Subscribe
Overview
From a very serious corporate career in marketing to creating a business based on fun RedBalloon, this is my journey. In this blog I share what it takes to be an entrepreneur and what I have learned - warts and all. I am also the author of 'I want what she is having' which chronicles the first five years of building of a fast growing business.
Very proud to be awarded National Telstra Business Womens Award for 2008 in the Nokia Innovation Catogory
RedBalloon Team Blog
Where I’m Speaking
My presentations to company events are not listed because those engagements are not open to the public. Contact Kate on +61 2 8755 0034 for more details on speaking.
Follow me on Twitter
- on my way to Keri Keri, via Auckland Auckland, from Sydney Sydney about 1 day ago from web
- is amazed how many people are drinking alcohol at 8am in the morning in the airline lounge about 1 day ago from web
- It is not the storms you meet in life, but the way you set your sails... about 1 day ago from web
- Saw this at the gym this morning 'To make your dreams come true, first thing to do is wake up' about 1 day ago from web
- Doh - got the first call on my new iphone 4 - could not hear a thing... had forgotten to take of the plastic wrap. about 1 day ago from web
Interesting Blogs
Calendar
Archives by Subject
- Articles (37)
- best places to work (4)
- Customer Experience (4)
- General (55)
- Gift Experiences (43)
- Input Please (66)
- Interesting Numbers (34)
- Lessons Learned (105)
- Love these sites (3)
- Quotes to inspire (58)
- Reward & Recognition (20)
- Secret Millionaire (15)
- Smart Company (16)
- Speaking Engagements (5)
- This Week (2)
- Uncategorized (15)
-
Recent Entries
Recent Comments
- naomisimson on Questions…
- Jo - living savvy on Fit to be an entrepreneur.
- Kim D. on Questions…
- naomisimson on Questions…
- Mark Williams on Questions…
-
RSS
-
Meta
Tag Archives: Activities and Events
Something to do on a Monday
Today was my first day back in the office after school holidays... I arrived early, to start sorting through the mail, and messages before the meeting rhythm started. Quite a few of my colleagues were gathering together excitedly - eight of the team were going Sky Diving - including Jemma GM. One of the delegates [...]
Posted in Gift Experiences Also tagged best places to work, Corporate Gifts, Female Entrepreneur, Fun at work, Work life balance 3 Comments
Bucket List review time
Some years ago I wrote my first dream catcher list (bucket list) – A place to note all the things I wanted to do, be or even have during my life time. (Each RedBallooner is encouraged to share their dream catcher list with us too). Some of my dreams are more attainable than others (like [...]
Posted in Gift Experiences Also tagged Female Entrepreneur, Fun at work, Gift Experiences, Parenting, Work life balance 2 Comments
The 10 point Customer Excellence Checklist
I’ve been reading the book ‘Delivering Happiness’ by Tony Hsieh CEO of Zappos.com. There are a significant number of similarities between RedBalloon and Zappos. As CEOs we both wanted to create a place where we too wanted to work. We both believe in experiences over stuff, we both believe that the key to success of [...]
Posted in Customer Experience Also tagged best places to work, Customer Excellence, Entrepreneurial Journey, Fun at work, trust, Values and integrity Leave a comment
Leaving Home.
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 [...]
Posted in General Also tagged Australian Tourism, Business Growth, Business Sale, Business Vision, Female Entrepreneur, Gift Experiences, GoDo, Wotif Leave a comment
Employer Worst Gifts ever
Given that Christmas is fast approaching.. most businesses have organized what they are giving their people now, but sometimes I shake my head in disbelief as people share with me how thoughtless or simply dumb some employers are about giving a gift. People have worked harder this year than they have in years – and [...]
Posted in Input Please Also tagged Corporate Gifts, Employee Engagement, Fun at work, Recognition and Acknowledgement 3 Comments
Secret Millionaire Chapter 2
My life as an undercover volunteer Secret Millionaire – Channel Nine 9.30pm 29 Oct 2009 Episode Four: Features Naomi Simson I sit here in my bed in a motel on a GoldCoast highway which seems a million miles from home – I can hear the traffic and my neighbors. It's not so bad, just different [...]
If you have a moment..