Boardroom Confidential with Naomi Simson

BENNETT MASON

Let's go back to those early days with Red Balloon, and then maybe we'll move into the present day. Red Balloon has grown massively to become Australia's number one experience site. You founded the business back in 2001, well before “experience economy” became a well-known phrase. What inspired the idea behind the business and what did those early days look like?

NAOMI SIMSON

In some ways, my purpose hasn't really changed since then. When I left my corporate career, and I was a professional marketer for Apple and KPMG. I worked for a company called Ansett, and worked on the team that launched Frequency. So, I had this career, but I left corporate life when I had kids and because this is a long time ago and we don't have the flexibility that we have now, and I didn't want to give up my career. So, I started as a freelance marketer, and I do fabulous marketing plans, let me tell you. Like 42 different action items over a long period of time. creating brand essence. But what I found with my clients is what they really wanted was customers. And marketing can be really expensive, and it hasn't got any cheaper in the last couple of decades. So, I wondered if I could flip the model rather than being feast or famine, which is, I've got a client, I'm working really closely with this client to help them build their brand story, when really, what if they just paid when they got a customer. That would really serve small businesses. And so, it's a flip of the model. It's a “take a clip of the ticket.” And the hardest thing for most small businesses is getting new customers, keeping them. And that costs of acquisition. So, I wondered if I could create a brand for a whole industry. And at the time, activities were really just the realm of tourism versus, well, we need to get to know our own city or our own place. And actually, time with people we love is our most precious, precious thing. That's what we talk about most.

BENNETT MASON

The company has grown massively over the last 20 years, and now you act as a mentor to a lot of other up and coming business leaders and founders. What's your advice to those people, founders, small business owners on those early days? How should they best interact with board members, investors, and other stakeholders?

NAOMI SIMSON

I think many small businesses don't have boards. Let's be really clear about that. And I also think that many business owners don't realise that they are also a director. And I wholly encourage people to do the course, the AICD Company Directors Course, because you don't know what you don't know. And so, it's quite easy to start a business, but to scale a business is where the real challenge lies. And I would also argue that it's actually systems and processes that allow you to scale and having a clear vision or a sense of purpose of what could be possible. So, the world is so different from when I started Red Balloon. Now there's off the shelf, subscription-based platforms whereas we had to build everything and of course, we're now moving into the realms of the speed of AI and what that can do for us. So, we can do so much more with so much less. But it doesn't really matter if you're not spending your energy in the right area. So, systems and processes allow you to scale, but know the impact that you are having on community, because it is purpose that engages people in your story.

BENNETT MASON

You talked about spending your energy and purpose. You are an extremely busy person. You sit on several boards, you write books, you record podcasts. How do you decide where to spend your energy? How do you choose where to contribute your time and efforts?

NAOMI SIMSON

So, I always come back to what is the biggest contribution that I can make. I feel really fortunate that I do have a great business that delivers customers day in, day out to small businesses. I feel very grateful. And I remember when I was asked to do Shark Tank, I was like, why would I do that? I'll just embarrass myself. And it's reality TV and so forth. And a friend of mine said: “You are a role model for others, and people are really curious about how you got there. So why would you not be on a bigger stage? Why would you not influence maybe a million people?” And I think one of the greatest, one thing that makes me really happy is when young people, even today, stop me in the street and literally say, I did commerce because I saw you. Or, I started studying business or grandmothers who say you are great role model for my granddaughters.  And we do need strong, role models of all genders, but we do need really strong female role models. And so, I was prepared to sit up and be that. But where I spend my time, it always comes back to my sense of purpose. How can I get my greatest return on time? I believe that small businesses are the backbone of this country. My father was a small business owner. I know many, many small business owners. They are employers, they are customers to big organisations. And without them, our economy is really shaky. And it's never been harder to be in small business than we are today. So, if you look at my portfolio of where I spend my time, always, I am the voice of small business.

BENNETT MASON

Let's talk a little bit about boards now. You're on boards at organisations of all different shapes and sizes. What do you see as some of the most important skills or qualities that board members need to have in 2025 and beyond?

NAOMI SIMSON

Well, I think it's really important to know we can't be experts in everything. So, it is the way that we ask questions and our deep curiosity that I think serves us well. And to create a safe space so that management feels that they can answer honestly if something's gone pear shaped. As a director, you want management to be able to tell you so that they can also call on your advice or your insight or just your experience. And, I'm also very commercial on a board. I believe that money makes the world go round, and we all need customers and customers that don't cost a lot. Cost a lot to either serve, to retain or to acquire. So, I think that a diverse board with different backgrounds is really important. The introvert versus the extrovert, those with professional experience versus those who’ve run PnLs. And that diversity of voices and questioning. I just know I just see the world differently. I just do. And so, the questions I ask might be very different than other directors. I am always sitting in the customer's shoes.

BENNETT MASON

Can you give us an example? What's the sort of question you might ask that maybe some other board members wouldn't?

NAOMI SIMSON

Well, I can't say that they wouldn't, but I might have got there first. Well, I would argue, for instance. Well, I can't be specific about specific boards, but I am really clear on what does the customer touchpoints look like? And is there any friction in that journey. And understanding the friction can be very beneficial. So, I do know that sometimes people like to over engineer. They make the answer more complex than the question originally. Also, as we move into a world of AI, one of the fundamental questions I ask is what sort of relationship does the customer want to have with you? Sometimes it's just transactional, and that is a great application for AI. I just need to know my balance. I just need to know X. It's very transactional and the speed to execute at any time of the night or day, not waiting for a call centre is really a great thing. But sometimes people need to have an emotional connection to an organisation. They need to be able to trust. If I think about Big Red Group, it's quite different. If I just need to know availability for a particular activity versus can my 96-year-old grandmother do this hot air ballooning? Will she feel safe? What's it like for her? You need to speak to a person. You want somebody who's done that experience, who can actually talk to them about it. So transactional versus emotional. And ultimately, I believe customers now are looking even more for social. That is, they're looking to organisations to be good, corporate citizens, good custodians of our society. And I've really seen that that's changed in my time in leadership.

BENNETT MASON

The customer is a key stakeholders for organisations and boards. But that customer, that client doesn't get a seat at the board table. How can directors do a better job of knowing what the customer wants, what the customer needs, even though, of course, they’re not there every day?

NAOMI SIMSON

I think the worst thing a director can do is assume, assume that they know. And also, it's not just about the data. If I just look now at the million customers we serve every year in Red Balloon. Then I'm not getting a real flavour of the emotional connection they might have to the brand. And there is nothing beating listening on customer calls or participating in a research behind the mirror and being curious. Being a customer yourself, go through the journey, try and log on or go through the tools that they might be sharing. So, to really sit in the customer's shoes. Also, just because you've had one customer journey doesn't mean it's across the board. We all have different abilities and different backgrounds that give us different skill sets. So, imagine if you couldn't quite like, I can't go anywhere now without the glasses. Can't see a thing. So, the font size is really important to me. And my kids laugh, and they just say, oh my gosh, why? So understanding and sitting in the different places and not assuming that you know what that customer experience is and just remain curious.

BENNETT MASON

You talked a bit about board composition and having different backgrounds. Look, we get a lot of lawyers, auditors, and accountants on boards. That's great. A lot of former CEOs, we don't often get a lot of former chief marketing officers. Can you explain why brand and reputation are so important to an organisation and why they should be board priorities?

NAOMI SIMSON

Look, I think we've seen a lot of this in corporate life in the last ten years. I did the update of the Company Directors Course, I think, only a year ago. And the biggest case study was about CBA, but now look at their share price. So, it's now “what we do about it.” So, all is not dire. But we've seen some major Australian corporations be really caught out. And so, reputation is an outcome. So, I'm very keen to always be part of the risk conversation on any board. And risk now is often separated from audit. It used to kind of be melded together. But it's so much more than financial risk. And again, whether it's cyber risk or geopolitical risk or whatever it is. They've all got a brand or reputation overlay. And it's how we respond to whatever may happen. First of all, did we do the work beforehand? Are we prepared? And then you probably have to throw that out because the circumstances will be completely different. But at least we've been through an exercise. So not deers in the headlines. And then it is about being authentic, real and transparent. And that's what Australian people expect of their brands, whether they’re customers or stakeholders, shareholders, whoever they are, they expect transparency. And sometimes that's really, really hard. But the brands that haven't recovered are the ones who haven't been transparent, who've tried to hide something, and it always comes out. So, I think we do need more marketing, comms, commercial skills. But I don't know what the board constructs throughout everything. But it's a very, very valuable skill because ultimately the brand value is about the asset value, which is about the shareholder value and the value to all stakeholders.

BENNETT MASON

A lot of what you've been talking about there is tied in with culture or organisational culture. We know that boards have a key role in setting the tone on culture and then making sure that the right culture is in place. Red Balloon has been praised as a workplace with a strong, vibrant, healthy culture. What's your advice on building that engagement, building that culture? And also, how do you keep track of it?

NAOMI SIMSON

Look, I really have watched the workforce change over time, especially in the last 20 years. And it was a bit rainy today on the way in. And I was like, what are all those people doing on the road? Because there's this kind of rule of thumb, well, if it's raining, people won't go to the office. But there's some real fundamentals that haven't changed. When I go to work, do I have something worthwhile to do? Do I clearly know what that is? Does anybody notice what I'm doing? And do I go home feeling like a winner? And so, this is first of all, a leadership challenge, which is making sure that we connect the purpose to people's toil. So, what does the purpose look like? And how does it roll out in a very simple strategy that people understand in plain language. Love a one-page plan. And so, I need to know my role in the organisation. And if so, how does it fit with everybody else? People do want to do great work. They want to see the results of their work. Everyone wants to put something on their CV, I was a part of this team. And to be able to say that. So, I believe that great leadership, clearly defined purpose, pillars in a strategy, knowing how we play the game, which is the values or beliefs, will help people align.

BENNETT MASON

What can the board do practically? Is it having the right CEO and management team in place, or is this something more on culture?

NAOMI SIMSON

Well, of course you've got to have the right people. I used to say a long time ago, but I used to say you’ve actually got to like people. And many an HR director back in the day, a very long time ago. I'm sure it's different now, but way back in the day, where I met a lot of HR people who found people inconvenient. They had more problems than answers. And that wasn't necessarily the good thing. So first of all, you have to believe in people, have to understand and acknowledge difference. We don't want to all be cookie cut, singing out of the same. No, we want diverse ideas. We want challenge. We want curiosity, we want questions. And so yes, having the right people in place. But I think equally important, it's how we're goaling people. And we've seen a lot of “misgoaling” go on over the years. That is, you're driving for EBITA. Well, that means I'm taking the assets out of the business and I'm not investing capital. So, I think it's really important to make sure we think about any enterprise more than the next analyst review or the next round of conversation. And we have to take a much longer, 5-to-10-year view on what is this enterprise doing and be prepared to work on those horizon threes, the further out horizons. And that's our job as directors, as custodians, is to make sure that we have got a much longer view.

BENNETT MASON

I want to shift now to growth. Big Red Group has grown enormously over the last 20 years. There's been organic growth. There's been M&A. How do you think boards and senior leaders can best oversee a growth phase or a transformation for an organisation?

NAOMI SIMSON

I think it does come back to the mindset, the growth mindset, and not to fear growth. What does that look like? Everything's going to change. And the growth mindset comes from: if we apply more of this, will we get that leverage, will we get that hockey stick? And so, knowing where you want to apply capital resources assets to actually get that leverage, I think is really important. And I've seen many a business that as they've grown, they've actually become less profitable.

BENNETT MASON

What's the mistake they make?

NAOMI SIMSON

They're throwing people at the problem. And in so doing, they might need a specialist for a short amount of time to work on a particular project, a particular AI implementation or a tech implementation. You're better off getting an absolute specialist to do that job. And then they’re different sorts of people to maintain whatever platform is and then go from there. So, I think, we don't need to just employ people, have them for the whole journey. You want to put project teams together based on specialist skills required for the job at hand right now and then set them free. Some of them may be employees, employees that you then redeploy into the next project. But having people really focused on that I think is great and getting experts in and then let them go. It's great.

BENNETT MASON

The growth phase for a lot of companies can include bringing on a board and independent directors. Do you have any advice for founders and for board members on navigating that somewhat tricky relationship. Because the founder might be the best person for the company to get from A to B, but maybe not from B to say or C to D. Do you have any insights on how to handle that?

NAOMI SIMSON

I remember Yasmin Allen, who I have known for 100 years. Like, I shouldn't say that, but it was last century we went to university. And I remember her saying: “Oh, I'd never work on a found board.” And I was like: “Thanks so much. I'm not that bad!” The reality is that no enterprise is sustainable if it's dependent on an individual. You have to know when the founder needs to get out of the way. And we've seen in the Australian press a lot of founders who are still putting their fingers in the pie and actually not letting the professionals get on with the game. And I say that with love because I am one. I was the CEO of Red Balloon until 2011, and then I realised it needed different skills. I'm really great at uniting everybody to the cause, but we needed to have a different layer of professionalism and a different kind of cadence. And that's when I moved as a non-executive director onto my own board. And that was challenging for a few years as I was like, “What are they doing? Oh, my goodness, I'd never do that.” There was this whole kind of thing. But then, David and I created Big Red Group with a much bigger vision of rolling up the Australian industry and creating a platform business. Because a lot of mid-sized businesses get to a point where they can no longer invest in technology because they've not got that growth curve to either fund it or to get capital. And so, we had this really big vision. And he is the group's CEO and I've remained as a non-executive director. So, I think founders need to be heard. They need to be acknowledged. By nature, they are going to have a big personality, be very positive. And I call it an ego. So, I think they do need to be acknowledged. And also, they need to understand it's not their way or the highway. And it's, in my opinion, a maturity thing.

BENNETT MASON

Was it difficult emotionally when you stepped back as the day-to-day chief executive? You put your blood, sweat, tears into the organisation.

NAOMI SIMSON

It was difficult at some points. Because at some point when I did step back and we got an external CEO, for the first time ever he came to the board and he said that we were going to make a loss. We'd never made a loss, ever. And I just didn't understand. So, I had to dive in and see. “Oh, these operational expenses. Oh, what he's paying people is going through the roof. Oh, this doesn't make sense.” And that person was not for our future, but it also represented an opportunity for David and I. So, it is hard to see it from the outside in. So, I say to anybody who's working with a founder, listen to them, walk with them, have a meal with them so they can be heard and just say thank you. I'll put that in the context of all of the other things that our customers are saying to us. But yes, it is. I'm sure I'm challenging to work with.

BENNETT MASON

Definitely not. We've been talking a lot about growth and innovation. That's a really important part of being on a board. There's also risk management and oversight responsibilities. How do you, as a board member and business leader, balance those two things? Growth, innovation on one side. And then you've also got oversight and risk management.

NAOMI SIMSON

It is an absolute balancing act. There's no doubt about that. But we also have to come back to the expectations of the shareholders and their aspirations and the stage and maturity of the business in the enterprise. So, all of the boards that I'm on have different levels of maturity in terms of how long they've been in business or what have you. So, they're on different journeys and with different aspirations. So, it is a balancing act. And I would argue that it's very important to have some level of benchmarking of what does great look like or what are we aspiring to be like and whether that's onshore or offshore. And the other thing is, if it's a really highly performing business, you kind of can get a bit passive and go, am I pushing hard enough? Are we pushing hard enough? So, it is such a balancing act, but it will come back to your trust in management, especially around risk reviews, the framework, the risk appetite statement, and the risk register, constantly reviewing that. And then you overlay, this is the strategy, this is the growth, this is the data that we have. This is the insight that we have. And that's an opportunity. And so, you're not going to bank the farm. So, you will make educated bets based on the information you have at hand, at the time.

BENNETT MASON

You've mentioned AI a few times. AI is a great example of having amazing opportunities, amazing options for growth and innovation on one hand, but there are obvious risks and concerns. What excites you about AI and what gives you concern?

NAOMI SIMSON

Oh gosh, it's such an easy question. Look, AI is a balancing act, and what worries me is when we no longer have the skills to be able to assess if that's right. So, my many years of experience as an executive, as a marketing professional, I know what's right and wrong. But if I was a young person coming straight out of university, I might trust it too much. And so, I think we need to be circumspect in anything that we're using in terms of AI. Most of what people are talking about at the moment with AI is really to do with large language models and to do with ChatGPT or the ability to process data quickly or the ability to write or produce creativity and so forth. But truly, we are just at the beginning, and that does scare me in the sense of, will it leave that human emotional element behind? I have been worried for many years. I wrote a post for LinkedIn a long time ago that went completely viral, which was, can you put your phone away in front of any other human being for 21 days? And everyone was just like, how could you say that? I've got everything on it, and it's even more so today. And I remember my editor from LinkedIn, she was located in Paris, she said: “I used to get the metro to work, but now I ride a bike.” Then she moved to the bus because it had better internet. Then she moved to a bike just so she couldn't touch it just for a few hours. So, we've become so connected to these devices that we are disconnecting, which comes back to my sense of purpose of connecting people, which is what we do in Red Balloon and Big Red Group. So, it worries me that that will be on steroids, that the human element, the beauty of business is the people you get to meet, you talk to, the camaraderie, the shared sense of purpose. And if it is all just about how great we are writing prompts and the algorithms, I worry that we won't feel. And actually, to feel is to be human. I saw Dan Pink wrote something that about 60% of young people had no real sense of purpose, and that is of great concern. Purpose for me when I was young is I just needed to put Wheaties on the table, and I needed to find somewhere to live. And I was saving up to buy a little flat, which I did, and I was very proud of myself. But if people think that that's out of their reach, then that makes me sad.

BENNETT MASON

AI is one avenue for innovation, but it's not the only one. What other opportunities for innovation do you see within the boardroom?

NAOMI SIMSON

I think how we partner with others. Historically, many businesses, especially large ones, think they have to do everything on their own. And I think there's real power in partnership, in people working together. We've got a lot of customers at Red Balloon. I'm sure there's other Australian businesses who are also, but if we work together, what could we create? So, I think promotions, joint marketing, partnerships. There is so much opportunity. And so, I think, in business we shouldn't take a siloed approach. And often we do. We think we're the only ones tackling that problem. And we're often not.

BENNETT MASON

When Red Balloon began, it was a disruptor. What opportunities do you see in the marketplace now for disruption? What other industries are ripe for a disrupter to come in?

NAOMI SIMSON

The reason why I was a disruptor was one, because it was in the very early days of the internet. But secondly, it was a lot of small businesses who were not an industry. They had no reputation, had no brand. Whereas other industries do have a cohort like the accounting profession. They've all got professional associations or whatever. So, I think it's this nature of, it wasn't a cohort and I did unite people. The other thing is, whilst the Red Balloon purpose was changing gifting in Australia forever. Less stuff, more stories. The real impact, the real purpose was the impact that we have on communities. So, in 2019, I met up with, this was in December 2019. I had lunch with one of my regional suppliers, Hot Air Balloon Hunter Valley. 20 years we'd worked together. He said, “Do you realise that I had one hot air balloon and 900 passengers? And I said, “No. Wow.” And he said, “And this year I've got 19 Balloons at 23,000 passengers.” And he said, “For everyone who comes to the Hunter Valley, they're going to go to a winery, go to a restaurant, have accommodation. So, they're spending at least $1,000 in our community.” This drives community. And so, when we went into Covid and everybody was like, oh gosh, how do we support regional and rural? The number one thing is getting people to do things in community and they will spend money there. And so, we worked with government to say people don't travel because they want to be on an aircraft, or they want to stay in a hotel room. They want to do something there, something unique, something special, something. And so that really, the work that we did in advocacy for small business coming out of that really drove this sense of purpose, because we could see the impact we're having on families, on the livelihoods.

BENNETT MASON

You've been a real champion for Australian small businesses. What's your outlook now on the small business or Start-Up ecosystem?

NAOMI SIMSON

I'm really worried, more worried than I ever have been before in the sense that the angel community is struggling because nobody wants to invest in pre-revenue. Australia by nature is a very conservative ecosystem anyway compared to the US. So that's one thing. But even if we're not talking about Start-Ups, I don't think there's ever been a more challenging time for business in Australia. Whether it's how do I keep my business safe from cyber and these frauds and scams and all of these things. And people are more scared than they've ever been, they don't know where the bad actors align. Secondly, they often can't see where competition is going to come from. Is it some algorithm offshore that's scraping everybody's websites? So, how do you keep your business safe? And thirdly is, and that also ties into the whole AI thing. But thirdly, it's increasingly difficult to find the right person for the right role who is truly engaged, for a small business. Because they're competing against the globals and the big organisations who have all sorts of infrastructure, and support. One of our offspring, we have four. He works for a big global in New York. They feed him every meal. The small business can't compete. And he's a big lad. He eats a lot. So, a small business can't compete with that. So, a friend of mine who works in the M&A space, and she was just saying she's never had more businesses to sell. And without small businesses, these are the customers of big businesses. They provide employment. I do worry, I really worry.

BENNETT MASON

You've listed a lot of issues there. Some of it is skills and the race for talent. Some of it is maybe cultural conservatism and especially among investors. There’s a role for government there too. Is there something policy-wise you think we could be doing to help small businesses, to help Start-Ups?

NAOMI SIMSON

I think so. You see, often we don't want capital because that dilutes us as shareholders. And I have seen Start-Ups who, and founders, who've ended up with half a percent of their business. And that's not exactly motivating. But the access to credit. So we've seen a massive rise in this private credit area. Because that's what will drive growth. If I'm sending more jet boat customers, at some point he needs to buy a new jet boat and he needs he needs access to funds to be able to buy that new jet boat. And that drives growth. In some ways Canberra needs to understand, and each of the state governments, the onus that it is putting on small business when it comes to documentation, reporting, governance, regulation, because that is often what catches us out.And it's not that we didn't care, we just didn't know. And so, if they haven’t got good relationships with their professional advisors they might not have been informed about the latest regulation. So, I think they literally need to look at the definition of a small business because they make it too small, they make them micro-businesses. And actually, like anything up to $50 million, you don't have the resources to do all the things you need to get done for government.

BENNETT MASON

You mentioned the rise of private credit a moment ago. We've seen this worldwide surge of private money. Some of the globe's biggest companies, some of Australia's biggest companies are staying private. They're not listing. They may never list. Big Red Group is privately owned. Some people are concerned about that. They worry that we don't have all these large companies listing on stock exchanges. Does the rise of private money concern you at all?

NAOMI SIMSON

Oh, no, I don't think so. I think it's going to be a melding. I think a better example is Canva, they’ve stayed private. Everyone would have expected them to IPO on the Nasdaq a long time ago, but it does give the founders the ability to continue to strive for growth and innovation, versus spending a lot of time working with analysts and to explain and to inform and so forth. And so, one of the great things about being privately held is, yes, you have to back yourself. Yes, you have to believe. But also, it's all on you. And I think that that's a really great thing, but it's also slightly scary.

BENNETT MASON

Have you ever considered listing Big Red Group?

NAOMI SIMSON

I don't, not yet.  We’re, I think, six years into this journey. I do think that it's time to take our business offshore. We've built a platform business, which we run hundreds of websites on, and it's a great application. So, we know that there's plenty of people in the similar sort of way. And I think we wouldn't want to do that on our own. Like David and I have backed everything. And I think it is time to take on somebody who has aspirations in this industry, has good reach, gets it. And then we could see it really fly, the investment that we have made over many years. And what is an incredible piece of technology, it would be a really great steppingstone for us. But our aspirations are offshore.

BENNETT MASON

We don't have too much time left. And I know you've got a packed schedule, but I wanted to end by asking you about LinkedIn. You talked a moment ago about a post you made. You have more than 2.5 million followers on LinkedIn. I mean, that's larger than some countries, larger than many cities. You are Australia's most followed business leader, and no doubt one of the most followed business leaders in the world. What is it that you like about engaging with people on LinkedIn?

NAOMI SIMSON

Oh, you never know what they're going to say or who you are going to meet effectively. It sounds awful, but I actually don't spend a lot of time on the platform. But what I do share is things that I've learned. So, I will get questions about AI, for instance, or personal branding or whatever. And people will drop me a little note via my website, which is naomisimpson.com, and I'm happy to then think it through and share what I've learned. I did write a couple of books because I was really aware of the sorts of question. Actually, one of those books, Live What You Love, came from a post that I was doing on LinkedIn, because the editors used to actually give us topics to write on. And  it was the standard question of what would you tell your younger self? And a post is usually like 600 words and then at 6000 words,  I was like, I've got a problem. I sort of spoke to a friend of mine who is a publisher. He goes: “Just keep going, see what happens, it might be a book.” And so that was Live What You Love, that book. So, I guess I am really happy to share what I've learned. I said I would be a role model. I had great role models growing up. My mother was a systems analyst, worked on one of the first computers in Australia. She worked for a wonderful entrepreneur, Lindsey Cattermole, her business was Aspect Computing. So as a child I would go off and just see and that was my normal. So, I need to make it normal for everybody else. It’s okay to start a business.

BENNETT MASON

What's your advice for board members or business leaders who want to boost their LinkedIn profile? Or maybe they're just getting started on the platform? What should they be doing?

NAOMI SIMSON

I really have no idea to that answer, and I don't because it is run by algorithms, and they change all the time. I just bought my absolute authentic voice to it. Like I literally would write about things that were concerning me, worrying me, or things that I saw and that engaged people. But it's also a very different time because I started doing that 15 years ago and there wasn't a lot of content. I was chosen as a writer for LinkedIn, and that's where it springboarded. Whereas now there's a lot of content. And now if that content is generated by AI, there will be a loss of trust in the platform. And I think that that's the biggest challenge. So, all I say is, I say to people who are writing a book or speakers or whatever, just be really clear on who you're talking to and why. And if it's about you, I want to show off. Just don't do it. Like when I wrote the second book, Ready to Soar. I literally saw the people on Shark Tank’s set who were standing in front of me. And I know that being a business owner is not for everybody, and you have to go through a personal questionnaire first of “Is this right for me?” So, I can see that person. So, when I write a post, I can literally see who or why I'm talking. And yeah, it's like sitting in the customer’s shoes.

BENNETT MASON

Naomi, you've been great, but I know you've got a lot on, so we'll leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us.

NAOMI SIMSON

So my pleasure.