--- title: 🎙️ From Chopstick Party Skills to Elite Leadership description: Michelle O’Keeffe shares insights on authentic leadership and people-first strategies in The Courage to Lead interview series. Discover how her unconventional journey drives real business success. image: https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.engaging.io/blog/from-chopstick-party-skills-to-elite-leadership#main-content) [![logo](https://www.engaging.io/hs-fs/hubfs/eio-2026/eio-web-2026/logo.png?width=120&height=32&name=logo.png) ![Engaging Logo](https://www.engaging.io/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Engaging-2025/images/site-logo-pack/engaging-logo-2026-pink.png?width=120&name=engaging-logo-2026-pink.png)](https://www.engaging.io) - SOLUTIONS↓ - [Fragmented customer systems Teams and data pulling in different directions](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/fragmented-customer-systems) - [Adoption and optimisation Get the value the investment promised](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/crm-adoption-and-optimisation) - [CRM replacement and consolidation Move off, or bring together, what you have](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/crm-replacement-and-consolidation) - [AI readiness Know what your data and processes can support](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/ai-readiness) - [Customer data and integration One reliable view across your systems](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/customer-data-and-integration) - SERVICES↓ - [AI services](https://www.engaging.io/services/ai-services) - [Custom integrations and configuration](https://www.engaging.io/services/custom-hubspot-integrations-and-system-sync-solutions) - [CRM migration and onboarding](https://www.engaging.io/services/crm-migration-to-hubspot-onboarding-implementation-services) - [Custom membership portals](https://www.engaging.io/services/custom-hubspot-membership-portals-secure-self-service-platforms) - [Data migrations](https://www.engaging.io/services/crm-hubspot-data-migrations) - [Data cleansing](https://www.engaging.io/services/data-cleansing) - [Data lakes and architecture](https://www.engaging.io/services/enterprise-data-lake-architecture-build) - [Digital transformation and change management](https://www.engaging.io/services/digital-transformation-services-change-management) - [Websites](https://www.engaging.io/services/hubspot-cms-websites) - INDUSTRIES↓ - [Sports and Entertainment](https://www.engaging.io/sports-and-entertainment) - [Travel and Experiences](https://www.engaging.io/experience-and-travel) - [Property and Real Estate](https://www.engaging.io/property-development-and-real-estate) - [Healthcare](https://www.engaging.io/medical-and-health) - [Education](https://www.engaging.io/education) - [Member-Based Organisations](https://www.engaging.io/restaurants-and-clubs) - [Finance](https://www.engaging.io/finance) - PRODUCTS↓ - [JinnSync](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/jinnsync) - [MailSync](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/mailsync) - [Real Estate Syncer](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/real-estate-syncer) - [OUR WORK](https://www.engaging.io/case-studies) - [INSIGHTS](https://www.engaging.io/blog) - [ABOUT](https://www.engaging.io/about-us) - [CONTACT](https://www.engaging.io/contact-us) [Blogs](https://www.engaging.io/blog) # 🎙️ From chopstick party skills to elite leadership: Michelle O’Keeffe featured on the courage to lead interview series By Kiara Robinson on Sep 16, 2025 Narrate this article 🎙️ From Chopstick Party Skills to Elite Leadership 1:38 ![](https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash.jpg) In the latest episode of *The Courage to Lead* interview series, host Allan Sicard sits down with our CEO, Michelle O’Keeffe, for an honest and inspiring conversation about what it truly means to lead with people at the centre. Michelle’s leadership journey is anything but conventional — from learning “chopstick party” skills as a budding entrepreneur in her early twenties, to now leading one of the world’s top **HubSpot Elite Partner agencies**, her path has been fuelled by courage, curiosity, and a commitment to building something different. In this episode, Michelle shares how vulnerability became her superpower, why values must live beyond a slide deck, and how leading with authenticity has helped shape the culture at Engaging.io. Some highlights from the episode: - 💡 The business case for **putting people first** (spoiler: it drives real results) - 🧠 How to create **psychologically safe teams** that thrive - 🌍 The art of leading globally while staying grounded in purpose It’s no coincidence that under Michelle’s leadership, Engaging.io was recently recognised as one of **Australia’s Top 10 Great Places to Work** for 2024–2025 — and landed in the **Top 3 in the tech sector**. Her people-first philosophy isn’t just aspirational — it’s operational. This episode is packed with leadership gold for business owners, team leads, and aspiring changemakers alike. 🎧 [Listen now](https://allansicard.com/leadership-insights-with-michelle-okeeffe-putting-people-first/) to hear the full conversation. At Engaging.io, we believe tech is only as powerful as the people behind it — and that great leadership turns good ideas into world-class experiences. #### Other Blogs #### [You've heard about lead generation but what about lead management? Michelle O'Keeffe Sep 30, 2025 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/youve-heard-about-lead-generation-but-what-about-lead-management) #### [The Ultimate Guide to Lead Scoring: Benefits & Best Practices Brian Mitrof Sep 16, 2025 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-lead-scoring-benefits-best-practices) #### [How to easily configure HSTS for super secure SSL Ralph Vugts Sep 30, 2025 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/how-to-easily-configure-hsts-for-super-secure-ssl) ### Get in touch, We love to talk [![logo-footer](https://www.engaging.io/hs-fs/hubfs/eio-2026/eio-web-2026/logo-footer.png?width=120&height=32&name=logo-footer.png)](https://www.engaging.io/) Customer systems transformation for complex organisations. Australia, New Zealand and North America, since 2009. Sydney • Melbourne • Auckland Christchurch • Denver • Oklahoma Find out what's holding your customer systems back. [GET IN TOUCH](https://www.engaging.io/contact-us) ## SOLUTIONS - [Fragmented Customer Systems](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/fragmented-customer-systems) - [CRM Replacement and Consolidation](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/crm-replacement-and-consolidation) - [Customer Data and Integration](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/customer-data-and-integration) - [Adoption and Optimisation](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/crm-adoption-and-optimisation) - [AI Readiness](https://www.engaging.io/solutions/ai-readiness) ## SERVICES - [AI Services](https://www.engaging.io/services/ai-services) - [Custom Integrations & Configuration](https://www.engaging.io/services/custom-hubspot-integrations-and-system-sync-solutions) - [CRM Migration & Onboarding](https://www.engaging.io/services/crm-migration-to-hubspot-onboarding-implementation-services) - [Custom Membership Portals](https://www.engaging.io/services/custom-hubspot-membership-portals-secure-self-service-platforms) - [Data Migrations](https://www.engaging.io/services/crm-hubspot-data-migrations) - [Data Cleansing](https://www.engaging.io/services/data-cleansing) - [Data Lakes & Architecture](https://www.engaging.io/services/enterprise-data-lake-architecture-build) - [Digital Transformation & Change Management](https://www.engaging.io/services/digital-transformation-services-change-management) - [Websites](https://www.engaging.io/services/hubspot-cms-websites) ## INDUSTRIES - [Sports and entertainment](https://www.engaging.io/sports-and-entertainment) - [Travel and Experiences](https://www.engaging.io/experience-and-travel) - [Property and Real Estate](https://www.engaging.io/property-development-and-real-estate) - [Medical and health](https://www.engaging.io/medical-and-health) - [Education](https://www.engaging.io/education) - [Restaurant and clubs](https://www.engaging.io/restaurants-and-clubs) - [Finance](https://www.engaging.io/finance) ## PRODUCTS - [JinnSync](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/jinnsync) - [MailSync](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/mailsync) - [Real Estate Syncer](https://www.engaging.io/our-products/real-estate-syncer) ## COMPANY - [About](https://www.engaging.io/about-us) - [Our Works](https://www.engaging.io/case-studies) - [Insights](https://www.engaging.io/blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.engaging.io/contact-us) - [Privacy Policy & Terms of Service](https://www.engaging.io/privacy-and-terms) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Kiara Robinson", "url" : "https://www.engaging.io/blog/author/kiara-robinson" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-01T05:39:38.621Z", "datePublished" : "2025-09-16T01:44:40.000Z", "headline" : "🎙️ From Chopstick Party Skills to Elite Leadership", "image" : [ "https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.engaging.io/blog/from-chopstick-party-skills-to-elite-leadership", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/Engaging-Logo-2026.png" }, "name" : "Engaging.io" } } ```