Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
ProteuslifeEdition 4 2023 The official magazine of proteus enterprises p/l Merry Christmas & Happy New Year The Great Skate! An Interview With Michael Penny Presenting With Confidence By Richard DoreJohn C. Maxwell Remember: Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn. 2 proteuslife Every minute we spend complaining about what's happening is a minute we take away from making things better. Des Penny Hi everyone, welcome to the last edition of the Proteuslife magazine for 2023. Can you believe how fast this year has gone by? 2023 has certainly been a year of ups and downs, but it has also been packed full of exciting and interesting adventures that have helped us all to grow and be better people. There are lots of photos in this edition to show you what we have been up to. In November 2023, I 0fficially gave my last public presentation on stage and am now focusing on Podcasting and further growing the business in Australia and beyond, so I am absolutely excited about what is to come. I can’t wait to share some of these things with you as we enter 2024. In this edition of Proteuslife, I am also excited to share the journey of one of my sons and his support in the fight against domestic violence in Australia. Check out his story on page 6 – very proud! There are so many great articles in this edition, starting with Richard Dore’s article on Presentation Skills, where he shows us how to cut through the noise so our ideas stick, and Ken Warren’s article on how to deal with difficult work colleagues, plus many others that will help you on your leadership journey. And because it’s Christmas, we have a whole section of recipes and cocktails you can enjoy over the festive season. So, thank you for your support this year and I look forward to producing the Proteuslife magazine again in 2024. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and remember – BE KIND! Des Penny - Editor EDITORIAL Proteus life The official magazine of proteus enterprises p/l The Proteuslife Team Editor: Des Penny Production: Leanne Keillor Advertising: Joe Stuart Design: Javier Marmol For all enquiries: 1300 219 903 ABN: 30 092 276 358 proteusleadership.com An Important Message SUBSCRIBE Proteuslife welcomes editorial submissions from a diverse range of people and industries. The information printed is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as professional advice without first checking with appropriate legal or industrial experts. We do not necessarily endorse the views, statements, claims, strategies or ideas put forward by contributors of the magazine. Proteuslife is merely relaying experiences and information. Proteuslife is not liable for any personal or professional loss you may have incurred as a result of reading this magazine. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without written consent from the editor. Advertisements in Proteuslife will be accepted only if they meet all relevant laws and will not give rise to any legal claims or liability and they reflect the culture and purpose of the magazine. 3 proteuslife proteusleadership.com/linkedin/des proteusleadership.com/lets-go-lets- grow-podcast-with-des-penny/ proteusleadership.com/des-penny-blog Connect with Des! Let's Go - Let's Grow podcast with Des Penny Subscribe to Proteuslife MagazineTABLE OF CONTENTS 06 / The Great Skate! By Des Penny 16 / Changing your relationship with fear leads to professional success By Dr Amy Silver 20 / Why the secret to achieving more is by doing less By Donna McGeorge 18 / 2024 Professional Development Schedule 10 / Presenting With Confidence By Richard Dore 13 / What Our Clients Are Saying 03 / Editorial14 / The Complete Leader 2024 4 proteuslife26 / Becoming An Opportunity Seeker By Des Penny 30 / Proteus Events 34 / Debate In Private, Unite In Public By Leah Mether 32 / How To Deal With Difficult Work Colleagues By Ken Warren 44 / The Privilege of Leadership By Des Penny 48 / Funny Signs 46 / Book Review By Richard Dore 22 / New 6-Session Leadership Programs 24 / Proteus Breakfast Series 36 / Your People Are Your Only Competitive Advantage By Dr. Alan Zimmerman 38 / Christmas Recipes & Cocktails 42 / Gentle Bear By Gallagher Bassett 5 proteuslifeR ecently I had the great privilege of interviewing my son Michael, who has ventured into a very exciting project in the fight against domestic violence and I could not be prouder. Here is his story. Mick, tell our readers how this all came about About 15 years ago I made one of the toughest decisions of my life. At that time, I was working in a job that I enjoyed with people that I respected and loved working with. Even though this was the case I still felt like something was missing. There was a purpose to my life that I still hadn't found. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and where I might find that purpose but to do this, I knew that I had to burn my boats, that I had to put it all on the line to give myself the best possible chance of achieving this new dream. That dream was to become a Firefighter. I felt that in this new career I could find my purpose through helping people in their greatest time of need and giving back to my community. Whenever I thought about this new path, I had that shiver in my spine, that tingle of excitement that confirmed to me this was the right way forward. So, I resigned from my job (to the surprise of many) and over the next 3 years worked my way towards becoming a Firefighter. Twelve years later and I still love my job and look forward to what I hope will be a long and impactful career. Do you feel that you have now found your real purpose? Recently I have felt that urge again. That little niggle in the back of my mind asking 'Is this it?'. I wanted to find that next purpose, I wanted to experience that buzz again of working towards something that was bigger than just myself. So, I started brainstorming and thinking about what could be next. I tried some different things, came up with some cool business ideas that I believe would have been successful. However, I found it hard to put energy and time into these ideas. Although I believed in them, I just wasn't passionate about them. And then it came to me. I needed to take what I was passionate about and join that together with a purpose. A purpose that would benefit and support others in need and not be about financial gain for myself. 6 proteuslife" 7 proteuslifeSo, tell us, what did you discover? The first part was easy, Inline Skating (Roller Blading) is my Passion. I love skating and have done it since I was a young kid and first laid my eyes on The Mighty Ducks movies. As for the Purpose I thought about something close to home that had played a part in my extended family’s life for years, Domestic and Family Violence. Unfortunately, I have had three women in my family that have had to escape different forms of abusive relationships. I have seen first-hand through their struggles and also the people I have encountered through being a Firefighter, how devastating Domestic and Family violence can be. For me this just made sense as the right cause to be supporting. The next step was how to bring my passion and purpose together. I have never been a super competitive person. I was the guy that would love coming to training more so than playing the games. In saying that though I have always been competitive with myself which naturally sways me towards long distance personal challenges. So, I decided to use a long-distance skate (100km's in one day) as the platform to raise money to go towards Domestic and Family violence. Next up was finding the charity I was going to support. Why did you decide on supporting Mettle Women? I was first introduced to Mettle Women 4 years ago when a mate of mine did a podcast with the CEO and Founder, Bronwyn Bate. I was instantly impressed by Bronwyn and the Mettle Women business model. It felt like it filled such an important gap for women who were trying to rebuild their lives after experiencing domestic or family violence. Mettle Women operate as a national gift delivery service with the money made from sales going back into the charity to fund their very important work. They use their business as a platform to support women experiencing homelessness due to domestic or family violence. They equip survivors of domestic and family violence with the skills, confidence, and financial security required to secure and maintain employment and in turn, safe and stable housing. When I approached Mettle Women and told them of my plans they were extremely receptive and appreciative of my support and what I was trying to achieve. Although I can imagine in the back of their minds, they were probably thinking who is this guy? And is he really going to deliver on these lofty goals he is promising? Only time will tell. Although with 3 months left until The Great Skate all seems to be running smoothly and falling into place. How have you funded the project? I have had some amazing sponsors come on board and people wanting to be involved any way they can. I have also had a great response from anyone that is happy to hear about what I am trying to achieve with The Great Skate. For me this is more than just raising money for charity. It is about bringing this important issue of domestic and family violence to the forefront. About educating people on what is really happening out there and what we can do to help and support these women that have gone through so much. Thank you for reading my story. 8 proteuslifeIf you find that this is something that resonates with you and would like to support me on this journey, then please follow the links below. Facebook/Instagram @mickpennyskating Donations gofund.me/3cfb66b3 Charity mettlegifts.com Des Penny Founder / Director Innovation and Growth Proteus Leadership Subscribe now for FREE and never miss an episode! Founder / Director Of Marketing Proteus Leadership 9 proteuslifeNext >