JUNE - JULY 2016
PUBLISHERS NOTE
Stand In Your Spotlight. Influence more. Drive Change Welcome to the June/July SHINE issue of GLOSS packed full of articles, insight and learnings to take in to your own endeavors. Marianne Williamson said; “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure….as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
for you and those around you. I’m so excited to bring you this issue of GLOSS and once again thanks to the team behind the scenes and all of our contributors who have made this issue what it is. Cyan Ta’eed, founder and CEO of Envato and Telstra Businesswoman Award winner shares her story and vision behind the launch of Envato, a digital market place for creatives; Renata Cooper challenges us to step in to the millennial mosh pit because it is there where we will find relevance for the future; Georgia Murch, author of best selling book ‘Fixing Feedback’ challenges us to stop the ‘Yoursations’
The starting point for all of us is to believe in our
and instead enter a conversation dance. Plus
capabilities and ourselves first and foremost. To
we have an exclusive extract from Mykel Dixon’s
get out of our own way, to believe in our dreams
new book ‘Just Do Something’ (who by the way
and personal vision; to understand that owning
is one of the keynote speakers at our inaugural
the future of you, your career, your business is
First Seeds “Future Seeds – opportunities worth
down to one thing – you.
growing” conference on the 3rd August).
Many of us know this but it’s so much harder to
As always a huge thank you to the team that
live and breathe it every day. We listen to the
work tirelessly on pulling together these issues of
little voices in and outside our heads, we worry
GLOSS and the incredible patience and talent of
about what others think and say, we allow the
Andrea Welsh, our Art Director and Features Editor
fear to stop us well and truly at the crossroads
Blythe Chidgley. Huge shout out of gratefulness
of change and possibility versus status quo and
and thanks to our sponsors who continue to
safety. We forget that we are unique, that our
support this magazine and our ability to bring
opinions matter, that we matter. And yet that
thought leadership and thinking to you, our
spotlight, YOUR spotlight, is waiting for you.
readers.
It’s waiting for you to step in to its centre with courage, confidence and conviction to share your ideas, your thoughts and insight. Your spotlight is waiting for you to use your voice to drive change
Enjoy this issue of GLOSS and if you would like to write for us please feel free to drop me a line. Connect ~ Inspire ~ Succeed
JANINE GARNER PUBLISHER / EDITOR
From
Janine Garner HUFFINGTON POST COLUMNIST AND FOUNDER OF LBDGroup
FEATURED IN VIRGIN QANTAS MAGAZINE THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, CEO MAGAZINE THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD THE AGE AND MORE.
Published internationally by Wiley. Available online and at these online retailers
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 3
GLO S S GLOSS MAGAZINE Issue 30
L Lif
16 ugysou, st, ohld If uI ghsa,vheung’t H
e! gs reeshoum ow & rma u
You
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
Janine Garner
ART DIRECTOR
© HUMAN
INCITE
Andrea Welsh
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Margot Andersen Dr Jenny Brockis Melissa Browne Nikki Fogden-Moore Renata Cooper
64
FEATURED THIS MONTH
Georgie Murch Blythe Rowe Kelly Slessor Renee Giarrusso Louise Agnew Michelle Gibbings Bella Zanesco Olga Kakourakis Gabriella Horak Jacqui Lewis Fiona Tuck
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
support@thelbdgroup.com.au
24
CONTENTS
MEMBERSHIP & FEEDBACK ENQUIRIES
support@thelbdgroup.com.au PUBLISHED BY LBDGROUP
© LBDG 2016 All content in this newsletter is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of LBDGroup 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. All rights reserved.
4 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
Be Curious. Ask Why. Innovate with confidence and Conviction (Janines note) .................................................................. 2 An Interview With Telstra Businesswoman Award Winner Cyan Ta’eed ............................................................................................... 8 FEATURE ARTICLE By Amantha Imber ...................................... 10
Lifeaboutfinding yourself feisaboutcreyouratiselfng isn't
46
ur Free Life Audit Awaits
www.labellavita.co
58
38 BUSINESS
MONEY
‘Yoursations’ Are Not Conversations – The Need To Get The ‘Dance’ Back In Conversation ........................................................ 14
Innovate Your Finances ........................................................... 38
Why Not Eating Cake Is Actually Bad For Your Health! ...... 16 Building An Innovation Mindset .................................................. 20 Millennials –Why We Need To Throw Ourselves Into Their Mosh Pit .................................................................................................... 22 Successful Leaders Know How To Influence ...........................25 The Power Of Connection .............................................................. 26
Time For Your Super To Shine .............................................. 42
YOU How to unleash your VISION and VALUES and empower your Fully Expressed self ................................................. 46 Compassion ....................................................................... 54 Inspire .................................................................................. 56
Cultivating Your Online Reputation ........................................... 30
Top 5 Winter Immune Boosting Tips ............................ 62
Turning Inner Potential Into Outward Results ........................ 32
REGULAR FEATURES Top TEN insights ............................................................... 66 LBD’s OUT AND ABOUT .................................................. 64 EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT : Just Do 5omething ................ 68
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 5
FEATURE ARTICLE By Cyan T’eed
Cyan Ta’ee interested i women to j piece of wis co-founded
For those who ar Envato, in the sim eBay for web des With 5.5 million m series of websites and is the world’s for creative asset looking for a top wanting to acces on your digital, d skills, then Envato
Add to this that E freelancers, mark agencies to use t make a living by Think websites, a podcasts and mo
Success is not lin It can be easy to as being unlike o some extra super personally never is even easier to t woman, when yo Cyan who seems a thriving busines a fiercely inspirin doesn’t take long likes to keep it re that she too has m indecision on the
Those around yo the story One of Cyan’s str that success ofte people we choos with.
“Surround yourse network of truste that will agree wi People that will b still support your lead.”
She also adds tha that she hasn’t be alone. “Collis and off one another a
6 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
ed doesn’t want to get on her soapbox about diversity. She is instead in using her position as a female leader in the tech space to inspire other just get on with the work and tell their story along the way. It’s an inspiring sdom; from a woman who, with her husband Collis and friend Jun Rung d the successful digital goods company Envato.
re yet to discover mplest of terms it is like signers and developers. members worldwide the s helps bring ideas to life s leading marketplace ts. Whether you are creative freelancer, or ss a tutorial to brush up design or development o is for you.
Envato allows keters, businesses and their own creations to selling through the site. apps, movie trailers, ore!
near view successful people ourselves. As having rpower which we will be able to access. It think this way, as a ou meet someone like s to effortlessly balance ss, a family and being ng entrepreneur. Yet it g to realise that Cyan eal. She is fast to admit moments of doubt and e journey.
ou make a big part of
rongest messages is en hinges on the type of se to surround ourselves
elf with a support ed allies. Not just people ith everything you say. be honest with you, but r goals and will let you
at a real help has been een taking the journey d I can bounce things and balance our energy
and enthusiasm wherever possible. I’ve definitely had times where I wasn’t sure what came next and wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew. But I pushed through it, showed up, shut down that negative voice and took inspiration from those people around me - my family, my team and our community!” Diversity starts with us Although she says she is always learning and that to succeed in a male dominated industry women need to be prepared to fearlessly do the work and tell their story during the process, Ta’eed knows that to bring about change businesses need to prioritise diversity. As a result, Envato have changed the language they use in their job ads, particularly tech roles, so it was more likely to attract women and have up skilled themselves so as they can recognise unconscious bias, and how to counter it when hiring, rewarding and promoting. They also host as many diversity related events as they can, and work at being active members of the wider community on this topic. As a result of this hard, but valuable work they were the first start up in Australia to release gender diversity figures publicly- doing this each year to keep themselves accountable and transparent. Take the leap anyway Cyan is a big believer in just doing it anyway, that in order to create something really valuable in life and business we must be prepared to get out of our own heads and just do it. “It is time to start ignoring those inner censors” she says, “the ones that tell you that you are not good enough or that it’s all too hard. Trust in yourself and your experience and take the leap. There will be things you don’t know and you’ll make mistakes. Forgive yourself and move through them as quickly as possible onto the next challenge.”
Ta’eed credits her balance of home life and that of a successful business woman with making strong commitments to herself through self-care practices and non-negotiables. Always home by 5pm in order to give her children the time and routine that both parties benefit from, as well as ensuring her work days are flexible. She also presses the importance of making time for her husband Collis, away from work, every day. Happily declaring both exercise and outsourcing to be two of her best approaches to stress release, Cyan is also a big advocate for streamlining. She says “I aim to streamline the unimportant stuff as much as possible and at least every month I am sitting down to think about how I’m spending my time to ensure I’m focusing on the important stuff - family time, meaningful work, personal goals and fun!” The gifts of success Inspired by a Canadian project called The Shoebox Project, which gave shoeboxes with personal gifts to women in need. New Day Box provides gift boxes filled with donations of lovely make up and fancy toiletries to women in crisis accommodation in Victoria. The event is run near Christmas, when women are likely to feel alone and gives them the gift of self-care with a support of generous sponsors. As well as leading the way for women in the tech space in Australia, to raising a family, working collaboratively with her husband and standing out amongst her peers to receive a 2015 Telstra Women in Business Award, Cyan is also one of the most sought-after women on the speaker circuit, especially for tech and entrepreneurial events. It is obvious that Cyan will continue to get to work as a woman in the tech space and tell the story of diversity while she does it.
Finding balance GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 7
FEATURE ARTICLE By Amantha Imber
What or drive inn
An extract from
Mike Finch, the of Circus Oz, pe on innovative l innovation. ‘If I ‘creating new in One example o action is demo balloons.
Something you hot air balloons get too danger to rot. What the of the balloon g off. Fortuitously Dave Murphy, g Finch recalls, ‘D said “let’s have a whole day—ju the top half of a entire rehearsa ground and blo it’ll inflate and j fabric seals it to
‘One of the mo was that if you and just give it thing starts to r collapse becau all the way bac do is if there’s a when it’s inflate down and the w fabric in the ce
The possibilitie percolated in M Every so often out. Finch desc ‘People would balloon again”’. 8 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
rganisations can learn from the Circus to nnovation
m The Innovation Formula
e joint CEO and artistic director ersonifies the type of handsleader that is critical in driving I had a choice’, jokes Finch, nnovations is all I would do!’ of Finch’s discovery skills in onstrated in a story about hot air
Then finally, about three years ago, the balloon experiments came into their own. Finch had his own balloon parachute made, which was a bit smaller than the real deal and all white. For the opening of the show, the very first image was of the balloon as a big white dome onstage. When the audience was seated, Finch and his team used the eyeball roll-back technique to reveal the entire band underneath.
u might not have known about s is that, at a certain age, they rous to fly because they start en happens is that the top half gets cut off, and it gets written y, Circus Oz’s props designer, got his hands on a half-balloon. Dave showed it to me and a play”, so we just played for ust me and him—blowing up a hot air balloon and filling the al space. If you just put it on the ow air under it with a blower, just sit there. The weight of the o the ground.
The finale of the show looped back around to the balloon. Finch says, ‘We used the dome effect of the balloon as the finale of the show and we actually turned it into a dress. We created this effect with one of our performers, Sarah Wood. Her character in the show was a diva and she’s trying to sing all through the show, and then right at the end she rises up above the stage in this long, white dress. She goes right up to the roof, and then the dress starts to inflate and then people pull it up until she’s in a giant hoop-skirt dress that is the dome. Then, at the very end, the music peaks, she goes down through the centre, into the dress and then ost spectacular things we found the whole dress does that thing u just stand on one side of it when you pull the string and it a hard tug down, the entire disappears in on itself. The whole roll back like an eyelid. It doesn’t thing sucks into this box and it’s use the air stays and it just rolls just her standing in her underwear ck. Then another thing you can and she jumps into the box and goes, a string hanging from the centre “Tah-dah!” It’s the end of the show. The ed, you can just pull the string whole show’s sucked in.’ whole thing just falls in a pile of Dr Amantha Imber is the Founder of entre.’ Inventium (www.inventium.com.au), es for the hot air balloon Australia’s leading innovation consultancy. Her Mike’s head for over a decade. latest book, The Innovation Formula, tackles he would drag the balloon back the topic of how organisations can create a cribes the company’s reaction: culture where innovation thrives. Amantha be like, “Oh, no. Here’s Mike’s can be contacted at amantha@inventium.com. ’. au GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 9
THOSE THAT COLLABORATE ARE CAPABLE OF MORE THAN THEY EVER WERE ALONE . Janine Garner
noun 1.
a person’s regular occupation, profession, or trade. 2. commercial activity.
business
business
BUSINESS By Georgia Murch
‘Yoursations’ are not co
the need to get the ‘dance’ back ‘Don’t interrupt me while I am letting you hear what I’m saying’. Yep… we’ve all been on the receiving end of those people that love hearing the sound of their own voice more than yours. Or perhaps you can be honest enough with yourself to say that sometimes you might have moments of falling into this category as well (more than you choose to be honest about). For many of us that take most of the airtime in a conversation, it is your turn to learn that these are known as ‘Yoursations’. You could practically have them without the other person… you just can’t see it. You’re too busy having your point heard or telling your stories. You probably wonder why people don’t listen to you too hey?! Let’s think about a conversation as a dance. When partners are in sync the dance looks like it is flowing and effortless. Both partners need to be working together for this harmony. There is certainly a leader, yet they do not dominate, they work together.
So why do we beco
Social psychologist likely to be over-talk of nerves, trying to Asperger’s-type diso have to say is very i
The other reasons c off, unmanaged ver unhelpful focus on create trust. It may conversation and I h
One of the greatest but your purity of at expand the convers ideas we are only co as we have not allow or information. Wh and build relationsh
When we are being talked at, it can feel as if we are bombarded by the content, being talked at, perhaps feeling undervalued, disrespected and definitely unheard. There needs to be an even flow We want to learn for a remarkable conversation to be had… otherwise it’s a yoursation. crafted waltz. So if you want to de A conversation should feel like a dance – back and forth, back and friends and family… forth. and you might even perspective and tha
12 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
onversations –
k in conversation
ome yoursationalists?
Gemma Cribb says the people who are most kers are; those who are anxious and babble out please the person they are talking to; people with orders or narcissists, who think that what they important and entertaining. Ouch!
could be just a bad habit of cutting people rbal diarrhoea or a lack of self awareness and self. Either way, it’s not cool and it does not come across as I want to win or own this have more important things to say than you.
gifts you can give someone is not your advice ttention…. Listen… really listen. The goal is to sation NOT narrow it. When we present only our onsidering ‘our truth’. Yet this is not the ‘real truth’ wed or considered the others’ perspective, ideas hen we have both we make powerful decisions hips of trust.
n to have conversations like a well
evelop trust and respect with your colleagues, … Shut the h*&l up! It will make a difference n learn more. After all, all you have is your at’s not the real truth… that’s just your truth.
Georgia Murch Georgia Murch is an expert in teaching individuals how to have the tough conversations and organisations how to create feedback cultures. She has over 20 years experience with private and public industry and is well known for helping ‘great places to work’ become even better. Georgia puts passion on the podium. A remarkable communicator in her own right, she is an inspiring speaker. georgiamurch.com
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 13
BUSINESS By Blythe Rowe
ohludgysou, , t s ’t g n u e h v , a s h g If uI H
e! gs houm s e e r w o a m r u &
© HUMAN
INCITE
Why
NOT eating cake
is actually bad for your health! I speak about toxic behaviours for a living. Our signature program, “Combat Bullying” has been rolled out to over 3,500 people nationwide.
not being invited to join the group and have some cake, as she had been a part of the team for over 12 months. She goes to see I learn more from running this program than her boss Fiona, crying, claiming the team I ever could have imagined. It’s through this are bullying her. Bullying or not bullying? scenario, called “POOR PAULA”: The interesting thing about this case is not Paula was sitting in the staff lunchroom the answer, rather the mix of responses we when her teammates were celebrating a have witnessed over the years. Here are a colleague’s birthday. Paula was offended for few: 14 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
* A group of guys, threw their workbook in disgust and said “We can’t answer that! There is not enough information!” Fair enough too, there is probably not enough information, yet sometimes this is all the information we are given, so the key is digging deeper. * On about 15 occasions, one person in the group responds: “Yes, that is categorically bullying” and there is no way of persuading them to see it any other way. When we ask them what makes them so certain, their response is always the same..... “Because that happened to me!!” Wow - how fascinating. This is not to judge rather to understand that this is often why we all perceive a similar situation in such varying ways. * Without a doubt, the most interesting response has been on five occasions when someone has left the room, crying. Yes real tears. When I check up on them to see if they are OK, again the response has always been the same... “That is happening to me right now, I am Paula!”
WOW! Here’s the thing, this scenario is not about cake, and yet it is (the cake is often the trigger)! What is it about? It’s about the ‘perceived exclusion’ that Paula was feeling in the workplace (rightly or wrongly). And what we now know from research on the brain, is that feelings of exclusion, rejection, isolation, what neuroscientists call “Social Pain”, is real pain. The same part of our brain, the anterior cingulate cortex, that activates when we experience physical pain, lights up, when we experience social pain. The difference is, when we get winded, or break an arm, we get sympathy or at least empathy from others. Yet when we experience social pain, often the response
is one of judgement “oh toughen up Paula, it’s bloody cake” (yes another common response) or worse, people simply suffer in silence. If this seemingly simple scenario can conjure up “real tears”, one can only imagine the pain that can (and from my experience) is experienced in the workplace!
SOCIAL PAIN IS REAL PAIN. Us humans, we are wired to connect and when we don’t feel like we connect or belong, we suffer. We experience pain! So luckily for us, we are connected more than ever! Or are we? In a recent survey, * 61% said they cannot ignore their device and must check it within an hour of an alert * 61% admitted to feeling, sad or jealous when checking their social media; and * 81% admitted to interrupting chats, mealtime, playtime with loved ones to check their devices.
This isn’t connection, this is interruption. We are more connected than ever, yet we can all fall into these technology traps which are ultimately connection killers. Technology ain’t going anywhere, if anything, it’s getting faster, sleeker and more readily available. So, the question is not how do we disconnect to reconnect? Rather, how do we co-connect? How do we utilise human and digital interactions to forge greater value and deeper connections? There are a number of elements to the GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 15
BUSINESS
OMG, I love, love
love ur work!
© HUMAN INCITE
Connection Formula. One key strategy is to: Boost Belonging - SHOW YOU CARE! Ask yourself; * How can I make this person feel like they belong, that I care? * Don’t assume that they know you care show you care * Be curious, ask more than you tell * Listen, and show that you are listening * Say ‘Hello’ to everyone in the office (obvious, I know - but when we are glued to our phones, we sometimes let the little one slip) * Learn something special about the other person and remember it
BLYTHE ROWE
* Shout someone a coffee
The founder and director of Human Incite, Blythe Rowe is widely recognised for her passion, energy and ability to shake things up. Blythe is brilliant at revving-up productivity & performance. Her obsession made her to be an advocate in creating sustainable behavioural changes and connecting meaningful relationships in organisations with her most recent Keynote Science of Connection
* Write a handwritten card (yes a handwritten card - remember those?) * Use technology to reinforce, not replace, human interactions - send a quick text, email
None of us want to be accidentally psychologically punching our colleagues or loved ones
blythe@blytherowe.com
16 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
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GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 17
BUSINESS by Margot Anderson
Building An
Innovation
Mindset
We all know that the best leaders bring out the best in their people. Be it sporting leaders, cultural and community leaders or organisational leaders, they all somehow seem to possess the keys to unlocking the ‘shine’ in those who are fortunate enough to work with and for them. In today’s rapidly changing world, this commitment Science To Get The Best From Your People notes to unlocking the shine in others has never been that “All people want to work hard and will work so great. Why? Because when individuals shine, hard, given the right job and the right conditions, they maximise not only their performance and because it feels supremely good to excel. Deep efficiency but also their fulfillment, commitment within us all beats a primal desire to contribute and influence. When we have a whole team that something of value to this world and to stand out shines we maximise organisational performance as a positive person in the eyes of others. Great and by default our own capability leaders and managers make this happen.” and leadership potential. Like a puzzle, we therefore need to firstly ‘People who All too often we hear about the need make sure that we have the right people, in shine from for more leaders but really what we the right place at the right time. This can be within don’t need is more leadership. Leadership easier said than done, especially when you need the ht’ tlig is most powerful when used as a have a change in business direction that spo verb and not merely a noun. It’s true requires new and different roles and a loyal Anon effectiveness lies in the every day workforce that has become comfortable actions we take to grow capability, in what and how they do things. Failing to create options, problem solve and address these changes though is like death inspire others to achieve more. by a thousand paper cuts that slowly bleeds away all elements of success, fulfillment and potential Edward Hallowell, author of Shine: Using Brain at both an individual and organisational level. As
18 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
Edward Hallowell notes, it is only when people are in the right jobs that their brains light up. So what can we as leaders do to create opportunities for others to shine? Consider the following 7 steps:
greatness and peak performance. Creating a culture that helps people to shine is a catalyst for future success. Ultimately the more a leader can help others to shine, the greater they shine. It becomes a win-win!
* Get clear on your business/team goals: In order to create opportunities for those in our team, we need to be crystal clear on what it is we need to do, the timeframes and why. * Know your own strengths and those of your team: Understanding your strengths (and blind spots) allows you to operate with not only a higher degree of productivity but also bravery and curiosity. When you and your team are able to be honest and transparent about what you do well, you will attract opportunities that capitalise on your individual and collective talents and passions. * Align talents with opportunities: Complete the jigsaw – match individual talents with business opportunities. It is only when we do that the best in each individual will be bought to light. * Build connection: It is important that individuals build connection between what they do and why as well as with whom they do it. Identifying and building this connection is of paramount importance if we are to be building lasting success. Great leaders create a connection to what is possible: too many people in our workforce are disconnected with themselves and what they do because they no can longer see or believe what is possible. * Create a ‘psychologically safe’ workplace: If we are to commit to growth and innovation we need to create workplaces that allow us to explore, ideate and become curious without the fear of retribution or penalty. It is only when we feel safe that we are prepared to take the risk to try new things! * Recognise valuable contribution: Creating a culture that recognises valuable contributions, motivates others to strive for
Margot Anderson Margot Andersen is the owner of talentinsight – a management consultancy specialising in the optimisation of careers, performance and business workforce planning solutions. Working with individuals and businesses alike she is passionate about seeing ‘the right people, in the right place at the right time’. Working to align careers with talents; and ambitions with opportunities she and her team provide coaching, training and talent advisory services. margot@talentinsight.com.au
talentinsight.com.au
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 19
BUSINESS by Renata PhoebeCooper Adams
Millennials –
Why we need to throw ourselves into their mosh pit Imagine a group of over 92 million people (in the US alone) that think alike but are different; are considered narcissistic and entitled yet giving and charitable; and, are taking over the world. I speak, of course, of millennials. Whatever your sentiment to this ‘next generation’, one thing is clear. To get ahead, we need to throw ourselves into their mosh pit. Goldman Sachs recently noted that millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000), one of the largest generations in history, are moving into their prime spending years. This group, with a different worldview and having grown up at a time of rapid change, are poised to reshape the economy, as their unique experiences are changing how we buy and sell. Their role as influencers are shaping economies and bringing down barriers. In most key markets such as the US, Australia and India, millennials are overtaking baby boomers in spending. These dynamic digital natives are driving businesses and startups to innovate and evolve at a rapid pace. Are we keeping up? Do we need to? Keeping up with the millennials Today, the path to success isn’t linear. Millennials aren’t just planning on working for one company for 20 years and not question authority. The disruptors who trade in Bitcoin and communicate on Snapchat are taking risks their parents would never have dreamt of. Investors are taking note and looking at startups that are capturing the way millennials want to do business in future. Silicon Valley and startups across the world took on traditional banking institutions by offering financial products as alternatives to traditional banks. Investors dug deep to fund these financial services
20 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
that speak to a new and growing base of users. Alley Watch noted that at the root of the interest is an effort to capture the way millennials want to do banking in the future. Where in the past, young people would work, earn and save a little to secure larger loans, new models such as peer-to-peer lending have forced banks to evolve to meet the needs of millennials. Victoria’s Secret has learnt the lesson of not engaging with millennials the hard way. It’s CEO resigned recently and the company announced it would stop producing its iconic swimwear line. In an age where Kim Kardashian and social media stars are taking over the Internet, fashion labels and conversations, Victoria’s Secret failed to keep up. It also did not appeal to women at the other end of the spectrum, who look for brands that are charitable, ethical, environmentally conscious and diverse. As New York Post said, millennials are redefining what is appealing, not just with regard to women’s bodies, but with regard to a company’s values purpose and ethics. Why should we get into their mosh pit? So why should we all care and does this really affect me (a baby boomer or Gen X)? As millennials redefine how individuals and brands
succeed, their influence will extend beyond Uber, Spotify and Netflix to everything else. A recent survey found that 23% of Americans find artwork on Instagram and Pinterest instead of the traditional route of going to museums. Sotheby’s, a brand established in 1744, responded to such trends by going online and using digital channels way back in 1999 to engage with millennials. Their willingness to innovate and try digital platforms, well before even online shopping became a thing, has paid off globally – particularly in newer global markets such as China. As startups try to connect, do business and compete globally, how we foray into new markets could and will evolve. How millennials engage presents us with opportunities to tap into their networks and interact with switched-on audiences willing to experiment with new ideas and those open to innovation. Influencers will play a greater role in extending our reach and footprint globally. As millennials’ affinity for technology shapes everything from shopping and banking to entertainment and the sharing economy, startups and investors are presented with the opportunity to adopt and evolve. These social media doyens and tech rats are a perfect fit for the entrepreneurial subculture that doesn’t follow the norms of workplace etiquette or enterprise structure. The millennials are what the entrepreneurial ecosystem needs to expand its ability to change the world, one company at a time.
RENATA COOPER Renata Cooper is the founder of Forming Circles Global, a unique angel investment and mentoring organisation that predominantly invests in female-led technology startups. Committed to empowering women entrepreneurs, Renata has invested in over 100 national and global businesses, individuals and organisations since 2011. She is a member of Scale Investors and a muru-D mentor. info@formingcircles.com.au
formingcircles.com.au
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 21
BUSINESS by Michelle Gibbings
Successful Leaders know
how to i Despite advances in technology, organisations today are more, not less complex. Leaders are expected to deliver more results, in a faster timeframe and with less resources. At the same time, organisations know they need to constantly evolve, and so there is a relentless churn and multiple changes happening. The end result is a working environment which is more complex and bureaucratic. There’s endless meetings, countless stakeholders to consult and shifting goal posts. This creates the inevitable sense of busy-ness, often with little progress to show. Why? Because it’s hard to get things done. It’s hard In contrast, those who can’t influence find to make change happen. It’s hard to navigate the themselves exiled from the decision makers in the complexity. The antidote to this dilemma – being organisation. They become ‘out of the loop’ on able to influence. This is not self-serving influence, issues that matter. Uninvolved in critical decisions. but influence which is focused on ensuring Their voice goes unheard. All of which makes it balanced outcomes, considering the needs of harder for them to get things done. And leaders all stakeholders. To do that, the leader needs who can’t deliver results, don’t progress. This the optimal mix of technical and impacts their career, but also behavioural skills. Being technically impacts those around them. A 2010 brilliant is one thing, but it’s not Harvard study found that a lack Successful the foundation on which to build a of progress is one of the biggest leaders - in platform for influence. de-motivators in the workplace. business, People want to feel they are making Successful leaders - in business, d an progress on work that matters, and ty socie society and politics - know how to that their manager ‘has their back’. politics influence. They know how to get If their manager is powerless to things done through other people know how to influence outcomes, this impacts and are aware of the environment in the team’s morale. influence. which they are operating. They know how to use their personal power to A 2013 Towers Watson study secure outcomes. reinforced what other studies have shown – that the majority of change efforts fail in organisations. Influential leaders are able to cut through the noise, A lack of leadership is often the prime culprit. get traction, lead change and make change happen. Leaders are expected to successfully lead people They successfully collaborate, encourage, and through change. But leading is almost impossible, if positively impact those around them. they can’t influence. Leaders can’t rely on traditional
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influence hierarchies to get things done. The organisational dynamics are different. It’s important to understand who influences whom, how decisions are made and what avenues exist to make progress and influence outcomes. This is about understanding the influencing factors operating in the ‘organisational system’ and having the nous to find the ‘the back door’ and leverage the informal networks though which decisions are often made. Leaders who can influence, know themselves and what motivates their behavior, just as much as they understand others. They’re able to manage their own behavioural responses. They’re also equipped with the skills to motivate behaviour change; build awesome stakeholder relationships; create coalitions of support for change; communicate in an authentic and compelling manner, and negotiate important decisions. In doing this, they take ownership of their personal power. This is power that is derived from within, and is consciously acquired. When a person has the right behavioural skill-set they can be more confident to hold their own with their peers and more senior stakeholders. This creates personal power, and in turn, generates influence. If leaders want to step up and progress in today’s complex and changing world they need to be able to influence.
Michelle Gibbings Michelle Gibbings is the author of Step Up: How to Build Your Influence at Work. michelle@changemeridian.com.au
michellegibbings.com
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BUSINESS By Jenny Brockis
The Power of Connection We are wired to connect. Maslow was wrong when he suggested the fundamentals to our survival were merely the physical needs of food, water and shelter. What matters more and has contributed to our continuing successful evolution has been our ability to connect with each other. Human babies are born vulnerable and immature - they depend completely on forming a bond with a parent or caregiver who is willing to look after them.
What I’ve noticed while working with different organisations, associations and universities is how often they share that their major challenge is knowing how to improve employee contribution and manage organisational change more effectively. The solution lies in creating greater human connection. Human connection is vital for safety. We form tribes of people like us that help us feel safe. It’s vital for learning and sharing knowledge - it amplifies what we know and understand. It creates a culture for continuing growth and prosperity. The happiest places on the planet may not have all the latest technology or monetary wealth that we in the developed West ascribe the most value to. What they do have is a strong sense of community, collaboration and contribution. Our greatest reward comes from doing something for someone else that we identify as having a need we can help them with. This doesn’t come from making a donation or writing out a cheque, but in real-time human-to-human connection.
it. Our new technologies have made our lives and work easier in so many ways. But, technology is changing our brains, making us work faster and think differently. The danger lies in allowing our technology to reduce our thinking capacity to surface skimmers and headline grabbers where we never take the time out to pause to reflect and think more deeply. Lack of human connection is contributing to our growing sense of disconnect and loneliness. If we are serious about addressing the rapidly escalating levels of stress, anxiety and depression in our society we need go no further than identifying how to create a higher level of social interaction. Social exclusion whether by deliberate choice or imposed as a punishment causes us great pain and that pain is just as intense and severe as any physical pain. Indeed studies have shown how taking Tylenol (a painkiller) can ease some of the severity of those social pains we experience. If you have ever found yourself working in an environment where fear and uncertainty has led to the formation of silos where individuals or department bunker down, operating merely to ensure survival, ask yourself, what difference would a higher level of human connectivity make here? many
Yet too often, at work or in our educational institutions this understanding of the need for human connection gets brushed to one side in the pursuit of profit or How academic excellence. We forget it is the addition of our social intelligence of the emails or SQ that catapults our intrinsic you receive motivation and performance to the every day are next level.
really that
What if leaders and executives took time out to engage in meaningful discussion to actively listen to the challenges those working for them face on a daily basis? What if debate, discussion and questions were raised on a regular basis at work?
Think back to when you were at important? school. Was there one particular person, a teacher or other who made the greatest impact on your choice What if your company or organisation was to of subjects or future career? While technology ban internal email except at specific hours? is making an enormous contribution to how we In 2011 Volkswagen took the unprecedented step learn and how we work, what matters is keeping our technology as the servant rather than allowing of not sending emails to employees out of work hours. The result? Employee productivity and it to dictate how we think and function. happiness increased. Which is why a quote in an article in the Weekend Stephen Voida from the University of Colorado Australian newspaper questioning the value and expense of supplying computers to kids in schools reported the findings of a very small study of 13 office workers who were asked to quit email for drew my attention. one week. They were not able to read or send new “We see teaching as fundamentally a social emails during that period. The results revealed activity. It’s about interaction between people, how this led to staff not only getting out from their about discussion, about conversation.”- JOHN seats more often (a bonus for better brain health) VALLANCE HEADMASTER SYDNEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL but also having more face to face conversations in preference to the alternative of making a This is not saying that technology is bad. Far from
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phone call and best of all, a measurable reduction in stress as demonstrated by an increase in heart rate variability. Last year it is estimated we as a planet sent around 205 billion emails every day. That is 2.4 million every second or about 74 trillion over the course of the year. How many of the emails you receive every day are really that important? How much time and energy do you devote to managing your inbox and how much less stressed would you feel if you could cut them out and have a few face-to-face conversations instead? Or is that just me? When we connect with someone we like and trust, we secrete more oxytocin, the so-called trust hormone, which enables us to form bonds with others. As oxytocin rises so does our mood. We can boost our oxytocin with a high-five or a hug something we’re not likely to experience in an email exchange. While it may not be appropriate to hug everyone in your office (some people might think you’re acting a little weird if you do) a simple smile and acknowledgment can go a long way to foster better interpersonal relationships. As we move forwards a future brimming with opportunity and potential, our success will depend on our ability to stay connected at a human level. It is up to each and everyone one of us to retain our unique sense of humanity and what it means to be human. * Is social connection an important component in your workplace? * Do you work for someone who has a high level of SQ? * What are the key areas where you can see how greater social connection could help resolve a problem
Jenny Brockis Dr Jenny Brockis is the Brain Fitness Doctor and author of Future Brain: The 12 Keys To Create Your High Performance Brain (Wiley). jenny@drjennybrockis.com drjennybrockis.com
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BUSINESS by Kelly Slessor
g n i t a v i t Cul your online
reputation
Be selective of what channels you invest in Once you are clear on your brand and vision, invest time in understanding what channels are going to be best suited to build your online profile. There are literally hundreds of social media channels. The process of developing content and managing and monitoring channels can be a full time job in itself so ensure you focus on the ones that matter. Here are the top ten channels in Australia as of April 2016, based on audience size:
With the suite of online channels, the potential to create and cultivate an online profile has dramatically shifted across the last few years. These tools have also influenced the way we connect with others, learn, and advance our businesses and careers. Our digital footprint is now just as important as career experience and formal education. Here are my 5 steps to create and cultivate your online reputation;
1. Facebook – 15,000,000 users 2. YouTube – 14,250,000 UAVs 3. WordPress.com – 5,550,000 users 4. Instagram – 5,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users 5. Tumblr – 4,400,000 users 6. LinkedIn – 3,850,000 users 7. Twitter – 2,800,000 approximatley monthly active Australian Users 8. WhatsApp – 2,400,000 Active Australian
Be clear on who you are
9. TripAdvisor – 2,300,000
Write a personal brand statement, and identify keywords that define your key strengths and unique differentiators. Review the keywords inline with the way people search. Historically we would search for individual keywords, now increasingly we use more natural and conversational language, in our search process. In fact more than a quarter of queries are typed in the form of a question, with ‘how’ and ‘why’, representing more than half of those searches. When optimising your content, use keywords that match what your audience is likely to type into the search engine. .
10. Blogspot- 2,150,000
Complement your brand statement with your vision, 12-month and long term goals.
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Source via medianews.com.au, Facebook and Instagram
Ensure that you have enough time to consistently maintain, update and nurture these channels, as there is no point in having an account with sporadic activity. Keep in mind, that social media channels are platforms we are customers of. At any time the rules of each platform can change, affecting how many people, and the type of people, that see our content. This shouldn’t affect what we share online, however if you do have your own personal website/e-newsletter database nurture these as they allow for a one-toone, uninterrupted conversation with your audience.
Join the conversations Strengthen and build your online reputation by maintaining attention across these channels, regularly contributing to wider discussions and giving back by acknowledging and engaging with other people’s content.
* If you have a website, install Google Analytics to track growth metrics and engagement * Keep abreast of popular content via Buzzsumo * Use Followerwonk to understand your audience, and engagement levels, on Twitter
Share your time and knowledge with others without expecting anything in return, and add value where possible. Also consider an outreach strategy for your personal brand, by investing in content partnerships, earned media and advertising where it may be relevant. Become a storyteller Each of us has the ability to share thoughts and ideas within our area of expertise. We have become content curators, individual media organisations you could even say. The way we curate, participate and contribute online can have significant impact on our business and careers. If we pay attention to our brand, and the content we produce, we can build the perception of an expert in a particular area as it allows us to prove our ability through content, projects and publications. Make a conscious effort to regularly write thought leadership articles and participate in interviews. Also make sure you have spent time crafting your own personal story, or ‘elevator pitch.’ Where relevant, draw from your experiences to add authenticity and value to what you are speaking or writing about. Stay ahead of the game With new social media channels and digital tools regularly launching in the market, it’s important to stay abreast of what’s new and what may be relevant to use for your business. Take the approach of constant learning. With things changing at a faster rate than ever before, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends within your industry. Tools and Resources * Set up Google Alerts to track mentions of your name and/or business online * Use Canva to develop custom channel visual, for example a Twitter header
Kelly Slessor Kelly Slessor is a Digital Strategist specialising in mobile. With 17 years’ experience, Kelly began her career with British Telecom, the UK’s largest telecommunications provider, and is now the founder and managing director of BanterMob.Kelly has spent her career understanding consumer behaviour, simplifying technology and designing the future based on insights and research.Working with major clients including Westfield, Gluestore, Woolworths, Big W, Suncorp and LendLease right through to SMEs;
* Activate BrandYourself’s DIY tool which lets you track three profiles
kelly@bantermob.com.au
* To schedule content across multiple channels, use Sprout Social or Hootsuite
bantermob.com.au
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BUSINESS by Renee Giarrusso
Turning inner potential into outward results In my favourite movie the Wizard of Oz, the leading character, Dorothy, is taken on a life-changing journey leaving the comfort of her home in Kansas City to explore the great Land of Oz. Everything she encounters is foreign to her and as uncomfortable and scary as this experience was, Dorothy changes forever. That is the great thing about change, once change occurs you can never go back to the way you were. The character that is Dorothy resonates for millions of people the world over as we all move through a fast and challenging landscape of life, both personally and professionally. Dorothy enters OZ on the back of a tornado with the only familiar creature she knows, her dog Toto. She has to adapt and be open to a new world as she awakens among the vibrant color and fantasy characters of Emerald City. She meets characters along the way that will challenge her, scare her, make her question who she is and what is right. She is faced with life threatening situations where all she has to go on is her self-belief and conviction in what she needs to do and why. She has to learn to trust, question everything and take risks in order to get home. The characters she meets along the way are all in search of something. The tin man a heart, the scarecrow a brain and the lion is in search of courage. What they all realise in the end is that they have always had all they need within them from the start. A bit like ourselves, everything we need is there, we just need to stop and tap into this resource and use it to reach our potential and purpose.
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As leaders of teams and organisations, we have more to get done in less time. We are faced with new technologies, complex systems and structures in many of the organisations we work in and the need to be on top of all of this. Not unlike being dropped into the word of Oz. The United States military have long been committed to leadership training and practice, and their acronym of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) is one many of us are familiar with. The elements of VUCA present the context of which organisations view their current and future state. Volatility refers to the nature and dynamics of change and the speed of this. Uncertainty relates to the lack of predictability and certainty of change and this is where our sense of awareness and understanding of issues and events is so important. Complexity applies to the multiple forces, issues, chaos and confusion that can surround the organisations we are in and ambiguity relates to the sometimes blurred haziness of reality and the mixed meanings of everything we face.
Sparkle from the Inside Out “You are energy What you think begins it What you feel amplifies it What you action will determine what happens next” -Renee Giarrusso
I believe to survive and thrive in such a fast paced and ruthless environment we need to adopt what I call “Limitless Leadership”. Leadership and what it means to us individually needs to be built on, improved, changed and forever evolving; there is no final destination here. To reach the top of a mountain doesn’t mean we have reached our limit, those that summit Everest know that reaching the top is only 50% of the equation. After a climber reaches the top they must descend or down climb the mountain. Not only are they physically exhausted and lacking oxygen and focus but they also have to bring their team down and believe they can all do it. Uncontrollable variables such as storms, snow blizzards and high winds, are no different than people, technology and structural problems. Problems you will be guaranteed to face in any leadership position in any organisation.
whatever action we do or don’t take and therefore our results and happiness.
Limitless Leadership is an ongoing journey where you need to constantly work on, grow and evaluate your commitment, effective communication skills and deep connection with your team, organisation and the why of what you do. These things aren’t rocket science but so often we get caught up in the doing and become what I call “human doings” not “human beings”.
A strong self-belief
Like Dorothy’s red slippers, we also need to break out of our comfort zone to explore what really matters to us and why we do what we do. We need to know this and live and breath this, to get us through these challenging times and be the best we can be. Of the thousands of executives I have worked with the ones that really shine and find success have these three things in common:
* What do you value? * What is important to you and what do you stand for? * What are you passionate about; in the organisation you work with and for yourself? * In three words sum up a life well lived and on purpose, for you? * What gives you satisfaction and fulfillment? * Why do you do what you do? * Five years down the track what will be your legacy?
Knowing your purpose is one thing but now you need to feel deep conviction and have self-belief in this. By having true self-belief in who you are and your abilities along with a strong purpose you are now in a position to being fully committed. * What are your strengths? * What can you offer the world that is unique to you? * What compels you to take action? * How do you keep on taking action during a challenging time?
A clear purpose
* What have you achieved that nobody else has?
Are you consciously aware of what lights you up and “why” you do what you do?
* What are your suggestions for developing a strong mindset?
Without a why it is like travelling to a destination without a GPS. Purpose gives us clarity around our direction and changes our thoughts and feelings into
* What will it cost you not to have self-belief and conviction in your purpose?
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BUSINESS Awareness of Motivation Strong motivation and knowing what energises us can determine almost 65% of our predictability of success in a role. So many people do what they are competent at but not what they actually enjoy. A strong purpose and belief in self, along with the ability to tap into your true motivators can set you up to shine! Know what motivates you and feed these motivators to stay energised. Know what motivates others and satisfy these, not just manage them. * What gets you out of bed in the morning? * If you could do one particular function of your job what would that be? * What particular things in life give you energy and purpose? * If you could chase a goal or solve a problem which one would you prefer? * What lights you up and makes you feel alive? Tapping into your true purpose and having a concrete belief in your abilities and who you are will fuel deep motivation to be the true you. This in turn keeps us on track when we hit challenging times like the tornado that swept Dorothy into Emerald City. When we live a life true to ourselves and congruent to our values we cannot help but shine and emit an energy that helps others to reach their full potential.
Renee Giarrusso Obsessed with seeing people reach their full potential, RenĂŠe passionately helps leaders and their teams to achieve this and flourish. Her clients walk away with key enablers, tools and insights and feel more confident, motivated and connected to their teams and their leadership brand. renee@metamorphoseconsulting.com.au
metamorphoseconsulting.com.au
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MONEY
empower inspire succeed
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noun
a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes; coins and banknotes collectively.
money
money:
MONEY by Melissa Browne
INNOVATE YOUR FINANCES If you want your business to shine you need to be prepared to work up some spit and polish. Sometimes that means doing a ‘service’ on your business or personal finances prior to tax time so you’re set up to take advantage of a switch over to a new financial year. Yes I know, tax is the unsexy side of owning a business but I promise you, a little bit of elbow grease and education now can save you thousands (and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars) in the long run. What I know for sure (in the words of guru Oprah) is that small business owners aren’t sure of what they should be doing when it comes to tax through research conducted as part of my ambassadorship role with Officeworks.
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One of the findings in the survey they conducted in conjunction with H&R Block found that only 32% of small businesses were fully utilising the $20,000 tax break and less than 1% were able to correctly identify what the tax break included. Which is madness right? Firstly to not be utilising something that could save $$ in your business and secondly to not even know what you could or should be buying to take advantage of it! Yet it’s the same story that I see with many parts of tax – from Research and Development to Employee Share Schemes.
“It may be worthwhile in this year to prepay expenses while your income is higher. This may include travel, insurance, interest on loans up to twelve months or insurance.. ” The good news is, it’s not too late. So if you suspect you should do a tune up prior to 30 June here is a guide for things you may want to consider doing when it comes to your business and personal taxes. 1. Embrace the cloud. Once upon a time you had to keep every paper receipt tucked away in an envelope in an overstuffed filing cabinet. Now you don’t need to keep paper receipts and all of your deductions can be stored safely in the cloud. If you’re a business you might want to consider a cloud based solution such as Xero paired with Receiptbank or Shoeboxed. If you’re an individual there is the official ATO tax app, My Tax or Pocketbook as well as Logitfleetcare to manage your logbook claim. 2. Incur or Pay for deductions prior to 30 June. This one seems obvious but every year I meet so many people who simply forgot about buying a briefcase, upgrading their mobile phone or making a donation until after 1 July when it’s too late. The best idea is to make a list of what you need and a plan to buy it well before the end of June when you may be tempted to forget. 3. Be smart about Deductions. If your partner doesn’t work or has a low income but they’re the one that organises your joint donations then make sure they ask for the receipt to be in the higher income earner’s name to maximise your deduction. Remember too that just because you receive a tax deduction doesn’t mean you should spend money on things you don’t need. After all you only receive a deduction for your marginal rate of tax which for most people is 31.5%. 4. Understand budget changes. Make sure you’re taking advantage of changes in the budget – whether it’s the fact that from 1 July you’ll be classified as a small business if your turnover is less than $10million (up from the current $2million threshold) or personal thresholds are increasing from $80k-$90k. Do some research around how to make the most of these changes.
5. Think about your income. In order to be smart about who is paying tax on it. For example if you have a mortgage and you have money in a savings account then either pop your savings onto your mortgage or into an offset account. You don’t pay tax on interest you save and you’ll be saving a higher rate of interest than you’re earning. If you don’t have a mortgage and you have a partner that’s not working or on a small income and you’re in a committed relationship then think about holding your joint savings in their name. It’s possible they’ll pay no tax on interest earned versus you paying tax on half the declared interest. 6. Capital Gains. If you’ve sold property or shares and are carrying some poorly performing shares, then consider selling them prior to 30 June so your capital loss offsets some or all of the gain. If you don’t have any underperformers then consider salary sacrificing to superannuation to lower your taxable income and reduce the tax payable. 7. Understand good vs bad debt. We’re hard wired in this country to pay down our mortgage as fast as we can. However if you have a mortgage on your own home then you’re almost always better off paying interest only on your investment loans. If you’re not doing this, contact your bank or broker and switch them to interest only pronto. 8. Look into your crystal ball. If you know that next year you’re going to drop income because you’re going to take gardening leave, maternity leave or quit your job and start a business, you might want to look at your tax deductible expenses. That’s because it may be worthwhile in this year to prepay expenses while your income is higher. This may include travel, insurance, interest on loans up to twelve months or insurance.
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9. Where are you holding. Most people head straight to individual or joint ownership when it comes to purchasing assets or starting business because that’s what you know. The thing is, there are potentially better structures than holding assets or businesses in your own name such as Companies, Discretionary Trusts, Unit Trusts, Self Managed Superannuation Funds and more. Now is a great time to review how you’re currently holding everything as well as making a plan for where you should hold assets or businesses in future. 10. Super is super. Should you be paying more into super, are you paying too much and potentially liable to pay more tax or should you be taking advantage of Transition to Retirement rules. Many people are worried the rules will change when it comes to superannuation but that’s not a good enough reason to do nothing. At least take advantage of the rules as they exist today. 11. Employee Share Scheme. So you’re receiving bonus or discounted shares from your employer which is fantastic only you could end up paying tax simply because you’ve received them. If you suspect you’ll receive some extra ESS income then don’t sit on your hands but plan how to maximise your tax situation so you’re receiving the best outcome possible. Or if you’re an employer the rules changed from 1 July 2015 which means ESS’s are now far more attractive than they used to be, particularly for start-ups. If you want to attract talent but have been afraid of the rules in the past, make sure you take a look at how to take advantage of the new rules. Make sure your business doesn’t get in the way of setting yourself up for a great 2017 financial year. After all, if you do nothing then you really can’t complain. Of course, if you want more help, make sure you contact a great accountant.
Melissa Browne Melissa Browne is CEO of A+TA (Accounting & Taxation Advantage), Director of Business at Thinkers.inq and author of More Money for Shoes and Fabulous but Broke. melissa@byata.com.au byata.com.au
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le a y t y o ir u fa r n w o e t financial a e r C
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MONEY
Time for
Super to
Oh the Budget!!!! I heard many business owners around me suggest it was a tame budget with not much in terms of political antics, but from a financial adviser point of view it could be argued to be one of the robust moves in superannuation shake down history. A regime that was set up to support us becoming self-funded retirees to one now forcing many of us small business owners to start our retirement planning WAY earlier than expected. Don’t get me wrong this is great news for a financial adviser as it means a shift from clients wanting to sell businesses pre-retirement and then only place funds into retirement to now having to take more ownership on placing much needed super funds into super earlier. So let’s analyse the wins for small business owners: * Small business in a company structure now have less tax to pay. * Small business planning will require specialised work to ensure super contributions are made more regularly. * Commercial property in super are still viable options for those needing warehouses or offices.
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MONEY
r your
by Louise Agnew
SHINE The losers though are as follows: 1. Small business owners will no longer be able to place as much money from business sale proceeds into super at retirement age, instead they will need to place more contributions in much earlier to ensure there will be enough in super to save the anticipated large amounts of tax at 0% after age 60. 2. Tax is being applied to over 1.6 million assets in super for individuals which means 15% tax rate compared with 0% tax on earnings in pension phase as per the current legislation. 3. Super planning and contributions to super will need to be carefully considered as long term tax planning and super advice. 4. Paying contributions earlier into super to ensure enough goes in means less money to fund your business now and more planning and restructuring required earlier in on in your business. Your losses are wins for our industry. Although we encourage this new influx of clients, we too are in the same boat with having to really re-think our own strategies for restructure and business and tax planning, to mitigate tax and get enough into super to take advantage of the low tax advantage in retirement. If you are looking for a dynamic asset structure for your business and concerned with the many changes that may go ahead in our next election, please contact our office for more information.
Louise Agnew Louise Agnew is a Director of LYFE Group, speaker, financial strategist and author of ‘Worthy Women – stories to inspire financial confidence and success in your life’. LYFE Group is also our newest supporting partner, here at GLOSS. louise@lyfeproperty.com.au
lyfeacademy.com.au
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To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, you go to work on yourself. If you become,
you can attract Jim Rohn
pronoun
used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing.
you
you:
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YOU by Bella Zanesco
How to unleash your
VISION and VALUES and empower your Fully Expressed self
This morning did you leap out of bed or did you hit snooze or loose thirty minutes in your Facebook feed? Some days we need that, as we’re only human. However, if our body is always taking its sweet time to get out of bed and our mind is thinking of why we shouldn’t then we’ve got a bit of a major going on. This went on for me for far to long. The old way of ‘existing’ wasn’t working for me anymore – the two hour a day commute, the high stress role in transformation and M&A and succumbing to the bullying that was rife in my organisation. I had more reasons to stay in bed then get out. I knew in my heart of hearts ‘this ain’t it’ but I had no clue what was and that frightened the living daylights out of me.
different as a result of a collection of choices and moments that overtime saw me trade the fluoro lit cubicle for the sunlight of the beach in Maui as I write this article for you. How did I make better choices and inspire better moments?
I filled a bucket with courage and took a half marathon’s worth of action Your choices will feel and asked myself two simple questions…
So like the 87% of people that turn up to work disengaged I did ‘right” and your moments nothing, worse I kept doing what What do I run towards? I hated to make more money, will be inspired and you’ll This was about getting very because that’s what society said begin to sparkle inside and clear on what I run towards I should do. As we all know and what I didn’t and if I didn’t this clever little avoidance tactic out. run towards it - it had to go never wins. It’s a sign that we’re from my life. For instance, heading the wrong way down the other day I ran towards a brilliant rainbow in the M1 and fast, and we’re way to smart and well the pouring rain because I wanted to capture and educated to do that. absorb in it’s beauty. Life is very different now, four years later. It’s
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Lifeaboutfinding yourself is g n ti ea cr Life about yourself isn't
Your Free Life Audit Awaits
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You see what we run towards even something as simple as photographing a rainbow is what we in fact value the most. In my case I’ll always run toward a creatively inspired adventure and seeking the beauty of nature. What we run from, in my case the cubicle and a raft of lifestyle diseases that landed me with the big D are the opposite of our values. Now here’s the ‘cool aid’ and I recommend it if you want to become Fully Expressed; someone who has love, joy and meaning in your life. Before you skull the cool aid, first things first. You’re not alone if you don’t make decisions using your values or even know what your values are. Of a recent survey of over 2,000 people just like you 83% indicate they don’t consider their values in decision making. Being one of them I realised that in doing so I was making choices and inspiring moments that were well… shite and that over time a collection of moments and choices landed me with depression,
anxiety and IBS. Consider, what did you run towards today, yesterday, last week? Do yourself a favour and write it down (and then thank me for the aha moments aplenty) and then run towards those things more often - as that is what you’re Fully Expressed you wants. When you uncover your values and make decisions that align with them your life will change in a big way. Your choices will feel ‘right’ and your moments will be inspired and you’ll begin to sparkle inside and out. What do I get out of bed for? This was about getting very clear about what I get out of bed for and most importantly what I don’t. I had to admit to myself some very big things had to change that had impact on my income and my relationships (or lack thereof). It was hard and challenged me on so many levels. But when I got into that half marathon with the
GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 45
YOU bucket load of courage on my back I found clarity and clarity is priceless. I leap out of bed to help women get Fully Expressed, to go kiteboarding and to help girls from Kibera Slum in Kenya create a better life for themselves. All of these and many other elements ladder up to my vision, something of which doesn’t just drive what I do but attracted my lover into my life (he would have totally repelled from the ‘old’ cubicle warrior I was). Here’s what my vision board looks like. Once you get clear on your vision I recommend you create a vision board using Canva.
Those that hold a vision will make 9 times more in their lifetime than those that don’t. Not only that they’re great at saying yes and no to the right things, are magnetic beings and go about life caring about the things that really matter. Here’s the kicker, if you take the time to shape and live your vision, you’re in the minority, in fact you’re in the 1%. The minority is cool, they are the game changers, the rule breakers; they are the Fully Expressed types out there doing things they run toward, every single day. So let’s start by considering what do you want people to say about you when you’re dead? Now I’m not talking the over inflated stuff in your eulogy but what people say about you during your wake and really remember you for. As a teeny step on that half marathon write down what comes up as there are some pretty strong clues as to what your vision is and what it isn’t. Holding a vision is about creating a life and career that helps us feel authentic, aligned and sustainable. Not only that our vision is what makes life lively, it’s how we uncover abundance
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and commit to do what we’re on the planet to do. Finished that cool aid yet? If you need a helping hand to figure out your values and your vision, then head over to labellavita.co and take my free life audit. In less than five minutes you’ll receive your own personalised report identifying your green and red zones and the method, model and questions I use to coach women to uncover their values and vision - two of the twelve elements that are a must do to unleash your Fully Expressed self.
BELLA ZANESCO Bella Zanesco is a coach for women in transition who want to take the next step in their lives and careers. Her free world first fully holistic Life Audit diagnostic has helped thousands of women to uncover and amplify their epic. She is a current world champion sailor and holds a British Kiteboarding Record. bella@labellavita.co labellavita.co
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YOU
In Her Words OLGA KAKOURAKIS Where were you born and where did you spend your childhood? I was born in Australia to Greek Immigrant parents. I’ve spent most of my childhood in Brisbane, however we did travel to Greece occasionally. I have a funny little story from when I was starting school that I can share about my childhood - even though I was born in Australia my parents only spoke Greek at home and as a result when I started school I spoke very little English. So little, that I had another older girl (grade 2) translate for me for a few weeks. Apparently I was asked a few times, how am I finding Australia? And my first response was looking very confused and saying … “I don’t have to look for it, it’s there when I wake up every morning!” Where did your professional dream begin? It all happened accidentally. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I finished school. Initially I wanted to be a statistician, so I started university in an Applied Science Maths Degree where after a couple of weeks I knew it wasn’t for me. Fortunately I had an insightful lecturer who really listened to why I enrolled in the course and suggested the business faculty and in particular marketing, might be something to look into. The interesting thing is that I didn’t know that the communication profession existed when I was in high school. I knew about journalism and advertising, but Corporate Communication and Public Affairs was completely invisible to me. While at university I worked for an advertising company and through some joint campaigns with Public Relations consultancies I realised that I really enjoyed and was fascinated by this thing
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called the “Dark Arts” so I converted to the other side and haven’t looked back since. Tell us more about what you do? I’m responsible for managing and protecting the company’s reputation. It’s about knowing what my company’s reputation is and understanding the external and internal influences and how it can be damaged or enhanced. My current role is responsible for the management and delivery of corporate strategy, internal and external communications, government relations, media relations, public relations, community engagement and education, brand and crisis management. Another key aspect to the role is to act as trusted adviser to the CEO, Board and Executive Team. Historically the main capability of the role was managing the message; however the corporate affairs role is being increasingly recognised as essential to the decision making process and more and more corporate affairs managers are at the table where and when the organisational business decisions are made. What have you learnt about yourself during your career? I’ve chosen a career where my advice and counsel is critical to the decision making process and I enjoy being in the thick of it and part of the inner circle where things are decided. In that respect I’ve learnt that I’m not afraid to speak out and stand up and be counted when the occasion demands. I have excellent judgement and the ability to understand different and complex points of view and to synthesise technical information.
What 3 key gems of advice would you share?
relations as a career proposition. Your favourite things:
1. Be passionate about what you do – going to work every day and doing what you love is an absolute privilege.
Destination Greece, in particular the Ionian Islands
2. Sweat the big stuff and pick your battles. Professionally and personally. You need to move past the detail and into the big picture. You win some, you lose some. The Important thing is learn from the loss and move on quickly. No one wants to hear about what could have, should have, or would have been.
Drink: French Martini
3. Communication is king. If you’re not a natural communicator then learn to be. One of the most critical skills in any role is communication … as I recently heard: Professional communicators are taking over, one tweet at a time.
App: Downcast If you were a hashtag what would it be?
#LaughBIG
What are some of the mistakes you made and learnings from them? The biggest mistake was staying with a company longer that I should have where my manager’s values were inconsistent with my own. The experience was soul destroying and made me question my profession and my abilities. Loyalty to the company is not enough. I’ve learnt to trust my judgment and only work for companies where management are living the corporate values (and that align with my own), and hold everyone to account - irrespective of position. What keeps you going? Having a laugh and instilling a sense of fun at work and at home. I love what I do and I’m very much a glass half full person. I have a fabulous support network around me of family and friends who keep me sane and drive me succeed. My role provides me with a lot of variety and opportunity to make a difference and that’s very important to me. Of course there are the essential business as usual activities, but working for a great company, with impressive leadership and a talented team who enjoy coming to work makes every day - no matter how challenging - a good day at the office. What’s next in the journey of BRAND YOU? I’d like to explore more of the educator and coaching role with young communication professionals or those who want to enter the corporate side to communication and public
OLGA KAKOURAKIS Olga is an awarded and innovative strategic Corporate Affairs professional improving organisational outcomes through the development of high performance teams, strategically aligned plans and communication and marketing strategies olga.kakourakis@sunwater.com.au
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YOU
In Her Words Gabriella Horak Where were you born and where did you spend your childhood? I was born in Sydney and grew up in Bondi with my parents. My parents are from the Czech Republic and for them mountains made them feel sane. They bought a little house in Katoomba which they renovated for years and I felt like my best times were spent there during the holidays and on weekends. I explored, hiked, climbed trees, swam and had friends over as often as we could. It was simple but so much fun.
talked my way to an interview. I had to have this job. And I did! I got the gig and I LOVED it. It was my dream, come true.
Where did your professional dream begin? In my late teens, I just knew that I wanted to be in adult education. I had a love for teaching and spent many hours with children, but that didn’t seem the right path. Around the same time, my boyfriend’s mum had brought home a ’Trainer’s Session Guide’. I poured over that and thought “this is it, I want to do this”. So, after Uni, off I went to get experience in the corporate world. I worked in advertising, sales and service and contact centres, looking back I was very green and inexperienced and perhaps the best of a bad bunch but I was so motivated and committed to this career. My biggest break came when I decided that I had to take a job in a large corporate, to get into the HR department and into Learning & Development. I spent some time managing Call Centres for AMP’s insurance and worked with the banking team. An opening came up for the Orientation Program Manager. It was the first time in my career I actively networked and
I started my own training company 12 years ago and 5 years ago I went into partnership with an amazing woman, Wendy Poyser. Our passion is to inspire people to learn different ways to communicate and to make the learning ‘stick’.
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Tell us more about what you do? Inspire. Learn. Make it Stick. Ever since my days at AMP, I have had the pleasure of truly doing the thing I love most and that’s Training and Facilitation. My work is steeped in Communication Skills, through Customer Service excellence and has evolved to Leadership and Management Skills, covering a broad range of topics in between.
We started Better Off With Learning (BOWL) to fill a gap in the market that our clients were crying out for, namely, short, sharp learning sessions. As a result, we introduced 90 minute, face to face and webinar sessions, that are run over a series of weeks and months. We know that people want to learn and that companies want to facilitate this learning but everyone is so busy with their day-to-day jobs that sometimes the training and development gets left behind. BOWL was invented to enable companies to provide the best time efficient training to its people as possible. We know that the 90 minute sessions are just one way to learn and we are
very much about working out the best learning solution for the organisation. We work with a team of incredibly talented facilitators, nationally, and so we get to offer our corporate clients a wide range of topics, from communication, leadership and management to productivity skills. Some recent favourite topics, for our clients, are Building Trust, Accountability and One-on-one Coaching. We have designed an amazing one day transformational Team Development program that has, directly and positively, influenced Employee Engagement results. That has been very exciting. My proudest and most rewarding moments are when participants have their ‘aha’ moments and change their behaviours to make a positive contribution in their workplace.
What 3 key gems of advice would you share?
What have you learnt about yourself during your career? Early in my career, I was told to curb my passion, that I was giving people ‘the wrong impression’. Apparently standing up for what I believed in wasn’t the best thing at the time. Well, perhaps the thing I have learnt the most is that I should be proud of my passions and how passionate I am. What I am continuing to learn is when, where and how to deliver this! I have also learnt that surrounding myself with great people is where I get my energy, learn the most amazing lessons and determine how I can help others in the most effective way.
We all make mistakes and that’s how we learn. Thinking about the mistakes I have made, they all seem to come back to one thing, not really listening. Either thinking I know best, only half listening and starting a project before I’m really prepared, not putting into practice the advice from experts who have already done the things I want to achieve, (plan, plan and more planning) and worst of all when I have not listened to myself.
1. Be generous and surround yourself with generous people. Generosity for me is not financial, it’s about giving your time, support, kindness and forgiveness. 2. Be curious. The more you ask, the more you learn. 3. Be kind to someone. You are someone, so start with yourself! Not always the easiest thing to practice. What are some of the mistakes you have made and learnings from them? Where to begin? As the Queen lyrics go ”...And bad mistakes, I’ve made a few…”
I am a big believer of listening to your intuition. Early in a tender process for a long standing client I just ‘knew’ we wouldn’t win and yet I held on to the hope and let other balls drop in the business. Won’t let that happen again.
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YOU What keeps you going? Sometimes coffee, wine and retail therapy are the only things that keep me going! On a more serious note, my family, friends, work and my newly found tribe of motivating and motivated women in LBD. I have two gorgeous little girls, an enormously supportive partner, my parents who are my compass and an incredible group of friends. These guys are my A team and I want them to be proud of me, who I am and what I do. I love my work and my ability to help people to change or achieve results, big or small. From a business perspective it’s been wonderful to meet a group of people that are so generous that they want to help when things are tough and who enthusiastically celebrate your wins. I also love a good laugh. There’s nothing like a good laugh (and sometimes a cry) to keep you going. What’s next in the journey of BRAND YOU? My other charter is to help small businesses be more customer focussed, win and retain more business and build their reputation. I have designed a unique product which is targeted at helping Builders (and other trades), called What’s Your Edge? It takes them through a process, from weeding out the tyre kickers, to winning the business, managing the customer, delivering the best outcome and asking for a referral. All this, by being curious. This is an exciting new project and one that hasn’t been done like this before. It’s simple and effective. This new product along with speaking at trade nights, industry meetings and yearly conferences, is taking me down another action-packed path. Your favourite things: Destination: Prague (for family and dumplings) and anywhere in Italy (for all things Italian) Drink: Bubbles and a Lattecino (yes I made it up and my friends think it’s embarrassing!) App: Evernote. I have always loved notebooks and writing things down, but the convenience of my phone and being able to ‘carry’ the equivalent of 10 notebooks through Evernote is so efficient.
Gabriella Horak Gabriella Horak has an unbridled passion for inspiring people to take action that creates change. For that reason she founded a unique learning and development business Better Off With Learning. Her drive for life, is a direct outcome of the people she surrounds herself with and learns from every day. After all, everyone is better off with learning gabriellahorak@betteroffwithlearning.com.au
If you were a hashtag what would it be?
#LaughLoveLearn 52 | GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016
betteroffwithlearning.com.au
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YOU by Jacqui Lewis
Compassio Compassion sounds so beautiful doesn’t it. Images of the Dalai Lama and Gandhi spring to mind, of those with wise, compassionate souls, always endeared to looking out for others. How lovely. Then after that brief moment we’re back to screeching at our kids to get their shoes on, we are groaning as the car in front of us tracks a steady 14km under the speed limit. Cracking it when someone doesn’t deliver part of a project to our expectations. Perhaps our children were enjoying a rare moment of quiet, watching the sun dance on the wall, to distract
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themselves from th drive to school wh mean kid is going them yet again. Th may be driven by a is departing a long hospital where the still, still after 4 slee and nights waiting that the doctors an just can’t figure ou that team member undelivered as the parent had anothe and their anguish a undermining their detail.
Or maybe our kids and trying to drive driver is an asshole attempting to slow the team member a moron.
We don’t know, we project. But we do choose - a life of fr compassion. Short
on
he upcoming here that to pick on he car in front a driver who g night at the eir partner is epless days g on news nd specialists ut. Perhaps r at work eir alcoholic er episode, and shame is r attention to
s are just lazy e us crazy, that e deliberately w us down, r careless and
e shouldn’t o get to rustration, or t tempered,
or understanding. Impatient or patient. The not knowing what’s really going on can provide us with the empathy needed to live a graceful life, and allow the people around us to deal with life as they need to in a particular moment. A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty’ Albert Einstein
JACQUI LEWIS Jacqui Lewis is the founder of The Broad Place, a thoughtful, modern approach to conscious living. Visit her, and The Broad Place jacqui@thebroadplace.com.au thebroadplace.com.au
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YOU
by Nikki Fogdon Moore
INSPIRE Lacking some Mojo in your health, wellbeing and vitality? Not been running your body with the same focus and dedication you have been with your business? This month is all about getting your spark back and reigniting a sense of fun and seeing tangible results to be a true Fitpreneur. None of this is rocket science, keep it simple. Start your list and set some new rules in place to be the best version of you. Here are my top 10 tips on how you can get your goals off paper and into action. Consistency is the key
Getting started is an issue? Then get the Wake Up Workout - 5 exercises you can do in 15 minutes that will tighten, tone and kick start your day. CLICK HERE to get the PDF. You want to look great
It’s not about blasting 2 hour sessions occasionally but more small incremental effective sessions that add up to the bigger picture. Build your fitness and wellbeing moments into your week every Sunday and make them transparent in your agenda. Choose a workout buddy to keep you accountable with at least 2 sessions per week where you have to meet up with someone else to meet those workout goals.
This may go to the top of your list. Wishful thinking and talking about it are not going to create a physical result. If it’s important to you then make it tangible. Create a basic plan starting with 15 minutes of wellbeing a day. Start small and build up. DO NOT GIVE UP. Have a strong enough why and focus on positive elements - appreciate what you have. Fedex is not sending you a new body tomorrow so find the motivation to look after the one you’ve got.
15 minutes is better than nothing
You are what you eat
Can’t find an hour in your agenda? No worries, find 15 minutes and start there. Functional fitness with your own body weight training, yoga style stretching and even skipping are amazing at creating a toned and fit physique!
It goes without saying that fresh is best. Make fresh, healthy and easy to prepare meals for you and your family. Choose fresh ingredients over packaged and processed foods and you’ll be surprised at the results. Get informed and know what you are feeding your body and your family.
Work with what you’ve got There’s’ no need to rush out and buy some fancy equipment, simply go back to basics and use the surroundings where you live. You can do some basic core exercises inside your own home or try the backyard for running around with the kids in a more structured manner to build cardio.
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Engage family and friends Make them part of your plan. Your training activities can include them rather than being another additional task on the list for time division. Ask for their support. According to an American study, you are 94% more likely to
stick to your workout when you make a date or appointment to train with someone else. The Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University, surveyed married couples who joined health clubs together and found that couples who worked out separately had a 43% dropout rate over the course of a year. Those who went to the gym together, regardless of whether they focused on the same type of exercise, had only a 6.3% dropout rate. So there is definitely strength in numbers. Listen to your body If you are tired, relax eat healthy and rest – but I can suggest the get out the door rule. Put your trainers on and head out the door for a walk going at least 10 minutes in one direction. If you still don’t feel like it turn around and go back home. Or do my “Nikki’s 10 Rule” – 10 push ups, 10 crunches or 10 mins of stretching – just TRY before you opt out altogether. Do something you LOVE Do things that make your heart sing. You can run, walk, do yoga, join a gym, play football with your kids, go stand up paddling, take up surfing again – whatever activities you do they should be for YOU. Whatever the ‘latest’ fitness fad in the magazines is, know that you don’t have to enjoy it. Success comes from combining what you love to do with what you are good at. Time is precious so use it wisely! Here’s some fun ideas to take your fitness outdoors and workout without realising it. • Mountain Biking or head out for a road bike together • Stand Up Paddle • Learn to Surf
• Weekend hike or run then coffee or juice • Head to a new class you haven’t tried before and find one that’s outdoors if you can • Ocean swim or local pools • Go to a rock climbing wall and make it a family day • Start exploring nature around you in the area - or head out to the nearest national park to discover your own back yard and use nature as your gym • Go take your pooch for a walk or run - can’t find a 2 legged workout buddy then nothing beats training with your dog. Be the BEST OF YOU Don’t compare yourself with others. Look at your best assets, shine as you are and focus on the elements you were given. Share your results Running “project you” needs the same attention as everything else in your life. A little bit of effort and positive reinforcement from the inside out goes a long way. I always suggest to people with young families to make a vitality goal sheet that goes on the fridge (made WITH your children and not on an excel spreadsheet). Write M-S (Monday to Sunday) across the top and then on the left hand column list Healthy Meals, Fresh Air Session, Core, A New Activity, Positivity and then ME time. If you individually create moments that fill those categories throughout the week your children give YOU a star rather than the other way around. 4/5
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YOU
of these can be done with your family but at least ONE must be just for you and they need to be encouraged to reward the ME time with stickers too. Finally: BELIEVE. The words: ‘can’t’, ‘cannot’, ‘don’t have’, ‘won’t have’, ‘did that’, ‘was like that’ and all your standard procrastinations go out the window. You can, you are, …keep on coaching yourself just like you advise those around you. Vitality comes from a sense of purpose and consistency putting goals into action. In the words of a Tasmanian friend of mine and big wave surfer “you got this”. Coach Nikki
Nikki Fodgen Moore Nikki Fogden-Moore specialises in coaching high achievers to bring business and personal vitality to life. Engaging in next level thinking to create harmony and purpose. She runs tailored corporate vitality programs, writes regularly for several business magazines, is the head trainer for Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine and has been running leadership and private retreats for over a decade internationally. nikki@thevitalitycoach.com.au thevitalitycoach.com.au
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GLOSS JUNE - JULY 2016 | 59
YOU by Fiona Tuck
TOP 5 WINTER IMMUNE BOOSTING TIPS If our immune system protects us from harmful substances and diseases. If the immune system is compromised due to stress, poor lifestyle choice, or a low nutrient rich diet we can become more susceptible to allergies and disease Keep winter bugs at bay this flu season with these top 5 natural remedy suggestions by Nutritional Medicine Expert Fiona Tuck: Elderberry Extract Elderberries are a small dark purple berry that come from the Sambucus tree. Elderberries have been used as a natural medicine ingredient for thousands of years. These small berries pack a punch when it comes to antioxidants and flavonoids making them a valuable support for a compromised immune system. Studies suggest the elderberries, much like vitamin C, may reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms. Elderberries are a rich source of cell protecting vitamins A, B, C, and antioxidants. Elderberry extract can be purchased from health food stores and pharmacies and can be taken when symptoms of a cold or flu strike.
Cayenne Pepper This spicy red pepper contains a compound called Capsaicin, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from harm. Capsaicin contains vitamin C and bioflavonoids which may help to reduce the severity of colds and flu. Cayenne pepper also contains the important immune strengthening nutrient beta carotene which helps to keep the mucous membranes healthy and protected against harmful pathogens. Vitamin D Vitamin D plays an important role in keeping our immune system strong and healthy and helps to stimulate the production of potent anti-microbial peptides keeping bugs at bay. Some foods such as butter, cheese and mushrooms contain small amounts of Vitamin D but we really need daily exposure to sunlight to produce adequate amounts. Taking a daily walk in the sunshine during the winter months is the best way to top up Vitamin D levels and keep the winter blues at bay. Garlic If you thought garlic was just good for keeping Dracula at bay, think again. Garlic has been used for centuries as a natural remedy to fight viruses, parasites and bacteria. Raw garlic contains the compound Allicin which is released when the garlic is chopped or crushed. Allicin contains antimicrobial properties and may assist the immune system to fight colds and flu.
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Onions Onions may alleviate symptoms of sinus congestion and assist with strengthening the immune system. The antioxidant and antiinflammatory compounds Quercetin and Allicin found in raw onions help fight off bacteria and viruses. Onions are at their most potent and powerful when consumed raw so try adding raw onion to winter salads or cut up raw onion and add to soup just before serving.
TOP TIPS
Anti-Viral Flu Fighter Shot This is a fabulous anti-viral toddy that helps to alleviate the symptoms and duration of colds, flu and sinus congestion. Ingredients: • 1 cup of boiled filtered water • 1 thumbnail piece of peeled ginger, grated • 1 clove of raw garlic, crushed • Juice of half a fresh lemon • ½ small white onion, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon of Manuka honey • Pinch cayenne pepper Directions: 1. Place all the ingredients except the honey in a large heat proof cup and add the boiled water. Leave to steep for 10 mins. 2. Strain the liquid then add the honey prior to drinking.
Important: If you have any medical conditions or are taking any prescription medications check with your GP prior to consuming. Do not take with anti-viral or blood thinning medications, if you have a stomach ulcer, extreme stomach discomfort or prior to any form of surgery.
Fiona Tuck Fiona Tuck is a Skincare Expert, accredited Nutritional Medicine Practitioner and a member of the Australian Society of Traditional Medicine. Fiona’s in-depth knowledge and insight into future trends within the health industry has made her sought after media expert. Fiona’s holistic approach to nutritional health is driven by her mantra -’Nutrition is the grass roots of good health’ fiona@fionatuck.com fionatuck.com
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LBD’S OUT & ABOUT
NOTICE BOARD a Welsh nd Andre a n w e n g Group o Louise A the LBD g in h c n u (QLD) la Coast. the Gold
nt.... Fund Eve s d e e S t Firs ith Pat Janine w
WATCH VIDEO
LBD Member Carolyn De an with First Seeds Fund Sponsor Debb Meyer from Narellan Pools and Pat Hall from Liverp ool Neighbourhood Connections.
Platinum & Titanium Member s at the May Immersion Day Lots shared by Jane And . erson on Linkedin and our special guest Cyan Ta’eed, Directo r of Envato.
Anastasia Massouras and her team at Pure Insights hit the street s of Sydney to see what Sydneysider s consider as happiness in their workpla ce.
Lisa McA dams (NS W) a Dom Consultan estic Viole t to the b nce usiness se expertise cto to establis h women’s r using her Lisa rece ntly appe shelters in ared in th NSW. Herald e Sydney Morning
Thank you to all our sponso who attended both the Sy rs, supporters and those dney & Melbourne First Seeds Fund movie night fu ndraisers. Collectively we raised over $6,000 which will go towards improving the lives of women and ch ildren in Australia, through education programs, comm unity support & employm opportunities. ent
Congrats to Emily Verstege (QLD) for being confirm ed as the Chair of the Technolo gy in Government Conferen ce in Canberra.
catching up with Alison Flemming (NSW) Perth! in Jenny Brockis (WA)
Jane Anderson (QLD) presenting at the Queensland Law Society on how to run High Impact Presentations.
ek roadshow Kicking off a 4 we Carolyn Dean around Australia (NSW).
ing to PM SW) talk (N r o n or n o ’C funding f Debbie O ull about b ons. n ti r a u is T n a Malcolm king org r o -w o c nt independe
TOP 10 INSIGHTS Your on line reputation will build your personal positioning. Get it right and it will work for you. page 30
Think about how you are conversing. Is it a dance of back and forth, back and forth – or a solo exercise? page 14
We are all wired to connect. Boost belonging amongst your team, peers and friends and find new ways to show you care. page 18
Find what lights you up – know your purpose, develop self belief and sell with conviction. page 33
The more we can, as leaders, allow others to shine the greater the overall win. page 21
Throw yourself in to the moshpit of the millenials and bring the future to the present right now. page 22
Influential leaders cut through the noise, get traction, lead change and make change happen. page 24
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Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. page 47
Take control of your mojo to drive your ultimate vitality and success. page 58
Take control of your creative self – it’s the single most important thing you can do page 70
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INSP in the CONNECT with those who share your vision.
LBD is not a meet, greet and quickly swap cards and walk away business network. LBD is about community. It is about being able to sit down in a small and intimate environment and truly talk with other women who may already inspire you – or making new connections whom you yourself can assist in some way with your own expertise and creative thinking. It is a think tank, a place for debate, inspiration, ideas and driving change.
PIRE others eir journey.
Take the opportunity to SUCCEED alongside them.
Based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane , LBD Group has a simple message for women of worth.
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EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT
JUST DO 5OMETHING
Creative work can be a dangerous place. Fraught with fear and selfsabotage. To make art means to not only touch but to reveal the most vulnerable parts of ourselves to an often cold and indifferent world. Too many would be business artisans, makers and innovators fall victim to the blasphemy of self doubt that surround their self expression. Every time a vision goes unfinished the creator, the company and the cause are robbed of beauty, possibility and profit. Your creative recovery is the single most important thing you can do for yourself, your colleagues & your organisation
Mykel Dixon Mykel Dixon is a speaker, author and advisor in the emerging fields of Artisan Thinking and Cultural Architecture. His latest book ‘Just do 5omething: A handbook for turning visionary dreamers into prolific makers’ is a powerful, elegant call to arms for business leaders looking to foster innovation. He works with leading edge individuals and organisations around Australia on innovation, creativity and culture mykel@mykeldixon.com
mykeldixon.com
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EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT
IT’S A NEW WAY OF DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY Our current model for learning works a little like this.
appropriate to get the job done. We are leaders with influence, expertise and experience.
We begin with the machinery. We focus on our technique. As a newborn we wriggle our fingers and toes. We learn the ropes, one crawl, one leap and one fall at a time.
But then we hit a ceiling. We enter the realm of diminishing returns. No matter how many hours we practice, how much time we invest, we are limited in our options for progress.
As a new guitarist we learn the names of the notes. How to hold the neck and the shapes that form the basis of most chords.
See mastery for all its confidence and charm is insufficient for groundbreaking, never before seen and highly original work. Being technically proficient or exhibiting unrivalled skill over an instrument is commendable but nowadays it’s hardly memorable.
As a new employee we get briefed on what to do and how to do it. Where to sit, what time is lunch and who to talk to when we have a problem. It’s fundamental, functional and foundational. We develop through mimicry. We absorb our influences. We learn to speak by emulating the voices around us. We take on the accent of the linguistic landscape we live in. We become the product of our environment by being immersed in it. As guitarists, we replicate the tone of our guitar heroes. Our sound and style become a carbon copy of our influences. We can follow the chart and reproduce someone else’s art with increasing ability. At work, we learn to hack our workload by picking up the tricks and techniques of our colleagues. We discover the best way to get around the boss, the best time to leave for lunch and the best spot to park our car, by observing and absorbing the people around us. We evolve and improve through imitation. But we excel through the pursuit of mastery. We become comprehensively proficient. With consistent effort, we can now read, write and speak fluently in the language of our choosing. After hours spent in the rehearsal studio, we now exude an effortless dexterity over the guitar fretboard. We can perform a multitude of styles with ease. We move from amateur to pro. At work, we’re now effective, efficient and consistent in our delivery of outcomes. We can anticipate, delineate and delegate where
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There are countless talented and technically dexterous guitarists who can move effortlessly around the fretboard, but there will only ever be one Jimi Hendrix. And he played it backwards and upside down. Despite his unorthodox style and somewhat unconventional approach, there’s no denying he demonstrates complete mastery over his craft. But with something more, something else, something intangible and unique to him. To stand out in today’s competitive marketplace, we need more than mastery. We must unleash our innate, unfiltered and entirely unique expression. We must move beyond mastery and step into Artistry. Artistry Artistry is the dynamic integration and effortless expression of your whole self. It is the synthesis of your technique, your influences, your expertise and your unbridled individuality. It is having the courage to trust that everything you’ve learned is only the beginning. Artistry is when you dance in conversation rather than reading off a script. When you surrender to what’s emerging rather than fight for what you wanted. When you leave the comfort of the known in search of something new, something different, something else. It’s intimate, addictive and unforgettable. When we follow what feels good over what
worked before we enter a new realm of risk and reward. An intimate space that is as magnificent as it is magnetic. Artistry is less about why and all about why not. It is bold and courageous and the best damn shot you’ve got at maintaining your relevance in the modern world. When we step into Artistry, the medium no longer matters. The content is just the consequence of your continuing process.
passion and vigour; we create our own. New work falls from our fingertips like rain from the sky. Viewing our life through the lens of Artistry encourages the full spectrum of our creative potential. Which is fast becoming merely the cost of entry into the Viewing our life through the lens of Artistry encourages the full spectrum of our creative potential. Which is fast becoming merely the cost of entry into the modern business world.
But Artistry is not something you attain; it is something you allow. It is less about achievement and all about alignment. It is far more natural and effortless than we are led to believe. It’s worth pointing out that Artistry is not something we do at the expense of Mastery. I’m not advocating that we throw any babies out with any bath water. It is complimentary and best looked upon as a broader, more integrated approach to who we are and what we make. If we return to our earlier model and view our skill progression through the lens of Artistry, we can see different skills emerge as we evolve. Skills that are becoming more relevant to our time. By viewing the world through the lens of mastery, we focus on our technique. But by seeing the world through Artistry, we learn to trust our instincts. We experiment with what we’re taught. We break the rules and play with what we’re told. We acknowledge our experience as well as that of the world around us. By focusing on mastery, we learn to mimic our influences. But by allowing ourselves to experience our learning through the frame of Artistry, we integrate our influences with our individualism. We mirror, model and mutate those we admire with all that is unmistakably us. We begin to find our voice as we understand and appreciate the voices of others. And when we do become masters, by expanding beyond our mastery and allowing ourselves to play with Artistry we are not only comprehensively proficient with our instrument; we are prolific. We don’t just perform the works of others with
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