Donna Hanson - Expert Insights Show

It's easy to roll along in life and get by.  Being productive and living a life that has meaning for you often means stepping outside our comfort zone and challenging ourselves to become the person we want to be.  Often gaining the clarity to see what's next can be hard when you are “sitting” in your life. In this episode I chat with Clarity Coach, Jennifer Einolf.  Jennifer is a Newfield Network trained Ontological coach (listen in to find out EXACTLY what that is) who loves working with clients through her Prospects of Possibility transformation keys to help clients realise their boldest future. To find out more about Jennifer visit, www.boldwhisper.com To find out more about Ontological visit www.ontologicalcoaching.com.au https://youtu.be/N7TsDCSmPpE Transcription Donna Hanson: Hi I'm Donna Hanson in this expert insights episode we speak with Jennifer Einolf. Jennifer is a clarity coach who works with clients to navigate through her prospects of possibility transformation keys to realize their boldest possible future. She's a new field network trained. Now I'm hoping I pronounce this correctly ontological coach. I want to find out exactly what that means. But I love her philosophy of the world is busy telling you what's wrong and trying to sell you this solution to your deficit. And she believes I don't think you're deficient. You're amazing. I'm offering to partner with you gifting the world with a fire hose of your wonderfulness me just so love that. Hi, Jennifer welcome. Jennifer Einolf: Hi, thank you. It's so nice to be here. Donna Hanson: And before we start have got to get this question out of the way. What is an Ontological Coaching? Did I say it right? Jennifer Einolf: You said it absolutely correctly. So it's a big word. But what an ontological coach does is we look at being and doing And so we have all had this experience that we take an action and we get a result we don't like. And so we take another action and we get the same bad result. But it was a different action. So what's going on? So Ontological Coaching is about understanding that it's the way we see the world that impacts what we even think is possible and that impacts what actions we take and that impacts the results we get so I work with my clients to go further upstream to habits of language and the way we relate to our emotions and even our habits in our body and how that impacts how we see the world and we work towards that aha moment when all of a sudden that thing that's been hiding in plain sight. This whole time. It's suddenly there. And then we figure out how you're going to take advantage of that. Now you have new possibilities and that's basically what Ontological Coaching is a big word for the fact that in our life we're going through this tumble of being and doing all the time. Donna Hanson: It sounds a bit like what I like to call the BFO the blinding flash of the obvious and to use the old analogy. You know, sometimes you just can't see the forest for the trees. And I know with my clients I talk a lot about sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes to look at something and say something that's right in front of you, the potential that something has an end in a lot of instances. And I'm sure we'll get into this, people probably already done a lot of the hard work. It's just the little pieces that they need tweaking to really lift everything Jennifer Einolf: Absolutely, absolutely. This observation that we have of the world. I mean, it comes from everything we are and everything we've learned and maybe we learned lessons that maybe the conclusion we drew doesn't serve us in this moment. And so how do we take that and rearrange it a little bit, but yeah, you're not having to remake yourself like, like you said in the piece that you quoted from my website. I already think you're amazing. So let's go unleash that Jennifer Einolf: Let's go make that available. Donna Hanson: Jenni,

Trust in relationships is vital.  Not having trust makes relationships, of any type, at best challenging, at worst impossible! With the change our world experienced in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 the need for trust in business and life relationships has skyrocketed.  When our relationships lack trust, our productivity reduces in all areas of life as we evaluate what is happening around us and take time to consider the impact of choices and decisions. In this episode I chat with Behavioural Scientist, speaker, educator and author David Penglase about how we build trust in these turmolic times. https://youtu.be/T4FmBkcfWf8 Transcription Donna Hanson: In this Expert Insights episode we speak with David Penglase.David a behavioural scientist with degrees in wait for it, Human Resources Development and Business and MBA, a Masters in Professional Ethics, a Masters of Science in Applied Positive Psychology. He's also the author of five books, including The Art and Science of Building Customer Trust and Intentionomics. He's an avid fisherman a king guitarist, but more importantly a really well-respected professional speaker and educator, welcome David, thanks for coming on the show today. David Penglase: So lovely to be speaking with you Donna. Donna Hanson: Now before we start I'd like to know, how did you end up honing down your interest in business to the importance of trust? I'm guessing as a kid you probably didn't wake up one morning thinking, gee, I'm passionate about trust? David Penglase: You're absolutely right. As a kid, it was the last thing on my mind and I probably shouldn't go into how I was as a kid in terms of my trustworthiness, I'm not sure! Yeah, it is an interesting sort of way where I've landed on. It was a series of specific academic ventures really. What happened was when I was doing my first degree which, as you just mentioned as a degree in business, but it was majoring in the psychology of adult learning human resource development. One of the principles of adult learning was the importance of the learner trusting the content, trusting the educator, but also trusting the outcome. So one of the things that I really started to study while I was studying that degree was this connection between the learner and the teacher and that whole trust thing from there. And then when I went into do my MBA where I focused on leadership and trust so that led me to that you see. So, so all of a sudden academically and that was back in my 20s. So then in my 30s when I did my MBA are around leadership and trust. I got really quite upset during my MBA, because in the entire MBA course Donna you are ready for this. There was not one topic on ethics. And now, again, this is this was back in my 30s, which is some 30 years. Donna Hanson: Last week David Penglase: Yeah, I know thank you but that really disturbed me. So when I was looking at trust in leadership. Leadership trust worthiness actually at the end of the MBA. I went and sourced another degree because I was still there was something that was still missing. And so I did this edgy. Again, as you mentioned, I did a master's degree in professional ethics and this is where it all started to come together for me. As I was studying the philosophy side of ethics Aristotle was one of the key ones that we were you know we were researching and these words I just become a father for the second time. And these words written by Aristotle jumped off a page to me. And what he said was that actions and behaviours are our morals shown in conduct. That everything we say in everything we do. Scenes loud and clear messages to the world about who we are and what we represent and this, this became a real applied thing for me, our morals shown in conduct our ethics shown in conduct our values, shown in conduct and it was while I was studying that that master's degree I fell across this book written by a lady by the name of

In March 2020 the world as we knew it changed forever when we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic.  The trauma of something unlike anything experienced in our lifetime and the stress of working about family, work and safety has weighed heavily on people's minds. Whilst navigating our way out is a slow process, dealing with the trauma and stress is likely to be an ongoing issue.  When we are stress or traumatised, we are generally no were near as productive as we would like to be in ANY part of our lives. In this episode I speak with Christi Garner, a US based Trauma Educator who utilises EDMR, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, an interactive psychotherapy technique used to relive psychological stress in her practice to help clients deal with trauma and stress. To find out more about Christi visit www.traumaeducator.com To find out more about EDMR visit www.edmr.com https://youtu.be/xdujaYhsDcU Transcription Donna Hanson: Hello and welcome to this Expert Insights episode I'm Donna Hanson in this Expert Insights episode we speak with Christi Garner. Christi is a trauma educator who utilizes EMDR therapy for trauma resolution have to say that slowly. EMDR Therapy using interactive psychotherapy technique used to relieve psychological stress. It's an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. I know Christi does a lot of work with first responders and given more ease and what has been happening around the world with the code 19 pandemic. I was curious to find out more about EMDR. How it helps and how it can help everyday people deal with trauma or the impact of the fall at a pandemic brings to mental health. Hi Cristi. Thanks for coming on the show today. Christi Garner: Hey, Donna. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here. Donna Hanson: Before we start, how did you get into EMDR and can you explain a bit more about what it is. Christi Garner: Absolutely, so EMDR is eye movement desensitization reprocessing. And what that means is you move your eyes from side to side. So you stimulate the right and left side of your brain. Bilateral stimulation and a lady named Francine Shapiro came up with it and she says she was walking through Central Park in New York City, and she wasFeeling these memories and these thoughts about something that was really bothering her and had been going on for a while, and she noticed that she was walking. She kept looking from right to left and right to left and right to left. For a while, and then she sat down on a bench and she noticed she felt a whole lot better. And she was like maybe there's something to this whole thing. So she started experimenting. So I think it's been maybe 20 or 30 years since that day in the park and she's run lots of tests. And people use it all over the world for lots of different things, but mostly to decrease the effects of trauma in the body in mind after distressing events. Donna Hanson: And there's certainly a certainly a fair few of those going on at the moment, isn't It? Christi Garner: Yeah, absolutely. So I've been in town therapist for like 20 years working on the front lines with all sorts of people survivors and EMDR is kind of like what I call the most somatic natural therapy, so am EMDR uses your body's natural responses to help you move through the trauma. And I noticed or my 20 years of working that that is where people get the most relief is where they really tune in to the body's natural response for healing and I wanted to dive deeper into that. So I did some EMDR training and try that on myself and I was amazed at the results. So I became a therapist in it myself. Donna Hanson: So, it sounds to me like it's a bit like the psychological equivalent of your body self-healing when you cut it or something along those lines, but taking a more proactive approach rather than with your finger, it's, a natural healing process that just happens without any conscious thought

You may not make the connection between food and productivity, but the link is important.  Food is our body's fuel and making the right choices has a HUGE impact on your energy and concentration throughout the day.  Understanding how to make good food choices sets up your energy and maximum productivity and enables you to focus on getting important things done. Barbara Baron is a registered Dietitian Nutritionist who works with organizations to help educate employees on the benefits of healthier food choices. Barbara is a former president of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. If you are anything like me, sometimes making healthier food choices can be challenging, but Barbara shares her MVP strategy to help us make healthier choices and as a result experience increased energy and productivity in our everyday lives. In this episode, Barbara and I walk through what her MVP strategy and shares ideas to make healthier food choices easy for us all!  https://youtu.be/6-pijynNPG8 Transcription Donna Hanson: Hello and welcome to this Expert Insights episode. I'm Donna. Hanson. In this episode, we speak with Barbara Baron. Now let me tell you a little bit about Barbara Donna Hanson: Known as the family meals dietitian Barbara is a registered dietitian nutritionist. That's a bit of a mouthful. Donna Hanson: She puts in 30 years of food and nutrition expert expertise into action, whether working with employer's health professional groups or busy moms one on one. Donna Hanson: Barbara dispels nutrition misinformation. She educates, informs and inspires people to unlock the benefits of healthier food choices, while enjoying the foods they love without guilt. Donna Hanson: She's the founder of the be your own MVP program through moderation variety and planning and individualize nutrition program based on moderation variety and a good plan. Sounds good. Donna Hanson: She's the past president of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Diet tactics. She's a Brooklyn native and Barbara is also a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and dietetic I always have trouble with that word. Donna Hanson: works with organizations in a team's empowering them to create balance nutritious meal plans to live a healthier and happier life one meal at a time. And who doesn't want that. Hi, Barbara and welcome. Barbara Baron: Hi, Donna. So great to be here. I know on the other side of the world. It's just amazing technology. Donna Hanson: It is, it is absolutely dietetics is an interesting one. And, you know, we have got lots and lots of questions and probably not enough time. But let's just see how much we can get through that before we start, I'm curious to know how you came about. Donna Hanson: Oh, how you came to be a dietitian. Were you always interested in it? Barbara Baron: You know what I always was a science buff, or I love science and I, when I was back in seventh grade, you know, I won't take it that far back, but I really enjoyed the digestive system and speeding up to when I was 15 in high school, you know, a little packet on a few pounds and high school dances coming around. And this was before the internet. So, I decided to go to my doctor and asked him for some advice. So, I got this nice little piece of paper from him, and it was a little tri fold piece of paper and it was 1200 calorie diet for an adult woman. What do you think is wrong with that picture? Donna Hanson: And is he trying to tell you're overweight, Barbara Baron: Actually I'm 15 and this is for an adult woman.  I'm still growing. I'm still growing bones and muscle and everything, but I'm not faulting him. That's what he had at the time. And then, you know, that was before all this fancy stuff anyway. Now we have more science and I took Advanced Placement biology because I was the science nerd and so I really just decided it,

In business everyone wants to make more sales or money!   Many believe sales is difficult. That you need to do your ABC's (always be closing) and looking for new customers.   But there is a much more productive way to generate opportunities to sell and grow your business.  In today's show my guest Braith Bamkin shares how referrals can grow a business. But before we start, here's a bit about Braith… Braith has several degrees, including Psychology and Marketing and has worked for organisations such as Nokia and Telstra. These days Braith is a speaker, trainer AND the Executive Director of 2 successful BNI regions in Australia.  BNI which stands for Business Networking International, is an American franchised networking organization with over 270,000 members across 74 countries around the world.  Like his BNI groups, Braith is passionate about helping businesses grow through referrals. In this episode, Braith and I discuss what a referral is, how to give and receive them and how, with the right strategy, it can grow a business. To find out more about Braith, visit www.braithbamkin.com To find out more about BNI (Business Networking International) or find a BNI in your area of the world, visit www.bni.com  https://youtu.be/vAoja-L-WhA Transcription Donna Hanson: Experts insight episode we speak with Braith Bamkin. Braith has several degrees, including psychology and marketing and it's worked for organizations such as Nokia and Telstra, but these days. Bryce is the executive director of two successful BNI for the uninitiated that stands for business networking international regions and he's passionate about helping businesses grow through referrals. Hi, Braith. Welcome. How are you today. Braith Bamkin: I am fantastic Donna, thank you very much for inviting me on to said this with you and your viewers. Donna Hanson: Awesome. So, let's just get stuck striding what my first question shifting from corporate to BNI and having BNI on many regions why the move? Braith Bamkin: Do you mind if I take you back in time back to the 80s and I was around I'm not sure you were around my very first real job was working in commercial textiles and I remember in the very first week of working in that company, the woman that had started this business. Now we're driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge as you do. And I was looking up at the good as and she said to me, Braith, if you're going to be successful in this business, you need to know how to network. So, this is the 80s is I was young, I knew everything. Of course, I knew nothing, and I had no idea what that word meant so we went into town. We did our business and on the way, back. I was looking at the girl as again on the Harbour Bridge. And I said, Judy. I have no idea what networking is can you explain what you mean by that. And over the next two years, she taught me what networking was and how you could build your business and how you can become successful through networking and it was a lesson that I took with me. Well, the rest of my time in that business. And as I moved through corporate and one thing led to another and my very last job, I was working in the mattress business. I was a national sales and marketing manager. We had franchisees and I think you've got a network, you've got a network. And one of them said to me, where are you doing it. And I went, you know, I've given up something I know works well. In fact, I had actually started a networking group here in Melbourne about 20 years ago so nothing. Nothing to do with being I was a not for profit. And it's still going. And you know, I went back into it and somebody invited me to obey and I'm at and the rest, as they say, is history. Donna Hanson: Wow, you know, sometimes you dip your toe into the water on something and then you decide that. That's for you. Braith Bamkin: Yeah. Well, I mean, my father said to me when I was probably in my 30s.

In the last eighteen months online meetings and events have been part of everyday life for most people in business.  After a few months, Zoom fatigue set in and a lot of people found themselves more exhausted by online meetings than they had ever experienced in face to face environments. It's hard to keep the energy up when the meetings you have seem endless and boring. Enter this episode's guest Warwick Merry.   With over 10 years in IT, two degrees, and a passion for improv, singing and acting, Warwick Merry's world of hosting live events changed in 2020 when COVID struck!   With an end to live events, Warwick shifted his business online.   With 20 plus years' experience hosting conferences and events combined with his performance background and understanding “studio” environments, Warwick KNOWS what it takes to get and keep audiences engaged “through the lens” of technology. In our conversation, I chat with Warwick about what you can do to make your events or everyday meetings productive and professional whilst keeping your audience engaged. To find out more about Warwick, visit www.warwickmerry.com https://youtu.be/SAzRFC4UcRM Transcription Donna Hanson: Hello and welcome to this Expert Insights episode I'm Donna Hanson in this expert insights episode we speak with online event host producer and MC Warwick Merry. Warwick is a certified speaking professional CSP a certified virtual presenter CVP and past national president of professional speakers Association of Australia. He has evolved into an online host an online event producer and MC Warwick also spent over 10 years working in IT industry so he knows how important it is to take advantage of the benefits technology offers we're not letting it take advantage of you. He's got two business degrees of Bachelor applied science in computing and a Bachelor of Business accounting. He worked for an IT outsourcing and consulting company and in 1999 Warren took advantage of an opportunity and started his own business. Merry mentality where he worked with organizations on cultural change team activation and started his keynote speaking Korea. Fast forward 20 years and now he has a different business and different life I always chuckle. When I say that, and a different modality for presenting along the way works discovered his passion for hosting events and has become known as one of the top 10 professional MCS in Australia. In 2020 the world of wine events change due to the covid-19 virus. He's worked with theatre improv and singing meant that he had the background knowledge on what it took to create a good studio environment. As well as what it took to engage an audience through the lens. His mighty history man. He became adept in a common conference platforms, very quickly, and his clients loved that he could help them design and build sessions run the technology and host it as well as baby online MC a true all in one experience. So let me welcome Warwick Merry. Hi, Merry. Welcome. Warwick Merry: Super happy to be here. That's one heck of an introduction. I'm always having flashbacks after going back to that. Donna Hanson: What's its quite heavy? I know, Aside from this, you and I are really good mates and you know we both have like a mutual admiration society for the things each other is doing in the adaptations. We've all had to make as a result of coven so um. Let's get this show on the road Warwick and you have a pretty impressive background. I'm sure there are so many organizations around the world really struggling with the shift online from in person events. What have you noticed? Warwick Merry: It's really interesting to me technology like fire is a brilliant tool, but a poor master. And too often, people go over the technology does that without saying, No, no, you got to drive it. So sometimes they are at the limit of the technology or they don't know enough about it. So they might have an older computer and they go,

Despite the best of intentions, life can get busy and stressful. Soon we start to notice we aren't as energetic, focused or alert as we used to be, leaving us feeling less productive, frustrated and looking for a quick fix.   With fad diets, stress management apps and fitness gurus, it's hard to get back to a place of feeling healthy, happy and energetic. My guest in this episode, US based, national board certified health and wellness coach Laura Timbrook sees this all the time!   Laura believes in practical, straight forward solutions to get results and she's passionate about making sure an organization's number one asset – its people, are provided with the best chance for optimal vitality, safety and longevity. To find out more about Laura, visit www.lauratimbrook.com  https://youtu.be/9JH-NS5hQkI Transcription Donna Hanson: Hello and welcome to this Expert Insights episode I'm Donna Hanson in this Expert Insights episode we speak with wellbeing strategist Laura Timbrook. US Based Laura is a national board-certified health and wellness coach international speaker and well-being strategist in the manufacturing industry. She's been in the corporate health and wellness field for almost 10 years and has worked for the small business and fortune 500 spanning several sectors. Still the manufacturing workforce hold a special place for Laura. Laura says our lives of cheap, easy to waste time on crazy diets exhausting stress management techniques and stress inducing fitness right regiments. I'm with you Laura So simple, practical and straightforward perspective gets results. Laura believes employees are a company's number one asset and we need to make sure they are provided with the best chance for optimal vitality safety and longevity looking forward to this chat. Hi, Laura, welcome. Laura Timbrook: Hi Donna, thank you so much for having me. Donna Hanson: But before we start, what exactly is a well-being strategist? Laura Timbrook: Yes. So I work with organizations to strategize their employee's well-being. Every company or industry. Everyone needs something a little specific and what works for one place doesn't work for another place. So really, I kind of take a holistic approach at it and see what specifically a certain company or a certain industry needs. And then we kind of lay out what will work for their employees and it's kind of growing and changing. So it might be leadership wellness coaching training or maybe just some, you know, sugar sessions and nutrition advice. So it really varies depending on the company in the industry. Donna Hanson: Wonderful. So I've not heard of a well-being strategist before, is that an official title or just something you coined that you found was really meaningful to the industry. Laura Timbrook: Yeah, so it's something I kind of coined myself because you know being a board certified health and wellness coach. A lot of times it just looks as somebody's going to come in and coach your employees. It's so much bigger than that. And a lot of times when we think of health and wellness. We think of fitness and nutrition. And we forget about our relationships and our purpose and you know how sleep and movement and nutrition all play a role. So it's much bigger than what we sleep and exercise or eat and exercise. Donna Hanson: I guess a lot of people see each of those elements in isolation and what you do when you said you holistic is bring elements of all that together, depending upon what people's organization's needs are. Laura Timbrook: Absolutely. And it's interesting when I went through Nutrition school we had primary foods and secondary foods. And actually, our secondary foods were actually the foods we ate it was the primary foods which will our relationships and how our purpose and you know just how we carry ourselves. So a lot of that was so much more important than the foods we were eating and a lot of times it gets left out and it makes...

We are often too busy to consider the impact of our work with each other.   In a world of 24/7 connectivity, it is somehow hard to find the time to just get our immediate work done. But by altering our focus in our everyday communications, we can increase our productivity work towards intentional outcomes with clients and colleagues. In this episode I speak with Licensee and Head of Curation of Tedx Melbourne and Communication Coach, Jon Yeo about how we can help our audiences engage with intent. To find out more about Jon, visit www.brightstar.net.au  To find out more about TED and Tedx, visit www.ted.com https://youtu.be/XjeSHJqEsvI Transcription Donna Hanson: In this Expert Insights episode, I'm speaking with Jon Yeo, aside from working as a communication coach assisting business leaders to engage with content since like 2009 Jon has been a licensee and head of curation TEDx Melbourne. Hi. JON AND WELCOME. Jon Yeo: Hi, Donna. Good to see you. Donna Hanson: I'm looking forward to finding out more about engaging with intent and particularly about your involvement with TEDx in Melbourne. I've always been curious about TED and TEDx now for the uninitiated what's TED and what's the difference between TED and TEDx Jon Yeo: Yeah, it's a good question and relatively common one. Ted began as a conference in 1984 and so it started in California. And so, they ran that for many, many years, and then they decided to do a global event which moves around Rio, Scotland all sorts of Africa. And they became the two Ted events that will know love which were all recorded a little bit later they decided to do what's called a Ted X license, which is an independent license. It is run by a local organizer in their geography. So, because I'm in Melbourne. I have the Melbourne based TEDx license. And so, each geography has its own TEDx license as well. Donna Hanson: And I guess that makes it easier for them to a create a bigger brand, a more global truly global audience and a mechanism for them to develop more content and obviously get the message out. Jon Yeo: Yeah. Absolutely got it in one Donna Hanson: So, what was the journey to becoming licensee and head of curation pathetic. Now that I'm guessing probably somebody just didn't come and knock on your door and say, hey, we've got this awesome opportunity. Would you like you know bit like door to door selling Jon Yeo: Look what the, I mean, there's still is an application process but effectively back then, Ted. Well, the that type of community that feature focus optimistic, you know, productive type communities was a bit of a rarity back then in 2009 and so became my tribe. And so, while I wasn't the founding licensee I was part of the team that began the organization and she had to decide in 2009 whether she was going to run the next TEDx Donna Hanson: Melbourne. Jon Yeo: Or organize her wedding. So it kind of landed on my lap. I didn't want the community to die, and he's just sort of the rest, State's history Donna Hanson: Oh, awesome. Now, just an additional you know added the blue curiosity factor. Um, is there a licensee fee? To buy Let's, let's not talk about numbers better fame doesn't generate revenue. Jon Yeo: Yeah, there is no fee but the license expires. The moment you run your event and it's renewed based on whether you're within 10% of the global net promoter score so that's the hard part. Because that's hard to keep up with. Donna Hanson: Well, I guess that's a benchmark designed to keep you focused on the end goal, which is making sure that every event you create is engaging Jon Yeo: Exactly, exactly. And so, all it is focused on event and experiencing experience design. Donna Hanson: And what do you think is made both TED and TEDx so popular globally. Because, I mean, you mentioned Ted or TEDx and instantaneous recognition worldwide. Jon Yeo: I think It's largely because I mean,

Nishant Kasibhatla is a professional speaker, corporate trainer and an author. He is a Guinness Record Holder (2011) and has worked with organisations such as Oracle, American Express, Qatar Airways and Petronas delivering presentations that are mesmerising, memorable and message driven. He has over two decades of experience and has worked with companies, schools, students and individuals in over 19 countries and 5 continents.

With 20+ years experience and a MBA under her belt, Sally’s inspired people across a range of industries: from health clubs in Germany to shipbuilding yards and oil and gas companies in the Middle East, to community organisations in outback Australia. She has also helped managers and leaders in aviation, telco’s, hospitality, education, professional services and finance. With her exceptional qualifications, diverse program and project management, and leadership experiences, she’s an expert speaker, trainer and facilitator. Sally is a straight-talker, with a wicked sense of humour, as she skills and inspires people to be where they belong and feel valued.

Simone de Haas has a brilliance with stage and story that has been honed by a creatively inspired career of over 30 years. She is a multi-award-winning Theatre Director, Producer and Performer, as well as an Acting Coach for Film, Television & Theatre. She has won theatre industry awards including the coveted Matilda Award for Directing, Acting & Design and an ABC Radio Bell Award for Best Production and Best Director. As The Speakers’ Director, Simone designs and facilitates ‘Purposeful Storytelling for Leaders & Teams’ programs which she has delivered across Australia and New Zealand.

Known as The Communication Catalyst for her ability to get results, Ricky Nowak has been a stand out light in leadership skills training for 20 years.  She is known for her ability to get results by inspiring leaders to create positive and sustainable change in behaviour and outcome She is a published author, professional speaker, presenter and executive coach. Ricky is 1 of only 18 professional coaches in Australia accredited to deliver the Stakeholder Centred Coaching Model developed by US master coach, Marshall Goldsmith. The methodology is effective, time efficient and proven to enable successful people to lead more effectively, via long-term leadership behaviour change

With 20 years experience in the corporate world, including time spent working within large organisations such as Woolworths, The Body Shop and the National Australia Bank, Narelle Haw is founder of Harmony Enterprise Australia a company dedicated to creating workspaces with soul.  A certified Building Biologist and Design Psychology Coach, Narelle has worked with many organisations including accountants, financial planning firms, corporation and schools. Narelle is a guest lecturer on Healthy Sustainable Building Design and Interior Styling at the Wodonga Tafe, blogger and Exceptional Living motivational speaker. Narelle is here to share with us her insights into the relationship between people and place and the basis for her new ebook 32% More – A Guide to Productivity in the Workspace.

Debbie Peterson is a Professional Keynote Speaker, Keynote Trainer and Mindset Expert who works with companies to motivate, educate and inspire their employees to focus on the mindset that creates bottom-line results. Debbie has successfully worked with professionals at various stages of career in corporations, charitable organizations and associations to help them discover what holds them back, eliminate limiting beliefs, and supercharge the mindset to achieve professional success in areas such as leadership, communication, and productivity.

Michael is a resilience expert who helps organizations keep great people by teaching them how to stay productive under pressure – without burning themselves out. Michael believes that achieving results in business is more about becoming resilient to pressure and bouncing back from setbacks than any other factor. Michael has since helped 100’s of companies such as ColesMyer, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Toyota, St George, and MLC, learn how to stay dollar productive when the pressure is on, so they can out-achieve their competition.  

Karen has a Masters in organisational development from John Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Virginia. Her clients include NASA, US Patent and Trademark Office and the University of Chicago. Karen and her team deliver a range of programs that deliver bottom line results.

Danielle Storey is the co-owner of an award-winning international multi-million dollar family-run business, The Cartridge Family. The Cartridge Family is based in Melbourne servicing Australian and New Zealand businesses for over 16 years. She is also a professional speaker in business/marketing, sales/customer service and employee engagement. She is an experienced and skilled mentor as well as being a specialist in exhibiting and sponsorship management. A talented communicator, with proven management experience in the private business sector, she has a humorous and heart-warming personal story on which to base her ‘Million Dollar Relationships’ addresses. These sought-after strategies deliver easy-to-implement ideas which deliver genuine results. They form the basis of systems which create ‘Customer Delight’ – service with a “little bit extra”

In this Expert Insight’s show, we speak to Author, Leadership Coach and Motivational Speaker Kim Becking about resilience and it’s impact on personal and organisational productivity.  Kim certainly knows about resilience and it’s impact on life. She has been helping organizations, leaders, teams and individuals boost their resilience, reduce stress and overwhelm, conquer change and communicate and connect in a more authentic and meaningful way for over twenty years.

With a background including corporate leadership positions in banking, finance and healthcare, Meridith works with leaders and organisations create ownership at every level to increase profits. Meridith believes success in today’s economy requires EVERY employee to be fully engaged, take ownership and drive results. With seven out of 10 workers being disengaged, companies are investing money trying to solve the problem when what’s required is in fact a cultural change. Meridith’s clients include names such as IBM, ING and California State University as well as many banks and health networks. She is also the author of four books the latest being Own It: Redefining Responsibility.

Marilyn is a human potential expert and the author of the book Who’s Your Gladys which focusses on how to develop Customer retention to increase profits and create happy, connected customers (internal and external) that come back.  She is also a listed as a recommended Human Potential Trainer by Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Marilyn offers practical tools to maximize success with customers and coworkers. She taps into the human desire to excel, maximize potential and helps staff in organisations see themselves as the CEO’s of their own careers.

Before starting her business as a public speaking and presentations coach, Lisa developed programs and training g materials in the non profit sector. Lisa has been interviewed in a wealth of publications in the US including the Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Wall Street Journal and on Inc.com We speak with Lisa about how presentation skills impact on your own and your organisation’s productivity.

Marcia is an acclaimed international professional speaker, author, consultant and coach. Her experience in understanding the difference between communication strategies that simply inform employees about what is happening and those strategies that engage employees in the process of change distinguishes her from her contemporaries. Marcia’s approach when working with organizations that want to realise the benefits of their business transformation programs and information technology investments is by conducting Change Management Health Checks. The purpose is to identify those Aha moments that will create a paradigm shift if how employees and leaders think about the change process. A change management health check focuses solely on stakeholder engagement and is unique in this sector. Marcia has also consulted extensively on change communication. Her consulting experience includes the following sectors; Financial Services, Banking, Health, Resources, Retail, Education, Logistics, Telecommunications, Insurance and Government as well as many others.

Dr Lucia Kelleher has decades of experience as a business Improvement consultant, organisational psychologist, and behavioural neuroscientist.  She specializes in behavioral change, how to adopt and prevent change relapse. Following her PhD, Lucia discovered Busy Brain Syndrome which she describes as the result of brain changes due to technology which has created to much information and “stuff” for the human brain to process.  Busy Brain

In this reverse Expert Insight’s interview, Warwick Merry interviews Donna Hanson, Productivity Speaker, Trainer and Educator. Donna is normally your host for the Expert insights Show, but this month we are flipping the table and talking to Donna about Email, why it is killing our productivity and what you can do about it.

Lisa Renn is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionalist with over 13 years experience in community health and private practice.  She is a media spokesperson for the Dietitian’s Association of Australia and is committed to providing her clients with accurate and practical nutrition and lifestyle information to help them live their potential.  She has made appearances on Channel 9’s “What’s Good for You” and “A Current Affair”. With so much talk about obesity, health and wellness in Australia, I thought it would be great to chat with Lisa to find out just HOW our own and our employee’s health should be an organisations’ s number one priority.

A former event planner with her own food allergies, Tracy consults and educates clients and audiences to understand the real impact on personal and organisational productivity of food intolerances and allergies in the workplace. Whilst it may seem like more work, not considering them can impact on your own and your organisation’s productivity.

Lindsay Adams is a speaker, workshop facilitator, and coach. For over twenty years Lindsay has worked both in Government Owned Enterprises and in his own businesses. Lindsay’s focus is on  business relationship building strategies to underpin sales, enhance teams and create outstanding leaders.

Pegine…if it is good enough for Oprah, Shakira and Madonna it is good enough for her! She is one of eight women and the first Latina to become a member of the Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame, other members include Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins. Hispanic Business Magazine named her one of the top two Hispanic motivational speakers in the country. A former Bronx gang member she moved to Europe, to get out of the gang. In Spain she opened and sold two businesses at a profit by her 23rd birthday! In the states she rose from receptionist to President of a company with 350 sales people.

Leanne is an Organisational Psychologist, speaker, coach and facilitator with extensive experience in leadership development, culture, change and workplace justice. Whilst Leanne consults in a range of areas, the common thread is the emphasis on improving organisational effectiveness and workplace climate for all staff to increase performance and promote organisational health and wellbeing. Leanne aims to help managers improve their organisation’s performance, profit and public image by working on “the tricky people stuff”

Kristin Arnold is the president and founder of Quality Process Consultants. Kristin is passionate about teamwork, engagement, action and momentum. Kristin’s passion for teams is reflected in her writing, speaking, facilitation and consulting. She is the author of several books in the Extraordinary Team Series (Team Basics, Email Basics and Team Energizers), as well as a newspaper columnist and contributing author to a myriad of other team-based books. Kristin was one of the first female graduates of the United States Coast Guard Academy and the first woman stationed onboard the USCGC Buttonwood, a sea-going buoy tender. She parlayed her understanding of teams and teamwork with an MBA in Marketing Strategy into a specialized management consulting firm focused on building extraordinary teams in the workplace.

Keith is about delivering substance that is relative to the real world of business. He shows business people how to work smarter, engage their people, rekindle their passion and capitalise on their current market opportunities. Most importantly, his strategies are proven and have achieved some phenomenal results. From humble beginnings, Keith climbed the ladder to head a team of 65 with a $15 million dollar budget at the tender age of 27. Over the past 16 years, Keith has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most in-demand conference speakers, business growth catalysts and innovation facilitators, working directly with some of the world’s leading brands like Toyota, Lexus, Asteron Insurance, HICAPS, Toshiba and NAB to name a few. Keith has worked directly with over 265 clients and 2,500 SME’s in 20 different industries and he has inspired over 300,000 people.

For more than a decade, Jessica has been educating people to support and embrace a more diverse environment. With a Masters in Higher Education Administration and her background as a College Administrator in South Carolina, Oregon, New York & Arizona, Jessica is well versed in the education space.  She has worked in various student services offices on university campuses, as well as acting in a range of advisory roles relating to LGBT (Lesbian Gay, Bi Sexual and Transgender) and Women’s support services.  Jessica has also established a Centre for Social Justice Leadership in Arizona and worked as a Presidential advisor for Diversity in California. Jessica believes that organisations need to stop waiting to be good enough and step into being good enough now!

Jennifer is the Director, Buzan Centre: Australia/NZ and co-founder of Mindwerx International. An expert in the area of creativity and innovation, Jennifer works with a wide variety of organisations in Australia, NZ, USA, Middle East, South Africa, UK, China and Asia. One of only four Master Trainers in Tony Buzan’s Mind Mapping® and other Advanced Learning Techniques, including Speed Reading and Memory, Jennifer mentors a worldwide network of trainers and L&D professionals. Interestingly, Jennifer is the Senior Judge at the World Memory Championships and Convenor of the Australian Memory Championships and was Crowned ‘Australia’s Memory Maven’ by Anthill Magazine. Jennifer trains and coaches Advanced Learning Techniques, including Speed Reading and Memory Development, and personally works with Tony Buzan around the world. 

Helen Mac is Australia’s Corporate Optimist. She specialises in maximising opportunities in individuals & teams, creating optimal performance in organisations of all sizes. Combining decades of experience in culture change and practical psychology based on her BA (Psych), Helen works with leaders, individual contributors and teams to dramatically shift their thinking and optimise outcomes. Her client list is diverse, coming from industries as wide-ranging as IT, banking & finance, transport, telecommunications, automotive, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals.  Examples include General Motors/Holden Limited, American Express, GE Capital Finance; Hyundai Motor Company, CPA Australia, Tupperware, Ericcson, SAP, RSM Bird Cameron and AMP.

Gordon is a former Past President of the Institute of Management Consultants in New Zealand and is also a Certified Management Consultant. Through his company Sempre Avanti, Gordon provides expertise to help organisations manage change and social media in a way that is strategic, fast tracks processes and delivers measurable results.

Elizabeth truly shattered the “glass ceiling” in the military when she became an Army Black Hawk Pilot.  Elizabeth has flown a range of missions and supported the UN peacekeeping operations in Kosovo receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for excellence in service and in 2011 was awarded the Congressional Veteran Commendation. Since retiring from the military, Elizabeth has a corporate career as a global contract negotiator and motivational speaker.  Today she shares with us her experiences as a pilot and the actionable lessons that are part of her PILOT method to help you lead your life, team and increase your productivity to soar to success.

Donna Sargent who is the founder and Managing Director of Wellbeing2u Pty Ltd which incorporates a workplace massage business, Massage2u. Donna’s passion for healing clients took her to the corporate world, where in 2008 Massage2u became an established provider of workplace massage.  Massage2u’s has provided stress relief in the form of massage for clients such as KPMG, ANZ Bank, BT, Credit Corp, Selleys Yates, Nestle, RACQ, and Virgin Australia to name a few.   

Danielle Storey is the co-owner of an award-winning international multi-million dollar family-run business, The Cartridge Family. The Cartridge Family is based in Melbourne servicing Australian and New Zealand businesses for over 16 years. She is also a professional speaker in business/marketing, sales/customer service and employee engagement. She is an experienced and skilled mentor as well as being a specialist in exhibiting and sponsorship management. A talented communicator, with proven management experience in the private business sector, she has a humorous and heart-warming personal story on which to base her ‘Million Dollar Relationships’ addresses. These sought-after strategies deliver easy-to-implement ideas which deliver genuine results. They form the basis of systems which create ‘Customer Delight’ – service with a “little bit extra”.

At the age of 14 Daniel worked with his first client, filming and producing video projects. By the time he completed his Bachelor of Arts (Multimedia) degree at University he had already been involved in filming, editing and directing two TV shows. Daniel’s professional career started in 2006 when he established a client base working from his home studio. Soon enough his profound passion for video and multimedia evolved leading the business into new areas such as design, photography and e-learning. By the age of 21 Daniel landed large corporate clients such as Rio Tinto, Victoria University and the Education department. In 2008 Daniel made the decision he was going to play the bigger game starting Innovating Visuals pty ltd. Working with a larger range of clients the rapid growth led the company to move into an office in Essendon, also giving Daniel the opportunity to recruit a fantastic and creative team.

Damian is one of the founders of Creativa a Melbourne based company that specialises in using video to create compelling content that can aid in increasing individual and organisation productivity… and same significant amounts of money in the process!

Connie Pheiff is a primetime radio host of Masters Chambers with Connie Pheiff. She is a global business celebrity, speaker, author, trainer, and executive coach that have worked for nearly two decades to inspire and equip business leaders in every realm to unlock organizational and individual potential to achieve ORGANIZATIONAL HAPPINESS. Former CEO of Girl Scouts North Pennsylvania, United Way, and Director at the United States Chamber of Commerce. Connie knows from experience the impact of creating a culture of emotional engagement and achieving organizational happiness.

Brad is a professionally trained Executive Coach AND a Chartered Accountant. He works with clients to grow market share and revenue, build sales and business development capability, develop high performing leaders and teams and embed change. After over 20 years in senior management roles developing and implementing successful growth strategies for major Australian businesses including ANZ Bank, Telstra, Price Waterhouse Coopers and Woolworths, Brad founded Igniting Potential.

Tasha is the Director and lead facilitator for Blooming Minds. She has been providing mental health and wellbeing training programs throughout Australia for more than 16 years. Holding a Principal Master Trainer status from the MHFA Australia program, Tasha is accredited to deliver the Mental Health First Aid program. She has delivered this renowned course to more than 200 groups over the last 11 years, including: teachers; psychiatric nurses; HR personnel; mental health consumers and carers; aged care staff; disability staff; vocational rehabilitation providers; case managers and various government departments. Tasha’s work has been recognised with the ICCWA Suicide Prevention Award in WA and recently as a finalist in the national Life Awards for Excellence in Suicide Prevention. Tasha has published a number of books focused on both personal and workplace mental health, including her latest entitled “Bloom at Work – A Mental Health Guide for Leaders”. She is currently completing Masters of Mental Health Psychology.

Sharon is a speaker and author who specialises in work/life balance.  Prior to her commitment to work/life balance, Sharon, a registered nurse by education and passion, worked 100 hours per week, 3 countries per week until she missed a family event because of a flight delay in Eastern Europe. The plane had contraband on board, and the delay extended for 4 days. Sharon realized that she needed to shift her paradigm and ‘get a life. Sharon, often referred to as a Stressbuster for her ability to identify stressors and solutions, is recognized globally for her ability to empower others to be all that that they can be! Sharon combines real-life stories and conversational techniques that immediately resonate with her audience. She works with organizations that want to learn how life balance can drive safety, satisfaction, and success!

Ava Diamond is a speaker, trainer, and consultant specializing in leadership, employee engagement, and women’s success. She works with everyone from executives to the front line to create aligned, focused organizations where people activate their potential and do the best work of their lives. Ava’s background includes ten years with a global Fortune 50 computer company, and over 20 years working with leaders to increase their effectiveness and their bottom lines.  She holds a Masters Degree in Management and Organizational Behavior.

After five years and 550 rejections, Kate broke into the male-dominated world of sports to become America’s #1 female sports commentator and talk show host. Today Kate is a top business and motivational speaker whose unique background, common sense straight forward approach opens the hearts and minds of her audiences and challenges them to get into action. Four former Presidents and Lebron James are just a few of the 12,000 people in her twenty-years in radio and television that Kate Delaney has interviewed. Kate has broadcast from places all over the United States and the world and is one of the first women to ever host a solo Sports Radio Talk Show in a Top 10 market – WFAN in New York City and KRLD in Dallas, Texas.

Angelica Mistica CEO of HR Division. HR Division is a company that is focussed on supporting and servicing businesses across the Asia Pacific region to deliver SafeWork Strategy solutions. Angelica and the HR Division Team are passionate about saving companies money in Workers Compensation and making life easier in looking after employees.

For over ten years Adam served as a Team Commander in the Special Air Service, leading troops into battle in some of the most hostile and complex environments on earth.  It was here that his extraordinary leadership skills were developed, honed and ultimately put to the test under fire. 

Belinda Rosenblum, is a CPA who has helped thousands of people discover how “owning your money” creates certainty, security, and the life of financial independence they deserve. Belinda is the President of OwnYourMoney.com, a financial coaching and education company teaching individuals, couples and business owners how to make personal finance and small business success rewarding, manageable, and profitable. In this Expert Insights Session, Donna speaks with Belinda about Money Stress and Productivity.

Yvonne is a people skills expert. She is an international educator with more than 30 years experience in training, facilitating and speaking. She spent 12 years in the corporate world of advertising sales in newspapers and magazines in the UK and Australia and has also been a high school teacher.  12 years and thousands of meetings taught Yvonne how to say NO to attending meetings where she had minimal input, to delegate others to stand in her place and what to do and not to do to run and participate in effective meetings. Here academic qualifications and long and impressive and include a BA in Geography, Anthropology & Psychology. Along with a post graduate certificate in Education, Yvonne is also a Myers Briggs accredited facilitator and a master practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming.

With over 15 years’ experience in exhibiting, including spending 12 months based at a permanent trade show in Dallas, Texas, and selling his own $900 product while exhibiting around Europe and Australasia, he has a unique perspective on the world of exhibiting. Combining his exhibiting experience with the business mentoring he does, Warwick truly knows how to integrate Exhibiting and Sponsorship into part of your normal business rather than treating it as an additional activity.