Why I will never work full time again
International conference speaker, Lucy Bloom, walked away from her third CEO role in 2017, never to return to full time senior executive life again. Here she explains why she made that radical decision after 30 years of full time work, and has never been happier or healthier.
A rabbi walks into a bar… and tells his birth story
Now is the perfect time to celebrate dudes, dads and their unique perspective on birth, doncha think? When I first published Cheers to Childbirth a decade ago, the men I interviewed couldn’t wait to tell me about their rite of passage. World champion boxer Danny Green punches people in the face for a living, but he had a tear in his eye when he spoke of the birth of his babies and the strength of their mother as she birthed them. In the latest edition, reality TV guy and author Osher Gunsberg, shared his hopelessness at a stalled labour then delight in a screaming baby covered in goo.
Working from home: like a boss
Suddenly half the world is working from home and many of us have new workplace surroundings to adapt to. Remember folks, it’s not the most intelligent or fittest of the species who will survive, it’s those who can swiftly adapt to change. I’ve spent huge chunks of my career working from home, so here are […]
Why so stingy? The Neuroscience of generosity
Generosity is an interesting beast. As an ex-charity CEO, I have seen it expressed in many different ways. The best kind of generosity comes with warmth and good old NSA – no strings attached. This kind of generosity is glorious to witness and is the backbone of charity work all over the world. The worst kind smacks you over the head with their husband’s cheque book.
How ordinary people achieve the extraordinary
We are all ordinary. Every single one of us is an ordinary person who has a set of talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences to work with. Whether we turbocharge those into greatness or lie on the couch is usually entirely up to us. But to start with, we are all ordinary to the core.
Why events must always host welcome to country
I attend a lot of events all over Australia as a professional speaker and I have noticed a trend. When events are hosted by government, they are always opened with a Welcome to Country from a local indigenous person. At the very least there’s an Acknowledgement of Country from one of us blow-ins. However, outside schools, government departments and council events, this basic sign of respect for the traditional custodians of the land is a bit hit and miss in the event industry.
Procrastination: how I punched it in the face
Procrastination: I usually bake cakes when I have something big and important looming that I know I need to knuckle down and get done. Procrasti-cakes I call them. Sometimes I even write Procrasti-blogs. When I am in the office I dive down the rabbit hole of the email inbox rather than do something I’ve been avoiding.
Book club notes: Get the girls out
Thank you for choosing Get the Girls Out for your book club! I can’t tell you how fabulous the happy tingles feel throughout my little body, now that people are reading, enjoying and talking about this book. And book clubs take the discussion to the next level.
Kissing a stranger: my first day on a film set
This year I did something I have never done before. I auditioned for a part in a feature film. The casting people asked me to make a self-tape monologue audition video, which I filmed on my phone on a cold Sunday in June, hit send and hoped for the best. I didn’t get the part I auditioned for but was asked to be an extra in a pivotal scene. A fantasy scene – on a real film set.
Run for your life
Have you ever wondered why African nations have the best middle and long distance runners on earth? Ethiopians and Kenyans have high altitude on their side with lungs developed from the day they are born to suck every last bit of oxygen from the air. So when they run at sea level, the higher oxygen levels turbocharge their blood supply like jet fuel. But why is running such a popular and prestigious sport all over Africa?
