Hello!
My name is Brad Howarth, and I help people tell their stories.
For more than 25 years I’ve told other people’s stories through my work as a writer for publications in Australia and overseas. Much of this time has been spent telling stories from the technology, digital media, and marketing industries as the IT editor and marketing editor for BRW, but I’ve also found time to explore more far-flung ideas, such as the plight of child soldiers in Northern Uganda, or the lives of Australian expats trying to make it big in Hollywood.
These days my experience as a professional storyteller is being put to use in training others to improve their communications skills. I’ve created a series of workshops that can help improve anyone’s communications and storytelling abilities, from sales teams to senior executives. These include workshops for improving communications skills for media engagements, presentations, and crisis communications. I also run group sessions for executives and sales teams where I explore the power of storytelling as a means to influence how people think, feel and behave. These sessions can be tailored for specific needs ranging from one-on-one coaching, to small group sessions or entire teams.
This experience with finding and telling stories is something I have been able to translate to large scale events, and I am often now called on to tell stories of technology-driven change for conferences and other events. Rather than simply telling tales of the possible future, my presentations focus on having audience members contemplate what their place in that future might be, and the steps they can take today that will help ensure they live the best possible version of that future life.
My work as a writer and researcher also sees me leading workshops and group discussions focused on societal and business change. I’ve always been fascinated by the ways different industries and business operate, and my investigations often seem me diving into the various issues that are unique and shared across industries.
For more information on my speaking and facilitating work, check out my page at my agency, Saxton Speakers Bureau.
And I’ve written or co-authored four books. The first was a study on the Australian startup ecosystem, called Innovation and Emerging Markets, which written way back in 2004, long before startups were cool. The second book, titled A Faster Future, was co-authored with Janelle Ledwidge and investigated the evolution of broadband applications and services and the impact they will have on business, society and individuals.
Two years ago I co-authored the book Managing for Change, in partnership with Peter Fritz AM. Managing for Change sought to assist people to create a better path through life by understanding change and how to wield it to their advantage. Managing for Change is available from Booktopia or in ebook format from Amazon. Peter and I then teamed up again in 2019 to investigate Australia’s innovation system, and the output of that study can be found in our latest book, Innovation is for Everyone.
I also still find time to write the occasional article, and you’ll find links to some of my recent stories on this blog.
Lead page photo credit – Victor Perton – taken at G20 Agenda for Growth: Opportunities for SMEs – 20 June 2014, Parliament House, Melbourne