We have some amazing people working here at Soda Inc. and our CE Erin Wansbrough is no exception! She is exceptional! In this Q&A style staff profile you will get to learn about Erins' favourite books (she can’t pick just one!), the craziest thing she has ever done (in snippets, it requires a bit of guessing), what animal she would be if she could, and much more.
Who inspires you?
People who have risen above hardship or turned their life around from a circumstance. There are so many in life, business and history. Their courage to stand up when others would stay face down and to push the limits of their current reality to create the future they believe in. Dr Paul Wood is a quiet New Zealander who I think personifies this tenacity and bravery.
What’s the best concert you ever attended?
My first concert, the whole experience blew my mind. The Cure, Wish Tour, 1992.
If you could be any animal, which would you be and why?
A loud, plump and proud Tui. Their character, spirit and unique yet understated beauty always makes me smile.
What’s your favourite business book/podcast?
I read a lot and tend to “geek out” on business content. I will “overshare” on this question and give you my top 4 business books from 2018:
- Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. The Zappos and how they build such a strong and differentiating culture.
- Legacy by James Kerr. It is all about the importance of traction, traction, traction
- Measure what matters by Jonn Doerr. Start small, stay focused and dominate. OKRs all the way.
- The Hard thing about the Hard things by Ben Horowitz. Why? As an entrepreneur, the struggle is hard and real. Expect and embrace it, things will go wrong, you will make mistakes and fail, and you will also invent new ways of failing.
What are you passionate about?
Live your life, not the one you think you are supposed to live. Take risks.
What’s your favourite movie?
I measure a good movie as one you would watch repeatedly, one that never gets boring. By my standards, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Life is Beautiful (1997) and anything by Quentin Tarantino would all rate as a “good movie”.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
I can’t say as I have not told my mother yet. It does involve a boogey board; Victoria Falls; a grade 5 rapid known as the toilet bowl and a hungry crocodile.
What are you currently watching on Netflix?
Narcos. Columbian drug king pins of the 1980s. You just couldn’t make that storyline up.
If you could visit anywhere in the world you’ve never been before, where would it be?
Alaska.
Which four people, living or dead, would you most like to eat dinner with? What kind of dinner party would it be?
Whanau all the way. I would love to get to meet and chat to many of the colourful characters that walked this earth before me. There are some curious and eccentric stories to be told.
If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Turquoise.