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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.
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- 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
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Tag Archives: Gift Experiences
One by One
One person at a time RedBalloon is changing gifting in Australia and New Zealand forever. It is a simple purpose that continues to drive me every day. I love knowing that people get to experience things that they have always wanted to do as a result of what our team does... and that a gift [...]
Posted in Interesting Numbers Also tagged Business Growth, Female Entrepreneur, Fun at work Leave a comment
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 Activities and Events, Female Entrepreneur, Fun at work, Parenting, Work life balance 2 Comments
Five Ideas on hearth, home and harmony.
I was interviewed recently for an industry publication about my early days, family and getting ahead…. I thought I’d share my answers. Q1: You say on your website that “life is the sum of our experiences, not our belongings”. So can we have some thoughts on another sort of experience, the experience of buying a [...]
Posted in Articles Also tagged Female Entrepreneur, Parenting, Values and integrity, Women on boards, Work life balance Leave a comment
What I wish I knew… about well being
I wrote earlier this week about the findings the New Economic Forum gives us on developing our own well being - and five steps to getting people to 'flourish': Connected Be Active Take Notice Keep Learning Give Interesting that I read Marty Wilson blog with interest as he describes the importance of creating 'space' for [...]
Posted in Lessons Learned Also tagged Business Vision, Female Entrepreneur, Work life balance Leave a comment
How to flourish!
Flourish is such a delightful word… it makes me think of growth, vibrancy, and excitement; such a positive word. During the research for my recent TEDx presentation – I listened to the headmaster of my daughters school speak of the work by the New Economic Forum… and of course when I heard him say that [...]
Posted in Lessons Learned Also tagged Business Leadership, Female Entrepreneur, productivity, Work life balance 1 Comment
Generosity Gene – TEDx 24 March 2010
Some weeks ago I shared my challenges in preparing for a presentation for the TEDx Darling Harbor event. I ended up delivering what was on my mind - what drives my, that is what I want to change. The presentation could be no more than 18 minutes, (which is a challenge in itself) and also [...]
Posted in Gift Experiences Also tagged Business Leadership, Corporate Gifts, Female Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker 3 Comments
Super Saver….
My colleague Sarah joined RedBalloon on April Fools Day in 2004 – she is fast approaching her five year anniversary. With any special occasion it gives us a moment to reflect. I’m sure Sarah could share much better than I about the changes she has experienced at RedBalloon…and the ones she has championed. She was [...]
An Amazing Experience
This is my ninth RedBalloon Christmas... And so far it has been the most exhilarating. The numbers are way up on last year. All the planning, preparation and investment means that things seem to be going smoothly. No chaos. The team has it all in hand. We are so much bigger now that there are [...]
Posted in Gift Experiences Also tagged Business Growth, Business Leadership, Corporate Gifts, Employee Engagement, Female Entrepreneur 1 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 Activities and Events, Australian Tourism, Business Growth, Business Sale, Business Vision, Female Entrepreneur, GoDo, Wotif Leave a comment
Fit to be an entrepreneur.