How I Work

Do you have Zoom fatigue? What if you could cut your meetings down by 50%?Gitlab’s head of Remote, Darren Murph, believes time spent face-to-face is precious and should be reserved for informal communication and team bonding. So he’s created a four-step barrier to scheduling a meeting that means only the most important meetings make it onto his calendar. By preferencing documentation over meetings Murph has made his virtual meetings dramatically more effective. You can find the full interview here: GitLab’s Head of Remote, Darren Murph, on how to create corporate culture when no one works from the office CREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound engineer: Martin ImberIf you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.coVisit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 15, 2020 Ben Shewry woke up knowing his business was going to collapse. It was his birthday and also the worst day of his life. Melbourne was going into lockdown, forcing him to close the doors of his restaurant Attica, and to cancel thousands of bookings for his $300 a head tasting menu. But instead of giving up, Shewry decided to make a commitment to his 40 full-time staff to keep going. Now, not only is Attica still open, but Ben is about to open another restaurant in the Yarra Valley, Attica Summer Camp. How did Shewry use the chaos of 2020 to feed his creativity? How has his commitment to a fun working environment and a positive attitude kept his team afloat? Ben sees problems as the definition of business and likes to deal with them as they come, with positivity.  Shewry also shares his tips to help you turn every meal at home into a great one, from selecting the best ingredients to cook with, knife tips, and how to make amazing eggs. Ben’s favourite cookbooks: Anything by Fergus Henderson  Stephanie Alexander  Maggie Beer  Neil Perry  Adam Liaw  Ben’s favourite kitchen products: Gippsland jersey butter 20cm All-Clad Copper Core Fry Pan Victorinox knives  Links to Ben’s Restaurants:  Attica Attica Summer Camp Instagram: @benshewry and @atticamelbourne and @atticasummercamp  Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co   CREDITS Produced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction support from Deadset StudiosEpisode producer: Jenna KodaSound engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you want more time for creative and strategic work? Inventium’s CEO Michelle Le Poidevin says removing the idea of ‘managers’ from a team structure is one of the best things she’s done for the company.  When looking into the holacracy structure, Michelle realised the most senior people in the company were spending most of their time managing people, instead of doing the work that really mattered.  By changing the work culture and building a founder-like mindset, her staff were able to focus more on mastery of their role, and were able to have more fulfillment in the long term. You can find the full interview here: Inventium’s CEO Michelle Le Poidevin on our secret weapon for recruitment, being a remote CEO, and working a four day weekConnect with Mish on Linkedin and at inventium.com.auSubscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.coVisit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever felt like an imposter?  Of course you have! Because 82% of people have experienced it at some point. Imposter syndrome is the persistent thought we are undeserving of our achievements. People fear they might be ‘found out’ or that they ‘don’t know what they are doing’.  How can you rethink or reframe these thoughts so they don’t have so much power over you? How I Work guests share their experiences with feeling like an imposter and how to use it to your advantage.  Envato co-Founder Cyan Ta’eed says asking questions can help you be the smartest person in the room.  Head of Research and Development at Atlassian Dom Price has learned to use imposter syndrome to his advantage by embracing feedback to stay motivated.  Abbi Jacobson, co-creator and writer of critically-acclaimed Comedy Central show Broad City, harnesses her nerves to keep her grounded.  Wendy Stops sits on some of the highest profile boards in Australia including CommBank and Coles Group. She explains how sticking through the toughest of times can teach you the most.   Listen to the full episodes:Cyan Ta’eed - https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/envato-co-founder-cyan-taeed-on-spending-just-15-minutes-a-day-on-her-phone/  Dom Price - https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/atlassians-dom-price-on-how-he-uses-imposter-syndrome-to-his-advantage/  Abbi Jacobson - https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/broad-citys-abbi-jacobson-on-productive-procrastination-imposter-syndrome-and-how-a-dog-changed-her-headspace/  Wendy Stops - https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcasts/commbank-board-director-wendy-stops-on-the-biggest-challenges-of-sitting-on-high-profile-boards/  Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co  CREDITS Produced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction Support from Deadset StudiosSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My favourite tip from my chat with tech journalist Peter Wells was on how anyone can use software to automate their job.You can find the full interview here: Tech journalist Peter Wells on how to automate your jobConnect with Peter: Twittercom/peterwells Meta podcast The Helpdesk podcast Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.coVisit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With just $12,000 borrowed from her boyfriend’s father, Adore Beauty founder Kate Morris started Australia’s first beauty e-commerce site in 1999.Adore Beauty has expanded its offer to more than 200 brands and 13,000 products, earning Kate the Business Innovation Award for Victoria at the Telstra Business Women’s Awards in 2014, and an induction into the Australian Businesswomen’s Network Hall of Fame in 2015.Adore Beauty floated on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2020 for a reputed $600 million price tag.But how has Morrish achieved such growth? How does she structure her time, her business operations, and even her daily beauty routine for maximum effectiveness?Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up at http://howiwork.co Kate’s beauty products: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serumhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/skinceuticals/skinceuticals-c-e-ferulic-serum.htmlUltra Violette Supreme Screenhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/ultra-violette/ultra-violette-supreme-screen-spf-50-50ml.html?queryID=973585asap gentle cleansing gelhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/asap/asap-gentle-cleansing-gel-200ml.htmlDermalist Ultra Hydrating Lactic Cleanserhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/dermalist/dermalist-ultra-hydrating-lactic-cleanser-200ml.html?queryID=1050597Sodashi Clay Cleanser With Lavenderhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/sodashi/sodashi-clay-cleanser-with-lavender.html?queryID=439143SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifierhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/skinceuticals/skinceuticals-hyaluronic-acid-intensifier.html?queryID=957961PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serumhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/pca-skin/pca-skin-hyaluronic-acid-boosting-serum-28g.html?queryID=909143Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfectorhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/clarins/clarins-instant-light-brush-on-perfector-new.htmlMAKE UP FOR EVER ULTRA HD CONCEALERhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/make-up-for-ever/make-up-for-ever-ultra-hd-concealer-27.html?queryID=964867MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Blushhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/make-up-for-ever/make-up-for-ever-ultra-hd-blush-refill.html?queryID=977785Aspect Probiotic Maskhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/aspect/aspect-probiotic-sleep-mask-118ml.html?queryID=1014659Sodashi Brightening Marine Mineral Maskhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/sodashi/sodashi-brightening-mineral-mask.html?queryID=439167SK-II Facial Treatment Maskhttps://www.adorebeauty.com.au/sk-ii/sk-ii-treatment-mask-6-piece.html?queryID=20459CREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction Support from Deadset StudiosEpisode Producer: Jenna KodaSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My favourite tip from my chat with global innovation thought leader Scott D Anthony was on his new rituals for Deep and Shallow work.This extract is from my second time having Scott on the show - you can check out the full interview here.And check out my first interview with Scott here.Get your copy of Scott’s latest book Eat, Sleep Innovate and check out the book's companion website here. Check out Scott’s firm Innosight. And connect with Scott on LinkedIn and Twitter.Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.coVisit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even before we fled our workplaces amid the Covid pandemic to set up at home, Job van der Voort was convinced that remote working was the future.He’s the CEO of Remote (and the former VP of Product for GitLab), which assists other companies to set their employees up, which he says allows them to live a better life. But it’s not as easy as just letting some of your employees work from home. Job says the key to running a remote team is to intentionally create moments for connection and bonding.Remote’s philosophy is the easier it is to start doing work, the easier it is to do your work. Home offices should be built for comfort, efficiency, and reliability. “The better your set-up is around these kinds of things, the more data you can transmit between each other.”Job’s office set up: Camera Sony a640000 Automating actions through a Elgato Stream Deck Keyboard Ergodox EZ Lighting Philips Hue spotlights Microphones Electoral Force RE20 or  Audio Technica ATR2100 (more affordable) Headphones Bayerdynamic DT 1990 Mouse Logitech MX Master 3 and a Magic Trackpad Chair Herman Miller Aeron.  For a detailed look at his office: https://remote.com/blog/maximum-productivity-home-office You can connect with Job on Twitter and Linkedin and the Remote website - remote.com Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to complete tasks quicker and fit more into your day?Productivity nerd Ashutosh Priyadarshy says effective and productive behaviour comes from setting a goal for your time. He’s the founder of productivity software company Sunsama, the makers of a daily planner tool that helps you plan out a focused work day by pulling together your tasks from all of your tools.During the early days building Sunsama software, Ashutosh set a 1.5-day turn around from demo to delivery. This forced the team to find creative solutions which allowed them to more rapidly ship iterations of their product.  You can find the full interview here: Ashutosh Priyadarshy on how he deliberately removes bulls@*t from his diary Find out more about Ashutosh at Twitter or email ashutosh@sunsama.com Check out Sunsama here. Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2020, Simon Griffiths was watching as toilet paper sold out across Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. Even as the CEO of toilet paper innovators Who Gives A Crap, he never imagined the same thing was about to happen in Australia, UK and the US.  But on March 4th, things took a dramatic turn. As the great toilet paper wars broke out across supermarket aisles, sales rose by 30-40%. Who Gives A Crap sold out, with half a million buyers on their waitlist.  The challenge excited Simon Griffiths, and over an eight week period the company pushed its systems to the absolute limit.  So how did Griffiths keep his team motivated? Who Gives A Crap donates 50% of profits towards building toilets and providing sanitation to those in need, so Simon and his team knew this was their moment to shine. Having a purpose at the heart of the company propelled the team into action.  As a remote-first organisation, Griffiths says focusing on autonomy, mastery and purpose, combined with clear goal-setting, can motivate a team to tackle anything. Simon Griffith’s recommended reading: - The Lean Startup Amantha’s recommended reading:- Measure What Matters Podcasts he listens to: - The Journal by the Wall Street Journal - How I Built This- 20VC And Amantha’s current favourite podcast:- Pivot You can connect with Simon on Twitter and Linkedin and the Who Give’s A Crap website - whogivesacrap.orgVisit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.