Calling Operator with Laura Nicol Ep 30. Emily Robinson on Scaling with Purpose: From Leading People and Culture at Linktree to Driving Growth as GM at Kic
Emily's an incredible people and operations leader who is passionate about doing things differently. Her latest project is Kic, a fitness app quashing diet culture—founded by Laura Henshaw and Steph Claire Smith. In this episode, we explore her journey from corporate to startup land; leading inside a unicorn to a bootstrapped company with year-on-year growth. There were so many, but highlights include: Balancing anxiety and mental health around leadership and the techniques that have defined Emily. Scaling from employee #90 at Linktree to leading a 20-person people and culture team through rapid growth. Reshaping Kic's strategy from product-led to a community and content-led fitness empire. Why community-led brands will win and how to embed a community-first mindset into your company planning. How mentors and coaches can 10x your personal and career growth.
Find Emily Robinson on:
Emily’s Northstars and frameworks:
ANZ operators—ones to watch:
- Maxine Minter, General Partner at Co Ventures, Founder and Advisor at Co Lab
- Mikayla Hopkins, Head of Marketing at Tracksuit
Other folks mentioned in the episode:
- Laura Henshaw (CEO and co-founder at Kic)
- Steph Claire Smith (Chief Community Officer and co-founder at Kic)
- Isa Notermans (Chief People Officer)
- Anth Zaccaria (Co-founder of Linktree)
- Alex Zaccaria (CEO and co-founder of Linktree)
- Jessica Trumble (CEO & Founder at We Are Charlotte)
- Michael Stocks (Head of Marketing, Asia Pacific at Squarespace)
- Do I want Kids? Miniseries with Laura Henshaw
- Co Lab (Matching high-growth founders with executive coaches)
- Simon Sinek
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
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