Chief Change Officer Podcast Summary

Episode: Change Fatigue? Tigerhall CEO Nellie Wartoff Has the Cure — Part One
Host: Vince Chan
Guest: Nelly Wartoff, CEO of Tigerhall
Release Date: February 6, 2025

Introduction to the Guest

Vince Chan welcomes Nelly Wartoff, the Founder and CEO of Tigerhall, highlighting her extensive cross-cultural experience, particularly in Asia and her recent base in the US. Vince notes that this episode is part one of a two-part series focusing on navigating cultural differences, understanding why most change initiatives fail, and strategies to set up for success.

Nelly Wartoff’s Journey and Background

Nelly shares her personal and professional journey, originating from a small village in southern Sweden. Driven by a desire for professional growth and cultural exposure, she moved to Singapore at 18. Her early fascination with Asia was sparked by her proactive approach to learning English and exploring international media, which broadened her horizons about the continent's diversity.

Nelly Wartoff (04:01):
"I wanted to get out as quickly as I could for professional reasons and cultural reasons and decided to move to Asia on my 18th birthday."

Her career began at McDonald's in Sweden at 14, providing her with foundational experiences in leadership, high-paced environments, and commercial endeavors. These experiences shaped her professional passions: maintaining a fast pace, engaging in commercial activities, and leading teams effectively. After McDonald's, Nelly spent over four years at Michael Page in recruitment, where her competitive drive led her to implement the "7-11 shift," working from 7 AM to 11 PM, which resulted in her becoming the top biller in her region.

Nelly Wartoff (10:50):
"I started implementing my 7-11 shift, which means be at the office at 7am in the morning and don't leave before 11pm at night... and became number one in the region the second year I was there."

Building Resilience

Vince delves into the topic of resilience, drawing parallels between their own experiences in high-pressure environments and the necessity of resilience in both personal and professional lives. Nelly emphasizes that resilience is developed through overcoming difficult times, likening it to building muscle through consistent effort.

Nelly Wartoff (16:28):
"There is no such thing as building resilience without going through hard times. It's like how are you going to build any abs or biceps if you're not doing push-ups or sit-ups."

She discusses the importance of identity in fostering resilience, advocating for an internal sense of self that isn't tied to external factors like job titles or societal roles. By identifying as a resilient person committed to continuous learning and hard work, individuals can maintain strength irrespective of external circumstances.

Nelly Wartoff (20:02):
"For me, I've built it on resilience, on always learning, always trying my best, always working hard, always having good intentions. So that's who I am."

Introduction to Tigerhall

Nelly introduces Tigerhall as a solution for large enterprises struggling to engage employees during significant transformations such as mergers, acquisitions, or technology implementations. She outlines the common pitfalls of traditional communication methods—overwhelming emails, ineffective intranet posts, and disjointed messages from leadership—that lead to employee confusion and disengagement.

Nelly Wartoff (21:45):
"There's this huge disconnect between large enterprises, change, transformation, the people that are trying to make this transformation happen, and then the thousands and thousands of people on the ground."

Tigerhall addresses these challenges by transforming static content into engaging, localized formats like podcasts. This approach ensures that communication is accessible and relevant across different languages and regions. Additionally, the platform allows for targeted audience segmentation, integrates seamlessly into existing workflows (e.g., Microsoft Teams), and facilitates a two-way feedback loop between employees and change leaders. Comprehensive analytics provide insights into employee engagement and sentiment, enabling more agile and effective change management strategies.

Nelly Wartoff (21:45):
"Instead of having all of these PDFs and emails and mass communication that people don't really read, you can upload that and it turns into a podcast in the local language of the person who's listening to it."

The Genesis of Tigerhall

When asked about the motivation behind founding Tigerhall, Nelly succinctly expresses her frustration with traditional communication tools, specifically SharePoint.

Nelly Wartoff (26:27):
"I hate SharePoint. I think it's the most awful way of communicating."

She identifies a clear gap in how large organizations manage change communications and leverages her experience to create a more effective, technology-driven solution.

Conclusion and Teaser for Part Two

Vince acknowledges the shared values of being adventurous and driven by growth, highlighting the importance of authentic identity in building resilience. He previews the next episode, where Nelly will delve deeper into the founding of Tigerhall, navigating cultural differences across regions, and strategies to ensure successful change initiatives.

Vince Chan (26:22):
"In part two, Nelly will continue sharing her story of starting Tigerhall, how she navigates the cultural differences across three regions, and why most change initiatives fail, and how to set up for success."

Vince concludes by inviting listeners to subscribe, leave reviews, and follow him on social media for more insightful discussions.

Notable Quotes:

1. Nelly Wartoff (04:01):
   "I wanted to get out as quickly as I could for professional reasons and cultural reasons and decided to move to Asia on my 18th birthday."

2. Nelly Wartoff (10:50):
   "I started implementing my 7-11 shift... and became number one in the region the second year I was there."

3. Nelly Wartoff (16:28):
   "There is no such thing as building resilience without going through hard times."

4. Nelly Wartoff (20:02):
   "For me, I've built it on resilience, on always learning, always trying my best, always working hard, always having good intentions."

5. Nelly Wartoff (21:45):
   "Instead of having all of these PDFs and emails and mass communication that people don't really read, you can upload that and it turns into a podcast in the local language of the person who's listening to it."

6. Nelly Wartoff (26:27):
   "I hate SharePoint. I think it's the most awful way of communicating."

This episode offers a comprehensive look into the challenges of managing change within large organizations and presents Tigerhall as an innovative solution to bridge the communication gap. Nelly Wartoff’s insights into resilience and authentic identity provide valuable lessons for listeners navigating their own professional and personal transformations.