Afleveringen
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After 19 conversations with some of the sharpest operators around, Iâm closing the year** with someone who rewired how I think about building process: Laura Warden.
Your job as an operator is to make things work. So you do. You patch. You duct-tape. You make something 10% better, then 15%, then 20%. Over time, you get excellent at optimising a system that (maybe) shouldnât exist in the first place. Laura brought me back to the idea of constructing or reconstructing from first principles: âIf you could build this optimally from day one, would it look like this?â
Sheâs operated across different scales and contextsârunning recruitment and talent at Hays, managing ~500 people at Google, and now supporting dozens of companies as Head of Operations at Folklore Ventures.
We touch on her journey and:
How dyslexia shaped her superpowersScaling hurdles: moving too fast without process, founder span-of-control failure, and insufficient communicationWhy leadership teams need to feel visible (and Googleâs multi-modal comms example)The management triangle: Empathy + Business outcomes + Clear directionWhy your job isnât to be the heroâitâs to build an environment where heroes can emergeYour network as an external brain (and why it needs to be small and value-driven)Rising above the weeds: asking, âWhat have I missed? Whatâs going to derail this or make it less impactful?âHiring observations: companies hiring a generalist operator first, then building specialist teams around themLaura's motto: "Sh*t happens. Accept it. Then figure out how you pick yourself, your team, and the organisation up from that.**P.S. Catch my solo episode, "What the Year Taught Me", on December 23, before we tuck into the cauli' cheese and Christmas cheer.
Mentioned in this episode:
Teresa LillySavannah BlackDianne WardNicole HopkinsAlister ColemanRochelle RitchieSundar PichaiRomy BundyNaomi BrowneGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Every great founder has a small Avengers team turning vision into operational reality. This episode shines a light on someone running marketing, customer and revenue operations while acting as the CEOâs trusted right-hand.
Inside:
15+ years' CRM, ops, and scaling insights from a multi-functional perspectiveâfrom Sonar6 (acquired by Cornerstone), AskNicely, Plexure (formerly VMob) and JoyousLeaving memorable marks that show character and careBalancing startup freedom with enterprise rigour as Ask Nicelyâs first employeeWhy Joyous turned off the tap on traditional marketingâand what brokeKnowing when to keep systems simple vs. adding complexityThe CEO partnership model that makes Ruby (Joyous' CEO) say: âI wouldnât be here without himâWhen to leverage AI and when to stay firmly humanSpotting whether youâre building or maintaining, and when youâve outgrown your roleGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Laura Nicol dials into Anna Prell, VP Operations at Ivo.
Anna reminds us why being an operator is a) so damn exciting and b) the ultimate leadership testing ground:
"In a startup, you can be your own version of a founder. Youâre the founder of whatever it is youâre in charge of. You keep testing, learning, and scaling until it works."
Inside this conversation:
Moving to the US in 2020âand operating inside ANZ companies state-sideShifting from Chief of Staff to leading a function (Ops > Customer Success)Learning how to manage peopleEAB acquiring ForageâAnnaâs role in the storyFinding a home in EAB post-acquisitionThe operator-founder partnership. Pure MAGICBuilding again at Ivo as VP OpsHow she found the âright fitâBuilding the infrastructure that helps teams scaleWant to connect with Anna? Find her on LinkedIn.
Also mentioned:
Olga EippertMin-Kyu JungJacob DuligallAmy GlanceyClara MaAlicia WellsPre-interview chats:
Katie Noonan (Listen to Katie's Calling Operator episode)Tom BrunskillGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol dials into Mahesh Muralidhar.
From day one, Mahesh has been obsessed with making a difference. He was early in Sydneyâs startup scene in the 2010s post-MBAâfirst chasing his own idea, then finding impact (and peace) in helping others build.
What followed? A career that reads like three lifetimes in one.
Inside:
The romantic, messy-beautiful beginnings of Sydneyâs startup scene.That nagging fear youâve âmissed the boatâ in tech. Spoiler: the boatâs still boarding.The through-line of his career: founder > operator > investor > political candidate.Building customer intuition and products people love.Betting on people. Building trust. Understanding incentives. Getting obsessed with winning.Spotting great talentâand coaching them like a pro sports manager.Mahesh's founder story at Ureferjobs (a job referral marketplace)âwhy it didnât land and the fateful âchoosing Canvaâ moment.Operating inside early Canva, Airtasker, and Simply Wall St (from Head of People Ops to VP to COO).Phase One: why heâs convinced New Zealand founders can build world-changing companies with the right âbeen there, done thatâ support.The current chapter: âI want to make New Zealand a significantly happier place".Also mentioned:
Read Mahesh's SubstackDavid HearndenAlexey MitkoBec JenkinsYani Hornilla DonatoMick Liubinskas (Pollenizer)Phil Morle (Pollenizer)Tim FungAl BentleyEmer McCannVincent WeiMark Macleod-SmithElise PeateAlexander FalaMelanie PerkinsCliff ObrechtGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol dials into Savannah Black.
For Savannah, being a startup operator is about making the company work in the real world. All the forward planning, mission, and vision stuff is important. Thatâs the on-paper part. But being an operator is about making it actually work. You can see it in action at Crypto Tax Calculator: four roles, three promotions, each adding new layers of context. Today, sheâs Chief of Staff to CEO Shane Brunette at Crypto Tax Calculator.
We get into:
Savannah's late ADHD diagnosisWorking with energy management cycles, hyperfocus windows and stimulation requirementsWhat broke (and what didnât) during Crypto Tax Calculator's hypergrowth from 20 to 60 peopleThe Maker vs Manager schedule that protects deep work (remote-first culture)Why chaos isn't something we need to fix: "It's where innovation comes from""Narrate everything": Learning how to avoid communication breakdowns at scaleHer prioritisation stack: "[Eisenhower Matrix] I will ignore what's urgent till the cows come home"Also mentioned:
Michael StocksShane BrunetteBeth MackinnonSophie GerberCrypto Tax CalculatorRangeGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Laura Nicol dials into Alexey Mitko. Alexeyâs career has been all about operational leadership. Finance, HR, legal â heâs held the keys to the gritty, foundational work that lets startups scale without falling apart.
He puts it simply:
âWhen the startup community has been so generous in teaching me how to see the world differently as a 20-something, itâs my obligation â as an almost 40-year-old (donât forget to stretch, people) â to do the same. If I can pass it on, use my skills, and maybe get rewarded along the way? That sounds pretty good to me.âInside:
I tapped into Alexeyâs communities to crowdsource the questions we all wanted answered. How he operates, what heâs learned, and why he believes in being part of the âsupporting castâ that helps others shine.Helping founders survive the weird, wonderful, and maddening ride of going from nothing to somethingWhy one year in a startup can feel like three years of career growthFrom Interactive Accounting in Sydneyâs Tank Stream Labs â Canva (back when it was just 20 people in Surry Hills) â Koala (where he built his âearly-stage scaffoldingâ system) â Eucalyptus (his first founder seat)The three things that defined Eucalyptusâ early success: a battle-tested ops team, exceptional early hires, and a dash of luckFinding (and owning) the stage youâre most useful inHow to think about ESOP as an employee. How founders think about ESOP as an employer.Also mentioned:
Read this before you accept an equity offer at a startup: Alexeyâs guide to employee share schemes in Australia, drawing on lessons from designing Canva, Koala & Eucalyptusâ ESOPs.Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol dials into Phoebe Pincus, COO at Startmate and Co-Founder at Cheeky Run Club.
We cover a lot. Learning to lead when you've never had female leadership role models. Being the opposite of a perfectionist. Her career journey from psychology student to general manager to chief of staff to COO. We also get into starting Cheeky Run Club, balancing passion projects with big jobs, and finding your âbumper rails". If Cheeky Run Club brought you here, hello cheeky friends!
Inside:
The Good Weekend Quiz: A pandemic-born family ritual that still lives on today.Becoming a leader others want to follow: Phoebeâs aha moment? A halftime pep talk at social touch rugby. âIâve seen you give half-time pep talks at social touch⊠you just need to find a way to do it that feels authentic to you.âDesigning COO-CEO partnerships and her role managing internal operations and external fundraisingTransitioning from Chief of Staff to COO. Differences. Common ground. Practical to-dos.âHow do you set goals?â One of the most-asked questions in Chief of Staff circles.Life rules and systems: âAlways Swim,â prioritising what you know you should be doing, and the shadow theory of values.Representing running the Cheeky way: joyful, social, best thing for your mental health. Plus why even non-runners turn up for the women's health content.The Cheeky outlet: âthis is my thing, it feels like an extension of usâWant to connect with Phoebe? Find her on LinkedIn.
Also mentioned:
Maisy BennettMichael BatkoJason FangCheeky Run Club: Spotify, Apple, Instagram, Cheekyâs SubstackAnna ColdhamHow to fall in love with running with Phoebe & Anna from Cheeky Run Club (KICPOD)How to fall in love with running (Cheeky Run Club)Pre-interview chats:
Bronte McHenry (Listen to Bronte's Calling Operator episode)Kelly SpoerkGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol dials into Emer McCann, Head of People & Chief of Staff at Simply Wall St.
Emer scaled Deputyâs people and culture through hypergrowth (70 to 350 employees) before joining Simply Wall St as employee #15 to build from zero. Sheâs the quiet force behind the chaos. The puppeteer, the glue, the phrasebook for hard conversations.
Inside this conversation:
Irishness, âNotionsâ and confidence. How cultural conditioning shapes self-advocacy.When to hire your first people lead (or fractional exec)âand what happens if you wait too long.The capacity reality of becoming a new mum while building companies: âI canât do what I used to do. Whatâs next is understanding my capacityâand not overpromising.âFrom solo people operator to team of eight: When Deputy hired its first Chief People Officer, Emerâs one-person people function turned into an eight-person team. âI didnât know any differentâI just thought, oh, this is normal, this is what a startup is. But no, thatâs not what a startup is.âRebuilding from zero at Simply Wall St: Taking lessons from a wild scale journeyâand starting again.Gap-filling as a career philosophy: Spot the strategic holes no one else seesâand fill those boots.Why Emer spends time in âsmall little huddles,â mapping what matters to each person before the big meeting.Signs of people pleasing yourself into burnout: âYou do everythingâbut donât do anything really well.âHer winning formula: First-principles thinking. Solving for what matters. Tying it all back to the business metrics.Want to connect with Emer? Find her on LinkedIn.
Also mentioned:
Xavi FerrĂłAl BentleyNaveen NAlex LunnonSparketypeJefferson FisherNadine BlackieGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol connects with Liani Strauss, Chief of Staff at Tracksuit.
Lianiâs background in industrial engineering gave her structure. Startups gave her speed. Today, she works at the intersection of strategy, systems, and peopleâhelping shape how Tracksuit scales from the inside out.
Inside the conversation:
Early days of BizOps at Tracksuit: âWe were the bridgeâsetting up scaffolding for new functions, then stepping back so specialists could help them fly.âEvolving from "make it work" to "make it scale". How a Zapier x Google Sheets x DocuSign piece of art turned into a multi-jurisdictional global ESOP system.Why Chief of Staff effectiveness hinges on intentional relationship design. Liani's experience building deep trust with CEO and co-founder Connor ArchboldMovement unplugged. Her go-to for staying groundedA lesson in acceptance... a Blue Crush storyWhy continuing to invest in relationships is her theme of her yearGetting creative under pressure (especially when the fridge is empty)Her quiet superpower: regulating emotional temperature in high-stakes momentsâsomething others spotted in her long before she named it in herself.Want to connect with Liani? Find her on LinkedIn.
Also mentioned:
Daniel LombardAlexandra GnossMatthew HerbertChristine van HoffenJulian RapattoniHarry FlettDan DanilovDave from LegalJason WilbyGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com -
Laura Nicol connects with Paul Redfern, Chief Operating Officer at Big Picture Medical. Heâs someone whoâs spent most of his career toggling between product and operations, and getting pretty good at living in the grey. And becoming âreasonably okay-ishâ in a whole bunch of different worlds.
This episode is all about a tension every operator knows too well: the never-ending juggle between growth and scale. Serving todayâs customers while building for tomorrow. Every decision has a cost. The real skill is knowing which ones are actually worth it.
Inside this conversation:
The journey from Bank of Queensland, Tyro, Brighte and now Big Picture MedicalWhat scaling a global healthtech startup looks like behind the scenesThe Red Line Framework for sustainable leadership and life momentsHow to grow up as a company (weâre talking communication maturity for scaling orgs)Context switching and energy management as a new parent-leaderWhy the chaos never really ends. It just shapeshiftsTreating operations like a product and how that changes what you optimise for[Relationships] The power of weekly Notion check-ins. A quick gut-check on whatâs happening, where you need flex, and how youâre showing up for each otherWhat it feels like to have an imaginary infinite batteryA tiny mental trick: asking âWill this move me closer to my goals this week?â And sometimes âWill this move me closer to my goals, full stop?âFor every operator out there, pausing to rethink your own operating system and patterns is a real level-up momentWant to connect with Paul? Find him on LinkedIn.
Also mentioned:
The psychological reason journaling makes you better.Kate GlazebrookJackie RabecPriya VaseDr Tom McKinnonBen ColleyGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Laura Nicol connects with today's co-host: the wonderful Gaby Howard, Head of Growth and Operations at Carted.
Gabyâs no stranger to the podcastâshe first appeared on Ep 23. Gaby Howard on Navigating the Shift from Founder to Operator in Tech: Insights from Carted and Flaunter, where the wonderful Paloma interviewed her about her journey from founder to operator. (If youâre here for her backstory, head there firstâweâre not retelling it today.)
This episode is something different: a pulse check. A water-cooler moment. The kind of chat Gaby and I usually have off-micâonly this time, we hit record.
If the noise of the internet lately feels like a never-ending hamster wheel, youâre not alone. In this chat, we cover:
A mid-year temperature check from two operatorsHonest reflections on how weâre feeling in our operator rolesA pulse check on whatâs happening out there: Insights surfaced from operators at our first-ever community meetup (Calling Operator x Notion coffee)Questions like: Am I ahead? Behind? Keeping up?Plus a few laughs as we find our rhythm as co-hosts (I left in the bossy host blooper đ)Huge thanks to Gaby for jumping into the co-host seat. We hope this chat feels like the water-cooler moment you didnât know you needed.
Want to connect with Gaby? Find her on LinkedIn.
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Today, Iâm turning the mic inward for my first-ever solo episode of Calling Operator. Iâm Laura Nicol, your host and Chief of Staff at Co Venturesâand in this conversation, weâre talking burnout. The kind that creeps up. The kind that hits hard. The kind that startup operators know all too well. It comes up on the pod all the timeâfor a reason.
I'm calling it my #buildinpublic reflection on this topic from the operatorâs seat. I chat through:
The aha moment: Being a great operator starts with self-workMy journey from an epilepsy diagnosis to todayPhysical health, mental health and wellbeingBurnoutGiving yourself permission to step off the treadmillTrying to prevent itBuilding an environment that catches it more oftenShoutout to past guests whose wisdom shows up throughout (check out their full eps here):
Ep 42. Olivia Panzic at TikTok ANZEp 45. Anitta Krishan at Hoogly AIEp 38. Alice Hehman at Glue ClubEp 39. Harry Uffindell at PartlyEp 32. Maxine Minter at Co VenturesEp 30. Emily Robinson at KicGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Laura Nicol connects with Anitta Krishan, Chief Culture Officer at Hoogly AI. We begin with a breathâa literal nervous systemâbalancing pauseâfollowed by people-first perspectives from a former Trivago, Grab, and TikTok executive now shaping the future of work through an AI-powered Culture OS.
Inside the episode:
Operating mindfully: breathing, sleeping, deep sighing, and listening to your bodyâs signalsThe future of work, where humans serve as culture architects and AI steps in as orchestratorJoining Trivago at 200 employees and scaling through IPO to 1,600Leading people and culture transformation at Grab during a chapter of hypergrowth and reinventionScaling TikTok globally from 1,000 to 50,000 employees, navigating geopolitical tensions and cultural nuance at warp speedThe black ops moment: how the TikTok India ban shaped her legacy as a people-first operatorWhy âyour calendar reflects your valuesââand the case for auditing it weeklyBuilding from the ground floor inside an AI-native companyAdvice for rising operators: âStop waiting for permission and titles. Just influence.âWant to connect with Anitta? Find her on LinkedIn.
Check out Hoogly AI for your org.
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Today, I'm connecting with Karan Anand, Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Director, Australia at Hnry.
We trace his journey from 13 years in consulting to becoming Hnryâs first hire in Australia, exploring what it really means to lead without ego, think in systems, and be a force multiplier for founders.
Inside the episode:
His experience as a new dadBuilding generational community projects, including the creation of the Young Seek Professionals NetworkThe co-pilot model of the Chief Strategy Officerâand how to support founders while staying anchored to long-term goalsWhat it meant to be the first hire in Australia for Hnryâand how to scale without a playbookWhy being in rooms you're ânot ready forâ is often where you learn the mostâand how to hold your ground when you get thereThe startup superpowers management consulting teaches: structured problem solving, corporate technique, and navigating directional tensionBreaking a company into 26 first-principles components to build a three-year strategyâand reaching a consensus on directionBuilding Hnryâs "Sole Trader Pulse" data playâand turning underrepresented customer voices into strategic advantageMoving between inductive and abductive logic when data is sparse but decisions canât waitThe traits Karan looks for in strategy operators at early-stage startupsHis operating philosophy: Helping people become their best in service of the businessWhy systems thinking is a survival skill in fast-scaling companiesConnect with Karan Anand on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Hnry.
Other operators mentioned in the episode:
Brandon Palmer, Head of Marketing @ HnrySandeep Chandra, Strategy @ AtlassianAlbert Patajo, Chief of Staff @ NexlHarry Hamilton, Product @ Tracksuit, Co-Founder @ FuzzyGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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**Join us at our first-ever podcast meetup in Sydney. Info below**
Today, I'm connecting with Sophie Mckay, Head of Marketing, Asia Pacific and Japan at Notion.
Sophieâs career has been all about scaling tech brands across the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). Before joining Notion six months ago, she spent almost a decade at Qualtricsâstarting as the first marketing hire in APAC and growing the team to 17, launching across six regions. In her words: âEvery country or region we went into felt like a startup within a startup.â
Now, sheâs crafting Notionâs brand story and building her dream marketing team for APAC.
In this episode, we dial into:
Balancing a high-growth tech career with life as a mum to two young boys (3 and 5) and a pilot husband whoâs often in the sky. Sophie shares how she makes it work.Could Sydney become âSilicon Sandsâ? Sophie weighs in.Why she loves launching companies across APACâand the three-part strategy that sets her up for success every time.Notion's Australian takeover: A front-row seat to Sophie's "launch moment" (and why community love is everything).Her first 30 days at Notion: How she left onboarding in San Francisco with a fully approved marketing plan, ready to roll the moment she landed back in Sydney.Leading cross-cultural teams and appreciating the nuances of a region's go-to-market motion.Building things from scratch: The signals that tell you itâs time to scale or pivotHiring philosophy: Why you should always recruit someone who "scares you" (and why Sophie spent 18 months finding a first marketing hire).Finding Nemo wisdom: "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming" (and remember you're not saving lives).Joy as a metric: "Startups are full on. Just make sure youâre always having a really good laugh every single day. If you're not, change up what you're doing."Operator shoutout: Carrie Ball, Talent Acquisition Lead APAC at Rippling. "What really stands out is how she brings a human element to the recruitment process. Her posts are hilariousâand honestly, I think sheâd be such a fun guest to have on the podcast to talk about building teams from scratch across APAC."Thanks to Kelly Souders and Kirsty Poynter for helping shape this interview and for your time on the pre-interview chats.
Connect with Sophie:
LinkedInResources mentioned in the ep:
Notion {Notion is the all-in-one workspace for teams to share knowledge, manage projects, take notes, and more}Hello, Australia! By Andrew McCarthyHow OpenAI turns shared knowledge into faster workflows with Notion**đ JOIN US: Calling Operator x Notion coffee | Apr 29, 10am**
Some of the best conversations happen off-mic. âThatâs why Iâve teamed up with Notion to bring the Calling Operator community together in Sydney.
The deets:
đ First-ever pod meetup in our most-listened city >> Sydney
đ Tues, Apr 29 at 10am (Surry Hills location)
đ Past podcast guests are comingâswap stories, ask questions
đ RSVP hereGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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**Join us at our first-ever podcast meetup in Sydney. Info below**
Today, I'm connecting with Olivia (Liv) Panzic, Head of Marketing Communications at TikTok ANZ. A core part of Livâs belief system? Look after people. And it shows. Her colleagues and mentors describe her leadership at TikTok as âpeople-centric,â âhuman-first,â and âtransformative for those around her.â This conversation covers three big themes: creating thumb-stopping content, being brave, and leading from the heart.
In this episode, we cover:
Why everything is better after a good nightâs sleep (thanks, Mum).Community as strategyânot just support, but a growth engine.How a failed startup led her to TikTokâproof that the algorithm of life sometimes gets it right.Her first three years at TikTok ANZâmoving to Sydney, stepping into leadership, and building a marcomms strategy that clicks.A reminder that growth is layered: internal, external, and relational.Want to break into startups? Ditch the âpick meâ mindsetâfind your match (tips inside).Leading inside a global company and bringing local context to celebrate culture drivers.Creating space for your team to grow and go viral in their own way.Why talking out loud to AI tools like ChatGPT changes the game for storytelling, advertising, and attention. Looking ahead to reaching people through voice.Staying humble: âYouâre never too big for a small job.âOperator shoutout: How Elly Strang and the team at Tracksuit rewrote the playbook on early-stage B2B comms and content. Why their customers say: âHey, I want this company to win as much as I love their product.âConnect with Liv:
Connect With Liv on LinkedInOthers Mentioned in the Episode:
Elly Strang at TracksuitKendall Moses at UberPip MarlowTony ReidHuge thanks to Hayley Saddleton and Shani Kugenthiran for the pre-interview chats. You're so right. Liv. Is. Magic.
đ JOIN US: Calling Operator x Notion coffee | Apr 29, 10am
Some of the best conversations happen off-mic. âThatâs why Iâve teamed up with Notion to bring the Calling Operator community together in Sydney.
The deets:
đ First-ever pod meetup in our most-listened city >> Sydney
đ Tues, Apr 29 at 10am (Surry Hills location)
đ Past podcast guests are comingâswap stories, ask questions
đ RSVP hereGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Today, I'm connecting with Rach Matters, Senior Program Manager at Linktree. Rachâs sweet spot is joining fast-growing organizations with a blank job description, and sheâs had the privilege of learning company building through EA-exec partnerships with Linktreeâs Alex Zaccaria and seasoned entrepreneur Janey Martino.
In this episode, we cover:
Why worrying is like a rocking chairâit keeps you busy but gets you nowhereScaling herself alongside one of Australiaâs biggest tech success storiesSupporting leaders through hypergrowth and high-stakes momentsThe EA-executive relationship and the magic of high-trust partnershipsCreating calm in chaos (while secretly thriving in it)Why waiting back isnât Rachâs styleUnderstanding the individual needs of your leadership team (itâs not one-size-fits-all)Strategic restraintâbringing deep knowledge of the leadership team into operations and learning to 10x things without adding process frictionTaking pieces of wisdom from each leader you work withLow-key Sundays and the power of restConnect with Rach on LinkedIn here.
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Today, I'm connecting with Shipra Mahindra, Principal Product Manager at Octopus Deploy. Letâs just sayâShipraâs peers canât stop raving about her. She made her mark as the first product manager at Canva, working closely with co-founder Mel Perkins and the early mobile team. Shipra takes us through the highs, lows, and many celebrations that came with launching and scaling Canvaâs first mobile app. She shares how she found her rhythm as a product manager and the lessons she's learned, both as a human and a product leader, during rapid growth at Canva, Xero, Creatively Squared, and now at Octopus Deploy. And when sheâs not leading product, sheâs showing how New Zealand can be an incubator for world-leading, world-class companies as a Partner at Phase One Ventures.
Connect with Shipra Mahindra.
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Today, I'm connecting with Harry Uffindell, Chief People Officer at Partly. Harryâs worn just about every startup hatâfounder, growth, bizops, revops, people, cultureâyou name it. But he ultimately found his calling in the people space. Now, heâs scaling Partly, hiring the worldâs top 1% talent, and building a culture where people stay excited about their work a decade in.
In todayâs episode, we discuss:
Scaling Partly from its first non-technical hire to ~100 employeesâand the lessons behind making it the best startup to work for.Building a company culture that lastsâwhere 10 years in, youâre still buzzing to show up.Co-founding and selling MeatMail (a food subscription startup) with David Boothâthe zero-to-one story.âThis is a pretty good V1â. What Tim Ryan (Atomic8) taught Harry about quality work and scaling startups globally.Tilt to Airbnb: From first APAC hire to Country Manager, scaling Tilt, and what it takes to land a global âboots on the groundâ role.A bad-reception phone call that changed everything. How Airbnbâs acquisition of Tilt set Harry on a path to making ANZ Airbnbâs most penetrated market worldwide before the IPO.Focus as a superpower. Mastering the art of focus is the most impactful skill an operator can develop.Learning from the best. How Patti McCord, Reed Hastings (Netflix), and the Collison Brothers (Stripe) are shaping Harryâs playbook as a world-class Chief People Officer.Angel investing 101. His advice for operators making their first bets.Find Harry Uffindell:
LinkedInHarryâs [email protected]Harry Uffindellâs Northstars and Frameworks:
Books:
Delivering Happiness (people and culture)No Rules Rules (Netflix culture)The Hard Thing About Hard Things (gritty leadership)Amp It Up (high-performance culture)Powerful by Patty McCord (freedom + responsibility)Radical Candor (feedback and relationships)Great by Choice (10x leadership)How to Win Friends and Influence PeoplePodcasts:
Acquired, a16z, Founders, The Tim Ferriss Show, Crucible Moments, 20VC.Frameworks:
The Quarterly Rhythm That Fuels Growth and High-Performing Teams (includes duplicatable resources/Notion pages)The One Thing (goal-setting)Eisenhower Matrix (urgent/important prioritization)Radical Candor (caring personally + challenging directly).OperatorsâFuture leader/vision:
Patti McCord and Reed Hastings from Netflix (culture)Patrick Collison and The Collison Brothers (execution)Ones to Watch:
Pene Barton (CEO at Crimson Global Academy)Kirsti Grant (Chief People Experience Officer at Auror)Jamie Beaton (CEO and co-founder Crimson Education)Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:
Dave Booth (Founder in Residence at Blackbird)Mike Duboe (General Partner, Greylock Partners)Levi Fawcett (CEO at Partly)Tim Ryan (Co-Founder & CEO at Atomic8)Andrew Huynh (GTM Strategy Lead, New Products at Culture Amp)Dan Brockwell (Co-founder and head of program at Earlywork)Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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Connecting with Alice Hehman, a "SWAT team" startup leader whoâs built recruiting and operations playbooks for some of Silicon Valleyâs biggest names. An under-the-radar operator, you need to know. Alice knows what it takes to scale operations across borders, from leading domestic recruitment for Facebook to moving to Sydney to build regional teams across AsiaâPacific. Following great people led her to Bret Taylor's startup Quip (a competitor to Google Docs), where she ran business operations, including the USD $750M Salesforce deal and post-merger integration into the Salesforce ecosystem. We get real on keeping your head on straight through hypergrowth and focussing on what we can control through these big business transitions. These days, she's teamed up with Molly Graham (if you haven't read Lessons on Substack, you should) at Glue Club, helping startup leaders be betterâand feel betterâat work. We discuss what makes a great operational leader, why "glue people" are the backbone of scaling companies and US lessons to shortcut operators in Australia and New Zealand.
Find Alice Hehman:
LinkedInAlice Hehmanâs Northstars and Frameworks:
Learners vs Guides: Building Your Leadership TeamLessons by Molly Graham The Glue Club (Leadership Development Program)The Four Tendencies Framework by Gretchen RubinSparketype Assessment StrengthsFinder, now CliftonStrengthsOperatorsâOnes to Watch:
Molly GrahamElliot GreenwaldOther Folks Mentioned in the Episode:
Andy BartonBret TaylorAshley Prince MurphyGuest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
Never miss an episode:
Subscribe on your favourite platform:
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