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How can leaders navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and personal challenges in the modern business world? 

In this episode, Denis hosts two insightful conversations with Irina and Nick, each sharing their unique experiences in leadership and personal growth. Irina recounts her entrepreneurial journey, beginning with a fulfillment center in China and culminating in the founding of Trackmage.com, a software service for e-commerce entrepreneurs. She discusses the role of agile methodologies in managing IT and e-commerce uncertainties and highlights her company's emphasis on remote team management and a diverse international workforce. 

Nick, an international bestselling author based in Singapore, shares his rich background in advertising and communication across Southeast Asia. Nick opens up about his personal challenges, coping with loneliness, stress, and depression following a divorce and job change. These experiences inspired him to write "Executive Loneliness." Nick emphasizes the importance of seeking help in times of change and shares his transformation into an Ironman athlete. 

In this episode:

• Irina discusses her background, from starting a business in China to creating Trackmage.com.
• How Irina transitioned into leadership roles, initially unintentionally, then as a certified Scrum Master and Agile coach.
• Irina shares Trackmage.com\u2019s operations, their remote-first philosophy, and the structure of its international team.
• Nick shares his journey from Sweden to Australia, then to Southeast Asia, taking up significant leadership roles.
• Nick talks about his book, inspired by his experiences with loneliness and stress in the executive world.
• Nick shares his struggle with loneliness, unhealthy habits, and the death of a friend, leading him to write his book.
• The stigma of mental health in leadership; We discuss the findings from Nick\u2019s surveys on loneliness and mental health among senior executives.

Main takeaways:

• Agile practices are crucial in fields with high uncertainty, such as IT and e-commerce, to enhance team productivity.
• Building a successful remote-first company requires trust in part-time or freelance team members, often leading to higher reliability.
• Realizing the importance of customers over suppliers can be a pivotal moment in business strategy.
• Personal struggles, like loneliness and depression, can be transformative and inspire impactful work.
• It's crucial to ask for help during periods of change and not to suffer in isolation.
• There's a concerning trend of executives suffering in silence due to the stigma surrounding mental health. We need to normalize getting help and fostering environments where open conversations about mental well-being are encouraged.

Quotes:

"You cannot do everything alone... that's when I realized that I'm really good with people and structuring them into functional teams." \u2013 Irina Poddubnaia 

"Agile is applicable everywhere where you deal with uncertainty." \u2013 Irina Poddubnaia 

"About 30 percent of the senior executives... were suffering from loneliness in the workplace." \u2013 Nick Jonsson

"84 percent said they would not talk about [mental struggles] in their company." \u2013 Nick Jonsson

Connect with Denis: 

Email: denis@leadingchangepartners.com

Website: http://www.leadingchangepartners.com/

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