Bullyology shares its culture-changing messaging, virtually
After Jessica Hickman experienced first-hand the devastating impact of workplace bullying in 2017, she may have felt a bit down, but she did not let the experience define her future, in fact she dedicated her life’s work to the very cause.
Her response was to use her skills, training, and experience to form Bullyology, an organisation dedicated to helping organisations and businesses create an environment free from bullying and harassment.
Today, Jessica develops unique licensed content (sold via select third-party training organisations), delivers tailored online and in-person workshops and programs to schools and workplaces throughout Australia, and is an in-demand motivational speaker, coach, and successful author.
Going online in Orange
Before moving from Sydney to Orange in New South Wales in mid-2020, Jessica worked primarily face-to-face with her clients. However, with COVID impacting her ability to travel and run onsite workshops, and her interstate clients urging her to provide virtual events, she knew she had to move to an online format.
“My business was growing very rapidly,” says Jessica, “and the increased size, quality and geographic spread of my corporate clients, meant I needed to up my technology game.”
After watching what she assumed to be a live broadcast of The Huddle, a popular inspirational event run by a well-known local business owner for entrepreneurial women, Jess was seriously impressed by the production values. So, she contacted them. “I sent the owner a message saying, ‘that was amazing, and where did you do it?’ And then I realised it was pre-recorded, making it a seamless business strategy. So, I reached out to Mitch and Sam at CCT Productions to see what they could do for me.
“They took me for a tour of CCT, and I could immediately see how their world-class facilities could become part of my keynote pitch to my clients, raise the bar on the usual zoom experience recording, and add far more professional production values.”
A virtual godsend
Since that light bulb moment, Jessica has worked extensively with CCT to record her virtual keynote speeches and talks and to live stream them from their purpose-built The Studio, Orange.
“I have one massive client in the justice system,” says Jessica, “who needed me to make eight virtual keynote presentations to prisons across the state of Victoria. They asked me to not only present but also engage with their employees during the sessions. Over time, CCT has become so familiar with my content that they knew when to cut from my face to my slides, and switch between different cameras and screens to ensure viewers get the ultimate experience.
“This is great from my perspective, too, as the topics I discuss are workplace bullying, harassment, and workplace culture. I can share a deeply personal story about my workplace bullying without the distraction and stress of managing the technology and the screens.
“Being able to just focus on my delivery – and being prompted by the CCT team if I’m a little off my game – has been a godsend.”
A little bit of online event envy
Jessica says her clients have been impressed with the quality and sophistication of her fully branded virtual presentations.
“What highlighted the quality for me,” she says, “was a public event I did in partnership with a recruitment firm. I did it from the CCT studio, and we were joined by the public, HR practitioners, and other workplace culture experts or specialists. One of my competitors joined the call and afterwards messaged me to say that not only the topic but the studio setup was gold-class and that she needed to lift her own game!
“That feedback made me very proud of the quality I can deliver with CCT.”
A change of life through technology
Jessica’s extensive background in human resources includes running culture and mental health programs across a range of industries and organisations through to running drop-in youth centres in the UK.
“My experience of being bullied in the workplace became the catalyst for the work I do now. It’s important to me that I can reach remote and regional communities, and technology has been a bridge for that.”
Today, Jessica works from her home, a farm in regional NSW. “While I still travel to big events, I can do most of my work from home or locally (face to face) or the CCT production studio. I can offer my clients a complete, professionally produced virtual package, which is something that wouldn’t have happened pre-2020.”
Team CCT
Jessica is appreciative of the relationship she has with everyone at CCT.
“I have an excellent rapport with the team, and I love going there. I am a frequent MC (master of ceremonies) at local events, and I always feel a good deal more confident when I know that Sam and the CCT team have done the set-up and are going to be on hand.”
“They know my business well enough now to map out the technology I will need for any occasion, from setting up the AV and mics for my recent book launch, post-production work on my corporate client projects, to editing my virtual keynotes from a live presentation into bite-sized content that I can resell through my online academy.”
And with the help of CCT’s video and editing facilities, Jessica has also built up an extensive library of video content to share with the thousands of people who have already benefited from her anti-bullying message.