#KatieTalks

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

How To Have More Energy
This is the first in a 6 part series looking at various facets of wellness.  It's a topic that has come up in conversation on a number of my recent podcasts and feedback suggests that people don't feel especially comfortable talking about it at work.  So we're doing just that! 
First in the series is a fascinating conversation with Sean Hall whom you may well know from his Tedx talk about How To Have More Energy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPp6RovIvxs
 
Sean is the Founder of Energx.  This is one of the most inspiring conversations that I've had this year and I talk to lots of interesting people!  You'll learn what life hacking is and how very easily you can increase your energy 30%.  I challenge you to introduce me to a person who doesn't find that appealing.
 
Sean talks us through the energy crisis indicators including:
·        A lack of meaning in what we're doing, or a lack of purpose
·        Feeling overwhelmed
·        Negative self-talk
·        Waking up tired
·        Emotional regulation, being stressed and irritated at little things
·        Feeling disconnected, lonely, isolated
 
More importantly we talk about solutions to these issues.  This is a long listen but I promise it's worth the time.

This episode is an interview with Rob Steers, Head of Digital and Partner at Step Change. Any conversation with Rob is interesting and I come away a bit smarter, this one is no exception.
 
Some of our topics include:
·        The blurring of personal and professional lives (and why this is a good thing)
·        Increasing transparency in terms of where money is coming from on social media
·        Evolving personal control over how owns your data and content
·        Rob's predictions about blockchain facilitating what we're doing on social media