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In this week\\u2019s show, Phil talks to Toni Collis, the CEO of Collis-Holmes Innovations, an award-winning leader, International Keynote speaker, Consultant and Leadership Coach. Her career has focused on facilitating the use of technology, and she believes that this requires true diversity in the future leadership of the tech industry.

As Founder of Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC), she developed and led innovations aiming to diversify the international Supercomputing workforce. And in early 2019, she began to focus on her passion for broadening diversity & inclusion in the technology industry.

She now offers Leadership & Executive Coaching for women in tech, with a personal goal of assisting 2000 women into the tech boardroom in the next 5 years.

Toni talks about why remaining in our comfort zones can be restrictive. She also discusses why resilience is the key to overcome challenges.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

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TOP CAREER TIP

If you are not growing, then you\\u2019re shrinking. The longer we remain in our comfort zone, the smaller it becomes. Always look for ways to expand and grow.

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WORST CAREER MOMENT

Toni found, at one point in her career, that she was saying yes to far too many things, and the overwhelm made her feel as though she was underperforming and not reaching the potential that she felt she could. Through this, she learned that it\\u2019s okay to say no.

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CAREER HIGHLIGHT

When Toni was offered her first C-Suite executive role at the age of 34. A lot of work and determination had been spent, but the payoff was worth it.

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THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

Technology is the solution to all problems being faced by society today. By focusing upon fixing the world through tech, we can provide a better future for everyone.

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THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? \\u2013 It was accidental \\u2013 Toni realized that computing would play a large part in her degree education.

What\\u2019s the best career advice you received? \\u2013 You can\\u2019t fix all problems, so be selective about the ones you solve.

What\\u2019s the worst career advice you received? \\u2013 \\u201cYou can\\u2019t afford to say no. Say yes to everything!\\u201d

What would you do if you started your career now? \\u2013 Toni would make sure she worked on things upon which supercomputing has more impact

What are your current career objectives? Toni is trying to ensure that 2000 women are seated in boardrooms.

What\\u2019s your number one non-technical skill? \\u2013 The ability to read a room.

How do you keep your own career energized? \\u2013 Toni steps outside of her comfort zone on a regular basis. You need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What do you do away from technology? \\u2013 Travelling and DIY.

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FINAL CAREER TIP

Work on your executive presence and your resilience every day. No matter where you are in your career, you need these skills!

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BEST MOMENTS

(3:18) \\u2013 Toni - \\u201cI could have more of an impact if I could empower more people to do tech exceptionally well than I could ever do by myself\\u201d

(4:07) \\u2013 Toni - \\u201cWhat I really want do is put people into positions of leadership in the technology sector that means we change the way it operates to the betterment of everyone involved\\u201d

(6:17) \\u2013 Toni \\u2013 \\u201cIt isn\\u2019t that you have a comfort zone. It\\u2019s that if you\\u2019re not constantly pushing at it, it\\u2019s actually shrinking, and that applies to every aspect of our lives\\u201d

(17:14) \\u2013 Toni \\u2013 \\u201c Technology is really the solution for all the problems the human race faces today\\u201d

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ABOUT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.\\xa0 Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.\\xa0 And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

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CONTACT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.com and via the podcast\\u2019s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

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ABOUT THE GUEST \\u2013 TONI COLLIS

Toni Collis is , the CEO of Collis-Holmes Innovations, an award-winning leader, International Keynote speaker, Consultant and Leadership Coach. Her career has focused on facilitating the use of technology, and she believes that this requires true diversity in the future leadership of the tech industry.

As Founder of Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC), she developed and led innovations aiming to diversify the international Supercomputing workforce. And in early 2019, she began to focus on her passion for broadening diversity & inclusion in the technology industry.

She now offers Leadership & Executive Coaching for women in tech, with a personal goal of assisting 2000 women into the tech boardroom in the next 5 years.

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CONTACT THE GUEST \\u2013 TONI COLLIS

Toni Collis can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonicollis1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonicollis/

Website: https://tonicollis.com/