Passionate hospitality duo Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll from Applejack have always thrived on challenging the status quo.

But what happens when a pandemic turns the status quo on its head?

These two leaders thrived by making some tough calls including rejecting the trend towards take-away meals from their venues, getting creative about staff engagement and motivation (including introducing a new staff benefits package) and a decision for complete transparency with the team about the real state of business finances. 

The result? Renewed purpose, gratitude and even business growth - acquiring one of Sydney's most renowned pubs in the middle of an industry lock-down. 

To find out more, listen in to this episode of Heart and Hustle.

Passionate hospitality duo Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll from Applejack have always thrived&nbsp;on challenging the status quo.
But what happens when a pandemic turns the status quo on its head?
These two leaders thrived by making some tough calls including rejecting the trend towards take-away meals from their venues, getting creative about staff engagement and motivation (including introducing a new staff benefits package) and a decision for complete transparency with the team about the real state of business finances.&nbsp;
The result? Renewed purpose, gratitude and even business growth - acquiring one of Sydney's most renowned pubs in the middle of an industry lock-down.&nbsp;
To find out more, listen in to this episode of Heart and Hustle.

Margot Faraci is a senior leader in the finance industry. She has extensive experience in business banking, leadership and the law and has a reputation for driving change in complex environments.  Raised in a family business in regional Victoria, she is commercially astute and relentless in finding new opportunity.  

 Margot is a regular writer and speaker on business and leadership and is often called upon to bring a fresh perspective to the business community. 

Many of Margot's business clients were profoundly affected by the coronavirus-pandemic. She was so moved by their experiences and learnings, she set up a new blog series - Heart and Hustle: How To Thrive In A Crisis. 

Margot&nbsp;Faraci is a senior leader in the finance industry.&nbsp;She has extensive experience in business banking, leadership and the law and has a reputation for driving change in complex environments.&nbsp; Raised in a family business in regional Victoria, she is commercially astute and relentless in finding new opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Margot&nbsp;is a regular writer and speaker on business and leadership and is often called upon to bring a fresh perspective to the business community.&nbsp;
Many of Margot's business clients were profoundly affected by the coronavirus-pandemic. She was so moved by their experiences and learnings, she set up a new blog series - Heart and Hustle: How To Thrive In A Crisis.&nbsp;

Heart And Hustle: How To Thrive In A Crisis

Margot Faraci is a senior leader in the finance industry. She has extensive experience in business banking, leadership and the law and has a reputation for driving change in complex environments.  Raised in a family business in regional Victoria, she is commercially astute and relentless in finding new opportunity.  

 Margot is a regular writer and speaker on business and leadership and is often called upon to bring a fresh perspective to the business community. 

Many of Margot's business clients were profoundly affected by the coronavirus-pandemic. She was so moved by their experiences and learnings, she set up a new blog series - Heart and Hustle: How to Stay Profitable During A Pandemic. 

Margot&nbsp;Faraci is a senior leader in the finance industry.&nbsp;She has extensive experience in business banking, leadership and the law and has a reputation for driving change in complex environments.&nbsp; Raised in a family business in regional Victoria, she is commercially astute and relentless in finding new opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Margot&nbsp;is a regular writer and speaker on business and leadership and is often called upon to bring a fresh perspective to the business community.&nbsp;
Many of Margot's business clients were profoundly affected by the coronavirus-pandemic. She was so moved by their experiences and learnings, she set up a new blog series - Heart and Hustle: How to Stay Profitable During A Pandemic.&nbsp;

Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts: Applejack Hospitality

When everyone’s working from home, who needs clothes for events and work?   Australian fashion royalty GINGER & SMART faced a crisis this year as it’s reason for existence, well, ceased to exist!  So what did owner Alexandra Smart do?  What all great business owners know is necessary: she let go of the past and adapted accordingly, creating a new offering for working from home, doubling-down on digital and noticing that her long-running sustainability work was now being valued by customers.  She says terror of those early days was quickly replaced with opportunity and she took the lessons learned by bringing in an equity partner to transform the business.  

To find out more, and to hear why we shouldn’t drop our dress standards when on Zoom, listen to this next episode of Heart & Hustle.

 

When everyone&rsquo;s working from home, who needs clothes for events and work?&nbsp; &nbsp;Australian fashion royalty GINGER &amp; SMART faced a crisis this year as it&rsquo;s reason for existence, well, ceased to exist!&nbsp; So what did owner Alexandra Smart do?&nbsp; What all great business owners know is necessary: she let go of the past and adapted accordingly, creating a new offering for working from home, doubling-down on digital and noticing that her long-running sustainability work was now being valued by customers.&nbsp; She says terror of those early days was quickly replaced with opportunity and she took the lessons learned by bringing in an equity partner to transform the business.&nbsp; 
To find out more, and to hear why we shouldn&rsquo;t drop our dress standards when on Zoom, listen to this next episode of Heart &amp; Hustle.
&nbsp;

Alexandra Smart: Managing Director & Co-Founder, GINGER & SMART

Author, journalist, speaker and all-round media personality Felicity Harley barely knew how prescient she was with the release of her book, Balance Is BS.  It was released in April, just as its theme of overwhelm was playing out right across the globe. For many, she says, lockdown brought a sense of release from the rush of life, but for others it created more worry and work.   For Felicity, this year has been a time of wrestling with her own ambition and family commitments, with husband and Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley completely consumed by the challenges in his work. She says “it’s hard to take on more at home when you’re ambitious in your career” and she speaks frankly about what that has meant to her, in this latest episode of Heart & Hustle. 

Author, journalist, speaker and all-round media personality Felicity&nbsp;Harley barely knew how prescient she was with the release of her book, Balance Is BS.&nbsp; It was released in April, just as its theme of overwhelm was playing out right across the globe. For many, she says, lockdown brought a sense of release from the rush of life, but for others it created more worry and work.&nbsp;&nbsp; For&nbsp;Felicity, this year has been a time of wrestling with her own ambition and family commitments, with husband and Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley completely consumed by the challenges in his work. She says &ldquo;it&rsquo;s hard to take on more at home when you&rsquo;re ambitious in your career&rdquo; and she speaks frankly about what that has meant to her, in this latest episode of Heart &amp; Hustle.&nbsp;

Felicity Harley: Experienced Editor and Author

He’s calling the death of organisational hierarchy and he says that being innovative has nothing to do with having innovative ideas.  Paul Scott, transformation expert and author, has advised governments and corporates all around the world and has been frustrated by the lack of understanding of what true innovation is.  Happily, he believes that a crisis drives innovation and he brings a lifetime of experience as his evidence base.  He says “we resist change on a fundamental level because many of us have a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.”  So in a crisis can our attitude to change, well change?   To find out, listen to this next episode of Heart & Hustle.

He&rsquo;s calling the death of organisational hierarchy and he says that being innovative has nothing to do with having innovative ideas. &nbsp;Paul&nbsp;Scott, transformation expert and author, has advised governments and corporates all around the world and has been frustrated by the lack of understanding of what true innovation is.&nbsp; Happily, he believes that a crisis drives innovation and he brings a lifetime of experience as his evidence base.&nbsp; He says &ldquo;we resist change on a fundamental level because many of us have a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.&rdquo;&nbsp; So in a crisis can our attitude to change, well change? &nbsp;&nbsp;To find out, listen to this next episode of Heart &amp; Hustle.

Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts: Applejack Hospitality

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Heart And Hustle: How To Thrive In A Crisis

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