Unpacking privilege & disadvantage with logic and soul
I’ve always been fascinated by the contradictions and polarities in human behaviour. Facing both the light and the dark is essential for personal growth and to truly support others. So lets start unpacking privilege and disadvantage with logic and soul. Recently, I’ve been in the media discussing white male privilege and challenging the clichés that…
What virtues matter to you?
What virtues matter to you? What do you live and stand by? What do you value highly in other people? What are your non negotiables? What behaviours need to be improved? Ha some big questions here to ponder. These questions should be the backbone and north star across every part of our personal and professional…
Why positive big life changes are not always celebrated
Ever noticed how positive big life changes are not always celebrated and met with applause and cheer squads? We are all familiar with how Tall Poppy Syndrome puts down and denigrates professional success and achievements. But there are so many other situations where joy and big changes receive similar chilly responses. Significant changes really can…
The story behind launching Doggo Apparel & Readywear Ensembles
I do love surprises and giving people happy ones. And this last week I know I did a Gomer Pyle to many (remember his famous saying ‘Surprise, Surprise, Surprise’). So I want to share the story behind launching Doggo Apparel & Readywear Ensembles After 2 decades running businesses in marketing, recruitment and careers solving problems,…
8 Years & 250 stories: A media portfolio that stirred the pot & inspired
After 8 committed years of writing and contributing to media I’m stepping back. It’s time to sunset the topics I’ve championed that shaped my business and defined my voice in so many media conversations. This time coincides with my recent decision to step away from marketing, career & job search consulting work. But this is…
From ouch to yes: How a teachable spirit & open mind shifts everything
We all whinge and complain at times as its simply part of being human. Some do it constantly on steroids others just occasionally. And hey it does feel good to have a moan. After all we not AI robots but breathing souls and often very messy people facing life and work challenges that we inherit,…
Beyond appearances – a lesson from a song in a New York subway
The cliché “don’t judge a book by its cover” is really on the money. I was inspired by a video of the Radiohead song ‘I’m a Creep’ in a New York subway to write this blog. Looking beyond appearances in life is a constant issue for most of us. But all too often we forget the…
Strategic Imposter Syndrome: The tactic of playing weak to win
This blog may be uncomfortable for some, and insightful for others as I unpack Strategic Imposter Syndrome: The tactic of playing weak to win. Upfront, the term ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is terribly overused and misrepresented across media, businesses and LinkedIn. It has deteriorated into a lazy catch-all phrase often weaponised to deflect responsibility, dismiss feedback…
The Iced VoVo Hot Cross Bun Experiment: A case for bold new career moves
The bloody madness of hot cross buns hitting shelves long before Easter is predictable but still crazy. This year, though, it wasn’t just the timing that nudged. It was the new recipes sneaking in among the standard. And this year I took on the Iced VoVo hot cross bun experiment. I love bold, unexpected pairings…
Making a career jump across private & public sectors
Are you are a professional or executive in the private sector and keen to move across to the public sector? Or perhaps you have been in the public sector for some time and keen to experience a new career in the private sector? Making a career jump across private & public sectors needs strategy and…
How to master the pesky ‘Tell me about yourself’ interview question
This one interview question can totally derail : Tell me about yourself? No matter a candidates experience, age, gender, occupation, sector or level, the question sees a rush on Panadol, hiding under the bed covers or a stiff drink or two. So you need to know how to master the pesky ‘Tell me about yourself’…
The magic sauce jobseekers must use on LinkedIn
A great sauce makes a meal come alive, bringing extra flavour and texture. Same with job hunting you need something extra to get noticed. This blog looks at the magic sauce jobseekers must use on LinkedIn. The inspiration of this blog came this week as I took to media on the back of the 2025…
Should I stay or leave my job?
Should I stay or leave my job? This question keep millions of professionals and executives awake at night and tossing and turning with indecision about what to do. It’s a process to weigh up the scale of choices and options. But there is no better starting point than with courage to ask yourself the honest…
Become a simply irresistible job candidate
To convert job applications to interviews you need to become a simply irresistible job candidate. Like bees to flowers you want to create compelling reasons to land interviews. Competition is tough you must differentiate your executive and professional value. From a pile of candidates CV’s there has to be something special that makes you, well…
Didn’t get an interview? What was in and out of your control?
It’s demoralising when job applications don’t convert to interviews. Frustration grows as you wonder why you have been rejected. What was in and out of your control? Truth is many of the reasons you didn’t get an interview have absolutely nothing to do with you. But conversely some reasons do have a lot to do with…
The why & purpose of See The Person Not The Stereotype
The jingle ‘It’s Time’ from Gough Whitlam’s famous 1972 election campaign says it all. The song’s lyrics said: ‘it’s time for freedom, time to give, time for improving, time to come together, time to look ahead, time for moving’. And whilst the jingle was 52 years ago, it’s worth also noting that Cold Chisel launched…
Avoiding career clichés is essential to stand out
Avoiding career clichés is essential to stand out in your career and job search. Using hackneyed clichés makes you look like any other duck swimming in the hiring pond. Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and other career materials must be unique, bespoke and engaging. You need to show not tell! Demonstrate not state!…
Lessons from the animal kingdom on squashing stereotypes
Myths, folklore and stereotypes have a lot of answer for alongside the damage they cause. There are so many valuable lessons from the animal kingdom on squashing stereotypes. Are the myriad of populist beliefs about animals true? How are they relevant to age discrimination and debunking human stereotypes? What can we learn from them to…
Choosing common sense over nonsense in hiring
Oprah Winfrey’s speech last month at the USA Democratic National Convention to endorse Kamala Harris was magnificence personified. Her words were profound of choosing common sense over nonsense and urgent not just for the American elections but for every human and situation. You can watch Oprah’s full 15 minute address here These 3 lines…
Is fear and ego a roadblock to your job search success?
Finding a new job or changing careers is bloody hard at the best of times. And it’s even harder when negative conscious and sub conscious attitudes and thoughts take over. Question then is fear and ego a roadblock to your job search success? . It saddens me to see so many talented people struggle to…
Transform or validate? The mindset that shapes your job search
A important career question – do you seek to transform or validate your your job search? The right mindset will totally flip your success ratio alongside stress levels and wellbeing. But no beating around the bush, the mental and energy toll of seeking a new job cannot be underestimated for professional and executives. I see…
How to increase workplace engagement and contentment
It’s been a rocky year for employment with a raft of redundancies and workplace restructures. Australians are certainly feeling the pinch financially and many surveys indicate a high level of employee disengagement and hesitancy to seek new jobs. But how can you increase workplace engagement and contentment. Interesting research findings from the Gartner HR Survey…
Want to throw in the towel? Take back your power
How many times in your professional or personal life did you want to throw in the towel? Have you played the I’ve been done wrong song’ and felt totally demoralised? Well it could be the kick needed to take back your power. Wanting to give up is a very human reaction when facing constant…
Moving from self doubt to confidence
Moving from self doubt to confidence is a challenge for men and women. After all self doubt a natural human condition. Every person with a pulse will have times when they have are or experiencing doubt. And it impacts all ages, genders, career levels and industries, No one is exempt from that gnaw in the…
Why leaders must step up with gravitas on LinkedIn
Today more than ever, leaders are under the spotlight and being examined for personal integrity, organisational diligence, DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) and ESG (environmental, social & governance) policies and values. This is why leaders must step up with gravitas on LinkedIn as this article discusses. The heat is turned onto high with a constant…
What has been lost or forgotten in your life & career
Finding what has been lost or forgotten in your life or career is such an amazing feeling. It’s pure joy to rummage around in a cupboard or storage area and rediscover an item that brings back memories and happiness. And often it’s a trigger to remember a little part of ourselves that we had lost…
Employers and recruiters must stop insulting job candidates
World Compliment Day on the start of each March is a terrific day to celebrate and nudge behaviours for every day and to positively impact others. But it also is a call out – why employers and recruiters must stop insulting job candidates. The WCD website says the purpose of the day is to spread joy…
The power of compliments
The power of compliments can never be underestimated. Mark Twain famously said “I can live for two months on a good compliment”. World Compliments Day (yes its a day) falls on the 1st March each year. And its a terrific day to reflect on the value of compliments for the other 364 days of the…
Are you emotionally ready for the job search theme park?
The job search ecosystem is a lot like Disneyland and Luna Park. Once you enter through the amusement park gates, you better be prepared to hold on tight and expect the unexpected. Are you emotionally ready for the job search theme park? The roller coasters, dodgem cars, water wild thrills, gravitron’s and plethora of…
Why career executives must stop lurking on LinkedIn
This blog discusses why career executives must stop lurking on LinkedIn. I look at why engaging is important, what stops many contributing and how to comment and engage with gravitas.. But first up – are you one of the millions lurking, browsing content regularly, keeping quiet &/or hesitant to engage on LinkedIn? Well you would…
How to bowl over ageism
Many professionals and executives over 45 are contemplating a new role, career change or continuing their job search. And a question top of mind for many men and women is how to bowl over ageism. Some will have lost their mojo and confidence and/or struggling on the job search application roller coaster. Many have faced…
Being too trusting or too sceptical can harm your business or career
Success is a combination of many elements. And risk prevention is one of them as being too trusting or too sceptical can harm your business or career. It’s a bit like the Goldilocks conundrum – too much, too little and just right is the middle ground we seek. Now I’m not referring to cybercrime and…
Do you feel like a hiring puppet on a string?
Way back in 1967 Sandie Shaw recorded the hit song Puppet on a String. Whilst the lyrics were written for a love interest, by gee they hold court in the hiring ecosystem. Do you feel like a hiring puppet on a string when interviewing for jobs? Before I dive into the issue at hand, let’s…
What does being overqualified really mean? Cracking the hiring code
What does being overqualified really mean? Is it about ageism? Is it just a lazy trite hiring excuse? How can you get to the truth? How can you navigate and minimise the job search risk? These questions keep millions of executives and professionals awake whilst scratching their heads. And there is no one size fits…
How AI is creating a trust and ethics gap on LinkedIn
In 2023 we are witnessing a whole new AI world. I have deep concerns how AI is creating a trust and ethics gap on LinkedIn. The celebration of the platform’s 20th anniversary this year coincided with the explosion of ChatGPT and OpenAI, of which LinkedIn’s owner Microsoft has invested $10 Billion. LinkedIn as the worlds…
Bring back the art of human charm
There are several dates every year where cash registers explode and people ramp up their charm and expressions of love for others. We need to bring back the art of human charm all year. It shouldn’t be held for Valentines Day, Xmas Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day etc. Charm is than for the hallmark card…
Why we must stop using trauma-induced marketing language
We are living in a world where each day brings relentless social media posts and news cycles of trauma, crime, wars, death and horrors in Australia and globally. And its not abating any time soon. This blog discusses why we must stop using trauma-induced marketing language The words and language we read and speak matter.…
Avoid making career decisions for the wrong reasons
Making executive career and professional job decisions comes with varying degrees of contemplation, reward and risk. But it’s not just the choice that matters, but equally, if not more so, why it was made. This blog will helps to avoid making career decisions for the wrong reasons. There are many elements and incentives that sway…
How to get career & job search clarity?
How to get career & job search clarity? Start reflecting on your WHAT not your WHY. After many years in a career or company, there can be a sense of confusion on what roles to focus on. Or you may be considering becoming self employed. Contemplating a new job or career change needs to…
Don’t think you are unique? Well think again!
No one does exactly what you do in the same way you do it. This is a reality statement, not a value judgement. So if you don’t think you are unique, well think again! Just like fingerprints, there are no two the same. Every fingerprint is unique and impossible to replicate as is every persons…
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