Level Up Leadership

Ever dreamt of ditching your corporate gig to start your own creative agency? Emma, the brains behind Sparo Studios, did just that. Join us as we unravel Emma's journey from her childhood in prairies in Canada, to the bustling corporate world of Sydney, Australia to founding a thriving design agency. This isn't just a story of entrepreneurial courage—it's a playbook for leaders who want to steer their teams with authenticity and shared values.
The highlights of our conversation include Emma's honesty about three of her key leadership lessons:
1. What made her grow from a "terrible boss who churned through staff"
2. How leading with values helped her fire someone on her wedding day
3. When systems streamlined her ability to scale
We all know that values are the backbone of any successful organisation, but how do you embed them? Emma and I dig deep into how honesty, community, growth, and creativity aren't just lofty ideals at Sparo Studios; they're actionable standards that are used daily to create a culture of trust and psychological safety with the team and clients.
By the end of this chat, you'll walk away with strategies and insights to not just boost your leadership by 1%, but to create an environment where your team and business can thrive. Don't miss out on Emma's incredible journey and the valuable wisdom gained from steering a small studio to great successes.
Book your free strategy call with the Director of Sparo Studios Emma here

or get in contact with her on
Linkedin
Instagram
Guest Bio - Emma Sparrow, Sparo Studios
Emma (Em) is the founder and creative director of Sparo Studios - a strategic design agency with an all-women team of innovative, results-driven designers, developers, and strategists.
A Canadian prairie girl who tore up her acceptance letter to business school and moved across the world to find something more. After spending 3 years working in a creativity-killing corporate role, she knew there was no opportunity for her to truly push herself and live the life she wanted to live.
So in 2019, the business came to life. After years of epic growth, the agency evolved from 1 to a team with a combined 20+ years of experience in the industry.
Outspoken leaders in strategic branding and design for established businesses — Em and her team are well known for thinking (and creating) outside the box and doing things differently.

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Zenith Journey website - leaders aren't born, they're trained
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Kate Peardon Linkedin

No one likes bad news, but as a leader, it’s your responsibility to get ahead of it. When Brett Wiskar said during our interview, "Good news is bad news delivered early," it really resonated. Surprises are rarely welcome, and as leaders, it's our job not only to manage them but to stay ahead of them.

In this candid episode, I chat with Brett, a seasoned tech executive, about his rollercoaster leadership journey. Tune in to hear three impactful leadership lessons that have reshaped his approach—and could very well change yours too.

I’m saving the lightbulb moments for the episode, but here’s a glimpse of what Brett unpacks:

1. The crucial leadership skill most avoid (yes, it involves those uncomfortable conversations).
2. Why adaptability is more valuable than being right.
3. How to align your team for success.

Beyond the lessons, this episode offers a rare inside look at the life of an executive—his day-to-day challenges, the tough decisions, and what it truly takes to lead at the top. Add the podcast to your listen list to deep dive into the real-world experiences of a leader navigating change and innovation.

Contact Brett:

• www.brettwiskar.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettwiskar/
• https://www.instagram.com/brett.wiskar.speaker/

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Zenith Journey website - leaders aren't born, they're trained
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Kate Peardon Linkedin

In 2010 podcast host Kate Peardon met fellow Australian Emilia Simonin in an MBA classroom in Paris. Throughout the years they've shared their journey across a number of countries and through corporate leadership, and today Emilia is the Global Market and Business Intelligence Director at L'Oreal, in Paris.
Today's episode interviews Emilia on her three key leadership lessons on her experience leading cross-cultural teams, and how each has shaped her journey from an Australian working in marketing in Sydney, to international director in Paris. Her lessons include:

1. It's all about people, no matter who or where you're leading
2. Communication styles in different cultures
3. How authenticity has helped Emilia overcome cultural barriers

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Zenith Journey website - leaders aren't born, they're trained
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Kate Peardon Linkedin

I absolutely love travelling and have been fortunate enough to visit 38 countries and counting. Currently, I'm on an exciting adventure, but this time, there's a twist – I'm travelling with my five-month-old baby, Alba. It's a whole new experience that both excites and makes me nervous. I want her to grow up exploring the world, just like me, with a passion for continuous learning.

Interestingly, being a leader and giving feedback share the same mix of scary-meets-exciting feelings. Like a nervous flyer going through airport security, the idea of giving feedback can be intimidating. You want to learn and help others grow, but the fear of the unknown can hold you back.

Yet, I firmly believe that practice makes progress. That's why I'm inviting you to join my upcoming free masterclass on "how to give feedback that doesn't suck." It's scheduled for either August 21st or 22nd, depending on your time zone. By the end of the session, you'll be equipped with the Feedback Formula and ready to have those conversations you've been longing for. You'll even witness a live feedback exchange.

Interested? You can find more details and secure your seat through the link in the show notes. Remember, giving feedback may seem scary, but it doesn't have to be. Let's learn together, and I'll help you gain the confidence to provide constructive feedback to your team.

If you'd like to see how our European trip is going, follow me on Instagram (@ZenithJourney) or on LinkedIn (Kate Peardon). Thanks for tuning in, and I'm looking forward to having you at the "Giving Feedback That Doesn't Suck" masterclass!

Links

• Free Masterclass “Giving Feedback That Doesn’t Suck”
• Leadership Mentoring
• Delegation Playbook

Connect with Me:

· Join Weekly Email: https://campus.zenithjourney.com/mailinglist

· Website: https://www.zenithjourney.com/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katepeardon/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenithjourney/

Find out your personal Leadership Style with the free quiz
Join the Mailing List - hear first when new episodes are live
Zenith Journey website - leaders aren't born, they're trained
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Kate Peardon Linkedin

Have you experienced burnout, or know some who has? Today's guest is the remarkable Liz Bradford, a seasoned leader with 20 years of diverse experience, currently serving as the Managing Director of Wholesale Banking at HSBC Asia in Hong Kong and the CEO of Transform Perform. Liz shares candidly about her defining moment in leadership, experiencing burnout not once, but 1.5 times, and the crucial lessons learned from those experiences.

Liz emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort, holding tough conversations, and building resilience, both as an individual leader and within the organizational culture. Our conversation delves into the complexities of driving large-scale transformations, where Liz highlights that 80 percent of successful change is rooted in cultural shifts rather than just technological advancements.
Our discussion covers the significance of emotional intelligence, transparency, and setting a north star for organizational success. Join us as we explore the human side of leadership, learning from Liz's journey and uncovering actionable strategies for creating resilient and inclusive organizational cultures. It was an honour to hear Liz's valuable perspectives and lessons in this engaging episode.

Guest Bio - Liz Bradford

• Transform.Perform https://www.transformperform.org/
• Book: Life is short
• Liz Bradford Linkedin

Liz Bradford has 20 years of diverse leadership experience having worked across three continents and at firms spanning HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and SWIFT. She is currently the Managing Director of Wholesale Banking at HSBC, Asia (based in Hong Kong) and the CEO of Transform Perform, a platform of coaches and workplace wellbeing and development providers to advise and support businesses building more sustainable employee propositions. Her career has ranged from product management to C-Suite roles driving operational excellence, people engagement and technology transformation across teams of 7,500+ in 14 countries, with oversight of U$bn+ P&Ls. Her passion is employee engagement wellbeing and culture, specifically nurturing healthy, inclusive cultures and tackling toxic ones.
Examples include:
- Leadership of employee resource groups representing 48,000 diverse employees across 60 markets globally
- Design and delivery of female talent development programmes across 14 markets, and
- Implementation of wellbeing challenges and programmes impacting 5,000+ a year globally.
Through Transform Perform she delivers coaching programmes and facilitation for the empowerment of employees, to develop high performing teams, and to inspire people managers to step into enterprise leadership. An ICF accredited organisational and executive coach, a qualified personal trainer and a certified wellbeing coach, Liz regularly speaks on the topics of inclusion, female leadership, wellbeing, busting burnout, stress managem

Find out your personal Leadership Style with the free quiz
Join the Mailing List - hear first when new episodes are live
Zenith Journey website - leaders aren't born, they're trained
Buy the Delegation Playbook - delegate seamlessly, for better results, without the stressZenith Journey Instagram
Kate Peardon Linkedin