163: The Politics of Salons - Tenille Lawrence
The Politics of Everything
A warning that is episode mentions some themes that may not be suitable for all listeners. If you’re in Australia and experiencing domestic violence or need to speak to a counsellor, please contact 1800 737 732. As the winner of AHIA’s Australia's Best Eco Salon in 2020 & 2021, sustainability and low-tox living is a huge passion for Tenille Lawrence. She is a multi-award-winning hair stylist that has been fortunate enough to travel the world as a global hair educator for over 15 years. While spending years styling hair at runway shows, fashion week events, and magazine...
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162: The Politics of Global Mentors - Sahera Sumar
The Politics of Everything
Mentoring can change your life and your career if done right. One of my standard guest questions asks who their #1 mentor has been and their impact. Most of my formal mentors have been local, as in the same city or at least country ad global mentorship has been limited perhaps by staid ideas of commonality, access and relevance in decades gone by. Today I chat to Sahera Sumar, the Founder of a social enterprise (profit for purpose) called Worldwide SHEroes or WWS. It focuses on leadership capacity building, by empowering women of diversity and disadvantage to rise to their leadership...
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161: The Politics of Customer Feedback - Winston Tu
The Politics of Everything
Customer service is everything for most businesses that last the distance. Our customer loyalty to a brand or business leader can be shaped by our experiences every day and sometimes our feedback is heard, noted, and more importantly positively acted upon, and sometimes, well it is not and the results can mean the end of the road for that business if that is a recurrent theme. After all there is always another airline to fly, another makeup brand to use or another car we COULD buy. My guest today is Winston Tu, the Founder and CEO of Luxo Living, Australia’s leading online boutique furniture...
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160: The Politics of Shyness - Kaley Chu
The Politics of Everything
Shyness is something we rarely talk about let alone elevate in our loud, often brash, TikTok-fuelled all singing and dancing world. Meet Melbourne-based Kaley Chu, the founder of 100 Lunches with Strangers, a movement she founded off the back of her best-selling book of the same name where Kaley shared her journey from a shy immigrant to a confident TEDx Speaker in just 2 years by getting out of her comfort zone and arranging 100 lunches with complete strangers. When COVID hit she turned virtual and has arranged over 350 lunches with strangers (ranging from CEOs, billionaires and even...
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159: The Politics of Workplace Wellbeing - Sally McGrath
The Politics of Everything
Workplace wellbeing matters more than ever, as people from all sectors are making health-led decisions that are more valuable perhaps than power, money and status. Having experienced her own life-changing burnout, Sally describes herself as a Burnout Survivor now Thriver, her own journey to recovery inspired her health coaching practice, Health that Heals. Sally McGrath has not one experience with burnout but three. She beat each round and remains so far. Sally has a lifelong passion for health and wellbeing and has guided and supported individuals and teams to treat burnout and...
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158: The Politics of Comfort Zones - Tel K. Ganesan
The Politics of Everything
Tel K. Ganesan is a self-made serial entrepreneur, engaging public speaker, philanthropist, mentor, film producer, and world traveller with a globally recognized reputation across multiple industries. He currently serves as Founder/CEO of multiple thriving enterprises, including Kyyba, Inc. - a Michigan-headquartered global IT company with over 700 employees and millions in annual revenue - Kyyba Films, Kyyba Wellness, Kyyba Innovations, Kyyba Fashions, and Kyyba Music. Infectious enthusiasm and courageous determination power his drive to do what others are afraid to do as he blazes a trail...
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157: The NEW Politics of Flyer Points - Steve Hui
The Politics of Everything
Steve Hui was one of my early guests on this podcast back in 2018. How our experience of business, life, and travel has changed in four years. I wanted to invite Steve back as a refresher of how our experience as a society has evolved, for better or worse maybe, in a world battered by Covid19 and all the border closure pain that has plagued the airline sector. Airlines are posting record losses as we enter year three of the pandemic but also, lost experienced staff due to layoffs and restructures. Many of us just want to fly and not expect extensive airport delays or endless flight changes to...
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156: The Politics of Sustainable Architecture - Ninotschka Titchkosky
The Politics of Everything
Sustainable architecture is also referred to as green architecture or environmental architecture. It challenges architects to produce smart designs and use available technologies to ensure that structures generate minimal harmful effects to the ecosystem and the communities. And with a world in the midst of climate change emergency, it has a big role to play. However, it no doubt has it challenges such as cost and accessibility. To find out I am speaking to Ninotschka Titchkosky, an architect who has more than 25 years' experience leading major architectural projects, and developing...
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155: The Politics of Comebacks - Sean Castrina
The Politics of Everything
JUST A LISTENER WARNING THIS EPISODE CONTAINS REFERENCES TO DRUG ADDICTION AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES. Everyone loves a comeback story. From the late Steve Jobs being fired from Apple the company he started and then returned and then launching iconic products like the iPhone to basketball GOAT Michael Jordan coming out of retirement to lead the Chicago Bulls to championship glory not once but three times. There is something magical, inspirational, and remarkable about any underdog coming from behind to knock down Goliath and become an icon. My guest today has the...
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154: The Politics of Menopause - Alison Brahe-Daddo
The Politics of Everything
Anyone of my vintage growing up in the 80s and 90s knows my guest today, Alison Brahe. As a teen who wanted a career in journalism, I consumed magazines like oxygen. Alison was the epitome a Dolly magazine cover girl everyone wanted to be. Even as I posted on my socials, I was speaking to Alison today childhood friends instantly messaged me in excitement and gushing recollections of how much they recall loving Alison Brahe. She was fresh faced and golden skinned with a naturally beautiful smile. Alison was as well-known as Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson and was on covers...
info_outlineIn current times, with all the challenges of a global pandemic and what that means for us as we navigate work, family, isolation, sickness and sanity (and in lockdown for some of us), the notion of kindness must be an anecdote for some of that which we struggle with.
I am speaking today to Hugh Mackay, a highly regarded social psychologist and researcher, and the bestselling author of 22 books, including eight novels. His latest book, The Kindness Revolution, was published in 2021.
He has had a 60-year career in social research and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for over 25 years. He is currently an honorary professor in the Research School of Psychology at ANU, and a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre. Among other honorary appointments, he has been deputy chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board and an honorary professor at Macquarie, Wollongong and Charles Sturt universities.
Hugh is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Society of NSW. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie, NSW, Western Sydney and Wollongong universities. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015.
We talk today about kindness!
In this episode, you can hear from Hugh on:
- His new book The Kindness Revolution – how did that book come to be and what can we expect to learn when we read it?
- What makes someone kinder? Is it through experiencing it from others and in a non-transactional way or are some of us born kinder naturally?
- Food is a popular way to show kindness, with a recent study showing almost four in five (78 per cent) believing that sharing a meal with friends and family is a powerful way to display kindness. Meanwhile two thirds (62 per cent) of Aussies believe that helping our neighbours is something we should do more of. In your observations, do close-knit regional communities vs urban dwellers where we can share an apartment block and not ever know our neighbours?
- Are Australians known to be kinder than other countries perhaps?
- Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us today on The Politics of Kindness?
To connect with Hugh:
Email: Dr. Hugh Mackay | ANU Research School of Psychology