We spoke with the following local leaders from four Breakthroughs Brands, to glean their first-hand experiences and insights:
- Rachael Powell, Chief Customer Officer, Xero
- Kristy Chong, Founder and CEO, Modibodi
- Rachel Carr, Country Director APAC, Movember
- Daniel Flynn, Co-founder and Managing Director, Thankyou
Below are some of their key quotes.
Rachael Powell, on the power of purpose:
“We’ve got 3,000 employees now, and every single one of them believes in our Purpose. They have a psychological contract with what they’re doing because they feel like their role is meaningful.
That purpose-led culture’s now been amplified to our channel partners, so we’ve also got hundreds and thousands of accountants and bookkeepers who are really part of the Xero story. We see them as an extension of our organisation, and the heroes in our story.”
Kristy Chong, on changing the culture through conversation:
“It starts by just doing it. People will feel uncomfortable at the start but the more we talk about these things, the more they are no longer taboo and no longer silenced health problems. But, you know, half the population menstruates.
At the very beginning I personalised it all, so I spoke about my own story [with bladder leakage]. Then we started to share our customers’ stories. Now they write to us daily wanting to share their struggles and their stories and how Modibodi’s been of benefit to them.
Don’t feel afraid. You will get some kickback. But I’ve always been a big believer that you need to get that kickback at the start… eventually, people will change. So be brave.”
Rachel Carr, on community being at the core:
“For us, community is really at the heart of everything we do. Your community is crucial to your success. Listening to them will help inform your decisions and help you remain true to your purpose.
We like to think of ourselves as the roadies to the Movember community, who are our rock stars.”
Daniel Flynn, on how partnerships can unlock new possibilities:
“I think, right now, the world needs bold partnerships at scale.
There’s actually humility and self-awareness in every brand leader going, ‘Here’s what I can do, but what if someone else can do that bit better? And what if, together, we could go further?’
That call to partnership will be a feature of the next decade and beyond. And it’s what we’re trying to do [through the current No Small Plan campaign]: grow our impact and really unlock the potential in big business, by recognising that the power of two can do something that one can’t alone.”
Rachael Powell, on strength through sharing:
“How do you balance what needs to be done to support your customers, and at the same time look after your number one asset, which is your people?
We talk about EBITDA, which isn’t the accounting acronym, but our wellbeing acronym — all the things that need to be working within the business for it to be successful — Engagement, Belonging, Innovation, Trust, Dream, and Accomplishment.
We have this culture of abundance and sharing at Xero, so we’ve shared that philosophy and our learnings from it with our partners, to help them be stronger and more successful.”
