Sadhana Smiles

Biography

Sadhana Smiles is the CEO Property Management for Harcourts International. Prior to this role she was the CEO for Harcourts Victoria.

Starting her career as a receptionist she has created a brand that has placed her amongst her peers as a thought leader and industry commentator. 

Under her leadership Harcourts Victoria is the leading business unit globally within the group, the fastest group franchise group in Australia, increasing their market share over their competitors.

She has taken the brand to being one of the most recognised, most quoted and most heard.

She is passionate about the issues of violence against women and diverse gender equality - “our workplaces must reflect the communities we work in”.

In 2012 she bought Walk a Mile in their Shoes to Victoria, getting 250+ men and women to walk a mile in Melbourne in high heels. This is now a national event for the group across Australia, raising funds for White Ribbon’s Breaking the Silence Schools Program and making a clear statement as a group that violence against women is not OK!

In 2013 Sadhana published her first book – People Power – Did You Have Them @ Hello, a step by step guide to developing and managing performance driven teams.

In 2016 Sadhana wrote I Want What she’s Having a self-help journal to coach and mentor en masse, helping to discover who you are and what you stand for.

In 2013 Sadhana was named the Victorian Telstra Business Women of the Year, as well as the Victorian Telstra Private Corporate Sector award.

In 2016 she was named AFR/WBC One Hundred Women of Influence in Australia.

 In 2017 Sadhana won the Victorian Leader/Manager of the Year with Institute of Managers and Leaders.

In 2008 Sadhana founded Links Fiji – a not for profit, focused on providing pap smears to women in remote islands. Cervical cancer is one of the highest causes of death for women in Fiji due  lack of testing.

Sadhana’s drive comes from her desire to leave the world she influences a better place.

Sadhana has earned a reputation as a popular speaker and presenter, she is a podcaster, regularly asked to present at some of the industry’s most prestigious events, Women’s Conference and many franchise conferences.

Topics

• Blaze your own trail – how to make your mark in business and life
  Sadhana is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in the country, using her influential position to make a difference in Australia and Fiji.
  
  She believes there are untapped opportunities in the business world today, where anyone at any level of the organisation can step up and become a leader for change.
  
  We need empowered, driven, inclusive innovations but more importantly we need people to believe that they have the power to be heard and make a difference.
  
  In this keynote Sadhana will give you the playbook for how to blaze “your” own trail and create your own career path by being brave enough to speak up and shake things up.
  
  Sadhana arrived in Australia as a young 16-year-old migrant, with only one thought in her mind – freedom from a culturally oppressive environment.
  
  Two years in boarding school, 1 year in TAFE and she made the decision to get married to stay in Australia. (as you do!)
  
  In 6 short years she took on the role of CEO, won the Vic Telstra Business Woman award, was named one of 100 Women of Influence and turned Harcourts Victoria from a virtual unknown company to the fastest growing network in Australia.
  
  Blaze your own trail is her journey, sharing her lightest and darkest days, rebuilding her life and relationships to become on of the most respected women in her industry and a role model to women in the many diverse communities in Australia.
• People, Planet and Profit - How to make your people and customers love you 
  When Sadhana took on the role of CEO for Harcourts, her focus was three-fold: People, Planet and Profit.
  
  By re-inventing the business model, she increased revenue by 53% and EBIT by 24% - however, profit without equal focus on people and planet is … pointless.
  
  So, in this keynote Sadhana shares her formula and strategy for building a successful business that connects with the community, celebrates diversity and delivers on performance through a robust culture of respect and a burning desire to be number one.
  
  Over a 6.5 year period, she turned the business around to become one of the most profitable, fastest growing, most recognised and quoted brands in Victoria.
  
  So that’s people and profits but what about planet? Well Sadhana has that covered too. In 2012 she founded the Harcourts Walk a Mile in Their Shoes movement, where men put on high heels across the country – and walk together to say no to domestic violence.
  
  In 2017 Sadhana successfully negotiated a joint venture deal with herself and Harcourts Group Australia to set up a Harcourts Move - A property investment business.
  
  Today she is helping leaders within corporate Australia to ethical businesses based equally on people, planet and profits.
  
  
• The diversity and inclusion challenge – lessons from a migrant leader
  Did you know that organisations that have a clear diversity and inclusion policy are 21% more profitable! So why are our organisations not embracing the change rapidly.
  
  Sadhana believes if she can reach a leadership position in Australia, having landed on our shores (alone) at the ripe old age of 16 from Fiji, with no university degree and no real plan for her future then anything is possible for any of us!
  
  Sadhana is one of a handful of culturally and linguistically diverse leaders in Australia. She is well known for challenging business leaders on their understanding of diversity and believes it’s not just about more women in leadership roles but about people who come in different packages – ethnicity, ability and sexuality.
  
  Culturally diverse people often have double glazed glass ceilings to break through - one in their own culture and the other in their business.
  
  Sadhana was recently appointed to the Bank of Melbourne Migrant and Multicultural Banking Committee to help them understand their customers and build stronger connections.
  
  Leaders today must ensure that they we have organisations that reflect all the colours of the communities we work in. This is the only thing that will future proof your company and set you apart, locally, nationally and globally.
  
  In this challenging and riveting keynote, Sadhana shows you how bring more spice and colour to your organisation, make deliberate hiring decisions and understand the value different people bring to the table.
  
  Sadhana shares with you her challenges, how she used her difference to create a competitive  advantage and how you can do the same.

Testimonials

I heard your talk this morning and got so much out of it – thank you for your energy, wisdom and inspiration. I feel really motivated both as a manager and as an employee from thinking about what you presented and setting high levels of accountability for myself and my team.
Programs Team Leader
Ardoch Youth Foundation
Telstra Business Awards

Sadhana gives employees the opportunity to share their story by asking "Is there something going on?" - And waiting for the answer. Discussing the need to be yourself and have confidence in yourself was very important to her success. She set strong goals and was true to her values along the way. Asking yourself - What do you stand for? And be prepared to give back to society. 

Sadhana is the most confident and driven person I think I have ever met. She set's goals and lives by her choices. I will definitely be setting clear goals for myself from here forward. 

Surround yourself with people that will give you honest feedback. 

Wow! "I am woman". She owned that room. Brave, powerful, inspiring, hardarse. I could go on. She oozes leadership. She knows her brand. She knows who she is. She knows what she wants. She is the ideal role model for every one of us! The world would be a much better place with more leaders like Sadhana. 

Phew - if Sadhanna can't inspire us then I don't know who can! 

Wow! Easily the most impactful presenter for me this year. From the minute Sadha started talking, I knew this was someone to stand up and pay attention to. I critically reflected on- how I "show up" as a leader; how I choose my approach in various situations; and how I can make strategic long term decisions. Everything Sadha said was genuine, and all had an overriding theme of personal accountability. It was fantastic seeing someone unashamedly take ownership and pride in their individual style- this demonstrated true confidence. Sadha's messages about listening to understand really resonated with me. The steps and recommendations in her book are excellent and will prepare me well for my new leadership position. I was totally challenged and inspired. 

Be curious. Be nimble and agile. How compelling is my story and how I tell it. Bring people with you and develop them.Give back, make a change. Know your allies, find a connection. As a leader you can never over-communicate. Create your own opportunities and don't wait for doors to open. 

Again, I could have listened to Sadhana all day long. WOW!!! What a woman!!! I don't think I've ever encounter a woman with so much presence and clarity. I took so much from her - I think my favourite speaker to date (big call!!) You can't lead people unless you're curious, the importance of understanding your backstory and it's linkages to where you are today - this was big for me. I've spent much of the last 14 years running from or attempting to bury much of what has happened to me - but I am who I am today because of what has happened to me. I need to embrace that more - rather than see it as a weakness. Knowing what you stand for and believing in it, facing challenges head on, the importance of personal branding and reaching out to mentors - most leaders have done it or faced it before - you don't have to go it alone. And last but not least - creating your own opportunities - this was something that has been cemented in my mind after catching up with Jim Cooper post our Portland day too. 

Be curious, have a presence and understand how people feel when you are around. All great tips in regard to leadership. 

Sadhana exuded confidence, and I grappled with this at times. I wonder how someone can be "on" like that all the time. She did provide some valuable insight and understanding on progression as a female in the business world. 

Work on what you want your 'brand' to be and constantly work on creating it. Be curious and don't dedicate your time to something that you don't fully believe in or are not passionate about.

In her words on my signed journal. "Teremayi live life and let nothing stand in the way, Sadhana." Look out!!! 

Have a vision, a plan to know what you want to achieve and how are you going to get there. Build your brand by working out how you want to make people feel and why they will want to work with you. A goal board will keep you on track and having it in sight every day will remind you what you’re working towards. Be confident in what you say and how you act. Simple things like presentation and body language can be strong tools when entering a space. She is an amazing woman who shares her story, her frustrations, her mistakes and successes. People connected with all of these. I really enjoyed listening to Sadhana was a great finish to the day and motivates me even more to chase my dreams. 

Sadhana was very impressive and inspiring. Succession, own your brand and being authentic all resonated with me. She is very driven and owns her own destiny. Very refreshing to hear Sadhanna share her story. 

Be confident in yourself and be true to who you are. Set goals, review them frequently and stick to them. Surround yourself with helpful and positive people who fit your culture. Don't define yourself only by what you do, define yourself by friends and family too. Learn to control your emotions. Rehearse your important conversations, have a planned approach to difficult situations. Bring your workforce along with you. Don't be afraid to let your kids see your bad days, no one is perfect and that's reality—don't hide it. Make time for yourself and learn to compartmentalise/manage different parts of your life so you don't miss out on this
General Feedback
Program Manager
Leadership Great South Coast Conference

Sadhana is a fabulous presenter . I would actually go as far as to say that she is in my top 5 presenters of all time. I do see a lot leadership speakers in my profession and not many keynotes are able to speak about the “how” in leadership. she does it so well, with elegance, warmth and succinctness. Sadhana has this uncanny ability to not only draw you in with her honesty, professionalism and vulnerability- but she is able to communicate practical  tips so effectively , that you feel compelled to immediately embed them into your leadership toolkit. She can unpack a leadership problem, tell a fabulous story and dissect gender and diversity with frankness. Her ability to nail a brief astounds me and she really shines in question time . It is always an absolute pleasure working with her.
General Manager Events
Women and Leadership Australia & NZ and Australia School of Applied Management

Sadhana was brilliant. Snappy presentation with so much valuable content hitting on many aspects discussed through our day’s event.  Her ability to share ‘her story’ with such impact and relationally made it a truly enjoyable session.
Strata Community Australia

Sadhana is an incredible key note speaker we engaged for our Australian Women's Network Business Summit. She had the attendees laughing and crying and applauding her successes at the same time. Professional at all times and incredibly giving of her time - we highly recommend Sadhana as both a key note speaker and an authority in Real Estate and Leadership. We look forward to working with her again.
Founder and CEO Event Negotiators

We asked Sadhana to present the opening keynote at our National Franchise Operations Conference to 130 franchisor executives. This was a tough audience as they are her peers.  Sadhana delivered a clear, powerful and engaging session. Her slides were informative, her stage presence was highly credible, and her message combined outstanding business and personal development lessons. The audience rated her in an extremely positive manner. She added great value to our conference and I would highly recommend her as a keynote presenter for any conference.
CFE Founder Franchise Relationships Institute

I had the pleasure and honour of hearing Sadhana Smiles speak recently at the Australian Women in Business Summit and it was honestly nothing short of life changing. He fresh approach delivered a focus on being real and authentic with engaging content and a feisty driven and empowering attitude. Her talk filled the room with a captivating energy and I felt like everyone could really relate to her on so many levels because she was so 'real' in her delivery. I've seen a lot of speakers of the years and Sadhana is definitely one I'll never forget.
DIRECTOR Ka'llure Jewellery 

Sadhana Smiles is one of our most popular speakers, with attendees at events across Australia frequently singling out her presentation as being insightful, engaging, relevant, relatable, and a highlight of the event.  Sadhana’s presentation both inspires attendees to want to aim for higher levels of leadership within their own lives while providing practical advice to help them achieve their goals.
Senior Event Manager, Women & Leadership Australia