Whether you’re a leader, employee, student or entrepreneur, Carolyn wants to meet you, hear your story and share practical ideas on how to bring your why to work.  Check out the tour calendar to connect with Carolyn over a Deep Dinner or at an event. To host an event for Carolyn, book a Coffee Conversation or a Purpose Consultation email our Campaign Manager Sam [at] carolyntate.co.

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Irma was on the edge. But she wasn’t swinging her legs in a carefree kind of way. She was deep in thought, because something in her life needed to change. Despite a crowded life, she was acutely lonely… even when surrounded by people. Her many friends, family, home life, hectic business and numerous clients all demanded something from her, but she felt little was coming back to her, in return. Her life seemed empty. With no purpose or meaning.

Then there was her marriage. And the fact that depression had swallowed her husband. “Oliver and I had been happily married for 22 years, but we drifted apart, feeling disconnected and unable to communicate. In mid-2014, Oliver was diagnosed with depression. With three million people in Australia living with anxiety and depression, we weren’t alone, but it was a day-by-day battle.”

Searching for something to hold on to, became Irma’s mission. She turned her life upside down as she read, talked, listened and looked for the missing pieces and a way to keep her marriage and family together. “I’d come to a point where I thought my family may break up. And then I remembered Oliver’s counsellor had said ‘exercise is a great way to help fight depression’ so I started to think, how can I help Oliver get active?”

The answer (for both her and Oliver), came unexpectedly. It happened while listening to a talk by Peter Bains OAM – from Hands Across the Water – about the charity he founded in the wake of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand. “I was intensely affected by the children who’d lost their parents – I imagined how lonely and vulnerable they must have felt. And in my circumstances at the time, I could clearly understand those feelings.” Impetuously she signed up to do a fundraising 5-day 500km bike ride across Thailand, to build a new orphanage.

“What was I thinking?” she later said in her You Tube Talk About Purpose, “Cycle for Your Life.” With no bike, no training, no time to fundraise, no money or plan for the trip, Irma set about making it happen. “The one thing I knew, was that cycling was Oliver’s passion. I had to find a way to connect. And something had to change.”

What changed? Irma. She’d realised that her purpose was to give… not get. And her epiphany was the catalyst for a new start, a way for Oliver to get active and contributed to the AUS$300,000 raised in 2015, for a new orphanage. But it didn’t stop there.

When she returned, she revived her connection with the Slow School of Business and signed up for their Talk on Purpose program. Ideal for Irma and her journey of self, the Slow School offers a ‘learn by doing’ approach – through courses, dinners, events and tailored learning programs – where everyone pitches in, learns something new and makes deeper connections.

During the 3-day Talk on Purpose course, Irma emotionally relived her purpose-driven ride across Thailand, and the lessons she’d learnt. “What about Oliver… me… and our family? Oliver is back on his bike. Our marriage and our family is back on track. And butt cream works!”

But the wisest nugget, shared at the end of her talk, explains how having purpose and meaning in your life improves mental and physical health, enhances your self-esteem and decreases depression – “What else did I learn? I learnt that action and activity is the antidote to loneliness. I also learnt that you, me and everyone can create change in their lives, by taking action.”

About the Author:

Di Mace is a freelance story-based brand copywriter, strategist and purpose-digger. Brands hire her to transform their meaningless messages into heartfelt content and stories centred on culture, customers and core values.

As a corporate marketer-turned-copywriter, she’s equal parts strategist and writer, so clever phrases aren’t all she cares about. She believes creating a brand that is meaningful to your ‘right people’ comes from knowing your purpose and that customer experiences fuel the legacy your brand leaves. Find her at www.wordswords.com.au

Looking back, since his carefree boyhood in Johannesburg, Oliver’s life had been circling… often aimlessly. It was true, at times he had zapped through life on two wheels – in the zone – but sometimes just one wheel carried him, or more frequently, none. Despite a happy family, successful career and his trusty bike, his life was slowly disappearing, down the dark hole of depression.

According to Beyond Blue, “It’s estimated that 45 per cent of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. And in any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety.” Oliver had become, one in a million.

In Oliver’s words, “I’d probably had it long before, maybe even back in my twenties. I knew something was wrong, in the background, but didn’t realise what it was. Depression isn’t something you just wake up with … it doesn’t work like that. It sits in the shadows, creeps out of the bushes. It’s always there. And it jumps on you in unexpected moments.”

Mental illness is more common than you think. One of every five people you know, will entertain the ‘Black Dog’ sometime, during their life. And for those people, the challenge of bouncing back and lifting themselves out of their sadness, is too great. It’s easier to stay there – as was the case for Oliver – for far too long.

But what’s all this got to do with bikes? A lot. Especially for Oliver. “Without my bike, all I would have had was a cycle of depression,” he said in his YouTube Talk on Purpose, “Evolution on Two Wheels.”  Thankfully, that same bike helped him gain the courage to “turn the corner, climb up that hill, get out of that valley, look over those walls that walled me in… and look ahead.” To embark on a new direction in life.

So where did it start? In 2015, on a crazy 5-day 500km bike ride with his wife, Irma, across Thailand – fundraising for the charity “Hands Across the Water.” Neither of them had ridden, for years. Both were juggling life, work and the black dog in the house, so they weren’t even properly prepared. But something changed in him. He began to feel he had a purpose.

“So how did cycling change my life? It taught me to follow my passions. It taught me to ‘feel’ life more” Oliver said. But as it turned out, getting back to cycling was only the first step – the mere tip of the iceberg.

When he returned, The Slow School of Business and their Talk on Purpose program joined the ride. Based in Melbourne, Slow School is an unconventional business school that adopts a ‘learn by doing’ approach to building purpose-driven businesses and lives. Perfect for Oliver, and his dog.

Not for the fainthearted, the intensive public speaking and storytelling course helps you unearth your passion and purpose. That nugget is then shared in a short, live presentation – a daunting prospect for anyone, but a courageous act for someone with depression.

He nailed it. “What were the lessons I learnt? Do what you love to do, not what you have to do. Excuses are simply an escape and most importantly, keep pedalling. It stops you from falling off.”

While he admits he doesn’t have all the answers, it has allowed him to re-inhabit an empty space within himself… that had been lost in the darkness. And he’s started seeing the world differently and acknowledging the cycle of depression he was living.

But best of all, thanks to his family and two wheels, Oliver’s life has brightened. He’s now looking ahead… and avoiding parked cars, in front of blind schools. 

About the Author:

Di Mace is a freelance story-based brand copywriter, strategist and purpose-digger. Brands hire her to transform their meaningless messages into heartfelt content and stories centred on culture, customers and core values.

And as a corporate marketer-turned-copywriter, she’s equal parts strategist and writer, so clever phrases aren’t all she cares about. She believes creating a brand that is meaningful to your ‘right people’ comes from knowing your purpose and that authentic customer experiences fuel the legacy your brand leaves. Find her at www.wordswords.com.au

Not so long ago I would’ve been right behind these potential Corporate Escapees pushing them off the corporate ship. Today however, I’d be encouraging them to stay.

Today I’d be encouraging them to reconnect with their ‘why’, their purpose, and that very first reason they chose their profession or took that job in the first place. I’d be explaining that their purpose is not necessarily found in another job, a new business, a new company or another country. I’d be telling them it’s closer than they think and I’d be urging them to unearth their Golden Buddha.

“In 1957 an entire Monastery in Thailand was being relocated by a group of monks. One day they were moving a giant clay Buddha when one of the monks noticed a large crack in the clay. On closer investigation he saw there was a golden light emanating from the crack. The monk used a hammer and a chisel to chip away at the clay exterior until he revealed that the statue was in fact made of solid gold.

Historians believe the Buddha had been covered with clay by Thai monks several hundred years earlier to protect it from an attack by the Burmese army. In the attack, all the monks had been killed and it wasn’t until 1957 that this great treasure was actually discovered. READ MORE ”

And finally I’d be suggesting that they tap into their purpose through storytelling and public speaking at our Talk on Purpose course.

We’re bringing Talk on Purpose (ToP) to companies and schools across Australia. If you’re keen to find out just how powerful this course can be for your people, invite us in to deliver a ToP Pop-up Workshop for your people. We know we can help! Find out more

The Purpose Ambassador program is a special opportunity for you to share your story, work towards your purpose and help others find theirs. It’s a valuable learning experience to share the stage with other graduates and be a part of a growing community of Purpose-driven Ambassadors.

Since launching Talk on Purpose in November 2014 we’ve had over 70 amazing individuals unearth their unique and personal stories. Our aim by December 2017 is to make that 200 people.

To reach our goals, we’ll be hosting  Talk on Purpose Pop Ups ( a free one-hour mini storytelling workshop) in companies, schools and universities.  We’re asking you, as an ambassador, to invite your networks/contacts to host a ToP Pop Up at their place of work, giving you the opportunity to deliver your talk again with other graduates and a ToP facilitator. The aim is to inspire individuals in organisations to connect to their purpose through storytelling and public speaking.

A Purpose Ambassadorship offers you the opportunity to:

• Polish up your talk to reaffirm your own passion and purpose
• Provide something unique and valuable to your clients and networks
• Receive a Prosperity Payment for future courses
• Be considered to become an Accredited ToP Facilitator
• Host a Talk on Purpose course/s with your clients
• Attend an ambassador drinks night on Thursday 13 October. Register here

If each ambassador was to secure one ToP Pop-up that would be an amazing achievement! It would also be a great way for you to keep sharing your own talk while promoting this incredibly valuable course to bring more purpose to the world of work.

We look forward to having you on board as our Purpose Ambassador! For more information or questions contact Carolyn@slowschool.com.au or phone 0412 806 950.

The Slow School of Business (Slow School) is a people-powered learning community dedicated to building purpose-driven and prosperous businesses that make the world a better place. We come together each month over a meal and a glass of wine to learn something new and make deep connections. At Slow School everyone pitches in, that’s why we ask you to bring your ideas, your passion and a plate and/or a bottle of something special to share.

About our topic – The Purpose-driven Business

According to Gallup, 70% of people across the globe are disengaged at work. It would seem that we’re all making a ‘dying’ instead of a ‘living’ at work. How do we turn this tragic statistic around? The answer lies in reorienting people and organisations towards a higher purpose than profit.

At this dinner, you’ll get to play with a couple of purpose tools that Carolyn has developed to help you craft your own company purpose statement and bring it to life.

BOOK HERE

What you will learn:

• What purpose actually is and why it’s imperative to drive profitability and prosperity.
• How to write your own purpose statement and use it to drive vision, mission and values.
• How you can use Manifestos’s to bring your purpose to life.

About our Workshop Leader

“I believe that purpose will become as essential to a company as breathing is to us humans. The successful leaders will be the ones to awaken purpose in themselves, their company and their people.”

Carolyn Tate is an ex-marketer with a passion for purpose digging, writing, speaking, teaching and community building. She is the author of four books (the latest one being Conscious Marketing), the founder of The Slow School of Business and a founding member of Conscious Capitalism.  Her company is also a Certified B Corporation.

Her purpose is to unearth a higher purpose in people and organisations. She’s been passionately pursuing her own purpose and studying purpose-driven companies for more than five years. She has a wealth of experience, knowledge and groundbreaking tools to share with you.

BOOK HERE

Date: Thursday, October 27
Venue: Mycelium Studios
Time: 6pm-9pm (arrive at 5.45pm)
Bring: A plate and/or a bottle (shared community event)
Cost: $10 + Fee

BOOK HERE

This event is brought to you by The Slow School of Business

The Slow School of Business (Slow School) is a people-powered learning community dedicated to building purpose-driven and prosperous businesses that make the world a better place. We come together each month over a meal and a glass of wine to learn something new and make deep connections. At Slow School everyone pitches in, that’s why we ask you to bring your ideas, your passion and a plate and/or a bottle of something special to share.

About our topic – Playing with your Emotions

Did you know that you can classify all human emotions into just six categories? (and why would you want to do that?!)

Using simple models to understand complex things often unlocks awareness and clarity that was previously not accessible. From there, we can understand where to focus our attention and begin to practice new ‘micro behaviours’… small, sustainable alterations to our everyday responses that accumulate over time into big changes in the way that we interact with the world.

In this session, we have a bit of fun with the topic and will play a game to understand the key concepts quickly and easily.

What you will learn

• How our ‘way of being’ is constructed
• What the six basic human emotions are
• How to create shifts in your emotional state (and your results in life!)

BOOK HERE

About our Workshop Leader

“I believe that mastering communication is as close as it gets to mastering your life.”

Angela Dadds is a passionate player in the field of creating conversations that make a difference. Helping people acquire and develop the skills to articulate their perspective without creating defensiveness is the foundation of her work. She would love everyone to experience the magic of saying what you really mean, really meaning what you say, and being fully heard.

Date: Thursday, September 22nd
Venue: Mycelium Studios
Time: 6pm-9pm (arrive at 5.45pm)
Bring: A plate and/or a bottle (shared community event)
Cost: $10 + Fee

This event is brought to you by The Slow School of Business

BOOK HERE