Mel Kettle

22/02/2024

My excitement levels are ramping up!

This time next week I will be in Brisbane speaking at a conference with HILLARY CLINTON!!!

I’m taking the stage on Thursday 29 February, at the Women in Leadership Summit for leaders in the Queensland Public Service.

This was not something I envisaged when I was an Executive Manager at the Office of Fair Trading, back in 2006!

I'm part of a panel talking about the reality of women's health and its impact on work. I’ll be sharing why we need to talk about menopause at work and how we can provide support to women as we navigate this time in our lives.

Are you going to this conference?

What do you want to know about women’s health and its impact on work?

If you’re in Brisbane and keen to catch up, please get in touch. I have some time on Wed 28 Feb and Friday 1 March.

20/02/2024

Do you often find yourself grappling with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and second-guessing your abilities?

It's time to break free from these limiting patterns and step into the life you truly deserve!

Join me for a transformative workshop designed exclusively for women like you who are ready to ditch the self-imposed limitations and embrace a life of confidence, purpose, and control.

Register for this FREE webinar on Wed 21 Feb where I will share what you can do to break free from self-imposed limitations and embrace a life filled with confidence, purpose and opportunity.

You will learn:
🌟 How to recognise the symptoms of playing small so you can stop them in their tracks
🌟 My secret weapon for overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt
🌟 the 7 steps to increase your confidence
🌟 how to set – and achieve – bold goals.

Sign up here:

Join leadership communication expert Mel Kettle in this free masterclass, Unlock Your Potential: Live a Bigger Life. Learn how to recognise the symptoms of playing small, so you can break free from self-imposed limitations and embrace a life filled with confidence, purpose and opportunity.

18/02/2024

I've lost count of how many times people have said to me 'you're so lucky because you [insert thing they think I'm lucky for here...]'.

Do you want to know a secret?

I'm not lucky.

I learned a long time ago that if I want to live a beautiful life, then I need to dream it, plan it, and make it happen.

Because no one is handing life to me on a silver platter.

If you look at the lives of your family, friends, and random strangers on the internet, and think 'I want what they have', then I want to ask you what is stopping you?

One of the things I see so often with many of the women I work with is that they either don't believe they deserve the life they want or they don't know how to get it.

Or both.

Actually, mostly it's both.

If you want to unlock YOUR potential and live a bigger life, then please join me for my FREE webinar on Wednesday 21 February where I will share how you can.

It's being recorded, so if you're keen but can't make the time, sign up and I'll send you the recording.

I'll be sharing:

🌟 How to recognise the symptoms of playing small so you can stop them in their tracks

🌟 My secret weapon for overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt

🌟 the 7 steps to increase your confidence

🌟 how to set – and achieve – bold goals.

Register now: https://bit.ly/3uCgXZI

15/02/2024

Are you sick of feeling self-doubt, fighting imposter syndrome, and second-guessing yourself?

If your answer is ‘YES’, you’re going to want to grab your spot for my free masterclass, Unlock Your Potential: Live a Bigger Life, on Wednesday 21 February.

I created this masterclass for professional women, business owners, and entrepreneurs because so many women I speak to are telling me that they feel that life is passing them by, and they aren’t sure what to do about it.

They feel like they are missing out on so much, and deep down, it’s because they are scared of taking a chance.

What if it doesn’t work out?

I’m here to ask you, what if it does??

Do any of these sound familiar?

📍 You say sorry. A lot.
📍 Someone once told you’re too much so now you keep quiet when you have things to say and opinions to share
📍 You didn’t apply for that job you really wanted because you didn’t think you had all the skills
📍 You feel like you’re always at the beck and call of other people instead of doing the things you want
📍 You second guess every decision you make, even when you know you’re making the right choice.

It’s time for you to pull up your big girl pants and go after the life you want.

In 60 minutes I’ll share with you:

🌟 How to recognise the symptoms of playing small so you can stop them in their tracks
🌟 My secret weapon for overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt
🌟 the 7 steps to increasing your confidence
🌟 how to set – and achieve – bold goals.

Make sure you save the date in your calendar – Wednesday 21 February, 9.30AM AEST (QLD time – 10.30am NSW/VIC/ACT)

Comment BIGGER and I’ll send you the link

14/02/2024

If you want to have a healthy and loving relationship with someone else, you need to love yourself first.

Here are five ways you can show love to yourself this Valentine's Day:

1. Celebrate an achievement
2. Create a healthy boundary
3. Do something YOU love
4. Express gratitude for 3 things
5. Phone a friend who lifts you up

What will you do?

13/02/2024

Did you know I wrote a book?

AND that it's an Amazon Best Seller?

Fully Connected is for leaders who are fed up with being pulled in many directions - my book will provide you with simple strategies to help you take back ownership of your life, and reclaim your health and energy.

Order your signed copy today, at https://bit.ly/3OLKBT9

12/02/2024

In case you’re not aware, menopause is one of the main reasons women feel so disconnected at work.

Almost 60% of working women aged between 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause say their symptoms are having a negative impact on them at work. One in eight women resign from work due to menopause and another two in eight would if they could afford to.

Even worse, two thirds of women going through menopause say they have no workplace support.

This has a huge cost implication, and not only in terms of recruitment.

Especially when you consider that approximately 20% the Australian workforce are currently going through perimenopause/menopause.

Managerial support is critical. A menopause-friendly workplace that supports women going through this natural life transition will have positive impacts on your whole workforce, leading to improved engagement, increased productivity, and a better bottom line.

One of the easiest things you can do is provide relevant resources about what menopause is, and where women can go to get support – a link to the GP directory on the Australasian Menopause Society should definitely be included.

If you have a library or book collection at your work that staff can access, then add these books – they are the go-to books I recommend whenever I run a workshop on why we need to talk about menopause at work.

🔥 The Menopause Manifesto by Dr Jen Gunter
🔥 The M Word by Dr Ginni Mansberg
🔥 Hormone Repair Manual by Lara Briden
🔥 This Changes Everything by Niki Bezzant
🔥 Don’t Sweat It by Nicky Pellegrino

I’ve also recently added It’s the Menopause, the latest by Kaz Cooke, which was published in October, and is excellent.

Are there any books you would add? I'd love to know.



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07/02/2024

Next month we celebrate International Women’s Day (it’s Friday 8 March if you’re wondering).

The United Nation’s theme this year is 'Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress'.

My hope for this year is that all organisations do more than provide a morning tea with cupcakes.

If you haven’t yet decided what you will be doing to support your women, I’d love to have a chat about some of the practical workshops I run, that help women increase their confidence, reclaim their energy and communicate with conviction.

I still have some availability for the week of 4 March, so please get in touch if this is something you are interested in.

My topics include:

🚺 Fully Connected - it’s time to stop surviving and start thriving
🚺 Drawing the line - how to set healthy boundaries at work and home
🚺 Unleash your inner confidence
🚺 Communicate with conviction
🚺 It’s time to talk about menopause at work

I can be contacted by DM, [email protected] or you can phone me (I know!) on +61 404 600 889.

I'd love to hear from you.

06/02/2024

Being told I had cancer was easily in my top three worst life experiences.

I still remember looking at my phone in shock when my doctor told me those words. And yes, the news was delivered over the phone – which I was OK with, as I was on a Christmas foodie tour, which meant the champagne was flowing. I may have had a bit more than necessary at 10am…

I’m still grateful that my cancer was melanoma.

Like many who hear the phrase ‘skin cancer’, I was rather blasé about my diagnosis.

I certainly didn’t fully understand its significance until the surgeon later told me if it wasn’t removed when it was (less than a week after my original doctor’s appointment), chances were it would have been a stage 4 melanoma within a month, and I’d be dead within a year.

Shortly after that conversation I also received a letter saying I’m now on the national cancer register. Talk about sobering!

Sunday (4 February) was World Cancer Day.

Thanks to the wonders of science and medical research, survival from melanoma today is relatively high.

Far higher than it was ten years ago when I was diagnosed.

This news however, should not detract from the fact that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

According to ABS data, of the Australians living with cancer in 2017-18, nearly one in three (30.8%) had skin cancer, making this the most common type of cancer.

Medicare records show there are over 1,100,000 paid Medicare services for non-melanoma skin cancers each year – more than 3,000 treatments each day.

And yes, that is A LOT.

There are a few things you can do to avoid being part of these statistics.

To start, download the SunSmart app so you can get a better understanding of the UV index where you are, so you can take the appropriate precautions.

I had been brought up to believe you stayed out of the sun, and only needed sun protection between the hours of 10am – 2pm. I was horrified to see that in Brisbane, it’s between 7.30am and 4pm in summer. No wonder my skin so often had a pink tinge when I first moved there.

When the UV index is above 3 do this:

☀️ Slip on a shirt
☀️ Slop on some sunscreen
☀️ Slap on a hat – it always fascinates me how few people I see overseas wearing hats! Especially in summer
☀️ Seek shade
☀️ Slide on a pair of sunglasses

And don’t forget, speak to your doctor if you have a spot or lump that concerns you, and make sure you get regular skin checks.

If it’s been over a year since your last skin check, PLEASE book an appointment today. It could save your life.



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05/02/2024

It’s one of my favourite times of the year – yep, you guessed it, Australian Survivor is back on my TV 😂

Laugh all you like, I’m a huge fan.

And not least because it is a microcosm of human behaviour, relationships and dynamics.

Other than some sport and a bit of evening news, it’s the only show I actually watch on live TV.

We may only be a few episodes into the current season (at the time of writing), and already there are so many leadership lessons to be had.

5 leadership lessons from Survivor

1. Self-awareness is critical

Along with understanding strengths, weaknesses, values, and behaviours, one of the core parts of being self-aware is understanding how others perceive you. The first contestant voted out this season didn’t realise that her tribe felt she was playing too big a game too soon – a tactical error that always ends in tears!

2. Leave your ego at the door

Yeah, this one can be tricky, especially for people who have always achieve their goals. This season has two tribes of twelve. The Titans, who all excel in their chosen field, and the Rebels, who, as the name suggests, live life according to their own set of rules and guidelines when it comes to control and authority.

3. Building alliances and relationships

The aim of Survivor is to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast. While you are voting out your fellow contestants, when it gets to the final few, those contestants vote for the winner. Those with the ability to build genuine relationships are those who are more likely to last to the end. In business, strong relationships mean earned trust, because you are more likely to feel safe, seen and secure.

Trust at work leads to loyalty, lower staff turnover, higher revenue and lower costs of doing business.

In Survivor, trust can mean winning $1 million. Unless you're in Australia and you only win $500,000. For surviving almost twice as many days. Doesn't really seem fair, but that's also life!

4. Strategic thinking

Like business, Survivor is a game of strategy. Players need to think many steps ahead, and anticipate the consequences of actions, decisions made by their competition and the ever-changing external environment (i.e. the producers mixing things up!).

5. Decision-making under pressure

Survivor constantly places contestants in high-pressure situations where quick decision-making is essential, and so, like business leaders, they need to make difficult choices with limited information, balancing short-term gains with long-term goals. Having the ability to make effective decisions under pressure, and repeatedly back yourself, can not be undervalued.

Are you also a fan of Survivor? Are you watching Australian Survivor this season? Who is your pick to win?

I'd love to know!



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