Naomi Simson

Naomi Simson left a career as a corporate marketer (she worked for brands such as IBM, KPMG, Apple and Ansett) to start her own business in 2001. RedBalloon Days was born - a unique concept in a newly created market, Naomi's business has pioneered online gifting in Australia and New Zealand through the power of experiences.

The RedBallon Group consists of RedBalloon For Corporate- the experts in employee engagement and reward and recognition programs and RedBalloon Consumer (which boasts a selection of more than 2, 2000 experiences across Australia and New Zealand).

Naomi has been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by Westpac in 2005, Marketing Employer of the Year in 2006 by Stopgap and B&T, finalist in the Telstra Business Awards 2005, 2006 & 2007 and she featured in the BRW Fastest Start Ups in 2006, 2007 & 2008. In 2008 Naomi once again won the business owner and the innovation category at the Telstra Business Women's Awards!

As President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) (Sydney Chapter) from 2007-2008 Naomi has met entrepreneurs from all over the world learning the latest on innovation and best business practice by mentoring and being mentored by others.

According to Verne Harnish, CEO Gazelles Inc. Founder Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (now called EO) Founder MIT/Inc./YEO "Birthing of Giants" Executive Program Author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits

Naomi has a vision to change gifting in Australia and New Zealand forever, she hopes that by 2015 10% of the population will have experienced a RedBalloon Day.

Naomi has written her first book "I want what she's having" which she shares her experiences 'warts and all' about leaving the corporate world and starting her own business from scratch.

Naomi also writes a blog for Smart Company as well as her own blog.  She is also an accomplished professional speaker who has tailored her approach to appeal to a wide variety of audiences both large and small, focused or broad.

Speaking topics:

Speaking Topics:

Entrepreneurial Journey- how to move from success to significance

You'll learn how to build a company with a great culture and how to manage your team for peak performance. You'll see how Naomi has built an iconic brand and she'll share with you all the mistakes she's made along the way. You will be left thinking 'I want what she is on'.
 
Learning outcomes:
 
1) You'll learn the difference between leadership and management  and why both are important
2) How to define what business you are really in, its purpose.
3) How to share your vision and keep an organisation aligned.
4) Why are values so important to a business and what difference do they make
5) You?ll be introduced to the three foundations for fast growth Critical Number, Rhythm and Touch Points

Employees are the new customer- how to become an employer of choice and the Importance of Leadership

We have learned to be customer focused by asking:  How do our customers experience the brand? Now the question of the times is How do our employees experience the brand? This session is about how to fulfill your employees expectations so that they willingly shout about your employer brand.

Learning outcomes:
 
1) How to form an attachment emotional and rational between your employees and your brand
2) How to create a culture of recognition and fun in your workplace
3) How to get your team talking about you as a great place to work
4) Why it is essential to be authentic and transparent with employees
5) The number one driver of employee engagement not matter what the generation.

Employee engagement and the bottom line- How to lift discretionary effort.

To be competitive in this economic climate you need to have a focused team of engaged employees who are there for the long haul. What are the 5 things that RedBalloon has done to deliver an employee engagement score of 97% as awarded by international Human Capital experts Hewitt Associates (the nation's average is 54%)

Learning outcomes:

1) Five steps that delivered a 97% employee engagement score
2) Deliver practical actions to take back to participant's workplaces
3) What did and did not work - sharing some of the disasters along the way. At one point RedBalloon had a 65% employee turn over - it now stands annualised at 3%. She will share how that happened.
4) Using examples from her business, ways to align your business and your employees with your organisation's overall vision.
5) Incorporating Career aspirations and career development into the employee experience strategy to ensure employees are committed and satisfied.

Innovate Your Way Through Tough Times
Innovation is a carefully mixed portion of invention, idea, risk taking and commercial return. Naomi will share how lack of resources drove the innovative culture at RedBalloon. She will outline some of the disasters and what she learned from them. How she goes about picking a winning innovation whilst leaving others for 'another day'.

Learning Outcomes

How to make innovation pervasive throughout an organisation
The role leadership plays in innovation
The nine steps to commercial return on innovation
Real life examples of what does and doesn't work
Next steps for turning great ideas into business deliverables 

 Brand Building on a Shoestring
When faced with a challenging economy, one of the first areas people want to cut back on is sales and marketing. This short-term view can jeopardise the long-term success of any business. This session will prove that it is not what you spend - but where you spend your energy is the key to continued growth because marketing is about acquiring relationships. Naomi will guide you on how to build your brand through your customers (both internal customers - your employees, and external touch points). She will share her lessons in creating a brand on a shoestring.

Learning Outcomes

How to use free media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr
How to get 'rea' with your message
Working out how to get people talking about your business
How to get others to promote your business - the power of brand association
Identifying the one thing that will make a difference immediately to the bottom line
 

 

Client Ovations: I have heard Naomi speak on many occasions and she is charming, articulate and riveting. Naomi Simson is an inspiration as both an entrepreneur and a woman in business. She is one of very few women in Australia to build such a large company. She has done this while remaining true to her value system

SmartCompany

Thank you for your wonderful contribution to this year's Young Leadership Conference. We really appreciate you addressing the Jewish young adult leaders of our community. Your presentation was both entertaining and inspiring and without doubt made a positive impact on the audience. Your evaluations have been excellent.

Network

Naomi’s considerable brand and go to market expertise, both B2B and B2C, has been augmented by very astute people management, IT investment and financial management proficiency. Her clear articulation of strategy and assertive implementation has built a large and sustainable business. My own business has benefited significantly from association with Naomi and RedBalloon.

Supplier of RedBalloon

Naomi is inextinguishable; she is passionate, she is authentic, she delivers, she loves her people and her customers. She gets it. She's got it. She's a fabulous business woman.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Naomi is living proof that passion for an idea plus utilising appropriate technical resources can launch a global business

Scott Recruitment