#KatieTalks

The night before her 33rd birthday, today's guest Elle Sproll had just finished a half marathon in Hawaii, returned from a work trip to New Zealand and was about to meet a friend for an early birthday dinner (featuring plenty of rosé and karaoke). Then, she found a lump in her breast. It turned out to be Triple Negative Breast Cancer: very rare and very aggressive. Definitely not the birthday present she had hoped for. Elle was young, fit and excelling in her career as a Senior Marketing Leader at a Big 4 bank. We discuss some of what followed and how Elle, ever the deep thinking cstomer centric marketer, came to form Own Your Health, supporting women on their journey back to health from cancer & career burnout. We also cover: You can read more about Elle's coaching and buy her chemo care kits here https://www.ownyourhealthcoach.com.au/ Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at www.linkedin.com/in/katiebennettstenton or Katie@bennett-stenton.com.

Katherine Newton is a CEO doing impactful important work. Some of the key topics we cover are: One insight that Katherine shared that particularly struck me as a marketer and mental health advocate was that when she's wearing the bright yellow RU OK tee shirt people approach her and want to talk. Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at www.linkedin.com/in/katiebennettstenton or Katie@bennett-stenton.com

If you're limping towards the end of 2021, in need of some recharging and downtime, this is the podcast for you. This is an extremely insightful conversation with a professional whose superpower is helping humans and workplaces slay the energy vampires that cause burnout, crush creativity and stifle inclusion. We discuss the elusive concept of balance and Sean talks us through three very specific practices to put in place to set boundaries and manage our energy. Listeners are encouraged to document how they will implement boundaries to manage: People's access to you: embrace your chronotype (what most people understand as being an early bird versus a night owl) and share this information with colleagues. Protect your optimal deep flow working time in your diary and ask your team mates and respect those boundaries. As I round out a second year in my beloved Melbourne, when we became the most locked down city on the globe and we hopefully farewell home schooling forever, I was really energised by this conversation. It has given me lots of food for thought, which I plan to noodle over while I'm having a summer break. I hope that you feel similarly inspired. Thanks for sticking with #KatieTalks over this most frenetic of years, wishing you a wonderful festive season and I look forward to being back in your ears in 2022. Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal passion project, not associated with my professional role.

My guest today, who provides a great deal of food for thought about the impact of Covid and how we emerge from it is formidable psychologist Leah Fogarty. We cover a lot of topics including the work that Leah has done supporting mental health as people grapple with Covid. When the global pandemic was first impacting Australia last year, Leah developed a program for patients to support them in really uncertain times, which we discuss at length. Leah's work is influenced by the fact that she is a former elite athlete. A lot of her practice supports current athletes and we talk about this and some of the influences that we can all benefit from, irrespective of level of fitness. We are hearing a great deal about how much mental health is suffering at the moment and we explore the post-traumatic stress program that Leah has created. There are some incredibly beneficial messages that I took from this discussion and continue to adopt in my own life. One of Leah's comments that has particularly stayed with me is that humans are the only species to judge things to be good or bad and that nature has designed us to see the negative. This is a constructive message for many people to ponder. We also explore some positive learnings from the impact of Covid, which has stripped back our needs. Leah guides us that life should be designed, not a default we've fallen into. Excellent food for thought. Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

This is an enriching conversation with a deep thinker who does a lot of work advising Boards and CEOs. Or as her bio says she "gets sh*t done for equality and inclusion." We explore a number of themes that Michelle focuses on with leaders. She talks me through a common question that she asks about whether leaders would build an organisation the same way again, the answer is frequently intriguing. In exploring this theme, Michelle invites leaders to think about the person they care most about and whether they would want that person to work with their organisation. More often than not, asking senior people to think about a time about when they had no influence is the 'ah hah' moment that precedes a more diverse approach. A key area of focus for Michelle is coaching clients to examine how be thoughtful and create high performing teams while working remotely. We discuss the fact that people feeling included, valued and respected are absolutely key in attracting, retaining and advancing all parts of a diverse workforce. We talk about careers that 'soar' and the global platform that Michelle is establishing to support professionals who don't have access to women's leadership training program. This is a really inspiring listen which really energised me seven months in to working from home and home schooling during this global pandemic. Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

If you're feeling the need to turbocharge your motivation as you settle into month sevenish, dealing with Covid, this is the conversation for you. My guest has 14+ years pedigree of Fortune 500 companies and advises organisations and leaders on creating environments where smart, self-motivating, innovative individuals thrive. We discuss the concept of interconnected, distributed teams which is an interesting concept. It is also critical to the way that we're working now as many of us have lost that regular 'in person' way, incidental communication with our colleagues. We cover a lot of interesting topics, but most inspirational for me was our discussion about the five levels of distributed teams. This concept was created by Matt Mullenweg who founded WordPress. You can read more about it here. https://ma.tt/2020/04/five-levels-of-autonomy/ While change is a constant, this has been a year of greater than normal change, with COVID-19 disrupting our personal lives and work in a way not seen in recent history. This has created some lasting impacts but also some opportunities for the better. Hiam talks about the way that workplaces are taking time to think about the value they create in the world and she is starting to see some of this in her work, reigniting passion in their people, really connect back to that core piece. Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

My guest today is the formidable Maz Farrelly, former Executive Editor of Format Entertainment at the BBC in London (think Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice + Q+A on ABC) and now CEO Whisperer and Social Commentator. Maz's content has over 8 billion views and you're going to want to take a listen, she's fantastic. We cover a lot of topics including the work that Maz does with senior business leaders. The starting point in any such gig is a 'boring audit' a concept that I love. We discuss the fact that many professionals and leaders consciously make themselves less interesting and tone themselves down in professional settings. Whereas, the way to be most impactful is to be charismatic and interesting, Maz draws stories out of leaders. Drawing on the 10,000 plus interviews that she has conducted over her career Maz coaches leaders to be more impactful saying that when she first meets a person she knows from our attire how wealthy, educated and confident a person is. We all make these judgements, and Maz teaches how to improve the way that you come across. The other key components that she teaches are: We also discuss the fact that Covid19 'stay home and wear a mask' messaging isn't hitting the mark. Maz talks me through the way that she's approach it: scary, called 'how to kill your friends', infrared - virus moving, then one little domino, very scary. We recorded this during stage four lockdown in Melbourne, I'm a strong advocate of her suggestions; Dan and Brett if you're listening! Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

Back on the podcast is Richard Yetsenga Chief Economist and Head of Research at ANZ. The first time I interviewed Richard turned out to be the last week that we were working in an office. I have been listening to a lot of Richard's commentary and analysis through the pandemic and I was keen to explore some of it in more detail. We talk about inequality, technology, climate change and geopolitics - all of which are being particularly impacted by the pandemic. We also cover the 20 minute suburb, social housing and the increasing influence of voters under 35. We cover a lot of interesting ground, you'll be smarter at the end of the episode. Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. *You can follow Richard at @ricyet. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

In this Covid19 period of significant change, how we work and connect with each other, both within and outside our organisations, is critical to the success of the strategy. My guest today is Jon Burgess a thought leader in people advocacy and collaboration. Jon is also a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School. This podcast is a conversation about connectedness. Jon's great passion is helping leaders and organisations to develop and maintain a competitive advantage through a deeper approach to relationship building. Since the world and business landscape have changed so dramatically, Jon has been engaged by organisations globally, who have started reinvesting in greater connectivity during, for post COVID, both within and outside their organisation. Our podcast includes some additional expertise from Deloitte chairperson Tom Imbesi and Senior Deloitte Partner Grant Hyde. Grant. Partner Deloitte. https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/profiles/grant-hyde.html Tom. Chairman Deloitte. https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/profiles/tom-imbesi.html Jon. Founder, Kwan https://www.kwan.com.au/people We examine blind spots and how an organisation determines that their leaders and teams have the connectedness required, with relevant people around them to deliver on the organisation’s strategy. Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

My guest today is Richard Yetsenga Chief Economist and Head of Research at ANZ Bank. This was always going to be interesting, throw into the mix a slightly tumultuous global pandemic and voila you have a great conversation. We discuss Richard’s approach* to using Twitter in terms of the way that he publishes and influences dialogue. It was also interesting to hear that Twitter has been a key source of information for him as Covid19 evolves at a rapid pace. Central to this discussion is the importance of trustworthy content and we talk in detail about this critical issue. The ability to stay informed about news across the globe is vital for Richard and it’s always interesting to hear how influential time poor people do this. We discuss ‘reading aggressively’ and his go to publications. We also talk about the fact the Alanis Morissette has a lot to answer following a study that Richard describes which charts song lyrics from the 1990s to now show a steady move from focus on love to more around hate. Isn’t it ironic?! Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on Twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. *You can follow Richard at @ricyet. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

My guest today is Bronwyn Bate - CEO and Founder of Mettle Women, a social entrepreneur turning empathy into action. This is a remarkable influencer story. As a (former) court reporter Bronwyn met lots of inspiring women but realised that when domestic violence victims don't have financial independence, 52% who have escaped dangerous situations return to the system. Bronwyn made good use of her communications background and recognised that an important mechanism for success would be to get women into work. And so harnessing the power of a conscious consumer, she founded Mettle Women Inc a social enterprise which creates sustainable employment paths for survivors of domestic and family violence. I came across Mettle on Twitter in the lead up to Christmas and loved the concept, including the fact that many of their products are made by small local Western Australian organisations. The ingenuity of Mettle Gifts has been recognised by Marie Claire magazine, whose April Australian edition will feature Bronwyn and her team. You can read more and shop at https://www.mettlegifts.com/ Katie Talks is hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

Katie Talks is back for 2020 and my first guest is an interesting one. Graeme Bowman is well known as a keynote speaker, writer, corporate comedian and hoax speaker. Graeme uses his 34 years' experience in the arts to raise consciousness around the ways that systematic patriarchy plays out within male dominated organisations. You may wonder what a self-professed 'old straight white male' can do about this. I did too, listen for some fresh perspectives. Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

This episode of #KatieTalks is an interview with organisational psychologist, aka Cultural Change Whisperer, Board Capability advisor and beekeeper Stella Voules. If you're interested in culture this is the podcast for you. We cover a range of fascinating topics including the way that leadership has evolved over the last decade, with a significant increase in access (to leaders) and transparency. Stella talks about how this started in Silicon Valley with a firm antiestablishment movement which can be witnessed well beyond the corporate world. We talk about how this as created a shift in power dynamics, with employees having more of a voice than ever before.We explore the opportunities in all this for leaders and employers, citing Edelman Trust Barometer findings that people trust their employer much more than government or the media. We hear why Stella is such a big fan of futurists and about highly innovative organisations that employ them, without a position description and give them three months to explore the organisation and determine where they can have the most impact! Another interesting topic is why when founding JOST, Stella and her business partner ignored advice that they appoint one CEO rather than both act as co-CEO, and why this is proving to be a highly successful approach. Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on twitter or Katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

This episode of #KatieTalks delves into some interesting themes with Recruiter, Coach and Professional Services Trainer Katherine Mountford, including how pivotal LinkedIn should be in building one's personal brand and eminence. We build on this theme exploring a recent blog that Katherine wrote after she interviewed a senior leader who said that they 'don't do digital'. It elicited some pretty strong feedback on both sides, Katherine has a number of tips (six in fact) for professionals looking to move from one industry to another which is something that this interviewer recently did. We also explore the concept of a balanced life and Katherine talks us through her personal check list to manage energy levels and the demands of a new consultancy with her many other passions. This is an upbeat, interesting listen and you'll be sure to finish feeling ready to incorporate a few clever tips into the way that you work. Hosted by Katie Bennett-Stenton, who you can find at @KatiebMarketing on twitter or katie@bennett-stenton.com. Disclaimer this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role.

On this episode of #KatieTalks is story teller and content maestro Neil Glaser. We are living in an era when business is firmly changing its approach to creating content. We are embracing a move away from enormous reports that senior leaders don't have time to read and embracing shorter, bite sized snackable, easy to consume. In this new more client centric world I couldn't think of a better person to interview than Deloitte's Head of Editorial, industry speaker and former serial co-collaborator Neil Glaser. Neil shares his top five tips for creating compelling content that will help you to improve your own writing, in whatever form that takes. He also shares some interesting statistics including the fact that poor business writing costs around $400 billion dollar per annum. My favourite tip (a difficult choice) was to make every word count, Neil tells us that writers often have compulsion towards very lengthy content. This was superbly illustrated by our narrator who tells of a bet that Ernest Hemmingway's friends placed as to who could write a cutting story in only 6 words: For sale, baby shoes, never worn. You won’t be surprised to hear that Mr Hemmingway won. Disclaimer, this podcast is a personal project, not associated with my professional role. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com or @Katiebmarketing on twitter

This episode of Katie Talks is an interview with Megumi Miki, Founder of Quietly Powerful + Author, Speaker and Facilitator in Leadership/Culture/Diversity. Creating context for this interview is a quote from the current MI6 chief who revealed that he searches specifically for recruits who do not shout loud and show off but who have had to fight to get on in life. The title of Megumi's first book is 'Start Inspiring, Stop Driving' and this is a fascinating conversation about a move from an extended consulting project, existing on two or three hours of sleep a night and having a client who was early starter with 6.30am meetings. Megumi talks me through her evolution from there through to being a sought after, highly influential presenter and consultant. This conversation includes a number of lessons learned around running one's life based on other people's expectations and maintaining passion and connecting with other people. I greatly enjoyed our conversation and I'm confident that you will too. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com or @Katiebmarketing on twitter

On this episode of #KatieTalks is the formidable Emily Bates - Marketing Director | CMO |Visionary Leader Brand Specialist | CXO and Non-Executive Director. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with a fellow marketer and it confirmed that doing the Australian Institute of Company Director course is something that I will do. Emily spoke about the tremendous amount of value that marketers can contribute to a board. We brings customer centric thinking and help to ensure better outcomes by keeping customers at the centre of decision making. Don't be satisfied with average - think really big and then make it happen. What could we possibly do that would make it awesome! Emily shares the Best piece of (business) advice that she ever received which was from creative maestro Todd Sampson. This stresses the importance of crafting a problem statement before you even think about the creative solution and has deeply informed her career. We also discuss Emily's work on the board of Dress for Success, empowering many women with interview clothing and employment workshops and supporting them to provide for their families. They are also in need of more corporate sponsors if any listeners are in a position to help. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com or @Katiebmarketing on twitter

On this episode of #KatieTalks is Andy Evans, reformed lawyer and CEO of Star of the South, Australia’s first offshore wind farm, which is being proposed off the south coast of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. If successful the project will provide 18% of Victoria's power. Andy is incredibly frank about his grappling with the fact that his career was not fulfilling him and the steps that he took to create a professional focus that was much more purposeful - which includes combining renewable energy and wine! We also talk about how enriching to relationships it can be if you share your vulnerability and the fact that people bond with you if you are authentic on this front. Andy also shares a very personal story from when he lost his Dad at a young age and a friend's father shared something with him that continues to inspire him regularly. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com or @Katiebmarketing on twitter

On this episode of #KatieTalks is the highly esteemed Natasha Norton. Natasha is CEO of Accuteque, NED, Diversity Champion, Sports Tragic, Australian LGBTI Awards Finalist and Telstra Business Womens' Awards Finalist. We cover a lot of interesting topics including the enormous benefits of diversity in all its forms, why sometimes being a good leader is about pushing your team forward to take charge and the how important it is to operate outside your comfort zone. We also discuss Soul Machines* a venture set up by an Academy Award winner to create a more human experience with machines. I found our conversation about the founder's move from Hollywood to the corporate world to be fascinating. I was surprised to learn that Natasha is an introvert, she shares some great suggestions on walking into a large room for people she doesn't know. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com or @Katiebmarketing on twitter *Note Natasha is not associated with Soul Machines, merely really interested

This week I interview one of my favourite Deloitte partners, Vera Ou-Young. Vera is the National Leader of the Deloitte Chinese Services Group which has responsibility for facilitating strong relationships with clients who work across both Australia and China. Vera speaks seven (!) languages and shares some interesting thoughts about creating legacy and why mentoring the next generations of leaders, especially women is so important to her. My favourite part of this interview is Vera sharing some of the ways that she maintains a strong mindset, including the fact that she has a fortnightly routine of picking out and celebrating a success. Listen in to hear the full story, it's fantastic. You can contact me at Katie@bennett-stenton.com