In this episode we chat to Amanda Armstrong from Austability. Austability believe the sustainable solution to global security threats is in capacity building, and they work to build capacity for independent change throughout communities across the world.
No matter how much I concentrate and switch off, there is one noise that cuts through... And I am so glad it does. The sound is that of my little boy Maximus... I am so finely in tune with his voice, that I cannot ignore it. No matter how far he is from me, I cannot un-hear him. It surprises me so often, how many businesses do not have a sharp clarity in their online voice and struggle to express the simplicity of their point of difference in our social media saturated culture. Social media is fast and cheap, so it is easy to saturate your feed with anything and everything in the pursuit of quick instant gratification. Most times when I sit with a client, they begin to explain what they are needing and eventually we get to this question. How do I cut through the noise of social media and find my voice?
Donna believes in a collaborative leadership approach, and encourages a sense of fun and creativity. She understands from a personal perspective how important it is not only for a woman to experience the dignity that work brings, but also how employment impacts family, the wider community and the growth of the Australian economy and society as a whole. Today we talk about the importance of creating shared value in business, self-awareness and managing through change.
Conscious Capitalism Australia (CCA) is the latest establishment to recognise the Hunter region as an incubator for good business, and we’re proud to have been a part of their launch here in Newcastle. We’re all about integrity in business and elevating humanity through our work, so finding the CCA community was like the yin to our yang.
We talk about redefining leadership for modern business, leading your company through complex change and unlocking leadership qualities in others with Peter Kaldor and Naomi Nash from New River Leadership.
Mindsets – our deeply held beliefs, values and higher purpose – are integral to doing good business. In the words of Donella Meadows, “mindsets are the sources of systems”. They drive the lives we lead and the actions we take, which in turn drives the real world potential of the work we do. Ash Buchanan from Cohere shares on The Benefit Mindset.
There is not greater power than that of the collective and collaborative. Every vision statement needs a mission statement to bring the idea to life. Read on and you'll find an excerpt from Simon Sinek's Start With Why that speaks on the partnership between WHY and HOW.
We were really inspired talking to Jo and hearing about her journey to starting her own business. Make Do Co help companies and their people find a more meaningful way of living and working - she's on a mission to reconnect business with people and purpose, and has approached this in a really unique way in her own business.
One thing I’ve noticed over years in business is that empathy is seriously lacking from most workplaces. Other people’s behaviour is a reflection of their context, it has nothing to do with you. Go stand in their shoes and you will see. You don’t have to agree in order to empathise. Maybe if we could stop and see what our colleagues see we’d be a little less inclined to judge and start building better cultures.
Casting vision beyond yourself and into the hearts of your team is a skill to be mastered. But we believe that a team with a sense of purpose can change everything. Simon Sinek shares another excerpt from his book Start With Why; this time about people working together for a common cause, below.
Transitioning a purpose or mindset into a habit is a very difficult task. It takes a lot more than intentions to make that happen. I feel so strongly about how important intentions and actions are, that I wrote about intentions twenty-six times and actions thirty-eight in On Purpose. Not to be repetitive but to illustrate the so many variables impact our ability to live a life of and on purpose. Here is a bit from On Purpose – be patient in the read as it has been selected on purpose. We have to include everyone in our intentions and then make sure we act for all of them – not just one. And remember, profit is an outcome…
Hey guys, welcome to our second episode of Find Your Possible. In this episode, we chat to Siobhan Doran from Conscious Capitalism Australia. Siobhan is the Executive Director of CCA and she’s been working hard to connect the purpose-driven community in Australia to bring higher purpose and ethics into business. We talk about redefining business for the future, the four tenants of building a conscious business and the personal journey of purpose. She also shares her tips for companies just starting out on a more meaningful journey.
Purpose will always be the foundation that we continue to build our business upon. We love that Simon Sinek's writing also aligns with this value and below you can read more about the importance of partnering your WHY, with HOW and WHAT, to give you a kickstart on your journey within this Conscious Business movement that is spreading across the globe.
In our first episode, we talk to the lovely Heidi Pollard from UQ Power. Heidi has spent over 20 years uncovering what makes a great leader and coaches leaders to grow their unique brand and have a greater impact. She's on a mission to nurture conscious leaders who inspire and influence others to unleash their strengths so they can love their work. We talked about the current climate of transformational change in the world and the impact it’s having on business, workplace challenges facing leaders and what it takes to adapt to these challenges. I absolutely love her ethos and have learned a lot from our conversations, I’m sure you will too.
We believe in brands speaking to each person as if they were looking right into their eyes. Mezzanine exists to build brands from the inside-out and nurture them like they were a person because people want to hear from people. That's what we're here to give, something real to experience. Simon Sinek touches on this idea of communicating to someone through something more than words. To meet them right where they are at and understand that gut decisions are the kind we all trust. Read on and you'll find an excerpt from his book, Start With Why.
Strength of character and accepting that you are the leader of your own life must be the starting point, otherwise your purpose – your why – is simply sitting on quick sand. You could be sold a new truth. You and only you are accountable. This is why we must challenge and change the way we define leadership. Put simply and told so many times – we are all leaders. It will be this mindset that solves the seemingly intractable issues facing our world. I would like to share an extract from my book, On Purpose, that speaks to this idea.
Ronni Kahn (CEO and Founder of OzHarvest), shares about OzHarvest's growth over the years as a for-impact organisation that all started with a purpose – to nourish our country.
"I look for the ones that are passionate about creating positive change; because you can always develop a set of skills, but you can’t teach character. I've found that going on this journey helps bring out the best in people, it gives them fulfilment and benefits beyond the financial profit. Which is exactly what intrinsic motivation is all about. It's a win-win and it’s how we choose to do business. It’s the beginning of building a Conscious Brand." – Luke reflects on our recent Purpose-driven Community Talk; this month we unpacked the topic, ‘Inspiring employees to become brand advocates’.
At this point, you’re in one of two camps: you either know your ‘why’ and are able to articulate it easily, or you’re wondering if you even have a ‘why’, and if so, what it is. Where you find your ‘why’ will be something that only you can discover. But I can give you some […]
Two truths that can seem quite depressing at first glance: success isn’t guaranteed, and failure, to some degree, will definitely be part of your journey. In the face of these facts, it can be challenging to keep your passion alive, especially when you face ongoing setbacks and challenges as you strive towards launching your idea. […]