June 11, 2024 • 10 mins
Hello, listeners! Welcome to the very first episode of Social Enterprise, recorded from Sydney, Australia. I'm Anita, your host, and I'm thrilled to embark on this podcasting journey with you. In this episode, I introduce myself and share the inspiration behind Social Enterprise.
Join me as I pay respect to the traditional owners of the land and celebrate the rich storytelling culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Discover my passion for human resources, my fascination with people's stories, and my mission to help individuals reach their fullest potential.
Learn about the core values that drive me: authenticity, service, and learning. Hear how my diverse background has shaped my perspective and how I aim to bring you insightful and inspiring stories from everyday people and experts alike.
This episode sets the tone for the series, promising engaging dialogues, self-reflection, and a focus on contemporary organisational topics to help with your career development. I invite you to join me on this journey of connection and growth with Social Enterprise.
Stay safe and well, and don't forget to follow the podcast!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Music.
(00:24):
Hello, listeners. Welcome to the very first episode of Social Enterprise.
I'm incredibly excited to be recording my very first podcast from Sydney,
Australia, and I'm hoping to reach listeners from all over the world as I do
consider myself as a global citizen.
I also believe that we experience similar challenges and opportunities no matter
(00:47):
where you are in the world.
Before I I tell you a little bit about me and what this podcast is about,
I would like to firstly acknowledge the traditional owners of this land where
this podcast will be recorded and pay my respects to the elders past and present.
I also want to celebrate the ongoing culture, connections and the storytelling
(01:10):
practices that is very much part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
tradition where I will draw on these broad themes in my episode.
So, you're probably wondering what social enterprise is all about and why I've
decided to embark on doing something like this.
You may have already heard my short trailer, which gives you a little bit of
(01:33):
a sneak peek of what social enterprise is about.
But for my first episode, I thought you, my listeners, would benefit from hearing
about me, the host and the creator of the podcast.
As much as I think it is a little bit self-indulgent to talk about myself,
I also know it's important for you to get to know me a little bit,
(01:56):
to get a sense of the tone of the podcast and what topics I'm drawn to.
So I'm Anita. Some of my friends call me Neats for short, and I'm a very passionate
human resources professional, and I've been working in this space for many years.
Even from as young as I can remember, I've had lots of different interests,
(02:18):
but I've always had a fascination around people,
their stories, why they behave a certain way, why they are who they are today,
and what it could look like if I walked a day in their shoes.
I remember when I was young, I used to look out the window when I was in the
passenger seat in the car or on the bus on the way to school.
(02:40):
And when I'd see someone walking into a building, for example,
I'd ask myself, who are they?
What are they about to do when they go into that building? And what kind of
life do they have? I must say I still retain this childlike wonder when it comes
to people and their stories, even today as an adult.
(03:01):
It might sound a little bit cliche when someone in HR says they like people,
as that's a minimum requirement to be in this profession, really.
But if I think about it deep down and what my purpose is, it's for me to enable
and support people to be at their fullest potential.
I feel great fulfillment when I see people developing their chosen career,
(03:26):
mastering in their profession and becoming more confident in themselves.
But I also love seeing people take bold moves to follow their passion,
even though it might not seem like the most logical choice for someone that's observing from afar.
I believe that to be able to reach your fullest potential, you need to be curious,
(03:46):
open to learning and getting exposure about a broad range of topics,
even outside of your field.
I also believe in the power of dialogue and connection and that that can spark
different ideas, which is what I'm aiming that this podcast will do for my listeners.
In this day and age, at least in the organizational context,
(04:08):
we're increasingly being encouraged to bring our whole selves to work,
which means I also have the opportunity and the greatest privilege to see people
flourishing and performing at their best and, of course, their fullest potential,
but I also get to see them when they're vulnerable and raw and my role is trying
(04:29):
to understand and support them to bring them up to equilibrium again.
Sometimes it can be as simple as lending an ear or being a sounding board or
letting someone share something that's on their chest or having a good old vent
and creating that non-judgmental space to enable that.
When it comes to my profession, I also see this convergence between the workplace
(04:54):
or the organisational context with themes outside of this work context,
such as family, personal challenges,
ambitions, desires, and so on.
And sometimes these come at a conflict and navigating the balance of these two
paradigms can get really tricky. you.
For me, it's about being comfortable operating in the light and shade and many colors of gray.
(05:21):
And I believe that once someone is able to balance or align their personal goals
or purpose to their work, they are the most fulfilled.
And maybe that's because it doesn't feel like work anymore.
This can be a difficult journey because there are different pressures that you're
surrounded by, But I feel that someone's really found their sweet spot when
(05:45):
they're able to balance all these things.
I myself have been recently working on defining my own purpose,
but also my core values and trying to align it with what I enjoy and what I'm really good at.
As I already mentioned, my purpose is to enable and support people to be at
their fullest potential. and my three core values that really underpin this
(06:08):
is around authenticity, service, and learning.
Perhaps I can break these down a little bit to help illustrate it for you.
Authenticity is really important to me as growing up, I always felt that I didn't quite fit in anywhere.
I'm half Japanese, half Indian, and growing up in Australia where these three
(06:33):
circles in this sort of Venn diagram didn't always overlap.
And these cultures, I would say, are more different than alike.
But it was only when I embraced my diverse background, when I found that this
became my competitive edge or even my superpower,
as I feel that it It helps me connect and understand people from different cultures
(06:58):
and diverse backgrounds.
Although I don't enforce this value on others, I find people who are fake incredibly frustrating.
And I guess the reason for this is because I want everyone to be more comfortable
in their own skin and be themselves.
I think we can start to do this by having more open conversations and creating
(07:21):
that safe space to being more vulnerable and accepting that differences are
just as important as similarities.
When it comes to service, again, perhaps it comes from my ethnicity again,
where the concept of customer service is said to have originated in Japan,
but also in India, I've experienced the spirit of hospitality and people going
(07:45):
out of their way to help others, even if they don't have much themselves.
I'm obsessed with providing the best service, at least in the professional sense,
you know, And this comes from creating the best employee experience,
but also providing the best pragmatic advice when it comes to employees in the
organisational context, which can be a bit of a juggle at times.
(08:09):
So when it comes to the podcast,
I want to be able to serve my listeners by bringing insights into different
contemporary topics to help with
this concept of continuous learning and development as my service. us.
Lastly, I enjoy learning about different things in this ever-changing world,
(08:31):
and I'm not known to be someone that sits still.
I personally learn best from others, but also through self reflection.
And therefore, this podcast will be interviews with everyday people who are
subject matter experts in their area, or just want to share their inspiring story.
But it'll also include my my own self-reflection on topics.
(08:53):
I also believe the themes that we discuss in this podcast are quite universal,
so should be relatable to you, whether you're listening from Australia,
where I'm based right now, but also from other parts of the world.
So this was really the start of the concept of social enterprise.
I wanted something that would bring my purpose, values, and passion for the
(09:18):
humanistic workplace, whilst developing a skill around storytelling.
What better way is there to develop a skill by just doing it and getting comfortable
with the skill you want to develop, in my case, around storytelling?
Those that know me from high school or know me really well also know that I'm
a classically trained singer.
(09:39):
And although I didn't choose this path for my career, that whole concept of
conveying a story, thoughts, and connection and emotion is what drew me to being
bold and starting a podcast.
It's a way to use my voice in a different way. Instead of me singing notes and
lyrics, it's a dialogue to create connection, which I really feel is quite similar.
(10:04):
I hope you can come along on this insightful journey with me with social enterprise.
And to keep it interesting, there'll be a focus on different topics and stories with each episode.
Thanks for listening. I'd be forever grateful if you can help to follow the
podcast. But until next time, stay safe and well.
(10:25):
Music.
Music.
(00:24):
Hello, listeners. Welcome to the very first episode of Social Enterprise.
I'm incredibly excited to be recording my very first podcast from Sydney,
Australia, and I'm hoping to reach listeners from all over the world as I do
consider myself as a global citizen.
I also believe that we experience similar challenges and opportunities no matter
(00:47):
where you are in the world.
Before I I tell you a little bit about me and what this podcast is about,
I would like to firstly acknowledge the traditional owners of this land where
this podcast will be recorded and pay my respects to the elders past and present.
I also want to celebrate the ongoing culture, connections and the storytelling
(01:10):
practices that is very much part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
tradition where I will draw on these broad themes in my episode.
So, you're probably wondering what social enterprise is all about and why I've
decided to embark on doing something like this.
You may have already heard my short trailer, which gives you a little bit of
(01:33):
a sneak peek of what social enterprise is about.
But for my first episode, I thought you, my listeners, would benefit from hearing
about me, the host and the creator of the podcast.
As much as I think it is a little bit self-indulgent to talk about myself,
I also know it's important for you to get to know me a little bit,
(01:56):
to get a sense of the tone of the podcast and what topics I'm drawn to.
So I'm Anita. Some of my friends call me Neats for short, and I'm a very passionate
human resources professional, and I've been working in this space for many years.
Even from as young as I can remember, I've had lots of different interests,
(02:18):
but I've always had a fascination around people,
their stories, why they behave a certain way, why they are who they are today,
and what it could look like if I walked a day in their shoes.
I remember when I was young, I used to look out the window when I was in the
passenger seat in the car or on the bus on the way to school.
(02:40):
And when I'd see someone walking into a building, for example,
I'd ask myself, who are they?
What are they about to do when they go into that building? And what kind of
life do they have? I must say I still retain this childlike wonder when it comes
to people and their stories, even today as an adult.
(03:01):
It might sound a little bit cliche when someone in HR says they like people,
as that's a minimum requirement to be in this profession, really.
But if I think about it deep down and what my purpose is, it's for me to enable
and support people to be at their fullest potential.
I feel great fulfillment when I see people developing their chosen career,
(03:26):
mastering in their profession and becoming more confident in themselves.
But I also love seeing people take bold moves to follow their passion,
even though it might not seem like the most logical choice for someone that's observing from afar.
I believe that to be able to reach your fullest potential, you need to be curious,
(03:46):
open to learning and getting exposure about a broad range of topics,
even outside of your field.
I also believe in the power of dialogue and connection and that that can spark
different ideas, which is what I'm aiming that this podcast will do for my listeners.
In this day and age, at least in the organizational context,
(04:08):
we're increasingly being encouraged to bring our whole selves to work,
which means I also have the opportunity and the greatest privilege to see people
flourishing and performing at their best and, of course, their fullest potential,
but I also get to see them when they're vulnerable and raw and my role is trying
(04:29):
to understand and support them to bring them up to equilibrium again.
Sometimes it can be as simple as lending an ear or being a sounding board or
letting someone share something that's on their chest or having a good old vent
and creating that non-judgmental space to enable that.
When it comes to my profession, I also see this convergence between the workplace
(04:54):
or the organisational context with themes outside of this work context,
such as family, personal challenges,
ambitions, desires, and so on.
And sometimes these come at a conflict and navigating the balance of these two
paradigms can get really tricky. you.
For me, it's about being comfortable operating in the light and shade and many colors of gray.
(05:21):
And I believe that once someone is able to balance or align their personal goals
or purpose to their work, they are the most fulfilled.
And maybe that's because it doesn't feel like work anymore.
This can be a difficult journey because there are different pressures that you're
surrounded by, But I feel that someone's really found their sweet spot when
(05:45):
they're able to balance all these things.
I myself have been recently working on defining my own purpose,
but also my core values and trying to align it with what I enjoy and what I'm really good at.
As I already mentioned, my purpose is to enable and support people to be at
their fullest potential. and my three core values that really underpin this
(06:08):
is around authenticity, service, and learning.
Perhaps I can break these down a little bit to help illustrate it for you.
Authenticity is really important to me as growing up, I always felt that I didn't quite fit in anywhere.
I'm half Japanese, half Indian, and growing up in Australia where these three
(06:33):
circles in this sort of Venn diagram didn't always overlap.
And these cultures, I would say, are more different than alike.
But it was only when I embraced my diverse background, when I found that this
became my competitive edge or even my superpower,
as I feel that it It helps me connect and understand people from different cultures
(06:58):
and diverse backgrounds.
Although I don't enforce this value on others, I find people who are fake incredibly frustrating.
And I guess the reason for this is because I want everyone to be more comfortable
in their own skin and be themselves.
I think we can start to do this by having more open conversations and creating
(07:21):
that safe space to being more vulnerable and accepting that differences are
just as important as similarities.
When it comes to service, again, perhaps it comes from my ethnicity again,
where the concept of customer service is said to have originated in Japan,
but also in India, I've experienced the spirit of hospitality and people going
(07:45):
out of their way to help others, even if they don't have much themselves.
I'm obsessed with providing the best service, at least in the professional sense,
you know, And this comes from creating the best employee experience,
but also providing the best pragmatic advice when it comes to employees in the
organisational context, which can be a bit of a juggle at times.
(08:09):
So when it comes to the podcast,
I want to be able to serve my listeners by bringing insights into different
contemporary topics to help with
this concept of continuous learning and development as my service. us.
Lastly, I enjoy learning about different things in this ever-changing world,
(08:31):
and I'm not known to be someone that sits still.
I personally learn best from others, but also through self reflection.
And therefore, this podcast will be interviews with everyday people who are
subject matter experts in their area, or just want to share their inspiring story.
But it'll also include my my own self-reflection on topics.
(08:53):
I also believe the themes that we discuss in this podcast are quite universal,
so should be relatable to you, whether you're listening from Australia,
where I'm based right now, but also from other parts of the world.
So this was really the start of the concept of social enterprise.
I wanted something that would bring my purpose, values, and passion for the
(09:18):
humanistic workplace, whilst developing a skill around storytelling.
What better way is there to develop a skill by just doing it and getting comfortable
with the skill you want to develop, in my case, around storytelling?
Those that know me from high school or know me really well also know that I'm
a classically trained singer.
(09:39):
And although I didn't choose this path for my career, that whole concept of
conveying a story, thoughts, and connection and emotion is what drew me to being
bold and starting a podcast.
It's a way to use my voice in a different way. Instead of me singing notes and
lyrics, it's a dialogue to create connection, which I really feel is quite similar.
(10:04):
I hope you can come along on this insightful journey with me with social enterprise.
And to keep it interesting, there'll be a focus on different topics and stories with each episode.
Thanks for listening. I'd be forever grateful if you can help to follow the
podcast. But until next time, stay safe and well.
(10:25):
Music.
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