 On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, listen to my conversation with Karan, director of Monitor Deloitte. We discuss the 5 key strategic questions every business owners should ask, how to approach problem solving and finding the core problem and how to develop your own strategic thinking.   Also discover:   How Karan's deeper understanding of identity led him to strategy consulting The impact of Karan's work in the community The story they (YSPN) want to tell in Australia and the legacy they want to leave behind The crossover between what Karan has done in his network to their own business Fundamentals of Deloitte's approach to strategy Karan's way of consulting with clients Strategic cascade of choices What winning aspiration is Where you would play How you will win The distinctive capabilities for you to win What management systems are On strategy being a tool for problem-solving and choice making Importance of employee engagement, employee morale, and better outcomes How business owners should approach strategy and strategic thinking in their business using the 5 strategic questions The thing you said you are going to do versus the thing you are actually doing Breaking down problems Challenges Karan's clients have to overcome when undergoing the problem-solving process What business owners can do to start their own strategic thinking     Links: Young Sikh Professionals Network - https://www.yspn.org.au/ Monitor Deloitte - https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en/pages/strategy-operations/monitor-deloitte/topic/monitor-deloitte.html Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin - https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works-ebook/dp/B00AJVJ1HI HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategy - https://www.amazon.com/HBRs-10-Must-Reads-Strategy/dp/1511367075 Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter - https://www.amazon.com/Competitive-Strategy-Techniques-Industries-Competitors-ebook/dp/B001CB34J0   Karan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanviranand/

Stories Behind the Grind

#80 Key Strategic Questions Every Business Owners Should Ask with Karan Anand

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, you'll hear from Darcy Smyth, co-director of Why Bravo and the Sales Game. Learn how Sales has changed over the last 30 years, how your buyers make decisions and what role "Play" has in Business.   Topics How Darcy got into psychology What prompted Darcy to combine psychology and sales Using selling to solve someone elses problem Sales as a service How the world of sales has evolved over the last 5 years Adapting to the ability to sell socially How social media changed the way we market and sell The shift in businesses brought about by COVID-19 Taking the sales game from an in-person event to a virtual environment The Role of play in business Key factors that influence how buyers make their decisions How business can best position themselves in the digital environment Darcy's definition of the grind   Links: The Sales Game - https://www.sales.game/

#79 The role of sales in how buyers make decisions with Darcy Smyth

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, you'll hear from a Facebook marketer and best selling author Kim Barrett who is the CEO of Your Social Voice and has helped business grow to 7 figures.   We discuss where the opportunities are in the marketing world right now, the 3 key advertising cycles and which to focus on first and how not to fall into this common marketing mistake.   Also discover   How an interest in tropical fish catapulted Kim into the world of Marketing Common mistakes when advertising on Facebook The NOC method to putting together an effective Facebook ad. How to spot opportunities in uncertainty  How to stay fresh in people's minds How businesses can stand out in Facebook and make their presence known The three advertising cycles to generate a positive ROI for your business Future developments in Facebook Challenges Kim faced while growing his business   Links: Kim on LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/realkimbarrett Kim on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/realkimbarrett/ Your Social Voice - https://www.yoursocialvoice.com.au/ 

#78 The Three Key Advertising Cycles and How To Stay Front of Mind with Kim Barrett

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, you'll hear from Social Media marketing expert Mireille who is the CEO of the Social Media Marketing Institue.   We discuss how to break through to you ideal audience, how to resonate with your followers and what the future of Social Media looks like.   Also learn   How Mireille grew her fitness business internationally with social media How Mireille transitioned from fitness to social media marketing  Leveraging your ability to talk to your ideal audience through social media marketing Building your network through social media and understanding your demographic and its characteristics Mireille's recommendation when tackling two different demographics in your business Boosting your social media audience engagement The future of social media How to build relationship with your audience Importance of stories in your marketing messages Mireille's definition of the Grind.   Links:   Social Media Marketing Institute - smminstitute.com.au Mireille on LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/mireilleryan Mireille on Twitter - https://twitter.com/mireilleryan?lang=en Be sure to follow me on Instagram @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts! 

#77 Breaking Through in the Social Media World with Mireille Ryan

On this episode of stories behind the grind, listen to my conversation with Don Mackenzie, managing director of Adizes. You'll learn how to effectively manage accelerating change in your business, the 4 key working styles that every business needs to harness and how to build mutual trust and respect     How Don's entrepreneurial journey began Lessons Don learned and carried through in his career How to achieve your vision, mission and implement strategy When to restructuring where you are at versus realigning yourself to where the future is Key characteristics of a business with high mutual trust and respect How to manage the change loop in a business Reacting to an accelerating change in your environment The Four different styles in Business and how they interact Constructive versus destructive conflict Why people should be last   Links: Don on LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/domckenzie Adizes Australia - https://adizes.com.au/

#76 How to Effectively Manage Accelerating Change in Your Business with Don Mackenzie

 On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, listen to the conversation with Carrie co-founder of Tandem Consulting.   Carrie's lifestyle has afforded both her and her husband and to be full-time stay at home parents by choice & part-time entrepreneurs.     What started out as side hustles, & an adventure into the world of entrepreneurship has enabled Carrie to speak to tens of thousands of people annually through keynotes in the U.S., Caribbean, Australian & European markets over the last 14 years.   We discuss what professionals should do when creating a side-gig and the major blockers to overcome, the key difference between being self-employed and running a business and how to keep an open mind to continually grow.   Also discover   How Carrie transitioned from being an athlete to entrepreneur   Key factors that has helped Carrie scale her business   Changing and shifting the self-employed mindset   Major blockers for professionals who want to start their side hustles   How to keep on track and move past the criticism of others.    What is commonly overlooked that reduces your teams morale   The number one personal development and leadership platform   Carrie's advice for professionals who are raising a family and would like to have a side hustle and be in control of their future Using adventure in your day-to-day life   On starting a non-profit organization   Leaving a legacy   Carrie's definition of the grind   Links: Carrie on LinkedIn  Carrie on Instagram  Tandem Consulting  Tandem Giving, Inc  Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. About the Host 

#75 Diversifying Your Income Streams and Starting Your Side Hustles with Carrie Bohlig

On this episode of stories behind the grind, listen to my conversation with Josh Lewis, founder of Dorks delivered, one of Australia's fastest growing IT companies.   We discuss how to stop trading time for money, whether to build your brand or build your business first and how to start automating your business whether you're well established, or just starting out.    Also discover   What approach Josh used to begin being an entrepreneur at a young age (and still uses it to this day) The key lessons Josh learned from his parents that you can apply in your business How a focus on automation can change the way you focus on problem solving How to transition from time-based to a results based offering  How Dorks Delivered has flipped the traditional IT provider business model What you can do to start automating your business How to transition from an Entrepreneur to a CEO 3 key mindset shifts that will change the way you look at the world and your business How to know who to serve  Why it's critical to refine your message and why competing on price is the quickest way to exit your industry Josh's definition of the grind   Links Podcast link:  Business Built Freedom YouTube Channel link: Dorks Delivered    Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. About the Host 

#74 How to Start Automating Your Business with Josh Lewis

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind listen to my conversation with Yaz, founder of the World's Biggest Garage Sale who have diverted over 3.3 million kilograms of goods from Landfill.   We discuss why leading with authenticity builds stronger connections, the power of transparency in business and how you can get involved with the circular economy.   Also discover   What prompted Yaz to leave a lucrative corporate job to start the World's Biggest Garage Sale.   Lessons learnt from failing multiple times   Practices you can use to get back up again after a setback   The power of authenticity and being the true version of yourself   Yaz's Favourite quote she teaches to her kids   How to build an authentic business   How running an authentic business has allowed the World's Biggest Garage Sale to become more impactful   Cascading impacts to the community   Why you should take your community with you on your business journey   How people can get involved in the circular economy   The power of incremental change   How to make the most out of your people   What Yaz learnt from the passing away of her mother   Yaz's personal and professional struggles   What it all comes back to   Connect with Yasmin Here https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmingrigaliunas/ https://worldsbiggestgaragesale.com.au/   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. About the Host 

#73 How To Make A Social Impact with Yasmin Grigaliunas

This episode is the final installment of a 3-part special on the Future of Work. Once again, I was accompanied by Tim Walmsley of BenchOn,  Damian Walsh of Sidekicker and Justin Falk of TalentVine.   We discuss   How Benchon helps to bridge the peaks and troughs in business   How TalentVine allows businesses to leverage the time and cost of recruiters to fill positions quickly and efficiently   How Sidekicker helps connect future employees in the Hospitality, office support and warehousing industries    The effects of flexible work arrangements on job applications and finances and the responsibility of society and governments   The role and responsibilities government has in legislating change   Which types of businesses that are going to last in the future   What responsibilities universities have in educating the next generation     Micro-credentialing and how to stay ahead of the development curve and to future proof yourself   The power and challenges of internships for both graduates and businesses    The new way of getting skilled up and the skills that should be invested in the future   Closing thoughts on the Future of Work   Be sure to follow me on Instagram @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts! 

#72 Future of Work Part 3

This episode is the second part of a special 3-part series on the future of work and I talked to Tim Walmsley of BenchOn and Damian Walsh of Sidekicker.   We focus on individuals and what they can do right now to make the most of the Future of Work   BenchOn and Sidekicker are both platforms that deal with the workforce of the future and enables individuals to harness their skillsets to adapt to industry changes.   BenchOn is an online platform that matches a business's idle staff to short-term contracts from reputable companies and government agencies. Sidekicker is an online staffing platform that instantly connects businesses with pre-qualified skilled staff.   Topics: Damian's background and what attracted him to be part of Sidekicker Navigating the difference between new world and old world thinking What separates a good business from a great business Overview of the gig economy What the future of work looks like Being part of the contingent workforce The role age plays in terms of job security and stability Why the future of work is all about personal choice How to differentiate your business and attract top talent What is integrated talent and how to make the most of them The growth of the hybrid job The move to higher transparency and what it means when hiring staff How to maximise your capability The key habit of the future of work   Links: Sidekicker - sidekicker.com/au BenchOn - https://www.benchon.com/

#70 Future of Work - Part 2

In this part 1 of a special 3-part series on the future of work, I talked to Tim Walmsley of BenchOn and Justin Falk of TalentVine. BenchOn and TalentVine are bot platforms designed for the workforce of the future. Both enable businesses (both large and small) to take advantage of future changes in the workforce.   BenchOn is an online platform that matches a business's idle staff to short-term contracts from reputable companies and government agencies.    TalentVine provides employers and recruiters with the clarity and confidence to make better hiring decisions on the critical roles within their organisations.   Topics: How TalentVine began The story behind starting BenchOn What the future of work looks like and what opportunities will it bring Are the fears surrounding AI and automation rightly founded? The effect of automation on people How to work like a human  How business owners can communicate change more effectively to their employees Should people look to take on more specialised roles? What small business owners should be excited about? What stops large organizations being agile and how to counteract it What businesses can do to prepare themselves for the Future of Work   Links: BenchOn - https://www.benchon.com/ TalentVine - https://www.talentvine.com.au/ 2019 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report - https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/cz/Documents/human-capital/cz-hc-trends-reinvent-with-human-focus.pdf   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. 

#70 Future of Work - Part 1

Launching a product and going viral on Kickstarter with Tammy Rant   Tammy Rant - Founder of TushBaby   Topics:   Tammy's life growing up and the start of her entrepreneurial journey What a TushBaby is How Tammy got the idea to start TushBaby On starting her Kickstarter campaign On having a successful appearance on Shark Tank Changes after Tammy's appearance on Shark Tank Dealing with the competition Importance of branding The growth and evolution of TushBaby after Shark Tank Advice on making an appearance in Shark Tank Tammy's biggest learning from her Kickstarter journey On making a global impact   Links: TushBaby - https://tushbaby.com/ Email Address: tammy@tushbaby.com

#69 Launching a product and going viral on Kickstarter with Tammy Rant

 After a full collapse of his paraglider 300 feet above the ocean, David sees life differently. He has been best described as “playful and deep,” and believes life is the best game there is.   David left life as a consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies, to build the world’s largest coaching business, becoming #1 on Google for life coaching and serving 150,000 coaches around the world.   He now coaches high performing entrepreneurs, executives and teams to play the best game they possibly can, deepening connection and living a regret-free life. How? By increasing their levels of Truth, Daring, and Caring.   On this episode of we talk about what a tough conversation actually is, why we avoid having them and how to set one up to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of having one.   Also discover   How David got into coaching and consulting David's deep insights on his journey during the early years What a tough conversation is How to have tough conversations Why people avoid tough conversations The 4-Step Tough Conversations Blueprint Advice to those who experience difficulties when having tough conversations What to keep in mind before you have a tough conversation. David's grand vision for helping teams and businesses thrive through tough conversations David's definition of the grind   Play for Real - http://playforreal.life/   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here.  

#68 How to Have Tough Conversations with David Wood

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, listen to my conversation with Melissa Yu, founder of Australia's largest streetware and lifestyle expo.   We discuss how to develop self-awareness in yourself and your team, how to foster positivity as an entrepreneur and the importance of speaking up about mental health.   Also discover   How Melissa started her entrepreneurship journey How to develop awareness of your strengths and weaknesses Collaboration vs Competition - which approach is better? What Melissa's life was like growing up Dealing with her parents’ separation as a child How Melissa forged her own identity Why our identities are always shifting and developing Advice to those entrepreneurs who are feeling lonely Melissa's  journey as a mental health advocate What must be done to beat the stigma about mental health issues How Melissa recovers and prevents burn out Melissa's view on multitasking Encouraging positivity in your life and in the lives of the people you serve Melissa's definition of the grind   Links: Melissa Yu on LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/melissayu1990 Melissa on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mellieyu/ Melissa on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/melyuofficial/ MCO Events - https://www.mcoevents.com.au/ Ego Expo - https://www.egoexpo.com.au/   Be sure to follow me on Instagram and say Hi @aidanvoc Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, or anywhere else you listen to your podcasts. You can find this episode plus all the previous episode here. 

#67 Self-Awareness, Identity and Mental Health with Melissa Yu

On this episode of Stories Behind the Grind, listen to my conversation with Eleanor Carey, a two times world record holder having rowed 5,000km across the Pacific Ocean and cycled over 3,000km across England. We discuss overcoming other people's expectations and judgement, what to look for in a support network, how to keep going when you're physically depleted and lessons learnt from running her own startup hub. What Eleanor learned about resilience in preparing for and completing 2 World Records Where Eleanor's mindset developed from What was growing up like for Eleanor The 2 core learning styles that underpins Eleanor's success  Common regrets of the elderly How to overcome the expectations from others Similarities between the long adventures Eleanor has been on and running a business Current state of being an entrepreneur How you can consistently keep showing up when you're physically depleted Eleanor's meditation practice Exposing yourself to unknown situations Eleanor's definition of the grind   Links: Cycling Home From Siberia by Rob Lilwall - https://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Home-Siberia-Rob-Lilwall-ebook/dp/B0043VD5YA   Losing Sight of Shore - https://www.netflix.com/ph/title/80169548   Eleanor on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/eleanorjcarey/?hl=en   Why row an ocean - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExcOUDhFy_s

#66 Overcoming Other People's Judgments and Expectations with Eleanor Carey

Tactical tips for your business to help you simplify, strategise and scale up the impact you are having in this world.   Building a community of like-minded founders to enable you to take back control of your business and your destiny.