Connected Woman of The Week: Lou Pardi; editor and freelance journalist with a passion for social media, social enterprise, sustainability and food.
What is her background?
By day Pardi is the editor of the SMK (Social Media Knowledge) blog, and a freelancer. She started out writing Arts while dabbling in amateur stand up comedy in Perth before moving to Melbourne. Her writing is now around social media and digital, food and drink and sustainability. She works closely with Peppermint magazine and The Melbourne Review and contributes to (small)LUST, Pugnacious George and Time Out Melbourne.
What does her current role entail?
As Editor of the SMK blog, this year has entailed connecting with people in the industry – client side marketers, PRs and HR professionals, and industry vendors including agencies, which has been fantastic. Pardi cites a real hunger from all camps to promote fantastic digital and social media action in the Asia-Pacific.
She has briefed writers and designers to help create a beautiful, useable website, and useful, insightful content.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Pardi doesn’t let her laptop out of her sight, saying her shoulder could attest to that. If possible, she would be physically attached to her Sony Ericsson XPERIA mobile. Her Twitter addiction fuels her loyalty to the Android camp because of her obsession with the slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
What career-based achievements is she most proud of?
Being appointed Editor of SMK was an important professional achievement for Pardi. She is particularly excited about SMK’s knowledge sharing and keen to promote talent and campaigns outside of the UK/US through their blog.
For Peppermint Magazine, Pardi felt incredibly privileged to get the chance to interview many sustainability gurus like Jane Goodall and David Suzuki and tell stories of many inspirational designers, makers and activists.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
“I’ve often had conversations with incredibly talented, capable, efficient and effective women who find it hard to communicate their strengths. It’s important that in the appropriate scenario, be it an interview or negotiating conditions, that we’re prepared to do that. I often say to friends, ‘If you were describing someone like you, you would know exactly what to say, and would be far more generous.’ Sometimes we have to extend ourselves that courtesy.”
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
In the social media space Pardi attends SocialMelb, Social Media Club Melbourne, The Hive and many other gatherings The Fetch recommends.
In the sustainability (specifically fashion) space, she is a member of Glad Rags Vox Pops, the Australian Sustainable Fashion Network and the TFIA Sustainability Cluster.
How can people contact her?
Phone: 0418 659 721
Email: loupardi@loupardi.com
Website/Blog: www.loupardi.com or www.smk.net.au/blog
Twitter: @loupardi
Trunk: www.trunk.ly/loupardi
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/loupardi
Post: 913/565 Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Connected Woman of the Week:
Finding the right gift for dads, brothers and sons can be a difficult task for the best shoppers out there. Heather Winchcomb came up with the idea for www.giftsforblokes.com.au while discussing the hassles of shopping for men with a group of friends.
Who is she?
Founder of online emporium of men’s gifts, www.GiftsforBlokes.com.au, Heather Winchcomb combined a background in TV, radio and small business to get the niche website off the ground.
“Approximately ten years ago I went ‘back to school’ and studied multimedia. I could really see that there was going to be a huge future in dot-com and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Winchcomb.
After working at a web studio for four years, Winchcomb went on to develop giftsforblokes.com.au.
What does her current role entail?
“Day to day management of giftsforblokes.com.au; I am a very hands on person and like to be involved although this doesn’t mean I don’t know how to let go,” she said.
Although it was initially difficult to hand over specific areas of the business to others, Winchcomb is now more relaxed about it and confident in her surrounding team.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Winchcomb describes her desktop computer as her “workhorse” that manages to keep up with the daily tasks involved in running an online business, while her smartphone keeps her in touch when out of the office.
“With my multimedia background, I still enjoy “making” marketing and promotional bits and pieces, so my good old PC is still the best for that,” she said.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Starting the business and celebrating its 4th birthday was a proud moment for Winchcomb.
“Moving into the 5th year will bring more challenges and changes, but it’s what I love to do,” she added.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
“Don’t be scared to change what you are doing.”
Winchcomb regularly hears people talking passionately about ideas for a business or product, but they struggle to move forward with the idea.
“Take steps to investigate how you can make the change or develop a business of your own,” she said.
Dedicating a few hours a week to look into things further or make plans can make a significant difference.
“The great thing is so much information is readily available at our finger tips 24 hours a day on the web, so that you can do things outside working hours,” she said.
“Plus, you are never too old or too young to make a change in your career,” she added.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
She is a member of the Gift and Homewares Association of Australia (AGHA), and is also involved in several businesswomen’s networks including Australian Business Women’s Network and Women’s Network Australia.
How can she be contacted?
Via the contact form on www.GiftsforBlokes.com.au
Email: heather@giftsforblokes.com.au
Natalie Moutia and Cindy Steele became close friends after meeting at a women’s networking event more than seven years ago. Today, they have transformed their love of networking into a successful business.
Who are they?
Natalie Moutia (pictured left) and Cindy Steele (right) first worked together when they decided to host a lunch on International Women’s Day 2008, after their local businesswomen’s network disbanded.
After three and a half years of operation, the Success Women’s Network has supported more than 100,000 female business owners across Sydney, Central Coast and the Gold Coast.
It all started from humble beginnings in Sydney’s West.
“That first lunch was a great success. Businesswomen in our local area asked us to run regular monthly networking lunches in the Hills, and from there, the Success Women’s Network, just snowballed,” Moutia said.
“We only set up local communities when there is a demand from local businesswomen,” she said.
“Three and a half years later, we have 16 business communities across the Sydney metropolitan area, the Central Coast, and this year the Gold Coast,” she added.
What do their current roles entail?
Between the pair, Moutia and Steele look after just about every element of the networking business. That includes sales, sponsorship, financials, reporting, venue liaison, business management, marketing and so much more.
What technology do they use in their working lives?
Technology is entwined into the every day operation of Success Women’s Network, including cameras for video blogs, smartphones and computers.
What career-based achievement are they most proud of?
Moutia and Steele practice what they preach, and are most proud of setting up a network that supports women while representing their ethics and keeping their integrity intact.
“We are passionate about supporting local small business and love what we do, it just doesn’t get any better than that!” said Steele.
What advice do they have for women in the workforce?
“JUST DO IT!”
What groups/organisations are they involved with?
The Success Women’s Network works closely with a number of sponsors including Telstra Business Centres, Fairfax Community Newspapers, and local councils.
They also support charities such as Golden Cause and Life Changing Experiences; and partner with Australian Women’s Chamber of Commerce, My Biz Channel, My Business, Empower Magazine, BNI and Parramatta Business Access.
How can they be contacted?
www.successwomensnetwork.com.au
www.businessexpos.com.au
Connected woman of the week: Vanessa Garrard has built three growing businesses based in Sydney, Brisbane and Hong Kong; servicing the evolving consumer electronics industry.
Who is she?
Founder and director of E3 Style, KreativeDNA and Zenixx Ltd; Vanessa Garrard is directly linked to technology. Working side-by-side major retailers to develop consumer electronics ranges that meet consumer demand.
KreativeDNA is a product development and branding company, that works to create products, brands and market execution plans for distributors and importers in the consumer electronics industry.
Based in Hong Kong, distribution arm Zenixx Ltd, supplies electronic products to major retailers and distributors around the world.
What does her current role entail?
Garrard is responsible for the sales and marketing side of the three companies; leading teams in Brisbane, Sydney, Hong Kong, as well as new US based account manager.
Garrard’s role also includes developing business and product plans, and providing the overall company direction to deliver an optimum value proposition for customers.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Although Garrard uses her iPhone and laptop on a daily basis, she could not live without her cloud- Virtual Private Network (VPN).
“It allows me to access our network anywhere in the world and our purpose built database (ebase) is also critical piece of technology, it ensures we have access to accurate data anytime night or day,” she said.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Garrard is proud to have developed a complete product category for a key retail partner from the ground up. Working closely with the retailer, Garrard was involved with building everything from the initial business plans, product range, branding and more.
“This project allowed us to really show our true value as a supply partner,” she said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Garrard has seen too many women underestimating their own capabilities, and unintentionally suppressing business growth because they are worried about taking calculated risks. She said women should not be scared to take a leap of faith and start their own business.
“Trust yourself and believe in your ability,” she said.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Garrard is a silver sponsor for ACT for Kids charity, a supporter of LandCare Australia, a member of FastClub (BRW), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni, Women’s network, and Telstra Business Women’s Network.
She also works with university and high school students aspiring to one day make it as an entrepreneur, with advice and information.
How can she be contacted?
I’m just an email away: v.garrard@e3style.com
Connected Woman of the week: Melanie Silva has a background in financial services, but as soon as the internet exploded in the late 1990s she knew it was something she had to be part of. Silva set her sights on Google and after of three years of persistence landed a job with the search engine giant.
Who is she?
Melanie Silva is based in Sydney as Google’s Industry Leader for the Financial Services and Automotive verticals. Silva has been working in the financial services arena since 1996, but that all changed with the arrival of the internet.
“I couldn’t believe how quickly it was going to transform the space, so was putting my hand up for every online project going around,” said Silva.
She went on to work for ING Direct, Australia’s first online bank, a life and career changer.
As soon as Google set-up office in Sydney, Silva knew she wanted to be involved. After three years, she got there!
What does her current role entail?
Silva’s role at Google involves leading two vertical sales team (Finance and Auto).
“We primarily look at how Google AdWords can help marketers reach the millions of customers searching for their products on Google every day,” she said.
The role also includes leading a group of the smartest, fastest and most talented people and making sure they love their job every day. She also leads the Women@Google group in Sydney.
“So it’s 60% out there talking to our clients, 60% out there talking to our staff. Yep – I know it doesn’t add up – that’s just how we roll at Google; 120% all the time,” she said.
What technology does she use in her working life?
You won’t catch find Silva without her Android phone which enables her to work flexibly, something she appreciates with a baby at home.
Silva said her Android phone is essential for email, documents, photos, music, bank accounts and “everything.”
“It reminds me of when the internet took hold, all of a sudden emails and information appeared out of nowhere. Now with smartphones, you do so much that you couldn’t do even two years ago,” she added.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
The decision to leave a job a few years ago was an important turning point in Silva’s career. Although she was good at the job and loved the team, it was not the right role.
“The job didn’t challenge me, and I had to make some pretty horrible decisions that just didn’t sit right with me,” she said.
After making the decision to leave out of principle, it forced her to evaluate what career direction to take, as well as her strengths and development areas.
“That decision certainly helped me get where I am today, and still helps me evaluate opportunities when they come up. It was a risky and courageous move, but it paid off,” she said.
What advice do you have for women in the workforce?
Silva has three important tips:
Hard work is a hygiene factor….if you want to get opportunities you have to put your hand up, and this will generally take hard extra work. Hard workers are like diamonds, they are valuable, rare and people want to show them off.
Take calculated risks…if you are presented with the opportunity to challenge yourself a little more than you’re comfortable with, you should do it (every now and again). This is really how you grow and expose yourself to new things.
Hire people smarter than you…it’s much easier to convince your boss that you’re ready for the next opportunity if there is a capable person waiting in the wings to take your job. Smarter people are always easier to delegate to and they help you learn along the way.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
While she’s not at work Silva is busy with friends and family, and is also involved with Women@Google’s Australian Chapter.
How can she be contacted?
Email: mels@google.com
Twitter: @melsilva
LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/melspiteri
Connected woman of the week: Juliet Potter found the inspiration for her online businesses AutoChic and MotherDriven following frustrating experiences at “blokey” automotive retailers.
Who is she?
Potter’s retail misadventure alerted her to a niche in the market, and she went on to sell female-friendly car products online, receiving an overwhelmingly response from women.
“I began fielding emails from women asking me car related questions – from how to buy a car to what is a green slip and so my retail website became an information portal for cars and women,” said Potter.
What does her current role entail?
Potter is currently the creative director of AutoChic and MotherDriven; and she also launched her own PR company, GirlPR a few years ago after realising many automotive companies were not making the connection nor understanding the power of PR when it came to selling cars.
While women have a great deal of purchasing power and influence when it comes to car-buying, Potter found women did not absorb car advertisements unless they were in the market for a car.
“Vehicle manufacturers were completely missing the opportunity of building a brand relationship with women by continuing to advertise predominately men and car enthusiasts,” she said.
With the arrival of social media, Potter built up her business, which sells a range of brands (whether they be automotive, lifestyle, beauty, fashion or even charities) that simply need to reach a female audience.
“We also deliver a great deal of female-skewed content to companies as part of our work, along with of course servicing our clients’ social media requirements,” she said.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Potter’s life revolves around her iPhone, laptop and iPad. Her job also involves test-driving cars, so she always needs a good GPS to help her get from A to B.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Potter finds great satisfaction working within the PR industry, but is also passionate about working with social media.
“I am obsessed with social media because it is so fast-paced. In comparison to auto – it’s like comparing a tortoise to a hare – one is much faster than the other and much, much easier and thus a great deal more rewarding,” she said.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Potter is involved with car brands such as Kmart Tyre and Automotive Service, myPlates, Fleet Partners, ANCAP as well as groups such as Baby Rego and www.giftsforblokes.com.au.
How can she be contacted?
Our offices are at 49 Hopetoun Street Paddington Sydney NSW 2021.
Phone: 02 9368 1235
Email: enquiries@girlpr.com.au
Connected woman of the week: With a passion for building a community of aspiring writers, Valerie Khoo has turned the Sydney Writers' Centre from a one-person operation to Australia's leading centre for writing courses. Now soon to welcome its 10,000th student, the Centre helps students get published, write with confidence and change careers. With online and face-to-face courses, students enrol from all over Australia and the world.
Who is she?
Valerie Khoo is a journalist, speaker, editor and founder of the successful Sydney Writers' Centre in Milsons Point. With a background in economics, Khoo began her career in chartered accounting at pwc before switching careers to move into journalism and publishing.
"I wanted to do something more creative and decided I had to follow my passion into writing," she said.
Now author of seven books, Khoo founded the Sydney Writers' Centre in 2005. Last year, it was a winner in the NSW Telstra Business Awards.
"I wanted to create the kind of centre that I wish had existed when I was first exploring the world of writing. I feel that my whole career has led me to this point, where I can combine my technical skill in writing with my passion for helping people achieve their goals."
What does her current role entail?
As Managing Director of the Sydney Writers' Centre, Khoo oversees more than 30 presenters teaching more than 30 different writing courses.
"The publishing industry is currently evolving rapidly and we're committed to ensuring our students are equipped with the skills they need in a constantly changing environment," said Khoo.
In addition to traditional courses such as Creative Writing, Magazine Writing and Life Writing, the Centre also teaches courses in Selling on Amazon, Writing for the Web and Blogging for Business.
Khoo spends her time evangelising about the written word and finding easy ways to leverage technology to reach people in remote or rural communities.
"I am also focused on growing the Sydney Writers' Centre. There are so many people who want mentoring and guidance with their writing. And we love serving a global community - we have students from Argentina to Afghanistan!"
What technology does she use in her working life?
Khoo says she is a technophile but admits that wasn't always case.
"Five years ago, all I could do was use Word and Excel," she said.
"However, when I started to see how technology can make life - and learning - so much easier and efficient, I became hooked."
Technology has been a key driver in the growth of the Sydney Writers' Centre, with online students making up 40% of the Centre's community.
"Thanks to the internet, we can continue to support our students with exclusive forums and resources. Much of our activity is in the cloud. This has also been a key factor in streamlining operations internally."
Khoo also uses web video and audio podcasts to interview best-selling authors; webinars and social media.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
"I'm actually proud that I took the step to change careers - it can be daunting to make the switch especially if you're already in a comfortable job with a salary and career path ahead of you,” said Khoo.
“But, ultimately, you work for about one-third of your life - so you want to do something that you enjoy. I love helping other people who want to take that leap because I know exactly how they are feeling."
Khoo has been involved with a slew of awards in addition to the Telstra Business Awards. These include being named by Dell as one of the 10 Most Innovative Small Businesses in Australia (2009), Finalist Small Business Champion Awards (2008), and Anthill 10 Coolest Companies in Australia (2006).
"These awards are a great recognition for my team," she said.
"But I find it personally rewarding when I get emails or notes from former students who have scored book deals or gotten promoted at work as a result of doing our courses," she added.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Khoo says that the old adage is true: it's not what you know, it's who you know.
"Never underestimate the power of networking. You may not think it's that important when you are starting out but you soon realise that it's your network that's going to provide you with opportunities to grow your business and take it to the next level."
When faced with obstacles, Khoo says: "Pick your battles and if you're in a confrontation or difficult situation, always ask yourself: do you want to be right - or do you want to win?"
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Apart from professional organisations like the Australian Society of Authors, Khoo is a big believer in women's communities.
“I thoroughly enjoy the interactions I have with Women's Network Australia, Business Chicks and the Australian Businesswomen's Network,” she said.
Khoo is also the editor of Latte magazine, published by Business Chicks and the leading magazine for corporate and businesswomen in Australia.
How can she be contacted?
To find out more about the Sydney Writers' Centre:
www.SydneyWritersCentre.com.au
Personal website and contact details:
www.ValerieKhoo.com
With a flair for marketing and an ability to mentor, Nickie Race-Jones used her love of languages to develop LCF Fun Languages, rapidly becoming the leading provider of language solutions to schools and children throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Connected Woman of the Week:
Who is she?
Nickie Race-Jones is a successful businesswoman, educator and mother of two who has turned a passion for languages into a fulfilling and inspiring career. Originally from the UK, she speaks four languages fluently and now owns and operates LCF Fun Languages in Australia and New Zealand.
Race-Jones oversees the growing business on both sides of the Tasman while raising a family and acting as a business mentor and advocate for early childhood language learning.
What does her current role entail?
As Director of LCF Fun Languages, Jones takes a hands-on approach to the daily management of her team on both sides of the Tasman.
The team consists of 36 franchisees and Race-Jones increasingly sees her role as one of motivating and inspiring.
“Most of my franchisees are women, some of whom are relatively new to business and it is up to me and our team to provide ongoing support, business mentoring and teacher training,” she said.
With franchisees in both Australia and New Zealand, Race-Jones divides her time between Sydney and Auckland, which has made her an expert traveller and a master of time management. She says she is fortunate to have the best of both worlds, both career and family, without compromising either.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Race-Jones said she often jokes about having her head in the clouds.
“I do a lot of work when travelling and none of this would be possible without cloud-based and increasingly integrated systems!” she said.
LCF Fun Languages has a highly optimised website and an online enrolment system for parents to register their children in our classes, and Race-Jones regularly uses Skype for interviews and team reviews.
She uses Basecamp to manage projects, Dropbox for file sharing, and is continually learning and improving in areas like social media, and integrated solutions.
“It is only when you stop to look back that you realise how far you have come. I used to get slightly terrified by new technology. Now I just get excited by the possibilities that it will create for me,” she said.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
A great believer in creating one’s own reality, Race-Jones said she literally “designed” her future after reaching a crossroads.
“I did not know what I was going to do but I knew it had to be an international role where I could combine my passion for languages, my people skills and my love of business,” she added.
In 2010 Race-Jones was nominated for Australia’s prestigious Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award. This year she is a finalist in the 2011 Bio-Oil Ausmumpreneur of the Year Awards which is being announced this weekend in Sydney.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Working as a successful business woman whilst raising a family always presents challenges.
“Be clear on what your goals and vision are before you start your business and most importantly, what your exit strategy is,” she said.
“Passion is vital but it is easy to lose sight of WHY you started in the first place,” she added.
Race-Jones also believes it’s wise to build a team of people who are more skilled than you, especially when it comes to technology!
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Race-Jones networks with like-minded people in the realms of business and education, meeting with Connect2mums, the Icehouse in NZ, and other language and educational associations.
How can she be contacted?
nickie@lcfclubs.com.au
+61 413 163 807
+64 21 025 27693
For teaching and franchise opportunities, visit www.teachinglanguages.com.au
For information on children’s language clubs, visit www.lcfclubs.com.au or www.lcfclubs.co.nz
Connected Woman of the Week: 27 year old mother of three Jess Simpson is the sole creator of Mwwah.com.au, an online community designed for multi-tasking women at home (MWAH) or work at home mums (WAHM’s).
Who is she?
After finishing high school Simpson started working in admin, and admits to being a teen that didn’t know which career direction to take.
Simpson worked hard and made her way up to a PA level in a commercial real estate office, before falling pregnant with baby number two.
“I made the difficult choice to leave the job to look for a more family friendly career,” she said.
Now a mother to three young children aged seven, three and just 12 weeks, Simpson is running the online community mwwah.com.au from home.
The website first went live in 2009 and started with Simpson’s own needs for tips and advice on breastfeeding issues.
“In this search process I discovered that many women and mums were also struggling to find suitable products, services and help they required and in their individual attempts to fill the gaps have created their own unique niche of businesses and hobbies,” she said.
What does her current role entail?
Being a one woman business operator means Simpson’s role varies every day depending on the needs of the business.
Simpson takes control over web editing, content writing, social networking, accounts, marketing, sales and administration, along with everything else.
With the latest addition to her family, Simpson said she is starting to outsource a few tasks however she enjoys being able to DIY.
What technology does she use in her working life?
“Because mwwah.con.au is an online community most of the business revolves around the internet and internet related technology,” said Simpson.
Social media is a large part of the success of Simpson’s business as it helps spread the message and connect with a broad scope of women.
“Of course being a busy mum of three the iPhone helps a lot when you’re out and about to stay connected with the needs and wants of your clients and enables you to have easy access to the net at all times,” she added.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Simpson looks to others for inspiration, discovering other inspirational women running their own businesses through the mwah online community is something she is very proud of.
“Watching these home businesses grow thanks to connections made from the community is an achievement for me,” she said.
The community is helping everyday women realise their capabilities and reach for their dreams, said Simpson.
Overall, Simpson is most proud of achieving the dream job of working from home while creating a flourishing online community.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
“Follow your dreams! I know it sounds clichéd but honestly work doesn’t have to feel like a chore,” she said.
Simpson believes by using your skills to do something you love will make each day more worthwhile.
“Whether that job be a home job or a job you have to leave the house and go to each day if your motivated and enjoying your position your stress levels will decrease, your life will seem much more balanced and enjoyable and you will find yourself actually wanting to work rather than dreading it each morning,” she added.
For women unsure about taking the plunge and starting a business, Simpson's advice is to always research, plan and plan some more.
She admits home or online businesses are not for everyone, so it’s important to look into all aspects of business, create a business plan, look at costing, marketing and be informed before you take the plunge.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
mwwah.com.au is involved with many not-for-profit organisations, including Backpacks for Aussie Kids, Angel Babies and the Autism Advisory Services.
Simpson encourages other businesses to support each other, join forces, support not-for-profit organisations and connect with groups that relate to their business or customers in some way.
How can she be contacted?
Website: http://mwwah.com.au
Email: info@mwwah.com.au
Twitter: @mwwahcomau
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mwwah.mwwah
Connected Woman of the Week: English born Zina Kaye runs her own creative agency, House of Laudanum and is preparing to launch Cashmere and Kaye, a new online fashion accessories brand.
Who is she?
Originally from London, Kaye met her husband in Sydney and she now calls the city home. In-between playing mum to two young children and running her own creative agency, Kaye is currently completing an MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management.
With a background in publishing, Kaye climbed the ranks of Mills and Allen in the UK, and became editor of Boardroom Magazine. Kaye then moved to Australia, after working for a number of companies she decided to set up her own creative agency.
House of Laudanum offers strategic consulting, web development, creative collateral production and software service development. Later this year Kaye will also be launching a new online fashion accessories brand called Cashmere and Kaye.
What does her current role entail?
Kaye’s role sees her wear many different hats: general manager, consultant, sales representative and creative director.
“I run the businesses as a portfolio and each unit of the business operates in teams so a large part of my day is about maintaining working relationships with remote teams and helping everyone keep motivated and moving forward,” said Kaye.
She is also involved in conducting research and writing about human behaviour, emerging trends in the online environment, and macro global trends.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Like many Gen X-ers, Kaye admits she’s addicted to gadgets and is never far from her iPhone. She also relies on her iPad and laptop, with a desktop screen and external keyboard to avoid “narrowing the mind” with a laptop screen.
Kaye stays connected with Skype, email and Google Docs synced across all her devices. She also swears by a detailed to-do list which she calls a “Wunderlist”.
From the moment Kaye wakes up she is reading the headlines on the Huffington Post, public transport is fail-safe with the TripView app for timetables, and at night she falls asleep to the meditative sounds on her iPod.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Kaye said driving a range of new changes through her business over the last year was challenging but very satisfying.
She holds bi-monthly group catch-ups to reflect the business progress and share the team’s achievements.
“I remind myself of that positive energy during ‘tennis racket moments’ when there are challenges in my work and I'm trying to refocus,” she said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Kaye said women are still challenged with the task of integrating a family into business life, as it can sometimes lead to erroneous conclusions by senior management that you’re going to suddenly drop out of the workforce. It can also be difficult to handle the mental turmoil about time not spent with children.
“My advice is that whatever decision you make about parenting is the right decision.
When you're having a 4pm moment, read interviews with people like Arielle Patrice Scott and remember to get on with living their dream,” she said.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Kaye is part of an informal network of digital women and is involved in digital history projects such as the DAAO, a Wikipedia style group of biographies of Australian artists and designers. She also attends Social Media Women events.
How can she be contacted?
www.cashmereandkaye.com
www.houseoflaudanum.com
Twitter: @zinak
Phone: 02) 8405 6807
Connected Woman of the Week: Sina Clayton is the co-owner of one of Australia’s largest photo specialty stores; Camera Action Camera House located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD
Sina Clayton graduated in 1985 from the Melbourne College of Pharmacy with a Bachelors degree. A previous member of the Chapter of Pharmacy Tutors, Clayton managed various retail pharmacies over 6 years before choosing to join forces with her soon to be husband, Paul Clayton in 1991, as a joint managing director of Camera Action.
In 1991, Clayton’s Camera Action joined the Camera House Australia Group and over the years, the store has become one of the most successful branches winning The Camera House Dealer of the Year award twice from over 100 stores Australia wide as well as winning the Photo Imaging Council of Australia (PICA) Dealer of the year twice.
Sina Clayton is a woman passionate about the marketing, merchandising and most importantly providing top customer service at the store.
In her words “if we can’t delight the customer by providing an in store experience that they see as worthwhile, then why on earth would anybody come in store at all?
We aren’t the cheapest, so we must offer value and a point of difference while at the same time being price competitive.”
Sina Clayton is currently the director of the Board of Camera House Australia and was also a trustee at large to the Photo Marketing Association International becoming one of the first women to receive such an appointment.
A very tech savvy woman, Clayton stays connected using her laptop, iPhone and iPad to enable her to work from home or even while travelling away on business meetings. With the rise of the internet in the 1990’s Clayton made sure Camera Action was among the first to start offering consumers the chance to shop online. She is now using the power of social media to take the online experience a step further, using Twitter and Facebook to send out new product information, launches and store specials.
Living by the motto “there’s no point standing still” Sina Clayton is a headstrong woman and Connected Woman of the Week.
Address: 217 Elizabeth Street Melbourne 3000
Phone: (03) 96086909 Direct
Fax: (03) 06707050
Email: sina@cameraaction.com.au
Twitter: @sccameraction
Website: www.cameraaction.com.au
Connected Woman of the Week: A 24 year-old Perth born lass with a love for the Internet, push bikes, comedy and cute animals. Kealey Nutt moved to Melbourne to start her own publication.
Who is she?
Originally from Western Australia but now in love with Melbourne, Nutt is the Editor and Founder of Thelma Magazine – an online magazine. She also runs her own digital media production business called Eleven & Twelve and works from the Inspire9 co-working space in Richmond.
After completing a double degree in Film and TV and Asian Studies at Curtin University in Perth, Nutt then worked for a year travelling around Western Australia as an events coordinator for an international education company.
But she didn’t think that was her true calling, having the desire to work on a magazine for people with an interest in technology, fashion and music, but also in ethical, social and environmental issues.
Nutt saw Melbourne as the perfect place to complete a Masters in Media and Communications to learn more skills she would need to work on a magazine. The magazine took off a little more quickly than anticipated and consequently ended up in her dropping out of the course to work almost full-time on Thelma.
What was her background?
Although her formal employment background is in events general communications, copywriting and social media roles, Nutt now spends most of her time compiling content for Thelma Magazine. Oozing creativity, Nutt used to run her own independent jewelry label, and produced some short films and worked on arts festivals. She has also done a lot of volunteer and experimental work in fashion, design, photography and film-making.
What does her current role entail?
At present, Nutt spends her days going through content submissions from contributors and working with them to get stories to fit in with the overall theme of the magazine.
She also does a lot of face-to-face and phone interviews and transcribing them and also plans the photo shoots and organizes the clothes, models, location and photographer to make the magazine come to life.
Liaising with different publicists and PR agencies is also important to promote the project.
On working on her business Eleven & Twelve, Nutt is usually out filming video content and WebTV footage for clients. She then edits the footage, and helps them get it online and out to their audiences.
She also does a lot of copy writing for blogs and newsletters and is currently working on her own documentary about growing up as an IVF baby, which will be released and produced by Eleven & Twelve.
With her plate already so full, Nutt still manages to find time to do other environmental activism projects such as Vic Can which aims to raise public support and awareness for the 10 cent container deposit recycling scheme.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Nutt relies on her MacBook, using it for at least 12-15 hours a day with her iPhone hand constantly if not using her MacBook.
She also carries an 'Ultra HD Flipcam' around at all times for any spur of the moment things that she might need to film. She shoots video on a DSLR camera, most recently using the Nikon D7000.
Copywriting and text-editing is done in TextMate, having moved across from Microsoft Word after starting to learn to write HTML code, and working with a lot of web developers.
She uses Final Cut Pro to edit her videos in detail or iMovie for a short snappy project and is using Adobe Photoshop for her magazine layout and image sprucing.
Nutt uses Dropbox for sharing content and files with her developers and contributors while Skype is essential for recording phone interviews for the magazine.
All of Nutt’s video content is hosted on Vimeo and her HTML email campaigns are sent out using Mailchimp.
And for some geekier technology, she uses GitHub as a version control for all of Thelma’s code and content - it allows multiple users to work simultaneously on the site and merge the work together smoothly.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Definitely getting Thelma Magazine off the ground, and out to an audience over the past 10 months. Despite a very long journey ahead, which includes a lot of work, Thelma Magazine is finally on the way to becoming the magazine that Nutt had envisioned. It works in web browsers on computers, as well as on iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices which makes it accessible to anyone with an internet connection, without the hassle of downloading an app or subscribing.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
If you have an idea, just go out and make it happen because it’s not going to fall into your lap while you wait. If you’re starting your own project from scratch, be prepared for it to be hard and to take a lot of time out of your weekly routine. And make sure that it's a project that you’re really excited about because otherwise you just won't have the enthusiasm to keep going with it.
What groups/organizations is she involved with?
Nutt is now based at the Inspire9 co-working space in Richmond where people can drop in for free and hang out to bounce ideas off of other people with different backgrounds and get advice on projects, and to make some really cool friends.
How can she be contacted?
Email: kealey@elevenandtwelve.com
Phone: 0431 906 332
Address: Inspire9: Level 1, 41 Stewart Street, Richmond.
Website: http://thelmamagazine.com and http://elevenandtwelve.com
Connected Woman of the Week: An English gal with a love for social media, Sam Mutimer was keen for a lifestyle change when she saw Australia as a gold mine of opportunity and decided to venture over 7 years ago.
Who is she?
A sport mad girl from her younger years, Mutimer had decided by the time she was 11 that becoming a secondary school PE teacher was her career. She then got involved into the rugby union scene in the UK and by the age of 17 was representing England.
Picking up a package full of skills along the way, she moved from teaching PE after 4 years in inner London to spring boarding across the world to Australia to embrace all the opportunities it held.
An early adopter of social media, she joined an agency in Melbourne called Thinktank Media 4 years ago and believed the space held vast opportunity for her in business. She climbed up the ranks and became director of social media after consulting in the space prior.
What does her current role entail?
She is now heading the Thinktank Media social media team where she runs social media events and seminars where she speaks at events nationally with government Minister’s and some key player’s in the private sector at CEO level, such as Myer, Etihad Airways and Deloitte.
Mutimer is also responsible for internal social media training where she is the face and voice for Thinktank Media and gets regularly interviewed for Channel 7 News, Radio SEN and Kiss Fm in Melbourne.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Being a social media expert, Mutimer loves how smartphones have revolutionized how people communicate today. She is an avid Twitter and Facebook user, and uses Instagram – a smart phone photo app that allows photo sharing on social media sites.
She has many iPhone apps that make her day more effective and riding high on her list of favorite apps at the moment are Babybump and Period Tracker due to her second pregnancy. Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal lets her keep her fitness in check and the trusty 13Cabs app, keeps her mobile.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Mutimer prides her self on assisting in growing a small business that started of with just 3 staff to an agency that now employs over 14 people in just 3.5 years who work in a niche market that was driven by her passion to work with some of the most exciting clients.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Be passionate about what you do and if you’re not then get out! There’s no excuse in 2011 to not be happy career wise. Believe in yourself, work hard and trust your instinct. Technology and the internet is the greatest thing that’s happened to us since the industrial revolution.
How can she be contacted?
Twitter: @sammutimer
Website: www.sammutimer.com
Phone: 03 90231487
Connectedwoman of the Week: A banking and finance lawyer by trade, but an extremely tech savvy woman with a love for dance and shoes, Jodie Fox has created a website that has given women a chance to design their own shoes.
Who is she?
After completing a dual degree in law and international business, Jodie Fox went on to become an insolvency litigator followed by a short stint in securitization. Fox found that wasn’t her true calling and pursued a successful career in advertising. All the while, Fox had become addicted to commissioning her own shoe designs and as more friends saw her creations, she began to commission designs on their behalf.
Fox met Co-founders Mike and Michael at law school. Like her, they weren't destined for the courtroom. After short stints in the legal profession they were both moved to Google where they saw a gap in the Australian online retail market and were looking for an exciting concept. With the marriage of the two ideas, Shoes of Prey was born on 8 October 2009 - the very first to market globally with this concept.
What does her current role entail?
Fox manages the product research & development and communications for Shoes of Prey. On a day-to-day basis, this involves searching for new materials, consulting with clients on their designs, looking for new designs to bring into the range, devising and implementing communication strategies, and talking to press, celebrities and designers about Shoes of Prey. To date campaigns run by Shoes of Prey have received global recognition from sources such as Wall Street Journal, Sky Business news, Business Insider and many more.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Fox relies heavily on various technologies at hand for smooth daily running of the business.
She uses Google Documents to work seamlessly cross-globe and to store all documents for easy access from any internet connection. It's a great security measure too as all the information is stored securely in the “cloud.”
She also uses Skype and Google Chat to connect with clients across the globe and uses
social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs to interact with her clients.
Saasu - an in the cloud accounting program lets Jodie Fox manage her budgeting and procurement.
Fox also loves her iPad for last minute information and uses it during presentations as it’s sleeker than carrying papers. Her iPhone keeps her connected with maps and provides instant access to all information that she made in the palm of her hand.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
While she is incredibly proud of Shoes of Prey, Fox enjoyed one of the campaigns her company did last year with a YouTube user which took Shoes of Prey website traffic from an all time number of 200 visits to 200 visits in one day. To this day the video is the 3rd most commented, worldwide in the how to & style category, permanently tripling the company’s sales.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Jodie Fox watched a presentation by Sheryl Sandberg at a TED conference in December last year and said it was some of the best advice she has heard from a woman to another woman and recommends every woman to watch the presentation.
http://blog.ted.com/2010/12/21/why-we-have-too-few-women-leaders-sheryl-sandberg-on-ted-com/
What groups/organizations is she involved with?
While Fox may not have a huge amount of time to dedicate to groups and organizations, she connects with Business Chicks, xChange and Social Media Women from time to time.
How can she be contacted?
Phone +61 (2) 8006 1506
Email: jodie@shoesofprey.com
www.shoesofprey.com
Connected Woman of the Week: Working mum Suzy Michael has taken her journalism and PR background to new heights, recently setting up a dental surgery that eliminates the pain of visiting the dentist (almost!)
Who is she? 
Mother to four young children aged between four and nine years old, Suzy Michael is also keeping busy setting-up a unique, one-of-a-kind dental surgery in Sydney with her partner.
With a background in journalism and public relations, Michael admits the switch to dentistry was challenging, “But let's face it....women can do anything!” She is currently the practice manager of the new business, Happy Teeth where her partner works as a dentist.
What does her current role entail?
“I am the face of Happy Teeth and I ensure the experience every patient gets is exclusive and tailored for them,” said Michael.
Happy Teeth is breaking down the common view of scary trip to the dentist by offering patients organic hot beverages on entry, and organic oils that detox the body when inhaled, a huge leap from traditional dental surgeries.
“I love seeing patients' faces as they realise what they've been missing at their usual dentist. We pamper you, and make it a treat to come to the dentist,” said Michael.
While most dentists would recommend patients who grind their teeth to wear an appliance at night, Michael said Happy Teeth does things differently by offering a comprehensive health and dental assessment to find the root of the problem.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
Happy Teeth is a paperless surgery, so computers are a large part of Michael’s work. She uses a range of computer softwares to record patient information and charts.
“I must admit, I never used to be computer savvy, strange how a throwing yourself big time in the deep end can make you achieve amazing things you thought weren't possible!”
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Michael notes Happy Teeth as her pride and joy, she has been involved in all elements of the business from the creating the logo, to the pampering patient techniques. She said the role allows her to give something back and take care of people.
“I'm so blessed that I have been given the opportunity to create a business that focuses on a patient's overall health and well being,” she added.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Michael has some simple advice for working women, “You are capable of anything! The female is an amazing species that makes the impossible possible, she is a machine!”
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Michael participates in a range of holistic groups, holistic dentistry groups, church charity groups, and works closely with her partner who is part of the American academy of craniofacial pain.
How can she be contacted?
Email: suzy@happyteeth.com.au
Phone: (02) 808 44 942
www.happyteeth.com.au
Connected Woman of the Week: Zoe Lamont- an entrepreneurial country girl with a focus on creating a better society
Who is she?
28 year-old Lamont is an innovative young advocate for positive social change, recently she established the 10thousandgirl Campaign, an initiation attracting national and global recognition in a bid to contribute to increasing the wellbeing and economic health of young women.
After completing a degree in PR and Organisational Communications Lamont spent some time traveling the globe, she returned to Australia in 2007 to set up small social change communications agency- The Fuelthinking Group. The design business supports Burmese teacher training in Thailand and worked to establish Senator Online, the world’s first internet based political party aimed at increasing public participation in national decision making.
She continued to run these organisations whilst working in the commercial world with global business coaching firm ActionCOACH. Lamont then developed an interested in social enterprise and ways to work toward the fairer global distribution of wealth, power, knowledge and love, starting what is now known as the 10thousandgirl Campaign in late 2009.
After growing up on a farm near Wagga Wagga NSW, Lamont has developed a particular commitment to regional Australia. Over the next three years she aims to support 10,000 young country-based women to live their dreams whilst being financially astute.
What does her current role entail?
“My current role in the 10thousandgirl project is to coordinate all the strings!” said Lamont.
“Building partnerships and relationships, supporting volunteers, facilitating events and coordinating program development would be where most of my time is spent currently,” she added.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
Lamont is well connected, she uses her phone for calls and emails as well as a range of apps for the company’s online systems. Some of her favourite apps include Mailchimp, Skype, LinkedIn, Dropbox and PayPal. Lamont is about to trial zoho.com as an outlet for managing knowledge sharing among volunteers and local contacts.
“As we move into more remote areas, I am amazed and indebted to technology and all the clever people who make and manage it,” she said.
What career based achievement is she most proud of?
Lamont is always touched by the thank-you emails she receives from people involved with 10thousandgirl, an initiative changing the lives of many women and expanding their possibilities for the future. She is also proud of the fact that 100% of women attending 10thousandgirl programs note in their evaluation that they would recommend it to a friend, and that at least two to three girls in each town approach the group to be actively involved in helping others.
“If we can inspire more people to help more people, that’s a cool ripple effect,” she said.
What advice do you have for women in the workforce?
Lamont believe it’s important to enjoy work, “If you’re not enjoying your work, change something inside you or find something else,” she said.
She also advises women to appreciate their current position as a stepping-stone and emphasises the importance of concentrating on your strengths.
“So many times I see women not seeing how cool and full of talent they are. Write down your top five strengths and make sure you’re absolutely using them all!” she said.
What groups/organizations is she involved with?
10thousandgirl is working with many organisations and groups including UN Women, economic Security4Women, National Rural Women’s Network, Social Entrepreneurs and Business Chicks.
How can she be contacted?
Phone: 0419 622 968
10thousandgirl website: www.10thousandgirl.com
Connected Woman of the Week: Krystal Barter
Krystal Barter is a devoted mother to three children, and for the last three years has been devoted to running Pink Hope- an online community for women at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Who is she?
Barter comes from a family with a hereditary gene fault that has seen over 25 women diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer over four generations. This devastating experience has provided Barter with a strong passion and devotion to the cause.
“Over the last three years I have been busy running a unique online community called Pink Hope,” Bater said.
“It’s a platform for women at a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer to connect, gain support and inspiration,” she added.
Pink Hope is the first of its kind in Australia, and is utilising the internet to its greatest potential. The online community connects to over 15,000 social media followers, over 1,000 forum members and 60 national ambassadors.
What does her current role entail?
Barter’s busy day job involves raising three young children while working full time as the founder and director of Pink Hope.
Her role with Pink Hope involves PR, marketing, admin, brand awareness, website management and diary management.
Barter is appreciative of her supportive family network which helps her achieve the right balance between family and work, “Every day I wake up doing something that I love,” she said.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
The online nature of Barter’s work means she is extremely dependent on technology. Barter relies on her laptop for updating social media, a desktop computer for content management of the website, video and digital cameras, skype and a Samsung Galaxy mobile.
“I also use a social media management system called Hootsuite, enabling me to update all tweets and updates via one platform. It’s easy to use and time efficient,” she said.
What career based achievement is she most proud of?
At just 27 years old, Barter has an impressive achievements list. In 2010 she was awarded Warringah Young Citizen of the Year and was chosen as one of Harpers Bazaar Women of Influence in 2011.
Despite the achievements, Barter believes there is no better reward than hearing from women who have been helped by Pink Hope.
“Every day I get an email or call from someone who said their life has been made easier through Pink Hope. It makes me even more passionate and devoted to the work I do,” she said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Barter stresses the importance of finding the right work balance, she has experienced the demands that come while working from home.
“The phone never stopped even when I finished work, the emails kept on coming and I would forget about the roast in the oven, I was trying to do too much. So I took a step back and found my balance,” she said.
Despite the pressure a number of women put on themselves to be the best employee, or the best mum, Barter simply advices working women to do the best that they can.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
Barter has been an ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation for 13 years, she is a brand ambassador for Pandora, and a member of research consortium kConFab.
Barter was also selected to join a consumer forum for a government agency, she regularly supports local high risk women face to face, and is on a board currently organising a high risk conference in Sydney.
How can she be contacted?
krystal@pinkhope.org.au
www.pinkhope.org.au
http://www.facebook.com//#!/pages/Pink-Hope-Community/133164930067063
http://twitter.com/#!/pink_hope
Connected Woman of the Week: Nancy Georges
Nancy Georges, started her career in the retail sector as cadet with Grace Brothers management. Today, Georges is known as the retail “Miss Fix It”, working as a retail marketing strategist helping retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and brands navigate the ever changing retail landscape.
Who is she?
Georges has had a busy career with a background in retail, marketing, sales, manufacturing, management, wholesale and importing, all of which applies to her current role.
“I learned the importance of product relevance and targeting the consumer, regardless of how well made the product is, if there isn’t any demand for it, money will be lost!,” she said.
In 2004 Georges set up Paper Magnolia, a company offering customers exquisite stationery from Australia and around the world. As the internet gained momentum, Georges developed an online store.
“I then started speaking to customers and other wholesalers about the need for them to recognise the changing market and consumer behaviour,” she said.
It wasn’t long before Georges noticed a lack of support for the retail industry in terms of education and resources, when a customer asked for marketing advice, Georges decided to start Magnolia Solutions.
What does her current role entail?
Georges is involved in a number of projects including; working with clients in one on one consultations, running workshops and seminars, and working with retail associations as an education resource to their members.
“My biggest role is that of education with the emergence of new technology, the web, social media and the new more connected and informed consumer. There is a lot to learn for businesses who generally have not needed to update or re-skill beyond the introduction of the eftpos machine or the POS terminal,” she said.
Georges also co-founded Social Media Women in 2010, as she discovered the opportunities the social media world holds for any business owner. Social Media Women supports the education and use of social media professionally and personally.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
George’s relies on her laptop, iPhone, digital camera, video camera and Skype, as a part of her working day.
What career based achievement is she most proud of?
Owning a nationally recognised business is something Georges claims to be very proud of, “Building strong customer relationships is a great sign that you are doing a lot of things right,” she said.
Georges is also proud of her work with Gift and Homewares Association (GHA) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), as she is known as a recognised and knowledgeable expert in the retail field.
Social Media Women monthly acts as her “soul food”, receiving a great response from attendees inspires her to keep going.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Georges rates self belief and confidence as the key to setting boundaries and achieving goals, when it comes to work don’t take things personally, set high goals and strive to be the best.
“Failure is not a full stop in your life or your career, often we learn more from failure and move forward into a better place. Assess, plan and move ahead after failure,” she said.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
· GHA
· HKTDC
· Social Media Women
How can she be contacted?
· Phone: 02) 8003 5585
· info@magnoliasolutions.com.au
· www.magnoliasolutions.com.au
· www.magnoliasolutions.com.au/blog
· www.twitter.com/NancyGeorges
· www.facebook.com/magnoliasolutions
· www.linkedin.com/in/nancygeorges
· www.nancygeorges.posterous.com
· www.youtube.com/MagnoliaSolutions
· www.socialmediawomen.wordpress.com
Connected Woman of the Week: Andrea Zanetich, brand strategist and innovator
Marketing expert Andrea Zanetich has used her creative skills to build Fox In Flats (www.foxinflats.com.au) an online destination that shares fashion inspiration and ideas, making it easier to be a stylish mum.
Who is she?
Over the past 15 years Zanetich has worked on some of Australia’s most recognised brands, including Paddle Pop, Bacardi and energy drink V, allowing her to be involved with fun and dynamic industries.
What does her current with Fox In Flats entail?
Zanetich’s background in brand strategy has been useful when developing Fox In Flats, without the usual trappings of working for a large multinational business.
“No budget, no team, no research or advertising agencies,” she said, “I spent time researching the opportunity and the consumer, developing a business strategy, creating the brand and building the site.”
She did all this while playing mum to two young boys, often working at night while the boys were asleep.
Now that the site has been up and running for ten weeks Zanetich has been busy creating content, building an online community, generating brand awareness and managing all the technical issues that come with building a website.
What does she offer women that no one-else does?
Fox In Flats offers practical fashion inspiration that’s tailor-made to suit this special, frustrating, magical, liberating, confusing and messy period in your life- motherhood.
Being a mum usually changes people’s priorities; sleep deprivation, change in body shape, lack of time and practicality get in the way of creating a great outfit, Zanetich said.
Feedback so far has been positive, with users of the site saying it’s hilarious, practical and comforting, promoting a feeling of increased confidence.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
She keeps it simple with a laptop, iPhone, Nikon DX for site photography and the TV for entertaining her kids while she works.
What career based achievement is she most proud of?
Zanetich is proud of working on brands that elicit positive emotions in people, whether it’s a feeling of elation when attending a Bacardi Festival, or finding comfort in Fox In Flats by knowing there are others facing certain challenges.
Working as V Entergy Drink marketing manager in 2006 Zanetich developed the V-Raw program, providing opportunities for young people to gain work experience in their dream industry. The challenging but successful project saw Zanetich create meaningful brand engagement through innovative methods.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Be confident in your abilities, be authentic and keep learning.
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
As well as being involved in a regular mothers group, Zanetich is an ambassador for Pink Hope, an organisation providing information and support for women who are at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. As an ambassador, she supports high risk women face to face and online, and helps formalise the organisations brand and strategy.
http://www.pinkhope.org.au
Her final words? “Keep calm and Google it!”
How can she be contacted?
Foxinflats@hotmail.com
Andrea.zanetich@hotmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrea-zanetich/28/718/231
http://www.foxinflats.com.au
Connected Woman Profile:Babette Bensoussan
Babette Bensoussan has paved the way in Australia in the field competitive intelligence, strategic planning and strategic marketing. With over 20 years experience as an international specialist in strategy and competition she’s currently The MindShifts managing director, a company she founded in 1991.
Who is she?
Bensoussan holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, an MBA from Macquarie University Graduate School of Management and completed Advanced Training for Competitive Intelligence Professionals at the Academy of Competitive Intelligence in the USA.
Bensoussan has a strong marketing background working for companies such as Apple and Levi Strauss in the past, this experience proved useful when she decided to move in the direction of Competitive Intelligence (CI).
The MindShifts Group is Australia’s leading boutique consulting specialist in CI.
Bensoussan has written five successful books on the subject of competitive business analysis, her first book has been translated into six languages.
What does she do at MindShifts Group?
Bensoussan is responsible for providing international specialist strategy to a diverse range of clients such from a broad spectrum of industries, including Microsoft, Ernst & Young, Australia Post and 3M.
Apart from her active business responsibilities, Babette has taught CI at both the Sydney Graduate School of Management, University of Western Sydney and at Bond University in the undergraduate business and MBA programs.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
Bensoussan is a self-confessed Apple addict, “I swear by my Apple Mac Book Pro, iPhone and iPad,” she said. After working for Apple during the 1980s Bensoussan was an early Mac convert and hasn’t looked back since.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Bensoussan’s dedication and significant contributions to the field of CI has been recognized by many, and in 2006 she received the SCIP Meritorious Award. This prestigious award is the highest honour bestowed by SCIP, it recognises a single individual who has made significant and meritorious contributions to the CI profession. This award also recognises the achievement of notable publicity for CI as a result of an individual's personal accomplishments. Only 20 people have received this award, Babette is the first Australian to take the prize.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Bensoussan has one simple phrase for working women to live by, “Never give up!” Bensoussan completed her MBA on the subject of MindShifts and received mediocre feedback from her lecturer, “He said we didn’t have a competitive advantage, twenty years on I have proved otherwise.”
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
- Women’s Network Australia
- Women Chiefs of Enterprises
How can people contact her?
Phone:+61 2 9411 3900
Email:babette@mindshifts.com.au
Connected Woman of the Week
Julieanne Worchurst, leading the charge for women in the CE retail industry
Julieanne Worchurst is a veteran of retail marketing and promotional management, having worked with some of Australia’s leading national retail brands. Currently employed by the BSR Group as group marketing manager, she’s spent the last seven and a half years working with over 120 retailers under the Betta Electrical and Betta Electrical Home Living brands.
Who is she?
Worchurst holds a Bachelor Media Communications, and says her own family business background helps her understand the pressures and unique challenges independent business owner’s face.
“I’m fortunate to have spent my professional history working with various independent brands and groups and am pleased to see the recent swing in consumer sentiment back towards the ‘shop local’ trend,” she said.
“Our Betta Electrical brand has built fifty years on this principle and our current positioning is focussed firmly on our store owners fulfilling that role of the ‘local advisor’ in town,” she added.
Prior to her role with BSR, she held senior marketing roles within the fresh produce wholesale industry, developing FMCG and seasonal roll-out strategies for Woolworths, Coles, Franklins, IGA, SPA and independent retailers.
Worchurst also attributes much of what she knows about strategic marketing for independent retail groups, to her initial eight year’s managing the marketing communications program for Mitre 10 (Northern)
What does she do at BSR?
Worchurst is responsible for developing the national and local area marketing strategies for the company’s brand portfolio and ensuring the team implements these successfully with retailers nationally. This involves managing and effectively maximising marketing and advertising budgets as well as relationships with the company’s advertising, design and communication agencies.
“The electrical retail industry is the most competitive marketplace I have worked in, with major players with major share of voice, so it’s important our brands are ‘heard’ in our store’s local community as often as we can make it happen. I’m focused on achieving measurable ‘bang for our bucks,’” she said.
What technology does she use on a daily basis?
Despite working in a technology-driven industry, Worchurst tends to keep things simple when developing plans – by using a whiteboard and markers.
“Old fashioned I know, but it makes things visible to me daily and keeps my latest project top of mind. I would however, be lost without my I phone, the internet and my e-reader- which is also proving invaluable for downloading large reference materials,” she said.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
Being invited to be a member of BSR Group’s small management team at the end of 2006 and being a part of her company’s newly announced alliance with industry power house, NARTA only four and a half year’s later, is one of Worchurst’s proudest moments.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Worchurst has never approached her career by thinking of herself as a “businesswoman,” she considers herself simply as a person in business and has approached her colleagues over the years in the same way.
“The best piece of advice I could offer anyone in business, is to not be shy of bringing attention to your achievements and at the same time, realise you need to be open to constructive criticism. Embracing these qualities combined with being a supportive team member- that makes for both an innovative and effective leader,” she said.
For those just embarking on their career, Worchurst recommends developing a mentor network.
“I cultivated my own network across a variety of industries- hardware, produce, electrical and continue to do so to this day. I am very pleased I am now at a stage in my career where I have been approached to mentor others and I can only hope to enrich their work lives in the same way my previous and current mentors have done for mine,” she said.
Her final words? “You never stop learning!”
How can she be contacted?
07 3414 8700 / julieanne.worchurst@bsrgroup.com.au
Connected Woman of the Week
Associate Professor Cynthia Webster – using technology to improve research
Cynthia Webster is a highly accomplished academic, who attained her Ph.D. from the University of California but now lends her cerebral talents to Sydney’s Macquarie University. Webster is involved in a significant amount of academic research at the university, and credits technology for the positive impact it has on both tertiary education and research.
Who is she?
Cynthia M. Webster is an Associate Professor in Marketing for the Faculty of Business and Economics at Macquarie University. From 2008 to the end of 2010, Cynthia was the Associate Dean of Higher Degree Research with responsibilities for managing the PhD program for the faculty. She has held academics positions at UCLA, University of Queensland, University of New South Wales and the University of Newcastle.
Webster has published articles in such journals as Social Networks, Social Cognition, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Industrial Marketing Management and Journal of Non-Profit and Public Sector Marketing.
“I’m is passionate about providing quality research training to undergraduate and post-graduate students,” she said.
What technology does she use in her professional life?
“University education and academic research is heavily reliant on technology. I make all course materials available to students via the web - lectures are recorded, PowerPoint slides provided and podcasts uploaded for student use 24/7, and interactive discussion boards allow students to engage with one another on weekly topics and major projects,” Webster said.
Webster doesn’t believe in printing, so her students are required to submit their assignments via the web, which she then marks electronically and provides feedback via email.
“Technology also has dramatically improved academic research. It’s has opened up whole new areas of research, such as social media, virtual communities and online shopping,” she said.
“Our research is more globally oriented as academics now have access to information using online databases and journals, we can collect quite a lot of data using online surveys and experiments and we now use much more sophisticated software programs to analyse very large databases,” she added.
What career-based achievement is she most proud of?
What Webster most enjoys about her career is working with others.
“For me education is all about challenging yourself and getting excited about new experiences and knowledge. If I can be of some assistance to others so they find enjoyment from constantly challenging themselves, I'm happy,” she said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Webster believes women in the workforce need to be much less fearful of failure.
You learn more from getting it wrong than from being right. You have to allow yourself to succeed. You need to put yourself forward and apply for that position - which means that inevitably you will fail at times. Don't take it personally. Learn from the experience and move on,” she said.
“You also need to know when to say no and be prepared to walk away. If you find yourself in a position that isn't fulfilling, that you are just ‘doing a job’, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate what's important and where you want to be,” she added.
Most important of all? “Be kind and hold true to your values.”
What groups/organisations is she involved with?
· International Network for Social Network Analysis
· The Australian and New Zealand Marketing Association
· The American Marketing Association
How can people contact her?
cynthia.webster@mq.edu.au or 61-2-9850-4857
Connected Woman of the Week
Claire Stretch: leaping forward in internet broadcasting.
With technologies rapidly progressing and each company trying to outdo the next, it gets increasingly difficult to stay attuned and adept to the technology evolution. One woman that has managed to make changing technologies a lucrative form of employment for herself is businesswoman and producer, Claire Stretch.
Who is she?
Claire is co-founder of Film Stretch in partnership with husband, Brendon Stretch. Together they run a film-making company that specialises in “brilliant video for your business website to illustrate your products and services.”
They also offer web hosting services and training videos and work at “capturing corporate know-how documentary-type videos,” according to www.filmstretch.com
Where is Film Stretch heading?
According to Stretch, in this digital age, anyone with a website is potentially a broadcaster and this functionality enables the company to transform their clients online presence.
The technologies are complex and while video-blogging is permissibly flawed in its production qualities, Claire explained that corporate videos and branding cannot afford to be sub-standardwith the fierce broadcasting capabilities of every website owner.
“Branding requires professionalism,” Stretch said.
Looking progressively, Stretch added that the “interesting thing about website broadcasting is that you can’t outwardly advertise anything. There is an art in managing content.”
What does she have that you don’t?
Equipped with state of the art technologies; Stretch employs the use of MacBook Pro computers, Panasonic HVX202 and HPX170 cameras and Final Cut Pro editing, the filmic duo; Claire and Brendon merge their strengths in aesthetics, production and information technology to deliver a quality product to their clients.
Business “know-how” and new technologies...
“Videos need to relate, educate and promote a message and they have the potential to connect far more vividly in film than through words,” she said.
With terabytes of data at their disposal, the Stretch’s reach sky-high and have employed the latest in data storage technologies by uploading to Amazon clouds to deploy their data more efficiently and with greater clarity in to cyberspace.
Business Background...
Brendon brings a strong filmic background to the partnership, while Claire offers adult education and production expertise.
"After years of Brendon working in film and IT while I worked in adult education, producing came naturally and our skills really complimented each other," Claire said.
Following friends advice, for whom they had made corporate videos, the pair launched FilmStretch in January 2010 and haven't looked back.
Claire describes the learning curve as "ferocious."
Future forecasts?
With Cisco Systems recent web/television industry forecast, Stretch sites this source as a prediction of a rapidly expanding business for her and her husband by 2014.
“Cisco systems predicted that by 2014, 67% of television sets will be web-enabled and I’ve already seen these technologies at play,” Stretch said.
“This is good news for business,” Stretch commented as more companies will demand professionalism and a greater online presence.
Setting new trends and fast-moving with the digital age, it will be out with the old video blogs and in with the Stretch's.
Contact Details:
Business Website: http://www.filmstretch.com.au/services/
Personal Website: www.clairestretch.com
Contact Details:
W) 95593803
M) 0416276238
E) through website
Robin Powis: The woman dressing people according to their personal brand
Who is she?
Robin Powis is the founder of Defining Style, a personal image consultancy that specialises in Personal Branding and Image, Corporate Image Development and Personal Style.
Powis has built her company based on the philosophy that image is a key element to creating the right impression of one’s professional and personal life. Every person has their own individual image that is unique to themself and their lifestyle.
What does she do?
Powis provides her clients with a holistic approach to combine their colouring, body shape, lifestyle and budget to gain new skills to change and manage their appearance.
“Everyone has style potential - all you need is a good understanding of how to make the most of what you have,” she said.
Powis’ clients include busy professional women and men, aspiring women on boards, singles, people reaching a milestone event and those experiencing a career change.
What technology does she use in her working life?
Powis is a huge user of social media, which she sees as a key part of her working life in researching, networking, marketing and keeping abreast of changing trends.
She spends around 30 minutes per day on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook connecting with friends, colleagues, peers, and groups in an effort to keep up to date on what’s going on in the world on that day.
What is the career-based achievement she is most proud of?
Powis said she puts great pride into of helping women refine their personal image and brand in their quest for a career. This has culminated in her being the preferred partner for ‘Women on Boards’ as part of their ‘My Style’ Program to help women in their efforts to build a career on a board.
Powis is also proud of the passion she personally brings to her career as she helps women make changes in their lives, that result in their feeling totally confident in their look and image. By helping her clients define their signature style, she helps them to become self assured, and “look and feel fabulous no matter what the occasion.”
“I love knowing how women are delighted when they work with me, knowing the reason they don’t look good is because they have been wearing the wrong styles. By working with a professional, their fear factor is gone and their well being is revitalised with a new positive mindset,” Powis said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
“Invest in yourself and your future to create the right impression for your professional and personal life. Your personal brand defines who you are and what you stand for,” Powis said.
“A wise investment in a season’s wardrobe of $2,000 provides you with a sustainable wardrobe which provides longevity, usability and most importantly self assurance. Your investment in a style consultation can start from around 20% of your wardrobe and result in mix n match garments that will co-ordinate and last for two to three years if not longer,” she added.
What groups and organisations is she involved with?
· Style Guru for ‘Women on Boards’
· Preferred provider for Optimiss Consulting
· Member of Association of Image Consultants International (AICI)
· Treasurer of Sydney Chapter AICI
· Social Media Women
· Network Central
Contact Details
www.definingstyle.com.au
robin@definingstyle.com.au
Twitter: @robinpowis
LinkedIn: Robin Powis
Facebook: Robin Powis
Skype: Robin Powis
Powis will be presenting at the following upcoming events:
· Inspiring Women on February 3, www.inspirewomen.com.au
· Westpac Women on February 16
· Women on Boards Conference on April 27, www.womenonboards.org.au/events/conference2011
Trisha Carter:The woman breaking down cultural barriers in workplace
Who is she?
Trisha Carter is the founder of Trans Cultural Careers, a business that focuses on helping companies increase the cultural intelligence of their employees. Carter’s background is in Organisational Psychology, and after spending three years in China, developed a passionate interest in breaking down the social and cultural barriers that can exist for employees sent to foreign places to work. While Carter runs the company on her own, she has associates in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne that she liaises with frequently, and outsources different areas of her work.
What does she do?
Most commonly with Trans Cultural Careers, Carter receives calls from organisations that are either bringing a foreign employee into the company to work, or sending an employee to work overseas. She assists in explaining the cultural differences that the employee will be confronted with, in both the workplace and in social situations.
While the core focus is on management, communication and working in teams, Carter said she places particular emphasis on social areas, to allow the employee to comfortably engage in conversation with locals, and have a general knowledge of things to expect and things to understand about the region.
“People really need to understand their entire surroundings, and need to be aware of what going on around them,” Carter said.
What technology does she use in your working life?
Carter is a big fan of her iPhone, which she relies on when moving around to do the everyday tasks of emails and social networking. She also takes her laptop everywhere she goes, but has recently invested in the very sought after iPad. The tablet has been of great use to Carter, as she uses it to download rather comprehensive e-books, related to her work.
Carter recently invested in a video camera, which she intends to frequently use in the future, and begin including clips in her presentations. She also relies on her Live Scribe pen, which is a pen with an integrated microphone, that while recording the audio taking place, allows her to scribble notes onto a screen that are turned into PDF documents to be used on a PC.
What is her proudest career-based achievement?
Carter said her proudest career moments, would have to be some of the presentations she has given over the last year. One of which, she presented to the Australian Human Resources Institute, on the topic of assessing cultural intelligence for expats, and another which she presented to Military Police, on how to effectively assimilate into the region in which they would be deployed for work.
“They would have to be some of the highlights. But I’m also proud because I’m doing what I love, and am using my skills to help people,” Carter said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
“Know your strengths, and work from them!” Carter said.
“People sometimes get so caught up, feeling as though they need to succeed at everything. But they don’t. You just need to identify what you’re really good and utilise those strengths. And for the things you’re not so good at, my advice? Ask for help!” she added.
Is she involved with any groups and organisations?
Carter is involved with a number of groups and organisations:
· Australian Psychologists Society (APS)
· Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI)
· National Speakers Association (NSAA)
· Network Central
· Women’s Network Australia (WNA)
· Social Media Women
· Business Enterprise Centre in Sutherland
“Each of these groups does something different, and helps you develop and grow in different areas. Being a woman running a business on your own, can be quite isolating. These groups kill that isolation and offer you the support you need,” Carter said.
Contact details:
Twitter: @TrishaCarter
Mobile: 0419 219 822
Email: tcarter@transculturalcareers.com.au
Website: www.transculturalcareers.com.au
Higgins: The woman to perfect your online presence
Who is she?
Clodagh Higgins is the founder of Get Focused Consulting: a company which specialises in In-Bound Marketing and Social Media. She worked previously as the Key Account Manager at Sony Australia Ltd, the Internal Account Manager at Dell Computer Corp and as Account Manager at Dell Inc.
What does she do?
Clodagh develops platforms and trains executives in the utilisation of in-bound marketing and social media. She describes in-bound marketing as a revolutionary way of reaching consumers, rather than pushing out messages, which as a society, many have learned to block.
"We have become very selective. People would rather choose to search for those messages - and they search for it online. They go to Google with problems, in search of answers. I help companies make a great website that consumers will find, when they are looking for a solution," Clodagh said.
"The goal is to attract people to your organisation by using the right means and not pushing a message out. Once this is established, we assist people with their social media strategies. It's about taking all this new technology and making life simpler and better."
What is her advice on using technology in your working life?
"The first step people need to understand is that they DO have the time. People need to consider social media as the new business development; it's the new way to develop your own business.
"Get on Twitter, or LinkedIn and just open an account. Engage in conversations, search for content relevant to your industry, search for groups, search for tweets, and look at what's happening and what's going on - and do that for 15-20 minutes a day."
What is her proudest career-based achievement?
Clodagh spent almost 12 years working in the corporate arena, and said leaving that world was difficult decision. While struggling to find her feet initially, the end of last year highlighted much social media movement in the US, and in-bound marketing movement in Europe; confirming Clodagh's interest and decision to establish her own business.
"I would say that what I'm most proud of, is now helping executives understand the importance of a good online presence, and that the involvement of social media is easy! The most common feedback I've received is that I have an ability to explain things in their terms - making it relevant to their world," Clodagh said.
What advice does she have for women in the workforce?
Clodagh is currently on a mentoring program with one of Australia's leading online entrepreneurs. She is a strong ambassador for mentoring and said it was one of the best career-decisions she had made.
"I would definitely recommend mentoring! Make sure it is someone who is outside your league, think of where you want to go and then look for someone in that position. Invest in that! It is definitely worth it. It's a hard investment because you think you should be spending money on other things, but the difference it's made to my business - it has paid the investment back, tenfold."
What can't she live without?
"The internet! In reference to tools - my iPhone and my Mac!"
Is she involved with any groups/organisations?
Clodagh is on the Waverton's Women's Network committee; a group in Sydney's North Shore.
She will be speaking at the WISE event on the July 27, 2010: (Women in Small Enterprise; looks after women between Pittwater and Mosman) http://womeninsmallenterprise.com/Mosman_WiSE.htm
Contact details:
Email: clodagh@getfocusedconsulting.com.au
Skype: clodaghshiggins
Twitter: @ClodaghHiggins
LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/clodaghhiggins
Phone: +61 416 817 473