EO Melbourne events during the first half of 2020-2021

It is halfway through the 2020-2021 term, and amidst all the challenges of lockdown and other restrictions, EO Melbourne has endeavoured to provide various avenues for its community of entrepreneurs, as well as their families, to grow in their journey.

Despite events taking place virtually, it didn’t stop the chapter from coming up with interesting, informational and enjoyable activities that are beneficial to its members. Here are some of the online events that have happened for the last six months.

Have you ever wanted to chat with a real-life hacker?

Due to restrictions on physical movements to contain the spread of COVID-19, more and more activities and transactions have moved from the physical space into the virtual space. As online transactions flourish and become more widespread, the threat to cybersecurity and privacy also becomes more prevalent.

Small and medium enterprises are not exempt from such risks and probable attacks. Concerns like these are what Adam Bennett and his team in Red Piranha are trying to address. They are white hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, who are the good guys that break into computers and devices to test an organisation’s defence against the bad guys.

3 Valuable Traits for Leading People

Being a leader often requires one to wear several hats, portray different roles and attend to so many responsibilities. Having the right skills and qualities can help leaders to lead their team towards their goals. Johann Odou, Founder and Director of Vumero and Executive Director of Sports Tech World Series shares the three most valuable traits he believes are needed in leading people successfully.

Partners in advancing entrepreneurs and their businesses

One of the benefits of being a member of EO is having access to the products and services of its Strategic Alliance Partners and being able to learn from them. As many businesses are struggling to get back on track due to the global pandemic, EO Melbourne and its partners provided virtual events to support those in the EO community during these challenging times.

President's Update - November

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

Finally, we’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

Businesses are opening up again. We’re able to socialise and connect in the flesh.

It feels like a huge weight has been lifted, doesn’t it?

It’s because humans are social creatures. We seek belonging and we seek understanding.

And it’s why we’ve all been pulled to join EO and be part of this community.

Three Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur

Effective business leaders are those who can steer their companies and teams towards the road to success. As the path may often be filled with potholes and uphill climbs, it is advantageous if those who drive their organisations forward possess the right values and characteristics that can help them reach their goals successfully at the least possible time.

Jacob Spencer, Owner and Managing Director of Mobile Skips, cites the various virtues that he finds useful when leading a team. Among them, he names three qualities – persistence, patience and resilience – as the most significant in shaping him to become who he is today. He shared, “There are many, many traits and attributes that have helped me on my journey as a business leader. On reflection, I believe these three have been the most important and have had the biggest impact on me.”

Lessons learned from launching a VC-backed startup during a pandemic

Raising capital for a new venture can be quite daunting at this time when a global crisis has affected many lives, including businesses, markets and economies. The present situation may be quite disheartening for those who want to take their first step into their entrepreneurial journey or those with businesses who want to open a startup.

However, there may be a spark of hope as CloudOlive Co-Founder and Co-CEO Adam Ross shared, through a virtual event with EO Melbourne, his valuable experience and the lessons he learned from launching a Venture Capital-backed startup during a pandemic. Adam is now pitching for round 2 of raising capital, using the lessons he learned from round 1.

Persistence and dedication to business: the difference between success and failure

“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Gary Player

This inspiring quote from golf legend Gary Player has taught Canopy Fitouts Managing Director Karl Simity about the need to work hard to be able to succeed in one’s endeavours. “Creating space that is perfectly fit for the user is what drives me. Sometimes there can be multiple roadblocks to creating a space that suits. However, finding the perfect solution is what I pride myself on,” he declared.

Learning from the experts: Readjusting to Life after Lockdown

Melbourne has endured one of the strictest and longest lockdowns in the world with stage 4 restrictions imposed since early August. There have been huge impacts on businesses, personal lives, and people’s general mental well-being. As restrictions have started to ease, the chapter turned to experts Joe Pane and Katerina Papamarkou to know how to readjust to life after lockdown.

How to brainstorm effectively

Ideas are necessary for every business, whether it’s for product development, administrative matters, management or marketing. Having a safe environment and doing healthy exercises can cultivate concepts into creative outputs are significant to a business venture.

Brainstorming is one way to collect, bring together, sift through and improve on all the creative thoughts our team members may have. The question is: how do we do it efficiently? Premier Technology Solutions Pty Ltd CEO Matthew Beesley shares with us his experience and tips on how to conduct brainstorming effectively.

Diversity and Inclusion: how do we make it become part of our corporate culture?

EO Melbourne has been into the topic and some members have shared their thoughts and tips through the article “We asked the question: As an entrepreneur, how do you practice diversity and inclusion in the workplace?” This time, the chapter invited Dr Emma Fulu, Founder and Director of The Equality Institute, and Hannah Kassay, a refugee who came to Australia 17 years ago from Eritrea, to shed more light on this issue as they shared their experiences and thoughts on how we, as a society, can do better.

Applying a childhood lesson to the entrepreneurial journey

Entrepreneurial insights flourish from experiences, resources, education and learning events. Yet, some of the lessons that business owners now carry in their entrepreneurial journeys may often be traced from childhood. Some develop their skills and knack for business since their early years, whether it’s through their family or their self-learning.

Founder and Director of Graman Advisory and Executive Director of Clark Rubber Graeme Goldman looks back to his early years and realised the gem of lessons he got during those times.

The entrepreneurial journey of Datto’s Austin McChord

Reading about the life journey and insights of successful entrepreneurs is inspiring and educational. But there’s a different kind of learning experience that you get when you hear their stories firsthand and have the opportunity to ask them questions that have been lingering in your mind. Such was the opportunity that EO Melbourne has presented to its members and community when it held a virtual event with Austin McChord, the Founder of Datto.

President's Update - October

From the President

Dear EO Melbourne,

As we roll into the last quarter of 2020, these last few months can easily become a haze. In a blink of an eye, we’ll be welcoming a brand new year.

So how do we become more intentional about how we end the year? How do we muster up the motivation to make it truly memorable?

Here’s a start, ask yourself this question: “What are you most proud of this year?”

Working with a BPO during a pandemic

As economies have become more globalised and boundaries among markets have become more flexible, business process outsourcing (BPO) began to rise where call centres, customer service and other jobs are performed offshore. And with the recent health crisis, countries were forced to close borders, many activities were moved online, and businesses have come to rely on BPOs to keep their operations going.

But how is it to work with a team from a different location than yours? Guy Olian, Founder and CEO at Energy Ease and Smart Ease, share his experience working with BPOs during the pandemic and how such an arrangement can be taken into consideration by businesses in the post-COVID era.

The Coronavirus Disruption Project: a webinar with Jeffrey Cole

Jeffrey Cole, Director of the Center for the Digital Future in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, recently held a webinar with EO Melbourne on The Coronavirus Disruption Project and shared the findings of this study, which provided insights that help better understand the people around us, such as our family, friends, staff members, clients and customers, who go through similar life experiences, anxieties and coping mechanisms.

Leading with Hope

One’s success in business or organisation can be attributed to various factors, the primary of which includes leadership, particularly when it faces several challenges, such as a global pandemic that is affecting lives and economies.

Which is why this year’s theme of EO Melbourne – “Lead with Hope” – is very relevant and timely to the present situation. As business owners, the chapter members are also leaders in their respective fields and companies that need to bring their teams towards their goals despite stormy weather.

EO Melbourne President (2020-2021) and League of Extraordinary Women CEO and Co-Founder Sheryl Thai and Absolute Immigration Global Immigration Leader Jamie Lingham share their insights on leadership, their experiences and style of leading, and how they become a guiding light to the people they lead.

What are the 3 most important items on an entrepreneurs’ desk

by: Bernie Fernandez

With considerable surprise, I receive the email from EO Melbourne. I am being invited to write a blog as a subject matter expert. Painful anxiety mixed with disdain rises as I read the subject “What are the 3 most important items on an entrepreneurs’ desk”. I hate it.

This idea, however, stumbles into my head days later as I hear the quote below from the book, You Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

“In a society where mediocrity is too often the standard and too often rewarded, there is intense fascination with those who detest mediocrity, who refuse to define themselves in conventional terms, and who seek to transcend traditionally recognised human capabilities.” – Navy Seal Commander

The importance of mentorship in the entrepreneurial journey

The entrepreneurial path can be quite daunting for those who are contemplating to take it. But even when you’re already in the journey, there are times when the ride can be tough and you seem to be lost midway due to the pressures coming from various directions. Having a guide, someone that has been through this before, to point the way can help ease the anxiety of not knowing what lies ahead and can even be instrumental in accelerating things. This is where mentors come beneficial to one’s entrepreneurial journey.

Entrepreneurs Damian Blumenkranc, Co-Founder of Creativa, Attento, and Just Click Videos, among others, and Benjamin Trinh, Founder and Managing Director of Life Ready Health Group share that having mentors have helped them in the success of their endeavours. Apart from being on the receiving end as mentees, both have also become mentors to other entrepreneurs, helping others in their businesses as well.