I am often asked after speaking engagements “what is it like to be successful?” – I answer that ‘success’ is in the eye of the beholder – each person has their own definition, success is a personal notion; for some it is financial security – for others it is the depth of their friendships. I happened upon an old survey that I completed years ago. I’m not sure where it came from (as I had it in a spread sheet)…
Tag Archives: trust
Thank-you to all those I can no longer thank
I had the privilege of meeting Professor Fiona Wood (Australian of the year 2005). She shared with the 800 women at the Business Chicks event Melbourne (and the following day in Sydney) her journey, persistence and passions. She is fundamentally curious person with a passion for learning that is addictive. As a child growing up in Yorkshire, she heard her father say when she was just a small girl – ‘Who are we not to dream’ – even though he…
Thank you

‘I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks’. William Shakespeare. As I just complete my tenth Christmas at RedBalloon – I experience a sense of overwhelming gratitude. I have been truly humbled to see how RedBalloon has captured the imagination of so very many people. In my wildest dreams ten years ago I never thought that we would make such a profound difference in all sorts of ways. I thank the businesses and organizations that believe in what…
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 business this century is transparency, vision, values and alignment. And we both believe the company’s culture and the company’s brand are really just two sides…
Thoughts from a RedBalloon veteran
On Friday it was time to farewell an original RedBallooner – Sarah was with us in the very early days – and has seen the business grow from 9 people to its present 50. She has caught the entrepreneurial bug and started her own show a named ‘Lady Bug’ as a fully fledged interior designer. As I listened to Sarah’s farewell words, I felt so very very fortunate, knowing that every person at RedBalloon is what makes our culture. We…
Imagine running a business based on fun - that's what I decided to try when I left a very serious corporate career in marketing to set up RedBalloon...








