what is it to connect what does it mean
for each of us as individuals it’s been
hijacked through modern life hijacked by
technology and the use of the word to
describe information and communication
access via the internet and cellular
coverage I propose we start a revolution
to reconnect personally actively with
the intent to change the world we live
in how by listening to and sharing of
personal authentic stories without
agenda every day I tune into radio and
television and I hear about countries in
turmoil war political divide death
poverty as well as anxiety depression
and yes suicide we can overcome the fear
and the distrust that divides us simply
by opening up and sharing our stories
with people and about place taking
ourselves where we feel like we belong
connected and of course ultimately
optimistic and empowered I get the
feeling that might be why you’re here
today to actually be inspired and feel
connected we’ve never been more
virtually connected in human history and
yet so isolated by our social disconnect
and I think that it’s been to great
benefit but also great detriment
research has shown that Millennials are
the most anxious and depressed
generation to date now let’s think about
that for a moment
politically disengaged confronted by
increasing suicide rates displaced
refugees fake news and even social media
it’s a tragic mystery and I’ll come back
to that thought shortly historically the
way we understand
the world and our place in it is through
narrative whether that be the fairy
tales were told as children the facts
that were taught through our education
years or the traditional and cultural
stories we share between family and
friends I think you’ll agree the main
narrative we’re fed by the 24/7 news
cycle and online is less than positive
and I’m not saying there aren’t
inspiring stories but you really have to
be selective to find them in my lifetime
yes it’s longer than 25 years I was
hoping to pull the wool over your eyes
today we’ve seen men on the moon we have
seen the internet being developed
through the World Wide Web the
Industrial Revolution and the selfie
evolution complete with accessories I
never ever thought I’d have to explain
FOMO to my aging parents but that’s just
one fear that my children would have to
navigate my childhood was simple by
comparison my brother and I on our push
bikes would roam the neighborhood to our
hearts content
we’d play cricket in the street yes with
traffic well there wasn’t as much
opportunity we’d also explore the bush
all without a text or a phone call from
our mother telling us to come home at
dark at age 12 I was actually coming out
of being in business with my parents for
five years from the age of seven I was
exposed to people of all ages and all
backgrounds through my family’s
businesses communicating at the counters
on the telephones so I suppose that
exposure has enabled me to be where I am
today now by the age of twelve after all
of that experience I was sent to
boarding school and I was living
independent from my family in Brisbane
you can imagine being disconnected from
your family at such a tender age and I’d
only come home three times a year
not only that it was run by nuns and I
know some of you have only just met me
but I’m pretty sure you get the idea I
had attitude a precocious child yet
yearning to be loved and accepted
because at the heart of it we just want
to belong
belonging is something that’s
fundamental to our being I look back at
those years and I see them as a catalyst
to the curious nature I have being
unleashed on these unsuspecting Co
borders trying to establish that
connection the need to love and be loved
telling someone I loved them was foreign
to me until boarding school I still
recall the sounds of my friends on their
phone calls telling their parents and
their family I miss you I love you hmm
strange I don’t know what’s going on the
other end of the phone but I remember
the silence that I was actually greeted
by it went on for way too long until
eventually I got a you to and to this
day that is the standard response to me
telling my parents I love you so I think
it’s just an Aussie thing do you think
it might be just an Australian thing I
know that I envy other cultures Italians
Greeks Europeans even Asian families who
reach out and cherish that bond through
physical contact love and affection
hugging and kissing
in 2012 I traveled to Africa visiting
Zambia to film a documentary for three
days we actually camped in a remote
village surrounded by a traditional mud
brick huts and some of the happiest
people I’ve met in my life
yet they had very few possessions and
little to no money they had something
greater than that they belonged and they
had community they were connected in
every day life whether it be cooking
farming building even participating in
sport and faith they did it together as
a community not just families but as
community so what makes Western or
modern society so different is it the
loss of community the growth of cities
fear and distrust propagated by media
and politicians could it be screen time
versus face time
I actually don’t mind FaceTime if it’s
on your phone it’s preferable to play in
screen time or could it be shame brené
Brown set out to research connection
she found fear and shame consistently
inhibited our ability to be vulnerable
enough to truly connect beliefs
suspicions and even assumptions mean we
question everything we hear and see
shaping our perceptions of the world can
we really trust the person telling the
story social media publishes fake news
revelation not really superficial
communication will always equal
superficial connection in a world
bombarded by contrived marketing
messages and images of perfection is it
any wonder we’re so disconnected nobody
can live up to that and many will live
unhappy and unfulfilled trying I once
worked in commercial media and radio and
television advertising promotions and
sales creativity was the one thing I
relied on in sales
creating catchy commercials to give the
best value package to my client
unfortunately most of the people didn’t
really value my values so my bosses
weren’t consistent weren’t actually
invested in the types of selling tools I
was using including the focus on client
detail success and just the bottom
dollar so a bit dismayed by that I
resigned and started my own consulting
business months later I ran into a
former colleague who asked me if I’d
like to have another career in radio you
see I had to leave marketing behind
because it’s designed to help you
believe that you will be happier sexier
stronger richer and even be more popular
if you buy the products they’re selling
my new career in
I wasn’t exactly around sales and
marketing it was with the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation and when I was
invited to apply I was horrified me a
rock chick working for the station my
retired parents listened to I thought
about it for a moment I handed in my
card and said why not how wrong I was at
the age of 41 I found myself in my niche
I’d found my purpose in life
interviewing people about subjects I had
no clue about and talking to people who
were complete strangers bring on the
conversation not only that I believed I
could change the world one story at a
time something I would tell my boss
Craig on a regular basis his reply
that’s not your job I did it anyway you
can call it a community boat bonus we
can all connect and reconnect by asking
questions actively listening and sharing
our experiences without agenda for
approximately 90% of you this will be
extremely daunting it will take courage
to overcome your fear and/or shame it
was during the first six years as an
interviewer that I realized the power of
interest in connecting people often
complete strangers something that Dale
Carnegie knew all about one conversation
really stands out to this day and it was
quite a while ago I was talking to a
young researcher in an interview
situation after the interview he started
sharing his passion for birds which was
completely unrelated to his field of
expertise or the interview we just had
so I seized the moment to ask him if
he’d heard about Peter Doherty and his
book Sentinel chickens you see deployed
all around the world aren’t only
chickens but other birds who are our
first line of defense in detecting
viruses and bacteria he said he hadn’t
so I said I’ll send it to you he must
have thought I was completely crazy
months later having not heard whether
he’d received the book I decided to call
him up again
yes he had and he loved it for me we’ll
always be connected by that experience
and his connection to Peters work may
very well have changed something about
his own life how often are you
interested in other people the ones you
encounter every day your child’s teacher
the chemist perhaps a doctor in your
life or even your hairdresser in
February this year I had an unfortunate
incident I tripped jumping onto a stage
and lacerated my lower leg to the bone
yeah cringe-worthy Hey
when I went to the hospital I was
treated by a young doctor now she hadn’t
had experience with a wound like mine
and I was going to share a video so you
could see the extent of it however I was
overruled due to its graphic content I
even tried to slip the photo in there
the other day that didn’t work either
she decided to consult an orthopedic
surgeon who just happened to be on duty
that day an older gentleman I inquired
as to why he’d chosen to specialize as
an orthopedic surgeon I still didn’t
understand how it come to be in a public
hospital he told me one of the most
amazing stories I’ve ever heard how he
had come from Rhodesia now Zimbabwe and
his experience his first foray into
medicine was treating wounds of people
in a battlefield land mines bombs and
guns he knew his way around orthopedic
surgery I can tell you and I was so
grateful to have him treating my mere
flesh wound not only that the young
doctor who was quite new obviously to
these situations got the best mentoring
she could have ever wished for and a
great story to food how little we know
well maybe you I pry into people’s lives
at every opportunity and they don’t seem
to mind in fact most people are more
than happy to tell you what they think
and how they feel these stories that
I’ve told you today and the others
you’ve heard shared by speakers are just
a few out of the many thousands even
millions of stories that you will hear
if you’re simply interested social media
is cited a
a playground for pedophiles a recruiting
platform for fringe groups and of course
causes it’s also the bane of modern
society according to my mom and the
downfall of a generation that’s all the
negative perceptions but but social
media not just the platform’s we all use
every single one is also a place of
celebration information sharing and of
course all those positive things that
you can find in a community support
sharing connection you choose what you
share whom you connect with and the
depth of information you want to allow
other people to know about you we can
all influence world peace inquire listen
understand and share stories
purposefully with the intent to connect
the power of one to influence many now
that’s an idea worth spreading
for each of us as individuals it’s been
hijacked through modern life hijacked by
technology and the use of the word to
describe information and communication
access via the internet and cellular
coverage I propose we start a revolution
to reconnect personally actively with
the intent to change the world we live
in how by listening to and sharing of
personal authentic stories without
agenda every day I tune into radio and
television and I hear about countries in
turmoil war political divide death
poverty as well as anxiety depression
and yes suicide we can overcome the fear
and the distrust that divides us simply
by opening up and sharing our stories
with people and about place taking
ourselves where we feel like we belong
connected and of course ultimately
optimistic and empowered I get the
feeling that might be why you’re here
today to actually be inspired and feel
connected we’ve never been more
virtually connected in human history and
yet so isolated by our social disconnect
and I think that it’s been to great
benefit but also great detriment
research has shown that Millennials are
the most anxious and depressed
generation to date now let’s think about
that for a moment
politically disengaged confronted by
increasing suicide rates displaced
refugees fake news and even social media
it’s a tragic mystery and I’ll come back
to that thought shortly historically the
way we understand
the world and our place in it is through
narrative whether that be the fairy
tales were told as children the facts
that were taught through our education
years or the traditional and cultural
stories we share between family and
friends I think you’ll agree the main
narrative we’re fed by the 24/7 news
cycle and online is less than positive
and I’m not saying there aren’t
inspiring stories but you really have to
be selective to find them in my lifetime
yes it’s longer than 25 years I was
hoping to pull the wool over your eyes
today we’ve seen men on the moon we have
seen the internet being developed
through the World Wide Web the
Industrial Revolution and the selfie
evolution complete with accessories I
never ever thought I’d have to explain
FOMO to my aging parents but that’s just
one fear that my children would have to
navigate my childhood was simple by
comparison my brother and I on our push
bikes would roam the neighborhood to our
hearts content
we’d play cricket in the street yes with
traffic well there wasn’t as much
opportunity we’d also explore the bush
all without a text or a phone call from
our mother telling us to come home at
dark at age 12 I was actually coming out
of being in business with my parents for
five years from the age of seven I was
exposed to people of all ages and all
backgrounds through my family’s
businesses communicating at the counters
on the telephones so I suppose that
exposure has enabled me to be where I am
today now by the age of twelve after all
of that experience I was sent to
boarding school and I was living
independent from my family in Brisbane
you can imagine being disconnected from
your family at such a tender age and I’d
only come home three times a year
not only that it was run by nuns and I
know some of you have only just met me
but I’m pretty sure you get the idea I
had attitude a precocious child yet
yearning to be loved and accepted
because at the heart of it we just want
to belong
belonging is something that’s
fundamental to our being I look back at
those years and I see them as a catalyst
to the curious nature I have being
unleashed on these unsuspecting Co
borders trying to establish that
connection the need to love and be loved
telling someone I loved them was foreign
to me until boarding school I still
recall the sounds of my friends on their
phone calls telling their parents and
their family I miss you I love you hmm
strange I don’t know what’s going on the
other end of the phone but I remember
the silence that I was actually greeted
by it went on for way too long until
eventually I got a you to and to this
day that is the standard response to me
telling my parents I love you so I think
it’s just an Aussie thing do you think
it might be just an Australian thing I
know that I envy other cultures Italians
Greeks Europeans even Asian families who
reach out and cherish that bond through
physical contact love and affection
hugging and kissing
in 2012 I traveled to Africa visiting
Zambia to film a documentary for three
days we actually camped in a remote
village surrounded by a traditional mud
brick huts and some of the happiest
people I’ve met in my life
yet they had very few possessions and
little to no money they had something
greater than that they belonged and they
had community they were connected in
every day life whether it be cooking
farming building even participating in
sport and faith they did it together as
a community not just families but as
community so what makes Western or
modern society so different is it the
loss of community the growth of cities
fear and distrust propagated by media
and politicians could it be screen time
versus face time
I actually don’t mind FaceTime if it’s
on your phone it’s preferable to play in
screen time or could it be shame brené
Brown set out to research connection
she found fear and shame consistently
inhibited our ability to be vulnerable
enough to truly connect beliefs
suspicions and even assumptions mean we
question everything we hear and see
shaping our perceptions of the world can
we really trust the person telling the
story social media publishes fake news
revelation not really superficial
communication will always equal
superficial connection in a world
bombarded by contrived marketing
messages and images of perfection is it
any wonder we’re so disconnected nobody
can live up to that and many will live
unhappy and unfulfilled trying I once
worked in commercial media and radio and
television advertising promotions and
sales creativity was the one thing I
relied on in sales
creating catchy commercials to give the
best value package to my client
unfortunately most of the people didn’t
really value my values so my bosses
weren’t consistent weren’t actually
invested in the types of selling tools I
was using including the focus on client
detail success and just the bottom
dollar so a bit dismayed by that I
resigned and started my own consulting
business months later I ran into a
former colleague who asked me if I’d
like to have another career in radio you
see I had to leave marketing behind
because it’s designed to help you
believe that you will be happier sexier
stronger richer and even be more popular
if you buy the products they’re selling
my new career in
I wasn’t exactly around sales and
marketing it was with the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation and when I was
invited to apply I was horrified me a
rock chick working for the station my
retired parents listened to I thought
about it for a moment I handed in my
card and said why not how wrong I was at
the age of 41 I found myself in my niche
I’d found my purpose in life
interviewing people about subjects I had
no clue about and talking to people who
were complete strangers bring on the
conversation not only that I believed I
could change the world one story at a
time something I would tell my boss
Craig on a regular basis his reply
that’s not your job I did it anyway you
can call it a community boat bonus we
can all connect and reconnect by asking
questions actively listening and sharing
our experiences without agenda for
approximately 90% of you this will be
extremely daunting it will take courage
to overcome your fear and/or shame it
was during the first six years as an
interviewer that I realized the power of
interest in connecting people often
complete strangers something that Dale
Carnegie knew all about one conversation
really stands out to this day and it was
quite a while ago I was talking to a
young researcher in an interview
situation after the interview he started
sharing his passion for birds which was
completely unrelated to his field of
expertise or the interview we just had
so I seized the moment to ask him if
he’d heard about Peter Doherty and his
book Sentinel chickens you see deployed
all around the world aren’t only
chickens but other birds who are our
first line of defense in detecting
viruses and bacteria he said he hadn’t
so I said I’ll send it to you he must
have thought I was completely crazy
months later having not heard whether
he’d received the book I decided to call
him up again
yes he had and he loved it for me we’ll
always be connected by that experience
and his connection to Peters work may
very well have changed something about
his own life how often are you
interested in other people the ones you
encounter every day your child’s teacher
the chemist perhaps a doctor in your
life or even your hairdresser in
February this year I had an unfortunate
incident I tripped jumping onto a stage
and lacerated my lower leg to the bone
yeah cringe-worthy Hey
when I went to the hospital I was
treated by a young doctor now she hadn’t
had experience with a wound like mine
and I was going to share a video so you
could see the extent of it however I was
overruled due to its graphic content I
even tried to slip the photo in there
the other day that didn’t work either
she decided to consult an orthopedic
surgeon who just happened to be on duty
that day an older gentleman I inquired
as to why he’d chosen to specialize as
an orthopedic surgeon I still didn’t
understand how it come to be in a public
hospital he told me one of the most
amazing stories I’ve ever heard how he
had come from Rhodesia now Zimbabwe and
his experience his first foray into
medicine was treating wounds of people
in a battlefield land mines bombs and
guns he knew his way around orthopedic
surgery I can tell you and I was so
grateful to have him treating my mere
flesh wound not only that the young
doctor who was quite new obviously to
these situations got the best mentoring
she could have ever wished for and a
great story to food how little we know
well maybe you I pry into people’s lives
at every opportunity and they don’t seem
to mind in fact most people are more
than happy to tell you what they think
and how they feel these stories that
I’ve told you today and the others
you’ve heard shared by speakers are just
a few out of the many thousands even
millions of stories that you will hear
if you’re simply interested social media
is cited a
a playground for pedophiles a recruiting
platform for fringe groups and of course
causes it’s also the bane of modern
society according to my mom and the
downfall of a generation that’s all the
negative perceptions but but social
media not just the platform’s we all use
every single one is also a place of
celebration information sharing and of
course all those positive things that
you can find in a community support
sharing connection you choose what you
share whom you connect with and the
depth of information you want to allow
other people to know about you we can
all influence world peace inquire listen
understand and share stories
purposefully with the intent to connect
the power of one to influence many now
that’s an idea worth spreading
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