Socially conscious leaders, who live purposefully, are the role models we need.
For 25 years Naomi has been bringing people together whether it’s with her experience businesses, her speaking or writing. She is a strong advocate of business owners.
Known as entrepreneur and business leader; following the growth of RedBalloon which she founded in 2001, Naomi co-founded the Big Red Group (BRG) in 2017.
Naomi had a corporate career with Apple, KPMG, IBM and Ansett Australia prior to becoming an entrepreneur. She is a prolific blogger, podcaster and business commentator, and appeared as the #RedShark in four seasons of Shark Tank Australia.
She is a non-executive director at Big Red Group, Australian Payments Plus, Colonial First State and Weebit Nano. As well as the Cerebal Palsy Research Foundation, the University of Melbourne Business and Economics Faculty and is on the Advisory Board of UTS.
A true business leader and influencer, with more than 2.8 million LinkedIn followers, Naomi's gift is my ability to share insights, experience and observations about business, innovation and success. She has authored two best-selling books Live What You Love, and Ready to Soar, and is an engaging, humorous and insightful speaker. She has four seasons of her Podcast – Handpicked.
Naomi is relatable across a broad variety of audiences and topics, often drawing on her personal experiences to provide thoughtful and valuable views into topics; including the customer obsession, intentional leadership, growth mindset, personal development.
Talking Points
The AI Advantage: Your Practical Guide to Supercharging Business
In today's fast-evolving landscape, understanding AI is no longer optional—it's essential for survival and growth. As one of Australia's leading voices on innovation and the future of work, Naomi Simson cuts through the hype and the fear. She delivers a jargon-free, entertaining, and profoundly practical exploration of how to make AI a powerful ally for your business. Many leaders are uncertain about AI, viewing it with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Naomi demystifies the technology, presenting it not as a threat but as a tool to unlock unprecedented productivity and creativity. This is not a technical manual; it’s a strategic playbook. Your audience will leave with a clear framework for using AI to make smarter decisions, empower their teams, and build a lasting competitive edge in the new digital age.The AI Advantage: Your Practical Guide to Supercharging Business
Perfect for: Leaders, business owners, and teams across all industries looking to understand how they could work differently
The Wellbeing Advantage: The Secret to a Sustainable & Successful Business
“Work life balance” is something that Naomi will challenge – life is rarely in balance; it's the single biggest barrier to innovation and success. She challenges our thinking on how we set priorities to also ensure the health and energy of the team is at the forefront. Drawing on her own powerful story of facing entrepreneurial exhaustion, Naomi Simson delivers a compelling and honest session on building resilience, mastering mindset, and prioritising wellbeing as a core business strategy. She provides a practical toolkit filled with hard-won life lessons that leaders can implement immediately. This powerful keynote demonstrates with unshakeable clarity how investing in physical and mental wellbeing directly impacts creativity, decision-making, and employee retention. It is a vital wake-up call for any organisation looking to build a truly sustainable and successful future.The Wellbeing Advantage: The Secret to a Sustainable & Successful Business
Perfect for: Business owners, senior leaders, HR professionals, and any team feeling the pressure of too much to do, too little time.
The New Leadership Playbook: Leading with Influence, Not Authority
The old top-down, command-and-control style of leadership is long gone. In a world of hybrid work and constant change, today's greatest leaders are those who inspire, connect, and empower their people. As a renowned leadership speaker, Naomi Simson unpacks her powerful "4 C's" leadership framework: Clarity, Capability, Confidence, and Commitment. This isn't abstract theory; it's a practical toolkit for building trust, fostering psychological safety, and creating a culture of ownership. Naomi's session equips leaders with the skills to move beyond managing tasks to mentoring talent, unlocking the true potential of their people and building a team that is engaged, motivated, and aligned.The New Leadership Playbook: Leading with Influence, Not Authority
Perfect for: Current and emerging leaders, C-suite executives, and organisations navigating cultural transformation and a changing work environment.
Customer Obsessed: How to Win Hearts and Build Lifelong Loyalty
In a world of endless choice and noise, how does a business truly stand out? The answer is to stop selling and start connecting. As a top-rated customer experience speaker and the founder of one of Australia's most beloved brands, RedBalloon, Naomi Simson delivers a powerful and refreshing framework for creating genuine human connection. This keynote moves beyond theory to uncover the practical steps for understanding your customers' true needs, listening at scale, and building an unbeatable customer-centric culture from the inside out. Your team will leave with actionable strategies to transform satisfied clients into passionate, vocal advocates for your brand, driving sustainable growth and creating unshakeable loyalty.Customer Obsessed: How to Win Hearts and Build Lifelong Loyalty
Perfect for: Marketing leaders, sales teams, customer experience (CX) professionals, and any business wanting to drive growth by creating unforgettable experiences.
The Growth Playbook: A Founder's Guide to Scaling Up
Growth isn't magic; it's a mindset backed by a proven system. As one of Australia's most sought-after business growth speakers, Naomi Simson demystifies the path from a great idea to a thriving enterprise. Drawing on her incredible journey building RedBalloon from a spare room into a household name, this presentation is a high-energy, high-impact masterclass in entrepreneurship and commercial innovation. This session is not just for startups—its lessons on agility, opportunity, and execution inspire and energise leaders in organisations of all sizes. Your audience will leave with a structured, practical, and proven approach to drive sustainable growth and build a truly scalable business.The Growth Playbook: A Founder's Guide to Scaling Up
Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, sales, innovators, and corporate teams tasked with driving new revenue streams and market expansion.
Intentional Leadership: How to Build a Culture People Want to Be a Part Of
A great company culture is the ultimate competitive advantage, yet it remains elusive for so many. As a leading Australian leadership speaker and a celebrated "Best Employer" award winner, Naomi Simson reveals that an exceptional culture doesn't happen by chance—it's built with intention. This keynote unpacks the practical framework for building a resilient, positive, and high-performing team. Naomi explores how to lead with empathy, foster the psychological safety needed for innovation, and drive accountability without fear. This session provides leaders with the tools to dramatically increase employee engagement, inspire exceptional teamwork, and build a magnetic culture that the best people want to be a part of.Intentional Leadership: How to Build a Culture People Want to Be a Part Of
Perfect for: Senior leaders, HR executives, and growing businesses focused on attracting and retaining top talent.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset: From Idea to Reality
Every great business starts as a spark of an idea. But what turns that spark into a fire? This keynote is Naomi Simson's origin story and her playbook, rolled into one powerful session. She shares the raw, honest, and often humorous lessons from starting with nothing to building a multi-million dollar enterprise. This is the ultimate dose of inspiration backed by real-world, practical advice. The presentation covers everything from finding your 'why' and validating your idea to the art of the pitch and the resilience needed to overcome setbacks. Your audience will leave feeling energised, empowered, and with a clear understanding of what it truly takes to bring a big idea to life.The Entrepreneurial Mindset: From Idea to Reality
Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, innovators, association conferences, and anyone within an organisation who needs to think more creatively and build momentum around a new idea.
Unforgettable Marketing: Building a Brand That Customers Love
In a crowded market, shouting about your product is no longer enough. You have to build a brand that people connect with on an emotional level. In this keynote, Naomi takes your audience on the journey of building one of Australia's most beloved and recognised brands, RedBalloon. She shares practical strategies on the power of authentic storytelling, the art of creating exceptional customer experiences, and the secrets to creating marketing that people actually welcome and engage with. This session will inspire your team to move beyond transactional tactics and start building a truly unforgettable brand.Unforgettable Marketing: Building a Brand That Customers Love
Perfect for: Marketing teams, brand managers, sales leaders, and business owners wanting to create a powerful and enduring brand presence.
Live What You Love: From Personal Passion to Powerful Purpose
In the frantic rush of our daily lives, it's far too easy to lose sight of what truly matters. This is the ultimate keynote for any audience needing a powerful injection of energy, perspective, and heartfelt motivation. As one of Australia's most sought-after inspirational speakers, Naomi delivers a session that is part memoir, part masterclass in finding meaning in work and life. Drawing on the timeless lessons from her bestselling book, Live What You Love, this is a funny, moving, and deeply resonant journey. Your audience will leave feeling energised, entertained, and with a renewed sense of purpose, ready to play a bigger game.Live What You Love: From Personal Passion to Powerful Purpose
Perfect for: This will have broad appeal to any audience needing a powerful, unifying message of inspiration and human potential.
Video
Naomi Simson | Introduction
Naomi Simson is an entrepreneur, Shark on Shark Tank Australia, serial investor, founder of Australian tech success story RedBalloon and co-founder of The Big Red Group. Naomi is also a prolific keynote speaker, blogger, bestselling author and LinkedIn Influencer, being the 7th most followed woman on LinkedIn with over 2 million followers.The Experience Economy: Riding a rising tide
As one of Australia's most prominent entrepreneurs, Naomi Simson is the co-founder of the Big Red Group. BRG houses a number of brands including RedBalloon, Adrenaline, Lime&Tonic, Albert AI (Marketics) and Redii.com with the purpose of shifting the way people experience life. Having founded RedBalloon in 2001, Naomi is a pioneer of online marketplaces and the Experience Economy. RedBalloon is one of Australia's great entrepreneurial success stories with Hitwise identifying the business as the third largest experience marketplace in the world. Naomi is passionate, inspiring and determined - a colourful speaker with rich and vivid stories - she challenges audiences to think differently and is one of Australia's most sought-after speakers.Saxton Fireside Chat with Entrepreneur & Business Leader Naomi Simson
The exchange of stories and ideas is more important now than ever. In this bi-weekly series of virtual Fireside Chats you can gain unprecedented access to the world's greatest storytellers and thought leaders. In this intimate session, Naomi Simson talks about the road to recovery and the changes to our lifestyles and workplaces that will remain post-COVID-19.Audio
Naomi has a unique ability to connect strategic thinking to practical tools and tactics that both large corporates and small businesses can implement. Taking people on a journey and telling ... keep reading City of Sydney
There was so much about Naomi's session that really resonated. Naomi's authenticity and her lessons around the importance of engaging and empowering our people, listening to our customers, knowing yourself and the role of leadership were all talked about for the remaining days of our conference. It was such a great talk around the importance of vision and values and the feedback I got afterwards from the team was overwhelmingly positive. We loved all of it and are very fortunate to have had Naomi at our session.
Naomi Simson launched our REIV Breakfast Club series. Naomi is a passionate speaker with a clear message about experiences. Experiences that occur with your brand, your people & your customers. Naomi shared with us her story and along the way got the room to understand key messages around how are people were experiencing their brand and service, that clients want dialogue and interactions and that marketing is a way of being. No one can have the greatest business in the world without the greatest people and how your employees speak about you is how your brand is perceived. In this current tight labour market Naomi's message was a key one for all managers and business owners. As she says in her book happy people = happy customers = happy profits.
Naomi was a dynamic, energetic and passionate speaker. She presented powerful and clear messages that not only resonated because they were personal accounts, but also provided a refreshing and honest viewpoint. It was also incredibly exciting to see a female all-rounder who has persevered and achieved such amazing success. Naomi was easy to work with, not demanding at all, and is definitely someone we would love to have join us again.
In a sea of potential presenters, Naomi Simson is one of the best there is. During her keynote she created considerable interest with RedBalloon and other examples, but also demonstrated a deep knowledge of business, people and organisational issues that people at management level related to and were able to learn from. There was an overwhelming sense of warmth and satisfaction after the events, much of it based on Naomi being a living example of what she preaches and putting it within reach of others.
Animated, dynamic, amusing ... Naomi personifies RedBalloon's culture. At a Hudson Human Resources celebration, Naomi's candid insights, self-deprecating humour and unapologetic passion for her business kept the audience engaged, entertained and challenged to think differently. I highly recommend Naomi as an inspirational speaker.
Naomi Simson's closing keynote was a standout success, with 94% of attendees rating it as 'Very Valuable.' Feedback from our event survey highlighted her session as a conference highlight, with comments like, "Naomi Simson was a great speaker, and inspiring." Her impact resonated far and wide, with numerous attendees and sponsors tagging her in LinkedIn recaps. Our CEO, Noel Allnutt, even made a point to thank her personally, expressing how inspiring her insights were to him as a fellow entrepreneur. We are grateful to have had Naomi with us at Sekuro this year—her presentation truly elevated our event.
