Calling Operator with Laura Nicol

• Ep 41. Rach Matters on Turning OCD Anxiety into Her Superpower and Scaling to Senior Program Manager at Linktree

  Connecting with Rach Matters, Senior Program Manager at Linktree. Rach’s sweet spot is joining fast-growing organizations with a blank job description, and she’s had the privilege of learning company building through EA-exec partnerships with Linktree’s Alex Zaccaria and seasoned entrepreneur Janey Martino.In this episode, we cover:Why worrying is like a rocking chair—it keeps you busy but gets you nowhereScaling herself alongside one of Australia’s biggest tech success storiesSupporting leaders through hypergrowth and high-stakes momentsThe EA-executive relationship and the magic of high-trust partnershipsCreating calm in chaos (while secretly thriving in it)Why waiting back isn’t Rach’s styleUnderstanding the individual needs of your leadership team (it’s not one-size-fits-all)Strategic restraint—bringing deep knowledge of the leadership team into operations and learning to 10x things without adding process frictionTaking pieces of wisdom from each leader you work withLow-key Sundays and the power of restConnect with Rach on LinkedIn here.  A note from your host, Laura:My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons. Guest ideas?Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode:Subscribe on your favourite platform:SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com

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• Ep 40. Shipra Mahindra: From Software Engineer to Canva’s First PM and Product Leader at Octopus Deploy

  Today, I'm connecting with Shipra Mahindra, Principal Product Manager at Octopus Deploy. Let’s just say—Shipra’s peers can’t stop raving about her. She made her mark as the first product manager at Canva, working closely with co-founder Mel Perkins and the early mobile team. Shipra takes us through the highs, lows, and many celebrations that came with launching and scaling Canva’s first mobile app. She shares how she found her rhythm as a product manager and the lessons she's learned, both as a human and a product leader, during rapid growth at Canva, Xero, Creatively Squared, and now at Octopus Deploy. And when she’s not leading product, she’s showing how New Zealand can be an incubator for world-leading, world-class companies as a Partner at Phase One Ventures.Connect with Shipra Mahindra. A note from your host, Laura:My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons. Guest ideas?Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode:Subscribe on your favourite platform:SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com

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• Ep 39. Harry Uffindell on Scaling Partly, The ONE Thing and Lessons from the Climb

  Today, I'm connecting with Harry Uffindell, Chief People Officer at Partly. Harry’s worn just about every startup hat—founder, growth, bizops, revops, people, culture—you name it. But he ultimately found his calling in the people space. Now, he’s scaling Partly, hiring the world’s top 1% talent, and building a culture where people stay excited about their work a decade in.In today’s episode, we discuss:Scaling Partly from its first non-technical hire to ~100 employees—and the lessons behind making it the best startup to work for.Building a company culture that lasts—where 10 years in, you’re still buzzing to show up.Co-founding and selling MeatMail (a food subscription startup) with David Booth—the zero-to-one story.“This is a pretty good V1”. What Tim Ryan (Atomic8) taught Harry about quality work and scaling startups globally.Tilt to Airbnb: From first APAC hire to Country Manager, scaling Tilt, and what it takes to land a global “boots on the ground” role.A bad-reception phone call that changed everything. How Airbnb’s acquisition of Tilt set Harry on a path to making ANZ Airbnb’s most penetrated market worldwide before the IPO.Focus as a superpower. Mastering the art of focus is the most impactful skill an operator can develop.Learning from the best. How Patti McCord, Reed Hastings (Netflix), and the Collison Brothers (Stripe) are shaping Harry’s playbook as a world-class Chief People Officer.Angel investing 101. His advice for operators making their first bets.Find Harry Uffindell:LinkedInHarry’s [email protected] Uffindell’s Northstars and Frameworks:Books:Delivering Happiness (people and culture)No Rules Rules (Netflix culture)The Hard Thing About Hard Things (gritty leadership)Amp It Up (high-performance culture)Powerful by Patty McCord (freedom + responsibility)Radical Candor (feedback and relationships)Great by Choice (10x leadership)How to Win Friends and Influence PeoplePodcasts:Acquired, a16z, Founders, The Tim Ferriss Show, Crucible Moments, 20VC.Frameworks:The Quarterly Rhythm That Fuels Growth and High-Performing Teams (includes duplicatable resources/Notion pages)The One Thing (goal-setting)Eisenhower Matrix (urgent/important prioritization)Radical Candor (caring personally + challenging directly).Operators—Future leader/vision:Patti McCord and Reed Hastings from Netflix (culture)Patrick Collison and The Collison Brothers (execution)Ones to Watch:Pene Barton (CEO at Crimson Global Academy)Kirsti Grant (Chief People Experience Officer at Auror)Jamie Beaton (CEO and co-founder Crimson Education)Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:Dave Booth (Founder in Residence at Blackbird)Mike Duboe (General Partner, Greylock Partners)Levi Fawcett (CEO at Partly)Tim Ryan (Co-Founder & CEO at Atomic8)Andrew Huynh (GTM Strategy Lead, New Products at Culture Amp)Dan Brockwell (Co-founder and head of program at Earlywork) A note from your host, Laura:My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons. Guest ideas?Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode:Subscribe on your favourite platform:SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com

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• Ep 38. Alice Hehman on Being a Glue Person—From Facebook to Quip to Glue Club

  Connecting with Alice Hehman, a "SWAT team" startup leader who’s built recruiting and operations playbooks for some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names. An under-the-radar operator, you need to know. Alice knows what it takes to scale operations across borders, from leading domestic recruitment for Facebook to moving to Sydney to build regional teams across Asia–Pacific. Following great people led her to Bret Taylor's startup Quip (a competitor to Google Docs), where she ran business operations, including the USD $750M Salesforce deal and post-merger integration into the Salesforce ecosystem. We get real on keeping your head on straight through hypergrowth and focussing on what we can control through these big business transitions. These days, she's teamed up with Molly Graham (if you haven't read Lessons on Substack, you should) at Glue Club, helping startup leaders be better—and feel better—at work. We discuss what makes a great operational leader, why "glue people" are the backbone of scaling companies and US lessons to shortcut operators in Australia and New Zealand.Find Alice Hehman:LinkedInAlice Hehman’s Northstars and Frameworks:Learners vs Guides: Building Your Leadership TeamLessons by Molly Graham The Glue Club  (Leadership Development Program)The Four Tendencies Framework by Gretchen RubinSparketype Assessment StrengthsFinder, now CliftonStrengths Operators—Ones to Watch:Molly GrahamElliot GreenwaldOther Folks Mentioned in the Episode:Andy BartonBret TaylorAshley Prince Murphy A note from your host, Laura:My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons. Guest ideas?Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode:Subscribe on your favourite platform:SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com

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• Ep 37. Emma Seymour’s CFO Journey at Deputy—How Rebalancing Led to Profitability and Unicorn Status

  Today, I'm connecting with Emma Seymour, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Deputy. Emma is no stranger to navigating big transitions—whether steering a company through acquisitions, adapting through CEO leadership changes, driving profitable growth in uncertain post-pandemic times, or achieving unicorn status. Known for her "throw the ball to me" mindset, I hope Emma's story reminds all of our female-identifying listeners of the power of stepping up before you feel ready. In today’s episode, we discuss: Her CFO leadership journey: From public practice to JobAdder to Deputy, where she became the youngest female CFO of an Australian tech unicornEmma’s reflections on becoming a first-time mum while managing a "big job"Deputy's rise to profitability and unicorn status (for market context, Deputy is the 15th Australian-founded tech company to achieve this milestone)How Deputy’s 80% female leadership team drives business outcomes, enriches company culture, and brings them closer to the customerClocking in every day to help customers build a better world for shift workersWhy you should always "throw the ball to me"Alternative strategies for raising capital at different stages of growthWhat’s next for the future of the CFO role in tech.Find Emma Seymour:LinkedInDeputyEmma Seymour is just short of her third successful year as CFO of Deputy (read more)Emma Seymour’s Northstars and Frameworks:Goal setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)ANZ Operators—Ones to Watch:Mel Perkins (CEO and Co-founder at Canva)Other Folks Mentioned in the Episode:Silvija Martincevic (CEO at Deputy) A note from your host, Laura:My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons. Guest ideas?Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn. Never miss an episode:Subscribe on your favourite platform:SpotifyApple Podcasts(Other) CallingOperator.com

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