Join Laura Nicol (your host) as she dials into the stories of startup operators. Each podcast episode reveals the incredible, and often challenging journeys, of building and scaling tech startups across various functional areas. Together, we'll master the art of 'building the plane while flying it', drawing on experiences from leaders and rising stars at companies, including Tracksuit, Canva, Culture Amp, Atlassian, me&u, Airwallex, Eucalyptus, and more. Laura's day job is Chief of Staff to ...
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Ep 34. From Clinical Medicine to Product: Dr Jackie Rabec’s Journey to Heidi Health and Google
42:30
42:30
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42:30
Today, I'm connecting with Jackie Rabec, Product Manager at Google. Jackie’s product leadership story is all about transitions—from corners of the globe to non-linear career paths and reframing impact beyond just our work. In our conversation, we discuss: The importance of “doing your homework”; Growing up in South Africa and following her mother’s…
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Ep 33. George Hatzis on Product Design: Journey from Startups to Scale-Ups and Fractional Impact for Early-Stage Teams
47:08
47:08
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47:08
I'm connecting with George Hatzis, a fractional product designer for early-stage startup teams. From his early curiosity about design and product at Ignition to redesigning a personal loan application admin at Wisr and building and scaling a multi-brand design system for healthcare products at Eucalyptus, he's no stranger to the twists and turns of…
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Ep 32. Coaching with Maxine Minter: How to Be the Best on the Field as a High-Impact, High-Performing Startup Operator
56:00
56:00
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56:00
Today, I'm connecting with Maxine Minter, executive coach, founder of Co Lab, and General Partner of Co Ventures. Coaching and mentoring leapfrogging someone’s career trajectory has been a key theme percolating our recent episodes, SO… recognising that having a coach is a privilege and perhaps more uncommon at the operator level in the ANZ ecosyste…
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Ep 31. Growth Enzyme Mindset: Taylor Fox-Smith on Academia, Channel Partnerships and Building Community at Airwallex
48:51
48:51
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48:51
Today, I'm connecting with Taylor Fox-Smith, Head of Community Partnerships at Airwallex. In this episode, we explore Taylor's formative years and Montessori education and dive into her latest project: building the community function at fintech unicorn Airwallex, a cross-border payments company. We also unpack her lessons from scaling channel partn…
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Ep 30. Emily Robinson on Scaling with Purpose: From Leading People and Culture at Linktree to Driving Growth as GM at Kic
43:57
43:57
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43:57
Emily's an incredible people and operations leader who is passionate about doing things differently. Her latest project is Kic, a fitness app quashing diet culture—founded by Laura Henshaw and Steph Claire Smith. In this episode, we explore her journey from corporate to startup land; leading inside a unicorn to a bootstrapped company with year-on-y…
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Ep 29. Building Scar Tissue: Albert Patajo’s Path from Venture Capital to Fatherhood and Scaling Nexl Beyond Series A
41:58
41:58
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41:58
In this episode, we explore Albert’s journey from growing up as an immigrant in Australia to becoming a startup leader and new dad to his daughter, Ava. Albert is a true fundraising nerd, and watching him level up on his way to Victory Road is a joy. We dive into how he built conviction to leave venture capital and step into a leadership role at Ne…
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Ep 28. From Rowing to an All-Women-Founded Exit: Maddi Ingham’s Playbook for Building Unstoppable Chief of Staff Partnerships and Mastering M&A
41:06
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41:06
In this episode, I dial into a conversation with Maddi Ingham, 2x Chief of Staff, now working in stealth on her next venture. Maddi's career is a testament to her commitment to creating a better world for people and the planet. We explore her journey from management consulting to her catch-all role in Verve Super’s acquisition—a remarkable all-wome…
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Ep 27. Mikayla Hopkins on Building a World-Class Marketing Function and Brand at Tracksuit—Journey from Beer to Beauty to B2B SaaS
39:30
39:30
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39:30
Mikayla builds brands people can't stop talking about. Her latest project is Tracksuit, recognised in The Generalist's Future 50 list as one of the world's highest potential startups. We dive into her career journey from beer to beauty to B2B SaaS; the bumpy (but amazing) road of marketing leadership to $15 million ARR at Tracksuit; the challenges …
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Ep 26. A new era, Handing over Calling Operator to Laura Nicol, from front row with Anna Wintour to Chief Of Staff at Co Ventures
39:42
39:42
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39:42
Episode summary: This week, we’re thrilled to introduce Laura Nicol, the new host of the Calling Operator podcast! In this special transition episode, we get to know Laura and her incredible journey—from the front rows of London Fashion Week beside Anna Wintour and Vivienne Westwood to the picturesque Queenstown, New Zealand, where she was among th…
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Ep 25. Shilpa Mohan's journey from award winning interior designer to head of ops at ProcurePro and finding confidence through changes
41:36
41:36
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41:36
Episode summary: This week, we sat down with Shilpa Mohan, Head of Operations at ProcurePro. We explore themes of confidence, career transitions, and true self-belief beyond external validation. Shilpa shares her inspiring vision for diversity in startups, highlighting the positive changes happening in the ecosystem. Tune in for personal stories, i…
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Ep 24. Georgia Marshall on Building community, co-living across the world and small changes for big impact
40:37
40:37
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40:37
Episode summary: This week, Georgia Marshall takes us through her journey from Fishburners to founding Humans for Good and Flock. Georgia shares her experiences building communities, running pitch nights, and developing Flock, a database of diverse communities. Discover how she creates meaningful connections and leverages no-code tools. Perfect for…
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Ep 23. Jared Bergman's Journey to Vow — From Bionic Eyes to Blowing Up the Bioreactor (Not Literally, Yet)
56:10
56:10
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56:10
Dive into Jared Bergman's journey on this week's episode, where he shares his transition from developing bionic eyes at university to pushing the boundaries of biotech at Vow. Discover the thrilling world of engineering innovative solutions for sustainable food production. This episode is a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the intersection of te…
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Ep 23. Gaby Howard on Navigating the Shift from Founder to Operator in Tech: Insights from Carted and Flaunter
51:16
51:16
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51:16
This week, we delve into Gaby's journey from founding Flaunter to spearheading operations and growth at Carted. Gaby takes us through her unique journey back to an operational role after experiencing the highs and lows of being a founder herself, the shifts in mindset and approach required when moving from leading your business to amplifying someon…
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Ep 22. Polina Nesterova on Pioneering Meaningful Change in Health Tech with Neurode, Inventia Life Sciences, and HealthMatch
51:40
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51:40
Resources mentioned: Radical Candor, Kim Scott Spades, Hearts, Diamonds feedback framework Outlive, the science & art of longevity, Peter Attia Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcas…
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Ep 21. Emma Earley From Unconventional Paths to Remarkable Outcomes: Defying Norms & Embracing Inclusive Leadership at Remarkable
51:11
51:11
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51:11
Resources mentioned: Fair Play by Eve Rodsky Emotional Agility by Dr. Susan David Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcasts (Other) CallingOperator.com A note from your host, Laura: M…
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Ep 20. Deanna Hood on Becoming a technical leader in Health Tech robotics at Vexev and Inventia, Embracing Learning as a Skill and Shattering STEM Stereotypes.
1:09:53
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1:09:53
Find Deanna here: TikTok / @deanna.stem Instagram @deanna.stem https://dhood.io/ Resources mentioned: Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking Brave not Perfect: Fear less, Fail more and Live Bolder https://www.meetup.com/
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Ep 19. Sam Garven from dreaming of living in the forrest studying gorilla's to people leadership at ZipCo, Kinde + more
1:10:52
1:10:52
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1:10:52
You can find Sam here on Linkedin Resources mentioned: WGEA report: Gender Pay Gap Fair Work amendments 2024 Josh Bersin Podcast Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcasts (Other) Call…
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Ep 18. Holly Brooks - From Childhood in Doha to Overcoming Early Career Hurdles, Achieving Her Dream Job at Startmate
47:44
47:44
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47:44
Resources mentioned in this episode: MKT1 Newsletter Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on…
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Ep 17. Nicole Meaker on studying Engineering in adulthood, figuring out what you actually find interesting and working at Marqo as a Product Manager
1:06:23
1:06:23
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1:06:23
Listen to this interview with Nicole Meaker and dive into... Unexpected Paths Lead to Rewarding Careers: Nicole's journey into tech was unplanned. Despite an initial lack of interest in math and science, her diverse experiences, including working in bars and a call centre, led her to discover a passion for technology. A reminder to never forget the…
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Ep 16. Alex Crawshaw from boarding school to a grad job at Deloitte and then finally landing a dream role at Halter
33:26
33:26
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33:26
Alex Crawshaw is a finance manager and chartered accountant at Halter, a New Zealand AgTech startup on a mission to enable farmers to run more productive and sustainable farms. Alex grew up in NZ and went to boarding school (with her now founder, Craig Piggott!) before university which ended up with her landing a grad job at Deloitte. We chat throu…
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Ep 15. Dr Izzy Bigio from six years at med-school, to two years as a Doctor and then a massive personal rebrand before landing at Blackbird as a community partner
42:36
42:36
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42:36
** Apologies for the radio silence! I have moved interstate, had some tough family news and am also at a new job - this episode is an absolute banger to come back to, so please enjoy 🙏 **This week I sat down with Dr Izzy Bigio, Blackbirds Aotearoa-based Platform manager and my first colleague to come on calling operator. Izzy takes us through her j…
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Ep 14. Gemma Clancy & Will Richards, creators of the Overnight Success newsletter talk about building something from nothing
1:12:45
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1:12:45
Interesting in Overnight Success? find them here Resources mentioned: Acquired podcast Tech Safari Acquisitions anonymous Lennys newsletter Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcasts (…
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Ep 13. Monica Masaoka from Airwallex on pushing against the conventional path, going from retail at Mecca to Zip co and finding her place in RevOps at Airwallex
54:55
54:55
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54:55
Resources mentioned: Scaling People, Claire Highs Johnson Rosalyn Santa Elena, RevOps influencer RecOps Impact Newsletter, Jeff Ignacio Pavillion University Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify…
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Ep 12. Royina Bakshi from Nutromics on turning adversity into a superpower and finding the perfect spot in a MedTech hardware start-up
43:35
43:35
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43:35
Resources mentioned: Influence: The psychology of persuasion Inside the nudge unit: how small differences can make a big difference Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcasts (Other) C…
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Ep 11. Carrie Gray from Atlassian on being a humming bird person and using her experience to cross pollinate the world
48:24
48:24
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48:24
Resources mentioned in this episode: Atlassian Playbook Atlassian Team 2023 online event Elizabeth Gilbert: the Curiosity-Driven life podcast TedTalk - Hire a Mum Midset: Ben Crowe: Mojoespresso Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscri…
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Ep 10. Garry Williams on a non-linear pathway into tech, loving life at Tractor Ventures and hard life stories
52:56
52:56
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52:56
**Content warning at the bottom of this section** ** Please note that this episode touches on grief and murder and may be distressing for some listeners. If you or someone you know is experiencing grief, please visit the below resources and remember to take care of yourself. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ Griefline 1300 845 745 Lifeline 131 114 Hea…
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Ep 9. Estelle Berton on landing at Eucalyptus, the power of peer learning and removing 'sorry' from your vocabulary
53:20
53:20
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53:20
Resources mentioned: Podcast, Radical Candor Podcast, the imperfects John Cutler, LinkedIn Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favourite platform: Spotify Apple Podcasts (Other) CallingOperator.com A note from your host,…
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Ep 8. Bronte McHenry, Storyteller, Ex-Startmate, Ex-SmartCompany 5 Life lessons & 20+ resources wrapped in a beautiful story
1:00:26
1:00:26
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1:00:26
Podcasts: Lenny’s podcast Future of storytelling Unseen Unkown The future of everything Planet Money Newsletters: Overnight success Lennys newsletter Not borning Why is this interesting The irrational labs newsletter Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never mi…
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Ep 7. Lance Hodgson, from semi-professional soccer to VP of marketing at Sitemate. It's all about intentionality, and consistency.
59:14
59:14
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59:14
Lance Hodgson had a decision to make, go on to try and become a professional soccer player OR move to California and study marketing. It's pretty fair to say he made a great decision. Now, VP of Marketing at Sitemate, one of Australia's next big rocket ships. We caught up on his journey, tips on how to supercharge your career and an interesting not…
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Ep 6. Sophia Witherington on scaling the Startmate fellowship through push back, Product management at Canva (and cleaning the fryer at KFC)
54:31
54:31
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54:31
Resources mentioned: Angela Duckworth - Grit Lenny's Newsletter EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 1:39 - Sophia, from Scotland to Sydney 2:45 - Cleaning deep fryers at KFC 4:50 - Swapped my non-slip shoes for high heels 7:40 - A rant about typecasting 10:43 - An accidental share house with a founder 12:59 - One small step into Start-ups (part-time) 16:24 - One bi…
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Ep 5. Jessica Telford on vulnerability as a superpower, what customer success actually is and the world of Culture Amp
58:05
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58:05
0:29 - Jessica Telford, upbringing and background 4:40 - Moving to London and landing the wrong job 8:15 - First interview at a tech startup, setting in motion the next decade 10:15 - The early days of customer success 13:02- Learning to be vulnerable at work 14:29 - It's cool to fail; there is so much learning 16:43 - All about Culture Amp 22:22 -…
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Ep 4. Katie Noonan from being a Lawyer to democratising access to learning with Forage.
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46:38
In this episode, we cover: (01:09) Katie's background, strong opinioned child to Law grad (02:32) Moving to the NT to work with indigenous communities (04:51) Taking a job at Indigenous Business Australia and discovering pitching and partnerships (08:06) Joining Startmate women's fellowship as due diligence on the ecosystem (10:11) Outreach hesitat…
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Ep 3. Daphne Shen from LiDAR to Lyka and how having a service-oriented attitude can take you anywhere.
48:41
48:41
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48:41
Episode timestamps: 4m - Hackathon, Daphne co-founds a VR solution for learning Japanese 14m - Volunteering at Blackbirds sunrise and dipping into the ecosystem 17m - Joining Baraja and becoming Chief of Staff to the CTO of a LiDAR hardware start-up 27m - LiDAR to Lyka, self-driving cars to pet wellness 32m - Over-coming imposter syndrome 39m - Pra…
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Ep 2. Daragh Kan, from falling into hospitality at 13 to becoming the first product hire at Mr. Yum
34:13
34:13
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34:13
RESOURCES MENTIONED Marty Cagan, INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love Lenny Rachitsky ‘what is product management Getting things done, David Allan Stolen focus, why you can’t pay attention, Johann Hari Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never m…
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Ep 1. Harry Hamilton on moving from the big 4 to product management at Safety Culture, to coaching product at Minnow.
39:22
39:22
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39:22
I sat down with Harry Hamilton to talk through his journey from management consultancy into the early days of SafetyCulture and how his superpower of breaking down complex problems has led him to founding Minnow, a course for aspiring product managers. Learn more about Minnow Learn here Learn more about SafetyCulture here Do you have an operator on…
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