Category Archives: General

Twist in the RedBalloon tale.

By naomisimson | Published: March 30, 2010

We know at RedBalloon that recruitment is very much a dating game. It is a two way street - it is just as much about potential RedBallooners getting to know us as us getting to know them. RedBalloon might have been named in the top 10 Best places to work by BRW but we know that our work place will only suit some people.

We are recruiting many roles - and we publish them on the Amazing Careers page on the RedBalloon site.... but we wanted to give people a bit more of an idea of what it is really like.

Well done team... even you Dexter Dog head of security with your twist at the end.

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Engagement Stories

By naomisimson | Published: February 4, 2010

Engage

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Leaving Home.

By naomisimson | Published: December 11, 2009

In the past eight years since founding RedBalloon, we’ve created several businesses along the way and they all have lead to other greater things.

One of the businesses that we invented was to solve a particular ‘problem’ that we had at RedBalloon - some 30% of our customers are self purchasers, another words they really like the activities we offer and want to do them themselves. Friday afternoons were frantic as people called our customer experience team wanting to know if they could book an activity for the weekend.

At the same time we were approached by two separate but large travel agency groups - saying that the wanted to include RedBalloon activities in their ground content offering - however a voucher system would not work for them - they wanted real time booking ability.

We saw this as a business opportunity to grow another business. So we invented GoDo.com.au - a real time booking engine for activities in Australia and New Zealand. We already had the relationship with the best activity suppliers in the country, and because of that relationship we built an intranet which enabled suppliers to publish their availability in real time. This had never been done before anywhere on the planet. The technology won awards for it’s innovation. It is an amazing aggregator and resource for Australian tourism.

We then took this technology and embedded it into the major tourism sites in Australia: Lastminute, Virgin Blue, Stayz to name just a few GoDo gives activity suppliers an online voice way beyond what they could do individually. We did not try to build a brand for GoDo - it was about the cleverness of the technology to aggregate supply and demand.

There is a brilliant opportunity for this technology to operate in markets other than Australia and New Zealand. It is amazingly flexible and exciting platform. But I knew, as did my business partner that there was an organization who would take this business to the next level. I am so committed and excited by RedBalloon and what it is doing - GoDo has much bigger potential.  It should have the opportunity to capitalise on its full potential. And new ownership will allow it to realize this opportunity. I wanted to do it all, but alas I was not the best person to continue to grow GoDo at the pace it could. There is a fabulous committed team that have made GoDo amazing, they too are looking for career and growth opportunities.

But when you build something, work with the team - believe in what you’re doing, to find the best next place for a business and it’s technology can be a challenge. We needed to find someone who had the vision and resources to truly capitalise on what has already been created.

So today Wotif.com announced to it’s stakeholders the acquisition of GoDo. It is such an obvious fit. Both businesses are focused on tourism and travel, both businesses are entrepreneurial and innovative - there is a wonderful cultural fit. And I know that the business goes to a place where it will truly thrive, beyond what we could ever do for it.

I’m sure as an entrepreneur I still have many more businesses that I will start... the ones that I have started in the last eight years since founding RedBalloon have all come from listening to customers, seeing an opportunity and going for it.

One thing that I know has put us on this amazing projectory of growth has been the single minded purpose we have - supported by an amazing team. We are all aligned to the business of giving amazing gifts.

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Press Release – Sale of Go Do Pty Ltd

By naomisimson | Published: December 11, 2009

Wotif.com Holdings Limited (Wotif Group) today announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire all the issued shares in Go Do Pty Ltd (GoDo) from RedBalloon Pty Ltd (RedBalloon)

Established in 2006 as part of the RedBalloon Group, GoDo provides a real time online booking service for "things to do" in Australia and New Zealand.  GoDo sells these activities direct via its website (godo.com.au) and via a network of affiliate sites and third party distributors.

With more than 1,000 suppliers providing 2,000 plus bookable activities, GoDo is a leading operator in the activities market place.  Products are extremely diverse ranging from theme park passes, day spas, cooking classes, skydiving, hot air ballooning and V8 racing, to name but a few.

RedBalloon CEO Naomi Simson said “We are pleased that the GoDo business has been acquired by Wotif Group, a world class entrepreneurial organization operating in the travel space. There is a great cultural fit between the businesses and offers great synergies for both parties.

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Times are Changing

By naomisimson | Published: December 3, 2009

I'm in the process of upgrading the technology that runs this blog.

To continue to get the email to the blog you must fill in the form below.

Enter your email address:

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Fill it in now... I have much I continue to learn and experience and am always happy to share. (You might receive two emails as we transition to the new site for a few weeks) Thanks for your patience.

Thank you.

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I’m Sorry…

By naomisimson | Published: July 31, 2009

I have grossly offended a group of people who are dear to me, which was completely unintentional.

I used the term 'Stepford wives'  in my recent blog “Why women are paid less”– in my mind I saw this term as meaning 'perfect woman', think 'Grace Kelly' as in the movie. It was brought to my attention this morning that if you do a Google search on the term, that is not in fact the definition that comes up.

I had no intention of causing offence – as some said 'self promoting at the expense of others'. I don't know this group of women well at all – I had used dramatics to create contrast. An exaggeration of an idea to illustrate my point. It does not in anyway reflect on those individuals themselves. But I can see how the misunderstanding and offense has occurred and for that I take full responsibility and apologise.

The simple message of my blog was that I would like to live in a world where woman(and men) have the power of choice – and that each may choose their contribution and pursue it single mindedly. It is not for any person or organization to discriminate against them because of that choice.

I have re-edited the blog to leave my opinion because I think it is an interesting debate to have.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention – without it I would not know – what is the saying, I often “fire ready aim.” Forgive me. I have learned my lesson.

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It’s time to plan for an exciting year.

By naomisimson | Published: June 15, 2009

It's planning and review season at RedBalloon - everything seems to happen at this time of year. And this year it will be tougher to produce the operational plan when we still don't know how the economy will impact us.

I'd like to think that the planning process is more than a bunch of 'guesstimates'. I've always been one to 'take my destiny on myself' - I have never considered hope a strategy.  Here is a piece that I did for Verne Harnish on planning.

This year more than ever will be about knowing what you are the worlds best at and doing more of it.

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How significant is luck when it comes to success?

By naomisimson | Published: June 5, 2009

I was interviewed recently about being an Entrepreneur.. these are some of the answers I gave.

Having always believed that I am a lucky person. When I was about seven I won a whole jar of jelly beans because I guessed the right number in the jar. When I joined the cross country team in high school on the first run I found a $10 note. If I enter a competition then I always think I'm going to win...(I don't always) funnily I never buy a lottery ticket.

I've always thought that I am lucky… but I do think that positivity attracts luck. Of course I was going to 'get' the job in NYC straight out of University – because I believed in my heart that I was lucky.

To not think of yourself as lucky does not mean that you won't be successful it just means that you will have to work a lot harder at it. But persistence too plays a big role in success

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What is more important, talent or drive?

By naomisimson | Published: May 6, 2009

I was recently asked a whole bunch of questions by a journalist.... here is my response.

Talent versus drive:

As an entrepreneur we face much adversity, in fact we are like those clown punching bags that you hit which keep bouncing back up. You have to have drive, persistence and passion. There is no faking it until you make it.

You must truly believe in your purpose and keep going and going as if this was the last day to get it done. I have met some very talented people who have no real drive. Even if I look at those people who got the best scores at high school – they were not necessarily driven to achieve. They had nothing to prove. They were already there.

Me on the other hand a total 'middle of the roader' with a not very impressive academic record wanted to prove that I could make something of myself. To create something bigger than myself… something that will create a legacy….RedBalloon Changing gifting in Australia forever - so people have vivid stories to share.

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Too engaged…?

By naomisimson | Published: April 28, 2009

I was contacted recently by a woman who questions whether someone can be 'too engaged' with an employer. I went back to her and clarified what does 'too engaged look like'. She described it as 'a person who stuck their nose into everything and generally is a busy body'.

I've put my answer in a blog because I think it is an interesting question. To me it is about 'right person, right role' and having a clearly defined role. Let's assume that this person knows what they are there to do in a day (has a clearly defined job description, KPIs and knows when they have 'won' at their job)… but still cannot help 'contributing' wherever possible to anyone who will listen, and they have an opinion about everything. This is a person who needs to be heard.

One thing we have done at RedBalloon is in the first few days after joining the business, each person completes an online surveyconducted by Gallup Organization called Strengths Finder. Quite frankly we find what people are really innately good at. For instance if you find that you have someone in a highly analytical role and yet one of their top strengths is WOO (winning others over) then they are likely to be very loud and vocal and wanting to tell everyone what they have just learned (they are likely to even blog it – I'm high on WOO hence the blogs and tweets). (See previous blog)

We checked in our organization who is high in the strength of 'command' – these  people make great fire wardens. – you can give additional tasks to people to support the use of their strengths.

I personally don't think that someone can be 'too' engaged – I just think that the organization needs to manage, harness and develop that person's passion for the greatest return to the business and for the individual. A straight conversation with that individual needs to take place on how to best contribute and the impact of the current situation.

If I think back to my corporate career – I was probably a right royal pain in the neck for my managers…. Wanting to change the world every second of the day. (It's why I needed to run my own show) –Two other of my strengths are positivity and self assurance – and I'm not that strong on detail or process. I was not 'heard' when I worked in big business… I had to take my voice elsewhere.

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