Let’s face it, leaders have been through a lot over the past three years. Yet the storm of organisational change keeps coming, and uncertainty is the new normal. Leadership is ultimately about people, yet many find themselves responsible for implementing change without ever being taught the foundations of how to actually lead people through it.



My guest today Leah Mether has a new book Steer through the Storm (Ingram Sparks, $25.00). As a communication and soft skills specialist Leah provides a practical, step-by-step guide to help lead your people through turbulent times. Drawing upon over 15 years experience working with a variety of organisations, Mether outlines a new approach to communication and leadership that will help you deal with the feelings of your people, improve performance, and get better results.



Leah is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, and author known for her direct, enthusiastic and relatable style. With a background in leadership, corporate communications and journalism, Leah works with executives, leaders and teams across Australia to help them improve their communication and self-management. With more than 15 years’ experience working with thousands of clients, Leah knows what it takes to communicate under pressure.



Her clients represent a diverse range of industries, government agencies, and businesses across Australia – including AGL, Optus, CFA, Energy Australia, Latrobe Community Health Services, and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. As a proud Gippslander based in regional Victoria, Leah is passionate about supporting communities through industry transition.



We discuss:



1. How have hard times shaped leaders of the past and is it different now? Explain your views.

2. What are some of the best ways we can lead ourselves and others through challenge and change?

3. Accountability can mistaken for being a micro-manager sometimes but how can we hold others to account while leading with some sense of compassion?

4. Conflict is often the result of stress and challenges, but are there any surefire ways to navigate hard times with minimal conflict?

5. Is there a trajectory where say with grief we know there are stages. In the end, acceptance is key to us having a way forward – is that true of all hard experiences? Maybe 1-2 examples.

6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Hard Times?





To connect with Leah:

• Weblink: https://www.leahmether.com.au/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmetherspeaker/



POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

207: The Politics of Hard Times - Leah Mether

We all know about burnout and my show has done a few episodes that have specifically looked at the causes, treatments, and best of all prevention.

My guest today Melo Calarco is on a mission to help millions of people beat burnout in the modern world but ever wondered what that takes? He is the published author of Beating Burnout-Finding Balance and is a passionate mindfulness and high-performance coach, keynote speaker and corporate programs facilitator. Melo learned to manage highly challenging and stressful situations, build mental endurance and rise above adversity from his life lessons on the road where he cycled, trekked and travelled over 30,000km’s around the planet on his mountain bike. He traversed five continents and along the way he had to overcome many obstacles and demanding encounters, including near-death experiences.

He has helped many CEO’s, leaders, corporate executives, medical professionals, elite athletes and other high performers to build resilience and perform at their absolute best, without burning out. Melo’s work has been described as truly transformational and his clients include, Deloitte, PwC, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Loreal, SEEK, David Jones, ANZ bank and many of the world's top companies.

Hear from Melo on:

1. How do you define mental endurance?

2. Are there ways like an athlete or a great achiever in any field, we can build up our own mental endurance and how?

3. Are there things that will impact for better or worse how we retain mental endurance during periods of sustained stress or when we are maybe already burned out?

4. Adversity is part of life – what is the quickest way to change how we navigate it and amplify our path to stronger wellbeing mentally?

5. The most untapped resource when it comes to mental endurance is what, in your experience?

6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Mental Endurance?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (76) Melo Calarco | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melo-calarco/]

http://www.melocalarco.com/

POE offer:

POE LISTENER:

Hey podcaster friends. Please note we have a new updated link for the 30% discount code for my Zencastr offer if you decide to use that platform as your recording and hosting place – even transcripts and videos included. For a 30% discount on your Zencastr platform subscription and get podcasting faster, my awesome POE show listeners should use this VIP Link: http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30
#madeonzencastr

206: The Politics of Mental Endurance - Melo Calarco

Many executives and business leaders as well as entrepreneurs get a business coach to drive them further and ensure they stay the course through the investable peaks and troughs of a career or business life. Enter today’s guest Karen Stein, a professional Certified Executive Coach who is passionate about supporting leaders to be their best selves.



She has over 30 years’ experience working in the fast-paced world of professional services, with 23 years as a Partner of Deloitte one the Big 4 firms, as we call them in Australia and brings a depth of understanding to the challenges that leaders face.  With over 2000 one-on-one coaching hours, Karen has found that important intersection of coaching psychology and real-world experience, which enhances her offering. She is also a volunteer coach for clients of Dress for Success and worked with the social enterprise, Bambuddha Group.



Karen has authored a book chapter on Mental Toughness, in Coaching for Self Awareness About Attitude and Mindset, and in June 2023 she published her first book Be your own leadership coach - self-coaching strategies to lead your way. That is our topic for this episode.



Her ultimate aim is to have a positive leadership impact which is longstanding in my absence.

We cover in our podcast chat:

1. What is self-coaching and why is it valuable for leaders to be able to do this?

2. How do you know if you’ve had the right kind of LASTING impact as a leader? Can you know this at the time very quickly or is it usually a retrospective thing, in your view? I have just heard a few former CEOS speak at the World Business Forum in Sydney including former Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/pepsicos-first-woman-ceo-indra-nooyi-quits-10-things-to-know/articleshow/65296533.cms] who was full of reflection and candour because she no long wore that CEO and leadership hat.

3. The best leaders are often excellent speakers but also listen. How can you help your clients refine these skills to communicate more effectively inside and outside their organizations?

4. How does being kind manifest itself so one is not just liked and appreciated but can also command respect in a more grounded and realistic way?.

5. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Self-Coaching?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (59) Karen Stein | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-stein-coaching/]

W: www.karensteincoaching.com [http://www.karensteincoaching.com/]

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code "THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING" to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

205: The Politics of Self Coaching - Karen Stein 

In its simplest explanation, a website   conversion happens   when a user completes a desired action on your website, like making a   purchase or filling out a contact form. A good conversion rate apparently is between 2   percent and 5 percent. The thing with conversion rate is that even a jump of 0.5   percent can be a big deal. I assume that is about the volume! I am pretty keen   to find out.

Today I speak with Karyn (“with a Y!”) Parkinson. She is   an eCommerce marketing specialist with a knack for high-converting Facebook   ad funnels and website optimisation.

Through her eCommerce marketing agency and on-the-pulse   training programs, Karyn’s helped hundreds of eCommerce store owners across   the globe boost profits, generate more revenue, and achieve an ad-spend ROI   of their dreams.

She’s been featured by Xero, Business Chicks, Afterpay   and more.

Everyone wants to find a way to do their eCommerce and   website work faster, smarter and more profitably so here we go!

In this podcast, you will learn from Karyn:

1. What she means by “website conversions”?

2. Why is website conversion seen as hard and mystical – how is that able to be better understood by us non-tech-minded people so we can do it better.

3. How has the landscape changed over the past decade or so? Explain with an example or two.

4. How does one measure ROI other than sales when we look at website and ecommerce success?

5. Do you have some hard and fast rules for ensuring that in 2023 your website is fit for purpose?

6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Website Conversions?

To reach Karyn:

https://unstoppableecomm.com [https://unstoppableecomm.com/]

https://instagram.com/unstoppableecomm

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unstoppableecomm

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

204: The Politics of Website Conversions - Karyn Parkinson

203 The Politics of AI Bias Tracey Spicer

Having been an early guest on this podcast back in 2017 when her book The Good Girl Stripped Bare was released, I am excited to welcome back Tracey Spicer AM. For anyone wanting a recap, Tracey is a multiple Walkley Award-winning author,   journalist, and broadcaster who has anchored national programs for ABC TV and radio, Network Ten, and Sky News.

The inaugural national convenor of Women in Media, Tracey is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers and emcees in Australia. In 2019 she was named the NSW Premier’s   Woman of the Year, accepted the Sydney Peace Prize alongside Tarana Burke for the MeToo movement, and won the national award for Excellence in Women’s   Leadership through Women & Leadership Australia. The ABC highlighted   Tracey’s #metoo work in the three-part documentary series Silent No More,   which featured the stories of hidden survivors.

In 2018, Tracey was chosen as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence, winning the Social Enterprise and Not-For-Profit category. For her 30 years of media and charity work, Tracey has been awarded the Order of Australia.

Highlights of her career include writing, producing and presenting documentaries on women and girls in   Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and India. She is an Ambassador for ActionAid, the Ethnic Business Awards and Purple Our World, and Patron of the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.

Her newest book, Man-Made:   How the bias of the past is being built into the future was released in May 2023. Today we are discussing the world of AI   and its biases. Welcome back to The   Politics of Everything, Tracey. And before we kick off, note this episode does touch on issues such as coercive control and listener discretion is advised.

Some of what chat about includes:

1. How has AI and a new era of feminism become intertwined from your perspective?

2. The Algorithmic Justice League (AJL) says at the very least we should demand inclusive product testing and the regulation of auditing systems - but neither Meta nor Twitter is there yet. Are we too late on this?

3. We know popular tools like ChatGPT have limits and biases, largely gender-related and in my experience in playing with it spits out more American-centric case studies, and ways of structuring content. Is women are over 50% of the population and hence prolific users, why is this happening?

4. Artificial intelligence has been around for years and is not just for sci-fi buffs or tech types– we maybe just accepted it or didn’t realise it’s everyday power in say use of chat bots for online services like banking or streaming services. The conversation is definitely shifting to how we manage AI and ensure we don’t lose all power to the tech giants. Are there some ways you can see this happening so it’s not all doom and gloom?

5. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of AI Bias?

Tracey can be found online via:

LinkedIn: (14) Tracey Spicer AM GAICD | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyspicer/]

Instagram: @TraceySpicer

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

203: The Politics of AI Bias - Tracey Spicer

Security   is something that most of us have come across, at a major sporting event,   live concert or even a shopping centre. Have you ever thought much about what   it’s like to work in and run such as business? And if I say picture a   security guard, you would more likely think of a male.

Meet Gina Field. She is the Managing   Director of a successful security company, with an impressive 25-year track   record. Her journey began as a one-woman home-based business, and through   dedication and innovation, she achieved remarkable growth. Gina's company   garnered recognition with over 35 industry awards, including prestigious   titles like NSW Businesswoman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and   Business of the Decade.

Gina's outstanding accomplishments   include securing major contracts, such as the Western Sydney Airport contract   and significant State Government contracts. Her success story serves as an   inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women in business,   demonstrating the potential for small ventures to flourish into thriving   enterprises. With a wealth of experience, Gina likely shares valuable   insights into running a successful business, overcoming challenges, and   identifying market opportunities. Her journey is a testament to the rewards   of perseverance, strategic planning, and a passion for excellence in the   security industry.

We chat today about The Politics of Security.

1. What did you dream of being as a kid and what did that early career entail for you?

2. Why security and what has helped you build your business?

3. What does your security business do – is every day different?

4. It is hard to go past asking this obvious question but I assume it is a male-dominated industry – is that still the case and how have you seen that change over the years in terms of your ability to be a leader regardless? Any examples that can bring this to life please share.

5. How has how to operate your business security changed over time?

6. What makes your business successful or stand out?

7. Best advice ever given to you, and why?

8. In a year’s time what would you like to have achieved in life or work, and what makes that goal so important?

9. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Business Security?

To connect with Gina:

(13) Gina Field | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-field-ba030520/]

http://www.nepeanregionalsecurity.com.au/

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

202: The Politics of Business Security - Gina Field 

As some who has struggled at times with high-functioning anxiety, I have often wondered what makes a difference to my day. Is it exercise at dawn, a sense of control over my workload, the way I view the world as good or bad, or a range of nuanced mental and physical factors that can either alleviate or accelerate my condition? Through her media career and social media posts, I have found some great wisdom from today’s guest Sophie Scott. She teaches people around the world how to prevent and manage burnout, reduce stress, and communicate with impact. In addition to a long career as an award-winning medical TV journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sophie is a professional speaker and educator with expertise in mental health.

She has an extensive presence on social media, has been an invited speaker at the World Congress on Positive Psychology, has written two books Live a Longer Life (ABC Books) and Road Testing Happiness (Harper Collins), and has won major awards for her journalism and medical reporting.

She is an Advisory Board Member of the Australian National Mental Health Prize and sits on the advisory board on stigma at Australia’s National Mental Health Commission and the University of Melbourne’s Contemplative Studies Centre. Sophie is also Adjunct Associate Professor in the Notre Dame University Medical School lecturing in science communication, and an ambassador for Bowel Cancer Australia, Pain Australia and is a patient reviewer for the British Medical Journal.

Her talks and workshops help people take better care of their mental health through science-backed techniques so they can build emotional resilience, maximise their potential and thrive at work and at home. Sophie’s mission is to help people help themselves, using evidence-based science and her own personal journey.

Here we discuss The Politics of Mindset including:

1. How do you define mindset and is there an example of what it means?

2. What are some of the “science-backed” ways we can change our mindset for the better– say from a fixed to a growth mindset?

3. How do you manage for example bad habits like a scarcity or victim mindset and ensure your past experiences do not overtly define your future?

4. Are some of us born with greater resilience and grit or does it need to develop like a muscle that needs to be trained to be optimal to be a competitive athlete?

5. How is stress aligned with our mindset and is removing stress as simple as reframing how we view it?

6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Mindset?

CONTACT INFO:

Sophie website

Sophie Instagram

Sophie YouTube

POE LISTENER:

Hey podcaster friends. Please note we have a new updated link for the 30% discount code for my Zencastr offer if you decide to use that platform as your recording and hosting place – even transcripts and videos included. For a 30% discount on your Zencastr platform subscription and get podcasting faster, my awesome POE show listeners should use this VIP Link: http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30
#madeonzencastr

201: The Politics of Mindset - Sophie Scott

Content creation is often the heart and soul of any modern business and its brand. My guest today Mel Daniels is a Content Strategist and Speaker who loves to understand ‘why’. Even past her toddler years, she always asked why. She wanted to understand why things worked like they did, why people acted a certain way and why she was the only one who loved peanut butter and sultana sandwiches.

Her curiosity has led her on an interesting life journey from academic achiever to corporate leader, mum extraordinaire and now business owner. Mel’s purpose is to teach and empower women who want more from their business, on how to use content in a powerful way. She gives them the confidence they need to become more visible, seen as the expert that they are and inspired to take their business to the next level.

When she’s not talking about content and client journeys, you will find Mel cheering on her clients from the sidelines. Her other favourite hangouts are the kitchen and gym. Luckily her love of dead lifting counteracts the amount of baking she consumes. Kind of. She is a content creation leader with a finger on the socials, and someone who can definitely help us all shine online!

Mel will share in this episode:

1. Content creation starts with a strategy – how do you define or even redefine that for your clients?

2. How can we become better at helping achieve the holy grail content engagement? Is it more than regular posts and sticking to content pillars we work from?

3. What are the main mistakes when it comes to content that does not land?

4. Best tech for us to make the content generation and posting less of a chore?

5. How have new tools like Threads changed how we manage content creation on social media? Explain with an example so we can understand the issues or benefits.

6. Your favourite content “gold star” example and why? Could be a small brand or a large one!

CONTACT INFO:

W: Meld Business Services | Content Strategy, Content Marketing & Content Creation | Sydney [https://www.meldbusinessservices.com.au/]

LinkedIn: Melissa Daniels | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-daniels-meld-business/]

POE LISTENER:

Hey podcaster friends. Please note we have a new updated link for the 30% discount code for my Zencastr offer if you decide to use that platform as your recording and hosting place – even transcripts and videos included. For a 30% discount on your Zencastr platform subscription and get podcasting faster, my awesome POE show listeners should use this VIP Link: http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30
#madeonzencastr

200: The Politics of Content Creation - Mel Daniels

Lucinda Holdforth is an accomplished speechwriter, an in-demand speechwriting coach, and a seasoned author. She worked with the likes of Australian deputy prime minister Kim Beazley in the 90s. Her latest book, 21st Century Virtues, How They Are Failing Our Democracy [https://publishing.monash.edu/product/21st-century-virtues] came out in August 2023 and caught my attention ironically through a post she did on LinkedIn, describing the modern perils of the said online professional networking platform where many of us professionals have found ourselves posting, scrolling, adding emotional reactions like “insightful” or “celebrating”, commenting and sharing.
Her leadership communications experience is broad-ranging, and her client list includes board directors and senior executives across many fields, including aviation, manufacturing, retail, government, telecommunications and information technology, finance, and banking. Her acclaimed speech writing workshop has been delivered to leading organisations such as the Australian Embassy in Beijing, Westpac Bank, and law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Lucinda also provides one-on-one speechwriting coaching/mentoring on request. Lucinda's book about the art of speechwriting was released in 2019 and she is the author of two previous non-fiction works: True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris (2004) [http://www.booktopia.com.au/true-pleasures-lucinda-holdforth/prod9781740512893.html?source=pla&gclid=CPH3j6qTr9ACFQuAvQodMq4F9w] and Why Manners Matter: The Case for Civilised Behaviour in a Barbarous World (2007). [http://www.booktopia.com.au/why-manners-matter-lucinda-holdforth/prod9780452295865.html]

Here we discuss The Politics of Modern Virtues including:

1. Why do you regard the free play of speech and ideas as essential for democracy and shared progress? And what does that mean you see is currently happening in 2023?

2. “Authenticity. Vulnerability. Humility. Transparency. These are some of the 21st-century virtues proselytised by mindset gurus, paraded (if not practised) by big corporations, and lauded by professionals on LinkedIn. The quest for authenticity, for example, is central to progressive campaigns for greater diversity and inclusion, while our political and business leaders are highest praised if they appear to be humble. But are Australia’s newest virtues fit for purpose? “This is quite the introduction to explain your latest book. Can you recall the moment that you decided this was book-worthy material and why now?

3. You essentially are resisting this new world orthodoxy. Why do broader civic values better serve our democracy than the more inward-focused ones like sharing “my truth” or “personal brands” we seem to see more of online and even offline. Can you give us an example of why this is not helpful or to be applauded?

4. What is the anecdote to saving our modern democracy from virtue signalling but still recognising the modern world and younger generations are going to define and showcase what matters to them with labels and affirmations, even if we don’t? We may never fully embrace the ways and values of the past.

CONTACT INFO:

https://www.lucindaholdforth.com/

(11) Lucinda Holdforth | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucinda-holdforth-56318a21/]

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

199: The Politics of Modern Virtues - Lucinda Holdforth

My guest Rachael Neumann and I met at a Forbes magazine member event in June. She was the main speaker and clearly understands the opaque and dazzling world of venture capital.



Every wondered just what is Venture Capital (VC). VC is a form of private equity and a type of financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential. There are two ways venture capitalists make money. The first way is through a management fee for the investment funds they manage. The second way is through a carried interest or carry, which is a share of the profits earned by the company after the initial investment.

Rachael is the Founding Partner at Flying Fox Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm propelling Australian & New Zealand companies across the globe. Over her career, Rachael has worked with thousands of early-stage startups including being Head of Startups for Amazon Web Services ANZ, a Partner at Startmate, and has enjoyed two Federal Government appointments distributing commercialisation and scale funding to early-stage Australian companies.

Hear from Rachael on:

1. How did you land up being in the venture capital business?

2. What tips do you often give to those who seek funding from Flying Fox Ventures?

3. How has thelandscape changed in the last few years as money has seemingly dried up and many more start-ups are failing faster than ever?

4. Why are female-founded businesses still receiving less than 2% of VC out there, despite the runaway success stories we see in the world with brands like Canva or Modibodi proving the big returns for investors?

5. When ideally does a founder need to let go and scale with others in the driver’s seat?

6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Business Scaling?

CONTACT INFO:

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelneumann/

Website: https://www.flyingfox.vc/

POE listener offer:

Zencastr is my podcast platform of choice. Use my special link (zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30 [http://zen.ai/thepoliticsofeverything30]) and use code “THEPOLITICSOFEVERYTHING” to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr

198: The Politics of Business Scaling - Rachael Neumann 

A weekly podcast series asking newsworthy experts and leaders the tricky questions about the politics of everything that matters to mankind in the 21st century. Host Amber Daines is a former journalist turned media trainer, speaker, and author who is also devoted to raising her young family.

The Politics of Everything