Building INFLUENCE SHOW
Watch Episode #01
Kari says:
About this episode
This is Episode 01 from Season 01 Education. Season 01 contains eight episodes featuring guests who work in education. Each episode features a single guest, looking at their personal lives and careers, considering their perspective as a leader and creator. These interviews are candid and unfiltered.
About Kari Sutton
Kari is a researcher, educator, author and speaker who has helped over 25,000 parents, educators and other people who care for kids develop the skills and confidence to promote mental fitness habits in both their homes, schools, early childhood facilities and workplaces. The author of two books, Raising Generation XXL and Raising a Mentally Fit Generation, Kari has been a teacher, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor and Consultant for families for over 30 years. A powerful and inspirational keynote speaker, Kari is particularly proud of her 25 year involvement with Camp Quality, a support program for children aged 0 – 13 living with cancer. Kari is based in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia.
Show notes
- I was like a cork bobbing on the ocean. I was probably not as deliberate as I wanted to be. I was basically working somebody else’s plan and that was when I realised I needed to have a clear plan, a clear focus and know where I want to go (4:10)
- The reason I’m doing what I do is because we have a mental health crisis that our children are facing… I give parents proven and evidence-based tools and strategies because I have been at the coalface (5:00)
- If I had to recommend anything about building a brand, it is this: Learn how to talk to people and get your message across in a clear and concise way (6:00)
- I didn’t have my voice then. I wasn’t clear on what I was going to do. I would talk on lots of different topics. It has really been only in the last four years that I have really nailed it (8:30)
- Mental and emotional fitness – 2012 was the year that I discovered my focus (9:15)
- Key to building my profile: it has been consistency and reviewing what works. My unicorn post had 153,000 views and 10,000 comments. I found that a negative post seems to get more traction, that gets picked up or that people will share and comment on which is fascinating (10:20)
- The weekly podcast I do on parenting (13:25)
- Get your message out there. Talk to people about it. If your message is important to you and you can articulate it clearly, other people will come along for the ride (14:55)
- We need to start the conversation about consent and we need to start it in early childhood (16:15)
- How to cut through in a very noisy world – looking at your messages, it’s not all about me, how am I here to serve and doing it in my zone of genius (19:22)
- Books and books of business cards. I will write something specific about the person I met on the back of the card and I will also follow up with them. Networking for me is not about what I can get, it is about what I can give (21:02)
- I was feeling sick about networking events. I love talking to people but I was not in a business that was authentically me so there was an energy and disconnect and people can feel that (22:15)
- Launched my book in November 2020 (24:45)
- Some people say, “I don’t really want to give away my best stuff”. Give away your best stuff because people will come back (26:10)
- Deciding on who to connect with? One of the criteria is a gut feel but also, I have very strong boundaries. Are they credible, are they reliable? They need to behave with integrity. Also, it’s not so much the quantity of your network but the quality of your network. If you have 1,000 raving fans in your network, that can set you up in your business for life (27:40)
- An evidence-based practice. All the things I do are based in science (30:50)
- Am most proud about working with children who sit on the spectrum, who have social and emotional needs. I play to my strengths and my zone of genius. I have taken this field of work in early childhood and now bringing into the space of positive psychology, melding these two things together (33:01)
- From the stage, I sold $9,000 worth of courses. That was not huge but from that, I realised that there is value in information products and that there is value in speaking and I can do this because of my ability to tell stories (38:29)
- Which stories to share? Don’t ever do therapy from the stage. It’s not a place to tell and disclose everything. I will use story to illustrate a point because we learn in stories. And you also sit and watch. You can say, “I was sitting there the other day and I noticed this”. But if you are going to tell stories, never tell anything that would make people uncomfortable and only use your own personal stories (41:16)
- Stumbling blocks (46:05)
- You don’t have to be an expert at everything, you just have to be able to contribute to the conversation (47:11)
- How do I shine a light on this? Being willing to say it, being willing to be a voice and not stop doing it. I am not going to shut up. I will not be silenced. I will talk to people. I am starting a podcast on building resilience. It’s about not giving up because this is too important to not to give up on (48:09)
- I know in my heart that I can change lives. I can change lives now but I can also touch the future. When I help parents parent their children in a different way, those children go on to parent their children in a different way and those children’s children will be parented in a different way (49:05)
- Look within and trust (51:08).
People mentioned
People mentioned
resources mentioned
- Canva – graphic design platform
- It’s Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success, book by Janine Garner
- Raising a mentally fit generation, second book by Kari Sutton
- Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®
- Raising Generation XXL: The Scoop on how to Transform Your Kids from Fat to Fit, first book by Kari Sutton
- Dateline Current Affairs – Australian award-winning international documentary series with a current affairs backbone
- Professional Speakers Australia – Australia’s premier community for experts who speak professionally
- Bravehearts – Australia’s leading child protection organisation working holistically to prevent child sexual assault and exploitation
A very stimulating and enlightening interview . Deep and probing questions by Rowena Morais which were answered with great clarity, zest and impact by Kari Sutton. Thank you.