Arete Podcast With Richard Triggs

In this episode I’m joined by three company directors, each with a unique outlook on the past, present and future of business. My three guest speakers are Ian Sampson, Michael James and Natasha Howie. Ian is an executive and non-executive director and chairman of several companies, advising senior leaders on complex issues. Michael is a company director and business advisor, working mostly with SMEs to grow their businesses and create a high performing culture. Similarly, Natasha is director of Ascend Media Australia and a marketing consultant specialist, and works primarily with people in the SME space in Brisbane. We chat about everything from business culture and brand identity to leadership, artificial intelligence and even Lime electric scooters. Episode highlights: An introduction to each speaker and their role Natasha’s work with clients on ‘micro moments’ A definition of micro moments - what people are doing when they’re online and how that changes the customer’s decision making Michael’s work

It’s always a good idea to go to an interview fully prepared. While some people have great interview skills, others may need to practise prior to meeting their potential employer to avoid common mistakes. Having said that, regardless of where you sit on the interviewee spectrum, you could be making mistakes you weren’t even aware of. So I’ve come up with good interview techniques for candidates to help you bag your next executive role. This is the second in the series with Brett Jarman (the founder and CEO of Experts On Air, the producers of the podcast). Topics covered: Advice offered in my book, ‘Uncover The Hidden Job Market’ Show your interest - print out company information or a LinkedIn profile and take it with you Don’t assume you know what the employer wants - ask what is expected of you in the role Don’t list off attributes you think are relevant - ask what your role will be and tell stories based on the employer’s answers Practising your stories ahead of time with family and friends or in the

In this episode, I chat to Jason Cubit, CEO of not-for-profit Horizon Housing Company, based on the Gold Coast. The company, which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, provides housing for low income people in need. Jason has been a part of the company for 11 years, coming from a business background. Horizon’s portfolio spans Townsville, Roma, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Mackay and Gold Coast and includes a range of housing for people escaping domestic violence out of shelters, right through to home ownership. The company’s 60 staff work with the Queensland state government providing housing and supporting them in the provision of social housing for low income earners. It also works with the development industry providing discount housing options and development projects. Episode highlights: What Horizon Housing Company does - provides housing for low income people in need Horizon Housing stats - 2,500 houses and more under its subsidiaries across 6 countries People who would qualify for housing with H

In the last episode of this Interview series, we looked at good interview techniques for candidates. Now, we’re flipping the table and looking at good techniques employers can use when interviewing, because having the right skills as the interviewer is just as important. As people get promoted to leadership roles in their respective industries, they take on new responsibilities to recruit new talent for their team as and when required. But just because they are good at their own role, it doesn’t mean they are a good interviewer. It is something that can be improved though, with a few simple interview techniques. Episode highlights: Arete Executive’s recruitment methodology based on Lou Adler’s performance-based hiring approach What makes a good interview? Thoroughly explaining the role and expectations at the start of the interview An example of three organisations hiring for a similar role with completely different expectations How to ask the right questions to find the right talent for your business Goi

How do you turn an organisation with a tarnished reputation into a thriving charity? By working towards a shared mission with the right staff and innovative technology. In this episode, I chat to Mark Townend who has been CEO of RSPCA in Queensland for 19 years. He has local government, commercial and not-for-profit experience and likes to think outside the box to find creative solutions. RSPCA QLD deals with some 56,000 animals a year - more than anyone else in the Southern Hemisphere - and has an 88% save rate with a $51m budget. Its 340 staff, 5,300 volunteers and 24 inspectors deal with 18,000 cruelty complaints a year As well as significantly strengthening RSPCA QLD’s future health, Mark has several Board responsibilities with Bio Security, Animal Welfare, St Paul de Chartres and Regional Development Australia (RDA), a government initiative. He’s also the director of Tap Tins, a fully self-serve contactless payment system for donating to charity, and Pet Cloud, an Airbnb-type setup for animals.

I talk a lot about the dos and the don’ts of recruitment and hunting for work, but what are the rules of being headhunted? Is there a right way to respond to being headhunted? Similarly, are there right and wrong ways to go about headhunting somebody? In this episode, Brett Jarman, (the founder and CEO of Experts On Air, the producers of the podcast) joins me again to decipher the tricky subject. Episode highlights: The first steps of headhunting - finding the available talent to fill the role LinkedIn as the most common way of engaging with a potential candidate The importance of making yourself visible on LinkedIn and how to do that through keywords What to expect from a recruiter - phone calls, emails and LinkedIn messages Being open to chats about possible opportunities How to manage your salary expectations Telling legitimate recruiters from those just trying to make money Loose lips sink ships - dealing with the stress of your current employer finding out you’ve had discussions with other compani

In this episode we’re switching things around and instead of me doing the interview, this time I’m being interviewed. Brett Jarman, the Founder and CEO of Experts on Air, the agency that produces and hosts my podcast, turned the tables on me in my office and interviewed me for the podcast. I hope you find it as interesting as he did :-). Brett will also be co-hosting with me on some future episodes of the Arete Executive Podcast. Episode Highlights: My early life, my aspirations of becoming a rock star and my band Leather Zen How we beat Powderfinger in the QLD Rock Awards How my working career began Finishing my undergraduate degree Working for James Hardie as a sales person My first mentor Going back to university to complete my executive MBA What made me realise the difficulty and complexity of the recruitment industry 90% of people who go to work in the recruitment industry leave within 2 years and never return My surprise at the recruitment industry’s reputation and their low commitment to deli

This episode I chat to Suzie Lightfoot about the ongoing struggles for women as executives and the importance of knowing who you are, what you want and how to articulate that. She’s had quite the career, moving from her days as a gymnast and an elite diver competing for Australia, to modelling, being a brand ambassador, presenter and now brand mentor and female champion. After working as a single parent to send her daughter to private school, Suzie decided to quit her job at 50 and says she had no idea what she was doing. It was later she realised her strength lies with personal branding and found her groove helping other professional women do the same. Suzie works with predominantly women, but does have some male clients. The majority are successful in their industry but lack the know-how when it comes to elevating themselves. She works to take them to the next level and find the confidence they need to do what they want in life. She has big plans to take her motivational speaking and branding expert

Running a successful business can be hard and the financials overwhelming, but knowing your numbers is key to knowing your business. That’s what Philip Barnes, founder of CFO Insight, told me. A Chartered Accountant, Philip has worked with over 50 business in a range of industries since 2006 in either non-executive board roles or as a consultant. Pulling his wealth of knowledge of helping companies in distress and helping Australian tech startups commercialise in North America together, CFO Insight was founded in 2006. The company helps SMEs solve some of the major and most common business problems, and helps them to shape their business, primarily for success. Philip holds the business owner’s hand, doing what he calls “management consulting from the numbers.” Episode highlights: What Philip’s company offers to SMEs How Philip differs from a traditional CFO - helping businesses understand the numbers Why external accountants often provide CFO Insight with a lot of work Working for Andersons for 10 yea

There’s a lot of stigma around mental health in the workplace and while awareness around the issue is growing, Chris Smedley, CEO of Assure Programs, told me there’s still some way to go. Assure Programs is an Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) provider and one of the largest mental health organisations in Australia. Originally from the UK, Chris has worked across a broad range of industries from manufacturing and retail, to financial management and health insurance, before moving into a CEO role at Assure Programs. The company specialises in workplace mental health, including EAPs, critical instances and trauma response, and manager and leader support. In addition, it carries out organisational development programs for team behavioural change and awareness. Chris says Assures Programs’ services are lot more proactive and holistic than your average EAP, providing confidential counselling on a one-to-one for any work-related or personal issues. Links: Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richar

Welcome to a new innovation in the Arete Executive Podcast! This week I’m taking a deep dive discussing a range of subjects with some returning guests on our first Arete Panel Discussion. Guests this time ‘round include: Bec Mac - presenter producer and media maker, Tim Dwyer - Group Partner at BOB, and Martin Moore - Your CEO Mentor. In our panel discussions we’ll be covering business and career but from vastly different angles compared to what you would normally expect. These episodes are longer than usual but with the range of subjects covered it will be like listening to four podcast episodes at once. Thanks to The Brisbane Club for hosting the group interview in The President’s Room. Links: Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au

This episode of the Arete Podcast is all about fun as I chat with exuberant entrepreneur and performance-based producer and presenter, Bec Mac. Best known for her alter ego Aphrodite, Bec writes, produces and presents LOVE TV, interviewing thousands of people on the subject of love. She’s been busy building her live LOVE TV show since the early 2000s, taking it from the streets of Australia to New York City. Bec also produces and presents Friday NEON on 4ZZZ radio station, a weekly cultural programme featuring artists across all art forms. She’s also the creator of Popsart, a series of live-to-Facebook interviews with artists and curators with the aim of broadening Australia’s arts audience. As well as working with city councils around Australia and more recently, further afield in New York, Bec’s working towards developing a model to help the corporate sector deliver its message in a more fun, engaging way. Episode highlights: What Bec does and want she wants to achieve with Popsart Her goal with

As with most things in this world, modern technology is changing the way we do things. It’s no difference for the job market. The way recruiters are working is changing with the use of things like LinkedIn. Whether you’re looking for the same job in the same industry, or looking to branch out to a new challenge in a new sector, or somewhere in between, you too need to take a different approach to achieve your job of choice, with your employer of choice. Episode highlights: The current job market - confidence and excitement Understanding the hidden job market Internal recruitment How recruiters work - square pegs, square holes The four job market segments - ‘same job, same industry’, 'same job, different industry’, 'different job, same industry', and ‘different job, different industry' Using LinkedIn to recruit New LinkedIn technology - artificial intelligence used to find candidates Making yourself visible on LinkedIn Putting yourself out there - engage with your employer of choice The importance of b

There’s one topic in the recruitment industry that continues to divide people: the fees charged by recruiters, especially those in the executive search space, for their services. Despite it being a hot topic for years now, little has changed, although it definitely needs to. This episode covers: Who’s who in the zoo The power of LinkedIn - 99% of white-collar executives have a profile Research is no longer difficult Blue-chip brands no longer a guarantee for a successful search Are you wasting your money? Arete Headhunted Shortlists package offering The change in technology and the need for change in the industry Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: www.amazon.com.au/Uncover-Hidden-J…idden+job+market

I spoke in this episode of the Arete Podcast to Tim Dwyer, business growth specialist, mentor and leader, about building a solid foundation, how to avoid recruiting mistakes, and investing in future growth. Tim’s philosophy is that good business is about creating the most amount of value in the shortest amount of time. He says a lot of people start a business with grandeur in mind but end up lost along the way because of simple mistakes. Tim is currently the Managing Director of Sunshine Coast-based Shirlaws Group and Group Partner at Business Of Brand and Growth Metrics. All three companies offer expert business consulting on everything from basic foundations, to sales and revenue, and consistent growth. I’m sure you’ll find this episode as interesting as I did... Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's book on Amazon: www.amazon.com.au/Uncover-Hidden-J…idden+job+market

I often get approached by people looking to build a board career. Many are just starting out, while others might already have one or sometimes two board roles, and are looking to grow a full portfolio of boards to keep them occupied after retiring from their executive life. Other times people have a desire to move into a board career earlier in their life. The good news is there are more opportunities than ever as the desire for diversity increases, not only in terms of gender, but also age and other attributes. There a few things you can do to ensure success that I outline in this episode. Episode highlights: The desire for diversity on boards - more opportunities for young people and female executives Start off small and work to build a full portfolio Starting a board career is like starting a new career altogether Don’t bank on your current skill set - complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course The importance of being on the board of a not-for-profit Using not-for-profits t

Trying to keep up with the technology of the modern world can be difficult, especially as it becomes more and more vital to the success of any business. Being social media savvy doesn’t come naturally to most CEOs and business executives, but should it be taken more seriously when trying to build your presence? In this episode I talk all things LinkedIn with Adam Houlahan, Social Media Strategist and Consultant, who shares his secret sauce for bolstering the social media presence of executives worldwide. Adam’s days of social media consulting began while he was working in the retail industry. He has since gone on to be an Amazon Best Selling Author of social media books and runs a team of over 20, teaching business owners, CEOs and executives to leverage social media. While the company covers all social media platforms, it predominantly focuses on LinkedIn. The team develops LinkedIn strategies for lead generation, for CEOs and executives to have a high level presence on the platform and for businesses t

Diversity among executive ranks is important and comes up for discussion regularly in our field. Most often it’s in relation to gender but also in the context of sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious orientation, age, disability, and so on. As someone who literally sits between the job market and the employers, and who has done so for the past 17 years, I’ve had plenty of first hand experience in understanding the agendas of employers and the dynamic of the market applying for the roles. And while there have definitely been problems with diversity at the executive and board level in the past, I’m pretty optimistic about the changes that are happening and the trends we can expect in the coming years. Episode Highlights: Breaking the glass ceiling for women The changing working life span Proven performers Breaking the bamboo ceiling Male, pale and stale Getting a jump on the market Richard Triggs LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs Arete Executive website: www.areteexecutive.com.au Richard's

As a candidate looking for a new executive role, it’s incredibly important for you to be able to articulate your key achievements and transferable skills. Having worked in the recruiting industry for many years and having interviewed and coached thousands of candidates and senior executives through their job search, this is something I’ve seen people do very well. But for whatever reason, I don’t think Australians are natural self-promoters. I can’t speak about candidates in the American or English markets, but certainly in Australia, people don't want to blow their own trumpet. Nevertheless, being able to clearly highlight your key achievements and transferable skills is of paramount importance when taking yourself to the job market. If you don't do that, the likelihood is you're not going to get the job that you want. I discuss this in detail on this Arete Executive Podcast episode and below. Episode Highlights: Sell the sizzle, not the steak The recruitment process - get more bang for your buck The

How do you constantly improve the business and be of service to the community? That’s the question that drove Glenn Vassallo to build a law firm and a charitable foundation that demonstrate how social entrepreneurship can be used to the benefit of all. His success with the ventures led to an invitation to speak on the subject at New York University (NYU). As the founder managing director of GRT Lawyers and the founder and chair of the GRT Foundation, Glenn has significant experience in formulating and executing complex corporate transactions (including IPOs, takeovers and other equity capital market transactions) with a particular focus on national and international stock and security exchanges. Glenn is a member of the Law Council of Australia Company Law Committee and the Queensland Law Society Company Law Committee. Due to his experience on the boards of ASX listed businesses, he is regularly invited to discuss and formulate new laws regulating listed companies. Glenn keeps himself at the leading edg