SPEAK LIKE A CEO

We are all familiar with the terms IQ and EQ. CQ on the other hand may be a new concept. It refers to cultural intelligence - in other words, the ability to cross bridges and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. In particular for leaders working in international teams, cultural awareness and understanding is a key factor for success. Someone who knows this all too well is polyglot and former investment banker Michael Shangkuan. As the CEO of language learning platform Lingoda, he’s on a mission to break down cultural barriers. His belief: that CQ and foreign languages go hand in hand. Michael became CEO of the company in 2018. His team of 20 at the time has now grown to more than 140 - representing 42 nationalities - and has helped tens of thousands of people to not only learn, but to truly master a foreign language. Want to hear more about how this international team helps to make languages more accessible? Check out the latest episode of Speak Like a CEO where Oliver and Lena will be chatting to Michael about: 🗣 Why cultural understanding is crucial for meaningful communication 📤 Building a management style as an externally recruited CEO 📈 The secret to outstanding change communication within a business 💡 How COVID has accelerated innovation in the ed-tech sector ______________ Are you passionate about a topic that you want to make heard more strongly? A good way is to start is by building your personal brand. Become Unignorable and check out Olivers book offer including 4 bonuses to set you up for success at www.oliveraust.com/unignorable

Every year more than 100 billion garments are produced globally. But more than 85% of all material used for clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators. And it’s no secret that producing waste at this rate is damaging the planet beyond repair. So what’s the solution to this pressing issue? Among the ventures tackling this question is Berlin-based startup Kleiderly, launched by chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, Alina Bassi. She’s a Google for Startups Female Founder alumni and in 2020 joined the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2020 in the Manufacturing and Industry categor. Alina is convinced that everyone has a purpose - and for her, this is making the world more sustainable through innovation. With cutting edge technology she and her team work to reduce textile waste by creating a circular economy. Discarded clothes are given a new lease of life as sustainable plastic, being repurposed as clothes hangers, security tags and even furniture. In this episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver and Lena are joined by Alina to talk all things sustainability, innovation, and communication. You’ll hear more about: Alina’s tips on finding professional and personal purpose, and the impact this can have on business strategy Communicating effectively to help people understand the motivation behind your business How building a dependable network of mentors and founders helped Alina to scale Kleiderly The biggest differences between the UK and German startup scene Sounds interesting? Tune in now. __________________ Are you passionate about a topic that you want to make heard more strongly. A good way is to start is by building your personal brand. Become Unignorable and check out Olivers book offer including 4 bonuses to set you up for success at www.oliveraust.com/unignorable

In early 2020 Urban Sports Club was on track to reach Unicorn status. They were making new hires every week, smashing sales targets, and gaining great media coverage. Then COVID struck. Suddenly everything the team had worked for was on the line. The Berlin-based company offers Europe’s largest flat-rate sports membership; but with gyms and studios shuttered across the continent and people forced to stay home, their business model simply wasn’t viable. USC needed a rapid change of direction. And this had to be communicated to partners, customers, and more than 500 international employees. In this episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver and Lena are joined by Benjamin Roth, Co-Founder and CEO of USC. They’ll be chatting about learnings from the last 11 months and the challenges posed by such a drastic pivot. Have a listen to find out more about: ●  Making and communicating crucial decisions when against the clock ●  Dealing with and responding to critical media coverage during a crisis ●  Why clarity and transparency are key for exceptional CEO communications ●  How great storytelling can help inform customers and build brand loyalty Tune into the episode now. ------------------------------------- Build your personal brand and boost your business in 30-days by getting UNIGNORABLE, Olivers new book including 4 free-bonuses for the special price of 4,99€ today: https://www.oliveraust.com/unignorable

Women make up 50% of the global population. Yet they don’t own half the wealth. Of course, there’s no such thing as ‘male money’ and ‘female money’. So why is this inequality present? It’s this question that fintech entrepreneur Andrea Fernandez is concerned with. She’s the founder of Alice, an app at the ‘intersection of consumer fintech and femtech’. In this episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver and Lena talk to Andrea about changing women’s lives by inspiring financial confidence and awareness. They cover: ●      How to change mindsets around money ●      Why financial education should start early, and at home ●      Communicating complex concepts in an easy to understand way ●      The challenges posed by business communications in multilingual markets   Tune into the episode now. ------------------------------------- Build your personal brand and boost your business in 30-days by getting UNIGNORABLE, Olivers new book including 4 free-bonuses for the special price of 4,99€ today: https://www.oliveraust.com/unignorable

Without a strong personal brand you simply won’t stand out online. Quality content is what will get you noticed and elevate you above the noise. From CEOs to students, a personal brand is the key to gaining visibility and in turn attracting the opportunities you deserve. There’s just one problem. To build your brand you need to invest time and effort. So, what’s the best way to tackle this challenge efficiently and get the best results? In this special episode recorded for the International Association of Business Communicators, Oliver is joined by fellow personal branding expert Fady Ramzy and communications professional Monique Zytnik. Drawing on a combined 30+ years of communications experience, they discuss: ●  Why visibility is the key to uncovering opportunity ●  The myth of social media being a ‘free’ tool ●  How to know whether your personal brand is actually working Forget theoretical discussion. This episode is jam packed with tactical and strategic advice and insights which will benefit both seasoned professionals and personal branding newcomers. ---------- Build your personal brand and boost your business in 30-days by getting UNIGNORABLE, Olivers new book including 4 free-bonuses for the special price of 4,99€ today: https://www.oliveraust.com/unignorable

Passion is not enough to do well in business. To be truly successful, you have to be obsessed with what you’re doing. It’s this mentality which helped co-founder and CEO of Nutrafol, Giorgos Tsetis, grow his hair-wellness company into a worldwide success. With a difficult marketplace to contend with, he realised early on that building brand credibility was essential for survival. Tackling customer scepticism was the key to catapulting the brand to success. In this episode of Speak Like a CEO, Giorgos draws on more than a decade of entrepreneurial experience, sharing his top tips for: 📝 Mastering concise messaging, both internally and with customers 🤔 Communicating to combat sceptecism around your brand 👨‍👨‍👦‍👦 Reaching 100,000 social media followers through organic growth 🌎 Founding a business which leaves a lasting positive impact on the world Giorgos’ interview with Oliver and Lena is available to stream NOW.

Personal branding for CEOs: fad or must-have? This is a question which CEOs and their communications teams are increasingly looking to address. Perception now matters more than performance for CEOs, according to a 2014 study by management consultancy Roland Berger. So the debate is no longer whether CEOs need to invest in their reputation, but what the best way is to achieve this moving forwards. Why does personal branding work for CEOs? Personal branding for CEOs is no longer a vanity project. It is essential to the success of the company and its perception internally and externally. Here’s why: -  There is a battle for attention. Traditional CEO communications is increasingly ineffective. It just doesn’t stand out enough when competing against dwindling attention spans. -  Perceptions are now formed online. CEOs with an authentic, personal presence benefit from this. -  Studies show that highly visible CEOs boost their businesses because they build trust. -  Millennials are attracted by purpose-driven or mission-driven brands. That mission starts with the CEO. Want to know how to make it happen? Tune into the episode with Lena and Oliver,  where they discuss this new trend.

Only 2% of us reach our full potential at work and in our private lives. That’s according to Eric Partaker, CEO of the Year winner who helped to build Skype and co-founded the award-winning Mexican restaurant chain Chilango. Suffering from a heart attack at 30,000 feet, Eric learnt the hard way how to balance work, family and health while pursuing his dreams and building successful businesses. On this week’s episode, Eric, who was a guest judge on The Apprentice and has appeared on numerous other TV shows: - Reveals his formula for how YOU can join the "2% Club”. - Talks about his new book "The 3 Alarms“. - Describes his tactics to get featured on TV. - Shares his learnings from building multi-billion dollar, award-winning businesses. *** Kick off your personal branding journey with Oliver  "The Unignorable Course"  2 modules a week  Personal Branding workbook  Weekly tips & strategies To build a profitable reputation that you love and that boosts your business in 30 days. https://www.oliveraust.com/about-the-virtual-membership

Today Oliver and Lena chat with Aimie-Sarah Carstensen, Founder of Art-Night, that provides offline events bringing people together to paint, craft or bake. This years shift to digital online connection has been a stretch. Aimie talks about the clear and caring communication needed, as well as how she spread the word going from zero to 30.000 participants in 5 countries. Get insights into unusual PR tactics, like Dating shows and the different drinking cultures across Europe.

Christian Kroll, the CEO of Ecosia, champions a search engine that plants trees instead of maximizing profit. He discusses how CEOs should aim for positive global impact and the importance of mission-driven practices. Kroll shares insights on the challenges of launching a unique eco-focused business, aiming to plant 1 billion trees, and navigating leadership in a growing organization. He also delves into balancing competitive salaries with purpose, emphasizing mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs.