The PlayFull Podcast with Kristine Michie: Bringing Fun to the Serious Work of Changing the World -

Mar 21 2024 38 mins

In this episode you’ll meet Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, who’s worked and played with global luminaries like Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Peter Gabriel, and Desmond Tutu, using joy and fun to crack the code on solving the world’s biggest problems.

You’ll hear inside scoop on how her boss, Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson, prefers pranks and practical jokes to Power Points, and how together they’re uncovering what’s unacceptable and turning it upside down.

And finally, she shares the magic of her life’s many “disruptive detours,” and how those twists and turns have led her straight to the heart of what matters most.

Listen in as Kristine and Jean discuss:

How joy is the only renewable resource.
How comfort is the enemy of change.
Why it’s better to play than work after lunch.
Why changemakers shouldn’t feel bad about playing when things are hard.

Key Takeaways:

Fair and unfair is subjective. Instead, identify that which is unacceptable and turn it on its head.
Play creates space to listen in a deeper way.
Joy and play can relieve tension and nerves. It can break the ice and build your confidence. Adding moments of joy will make the moments of stress lighter and easier to handle.
Play, joy, and connection are a pathway to change, not the enemy of change.
Don’t want to get stuck in your comfort zones. Instead, play with purpose even if at first it’s uncomfortable.
Stepping back from the world’s problems is not an option; play and joy will keep us moving forward together.

"Sometimes we think it's frivolous to play. In reality, play helps make the runway faster to those solutions. It helps ease the runway. It helps us trust each other, and makes us want to work together." — Jean Oelwang

About Jean Oelwang, Founding CEO of Virgin Unite, Co-founder Plus Wonder:

Jean is a Collaborations Architect and the founding CEO of Virgin Unite. Over the last 19 years, she has worked with partners to lead the incubation and start-up of several global initiatives, including: The Elders, The B Team, The Carbon War Room, The Africa Donor Collective, Ocean Unite (now ORRAA), The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator, 100% Human at Work, and several others.

Jean spent seventeen years helping lead mobile phone companies in South Africa, Colombia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and the US. She was the joint CEO of Virgin Mobile in Australia prior to starting Virgin Unite.

She co-founded the not-for-profit Plus Wonder to spark more meaningful deep connections and collaborations in the world. She is the author of the new book, Partnering.

Resources Mentioned: