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To steal a quote from one of my favourite films, Groundhog Day, this week's guest is, "Punxsutawney Chris, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Talent Prophet Extraordinary...".
Chris Long has been in the talent industry for over 25 years, even starting when fax machines (remember them, kids?!) were a central part of a recruitment agency's toolkit.
Fast forward to today, where he works at the cutting edge of innovation and is an in-demand speaker at talent conferences around the globe. His presentations about the future of work and how to integrate new technology into existing tech stacks leave audiences wowed and inspired in equal measure.
An avid reader and student of his craft, Chris launched his consultancy, Elev8, in 2019 to help organisations with digital transformation and total workforce planning.
We spoke about his early career in the cut-throat late-90s UK recruitment market, where his passion for new technology came from and what talent trends are we likely to see in 2025.
Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, was accurate 39% of the time. Chris, on the other hand, tends to get it right a lot more regularly, making this conversation well worth a listen.
Chris' recommendation for new tech to try out is Google's NotebookLM, an AI-powered research tool that helps users understand complex information. Enjoy!The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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Did you know? B2B companies with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) programs experience 38% higher sales win rates, 91% larger deal sizes, and achieve 24% faster revenue growth.
A well-defined marketing strategy, executed by a seasoned professional, is essential for achieving impactful results.This week, I had the privilege of speaking with Paola Piccinno, a fractional marketing expert who helps global organisations refine their long-term go-to-market strategies through the power of Account-Based Marketing (ABM).
With a marketing career spanning two decades, Paola has perfected the art of identifying business challenges and delivering tailored solutions that drive measurable outcomes.
In this episode, Paola dives into:
What ABM really is and how to build a winning strategy.The key elements that define effective ABM programs.Emerging trends and opportunities are set to shape the ABM landscape in 2025.This was an interesting insight into a growing and highly effective approach to B2B marketing. Paola’s expertise shines through as she shares actionable advice for businesses looking to align their marketing and sales efforts to drive growth.
In terms of learning, Paola highly recommends checking out her favourite book, Blindness by Jose Saramago, and podcast, The Winning Mentality by Charlie Boscoe.The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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This week's episode is with the wonderful Rohan Watt, founder of Techie Stays.
Rohan began his career in customer service in Australia before venturing to the UAE to join, what was then, an early-stage Aconex - a company that eventually sold for over $1 billion.
He was there for over a decade so, five years ago, Rohan made the move to Phuket, Thailand where he started his entrepreneurial journey in earnest. After exploring various ventures, he founded Techie Stays, a platform used by hotels to automate processes and improve sales.
His innovative approach has been particularly successful in post-COVID Thailand, where the tourism sector, which accounted for 11.5% of the country's GDP in 2019, was severely impacted by the pandemic.Beyond his business pursuits, Rohan authored a book about Mosha, a famous Thai elephant with a prosthetic leg, blending storytelling with a message of resilience.
Throughout our discussion, I was struck by Rohan's honesty, humility, and vulnerability. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about his experiences as a founder and the creative spirit that drives him.
The book Rohan raved about during our discussion was:
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara. (Plus his own book) Mosha the Elephant Who Just Would Not Give Up by Aston Heath.The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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A consistent theme I've seen amongst entrepreneurs is the growing impact of mental health concerns. A staggering 72% of entrepreneurs report experiencing mental health challenges, including anxiety, burnout, panic attacks and dealing with at least one mental illness.
This week’s guest, Amber Ward, has set up her company, Energy Atelier, to focus on a founder's mental fitness and well-being. Amber takes a holistic approach to wellbeing, encouraging founders to:
Identify your peak performance times: Discover when you're most energised and focused during the day, and tailor your work schedule to maximise these periods for high-priority tasks.Eliminate distractions with intentional preparation: Start your day with a purposeful routine that sets the tone—whether through mindfulness, planning, or simply taking a moment to centre yourself—before diving into the demands of the day.Prioritise mental fitness and wellbeing: Just as physical fitness is crucial for overall health, mental fitness should be treated as an essential pillar of success, helping you maintain clarity, resilience, and energy throughout your entrepreneurial journey.Address mental health challenges proactively: Recognise the signs of mental health decline, such as isolation, loneliness, or burnout, and take proactive steps to manage and seek support before they escalate.Wellbeing is no longer seen as a "fluffy" nice-to-have in the workplace; it’s a critical need for founders. Amber is helping bring visibility and awareness to this important space.
Amber also recommended two inspirational sources of content that have helped her on her journey:
Masters of Scale (Podcast)Scott Britton - Evolution FM (Book)The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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In Australia, the current contingent workforce (a non-permanent employee who works for an organisation on a short-term basis, or for a specific project) sits at around 30%. With new generations entering the workforce and a post-COVID world where demand for flexibility is even greater, this figure is set to increase further in the coming years.
Organisations, in tandem, are seeking greater flexibility in their workforce due to the ability to keep tighter control of costs and project-based headcount.
More companies are creating platforms to help solve problems in the space, none more so than this week's guest, Adam Caines, CPO from Upplft.
Upplft focuses on helping companies have a singular funnel of contingent talent and hire through the funnel. They bridge the gap between temporary and help organisations treat employees more like permanent staff, but with a lighter touch. Essentially closing the loop between back and front office for contingent workers.
Adam is someone who, unlike many of the previous sagecast guests, didn't start his career in talent so his perspective on some of the changes in the space was fresh and insightful.
A great listen and some fantastic advice for us all to remember too.
Adam also recommended two must-read books:
- Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark MansonThe scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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"I have some feedback for you...". One of the most anxiety-inducing phrases ever uttered. Generally, the conversation that follows is going to be negative so it was refreshing to speak with this week's guest, Lauren Humphrey, about how her platform, Tandem, is helping to change that.
Studies conducted by Harvard show that the highest-performing teams have a 6:1 ratio of positive feedback to improvement-focused. Sounds obvious but talking about an individual's strengths reinforces skills and capabilities.
Tandem is a platform that enables managers, and all employees, to give immediate, consistent and valuable feedback.
This was a great conversation, and I left feeling more educated and equipped. Lauren's tips and advice on how to deliver more effective feedback and improve communications across dispersed teams were hugely valuable.The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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Well, this was a fun one!
On this week's scalr sagecast, it was great catching up with Brandon Burns. In such a short time, I felt like I had learnt so much.
He has packed a lot into his 40 years, starting his early life starring in films and soaps in Australia, including the iconic Neighbours. His passion for singing then came to the fore, culminating in a semi-final spot in the first season of Australian Idol. He continues to pursue that passion with his own band and regular events.
Since then his career has seen him progress through sales and investing to where he is now: a key part of the Melbourne tech scene and partnerships leader for Teamified.
A clear passion for him currently is community building, something we have in common. He's built a sizeable basketball networking event that attracts a huge following.
Having achieved so much already, it was refreshing to hear Brandon reflect on his journey in a very humble and reflective manner. One of the books that helped provide clarity and direction for him was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, one he considers an essential read.
A lot to cover in this one, enjoy!The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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scalr sagecast - BONUS EDITION!
I recently caught up with global traveller and thought leader, Hung Lee. To those of us in TA, for the last seven years, he's curated the fantastic recruitingbrainfood.com, a weekly digest on all things talent from around the world.
I've been fortunate to spend some time with Hung over the years and even had him provide some exceptional insights at a Melbourne Talent Meetup a few years back.
But who is the real Hung? How did he start his journey? What are the emerging trends for 2025? (Shock: it's AI!) Does he see himself more as a sanitation worker or as a bear by a river?! Have a listen and judge for yourself.
Hung highlighted the article "Will AI become the new McKinsey?" (by Ted Chiang) as essential reading into the effect of new technology - https://www.newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/will-ai-become-the-new-mckinsey - Happy reading!
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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It was a real privilege speaking with this week's guest, Richie Williams. He is an inspirational figure in the coaching world. He remains incredibly down-to-earth, engaging, and eager to share what he has learned from over 35 years of coaching.
Customer Comes Second by Diane McFerrin Peters and Hal F. RosenbluthInfluence (The Psychology of Persuasion) by Robert CialdiniFlow by Roger Hamilton (YouTube Video)
Having been a high-level footballer in his earlier years, his professional career has followed a central principle around teamwork to achieve successful outcomes. His work has taken him around the world on some high-profile projects but, and this is very telling of the man, when I asked about his greatest achievements, he sees every client engagement as valuable and important as the last.
During our chat, Richie highly recommended the following resources that supported him on his journey:There are so many insights to enjoy and a wonderful journey that unfolded during our discussion, this is a great listen.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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When my kids were a little smaller, I found one of them trying to swipe the TV to change the channel, as they'd seen it being done on an iPad. My first family TV was black and white, with four channels and no remote!
I still find it fascinating the rate of change we're continuing to witness in today's modern, highly connected world. Barely 25 years ago (1997 - I looked it up!), the term 'digital nomad' was popularised due to the rise of technology that could support such a lifestyle. Now 17 million people in the US are digital nomads.
Before then, it would've been pretty much unthinkable to do what this week's sagecast guest has done in a very short space of time: built a business with global clients that can be serviced from anywhere in the world.
Amitty Peace is originally from Australia but has spent time living and working overseas in the UK, Europe and parts of Africa. Combining her love for travel, food and adventure, her home is now in Kenya where she continues to grow her newly-rebranded business, Mangrove.
Having had an early career in risk and resilience, she identified an opportunity to provide a greater level of support in this space with her bespoke consulting services.
I enjoyed learning a lot more about an unfamiliar space, one that is continuing to grow and develop but one that Amitty is clearly incredibly passionate about.
Was a pleasure speaking with her, this was a discussion full of insight.
Amitty's go-to business book is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. Well worth checking out.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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This week's guest is Grant Butteriss.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
A real innovator in the clothing and fast fashion space, Grant helped to transform Reform Clothing from a locally based (and well-respected) provider of school apparel in Melbourne to a global business that significantly reduced waste and revolutionised the design and manufacturing process.
After a decade with Reform, seven at the helm, Grant decided a change was needed and has now started Butterfly Affect, a consulting and psychometric testing services business.
I was fascinated by the processes and innovations that were created and embedded to grow and scale the business. His insights are hugely valuable, and his journey is a fascinating one.
The book Grant wouldn't have been a CEO without is:The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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In a recent 'In-House State of the Market' webinar with JobAdder, we explored what feels like a pivotal moment for company culture. As more employers raise expectations around office attendance after nearly four years of remote and hybrid working, how will this shift impact long-term morale and culture?
This week on scalr sagecast, I spoke with the wonderful Felicity De Lang.
Flic's expertise in working with People teams to pinpoint gaps and optimise processes shone through, offering valuable insights on how organisations can navigate these complexities.I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation - Flic’s approach to driving meaningful change in a challenging landscape is inspiring, as is her boldness in striking out on her own.
Her go-to book is Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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A friend recently sent me a meme of a baboon frantically clicking a mouse with the comment that this is what it's like completing a company's mandatory training. That's how it has always been in my experience and the same goes for any additional learning undertaken too.
So when I heard about Learna, I was intrigued to discover more about how a Melbourne-based entrepreneur was going about creating a potentially game-changing approach to a traditional challenge.
Lisa Lie, my guest this week, described Learna as, "...being like social media for learning…", a user-centred tool that creates and delivers content in a storytelling-based way. Intriguing, right?
I was fascinated to learn more about how she came to develop this innovative approach, drawing on the challenges and roadblocks she encountered in previous leadership roles. As is proving to be the case with her growing customer base, there is a clear need and desire to consume targeted micro-learning.
The insights and wisdom she provided throughout our discussion were excellent and her book recommendations equally so:
Surrounded By Idiots – Thomas EriksenThe Coaching Habit – Michael BungayThe Mom Test – Rob FitzpatrickAtomic Habits – James ClearHooked - NirA thoroughly enjoyable listen.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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I've been looking forward to welcoming this week's guest onto the show. Julian Bright was someone who wowed audiences at a Melbourne Talent Meetup earlier this year, talking about all things AI and the effect it will have on the talent industry. So I was naturally keen to learn more about his career history and experience.
Julian is well-versed in AI, with 25 years of experience in software development, particularly in this evolving field over the past few years. He has created Fairgo.ai, an AI-enhanced video interviewing platform designed to streamline hiring processes and provide valuable insights.
We drilled into what prompted him to identify interviewing as a niche he wanted to explore, what trends he's seeing in the market and what his most valuable lessons have been in his career to date.
Always great catching up with such an interesting innovator, this was a really enjoyable discussion.
Julian highlighted two of his favourite audiobooks:
1. As an introvert by nature, he found Quiet by Susan Cain quite an illuminating read.
2. Fall in Love With The Problem, Not The Solution by Uri Levine was similarly powerful too.The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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This week's scalr sagecast guest is Jordan Knight.
Jordan started her entrepreneurial journey two years ago, with her LinkedIn lead generation and content generation business, Spicy Pineapple Marketing. She supports individuals to create compelling messaging as well as maximise reach and impact with effective brand strategy.
Her journey has been an interesting one, having been one of the earliest suppliers of this growing niche. Mistakes have been made and lessons learnt.
Jordan shares some tips for elevating your LinkedIn presence during our discussion: what to post, how often and what makes a profile stand out - well worth a listen!
A book she highly recommends is the recent classic, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion. -
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scalr meets Sourcr.
I met James Jennings at the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey with Sourcr in 2017. Fast forward to today: that business is now sold and he's exploring his next adventure.
Drawing inspiration from another successful business, Rate My Agent, James made a radical change to their business model during COVID. One which, ultimately, led to the success they enjoyed and the SEEK acquisition in 2021.
Hear about that experience, what trends he's seeing in the market and the best pieces of career advice he's been given.
James' journey is one that I've followed for a long time so I was delighted to have chatted with him.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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A lot of people start businesses to grow, sell and profit. Others, like this week's guest, chose a different route, the lifestyle business.
TaplioChat GPTOpus ClipLeonardo AIPhantombusterBuffer
Mia Bowyer, Founder of One Earth Marketing, has a built marketing and content services business that automates an organisation's social media channels. She's grown a company that has allowed her to follow her main passions - travel, marketing and sustainability.
This was a fascinating, highly energetic discussion with Mia even providing a crash course in building your social media function. Check out these tools:Mia also provided two must-read books that have supported her journey:
The Four-Hour Work Week - Tim FerrissShoe Dog: A Memoir By The Creator of NIKE - Phil KnightA thoroughly enjoyable discussion, I found Mia's approach to business and life inspiring and this is a must-listen sagecast.
The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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Four per cent.
That's currently the number of women founders who achieve funding from VCs (venture capitalists). It's an incredibly low percentage, making the successes of this week's scalr sagecast guest, all the more impressive.
Nikki Tugano, MAPPCP was new to the tech scene when she started SeenCulture barely two years ago. During that time she has been on a rapid trajectory that has seen investment, a diverse team being built and the development of a platform that helps to shine a light on untapped potential.
I really enjoyed hearing more about the journey that's led Nikki to build the SeenCulture and why she's focused on building a business that mirrors the community she serves.
If the Australian tech scene continues to identify and support visionaries like Nikki, it's safe to say we'll be a hotbed of talent and innovation for years to come.
A thoroughly enjoyable conversation and one full of warmth, authenticity and insight.
Hidden Potential - Adam GrantDrive - Daniel H. Pink
Nikki mentioned two inspirational books during our discussion, that are well worth checking out:The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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Welcome to the latest episode of scalr sagecast!
This week we were joined by serial entrepreneur and now implementer of the highly-regarded business operating system, EOS, Col Cuthbert.
Col's love of helping businesses grow led to a very successful sales career before he became a partner at The Ayres Group. Over 11 years he oversaw huge growth and eventually sold the business, one of many during his career.
However, success can bring its challenges, leading Col to suffer an identity crisis following the sale, one that was only overcome since he embarked on his latest journey earlier this year.
This was a fascinating insight into the challenges and opportunities that come from being a business leader. Col provides wisdom along with some stark realities, all gained from years of hard work and sacrifice.
Col recommended two business books people should check out:
- Traction by Gino Wickman
- Start With Why by Simon SinekThe scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
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