---
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
---

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# 🎙️ 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

#### [Data Migrations + 2 more A decision guide: when to build vs. buy your HubSpot integration Melissa Erickson Sep 14, 2026 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/a-decision-guide-when-to-build-vs.-buy-your-hubspot-integration)

#### [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)

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