1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amatha Imba. I'm an 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed with 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: finding ways to optimize my workday. Today's show is another 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: my Favorite Tip episode. The title is probably pretty self explanatory. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: It's about my favorite tip from each of the interviews 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: I conduct. I decided to use this format because I 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: sometimes feel myself as a podcast listener that I just 10 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: want to get in, get the most amount of value 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: from an episode, and then get out, So in this format, 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: I try to do just that. So today's episode features 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: doctor Katrina Wallace, who is the founder and CEO of 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: high profile fintech and ASX listed company Flamingo. Flamingo provides 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: a cognitive virtual assistant or artificial intelligence called Rosie that 16 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: helps financial services companies all over the world improve online 17 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: sales conversions and the better servicing of customers. Kat is 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: based between New York and Sydney and happens to be 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: one of the most cited experts on the future of 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: customer experience, AI and bot strategy. Kat was recently named 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: one of afr's one hundred Women of Influence and actually 22 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: topped the business and entrepreneur category. And Kat also happens 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: to be one of my most influential mentors and a 24 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: really good friend. Now, one of the things that I 25 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: hugely admire about Kat is that she just seems to 26 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: know everyone, but not just superficially. She is someone that 27 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: seems to have close relationships with an infinite number of 28 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: people and really genuine relationships. So in this episode, we 29 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: hear about Kat's approach to building rapport and relationships with 30 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: people more quickly than almost anyone I know can do. 31 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: So on that note, over to Kat to hear about 32 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: how she builds these relationships. 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 2: So for me, because my a lot of my time 34 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 2: is working or away or traveling, when I am with people, 35 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: it's super important for me to be enormously present and 36 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 2: just listen. That's what I like to do, and I 37 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: really as I'm becoming a more mature leader, this listening 38 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 2: is what I'm finding is almost the secret to everything. 39 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: So for me, it will always be just spend time, 40 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: even if it was ten minutes, fifteen minutes, just to 41 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 2: be entirely present, shut everything else out, and I want 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 2: to know about you, and I just want to hear 43 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 2: about you how you're doing, like a check in, and 44 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: then I'm happy to share something or do an exchange, 45 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: but it really will be around just being entirely present 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: and not distracted at all. Even for that ten to 47 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 2: fifteen minutes is probably the equivalent to people going away 48 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 2: for a weekend and kind of just shooting the shit. 49 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: You can do that in fifteen minutes. It's enormously important 50 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: to me because the more I learn about technology, the 51 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: more I realize it's about people. So these relationships, to 52 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: me are actually the most important thing in the world, 53 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 2: even though I'm building machines that potentially replace given relationships. 54 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: So I feel like I've been on the receiving end 55 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 3: of that just intense listening that you do where it 56 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 3: feels like I'll do like a several months download to 57 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 3: you in like ten to fifteen minutes, and I feel 58 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 3: like we're caught up, and then you know, I'll get 59 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 3: the same from you, Like I feel like small talk 60 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: is not a thing for you, but I want to 61 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 3: know like when you're when you're building those relationships, like 62 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 3: let's just say you meet someone at an event or 63 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 3: a conference, and I don't know if it's a conscious 64 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 3: decision where you go, I really like this person, I 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 3: want them in my kind of group, Like how do 66 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 3: you do that in those initial kind of minutes moments. 67 00:03:58,800 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: If you like? 68 00:03:59,560 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 3: Yeah? 69 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: So, I think the way that I do that is 70 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 2: certainly I will ask ask some a bit about themselves, 71 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: so and not in like a super creepy interview way, 72 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: but just in a kind of a friendly way. And 73 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: I think where's Australians. We can get away with that 74 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 2: anywhere in the world, right because they just want to 75 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 2: hear us talk mainly, and we're kind of just you're 76 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 2: easy going. So I think that that helps, particularly overseas, 77 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 2: But for me, it will be just hearing a bit 78 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: about the person, maybe the job that they do, but 79 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: also about them personally. So I might actually ask a 80 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: few questions that normal people might not ask. Well, okay, 81 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 2: so I might say, hey, hey, mantho, how are you? 82 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 3: What do you know? 83 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: What do you do? Who you with? The You might 84 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: say like the CEO of Inventium, and I go okay, okay, cool, 85 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: what does you know? What do you do there? And 86 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 2: what does the business do, and you might talk with 87 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: that and I go, oh, it's so interesting. I've got 88 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 2: an interest in that, and we'll find some connection. And 89 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: then I might something asking that you know, hey, you know, 90 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 2: what else do you do? Because you look like a 91 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 2: super interesting person, what else do you do? And you 92 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 2: might go, oh, like I'm a snowboarder, or this is 93 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 2: what I'm reading at the moment, and I'll try and 94 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 2: find that there's something personal to then take it to Oh, 95 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 2: we're actually two normal people having a normal people conversation 96 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 2: out of the kind of creepy with business world that 97 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: we live in. And then I also just think it's 98 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: being open. Often I will share some things about me. 99 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 2: I might even share things that are difficult. You might say, 100 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: you know, i've got young Frankie and it's kind of 101 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 2: hard being, you know, trying to run business and raise kids, 102 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 2: and I go, yeah, totally, so I know that too, 103 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 2: and this is my situation, and I will probably be 104 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: quite vulnerable. I can actually I just don't mind. I 105 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 2: just kind of tell it as it is, and it 106 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: won't with me. It won't always be the good news 107 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 2: story or everything's going well. I'll tell you if something 108 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: is really sucky in my life, and I think it's 109 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: just that vulnerability, transparency and the human connection on something real. 110 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 2: It's not just business that you can do, and you 111 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: can do it at events. 112 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: Man. 113 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: I go to this big Las Vegas event every year 114 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 2: that in short tech event, which are like ten thousand people, 115 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 2: and I will have like eight thousand friends at the 116 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: end of it. I will, and I love it, and 117 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: it's also genuine for me. I'm also not networking because 118 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: I want to use your business opportunity. I actually just 119 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 2: probably like people and think that you're cool. Everyone's cool, actually, 120 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 2: and everyone has a story and I'm pretty interested in there. 121 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: Hi, it's Amantha here again. So how cool is that? 122 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: I personally just love hearing Kat talk about this. It's 123 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: a quality that I'm really trying to build in myself. 124 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: But I must say I do struggle with I was 125 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: excruciatingly shy as a child, Like putting my hand up 126 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: in class made me feel anxious, And now when I'm 127 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: at events, I always feel like that socially awkward teenager 128 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 1: that I used to be. And I'm actually due to 129 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: me speaking at and attending a couple of big conferences 130 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: in America and Canada in the coming weeks. So one 131 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: of the things I'm challenging myself to do is to 132 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: try out cat strategies around asking questions to find common 133 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: ground quickly rather than fluffing around which with small talk, 134 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: which I must say small talk kills me. So that 135 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: is it for today's show. If you like this excerpt, 136 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: you might want to listen to my full chat with Cat, 137 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: which I'll link to in the show notes. And if 138 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: you are enjoying how I work, make sure that you 139 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: hit the subscribe button in Apple Podcasts or wherever you 140 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: listen to your podcast, and you'll get alerted whenever a 141 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: new episode drops. And if you like today's show and 142 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: think other people can benefit, why not share it on 143 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: social media or share it just with a friend or 144 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: two or maybe your work mate. So that is it 145 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,559 Speaker 1: for today and I will see you next time.