Gloss october 2014 by GLOSS MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2014

Founder & Editor in Chief JANINE GARNER | janine@littleblackdressgroup.com.au Managing Editor KATE STONE | kate@littleblackdressgroup.com.au Contributing Editors Melissa Browne, Nikki Fogden-Moore, Chris Allen, Renata Cooper Featured This Month Clyde Rathbone, Martin Fisk, Melinda Cruz, Bronwyn Simmonds, Amber Daines, CMDR Doug Griffiths RAN, Kelly Slessor, Blythe Rowe, Clyde Campbell, Margo Lydon ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES ads@glossmagazine.com.au EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@glossmagazine.com.au DESIGN INTERN Hayley Chiplin | lateralconjuring@gmail.com Published By: LBDG | littleblackdressgroup.com.au MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES AND FEEDBACK www.littleblackdressgroup.com.au info@glossmagazine.com.au ÂŠ LBDG 2014 All content in this newsletter is protected under Australian and International copyright laws. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of LBDG is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this online magazine at time of going to press, and we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. All rights reserved.

#LBDG #bebrave #netweave #collaborate #frommetowe

A Message From Me Hi there The thing I love most about GLOSS is the ability we have to keep challenging you as our readers to think outside the square. This month in our philanthropic issue, we bring you stories of inspiration and hope from people who have taken challenges that most of us cannot imagine - and turned them into businesses that have shaken the world. Their efforts have meant a difference to children, fathers, mothers, teenagers - you name it - all over Australia. Research that they are instigating is saving lives, literally. From Clyde Campbell to Melinda Cruz, to Martin Fisk and Clyde Rathbone, to our own LBDG members Margo Lydon and Bronwyn Simmonds, these are people who continue to challenge themselves in order to help others. I urge all of you to take something from them and apply it to your own leadership values. I know I am. Remember, continue to Connect~Inspire~Succeed

If you would like to write for GLOSS, or are interested in advertising with us, please contact us via editorial@glossmagazine.com.au

FEATURES

October

05 A MESSAGE FROM ME 12 EVENTS CALENDAR

A MESSAGE FROM ME

IRON MAN: HOW PHILANTHROPY SAVED ME CMDR DOUG GRIFFITHS, RAN

STUCK IN SEATTLE... BRONWYN SIMMONDS

BODY & SOUL

CONTENTS

MONEY TALKS

GIVE MONEY, SAVE THE WORLD! AMBER DAINES

MIRACLE MEL KATE STONE

TECH STARTUPS TO THE RESCUE! RENATA COOPER

GOODWILL TO ALL MEN MELISSA BROWNE

FROM LITTLE THINGS JANINE GARNER

LOIS LANE LIVES

Issue TROPOS... 36 PHILANTHROPOS CHRIS ALLEN

CONVERSATION WITH 38 IN BLYTHE ROWE LINK IN THE CHAIN 40 AKATE STONE

PRACTICAL APP(LICATION)

45 OF KNOWLEDGE KELLY SLESSOR

50 LBDs OUT & ABOUT NEWS & REVIEWS

ARTICLES 52

HIGH VIS THINKING MARGO LYDON

NEWS & REVIEWS

THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY LOIS LANE LIVES

FEATURES

SHAKING THE TREE CLYDE CAMPBELL

Your Editorial Team JANINE GARNER Founder & Editor in Chief “Togetherness – or collaboration – requires a plus and an equal sign. Togetherness can, and does, create the momentum of greatness.” Janine Garner is a business woman, entrepreneur and socialpreneur who is passionate about the return to open and transparent corporate relationships and the power of commercial collaboration in futureproofing careers and businesses. Founder and CEO of LBDGroup (the Little Black Dress Group), her first book, From ME to WE: Why Commercial Collaboration Will Future Proof Business, Leaders and Personal Success is being released later this year. Janine is also the founder of Australia’s first gift giving circle, the First Seeds Fund, committed to supporting women and children at the grassroots of Australia with a focus on education and employment. She is the winner of an International Stevie Award, a Top 10 finalist in the DARE Magazine Daredevil Awards and was listed in 2013 as one of Australia’s “Most Inspiring Women” by Madison Magazine. Janine is a sought after keynote speaker, mentor and advisor. She writes every week for her own blog and is a regular commentator in the business print and on-line media. Janine’s first book, From ME to WE, will be launched in 2014.

KATE STONE Managing Editor “A heart that loves is always young. And quite possibly perennially stuck in the 70s, but that’s a personal choice.” Managing Editor Kate Stone is a ghostwriter, columnist, copy writer and editor who has a passion for all things social media and graphic design. If she isn’t living in someone else’s head, she is online or onscreen, or often both together. She is determined to bring her love of the written word, presented as beautifully as possible, to people whether they like it or not. She is the sole (at present) outpost of LBDGroup in WA, but is working very hard on changing this, and is proof positive that the power of a collaborative community is alive and well. Find her in one of her various guises on Twitter at @ oskythespy, read her own writing at What Kate Did Next or e-mail her at kate@typecast.com.au if you are looking for someone to time share your brain with.

In This Month’s Issue MELISSA BROWNE

Contributing Editor Melissa Browne is an author, entrepreneur, business owner, and shoe & jumpsuit lover. She has two successful, awardwinning businesses - Accounting and Taxation Advantage & Business Advantage Coaching and is the author of the recently published to rave reviews business book, More Money for Shoes. She has also just branched out into a new venture with Rod Soper, thinkers.inq - go to the website to find out more about this incredibly innovative model for early childhood education. A regular contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald, find Melissa on twitter at melbrowne_ or visit acctaxadv.com.au

NIKKI FOGDENMOORE Contributing Editor Nikki FogdenMoore is all about practicing what she preaches – and what she preaches is balance. Balance between work, home and maintaining your personal best. The owner of Life’s A Gym, Nikki is a motivational speaker, trainer and all round powerhouse who will help bring your body and soul together. Connect with her on twitter @ nfogdenmoore or visit www.thevitalitycoach.com.au

RENATA COOPER

CHRIS ALLEN

Contributing editor Renata Cooper is a multi-faceted businesswoman, entrepreneur and angel investor. She is the founder and CEO of Forming Circles, and founder of Written Portraits, an annual national creative writing competition for high school students that reached thousands of students across Australia.

Contributing Editor Chris began his career as a soldier and was commissioned as an officer, serving with the Royal Australian Regiment.He was engaged in humanitarian aid work for CARE International during the 1999 East Timor emergency and in the wake of September 11, 2001 became involved in Australian government protective security.

Through her angel investment portfolio, she is a Director of iVvy, an online event management and registration software that works with Flight Centre, Westpac, Queensland Government, BMW and other leading brands.

Chris’s first novel, Defender, was selfpublished before being re-released by Momentum Books with his second novel, Hunter, released at the end of 2012. Both novels rocketed to the top of the charts and there is a US film / TV franchise in development. His third title in the series, Avenger, will be published this year. Visit him at IntrepidAllen

COMMANDER DOUG GRIFFITHS, RAN CMDR Griffiths is a Mine Clearance Diving specialist who has been posted on exchange to both the Royal Navy and the United States Navy, from whom he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He has served in both the Gulf and Afghanistan and as the Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group (COMAUSMCDTG). http://www.navy.gov.au

MELINDA CRUZ Founder of Miracle Babies, the incredible difference Melinda has made to thousands along with her impact as a successful female entrepreneur has seen her win numerous awards including the 2011 EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year and be a regular guest on radio, TV and speaker at national and international Women’s Hall of Fame. In November she is running the New York Marathon to raise funds for Miracle Babies. You can visit her page here: https:// marathonformiracles.everydayhero. com/au/melindacruz

In This Month’s Issue

CLYDE RATHBONE

MARTIN FISK

Former South African under-21s Captain and Australian Wallaby, ‘Rattlebones’ has just retired from the Brumbies SuperRugby team.

CEO of Menslink, and an active campaigner in the field of suicide prevention – especially among the male population who are most at risk – Martin speaks to schools, businesses and community groups across the region about the importance of speaking up and getting help early.

A prolific writer, speaker and commentator, Clyde has been outspoken in his support of mental health initiatives within Rugby Union and in reducing the stigma of mental illness, especially amongst young men. http://clyderathbone.com

In 2012, Martin designed the Silence is Deadly campaign to reduce the stigma of admitting to problems and encourage more young men to get help when faced with troubled times.

AMBER DAINES

BLYTHE ROWE

Amber Daines has over 16 years of communications expertise in journalism, PR and marketing. As Founder of boutique consultancy Bespoke Communications, Amber’s clients include major corporates, entrepreneurs, artists and not-forprofit groups.

Blythe is widely recognised for her expertise in people, culture and performance as well as her ability to shake things up. Organisations hire her to help recognise and boot the Bullying, Blaming and Bludging behaviours from their business to REV up productivity and performance.

Since 2001, Amber has contributed to a number of books and in May 2013 launched her first e-book ‘Well Spun: Big PR and Social Media Ideas for Small Business’.

KELLY SLESSOR

CLYDE CAMPBELL

Kelly is the CEO and Founder of BanterMob, a mobile apps development company.

Clyde is the founder of Shake It Up Australia, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2011 to promote and fund Parkinson’s disease research in Australia.

She is a frequent commentator in the media on all things techy, and is amazing at explaining the world of the web to the non-geeky!

He is a father of three and business owner who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009 at the age of 44.

BRONWYN SIMMONDS

MARGO LYDON

Bronwyn has been the proud owner of graphic design agency, Beni Creative since 2008.

Margo is the CEO of SuperFriend, a nationwide health promotion foundation that helps ‘all profit to member’ superannuation funds to promote and support improved mental health and wellbeing for their members, through the workplace.

With over ten years experience in the industry, she has a passion for creativity and making businesses look great through design. Based in Richmond, Melbourne she also has an equal passion for good coffee.

Events OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2014

OCTOBER 1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES BRISBANE 9 SYDNEY SEMINAR - RECRUITING FOR SMALL BUSINESS

10 11 12 13 14 EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES MELBOURNE 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 UNLEASH YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIAL - BUSINESS FORUM - SYDNEY 24 25 26

27 28

Calendar NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

BRISBANE PRODUCTIVITY THINK TANK WITH CHRISTINA GUIDOTTI BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASSES WITH JANINE GARNER - BUILDING YOUR BRAND IN 2015 - BRISBANE BRISBANE COCKTAIL CONVERSATIONS EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES - SYDNEY LOCATION TBC

BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASSES WITH JANINE GARNER - BUILDING YOUR BRAND IN 2015 - MELBOURNE MELBOURNE COCKTAIL CONVERSATIONS SYDNEY PRODUCTIVITY THINK TANK WITH CHRISTINA GUIDOTTI

SYDNEY COCKTAIL CONVERSATIONS

EXCLUSIVE DINNER SERIES SYDNEY BUSINESS PLANNING MASTERCLASSES WITH JANINE GARNER - BUILDING YOUR BRAND IN 2015 - SYDNEY FIRST SEEDS CHRISTMAS DRINKS - SAVE THE DATE

IRON MAN: How Philanthropy Healed Me. CMDR Doug Griffiths, RAN

The thought of challenging yourself and putting yourself into the unknown is often enough to make the majority of people falter, question themselves and walk away from a cause or a challenge. In the period between September 2009 and March 2013 I walked away from so much. The reasons for this I still find it hard to explain or even understand. But it happened; it was debilitating beyond belief and for those that know me, it would be easy to think that I am making this up.

On the outside I looked like the normal me, but I had changed. I was not just getting a bit thicker around the middle, I was also starting to withdraw, move away from people, and I was also moving away from doing the things I loved. I began to neglect all that was valuable and fulfilling in my life.

stubborn for not seeking assistance, but I refused to acknowledge anything was wrong.

In short, I was giving up.

But for me life was not the same.

To understand why this downward spiral started when it did, it’s best to give some background.

In the years that followed my return, I tried to get back on the proverbial horse. But I continued in a downward spiral. I stopped exercising and I set goals that I never achieved. I backed away from challenges rather than embracing them, I entered five full IRONMAN distance events and two half IRONMAN races, but I was never able to pass the physiological block that was preventing me from training for them, or starting something that I once loved.

I am a blessed person. I have a wonderful wife and family, I have a rewarding career as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, I have experienced the honour of commanding Australian men and women as a ship’s Captain and in Operations (believe me, there is no greater honour for a military leader). In 2009 I was even privileged to be living in the idyllic setting of Hawaii, accompanying my beautiful bride on an exchange posting. Sounds perfect right? Well I guess it was, except for one thing. In 2009 I deployed operationally to Afghanistan; it was my third operational deployment to the Middle East since September 11 2001. In the past, I would always return home and continue doing my work, carrying on with family and generally loving life. But in September 2009, I returned home to my family in Hawaii after seven months in Kabul where I was employed in a role that had me lay witness to some of the worst of humanity. I returned mentally tired, jaded, maybe disenchanted, but superficially the same person. I thought that again, in 2009, I would return to reality the way I had after all previous deployments. Of course this proved not to be the case. I tried, but I was unable to do what I previously found enjoyable. In the past I would immerse myself in family and also the sport of Triathlon, something that I had found I was actually OK at. Prior to that last deployment I had been privileged to represent Australia in my age group at the World Championships in Sweden and Denmark and I was also highly competitive at the IRONMAN triathlon distance of the 3.8km swim, 108km bike ride and 42.2km run. Naively, I simply assumed that I could reintegrate into my old life. Now, I must state that I have never been assessed as being negatively impacted by my operational service, and I feel proud of my 25 years as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. But for reasons that remain unknown, I stopped being me. Some may refer to it as being stoic, others may refer to it as simply being pigheaded and

Why should I? I had returned to a wonderful family in Hawaii, into an environment that should have been motivating, fun and nurturing.

I knew I had the capacity to do it, I had done it many times in the past. But I was scared, to the point of being terrified at times. I was unsure of myself and I could not face the prospect of failure or the perception of weakness from not achieving at the level that I had once managed. As a result of this I fear, I was placing my own health at risk from inactivity, I was placing my relationship and friendships at risk from being withdrawn and negative in my outlook on my ability and the world in general. So what was I to do? My mental turn around and change in my outlook came one day when I heard the news of another Australian death in Afghanistan at the hands of an IED blast. As always I shed a private tear and told myself I had to move on and give something back. At the time I had yet another race entry sitting waiting, almost taunting me. I knew deep down that I was not going to be able to make that race start. I would be too scared to try, and yet again I would take another excuse from the big fat book of ‘I can’t do this because’ and fall back into a world of self-pity and low-level depression. Not this time though. I knew that I had to support those that had given up so much. I had to provide something to my returned warrior brothers and sisters, many of whom were no longer able to participate in sport or their previous lives because of either physical injuries or the hidden scars of conflict. Previously, I had my own demons that prevented me from trying, but with this goal - being in it for their sakes I was able to attempt to dispel my fears and doubts and focus on something more than my own selfish

achievement and self-interest. In 2013 I elected to raise money and awareness for the charity Soldier On as I trained for and competed in IRONMAN Melbourne. I used the motivation of supporting a charity that was supporting the fallen, those that had returned broken and the many families impacted by service. Was my preparation ideal? No. Was I even fit enough or ready enough to compete? I would say possibly not. But was I determined to finish, and focused

warriors who had paid the ultimate sacrifice, and the many more who have been scarred physically and psychologically for life, got me to the start - and then got me to the finish - and helped me achieve my mission. I did it again in 2014, using IRONMAN Cairns as a platform to raise another $3,200 for Solider On. Again it was not a stellar performance by any stretch of the imagination. But I made the start, I finished a very long day of physical challenge and mental doubt, I raised awareness for the challenges of my brothers and sisters, and I moved one step closer to healing myself. I use the philanthropic challenge associated with the physical challenge now as extra motivation for getting my arse into gear and back into life. Completing a challenge bigger than yourself makes the finish so much sweeter. In addition, in my full time job as a father to an amazing young man, it lets me demonstrate to him that society doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need us to always take, it needs us to give back when we can - and that sometimes giving without thought of self, and challenging yourself against all your fears for those less fortunate is a therapy that can give you your own life back.

regardless of the performance on a goal that was bigger than myself and one that would benefit those so desperately need of support? Yes, I think so. By using social media I raised over $5,200 in 2013 for Solider On. I was scared beyond belief. I shed tears on the start line, I doubted my own ability from the gun to the finish line and I feared failure throughout. But I prevailed, mainly because the mission was bigger than my ego. In the past, the finish was all about me. But in 2013, the thought of failing the forty Australian

Stuck In Seattle: Twelve Months of A Memory Bronwyn Simmonds

After exploring Seattle, I had my bags packed and was ready to head back to Portland before coming home. It had been such a great trip, but on that morning almost everything went wrong. There was a mix up with my hotel bill, I got stuck talking to a lady all about her clay sculptures and mystery illnesses. The waitress at the café couldn’t understand my Australian accent and I ended up with the worst vegan muffin I have ever encountered. The highlight of the morning was ordering a taxi from my hotel to the station. The concierge ordered me a Yellow Cab and I was waiting out the front when an unmarked black car rolled up. He asked if I needed a taxi. I said I was waiting for a Yellow Cab but he insisted so I nervously got in. I think I had seen too many episodes of Criminal Minds and kept thinking it wasn’t a real taxi. The internal doors locked and I thought we would now be heading to the desert for a brutal end. I saw visions flash through my mind of reports about a missing Australian tourist. Fortunately he must have picked up on my vibe and started showing me iphone apps of the company he worked for. Obviously, we arrived safely and I went

on my way. I gave him a two dollar tip for the sheer relief of not being murdered. I’ve always been a natural worrier. For as long as I can remember, given most situations I could instantly think of the worst that could happen. As I grew older, I learned to live with my active imagination, but push through regardless. In 2008 I decided to shake things up and launch my own design business. I started working from my bedroom and living on tins of baked beans and eventually saw it grow to be something I could make a living from, which was a dream come true. A few years later I made the decision to move to Melbourne and be a bit closer to family. A decision that would prove to be my most important one yet. Twelve months down the track, I was really settled, the business was growing, I’d hired my first staff member and the world was at my feet. So what happens when the worst does happen? In November 2012 I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I don’t remember much else about that doctors appointment. All I heard was one word.

The weeks, months and years ahead were a blur of appointments, scans, surgery, chemo, radiation and more. I’ve never experienced being in a situation where each day is a battle and for what felt like a really long time. I definitely went through the stage of thinking how unfair it all was. From a young age I learned to think of life as cause and effect. If I do something wrong, I am punished. If I do something right, I am rewarded. What did I do to deserve this? Where did I go wrong when I had seemingly put in all the right ingredients and ended up with something so outrageous? There can be so many situations in life that this can be related to and I realized that to continuing to ask those questions brought no answers, only dismay and frustration. Although I can play my part, there’s nothing else I can do to control what happens to me. It’s almost a relief to redefine where my responsibility ends. Toward the end of the journey, I did find there was something else I could focus on that diffused my

anguish and that was gratitude. I decided to look for all the things that I can be thankful for and it completely changed my life perspective. Now looking back on it all, I am amazed at all that I can be thankful for. Initially that the cancer was found early and was treatable. I am grateful for the awesome medical team I was provided with. I am grateful that I was in Melbourne and close to the love and support of my family. I am grateful to my staff member who kept the business running for me while I was so unwell. I am grateful to my clients and business networks that were so supportive throughout the journey. So now looking back on that funny story in Seattle, I wonder how my experience would have differed today? How much better would it have been if I had given the driver a tip based on gratitude rather than fear? It’s ironic that having one of the worst things to happen to me in my life has taught me to live less afraid and with an outlook of renewed hope.

“

Give money,

save the world,

be amazing.

Amber Daines

When I bang on about philanthropy to many of my corporate clients and “getting by on more than paying the rent” friends and family, I can see their eyes glaze over. Or maybe the defensive wall goes up. Or a bit of both. I get it. We all get asked to bleed money left, right and centre. Like most of us, I’d much prefer to walk down the high street and not be accosted by a grown man dressed as a furry animal hounding me for coin donations to “Save the Koalas”. But the reality is, if charities didn’t get in our face for micro-philanthropy how could they even raise awareness let alone funds for their causes? Why? Because as a nation we are terrible donators. The exception being in times of national disaster, like the Queensland floods of 2010 and 2011, considered to be the largest disaster event in that state’s history with costs of these flooding events estimated to more than $5 billion. Australians donated about $2.21 billion to charity in the year 2010-11 according to an analysis of the tax return records by the Queensland University of Technology. The analysis reveals an increase of $248 million (or 12.63 per cent) from 2009-10 when Australians claimed $1.96 billion in tax deductions for their charitable giving. It is good news and a reflection on what generous souls we can be in times of disaster. But, and there is a big but here. But I am ashamed that it takes horrific images of Australians losing their homes and even their lives to prompt us to open our wallets so freely. It should be a mindset and a culture we foster beyond the immediate flood, war and famines. Australia is a super wealthy nation by world standards and most of us are fortunate enough to earn enough to feed, house, clothes and holiday ourselves as we see fit.

Sure, there are lean months or even years when a partner changes careers and with it say goodbye to a regular income, a new baby demands one parent drops out of the paid workforce, you may get sick and can’t work, or RBA decides inflation needs a break and raises your mortgage repayments. These are real pressures and modern life has real costs. You don’t need to be Christine Lagarde to work that out. But if could all learn to live with a bit less than surely it would make the world a better place? I am no It’s OK to want to have a new car, a Thermomix to adorn the kitchen or move to a fancier post code, but when we are talking about leaving a meaningful legacy does any of this stuff really matter? When I was completing my Masters in Arts, with a focus on philanthropy in the arts, over a decade ago now things were far more depressing. Australia’s wealthiest families at the time, gave proportionally more to sports and political parties than they did to the arts, homeless support networks and healthrelated charities. The USA is top of the world for giving, with the average person giving $694 a year to charity compared to $247 in the UK and even less in Australia, according to a report ‘Give me a Break: Why the UK should not aspire to a “US-style” culture of charitable giving’, released by CAF in February 2014. There are many reasons why this is the case, and contrary to popular belief generous tax incentives are not the main one. The USA has a history of giving not replicated elsewhere. As the arts are an area I have studied in and worked within, they provide the example needed here. It is a misconception that corporate or government support has ever provided the majority of arts funding. Each United States citizen pays about the cost of one postage stamp in taxes to support national arts and arts education programs. And those corporations that fund the arts primarily fund prominent organizations serving a high number of people. The real stars of arts giving are individual donors. They provide the lion’s share of support across the country, and on average, give more to arts than corporations and government entities combined. If only this was the case here! My heart is singing at the prospects. And not just for the arts, but in research and women’s refuges and everyone else with a need. Admittedly, I am cheering to see the American culture of philanthropy seems to have rubbed off a bit. Finally, in 2014 we do see the likes of the Lowy’s and Rhinehart’s giving generous sums to charity and corporate Australia has an equally average track record. For example, James Packer’s Crown Resorts is setting up the biggest corporate philanthropic foundation in Australian history. I am excited for this change, not sitting back and

watching it happen. But why should it be up to the private jet rich only to be setting the example here? Among the array of causes we give to regularly, my family and I have made a commitment to the First Seeds Fund scholarship, to donate a modest amount over three years to help support a young person who needs the leg up now, a chance to further their study and with a bit of luck, change the course of their life. I want to set an example to my young sons that we are givers that are purposeful. We give to those who need it but not to everyone who asks. And not to allay some middle class guilt. The First Seeds Fund scholarship is important in my legacy. The reason was simple. Education remains the great social equaliser. I would not be where I am today, a successful business owner, if I was not educated. From a humble background, I am the second generation in my family to attend university and no matter what happens in the rollercoaster of life, nobody can ever take that away from me. This multi-year donation was made with a personal passion and a clear vision to help make this world just a little less selfish, a little individualistic than perhaps my natural instinct would have it. Sure, we could have another weekend away or add those funds to my kid’s education fund or even finally buy a house in Sydney, but it was not as important as making a change for someone else. Maybe I am pretty idealistic after all. Yes, I do love a healthy debate so go on and prove me wrong. You can’t take it with you when you go. It’s not about how much you give, or where you donate to that matters to me. It’s that you do it when nobody is looking and can do it with sense of joy. Don’t wait until you are “rich enough” and have money to spare. Click here to donate to the First Seeds Fund or to find out more.

Be thankful for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow.

Miracle Mel Kate Stone

The tenth anniversary of Miracle Babies is coming up next year and Melinda Cruz is on a mission to celebrate it the best way she knows how; by running the New York Marathon. It’s nineteen days away. Has she ever run a marathon before? Never. Then again, had she ever set up a foundation before Miracle Babies? No. The most she has ever run before was a stage (dancing), a gym (gymnastics) or a court (basketball). But she is determined, and she knows why she has to do it. Because she’s promised. This is very much the ethos of Miracle Babies itself. It’s about promises. Support, promises and groups being there for each other. Let’s step back a bit.

premature babies adequately. So, much in the manner that has led her to run perhaps the most famous marathon in the world out of sheer determination, Melinda and her two co-founders went about the process of setting up a community support network for families with premature babies. Miracle Babies was, like their very subjects, brought into the world in a hurry and in somewhat of an undercooked state. Initiated in 2005 by Melinda and with the help of Liverpool Hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Miracle Babies Foundation was officially formed by a group of mothers of premature and sick newborns. All bonded together by their NICU experiences, they shared the same common desire of wanting to support other families of miracle babies and give back to the wonderful hospitals that care for them. Together, Miracle Babies and Liverpool Hospital worked on an in-hospital parent support program, allowing current NICU families the opportunity to speak to past parents, and on expanding the already running, but resource limited premmie playgroup to reach even more NICU families. Ten years later, Miracle Babies is working at a national and international level to not only support families and communities, but to bring parents back into the NICU. Melinda Cruz and her determination to see a symbiotic relationship between NICUs and the families who simply want their babies happy and healthy (and to understand what’s going on) has led to a behemoth in the NFP sphere. I asked her what the over-riding message of Miracle Babies is after ten years.

Every year in Australia around 45,000 newborn babies require the help of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN). 25,000 of these babies are born premature and up to 1000 babies lose their fight for life. Ten years ago, Melinda Cruz gave birth to a premature baby. This was a frantic, bewildering, downright frightening time, and what was overwhelmingly evident was that nobody – not the doctors, not the hospital, nobody – was supporting the parents and families of the

“I think the whole thing is that after ten years, Australian families with preemies are no longer isolated and alone. We have such a phenomenal organisation that people can now hook into and be a part of – there are so many avenues for getting support; in hospital, after discharge until their kids are six; a Facebook community of 41,000 – it’s mindboggling. There are so many different resources for families – so many, many ways to access support, and guide them through the journey.

It was such a different experience for me – I can’t imagine what it is like now”. I asked what she feels her biggest achievement as the founder of the Foundation is. “We have been able to give parents and family a voice; the clinicians are listening and wanting to work together. They have invited us onto panels and integrated us into research. We are providing a link to the community and giving it a working chance to get the best possible outcome for everyone, not just medically but for families and children.”

Melinda Cruz is an incredibly savvy business woman. Out of everyone I have spoken to in terms of this issue and its revolution around philanthropy, she is perhaps the one with her finger most on the pulse of the business beat. She sees the inherent value in bringing smart business principles to the NFP sector, and also sees no reason why the best of NFP can’t be applied to the private sector. Perhaps it is this kind of lateral thinking that explains the rapid rise and profile of Miracle Babies, and also why a non-runner is so determined to take on the Everest of the amateur athlete’s world. Because she knows if she just applies basic principles and a hell of a lot of determination to those long, lonely kilometres, she will get to where she needs and wants to go. The finish line. On behalf of her healthy 10 year old son, who isn’t quite at marathon running speed, and all of the other babies who are benefiting from the care, knowledge and above all smarts she has put into her other baby.

Tech Startups To The Rescue!

Renata Cooper

In 2013, Google commissioned a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) research to identify ways to accelerate the growth of Australian tech startup sector. The research found that this sector has the potential to contribute $109 billion or 4% of GDP to the economy and create 540,000 jobs by 2033 – with a concerted effort from entrepreneurs, educators, the government and corporate Australia. As the mining boom draws to a close, Australian tech poster kids such as Atlassian, Freelancer.com and Canva could lead the next startup revolution. In a tight economy faced with declining interest for our minerals from China, dismal retail revenues and disappearing automotive manufacturing, labour productive industries such as tech could be our salvation. Although our tech ecosystem is not as progressive as Silicon Valley, or even India and China, we do have the foundation and innovative spirit for future growth. After all, this is the country that invented Wi-Fi. But, if this sector is to flourish, create new jobs and be relevant on a global scale, a few considerations and actions are required.

Quality and Quantity of People in Tech If you look at investment vs revenue, tech companies have a far better value proposition than most other industries. Companies such as Apple, Google, SEEK, Facebook, Wotif and others generate between $1.7 million (Apple) to $500,000 (Wotif) per employee. In contrast, the Australian mining industry generates under $200,000 and the tourism industry around $50,000 per employee. As a nation, we need to shift our focus to future growth platforms. If we combine the fact that Australia is one of the most connected and mobile countries in the world to our steady increase in the Global Innovation Index (23rd in 2011, 19th in 2013 and 17th in 2014), we have the right formula for a robust tech industry – that just needs a little more meat on the bones. One way to increase productivity is by creating more awareness about technology and entrepreneurship from a young age – helping fuel more interest and participation in the tech startup space. In a recent column, AFR’s education editor Tim Dodd argued that kids should be taught coding from a young age. This month, England became the first country in the world to make computer programming mandatory for primary and secondary school kids. In another article here, I’ve talked about the importance of teaching kids entrepreneurship and creating their own jobs. Technology is more pervasive than ever and deeply ingrained into today’s youth, and will get more so in future. Kids should be taught to apply tech thinking to any industry around them, so they can come up with more productive and efficient solutions. Tech-based entrepreneurialism should become a mainstream career option. The government and support industries need to do more with the youth of today so they can be drivers of growth in 2033.

Access to Capital Most tech startups such as Atlassian and Canva have looked outside Australia for funding. Canva recently raised $3.6 million from US based Shastha Ventures and Founders Fund. The lack of venture capital (VC) and angel funding in Australia is nothing new. Although the situation has been getting marginally better the last 2 – 3 years with the entry of new angel investors such as Scale Investors (investing in women in tech) and increased activity by Melbourne Angels and Sydney Angels, we still have a long way to go.

The Ferriers Focus report states that Australia has one of the lowest rates of venture capital in the developed world, with only $79 million invested across 97 startups in 2013. In the US, one venture capital firm alone invested more than that in a 12-month period. Australia’s betting value on Melbourne Cup surpasses its VC investments. While US venture capitalists show keen interest in Australian tech companies, with most major VC’s travelling down under regularly to look for the next big thing, the local funding market is not as supportive. Local companies are often caught in a catch 22 situation of needing to show global growth to secure funding, but needing funding to grow globally.

Banks and traditional institutions are slowly starting to come around and participate in this space. Westpac recently launched the Innovation Challenge inviting tech start-ups to come up with unique ideas for SME enterprises and commercial real estate customers – offering the winner a $40,000 cash prize and a six-month placement in the BlueChilli start-up accelerator program. With more tech startup success stories, the sector could find a middle ground that capitalises on the market size, access to global markets through the US, use world-class talent and strong knowledge of Asian markets – it’s a win-win for all. Where traditional bricks and mortar industries (except mining) have struggled with exports, tech could be the game changer. The country and its policy makers need to come out of the mining shafts and aim for the clouds – literally and figuratively.

Goodwill To ALL Men Melissa Browne As I sit here writing, I can’t believe that it’s three months and one day until Christmas. Just writing that sentence makes me feel a little ill at the thought of everything I want to achieve and complete before the year finishes but it also makes me feel queasy because the lead up to Christmas for so many of us is incredibly busy and let’s face it, downright expensive. There are the countless catch-ups with friends, family and colleagues before the big day, numerous presents to buy, a new outfit or two to purchase and more than one bottle of champagne to take with you if you’re a Christmas function guest. Never mind the cost if you’re the host of either Christmas day itself or drinks in the lead up to the big day. When it comes to presents and functions, I know that many of us want to be generous to those that matter to us at Christmas time. That’s because we’ve bought the story that has been sold to us by Hollywood and Hallmark that it’s the season to show those you love just how much you love them. And of course the more you love someone, the more you’d want to spend on them, right? Wrong!

I believe if you truly cared for someone you wouldn’t want them to get into financial difficulty through a misguided act of showing you how much they love you. I also believe if you asked your kids to sit and write down all the presents they received last year they couldn’t. They might be able to list their top five but I bet that’s it. That’s why I’m an advocate for sitting down three months out (which is now) and working out a budget for the silly season so you don’t find yourself in financial difficulty once the tinsel is packed away. Now I know some of you are thinking, ‘how incredibly romantic that sounds: writing a list and setting a budget. You can’t put a price on love!’ Well actually you can. It depends on how much you have available to spend and how much you can save up between now and Christmas time. Maxing out your credit cards and being unable to pay off the balance until halfway through the year or spending all your savings and jeopardising your long term plans is not showing yourself kindness and surely it’s time this year to give yourself some Christmas love by keeping your spending in check and starting the new year on a great financial footing. So if you, like many of us, struggle at Christmas time to keep your spending under control, why don’t you start now with me to ensure that this year is the best year yet: financially, philanthropically and festively. Here are my top seven tips for having a financially festive Christmas: 1. Write a list for everyone you want/need to buy for and put an amount next to each person’s name and then total the amounts. If the amount is not realistic or is more than you are able to spend then consider culling your list or reducing the individual amounts 2. Consider talking to your friends and family and either putting a limit on the amount you are going to spend on each other or organising a kris kringle where you purchase for one person only 3. Talk to your kids about the budget you have for them this Christmas and ask them to consider presents within the budget or explain that with so many kids in the world Santa has had to put a budget on presents this year and the limit is X amount. Or if they want a pricier item then start searching now on e-bay or other second hand-sites. It’s never too early for kids to understand that there isn’t a never ending money tree that presents simply appear from. 4. If you as a grown up genuinely don’t need anything (which let’s face it, is many of us) why not as a group of friends or a couple decide to donate the amount you would have spent to charity and then buy something silly and cheap for each other instead 5. Write a list for each function you are hosting including a budget for all food and alcohol and make sure you stick to it. Prepare menus and start shopping for items now so that the big Christmas food shop cost is reduced 6. Consider asking guests to bring either nibbles, dessert or alcohol to help reduce the cost of the big day or other functions you might be holding. That way the cost and the time in preparing and shopping can be shared 7. Start now. Once you’ve made your lists start buying now to spread the cost across a few months rather than a week. But don’t be tempted to lift the limit on the presents or hand them over early – find a great hiding space and tick them off. Christmas can be a wonderful time of year but it can also be financially devastating when the new year hits. This year if you really want to show others how much you love them through how much you spend, why not make that ‘person’ a needy family or a charity and do something meaningful with the ones you love instead. Now that would be a worthy hallmark moment and would teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas which surely has to be more aligned with philanthropy and goodwill to men than tinsel and hangover credit card debt.

From Little Things Janine Garner

One of the things I often think about, whenever I take my children to visit the place they are investing hope in during the school holidays, is the Charles Dickens book A Tale of Two Cities. Not because I love reading Dickens, because believe me, nothing could be further from the truth! But there is a certain point on the journey out from our house when I think my three kids really do realise what a divide there is between their lives and the lives of the kids they are helping, and it’s that divide which Sydney fails to see right before their eyes on a daily basis.

“I thought, who am I to stand up and say there was a problem in Warwick Farm?” she says. “The police said there was no problem with violence or safety because it wasn’t showing up in the figures. That was because everyone in the community was too scared of the drug dealers and thugs in the community to report what was really going on. I stood up and told them what was really happening, and that’s how it started. We called the community in crisis – if we weren’t going to do it, who was?”

When I first set up the First Seeds Foundation, I had been looking around for a long time for a purpose to my philanthropic dollars, if that doesn’t sound too waffly. There seemed to be a lot of people out to do good, without any real idea of what that do-gooding was actually achieving, if anything. There also seemed to be a lot of money going into administration of said dogooding and not a lot into actual benefits for real people in need. There just had to be a better way to give realtime assistance to those who truly needed it. And from what I found out, the people who needed it were sitting about ninety minutes from my own front door. They weren’t on another continent, and they weren’t speaking another language – or if they were, it was because they had come to this country for a chance at a better life. They were women and girls living a life of prostitution, drug addiction and hopelessness. They were leaving school at 12 and having babies as young teenagers because that’s what their mums had done. They had no hope, and no skills, and nowhere to go. They lived near a rather famous racecourse called Warwick Farm, and until a few amazing women under the – well, let’s call it rule, because it’s true, Pat! - of a remarkable lady named Pat Hall decided to turn their community around, they had just about given up. In 2009, Pat, who has been a Community Worker at ‘The Farm’s’ Neighbourhood Centre for seventeen years decided enough was enough, and started interventions with police, NSW Health, community members, council and social workers to start a collaborative process and save the women and girls of Warwick Farm.

This began the start of something amazing, and with a $1000 council grant purchasing a coffee machine for the Community Centre, which she used to start a coffee shop and employ one of the women from Warwick Farm, Pat started a quiet revolution. This is where First Seeds came on the scene. When myself and some of my wonderful friends realised what we wanted to achieve in terms of our philanthropic spending – which was genuinely helping women and children at a grassroots level in Australia – we looked to our own backyard. Warwick Farm was what we found, and I don’t mind admitting I was horrified. Horrified, and determined. I knew we would be strongly reliant on Pat’s knowledge and wisdom. I also knew that if we didn’t act, I would never sleep easily at night again.

What we try to provide at Warwick Farm – and it is very much a model for what we want to do across the country – is practical philanthropy.

and in the process made friends of women from all walks of life who have been touched beyond belief.

This is not about handing out candy canes and bandaids. This is about endowing women and girls with business skills and an education. It’s about my children giving a percentage of their pocket money voluntarily to fund scholarships for girls who wouldn’t get to high school any other way, and understanding that they do it to provide opportunities, not charity.

This is just a part of First Seeds. The wider picture is something I want people outside the LBDG community to see, because the reality is there is so much more we can achieve.

It’s about dads and partners of LBDG members going to working bees and giving single mums a hand, because they don’t have that support on a daily basis, and proving there are good men out there, rather than users and abusers. It’s about businesses who support us giving bicycles and computers to kids who would never have these things, and who appreciate them more than these company owners would ever have thought possible. In short, it’s about providing hope. It’s about providing opportunties in a place that was written off the radar. These women and kids have a purpose and a vision, where ten years ago, there was nothing. I know that other members of the First Seeds Board have written about their experiences of mentoring girls in workshops at the school – Year 6 girls who have set up micro-businesses and learned skills that will guide them for life,

Practical philanthropy is not easy. People often would rather just throw a few dollars at a cause, rather than think about where those dollars are going – sometimes it’s too confronting, sometimes it’s just easier to give some cash and switch off. But if you actually visited ‘The Farm’, and saw what every single First Seeds Board member has seen, I guarantee you would be ready and waiting to say those words: ‘From little things, big things grow’. Pat Hall saw it with her first $1000 grant. She now has a micro-business manager. We are seeing it in the scholarships that First Seeds has promulgated at Warwick Farm. Come see us on November 26th in Sydney and be a part of First Seeds for the night. You may see it too. First Seeds is holding a Sydney ‘First Seeds Christmas’ on November 26th. Guest of honour is Carrie Bailee, author of Broken Wings. Tickets on sale soon.

LBDG’s First Seeds Fund brings together its members and friends to support the lives of women and children with a focus on education and employment. We are currently funding an educational scholarship and programmes supporting Year 6 to Year 12 children in the disadvantaged NSW community of Warwick Farm. “The power of the First Seeds Fund comes not in the strength of the individual but through collaboration, the creation of a singular strong voice and a strategic approach to philanthropy,” says Janine Garner, founder of the First Seeds Fund. “Together we can all become architects of change.” The Sydney Community Foundation is the Trustee for the First Seeds Fund. As Trustee, the Sydney Community Foundation completes the due diligence process before grants are made to recipients and has final discretion on grants made after considering the recommendation/s of the First Seeds Fund advisory committee. The First Seeds Fund is a sub-fund of the Sydney Women’s Fund which is part of the Sydney Community Foundation.

DONATE NOW

I’m sure we all aspire to some level or form of philanthropy. After all, don’t we all love being human? I do and buoyed by that, I inherently hope that everyone else feels the same way. Sadly, that’s not always the case, but it doesn’t deter me from still wanting to believe that fundamentally most of us want what’s best for our fellow humans and, if there’s any way we can help someone else out then we’d jump at the chance. I like to think of philanthropy in the simplistic sense of trying to, in some way, enhance what it is to be human whether on a global or very local scale. Unless you are Sir Richard Branson or Bill Gates, for many of us our philanthropic endeavours are mostly local in size and impact. We universally cheer when we see the likes of Branson and Gates raising the bar in standards of development and enhancement programs with their global reach and vast sums of cash, and rightly so. They are ‘giving back’ which we all love to see from our mega-captains of industry. And few would argue against the immense importance of the attention Diana Spencer brought to the plight of the disadvantaged; work admirably carried on by her sons.

Philanthropos Tropos… but what does it mean, really? Chris Allen

The positive actions of internationally recognised personalities such as these must be seen and reported in order to jolt others who have been similarly blessed into action, whilst also inspiring those whose personal attempts will only ever be at the coal face, pursuing some local cause that is close to them but equally valid and worthy of our praise. We don’t often hear of our unsung philanthropic heroes: the retired grandfather who helps out every day at the local centre for the disabled, or the single mum who makes the time when her kids are at school to read to the elderly and infirm. Yet, to those who look forward to seeing them every day, they are playing their part in enhancing our status as human beings in equal measure alongside our much lauded billionaires and royalty. All that said, there is one niggling issue wrapped up in all this good will which really bugs me. Corporate social responsibility.

Now, we all know and acknowledge that there is a great deal of good behind the genuine adoption and implementation of a solid corporate social responsibility (CSR) culture within any organisation. What really gets under my skin though, is where individuals looking for an angle to enhance their public profile use the banner of CSR for no other purpose than gratuitous self-promotion. That infuriatingly ambiguous fine line between philanthropy and ‘throwyourmoneyatme’. Usually the self-promoter will attach themselves to some suitably innocuous cause that makes them look like they really care, while not being so controversial a topic as to deflect attention away from them and actually onto the issue. We couldn’t have that now, could we? Those who get my unequivocal respect are the quiet achievers; those who get behind things rather than in front of them. Those who, if they have a profile, use their influence and connections cleverly, strategically, behind the scenes and who achieve awareness for their chosen cause without benefitting from that awareness personally. At a time when there is so much division and fear in the world, we should all be looking for ways in which we can play our part in bringing back some balance. Fundamentally, there are many ways in which we can genuinely help others without trying to gain a benefit for ourselves. Who knows, by being a little more humble about what we’re doing to make the place better, we may just do a lot more for evolving ourselves as human beings.

In Conversation With Blythe Rowe

Tell us a little about your business and what you do. After 13 years of working in the corporate world, I decided to take the leap and go solo. I founded, Human Incite, which is a people and culture biz. Our clients partner with us to develop the mindset and skill-set of their people and leaders, align organisational behaviours, speak the unspoken and forge cultures that connect the hearts and minds of their people. Our main offer is training and development programs for individuals and leaders. Our signature program is “Combat bullying/ Respect in the workplace” which is aimed at developing individuals as well as shaping cultures. We also offer a unique approach to management development based on neuro-leadership to develop leaders who are worth following. I am also a keynote speaker (this is really my favourite part of my buisness - as I do love to talk), I do a bit of writing (including a book called “Bullies, Blamers, Bludgers” & blogging etc) and also run a group mentoring program for Rising HR Stars - to fulfil my passion to give back.

What’s your vision for your business? Without getting all wanky, we do what we do to ultimately make a difference to people’s lives as well as creating awesome places to work.

In terms of my vision - I would love to continue to leverage the work we are doing in terms of combatting bullying across more states within Australia and even globally. We would also like to spread the message and skills building into schools as well. We are passionate about developing leaders who are worth following (& have a cool program to do this based on Neuro-leadership). Ultimately, I would love to have a great team of people helping to share our message so we have a greater footprint.

First thing you do in the morning? Honestly? Poo (I am very regular OK… LOL) Then I usually pump out a little bit of work before I run around like a crazy woman to get everyone organised and out of the house and ready for school (it’s the most exhausting part of the day)

Top 3 Tips for women in business? 1.

One of the best lessons I have learnt is to “ fail fast” - when you are running your own business you can’t afford to dwell on stuff that does not work and you need to be prepared to let it go, learn from it and move on if it doesn’t work (even if you think it’s your best idea yet). Your customers will dictate what is your best offer, not us often.

Put it this way, I was never going to sell a program on “bullying”, but I listened to my clients and now it is my most profitable and commercial offer.Careful not to spend or waste too much time on all the “ fun stuff ” rather focus your precious time on the profit-generating activities. I would love nothing more than to create, write, and fluff around all day (making stationary etc) but it’s not going to make me money. So we need to focus our time and energy on the “right” tasks and strategies even if those are some of the more uncomfortable.

Sales is not a dirty word. I used to believe that I couldn’t and didn’t like selling (quite a limiting belief for someone running their own biz). I soon learnt I had to reframe that and now I see selling as giving value first, building relationships and not being attached to an outcome. To me it’s all about giving value and expecting nothing in return. Then if you get the sale or client, the key is providing outstanding service so that others will “sell” for you. Don’t be fooled, sales and selling is a critical aspect to your success.

FINAL Bonus tip: find like-minded people who have walked your path - give them value first, then get inside their head - their strategies, their ideas, their advice. Best thing I ever did was engage a mentor who pushed me past what I thought I was capable of. Now I continue to find new people and also people I can partner with (who have complementing skills) to make my offer better and better.

Biggest yell out loud, I’m fantastic moment this year? It had to be this school holidays when my 7 year old daughter and I were driving to Clontarf together to spend the day. She holds my hand as I am driving and says “Mummy I love that you run your own business”, I said “oh why honey?” and she said “because it means that you and I get to hang out together and you get to come to my silver assemblies”! Best thing in the world for me to hear - reinforces exactly why I choose to run my own biz - work hard and play hard and be there for the important times in my girl’s life!

If you were a hashtag, you would be...

#pocketrocket

Web address: www.blytherowe.com

When I lived in Canberra in 2011 (and coincidentally when I met Janine Garner for the first time what a year!) I first heard about an amazing group called Menslink I was immediately fascinated, because they were doing something no other group seemed to be doing, with the exception of beyondblue’s ‘Man Therapy’, which was very much in its infancy. They were dealing with mental health in young men, with particular reference to making sure that support systems were in place to treat the causes of depression, violence and alienation in men aged 18-25 in particular before they had a chance to become an issue. The ACT is notorious for an underground of disassociated, truly unhappy young people. The pressure to be ‘normal’, to fit in, to meet a certain standard, is extreme, perhaps because it is essentially a company town, much like Washington DC. It has a surprisingly high percentage of government housing and single parent families. For young men, this pressure is even more evident. Many are growing up without a male role model at home, and have only their peers to look to, who similarly have no perception of how to deal with emotional issues or how to talk about what is worrying them. Four out of every five suicides are men and it remains the leading cause of male death in every age group from 15-44. Each year, more young men die by their own hand than our entire national road toll. Menslink’s services seek to help deal with these statistics not only by providing counsellors and mentors to young men, but by going out into the community and to schools in the ACT and speaking to boys – often with their sporting heroes in tow. They have also recently started the ‘Silence Is Deadly’ campaign, which involves the ACT Brumbies. This is the initiative of the Menslink CEO, and driving force of their continuing rise in profile, Martin Fisk. I spoke to both Marty and former Wallaby and Brumby, Clyde ‘Rattlebones’ Rathbone, about Menslink’s mission.

A Link In The Chain: Men(Tal) Health & Sport Kate Stone

Martin: “The Silence is Deadly campaign is encouraging young men to talk to their friends and more importantly to get professional help to get through life’s problems. Young men and young women suffer the same mental issues, and in the same numbers – 1 in 4 – yet young men are three times less likely to seek help. We go out and see five to ten thousand school kids each year with the Brumbies and simply talk to young guys about how it’s normal to have problems, whether they are relationship problems, being bullied, or depression and anxiety. What we need to do is get over macho exterior. Having Fotu Auelua and Clyde for example – true heroes, who are willing to say ‘yes, it’s OK to talk about your issues’ – it helps to get over the stigma. In fact, it’s incredibly powerful. The schools say there has been, over the life so far of the campaign, a 133% increase in the number of young men seeking help. We must propagate the view that not only is it OK to have problems, it’s even more OK to get help, which in turn will help you to get over them faster. The stigma of mental illness is constantly challenging in terms of life events – school, work, home life, just trying to deal with the everyday.” I asked why Menslink has such a a strong focus on sportsmen. “The interesting thing is when we started, we felt that it would only appeal to sports loving kids – but the campaign, and the involvement of the Brumbies in particular in it, has appealed to anyone who sees a strong man/famous person who is willing to be vulnerable. It has provoked general questions – who can I trust, where can I go for help, what’s happening to me.” I wanted to know more about the statistics for mental illness in young men aged 18-25, because I remember what it was like when I was that age; there was nothing for my male friends in terms of support.

Better Man

“There is a strong correlation between the fact that these young guys are 3 times more likely to kill themselves and 3 times less likely to ask for help. The suicide rate [in Australia generally] remains stubbornly high. Double the number of people die in Australia from suicide than die on the roads; a young male is seven times more likely to take their own life than die in a road-related accident. One of the other reasons we are working exclusively with young men are the crime statistics both in terms of the very hidden issue of domestic violence, and the general issue of assault; in Canberra the ratio of young adult male –female in jail is 60-1.” I have seen the Menslink team in action, and I have no doubt of their ability to get to the heart of what matters; the young men themselves. That’s where Marty says their whole focus lies – saving lives before they need saving. “Our job at Menslink is to get in before these things reach crisis point; to provide a mentor/ role model when there isn’t one in domestic life. To help deal with the first experiences of relationship breakdown, or parental breakups. Interestingly, in our mentoring program, 90% of mentors are single mums and grandmums (24% of teenagers are living in single mum households).”

Clyde Rathbone is someone who has been through his own storm, both physically and mentally. If there is anyone the boys in the Menslink programs and the ACT school system should look to as a mentor, it’s him. He has been broken by injury after injury – a fractured eye socket and cheekbone are just some of the horrors he has endured in the name of his beloved game. A former Under-21s Captain for South Africa, he was a Wallaby and has just retired after a triumphant comeback to the Brumbies from a very public battle – with depression. His admitting that big, boofy rugby players sat in darkened rooms surrounded by as he put it ‘Freddo Frog wrappers’ set a precedent for sportsmen to say ‘I can’t cope alone’. Intelligent, articulate, argumentative, and vaguely rude about my beloved Waratahs, Clyde backs Menslink’s initiatives to the hilt. “The speed at which they have raised awareness in Canberra is incredible – at any event now that they run, the who’s who of Canberra is there, which means action. (The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), is the Patron of Menslink). What I see as the best thing about Menslink is that it’s all about the preventative. It’s about helping people develop healthy relationships – not as sexy as some of the ‘big’ diseases perhaps when it comes to profile, but it’s just as, if not more, important.” I asked him what he thought the most important message was when it comes to mental health and young men?

union fan, to know what the general atmosphere is like when it comes to talking about mental health within sporting clubs compared to five and ten years ago. “I think it’s improving and that’s a reflection of how wider society is changing in this issue. Rugby union clubs through the players’ associations have mental health strategies and talk about it at training camps; they are getting on top of it and keep raising awareness. The Brumbies specifically outsource a bit of their strategy to the Rugby Union players’ association. Each player has a careers adviser who they can go to independently, because naturally they have concerns about how opening up will affect livelihood unless it’s to a third party. But opening up is crucial to kick starting the change in culture. It will eventually be a non-issue - it will eventually be seen as no different to a torn hamstring. It’s just a matter of time.” He said that for him, Menslink’s evolution is something which is truly important and to see it go beyond the ACT – that will be a great moment. “I’m excited to see Menslink develop – it’s good to watch it grow to where it is now, and they’re not going to be treading water. If I can play a small role, I will look forward to it.” I think that both Martin Fisk and Clyde Rathbone are two men with a mission. They are savvy, and motivated, and they know from personal experience that guys need one thing.

Better Man

“I think it’s to not be afraid to talk about what it is you’re experiencing. The most difficult step, especially for men, is that they are far less likely to verbalise, to ask for help.

To ask for help, to problem solve – it’s a skill that can assist you throughout your life – but blokes in particular tend to think of masculinity and verbalising as mutually exclusive and that’s a huge problem.” I was particularly interested, as a huge rugby

To know that talking isn’t just for chicks, and that boys do cry – and that that’s OK. And that silence is, as they say, potentially deadly.

Practical App(lication) of Knowledge As CEO of BanterMob, Kelly Slessor knows her way around mobile technology, so she takes us through her day slightly differently - one app at a time.

As a busy mum, wife, business owner, technologist and a number of other things that I won’t bore you with, I am constantly looking for technology that will do the following; make my life easier, give me back more time, and above all, provide the impression that I am an extremely efficient and productive person! We spend over 2 hours per day on our mobile phones, and around 80% of that time is spent within applications – so having applications that help with our working day and are not just about telling our friends how amazing we are is becoming increasingly important. Here is a view of my mobile day and some of the applications I use to get through it.

Headspace: before my boys

get up I need this! Headspace is a meditation app without the annoying sing songy voice. It is meditation made simple, a way of treating your head right and training your mind for a happier life. Using this first thing helps me set my intentions for the day, which as we all know is so important for dictating the achievements of the day. At a recent Business Chicks event, Ariana Huffington talked about the importance of meditation and the fact that when we are really busy instead of meditating for one hour, we should meditate for two. In reality I am lucky if I get ten minutes but I am working on it.

0800hrs: My next app of the day is Wunderlist. Wunderlist is my list of everything to do; it captures my “to dos”, places to see, and my very random ideas. I have multiple lists including work, clients, personal, birthday, holiday, day to day… I can sync and share my lists, allocate tasks, set alerts and the format for ticking things off makes me feel even

more productive! By 8am (on a good day) I’ve set my intentions, checked my lists and the next cab off the rank is my news, inspiration and entrepreneurial fix.

0900hrs: Entrepreneur Daily is designed exclusively

for small business. It provides answers, insights and the latest news, it’s beautifully designed and I can read it on the go. Not only does is give me good ideas and validate some of my thinking - it also divides articles up into categories such as start ups, growth, money, marketing and tech so depending on my intention for the day and what’s on my to do list, I can read articles that are relative to what I want to achieve. If I’m presenting I like to practice and make verbal notes, and then play it back when I am in the car. It helps me to memorise key stats and hopefully cut out the noise and irrelevant information as I do tend to babble on.

Audio Memos is a voice recording tool with a really

simple user interface, that allows me to record short memos or long presentations.

It’s coffee time and as a selfconfessed coffee addict and a creature of habit, I have the same coffee every day at the same time and the same place and I like to grab it quickly and go. In 3 taps the PayPal application allows me to pre order my coffee, pay for it and have it waiting for me when I get there.

tanks etc revolve around a piece of sticky paper that was developed in 1968, nearly 50 years ago! there is something technically backwards about this but human nature and technology sometimes cannot be explained. Once we have 50 post it notes randomly placed on the wall I use 3M Post it Plus application to capture an image of the post it notes, then I can rearrange, refine, add and share with the team.

1600hrs: I have a few documents to sign off; previously I would email them to someone who would print them off and put sticky notes where I need to sign, then they would scan them in OR go to the post office and send them to the supplier.

1045hrs: Because I have just made a purchase I will often get a little notification from Pocketbook to say I have overspent today.

PocketBook is a personal finance management application that synchronises with my bank account keeps track of my accounts and gives me a weekly summary report to keep my budget on track. Apart from showing me where my spend goes, it also automatically detects if I am about to go overdrawn. Developed here in Australia, it has over 100,000 users. Its push notification system means I don’t have to constantly check my accounts to stay on track. It’s time to procrastinate and see how much time I have been spending on various tasks, to see if I can be more efficient and productive this afternoon. With toggl. I can track tasks in real time or log activities and get detailed reports of how much time we are spending with or on client projects, which really helps with costing out proposals.

1300hrs: After lunch I am working on a client’s app and mapping out the consumer journey. SimpleMind a is a

mind mapping tool that turns your iPad or iPhone into a brainstorming ideas collection and thought structuring device. It really helps organise some of the randomness is my head so I can communicate it more effectively with the team and the client. A cab to a client site couldn’t happen efficiently without Uber. Our standards for cab hailing and payment process have been blown out of the water by this application and I am sure most people have now heard of it or used it. What I didn’t know was the cab drivers actually rank you, so be careful next time you order a cab home after a few too many wines.

1500hrs: On site at a client is where the real innovation

kicks in, using cutting edge solutions. Innovation wouldn’t be innovation without post-it notes 3M solution for organising and preserving real world post it notes… Isn’t it funny how most innovation workshops, labs, think

SignNow takes away this inefficient pain and allows me

to sign documents anywhere, no printing, scanning or posting required you just upload the document, or open it and then sign on the screen with your finger!! I only have approximately 7 minutes left for me before I head to pick up the kids and exercise to me is the most important part of being productive and efficient, so if I haven’t managed to get in a gym class then I use the 7 Minute Workout. I know this sounds ridiculous but try it and after 30 seconds of intense repetition you can really feel it kicking in.

2200hrs: I love to read books on technology,

psychology and general business books. At the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to read a book a month, but sometimes I cheat.

Blinkist provides summaries of great nonfiction books and key insights in a made for mobile format.

Content curators pull the really important stuff out and allow you to read books in quick short form. I can’t say that all of these applications are changing the way I do things but they are certainly helping me become more efficient and productive on a day to day basis.

e! elfi S r inne D e l u si v c x E an e b s i r AB

k y! he s t r o ain g a ad e ro h t on JG

DG LB

o sd

c lun

assio nignitep e m o w at # d Zo e n a G J

LBDs OUT & We want to know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up to! - Simply email Kate or Janine with details & photos & we will do the rest.

BD G

We cele bra te s ach om e s e ieve m en rio us m ts em b er

Syd ney a n d B uz z R en ata Lee U C oo s per s her, J G

& ABOUT

we ek

to go

-h ere we co me

Sy dn ey

We want to know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up to! - Simply email Kate or Janine with details & photos & we will do the rest.

Clyde Campbell, Founder of Shake It Up, with Michael J Fox, his wife Tracy Pollan, and Clyde’s own amazing wife Carolyn in 2011.

Shaking The Tree

Clyde Campbell with Kate Stone

I met Clyde Campbell, Founder of Shake It Up, when we both appeared on the now (thankfully) mostly defunct Today Tonight to raise awareness for Early or Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. For both of us, it was a fairly new experience to talk publicly about what we were going through; I had recently been on ABC radio and written for MammaMia; he had started raising funds for the foundation. I think we had realised that it wasn’t an ideal platform, but at the very least it was a BIG platform, and admittedly the gorgeous Laura Sparkes did justice to our story. Clyde, just like my hero Michael J Fox, with whom he has a close and fruitful personal and professional relationship, is a man on a mission. He funds all administration costs of Shake It Up himself, so that every single dollar the foundation raises goes straight into research - and that’s Australian research. Also, through his relationship with Mike, Shake It Up is partnered by the Michael J Fox Foundation, which matches all funds raised dollar for dollar. In the last financial year Shake It Up, in conjunction with the MJFF, has committed funding to six Australian research projects, taking the Foundation’s current research commitments to over $600,000. The total commitment since establishment only a few years ago is now well over $1.5 million.

For Clyde, this is good, but it’s not good enough. “I want the outcome [of our fundraising] to be the ability to slow the disease in the next two to three years; to stop the disease in the next five; then the Holy Grail will be the cure. There are so many plillars of research now that we are able to see great results from many different areas, not just one small space - there are several different options. For example, proteins that are working breaking up the Alpha-synuclein (may be involved in dopamine release, which is the controlling factor in Parkinson’s symptomatic severity) could be a very exciting study. The big thing that’s happening at present is that one of the large pharmaceutical companies is looking at producing an experimental study for the Fox Foundation. Getting Parkinson’s drugs to market is always a huge challenge, so this is a major breakthrough.”

I am incredibly proud to be involved with Shake It Up whenever I can. It is rare to find someone with such corporate skill willing to put literally all their money where their mouth is when it comes to setting up a charity. But then again, Clyde Campbell is not your everyday bloke. He is however, as far as I am concerned, an everyday hero. And so he should tell his story in his own words.

There are currently 100 000 Australians living with Parkinson’s Disease. An additional 30 people are diagnosed every day, and 20 per cent of sufferers are under 50 years of age. I became part of these statistics in 2009 when at age 44 I ended up in a neurologist’s office after my hand began involuntarily shaking during a speech I gave at work. Following a string of referrals and appointments I was ultimately diagnosed by Dr Joffe. I am a pretty positive person, but I must admit I initially failed to see the silver lining when he told me “the good news is that you have Parkinson’s disease.” After he listed the slew of neurological conditions that I could have been reporting back to my wife Carolyn and our three lovely children I soon realised it was a fair assessment that this news was good. But I had a couple of significant questions. Namely, what is it and what can I do about it? My questions led me to believe that Parkinson’s could be better understood and treated and ultimately cured. And this could happen in my lifetime. Therefore my choice was to be part of moving scientific research forward right here in Australia. We established Shake It Up Australia Foundation with the goal to raise money to fund research for a cure to Parkinson’s. I soon discovered that the Michael J. Fox Foundation were the world leaders in fundraising for targeted and strategic research in Parkinson’s disease. I arranged a meeting with the Fox team & came away knowing we had found the best opportunity to make a significant difference in Parkinson’s research. This led to a MJFF board presentation where Michael fortunately could see my purity of motive and we formed a unique partnership that ensures only the most viable Australian research is funded. Shake It Up not only raises funds for research but we foster collaboration between Australian neurological researchers and provide accurate and current information to the Parkinson’s community regarding research and treatment. My brother and I personally fund all administrative costs of the foundation so that every dollar raised goes directly to research. To date we have committed over $1.5 million to 13 research projects around Australia. This includes funding the Australian site of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. This is an international collaboration across 14 countries to identify biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease. The biggest change in my life since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s has been the creation of Shake It Up. I am able to maintain a busy work life running our own robotics and automation business and when I am not working I love being with my family. I am certainly more committed to keeping fit and healthy through running, swimming, eating well and doing my best to get a good night’s sleep. It is inevitable that the disease will make my life harder but I am doing my best to control what I am able to and the work we are doing through Shake It Up gives me hope. Parkinson’s is a dreadful condition. Any and every muscle in the body can be affected through shaking or seizing up. It manifests differently in each patient. But the only way I can live with the disease is to do something about it. I whole heartedly believe that we can find better treatments on the path to a cure. Nothing was ever achieved in solitude though. Finding a cure requires all of us in the Parkinson’s community to shake things up together.

Clyde

Spring Into Summer With Fresh Food & Air! Nikki Fogden-Moore

Happy October! This is always a fantastic month to reassess your work-life balance in your agenda, clean out the cupboards, de-clutter the pantry and make way for some summer living. If you’re smart, savvy and super busy but lost your way on the healthy living map - then don’t despair. With a few easy to integrate tips and tools, you will be back on track and feeling great again, have increased energy, better productivity and enjoy moments of down time knowing they are just as important as well. So how do you navigate yourself back to basics when it’s all so confusing? Sugar free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free - everything free? Low fat, high protein, low carb, cardio, interval, cross fit, bootcamp – it’s all out there. In a cluttered health and fitness market promoting fast weight loss, rapid muscle gain, “six pack abs” and anytime gym memberships it is no surprise that you are busy with more time in your day on all of this and less results. These extreme options are not creating long term sustainable results. For real healthy living we need to implement activities that fit seamlessly into our day, we need to plan them as part of our week and feel motivated that it’s about living to our potential NOW - don’t wait till you get a health warning to get back to basics. So, this October here’s my top tips you can do immediately, feel the positive change and create lasting positive habits for a happy healthier, entrepreneurial you. 1. Refresh your perspective about health and workouts. It’s not about slugging it out in the gym for hours straight or pushing weights and doing cross fit to the point of exhaustion 3 times a week. The best way to create the body you want is to create a healthy mindset to fitness as a daily part of your life. See it as part of your weekly routine - not a chore you need to cross off in 1-2 hour blocks. Get up 15 minutes early every day for 5 days straight - do a small set of body weight exercises like push ups, the plank, squats and controlled crunches. Take a deep breath and jump into your day. Download the WakeupWorkout PDF from me for FREE here. (Why: Body weight exercises boost your metabolism and kick starting your day with this sets the scene for you mentally and physically to start your day - fresh oxygen into your muscles, into your blood stream and into your brain does wonders. Don’t hit the alarm and lie in bed for a few more minutes - get up as soon as you wake up.) At work be body aware – think about your posture, pull your shoulder back, walk tall, sit tall and use your core all day – not just in the gym. Start USING your body rather than existing in it. Try this: Put a post it note on your laptop, desk or screen that says “POSTURE” and you will naturally straighten up whenever you read it. Avoid sitting for long periods, find a higher bench surface and stand up to work for a while. 2. Look for FRESH ingredients - make a conscious choice this month that you will be having 70% plus of your diet from fresh ingredients. The closer food is to it’s natural source the better it is for you. Nothing beats fresh natural tastes from ingredients that are free from pesticides, freezers, shipping methods and come direct from local farmer to your local store/market. Explore “naturally delicious” as an idea and lay off anything packaged, processed, bottled or pre-made. Use fresh herbs to add flavour and extra zest to your dishes. Try this: If you are about to eat something with an ingredient you can’t pronounce (unless you’re standing in the middle of a foreign supermarket in the fruit and veggies section..) or it has a number, then you can be pretty sure your body is not designed to digest it. Our bodies are built to work with nature – the combination of fibre, vitamins, nutrients, carbs, fats and proteins in plants and natural produce are not there by accident. It’s all designed to work in harmony. Strip them apart and you’re not getting the whole picture. Put it back, put it down - no thanks!

Out for lunch or dinner for work? Ask for extra salad (just with olive oil) ditch the dressings and overcooked sides and order your lean meats a la natural with a side of large salad…I’ve been doing this for years and its the ideal way to get through a busy week of eating out for meetings and travel. It is always possible at nice restaurants to ask for this option. 3. Take your gym outdoors this month. Peel off the layers of clothing, get your runners on and head outside! Fresh air boosts our mood, sunny weather increases our vitamin D intake and being outside is an ideal way to clear your head and de-stress. Get back to nature, go to the beach, hit the park, grab your bike and enjoy the outdoors as your gym for an incredibly rewarding feeling. Try this: Walk out to your coffee in the morning or to the closest markets, meet a friend on the weekend for an outdoor walk/bike, plan a jog or try something new… take your kids to the park, or while they are at sports take yourself off for a walk. If you have a 4 legged family member get them exercising with you. A fit dog is a healthy dog. Overall as well - most of you are in leadership positions, whether as a family member, running a company or building your own empire. We tend to rise to the occasion when we have a goal or a sense of accountability. Lead by example – avoid the word DIET and concentrate on preparing healthy fresh meals with less ingredients, involve your children in cooking on the weekends and get them excited about food by discovering a local farmers market. Stock your work fridge and communal area with healthy snacks look for healthy fresh options when ordering out for lunch or work events and make a conscious effort to request these options for conferences, events and catering. In summary: Focus on fresh food, fresh air and a fresh perspective about fitness this month - be diligent, try out the options - actually commit to changing your mindset and just give it a go. Living a healthy life should not be complicated. Spring in again back to basics and you’ll be amazed at the results you get without turning your life upside down. Remember you can listen to motivation, top tips and some wonderful guest influencers sharing their tips on finding the sweet spot in work-life balance on my podcast for free on iTunes - if you’ve got a question for me then send me a note or tweet it to @nfogdenmoore. I look forward to sharing November’s ‘10 commandments for a healthy heart’ and how to bounce your way into Christmas instead of rolling into the end of the year…

Health & Happiness Nikki x Connect with me on facebook, instagram, or twitter @nfogdenmoore Videos on youtube.com/VitalityCoachTV

Often when we think about work, it’s on the minus side of the mental wellness column; stress, anxiety, gloom and doom. The facts are actually pointed in the opposite direction. There are seriously good health benefits associated with work – when what you are doing is in good conditions. Good work is in turn good for your mental health. Just as your physical and mental health are interrelated, so too are how and where you spend the majority of your days as an adult. Think about this. 45.5% of Australians aged 1865 will experience some form, in some degree of severity, of mental illness. This can range from anxiety and depression to conditions such as schizophrenia. HALF the adult population of our country are, at some stage in their working lives, coping with problems that are affecting their mental wellbeing. This means that if you are feeling OK at work, chances are that the person sitting next to you may well be struggling. It may not be high-level distress, but they may be sitting and suffering in silence. Alright, you may be asking. If this is the situation, what actions can I, and in turn my workplace, take to make it a place that is mentally healthier generally? As an individual, start the conversation. Sure, it’s going to be awkward and clunky. It’s never easy; stepping into risk assessment questions is unnatural – but it’s the right thing to do. Caring enough to give back by starting the talk is a much

better way to be than not giving back at all. And it will start the process. A study was done recently of 4,000 people who have suffered from depression and/or anxiety. It was titled ‘What has been the single most significant factor in your recovery from illness?’ Every single person gave their top response as either ‘meaningful work’, ‘something to do’, ‘physical activity’ or ‘relationships’, rather than ‘medication’. This is taking nothing away from treatment, but it proves a point; that mental wellbeing is about humanity. It’s about the heartbeat. These are the big points that put us most at risk to begin with. It is also essential as an employer or fellow employee to understand that there is a very big difference between the terms ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’. You can have a mental illness such as bipolarity and be high-functioning, lead a great life and not have anyone even recognise for the most part your condition; whereas you can be mentally ‘healthy’ (and there are quotation marks there for a reason) and be not flourishing in any area of your existence. It is our mental health that we need to strengthen and which workplaces need to ensure is wellguarded. Again, we come back to – how? Because there is not only a moral imperative to keeping the well, well, there is a legal requirement to keep a mentally safe workplace, and equally there are great economic benefits.

High Vis Thinking Margo Lydon

If you have a mentally healthy workplace, keeping people well supported, in turn the onus is on them to be responsible for their own health and wellbeing – and for others around them. It becomes a two way street. It has also been proven that a healthy workplace gives 2.2 times higher productivity, with much more cohesive teams from an investment in a workplace mental health plan. This involves designing a supportive, macrostyle, flexible, adaptive and diverse leadership environment that embraces a team. It is P & P brought to life – living and breathing them. Mental health in the workplace comes down to good line management and leadership; not just technically, but people. To be blunt about it - what is the single most effective tool in keeping people safe from suicide? Investing in training front-line leaders. They are the ones who impact most fully on people’s health and well-being. They will pick up earliest on the warning signs. They will be the ones who will organise early intervention, getting help and support, both emotional and clinical. Mental health in the workplace extends to good return to work practices, both for physical and mental needs. This makes an enormous difference across organisations for depression and anxiety levels and recidivism. As a manager, a business owner, a employee, a corporate unit leader – there is no magic cure for mental health issues. It is a multi pronged approach. But once you decide to start to pick up on the early warning signs, to step into the

conversation rather than step out of it, this is a start. A team soccer match in the park across the road. Family and employee BBQs on a weekend. Doing things that build belonging. Because work IS a family of a kind. The most important thing you can do is to notice a shift in behaviour and be prepared to make a difference. That’s a start. SuperFriend has launched the initial results of the Super Mental Illness National Data (SuperMIND) Project, which aims to support a better statistical understanding of mental illness-related claims, and their impact on participating superannuation Funds, their insurers, and Fund members. Over 4 million member records were included in the analyses, which looked at claim rates by age, gender and location over a five year period from 2007-2011. The results will help funds and insurers identify at-risk groups, and enable the development of bettertargeted initiatives to reduce the impact of poor mental health on members and workplaces. http://www.superfriend.com.au/news/2014-10-09/ supermind-first-ever-national-research-into-mentalillness-to-help-super-fund-members-and-workplaces

News & Reviews

Featured This Month BOOK: DARING & DISRUPTIVE Lisa Messenger is a trailblazer in Australian publishing. At a time when magazines were folding left, right, and centre, she revitalised the industry with her incredible Renegade Collective. Learn all about her way of thinking in this wry, clever book. Be daring! Get It Here

WEB: WOORANK Got an insatiable curiosity about what’s wrong - and right - with your website? Want to know how to make it perform better in terms of SEO and Google rankings? Have a play on WooRank. It’s fascinating for the most ungeeky of geeks. And I promise, you will learn a thing or two. Look At It Here

BLOG: VALERIE KHOO Founder of SocialCallout.com and integral part of The Australian Writers’ Centre, Valerie Khoo is brilliant at giving practical, nononsense advice on the do’s and don’ts of online writing. Clear, succinct and easy to follow. Great stuff. Read It Here

Lois Lane Lives:

The Year Of Living Dangerously Kate Stone

In the past year I decided to set myself what I like to call the ‘Kate Stone Wall Of Death Extreme Physical and Mental See How Far I Can Push This Crazy Horse Challenge of Doom’. I actually only just came up with that name, but it pretty much sums up what my body decided to throw at me it seems, just for Karmic funsies. Don’t get me wrong. I am the first to admit that there is a tenth circle in Hell permanently reserved for L Lane, girl reporter. I am no angel, and many people would say I am, in the immortal words of the King, a devil in disguise. But there have been times in the past twelve months where even my sense of self-justice has looked at itself and said ‘really? I mean, really?’ and felt like putting in a complaint with the Cosmic Department of Consumer Affairs, or whoever is around out there for me to whinge to. I accept having a (well, several) chronic illnesses. That’s part and parcel of my own quirky charm. And I know how fortunate I am in the support network that is around me. I often figure that’s why I have what I have, rather than someone else. I know I can handle my illnesses, because thankfully, I have someone who handles my bad moments. This theory however came to a bit of a screaming halt when I found out there was a limit to what I could actually take.

I have Early Onset, or Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, much like my good mate Clyde Campbell, who smacks it out of the ballpark and is determined to see it gone within 5 years. Usually I think about my hero Mike Fox, and can manage the bad times accordingly. Add a hefty dose of Rheumatoid Arthritis... and sometimes things get a bit tricksy. But then I thought things were a bit light on, so I decided to have a play with breast cancer. Meh. I was tough. I could handle it, I said naively without realising radiotherapy wasn’t the laugh and a half I’d assumed it would be, and that throwing up incessantly would mean other medications getting affected. Then... then I got Ross River Fever. Just as I was looking down the home straight of (hopeful) remission. And on my birthday, because I decided I wasn’t having enough fun -

“Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honour in dying of.” John Green, The Fault In Our Stars I broke my wrist. Strangely there weren’t many tears. I think I was too stunned to cry. All I knew was that I had reached the end of my foolproof coping mechanisms, and I needed to go under the doona with a bowl full of Lindt balls, some Valium and maybe a bottle or two of champagne and never come out. 2013-14? Kiss my grits. For all those who cope with serious illness, you will know the exact moment when the realisation falls; when the ‘I can’t do this anymore’ enters your brain. It makes a mockery of your hard-fought battles and small wins. You face a wall of bleak. And it’s about loss; loss of self, loss of image, loss of ability. For anyone who runs their own business in particular I think, the terror of losing everything you have worked to make a success is devastating. This is the time when you make a decision. Am I in, or am I out? You can’t control the roll of the dice. That’s up to fate, or Santa, or whoever. But what you can control is the urge to give in to self-pity and that bowl of Lindt balls. I tried, but thankfullly both my own pigheadedness and that bloody support network hauled me out of the chocolate smeared sheets just in time, broken bones, broken will and all. Being sick sucks. Being sick and not acknowledging it? That sucks even more.

CONNECTION. COLLABORATION. NETWEAVING. BUSINESS BUILDING. A VOICE. A VISION. A COMMUNITY. CHANGEMAKERS. GENEROUS. THOUGHTLEADERS. HONEST. AUTHENTIC. SUCCESSFUL. UNIQUE.ENTREPRENEURS. PROFESSIONALS. FEARLESS. OUTSPOKEN.

“We Don’t Network, We Netweave”™ LBDG is about community. It’s about business leaders and entrepreneurs collaborating. It’s about creating sustainable, leverageable and successful businesses. It’s about netweaving connections, knowledge and insight for results. JOIN US Members of the LBDGroup are cross functional and cross industry. Lawyers, bankers, marketing and PR professionals, media, mining, construction, designers, jewellery, fashion, philanthropists, non-for-profit, human resources, fitness, health and well-being, property, sales, speakers and authors to name but a few. And with a fabulous mix of corporates to own business it is the quality of conversations that we have that make us so different. JOIN US We offer three levels of membership for women that are committed to building their businesses, to fast track their growth and to ensure that they are surrounding themselves with the best in the businesses. BLACK, DIAMOND and PLATINUM membership levels are designed to offer increasing one to one mentoring and group mentoring and business education and training. Depending on where you are in your journey there is a membership level that’s right for you “Janine has an enviable drive and motivation that is not only infectious but so supportive & constructive. It is so very refreshing and admirable to see someone turn their passion in to reality and back it up with such determination to bring like-minded, talented & intelligent women together.” Prue Thomas Group Marketing Director- Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge & Glue Store - Australia

“Janine Garner is an inspiring visionary who brings together like-minded people to pursue and attain professional goals. Janine is a confident and warm person, and her skill of collaboration is impressive. The Little Black Dress Group is a brilliant source of knowledge and expression for business women and Janine is the keystone to its success.” Kath Creel Marketing Director at Impact AV Australia

JOIN US