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Julie Bartlett
Julie Bartlett  Julie Bartlett is the CEO and co-founder of the StarJam Charitable Trust … a not-for-profit organisation offering young people with disabilities the opportunity to build confidence and character through performance. The organisation has enjoyed phenomenal success in its formative years building an impressive collection of celebrity endorsements, both here and overseas and a vast network of corporate support. This support has been directly as a result of Julie’s passion and unwavering belief that anything is possible. Julie Bartlett is one of those rare examples in the modern business world of a leader who not only ‘talks the talk’ but very much ‘walks the walk’. Her work in leading StarJam ranges from writing strategic plans to producing and directing professional stage productions. Julie has twice been nominated as Aucklander of the Year (2006, 2009) and was presented with a Living Legend award by then mayor Dick Hubbard in 2007. In December 2009 she won the Attitude Community Award recognising contributions to the disabled community and, in February 2010, StarJam was one of three finalists chosen from more than 80 nationwide nominations in the Community section of the 2010 New Zealander of the Year Awards. Also in the New Zealander of the Year Awards, Julie was one of 10 Aucklanders given to receive a Local Hero Award. Julie is regularly asked to speak to a range of different audiences detailing her achievements in the not-for-profit world, and passing on her recipes for success in attracting not only programme participants but also corporate support for her fundraising incentives. What was your first significant business experience and what did you learn from it? Back in the 70s I started an organic market garden and orchard with avocados as a feature crop. At our roadside shop, we sold bags of seven avocados, selected so that one would ripen each day of the week. These were hot sellers, and people used to drive a long way to buy them. I learnt how vital it is to provide what people want. What were some of the challenges you had to overcome on the journey to achieving your personal and corporate goals? My biggest challenge, which affected my personal and work goals, was to reframe my thoughts about achieving success. When I looked at all the leaders I admired, it appeared that they were highly qualified and/or had significant notoriety within the community. I had neither. I became successful in replacing the ‘why me’ thoughts with ‘why not me’. My current challenge is to gather enough resources, both financial and human, to provide the ever-increasing demand for StarJam’s programmes www.starjam.org I need help to get the resources to increase the number of places in our programmes because we have waiting lists. Kids with disabilities, who have limited opportunities compared to their non-disabled peers, are hungry for the chance to perform, have friends and reach their full potential. What got you through the ‘tough’ times? Remembering that during the tough times come the greatest opportunities for growth and that the tough times don’t last forever. Who are the mentors/role models that have inspired you and what important lessons have you learnt from them? I have ‘mental’ mentors I ‘consult’ in my imagination. I have them as a panel to provide answers for me and invite them to discuss the issues amongst themselves. They include Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Richard Branson and Mahatma Gandhi. (They don’t always agree!). The important lessons are all about that the only limitations are the ones we place upon ourselves. What do you think are some of the essential characteristics of a successful CEO? I think an essential skill is to be a very good tightrope walker. There are many continuums to balance for example, balancing creativity with discipline, popularity with doing the right thing, risk with reward. Then it becomes essential to be able to adjust the balance in the twinkling of an eye. What’s the best thing about being a business leader? Being in a position to influence positive changes in the lives of others. What do you think are the key differences between leading a non-profit and a for-profit organisation? I have never led a for-profit organisation and confess that it is not one of my ambitions. The bottom line for non profits is impact, which is rather more difficult to measure than money. I imagine that there is much more sensitivity required in leading non profits because there is an emotional aspect in every part of the work. How do you find the balance between your social spirit and having to be accountable in your CEO role? It was a conscious choice to create an organisation whereby everyone who becomes a part of it can, if they wish, have their day-to-day ambitions aligned with their social, emotional and spiritual goals. This is possible for everyone, from the young people with disabilities, (known as Jammers) to staff and volunteers. What were some of the core values you built StarJam on? Have these changed over time? The core values of StarJam were based on the uncommon qualities of young people with disabilities, like unconditional love, acceptance and respect. These were combined with vision values like the belief that anything is possible, abundance and empowerment. We give a copy of our values to everyone who works in the StarJam community whether they are staff, tutors or volunteers. People say they find them uplifting. These values have remained constant; rather they increasingly strengthen StarJam’s culture. Just what about your current role keeps you turned on and what have you done to ensure your team is continually motivated? At StarJam, where the Jammers dance and sing their way to a new kind of life, it’s hard not to be dedicated and passionate. I focus on reinforcing our strong values-based culture. The staff and volunteers receive love letters, texts and emails of appreciation from the Jammers and their families, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. What have you learnt about effective leadership and managing people? I’ve learnt that there is no end to how much you can learn about these. What is your strategy when it comes to engaging and managing staff? What can businesses do to attract higher calibre employees? I’m continually growing my networks of people who have a great attitude. StarJam was selected as a finalist in the 2010 New Zealander of the Year Awards in the community category. The sweet spot is where recognition of success collides with very positive people. It’s attractive to know you have an important part to play in the future in the organisation. How have you balanced your social goals with the business side of your work? I am by nature an extrovert. As I work with people all day every day, it fulfils all my social needs. Outside of work, I am happy to be quiet, so that balance is a natural one. What is the most unusual request you’ve had in your current role? I was asked to assist with the planning of the funeral for one of StarJam’s young people. This was the first death amongst our Jammers. It was a great honour but terribly, terribly sad. How important is it to have a supportive and encouraging partner at home when setting up your own business? I wonder what I could have achieved without the support of my husband. Although I am the CEO, we founded StarJam together and Roy is the one who comes up with the solutions for the most challenging situations and he’s happy for me to take the credit. I know I can rely on him for support always. I don’t think it gets better than that. He also does the laundry. How do you manage a work-life balance? This can be a big challenge. Because every minute presents the opportunity to assist another child, it’s hard not to send just one more email, then another and another. To ensure we have chill out time my husband and I have four mini holidays a year. We diarise four weekends at the beginning of each year and we each organise two mystery weekends for each other. We have a lot of fun trying to trick each other into divulging the details of the mystery; it adds to the focus on having that all important work-life balance. What are some of your current personal and business goals? One of my key business goals is to work myself out of my current role within five years so that I can have a portfolio career including governance roles in other non-profit organisations. My main personal goal is to carve out more time to spend with my family. Do you have a motto or saying by which you live your life? No, I don’t but I feed myself with inspirational quotes all the time. I like Woody Allen’s quote, “The harder I work, the luckier I get”. However, it doesn’t promote a good work-life balance! Are there any books/publications that have helped you in your career? I don’t read as much as I would like to and tend to read mainly spiritually focused books. Of the classic leadership books, I would say that Stephen Covey’s work has had the biggest impact on me. |