How I Work

Latest Episodes:

The ultimate home office set-up Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to my home office.

Since Inventium officially became a remote-first organisation, I’ve been making improvements to my set up with the help of my dad, who’s very tech savvy.

By using a semi-professional camera as a webcam, I get amazing clear images for online meetings and presentations. I can control the lighting and make sure I look great, without lights shining in my eyes.

I’ve turned my office into a mini-recording studio for podcast and presentation recordings. I’ve even started to exercise while I work.

My set-up includes:

Computer - iMac 27"

Monitor - Dell 27" 4k

Camera - Canon XA20

I turn my video camera into a webcam with - Elgato Cam Link 4K

Microphone - Shure KSM8 dynamic

I connect my mic to my computer with - Focusrite Scarlett2 2i2

Recording - Sound Devices MixPre-6

Lighting - Elgato Key Light Air x 2

Controller - Elgato Stream Deck

Teleprompter - Glide Gear TMP100

Camera Monitor - LILLIPUT A11 10.1 inch 3G-SDI VGA Monitor

Treadmill desk - Lifespan Fitness Walkingpad Pro Treadmill

Check out Lady Startup Stories: Hannah and Rachel Vasicek: https://omny.fm/shows/lady-startup/francesca

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly on how you can make a career from just 1000 true fans Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

If you're anything like me, your inbox is cluttered with e-newsletters that you don't read. But there are a handful I actually look forward to reading. One of them is called Recomendo, co-written by Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly. As you would expect from someone who founded arguably the most influential tech magazine on the planet, Kevin epitomises the phrase "finger on the pulse".

I interviewed Kevin last year and he has kindly offered to come back on again. If you're interested in Kevin's favourite apps, websites, e-newsletters and predictions for the next big thing, we cover all that and more in this chat.

Articles and e-newsletters:

KK's 1000 true fans article: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/
Recomendo e-newsletter: https://www.recomendo.com/
Tim Ferriss Five Bullet Friday: https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/
David Perell - Monday Musings: https://davidperell.substack.com/p/monday-musings-21119
Austin Kleon: https://austinkleon.com/newsletter/
The Browser: https://thebrowser.com/

Apps:

Seek: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/seek-by-inaturalist/id1353224144
Google Translate: https://translate.google.com/

Websites:

Art Breeder: https://www.artbreeder.com/
Sci Hub: https://sci-hub.se/

Learning resources:

Journal Clubs on Youtube
Two Minute papers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbfYPyITQ-7l4upoX8nvctg

Twitter

Noah Smith: https://twitter.com/Noahpinion
Tyler Cohen: https://twitter.com/briantylercohen

Connect with Kevin: kk.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevin2kelly

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevin2kelly/?hl=en

Vanishing Asia on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kk-org/vanishing-asia

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three cool tools for better virtual meetings and presentations Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Do you want to nail engaging virtual meetings?

Make presentations feel more like they do in real life. The mmhmm app helps you to configure your screen for more effective presentations. By appearing next to your slides instead of being replaced by them, you’ll enhance human connection and communicate more naturally.

Increase interaction with your audience with fun polls and live voting. The Slido app integrates seamlessly with Google Slides and even displays live results - adding that little something extra to your presentations.

Green screen your way into better virtual backgrounds for that super clean and professional look. You’ll be surprised what a difference this simple screen can make.

Have better video meetings with these three tools:

mmhmm - https://www.mmhmm.app/hvs

Slido - https://www.sli.do/

Green screen - https://amzn.to/3dRglmM

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carsales’ CEO Cameron McIntyre on how to remember names and influence people Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

If you have a meeting with Cameron McIntyre there are a few things about him that might surprise you.

The first one is he will remember your name and the second is that he’s always present, prepared, and not easily shaken.

But how does he manage to do this?

What is his trick for recalling names in a meeting full of people he’s never met before?

Cameron shares his hacks for always being composed, never sending an email you may regret, and making a good impression.

Cameron’s favourite books:

Leading Change – John Kotter

The 4th Industrial Revolution – Klaus Schwab

Good to Great – Jim Collins

The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell

Get in touch with Cameron at cameron.mcintyre@carsales.com.au

Connect with Cameron on Twitter and on Linkedin

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four cool tools to improve your writing Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

Do you want to improve your writing?

Writing is one of the fundamental ways we persuade people to take up our ideas, meet with us, or buy the thing we are selling.

Want a snappier headline or to make sure you are communicating to the right audience. Want to find those pesky grammatical errors before you send your email? What if you see a nice font you like, but don’t know how to find out which one it is?

Text analyser Hemingway, writing assistant Grammarly, headline improver CoSchedule and font finder MyFonts are four writing tools I couldn’t work without.

Become a better writer with these four easy-to-use writing tools:

Hemingway App: https://hemingwayapp.com/

Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/

CoSchedule (Headline Analyser): https://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer

MyFonts: https://myfonts.com/whatthefont

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting creative with a time limit - the new life of ABC Radio breakfast host Sammy J Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

Can you be creative when you have a time limit?

A new life for ABC breakfast radio presenter, TV writer and comedian Sammy J means more demands on his time. Gone are the days of creatively exploring ideas all day before performing at night.

Sammy J has to organise his home and work life precisely to keep up with the demands of several jobs and his new role as a father.

How has he learned to manage his creativity to deliver within strict time limits?

Sammy J also shares his personal check-list that helps him have the energy to deliver on a huge workload each week.

Listen to Sammy J - ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast

Watch Sammy J - weekly comedy sketch on ABC TV

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

INTRODUCING — Curveball, a leadership podcast on how to thrive in challenging times Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

If there’s one thing leaders and entrepreneurs know, it’s that business is a rollercoaster. And sometimes you’re hit by something you couldn’t even see coming.

There’s extreme highs and some devastating lows, and yet somehow you have to keep going. You need to adapt, pivot, and keeping moving.

If you love How I Work, chances are you’ll enjoy Curveball. In revealing, personal conversations with leaders, host Kellie Riordan asks them how they tackle life’s toughest moments — and come out on top.

Kellie Riordan joins Amantha Imber for a chat about leadership, productivity, and the rituals the best in business swear by.

You can find Curveball by searching for it in your podcast app, and find out more at www.curveballshow.com

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bring more comedy into your next stand-up meeting, with Naomi Bagdonas Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

Does business really need to be so serious?

Stanford Business School humour lecturer Naomi Bagdonas believes there’s always room for humour, even when you’re trying to accomplish very serious things.

She’s found utilising humour can boost innovation, foster creativity, and bolster resilience through hard times.

Naomi says bringing levity into your day-to-day exchanges can diffuse tension and help your colleagues understand you on a deeper level.

She shares tips from her book Humor, Seriously, written with Jennifer Aaker, on how to incorporate humour into presentations and meetings, how to write a joke, and tips for bringing comedy into your emails.

Naomi teaches humour as part of a purpose and leadership course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. She also coaches top executives in the art of comedy.

Assess your own personal humour style: https://quiz.humorseriously.com/

Get your copy of Humor, Seriously: https://www.humorseriously.com/

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Episode Producer: Jenna Koda

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cool tools for time management Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

Are you looking for ways to save time? There are plenty of tools out there to help streamline your work processes, but how do you know which ones work best?

Find out what websites are causing you too many minutes of distraction, and learn how to batch check your emails rather than becoming a slave to the inbox.

Website time tracker Rooster, time calculator Erik Rood, and email client Tempo are the three tools that help me get more out of my week. I’ll explain how I use them and how you can incorporate them into your work week.

Tame your email addiction and get your web browsing working for you.

Links to tools:

Rooster: http://getrooster.in/

Erik Rood: https://erikrood.com/Posts/free_time_calc.html

Your Tempo: https://www.yourtempo.co/

Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Adam Grant wants you to schedule a regular life check-up Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

How often do you stop and check-in about how you’re tracking with your career and the job you are in? How do you know you're not blindly following a career path you’re going to regret years down the track?

Organisational psychologist and best-selling author Adam Grant says we should all be scheduling life check-ups.

A life check-up is just like scheduling an appointment with a doctor, even if you don’t suspect anything is wrong.

By putting a reminder in your calendar twice a year to review where you’re at, you’ll be more likely to see the vital signs before it’s too late.

He also shares his hacks for effective remote collaboration and the benefits of setting up your own ‘challenge network’ and how to start one.

Connect with Adam here: https://www.adamgrant.net/

Take the Think Again quiz here: https://www.adamgrant.net/quizzes/think-again-quiz/

And grab a copy of Think Again here: https://www.adamgrant.net/book/think-again/

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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