Eating your Cake too

Life lately and things that I am grateful for 🙏🏼❤️✨

1. My fur-baby and work assistant, Kransky 🐶
2 + 3 Quality time with family ❤️
4. Sunshine and my Papa 💪🏼
5. Handsome husband who is my biggest supporter
6 + 7 Water views to relax the soul and calm the mind
8. Besties who are there with open arms (and wine!) 🤗
9. Fabulous vintage marketplace finds for my house that are ready to be transformed 🎨
10. Gift boxes that feel like Christmas! 💥🙌🏻📦 🌈

Even in darkness, there are always glimmers of light to be found when we look for them. ✨

What are you grateful for? 🙏🏼❤️

It's one of the most popular pieces of career advice around, but I want to know what do people actually mean when they say “just keep working hard?”

Seriously.

What does that mean to you?

Have you ever had advice like this?

What did you think it meant?

Let me know below ⬇⬇⬇

As part of our curriculum in the Future Female Leaders Program, we have a focus on understanding STEM and Innovation. 💡👩‍🔬 🖼

In particular, dispelling some of the misconceptions or myths around what a career in STEM means, as well as what it really means to be innovative.

Recently we brought together 20 young female leaders from across WA, as well as 20 inspiring women from industry who came together at Curtin University to mentor, guide, share insights, and ultimately support our next generation to thrive.

Every year in this program I believe I learn more than I teach. I learn from our next generation what fears they have, what concerns about our world they have, but equally as much, how they believe we can tackle them.

This is what our Future Female Leaders Program is about - the ripple effect that comes when every person takes positive action to make the world a better place for the next. 🌏❤️

It's not too late to get involved in this program and there are many options for support. If you’re interested to know more, please reach out to me. 👋

📷 Photos from Taya Reid Writer + Photographer

Congratulations to Megan Kernaghan the winner of my “Guess the Book Title” competition on Facebook. 🏆

I am EXCITED to finally announce that ‘Less Hustle, More Happy’ will be hitting bookstores on the 27th August, BUT you can pre-order your copy now via the link below!

So, what's the book about? 📖 📚 ✍ ⬇⬇⬇

We know that people are working harder, longer and with a feeling of less cut through. The old ways aren’t working. You’ve changed. I’ve changed. We’ve all changed.

What we don’t ❌ need is another book giving us outdated career advice or productivity hacks telling us how to squeeze even more juice out of our already overflowing days. 🥤 🍋

What we need is a book that can get us back to a space where we can define career success on our terms, AND support our organisations to get results at the same time. 😍

A book that sees us channelling our efforts, expertise and enthusiasm in ways that get outcomes.

Less Hustle, More Happy is a practical, relatable and relevant book built on a five part career framework helping readers get back to what it means to be a human being, not just a human doing. ✅

It is designed to be a “go to, how to” guide for early and mid career professionals and emerging leaders who want to lead themselves for greater impact and enjoyment, now and in the future.

If you want to lock in your copy now, pre-sales are officially LIVE VIA the links below for Amazon and Booktopia!! 🙏🙏🙏

Amazon - https://claireseeber.com.au/lhmh-amazon

Booktopia - https://claireseeber.com.au/lhmh-booktopia

Here's why rowing is a good analogy for our careers. 🚣‍♂️

I had a conversation with two friends recently, and we were talking about various stages in our careers that we’ve experienced.

The conversation drilled into the pressures that we face and feel when we need to step back a little due to other milestones in life; be it raising a family, caring for older parents, health issues etc, and the feeling of guilt that often comes from what can then feel like we’re ‘coasting’.

We’ve become so used to pushing and hustling, that when we give ourselves permission to step back for a little while (or perhaps it's even forced upon us), we feel strange - lazy even. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

But if we think about our careers as if they were a rowing team, and zoom out a little I think we can reframe the feeling. 🖼

When we think about rowing, we often push-pull, push-pull, push-pull at pace for a period of time to get to a rhythm or speed that enables us to glide.

Then we have those moments where we stop the hard push-pull pace, and enjoy the movement without having to hustle for it as much. We enjoy the output, from our inputs. 💪💪💪

The same can be true in our careers.

We build our knowledge, skills, relationships, reputations and brands over a period of time, so that they can also work FOR us, even when we need to step back temporarily and focus on something else in our lives for a little while.

💡When we are ready to take the oars again, increase the pace, and go back to the push-pull, they’ll still be here for us. 💡

Need a hand with your rowing team? Flick me a DM, and let's connect!

Everyone has a story to share, and one of my favourite parts of the work I do is getting to hear people tell theirs. 💪💥

Last week, I heard the story of Mark McGowan, from the man himself.

Mark joined us as a guest speaker in the multi-month self leadership and career development program that I facilitate for Mineral Resources Limited across various parts of the business. This session was with a fabulous group of women from various MinRes sites.

Our theme for the day was around ‘Future Proofing ourselves’ in a world that isn’t slowing down. 💡🔮

Mark shared insights about his journey into politics, his biggest lessons, and life after.

It was nice to hear someone talk with honesty about the sacrifices they've made for their job, and it was also refreshing to hear a male in particular talk about their own experience with imposter syndrome and how they navigated it. 🙏🙏🙏

What is your unique story? What makes you unique? Tell me in the comments below - I'd love to hear!

🏆 Guess the Title and WIN!! 🏆

As the countdown to the launch of my new book 📖 gets closer, I wanted to give you the opportunity to get your hands on a signed copy BEFORE the book even hits bookstores.

All you have to do is guess what you think the title is.

Here is a clue to get you started.

✨ LESS _____________, MORE ______________.✨

TO ENTER:

You can guess up to 3 times. Drop your guesses into the comments below to be in the draw. Want to maximise your chances? Share this post and you get an extra two entries into the draw.

Competition closes 5th June 7pm AWST. Winners will be drawn at random and will be contacted here within 3 days following the draw.

Please note: books will not be delivered until early August, but they will be hot off the press and straight to you prior to hitting bookshelves on the 27th August!

I can’t wait to hear what you think!

If this girl could look at me now, I think she’d be proud. 😍

Growing up, I went through various phases of what I thought I wanted to do. An actress, a fashion designer, a journalist and at one stage a forensic psychologist, but I think deep down I always knew I was going to end up working somewhere in business. 💼 👩‍💻

I had that hunger in me to take my knowledge, skills and experiences and create something with it. I just don’t think I realised I’d wade through a sea of grey before coming back to myself in full colour. 🌈

Writing a book forces you to dig right into your core. To challenge yourself and the things you say you stand for. To look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re prepared to continue to stand by them on paper for the world to see.

It forces you to expose both the vulnerable side of you, but equally balance it with the competent and capable side.

Truth be told, I struggled to balance these things in my career in the past. Why? Because for so long I leant too far into the thinking I needed to “look’’ competent, to the exclusion of being who I was; a human being first and foremost. For a while, I squashed the part of me that made me, me.

I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to. 🛑 ❌

In fact, the leaders that are the most successful are the ones who have taken the baggage of who they think they need to be off their backs. 🙌 🙌

Those that own and are accountable to who they are, what they bring and the value that they add with confidence and conviction. They’re open to learning, open to feedback, and truly open to growth.

PS Tell me I wasn’t the only one obsessed with their pink Barbie bum-bag as a child?? 🤣❤️

PPS If you’re ready to take the baggage off your back and get better results at work in a way that feels good for you and your team, reach out.

5 Skills that will Transform your Career if you invest in them. ⬇⬇ ⬇

👉 Self Awareness - Knowing yourself and your strengths, weaknesses, motivators and triggers is essential if you want to increase your impact and your performance. You can't lead others, if you can't lead yourself.

👉Social Awareness - Being able to ‘read a room’ and understand the dynamics at play, the needs and resistance of the people in the room is a critical skill to enable greater influence and more effective communication.

👉Curiosity - Remaining open minded and genuinely curious about what you don’t know means you’re better able to ask questions with the intention of truly understanding instead of just responding.

👉Lifelong Learning - With the pace of change in the world, a consistent desire to learn will be a key differentiator between those employees who remain relevant and those who don’t. Harsh, yes. True, also yes.

👉Grit - It’s easy to show up in the easy times, but how do you show up in the tough times, the unclear times. Having grit doesn't mean you don't get frsutrated at times, but it does mean you persevere.

What else would you add?

My brother and sister in law have recently moved back to Australia to be with my Dad as he continues to face his cancer battle. They are living with us currently and it's got me reflecting on how sharing a space with new housemates is like working with a new team.

Different people have different ways of doing things.

Different ways of washing the dishes 🥣 or placing them in the dishwasher. Different places they put pots, pans and cups in a cupboard. And different habits that they bring with them to the home, or the team.

There is part of me at times that wants to tell them how to do it “right”. 🛑

But I think there is a different question I need to ask first: Is it that it’s wrong, or is it just different to how I would do it? 🤔

The same is true when we work with a new team. We all bring habits, quirks and ways of doing things that are a little different. It’s easy to say “that’s wrong, we don’t do it that way here”.

It’s far harder to step back and ask “well actually we currently do it this way, but talk me through your way”.

When we keep our minds open though to different ways of doing things, we may find we end up with a better result that sees the team more efficient, effective, innovative and maybe even enjoying the task more!

Not all feedback is a gift, especially not if it isn’t given with clarity or any preparation. ❌ 🎁

Broad sweeping statements like “don’t overthink”, “challenge me more” or “be less pedantic” without any examples of what that means is lazy leadership at best. 💣

The ‘gift’ ends up being a confused and now concerned employee who is likely going to feel less empowered to make decisions or take action on things.

If you’re going to give feedback to your team (and you should be!), and it truly be a gift for their growth, ensure you do these three things at a minimum:

👉 Be specific and provide examples - broad statements like the ones above are confusing, they aren’t clear, and they aren’t specific.

👉Talk to the impact - what actually is the impact of your team member doing/not doing something. How can the ‘gift’ of your feedback actually help them to grow?

👉Be future focussed - yes, people need to understand where they may have gone wrong, but they also need to know what ‘great’ would look like, so be sure to give them some advice on this too so that they can also grow forward.

🎁 Bonus Tip (or gift if you like!): Once you’ve ‘gifted’ your feedback, ask your team member how they've interpreted it, and what else they would add. This helps you check they’ve understood your feedback the way you intended, and ensures they’re buying into the next step with input.

👋 Need a hand upskilling your leaders on how to get, give and receive feedback in a way that actually gets results? Let’s chat. I’d welcome the opportunity to support you.

I LOVE 🥰the scene in the movie 'The Blind Side' where the team coach has been unable to get “Big Mike” to really play to his potential. He does what many do as a strategy for getting results from people and resorts to the stick as a way to motivate. He says “I’m gonna be pi**ed if you don’t do this”.

Enter Leanne, Sandra Bullock's character.

Within minutes she is able to watch what’s happening, have a vulnerable conversation with Mike, and then witness a total change in the way he plays. 💪💪

What did she do differently?

She knew what his strengths and motivators were, and then tapped into those as a way to get the most out of him. A way for him to lead himself. Leanne knew that the idea of thumping the competition wasn’t motivating for Mike, but the thought of protecting his own team was.

Through speaking a language that he understood, she was able to change his mindset and focus, and bring about a significant change in his performance because of it.

Want to increase your team's performance in a way that is sustainable?

💡 Know your people. Know your people. Know your people. 💡

Copy and paste this link and watch the 4 minute snippet from the movie here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYlHxijIho

Want to know what sits at the very heart of my new book? ❤️ 📖

The old ways aren’t working any more. You’ve changed. I’ve changed. The world has changed.

We know that people are working harder, longer and with a feeling of less cut through than ever before. We’re tired, overwhelmed and often feeling like we aren’t in control of our time or careers.

What we ❌ DON’T need is another book giving us outdated career advice or productivity hacks telling us how to squeeze even more juice out of our already overflowing days. 😫 🍋

What we ✅ DO need is a book that can get us back to a space where we can define career success on our terms, AND support our organisations at the same time.

A book that sees us channelling our efforts, expertise and enthusiasm in ways that get results, AND feel good. 😍

A book that sees you tapping back into what makes you, you, and more importantly, what it is you want to get out of your 25,550 days on planet earth. How you want to show up for yourself. 💃

Writing this book has been a rollercoaster ride of the very best kind, and I can’t wait for you to read it!

Watch this space for an upcoming promo that could see you winning a signed copy before it even hits bookshelves!!

When I first started leading a team, I thought I had to have it all together, ALL. THE. TIME. I believed that I needed to have all the answers, and “look” like I knew it all.

What a waste of damn energy. Because here is the truth…. 💣💣💣

No one has it all together.
Seriously, No one.

And life becomes a heck of a lot easier when we release ourselves of the pressure of thinking they do, and that we need to too. 💡

The best leaders I have ever worked with and for, were the ones who knew the power of self-awareness, and actively engaged in the pursuit of new insights regularly.

These leaders were more engaging, more enthusiastic about their work, and more empowering of their teams. Why? Because they knew they weren’t perfect and didn’t pretend to be. They also knew enough about themselves to know what their strengths and weaknesses were, and then how they could best target their efforts, enthusiasm and expertise to get the best results from themselves and their teams.

They were able to focus more on the things they were passionate about and leverage their strengths and talents. They thrived because of it, and so did their teams.

What would you add?

Want to invest in your team's development before the end of the financial year? 🤩🤩

I’ve got 3 spots available in June for teams who want to close out the financial year with a bang, AND start the next one motivated, energised and clear on how to get results in a way that doesn’t just mean more hustle.

Is this you?

Reach out and let’s connect.

This is absolutely the face of someone who has submitted a 45,000 word manuscript to her publisher , and just received some fabulous feedback on it!

I’ve lost count of the hours spent writing this book, the various locations I’ve written it in, and the different times of day.

But, here we are, 3 months later and it’s submitted!
📖 ✍🏼 🙌🏻

Hitting bookstores (online and in person), and airports across the country in late August!

Watch this space for more announcements to come about the book title, why I’ve written it, PLUS some cool promos that could see you winning a signed copy, or a workshop for your team.

If you want to be kept in the loop on upcoming launch 🚀 parties, and pre-sale access, let me know below ⬇️

OOOOO. 🙌🏻💃🥳

Out. of. Office. Overseas. Online. 📖 💻 🏝️ ☀️ 🧳

One of the goals of my business has always been to be able to operate it from anywhere in the world.

So, with that goal in mind, hubby and I are off on a working holiday adventure again - this time in Vietnam! 🇻🇳

We will be combining work and travel abroad over the next 3 and a bit weeks and I am so dang excited.

Tell me - have you been to Vietnam before, and if so, what were your highlights?

“I’d love to see you leverage your strengths more in this role”.

“Just play to your strengths - the rest will follow”.

Ever had or heard feedback like this before? YAWN. 🥱🥱

It’s not wrong, but it isn’t overly helpful either.

What is often lacking in this conventional advice about strengths play, is the actual “HOW TO” of playing to your strengths to achieve outcomes for yourself, your team, and your organisation.

My view on this is that there are actually FOUR critical parts that form part of the ‘play to your strengths’ equation, and all four need to be in sync in order for you to be effective.

Here’s my formula on what it really takes to play to your strengths well:

✨Know them +
✨Own them +
✨Leverage them +
✨Know the point of reverse impact 💥

In this month's podcast, I dive deep into the formula above and give you practical insights as to what it means to know, own leverage, and know the reverse point of impact in order to increase your impact at work.

Tune in on your favourite podcast platform, or via the links below. ⬇⬇⬇

PODCAST: https://claireseeber.com.au/podcast/episode-55-4-things-you-need-to-do-to-play-to-your-strengths/

Prefer to read about it? You can do that too here - https://claireseeber.com.au/4-things-you-need-to-do-to-play-to-your-strengths-at-work/

I’m 6 weeks away from the submission deadline for my first manuscript and I’ve hit my first wall. 🫠📖✍🏼

I’m finding it interesting observing my attitude change as things have gone from feeling fairly easy and “in flow” to a bit harder, more of a grind, and as though I’m treading water a bit.

At the moment, I’m very aware of the stories I’m telling myself too, and the impact they are having on how I show up as I write. Stories like:

👉 Who on earth do you think you are to write a book?
👉 No one is going to read this garbage.
👉 You’re going to look like such an idiot.
👉 You have nothing of value to say, quit whilst you’re ahead.

But as I often say to my clients, your brain believes what you tell it, so tell it something helpful.

Tell it someone liberating, not constraining. 💪🏼

It’s in the tougher moments when things aren’t easy, that you learn the most about yourself I think, and what you’re really capable of.

So, what am I doing about it?

I’m reminding myself that I’m a bad ass fu***ng woman who has done WAY harder stuff than this. 💃🙌🏻 🔥

I’m using the evidence and data points of my past achievements as fuel to push me forward.

And I’m reminding myself that I CAN do this, and I DESERVE to.

Tell me, what are you finding hard at the moment, and what do you need to remind yourself of to keep moving through.

Friday was a BIGGGGGGG day! ❤️🙏🏼🍾🥂🚀🥰

I started off speaking at Iluka Resources in the morning about why it is so critical that we invest in women in order to accelerate positive growth and change. I was also given the opportunity to talk about the and the impact that Iluka are having by being a valued partner of ours.

Next stop it was our BIGGEST event yet hosted . 💃🙌🏻💐🍾

Over 250 people packed in and the vibe, the conversations, and the connections were epic. And YES, that is giving us a shout out.

I’m proud to be a committee member and sponsor of this amazing NFP that just keeps going from strength to strength alongside other fabulous and inspiring women including: , , , and Nadine Marke.

There’s no doubt we have a LONG way to go when it comes to true equality, but after the conversations I had last week, and the many REAL examples I’ve heard of organisations and individuals taking practical actions to drive change, I do believe the wheels are turning.

I stand by what I said last week - the problem is big, and it is small. Don’t ever think as an individual that you can’t make a difference. You can.

📸:

Every year I struggle with what to write for as this day brings up so many mixed thoughts for me.

I see gender equality as being both a big issue and a small one at the same time.

Big in that there a large, deep, societal and systemic changes that need to happen. And they need to happen NOW.

Small though in that each and every person has the capacity to make a positive difference and impact, but I often observe many who think they can't move the needle at an individual level.

And yet, you ABSOLUTELY CAN. We just don’t show these examples enough.

We TALK a lot, but I want to see and hear more about the every day actions that individuals are taking to really help support change.

For me, there are 3 main ways I choose to take targeted ACTION to invest in women and help accelerate change outside of my own female led, female foccussed company:

✨ Future Female Leaders Program - I invest (time, expertise and financially) into this program to help create grassroots opportunities for our future female leaders across WA, irrespective of where they live and what school, or socio-economic background they are from.

✨ Long Lunch Club - I am a proud sponsor and commitee member of this not for profit that has been wholly and solely created to help drive meaningful connections and networks for women (and men) to help accelerate opportunities for women.

✨ CEOs for Gender Equity - I am a proud sponsor and member of this amazing NFP targeted at driving change from the top. In collaboration with many other senior executives from some of Australia's biggest organisations, conversations are then backed with ACTION.

Investing in women is more than just financial (although don’t get me wrong, it’s a huge part!).

💥 Your voice is an investment.
💥 Your time is an investment.
💥 Your support is an investment.
💥 Your action is an investment.

So, ahead of the official day tomorrow, please reflect on what are you actually doing to invest in women? How are you helping to accelerate the progress of women globally?

👉 I promise you as one person you can still make a difference. 👈

Yeeessssss!!! 👏👏👏👏

I LOVE hearing stories like this from clients who take ACTION and reap the rewards from doing so. 🥰😍🥳🤩

If you’ve ever wanted something at work, but haven’t been sure how to ask for it, or best prepare yourself for a successful conversation, then you need our ‘Get what you want at work’ KIT so that you can get these results too.

For just $27 AUD, you really can’t go wrong. ✨✨✨

Get in quick though - this epic little book is about to have a makeover and a price increase with it.

Copy the link below and get your copy today ⬇️⬇️

https://claireseeber.com.au/get-what-you-want-at-work-kit/

📚 Hot off the Press and some seriously EXCITING news to share! 🥳

I am thrilled to announce that I've recently signed off on a contract with the team at Major Street Publishing to put my first book out into the world! 🖋️✨📚

When I was first connected with Lesley I mentioned that I saw an opportunity to talk more about the intersection of careers, leadership and life in a new world, but without the jargon, and with a sprinkle (OK a pour!) of wit, humour and real talk. Lucky for me, this intrigued her and she was keen to see my ideas and thought leadership come to life in the written word!

Those that know me well know that I do serious work, but that doesn’t mean we have to take ourselves too seriously.

I’m SO excited for this book to hit bookstores and airports later this year and I hope you’ll join me on the journey!

Your support would mean the world..

Stay tuned for updates as this book baby comes to life over the coming months! 🚀

📖🚪

If you're anything like me, you've struggled over the years to hold your boundaries, particularly at work (hello people pleasers!). 👋👋

But, here's the truth - if you are trying to be all the things, to all the people, all the time, it's likely you're not having the impact and building the brand capital that you actually want to be known for. ✨🔥💥

We say "yes, sure I can help" through gritted teeth and and an overwhelmed smile, and then end up feeling resentful to ourselves for the fact we couldn't say no and respect our own needs.

The next time you need to hold a boundary at work (or in life!) in a way that is still professional, try this handy little framework.

PS If you or your team need some support this year on how you can have a BIGGER impact in the right areas, reach out, I'm your gal.

An important reminder just incase you needed it....

You are not just “lucky”.

You know what you are?

You are smart.
You are talented.
You take advantage of opportunities that come your way, and you work really, really hard. 🥰💪

Tag a friend who might need to hear this.

Nobody will GIVE you what you’re worth. They will GIVE you what they think you are worth. YOU are the one that controls their thinking.

This was the opening statement of my keynote at the recent Lorraine Lea annual conference on the Gold Coast in front of 120 of their team.

Mindset Matters.

And, how we show up for ourselves and continue to cultivate confidence and courage in a chaotic world was the theme of it.

Whether we are running our own business, or an employee inside an organisation, how we see ourselves will impact how the world sees us too.

Thank you to Lorraine Lea's CEO, Antony Hampson for the opportunity to join you all and for this awesome feedback following the session ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

"Claire was outstanding and truly connected with the audience. She left the room inspired and empowered to embrace a growth oriented mindset. Relatable, engaging and deserving of her standing ovation at the end. Brilliant!!" 🙏

PS Need a speaker for your next conference? I can guarantee bad jokes, engaging content and someone who does serious work, but doesn't take herself too seriously. 🙋‍♀️

Are you wanting to showcase yourself as a go-getter, or a star performer this year in your Organisation? One that is ready for new opportunities? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

Then here are 5 things that your boss really wants you to know and, more importantly, DO! ⬇⬇⬇

1️⃣ Set Clear Goals and Objectives for yourself
2️⃣ Be an Impact Player - AKA Show initiative and real Problem-Solving skills
3️⃣ Proactively focus on Upskilling yourself with a Future-Proof lens
4️⃣ Communicate in the way your receiver needs to hear it, NOT how you like to say it
5️⃣ Be an Amplifier through solid Collaboration with Others

How do I know this is what your boss wants, you might be wondering?

Because I work with leaders all over the world, every day. 🌎 And almost always, the commentary that they share around what they wish their teams would do more of, centres around the above five things.

Want to know more? Then listen in to this podcast episode where I talk about these 5 things in more detail, AND give you practical tips on how to put them into action.

Check out the Eating your Cake too podcast via your favourite podcast app, or the link below.

https://claireseeber.com.au/podcast/episode-54-5-things-your-boss-wants-you-to-do-this-year/

Prefer to read the blog? You can do that too.

Seeing clients put their learnings into practice and then GET RESULTS is what it is all about. 💪💪💪

It’s easy to sit on the fence.

It’s easy to blame others.

It’s easy to rely on hope as your strategy.

It takes courage to take action.

There are only 10 days left of my new year career strategy special, so get in QUICK and set yourself up for success in 2024! ⬇⬇⬇

In one hour together, we will get clear on:

💡What feels important to you for your career and leadership in 2024?
💡What worked well for you in 2023, and what didn’t?
💡What impact are you looking to have in 2024?

From there, we will create your own personalised 2024 Career Game Plan!

Are you ready? I am! ❤

Click the link below or DM me to get started!

https://portal.eatingyourcaketoo.com.au/offers/k2EB99zn