically have a dedicated team towards innovation efforts. Is that always the case or can innovation be embedded in a business culture, so everyone has a chance to do it inside a company?
2. A 2020 McKinsey study shows innovation is in crisis. Quote “COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of life, from the personal (how people live and work) to the professional (how companies interact with their customers, how customers choose and purchase products and services, how supply chains deliver them). However, more than three-quarters also agreed that this crisis will create significant new opportunities for growth, although this varies significantly by industry.” What are some ways you have seen that happen so far and will that continue to happen longer term?
3. Do larger organizations tend to have a harder time innovating vs leaner, smaller businesses, who can be nimble, try new things faster, and be agile in hard times, or not? Examples, please.
4. What are the tried-and-true best ways to execute corporate innovation and why?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Corporate Innovation?

Contact details:

LinkedIn: (23) Bruno Pešec | LinkedIn

W: Bruno Pešec (pesec.no)

Voice acting sounds like a pretty niche career, right? It reminds me of the radio ads I grew up with, in the 80s and 90s – the familiar voices whose faces and names I probably never would see or know. However, through my media and PR career, I have employed scores of voiceover actors to narrate videos and more recently, even be the face of a campaign and usually through connections I already had over an agency.

I'm speaking today to experienced techpreneur David Ciccarelli, the Founder, and CEO of Voices.

His business is for anyone who has been told their whole life that they have a great voice and should be on the radio, considering the exciting world of voice acting.

More than just talking, voice acting requires the ability to connect with an audience and bring a script to life, the technical capability to record, edit and export high-quality audio, and the business know-how to reply to jobs, negotiate gigs, and follow up for future work.

Income potential ranges from US$100 to $10,000 per job depending on if the work will air on broadcast television or for non-broadcast uses such as phone system recordings or internal corporate training videos.

David’s company has been written about in The New York Times, CNNMoney, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fast Company. He has appeared on Business News Network and The Globe and Mail TV. He is currently attending Harvard Business School and is a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences. 

A big warmed-up voice welcome to David as we unpack The Politics of Voice Acting.

In this podcast, we chat about:

1. How has the voice acting sector changed over the years?
2. Do you need formal training to succeed and what about customized areas like accents?
3. What specific role has new technology played in enabling anyone to become a voice actor? E
4. Who was the best voice actor you ever worked with and why?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Voice Acting?

Contact details:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidciccarelli/?originalSubdomain=ca

W: https://www.voices.com/

Many of us have heard of the term metaverse, perhaps firstly when it came to global attention in 2021 when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg publicly changed its parent company name to Meta. According to one definition, a metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection.

Meet Sam Joel, the founder of GiveTree, a virtual game world built on top of an NFT marketplace, where a portion of every transaction goes to a real-world charity and helps make the world a better place.  His own story is very inspiring and not like most tech-preneurs we know. Sam originally started GiveTree as a simple charity directory over three and half years ago, while he was homeless and suffering from mental illness and addiction. For most of that time, he lived in an internet cafe in Sydney Australia & relied on the support of local charities to help him survive.

In June 2019 the government granted him 'emergency access' to his superannuation. He accessed 'up to $ $6000 from his super & rented a room in North Bondi. That solved the shelter problem. That did not solve the mental illness and addiction problems. He really struggled with adjusting back to normal life – for example, drinking over 30 standards a day, every day as he tried to manage PTSD & mental health problems.

In April 2020 due to excessive alcohol consumption, he had a brain seizure. That was the turning point for Sam getting the medical attention he needed to make it. After being discharged from the hospital, over the course of the next few months, his mental health issues slowly started subsiding because I had stopped drinking, got a part-time job, started building new relationships, and started to become healthy again.  Originally, just a simple charity directory, fast forward three years & GiveTree is now evolved into Australia's first NFT marketplace “for good”.

Hear from Sam on:

1. What was the hardest part of starting this tech business especially as you were overcoming some very hard personal circumstances?
2. How have you made GiveTree Australia’s first NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace that really gives back? What steps has that involved from a business planning and financial investment view?
3. You say that NFTs are an incredible new fundraising resource for charities both in Australia and around the world. You now look forward to helping charities adventure into the metaverse world of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, 3D avatars, VR, AR, Gaming, and more. Why has this been not done yet do you think?
4. How can more charitable organizations get involved in this metaverse so they can also be a part of this brave new world?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of the Giving Metaverse?

For more:

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

Website: https://www.givetree.io/

I am always in awe of designers and architects who actually create tangible projects that stand the test of time and make communities come together – whether that be in the form of sky-high buildings, bold bridges, and public artwork that often harmonizes and reflects who lives and works in that neighborhood. Clever design can literally change lives and make us all happier and safer. Just picture the Eiffel Tower in France or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York or even the Hills Hoist clothing line, and you can quickly get what I mean!

Today I am speaking to Jayne Harrison. She is the Founding Director of JDH Architects and has been at the helm since its inception in 2003. Through her leadership, and pioneering vision, her business JDH has delivered an extensive portfolio of education and community projects and a hard-earned reputation as one of Australia’s most creative and dynamic architecture firms.

She also leads JDH Ed, a forum for Speakers, Thinkers, and Dreamers to come together in the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Specializing in educational architecture has allowed Jayne to combine her love of creativity and lifelong learning. With a unique holistic approach to engagement and in-depth understanding of pedagogical practice, Jayne’s thirst for knowledge has established the practice as leaders in educational architecture, planning, and design.

Believing in a better way to practice her profession, where people and the environment are the cornerstones of good design, she looks towards long-lasting solutions that support a responsible and resilient thriving future, the built environment, and the communities they serve.

As an engaging communicator, Jayne frequently speaks at educational conferences both in Australia and overseas.  Harrison is also an avid supporter of gender equality in the architectural and construction space and regularly calls out the industry through speaking opportunities and seminars. She is also extremely passionate about supporting other female entrepreneurs and would love to see more women working alongside her in leadership roles.

In this episode you will hear:

1. What does educational architecture entail?
2. What is the biggest error people make when it comes to designing a statement building and even bringing a design to life?
3. Is great, sustainable design subjective and of its era, or are there generally some tried and true ways to build structures that have form, function, and some generally agreeable design success in there? 
4. Women in architecture and construction are still today outnumbered – what solutions are there to attract more women to the field?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Design?

To connect with Jayne:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdhjayne/?originalSubdomain=au

W: https://www.jdharchitects.com.au/

Today’s guest wears a lot of impressive hats: Former Socceroo | Broadcaster | Adjunct Professor, Sport & Social Responsibility | Author | and Human Rights Activist

Who else could this be but Craig Foster AM?

Following a decorated football career as Australia’s 419th Socceroo and 40th Captain, Craig has become one of Australia’s most respected sports people as a broadcaster, social justice advocate, and human rights campaigner.

Craig represented Australia in the Junior National Team at age 15 in the first FIFA Under 16 World Cup in China, 1985 where he was selected in the FIFA Team of the Tournament. He would later go on to represent Australia at senior level on 29 occasions including as Captain.

Following retirement, he quickly became one of Australia’s most respected sports broadcasters with an 18-year, triple Logie-winning career with Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as part of The World Game (TWG) team which included five FIFA World Cups and four FIFA Women’s World Cups as well as the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League and domestic competitions.

He is a vocal supporter of a higher humanitarian intake by Australia and particularly an increased intake for Afghan refugees.

A smidgen of his relevant humanitarian work efforts includes being:

• A member of the Australian Multicultural Council under the Department of Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship division
• An Ambassador for Amnesty Australia, the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, and Addison Road Community Centre including their #RacismNotWelcome campaign for Local Councils across Australia, Pushing Barriers, an Australia Committee member with Human Rights Watch, Advisory Council member of the Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW and a Director of the Crescent Foundation.

His humanitarian activism extends to several, high-profile campaigns including #SaveHakeem to free Bahraini refugee Hakeem al-Araibi from a Thai prison for which he was a Finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission Medal.

He is a former columnist for the Sun Herald, author, and co-author of several books including ‘Fighting for Hakeem’ by Hachette Australia, and writes for the Guardian, The Age, and other publications and holds a Professional Coaching License and helped guide dozens of Australia’s finest young female and male talents, many of whom graduated to Australia’s National Teams.

In 2019, the Australian Financial Review recognized Craig as a ‘True Australian Leader’, the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the ‘People that Defined 2019′, he was the recipient of the 2020 NSW Government Humanitarian Award for his work with sport and human rights, an Australian Human Rights Commission Medal finalist, was awarded the Australian Muslim Council 2020 Abyssinian Medal and was a finalist for the NSW 2021 Australian of the Year.

In 2021, Craig became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours List which he ded

Negotiating is part of our every day – from business deals to romantic relationships, we all need to be able to create outcomes that work well. Hopefully meeting our needs and those of others who we may work, transact, live and socialise with.

My guest today Simon Russell is the founder and Director of Behavioural Finance Australia (BFA). At BFA he provides specialist behavioural finance training & consulting. His services are designed to improve financial decision-making, communication, and engagement. He mostly works with fund managers, major super funds, financial advisers and other financial services professionals.

Simon is at the forefront of how behavioural finance research can be applied to improve financial decisions and outcomes. His own research has demonstrated the efficacy of a number of relatively simple psychological strategies – such as how changing the order that investment returns are presented can help investors make better long-term decisions, how ‘anchors’ can impact perceptions about the value of financial advice, and how category labels and graph axes can influence investment choices and risk perceptions.

Simon is the author of three books on behavioural finance: Behavioural Finance - A guide for financial advisers, Applying Behavioural Finance in Australia and Cyborg, and is currently writing his fourth: Behavioural Finance - A guide for listed equities teams. He is a regular speaker on behavioural finance and financial decision-making at industry and academic conferences.

Simon holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) & Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) both from the University of Adelaide, Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investments from the Securities Institute of Australia, Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Diploma of Financial Planning from MLC Advice Education and a Graduate Certificate in Management from the Australian Institute of Management.

Hear from Simon on:

1. Why is negotiation so important and how can we get better at it?
2. What is the #1 mistake most organisations make when it comes to addressing deeply ingrained issues with the way their leaders negotiate and how do you go about remedying this?
3. Most businesses want action that generates higher returns, to lower risks, and winning as well as retaining more clients. However, when they are doing well enough with the status quo how do you advise they improve to future-proof their entities?
4. What is anchoring about – how does it work in action?
5. Has Covid and more widespread remote operating for most businesses changed what works best when it comes to negotiating? Explain with a case study or example, please.

To connect with Simon:

LinkedIn: (5) Simon Russell | LinkedIn

W: Home - Behavioural Finance Australia

Emotional Intelligence has been talked about for a few decades now. It is for many, more important than IQ to succeed and feel connected, fulfilled, and thriving in business or personal pursuits.

Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is defined as the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

Nikk is a born leader and entrepreneur and is in demand as Australia’s leading expert in Scalable Emotional Intelligence Frameworks. Her hyper-logical approach to emotional intelligence has led to ground-breaking insights and delightfully practical applications. She has created world-leading EQ training programmes that show leaders and their teams how to synergistically combine IQ and EQ in order to take themselves to extreme heights in both their business and personal lives.

Her business InspireTribe provides strategic and insightful mentoring, coaching, and training that uncovers the unconscious limiting patterns of individuals who are seeking to be successful.

This episode covers off:

1. What is EQ really about and why does it matter?
2. What is the biggest error people make when it comes to harnessing their EQ and what can we do to help overcome this?
3. What is your Scalable Emotional Intelligence Framework able to do for people, and how to operate it?
4. Conflict is part of life and workplaces especially – what does an EQ mindset do to help overcome conflicts more easily?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of EQ?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (9) Nikk Hughes | LinkedIn

W:

https://www.inspiretribe.com.au/

Most of us know that Vitamin D is important to our health. Many of us stuck inside offices are actually deficient in Vitamin D, which in a nation where skin cancer is still a major issue, seems ironic.

Meet Mathew Collett. He is CEO, director, and co-founder of Solar-D, a Sydney-based company reframing how we experience SPF in the form of revolutionary sunscreens. Growing up on Sydney’s iconic coastline Mathew enveloped himself in a beachside lifestyle and the Emerald City’s outdoor culture from a very early age - starting as a young nipper (junior surf lifesaver) on the famous sands of Bondi Beach and later on taking up an array of sports including cricket, rugby and his passion for surfing.

Growing up in Bondi, where Solar D Derma Tech’s life began, Mat has instilled his active lifestyle and passion for outdoor activities to his three teenage kids who spend any spare moment following in their father’s footsteps by taking on water sports, surfing, team sports and becoming volunteer Surf Life Savers at the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Savers Club.

Solar D Derma Tech is hailed as the biggest development in SPF technology in over 50 years, the technology is formulated to allow through more of the UVB light that our bodies use to naturally produce Vitamin D, whilst still offering broad SPF protection. After securing patents in territories all around the world, Mat began to build the Solar D brand, spending the last several years re-educating and shifting the public mindset toward using the new sunscreen which benefits from the Activated Vitamin D SPF Technology, while continuing the overall importance of a ‘slip slop slap’ mentality.

Mathew has over 30 years of experience across startups, Banking, Corporate Advisory, FMCG, and Business Development. Mathew spent over 20 years in corporate banking and financial markets where he developed a key understanding of financial instruments, business management, and client relationships. Mathew was a former Director at JBWere (now Goldman Sachs Australia) and Managing Director of ICAP Australia where he specialized in fixed income, private equity, venture capital investments, and corporate advisory for early-stage business across multiple sectors.

He was also co-founder of Australia’s oldest and largest Lime Farm, Lime Grove, which created a large range of Lime-based FMCG products which sold over 75% through Australia’s largest grocery chain, Woolworth’s. Prior to Solar D, he helped fund, build and commercialize Cocoon Data (now Covata), a data security company now listed on the ASX (CVT).

1. Why solar in terms of your business focus? What do you like about this business most?
2. How do we safely use sunscreen and still keep producing a natural level of Vitamin D? Explain why this is so important.
3. What is a “vitamin D promoting SPF technology” about and what should we all understand it to mean in terms of products?
4. Why do we need more of the “good Vitamin D” and has your business found differences globally given different climates and environmental conditions for people?
5. Who have been your greatest mentors (1 or 2) and what has made them have such an impact in your life
6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Solar?

For more about Mathew:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-collett-728b6012/

W:

http://www.solar-d.com/