Global CEO, Multi Leadership Award Winner, Author, Migrant, Business and Social Entrepreneur
Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker and … Mother of 9!
When it comes to contemporary leadership, Sadhana Smiles is a trailblazer. As CEO of Real Estate Industry Partners (REIP) and Director of Harcourts Move, she has a focus on People, Planet and Profit. In a world where business evolution is accelerating, she believes re-invention is the new normal.
Sadhana’s first two books – People Power Did You Have Them @ Hello and I Want What She’s Having are both critically acclaimed and inspire people to blaze their own trail in business and in life.
As the founder of Links Fiji and Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, Sadhana’s journey as a migrant from the cane fields of Fiji (where her Grandfather was a slave) to leading Property Management at Harcourts as Global CEO will leave your audience enthralled with her insights and wisdom.
Speaking Topics
Explore a range of topics designed to inspire, inform, and engage your audiences.
Blaze your own trail – how to make your mark in business and life
Sadhana Smiles is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in the country, using her influential position to make a difference in Australia and Fiji.
She believes there are untapped opportunities in the business world today, where anyone at any level of the organisation can step up and become a leader for change.
We need empowered, driven, inclusive innovations but more importantly we need people to believe that they have the power to be heard and make a difference.
In this keynote Sadhana will give you the playbook for how to blaze “your” own trail and create your own career path by being brave enough to speak up and shake things up.
Sadhana arrived in Australia as a young 16-year-old migrant, with only one thought in her mind – freedom from a culturally oppressive environment.
Two years in boarding school, 1 year in TAFE and she made the decision to get married to stay in Australia. (as you do!)
In 6 short years she took on the role of CEO, won the Vic Telstra Business Woman award, was named one of 100 Women of Influence and turned the business she was in from a virtual unknown company to the fastest growing network in Australia.
Blaze your own trail is her journey, sharing her lightest and darkest days, rebuilding her life and relationships to become on of the most respected women in her industry and a role model to women in the many diverse communities in Australia.
First and Only's: The diversity and inclusion challenge lessons from a migrant leader
Did you know that organisations that have a clear diversity and inclusion policy are 21% more profitable! So why are our organisations not embracing the change rapidly.
Sadhana Smiles believes if she can reach a leadership position in Australia, having landed on our shores (alone) at the ripe old age of 16 from Fiji, with no university degree and no real plan for her future then anything is possible for any of us!
Sadhana is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in Australia. She is well known for challenging business leaders on their understanding of diversity and believes it’s not just about more women in leadership roles but about people who come in different packages – ethnicity, ability and sexuality.
Culturally diverse people often have double glazed glass ceilings to break through - one in their own culture and the other in their business.
In this challenging and riveting keynote, Sadhana shares with you the challenges she faced being born a woman in a culturally oppressive environment, the lessons learnt and her experiences arriving in Australia in the early 80’s.
Today Sadhana often finds herself in the “first and only” situations – being the only woman or the first woman of colour.
“All of these experiences have helped form the resilient and determined person I am today” says Sadhana. “ I have also used my difference to create a brand and competitive advantage for myself.”
Today Sadhana sits on a number of boards, acts in an advisory capacity and is a popular speaker at conferences.
I want what she is having
Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.
Imagine what you could achieve if you removed fear from your life. Sadhana Smiles has done exactly that.
Born into a culturally oppressive world, Sadhana broke the rules early. Arriving in Australia at the age of 16 she overcome the extreme differences and culture shock through overcoming her fear or rejection and took on the Australian life head on.
It wasn’t until her 40’s after her divorce and a breakdown that she became focused on her career. In 6 short years she took on the role of CEO, won the Vic Telstra Business Woman award, was named one of 100 Women of Influence and turned the business she was in from a virtual unknown company to the fastest growing network in Australia.
She epitomises visible leadership where you have visibility to self, others and the collective.
“My collective experiences have made me who I am today and how I lead. I know what I bring to the table, I am very clear on my values and how a business can give back to their people and communities they work in”.
“I am privileged to lead organisations, to have other men and women of colour see me and believe that if I can do it so can they”.
I want what she is having is the story of a young migrant girl who arrived in Australia not sure what she wanted, she ended up being the first female CEO in her sector, winning leadership awards, building a brand and being fearless in everything that she took on.
Your people will be inspired, moved, they will laugh and cry and want some of what Sadhana is having.
Future Fit Leadership - Unlocking leadership for tomorrow
In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, global interconnectedness, and unprecedented challenges, traditional leadership models are being reimagined and our workplaces are dynamically adapting. We are currently re-writing the new leadership model.
We know the static paradigm of the industrial era simply doesn't work for today's knowledge economy. But! We don't yet know what the new paradigm is exactly.
What are global CEO’s and changemakers doing in this space and what are their future ready strategies around skills, capability, talent, culture and mindset.
Sadhana Smiles is the host of the podcast Future Fit Leadership, that is regularly in the top 50 podcasts in Australia.
She has interviewed leaders from various industries and in this presentation, Sadhana will distil the most impactful lessons and strategies shared by top leaders and innovators featured on the podcast.
Whether you are a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, this session will provide invaluable perspectives on staying agile and visionary in an ever-changing world and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to be future fit in leadership.
Wow! "I am woman". She owned that room. Brave, powerful, inspiring. I could go on. She oozes leadership. She knows her brand. She knows who she is. She knows what she wants. She is the ideal role model for every one of us! The world would be a much better place with more leaders like Sadhana.
"Diversity isn’t about women it is about people."
"We are entitiled to doona days... just not too many of them."
"Do the right thing by yourself and you will always do the right thing by others."
"Be authentic, be vulnerable, be unconventional."
"When someone says no to you its because you haven’t given them a good enough reason to say yes."
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