Strands of Genius: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable, Special Place in Hell, Physical and Mental Health Work Hand in Hand

Guest curated by Natasha Cormier, National Head of Trade Marketing @ News Corp Australia

Sep 08, 2023

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, NATASHA CORMIER ::

LOCATION: Sydney, Australia

Hi I’m Tash and I am one of those people who loves to tell my full life story to a stranger at a party and then draw yours out of you and then we become best friends 4eva… Curiosity about people is queen in my world. Im always interested in under the mask. People and dogs are very weird but I love them (most of them). I live in Sydney with my Star Wars-loving, sports-mad American husband, our 10 year old daughter and my furry son, who is a Murray River Retriever, Australia's oldest working dog breed.

Im very passionate about my work, I've been in marketing and media for over 25 years. Worked client side, for a start up and an airline, agency side in influencer marketing and even started my own business — but think I belong media side, it's where my tribe is. We are all a bit cuckoo but I love that about us all.

I have been following Rosie and Faris, in a non-stalker way, for about 10 years and find what they do and how they do it absolutely fascinating and incredibly inspiring. This newsletter, on my weekly reading list, is always something I share with people as a source of inspo so a lot of pressure here today as I try to deliver on that to you.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): We met Tash when she introduced herself to us at Advertising Week APAC in Sydney’s Luna Park and had such a lovely chat. We’re thrilled to have her here today!

:: THE LINKS ::

GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

Be a life longer learner, and I know you’ve heard this before, but, get comfortable being uncomfortable because if you want to grow as a human, in your career, in anything, its going to hurt a bit. Best example of personal growth for me is becoming a mother. That newborn stage was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I live off instinct and it felt like this was completely stripped away from me, so I struggled, badly. Now of course there was a turning point, and that was a bloody good moment I remember it well, it was when my daughter started talking. What I learnt from all of that was that I wasn’t surrendering to my new life, I was battling it, trying to control everything when quite simple all control had been taken from me. It was a really good lesson that has made me a much better person, one that doesn’t try and control everything. (YouTube)

SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL

There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women said Madeleine Albright. As a woman, my responsibility is to help pave the way for the next generation of women. I find women like Kemi Nekvapil remind me of this and gives me the framework I need to be strong for myself and so I can be there to support and guide others. (Kemi Nekvapil)

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH WORK HAND IN HAND

As I get older I think about being that little old lady that's living her very best life. I imagine myself at 105 in a fabulous Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose) AND on the other end of the scale, in the mosh at a music festival (Billie Eilish will be about 70 by then). My grandfather lived to 100 so I think I can get there I read a lot about brain health and nutrition and recently been listening to a great podcast by Peter Attia whos talks a lot about longevity. Sleep, healthy food and exercise, is key. (Peter Attia)

Looking for more from Natasha Cormier? Coming Friday, look for an interview from her in your inbox!

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: You cannot beat me at Backgammon

:: City :: Sydney where I live and work

:: Book :: Humans by Brandon Stanton

:: Podcast :: The Growth D_Stillery for B2B and The Drive by Peter Attia

:: Album :: Happier Than Ever -Billie Eilish

:: CARE LESS, SMILE MORE ::

Care less about what people think but be mindful of others as you follow your path.

One of the most supportive bosses I have had, Nicki Singh never cared what other people thought or said and always delivered incredible work. She was so confident in what she was doing, always collaborative and so very supportive of others, she would always have your back. My aim is to be this kind of leader. So from today, stop comparing yourself to others, know your own values and worth, be confident because you've got this!

I hope you enjoyed this reading. Huge thank you to Rosie and Faris for inviting me to collaborate. A dream come true and an honour.

NOW GO FORTH AND DO AMAZING THINGS EVERYONE!

Cheers, Tash

Strands of Genius is currently read by more than 14,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.

It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

Strands of Genius