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The Brightroom Podcast

The Brightroom Podcast

by Irina Alexandra

Management Self-Improvement

Season 2

We Ditched The CVs with Dajana Dakonovic from Toggl

Dajana Dakonovic is the Head of People at Toggl. Toggl is a time tracking SaaS company working fully remote since 2014. Dajana shares how they managed not only to maintain culture in a fully remote setup, but make it one of the biggest value propositions to their employees. She also shares the nitty gritty behind their outcome based work approach as well as their “controversial” hiring process. 00:00 Teaser 06:38 Dajana’s background and early age influences 11:58 Challenges of the hybrid model 18:05 Values aligned decision making in action 19:00 Hiring process at Toggl 29:56 RAFT (outcome based approach to work) 46:30 Extreme leadership 48:20 Bad experiment 54:59 Making remote culture work 1:03:10 Harsh truth about startups and scaleups 1:13:30 Final strong opinions on the current state of HR Links: Dajana Dakonovic Irina Alexandra Toggl Brightroom

Season 1

E11 - Love Not Fear with David Henzel

David Henzel is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and the founder of Love Not Fear. David Henzel’s journey is anything but ordinary. Expelled from 14 schools and dropping out at 15, he grew up resisting authority and drifting without direction. After discovering entrepreneurship everything changed. It gave him structure, drive, and a mission far bigger than himself. Once a shy, introverted guy, David now thrives as a keynote speaker and networking expert. His journey proves the power of changing your mindset. His Love Not Fear philosophy is at the heart of everything he does, encouraging people and businesses to embrace purpose, abundance, and courage. Today, David runs a portfolio of successful companies, while helping organizations grow through intentional organizational design, conscious leadership and personal development. Links: David Henzel Love Not Fear Assessment Irina Alexandra Brightroom - training and coaching for high growth companies

E10 - Freesponsible Living: Becoming The Change You Want To See (with Etienne Salborn)

Etienne Salborn is a changemaker-maker and social entrepreneur. He founded SINA (Social Innovation Academy), empowering marginalized youth and African refugee communities to become social entrepreneurs through a cost-effective and innovative approach of “freesponsible” empowerment. By creating their own solutions to the challenges they face, participants transform from passive aid recipients to active drivers of their own futures. As SINA’s model continues to scale across different African countries through a replication approach, its impact continues to grow. It has reached twelve communities in five African countries and has given birth to 72 social enterprises. Etienne’s dedication to social entrepreneurship and mentorship has led him to serve as a lecturer for social entrepreneurship at the Management Center Innsbruck, the ESCP Business School and as a resource person for the Asian Productivity Organization, and facilitator for the ChangemakerXchange. His expertise and leadership have earned him recognition as an “AACSB Influential Leader 2021” or “Innovation Ecosystem Builder” by MIT D-lab. SINA’s impact has been widely recognized through numerous awards as well, including the Tony Hsieh Award, the UNHCR Innovation Award and the 2023 Ockenden Prize. PS: The video was recorded as part of scientific research, hence a bit of an inquisitory questioning style :) Links: Etienne Salborn SINA Irina Alexandra Brightroom

E9 - Breaking Barriers: Understanding Neurodiversity And Building Inclusion With Ludmila Praslova

Dr. Ludmila Praslova is a leading voice in the field of neurodiversity and inclusion. She's a regular contributor to Forbes and Harvard Business Review, and the author of an award winning book “The Canary Code - A Guide To Neurodiversity, Dignity and Intersectional Belonging At Work" In this episode we explore: What neurodiversity really means Challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals at work and in society How workplace systems and rituals can unintentionally create barriers Real-life stories that illustrate both struggles and breakthroughs Practical changes we can all make to foster inclusion and belonging 00:00 Intro 04:30 Ludmila's journey and motivation 07:09 What is neurodiversity? 17:03 Creating inclusive work environments 19:32 The importance of job design 24:56 Systemic changes needed 27:54 Neurodiversity in the workplace 31:46 Inclusive practices 35:11 Spectrum of differences 38:05 Challenging neuronormativity in work environments 42:19 The role of leadership in inclusivity 46:23 The canary code Ludmila Praslova on LIn Irina on Lin Brightroom

E8 - Building Belonging: The Art And Science Of Community Creation (with Anamaria Dorgo)

Anamaria Dorgo is the founder behind L&D Shakers - a global community of 7,000+ Learning and Development professionals. L&D Shakers started as a series of small gatherings in 2019 but has quickly become an international playground for all things learning and development, with local hubs in 15 cities and regular online and in-person events all powered by 100+ passionate volunteers. Together, they’ve created a space where L&D professionals connect, share, and grow. In this episode we talk about how Anamaria turned small group meet ups into a global movement, the key ingredients to building and sustaining vibrant communities; why some communities fail—and how to avoid the pitfalls. 00:00 Introduction 04:30 How it all started 08:30 Growth of L&D Shakers 14:14 Relationship between the size and the value of the community 17:08 Engagement and contribution dynamics 22:21 1/9/90 rule 26:57 Creating inclusive community experiences 34:53 Internal communities within organizations 40:25 The DO's and DONT's of community building Links: Anamaria on LIn L&D Shakers Community building course from Anamaria Irina on LIn Brightroom

E7 - What You Can Think, You Can Create (with Dennis Chuene)

Dennis Chuene is a South African fashion designer. He’s been living in Berlin since the pandemic and has already established himself as a challenger to the status quo of Germany's fashion capital. This interview is however less about the design and more about the human. Even if you are far from the world of fashion, you might imagine that it’s quite difficult to cut through the noise and make a name for yourself. Yet, Dennis Chuene has done it not once, but multiple times - the last one being in a new country where he had to start everything from scratch. This interview reveals the mindset one must have to achieve this, the personal growth needed to sustain it and some practical strategies that might help along the way. You can expect to find answers to the following questions: How to make people notice your work. How to get to a yes, when all you hear is no. How to deal with doubt. How to stay on the right side of success. What goes into genuinely strong partnerships. How to enter new markets. How to turn setbacks into opportunities. The meaning of (and behind) creation. Dennis Chuene’s contacts: Website: https://dennischuene.com/ IG: dennis_chuene Store: Hagelberger Str. 52, 10965 Berlin, Germany Interview by Irina Alexandra from Brightroom

E6 - Changing How We See Change (with Lin Cassie Zhen)

In this conversation, Irina and Lin Cassie explore the themes of change and uncertainty, discussing personal experiences and insights on how to navigate these challenges. They delve into the importance of mindfulness, radical responsibility, and the transformative power of embracing change as an opportunity for growth. The discussion highlights the emotional journey individuals face when confronted with change and the role of self-reflection in fostering resilience and adaptability. Links: Lin Casssie Lin Cassie's workshop "Calm in the Storm - Leadership in Times of Change" Irina Brightroom Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Change and Uncertainty 03:07 Lynn's Personal Journey with Change 04:47 Embracing Change: The First Encounter 07:52 Shaping Identity through Change 12:00 Moving from Reactivity to Embracing Change 17:28 Societal Perception of Change 19:07 Lynn's Work in Navigating Change 22:07 Exploring Change on an Individual Level 23:12 Creating Space: The Practice of Mindfulness 26:20 Moving from Reactivity to Riding the Wave of Change 29:22 Dealing with Sudden Change and Uncertainty 33:38 Acceptance and Allowing Emotions 39:02 The Responsibility of Organizations in Supporting Change 41:25 The Importance of Self-Reflection for Leaders 49:28 Shifting the Relationship with Change and Uncertainty

E5 - I Made Myself Belong (with Lily Kriegs)

In this conversation, Irina speaks with Lily Kriegs - Inclusivity and Belonging partner at Spryker, about the topic of belonging. Lily shares her personal journey of belonging, starting from her upbringing in Mexico to her experience of studying in a German school and eventually moving to Germany. Lily emphasizes the importance of connections, shared values, and understanding in the process of belonging. She also highlights the need for creativity and openness to connect with others, particularly in the face of language barriers. The conversation explores the challenges and rewards of finding a sense of belonging in different cultures and environments. The conversation explores the theme of belonging and identity in the context of living in different cultures. Links: Lily Kriegs Spryker Irina Brightroom Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:20 Different Ways of Integrating into a New Culture 08:41 Creating a Sense of True Belonging 18:58 Lily's Journey of Making Herself Belong 21:49 The Importance of Meaningful Connections and Validation 24:10 Belonging as a Process of Connection and Understanding 27:49 Moving to Germany and Immersion in the Culture 30:02 Experiences of Belonging in Different Cultural Contexts 34:18 Overcoming the Binary of Us vs Them and Finding Common Ground 38:36 Defining Your Own Sense of Belonging and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 42:22 Building an Inclusive Culture: Co-Creating and Embracing Diversity 47:39 Belonging in Multiple Groups and the Interconnectedness of the World

E4 - Beyond The Carrot And Stick (with ten23 health)

Wondering if there’s a better way to do performance appraisals than the forced distribution of the bell curve? Hanns-Christian Mahler and Felicia Werk from ten23 health are sharing human-centric strategies for genuine growth and accountability. ten23 health is based on new work and hashtag holocracy principles and is dedicated to pursuing more adaptive and meaningful ways of working. We dive deep into what’s wrong with traditional performance management practices and explore innovative, human-centric approaches that go beyond the “carrot and stick” methods. How to craft a holistic performance management strategy? Does it have to be tied to fear or renumeration to be effective? What happens when people are given agency? How to ensure fairness in recognition? Can (and should) every employee be in charge of their own growth and development? Hosted by Irina from Brightroom - the social network for learning and development.

E3 - A Better Place To Work (with Guillermo Espinola Orci)

From rigid hierarchy to a co-creative partnership with decentralized hiring, self-set salaries and the freedom to experiment. The story of XIPE Group from its Founder, Guillermo Espinola Orci. 2:07 - How it started 7.35 - “Open doors” 18:57 - Tool to foster internal recognition and share profits 24:39 - Outcome vs. Input 26:40 - Working as a team 27:56 - Employees setting their own salaries 30:16 - Discovery and experimentation 42:29 - Companies misunderstanding why they do inclusivity 49:25 - Leaders do not exist XIPE Technology Guillermo's LinkedIn Brightroom Irina's LinkedIn

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