This connected life

Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work. 

She combines her experience in marketing with her education in human resources and psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences – that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.

Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-development workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 13 years’ experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.

She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and popular Facebook group The Flipchart.

You can connect with Leanne via her website and on LinkedIn.

Listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

What Leanne Hughes and I talked about

• Bias and judgement when you meet someone
• Brené Brown
• True connection – how you turn up
• Having a QLC – Quarter Life Crisis
• Working for Wicked Campers
• Pat Flynn and his DeLorean
• Creating engagement over Zoom
• Books
  • It’s the Manager by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
  • Pivot by Jenny Blake
  • Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss.

Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen OAM, is the Founder and CEO of the Tech Girls Movement Foundation and the CEO of Adroit Research. She is a futurist with international recognition for her advocacy and leadership, her research, and her university teaching through which she has impacted tens of thousands of students over the past 18 years. 

Jenine’s vision is to empower others to embrace technology, and to use it to their advantage. She is committed to creating a workforce capable of building the technology of the future and she doing this by mobilising a tribe of next generation leaders who are committed to solving real world problems with technology.

In the past six years at the helm of the Tech Girls Movement Foundation, she has engaged over 8,000 schoolgirls in STEM entrepreneurship across more than 1,000 schools, matched with 1,000+ mentors who have volunteered 7,500+ hours of their time. She has also distributed 80,000+ free Tech Girls Are Superhero books to Australian schools.

You can connect with Jenine on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and through her websites Tech Girls Movement Foundation and Adroit Research.

Listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

What Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen and I talked about:

• STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
• Community – helping each other 
• working to our strengths 
• being one of few women studying IT 
• Giving girls choices in life 
• Tech Girls Movement Foundation 
• Encouraging all girls to find their superpower / strengths – 
• Being awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) 
• Jenine’s latest book – 5 Things you can do to engage girls in STEM 
• (A) Autonomy (E) Ethos (I) Involvement (O) Otherness (U) Usness 
• Experiment vs Pilot Program 
• digital literacy 
• homeless women over 55 years of age
• Books – The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle.

You can connect with me on  LinkedIn  or  Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle. I’m always happy to hear from listeners, and if you have a guest you would like to nominate or would like to nominate yourself, you can apply here. 

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. If you REALLY loved it, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes. 

John Cahill is a barrister from Brisbane. He works primarily in the areas of criminal law, family law and regulatory law. 

Prior to going to the Bar, he worked as a solicitor for the Aboriginal Legal Service in Sydney, for the state government in child protection and in corporate regulation at the federal government level. 

In his spare time, he’s a writer, primarily of poorly thought out Facebook updates and Instagram posts but every so often the odd column and web series. He lives in Brisbane and has one child, a 50 kg Labrador called Fred.

You can connect with John on LinkedIn. 

Listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

What John Cahill and I talked about:

• Criminal, Family and Administrative / Regulatory Law 
• Meeting on ABC Brisbane with Kelly Higgins-Devine 
• lawyers are trained to doubt everything 
• lawyers are paid to worry and to think the worst 
• looking for inconsistencies in your opponent’s case 
• a jury is like a small theatre – people can smell blood when things are not going right 
• An interesting start to law – via the Conservatorium of Music
• How journalism and law are similar 
• adrenalin keeps you going when you’re terrified
• anxiety means you have a greater level of care 
• Mentors and imposter syndrome 
• Tik Tok videos during Covid.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle. I’m always happy to hear from listeners, and if you have a guest you would like to nominate or would like to nominate yourself, you can apply here.

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. If you REALLY loved it, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes. 

Associate Professor Catherine Ball is a scientific futurist, speaker, advisor, author, founder, executive producer, executive director, company director and charity patron working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education and environmental needs. 

Catherine also likes to create businesses and champion movements, collaborate with peers, and advise game-changers.

A sought-after voice across the start-up, futurist and tech world, Catherine works globally across a wide range of projects from creating documentaries and world leading conferences and events, to advising on the use of novel approaches (e.g. drones) across environmental and humanitarian projects. 

Catherine is a proponent of community engagement with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), likes to demystify emerging tech and has recently been named as the official 2020 Patron of the Tech Girls Movement Foundation. 

Catherine lives in Queensland with her husband and two sons.

You can connect with Catherine through her website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. 

Listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. 

What Dr Catherine Ball and I talked about:

• Zoom throat – too many zoom calls and meetings 
• Self-care 
• Our mutual love of and obsession with Suncoast Fresh fruit and vegetable boxes 
• Australian Survivor’s Tarzan and his lime farm on the Sunshine Coast 
• Your network is your net worth
• Connection is everything 
• Dr Genevieve Bell at the Australian National University 
• 2020 for World of Drones and Robotics Conference in Brisbane 
• Science communication, science engagement and science empowerment 
• TED Talk – Talk Nerdy to Me by Melissa Marshall
• Feeding our bodies and our brains
• Currently writing 5 books 
• We choose how we consume 
• Girl Geek Academy and Sarah Moran 
• 2020 Patron for Tech Girls Movement Foundation, founded by Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle. I’m always happy to hear from listeners, and if you have a guest you would like to nominate or would like to nominate yourself, you can apply here. 

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. If you REALLY loved it, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes. 

One of the biggest challenges we face in society today is loneliness. 

Even before we were locked down due to coronavirus, loneliness was at epidemic levels, with 1 in 2 Australians saying they are lonely at least once a week.

Feeling disconnected and lonely has the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, obesity and high blood pressure. Loneliness also leads to depression and anxiety, which are now the leading cause of long-term sickness absence at work as well as a major cause of presenteeism in the workplace. 

Dr Vivek Murthy, (19th Surgeon General of the United States, from 2014-2017) in his new book Together, describes loneliness as “running like a dark thread through many of the more obvious health issues such as anxiety, depression, violence and addiction”. 

Loneliness isn’t only a problem in our community. It’s also a growing issue in the workplace, at all levels. 

Loneliness at work is something I’ve previously experienced, and I know it’s not only me who has – or is – going through this. 

In this episode I talk about:

• New research from Cigna that shows a clear connection between work and loneliness
• How many CEOs feel lonely in their job and how it hinders their performance
• The correlation between work exhaustion and feeling lonely 
• The impact of loneliness on our cognitive performance, executive function, health and general wellbeing 
• Why leaders need to pay attention to loneliness in the workplace 
• Suggestions to reduce loneliness at work.  

Loneliness is one of the most horrible feelings we can have. What can you do today to reach out to someone who might be feeling lonely? Or, if you’re lonely, what can you do to connect with someone in your world? 

Finally, if you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Beyond Blue’s website. For crisis assistance, call 000.

Sharon Natoli is an optimist who believes in the power of food to connect humanity to a better future. She speaks and writes about building human connection through the humble, yet surprisingly powerful, act of eating together.

An Accredited Practising Dietitian who has spent three decades advising individuals and organisations about connecting the nutritional benefits of food to their vision for a healthier future, Sharon’s expertise lies in communication, connection and the future of food and food culture. She is a visionary thinker who strongly believes that while what we eat plays a central role in the health of people and the planet, it’s the ability of food to bring people together where its true power lies.

Through her speaking and programs, Sharon demonstrates that by eating together, organisations can prepare for the shift to a more human-centred future by aligning values, people and culture in a way that brings joy and connection while increasing retention, engagement and stimulating revenue growth. 

Sharon’s new book, Eating Together – build team connection and workplace culture through the power of food is due out in July 2020.

You can connect with Sharon at sharonnatoli.com, and on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

What Sharon Natoli and I talked about

• The power of food to connect 
• Brené Brown 
• Being seen, heard and valued
• Tips and advice for workplaces and leaders sharing food at work 
• How Canva and Carmen’s Foods incorporate food and eating together at work into their organisations
• Sharing meals with clients 
• Virtual lunches during COVID-19
• Increasing social isolation and loneliness
• 40% of people feel lonely at work 
• Simon Sinek – Leaders Eat Last 
• Our favourite foods to cook and eat 
• Butter makes everything better 
• Match the oil with the cuisine – peanut oil for Thai cooking and ghee for Indian cooking 

You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle. I’m always happy to hear from listeners, and if you have a guest you would like to nominate or would like to nominate yourself, you can apply here. 

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. If you REALLY loved it, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes.

Rose Herceg is the Chief Strategy Officer at WPP Australia & New Zealand and one of Australia’s most respected social forecasters.

Rose’s first business, Pophouse launched in 1998, became known as Australia’s best-regarded company for innovation, social trends and business strategy. BRW Magazine named Rose the number one innovative thinker in the country and Pophouse the country’s best place to go for new business models and emerging trends data. In 2002 Rose was recognised with the Small Businesswoman of the Year Award.

Rose is also the author of three books – her latest ‘The Power Book’ has been translated into several languages.

You can connect with Rose at WPPaunz.com and on LinkedIn.

• Finding balance during COVID-19
• Working from home
• Finding little moments of joy and pleasure
• Finding solutions for clients
• Taking mental breaks through the day and sleep at night
• Crazy TV shows, movies and books we love
• Telling the truth
• Feeling real connections with social media
• How our current hyper-reality is forcing a level of clarity in our lives
• Monumental change and being awakened to the possibility of who you want to be
• WPP Report busting some myths about ageing
• Turning 50 and figuring out who you want to be
• Ageist stereotypes
• Marketing is for youth but people over 50 have 46% of the disposable income in Australia
• Unconscious bias to ageing – death awaits us all!
• We fear what we do not know
• Do you feel like you have had a day well lived?

You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle. I’m always happy to hear from listeners, and if you have a guest you would like to nominate or would like to nominate yourself, you can apply here.

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. If you REALLY loved it, please leave me a rating and review on iTunes.

John Barton is the CEO of MGD, a Brisbane based wealth management company. What struck me when we first met, many years ago, was his generosity in sharing his knowledge and his time. 

John is driven by an absolute focus on values, quality, teamwork and corporate citizenship, and while this is apparent in his work, it also comes across in his volunteer community work. He is currently the Chair of Business South Bank and sits on the board of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation. 

He has almost 30 years experience in banking, financial services and wealth management roles, and, unsurprisingly, a strong focus on the charitable and not-for-profit sector as part of MGD’s Philanthropic Advisory team. He is also fascinated by the area of behavioural economics – the study of emotions and psychology and how they influence real-world finance and investment decisions.

Away from the office, John is a regular cyclist and is frequently seen riding his bike in and around Brisbane. He also enjoys golf and sharing a good cabernet.

You can connect with John at www.mgdwealth.com.au and on LinkedIn or Twitter.

You can listen to this episode via the link below, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone. 

What John Barton and I talked about:

• We are social beings
• Sharing experiences and helping others where we can 
• How we can thrive and find purpose in life 
• Checking in on people during COVID-19 – who has been automatic and who has surprised you
• Natural positives of COVID-19
• How we can manage our personal finances – what is the reality of where you are right now and where you may be in the months ahead 
• Creating a personal budget of where income is coming from but also where the expenses are going to 
• What are we spending money on in our personal lives?
• Marie Kondo your finances – “does this subscription bring me joy in my life?” 
• Peter Cook – “everyone is dysfunctional with money” – how do we hasten slowly?
• Cycling, Zoom coffee and Zoom beer with friends 
• Staying connected with your workforce 
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek
• Seamless by Anders Sörman-Nilsson.

 You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle.

Mel Kettle is all about connection, communication and collaboration. She works with CEOs, leaders and teams to help them better communicate and collaborate (online AND offline) to achieve better relationships, revenue and results. Mel is a facilitator, trainer, speaker, author and mentor who provides practical advice that achieves results while having some fun! Download her latest whitepaper, The Social CEO – from invisible to influencer or order a signed copy of her book, The Social Association. To inquire about working with Mel, please email [email protected] or call her on 0404 600 889.

How do you ask, listen and observe?

It’s been an interesting week with the government announcing the lifting of some of the COVID restrictions. I have to admit, I’m a little anxious about it all, but I am looking forward to being able to see a few more family and friends. 

In this podcast episode, I talk about how we ask, listen and observe.

There’s nothing like having to run much of your life through a video screen to realise that you need to brush up on your asking, listening and observational skills! Can you relate? 

One of the most challenging aspects of our COVID-19 normal is that we are no longer able to connect and engage with our people in many of the same ways we have previously. There are no more face-to-face meetings. No more in-person events. No more quick conversations in the corridors or lunch-rooms or as you pass by a colleague’s desk. 

Our primary form of communication now is either over the phone or, more likely, using some sort of video-conferencing technology. Whether you are using FaceTime, Zoom, MS Teams, BlueJeans, or even Houseparty, many of our usual non-verbal communication cues are more difficult to identify, if not completely absent. 

This is why it’s even more critical that we are aware of how and when we ask questions. Whether we are truly listening, and what, and how much, we are observing of the other person or people we are connecting with. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Why we need to ask questions
• What questions we should be asking our people
• How to ask personal questions
• Why listening is important
• How to improve your listening skills
• A few things we can do to become better listeners
• Observation through a video screen – and how hard it is!! 
• The importance of observation in communication 
• Non-verbal cues – what are they? 

More than ever it’s critical that we combine observing with asking and listening. If we observe something that seems a bit off-kilter, it’s important we kindly ask why. 

What are you asking? How are you listening? And what are you observing about your people? (And, what do you think they are observing about you?!)

You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle.

I feel like I say this ALL THE TIME, but I loved this conversation with Zoë Routh. We met about three years ago when I joined Thought Leaders Business School, and I liked her immediately! We have loads of things in common – a love of food and travel, pet chickens, and we both have close ties with Canada.

Professionally, Zoë is a leadership expert specialising in the people stuff. She shows leaders and teams struggling with office politics and silos how to work better together.

She is also the author of three books, with her fourth book, People Stuff - the power of perspective for better leadership, due out mid-2020.

Zoë is also the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to exploring perspective in people stuff so we can live and lead better.

Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run 6 marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is mother to a few garden-wrecking chooks.

You can connect with Zoe at www.zoerouth.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

You can listen to this episode via the link above, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

What Zoë Routh and I talked about

• Having chickens at pets
• connection is currency and having a trust bank account
• building rapport through hugs
• Brene Brown and Maya Angelou
• Zoe’s fourth book, People Stuff – The Power of Perspective for Better Leadership
• how we see the world and how we be in the world
• how we make the best of a situation is an exercise in perspective
• deep humility and deep curiosity
• things that shape perspective
• how values shape your world view
• Survivor
• Against Empathy
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
• The Authenticity Accelerator by Robert Rabbin
• Lance Secretan
• Ken Wilber
• The Last Lecture by Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch

You can connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle