The Politics of Everything

Celebrity endorsements have been part of the advertising game for decades, and over the past decade that has manifested into a plethora of social media marketing campaigns using famous folks as well as the rise of “micro-influencers” alongside the stable of paid talent promoting any number of products and services for business across the globe.

Influencer marketing has emerged as not only one of the fastest-growing ways to attract and maintain customers for a brand but also one of the most effective forms of inspiring brand loyalty. But it has to be done right. It has to be authentic and ethical – and since July 2020 there has been an Australian code of practice that affects PR agencies, talent managers, influencers, and brands.

My guest today knows firsthand the harsher realities of celebrity endorsements and says that such endorsements are not a guarantee of success for a brand – or even sales. Philip Masiello is one of the founders of CrunchGrowth Revenue Acceleration Agency, one of the fastest-growing marketing agencies in the nation. He is renowned for his e-commerce and Amazon selling expertise. He is also well-known for his entrepreneurial talent, having launched five unique international brands since the age of 25.

In addition, Phil is an investor in several interesting startups as varied as digital games, the circular recycling economy, real estate, and personal care products. In addition to providing capital, Phil uses his marketing expertise to help these startups to scale faster.

Phil tells a cautionary tale – sharing a view many brands get enamored with celebrities and think that is the key to success. But it can work against you as much as it can work for you.

1. How Phil founded a skincare line with a supermodel for one of the shopping channels but while she had credibility in the space–she had written books on the concept and was genetically blessed, this business partnership wasn’t a slam dunk.
2. In a more cynical consumer world, is there any way to ensure these endorsements can last beyond one campaign?
3. Are new regulations going to make using celebrity endorsements harder for brands to create financial value in? For example, someone getting in a celebrity one-off paid endorsement that has millions of YouTube or Instagram likes but no sales does happen.
4. Does using influencer-style paid posting take away from the authenticity?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Celebrity Endorsements?

Contact details:

W: https://philmasiello.com/ and https://getuplifted.com/)

Voice acting sounds like a pretty niche career, right? It reminds me of the radio ads I grew up with, in the 80s and 90s – the familiar voices whose faces and names I probably never would see or know. However, through my media and PR career, I have employed scores of voiceover actors to narrate videos and more recently, even be the face of a campaign and usually through connections I already had over an agency.

I'm speaking today to experienced techpreneur David Ciccarelli, the Founder, and CEO of Voices.

His business is for anyone who has been told their whole life that they have a great voice and should be on the radio, considering the exciting world of voice acting.

More than just talking, voice acting requires the ability to connect with an audience and bring a script to life, the technical capability to record, edit and export high-quality audio, and the business know-how to reply to jobs, negotiate gigs, and follow up for future work.

Income potential ranges from US$100 to $10,000 per job depending on if the work will air on broadcast television or for non-broadcast uses such as phone system recordings or internal corporate training videos.

David’s company has been written about in The New York Times, CNNMoney, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fast Company. He has appeared on Business News Network and The Globe and Mail TV. He is currently attending Harvard Business School and is a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences.

A big warmed-up voice welcome to David as we unpack The Politics of Voice Acting.

In this podcast, we chat about:

1. How has the voice acting sector changed over the years?
2. Do you need formal training to succeed and what about customized areas like accents?
3. What specific role has new technology played in enabling anyone to become a voice actor? E
4. Who was the best voice actor you ever worked with and why?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Voice Acting?

Contact details:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidciccarelli/?originalSubdomain=ca

W: https://www.voices.com/

Inheritance is kind of like anything to do with money, religion, or politics for many people. It is almost taboo when it comes to dinner party conversations or even banter among those who know and love us. It seems rather old-fashioned to me!

To tackle this topic, I am lucky to have here today Vanessa Stoykov is a financial educator and best-selling author. From her 22-year history of owning a financial services education-focused media business, Evolution Media Group, Vanessa has a deep understanding of the finance world and has the unique ability to communicate this in a way that everyday people can understand. She is also the Founder of NMP Education, an award-winning television producer, and an author.

Recent research commissioned by Vanessa reveals that 74% of Australians believe you should be having conversations with family members about inheritance before the person passes away, but only half actually have. The main reason behind why people haven’t, even though they want to, is because they aren’t sure about how to approach the “touchy subject”. They keep putting it off because they aren’t sure about the response they will receive.

In the next 15 years, it’s estimated that the average Australian could receive $320,000 in inheritance[1]. This $3.5 trillion wealth transfer between one generation to the next is being dubbed ‘the economic tsunami’, and it highlights the enormous impact inheritance will have both to the country’s economy as well as people’s day-to-day lives. Interestingly, the data also highlighted that almost half of respondents (48%) believed having these conversations before it’s too late will lead to less conflict amongst beneficiaries after their loved one’s passing, which is a key driver behind why so many people think it’s important. An overwhelming majority (74%) believe it’s up to the person leaving the inheritance to instigate the conversation when and if they choose to do it.

In this episode, Vanessa and I discuss:

1. Why do you think people expect an inheritance to be theirs because of bloodlines or marriage? Does this a historical reference?
2. What is your take on the idea that inheritance can be planned differently – such as giving it all away for a philanthropic legacy or giving it well before you pass away?
3. What mistakes do many people make when it comes to receiving an inheritance no matter their age or financial status? E.g., https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/newsletters/2017/apr/avoid-inheritance-mistakes.html
4. Do will disputes often cost more than their worth in legal fees etc? How can that be avoided?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Inheritance?

Contact details:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-stoykov/

W: https://vanessastoykov.com.au/

[1] https://www.nmpeducation.com.au/opinions/reinvention-new-retirement-sizzler/

Cyber risk is a critical concept that many in the business and government worlds have to deal with on a regular basis, especially in a hyper-connected online world that covers everything from banking to medical records . Claire Pales is the bestselling author of “The Secure CIO” and Director of 27 Lanterns, a consulting company committed to helping organisations create and sustain effective information and cyber security teams. For more than 15 years, Claire gained experience establishing teams and leading award-winning security strategies throughout Australia and Asia. Here she is explaining more about The Politics of Cyber Risk.

In this podcast you can learn:

1. How can businesses become more cyber secure when the hackers keep getting faster and more invasive it seems?
2. What has been some of the biggest challenges you have experienced over the years in your sector?
3. A rising cyber risk problem that many businesses encounter in the current business climate is that it is not just theircyber security practices that they have to worry about: they also have to worry about the cyber security protocols of other businesses they work with. How can that best be managed?
4. Hacking into elections became global news in the wake of the 2016 Presidential election. Why has that become such an attractive option for international forces, and how can we prevent it?

To connect with Claire:

W: http://www.27lanterns.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-pales-58560a22

Amplify your ideas and get a bit political with me! To be a future podcast guest or connect with me, I can be found at: [email protected]

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If I said I’d like to give you some feedback, how do you immediately react inside? Welcoming? Hostile? Something more nuanced? That is today’s podcast topic and I have to be honest; I have had to get better at both giving and accepting feedback from others over many years in workplaces and personally. It can be hard at times especially when it's not good! Sue Anderson is obsessed with what she calls “feedback fitness” and she is my guest on this episode. Sue has worked across many industries including with Leaders in government, education and training, manufacturing, mining, electricity, gas, water and waste services, transport, healthcare and finance. Sue has developed the world-leading and unique Feedback Fitness framework that provides a step-by-step structure to ensure feedback conversations promote psychological safety. Sue also provides mental skills coaching for elite athletes and is a qualified Mediator. In her spare time, she is a runner – and says we should also mention her husband and 3 kids. Hear from Sue on:

1. How do you define feedback?

2. Is feedback more than some words and a scorecard? Paint us a picture of the variety or types of feedback common now in businesses you work with.

3. What are the best ways leaders can learn to be more confident and courageous in their conversations with staff that improve performance at work, and not bulldoze through this because that is also not ideal?

4. How do you view 360 feedback – is it always necessary and helpful for workplaces?

5. If we have legacy cultural issues, or toxic team members who may be there for years and/or be our “top performers” is that feedback process likely to be different? How?.

6. How can feedback become more about shared success vs a tick-and-flick HR exercise that can leave people in organisations feeling deflated, cornered or not valued even if they may be meeting their KPIs overall?

7. Takeaway: What is your final message for us on The Politics of Feedback?

Connect further:

https://www.sue-anderson.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueandersongood2gr8/

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