News and Views

  • Judy's Journey through India

    I must admit that I have been having difficulty collecting my thoughts about what I have seen over the past two days and actually putting those thoughts into words. I am very mindful that as a foreigner looking in from the outside, that any observations or...

  • Judy's Journey through India - Part 2

    I have already written about the first two days of my ‘field trip’ with Opportunity International and the abject poverty witnessed in the slums of Delhi. But you don’t have to travel far in Delhi to witness poverty – it’s just...

  • India Part 1 - Greetings From Lucknow

    Hi All, Well Mark and I are currently in Lucknow which is in the province of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. We arrived in New Delhi about 11pm last night and then flew here this morning. After checking into our hotel we have just visited the offices of Opportunity...

  • India Part 2 - The Chicken Whisperer

    Hi All, Today we travelled more than 2 hours south of Lucknow to visit two clients of Margdarshak (Opportunity International partner in India) to spend time to understand more about how microfinancing has impacted the quality of life of the people. Margdarshak...

  • India Part 3 - Understanding the True Micro-Finance Impact

    We had another day around the area of Lucknow, before our afternoon flight back to Delhi. We went and sat with another group of women who were able to tell us about their work. Again, some amazing stuff. We were very embarrassed as they made us sit in the...

  • India Part 4 - Micro-finance in Action in West Delhi

    Our time in Lucknow really embedded what the micro-finance approach is about. It is not just about money, it is about improving livelihoods and helping people to help themselves. What has struck us is just how profound the impact really can be in people's...

  • India Part 5 - A Bit of R&R

    So the formal part of our trip came to an end and the rest of the tour team from Opportunity International went their separate ways. Mark and I stayed on for an extra day to see some of the sights. We had come this far and so we booked a trip to Agra, where...

  • A Call to Action

    In 2011 it seems that we are all very busy just existing from day to day. Life seems to be just about putting food on the table, overcomitting personally and trying to do the best we can to 'live life' to the fullest. Nice Home, Fast Car, great school for...

  • Australia - A Land of Opportunity

    This week I got the opportunity to spend an evening with a friend of mine. I got to listeni to a story that brought tears to my eyes and pride to my heart at the same time. About 6 months ago I met an outstanding young man called Will. He's a chiropractor...

  • Celebrating 5 years of 4impacters

    Wow, what a ride! We're pleased to unveil our new website, starring 4impacters from across our business as our face to the world. In August 2010 we are celebrating five years in business. We've worked with inspiring professionals, delivered some serious projects,...

  • Divisional Champs!

    Hi All, We thought we would drop you a note to let you know that finishing on a high by beating North’s 37-0, the 4Impact U11 Blues ended the year as undefeated Division 1 premiers, and as such can unequivocally boast being the best team for their age in Brisbane...

  • India- Here we come

    Next week, my fellow Business partner, Chris and I travel to India on our first Opportunity International experience. Next week we hope to blog our movements and experiences back to you on a daily basis. I am feeling multiple emotions this week. I am a little...

  • It's Rugby Season!

    Hi Everyone, Well rugby season is off and going and I am sure that you diehards (myself included) have been travelling along regularly to watch the reds. This week I wanted to give you an update on a far more important team than them and that is the GPS Ashgrove...

  • Leveraging the NBN

    David Bartlett 4impact NBN

  • Opportunity International - Plans for 2011

    Because of Merlinda....... Click here to watch the video of Merlinda's story. Merlinda is not a woman who always lived in poverty. As a young married couple, she and her husband farmed land in the Philippines where they had an abundance – until the day...

  • People, People, People.

    You’ve heard us here at 4impact talk for a long time about the power of people and the value that they bring to the organisation. I know that Mark, I and the team are greatly concerned that modern business is ‘commoditising’ the people process...

  • Personal Brand – What do you stand for?

    Over the last few years “Personal Branding” has become something of a buzz word. Often, however, when people discuss personal branding, they focus on external factors – clothing, hair, general appearance. While this is certainly part of your personal...

  • Premiers Flood Appeal

    As part of the response to the terrible tragedy that has unfolded across Queensland over the last few weeks it is imperative that we pool the resources necessary to start the rebuilding process. The AIIA, the peak industry body of which 4impact is a member...

  • Quade Meets 4impact

    As promised, we thought we’d give you an update on some of our junior rugby teams. GPS Under 11 Blue, who 4impact sponsors, had a win over Souths on the weekend. Quade Cooper, Queensland Reds and Wallaby fly-half had heard the good oil that the boys...

  • September Fever is approaching!

    As a change of direction for me this month and as I try and go public to be acknowledged as a leading expert in all things called sport, I thought I would write a quick article to predict the winners of both the NRL and AFL codes this year. Have a crack in...

  • So What Does Having a Job Mean To You?

    So what exactly does having a job mean to you? I'm not sure if it is something that you have actually stopped to consider. Perhaps what we need to do to understand what a job really means is to ask someone who doesn't have one. I really started to get...

  • The Power of 'Hello'

    Life in 2011 is challenging. We have to work hard to pay the bills. We have to work hard to please everyone in our lives. Are we really enjoying oursleves anymore or has life gotten a little unbalanced. If you are reading this nodding, don't worry. I am betting...

  • The Power of People

    What an amazing week! - It's hard to believe what Brisbane, Queensland has just gone through. First, central Queensland was ravaged by flood through Rockhampton and then the water headed south; first to Gympie, then Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley and finally...

  • The Power of Words

    A few weeks ago I wrote a snippet about 'The Power of People'. Today I want to share a fabulous video posted on YouTube about the power of words. There is always more than one way to communicate your message to achieve the things you want to. Taking the time...

  • War for Talent- Our View

    If you ask any recruitment agency or services firm, they’ll tell you that the war is still raging on more than one front. In my opinion it will continue to do so, globally – forever. I really believe that in recent times too much investment has...

  • Why Richard Branson is my Hero

    Below is a copy of an article I wrote a couple of years ago that I thought you might enjoy, so I have repeated it here. To view the original you can head to http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Richard-Branson-is-My-Hero Overview I know he's not perfect but Sir Richard...