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Don't Stop Us Now! Podcast
Authentic stories and practical advice from awesome, innovative women around the globe.
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183. AI Visionary - Lee Yearsley
32:03Every now and then we meet with a guest who blows us away by the scale and worthiness of their vision. And there’s no doubting this week’s guest is one of those. Lee Yearsley is an AI veteran and entrepreneur with a unique track record that speaks to her skill of anticipating the future. Raised in Zimbabwe and South Africa, Lee sold her last AI company 10 years ago to IBM. It was the first company in the world to deploy AI in businesses such as banks, insurance companies and health care. And now Lee’s at it again channelling her philosophy of building a global AI company that the world will need, not today, but in 5 years time. Her vision is big; she wants to reach more than 100 million customers worldwide. Lee’s business is called Akin and her determination to use technology for good has seen her incorporate as a public benefit corporation (that’s an American legal entity that embeds a business model that benefits both shareholders and society). Akin is bringing a new and more advanced type of AI to market, called Adaptive Reasoning. It already has customers ranging from NASA to healthcare companies with disabled clients.Now despite the fact Lee has a track record of founding and exiting several businesses, she shares with us just how difficult it is to raise funding as a female founder. In this episode you’ll hear how: Lee was positively dissuaded, if not barred, from studying computer science at Uni because she was a woman She says she ignores the accepted wisdom of how to build a successful startup and that others should ignore it tooPervasive AI systems already are and how much they’re influencing the decisions we make in a negative way; and The creative and unique way Lee goes about envisioning, building and growing her business. We were lucky to spend time with Lee after she spoke at the Impact Investment Summit in Sydney recently. Enjoy this episode with the visionary and genuinely pioneering Lee Yearsley. Useful LinksAkin AILee on LinkedIn
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182. How to Manage Up
31:29Ever had a boss who made life difficult? We have good news as this week’s show is one of our regular ‘How To’ episodes where we focus on a common career challenge; and our episode this week is all about How to Manage Up. Many of us have been there, that experience of frustration with a manager who just doesn't seem to get it for whatever reason. Maybe they're a little too hands-off and leave you floundering for direction, or maybe they're the complete opposite, a controlling micromanager who wants to be across every tiny detail.We certainly know what that feels like, and if you’re in that position right now, we feel for you. More importantly, this episode is especially for you! In this episode you’ll hear how to:Influence your manager: We'll share strategies on how to effectively communicate your ideas and get buy-in for your projectsGet the credit you deserve: No more feeling like your contributions are going unnoticed! You’ll learn actionable tips to ensure your hard work gets the recognition it deserves; and . . .What to do when you’re being micromanaged: and how to manage it in a professional and respectful wayNo one sets out to be a bad boss but sadly sometimes it happens, often due to insecurity or a lack of trust. Knowing what to do when you find yourself in this situation is invaluable, so don’t miss this episode! Useful LinkLink to Trust Equation181. Woman in a Hurry - Marisa Warren
32:20If you’ve got a dream but don’t think you’re qualified to get there, think again. Our amazing guest today, venture capitalist Marisa Warren, is best described as a driven woman in a hurry. She’s never let a lack of experience stop her from chasing her goals. Marisa is co-founder and Managing Partner of a unique venture capital firm called Aliavia. Aliavia is a California based firm focused on early stage investments backing female founders in both the U.S. and Australia. Marisa has grown up in tech, spending the first 18 years of her career in enterprise software sales. She was in such a hurry to start working she ignored her parents’ urging to go to university and struck out to make her own path, starting in Sydney. In this episode you’ll hear how:How Marisa survives challenging times including being made redundant from big corporates on 3 separate occasions What happened in a New York elevator when she met the Australian voice behind Siri Marisa’s advice to female founders to flip the power dynamic with investorsAnd, the differences she sees between Australian and American female founders. For transparency we want to share that we are investors in Aliavia’s first fund and are big supporters of the investment purpose that combines supporting women founders and building incredible businesses. Enjoy this episode with the driven and admirably impatient Marisa Warren. Useful LinksAliavia VenturesMarisa on LinkedIn180. Stewarding the Man United Brand - Ellie Norman
40:02We are back!! Yes, we know, we’ve had a long and awesome holiday :-)! We hope your year has got off to a great start too. We have a blockbuster episode to leap into 2024 and it’s all about someone who stewards equally blockbusting brands. Ellie Norman runs marketing, communications and fan engagement at one of the world’s biggest sporting brands, the famed football club, Manchester United. Our minds were officially blown when Ellie told us she has to market to 1.1 billion fans around the world. That’s an incredible audience for any marketer. It’s not just the iconic Man United sporting brand that Ellie has experience with; she’s also been Global Director for Marketing and Communications at Formula One where she helped popularise the franchise. In fact, Ellie’s career has featured a lot of male-dominated industries and sectors as she also spent six years in marketing roles with Honda Motors in Europe. Her take on how to thrive and succeed in these environments is uplifting. We were struck by Ellie’s refreshing and inspiring way of thinking about her work on the global stage and, as you’ll hear, she shares: . . . How not going to University has driven her career choices in a good wayHow Ellie makes big decisions about her careerWhy sports marketing flips the traditional marketing model on its headHow she helped popularise the Formula 1 brand and make it less elitist And how she handles the Man United brand and its legion of distraught fans when the team isn’t performing on the field.We think you’ll love this inspiring conversation with the positive and gutsy Ellie Norman. Useful Links Manchester United websiteManchester United on YoutubeManchester United on InstagramManchester United on FacebookManchester United on TiktokManchester United on XEllie on LinkedInIf you loved this podcast, you might like our interview with Lucinda Barlow, Head of International Marketing at UberWhat We Loved in 2023
32:25And just like that… 2023 is coming to a close! We hope everyone’s enjoying the Holiday season.In our final episode for the year, we reflect on the best and most loved books, experiences, and habits and hacks we’re taking away from this year. We made a deliberate choice to focus on all things positive and constructive to help counter all the negative news in the world. We send our love and thoughts to anyone who’s doing it tough right now . . . it can be a difficult time for many people. In this episode you’ll hear about: Our top fiction books as well as our favourite two non fiction books and whyOur favourite podcast memories and experiences from the year Cultural moments that really resonated with each of us; and The top habits and hacks we’ve learnt (often from our guests) that have worked brilliantly for us. So as the final days for 2023 come to a close. We wish all of you a chance to rest and recuperate and all the very best for a happy, healthy and purposeful 2024. We’re taking the Australian summer to rest and relax so we'll be back in February. Happy Holidays and enjoy this unique ‘What we loved’ episode. Useful Links:WeAre8 app: Apple; Android Future Crunch’s end of 2023 newsletterLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie GarmusFour Thousand Weeks by Oliver BurkemanEffortless by Greg McKeownDon’t Stop Us Now! episodes we mention:Amy CuddySue Fennessy Claire’s Eden Health RetreatAbigail BradshawKerry JamesAnna Rafferty Dr Selena Bartlett178. Not Your Everyday Lawyer - Sarah Davis
33:46Our guest this week is someone who’s never been one to sit around and rest on her laurels. What’s more, Sarah Davis is not what you’d describe as your everyday lawyer.Sarah’s high profile career in the UK has seen her garner much recognition for her legal career including being shortlisted for the Black British Business Awards and the UK’s Hot 100 Lawyers to name a few. London-based Sarah, has a broad non executive board career these days and also advises other organisations as a General Counsel. During her executive career she spent more than 15 years as General Counsel at The Guardian Media Group. That meant she was there in the thick of it when The Guardian was publishing the first Wikileaks stories, the Edward Snowdon stories, and of course so much more, which we’ll hear about. We think you can tell from Sarah’s Board career which includes Unicef UK and the Women’s Prize Trust (which awards the highly regarded Women's Prize for Fiction) that Sarah has a huge heart and clearly a love of the written word.In this episode you’ll hear more about Sarah’s love of books as well as:How she came to be a lawyer and what drew her to the MediaHow Sarah made a transition after nearly 17 years at one companyThe challenges she faced (& lessons learnt) when things just didn’t feel right whilst navigating her new role during lockdownHow Sarah’s coped with the micro aggressions and slights she’s received during her career as a woman of colour; and Her advice to others who are at the receiving end of similar behaviour.There’s lots of great insights in this conversation so enjoy this episode with the warm and impact-focused Sarah Davis.Useful LinksUnicef UKWomen's Prize for FictionRGSI - global think-tank for the legal industry International Catalogue Raisonné Association177. Compassion + Contribution - Dr Lineo Thahane
36:51If you’re anything like us and fed up with all the bleak news, then this week’s episode may be just what you need; a guaranteed dose of positivity, progress and inspiration!We're joined by the humble and impressive Dr Lineo Thahane. Lineo is a paediatrician and is Executive Director of a major medical clinic in the Kingdom of Lesotho called the Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation Lesotho. Lesotho, a tiny country in southern Africa, is ranked number two in terms of the countries with the highest proportion of its adult population living with HIV in the world. Nearly one in 4 adults is HIV positive and many children are too.Lineo was born and raised in the US but her parents were both from Lesotho and so Lineo spent summer holidays back in Lesotho with her extended family. There, she was able to experience what it was like to live in her parents’ country of birth and, as she grew older, she felt a deep sense of unfairness at the differences in the standard of living in the US versus that of Lesotho. As you will hear, this convinced Lineo to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a doctor so that she could return to Lesotho and help make a difference to the quality of healthcare the average person could receive there. In this episode you’ll learn:How nearly 10% of Lesotho’s children are orphansHow Lineo stays positive despite the sometimes confronting experiences and challenges she has faced treating sick babies and children Why she continues to work in Lesotho when she could be living comfortably in the US,And what Lineo has learnt about the challenges of transitioning from being a specialist doctor to becoming a leader of a large organisation with nearly 800 employees. This is a fascinating, moving and uplifting conversation. Don’t miss this episode with the compassionate and dedicated Dr Lineo Thahane. Useful Links:Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation websiteTexas Children's Global Health - LesothoWorld AIDS Day 2023