Don't Stop Us Now! Podcast

We don’t think we’ve ever had a guest who is prepared to be as open and honest about her life and career as Mia Freedman is. Whether it’s in our conversation for this episode, or her Insta posts or in the 3 books she’s written, Mia is determined to show her life, warts and all, because she really cares about shattering the ‘women should look and be perfect’ myth. She’s all about making women feel better about themselves. Mia is a household name in Australia. She's the co founder and creative director of MamaMia, one of the largest female-focussed digital media businesses in the world. Mia became the world’s youngest editor of Cosmopolitan magazine at just 24 years of age. In this episode you’ll hear: How Mia advises young women to think about their career How she was persuaded to stick out a nightmare job for months while negotiating her own redundancy How she and her husband manage working together, and ... How Mia realised she didn’t want, nor was she the right person, to be CEO of her own compan

This week’s guest has serious grit. Katie Vanneck-Smith is a media industry veteran and for anyone who’s not familiar with that industry, let’s just say it’s a pretty male dominated and blokey world. Katie has spent more than 20 years in the commercial side of publishing on both sides of the Atlantic. Katie’s grit really came to the fore when she spent nine years - yes nine years -  trying to persuade her bosses at The Times newspaper in London to get readers to pay for online news content. Her determination and patience paid off and in 2010 The Times became the first mainstream newspaper globally to charge for access to its digital content. This changed the future of how we all read newspapers online and Katie’s motto: ‘Work hard, have fun, make history’ really came to life. Fast forward nine years and Katie is attempting to make history again. Last year she left her high-powered role as President of Dow Jones (which includes the Wall Street Journal) to co-found a new online media start-up called ‘

We’re so impressed by how this week’s guest has grown her business and her brand from pre side-hustle stage, to become the entrepreneurial ‘foodie’ success it is today. We think you’ll love getting to know Gaby Dalkin, the California based chef, author and influencer. Gaby is the CEO of ‘What’s Gaby Cooking’. She and her team are a content and recipe creating machine! She has more than 450,000 Instagram followers, she’s published 2 cookbooks with another on the way, she’s appeared on some of America’s most watched TV shows, she has several product ranges at kitchenware giant Williams Sonoma, and has numerous other brand partnerships as well. When we met Gaby we were blown away by her obvious dedication and commitment. We actually met her whilst on holiday in Patagonia and in between our horse riding and hearty ‘estancia’ (ranch) Patagonian BBQ lunch, Gaby was clearly working on social media and we were intrigued. So intrigued, we got chatting and the rest is history! And in today’s episode you’ll learn:

Ann Sherry is a change maker who’s notched up so many extraordinary achievements during her decades long and inspiring career to date that it’s hard to know where to start. Suffice to say Australian women have a lot to thank her for as one of the many things she’s responsible for is introducing paid maternity leave to corporate Australia. She also transformed the cruise industry in Australia as CEO of Carnival Australia, notching up double digit growth every year despite having to deal with significant challenges. Today Ann sits on multiple boards including Carnival Australia where she is Chairman, she is also Chair of UNICEF Australia, and a Non Executive Director (NED) with one of the country’s biggest banks, National Australia Bank (NAB), as well as Sydney Airport, Rugby Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Arts Australia and Palladium.  Ann has many accolades for her extremely varied career to date including a Centenary Medal, an Order of Australia and the overall winner of the Women of Influence aw

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania We know you’re probably a very busy person but you won’t want to miss this episode all about maximising your time. It’s precisely because we all are so busy that pausing to think about how we’re using our time can be so worthwhile. William Penn may have lived in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s but he was spot on with his quote above about how we humans can use our time. In this latest episode in our ‘How To’ series, we share a whole host of useful tools and approaches used by a variety of amazing leaders that will help you ensure you maximise your own precious time and reduce any frustration you feel about time racing by too fast or tasks taking you too long to achieve. In this episode you’ll hear: 4 different ways to think about your time over the longer term and how being clear about your longer term priorities really makes a difference with your day to day work 4 approaches to tackle your day to day prio

This week’s inspiring guest is Dr Emma Camp, a British marine bio-geochemist who searches out and then studies corals that can naturally survive in extreme conditions such as mangroves. This might sound simple but it leads to Emma listing crocodiles as one of the greatest risks of a day in the office! She’s passionate about saving the world’s coral reefs and has made it her mission that we all should be too. (Emma, we’re convinced!) Emma is a National Geographic Explorer and a current United Nations Young leader. Despite her relative youth, her pioneering research work and passion for saving corals has seen her receive numerous honours and highly-prized research fellowships. In this episode you’ll hear: How Emma used her determination and ingenuity to go from struggling to break into academia to starting her own company to get the research experience she needed How her Dad’s mantra helps her reach her goals What it felt like the first time she found herself at the UN General Assembly And, the r

If we had to summarise what our guest this week is all about, we’d say she’s about reinvention and being true to herself. And for 35 year old Kat Dunn, that meant abandoning a successful corporate career. Born in the Philippines, Kat had been climbing the corporate ladder at an impressive rate in Australia, first of all as a lawyer and then in a variety of roles in financial services. But she was deeply unhappy. One day she said “Enough” and took radical action. In this episode we explore exactly how and why she did this and how she feels about her new career now, several years down the track. Today Kat is CEO of Grameen in Australia, part of the global not for profit organisation founded by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus. In this frank and heartfelt episode you’ll hear: What it’s like growing up Asian in an almost all white country town in Western Australia How Kat started out as a consummate planner and then realised that just wasn’t working How she confronted failure head-

On the show this week is Marie Johnson, an Australian entrepreneur with a passion for digital and AI. Marie’s cutting edge work today is all the more incredible when you hear her story…. She was married as a teenager, then soon found herself pregnant and living in a caravan! Despite not having the chance to take her studies further immediately after school, Marie went on to juggle motherhood and study, and earnt several degrees. One thing led to another and Marie took on CIO and other senior technology roles, particularly in Government, and in 2006 she was named “Innovative CIO of the Year – for Australia” (according to CIO magazine). Marie now leads the Centre for Digital Business - a company she co-founded with her husband (yes the same one she married all those years ago). She’s a passionate believer in finding ways to use digital technology including AI to make life more equal and fair for everyone. In this episode you’ll hear:   Why you should have a long and a short game plan What it’s like as

On the show this week is Debbie Wosskow, a dynamic serial entrepreneur who sold her third business, LoveHomeSwap, for US$53m. Debbie recently co-founded The AllBright, Britain’s first members-only club specifically for business women. The AllBright named after Madeleine Albright, also offers a an online academy and a community that aims to create opportunities for women to thrive and flourish. We love the idea and mission behind AllBright and think you will too. In addition to successfully selling two businesses, Debbie’s also recently been awarded The Evening Standard ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ 2018. She’s a member of the Mayor of London's Business Advisory Board and has also been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE). We so enjoyed meeting with Debbie at the AllBright in London and talking about: Why Debbie’s mission is to create a monster, global sisterhood of kick-ass women The recent pitch that Debbie and her coFounder used to raise 9 million pounds Why it’s crucial to have a ‘Rhino Hide’

Welcome to our first ‘What Is. . .’ episode. And, drumroll please ... the topic of our first in this series is Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’re quite sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about AI this year and so why not start 2019 one step ahead and enjoy this super useful primer on all things AI, all explained simply with some fascinating examples. In this episode we’re thrilled to feature two world-class AI experts: UK-based Kriti Sharma (see also Episode 19) as well as Australian-based Marie Johnson. (Stay tuned for our longer interview with her coming up in the next few weeks.) So, if you’re a bit fuzzy about the differences between AI, automation and machine learning then this episode is for you!   You’ll learn: What AI is and what it isn’t Some of today's amazing use cases for AI What a digital human is and how it can respond to speech, text or even sign language How to help reduce the chances of bias being coded in to systems The new types of jobs that AI is creating How to futu

We’re excited to bring you the latest in our ‘How To’ series. This is our last episode before the Holidays and 2019! Thanks to those of you who sent your requests for what ‘How To’ topic to cover next. We thought this topic of ‘switching off’ was just perfect for this time of year, so thank you Felicity and Sophia! Here at Don’t Stop Us Now! we’re passionate about how important it is for our health and our performance at work to take a break and genuinely switch off. This episode shares research that might surprise you. Plus we are issuing you with a challenge… hint: it’s to do with something that has a battery and a switch off option! Seriously though, Christmas and New Year is the perfect time to practise switching off given how many of us typically rush around like crazy finishing off work projects, doing Xmas shopping and generally feeling a bit manic as the end of the year approaches! In this episode you’ll hear: How Americans use their phones 14 billion times a day and how often you’re likely to

This week’s guest is the one and only Nathalie Nahai, The Web Psychologist. She’s an author and in-demand globetrotting speaker on how to apply behavioural science to all things digital to make them more effective and ethical. Nathalie’s been a musician and recording artist, she has a psychology degree and used to be a web designer. Right now, she’s studying art in Barcelona as well as doing her day job! In this episode you’ll hear: How Nathalie juggles life and the unique way she prioritises what to say “Yes” to You’ll learn how she went about reinventing her career She shares fascinating research on how the colour of clothing we wear can affect how intelligently we’ll come across The killer one liner Nathalie uses when she feels she’s been harassed A quick note that there’s occasional colourful language in this episode so if you’re sensitive to this or have little ears around you may wish to monitor accordingly. Enjoy this episode!     Links of interest: Nathalie's Website &n

We’re excited to bring you this week’s guest, Kriti Sharma; a leading global expert in AI and its impact on society and the future. Kriti grew up in Rajasthan in India. She didn’t have access to a computer at home so she built one herself. She followed that with her first robot when she was 15. Today Kriti applies her AI and tech expertise to solve global issues from productivity to education to domestic violence. And she’s part-time VP of AI and Ethics at Sage. She’s recently been named a UN Young Leader; she features in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for advancements in AI; and was included in the Recode 100 list of key influencers in technology last year alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. In this episode you’ll hear: How Kriti’s upbringing in India has shaped what she’s doing today How a ‘cat with a jetpack’ has helped her tackle gender bias Her thoughts on the power of AI, both for good and bad and… Her experience of being invited to meet the Obamas and why it was “life chan

Our guest today is Dr Fiona Wood, a world-leading burns specialist and innovative surgeon and researcher. She’s a former Australian of the Year for her pioneering burns research and treatments. Incredibly, she was also voted Australia’s most-trusted-person for six successive years. Fiona and her groundbreaking ‘Spray-on-skin’ burns treatment came into the public eye in 2002 when 28 victims of the Bali bombings were flown to Perth in Western Australia to receive life-saving burns treatment under her supervision. (Spray on skin greatly reduces permanent scarring.) Fiona has successfully commercialised “Spray on skin” treatment worldwide and all royalties from this business are used to fund further research into burns treatment through her Foundation. In this episode hear Fiona talk about: Her absolute passion for what she does and the responsibility she feels every day in the operating theatre How she copes and consciously fosters resilience having seen so much suffering first-hand How she approac

Navyn Salem was told over and over that with no previous relevant experience she’d never succeed. Her vision was to build a factory to manufacture a food supplement called “Plumpy Nut” that could save the lives of children with malnutrition in the developing world. Fortunately for the world, she chose to ignore all the pessimistic advice and forged ahead to set up her not for profit, Edesia Nutrition. In the past 11 years and a state-of-the-art factory later, Navyn and her team at Edesia have helped 7 million malnourished children in 51 countries. It hasn’t been easy but Navyn is not someone who likes to give up easily. In this episode, hear Navyn speak inspiringly and openly about: How she was never afraid to ask for help The importance of being curious and getting outside of one’s bubble to learn new perspectives Her belief that being a female CEO should never be something unusual and how she's encouraging her four daughters to be fearless in their pursuit of leadership The life changing stories

Few of us enjoy the prospect of having to negotiate on behalf of ourselves. We typically find it much easier if we’re negotiating a business matter or something on behalf of others. When the time comes for us to speak up for ourselves it can feel a whole lot more confronting. Add to that the fact that money and salary amounts are often taboo subjects, it’s no wonder many of us sell ourselves short at the negotiating table. And it’s not surprising that a number of you have been in touch asking us to cover this topic as well. (Thanks for your emails ☺). So here at Don’t Stop us Now! we thought, what better subject for our next How To episode? We think you’ll get lots of great inspiration from this episode to help ensure you do yourself justice in future. In this super practical episode you’ll learn: Reasons why we have the gender pay gap How being underpaid early in her career taught Greta a lesson she never forgot Why you shouldn’t think of negotiating a pay rise as a one-off conversation Tried an

This week’s guest describes herself as someone who likes to blow shit up. They are her words not ours.  Cindy Gallop is a globe-trotting consultant, speaker and entrepreneur who was a former North American head of the famed advertising agency, Bartle Bogle & Hegarty (BBH). As you’ll hear in this conversation, Cindy is a strong, edgy character with clear views about many topics including diversity and sex, to name just two. She’s not one of those people who just say things, she’s out there trying to change the world! And it hasn’t been easy. Around 13 years ago, she decided it was time to leave advertising and do her own thing… Her mission for the past nine years is to make it easier for everybody in the world to talk about normal sex vs pornography through her start up MakeLoveNotPorn. You’ll hear about how her now infamous TED talk led her to embark on this journey which would prove to be filled with unexpected challenges. In this episode you’ll learn: How Cindy’s life and career have always be

Our guest this week is Japanese luxury hotel and hospitality entrepreneur, Aya Aso. Until last year, Aya ran the hotel chain she founded a decade ago, the Agora Hotel Group, a multi award-winning chain of resort and luxury hotels in Japan. Aya spent most of her childhood living in Brazil and in her 20’s studied to become a concert pianist in Los Angeles. However, that idea was put on the back burner when a part time job at the Sheraton led to the discovery that she loved the hospitality industry. This set Aya on her career journey and led her back to Japan where she ultimately started her business. In today’s episode, you’ll hear: How growing up in Brazil has impacted her as a business woman How one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Japan took her under his wing and helped her learn the most important thing about running a company What it was like to be a woman starting a business in Japan How she lost most of her business after an earthquake devastated the travel industry in 2011 and Wh

We have a truly international businesswoman and global citizen on the show today. Margarita Herdocia, is Nicaraguan by birth, was educated in New York, and lives in Costa Rica. She owns and runs Renaissance Holdings which operates multiple businesses based in Central America, the Caribbean, Russia and Europe. Incredibly, she’s using her businesses to further the cause of democracy in her dictator-run country of birth where she finds herself having to make decisions in the current civil unrest that have life or death implications for her staff. Margarita began - with no experience - by taking over a failing, family owned fast food and casual dining business and totally blitzed it. She’s expanded her portfolio over the years to also include real estate development, some retail, and financial asset management interests as well. In this episode you’ll hear: How a comment in her living room saw her go overnight from no experience in business, to turning around a failing business in Nicaragua Her philosoph

We’re excited to feature our latest guest, serial entrepreneur Rebekah Campbell. Rebekah has just founded and launched her third business, Zambesi, an online marketplace for career-related workshops. Prior to Zambesi, she was co founder of a well-known cafe ordering app in Australia called Hey You! Raised in New Zealand but now based in Australia, Rebekah started her career and first significant business in the music industry following a university summer holiday project she did that took off. We love this interview because it is so jam-packed with honest stories, useful tips and advice. In this episode you’ll hear Rebekah share her thoughts about: How she figures out what business to start next and, related to that . . . How she found her new purpose - one that would really last Her fascinating experience working out how to ‘own the room’ The surprise in store when she shared how inadequate she felt compared with some of her peers. Enjoy this episode with the entrepreneurial and insightful Re