Emma Isaacs is the CEO of Australia’s largest network for women, Business Chicks.

The network was created to bring together like-minded women (and men) to share ideas, swap stories and spark inspiration. With over 35,000 members in Australia (and more since recently launching in USA) the brand is expanding everyday.

The best part about Business Chicks is that you don’t have to own your own business to be involved. Simply having a passion for ideas, a lust for creativity, or being bold, curious and generous are just some of the traits required.

Members have a blast attending VIP events and rubbing shoulders with guest influencers and speakers such as Sir Richard Branson, Diane von Furstenberg, Dr Brené Brown and Arianna Huffington – just to name a few.

We spoke to Emma to find out a little more about her life in the fast lane as a CEO, a wife, a mother of four children under six and a publisher… the list goes on.

 

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What have you learnt about the process of being CEO of Business Chicks?

My career’s been a little unusual in that I’ve only ever had one job before running my own businesses – when I was 14 I begged my neighbour for a waitressing job at her restaurant. I then went on to buy into a recruitment company at age 18. I stayed there for seven years before exiting to buy Business Chicks in 2005, so I had cut my CEO/leadership teeth a long time ago.

I suppose the biggest lesson I’ve learnt about running a company is that resilience is key. It never gets any easier, so you’ve got to learn to find comfort in discomfort and dance with fear.

Everyday I’m still challenged! Every day I still doubt myself, but when I walk into the Business Chicks office and see 30 smiles, or when I hear stories - like how two of Business Chicks members connected through our community have now gone into business together - the hard work and the lack of sleep is all worth it.

You’ve got to keep connecting back to why you’re working at this pace and why you’re put on this planet – for me it’s about inspiring people to believe in themselves (particularly women) and help them see that whatever they want is possible.

I try and practice that myself each day too – it’s important for me to be a role model to my community and my family and I get to flex my courage and leadership muscles every day attempting that!

 

What is a day in the life of Emma Isaacs?

I’ve been in a sleep-deprived haze for the best part of six years, so most days start out with doing my best to manage energy and get in the right mindset. with four young children, life on the family front is hectic.

I’m in the Business Chicks office five days-a-week but work a half-day on Friday (as do all my team.) If I’m in the office I’m working closely with my leadership team to manage our plans and issues, and if I’m travelling my role tends to be more public – I’m at speaking gigs, hosting events and meeting people.

I prefer the first part of my role! Founders are expected to be superheroes these days – it’s not good enough just to run a strong business, you’re expected to be a keynote speaker, a TV presenter, an author – the list goes on!

 

 

How do you find balancing your life?

I don’t strive for balance – I know that it’s just not possible at this stage of my life. I just do the best I can and try find joy in moments and in little things, knowing that it won’t always be like this.

My biggest secret to ‘coping’ is outsourcing everything. I don’t cook or clean (because I suck at both) and that’s not the best use of my time. I have an awesome team of people around me that keep the cogs turning each day – my nanny, assistant, work team and family.

Being able to let go of things frees me up to be the best I can in whichever area of my life requires my attention at the time. I’ve worked hard to give up perfectionism and I’m a master of cutting corners.

I live my life in minutes and love it that way. My pet hate is wasting time, and I’m always doing two things at once, despite what the science tells us about multi-tasking.

 

What to you do to escape from work and relax?

I don’t ever try to escape work. In fact, if you gave me two hours free, I’d most want to spend them working - I love my job and I love my business!

I think we have a tremendous opportunity on our hands at Business Chicks and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to my team, our members and our partners.

 

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I was the eldest child of three kids, and if you believe the studies about birth order, I was your typical first child – independent, self-assured and confident.

I had my first business when I was seven years old. I’d gather all the kids in my street together in our backyard and ask them to go and borrow some money from their parents. I’d then go and buy lollies and we’d distribute them into smaller packages and then sell them back to the parents at an inflated price. It was a great lesson in bringing people together and making a profit at the same time.

I can’t say I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up but I think I had a sense from a young age that I liked making stuff happen, bringing people together and making a difference. Those things just manifested in entrepreneurship.

 

Congratulations! Business Chicks has just launched in North America! What was the motivation to launch in the USA?

From the time I bought Business Chicks, I’d always wanted to take our brand global, and by early 2015 I knew the time had come to shake things up. We’d become such a trusted and established brand here in Australia, and being a typical entrepreneur I’m never truly happy unless I’m experiencing some sort of discomfort or fear. We always knew our growth was going to come from new territories so the US felt like a good first step.

To be completely honest, I looked at where my largest networks were outside of Australia, and that happens to be the US. I have close friends and family in The States, and a great relationship with our past speakers from the US (people like Arianna Huffington and Rachel Zoe who went on to speak at our LA and NY launch events).

 

 

What is your number one business goal that you plan to accomplish over the next year?

To scale Business Chicks into a truly global network of people who share our values. Easy, right?

 

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Thanks Emma, and congratulations on 10 years or should we say, 'Happy Birthday Business Chicks'!

www.businesschicks.com.au