Carolyn is an inspirational leader whose success proves that you can run a multinational business and still have a genuine work-life balance. She has managed to grow Carman’s to become the number one selling muesli brand on Australian supermarket shelves, while at the same time maintaining a great relationship with her husband and raising four kids ages nine and under! Six Degrees sat down with Carolyn to asked how she does it.
Choose what you say yes or no to. Think of it this way - if someone came up and asked for $20 you would say ‘no’. But when they ask for 20 minutes, you say ‘sure’ every time. Then you can be at your desk until 7pm.I think you have to be conscious of how you spend your time. Say yes to the important stuff, not to everything that comes your way.
As a female business owner what would be your comments around the current career opportunities for female executives in today’s professional space? Do you still feel there is a level of imbalance and inequality that needs to be addressed?
I think women do really well at school, university and in the workplace until they have kids. After having a family, working full time becomes much more challenging. We need to challenge the status quo. For examples, school Mother’s Day is often at 2pm, whilst Father’s Day is often at 5pm. We never question that a man that works full time can be a great father, so why do we question that a woman can’t do the same?
What are your top 5 tips for success?