Category Archives: This Week

Coming up this week 19 December 2011

George Clooney meets Martha Stewart in Sydney

Last week is still a blur – I remember at one point chatting to George Clooney he asked “Has Martha Stewart had arrived at the event yet? I have not met her before.” I answered “Yes she is over to the left – would you like me to introduce you…?” Too funny – as it transpired photographers ensued and he met her during the photo shoot. [Naomi always the networker.] I enjoyed a great team-cooking event in Melbourne (searching for…

Coming up this week 12 December 2011

End of year celebration for Kochie's Business Builders team

Last week at RedBalloon we were full of the joys of Christmas. The IT team hosted our final company meeting of the year and were massively creative with their festive theme ; including beaming in their colleague Dave from Perth to have him appear in a cut out Santa via Facetime – (I guess you had to be there). As part of the planning process and moving my role to be Founding Director I needed to update my job description…

Coming Up this week 5 Dec 2011

Hair raising experience this one.

Okay so it is half way through the week and I’m just getting to my blog. It is Christmas after all and I think I am still recovering from last week. My week did not go exactly as planned – but it did go to other peoples plan. My colleague had put a ‘speaking engagement at the airport’ in my diary. This was in fact a complete ‘set up’ – the team was playing a trick on me – they…

Coming up this week 28 November 2011

Looking forward to a RedBallooner Christmas

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas…. Oh it is ‘the season’ and I do love it, such a time of celebration. It seems as if the last week rushed by, with interviews and a speaking engagement – and lot’s of meetings and writing – but really my focus now is all about being part of the best Christmas ever at RedBalloon. I had a wonderful week in Melbourne being very productive and enjoying the city. Melbourne is such an important market for us…

Coming up this week 21 November 2011

Ernst & Young 2011 National Entrepreneur of the Year winners

Last week was about as big as they get. In addition to the three awards received by RedBalloon last week, I was also a judge in the National Telstra Business Womens awards. Actually weeks don’t get much bigger than last week. What started as a normal week of one on one’s and coaching with some of the newer team members in Sydney… ended up quite differently. On Wednesday I did one of our less known experiences – which is the…

Coming up this week 14 November 2011

Winner of the Judges Choice - and fitting given I will be in Melbourne most of this week

One of the highlights and most challenging things I did last week was the final round of judging on the RedBalloon 10th birthday photo competition. The winners have been announced but I was in awe at many of the entries. I would have liked to spend the whole week just looking at the entries over and over – but alas I had a few other obligations. On Tuesday I was part of the Dream Employer Webinar (thanks for those people…

Coming up this week 7 November

Getting into the Melbourne Cup spirit

I usually write this post on a Sunday evening as I prepare for the week. Last weeks post on my weekly activity – was about the uncertainty of travel, but by Monday afternoon that had changed. (In the short term anyway). I like many others fear it will be a long drawn out battle. Last week therefore was productive – with the excitement of the company lunch – falling on the same day as Melbourne Cup – the festive season…

Qantas Unions will determine this week

Alan Joyce at the eXcel Qantas Awards night

As I sit to write my regular ‘Coming up this week’ blog it is not as simple as looking in my calendar and preparing myself for what lies ahead. Last week was a complete whirlwind – three speaking engagements, two entrepreneurial workshops and one EY entrepreneur of the year judging… which were in addition to my usual meetings and appointments. I thrive on being this busy… however, I probably could not maintain last weeks frenetic speed for more than a…

Coming up this week 24 October 2011

Photoshoot last week for Public Accountant and good friend Roger Montgomery 'dropped in'

Cup Day is close, which means Christmas is upon us in a retail sense… this will be my eleventh Christmas at RedBalloon. And we are looking to recruit a Customer Experience manager to support with this very hectic time at RedBalloon (so if you know anyone please introduce them to us). Otherwise you might well get me on the phones – which would be fun … in fact maybe I could do that… but we need someone to manage me……

Coming up this week 17 October 2011

Stephen C Lundin author of Fish and follow up book Fish Sticks

Had a great time at the Griffiths University event in Brisbane last Wednesday. Jenny Brockie did a great job encouraging questions from the group and asking her own. I met Stephen C Lundin – visiting professor at Griffiths and also author to Fish and follow up book Fish Sticks which is interesting because my second ever blog post recommended this book. I also really enjoyed being a guest at the Global Banking Alliance for women dinner where Penny Wong spoke….