#122 - Mark Hoffman-Davis, CEO of SYC Limited on Adapting and Thriving in Times of Change Artwork

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Creating Synergy Podcast

#122 - Mark Hoffman-Davis, CEO of SYC Limited on Adapting and Thriving in Times of Change

May 01, 2024 • SynergyIQ

Curious How a CEO Can Influence Both Corporate Success and Community Well-being?

Don't miss our latest episode of the Creating Synergy Podcast, where we explore the profound impact of leadership through the lens of Mark Hoffman-Davis, CEO of SYC Limited.

Here’s why you need to tune in:

From CIA Backgrounds to Global Shifts: Understand the unique upbringing that shaped a future CEO—from secretive family roles to adapting to new cultures.
Leadership Lessons from McDonald’s to the C-Suite: Hear about the unconventional path from managing a fast-paced fast food outlet to leading major corporations, and the critical lessons learned along the way.
Transformative Work Ethic: Delve into Mark’s teenage years of balancing school with managing a busy McDonald's, fostering a work ethic that would define his career.
Strategic Business Moves: Discover the strategic decisions behind the exponential growth at Academy Cleaning Services, where Mark expanded the staff from 80 to over 2,000.
Navigating Corporate and Community Impact: Gain insights into the challenges of aligning corporate strategies with community needs, a balancing act that Mark handles deftly as the CEO of SYC.
Tech Innovations in Social Services: Learn about SYC’s approach to integrating technology with human-centered services, particularly in mental health and housing, and the future vision for digital transformation in the social services sector.

This episode provides rare insights into the making of a leader who’s not only at the forefront of business innovation but also deeply committed to social impact. Tune in, get inspired, and maybe steal some of his secrets for yourself! Don’t forget to subscribe – you won’t want to miss this!

TIMESTAMPS:

[2:03] - Early Life and Move to Australia
[6:21] - CIA influence from Mark's father
[8:12] - Lessons in Hard Work
[18:19] - Childhood Lessons
[27:21] - Leadership at a Young Age
[44:43] - Career Progression
[50:38] - Customer-Centric Philosophy
[1:04:46] - Transition to CEO of SYC
[1:29:20] - Technology in Human Services
[1:41:39] - Vision for the Future

Where to find Mark Hoffman-Davis

Books mentioned in the episode

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Join the conversation on Synergy IQ on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram (@synergyiq).

Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us.

Say hello to our host Daniel Franco on LinkedIn.

00:00:09:29 - 00:00:27:15
Daniel Franco
Welcome back to the Creating Synergy Podcast. Today I have the great man, Mark Hoffman. Davis, on this show, the CEO of SYC, and a exceptional golfer, from my understanding as well. Welcome to the. Welcome to the show, Mark.

00:00:27:21 - 00:00:29:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Thanks to It's great to be here.

00:00:29:25 - 00:00:53:23
Daniel Franco
Mark you're doing some great work with in the world of Esquire scene the human services space. But one of the before we kick off in that world, I'd be keen to sort of go back and explore who is the man sitting in front of us right now. So what do we need to know about your earliest context to understand Mark and and what led you to where you are today?

00:00:53:25 - 00:01:00:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
My earliest context. I guess when I was growing up and it was it was an interesting and I guess.

00:01:00:24 - 00:01:01:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Everyone's got.

00:01:01:11 - 00:01:04:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Little stories from their childhood. I knew my family and.

00:01:04:21 - 00:01:06:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I moved to Australia from.

00:01:06:23 - 00:01:13:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The US when I was five, so that was something I guess unique and different. The first.

00:01:13:18 - 00:01:15:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We moved from Virginia over to.

00:01:15:08 - 00:01:21:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
California, lived there for a couple of years and then then moved to Adelaide back in the mid-eighties eighties. So it was a bit to get used to, a bit.

00:01:22:00 - 00:01:22:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To adapt.

00:01:22:13 - 00:01:27:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To. Yeah. So I enjoyed it then. I think. I think Adelaide's been a great place to.

00:01:27:14 - 00:01:30:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Grow up, a great place to try my rights, my own family.

00:01:30:22 - 00:01:35:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Really enjoyed it. But yeah, I guess growing up, the probably most significant.

00:01:35:28 - 00:01:49:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Parts for me that I think helped sort of shape some of the ways I approach things. And so that that, that tenacity and that sort of thought that I think I have in the way I approach work in the world in general was.

00:01:49:27 - 00:01:51:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
After my parents got divorced.

00:01:51:17 - 00:01:56:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When when I was 11. I remember vividly because.

00:01:56:15 - 00:01:58:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's such a significant thing. You.

00:01:59:00 - 00:02:14:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You, you know, you love your parents, you love your mom. You know, every dad and all of the you know, I'm the middle of five kids. I've got a brother and three sisters. And it was just such a significant thing for us at the time. And I know a lot of people have same thing happened in their lives.

00:02:14:16 - 00:02:17:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But for us, we ended up all living.

00:02:17:02 - 00:02:18:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
With dad and.

00:02:18:18 - 00:02:23:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
He was he worked away for probably five or six days a week at.

00:02:23:01 - 00:02:23:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Least.

00:02:23:26 - 00:02:26:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sometimes he'd go in for a few weeks at a time.

00:02:26:12 - 00:02:30:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. And so that was a really interesting time for us in trying to.

00:02:30:22 - 00:02:49:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Reconcile how to how to grow up, how to try and be a child. But we were all in a house running the place, you know, going to grabbing the money that dad would leave for us, for the shops, grabbing a trolley and going down and doing our grocery shopping and doing the washing and the dishes and.

00:02:49:19 - 00:02:52:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Making sure we got ourselves to school and, you know, had had our own.

00:02:52:20 - 00:02:57:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Motivation and kept each other going in a way that would make sure we all got by and we were.

00:02:57:05 - 00:02:58:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
All okay.

00:02:58:09 - 00:03:07:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean, we still had a mum there for things that we needed. But, you know, day to day, that's that's the life we lived. And I guess it meant that we had.

00:03:07:22 - 00:03:09:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Really at an.

00:03:09:09 - 00:03:35:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Early stage in life, really high levels of responsibility. And it might seem, you know, for an eye for an older teenager, like it's pretty straightforward stuff. But when, when you have to get yourself going and everything around your world relies on you to do it or negotiating with your siblings, it's it was it was certainly something I thought, yeah, that that sort of poised me for where I ended up heading.

00:03:35:07 - 00:03:40:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that was in areas of responsibility pretty early on in my career.

00:03:40:14 - 00:04:06:12
Daniel Franco
Very good. I want to touch on your father for a moment, if you don't mind. I know there are some certain things that we can and can't talk about. And you said to me in a previous conversation that, your old man was in the CIA over in the US, and obviously this things you can, you can't talk about there, but being away all the time, I just want to learn a little bit about your father and who he was and the type of man.

00:04:06:12 - 00:04:23:13
Daniel Franco
And you said that the father we decided to go live with your dad. Why was that? And what was it about him that, that kind of set you to be the person that you are? And what was the career and in which he was pursuing that he was never around.

00:04:23:15 - 00:04:26:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, so that's right. My dad was.

00:04:26:06 - 00:04:28:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In the CIA when we lived in Virginia.

00:04:28:08 - 00:04:29:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's that was his job.

00:04:29:20 - 00:04:31:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I and his.

00:04:32:00 - 00:04:40:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's probably to the extent of going to that right here. But we we ended up when he left there, we moved to San Jose in California and he.

00:04:40:05 - 00:04:41:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
He ended up working in.

00:04:41:00 - 00:04:42:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Tech. Yeah. And he still does.

00:04:43:00 - 00:04:44:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So, you know, we.

00:04:44:13 - 00:04:48:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Were there for two years and then decided to move to Adelaide. And a lot.

00:04:48:18 - 00:04:55:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of people ask me why and it's a good question and I, my dad used to spend a bit of time in Adelaide when he was in the agency.

00:04:55:17 - 00:04:56:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just.

00:04:56:15 - 00:04:57:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Relaxing and.

00:04:57:21 - 00:04:57:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Great.

00:04:57:27 - 00:05:01:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Place, he thought to raise a family. So I completely agree and.

00:05:02:00 - 00:05:06:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And here we are. But

00:05:06:10 - 00:05:08:12
Daniel Franco
The reason was that to get away from it all.

00:05:08:17 - 00:05:14:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think so. I think it was just, you know, if you're on a, if you're on a trip or you're, you're highly stressed.

00:05:14:22 - 00:05:15:05
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:05:15:05 - 00:05:19:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Putting you, putting your feet up in the Barossa Valley for a week or two was, was I think.

00:05:20:01 - 00:05:20:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Drinking.

00:05:20:11 - 00:05:20:25
Daniel Franco
Some nice.

00:05:20:25 - 00:05:22:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Wine to relax before that hit.

00:05:22:10 - 00:05:25:23
Daniel Franco
Home. Was he high up in that world.

00:05:25:25 - 00:05:36:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Look, I'm not, I don't really know how that went. And we talked he's talked about a bit about it and some really interesting stories. But you know it you should appreciate it's still a high level of not.

00:05:37:00 - 00:05:48:13
Daniel Franco
Yeah, no doubt. Does it put a lot of pressure and stress on him and and did you see that through him or was he able to sort of filter that as he came back to the to the family?

00:05:48:16 - 00:06:11:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think he was able to compartmentalize it. I mean, my early memories of dad even before my parents divorced, were, I guess, things I've seen myself to where, you know, he was really present in the moment, but he was really tenacious and really working. And, you know, I could see him, you know, coming home and being present around the dinner table and really interested in everything that was going on.

00:06:11:03 - 00:06:15:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then after dinner would, you know, either bury his head into.

00:06:15:06 - 00:06:16:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Something else or.

00:06:16:21 - 00:06:18:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or flake out and pass out on the.

00:06:18:06 - 00:06:20:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Couch so tight. Yeah.

00:06:20:06 - 00:06:38:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we'll we'll really looked up to dad. I think he, he taught me a lot about, you know, what it takes to, to work hard and succeed. you know, I think I don't want to take anything away from my mother as well. We love him very much, but I think there was some things that that want to draw us to.

00:06:38:12 - 00:06:42:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The stability and the things we felt around my father.

00:06:42:18 - 00:06:52:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I think we all wanted to stay together too. Like I said, I was in the middle of five kids and we didn't want to be broken up. Yeah, crisis as well.

00:06:52:02 - 00:06:58:29
Daniel Franco
It makes sense what you said that your father taught you how to work hard. What? What does that look like?

00:06:59:02 - 00:07:04:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, it starts with a big spreadsheet and things. Do we?

00:07:04:08 - 00:07:06:19
Daniel Franco
We think nothing good happens unless it's on a spreadsheet.

00:07:06:20 - 00:07:12:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Absolutely. I mean, I remember growing up and we wouldn't get anything given to us.

00:07:12:12 - 00:07:32:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And if we wanted something, we had to earn it. And you know, whether that was a nice pair of shoes then was a stock allowance that would you know, or a brand name piece of clothing that all our other mates were wearing. We had chores to do and like I said, we had a household to run when Dad was away, but he would divide that up.

00:07:32:09 - 00:07:39:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We'd get paid an appropriate hourly rate for, you know, how many minutes he thought the dishes might take or how many.

00:07:39:07 - 00:07:40:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, well, I mean, it's.

00:07:40:02 - 00:07:44:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The laundry, my tank. And it was it was open.

00:07:44:07 - 00:07:46:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Transparent, it was fair. And then we'd get.

00:07:47:03 - 00:07:58:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Half of that given to us to spend on whatever we want. And then the rest of it was for, for us to buy our clothes and Yeah. And safe and things like that so early on.

00:07:58:07 - 00:08:13:08
Daniel Franco
So you're taught financial and delegation I guess at a very young age. Yeah. So something that we're I'm still trying to figure out how to spend my money. Now you taught, you were taught at an extremely young age and a how to manage it as well which is.

00:08:13:13 - 00:08:13:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, we.

00:08:13:28 - 00:08:14:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Did. We had separate.

00:08:14:24 - 00:08:21:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Accounts for all these things and that's how it worked. And you know, and then I guess that that motivated me.

00:08:21:07 - 00:08:34:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I wanted to work hard. I wanted to do well. It was I was pretty, pretty good in school. I got good grades and ended up, you know, skipping some time in school and working through it a bit quicker. And I wanted to I was motivated to get a job as.

00:08:34:29 - 00:08:36:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Soon as I could. And I remember.

00:08:36:18 - 00:08:49:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When I was 14, my dad wouldn't let me get a job, so I convinced him to let me repaint the whole house and again hired me by the minute at a timesheet. He check it, it ordered it and, you know, check my work. That it was a.

00:08:49:13 - 00:08:50:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Good enough standard.

00:08:50:11 - 00:09:00:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we, you know, we got through that and, you know, earned a fair bit of money before I turned 15 when I did get a job. But you know, I still remember.

00:09:00:11 - 00:09:02:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, you know, being able to do.

00:09:02:00 - 00:09:02:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That and earn money. And I was.

00:09:03:02 - 00:09:05:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was really excited by it because I could.

00:09:05:15 - 00:09:07:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, I remember I think I got a pair of Reebok.

00:09:07:01 - 00:09:08:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Pumps. Yeah.

00:09:08:16 - 00:09:11:20
Daniel Franco
What else would you buy exactly.

00:09:11:22 - 00:09:14:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then and then we you know.

00:09:14:09 - 00:09:24:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean it was the irony of that was was again one of those things that help you, I guess, a childhood experience that happened right as that job was finished. Was my.

00:09:24:10 - 00:09:25:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sister.

00:09:25:18 - 00:09:27:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Actually.

00:09:27:09 - 00:09:29:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Started a fire in a room.

00:09:29:10 - 00:09:32:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And, you know, that was that was a pretty dramatic.

00:09:32:21 - 00:09:34:29
Daniel Franco
And she did that just playing with matches and.

00:09:35:01 - 00:09:35:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Burning a.

00:09:35:15 - 00:09:45:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Candle into the bed. We woke up on it was a monday morning at about 6:00 and we woke up and everything was pitch black. Couldn't see anything.

00:09:45:15 - 00:09:46:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So much smoke.

00:09:47:02 - 00:09:50:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so we my brother and I.

00:09:51:00 - 00:09:52:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Found each other.

00:09:52:14 - 00:10:07:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And eventually got the fire put out. We went looking for the fire extinguisher where it always is, and it wasn't there. So we were running buckets up the stairs and got it out because it had gone up the walls, the ceiling.

00:10:07:18 - 00:10:10:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
My sister wasn't there, but after it was out.

00:10:10:02 - 00:10:30:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We, you know, a neighbor comes running in the front and she called the firies. We found my sister downstairs clutching the fire extinguisher, our shock in the corner, whole thing. But after it was all done and everything was safe, it was good because my dad wasn't there. He was on a flight. It was Monday morning. He's off on his five or six day stint.

00:10:30:13 - 00:10:31:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:10:31:13 - 00:10:37:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So we got ourselves ready for school and went off. But I remember thinking after that, the selfish part, I get to paint the house.

00:10:37:18 - 00:10:39:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Again.

00:10:40:01 - 00:10:45:06
Daniel Franco
Do some rookie while you there. How old were you at that point? You were in Adelaide at that point.

00:10:45:06 - 00:10:47:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. That was, that was when I was 14. Yeah. So I said I.

00:10:47:21 - 00:10:50:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Was really wanting to, you know, get a job and.

00:10:50:17 - 00:10:59:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Money. Yeah. You know, had been that fear of missing out a bit because I was younger, I was probably two younger than then. Everybody around me and my friends and social.

00:10:59:26 - 00:11:06:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Groups and you know, they had more, more money or more things. And, you know, I was always.

00:11:06:04 - 00:11:07:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I guess, part of my.

00:11:07:22 - 00:11:10:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Motivation that was just trying to, you know, keep up and fit.

00:11:10:22 - 00:11:11:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In. Yeah.

00:11:11:28 - 00:11:13:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But come from another country youngest.

00:11:13:24 - 00:11:14:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I've always.

00:11:14:13 - 00:11:17:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Had that tendency to try and, you know.

00:11:17:11 - 00:11:17:20
Daniel Franco
Fit.

00:11:17:20 - 00:11:20:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In, be in, in amongst, you know, I think I.

00:11:20:19 - 00:11:28:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Think when I was younger and earlier I was a bit shyer and, you know, and it was a way for me to try and try and be part of it.

00:11:28:27 - 00:11:40:12
Daniel Franco
So with your father away so much, I mean, what influence did your mum have on you? And I said, You don't want to take anything away from that. Why? Why not stay with her if your father was away so much?

00:11:40:15 - 00:11:53:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, good question. I mean, she remarried, and I think her husband's lovely. I mean, we get we get along really well with him, but I think it's it's hard to say. I mean, my my older sister and older brother.

00:11:53:20 - 00:11:55:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sort of led the.

00:11:55:19 - 00:11:59:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Led the charge with sort of nominating that they wanted to stay with dad.

00:11:59:26 - 00:12:01:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I you know, I think.

00:12:01:27 - 00:12:03:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Myself and my youngest.

00:12:03:05 - 00:12:04:16
Daniel Franco
Just fell in and really yeah.

00:12:04:23 - 00:12:08:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Apart from then, I think, you know, my dad was.

00:12:08:02 - 00:12:24:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A it was a hard work, had a big house and, you know, we knew he'd he'd be able to give us the support and provide for us everything that we needed. Like so my mum was there to provide all the, all the love and support as well. She was a musician who taught music for decades of her life.

00:12:24:28 - 00:12:33:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So that was that was an influencing part for us. We often got involved in that and she was there to help take us to things that we needed to go to.

00:12:33:13 - 00:12:36:02
Daniel Franco
So you play songs, you play anything.

00:12:36:04 - 00:12:36:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was in.

00:12:36:29 - 00:12:38:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The Australian Youth Choir, so.

00:12:38:17 - 00:12:39:24
Daniel Franco
So a.

00:12:39:24 - 00:12:40:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Singer? Yeah.

00:12:40:29 - 00:12:45:25
Daniel Franco
You're not a nice bellowing voice. None of that. Can you do a little rendition for us now?

00:12:45:27 - 00:12:47:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
right, Yeah, but.

00:12:47:08 - 00:12:48:15
Daniel Franco
You need a warm up is all right.

00:12:48:22 - 00:12:50:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Look, I still enjoy singing.

00:12:50:08 - 00:12:55:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I Yeah, not a lot of people know that during COVID, I started going back into singing lessons.

00:12:55:01 - 00:12:58:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Yeah. Excellent. But that was just what type of.

00:12:58:13 - 00:13:00:16
Daniel Franco
Like, what type of music would you sing?

00:13:00:18 - 00:13:02:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis

00:13:02:05 - 00:13:05:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
All sorts of bit of Guns N Roses, Matchbox 20, You know.

00:13:06:01 - 00:13:06:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Say us.

00:13:06:16 - 00:13:07:15
Daniel Franco
Rock music, Good.

00:13:07:15 - 00:13:10:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Little bit of warrant, you know, until the eighties and nineties.

00:13:10:11 - 00:13:40:10
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Fabulous. We'll have to go out on a karaoke night one night. I don't sing at all. It's the worst thing. Your eyes will bleed if you hear anything anyway. So I think like in a previous discussion, you likened your your growing up like your, your family dynamics I guess to the party of five. If anyone remembers that TV show talking about great eighties and nineties TV shows where you did have to grow up quickly and I think as you explained, there is like you're by yourself and I had to grow up quickly.

00:13:40:13 - 00:13:49:02
Daniel Franco
Is there any part of that that you look back with nostalgia or would you prefer to have a parent around more often?

00:13:49:05 - 00:13:50:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think I think there's.

00:13:50:07 - 00:14:04:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Things I take away from it that were really valuable lessons, but we weren't really given a lot of a choice to really embrace a childhood. And I think some of the things that that taught me.

00:14:05:00 - 00:14:06:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or so test me still.

00:14:06:09 - 00:14:07:12
Daniel Franco
Today. Yeah.

00:14:07:15 - 00:14:08:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And, you know.

00:14:08:23 - 00:14:11:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Having or or even I guess, wanting.

00:14:11:05 - 00:14:21:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To grow up quicker and be part of it with the people I was socializing with and around me. And, you know, it was, it was it was a necessity, but then it ended up spiraling.

00:14:21:21 - 00:14:22:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So.

00:14:22:08 - 00:14:25:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And you're right, we were we were like the party of.

00:14:25:09 - 00:14:26:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Five for that.

00:14:26:03 - 00:14:29:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we made it work. It was okay. Right? We had.

00:14:29:15 - 00:14:32:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Conversations and arrangements with our teachers and principals, you of how.

00:14:33:00 - 00:14:34:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We were a y, you know, brother.

00:14:34:23 - 00:14:39:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or sister would write it. Not you wouldn't write your own one. Yeah. Yeah. Sort of stuff. And so we got.

00:14:39:10 - 00:14:41:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
By that the.

00:14:41:28 - 00:14:44:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah I think, I think there's.

00:14:44:05 - 00:15:06:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A part of me that always looks back at and think of what it would have been like if you were able to just enjoy it, embrace the childhood a bit more and take an easier pace at it. Because one of my tendencies, Dad and anyone who knows me, who's worked with me well, well, now I'm on a really fast pace, really, really driven person who can probably push it a little bit hard sometimes.

00:15:06:26 - 00:15:10:18
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Is that what you think to test you to this day?

00:15:10:21 - 00:15:11:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, it does.

00:15:11:09 - 00:15:19:15
Daniel Franco
Yeah. When you said this, this, these are the things that still test me today. The fact that you you want to move quicker. You want to be in front, so to speak.

00:15:19:20 - 00:15:23:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah it is. And for me I.

00:15:23:03 - 00:15:26:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, tenacity is a big part of my.

00:15:26:00 - 00:15:26:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Approach to things.

00:15:26:28 - 00:15:37:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And has been throughout my career. I didn't, I didn't study any formal qualifications or anything. I, I worked hard and learned a lot of things on the street.

00:15:37:08 - 00:15:38:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So to speak.

00:15:39:01 - 00:16:00:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But it was always I always had this firm belief that if I didn't know something, I could just make up with it by applying more effort and doing it harder or quicker than anyone else around me. And that whilst that's helped me do a lot, I think I've, you know, I've had a lot of great achievements throughout my career.

00:16:00:28 - 00:16:24:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It, it can really challenge those around me. And, you know, that's, that's something I still grapple with every day in trying to make sure I'm pushing and driving and delivering what I think we need to, especially for the work we're doing there. So I see in the community, but also being aware enough of those around me that, you know, the impact that can have on them.

00:16:24:27 - 00:16:41:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I don't get it right. I'm always looking for that point. They actually found it, but from always striving for try to find a balance of that leadership, you know, hopefully you'll be better for it. But I have to have a good days and my not so good days. Yeah, we all do.

00:16:41:05 - 00:17:02:04
Daniel Franco
It's a difficult one. I'm often find myself in the same boat where I'm trying to move so quickly and it actually actually works in the counter almost that it stops people from being productive because they feel overwhelmed or whatever it might be. So yeah, it is a genuine test every day. I think. Yeah, I hear you on that one.

00:17:02:06 - 00:17:18:10
Daniel Franco
Is there anything that you look back on in your childhood? I don't know. There's five kids. There's got to be something that you look back on that really makes you smile and and kind of maybe hints at who you are today as well.

00:17:18:12 - 00:17:19:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
My childhood didn't.

00:17:19:16 - 00:17:22:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Look, I, I think.

00:17:22:19 - 00:17:27:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
There's a lot of things I really enjoyed working at McDonald's, and I'm sure we'll talk about.

00:17:27:09 - 00:17:28:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That.

00:17:28:04 - 00:17:45:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But for me, it was always about basketball. And I think being able to spend time with my brother in particular down at the courts and then translating that into into playing and winning and, you know, winning championships. Yeah, he coached us for a couple of seasons.

00:17:45:28 - 00:17:47:07
Daniel Franco
Who did you play for.

00:17:47:10 - 00:17:47:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Played for?

00:17:47:21 - 00:17:49:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
No, it.

00:17:49:06 - 00:17:58:16
Daniel Franco
Could be the Good club, but no. So I won't hold that against, you know Great. My girls played basketball so I'm right into it as well. It's such a great sport.

00:17:58:18 - 00:18:00:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, I think it was.

00:18:00:08 - 00:18:25:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We were always really active and I know that even growing up in California, I mean, I do. And I was five when I left California, but I remember a lot about it just that, you know, I'm trying to be out there, be free and be active. I was always riding my bike, getting beat up on different things. I would I would hit because I was trying to do a bit too much for probably my ability at that age.

00:18:25:11 - 00:18:26:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I just I.

00:18:26:27 - 00:18:32:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Think that was probably the fondest time for me, was just being able to play and compete and.

00:18:32:23 - 00:18:35:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Enjoy time with friends.

00:18:35:19 - 00:19:05:26
Daniel Franco
Do you think I ask this quite a bit because I honestly believe that sport and particularly team sport, is fundamental to anyone's growth and development. I think the ability to work as a team, to set goals, to train, to improve, to ultimately have a goal at the end of the season, to win the championship, you know, be the best version of yourself or team that you can be working with multiple different personalities, like all all the aspects that help us in life and in business.

00:19:05:29 - 00:19:13:20
Daniel Franco
Do you do you echo that thought process that sport has helped you in your career today?

00:19:13:23 - 00:19:14:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, definitely.

00:19:14:19 - 00:19:17:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think it has. And for all the reasons.

00:19:17:02 - 00:19:20:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You've just said that. And I remember.

00:19:20:12 - 00:19:32:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When I was a young manager at McDonald's, I used to recruit a lot of people from all the high schools around the come in apply, but it was really clear how those.

00:19:32:08 - 00:19:33:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Especially.

00:19:33:02 - 00:19:42:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Young people who play team sport starting off on their first jobs, for example, can quite easily translate that into the workplace.

00:19:42:19 - 00:19:43:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, it's not.

00:19:43:06 - 00:19:55:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just the actual hand coordination that it takes to be quick and good at whatever it is you're doing, but that instilled discipline and that, you know, you've got to listen to your coach.

00:19:55:14 - 00:19:56:04
Daniel Franco
Yeah, right.

00:19:56:05 - 00:20:03:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, you've got to look after the people around you because, you know, you're not you're not doing this on your own. And remember.

00:20:03:06 - 00:20:08:00
Daniel Franco
It's in the best interest of the organization or the team as opposed to the individual. Yeah.

00:20:08:00 - 00:20:10:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. So I remember when we.

00:20:10:02 - 00:20:19:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Would be doing interviews and most of the time we would be talking about what sports people play. So such a key factor and then being able to translate into it, being successful.

00:20:19:23 - 00:20:41:24
Daniel Franco
Yeah, no, I love it. So a 15 years old, you're in grade 12, this is my understanding. You're in grade 12, you're straight-A student, even though you've skipped a year. So. So 15 year old in year 12. So what should we know? B, B, 16, 17, and Utah Avenue. And you're working 40 hours a week at McDonald's.

00:20:41:27 - 00:20:43:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:20:43:04 - 00:20:51:20
Daniel Franco
Okay. At that stage of my life, I was to playing video games and kicking the footy around. Like what made you so motivated to want to do it all?

00:20:51:27 - 00:20:55:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, again, I think it.

00:20:55:06 - 00:21:05:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Was trying to push to strive to catch up to some of the friends and those around me. My mates all had cars. I had no chance of getting a car. I wasn't old enough.

00:21:05:19 - 00:21:06:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, when.

00:21:06:10 - 00:21:07:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I had nowhere near enough money.

00:21:07:25 - 00:21:10:01
Daniel Franco
And were you much smaller than everyone else?

00:21:10:04 - 00:21:12:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
yeah. I was not a big 15 year old.

00:21:12:28 - 00:21:16:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But I. But I was able to, I was able to do it well.

00:21:16:04 - 00:21:33:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean I didn't, I didn't really take my school bag home. I didn't study at all. I just worked When I was at school, I worked out if I had a free lesson, I did my homework. If I recess and lunch, I did my homework during class, I'd do the assignments as soon as I got what they were talking about.

00:21:33:21 - 00:21:34:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I just did.

00:21:34:05 - 00:21:35:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
This. Yeah.

00:21:35:12 - 00:21:38:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Got it done. And then I could go fill in another shift.

00:21:38:26 - 00:21:48:15
Daniel Franco
So whereas if it's basketball and basketball, my kids play basketball and it's almost three or four times a week, it's. It's heavy. Heavy.

00:21:48:18 - 00:21:49:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. By that.

00:21:49:08 - 00:21:50:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Stage I wasn't.

00:21:50:13 - 00:21:51:07
Daniel Franco
Playing. Okay.

00:21:51:10 - 00:21:52:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
As, you know.

00:21:52:03 - 00:21:53:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Competitive. Okay. We had a social team.

00:21:53:28 - 00:21:54:17
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Okay.

00:21:54:19 - 00:21:56:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so I was able to just play shoot.

00:21:56:23 - 00:21:57:07
Daniel Franco
Some hoops.

00:21:57:08 - 00:21:57:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Like Wednesday.

00:21:57:28 - 00:22:01:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then if I had a shift, I just. I just missed that one.

00:22:02:00 - 00:22:03:28
Daniel Franco
So you chose work in front of.

00:22:04:06 - 00:22:04:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:22:04:19 - 00:22:06:00
Daniel Franco
Of your sport.

00:22:06:03 - 00:22:12:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. So I mean, I guess with work I was, you know, I guess I was pretty good at it. I was working at McDonald's.

00:22:12:21 - 00:22:16:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So then started training of the staff and then started taking.

00:22:16:03 - 00:22:23:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Up some management shifts. And, you know, one thing led to another and I was, yeah, doing 40 hours a week and was able.

00:22:23:05 - 00:22:38:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To manage it because I said I was able to keep up with the school work quite easily. But it was working hard when I was I had an arrangement with the principal, so as long as I kept my grades up, I was able to skip a couple of classes here and there to to go to school.

00:22:38:08 - 00:22:41:19
Daniel Franco
It's like you're in the negotiation that I had just well.

00:22:41:21 - 00:22:45:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, I mean, the my the restaurant, the place.

00:22:45:13 - 00:22:54:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I worked, they, you know, had you know, they they really supported me doing more there. You know, it was it was hard. They didn't always have enough people to.

00:22:54:15 - 00:22:55:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Fill in the shifts.

00:22:55:20 - 00:22:58:01
Daniel Franco
And which one did you work at.

00:22:58:04 - 00:22:58:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In Rundle Mall?

00:22:58:29 - 00:23:01:19
Daniel Franco
Also like the busiest one in in Adelaide.

00:23:01:22 - 00:23:02:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Right when it opened up the.

00:23:02:29 - 00:23:06:20
Daniel Franco
One that all this lot of Tik Tok videos for some crazy people going in there.

00:23:06:21 - 00:23:08:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We had all sorts of people.

00:23:08:06 - 00:23:10:18
Daniel Franco
I can imagine it was.

00:23:10:20 - 00:23:12:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and eye opening place. That's the.

00:23:12:04 - 00:23:12:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Shop.

00:23:12:18 - 00:23:38:18
Daniel Franco
So was I just want to talk more about your schooling and so and McDonald's and how that all sort of entwines because graduating with straight A's because that's what I know that's what you told me that you did. You ended up graduating with straight A's. Even even with all that, all that extra work that you were doing on the side at McDonald's, it generally leads down the university path.

00:23:38:21 - 00:23:54:05
Daniel Franco
That makes sense. But yet you chose to continue your career. You deferred university and you chose to continue your career at McDonald's. So in a world where there is this, like there is a certain stigma for those who work at McDonald's, especially with the youth of today.

00:23:54:09 - 00:23:54:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yep.

00:23:54:29 - 00:24:01:05
Daniel Franco
What drove your decision to stay there and continue your career as opposed to going to university?

00:24:01:07 - 00:24:02:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I didn't. I mean, yeah, you're right.

00:24:02:22 - 00:24:07:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I graduated with really high marks. I got into Adelaide Uni.

00:24:07:28 - 00:24:10:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Deferred it for a year. I didn't really.

00:24:10:06 - 00:24:12:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
At that time decide that that was the forever.

00:24:12:15 - 00:24:14:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Decision to.

00:24:14:14 - 00:24:16:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Follow a career at McDonald's and not go back and.

00:24:16:14 - 00:24:18:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Study. I just.

00:24:18:17 - 00:24:21:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Wanted to get a bit more money behind me, you know, like I said.

00:24:21:27 - 00:24:23:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was trying to get a car.

00:24:23:11 - 00:24:27:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and then I did that. Soon as I had the car, I wanted a better one.

00:24:27:23 - 00:24:28:25
Daniel Franco
What was your first car?

00:24:28:27 - 00:24:30:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was a Toyota. Seleka.

00:24:30:07 - 00:24:31:17
Daniel Franco
And, you know.

00:24:31:19 - 00:24:33:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
1974.

00:24:33:26 - 00:24:36:18
Daniel Franco
Of course, it was.

00:24:36:20 - 00:24:37:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Didn't you know.

00:24:37:10 - 00:24:38:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Front of mind? I didn't really.

00:24:38:29 - 00:24:40:25
Daniel Franco
I was Toyota's last forever, so.

00:24:40:25 - 00:24:41:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:24:41:13 - 00:24:41:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, it was.

00:24:42:01 - 00:24:46:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was it was a good car. But it did it.

00:24:46:23 - 00:24:49:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. It did its job. Yeah. Getting me there because.

00:24:49:17 - 00:24:50:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
As soon as I got that.

00:24:50:11 - 00:24:51:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Car I could work.

00:24:51:08 - 00:24:52:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
More because, yeah.

00:24:52:18 - 00:24:58:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
My boss would only get me to town at a certain time. So I couldn't take the earliest shift available.

00:24:58:01 - 00:24:58:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:24:58:10 - 00:25:07:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, because I got there 15 minutes to light. So as soon as I had that car, I was able to do even longer days, which was good. You workhorse at the time.

00:25:07:11 - 00:25:15:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But no, I just deferred for one year at the time. And then when that happened I.

00:25:15:04 - 00:25:17:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Was working a lot like.

00:25:17:09 - 00:25:19:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'm like a heap.

00:25:19:27 - 00:25:21:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was a manager, became.

00:25:21:15 - 00:25:25:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A store manager about a year after that and.

00:25:25:18 - 00:25:27:04
Daniel Franco
Store manager held.

00:25:27:07 - 00:25:28:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
17.

00:25:28:19 - 00:25:29:24
Daniel Franco
Be some sort of record?

00:25:29:26 - 00:25:31:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think it was at the time, actually. I'm not sure.

00:25:31:21 - 00:25:32:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It is now, but yeah.

00:25:32:21 - 00:25:34:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It definitely was at the time.

00:25:34:21 - 00:25:40:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I went through the management training programs and that was really good.

00:25:40:03 - 00:25:41:23
Daniel Franco
Was that Hamburg University? Is that.

00:25:41:26 - 00:25:47:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, yeah, that's the name that we had that we were given a h u t shirt. Yeah.

00:25:47:10 - 00:25:48:28
Daniel Franco
A university. Yeah.

00:25:49:00 - 00:25:51:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Got a certificate him a bachelor of hamburger ology.

00:25:51:21 - 00:26:04:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was obviously just a gimmick certificate but the, the, the actual training and leadership development that I had at McDonald's was, was really good. A lot of people.

00:26:04:06 - 00:26:04:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Six of.

00:26:04:27 - 00:26:17:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
These I guess training academies around the world run and the one I went to was in Sydney in Thornlie near the head office there and some people I mean, it took me about 15 months to qualify.

00:26:17:05 - 00:26:18:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And get it all.

00:26:18:26 - 00:26:25:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Some people had been working for ten years trying to trying to do that, and I was there in a class of 75 people and they were from all over the world.

00:26:25:15 - 00:26:26:10
Daniel Franco
Yeah, well.

00:26:26:12 - 00:26:28:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And yeah, it was an amazing experience.

00:26:28:06 - 00:26:37:22
Daniel Franco
What I've heard about this Hamburg university how I your what was it what was the pivotal lessons that you learned from it? What did you get taught in there.

00:26:37:24 - 00:26:41:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. So the leading up to it, it's the final.

00:26:41:21 - 00:26:53:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of four different I guess wakes you do in training. You've got, you got basic intermediate advanced. Yeah. Different things you go through and all of the other ones prior to that were really about managing.

00:26:53:05 - 00:26:57:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
At McDonald's specifically. But the final.

00:26:57:03 - 00:27:02:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
One was more about leadership and didn't really have much of a McDonald's.

00:27:02:14 - 00:27:04:00
Daniel Franco
Flavor. General leadership.

00:27:04:00 - 00:27:05:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:27:05:21 - 00:27:14:21
Daniel Franco
And what was it? Was there any key things that you still hold to this day? You still still you still see pop up in your leadership attributes?

00:27:14:23 - 00:27:17:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'm not sure. I think there was a lot.

00:27:17:06 - 00:27:19:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I learned there, and I think it's probably all blended together.

00:27:19:19 - 00:27:20:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
With yeah.

00:27:20:14 - 00:27:26:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I've done throughout my career, but I still remember being there and being really.

00:27:26:08 - 00:27:27:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Young and.

00:27:27:12 - 00:27:42:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Meeting a lot of great people who, you know, like I said, were from from all over the world. And, you know, being out to meet with the, you know, managing director and senior people at McDonald's, it just just seemed so surreal for me at that stage of my my life and my career.

00:27:42:25 - 00:27:47:17
Daniel Franco
What's the opportunities of moving up in the corporate ladder in that space here, especially here in Australia?

00:27:47:21 - 00:27:50:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Good question. I mean, I didn't follow that path.

00:27:50:12 - 00:27:51:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I work for a licensee.

00:27:51:18 - 00:27:52:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and.

00:27:52:27 - 00:27:57:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we had three stores and I led one of those.

00:27:57:21 - 00:28:02:13
Daniel Franco
So it doesn't work as in Lucky. Get as high as you can in the store and then you can go into corporate and.

00:28:02:15 - 00:28:05:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think you can some people, some people taken that.

00:28:05:00 - 00:28:06:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Pathway Okay.

00:28:06:20 - 00:28:08:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But now that's that's not.

00:28:08:20 - 00:28:10:25
Daniel Franco
Did you ever think about opening up your own.

00:28:10:27 - 00:28:14:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It did cross my mind. Yeah. You know, I was.

00:28:14:15 - 00:28:16:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was working at McDonald's up until I was about.

00:28:16:25 - 00:28:17:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
20. Yeah.

00:28:17:26 - 00:28:28:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And certainly thought I had the capability. Yeah, we, I was from when I was 17, starting as that restaurant manager, I won the Restaurant of the Year award nationally. Three years.

00:28:28:06 - 00:28:29:13
Daniel Franco
Running. Yeah, well, out.

00:28:29:13 - 00:28:30:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of 700 stores.

00:28:30:28 - 00:28:31:26
Daniel Franco
Wow.

00:28:31:28 - 00:28:32:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So and.

00:28:32:25 - 00:28:33:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The McDonald's.

00:28:33:28 - 00:28:45:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Corporation certainly were, you know, pretty impressed with what we were doing. but I ended up leaving when I was 20 and following a different path.

00:28:45:09 - 00:28:58:24
Daniel Franco
That you would have seen some pretty interesting things. I'm just, I know this is kind of stepping off the topic of business, but I'm just interested to hear some of the things that you would have seen on a Saturday night. I've gone into that Rundle Mall.

00:28:59:00 - 00:28:59:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:28:59:20 - 00:29:26:12
Daniel Franco
When I was out and about being young, larrikin and it was trashed at times. And so you had I mean, you know, we walk into our offices now, they're, they're beautiful, they clean their respective, they're respectful. But you've got people coming in to your premise and just trashing the place and disrespecting staff. And how did you manage that whirlwind?

00:29:26:14 - 00:29:28:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, it's you're right. It was a challenging.

00:29:28:22 - 00:29:31:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Environment because, you know, we had a lot of young people working.

00:29:31:22 - 00:29:31:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
For.

00:29:31:29 - 00:29:39:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Us and the, you know, depending on the time of day or time and not patronage could look like anything.

00:29:39:24 - 00:29:40:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I guess.

00:29:40:23 - 00:29:56:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Some of those experiences, you know, carried that theme from, you know, my younger days where you're sort of thrust into a moment or a scenario or an incident where, you know, you've got to step up and support people around, you really have.

00:29:56:18 - 00:29:58:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
No choice.

00:29:58:24 - 00:30:01:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Because you know, the alternatives, you know, probably looks much worse.

00:30:01:21 - 00:30:05:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and we had a few like that. I mean.

00:30:05:15 - 00:30:22:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We used to joke we probably could have written an entire novel Days of our Lives series about the different things that happened there. But I remember one late night where we had we just had a big crowd come in. One of those youth nightclub.

00:30:22:20 - 00:30:23:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Things.

00:30:23:07 - 00:30:26:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Got out at midnight and they just all came in to.

00:30:26:11 - 00:30:26:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
McDonalds.

00:30:27:06 - 00:30:41:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so they're all being a bit rowdy. And then, you know, a couple other drunk lads a bit older come and start pushing them around and trying to cut in line because they were all quite, you know, inebriated.

00:30:41:12 - 00:30:43:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But then this.

00:30:43:15 - 00:30:44:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Huge brawl broke out.

00:30:44:17 - 00:30:45:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It must have been.

00:30:45:03 - 00:30:58:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
40 or so people involved in this cheers flying across the restaurant, innocent customers trying to try to duck and wave and get out of the way. And I remember this because I was I.

00:30:58:10 - 00:30:58:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Was.

00:30:58:22 - 00:31:06:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think, 15 still at the time. I had I hadn't moved into management yet, but we had a temp manager there helping us out for the night because.

00:31:07:00 - 00:31:09:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Someone was sick. So, yeah.

00:31:09:08 - 00:31:15:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And she freaked out and ran out the back, ran into the office, took the other stuff with her, shut the door.

00:31:15:02 - 00:31:16:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And really me.

00:31:16:07 - 00:31:25:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And one of the guys just standing there, sort of a bit dumbfounded, what do we do? And she stuck her head out to get. Mark, I need you to close the store and I'm thinking I don't.

00:31:25:17 - 00:31:26:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Have any case. I'm not.

00:31:26:21 - 00:31:27:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sure how to.

00:31:27:03 - 00:31:27:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Do that.

00:31:27:22 - 00:31:30:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But this is getting completely out of hand.

00:31:30:06 - 00:31:39:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So yeah, we had to find a way. Improvise. I think we got caught out. Let's take this outside or something like that or whatever came to mind and.

00:31:39:17 - 00:31:42:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It eventually escalated and people went out into the mall.

00:31:42:05 - 00:31:52:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And police arrived pretty quickly. And then I was able to shut the door, shut the doors and customers as our where's my food? I paid for my food.

00:31:52:22 - 00:31:58:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean, that night I was we just went grabbed all the food, just took it out and just gave it to people. I didn't know whose was what.

00:31:58:08 - 00:31:59:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That was it.

00:31:59:25 - 00:32:06:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But that was that was a pretty scary incident. We had, you know, a few others like that over time.

00:32:06:07 - 00:32:07:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:32:07:09 - 00:32:12:01
Daniel Franco
What can you tell us about Happy Day? You knew I was going to. Yeah.

00:32:12:03 - 00:32:13:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, that was. That was my first make.

00:32:14:00 - 00:32:23:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Happy day as the store manager, so I. You know, Mark's name's now on the wall. Yeah. Have, you know, restaurant manager. I was really proud of that. We had.

00:32:23:20 - 00:32:24:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We had the water rats.

00:32:24:27 - 00:32:26:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know that celebrities? Yeah.

00:32:26:28 - 00:32:29:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
TV sets coming in. Yeah, they help.

00:32:29:06 - 00:32:29:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Us.

00:32:29:19 - 00:32:31:02
Daniel Franco
I remember that show Water.

00:32:31:02 - 00:32:33:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They were just, you know, I remember about 20 minutes before.

00:32:33:10 - 00:32:50:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They were about to arrive or pumped. It's busy. And I had one of my staff come up to me and say, Mark, I can't get into the the the restroom. Someone's been in there for like 20 minutes. It's locked. I can't get in there to clean it. You might want to go.

00:32:50:17 - 00:32:54:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Check it out. So we've got in there, knocked on the door.

00:32:54:19 - 00:33:21:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, it's it's a full closed door. It's not like a little cubicle thing, so, you know, no response. So I just grabbed a screwdriver and locked it, peered in, and we could clearly immediately see this. This young man was was dead. He was lost all color. He was lying there on the floor. He had a needle hanging out of his arm, still holding it with his other hand.

00:33:21:22 - 00:33:38:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And it was it was just, wow, this is this is two, say, 3:00 something in the afternoon. It was Saturday in the middle of Rundle Mall. We used to get a lot of people who would come into the restaurant. You could clearly see were with drug users, but we'd never seen anything like that.

00:33:38:21 - 00:33:45:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so we rang the paramedics. They came rang my licensee because.

00:33:45:18 - 00:34:11:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I said I was the store manager over there on my own running this restaurant. And I remember his his advice vividly was Mark, that's really terrible. Let's let's isolate it. Let's make sure the paramedics and the police and the coroner can can come and do their work. But don't stop trading. And so I don't know if you remember, the store got a random entrance and then you go back in.

00:34:11:05 - 00:34:23:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. So we sort of isolated that and just kept trading from the front. And I just remember, wow, this was who's a lot to take You pull staff members with me. You had a lot of time off as a result of Yeah.

00:34:23:19 - 00:34:24:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You could trauma from that.

00:34:24:18 - 00:34:36:02
Daniel Franco
No don't often say someone who's like you don't see a dead body especially at that age and then having to sort of manage that and would you like fries with that still. You know what I mean.

00:34:36:02 - 00:34:43:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was it was it was it was very surreal having to sort of just keep writing it.

00:34:43:15 - 00:34:54:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
People head off, rocking up to to clock on and thinking, well, at the same time, the coroner's wanting to interview me on the other side of these bun crates that we've put up to block it all off.

00:34:54:03 - 00:35:00:27
Daniel Franco
How did you how did you deal with that? How did you communicate with your staff in that moment?

00:35:00:29 - 00:35:02:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was really.

00:35:02:16 - 00:35:03:20
Daniel Franco
At 17, like.

00:35:03:20 - 00:35:05:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I yeah, it was hard. And I think I think I.

00:35:05:19 - 00:35:25:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Said some of these moments where you realize, you know, throughout my life or throughout my career, when you, you know, at an early age, I think I was starting to learn the notion of leadership, that this is something really hard that's happened here. And, you know, whether we saw it coming or not, this is what's happened. And so my approach was just to pull people aside.

00:35:25:22 - 00:35:27:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just be honest and just.

00:35:27:11 - 00:35:31:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Tell them, hey, this is what's just happened. I want you to know if you want that, take some time.

00:35:31:07 - 00:35:31:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You can.

00:35:32:01 - 00:35:34:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
If not, we're going to keep working.

00:35:34:15 - 00:35:34:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Here.

00:35:34:26 - 00:35:35:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But that's really up to.

00:35:35:22 - 00:35:36:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You.

00:35:36:24 - 00:35:39:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that's really all I did. And everyone.

00:35:39:07 - 00:35:40:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Most people kept going.

00:35:40:13 - 00:35:46:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So and, you know, I guess that's how I've always approach to this.

00:35:46:02 - 00:35:47:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Try and be.

00:35:47:27 - 00:36:02:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Someone who can, in those difficult moments, be stable. And and, you know, it's you know, you always have that pit in your stomach. It's really it can be really hard. But I think because you feel that way, it's probably a good attribute of being a leader that you care.

00:36:02:08 - 00:36:03:04
Daniel Franco

00:36:03:07 - 00:36:14:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But I'm my approach to things, whether I'm delivering really good news or some pretty shitty news, sometimes it's just to be as open and transparent as I can.

00:36:14:14 - 00:36:49:07
Daniel Franco
If you've told three or four stories already in this chat, all of which you know from helping your brother in your family has put out a fire to jumping in and getting you trying to break up a brawl for your people too. Leading a team through what is a pretty traumatic event. It seems like leadership is something that has come naturally to you, where you can step up in the chaos and manage it with a calm head.

00:36:49:09 - 00:36:58:09
Daniel Franco
Do you think that's the case? It was something that kind of came quite naturally. Or do you think even over the years you're still trying to work it out?

00:36:58:12 - 00:36:59:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's a really.

00:36:59:27 - 00:37:26:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Question. And I think to me, the way it feels is probably different to how it might look to others, because throughout my career and, you know, when I when I left McDonald's and worked for 17 years at a great place called Academy Services, and I'm I'm sure we'll explore that. But there were a lot of these moments and I think for me, whether it's dealing with something like that or, you know, the end of a major contract and having to share news like that.

00:37:26:28 - 00:37:28:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I've always got.

00:37:28:24 - 00:37:30:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That pit in my stomach.

00:37:30:09 - 00:37:30:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's always.

00:37:30:27 - 00:37:31:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
There.

00:37:31:04 - 00:37:31:24
Daniel Franco
It's sickening.

00:37:31:24 - 00:37:37:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And others go, Wow, you handled that really well. You know, it's great that you've got such a calm head about it.

00:37:37:19 - 00:37:39:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I think I know what it feels.

00:37:39:14 - 00:37:49:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Like, though. Like you just feel like sometimes you're going to be sick. And so I'm not sure if it came naturally down to I think a lot of it was probably learned through exposure and.

00:37:49:17 - 00:37:51:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Experiences.

00:37:51:08 - 00:38:20:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Because you have certainly made my fair share of mistakes or haven't executed well or, you know, sort of crumbled a little bit in a moment when you look back at it and, you know, I'm my biggest critic when it comes to how I deal with things and perform in certain scenarios. And I think that, you know, that's probably part of the way that the next time round, you know, how to handle it a little bit better.

00:38:20:23 - 00:38:38:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We talked about sport earlier. It's the same sort of same principle. You don't quite get it right. You know, when you when you're trying to execute, you know, offensive play or whatever. Yeah. You learn from each of those things and eventually your instincts adapt and.

00:38:38:21 - 00:39:04:16
Daniel Franco
It seems, though, the world or the universe kind of opened up for you to move into leadership roles. I mean, if you're running stores at 15 and you've got this attitude at 15 to work 40 hours and it seems as though like, you know, like those same from the outside that you've got this natural born tendency. But I know I absolutely know what you mean.

00:39:04:16 - 00:39:30:21
Daniel Franco
That leadership is not tough. It's quite a lonely space, too, because the buck does stop with you. You then decide then from from McDonald's to to move out into the world, the big, wide world of corporate business. What sort of spot on that move, given that, you know, you were relatively successful in where you were and and on top of that, not not go back to university or go to university.

00:39:30:23 - 00:39:32:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. So the first decision.

00:39:32:12 - 00:39:48:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Not to go to university happened before I left McDonald's. When I when I rose through the ranks, became from a manager to a store manager and was quite successful so shortly after my 18th birthday, I saved up enough and bought my first.

00:39:48:08 - 00:39:49:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
House.

00:39:49:13 - 00:39:52:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And moved into that. So that was.

00:39:52:05 - 00:39:53:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That was great.

00:39:53:03 - 00:39:55:02
Daniel Franco
The fighting is out.

00:39:55:05 - 00:39:56:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
There a bit cheaper back then.

00:39:56:10 - 00:39:56:21
Daniel Franco
Yeah, and I.

00:39:56:27 - 00:39:57:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Feel for my kids.

00:39:57:28 - 00:39:58:27
Daniel Franco
It's all relative.

00:39:58:29 - 00:40:01:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It is. It is. But so that I had a.

00:40:01:28 - 00:40:03:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Mortgage and.

00:40:03:03 - 00:40:06:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So, you know, yeah, I was just I was.

00:40:06:24 - 00:40:07:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Paying the.

00:40:07:06 - 00:40:26:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Mortgage and then, you know, tenaciously looking at what was next, you know, that was when I was, you know, thinking about an investment house. And so that's why I, I knew that the work path was the one I wanted to take. It didn't really feel like at that point I was going to be in a headspace to go and study.

00:40:26:10 - 00:40:32:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So that's what I did. And then when I was 20.

00:40:32:12 - 00:40:38:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was approached by someone I knew who was co-owner of a.

00:40:38:15 - 00:40:44:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Commercial cleaning and little facility services business. They were quite successful.

00:40:45:01 - 00:40:47:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And they had a I had about.

00:40:47:06 - 00:40:57:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
80 staff across a couple of states. So, you know, I went there, had a chat with him, and he knew, I guess he could see in me.

00:40:57:26 - 00:41:00:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
At a very young age that, you know, I had I had.

00:41:00:07 - 00:41:02:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
This tenacity about me and this.

00:41:02:16 - 00:41:18:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Drive and I guess a level of intelligence systems thinking that they might benefit from because they were at that point where they needed to shift their approach to things rather than just the two of them running this like a small business, they needed something a bit more.

00:41:18:19 - 00:41:25:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Systemized. So yeah, I went there was was a better salary. I had a company car, you know.

00:41:25:08 - 00:41:27:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I thought of that. I thought that was pretty cool.

00:41:27:24 - 00:41:29:25
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

00:41:29:28 - 00:41:40:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then was able to, to launch into that career and learn a lot about different things and service and customers tendering.

00:41:40:15 - 00:41:54:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, high job things, you know, all of the different elements that I'd had a foundation for at McDonald's. But really just I guess took over the whole general management of it all quite on. And then.

00:41:54:15 - 00:41:57:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, then then went along the right way.

00:41:57:08 - 00:42:00:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We ended up making quite a run out of it.

00:42:00:15 - 00:42:03:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We were quite successful.

00:42:03:19 - 00:42:09:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We worked hard, we worked long hours. We were pretty tenacious about what we were trying to achieve.

00:42:09:24 - 00:42:19:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then yeah, after I was there for a few years, the owners and trusted me with stepping up and running, running the whole place.

00:42:19:24 - 00:42:28:28
Daniel Franco
Which is great. And I think under your leadership we saw the business go from 80 odd people to just over 2000 people. Is that correct?

00:42:29:01 - 00:42:36:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, that's what we had when I left. It was just over 2000 and I was there for.

00:42:36:22 - 00:42:38:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
17 years, so.

00:42:38:21 - 00:42:41:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When I started, yes, I staff a couple of.

00:42:41:03 - 00:42:45:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sites. We ended up having over 2000 in every nook and cranny around the country.

00:42:45:25 - 00:42:46:11
Daniel Franco
Yeah, well.

00:42:46:13 - 00:42:54:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And state offices everywhere. I mean a lot of that success was, was started and spurred on collectively, no doubt.

00:42:54:06 - 00:42:56:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But then I think of the 17.

00:42:56:22 - 00:42:58:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Years I was there.

00:42:58:17 - 00:43:01:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I was given the opportunity to run the run the place.

00:43:01:02 - 00:43:04:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And again, I think that's at a young age, something I felt really, really.

00:43:04:18 - 00:43:07:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Privileged to have.

00:43:07:04 - 00:43:08:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was 24.

00:43:08:28 - 00:43:10:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When they.

00:43:10:11 - 00:43:17:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Let me take over, you know, as general manager initially. Yeah. So, I mean, obviously it would look a bit odd.

00:43:17:22 - 00:43:18:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:43:18:10 - 00:43:21:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean, 24 year four year old CEO, but.

00:43:21:06 - 00:43:24:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The owners decided to, you know, take a little bit of step back and.

00:43:24:29 - 00:43:29:29
Daniel Franco
And had you done any study at this point or like have you gone and done extra schooling and just all learning on the job.

00:43:30:03 - 00:43:31:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Not just learning.

00:43:31:24 - 00:43:33:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
On the job.

00:43:33:02 - 00:43:37:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Through experiences, you know, little, little courses here and there, but, you know, trying.

00:43:37:24 - 00:43:46:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To try to learn from people around me, learn from experiences. We were exposed to so many different industries and businesses and customers.

00:43:46:22 - 00:43:47:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I just I just.

00:43:47:12 - 00:44:03:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Looked at everyone around me like they were a mentor or someone I could learn something from. And like I said earlier, if I didn't know, I would just push harder. Yeah, longer or quicker or just apply more effort until we got by somehow.

00:44:03:18 - 00:44:17:21
Daniel Franco
What strategies did you put into like to grow from that growth? It's quite substantial. I know it is over 17 years, but it's it is substantial growth too. And obviously making a huge impact on many people's lives.

00:44:17:29 - 00:44:18:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:44:18:18 - 00:44:27:17
Daniel Franco
Without without the knowledge and the learnings from an academic point of view. Where did you learn those strategies from?

00:44:27:19 - 00:44:32:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's a good question because I think I, I in my career right.

00:44:32:20 - 00:44:39:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Now, we focus heavily on strategy and execution to make sure that we can have the best impact we possibly have.

00:44:39:09 - 00:44:40:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Correct.

00:44:40:07 - 00:44:42:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And those early days, I think I didn't really know.

00:44:42:12 - 00:44:43:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
What I was doing.

00:44:43:26 - 00:44:45:07
Daniel Franco
I think any of us do.

00:44:45:07 - 00:44:46:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I was.

00:44:46:11 - 00:44:47:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just working with a.

00:44:47:27 - 00:44:52:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Few few underlying principles, I guess.

00:44:52:07 - 00:44:53:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That we did. I made sure.

00:44:53:19 - 00:44:55:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Everyone knew around me. I knew.

00:44:55:26 - 00:44:57:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That everyone knew who worked for.

00:44:57:11 - 00:44:57:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Us, you.

00:44:57:25 - 00:45:02:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Know, everyone who was who had who was responsible for.

00:45:02:12 - 00:45:03:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Tendering or running.

00:45:03:23 - 00:45:13:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Contracts or administer the business. And we didn't really have a strategy. So we would go from here to here. Our approach was let's get as much as we can all.

00:45:13:24 - 00:45:14:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The time, every.

00:45:14:17 - 00:45:15:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Day, every.

00:45:15:07 - 00:45:17:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Week, every month. And we had.

00:45:17:24 - 00:45:19:10
Daniel Franco
What's those underlying principles?

00:45:19:10 - 00:45:21:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They yeah, well the first one was.

00:45:21:13 - 00:45:23:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The was people. So no matter.

00:45:23:07 - 00:45:24:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
What happened.

00:45:24:13 - 00:45:47:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Back to people, a trusted, then by default, sometimes people would give you a reason not to. But the starting point was you people trust them and support them. And so I had this fundamental understanding with everyone that no matter who joined Academy or who joined our team, they and us are going to be better for the experience. Now might be a fun ride.

00:45:47:28 - 00:45:59:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It might not be easy, but we're all going to be better for that experience. And if they're here for two weeks, two years or 20, we'll be a pretty good place. Yeah, whether they come or go. And that often meant we would support people pursuing a career somewhere.

00:45:59:23 - 00:46:00:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Else.

00:46:00:18 - 00:46:06:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Because that was what was best for them. Yep. We're going to, you know, if we if we found each other, we were going to do what was best for each other.

00:46:06:22 - 00:46:07:08
Daniel Franco
For eight months.

00:46:07:10 - 00:46:12:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so so that worked. And we worked in a really high turnover.

00:46:12:19 - 00:46:13:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sector, but.

00:46:13:28 - 00:46:32:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We didn't have very high turnover at all. It was it was remarkably low. And I think that set us up well for success because we had that stability. We had people around that knew how we worked, knew how I worked, how we made decisions, how we communicated that. And so it was.

00:46:32:08 - 00:46:33:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Actually it was actually quite.

00:46:33:09 - 00:46:35:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Easy. I think, to work through that.

00:46:35:19 - 00:46:37:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I had a couple.

00:46:37:09 - 00:46:37:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, just.

00:46:37:25 - 00:46:38:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Three rules.

00:46:39:00 - 00:46:39:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When it came.

00:46:39:14 - 00:46:41:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To getting business.

00:46:41:06 - 00:46:54:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We're going to be no matter what we get, we need to be able to do. We know it was about quality, profitability and sustainability. And I mean sustainability in terms of, you know, being able to endure that contract, not, you know, not in the environmental sense.

00:46:55:03 - 00:46:58:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Even though obviously that was important and yeah, business growth.

00:46:58:23 - 00:46:59:15
Daniel Franco
Sustainability.

00:46:59:15 - 00:47:01:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Yeah. So you know.

00:47:01:06 - 00:47:21:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And you know I'd often be counseled in coaching people who might have want a job, but the, you know, the scope was to live for it's to do a really good job and it's going to compromise our brand. It's going to compromise what we're about. And or, you know, the price point might be somewhere where you make a lot of money, but someone else is going to come along and undercut it quite quickly.

00:47:21:23 - 00:47:26:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So you're not going to sustain that. So it was about always trying to find that trifecta.

00:47:26:03 - 00:47:27:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we we.

00:47:27:24 - 00:47:31:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Were able to do that and win a lot of win a lot of.

00:47:31:06 - 00:47:36:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Work. And and even those that would.

00:47:36:08 - 00:47:55:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, in the in the cleaning industry would change. We would see contracts change quite a lot. And we'd often see those contracts coming back because no matter what happened, if we lost the contract, we made sure to the very last day we gave them the best possible service we could because I wanted people to know if we want a job.

00:47:55:16 - 00:48:04:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I wanted people to know without being told that when they walked in the next day that there was a new contractor in the building, you know, and I wanted the same thing to happen when we finished.

00:48:04:05 - 00:48:04:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis

00:48:04:23 - 00:48:09:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To know that it was running perfectly until that change to those guys.

00:48:09:11 - 00:48:30:10
Daniel Franco
It sounds like you brought the same philosophy from McDonald's winning three still, you know, three of the best store of the year awards that same philosophy right. It seems as if the the customers service the cleanliness of the store, the presentation, the way in which we talk and react and not react, but the way in which we talk and communicate.

00:48:30:15 - 00:48:31:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

00:48:31:20 - 00:48:36:10
Daniel Franco
It sounds as if that's kind of what you bought into that role. Am I correct in saying that?

00:48:36:12 - 00:48:41:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, yeah. Certainly a lot of that, that mindset, that focus, that approach.

00:48:41:18 - 00:48:42:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And.

00:48:42:25 - 00:48:48:09
Daniel Franco
Because it's a wonderful it's a wonderful it's customer centric, focused, right? Like it is.

00:48:48:11 - 00:48:52:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It certainly is. And you've got to, you've got to have that mindset.

00:48:52:00 - 00:49:29:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But for me it was about really instilling, putting our people first, making sure that they felt that support so that I knew safe and trusted to go out and really look after the customers. Yeah. And was really driven by by that and by the success of it the the you know, because that feeling you get when you win a new job or the school board, you'd see by, you know, having, having multiple new things start or being able to hire more people or a huge tendency and I still do today a leaning a preference of bias, if you like, to growing and promoting people from within.

00:49:29:11 - 00:49:48:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And you know, always going to need to hire some people from externally. And that does happen. But if someone has the the characteristics and they're not quite there so long as that they're trying and they're applying themselves, I would prefer to coach them along the way and and help see them grow, you know, again, be better for that.

00:49:49:05 - 00:49:50:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Being part of us.

00:49:50:22 - 00:50:00:04
Daniel Franco
Is that contributes to the culture of the organization that you said you'd be if you're if you're putting time and effort into people and helping them grow in their careers, then they're more likely to hang around on the.

00:50:00:07 - 00:50:07:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They certainly are. And they did. That was it was it was a great part of the culture we had. It was a great reason for the success. It had.

00:50:07:25 - 00:50:10:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Its challenges because.

00:50:10:08 - 00:50:18:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
People would want to grow more and then grow into other positions. But not one vacated. Yeah, more senior roles.

00:50:18:13 - 00:50:23:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So my mantra to them was always, Let's just keep going and trust me.

00:50:23:11 - 00:50:26:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In two years from now we'll have positions that we don't have today, you.

00:50:26:20 - 00:50:30:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Know about. Yeah. And that that kept repeating itself.

00:50:30:09 - 00:50:34:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We kept being able to see it. So whether that's someone who started.

00:50:34:00 - 00:50:35:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
With me cleaning 20 hours.

00:50:35:12 - 00:50:37:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A week, who ended up being my national operations.

00:50:37:13 - 00:50:38:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Manager.

00:50:38:23 - 00:50:40:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, lots of other.

00:50:40:08 - 00:50:40:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Examples.

00:50:40:26 - 00:51:13:06
Daniel Franco
Yeah, absolutely. There are some schools of thought, though, that, you know, the role of a CEO well is the role of a CEO is to build a great team. You're right. And the hiring within technique whilst it's you know, a fabulous opportunity for people growth and creates a great culture, it gives people the opportunity to grow. There is sometimes that you just don't have the caliber of people that you need within the business as it's growing right through the growth phases.

00:51:13:06 - 00:51:16:10
Daniel Franco
I'm talking from the 80 to 100, from 100 to 120.

00:51:16:15 - 00:51:16:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know.

00:51:16:24 - 00:51:36:04
Daniel Franco
220 to 200. It's those growth phases that you see where the business is constantly evolving and the skillset of the current people might not be where you need it to be in order to get to the next step. Did you ever come across that situation and what did you do in that scenario?

00:51:36:07 - 00:51:39:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yes, I did certainly come across that. I remember one period.

00:51:39:27 - 00:51:43:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We had a five month window where we had 600 new people.

00:51:43:14 - 00:51:43:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Stopped.

00:51:43:25 - 00:51:44:14
Daniel Franco
Yeah, well.

00:51:44:20 - 00:51:51:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that was that was massive. Yes. We're talking the majority of it in the States. We were trying to.

00:51:51:09 - 00:51:53:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Establish a presence and.

00:51:53:09 - 00:52:00:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Boy, did we do it pretty quickly. Yeah, but that's hard because, you know, the managers, the supervisors, the people, you have not.

00:52:00:03 - 00:52:10:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Ready for that. No. So I did recruit and promote and grow. But there's always a there's a there's a lag. Yeah. Between needing that.

00:52:10:25 - 00:52:19:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And having that and establishing the, the the team, the understand ending, the culture that you're looking for.

00:52:19:16 - 00:52:20:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so throughout.

00:52:20:09 - 00:52:29:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
My career and I guess it's probably a tendency I default back to too much. I think it's an issue, probably something I'll keep trying to work on all the time.

00:52:29:05 - 00:52:30:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I just fill the gaps. Yeah.

00:52:31:00 - 00:52:36:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I get my hands dirty. I get very hands on and.

00:52:36:05 - 00:52:36:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's.

00:52:36:28 - 00:52:58:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's great to see you through. A little need I think is a see, you've you've really got to be an enabler. And I've taken the mindset that whatever it takes, but that can look and feel like to others it just taking over and yeah you may maybe railroading him or pushing him aside a bit and that's never, never my intent.

00:52:58:13 - 00:53:03:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So it's there be providing practical support when you see those little gaps. Yeah.

00:53:03:18 - 00:53:04:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that that's that's.

00:53:04:27 - 00:53:28:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Got us through I mean especially at academy where I had a you know a staggered approach to growing teams around me that really knew deeply how I worked and I really knew deeply how they did. But the more and more you progress in your career and I have and moving this way, I see as well. I realize these these are things that I know in my mind.

00:53:28:01 - 00:53:40:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'm trying to do what's best for people and for the situation of the impact we're trying to achieve. But the byproduct of that is you can actually be sending the wrong signals and.

00:53:40:05 - 00:53:42:00
Daniel Franco
It's a tough gig.

00:53:42:02 - 00:53:44:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Can be.

00:53:44:08 - 00:53:50:20
Daniel Franco
Let's dive into that a little bit. What do you look for in people that you're looking to promote or.

00:53:50:20 - 00:53:51:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Grow.

00:53:51:06 - 00:54:08:20
Daniel Franco
Or you feel like that have the ability to to rise up to the next level? Is it always about character as opposed to the actual knowledge in the role itself? Or does it need to be a blend of both in your opinion?

00:54:08:22 - 00:54:10:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think a blend of both is.

00:54:10:18 - 00:54:12:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Necessary and it would it would.

00:54:12:11 - 00:54:51:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Depend on the role. But the characters is a cornerstone piece. I think you can teach people a lot of different things. Yeah, but you know, there's some traits that I always look for. Just being really comfortable, being really honest is one of them. And I think the thing I've see more and more is some people who can, whether I've known him for a short time or a long time, if they're able to sit down and tell me that I'm doing something wrong, I know they're pretty open, honest person, and then they're not giving me just lip service or telling me what they I want to hear.

00:54:51:15 - 00:55:18:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But yeah, showing, showing those traits, having a pragmatic mindset or being open minded to listening, seeing different perspectives, being pragmatic in decision making and not, you know, to narrow in their focus and, you know, I guess something I learned quite early on, working for a licensee at McDonald's that was was really, really tough on.

00:55:18:22 - 00:55:19:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Me.

00:55:19:24 - 00:55:28:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I used to think sometimes this is pretty unfair. He's saying to me, but I would still think I'm only going to hear this once.

00:55:28:22 - 00:55:29:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Right.

00:55:29:20 - 00:55:44:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so when I'm looking for people to grow, I'm looking for those around me. You can you can really take on board what's being said, and you might need to support them through that understanding. But but really listen and really take it in and be able to go and act on it. Because we're like, when.

00:55:44:21 - 00:55:47:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I say something in a meeting or a person in.

00:55:47:07 - 00:55:52:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A conversation, or I'm giving someone advice from coaching them through something, it's.

00:55:52:06 - 00:55:52:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean.

00:55:52:29 - 00:56:03:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
What I'm saying, well, literally, like, like and when someone's telling me something, I'm listening to that thinking what they saying. I'm literally thinking it's a.

00:56:03:08 - 00:56:03:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Fact.

00:56:03:27 - 00:56:04:16
Daniel Franco
Under present.

00:56:04:18 - 00:56:10:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Rather than. And so when when that doesn't happen or people don't really listen and understand.

00:56:10:29 - 00:56:12:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or try to at least, you know.

00:56:13:04 - 00:56:18:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's not always going to sink in straight away. Yeah, correct. Yeah, that can be a frustration for me.

00:56:18:15 - 00:56:25:28
Daniel Franco
But I'm with on that I words are the words of the words for a reason. Right. I often get.

00:56:26:01 - 00:56:31:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They are and that's how I look at it. But I think of old enough and wise enough.

00:56:31:27 - 00:56:33:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To try to be to realize there's a lot of different.

00:56:33:19 - 00:56:34:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Perspectives.

00:56:34:10 - 00:56:34:25
Daniel Franco
With that, that.

00:56:35:01 - 00:56:35:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sometimes people.

00:56:35:27 - 00:56:43:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Say things to impress a different thing. Then austerity, the way you and I might look at the world.

00:56:43:07 - 00:57:03:00
Daniel Franco
I can I think I might have said this example once before, but my wife would tell me that I never help around the house and I take that word never literally. And I'm like, hang on a second. I'll just vacuum the floors. Yesterday we talked about like, you know, and it'll always be the thing in which, yeah, I need to work on as well.

00:57:03:00 - 00:57:08:21
Daniel Franco
It's not to take people. So that's true. But in the other sense, stop saying things that aren't correct.

00:57:08:25 - 00:57:10:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, I completely.

00:57:10:05 - 00:57:12:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Agree with that one.

00:57:12:23 - 00:57:27:19
Daniel Franco
So you are now the CEO of SAIC, which I'd like this to start with. The basics, actually, for those listening who might not know much about us, why say, can you give us a little bit of a background about what you guys do?

00:57:27:21 - 00:57:34:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sure. Our tagline at is was C cabin. It really is embodies.

00:57:34:10 - 00:57:35:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Everything we're about.

00:57:35:08 - 00:57:37:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Our core purpose.

00:57:37:15 - 00:57:39:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Everything we strive for is to is that we.

00:57:39:21 - 00:57:42:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Exist so everyone can succeed. And it's been.

00:57:42:19 - 00:57:45:09
Daniel Franco
Around for a while that we service youth council.

00:57:45:11 - 00:57:53:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, yeah. So it started as a youth agency in Adelaide here over 65 years ago, you know, working in supporting people.

00:57:53:21 - 00:57:54:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Who were.

00:57:54:10 - 00:57:58:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Yeah. And now.

00:57:58:20 - 00:58:03:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've diversified into a range of.

00:58:03:08 - 00:58:07:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Different ways that we help people in their lives through, you know, build independence.

00:58:07:23 - 00:58:10:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or, you know, and, and.

00:58:10:02 - 00:58:12:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, pursue opportunity or help.

00:58:12:08 - 00:58:13:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Their wellbeing in.

00:58:13:02 - 00:58:28:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Life. And yeah, so we've got 540 staff roughly around the country. We're operating in four states. Yeah. Delivering things from continued homelessness support where community housing provider that.

00:58:28:29 - 00:58:30:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Runs our own.

00:58:30:10 - 00:58:33:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Housing models, we're a large.

00:58:33:04 - 00:58:33:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Provider of.

00:58:33:25 - 00:58:35:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Employment services, which is.

00:58:35:25 - 00:58:51:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
An area that we help tens of thousands of people across the country every year trying to help them navigate their way into whatever goals they're looking for and ultimately meaningful employment. Yep, we have we're a registered.

00:58:51:25 - 00:58:54:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Training organization as well that.

00:58:54:25 - 00:59:01:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Runs a raft of different accredited and non-accredited courses and training.

00:59:01:19 - 00:59:07:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And things like that. And we work with people.

00:59:07:18 - 00:59:11:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Who are in who are interacting with.

00:59:11:21 - 00:59:13:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The justice system.

00:59:13:06 - 00:59:16:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
As well. We've got a program, we've got programs working with people.

00:59:16:29 - 00:59:18:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Pre and post release from prison or.

00:59:18:29 - 00:59:22:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Young people who might need to be doing.

00:59:22:06 - 00:59:28:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Some work, court ordered work as well. And we've got some.

00:59:28:01 - 00:59:28:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Work we do with.

00:59:28:27 - 00:59:31:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The child protection system as well.

00:59:31:18 - 00:59:37:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Helping run specialist residential care services for young people who've been under the guardianship.

00:59:37:14 - 00:59:38:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of the minister or.

00:59:38:22 - 00:59:39:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sorry of the chief.

00:59:39:14 - 00:59:41:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Executive of the Department.

00:59:41:05 - 00:59:42:04
Daniel Franco
DO Yeah.

00:59:42:07 - 00:59:45:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we have been doing a.

00:59:45:10 - 00:59:47:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Lot of work for some time in disability.

00:59:47:05 - 00:59:49:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Support as well.

00:59:49:15 - 00:59:51:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Recently we've been, you know, realigning a bit of.

00:59:51:29 - 00:59:57:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Our strategy around some of these services. But it's a very broad.

00:59:57:06 - 01:00:24:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Diverse service offering. And, you know, especially in the current climate, the cost of living climate, the labor market, the mental health crisis, as you see across the country, it's it's something that is growing in need. And we're continuing to try and promote and advocate and and, you know, grow the funding available to keep doing what we do because it's.

01:00:24:08 - 01:00:30:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, you know, we often would say to ourselves, you know, the measure of our success is when we're not really needed anymore.

01:00:30:14 - 01:00:31:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:00:31:06 - 01:00:36:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And you know, the real the reality of it is that there's just more.

01:00:36:00 - 01:00:36:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And more.

01:00:36:15 - 01:00:37:21
Daniel Franco
It's going the other way, correct?

01:00:37:24 - 01:00:39:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. I mean, one of the services we.

01:00:39:17 - 01:01:06:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Run at the moment is a statewide tenancy advice and advocacy service for people that might be at risk of having a tenancy issue. Rent is in, in, in homes and that service in an environment we've got a vacancy rate in Adelaide of what about 1% and it's, it's really hard for people and people reaching out for our service and probably have never had to.

01:01:06:28 - 01:01:07:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:01:07:20 - 01:01:18:16
Daniel Franco
How do they find out about you guys and what you do? And there is a name, there is even a business out there that can support us in this situation.

01:01:18:18 - 01:01:20:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The different things that we.

01:01:20:09 - 01:01:38:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Do, there's different referral points, there's different ways we promote the service or make it available. A lot of agencies might refer into us. Okay, so we do do a lot of work promoting it. But yeah, I guess if you don't need the services, you're probably not that aware of.

01:01:38:12 - 01:01:39:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It to be honest.

01:01:39:14 - 01:01:44:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But our job is to make sure that when people do this, there's a way that they can get that connection.

01:01:44:12 - 01:02:13:11
Daniel Franco
WEEKLY Yeah, so obviously very purposeful work that you guys do. What drew you to the business, though, like to leave a role that you're in, you know, and you'd grown and spent the past 17 years to come under and would to come over as was seen essentially work under it was Paul Edgington before. Yeah he was CEO and joined the business under him but then navigate your way through to CEO.

01:02:13:14 - 01:02:16:18
Daniel Franco
He resigned. So what what did all that look like?

01:02:16:23 - 01:02:18:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So I left.

01:02:19:01 - 01:02:31:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Academy after 17 years with my head held very high and great regard for the organization, the owners, Glen and Paul and you know, all the people around the business.

01:02:31:29 - 01:02:32:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I guess it came.

01:02:32:18 - 01:02:47:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To a point where I'd been there quite a long time and had a lot of success. Things are changing a little bit. The owners who I like I said, a really high regard for probably getting more involved in it too. And I think, you know, coming back into the business, probably looking at things.

01:02:47:18 - 01:02:51:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Differently to bid differently. And I thought, yeah, maybe this is the time to.

01:02:52:01 - 01:02:52:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To, to.

01:02:52:24 - 01:02:55:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Do something different, to try something else.

01:02:55:18 - 01:02:59:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'd been a huge supporter for us, so I see for a long time I knew.

01:02:59:04 - 01:03:00:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Paul and.

01:03:00:09 - 01:03:09:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We had sponsored and supported some of the housing initiatives and other fundraising events in the past.

01:03:09:09 - 01:03:14:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So when I saw an exec role came up, I thought this could be a.

01:03:14:03 - 01:03:16:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Great opportunity to get involved in something I'm really passionate about.

01:03:16:23 - 01:03:18:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I've.

01:03:18:06 - 01:03:42:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Always really cared about people and their journey and, you know, being, you know, doing the best we can to make sure people are, you know, growing and progressing and, you know, making the most of the opportunities that they can have in life. And so I saw this as a way for me to to do more of that. And when I spoke to Paul about it, it made me realize this is really hard work, too.

01:03:42:21 - 01:03:59:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I felt like it would be challenging and something I'd learn more from, you know, a more diverse executive at that academy. It was, you know, I was the CEO and there was some great leaders around me, but it was a far narrow focus from the top.

01:03:59:21 - 01:04:00:19
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:04:00:21 - 01:04:02:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I just thought this would be a great.

01:04:02:25 - 01:04:05:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Opportunity to broaden my own skills and.

01:04:05:21 - 01:04:08:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Make an impact in the community and something I.

01:04:08:02 - 01:04:22:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Felt really strongly about. So I joined back in 2018, about five and a half years ago now, and oversaw the employment services.

01:04:22:05 - 01:04:40:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, we reshaped the landscape of exact responsibilities a bit over that time. Paul was a great leader and we kept looking at the best way to do things. So I ended up looking after some of our Atos operation and some other things like high job payroll. Yeah, but you know, just.

01:04:40:21 - 01:04:41:21
Daniel Franco
Everything they could throw at you.

01:04:41:29 - 01:04:43:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, I like the diversity.

01:04:43:27 - 01:05:06:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's coming from the role I had before. I actually really I did like the diversity and yeah, and CSA has a plethora of great people and great leaders, and it was easy. I found it easy to do that job because there were so many great people. Yeah. Leading those areas. And I was just trying to enable them as best as I could and help support them with things I thought could add value.

01:05:06:08 - 01:05:20:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then, yeah, Paul pulled up stumps in about 2020 and that was the end of a remarkable period for his leadership. This was see and, you know, I put my hat in the ring and was luckily entrusted with the role.

01:05:21:00 - 01:05:23:17
Daniel Franco
In the middle of COVID.

01:05:23:20 - 01:05:24:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, yeah, that was.

01:05:24:29 - 01:05:27:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That was an interesting one. I remember.

01:05:27:06 - 01:05:32:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So yeah, so COVID too, was in winter. That kick off for us beginning of 2020, really, when.

01:05:32:21 - 01:05:42:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It started happening around here. So I think Paul finished at the end of 2020. Okay. And then I started as a CEO in January 21.

01:05:42:09 - 01:05:46:18
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Okay. Navigating your way through even more complexity at the time.

01:05:46:20 - 01:05:48:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yes. Yes.

01:05:48:27 - 01:06:13:19
Daniel Franco
I'm curious about that. The wider responsibility that comes with leading a company like ours was see, especially with each decision, I mean, it has an impact so far and wide and you've got to navigate those decisions with what's best, as I say, and the people within it, you know, your people focused attitude and versus what's best for our community and customer.

01:06:13:24 - 01:06:15:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:06:15:17 - 01:06:24:11
Daniel Franco
Had how do you manage the that those the weight of the decision making in your role.

01:06:24:13 - 01:06:26:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I think the we always need.

01:06:26:12 - 01:06:36:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To look at it with both perspectives and in the private sector you know you're wanting to treat your customers well because that's good for business. That's why I say for us.

01:06:36:21 - 01:06:38:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's we need to.

01:06:38:21 - 01:06:59:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Make sure that we're running a good organization so that we can invest more and what we want to do and that we're going to be here for the long term. But you're right, the services we're offering in the community, that's where we truly measure our impact. How many people are supporting the the effect that we're having in relation to the outcomes that we're seeing in those people's lives.

01:06:59:22 - 01:07:10:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so whenever we're, you know, measuring our success or always going to look at it through the lens of how things look from terms of an impact.

01:07:10:24 - 01:07:11:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And.

01:07:11:08 - 01:07:20:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The financial and commercial parts of it to be, Yes, they have to go in sync. We're not we're not for profit for a reason. Why not try to generate surplus earnings?

01:07:20:26 - 01:07:22:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, we sort of need.

01:07:22:05 - 01:07:22:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To.

01:07:22:21 - 01:07:24:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In the aggregate.

01:07:24:00 - 01:07:25:05
Daniel Franco
In order to invest back.

01:07:25:05 - 01:07:27:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We can keep investing in having more and.

01:07:27:01 - 01:07:29:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
More impact. And that means.

01:07:29:03 - 01:07:41:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Some parts of what we do generate a little bit more so we can keep investing it in other mission based services and activities like our youth.

01:07:41:13 - 01:07:46:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Center that we have in the city. The foundry that's that provides a great service.

01:07:46:09 - 01:07:46:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To young.

01:07:46:25 - 01:07:53:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
People in need too. And, you know, come and connect with us and get some support.

01:07:53:07 - 01:08:16:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Services around them that otherwise wouldn't be there if we weren't investing in it. And same with some of the housing initiatives that we've gotten, new community housing that we're building and, you know, leasing out to young people or other people that that wouldn't be able to necessarily access housing or have the level of support around that that we provide as part of our model.

01:08:16:17 - 01:08:38:17
Daniel Franco
And my understanding is there's lots of change occurring in the industry at the moment. And you alluded to some changing of strategy just just a second ago. I guess there's decisions you need to make as a CEO that are very challenging in the disability sector has had some changes in that industry that you had to make your recent tough decision.

01:08:38:24 - 01:08:40:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:08:40:27 - 01:08:52:23
Daniel Franco
I'm just interested in how you led through that. And one of the what did that actually mean for you as an individual? And I know it was a tough decision to question. I'll let you explain.

01:08:52:24 - 01:08:56:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Sure. So it's a little bit of the context is that we.

01:08:56:24 - 01:08:59:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Do a large number of things I described.

01:08:59:16 - 01:09:01:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Earlier, but part of that is.

01:09:01:22 - 01:09:11:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Disability support services. So we have NDIS funded programs that we've we've been running, delivering support work and some other things.

01:09:11:23 - 01:09:15:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I've last year.

01:09:15:11 - 01:09:43:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In the markets were operating, the labor market was changing, the housing market was changing a lot of different aspects were not only having an impact on how many people we were working with and how we were working with them, but also on the funding available for the work we're doing. And so was that was shifting quite a bit for us and it was becoming harder and harder to sustain investing in all of the different areas that we were because.

01:09:43:24 - 01:09:45:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That sheer fact that.

01:09:45:09 - 01:10:06:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The income, the revenue profile was changing. And on top of that, there was a lot of different government reviews taking place. We deliver employment services that was being reviewed, new National Skills Agreement locally, the Residential Tenancies Act. And you know, I could probably list a dozen different reviews that we were keeping our eye on.

01:10:06:26 - 01:10:09:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and a big one.

01:10:09:26 - 01:10:15:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Couple of big ones was obviously the disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review.

01:10:15:16 - 01:10:17:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So our model.

01:10:17:05 - 01:10:36:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of providing NDIS service was delivering great outcomes for people. We were, you know, we always really put people at the center of what we do and the team that were delivering that work was, was inspiring in how they were going about supporting people in need in the community.

01:10:36:22 - 01:10:37:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:10:37:11 - 01:10:43:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But what we found is we were, we were struggling to make that work.

01:10:43:12 - 01:10:47:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Commercially and so we tried a number of.

01:10:47:03 - 01:11:00:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Different things. We worked hard as an executive and as a business to change the, the, the, you know, the way that was working for us, but maintain our model so that we were able to help.

01:11:00:21 - 01:11:00:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know.

01:11:01:01 - 01:11:02:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Continue to provide that level of.

01:11:02:20 - 01:11:04:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Support.

01:11:04:27 - 01:11:09:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then while we were doing that, we were keeping an eye on these reviews that were coming out.

01:11:09:18 - 01:11:14:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And you the you know, I'm not here to pass sort of.

01:11:14:09 - 01:11:34:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Political commentary on it. But, you know, what I did do is we digested the narrative that could see happening. We can see a lot of disability service providers across the country in a in a in a predicament when it comes to being able to fund the work. They're and we were in the same position for that part of what we were doing.

01:11:34:22 - 01:11:44:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And it was starting to compromise our ability to invest in more of those mission based things. So when we looked at the NDIS review, we looked at the, the.

01:11:44:07 - 01:11:45:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The signals that were coming from that and.

01:11:45:28 - 01:11:58:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Appreciate the government will respond to it in due course. We felt that that probably reached a a juncture where we felt the.

01:11:58:03 - 01:11:58:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Impact.

01:11:58:29 - 01:12:04:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We could in the community because that that really is the number one commitment in our strategy is around impact.

01:12:04:26 - 01:12:05:24
Daniel Franco
Yep.

01:12:05:27 - 01:12:37:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Would be greater if we re focus those efforts attention and money that we were expecting to deliver that with a core focus on some of the other parts that we were deeply embedded in. Yeah. Training, housing. Yeah. You know, work with, with young people in the justice system. We have a social enterprise that we run in Mount Gambier and we want to do a lot more of those award winning operations that are giving dozens and hundreds of people employment opportunities.

01:12:38:02 - 01:12:38:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Absolutely.

01:12:38:21 - 01:12:44:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So we knew there were some great providers out there that could continue the work and continue the support.

01:12:44:28 - 01:12:48:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So it was a really tough decision to.

01:12:48:16 - 01:13:18:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Reach because I'm really passionate about all the things that we do, all the work all of our team members do, and in particular those that were directly that service. Yeah, were. And you know, it's it's a really it's a level of support. They provide a really closely connected to each of those participants and so we made that decision earlier this year.

01:13:18:07 - 01:13:25:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was a really tough one. I was like I said, but I knew deep down that when we reconcile.

01:13:25:25 - 01:13:27:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Why we were doing that.

01:13:27:06 - 01:13:30:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It was because of that strategy to have greater impact.

01:13:30:23 - 01:13:31:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:13:31:11 - 01:13:48:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And I knew we were not going to leave these participants in an and in a situation where they weren't going to have continuity of support. And so once that decision was reached, I personally spoke with every single person impacted.

01:13:48:07 - 01:13:49:03
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:13:49:06 - 01:13:59:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I knew like, you know, there's other critical moments throughout my career. This is this is a time where, you know, you don't delegate things like that. You need to be at the front center and take ownership for what's going on.

01:13:59:12 - 01:14:00:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know.

01:14:00:08 - 01:14:23:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that was really difficult but my commitment was to try and support every single one of those staff and every single one of those participants through the transition as best we could. And that was always the intent, you know, and I always look back at these things and think, we could have done it better. And I think I'll always think that, yeah, I go and debrief on how we've gone about something, but.

01:14:23:19 - 01:14:25:06
Daniel Franco
The player that we dealt with and.

01:14:25:07 - 01:14:58:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We did, do we, you know, we, we had a core focus on trying to make sure participant was transitioned to another provider or another support coordinator in a way that was considered and was was obviously providing them with that level of content and safeguarding them. And you know, with the staff involved, we kept working with them as best we could to see where they could realign and in other positions or with other providers.

01:14:58:14 - 01:15:03:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I know a lot of them have already were very quickly successful.

01:15:03:11 - 01:15:04:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Which is great. And in the current.

01:15:04:22 - 01:15:08:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Labor market, that's, you know, yeah, there's shortages.

01:15:08:12 - 01:15:08:28
Daniel Franco
Everywhere.

01:15:09:03 - 01:15:09:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Right?

01:15:09:15 - 01:15:12:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So that was that was a tough decision.

01:15:12:21 - 01:15:18:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But it made strategic sense for the greater good and the greater impact that we're trying to achieve.

01:15:18:17 - 01:15:44:21
Daniel Franco
I guess that's the thing that was in it. We are in a role as a CEO, are always having to make a decision that might be the unpopular one. Yeah, right. It might be the one where your the feeling of letting people down. Yeah. And all the above. There's this analogy that I had that stuck with me and it's the laws of nature, right?

01:15:44:21 - 01:16:11:10
Daniel Franco
Where is a plant? A plant might have a leaf or, or stem of that that's dying and starting to turn brown. But, and so in order to keep that alive, the plant will feed 80% of the water that it gets to to help try to pick that back up. But then what that does is it actually stops giving the rest of the water to the rest of the plant and then that starts to filter.

01:16:11:12 - 01:16:40:22
Daniel Franco
And so the actual this is where the whole pruning comes in and in in in that world. Whereas if that if you can break that branch off quite early, the rest of the the plant allows to is there and we receive that water and we receive the benefit in a flourish more so. And so I guess what they're saying is if you put your attention to something that is not sustainable, you're potentially putting the rest of the business and the purpose and everything else at risk as well.

01:16:40:24 - 01:16:56:06
Daniel Franco
Absolutely. And it's it's these are the decisions that leadership need to make. And it's often, you know, we talk about different perspectives. It's like, well, we need to do what's best in order to have the most impact for our community and customer. And we've got to sometimes cut off that limb.

01:16:56:08 - 01:16:57:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So absolutely. I think.

01:16:57:24 - 01:16:58:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That.

01:16:58:15 - 01:17:00:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, and it's nice.

01:17:00:09 - 01:17:02:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's a great way of striving.

01:17:02:01 - 01:17:28:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
8020 rule sometimes when you have in the area that needs more attention, you know, we were focusing a lot of not only financial resources but time and effort into areas where, you know, we're now able to divert that in places that we can employ more people in those spaces to help correct in ways that, like I said, really underscoring the mission and the purpose of the whole organization.

01:17:28:06 - 01:17:50:13
Daniel Franco
Yeah, sort of keep talking about change, given that's the world that I live in breathing. And you are. We've obviously known each other for a while. We've done some work with you guys and recently you undertook you took the team in as well. I see through what is probably the most highly sought after program, which is how a synergy argues reframe change.

01:17:50:20 - 01:18:18:03
Daniel Franco
Yep. And you've mentioned to me numerous times and I really appreciate your feedback on this that has had significant impact on you and the team. Can you just dive in with me some of the things that that you think about now when you go through change and what you learned through the reframing change course, the way that you did with us and how that shaped your view on change, which changed your view and on how we as can go through change.

01:18:18:06 - 01:18:22:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Absolutely. And you're right, And it was easy for me to pick the.

01:18:22:00 - 01:18:29:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Phone up to after these sessions and just thank you and report back tremendous feedback because.

01:18:29:04 - 01:18:33:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's what we saw. That's what our teams were telling us. And I'm working.

01:18:33:27 - 01:18:41:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Through a an approach to change, an approach to thinking that's really resonating with our team.

01:18:41:19 - 01:18:44:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Even coming in from a meeting.

01:18:44:20 - 01:18:48:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yesterday where literally people are using the tool.

01:18:48:08 - 01:18:49:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I play tools.

01:18:49:02 - 01:18:49:17
Daniel Franco
And.

01:18:49:19 - 01:18:51:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Other things and it's fantastic. But I.

01:18:51:18 - 01:18:52:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Guess if I just.

01:18:52:01 - 01:18:54:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Start back with why we were even.

01:18:54:18 - 01:18:55:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Seeking.

01:18:55:06 - 01:18:55:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Something like.

01:18:55:22 - 01:18:56:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
This out.

01:18:57:01 - 01:18:59:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Was when we.

01:18:59:20 - 01:19:02:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We had a meeting with the our exec.

01:19:02:01 - 01:19:14:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Met last year and we had we had when he had team come in and help talk to us about some of the things we were seeing with our strategy and how that was translating across the organization and.

01:19:15:00 - 01:19:16:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We knew amongst our.

01:19:16:24 - 01:19:44:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Exact team we had a pretty good alignment when it comes to the the core understanding of the purpose, a strategy is embedded with very specific commitments around that priority areas. And and we like that. And we were very clear on what we needed to be doing to be achieving those things. But what we realized as we were probably losing some losing it in translation a little.

01:19:44:00 - 01:19:44:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Bit.

01:19:44:13 - 01:19:59:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Amongst, the other people, you know, our leaders are enablers and and people across the organization that we needed on board or we needed literally being the ones implementing this stuff. So we knew we needed to do something about that.

01:19:59:07 - 01:20:00:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And that's.

01:20:00:09 - 01:20:03:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When we spoke about the reframing change.

01:20:03:23 - 01:20:07:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Process. And I think it's just resonated.

01:20:07:05 - 01:20:10:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So well with our team because it makes sense.

01:20:10:28 - 01:20:11:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Like we.

01:20:11:24 - 01:20:26:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Have a logic, a theory and evidence base for the work that we do. And the fact that the programs underpinned by that was such a great foundational point to to, to kick off.

01:20:26:14 - 01:20:30:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
With the teams. I think for me.

01:20:30:10 - 01:20:34:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's helped our team understand each other's perspectives.

01:20:34:19 - 01:20:34:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
More.

01:20:34:29 - 01:21:03:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think some of the the the language used in the program around, you know, understanding different street corners and that that's that's been something that's been really well received even you know the leadership shadow and you know what people are putting out there is something I can see everyone reflecting on a lot. We didn't get any any anyone coming back, not really giving tremendous positive feedback about it.

01:21:03:25 - 01:21:06:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And even even one.

01:21:07:00 - 01:21:14:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Key part of the program then I think really resonated with me and the executive team was around empowerment.

01:21:14:19 - 01:21:19:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And it was it's so obvious when a.

01:21:19:24 - 01:21:30:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Colleague put it out there like this, but it's something that we grappled with for a long time. And, you know, like I said earlier, I can I can have a tendency to get in the weeds a bit too much.

01:21:30:26 - 01:21:31:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And.

01:21:31:15 - 01:21:39:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Maybe take too long to get back out of it. And I'm constantly working on that. Everyone else will, too. I'm getting it wrong most of the time.

01:21:39:11 - 01:21:44:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But I try and but the thing is, so we're talking about trust.

01:21:44:05 - 01:21:58:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In people and how people can feel empowered or trusted or authorized or delegated to go and do their work. I guess the way we looked at that is, you know, we've got a delegation of authority policy.

01:21:58:05 - 01:22:00:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It says they are empowered, so therefore they must be.

01:22:00:24 - 01:22:02:18
Daniel Franco
Yeah, yeah.

01:22:02:21 - 01:22:08:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But then what happens with that? You know, Do they get it right.

01:22:08:03 - 01:22:11:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Are they delivering really what you're looking for. Did they understand it And?

01:22:11:28 - 01:22:14:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I remember one of the biggest.

01:22:14:06 - 01:22:20:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Takeaways for me from it was the notion that empowerment is not about giving someone.

01:22:20:23 - 01:22:22:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That trust.

01:22:22:09 - 01:22:30:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's obviously an ingredient, but it's about the likelihood that that person is going to be able to do it right.

01:22:30:18 - 01:22:32:28
Daniel Franco
And it's creating conditions for success.

01:22:32:28 - 01:22:34:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Exactly. And knowing.

01:22:34:18 - 01:22:53:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That, you know, they've got the expectation clear. They know what the boundaries are. They know what you know, all that without context and everything else that they need to know to be able to use what you're giving them to be able to deliver it. And it's not just about, you know, those other things I talked about.

01:22:53:23 - 01:22:55:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so for me.

01:22:55:23 - 01:23:18:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's what we've been really focusing on amongst a lot of the other tools. I think the tools and language we were looking for a common language and set of tools that the whole organization could sort of get behind. And I've certainly done that. But as an exact that understanding that we can't just delegate things like this, but we've got to be really.

01:23:18:12 - 01:23:19:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Clear on.

01:23:19:05 - 01:23:21:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
What those expectations and what those boundaries.

01:23:21:09 - 01:23:22:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Are, too, because we think.

01:23:22:29 - 01:23:23:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We know we.

01:23:23:28 - 01:23:25:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Think we know what.

01:23:25:21 - 01:23:27:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
These commitments mean and what.

01:23:27:14 - 01:23:28:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
How they translate.

01:23:28:15 - 01:23:30:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But everyone's got a different perspective.

01:23:30:27 - 01:23:32:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Everyone's looking at it from their street corner.

01:23:32:21 - 01:23:36:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And yeah, it was it was enlightening.

01:23:36:06 - 01:23:57:18
Daniel Franco
And it's amazing to hear. Do you feel like it's and I guess in the conversations that you've had with your team, do you feel like this is not just a business thing, This is something that you actually take into your life and yeah, and family life, friendships and all the above. And when you can start thinking about the different mental models and perspectives that people bring into the world or.

01:23:57:20 - 01:23:58:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Easily when.

01:23:58:15 - 01:24:04:17
Daniel Franco
It helps reframe in your own head how you react or communicate something.

01:24:04:19 - 01:24:09:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It definitely does, you know, And you know, we talk about.

01:24:09:28 - 01:24:12:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That quite a lot and people use a lot of examples in their.

01:24:12:18 - 01:24:14:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Personal lives as.

01:24:14:10 - 01:24:16:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
To how they, you know, broaden.

01:24:16:10 - 01:24:17:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The perspective or.

01:24:17:03 - 01:24:20:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Been able to help understand a bit more about their partner or.

01:24:20:16 - 01:24:24:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Their wife or their kids, you know.

01:24:24:09 - 01:24:36:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Creating some of those environments where, you know, you're allowing some of the chemicals and other things that that help know those sorts of feelings that you're trying to drive.

01:24:37:00 - 01:24:39:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think it's definitely something that's.

01:24:39:29 - 01:24:49:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A real key attribute of successful programs, is that they are much broader than just, yeah, you're doing great, your day to day career.

01:24:49:26 - 01:24:50:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Which is great.

01:24:51:01 - 01:24:54:17
Daniel Franco
I thank you for that we're on to something with this reframe change I think.

01:24:54:21 - 01:25:09:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Absolutely. I think we're we're looking forward to doing it with, you know, more of more of our team members and some of the other states and extending that to to more and more of our management and leaders. So it's been wonderful, really good.

01:25:09:22 - 01:25:41:08
Daniel Franco
Really in the the world of change continues, though, and you know, the future of work, the role of technology, like there's immense interest these areas obviously today. How do you foresee these, I guess, these intersections within the Health and Human Services and Social services sector and what this was see doing in preparedness for that? You know, there's I mean, there's this there's everything coming our way.

01:25:41:08 - 01:25:47:10
Daniel Franco
How are you setting yourself up for the change that you're about to embark on?

01:25:47:12 - 01:25:49:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've seen.

01:25:49:08 - 01:25:51:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That change.

01:25:51:21 - 01:25:53:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Already. Start Yeah, it's been happening.

01:25:53:14 - 01:25:54:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
For some time.

01:25:54:09 - 01:25:55:01
Daniel Franco
Correct.

01:25:55:04 - 01:26:00:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The the advance of technology and how that translates into human services.

01:26:00:00 - 01:26:01:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Is.

01:26:01:10 - 01:26:09:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Something the government and sector have been that something that's been evolving.

01:26:09:09 - 01:26:15:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And we can see it in employment services as more and more digital servicing of people who are who are.

01:26:15:14 - 01:26:28:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Looking to get support into work. But what we're also seeing is that the impact of the overuse of technology can have is it can risk leaving people behind.

01:26:28:11 - 01:26:29:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Especially when you.

01:26:29:21 - 01:26:44:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You reach a juncture where you really need some human intervention and you need it. You need a human response to a human. It is a human service after all. Correct? You can't completely digitize it. So digitization of things can make it more efficient, more productive.

01:26:44:22 - 01:26:47:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It might. What I think the intention is.

01:26:47:14 - 01:26:47:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Is to be at a.

01:26:47:29 - 01:26:49:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Target.

01:26:49:06 - 01:27:11:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The scarce resources we have to invest in these things to those most in need. And that's that's really where I think the intention of government policy is going. And, you know, that will take time for it to settle and find its way. But we can see those in the especially in the current market, current labor market and housing market.

01:27:11:21 - 01:27:35:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And then the the the mental health issues we see around the country, those in need are in a state of vulnerability and a deeper need than we've probably seen for a very long time. Some of the work that we need to do to coach council and support people on their towards their goals, you've got to have that human element.

01:27:35:00 - 01:27:47:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So I guess summarizing all that, anything, technology's going to be able to help us target that support and assistance in a more intensive way with those who need it most.

01:27:47:21 - 01:28:22:16
Daniel Franco
And it's an interesting thought process. I haven't thought about it in a way. I mean, you think technology is an enabler. Yeah, but there's a lot of people and I dare say you would see many of these people who don't really even know how to use technology and want to even have a mobile phone. There was a customer that I spoke to the other day in the aged care sector who said to me that at least 50 to 100 people out of their 22,000 staff don't have a mobile phone.

01:28:22:17 - 01:28:43:09
Daniel Franco
So we can't even we can't even connect with them. Yeah, because they're just front line a lot of them from overseas, you know, And it's it's a different world. So when when we talk about technology enabling, is it is it a case of, well, catch up or you left behind or how I mean, how do we how do we navigate that?

01:28:43:10 - 01:28:46:01
Daniel Franco
It's such a fine line.

01:28:46:04 - 01:28:48:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You're not and to better access.

01:28:48:27 - 01:28:50:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Government services and supports.

01:28:50:23 - 01:28:51:26
Daniel Franco
And all the.

01:28:51:28 - 01:28:55:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Security, all those things you need, you know, you need your myGov account, you need technology, you.

01:28:55:25 - 01:28:56:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Need.

01:28:56:05 - 01:29:02:22
Daniel Franco
I know a lot about technology, and I struggle to set up a myGov account like it is. It's difficult.

01:29:03:00 - 01:29:08:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's another topic. So but the you're right. I mean, the digital literacy is.

01:29:08:23 - 01:29:16:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just so important. And the problem we have is there are people that are left behind. Yeah, that's why we need that balance.

01:29:16:03 - 01:29:16:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of.

01:29:16:29 - 01:29:23:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Human services delivered by humans available to those that are vulnerable. Yes, they need it.

01:29:23:15 - 01:29:28:09
Daniel Franco
And if we go to the all guns blazing approach, we're going to find ourself in more trouble, aren't we?

01:29:28:09 - 01:29:31:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. And so digital literacy training and.

01:29:31:25 - 01:29:34:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Things like that is a huge part of what we do.

01:29:34:14 - 01:29:35:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Whether that's, you know.

01:29:35:13 - 01:29:40:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Specific goals in digital literacy training courses. Yes. In the support we're providing people.

01:29:40:20 - 01:29:41:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:29:41:21 - 01:29:43:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Necessarily have it or even even access.

01:29:43:18 - 01:29:44:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And they might have.

01:29:44:11 - 01:29:46:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or they might have digital literacy skills.

01:29:47:02 - 01:29:49:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But not have enough to cover the phone. Yeah, well.

01:29:49:16 - 01:29:59:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The data is a big part of it too. So there's a whole raft of ways we try and support people with that. But like I said, I think the digital component.

01:29:59:07 - 01:29:59:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Is a.

01:29:59:12 - 01:30:03:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Huge part of digital in what we do and we can see a lot of people who.

01:30:03:03 - 01:30:04:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Need a little bit of support.

01:30:04:07 - 01:30:25:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Or a little bit of access to things can be supported by digital systems to do it, but we need that human into intervention at the right moments in the right ways with those that need it the most, those that have experienced trauma or that are in a in a vulnerable position that, you know, an app is not going to necessarily help work through.

01:30:25:14 - 01:30:36:15
Daniel Franco
Yeah. What what excites you the most about what you guys are working on? It is Well, I see. I think there's I mean, there's so much in what you're doing.

01:30:36:15 - 01:30:37:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know.

01:30:37:07 - 01:30:42:24
Daniel Franco
But what if we're going to peek over the horizon a little bit? What's coming in that space?

01:30:42:27 - 01:30:44:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've got some real great.

01:30:44:13 - 01:30:49:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Opportunities to further a lot of the employment and training and other things that we're doing.

01:30:49:22 - 01:30:53:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've just opened a wonderful training.

01:30:54:00 - 01:30:55:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Hub and space in.

01:30:55:15 - 01:30:57:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The north and Elizabeth.

01:30:57:23 - 01:30:59:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's it's a fabulous.

01:30:59:03 - 01:31:00:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Facility.

01:31:00:18 - 01:31:04:02
Daniel Franco
So when you talk about training, what are we specifically what are we talking about?

01:31:04:02 - 01:31:07:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
How we do a range of training. So we have some business admin.

01:31:07:04 - 01:31:08:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We do.

01:31:08:05 - 01:31:12:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Construction and pathways training.

01:31:12:02 - 01:31:19:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's a really exciting program. Actually work in partnership with Zaha.

01:31:19:06 - 01:31:22:17
Daniel Franco
So as a housing authority, Yes.

01:31:22:19 - 01:31:24:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Like most sectors. Yeah.

01:31:24:19 - 01:31:25:06
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:31:25:08 - 01:31:35:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So the authority will give us a couple of homes every year and we will train young people in construction pathways in those homes and wow, we're flipping the house and.

01:31:35:01 - 01:31:40:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Making it and more amendable place for one of their tenants to live in and then handing it back to them at the end of.

01:31:40:05 - 01:31:40:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It. Yeah, right.

01:31:40:29 - 01:31:54:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And so it's wonderful. We're also running a lot of other programs out there. The most recent ones we've just added to the scope are retail and hospitality, and we've got some amazing coffee machines out there.

01:31:54:05 - 01:31:54:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Check it.

01:31:54:16 - 01:31:55:21
Daniel Franco
Out.

01:31:55:24 - 01:32:02:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And some young people that are that are, you know, learning how to make a pretty good size.

01:32:02:02 - 01:32:07:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So that's that's really exciting. There's a housing development that.

01:32:07:23 - 01:32:11:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've been investing in that is hopefully going to get the.

01:32:11:19 - 01:32:13:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
First shovel in the ground really soon.

01:32:13:29 - 01:32:31:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So more of our housing model to offer affordable housing to young people or other vulnerable cohorts who perhaps aren't able to access housing. It's a huge problem. We all have to play our part and we're going to look for more and more of those projects along the way.

01:32:31:29 - 01:32:33:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So there's there's there's a lot of.

01:32:33:28 - 01:32:40:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Different things that I'm sure we'll be promoting the work that we're doing throughout the year.

01:32:40:10 - 01:32:41:04
Daniel Franco
Watch this space.

01:32:41:05 - 01:32:43:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, keep following us on socials as.

01:32:44:00 - 01:32:44:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They.

01:32:44:07 - 01:32:46:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Constantly are trying to share those.

01:32:46:11 - 01:33:10:04
Daniel Franco
Yeah, Great. So you and I have known each other for a while, and I've always I've always admired your capacity, I guess, for self reflection. And it's not something that everyone finds easy. I think you've sat here numerous times in this conversation and said, I'm getting better, I'm learning. I'm not perfect at this and I'm still trying to.

01:33:10:09 - 01:33:31:09
Daniel Franco
And you're not you're not just saying that. I know you're not just saying that as a way of making an excuse of the way in which might go about business. You actually genuinely want to learn and improve and continue continue to improve your leadership skills and character. Right. Which is already is this going back to the the innate quality of your leadership?

01:33:31:11 - 01:33:49:27
Daniel Franco
You know, I say that is leadership. Something you're born with is self reflection, something that you were born with. There is something that you've had to learn as well and reflect on. Have you had have you gone through the school of hard knocks? It's made you look, look, look at yourself that way or or is it just something you've you've done from a young age?

01:33:50:00 - 01:33:53:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think I'm, I think I think I'm genuinely.

01:33:53:16 - 01:34:14:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Trying to do the best I can and really critical of myself when it comes to that attribute. I don't I don't shy away from self-reflection. I think it's something that just inherently happens immediately after.

01:34:14:26 - 01:34:23:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I've given something a go. I have you know, I think I think a tendency to be maybe.

01:34:23:07 - 01:34:40:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Because I've learned things gradually on the straight in business, so to speak, and experiences have been what have guided me. I've, I guess, has been a part of me day in a long, long way that still sits there, that, you know, my sort of just faking this until I make it. Yeah. You know, we.

01:34:40:17 - 01:34:41:23
Daniel Franco
See imposter imposter.

01:34:41:23 - 01:34:45:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Syndrome. But, you know, I, I can.

01:34:45:09 - 01:34:46:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
See it in people around.

01:34:46:09 - 01:34:49:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Me. I can see that. I can see when they.

01:34:49:02 - 01:35:09:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Feel good about what we're doing and feel supported and feel trusted and feel like they're getting some. I'm able to help provide some value and some leadership, and I can set them all away when I'm getting that wrong. And you just just the look in their eye or, you know, or I say something and I realize I could have done that I hate better.

01:35:09:02 - 01:35:11:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And, you know, it's.

01:35:11:12 - 01:35:12:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I think it's important.

01:35:12:22 - 01:35:31:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I mean, I'm not saying that in a way that beats myself up to the point that I don't feel positive about what I'm doing and the leadership I'm providing, the people I'm working with that are getting value out of that and the impact we're having in the community. But I think having the right dose of it when the right balance.

01:35:31:19 - 01:35:34:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Is important and it's I guess it's just an.

01:35:34:03 - 01:35:37:08
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Attribute that I'll always have.

01:35:37:10 - 01:36:11:05
Daniel Franco
If there's something that I can take away from interviewing hundreds of leaders and CEOs on this podcast, it is probably one of the one of the traits that I see come through more often than not is their ability to self-reflect. And I think what I have seen quite often is this is of humbleness, but from from old leaders or the ones in which I admire anyway, there's this humbleness of, you know, maybe I'm not the best person at this.

01:36:11:08 - 01:36:36:15
Daniel Franco
You know, it is that it is the self-doubt that helps drive the improvement, right? Because it's like, maybe I'm not the best about it, but I sure as hell want to give it the best go, you know? And I think that's what I just heard in your answer again. And it kind of replicates the same that I hear from many other great leaders who have come on this show is it is always about learning.

01:36:36:18 - 01:36:57:00
Daniel Franco
And if you can't self reflect, then, you know, you're almost going to stumble more often than not. Where is the ability to look at oneself? Hold a mirror up and go, hang on, and what do this better and how do I help more people or houses help more people? If I do this better, is is is critical in any role of a leader?

01:36:57:03 - 01:37:01:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, absolutely. I completely agree.

01:37:01:21 - 01:37:12:06
Daniel Franco
Right now I'm conscious of time, but I am curious if you were in the role of a CEO or ASIC right now, what would you be doing?

01:37:12:10 - 01:37:15:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, that would depend on my ability. I know what I want to be doing.

01:37:15:12 - 01:37:16:15
Daniel Franco
Playing, playing golf.

01:37:16:15 - 01:37:19:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Every golfer love to be playing golf with my wife who's.

01:37:19:25 - 01:37:22:03
Daniel Franco
On the PGA Tour or something.

01:37:22:06 - 01:37:24:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Like that. So just being.

01:37:24:12 - 01:37:27:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Out every day, immerse yourself in something you enjoy like that.

01:37:28:00 - 01:37:28:29
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:37:29:02 - 01:37:30:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I got into it during.

01:37:30:02 - 01:37:33:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
COVID, so it hasn't always been a huge part of my life.

01:37:33:26 - 01:37:36:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But yeah, we play at least once or twice a week now.

01:37:36:10 - 01:37:40:29
Daniel Franco
Yeah, it's great. What what does the future look like for you then?

01:37:41:02 - 01:37:49:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
We've got a big agenda. This was a big strategy to deliver. Like I said, I've got some things we're all working on to really enhance and expand.

01:37:49:13 - 01:37:59:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The impact we're having with, you know, employment, training, housing. And, you know, that's what drives me in my career personally.

01:37:59:23 - 01:38:01:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I've got my wife and I.

01:38:01:15 - 01:38:02:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Have a blended.

01:38:02:06 - 01:38:03:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Family of four kids.

01:38:03:12 - 01:38:10:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That we love dearly, and we're just really passionate about seeing them do the best they can.

01:38:10:13 - 01:38:14:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
They're all they're all very different and very unique.

01:38:14:26 - 01:38:21:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So just making the most of that stage of our lives with them. And I'd love to drop the handicap couple more.

01:38:22:01 - 01:38:22:22
Daniel Franco
What are you planning?

01:38:22:26 - 01:38:23:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
14 at the.

01:38:23:18 - 01:38:41:07
Daniel Franco
Moment? Jesus, I don't even have one. There you go. Well done. If you could encapsulate your entire journey today with a single lesson, a message, what would that be?

01:38:41:10 - 01:38:43:20
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A single lesson or a message?

01:38:43:23 - 01:38:44:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Look.

01:38:44:15 - 01:39:04:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Give it a go. I mean, I I've looked at things a lot, and throughout my journey and throughout my career, that looked pretty hot and pretty confronting. But you've got to try. And it's never going to look the best first time around, but just give things it. Go back yourself. It's right. Yeah.

01:39:04:26 - 01:39:16:25
Daniel Franco
I love radio quickfire questions. Yeah, we're big readers here, so I always ask this question. I love the world of continuously improving my knowledge. Source. So what are you reading right now?

01:39:16:27 - 01:39:19:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'm going to disappoint you with a boring one.

01:39:19:18 - 01:39:21:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I haven't. I'm not in the middle of a book.

01:39:21:14 - 01:39:23:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
At the moment. I've been reading so many government reviews.

01:39:23:25 - 01:39:25:24
Daniel Franco
And there's a fair bit going on in your.

01:39:25:24 - 01:39:28:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Work. And like I said, it's probably a bit too.

01:39:28:24 - 01:39:29:07
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Hands on.

01:39:29:07 - 01:39:31:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And some of things for my liking.

01:39:31:21 - 01:39:34:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But that's that's what we've been doing.

01:39:34:18 - 01:39:41:29
Daniel Franco
All right. Well, if you could recommend a book, a self-development book of some sort, what would that book?

01:39:42:03 - 01:39:44:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
B I really like this.

01:39:44:23 - 01:39:53:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Book because it's not only maybe the executive in the way we shared understanding and learning, and they all ended up reading it after I gave them. It was the Simon Sinek book.

01:39:53:16 - 01:39:55:21
Daniel Franco
So yeah, it's great.

01:39:55:21 - 01:40:01:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, 100%. And I help. I think it helps that that alignment.

01:40:01:04 - 01:40:21:05
Daniel Franco
well, it's all about purpose, right? And which is exactly what you, you guys are at as well. I say the purpose led led business and it's not only for not for profits is for everyone. Actually, it's a front. It's a fundamental for for all humans. What's one lesson that's taking you to the longest to learn?

01:40:21:08 - 01:40:25:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'm still learning it, but probably don't sweat the small stuff.

01:40:25:15 - 01:40:26:15
Mark Hoffman-Davis

01:40:26:18 - 01:40:35:20
Daniel Franco
Yeah I, I, I agree and there's somewhat, I disagree in a way I think. Yeah.

01:40:35:22 - 01:40:37:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I guess it's contextual for me.

01:40:37:04 - 01:40:37:22
Daniel Franco
Correct.

01:40:37:22 - 01:40:38:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You do.

01:40:38:18 - 01:40:40:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's probably about the moments.

01:40:40:04 - 01:40:40:16
Daniel Franco
Yes.

01:40:40:17 - 01:40:40:25
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So I.

01:40:40:29 - 01:40:41:08
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:40:41:08 - 01:40:42:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That the care.

01:40:42:06 - 01:40:51:16
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Because I think people use that line don't sweat the small stuff but then it's like if you want to give the greatest customer experience then we, we kind of have to Right.

01:40:51:16 - 01:40:52:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Yeah. Now then you.

01:40:52:19 - 01:40:53:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Focus on the little.

01:40:53:21 - 01:40:54:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Things, correct.

01:40:54:27 - 01:40:56:15
Daniel Franco
Exactly. Exactly.

01:40:56:18 - 01:41:01:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But for me, it's yeah, it's probably more contextual with the moments in the interactions.

01:41:02:02 - 01:41:02:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just people.

01:41:02:20 - 01:41:03:09
Daniel Franco
Let it go.

01:41:03:11 - 01:41:07:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
And thinking what? What is the best way to approach this.

01:41:07:18 - 01:41:16:28
Daniel Franco
Yeah. Okay. If you could have a coffee with a current or historical figure, who would that be?

01:41:17:01 - 01:41:18:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I've got so many.

01:41:18:21 - 01:41:23:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
People that would be interested, but I think in the moment right now, I'd love to go and meet Tiger.

01:41:23:03 - 01:41:26:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Woods that I've had. I've talked to a.

01:41:26:05 - 01:41:26:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Lot of great.

01:41:26:21 - 01:41:30:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Leaders and politicians in my time. I think it'd be a really interesting.

01:41:30:13 - 01:41:34:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Character, not only because I'm so mad about golf at the moment, but that tenacity.

01:41:34:22 - 01:41:37:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, perspective to.

01:41:37:08 - 01:41:43:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, go through so much adversity and stay at the top for so long. Yeah, it would just be that would be awesome.

01:41:43:08 - 01:41:44:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, he's.

01:41:44:14 - 01:42:16:12
Daniel Franco
It's funny you said Tiger Woods in response to my sort of challenge to you back on don't sweat the small stuff. I think Tiger Woods was renowned for sweating the small stuff in the fact that he his whole philosophy was the one percenters is what made him the world champion time and time again, as opposed to any sort of big idea that or any, you know, he had to fix his swing by one or two degrees, you know, in order to hit the ball.

01:42:16:12 - 01:42:23:22
Daniel Franco
That had slightly different angle and that he would work on that changed his swing. Right. Just like those little things. And that's so it's funny that you brought that up, I guess.

01:42:23:26 - 01:42:28:12
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. Yeah. That's a good observation. And like I said, it's probably maybe.

01:42:28:19 - 01:42:30:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In my own mind what I mean by it more than probably what.

01:42:31:03 - 01:42:32:10
Daniel Franco
You know, I know it.

01:42:32:10 - 01:42:43:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Is, but you're right. Tiger Woods, my wife and I were just talking about this last night that he before a tournament, he will hit a thousand balls. We have a thousand.

01:42:43:21 - 01:42:45:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Contacts with the Bulls every day.

01:42:45:17 - 01:42:47:10
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah. And that's that's not necessarily 1000.

01:42:47:12 - 01:42:48:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
The range. 300.

01:42:48:15 - 01:42:49:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
There.

01:42:49:08 - 01:42:49:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
300.

01:42:49:23 - 01:42:51:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Chips. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:42:51:27 - 01:42:53:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But that's that's tenacity. Yeah.

01:42:54:00 - 01:42:59:23
Daniel Franco
Absolutely. So what's some of the best advice you've ever received.

01:42:59:25 - 01:43:22:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Just to be present in the moment. Yeah. I used to struggle with that a lot when I was in the earlier stages of my career. I still do sometimes. Just multitasking. You got a million things listening to someone, but actually looking like if you're doing or literally be doing something else. But you know, people time just being present with them.

01:43:22:24 - 01:43:26:19
Daniel Franco
What's one habit that holds you back the most?

01:43:26:21 - 01:43:28:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Getting stuck in the way. It's too much.

01:43:28:09 - 01:43:29:03
Daniel Franco
Yeah.

01:43:29:05 - 01:43:30:09
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, I think I think it's.

01:43:30:09 - 01:43:39:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's got its time and purpose but I think I think I take a little bit too long to realize when it's time to get back out of it and.

01:43:39:23 - 01:43:43:17
Daniel Franco
What's your biggest pet peeve? Like something that pisses you off the most.

01:43:43:19 - 01:43:44:19
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In a work sense.

01:43:44:19 - 01:43:48:18
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It's people over paraphrasing in meetings and stuff like that.

01:43:48:18 - 01:43:49:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, and that's.

01:43:49:19 - 01:43:50:23
Daniel Franco
Give us an example.

01:43:50:25 - 01:43:57:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Give us a call when we've got an event. You know, someone's given an opinion and we go, Yeah, that's great idea.

01:43:57:04 - 01:44:05:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Okay, let's go and do that. And then for other will say the exact same thing in their own way. Yeah. 10 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure some people would laugh.

01:44:05:25 - 01:44:06:14
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:44:06:17 - 01:44:07:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Same with but, but.

01:44:07:25 - 01:44:10:01
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That's.

01:44:10:04 - 01:44:15:28
Daniel Franco
If you could pay someone to do one of your chores for the rest of your life, what would it be?

01:44:16:00 - 01:44:17:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I used to do this.

01:44:17:06 - 01:44:34:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
When I was younger, when we were growing up in a party of five, because I was working so much for McDonald's, I was getting my money from my dad for the chores we had to do on the spreadsheet. But I suppose cross-subsidize that and pay it to my little sisters to go and do the dishes and the laundry for.

01:44:34:07 - 01:44:35:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So that worked quite.

01:44:35:28 - 01:44:36:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well for me back in the.

01:44:36:23 - 01:44:38:26
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Day. Well done, I was able to.

01:44:38:29 - 01:44:41:00
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Use that to have a bit more leisure.

01:44:41:00 - 01:44:41:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Time.

01:44:41:11 - 01:44:44:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, that's probably what I would do. Some of the household chores.

01:44:44:19 - 01:44:53:20
Daniel Franco
Where you'd made the extra money off painting so you could that what's one word that you absolutely hate.

01:44:53:24 - 01:44:55:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
At the moment It's pivot.

01:44:56:00 - 01:45:03:19
Daniel Franco
Yeah we all reckon that's probably our top, that we are top one or two words that others have said.

01:45:03:21 - 01:45:04:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah I think it's just.

01:45:04:29 - 01:45:05:24
Daniel Franco
It's horrible.

01:45:05:26 - 01:45:06:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Overuse.

01:45:06:11 - 01:45:13:08
Daniel Franco
Yeah. That and robust. What's the first thing that you would do if you became invisible?

01:45:13:09 - 01:45:16:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I would be sneaking onto the Royal Adelaide Golf course in a heartbeat.

01:45:16:10 - 01:45:20:13
Daniel Franco
you're okay. Yeah. Yeah. The golf clubs aren't invisible.

01:45:20:15 - 01:45:22:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I guess, but I.

01:45:22:24 - 01:45:23:23
Daniel Franco
I'm staring. I would be.

01:45:23:24 - 01:45:24:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Fine.

01:45:24:02 - 01:45:26:08
Daniel Franco
And sometimes I.

01:45:26:11 - 01:45:26:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Play some.

01:45:26:24 - 01:45:27:22
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Of the best places around.

01:45:27:23 - 01:45:30:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah, Yeah. Having quiet time, I think.

01:45:30:27 - 01:45:36:23
Mark Hoffman-Davis
In our roles, we're always visible. Roy's presence. Yeah. Sometimes you just. Yeah.

01:45:36:26 - 01:45:37:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You know, And I enjoy it.

01:45:37:28 - 01:45:41:05
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I don't enjoy being active, busy, front, center of a lot of it.

01:45:41:05 - 01:45:44:00
Daniel Franco
But have you ever played it role like I have?

01:45:44:00 - 01:45:45:17
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Once, a long time ago.

01:45:45:21 - 01:45:51:15
Daniel Franco
I my parents live right next to it. And just the audio of a train track running.

01:45:51:17 - 01:45:52:06
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It is a little.

01:45:52:06 - 01:45:53:03
Daniel Franco
Weird. It's strange.

01:45:53:08 - 01:45:54:13
Mark Hoffman-Davis
But it's such a good course.

01:45:54:13 - 01:45:55:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:45:55:06 - 01:45:58:15
Daniel Franco
Yeah, you do. You have a useless talent.

01:45:58:17 - 01:46:02:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I am fantastic at fine games.

01:46:02:13 - 01:46:04:26
Daniel Franco
Fine games. Like like a bejeweled or.

01:46:04:28 - 01:46:05:21
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:46:05:23 - 01:46:07:19
Daniel Franco
Candy crusher us.

01:46:07:21 - 01:46:09:29
Mark Hoffman-Davis
A little logic based world.

01:46:10:01 - 01:46:13:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
These two Yeah I'm yeah.

01:46:13:14 - 01:46:21:03
Mark Hoffman-Davis
It serves no purpose. Yeah. Sometimes I'll just sit down and have a morning. Yeah. Lots of games and.

01:46:21:06 - 01:46:31:00
Daniel Franco
I thought I'm a bit of a I'm a bit of a gamer. I learned a couple of things about, you know, I'm your singer as well, which is kind of a useless download.

01:46:31:03 - 01:46:34:16
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Well, I enjoy it. I'm not very good at it.

01:46:34:18 - 01:46:40:09
Daniel Franco
My favorite question of the whole podcast is what's your best? That joke.

01:46:40:12 - 01:46:42:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I have many.

01:46:43:03 - 01:46:48:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
That I always tell my kids in the car and they they roll their eyes constantly.

01:46:48:08 - 01:46:48:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Yeah.

01:46:48:27 - 01:46:49:28
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I'll give you the latest one.

01:46:50:03 - 01:46:55:27
Mark Hoffman-Davis
So why did the farmer.

01:46:56:00 - 01:46:58:04
Mark Hoffman-Davis
Name his horse?

01:46:58:06 - 01:47:22:16
Daniel Franco
I want the farmer name source my mayonnaise. It's all true. It's that bad? I love it is. I do like a good mayonnaise as well. Very good. Thank you so much for your time today, Mark. It's been an absolute pleasure. It's been a pleasure getting to know you over the years and obviously chatting to you today. I've learned even more about you that I never knew before.

01:47:22:16 - 01:47:46:14
Daniel Franco
And I want to just put a thank you out there to the work you and the team at Swansea you're doing for the community here in South Australia and Australia. It's and it's an amazing business. Get behind it, everyone. I think go and learn a little bit more about it. If you're in need, reach out to them. They're doing some wonderful things and I really appreciate all the work that you guys are going to continue to do for us and the community abroad.

01:47:46:14 - 01:47:47:04
Daniel Franco
So thank.

01:47:47:04 - 01:47:47:11
Mark Hoffman-Davis
You.

01:47:47:17 - 01:47:49:02
Mark Hoffman-Davis
I really appreciate that and thanks.

01:47:49:02 - 01:47:49:24
Mark Hoffman-Davis
For the invite today.

01:47:50:00 - 01:48:13:12
Daniel Franco
No worries. That's it from us all. We'll catch you next time. Cheese. Thanks for. Listening to the podcast so you can check out the show notes if there was anything of interest to you and find out more about us at Synergy IQ Dotcom to today, I am going to ask though if you did like the podcast, it would absolutely mean the world to me if you could subscribe, write and review and if you didn't like it, that's alright too.

01:48:13:19 - 01:48:17:07
Daniel Franco
There's No need to do anything. Thank you guys. All the best.

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Daniel Franco

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