Straight Talk with Mark Bouris

Mentored.com.au•mentored.com.au

Too often, we avoid real conversations. Entrepreneur Mark Bouris sits down and gets to know people, understands what makes them tick, and shares the great and unusual things they’re doing. There’s no sugar coating. There’s no hiding behind fancy marketing slogans. Just an honest conversation.

Last refreshed: June 18th, 2026 at 8:09 AM

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Pro Boxer Liam Paro on Fighting for a World Title, Redemption & Dealing with Adversity

Liam Paro is an Australia's leading professional boxer who is fighting for the IBF Welterweight World Title on June 24, and he's never been more ready. Exclusive to Main Event on Kayo Sports – next Wednesday on the 24th! Purchase the PPV here : https://kayosports.com.au/en-AU/welcome/ppv/paro-v-crocker?extcamp=parovcrockerorgsoc-soc-kyo-lnk-kayo-acq-mma-straighttalk&channel=straighttalk&campaign=parovcrocker The North Queensland kid who once slept in his car to chase his dream reveals wh...

Jun 17, 2026•1 hr

Michael Chammas: Building the NRL's PNG Team, Leaving Journalism & Taking Opportunities

Michael Chammas is the general manager of rugby league's newest expansion team, the PNG Chiefs, in what could be the NRL's most ambitious venture ever. The former Sydney Morning Herald journalist traded his media career for the challenge of building Papua New Guinea's first NRL club from the ground up. Chammas reveals the complex recruitment strategies needed to convince players to relocate their families to PNG, the cultural significance of rugby league to the Pacific nation, and why the tax-fr...

Jun 10, 2026•1 hr 7 min

Kellie Sloane: NSW Opposition Leader's Pitch to New South Wales

In this conversation with NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, she explains why she believes New South Wales has gone from the nation's top-performing economy to the bottom of the pack under Labor's watch. Kellie discusses her journey from country journalism to opposition leadership, her experience during the Bondi terror attack, and her strategy for defeating a first-term government. She also addresses federal-state tensions within Labor, the importance of assimilation in modern Australia, and ...

Jun 03, 2026•52 min

Business Expert on the Budget, the Housing Crisis, and Intergenerational Inequality

Naomi Simson is the founder of Red Balloon and co-founder of the Big Red Group. In this conversation, Naomi breaks down how she built a business that now delivers an experience every 16 seconds to small businesses across Australia and New Zealand. Simson also delivers her unfiltered assessment of the recent federal budget, arguing that too many changes implemented too quickly will cripple business confidence during an already challenging period of technological disruption. See omnystudio.com/lis...

May 27, 2026•50 min

Brain Expert: Why Dementia Is Australia's Number One Killer (Project 100)

All content and media by Project 100 is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. **** Professor Matthew Kiernan is CEO of Neura Australia and one of the nation's leading neurologists tackling the growing dementia crisis. Kiernan explores why dementia is now Australia's number one cause of death, the modifiable risk factors that could prevent 45% of ...

May 24, 2026•1 hr 25 min

The Federal Budget Reality Check with Economist Leith van Onselen

Leith van Onselen is one of Australia's most credible economists and a straight-talking critic of government policy. In this episode, we dissect the Albanese government's latest budget and its real impact on inflation, housing affordability, and living standards. Leith explains why this isn't tax reform but simply a tax grab, how immigration policy is driving the housing crisis, and why Australia's productivity growth ranks among the worst in the OECD. We explore the disconnect between headline ...

May 20, 2026•56 min

Cooper Cronk on Craig Bellamy, NRL State Of Origin & the mindset to be great

Cooper Cronk is one of rugby league's most cerebral players and a four-time premiership winner who transformed from a modest rugby union schoolboy into one of the game's greatest halfbacks. In this conversation, Cronk reveals the mental frameworks that drove his success, from Craig Bellamy's obsession with fundamentals at Melbourne Storm to his legendary 2018 grand final performance with a broken scapula. He discusses the coffee test that Bellamy uses for recruitment, how the spine positions req...

May 18, 2026•1 hr 22 min

2026 Federal Budget Reaction with Economist Chris Richardson

Chris Richardson is one of Australia’s most quoted economists and the founder of Rich Insight, bringing decades of expertise from his time at Deloitte Access Economics to decode complex fiscal policy. Chris and I might not agree on every aspect of this budget, but that is what makes this conversation worth having. In this analysis of Australia’s latest budget, Richardson reveals why our living standards have barely grown over the past decade while other OECD nations have surged ahead by 17%. He ...

May 13, 2026•1 hr 5 min

Ellyse Perry: Australia's Greatest Dual-Sport Athlete on What Two Decades of Elite Sport Really Takes

Ellyse Perry is arguably Australia's greatest dual-sport athlete, the only person to have represented Australia in both cricket and football at an international level. In this conversation, she reveals the mental framework behind scoring a Test double century, why she finds deeper meaning in team sport than individual achievement, and how a competitive childhood on Sydney's North Shore set the foundation for everything that followed. Perry also discusses the evolution of her training across two ...

May 10, 2026•44 min

Politics Expert on the the Rise of One Nation & Gen Z’s Voting Shift

In this conversation, political strategist and pollster Kos Samaras explains how Australia’s political landscape is fragmenting beyond recognition. He reveals why traditional Liberal and Labor voters are abandoning both major parties, how disillusioned Australians are turning to One Nation and the Greens, and why the country is heading toward a more divided political future. From the collapse of manufacturing in regional Australia to the psychological impact of Melbourne’s lockdowns, Samaras bre...

May 07, 2026•58 min

Australia's First Astronaut: The Artemis Program, Mars Mission and Elon Musk.

Dr Katherine Bennell-Pegg is the first astronaut to be trained under the Australian flag and a critical voice in the nation's emerging space ambitions. From her headquarters at the Australian Space Agency in Adelaide, Katherine reveals how Australia is playing an essential role in the Artemis moon programme and why space exploration delivers genuine economic returns. She discusses the rigorous process of becoming an astronaut, the real risks involved in space travel, and how her engineering back...

May 05, 2026•52 min

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android