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In this episode, we sit down with James Deysel, Marketing Director of SnackBrands, to explore a career built on resilience, values, and strategic growth. Raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, James shares how his early life shaped a strong sense of fairness, justice, and hard work - principles that helped him earn a full university scholarship and set the foundation for his professional journey.

James takes us through his academic path at the University of Johannesburg, where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and into his early career juggling full-time work and part-time postgraduate studies. Starting on the front lines as a field sales representative at Clover, he provides insight into how hands-on sales experience sharpened his commercial instincts before progressing into an assistant brand manager role.

The conversation then follows James’ move to Mars Petcare, where he broadened his marketing expertise across a global organization, eventually leading to an international relocation to Australia. Now a Marketing Director, James reflects on the skills, mindset, and career decisions that enabled his growth across markets and roles.

This episode offers aspiring sales and marketing professionals practical lessons on starting from the ground up, leveraging education and values, and embracing global opportunities to shape a future-focused career.

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In this MindPick Special edition of Your Future in Sales and Marketing, we sit down with two seasoned business leaders - Jon Bradshaw and Chris Baddock - who have each carved out influential careers before establishing their own coaching and consulting practices. Now serving as mentors in the MindPick peer-to-peer mentoring program, Jon and Chris open up about their journeys, their leadership philosophies, and why they’re passionate about developing the next generation of commercial talent.

Chris Baddock reflects on his early years, growing up in Melbourne before moving to Sydney at age seven, and how his father’s career at Wrigley’s - rising from state manager to national sales manager - inspired his own path into sales leadership. After building his career within major liquor businesses, Chris shifted his focus toward coaching, dedicating himself to helping emerging leaders grow through his own development practice.

Jon Bradshaw shares his globally diverse story, beginning in England and spanning continents through his time with Diageo, which took him to the United States before ultimately bringing him to Australia. With a career that has woven through iconic companies such as Mars, Diageo, Lion, and Virgin, plus experience in start-ups and the non-profit space with Outward Bound, Jon brings a rich and varied perspective on what great leadership looks like across environments.

Together, Jon and Chris dive into the power of mentorship, what makes the MindPick program unique, and why fostering open, peer-driven conversations is essential for shaping the future of sales and marketing leadership. Whether you're early in your career or already on the path to leading teams, this episode offers valuable insights from two leaders deeply invested in helping others thrive.

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In this episode, we sit down with two of Fever-Tree’s key leaders - Grant Howard, General Manager, and Alanna Gibson, Head of Strategy - whose very different journeys converged at one of the most dynamic brands in premium beverages.

Originally from York in the UK, Alanna’s entrepreneurial spirit showed up early. From lemonade stands to crepe carts and ice-cream stores, she spent her school years discovering a love for business that led her to study at the University of Bath and later to Australia through a six-month exchange at the University of Queensland. Her career began in consulting, where she worked across everything from fast-food expansion to retail loyalty programs before relocating to Australia to advise major retailers and consumer goods companies.

Grant’s path began on the opposite side of the world. Born and raised on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, he developed a passion for sales and customer service through early roles at NAB and Woolworths while studying Business at the University of Newcastle. He went on to spend 16 years at Lion and completed an MBA along the way.

Together, Grant and Alanna share insights on career building, cross-industry learning, leadership, and how their unique backgrounds inform their work at Fever-Tree. If you’re exploring your future in sales, marketing, or strategy - or simply love a great career story - this episode is packed with sharp lessons and inspiration.