Journalist Sam Squiers has always been passionate about women’s sport – however, the media outlets she has worked for have not always shared her enthusiasm. So in 2014, Sam decided to build her own. Sportette launched as a news platform to highlight the incredible stories of women in sport, but as it grew and those same media outlets started mining it for ideas, Sportette morphed into a think tank and consultancy for sporting organisations wanting to improve their approach to gender equality. Af...
Jan 26, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Welcome back to 2021! In the spirit of it being summer in Australia and cricket dominating the sporting headlines, I am delighted to be bringing you my chat with former Australian test cricketer, Ed Cowan. I’ve always been fascinated by how elite athletes manage the transition out of sport and into new careers, and my guest for this episode has a lot to say on that topic. Ed Cowan is a former Australian test cricketer who made his debut for New South Wales in 2005 before going onto be selected f...
Jan 11, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Honesty in sport and purity of competition are what drive my guest for this episode, and he practices what he preaches. Jaimie Fuller is the former executive chairman of global sportswear brand, SKINS, making waves last year when he released a heartfelt mea culpa announcing the Switzerland-based company’s bankruptcy. Through Jaimie’s leadership, SKINS became a prominent defender of ethics in sport, speaking out – and loudly – about doping in cycling and making headlines for withdrawing sponsorsh...
Dec 14, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 10
She’s dressed Australian TV celebrities and even Meghan Markle, but my guest for this episode just wants every woman to feel confident and beautiful. Mother of five and Mrs Australia Globe titleholder Karen Gee launched her luxury fashion brand in 2013. Unlike many entrepreneurs who have a big vision from day one, Karen’s down to earth approach saw her taking things step by step until that moment in 2018 when the Duchess of Sussex made Karen Gee a household name (and crashed the brand’s website!...
Nov 30, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 9
When I asked my guest for this episode what his word of the day was, he said ‘sensational’ – and you could feel the positive energy flowing through the room! Ben Lucas started his career in the NRL playing for the Cronulla Sharks before moving into the fitness industry. He ran three of Australia’s most successful personal training studios, but sold them in 2012 to start a new venture with yoga trainer Kate Kendall – Flow Athletic. More of a community than just a gym, Flow Athletic offers a uniqu...
Nov 16, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Adam Jacobs is not your typical entrepreneur – in fact, the word makes him uncomfortable. A philosophical astrophysics boffin who once thought business was ‘gross’, Adam discovered the creative possibilities of commerce as a direct knife salesperson during university and switched degrees. At the age of 29, Adam gave up an international career and a prestigious MBA to launch The Iconic, then a new concept for online retail in Australia which has since risen to extraordinary success. Adam was just...
Nov 02, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 7
The early days of Phoebes Garland’s career were like something out of The Devil Wears Prada. A fashion industry stalwart with over 25 years’ experience, Phoebes started out working in fashion advertising and publishing before launching two highly successful and respected businesses with her husband, Rob – wholesale fashion agency and consultancy Garland & Garland, and lifestyle jewellery business G&G Collective. Rob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014, leading Phoebes to becom...
Oct 19, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Sam Wood shot to fame in 2015 as the Australian Bachelor, where he famously met his now-wife Snezana. Now, though, he is best known for his phenomenally successful online health and fitness program, 28 by Sam Wood. Sam got his start in the fitness industry as a skinny kid working at his uni gym before landing a spot at the biggest fitness studio in Melbourne, where he picked the brains of his successful clientele to learn the secrets of small business. He then launched the first gym franchise fo...
Oct 05, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 5
My guest for this episode is someone I’ve looked up to for many years. Raelene Castle is one of Australia’s leading sports executives, having spent the past decade and a bit as CEO of three major organisations – Netball New Zealand, NRL team the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and most recently Rugby Australia. Prior to that she climbed the corporate ladder at major NZ companies, and in 2015 she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and sport. Relentl...
Sep 22, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Parents and teachers around the world have had to grapple with remote learning this year. But imagine if your students didn’t have access to the internet or a computer at home. That’s the challenge Annabelle Chauncy had to meet – and fast – earlier this year for over 1,000 students at schools in Uganda built by her charity, the School for Life Foundation. A six-month study break teaching English in Kenya and Uganda inspired Annabelle to use the knowledge gained from her law degree to make a soci...
Sep 08, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 3
My guest for this episode is a household name for Australian foodies. A school dropout at 15, Luke Mangan discovered a love of cooking through an apprenticeship with Herman Schneider at Melbourne restaurant Two Faces. In the three decades since then, Luke has made his culinary influence felt through dozens of restaurants as well as on P&O cruise ships, Virgin Australia Business Class and on the Eastern Oriental Express. He has also released several bestselling cookbooks and his own line of p...
Aug 25, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to season two of the Influence Unlocked podcast! To kick things off I’m chatting with a rising star of Australian sport. Amy Parmenter rose to prominence in the professional netball world in 2019 after joining the Giants and rounding out a stellar debut season by winning the Rising Star Award along with the Giants’ Player of the Year. Amy is also dedicated to using her profile to support a good cause and started the Tie Dye Project a few years ago in honour of her Mum, who lost her battl...
Aug 11, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 1
My guest for the final episode of season one of the podcast has been a huge influence on my life and career, and I’m thrilled to have her on the show. Kerry Chikarovski, or Chika as she’s widely known, rose to prominence as one of the first women to hold a leadership role in Australian politics and the first woman to lead a major political party in New South Wales. Despite a lack of female role models, Kerry was determined to become a politician from a young age. She began her career as a solici...
Jun 16, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 14
As a teenage girl in the ‘90s, reading Dolly magazine every month was a special thrill – one that my guest for this episode knows well. As a teenager Marino Go set her sights on becoming the editor of Dolly magazine, a goal she achieved at the age of 23. Of course, achieving your ultimate goal so early in your career prompts the question, what’s next? Marina went on launch Australian Good Taste magazine for Woolworths before moving into the business strategy side of the media industry, with role...
Jun 02, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 13
My guest for this episode is the dictionary definition of determination, defying the odds and believing you can achieve anything if you just put your mind to it. Nathan Charles was three months old when he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) and his parents were told that he might not even make it to his 10th birthday. A rugby fan from the time he could speak, Nathan’s dream was to become a Wallaby and represent Australia. He achieved that goal at the age of 25, when he played for Australia ...
May 19, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 12
At the age of 12, Justin Dry saw his entrepreneur father lose everything. Now, Justin is the co-founder and CEO of one of Australia’s fastest growing companies, Vinomofo. He joins us for our second COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ episode, chatting to us from his home office at the dining room table, with handy access to the wine fridge and his 4-month-old daughter Matisse in the next room. Justin and his brother-in-law Andre Eikmeier launched Vinomofo from their Adelaide garage in 2011, and since then it ha...
May 05, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Welcome to episode 10 of the Influence Unlocked podcast – the first episode to be produced under social distancing restrictions! Our guest is a former child model who enjoys go karting and bouldering, but most of you would know Tim Fung as the CEO and cofounder of Airtasker, an online gig economy platform that helps users outsource their chores, errands and odd jobs. And Airtasker itself has raised plenty of cash in its eight years of operation, raising $90 million in capital and attracting inve...
Apr 21, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Ever wanted to jump on a plane and completely reinvent your life somewhere else? That’s exactly what our guest for episode 9 of Influence Unlocked did. Kyla Kirkpatrick was on a fast track to a big career in finance when she quit her job and bought a one-way ticket to Paris to study her passion, champagne. Since then she has built a huge following as ‘The Champagne Dame’ and is recognised as one of the world’s leading champagne educators, and to add even more sparkle to an already glittering car...
Apr 07, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Our guest for this episode says he’d probably be a full time ‘ski bum’ if he wasn’t doing what he’s doing today. Aaron Smith was the typical 20 something traveller – holidaying and working - in London when he came across the idea he would eventually turn into a multi-million dollar franchise. Dynamic Pilates was a growing trend in London, and when Aaron returned to Australia he knew that was what he wanted to do. However, he also returned home $20k in debt. He convinced his father to act as guar...
Mar 23, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 8
My guest for this episode of Influence Unlocked learned to bake from YouTube videos and is now a media personality in her own right and the owner of a custom design cake shop with a long list of clients including cruise companies, sporting organisations, celebrity chefs and major corporate companies. Daniella Boutros left school at 16 after struggling with severe dyslexia. She presented her parents with a savvy proposition to open a business, but despite its success she closed it at 20 to become...
Mar 09, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This episode’s guest chose ‘sharing’ as his word of the day and he really delivers on that front. Fred Schebesta is perhaps best known as the co-founder of one of the world’s leading comparison websites, Finder.com. He’s a serial entrepreneur, author and media commentator who sold his first business for $1.36 million and made his debut on the AFR Young Rich List in 2019 at number 22. Fred is also the co-founder of Finder Ventures, Finder’s venture capital arm, and cryptocurrency exchange HiveEx....
Feb 24, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6
On this episode is one of the most creative, outgoing people I know, so it’s hard to believe she spent seven years in the world of tax law before going after her passion. Lisa Teh is the cofounder of CODI Agency, a content and digital marketing agency focused on lifestyle brands with offices in both Melbourne and New York. Lisa and her business partner, Thom Whilton, took their first steps into creative entrepreneurship in 2011 with Couturing, an online fashion, beauty and lifestyle platform. In...
Feb 10, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 5
This episode’s guest has taught me a lot about putting in the work and showing up with confidence. For over twenty five years Shelly Horton has had an exciting and diverse career as a journalist and presenter across television, print, digital and radio. As someone who grew up in a small country town called Kingaroy in Queensland, Shelly’s story is not only a great example of how to get your dream job but also how to keep fighting for what you want when others might be trying to bring you down. F...
Jan 27, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 4
This is Episode 3 and our first episode for the year 2020. And I don’t think there is a better way to kick it off than with Taryn Williams, one of Australia’s most popular female entrepreneurs and digital influencers. Taryn is the epitome of ‘influence and personal branding done right’. She is a long standing client and supporter of The PR Hub, and someone I consider myself very fortunate to call a friend. At the age of fifteen, Taryn was scouted by a modelling agency, and began working on inter...
Jan 13, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 3
My guest for episode two of the Influence Unlocked podcast lists ‘university drop out’ on his LinkedIn profile. He’s also made the AFR Young Rich List for four years running. Nick Bell is a serial entrepreneur who launched his digital marketing agency WME Australia from his bedroom in 2008 and went on to sell it for a cool $39 million in 2017. In the past decade he has built ten digital agencies including his latest venture, Removify, and a personal fortune of $217 million, with close to 1,000 s...
Dec 18, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In the first episode of Influence Unlocked I speak to one of Australia’s top young serial entrepreneurs, Gretta van Riel – influencer marketing queen, self-made millionaire and member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. At the age of 22 and with only $24 in her bank account, Gretta launched her first startup, SkinnyMe Tea. After selling over 11 million cups of tea worldwide in 5 years and winning the Shopify Build-A-Business competition in 2013, Gretta went on to create four more multi-million dolla...
Dec 09, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 1
