Author: Sasha Reid

Sasha Reid has grown up in London where she trained as a teacher for 2 ½ year olds to 6 year olds. She taught for seven years, one year of which being headmistress in a nursery school. Sasha has used her knowledge of children to write a collection of stories to appeal to this age group.  The first book due for release before Christmas is called “Waves and Splashes”.

Sasha was responsible for bringing the UK rock band Kasabian to London from Leicester and working with them until they were signed by BMG records (they won a Brit Award this year for best UK band and their third album went in the charts at number 1). She has also worked with many signed/unsigned artists and wrote music reviews for Australian magazine Mink Magazine.

One of the characters from her second children's book (a penguin chick) is being used as the educational logo for the charity she has set up with London Zoo called Penguin Futures. Penguin Futures is a programme designed to research the impact of climate change on the Antarctic penguins and to educate the public in particular, children on the effects of climate change.

For more information on Sasha Reid's forthcoming book “Waves and Splashes” or on “Penguin Futures” please contact wavesandsplashes@gmail.com

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Creative, determined, positive!

What is your life motto?

Stay positive and you can achieve anything!


When did you start pursuing your career and how long did it take to become successful?

I used to be a teacher for little children and I started my story telling then, not realising it would turn into a career.  All my stories have a hidden meaning in them so they are educational and enjoyable for children and parents!  My first story I ever wrote is about a baby hippo who won’t put his head under the water. I used to tell it to my class of children before they would go for their swimming lesson, to encourage them to put their heads under water as when they are very little it can be scary.  The whole process of becoming a successful author takes time and hard work.  

How many hours did you dedicate to pursuing your dream? The actual writing of the stories happens quite naturally for me, the ideas will suddenly be in my head and they always come at the most unexpected time, at the supermarket or at a music concert and whenever this happens I will write down the ideas and then quietly sit at my computer and write it up as a story.  The whole process of getting a book deal is the bit that takes time as there is a lot of waiting for publishers and agents to get back to you as it is important to find the right agent and the best publisher for your book.

Describe how difficult the business really is? The publishing world is difficult. If you are looking to have a publishing deal with a major book company, it takes a long time to get your book to the right person in that company and they see so many books each day.  It’s no point you sending your children’s book to a publishing house that only publish sailing books!  You also need to find an agent - that again takes a lot of research to find the right agent to look after your book. These days a lot of people are self publishing their own books and online companies who provide this service can get your books onto Amazon etc, which is another route you can take.

What is the mistake that taught you an extremely valuable lesson?  My laptop that had all my stories on broke and I could not retrieve anything from it, so I have learnt to email all my stories to myself and save them all onto a hard drive.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given to date?

Never give up!

What is the piece of advice that you weren’t? 
Don’t take rejection of your stories to heart.  It is natural that you will get a rejection letter at some point, but it is important not to dwell on it, read it through so you can see the points they mention and see if there are changes you can make and then move onto the next agent/publisher.

In your mind, is formal training essential?
I never had any training for my writing, I did English at school but I have talked to book agents and other authors about the publishing world.

What are some steps emerging talent can take to start/further their career? 
If this is a career you might like to do, start writing down your ideas and making it into a story and then get people you know to give you feedback.  When I started writing my stories I asked a relative of mine who is a writer to read my stories and to be honest with me. 

What kept you going when you felt like giving up? The smiles and laughter from children who have read and enjoyed my book.

Do you believe that ‘making it’ is about luck and being in the right place at the right time?
A tough one!!  I feel that pure talent eventually shines through whether you are in the right place at the right time or in the wrong place at the wrong time!  For me the publishing world has been a journey and I’m glad that it has as I have learnt a lot on my travels and I think if the first agent had said yes I would have taken it all a little for granted, the journey has made me very sure that writing is what I love.

Author and Speaker: Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a renowned leadership expert who teaches leaders and companies how to inspire people. The author of the book Start With Why, he works with the military, politicians, government, entrepreneurs and folks like you and me.  Simon is leading a movement to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.  He writes, consults, and speaks all over the world about the power of Why - the purpose, cause or belief that drives every one of us.  If everyone knew why they do what they do, and if everyone only did the things that inspired them, Simon believes that this world would be an amazing place.  For more, visit startwithwhy.com or follow him on twitter @simonsinek.

Describe yourself in 3 words: I’m an Optimist. A creative. An Idealist.

What is your life motto? 

Henry Ford said something that I have written next to my bed, “if you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

When did you start pursuing your career and how long did it take to become successful?

The work that I do now started about 4 years ago. I didn’t plan on doing what I’m doing now, it was an accident. My obsession with the concept of WHY started solely to help myself…to help me re-find my passion – something I had lost. It worked so I started telling others about it…and it worked for them. More people just kept asking me to share it with them and things started to move very quickly after that.

How many hours did you dedicate to pursuing your dream?

If you like what you do, you’ll work 8 hours a day. If you like who you work for, you’ll work 10 hours. But if you feel you are part of something bigger than yourself, you’ll work 24 hours.  That’s where I am now. Everything I do is focused on inspiring people to do the things that inspire them. I love it so I do it all the time. I figure I’ll stop when I stop loving it and find a different way to bring my vision to life.

Describe how difficult the business really is?           

Passion is nothing without structure. There are those that are good at building structure and they do well in life…but they don’t challenge us, they don’t reinvent, they don’t change the world. I am full of passion, but my challenge has always been and continues to be the structure. The difference between my life now and my life 4 years ago, however, is I no longer beat myself up for it.  I embrace that it is my vision of the world and my passion that is my strength and that’s where I should (and want to) focus my time. I rely on people around me to help me with the structure and processes.  There are days I wish I was better at it myself…That said, if we were good at everything, we’d have no need for each other. 

What is the mistake that taught you an extremely valuable lesson?

Easy question: failure.  There is a difference between being successful and feeling successful.  I had neither. I got to the point where I was broke and I felt like I would never be able to pick myself up from it.  But I did. More importantly, I would never have had to find a solution if I didn’t have a problem to solve.  It is that solution – the discovery of WHY- that changed everything. 

What is the best piece of advice you have been given to date?

“Three quarters of an answer are better than an answer and a half,” is what one senior partner told me after a meeting in which I was working hard to “contribute” to the conversation. I was young in my career when I was given the advice, but to this day I am happy to leave incomplete answers at the table and save my contributions for another time when they will mean more and have a greater impact.

What is the piece of advice that you weren’t?

You don’t know what you don’t know.  No one told me that.  It seems obvious enough, but I had to learn the hard way.  I had to think I was Superman before I learned I was just a man. Would have saved myself a lot of pain if I had asked more people for help along the way. It’s a lesson I try to pass on to others as often as I can.

In your mind, is formal training essential?

Formal practice is much more important than formal training. Training may help you understand things but you don’t learn anything until you actually do it. The real world is very different from a classroom.  I have no training for anything I’m doing today, but I practice everyday to get better and better at it. And it is my desire to practice, not what I learned 10 years ago, that makes me good at what I do.

What are some steps emerging talent can take to start/further their career?           

Surround yourself with people you love. The people you work with are more important than the money, the benefits or even the responsibility.  If you work with people you love, you will shine and you will grow. They will watch your back and your future.  No matter how big the job, if you don’t love the people, you won’t love the work.  The only way to decide if you like the people or not is to trust your gut. Your friends can only give you advice based on how a job or opportunity looks, but not how it feels. That’s up to you.

What kept you going when you felt like giving up?

The alternative was worse.  Moving forwards into the unknown is a lot better than falling backwards into the abyss.

Do you believe that ‘making it’ is about luck and being in the right place at the right time?

Luck goes to those who show up. If you put yourself out there, say what you believe, ask for more responsibility then luck and opportunity will come your way.  If you know what you want and you say what you want, then those around you will know what you want and will help you get it.  Sit at your desk and mumble to yourself that “no one gets you” and no one will get you.

Cowboy Leader: Fritz Black

Fritz Black is the owner of Cowboy Leaders and the Danglin' B Ranch. Black spent more than 20 years of his life leading teams at Nestle Corp. His extensive experience in front line leadership makes him uniquely qualified to teach others how to get the most out of the people they lead as well as themselves. Coming from a small town ranch to one of the world's most respected large companies, Fritz has led people from all walks of life. He
has put his heart and passion into changing the way people see their role as a leader. You can learn more about Fritz, his staff, and Cowboy Leaders at his website, http://www.cowboyleaders.com.

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Determined, caring, tall

What is your life motto?

Your thoughts become your choices - your choices become your actions - your actions become your habits - your habits shape your life and define your character.
 

When did you start pursuing your career and how long did it take to become successful?

The direct answer would be seven years; however it is not that simple. Most of my life, I worked for a corporation or company where I received a bi-weekly pay check. (I spent 21 years with Nestle). I started a training company 7 years ago on a part-time basis but left Nestle just 3 years ago to pursue my dream full-time.

I have always been motivated to learn and perfect the skills required to perform at a high level. When I was welding, at the age of 19, I would watch the other welders and strive to do more work than they would. Most of them had been welding for years, so they had better skills than I did. So, I made sure that I simply worked harder than they did. I would skip breaks, take short lunches and try to never waste time. Soon I was out-producing all of them even though I was not the best or fastest welder. I just out-worked them.

That work ethic caught the eye of my managers through my working years and helped me to move up quickly where ever I worked. I found myself in leadership roles through most of my working days. So, I guess that you could say all of those years went into my training to teach others to lead more effectively. Thus, I have spent most of my life pursuing my career as a leader.     

How many hours did you dedicate to pursuing your dream?

More than I should. I am still pursuing it. It is what drives me each and every day. I often wake up in the middle of the night with a thought on how to do something better so, I get up and start writing out my thoughts. I don’t remember the last time I let an hour go by without thinking about my business.

I say, “More than I should”, because I have a wonderful wife and family that I should serve and love more than I do. They are very understanding and supportive, but I am short changing myself by not being as dedicated to them as I could be.

Describe how difficult the business really is?

As difficult as I make it. Sometimes I find myself not using the people and resources around me. I believe in surrounding myself with people who have strengths where I have weakness. As an example; I am a very emotion driven person. I make decisions quickly based on my feelings. That serves me well most of the time, but has also caused some of the greatest failures I have experienced. So I lean on my partner, Max Reid. He is very analytical and always thinks things through. I sometimes feel frustration with the pace of our decision making process, but we always make better decisions together.

I honestly believe that the most difficult part of my business, and likely anyone’s business, is letting go enough to allow room for others. My grandmother always said, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” - What was a horrible saying! It is used primarily by people who simply cannot communicate with and trust in others.          

What is the mistake that taught you an extremely valuable lesson?

Actually, it is a lesson I keep teaching myself. Never overlook the value of others. I sometimes forget the people around me that could help get the job done. I have found that people will work much harder for me if they know that I take their input seriously and that I trust them.    

What is the best piece of advice you have been given to date?

About 25 years ago, Jay Weaver promoted me to the position of Shipping Supervisor with Nestle. When he did he told me, “You are no longer in the Shipping business. You are now in the people business. Work for your people. Give them your time, your care and your knowledge. Learn the people business from them and allow them to learn the shipping business from you.” I have been in the people business since that day.   

What is the piece of advice that you weren’t?

Never start your own business. It will consume your life.

In your mind, is formal training essential?

It helps, but it is not needed. What is needed is passion.

What are some steps emerging talent can take to start/further their career?

Forget about the product and focus on the people. It is pretty hard to be passionate about cooking, but it is easy to be passionate about feeding and nourishing others. Find how what you do will make the lives of others better and you will find a reason to go to work every day. Lead by serving.   

What kept you going when you felt like giving up?

A relationship with people who believe in me, support me and will not let me quit.

Do you believe that ‘making it’ is about luck and being in the right place at the right time?

Nope! I believe that it is about never thinking that you have ‘made it.’

 Never settle - never quit learning - never quit serving. 

Television and Radio Presenter: Sami Lukis

Sami Lukis is an Australian television and radio personality. She appeared on the Nine Network as the weather girl on Today, and for Network Ten on the children's educational program Totally Wild. She also worked in radio as a breakfast news reader and presenter for Nova 96.9 on the Merrick and Rosso show.

Describe yourself in 3 words

Perfectionist, Honest, Observant.

What is your life motto?

Treat others as you would want to be treated.

When did you start pursuing your career and how long did it take to become successful?

I started my communications degree at University as soon as I left school ... and I started doing work experience in TV straight after school as well. I've had a series of lucky breaks along the way. Getting my first TV gig on Totally Wild at Channel 10, then getting the gig on the Today Show at Channel 9 and getting the job with Merrick + Rosso at Nova Sydney, was my big break in radio.

How many hours did you dedicate to pursuing your dream?

At my busiest (as the travelling weather presenter on the Today Show), I would easily work 15 hours a day, 6 days a week. In radio, you’re working pretty much 24 hours a day, because you’re always looking for material for the show.

Describe how difficult the business really is?

It's tough to break in ... and even tougher to survive in this industry.  You need to be prepared to work your butt off - there aren’t many jobs in media where you’d expect to work 9-5. And if you’re on-air, you need a really thick skin, because people are always judging you and some attacks on your work can be very personal.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given to date?

This one I learned from Bert Newton: When you're working on Live TV - don't be afraid of stuffing up, and never try and cover up your mistakes. Just “go with the flow”, and be able to laugh at yourself. Sometimes that makes for the best viewing!

What is the piece of advice that you weren’t?

Don't stop believing in your ability. Rejection for a gig in this industry doesn't necessarily mean you're no good. I was rejected once, simply because I was a woman, and they decided they wanted a man for the job.

In your mind, is formal training essential?

If you want to work as a journalist in radio or TV, it certainly helps if you have a degree in journalism or communications.  But you don't need any formal qualifications to work in radio.  My 5 years of study counts for nothing in my current job. Life experience and good communication skills are more important.

What are some steps emerging talent can take to start/further their career?

If you want to work in radio or TV, I’d suggest you be prepared to take any job, just to get your foot in the door. Be prepared to move interstate, if you have to.  And if you’re interested in being on-air, it would help to have an Agent or Manager – to let you know where and when jobs are up for grabs.

What kept you going when you felt like giving up?

I've never felt like giving up.

Do you believe that ‘making it’ is about luck and being in the right place at the right time? 

There’s definitely an element of “luck” involved in working in media. Being in the right place at the right time, and knowing the right people also helps.