Meet Joel Simpson...

Joel was an aspiring athlete in his early teens competing in multiple sports at top level. He started focusing on flatwater kayaking when he was about 14. At 18 he won 3 gold and 1 silver at the Sydney Youth Olympics in 2005.

Between 2009 and 2012 Joel won 3 Australian championships and multiple silver medals while completing MBA part time at Griffith University. In 2010 and 2011 Joel was placed 9th and 8th in ICF World Cups in Germany. In 2012 he won 1 of 3 selection races for Australia to miss out on qualifying for the London Olympics after being the best Australian paddler for 3 years.

At the end of 2012 Joel started a company, Vive sleep health which grew into the largest sleep apnea service provider in Queensland, Australia. He exited that business in 2017 and moved to Singapore. Joel now works as an independent consultant for business development in the medical device industry, specifically focusing on diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. We tracked him down for a quick interview ahead of our Bravest Conference in Singapore on 30 October.

What's your golden rule?

Try to be a good person as often as possible

Who has been your biggest influence?

My wife Jo

What is your most hated business expression?

There are a lot. But serial entrepreneur probably takes the cake

How can marketers be braver?

Once a team has a great strategy, sticking to it, grinding it out in the face of external pressures. That's a pretty tough thing to do. Executing can be scary because faith in the strategy is often overrun by the fear of failure. 

What's the biggest risk you've taken in your career?

Partnered with people I don't know very well in business

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Sheryl Sandberg, she seems to make everyone around her better and seems to be self-aware more than most people are. 

What's your favourite word?

Loskop. Afrikaans word that basically means "you'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on". My wife is originally from South Africa so I've picked up some things along the way from her and her family.

Tell us a secret?  

Your family and friends are far more important than any crisis at work or anything you'll ever achieve in your career. Not sure many people know this. 

Joel Simpson is the Managing Partner of Simpson Medical and ex sprit kayaker. He will be sharing his story at our Singapore Bravest Conference on 30 October.