Posts by Naomi Simson

I'll have what they're having :) - Jillm
All that money, but they don't have the sense to look after their bodies. They could afford the best chefs cooking the best foods, personal trainers, and private gyms, but I guess greedy is as greedy does, and extends to over eating. They won't make old bones. - Lucille
Me too, try my hardest not to buy nestle, still remember the baby formula episode all those years ago. - Antonia
Couldn't agree more. Has no effect on my spending at all. Nicole Kidman please! - Antonia
@ Michael Angwin Not against Foreign Investment , Michael, just expect them to pay fair taxes & stop using their Billions to lecture us and to stop using their Billions to overthrow the government that was elected by the people. A small dose of humility , less arrogance and some consideration for those less well off might help . I won't be holding my breath waiting . - Carole/m
HellB, I sooooooooo agree. If you want to forget about anxiety, a therapeutic option is to watch it with the volume down girls. Pour yourself a Pimms and enjoy. - maria t again
Great piece, Monica ... mining situation even worse than I thought - had originally thought it was only 50 per cent foreign owned or so ... plus we can do way better on taxing the industry - Charles P
Aaahh Geoffrey , " I said love , I said pet ....STFU Tears are running down my cheeks , really tickled my warped sense of humor . - Carole/m
Thank you for this piece Tara. And I agree with Monika. Sole parenting is hard enough without a societies support. Something happened in Australia ..we somehow became a hater of other people's children. When and why? Children really are the future, and such fascinating humans! We should delight in them, not be judges of their parents. There is work to do by feminists in this regard. - Annie Also
ah no - speccygirl

ON THE HIGHWIRE PROFILE

Naomi Simson

Imagine running a business based on fun – that’s what Naomi Simson decided to try after leaving a very serious corporate career in marketing to set up online experience gift retailer RedBalloon in 2001. As founding director of redballoon.com.au Naomi received the 2008 national Telstra Business Womens Award for Innovation. And in 2011 she won the Ernst and Young Industry Entrepreneur of the Year.

RedBalloon has appeared in the BRW fast list six times, has achieved a Hewitt employee engagement score of over 90% three years running (the Australian average is 54%) and has been ranked for the last three years as one of the top fifty Great Places to Work in Australia by BRW magazine. Naomi writes a blog - naomisimson.com - which is listed in the top 15 of Australia’s Best Business Blogs. Her first book “I want what she’s having” was reviewed as an “essential business read” by The Australian.

THE TEACHER WHO INSPIRED ME

I guess you could say I was "inspired" by my high school art teacher Mrs Chapman. I had a passion for art then, and still do. In fact our offices here at RedBalloon are adorned with a number of my paintings and I get great pleasure from this pastime. Mrs Chapman obviously saw some potential in my artistic ability when she gave me the ultimate back-handed compliment: "I can see you famous after you're dead…I can see you starving in a garret."

Surprisingly this inspired me to NOT pursue a career in art. So I guess I can thank her for steering me away from the life of a struggling artist and into a career where people know who I am and I can make a difference while I’m still actually breathing...
THE SMELLS THAT MAKE ME REMEMBER…

If you could bottle mum's roast – every day would feel like Christmas. Not all smells are nice – yet even though they are unpleasant they hold great memories. I am particularly fearful of the smell of old prawn carcasses – but they usually remind me of a dinner party. Boat fuel always reminds me of a day on Sydney harbour and airports have a certain smell – not particularly nice, but it is somehow exciting because it means you are going some where.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT?

I am a collector – by nature I gather things. And as I thought about what I could write here – I imagined myself in the shoes of the reader. If nothing else I would wonder what has influenced her? What inspires her? So below I list 40 of the ideas I have collected. I have gathered these quotes over many years – but each of them came to me at the right time – and as a result I wanted to keep them for future reference. Perhaps one will resonate with you; touch, move or inspire you at just the right moment.

1. A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. Henry Ford
2. A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it's an appeal to our better selves a call to become something more. Rosabeth Kanter
3. Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Paige
4. And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. Nietzsche
5. Be yourself... Everyone else is already taken... Anon
6. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius
7. Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. James Dean
8. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. Aristotle
9. If we are going to see real development in the world then our best investment is WOMEN. Desmond Tutu
10. If you want to know why your people are not performing well, step up to the mirror and take a peek. Ken Blanchard
11. It's not a faith in technology. It's faith in people. Steve Jobs
12. Leadership is doing what is right when no one else is watching. George Van Valkenburg
13. Most of us can read the writing on the wall; We just assume it is addressed to someone else. Ivern Ball
14. Never ask who is right, but always ask what is right. Don Soderquist
15. No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible .. Voltaire
16. Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Henry Ford
17.Our choices show what we truly are far more than our abilities. JK Rowling
18. Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves. Mahatma Ghandi
19. Passion: there is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life. Federico Fellini
20. People will forget what you said People will forget what you did But people will never forget the way you make them feel Maya Angelau
21. Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. Theodore Vail
22. Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress. Thomas A Edison
23. Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality. Alfred Painter
24. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Leonardo Da Vinci
25. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. William James
26. The art of great feedback delivery is so important in life and yet on the whole people avoid it. Margie Hartley
27. The companies that look after their people are the companies that do really well. Sir Richard Branson
28. The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother Oscar Wilde
29. The greatest pleasure in life is to do what other people tell you you cannot do Walter Bagehot
30. The source of all happiness lies in thinking of others. Snantideva
31. The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. Benjamin Mays
32. The ultimate source of happiness is our mental attitude. Dalai Lama
33. There is a fine line between getting it right and completely wrong Bill Pulver
34. To be an artist is to believe in life Henry Moore
35. Wanting to be someone you're not is a waste of the person you are. Kurt Cobain
36. We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. Lee Iacocca
37. We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize. Thich Nhat Hanh
38. You cannot be mad with somebody who makes you laugh, it's that simple Jay Leno
39. You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. Michael Pritchard
40. Your ability to relax is directly proportional to your ability to trust life. me
A LETTER TO OUR NATION’S LEADERS

As a country we need real direction and change around how women are represented and treated in the business world and as business leaders. The fact that 50 per cent of Australian women over the age of 45 have less than $8000 in superannuation is completely alarming to me. I continue to debate, discuss and consider the implications of free childcare in Australia and other ideas around women’s financial security. Financial freedom gives people choices, yet it seems this ideal is not shared equally between the sexes in this country.

Being a woman means statistically I will be paid less! It is that simple. Surely it is not that hard to fix. Each year in Australia (usually around the time of International Women’s day) the government releases a report to say – yet again there is a massive disconnect between what men and women are paid for the same job and the same amount of work experience; known as the gender pay gap.

Australia has a persistent gender pay gap. Between 1990 and 2009, the gender pay gap remained within a narrow range of between 15 and 17 per cent.

Recently I was speaking to a leader of a large business who said – “we bring male and female university graduates into our business on the same pay and conditions – yet within two years we see a pay difference of up to 15 per cent”. These are not women who have yet left the workforce to have a family so you could argue statistically they have been given the same opportunities and responsibilities as their male counterparts. This means that in each individual person’s performance review or salary assessment; systematically each female is being discriminated against.

We know that the Gillard government has committed to looking at equal pay for lower paid workers – but I would argue that it is every business leaders’ responsibility to ask for a review of their business to find out.... ‘for the same role and responsibility what are men and women paid?’ Is there a gap – and if there is a gap – what is being done about it? Action will speak louder than words – simply make the adjustments to make if fair – and do it quickly.

The following poem was forward to me by a colleague… and rather than present more statistics about why society would be a better place with more women in leadership roles, I'll let this little rhyme paint the picture.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to…
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a youth she’s content to leave behind….
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …….
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honoured…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny…..
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship….

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW….
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but it’s over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…..
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
What she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…
HOW DO YOU SLOW DOWN?

Being the founder of an online retail business, this is the busiest time of the year by far for RedBalloon, and therefore me and my team. But I am a firm believer in making time for myself, and staying healthy and balanced - otherwise I'm no use to anyone. I made a commitment to Ashtanga Yoga years ago, and I found a wonderful teacher who visits my home in Sydney once a week, and I also visit Studio Cirq in Melbourne whenever I am there. I travel a lot as part of my role as a speaker and founding director of redballoon.com.au, so knowing that I am able to maintain a consistent commitment to Ashtanga brings great balance to my often hectic life, especially at this time of the year. The Ashtanga practice is the same wherever you go, so no matter where I travel I can keep this commitment to my health and wellbeing, and that’s a comforting feeling. I can even jump on Google when I’m overseas or in different locations across Australia and find an Ashtanga teacher nearby. Yoga for me is a way of life. It’s about giving gratitude and making time for meditation and being soulful. It’s also about being part of a larger community, regardless of your location. My business is all about experiencing life to the full and living in the moment, and yoga is one way I make this happen in my day-to-day life.
WILL YOU SHOP ONLINE THIS CHRISTMAS?

Absolutely! And while there is so much to be said for "in the flesh" shopping experiences, I just find it easier at this time of the year - no crowds, I don't have to struggle with parking dramas, and I can tick off a gift whenever I have a spare 10 minutes. This is Mrs Online Shopper here. And no, I don't give everyone a RedBalloon experience for Christmas - although those who do recieve one are informed that I do in fact pay for them! I plan to start my shopping this week to avoid the stress of being a last minute Larry - and to allow time for deliveries. Like everyone, the mail man is very busy come December and I don't want to risk pressies turning up in time for next Christmas.
I REALLY DON’T NEED ANY MORE…

I don't need any more 'stuff'. Full stop. I think Will Rogers said it best: "Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like". Clearly this aligns to what we believe at RedBalloon– which is all about buying less “stuff” and instead living in the moment and enjoying shared experiences. With self storage one of the fastest growing industries in Australia – do we really need any more stuff? All I want is time with my friends and family this Christmas - nothing more, nothing less.
THE MOST MEANINGFUL GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED.

When I was at Ansett years ago as a young product manager I was asked to source the staff Christmas gift. I worked with an external supplier and I said ‘make sure that you can supply 18,000 of them and they will need to be delivered throughout Australia’. The gift was to be presented to Sir Peter Ables executive assistant (who was a matriarch to be feared) She selected a pretty Christmas bauble from the selection of gifts presented. ‘Agh’ said the supplier. 'we can’t deliver that one'. Very embarrassed they said ‘we just picked that one out at DJs. There is only about 20 in their store!’ So back they came with a small dried holly arrangement by one of Melbourne’s leading florists. The matriarch liked it….at $50 delivered per – this ended up being almost a $1m exercise. This was the late 80s and let me tell you people hated them…. They just said ‘what a waste; what was the point?'

The point I'm making is that being memorable is one thing; being memorable for the right reasons is completely different. I don't want more stuff this Christmas, just happy memories with my loved ones. I'll definitely rememeber that.