Natalie Born VP, Innovation | Strategy Consultant | Story Teller | Founder and Podcast Host of The Innovation Meets Leadership Podcast
In today’s episode, we have a very special guest Natalie Born. We have an interesting conversation around her background growing up in Georgia, attending college both in Georgia and her abroad education for her MBA in India. We explore her journey with some major companies, such as CareerBuilder, ADP, First Data, and hospitality giant IHG (IntercontinentalHotels Group). We discuss her corporate innovation strategy expertise and insights, what she calls the "art of corporate innovation". She also generously gives us her book recommendations to get 1% better, advice to recent college graduates. We take a short rear-view mirroring trip with Michael J. Fox “Marty” in his Back to the Future DeLorean, to see what Natalie would tell her younger self. Below are Natalie's Point of Views and Strategic Corporate Innovation: POV 1: The Art of Corporate Innovation Attribute 1: Healthy Teams, Healthy Results: The Hard Truth: If you can't get along, you are not ready to grow. Growth only magnifies problems. You can’t ignore it or make it go away. Attribute 2: Fund Only What Matters, but Fund it Well: The Hard Truth: It will take a lot longer than you want. Innovation is not a microwave, it's a crockpot. Attribute 3: Strategy- Align or Fail: The Hard Truth: Your teams are not moving as one because they would rather play in their own sandbox. It's faster and easier and they don't experience any resistance. Attribute 4: Ideas- Iterate or Die. There is no Perfect: POV 2: Market disruption is no longer about individuals it is about teams: POV 3: There are 3 core things that shift when an organization brings innovation to the forefront. Define WHY before you define HOW The Culture Shift: - Market Shifts – - Engagement Shifts
Smart Chickens A B2B SaaS Demand Gen Drives Innovation & Growth Podcast · Natalie Born, Gianni Quintana
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Show Notes
We listen today to Natalie Born, she's a strategic corporate innovation expert consultant, she describes her career journey and points of views around the art of corporate innovation to drive organizational growth. She has been focused on creating corporate innovative strategies to drive growth and disrupt industries for almost two decades. Natalie implements the innovation design process to make a positive impact on leadership's way of thinking about innovation to drive revenue and market share results.
Natalie has an incredible career background working in senior executive management roles at leading companies within diverse industries, such as CareerBuilder, First Data, ADP, IHG and now currently as VP of Innovation at Territory.co
We have a very powerful conversation around what organizations can do to embrace and execute innovation, how to approach innovation with a team and futurist mentality, and how to be disruptive in your industry to win.
Growing up in the Peach State
Growing up in a small town of Duluth, Georgia for Natalie, she always felt that she was the only one, she didn't belong, in the '80s there wasn't too much diversity in suburban Georgia.
However she took that feeling of being different through her collegiate experience from Oglethorpe University to Maryland's Global Campus for her MBA and during an overseas business education program in India during her MBA, all these experiences began to shape herself to the corporate professional executive and consultant she has become
“Noticing that I was different at a young age was difficult, but as I grew older I embraced being different and how special it is to bring your differences to the table" – Natalie Born.
Challenges to break through doors, being the only women and of color at the table in companies and tech
Natalie describes and shares how her childhood, collegiate experience, and early corporate experiences prepared her to have a diversity and design thinking approach throughout her career.
“Alot of people talk about luck, I personally don't believe in luck, but rather in alot of hard work, working twice as hard to get ahead” – Natalie Born.
What a reverse merger at CareerBuilder taught her about having a superior work ethic
Natalie describes how a week after the company she was working within HeadHunter was acquired by CareerBuilder and being fired and hired again as part of the leadership team by CareerBuilder in a span of a week. She has always had a drive to over-deliver and do much more than the bare minimum, always striving 150%, to wanting to do more to get to the next level.
Her Reason Why and Origin of Her Entrepreneurship Journey
“My career reached a level after more than 15 years in corporate, where it wasn't about me and I really wanted to help others around ideation, innovation and knowing how to help people freed from their mind ” – Natalie Born.
Becoming intentional about providing diversity and inclusion towards a more equitable and innovative corporate culture.
"Cheryl Sandberg talks about until you have a diverse set of candidates how can you pull the trigger on hiring that person. You need to bring the elephant into the room and painting it red and having those discussions around diversity and the same opportunities for career advancement." Natalie Born.
The Art of Corporate Innovation with Design Thinking and Planning for Future Growth
“Innovation is no longer individual based, it's now very team-based, so it's all about getting the best and brightest team together and then you draw, putting all the ideas on the table, bad and good ones, to let the good ideas take shape and win.” – Natalie Born.
Most companies will be disrupted by not being disruptive proactively
“Too often companies are so focused on how much money we are making today that we are not creating the future. My fear is that large organizations are not disrupting themselves, so they end up being disrupted” – Natalie Born.
Pivoting and forecasting into the future is more imperative than ever
“If your a leader you have to be a futurist. Corporations struggle with leadership side or innovation and the ability to create the future."– Natalie Born.
Back to the Future with Natalie Born
“Don't sweat the small stuff, overempahasis the things that have long-term impact and under-emphasize the things that have short-term impact” – Natalie Born.
Book recommendations to help you get 1% better
1. Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
2. From Impossible to Inevitable by Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin
3. The Art of Opportunity by Marc Sniukas, Parker Lee, and Matt Morasky
Bio:
Natalie Born is the VP of Innovation for Territory Global and the Founder & Host of The Innovation Meets Leadership Podcast. As an innovation consultant, Natalie helps her clients move from idea to execution. Natalie has spent the last 15+ years designing and creating products with the goal of creating customer delight. She has contributed to two approved US patents during her career and is passionate about helping organizations leverage the incredible talent they have, to create the outcomes they want.
Natalie worked with organizations such as CareerBuilder, First Data, IHG, and ADP, leading major initiatives in the acquisition, integration, and international product development in over 18 countries. Throughout her career, she has authored numerous articles and speaks nationally.
* Received her Masters of Business Administration and International Business from the University of Maryland Global Campus
* Received her Masters of Business Administration and International Business from the International Management Institute, New Delhi India
* Received her Bachelors of Science, Business Administration from Oglethorpe University
* She is a Scrum Alliance ScrumMaster® (CSM®), Project Manager PMI Certified
You can connect with Natalie at the following:
The Innovation Meets Leadership Podcast
Facebook Innovation Meets Leadership
Instagram Innovation Meets Leadership