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Ten questions in ten minutes
With Blacksmith
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
Blacksmith is a consulting team (Kate Billing & Paul Leacock)
giving businesses the talent and tools they need to transform their culture, customer relationships and overall performance ... for good. They're all about creating awesome employment experiences, WOW customer moments and exceptional business results.
Kate Billing.
Business to Business
- What inspired you to start up your business?
Kate Billing
- The desire to create a greater change in the world than I felt was possible whilst I was sitting in one job, in one organisation. Continuing in a series of jobs felt like I was, in all honesty, most likely to become part of the problem rather than the solution. A little bit of distance on a business or situation gives you the ability to offer a different perspective and view point to those that are inside.
BtoB
- Who has influenced you the most professionally?
KB
- My parents. When I was growing up they provided stellar examples of the dedication and commitment required to be a service professional and run your own business. They worked together successfully (most of the time!) balancing the demands of life - home, kids, work and relationship. My first job out of varsity was in their business. My father called it a ‘Caesar’s Wife’ situation where more was expected of me than of anyone else and I had to deliver above and beyond because I was their daughter. Lessons I’ve carried me with ever since.
BtoB
- How would you describe yourself as a businessperson?
KB
- Energised, creative, professional, challenging, compassionate and fun. Life’s too short to take yourself too seriously! There are of course the not so flash bits but you just want the good bits, don’t you??
BtoB
- What do you consider your greatest achievement?
KB
- Successfully creating a strong and honest relationship with myself that unlocked my creative and performance power. Because of this I am able to be that for and with my clients – seeing the huge potential within them, their people and their business and working with them to unlock it. I’ve walked that mile myself, as an individual and business person. I don’t have the answers for their business, only they do, but I have the tools for those to discover nuggets of gold by engaging the creative and performance power of every person in their team.
BtoB
- With hindsight, what is the one thing you would do differently?
KB
- Take a gap year or two before starting university. I could have done with a dose of the world at the age of 17 rather than yet more schooling. Having said that, if I’d done anything differently I might have ended up in a different place now and I wouldn’t change my life for anything!
Paul Leacock.
BtoB
- Who do you find inspirational and why?
KB
- Paul Stewart and Leah Fisher, the founding partners of ON-Brand Partners and creators of the TakeON! tools. They have immense talent, and energy and encouragement for those around them. We’ve become their New Zealand business partner for TakeON! and I am constantly inspired by their vision, tenacity and kindness. They’ve built a magic business and are taking it to the world!
BtoB
- What is the most inspirational book you have read recently?
KB
- ‘Delivering Happiness – A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose’ by Tony Hsieh (pronounced ‘Shay’). He’s the CEO of www.zappos.com, an uber successful business and one of the top 25 companies to work for in the world. Tony is an inspiration, his company is amazing (sold last year to Amazon for US$1.2b) and the lessons he gives can be applied in ANY business anywhere. I had access to an advance reading copy but it’ll be in publication soon and I strongly recommend that you read it.
BtoB
- What is your favourite website and why?
KB
- www.ted.com – an endless source of inspiration, information and ideas.
BtoB
-What is the first thing you would do if you became Prime Minister?
KB
- Work with the relevant people, regardless of political affiliation, social position or background, to create a unified purpose and vision for New Zealand that would drive strategy, policy and action for the future, regardless of what party is in power. We don’t have a vision that everyone in this country knows about, is inspired by and can be proud of; one that guides our beliefs and decision making. We lose momentum with the constant shifts in power and agenda. It works for organisations, why not a country!
BtoB
- What is the best thing about being in business?
KB
- The responsibility. May sound like a weird one but I believe it’s really simple. Every day it’s ALL up to you. You can’t bitch and moan about your boss or your pay or your work environment because YOU are the one creating it, for yourself and the people who choose to work with you. It’s awesome! My advice is don’t start a business if you think it’s going to be a cushy ride and the easy life with long lunches and gentleman’s hours – far from it. It’s all up to you, and you get to make it whatever you want. Eventually the benefits come but it takes blood, sweat and tears to get there. Check your risk aversion and blame shifting attitude at the door!
