Michael Elphick is a mediator, facilitator and consultant to independent and Catholic systemic schools as well as individual schools and university colleges. Michael has also worked across a variety of sectors including government, health, aged care, education, corrections, law, and community services. Michael currently teaches in the College of Global Studies Arcadia University, Philadelphia U. ...

If you missed out on last month's incredible Sydney Speaker Showcase, don't worry, all is not lost!

This month we've scoured the web to find you the most incredible, inspirational and moving videos from our speakers. It's a big net to cast, but we've collated what we think are videos you'll truly love!

Will Greenwood is not one to shy away from high pressure, highly competitive situations. Having started working life on London's City trading floor he went on to become the second highest try scorer in English rugby history and helped power England to victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2003. He is widely regarded as one of England's greatest ever rugby players, as well as one of the sport's most en ...

By Kamal Sarma

Technology has shaped nearly every aspect of our lives. It has drastically altered the work/life balance many of us had previously enjoyed. In that regard, technology is often viewed as both a blessing and a curse.

By Narelle Hooper

First a quick quizz.

• Q:1 Are you expected to devote extraordinary amounts of time to your work?
• Q:2 Do you seem to spend more time with your work colleagues than anyone else?
• Q:3 Has work taken over your life?

Actually I borrowed these questions from reFocus.org, a web site dedicated to helping former cultists recover.

Has work become the new cult?

Congrats to Lena Dubojski (REA Group), Karen Sales (Concept Event Management) , Belinda Peuser (Sanitarium), Nikki Abercrombie Smith (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth) and Ann McCormack, the winners of our Big Book Giveaway!

Fortunately, if you're a book lover, we've got another giveaway this month and this time everyone's a winner!

We're giving away eBook versions of Kamal Sarma's the Leadership Leap! 

I have watched literally thousands of demo videos during my Ovations days.

By Paul Wallbank

Now we’re in the second decade of the Twenty-First Century, business is accelerating as a combination of changes in technology and society come together.

Some of these changes are global, such as the continued rise of China and the Western world’s aging. Others affect us on a personal level. All of them will have a big impact on our businesses and the way we work.

Many of these trends have been predicted for some time. It’s the availability of the cheap (almost free!) computing power that’s delivering many of the promises made by technology over the last thirty years. These are worth examining more closely.

Here are the top twenty...

Wil's stand up is a densely written, high-speed ride though one of the most wonderful comedic imaginations in the country. Politics, pop and the banal come together in a Wil Anderson routine, always delivered with more conviction and enthusiasm than any man's vocal chords can take. ...

Keith is about delivering substance that is relative to the real world of business. He specifically shows business people how to work smarter, engage their people, rekindle their passion and capitalise on their current market opportunities. Over the past 16 years Keith has built a reputation as one of Australia's most in-demand conference speakers'” speaking at over 100 conferences each ...

Jennifer Hewett has been the national affairs correspondent for The Australian since 2007, specialising in coverage of major business and political stories and where and how these different interests intersect. She writes columns, features and news stories for the paper. She also regularly appears as a commentator on TV and radio. A journalist with more than 30 years experience, she has a Bachelors degree from the University of WA and a Masters degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Jennifer previously worked for the Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald. She has also worked in New York and Washington as a foreign correspondent.

Presenter, trainer, author and coach, Sally Learey is an expert in motivating individuals to solve their problems dynamically and create star results in business, management, the workplace, family and personal life. She is a passionate and engaging presenter, facilitator and coach. With 20 years experience in educational and business environments, Sally is able to capture and motivate audiences w ...

With over twenty years of professional experience, Nic's performance portfolio reflects a career rich in diverse performance experience. Nic is in high demand for his creative concepts and wide variety of performance skills including MC, conference facilitator, comedian, musician, team builder, producer, musician, creative writer and problem solver. His friendly nature, flexible approach and abili ...

On a cold April night in 1912, the magnificent new liner R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg and sank beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. The following day the words 'TITANIC LOST' shocked the world. Seventy-three years later, on September 1, 1985, the headline would proclaim 'TITANIC FOUND' as explorer Dr. Robert Ballard and his team found this mighty legend in its watery grave 12,000 feet ...

It was not long after Erin started to work at a law firm that some medical records she found in a file on a pro bono real estate case piqued her curiosity. After getting permission from the firm's principal, Ed Masry, she began to look into the matter. Erin's solo investigation eventually established that the health of countless people who lived in and around Hinkley, California in the 1960's, 70's and 80's had been devastated by exposure to toxic Chromium 6 which had leaked into the groundwater from the nearby Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Compressor Station. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Erin Brockovich and Ed Masry, the giant utility was ordered to make the largest legal settlement in U.S. history, paying out some $333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents. The story of Erin's investigation, legal triumph and personal issues were dramatized in the hit movie "Erin Brockovich." Released in March 2000 by Universal Studios, it starred JULIA ROBERTS as Erin and ALBERT FINNEY as Edward Masry.

Academy Award winner Geena Davis is one of Hollywood's most respected actors, appearing in several roles that became cultural landmarks. Earning the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama, Davis broke ground in her portrayal of the first female President of the United States in ABC's hit show Commander in Chief. Few have achieved such remarkable s ...

Actress, director, producer, teacher, activist - this is how Olympia Dukakis defines herself. The Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning star of such films as Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, Picture Perfect and the top rated mini-series Tales of the City, Olympia Dukakis is a woman of uncommon achievement and dedication. A 30 year veteran of stage and screen, she also founded and served as artistic director of New Jersey's whole theater for 19 years, and sits on the boards of several influential arts organizations. Believing deeply in social activism, she is a leading advocate for women's rights and environmental concerns. In an effort to combine these beliefs with her art, Dukakis launched "Voices of Earth," a theater project featuring four actresses who explore the relationship between women and "Mother Earth" from an historical perspective.

Dean Karnazes might just be the fittest man in the world", writes Men's Fitness. As an internationally recognized endurance athlete, Karnazes has done what few people thought humanly possible. He's run 350 continuous miles, straight through three nights without sleep. He's run across Death Valley in the middle of summer, where temperatures reached 128 degrees, and he's run a marathon to the South ...

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN CELEBRITY: Against all odds on a gridiron in South Bend, Indiana, Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger in twenty seven seconds, carved his name into history books as perhaps the most famous graduate of the University of Notre Dame. The son of an oil refinery worker and third of 14 children, Rudy rose from valleys of discouragement and despair to the pinnacles of success. Today, he is one ...

Captain Richard de Crespigny is one of Qantas' most senior pilots. He and his crew created international headlines November 2010 when their Qantas A380, flying over Batam Island en route from Singapore to Sydney, suffered an uncontained engine failure and was forced to make an emergency return landing at Singapore's Changi Airport. Carrying a total of 469 passengers and crew, the four-engine air ...

John Connolly is a rugby union coach and the former head coach of the Wallabies. Connolly has in the past worked with the Queensland Reds, Stade Francois, Swansea RFC and Bath Rugby. As a player, Connolly played hooker for the Brothers club in Brisbane.. Connolly took up a coaching position within the Queensland Rugby team and served as an Australian selector. During his time with Queensland, the ...

Kathy Lette first achieved success de scandale as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues, which was made into a major film and a TV mini-series. After several years as a newspaper columnist and television sitcom writer for Columbia Pictures in America, she wrote eleven international bestsellers including Mad Cows (which was made into a film starring Joanna Lumley and Anna Friel), How to Kill Your Husband and Other Handy Household Hints (recently staged by the Victorian Opera, Australia), To Love, Honour and Betray and her latest 'The Boy Who Fell To Earth'. Her novels have been published in seventeen languages around the world. Kathy appears regularly as a guest on the BBC and Sky News. She is also an ambassador for Women and Children First, Plan International and the White Ribbon Alliance. Kathy cites her career highlights as once teaching Stephen Fry a word, Salman Rushdie, the limbo and scripting Julian Assange's cameo in the Simpsons 500th episode.

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Yvonne Hilsz is a highly experienced International Trainer and Business Performance Consultant who uses her dynamic personality and laser sharp skill set to bring lasting change to people and businesses around the globe. Her ability to increase revenue through team coaching and training is well known throughout the business world. Yvonne teaches solution oriented team building and sales training using her highly effective, proven formula. Her ability to motivate others within a management environment is matched only by her talent for performing well under high pressure situations. In the often stagnant world of corporate training, Yvonne brings light and passion to the topics of sales training and team performance. Specialising in Talent Dynamics, Sales and Communication with a proven successful track record of coaching others, Yvonne has watched countless business professionals start to exceed by mapping out their goals and using accountability to catapult their productivity and performance.

David is passionate about finding and developing the 'best of' patterns of behaviours in organisations. With over twenty-five years experience (including two years in South East Asia) as a professional trainer, presenter, facilitator, coach, manager and leader, David has led a wide range of learning and organisational development interventions and projects across public, commercial, educational a ...

Australia's leading, most innovative health entrepreneur, Geoff Jowett is the founder and creator of Australia's fastest growing weight management programs Bodytrim, Bodysculpt and Bodytrim Advantage and the co-founder of Australia's largest personal training business, Vision personal training. A Sports Science graduate and former recipient of the Australian Personal Trainer of the Year award, Ge ...

Winner of 3 national comedy awards, Matthew Hale is a professional stage hypnotist based in Australia. Having hypnotised people around the world from Vegas to London, Matthew currently provides his show for events of all sizes. In addition to his live shows, Matthew trains stage hypnotists in the USA, has released his own range of hypnosis CDs, conducts group seminars on a variety of subjects, and ...

Julie Cross understands that there is much more to connecting and inspiring an audience than speaking at them and repeating and reciting tired cliches and quotes. For inspiration and motivation to have a life beyond the conference some genuine and authentic connection is required! Julie is an expert in the power of connection and within the first few minutes of her being on stage you will ...

Maureen is a solicitor who carved a niche in the media to balance her world of work and family. Maureen also taught in both the secondary school system - both public and private - as well as teaching in the Commerce Faculty at the University of New South Wales. Maureen has been involved in magazine publishing for 12 years. She has owned her own small business for 19 years. Her company is involved in book and magazine publishing - with her current title being Better Business Magazine. She also own the Small Business Series. She is publisher of Charter magazine for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. Maureen is also the author of two books, one of which is a Small Business Start Up Guide published by Allen & Unwin, which she co-wrote with Peter Switzer. The other is Finding the Right Mortgage.

John Izzo consults and advises some of the most admired companies in the world, teaches at major universities, conducts leading edge research on workplace values, and has spoken to more than one million people across the globe, from Brazil to Russia, from New York to London. He is a leading business strategy expert, a best-selling author, a community leader, and an avid conservationist. John has devoted his life and career to helping leaders create workplaces that bring out the best in people. John is the author of five books. In his first, Awakening Corporate Soul, John identifies four paths to more soul and engagement at work. His latest book, The Five Secrets You Must Discover before You Die, was the basis for a five hour Biography and PBS Television series in which Izzo interviewed 250 people from the age of 60-106 asking them to reflect back on what they had learned about life. Leaders say that John Izzo brings the unique combination of practical ideas and high-level 'big picture' thinking to their organizations. He will inspire your people to greater vision, challenge them with new insights, and leave them with practical strategies to create the organization of the future. He is a person capable of inspiring your audience to more authentic, purposeful lives. John challenges audiences to live a life that matters, an uncommon life, where lasting legacy is balanced with every day fulfillment.

If you've never had the opportunity to attend one of our fabulous breakfast showcases, here's your chance to experience just a little of the incredible atmosphere that is the hallmark of an Ovations Speaker Showcase. Watch Craig Reucassel, Kamal Sarma, Paul Wallbank and Narelle Hooper strut their stuff on stage, demonstrating the business savvy and vision that helps our clients succeed!

What did Abe Lincoln have to say about the internet?

If you've always thought you were destined for the comedy circuit, now's your chance to prove it!

By Robert Brand

Well, not all by itself, but it sure accelerated the time it took for acceptance in the global world of real space missions. Two years ago I was not even working in Aerospace and had no credentials. What I did have was the capacity to make change within myself to get on top of aerospace and an ability to make the web work for me.

Heck! Australia is not even a player in space missions these days so it was multimedia to the rescue.

Social media can be a confronting, daunting tide of information to jump into, particularly if you're a business wanting to engage your clientele and increase your customer base. This month we've curated some of the most amazing speakers in social media - follow their example and reap the rewards!

Michael Caton is one of Australia's best known Actors. As the much loved Ted in Channel 7s Packed To The Rafters and host of television shows Hot Property and Hot Auctions, Michael was brought into everyone's living room making him a household name. And of course, Michael played battler Darryl Kerrigan in the highly successful film The Castle and was nominated for several awards. ...

Peter Salerno is a masterful presenter, trainer, keynote speaker and magician who helps individuals and team to think and move forward powerfully. With an inimitable approach that mingles Laughter Therapy and Magic, this international presenter creates a fun environment for learning simple strategies that help business leaders to grow and develop different dimensions of themselves. A top insurance ...

Engaging television personality and Entertainment Reporter James Tobin is part of the Seven Network's Sunrise team, dishing up the latest news, gossip and feature interviews from the movie and music scene. James started his media career when he joined ARN as a music researcher, then moved on to Austereo's 2DAY FM. He jumped across into television to join Foxtel's Nickelodeon Channel, hosting t ...

Craig West is a strategic accountant and the CEO of Succession Plus which is a specialised advisory practice focused on small business owners to help them manage the four key strategic issues that SME's face as they grow - Raising Capital, Building Equity, Protecting that equity and extracting the value you have built when you exit. Craig is a CPA and has been advising businesses in management, taxation and accounting issues for over 15 years. He specialises in business structuring and succession planning and has had extensive experience working with clients to improve their financial performance - with proven results. Craig has conducted numerous seminars and presentations throughout Australia for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, MLC, L J Hooker, the NSW Department of State & Regional Development, NSW Chamber of Commerce and CPA Australia. He is an accredited advisor with Family Business Australia as well as sitting on FBA's NSW advisors committee and is a founding member of Thought Leaders. Craig acts as a strategic business and financial mentor for business owners and has written three critically acclaimed books educating business owners on employee incentives, succession planning and asset protection. Craig has also recently been invited to complete a PhD in Business Succession Planning at Deakin University in Melbourne; is the President of the Australian Chapter of the Exit Planning Institute and one of only eleven people in Australia accredited as a Certified Exit Planning Advisor.

On October 14, 2012, Austrian jumper Felix Baumgartner broke three World Records: the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle, the highest manned balloon flight, and the highest skydive. Standing on the step of the capsule, Baumgartner made a short address, saying, "I know the whole world is watching now. I wish you could see what I can see. Sometimes you have to ...

Donny Galella is a fashion stylist and makeover expert, who appears weekly on Channel 7's The Morning Show, writes a weekly fashion column and is the leading Stylist at Westfield. His vast portfolio includes: styling photo shoots, dressing celebrities, designing for his own fashion label and hosting style & makeover stage shows. But his number one passion is making fashion and style accessible for ...

At 25, Nick has sold-out seasons of his two shows at Melbourne Comedy Festival and has half a million YouTube hits under his belt. Regularly featured on cult television show Studio A and following his week run at the invitation-only New York Comedy Festival, Nick is ready to sell out his third season, and if you don't know who he is yet? you will. ...

Luke Heggie had a job at a bottle shop. He had to serve hundreds of members of the general public every day; alcoholics, idiots, egocentrics, awkward losers, rude bastards and all of the above. This made him not so much disappointed, as angry. See the winner of Time Out Magazine Sydney's Best Comedian in his feel good surprise hit show of the summer. If you have ever demanded ten cents back so you ...

Long-time host and writer for various shows on Foxtel's Comedy Channel, most notably his tenure at the helm of Stand Up Australia - the show that introduced Australian stand-up comedy to the general public, Cam Knight has had a hand in shaping the careers of many Australian comedians even while forging his own. Coming up with new material for five shows every week arguably made him one of Australi ...

Get set for the ride of your life when Kevin Kropinyeri takes to the stage along with his scooter. A one-man whirlwind that will have you holding your sides laughing, Kevin shares tales of growing up, marriage and the intricacies associated with life in general as well as life as an Aboriginal Australian. Kevin is a proud Aboriginal man who's not afraid to laugh at himself. A deadly performer, ...

Universally praised for unwaveringly strong, decisive leadership during a devastating natural disaster, Anna Bligh is a leader with truly bipartisan admiration from constituents and politicians alike. The first female Premier of Queensland, she is also the first Australian woman to be elected whilst already the leader of her party. During her tenure she drove social, education and environmental reform whilst also implementing Australia's largest infrastructure building program. A speaker of depth, compassion and compelling real-world experience, her nearly two-decades as a political leader and her handling of post-political life makes for rich and varied presentations that keep audiences enthralled.

General Casey's father has commanded the first Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War and was killed in 1970 in a helicopter crash. In the same year, George Casey graduated from Georgetown University and joined the army. He rapidly rose through the ranks, relinquishing active field work to take up senior staff positions in the Pentagon. He initially served as Director of Strategic Plans and Polic ...

With the assistance of a Sydney couple and a grant from the Chase Foundation, Geraldine co-founded the Australia Cambodia Foundation. While the Foundation was becoming established, Geraldine earned a living working with then First Prime Minister, Prince Ranariddth, but following the coup she was left without a job. On the positive side however, it meant that she was able to spend more time on Foun ...