Discover your strengths and apply them at work

Do you want to think more strategically? Have you been told that you need to lift yourself out of the operational space to think more futuristically? Strategic thinking is something that frequently comes up in our coaching conversations. In this episode, we offer you our thoughts, advice and practical tools that will help you to think more strategically and progress your career. We cover: What is strategy? Why does it matter? 3 ways to think more strategically Key tools you can use to build a strategic mindset

It's not easy to juggle a career with being a parent. In today's episode, five New Zealand women share their experiences and insights into how they make it all work. They talk about fitting work around their kids' schedules, what happens when family and work intersect, running a business while looking after a small child, and their hopes and dreams for more gender balanced parenting and work roles. We hope the thoughts of these women are useful and inspiring for you: Miriana Stephens (Ngāti Rārua, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui), Leader of wellness business AuOra™, Director of Wakatū Incorporation - and mum of 4 Alliv Samson, Co-Founder and COO of EdTech app Kami - and mum of 1 Rhiannon McKinnon, CEO of KiwiWealth - and mum of 3 Jacqui Magure, Clinical Psychologist, Science Communicator, Media Contributor - and mum of 1 Megan Scott, Director at PwC - and mum of 1

Professor Bronwyn Hayward is an internationally-recognised sustainability and climate change advocate. Her day job is as a Professor at the University of Canterbury in the Department of Political Science and International Relations where she is also Director of The Sustainability, Citizenship & Civic Imagination Research Group: Hei Puāwaitanga. Bronwyn is also part of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She is passionate about sustainability, climate, youth and democracy. In 2021, Bronwyn was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her outstanding work. In 2022, she was chosen as the Supreme Winner in the Women of Influence Awards. In this episode, Bronwyn talks about: Strategies for breaking into academia as a woman How we can work collectively and improve the way we collaborate to solve big issues Completing her PhD with young children

Amanda Malu (Ngāi Tahu) is Chief Executive of Whānau Āwhina Plunket, which is a charity and Aotearoa’s largest support service for the health and wellbeing of tamariki under-five and their whānau. Amanda has been the Chief Executive since 2016. Prior to that, her career has seen her take on a wide range of marketing and communication leadership roles across not-for-profit and public sector organisations such as Maritime New Zealand, the Families Commission and the Tertiary Education Commission. Since recording this episode, Amanda has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery at ACC. In this episode, Amanda talks about: Her pathway to becoming a Chief Executive out of a career in marketing Her experiences of returning to work after parental leave, including starting back when her baby was 3 months old and being promoted while on parental leave How she responded to situations where conversation was directed at the man in the room even when she was more senior

Tara Tan is the Founder and CEO of Grin – a New Zealand natural oral care brand. Tara founded the company 8 years ago after completing her Masters in Commerce at the University of Auckland. She had some concerns about the oral care products that she was using with her daughter and felt she could create safer and more environmentally friendly options that would appeal to parents. Since starting the business, she has grown the brand and range significantly, and now exports Grin products all around the world. In this episode, Tara talks about: The importance of determination and resilience Starting a business with little experience of working in a company Being ambitious as a mother, daughter and wife