Gloss august 2013 by GLOSS MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2013 ISSUE

Founder Janine Garner | janine@littleblackdressgroup.com.au EDITORIAL Managing Editor Kate Stone| kate@glossmagazine.com.au Contributing Editors Helen Treloar Nikki Fogden-Moore Melissa Browne Guest Writers Alicia Beachley Courtney Brown Fiona Craig Margaret Jolly Catriona Pollard Kelly Slessor ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES ads@glossmagazine.com.au EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@glossmagazine.com.au Published By: LBDG littleblackdressgroup.com.au MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES AND FEEDBACK www.littleblackdressgroup.com.au info@glossmagazine.com.au ÂŠ LBDG 2013 All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of LBDG is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this online magazine at time of going to press, and we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors.

The Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation invites you to

Our annual gala fundraising event to help support girls and women across Australia dare to dream, pursue their passion and aspire to achieve. Chris Bath as MC Darren Percival Performs Live Comedy Magician and Entertainer Matt Hollywood Exclusive and Unique Auction Items Enjoy Dancing to Sydney Party Band ‘Superstitious’ Meet our Inspiring 2013 Grant Recipients When: Friday 6th September 7pm for 7:30pm Where: The Ivy Ballroom, Level 1, 320 George St, Sydney Cost: $250 per ticket or $2,500 for a table of ten Dress: Touch of 1920’s Glamour Please return your reservation form to the Aim for the Stars office no later than 23rd August 2013 to: Mail: PO Box 666, Forestville NSW 2087 Email: info@aimforthestars.com.au General enquiries – phone: 0422 600 733 All proceeds go directly to the Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation

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A Message From Me

Hi all, This issue is all about marketing - marketing yourself, marketing your brand, marketing in general. So many people underestimate the power of marketing when it comes to their brand, and they particularly underestimate the fundamentals of Marketing 101 - get the foundations in place before you start worrying about the peripherals. I have spent my whole career rebuilding and rejuvenating brands, and the fundamentals are absolutely essential to scaling and leveraging businesses. It doesn’t matter the size of your budget; it’s about your focus and your drive and commitment. In other words, get a business plan ready before you start designing your business cards. Thank you to our guest writers for their wonderful insights. To have such a range of knowledge - from PR, to mobile marketing, to advertising, to career coaching - is an absolute gift, and I so appreciate your knowledge. This month’s Q&A was particularly frank and illuminating, with LBDG members showing how passionately they feel about the current political climate and the ways in which it is impacting on Australian business - and Australian businesswomen. The debate continues on equity within the workplace, but as I mentioned (strongly) in a recent blog, when do we stop talking and start walking? Food for thought when it comes to integrity in your brand. A massive shout out to Creel Price for his generosity towards First Seeds - check out his offer to LBDG members in this month’s issue! Don’t forget to Connect. Inspire. Succeed. After all, that’s what women do.

If you would like to write for GLOSS, or are interested in advertising with us, please contact us via editorial@glossmagazine.com.au

Contents THE LEADING EDGE

MONEY TALKS

BODY & SOUL

Our fearless leader gives her rundown on this month’s issue and what is happening in the world of LBDG

Find out more about our regular columnists and the expertise that they bring to GLOSS every month.

What’s on this month’s LBD schedule...

Kelly Slessor explains why mobile is so important to your marketing strategy - now.

Helen Treloar explores how a fear of failing can inhibit the path to success

Melissa Browne talks running - and keeping your wallet healthy as well

A Message From Me

Back To The (Mobile) Future

Contributing Editors/Writers

The Leading Edge

Events Calendar

Money Talks

Q&A

NEWS & REVIEWS

LOIS LANE LIVES

Catriona Pollard examines the effect influence has in and on business - and how to use it effectively in marketing strategies.

Fiona Craig sets a skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the lmit budget - the product? YOU. Marketing yourself - your businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most valuable asset.

Alicia Beachley gives some excellent advice on how to minimalise risk when you are running promotional campaigns

Nikki Fogden-Moore has experienced some serious pain but tells how being fit saved her life

Government, business and women Courtney Brown and MargaretJolly answer some big questions.

Managing Editor, Kate Stone, discusses her thoughts on what brand integrity means.

Why Influence Matters

Body & Soul

Selling Up

Q&A

How Not To Promote Risk

Lois Lane Lives

Contributing Editors

Helen Treloar

Nikki Fogden-Moore

Melissa Browne

Helen is a small business owner, coach, trainer, mentor and keynote speaker who utilizes her proven experience in business and qualifications in Life/Business Advanced Coaching, Master Practitioner of NLP, Timeline Therapy, Matrix Therapy, Training and Public Speaking to enable others to live life on their own terms.

Nikki Fogden-Moore is all about practicing what she preaches – and what she preaches is balance. Balance between work, home and maintaining your personal best.

Melissa Browne is an author, entrepreneur, business owner, and shoe & jumpsuit lover.

Working with individuals, teams and organizations, Helen transforms mindset and results for those who are committed to change. With a successful history as a CEO of 3 companies and product innovation expertise in school backpacks, she left corporate to commit herself to fulfilling her own vision of success in 2010. Specializing in executive transitional coaching, small business development and leadership training, in addition to general life coaching, Helen’s passion is to enable others. Helen is also the Founder and MD of FMC Leadership Academy for kids. FMCLA bring kids from 7 to 15 and beyond together to learn how to develop their own self-esteem, confidence, compassion and courage. “By owning our own thoughts, emotions, choices and behaviour, we own our results and our non results. Our future is on our own hands.” forwardmomentum.com.au fmcleadershipacademy.com.au

She uses nature as her playground – and wants all LBDG members to do the same. “Ultimately health, vitality and getting the most out of life do not have to be last on the list. It’s about finding the best information, tools and support that suit your own goals and needs. We are here to inspire, educate and help people stay motivated, with practical tools and information enabling them to make the best decisions for long term health and wellness – My motto: CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT” The owner of Life’s A Gym, Nikki is a motivational speaker, trainer and all round powerhouse who will help you to bring your body and soul together. Connect with her on twitter @nfogdenmoore or visit lifesagym.com.au

She has two successful, awardwinning businesses - Accounting and Taxation Advantage & Business Advantage Coaching and is the author of the recently published to rave reviews business book, More Money for Shoes. Being an accountant, she understands the numbers but as an entrepreneur understands that numbers are only part of the story. She knows what it takes to achieve results that defy the trends and create incredibly robust, successful businesses . She is a tax expert with a particular passion for seeing small business owners develop profitable, successful businesses. A regular contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald, find Melissa on twitter at @melbrowne_ or visit acctaxadv.com.au

Guest Writers

Alicia Beachley Location: Sydney Business: April5 alicia@april5.com.au april5.com.au

Courtney Brown Location: Brisbane Business: QIP Consulting cbrown@qipconsultingcom. au qipconsulting.com.au

Fiona Craig Location: Brisbane Business: Fiona Craig fiona@fionacraig.com.au fionacraig.com.au

Margaret Jolly Location: Brisbane Business: Margaret Jolly Consulting consulting@margaretjolly.com. au margaretjolly.com.au

Catriona Pollard Location: Sydney Business: CP Communications catriona@ cpcommunications.com.au cpcommunications.com.au

Kelly Slessor Location: Sydney Business: BanterMob kelly@bantermob.com.au bantermob.com.au

Events WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

AUGUST

01 06

CANBERRA

EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

13 BRISBANE

BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASS EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

MELBOURNE

BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASS EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

27 SYDNEY

BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASS EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES

Calendar FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

“We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right.” - Nelson Mandela

Why Influence Matters

Catriona Pollard

Influence is highly sought after, frequently debated and more often than not misunderstood. Influence is the ability of an individual or organisation to affect the emotions, behaviours or opinions of others. Genuine influence is not about spin; rather it is about building trust, authority and credibility in an ethical and transparent way. In the public relations industry, influence is our currency. It is our job to build our clients as influencers and thought leaders, and influence their key stakeholders, including the media. By building your business’ influence, you can ensure your brand stays top of mind for your target audience. Targeted Influence: It is easy to be swept up in the appeal of extending our influence far and wide. The range of online tools which attempt to measure influence can actually distract from achieving genuine influence in lieu of reach. It is important to remember it is not your job to influence everyone; rather you should be focussing on your

target audience. While reach is important, it shouldn’t be prioritised over connecting with the right people. Influence grows organically over time; it cannot be achieved through a hard sales message. To gain influence, your business must connect with your target audience based on a foundation of trust and credibility. By nurturing your business’ influence you can better support your marketing efforts and amplify your exposure significantly. This is why public relations is such a crucial part of the marketing mix. To grow influence, there are four key areas public relations focuses on; positioning, relationship building, reputation management and storytelling. Positioning: Enhancing your influence relies upon building credibility in a specific area. In public relations we refer to this as positioning. Through creating a unique brand identity and carving out a niche area of expertise, public relations can position your business and its

people as experts.

improve upon that reputation.

Sound positioning gives your business the opportunity to delve into thought leadership which is a vehicle for building influence. Thought leadership refers to the spread of credible and persuasive ideas and opinions in a specific area. By becoming a thought leader in your space you immediately gain influence.

Story Telling:

Relationship Building:

Public relations practitioners are story tellers. It is their job to uncover and create great stories and share these with the public. Great communication and storytelling build credibility and influence.

Stories delivered via public relations channels such as the media, social media, speaking or blogging By building and maintaining positive relationships tend to be favoured by consumers over marketing or with target audiences including customers, media, advertising messages. These channels are by nature employees, shareholders and other stakeholders, influential, so by simply entering the public relations public relations can grow a business’ influence and space, your business has a better chance of being add weight and credibility to other marketing efforts. considered influential. To build relationships, a business must engage its audiences in conversation, deliver value and be open Gaining influence doesn’t need to be an elusive and responsive. exercise. By adopting a strategic public relations strategy which positions your business well, builds With the advent of social media, it has become much relationships, tells great stories and enhances your easier for businesses to directly engage with their business’ reputation, your business can become a key customers, participate in conversation and share influencer amongst those that count. valuable content. Social media is built on the power of relationships and hence, is a powerful tool for businesses looking to connect with their audience. Traditional media also presents an opportunity for businesses to build their status as experts through third party endorsement and cultivate relationships based on this expertise. Reputation Management: Reputation can cause businesses to rise and fall. In order to be considered influential, your business must have an excellent reputation. If your reputation is poor, you will lose credibility and respect, which naturally leads to a decline in customers. Closely tied to relationship building, reputation management establishes your authority and reliability with your target audience which provides a sound foundation for maintaining relationships. Managing your brand’s reputation means rebuilding following reputation damage, but it also means proactively taking efforts to maintain a positive reputationthroughthoughtleadershipandpositioning. When competing against several other savvy brands, it is essential that you consistently reflect on how your business is perceived and how you can maintain or

Selling UP Fiona Craig

Department: Marketing Yourself Budget: UNLIMITED “Sell myself”. “Indulge in shameless self-promotion”. “Push for what I want”. “Be aggressive about going after what I want”. “Climb the corporate ladder”. These phrases are just a sample of many I hear from the mouths of my female clients. And most of them are usually preceded by the words “I’m just not the type of woman to…”

You might have heard this called ‘Personal Branding’. It’s one of the latest buzzwords in career development right now. And for good reason. With the rise of LinkedIn and social networking, our professional profiles are more prolific and prominent than ever before. Our opportunities for self-promotion (positive and negative) are greater than ever at any other time in history. LinkedIn is widely tipped to be as big, if not bigger than Facebook, and with over 200 million users, who are we to argue?

We are also in a highly competitive career market. With influences such as an increasing number of services being There are many clients who come to me with serious pre- globally outsourced and a tough economy, it is more conceptions about what “type” of professional woman important than ever that you are able to take control of you have to be to get ahead in your career. The truth, and your own career destiny and not become a casualty of war. the good news, is that there is no such thing as a TYPE One of the best ways to do that is to learn how to market of successful woman (or man for that matter). There are yourself more successfully. however many traits and behavior that successful people exhibit, and these are all things that we can learn too. Now the best news of all is that, unlike a multi-national corporation, you don’t need a multi-million dollar budget There are multiple articles on the traits of successful people to be able to market yourself effectively at work. and what I want to talk about here is one of the most important traits they all have - they know how to market Here are 4 things you can do to increase your star power themselves. at work and ensure your career is a currency that allows

you to do what you want with your life. 1. Understand What YOU Want

understands that you have to understand the product you are marketing, and the benefits it will bring to its end user. Let’s think about that in the context of marketing yourself. If you don't know what motivates you, how can you expect your manager to know?

The pressures and expectations of family, peers and society often result in many of us following careers and, ultimately, living lives that we don’t even really want. Many of us are If you don't know what you are really good at, how can not even aware of what we do want and what will make us you expect anyone else to know? happy. See my recent blog on this topic. If you don't know what you truly love doing, how can you The very first thing I therefore suggest you do as Head of expect to be able to do more of that, and less of the things Department - Marketing Yourself, is work out exactly what you don't love doing? you want from your career. My clients know I bang on about this point obsessively – in Ask yourself these questions: short, you absolutely have to understand yourself better to be able to perform at your best, and market yourself in a • Am I generally happy to go to, and be at, work way that you want to be seen. most of the time? • Do I work with people who inspire me to be and How do you do that? Here are 3 suggestions to get you do better? started: • Do I feel like I am growing professionally and personally as a result of my career? • Work with a coach or mentor to highlight your key • Am I given the opportunity to use my strengths strengths and natural talents every day? • Learn about your communication style through behavioural profiling – a fantastic tool to help you Once you have answered these, you should be in a better understand yourself and others, better position to decide whether your chosen career path is • Be honest about the areas you love at work: create actually the right one for you. a simple Love and Loathes list and look for the patterns of what you love doing and don't love doing. Then you can ask questions such as: This will help you delegate what you can, and do more of what you really love. There is a strong correlation • Where do I want to be in 5 years time? between what we love, and what we are good at. • What do I need to do in the next 12 months, to help me get there? If you’d like a simple Love and Loathe exercise, please email • How do I really want to be perceived in my role? me at fiona@fionacraig.com.au • What do I need to do differently to make sure I actually move forward the way I want to? Once you have done all of this, you will be in a much better to understand who and what (ie YOU!) you are If you feel you are on the right path, work out where you actually marketing and create a knock-out strategy to get want to go next. The same industry but different position? the best bang for your personal marketing buck. A promotion within your existing company? Moving off and setting up your own business in the same field? 3. Create a Personal Marketing Plan If you realise you are actually at a career crossroads then you have some decisions to make about your future. And Marketing Yourself takes on a different meaning if you are actually going to be reviewing your options and looking for a new career path.

If you look after a team and have P + L responsibilities, the chances are you have to create a business plan and in some cases you may also be responsible for a marketing plan for your part of the business too.

So surely it makes sense to create a personal marketing 2. Understand What Makes You YOU plan for yourself while you are at it. Here are some suggestions on how to make a Personal Marketing plan “Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have work for you. rubbed off some of the originality.” - Beatrix Potter Anyone who knows even a tiny bit about marketing

• • • •

Work with a 6 or 12 month plan, then break it into 90 day periods Have a theme for each 90 days such as “New Connections” or “Increase Visibility”. Each activity in the 90 days should be directed at the chosen theme. For example with a theme of “New Connections” you might include a target of the number of networking events or meetings you will have, and list what those will be (with dates); or you might include the number of new connections you will make on LinkedIn. Like any form of goal setting, your actions should be achievable and measureable.

4. Take Action! Now that you understand where you want to go in your career; you know yourself and what you are marketing; and you have a plan to do it, the next part is the really crucial element. You must take ACTION! We’ve all written strategies and plans that gather dust in the great drawer of life. This one is different in that you, and only you, can make this plan work. Yes you can engage and persuade others to help you along the way, but ultimately your marketing success relies on you and the consistent actions you take. Start small. Do one thing today that will move you forward tomorrow. You are in control of your own personal brand, what people think of you, and your career success. And, as the great Don Draper said in Mad Men “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”

How Not To Promote Risk Alicia Beachley

Research shows that around one in every eight promotions fail. While this is a significant number, it doesn’t take much to make them successful, so if you are thinking of running a promotion as part of your overall brand activation strategy, these are my 4 key tips for mitigating risk and helping to make your marketing strategies a success. Research the concept: Research can be expensive, however, if you are about to invest a substantial amount of money on a campaign and/or you have a couple of concepts you like but are not sure as to which will work best, research can show you the way. There are companies that specialise in testing promotional concepts or you can do online polls and/or conduct research groups to gain valuable feedback. Doing this takes the emotion and “gut feel” out of it and brings in the all-important science.

Get the science right: Speaking of science and research, there has been extensive work done on promotional mechanics, entry method structures, prize structures and offerings and the like. Utilising these insights enables us to formulate promotions that have a greater chance of being successful every time. We know that three prizes are better than one, however, there is no real difference between three and five prizes. Instant win for our instant society will achieve a much better take up promotionally, but one of the worst things you can do is run a 25 words or less promotion as your participation rate can drop off by 75%. Keep in mind that several small prizes spread through the promotional period are more aspirational than one large prize at the end of the promotion. Insure against over redemption: Be sure to insure the chance to win. Have you ever wanted to know how companies give away a chance to win $1,000,000? It's all in the probability stats. The higher the probability, the higher the insurance, but it is still an extremely cost effective way to make the promotion 'big'. Insurance works particularly well with a gift with purchase. It caps your outlay, which means you will never find yourself over budget if the gift over redeems. Test a market: Not ready to go all out, simply look at the option of starting small and testing in a state or region. Get it right and then roll it out. Some of the best concepts have started in one state or store. This works particularly well if the promotion is scalable, start small and then build it up to roll out nationally once you are happy with it. As well as these pointers, always keep in mind that promotions need Terms and Conditions and chance to win promotions also need legal permits, which must be displayed on promotional materials. They protect both the promoter and the agency. The Terms and Conditions are a contract and once finalised cannot be changed or altered without alerting the relevant permit authorities. Terms and Conditions should include a clause that refers to any changes to the prize not being permitted unless the promoter gives consent and it is in writing and agreed by both parties. Remember, not transferable or exchangeable for cash means exactly that. Lastly, don't be afraid of trying something different in your promotional campaigns as it might just give you the edge over your competitor and help you achieve your brand objectives. If you have any questions or you would like to discuss these points further, by all means email me at Alicia@april5.com.au

Back To The (Mobile) Future Kelly Slessor

Australia has the third highest mobile penetration in the Retail Goes Mobile world, only marginally behind Japan and Korea, so some would argue the future is already here or that we should at In 2012, a global study of over 200 million shoppers least be leading it. on mobile commerce websites, aimed at determining “which nation most often shops on the go”, found that Although I think there is still an awful lot of work required Australians are the leaders with 47 per cent of all our traffic to embrace the present, there are certainly some big to commercial websites coming from mobile devices. With advances ahead. I’ll try and break these down into what I this sort of demand and consumer driven activity there is think are some of the most significant. no way that retailers can continue to lag behind. Currently 71% of people that visit your site and get a bad mobile Mobile Overtakes Desktop Internet by 2014 experience will go to a competitor - more and more organisations will experience the Borders effect! For anyone with a website, this means that more people will be accessing your products and services via a mobile Tiny Banners? What Are They? device than a desktop or laptop. So if your site is not mobile friendly, or mobile ‘responsive’, you are literally Mobile advertising will evolve into a format that is saying “I don’t want to serve you”. Google are placing more engaging, contextual and relevant. Once media much more emphasis and priority on mobilised sites so it agencies get their heads around the fact that mobile isn’t will not only be important for your existing clients but also about mass marketing - it’s about personal one to one from an SEO perspective and therefore potential clients. connections - and start listening to what consumers have been saying about mobile banners ads since day dot, they

will realise that there are much more effective ways to connect and engage with consumers other than a flashy banner that interrupts your screen, and hopefully takeovers (where an ad takes over your screen) will be an annoyance of the past. Quantified Self Mobile and wearable devices have given us the ability to measure pretty much everything we do. We measure how fast we run, what we eat; even how much we sleep. Some insurance companies are now using this data to calculate life insurance premiums. The growth of wearable devices and our obsession with measuring ourselves will continue on a faster curve than can be easily measured. Location Based Marketing This is something we have talked about for a while. The problem so far is that location based services or marketing is pretty clunky. We have been focussed predominantly on the technology and not the consumer experience. In addition to this LBS doesn’t really work that well indoors. Our current perception of location based marketing is that when you walk past a fast food restaurant, I send you a message saying get a free burger with your coffee. For a small minority that could work but it’s not really that sophisticated. Imagine instead if you had a shopping list app and on it you had entered tea tree oil

and then next time you walked past a chemist you were sent a ping or a reminder to pop in and buy your tea tree oil – that’s so much more powerful, contextual and relevant than an uninvited message about a burger. Especially when you may or may not be a burger eater! Mobile Payments The jury is still out on this one and there is no one clear leader, but PayPal are certainly leading the payment war through multiple channels. This month the company has expanded payment program which now allows consumers to pay for goods at cafes, shops and bars using their existing PayPal account, and a mobile application. A 2012 study by Paypal found that on average mobile shoppers spend more; online shoppers spent on average $500 online, while Australian mobile shoppers spent on average approximately $1,275 - more than twice as much and a 26% increase over the previous year. Frequently, they use their devices for research, completing their purchase later on a desktop or laptop. So there you have it. The future may be, to paraphrase Shakespeare, a different country - but mobile is here and now, so why not take advantage of the present and jump-start your mobile marketing? Your future business self will thank you.

The Leading Edge: SUCCESS Helen Treloar

Could you be afraid of success? Have you ever contemplated this question? There is so much talk about ‘the fear of failure’. Failure is something that is more constant in life than you might think. Failure “the neglect or omission of expected or required action: their failure to comply with the basic rules...” Online Oxford Dictionaries.

We constantly beak rules, miss the steps and cut corners. If this is failure... BRING IT ON! Fear of failure in primitive terms, keeps us safe. If we fail to look before we cross we might get hit by a truck. Thing is, the amygdala, that is responsible for where memories are stored and which emotions are attached to the memory can be misdirected. One persons pain is another’s pleasure. To get an answer wrong in front of a Grade 1 Class can be learning for one and humiliation for another. The humiliation turns into “I failed” and “I failed” turns into “I am frightened of speaking in front of people”. This gets stored in the amygdala and becomes part of the identity. Like any good weed, it grows and spreads its roots and can filter into “I don’t have a voice that is worth listening to”. The fear of failure in this metaphor (which I will add is a real-life scenario), saying something that is wrong and feeling humiliated. This person now fades into the background and gives all of their personal power away. They create the story that they are worthless and their opinions are not valued. So if fear of failure is linked to avoidance of pain, what is fear of success linked to?

All of this can be (and is usually) happening on a subconscious level. Bringing your own truths and realities to your conscious awareness puts you in a position of choice. Choice is powerful. (It has been said that one definition of depression is the illusion of lack of choice.) To stand in your own personal light of success, be sure that the vision and story you have attached to your success is clear, positive, ecological and vibrant. Know what success on your own terms really means. In my opinion there is no single definition of success, and success itself is a construct. Some say financial freedom is success and others say health and well being is success and so it goes... No one is right and no one is wrong, each has their own version of reality. Take some time and identify the times in your own life where you experienced intense emotions (good and bad). Note the events attached to those emotions. Note the story you have attached to each memory. Let your mind wander and go with the story that comes to mind. You may be surprised by what you hear!

Where you find you have attached a story that limits you and keeps you small and walking away from success, change the story and create new, empowering emotions Well, it’s actually the same link. Success is not something to attach to it. Example: ‘When I am not certain I feel that everyone has learned to accept. anxiety’ becomes ‘when I am not certain it’s time to learn something new with excitement and child-like curiosity’. Let’s put the Grade 1 child at the front of the class and change the outcome to getting the answer right. The Go boldly towards your future with your own version of teacher utilises the event to showcase how those who success. succeed and work hard to get things right are doing better than others. The child stands at the front of the Life is not a dress rehearsal. Make every day count. class whilst listening to this and noting the negative facial reactions from the class. At recess the peer group make Warmest regards, snide remarks to the child about being teachers pet and smarty pants. The child, who is usually everyone’s Helen friend, now feels isolated and sad. The neurological link of success to pain is created. Depending upon the intensity of pain attached to the event (memory) will be the forward reaction to similar events. This now may become a key motivator. The person may move TOWARDS situations where they can blend into the background and play key supporting roles to feel included and safe or move AWAY FROM situations where they can stand out and be noticed and ridiculed. Either way, the end result will be the same. Mediocrity. The person can make ‘getting it right’ mean success. The personal story may become “I am not a success and I don’t want to be,” Success is now a factor in decision making. It will be avoided.

Money Talks: Become Financially Fit Melissa Browne

A few months ago now I ran my first long distance race. Granted it was a girls-only 10km night fun run but it was the first step in my plan to becoming physically fit. Before I entered the race, my exercise regime was almost non-existent because I am incredibly busy (like most people) and so I kept putting it off. The problem is, my health was suffering and my clothes were becoming tighter.

Two very good reasons to start exercising. The race became my excuse to exercise because I couldn’t face either not finishing it or running too far behind a half-marathonrunning colleague who I’d also convinced to enter.

motivated. You may find that you have car repairs or you might fall into temptation when you go window shopping. Don’t throw in the towel, just work out what you need to do in order to meet your goals still and keep going.

I think you need to have the same sort of motivation to become financially fit. What do I mean by that? Well, financially fit might mean different things to different people but essentially it should mean you can pay your credit cards in full each month, you have savings in the bank for at least a month worth of expenses, you are contributing extra to super, you have an investment plan and are starting to build wealth through assets.

5. Celebrate.

The problem with most of our finances though is the same problem that happens to our waistlines. They’re simply not what they should be and we’re not really sure where to start in order to get back on track. So how do you start becoming financially fit? 1. Set a goal. It wasn’t until I nominated a race that I was committed to my exercise plan. The same goes for your finances. Whether it is saving for retirement, paying off your credit cards, a deposit for your first house or starting to invest – it’s much easier to work towards something if you know what you are working towards and the time limit you have set yourself to get there. 2. Make a plan. Once you’ve set a goal you need to work out how you are going to get there. With my race, I needed to work out how many times a week I was going to train and the type of training I was going to do. It’s the same for your finances. Work out how much you need to reach your goal, where it is going to come from and how much you need to put aside each week. 3. Be prepared to sacrifice. Did I enjoy blisters, cramps and running some nights when I would really prefer to sit in front of the TV? No way. Becoming financially fit might mean you need to bring your lunch in to work a few times a week, see one less movie a month, go to the park instead of the gym or cut down on your shoe purchases. Work out what you can do without, prioritise the rest and keep your eye on the goal you set yourself. 4. Be prepared for setbacks. Eight days before my race I ended up with large blisters on the bottom of my feet which meant I couldn’t run so I had to work out other ways to move my body and keep

If your goal was to pay off your credit cards maybe don’t celebrate with a shopping spree but make sure you acknowledge that you achieved your goal. 6. Start the process again. Once I completed my 10km run I immediately looked for the next challenge, which will be a half-marathon in the next 12 months. Once you’ve achieved your first goal in becoming financially fit, pat yourself on the back and then set your next goal. Now, what I didn’t mention is that in-between when I completed my 10km race and today, my exercise regime has completely dried up. I’m talking zilch, zero, nada exercise for almost three months. Between the death of a family member, pneumonia and trying to keep working through it all the one thing that completely fell by the wayside has been exercise. At the moment it would be such an easy decision to give up my goal of running a half-marathon within 12 months and find something else to do instead. So incredibly easy. However, rather than be defeated that all my training has been lost and deciding to sit on the couch and eat chips, my plan is to start this weekend with a gentle run and begin to build up to the 10kms again within 10 weeks. The same is true for your finances. The one guarantee in life is that there will be surprises and your finances are no exception. The trick after you’ve had an unintended spending binge, your car has broken down and needed expensive repairs or you’ve paid out thousands in medical bills is to dust yourself off, take a deep breath and start again. It’s the starting again that’s the important bit. Kind of like my decision not to sit on the couch and eat chips and start moving again. My reward to become physically fit will be more energy, less stress and being able to keep what is in my wardrobe for years to come. Your reward to become financially fit will be financial independence, security, stability, options and a comfortable retirement. Now I don’t know about you but I think both of those goals and the rewards (financial and physical) are worth striving for.

Body & Soul: When Disaster Strikes Nikki Fogden-Moore

A healthy lifestyle is vital for living your best life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially when the unforeseeable happens. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my intention to test all island medical facilities on a remote resort in Fiji last week - but I certainly gave it my best shot!

Tuesday 9th July started off with the best morning in paradise – sunrise stretching then kite surfing with one the industry’s best surfers, crystal clear turquoise water and a group of incredible people on our own private island for Lifestyle Week. Pete Evans was cooking, Trevor Hendy and Ben Wilson were coaching, pro photographer Stu Gibson was capturing the days and I was there as the Vitality Coach. We had a wonderful group of guests. It couldn’t get much better. Luck changed within the hour that day. We were all getting sea lice bites that week, due to a particular current that was running close to the island, but while kite surfing I was stung by a huge number of those and more importantly, one big sting by a form of jellyfish. I always react to bites so knew I was in some kind of trouble, however I had no idea that something more sinister was at work. Getting myself back to the beach I noticed a severe reaction to the bites and said to Trev that I was having an allergic response, plus that something had stung me, but “not to worry” I would be fine. I put feeling off balance and blurry vision down to the amount of bites and that I get allergic reactions. Trev was not so convinced and helped me up the beach. Within 15 minutes I knew it was not a normal reaction. Lifeguard Dan organised a super hot shower and the usual first aid treatment for standard marine stings; we thought that the worst was over. Then after 45 minutes I started to feel bouts of extreme pain, nausea and then lost consciousness. The sea lice bites created a smokescreen as to what else was going on with the jellyfish sting. I’d been stung by a form of box jellyfish or irukandji jellyfish with a long stinger. This nasty marine stinger was already busy releasing neurotoxins into my system and working it’s magic. The tips of my fingers went numb and then the next level of pain kicked in. It sped up my heart rate, caused blurry vision again and made it difficult to speak. During a pro surf contest Taj’s trainer Johnny Gannon was stung earlier that month, he described the pain as extreme and “as if he was dying” . It was quickly apparent to those looking on that things were going downhill fast. Also confusing, was whether or not I was having an anaphylactic response. Everything was happening at once. Without the professional care and attention of quick thinking lifeguards, our crew and a surgeon on the neighbouring island, I might not be writing about this experience. I was in a life or death situation. The team had arranged a boat to take me to the next island, with a visiting surgeon onsite that could treat the more serious effects.

I’m a fit and healthy individual and still the results were alarming. Within 1 hour my nervous system was being attacked with neurotoxins, starting a fight with my body resulting in more than a 4hour ordeal; ranging from loss of consciousness, light pulse, extreme pain, and 3 hours of convulsions. It took 3.5 hours, 4 injections (steroid, adrenaline, pain killer and antihistamine), 2lt of intravenous saline and plenty of support for the convulsions and blackouts to cease and to be stabilised. The doctor said later that it was equivalent to me running a marathon. It certainly felt like it the next day. The morning after my body felt as if a bus had hit me. Incredibly sore muscles, joints, kidneys, puffy eyes and feeling flattened from the inside out. However – I was up, walking around and recovering at lightening speed. Remarkable. Within 2 days I was back with Trev taking the morning stretches and starting to get my energy levels recalibrated. The experience has reinforced many benefits to stay fit and healthy. Without a healthy body I would not have withstood and recovered as quickly and fully. The cardio trauma can cause cardiac arrest. Why is this story important? Accidents happen, unforeseen circumstances occur that test your mind and body. Your current state of health can determine how well you react and how well you recover. Being fit and healthy is vital for a life of wellness, before vanity about looks or what’s on the outside. It’s the health on the inside that is key to disease prevention, dealing with illness, injury and enabling recovery and regeneration. It’s the ability to bounce back, to react the medical care and for your body to deal with extreme levels of stress and trauma that should not be underestimated. This requires functional health - the importance of good cardio, muscular and cellular activity. If someone is overweight or if their body is not in good condition, effects of an anaphylactic reaction or poison to your system can lead to other complications – especially how your heart deals with the shock to your nervous system and vitals. This is also the same for illnesses and other injuries.

Being healthy gave me the mental fortitude to fight through the pain, to work through the process and to recover quickly from a near fatal experience. It saved my life. How can you ensure your body is healthy on the inside? • Plenty of cardio exercises that provides a combination of low, moderate and higher intensity heart rates to strengthen your heart

average and you can be more susceptible to extreme reactions. Please check with your doctor. If you are travelling somewhere exotic then make sure you let the staff know of your allergies or at least write this information down and keep it near your travel documents or passport. Sometimes you may have no idea, so always keep fit and healthy so you can bounce back when things go wrong.

•

Limit medications, stimulants and toxins including oxidant rich foods that are fried or processed

Wellness is not only a state of mind but it’s a state of being. It’s an approach that looks at 360-health – for looking as well as feeling fantastic. Take time to nurture your health, to get to know your body and to ensure you are fit and healthy on the inside.

•

Work on flexibility and strength combined. Body weight workouts, muscular awareness and healthy ligaments and joints are all part of overall wellness

Special thanks to Scotty, Dan, Aaron, Mandy & Scotty, Ben, Jimmy, Adam, Owen, Sasha and the doctor that helped get me through everything last week.

•

Be conscious of the importance of breath. I used breathing I learned in yoga to help deal with the extreme pain from the jellyfish sting, to try to calm my body during the more stressful episodes when the neurotoxins were kicking in.

I hope this story inspires you to think about being healthy for more reasons that looking great on the outside – but a long happy and vital life. I got to “rescue” them on Friday.

When you’re stung by anything with a venom or toxin you don’t want to speed up, to panic and move too much – the more you do this the quicker the poison can move through your system.

Note: The jelly fish sting was analysed earlier that month after a pro surf contest and determined as a form of poisonous Irukandji

•

A note on allergies: If you have food allergies or experience allergic reactions to insect bites/stings the chances are your levels of histamine are higher than

Credit: Picture Stu Gibson.

Quickness & Answer Kate Stone

With so many changes afoot in Federal government, impact on business is a day to day challenge. The change in novated lease terms is just the latest ‘what will happen next?’ moment. I asked two LBDG members from two very different sectors - health and consulting - what their thoughts were. Thank you Margaret Jolly and Courtney Brown for your frank and insightful answers.

Q: With the recent change of Prime Minister, what do you think this means for women in business in Australia? Do you think a change of government will bring good or bad change for working women?

From what I can gather policies are leaning toward encouraging flexibility within the working environment for women at appropriate levels of remuneration (which is a first in Australia) and about time.

Margaret: I don’t think the change in PM will mean anything for women in business- the only thing any businesspersonneedsiscertaintyonewayoranother and the only thing that will do that is for an election to be held as soon as possible. And please let us not have a hung Parliament again! In terms of change, I think the LNP’s proposed paid parental leave and promise to cut red tape for business are both positive. So far (at the time of writing) the new Rudd governmentisstilldealingwithmattersinternaltothe ALP, to prevent change in leadership.

Q: Do you feel that women in business in Australia are currently supported adequately by government?

Courtney: I believe that recently Federal Politics has shifted from policy discussion based on national and international interests to media sensationalization to create reaction within the polls. I am really looking forward to a turning point of acknowledgement to differentiate politicians not as an elite group but elected to represent the people and citizens of a democratic society and the representative of the Australian people. Business is experiencing a lack of confidence at present and for our organisation in particular the sooner the election occurs the sooner business and our macro-economics will reflect our nation moving forward regardless of who is elected. I believe a change in government will be refreshing for women in business.

Margaret: I am one of those people who think people should not always look to the government to solve problems or provide support. However, for working women and families with children, no the government is not doing enough in terms of affordable child care, and the availability of quality child care places. This is a societal, not a womens’ issue,aslasttimeIcheckedchildrenusuallyhavetwo parents. The only time we see child care discussed in the papers is with a photo of a woman with a baby on one hip, a phone under her ear and briefcase in the other hand. Do we ever see photos of men having to make that ‘juggle’? Courtney: I believe that Government have a role to play as a regulator in business but certainly are not an enforcer responsible for the culture change of Australian Business. Australian Business is making headway with a few changes that have been on the agenda for women for a while (paid maternity funding, return to work leniency to a certain extent) and I am looking forward to reflective meaningful policy and perhaps further legislative decisions as a result of state and federal government funding negotiations.

Q: What do you think could be done better by government – all parties are included in this - to support small business in Australia, and women in small business in particular? Margaret: As per my answer above, child care and its affordability needs to be addressed. We are losing too many talented women because financially it is just not worthwhile sometimes. I have never understood why child care, in whatever form it takes, cannot be tax deductible, even up to a certain, capped, amount (to do away with arguments of elitism for high income earners taking on nannies). If a golf club membership can be an ‘expense necessarily incurred’ in the gaining of income, then I fail to see why child care isn’t. Also, the recently announced budget changes to the tax deductibility of self education expenses needs to be reversed. Education and training is vital to everyone who runs their own business to stay up to date with their own field of expertise, and with technology, tax and business changes. Courtney: I am a huge supporter of collaboration and increasing meaningful partnerships between Government and Industry. The current climate means government do not have large budgets at their disposal and accountability (contestability) measures are increasing which is certainly a good thing for fiscal responsibility. Industry and SME’s may be in a position to provide solutions to government as well as contribute valuable business acumen to advise government who do not currently retain such skills as part of the public sector workforce. By working together through alliances and partnerships innovation and meaningful policy change can be created. Whilst perhaps seen as an idealistic view, have we ever had this national conversation? Small Business in particular could contribute to a number of different challenging government issues

and this invigorates both SME as well as government. Q: Are there any countries in your view that are making ground breaking strides to improve conditions for working women? Margaret: Sweden. Sweden provides up to 240 days of paid parental leave for fathers but it is also compulsory for fathers to take two months off work to be the primary carer of their child – and is looking at increasing this to four months. Until such time as child care is not seen as predominantly womens’ work in this country, we will continue to have difficulty in reaching targets, whether aspirational or mandated, for women in leadership positions. Courtney: Believe it or not China. I am a big believer in “the Asian Century” (http:// asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ white-paper/australia-in-the-asian-centurywhite-paper.pdf) - recently the return of highly educated women to Asia after being educated in Australia has meant that our Asia-pacific relations especially for women in business now transcend the Australian border.

News & Reviews

Featured This Month BOOK: How Children Succeed by Paul Tough - it’s all about tests, right? Well, maybe not. Maybe it’s about character traits and inherent qualities like determination and perserverance. It could even be about self-control. A fascinating read, especially for those with an interest in psychology. http://www.amazon.com/How-Children-Succeed-ebook/dp/ B00B9E29CI/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

BLOG: Clint Salter has a great writing style and his message is simple - take charge and own your own work destiny. He’s switched on, savvy and he speaks the language of equity. Read it. http://www.clintsalter.com/blog/

WEBSITE: HC Online (Human Capital Magazine) is a great Australian resource for anyone who wants to keep up to date with workplace equity, conditions and what is going on with employee relations. http://hcamag.com

Mark Webber

Lois Lane Lives: The Battle Of The Brands Kate Stone

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.â&#x20AC;? Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time

Brand warfare. No, it’s not something the Americans have developed to take out terrorists. Or not in the conventional sense anyway. In terms of taking over third world countries however, there is no denying that the strip mall mentality has perhaps done more for homogenisation of cultures than any other form of weaponry in the twenty first century. Cynicism? Perhaps. But marketing of brands is akin to the Art of War for businesses, and it would be interesting to see what Sun-Tzu would make of the Art of Agency. We are surrounded by marketing tools. Hourly, daily, twenty-four/seven, on every medium, we face advertising exorting us to buy, buy, BUY. It’s a brand new day, according to every single company out there, and we need - we must have - what they are selling, whether it be goods or services. So what makes us buy? What is the point of difference which makes our goldfish-span brains snap into action? I love to shop (did someone say shoes?) - but I am a discerning buyer. It’s taken a while, but as a proud ‘debit card only’ holder, if I am purchasing, it’s because I really, really want something. The image, the aspiration, the functionality - they all need to mesh perfectly (unless they are shoes, in which case they just need to look amazing. There’s always bandaids). As a small business owner and someone who actually puts the message out into the big bad world of social media for others, I am constantly looking at the world of branding from two perspectives; what I personally like and what other people (seem to) like. This can be more difficult than it sounds. Sometimes it is hard to separate one’s personal tastes and more importantly one’s personal distastes from those of different demographics and societal groups. But one thing I have found to be true, and it’s not just on my own behalf that I say this. Every truly, truly, mega-successful brand out there and this definitely includes those who are ‘pushing’ said brands - is speaking to at least a degree from a place of authenticity. I am not saying they don’t want to turn a profit, because who doesn’t like to make money? It’s ridiculous to say ‘Oh, I am only in it for the personal

satisfaction of a job well done’ - that’s just crap. Not to be a Grinch, but money makes the world go round - it’s what we do with it that becomes unGrinchy. My point though is this; if you look at some of the most spectacularly successful - and more to the point sustainable - brands out there, they have more than a bag of cash beating beneath their three piece suits. And in fact are more likely to be wearing jeans and a t-shirt than said suit in the first place. The prime example is obviously Apple, but there are a lot of small to medium enterprises out on the interwebs (and yes, it is all about digital, let’s face it) who truly love what they do, and it shows. It shows in their branding. It shows in their interactions with their fans; it shows in the way they respond to complaints. In fact, there is a hell of a lot that big corporate could currently learn from independents and SMEs at present about putting some love back in their branding, but they can only learn it if they actually feel it with a bit of honesty. And that’s the issue. Brand You is a tough nut to crack when you are a behemoth with 1,600 offices worldwide and a staff of hundreds of thousands. Or at least you could argue that as a CEO. Then you could go and grab your iPad and read Steve Jobs’ autobiography. And realise that Mahomet does, just occasionally, need to go to the mountain, and not the other way around. Hashtag getrealnow.

A very, very (I think we can use the word VERY in capital letters) exciting issue... dedicated to our male champions of change. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss it. Sign up now: GET GLOSS

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