If you want to tap into the mindset of some of the most influential women in the world, then look no further than THE GAME CHANGERS: Success Secrets of 40 Women At The Top, co-authored by Channel 7 news reporter Samantha Brett and influencer Steph Adams.
Samantha and Steph found when they connected with some of the world’s most successful women that they were overwhelmingly ‘fearless in their pursuits’. Here we talk to them about some of the incredible insights and success secrets they unlocked from 40 women at the top of their game.
What makes a Game Changer?
A Game Changer is someone who no matter what life throws at them, they keep pushing forward, are passionate about their pursuits and ultimately stick with their goals. Despite naysayers and people around them telling them they cannot succeed in their chosen path, they continue to defy the odds and hang on to their dreams. They are the ones who create change within their chosen fields, are looked up to by their peers, respected by the wider community and prove to the world that if you put your mind to something, have an innovative idea and keep moving forward, success will come your way. The women featured in our book are not afraid to push the boundaries and refuse to back down when the going gets tough.
Tell us what insights you learned about some of the different women in your book including Arianna Huffington, Elle Macpherson and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Arianna Huffington was the first woman to say ‘yes’ to being a part of the book. We felt so honoured she agreed to be involved, but at the same time we were quite shocked that she personally wrote back to us and was the first person to get her essay ,back in time for our deadline. We quickly realised that not only were we going to learn a lot from the essays these women wrote for us, but the way they conducted themselves also plays a huge part in their success. Arianna showed us that successful people are often the ones who are not ‘too busy’ to answer emails personally or give that personal touch when they feel it is necessary. Of course her story is incredibly powerful and one that resonates with people all over the world. We were particularly awed with her candid recount of her time going up against Arnold Schwarzenegger for Governor of California, and how resilient she was when she was trying to get her first book published and wouldn’t take no for an answer despite how many rejections she received!
From Elle Macpherson, we learnt that she is someone who despite all her success and notoriety, has the motivation to help other women. Through her products and her attitude, she is a true ‘girl’s girl’ and has a passionate belief in her business WelleCo and product ‘The Super Elixir’. Her passion and positive attitude shines throughout all her endeavours. We love what she said about her success and her advice to other women which is, ‘Find Co-Dreamers’. Her business-partner Andrea Horwood Bux – creator of the magazine Australian Style and co-founder of WelleCo – is her co-dreamer, and also a contributor in our book, and one of our favourite Game Changers. It’s interesting to note just how difficult it was to get The Super Elixir to be taken seriously by the market, but once it was, it was incredible to see just how far it could skyrocket and quickly it became a success. Both Andrea and Elle prove that if you are passionate about your work and your product, and are prepared to put in the hard work behind the scenes, anything is possible.
How do Australian female Game Changers compare to their female counterparts abroad?
Interestingly, there really is not a lot of difference between Australian Game Changers to those abroad. We were surprised by how many Aussie women have huge success stories on par with those from the United States and the UK.
What were some of your favourite quotes from the women you interviewed and why?
We love all the women in our book and have been inspired by all of them, but our biggest surprise was Meghan Markle – who turned out a few months later to be dating Prince Harry!
Her quote “Don’t give things five minutes if you are not going to give them five years,” says it all about her commitment and passion when it comes to her job, her work with the United Nations and (we hope) her relationship!
Of course we also can’t go past some of the Aussie women! Illustrator Megan Hess has such an elegant way of describing her unexpected rise to the top and we loved her advice on juggling everything and not being afraid to say ‘no’.
We especially love how she handles all her business calls – by doing Skype interviews around the world in her PJ bottoms! The unexpected call in the middle of the night from Candace Bushnell’s publisher to illustrate the Sex and The City book was such a turning point for her, and she is so humble about all her success. We love Mel Doyle (Seven News Presenter) and how hard she has worked in what is essentially a very male-dominated career to rise to the top of her field. Her quote “Sh—happens!” is so true and we should all realise that sometimes things happen that is simply out of our control, but it’s how we handle it that would be the key to our success. Sarah Wilson’s meteoric rise as the ‘I Quit Sugar’ guru with her book and food empire; her advice is quite simple – “Believe in what you are doing” and the rest will follow.
Why do we need role models and what can we learn from them?
Many women are afraid of hard work; or are sucked in by the notion that it is OKAY to earn less than their male counterparts and not speak up about it. Or they feel lost or trapped in a career that isn’t motivating or inspiring them. From the essays in The Game Changers, we’ve picked women that haven’t been afraid to challenge the status quo and to refuse to accept things when they are being treated unfairly. Reading these stories – whether you are just finishing school or a stay-at-home mum looking for inspiration – reminds us all that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. These women also make you feel it’s okay to have a bad day and just try again tomorrow!
So if you want motivation and inspiration injected into your life, then pick up a copy of The Game Changers because let’s face it, we can all be a Girl Boss too!
You can buy the book via Amazon, here.
