This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with our newest hire, Alan Jones (the good one), to record a podcast on Stockhead’s Stock Insiders with host Christina Morrissy.
Podcast Chat: Alan Jones & Christina Morrissy Highlights
Over her impressive career, Christina has been a journalist, talk back radio host, TV News Presenter, current affairs journalist, editor of Perth Woman Magazine, communications consultant, and travel show host – so we knew we had to bring our A game!
From our early career journeys to Alan’s shirt collection and the work we do for innovators in fields like nuclear fusion and rocket science, we had quite the discussion.
You can listen to the podcast here (or click below), check out the highlights, or simply find out more about Alan’s t-shirts for a good cause here.
A non-linear path to founding Third Hemisphere
My career path prior to founding Third Hemisphere was less than typical. But some commonalities held true throughout: entrepreneurship, writing, language skills, and having an unwaveringly values-driven public voice.
I founded an events company a few years out of high school, taught myself Italian on an exchange program, worked as a bilingual liaison between European and Asian subsidiaries for a multinational retailer with my new language skills, and ran an English-teaching business as a side hustle so I could afford to eat.
Returning to Australia, I clocked up just one year of public relations experience before I was presented with a compelling opportunity. My passion for social justice advocacy and feminist discourse on Facebook had caught the attention of a business owner who hired me as a writer, and then shortly thereafter invested in me establishing my own firm. And thus, Third Hemisphere was born… Don’t ever tell me woke is broke!
Supporting tech startups through good storytelling
Our recent hire, Alan “the good one” Jones, is a household name in Aussie tech and startup as a renowned investor, advisor, mentor, and coach. But his love for the industry actually developed during his formative years as a tech reporter.
He recently joined our team as Tech & Investment Director where he now gets to combine his love for tech and passion for good storytelling that can, quite literally, help change the world for the better.
According to Alan, startup founders must be constantly selling their ideas, innovations, and themselves in a way that resonates with their audience. This is the same principle whether that audience is an investor hearing a pitch, a customer being presented with a product, a journalist being sold a story, or the guy next to you at the bus stop.
You never know whether the person listening can open some important doors – so you’d better be ready to explain that hyper-complicated piece of nuclear fusion or rocket science in a way that resonates!
These startup founders should have a go at learning how to do this themselves, says Alan, especially in the early bootstrapping years. But as they grow and become pre-IPO or ASX-listed companies, they will need a more consistent and sophisticated media presence that is best achieved through a specialist PR firm.
Creating ROI and making the world a better place via specialist skills
Specialising in tech and finance companies is not for the faint-hearted. Translating technical content and industry jargon into digestible and compelling content for different audiences is a superpower I am proud of.
But that content must also be compelling to the all-important capital markets. Enter, Alan Jones and our Executive Director, Jeremy Liddle, with their extensive experience in venture capital and investing.
This type of combined technical and communications expertise is how PR can help companies attract investors, raise capital, and scale their innovations into the homes and marketplaces where they create the greatest good.
Because pumping out a media release written by an intern is not going to get you any traction these days – let alone help you change the world!
