Start-Ups are everywhere in the current business landscape, but how many of them are profitable, sustainable or even around five years after they launch? Some of the more conservative statistics say that over 50% will fail. Sue-Ellen Watts or Sel as she is known by many –is a successful business leader, entrepreneur and a real start-up champion. Her first business wattsnext has been from start-up to grown up phase and her latest venture Scrappi was founded in Silicon Valley in September 2016 whi...
Feb 06, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Who doesn’t love the feeling of walking into a beautifully designed house, hotel or workspace? Interiors can ignite feelings, create memories and even affect how productive we are on an everyday basis. Today I am interviewing Emma Blomfield, an accomplished stylist and author who has creatively reframed how we view Interior Design. She has taken her sharp design knowledge to the masses with pragmatic, innovative solutions to living in style, no matter your budget or lifestyle. She has published ...
Jan 30, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Anneke van den Broek is the Founder and CEO of Rufus & Coco, Australia's fastest growing and most awarded pet brand. Launched in 2008, the company is re-shaping the pet industry by offering ranges of well-branded and packaged product, covering horses to hamsters and from pet grooming tools to vitamins. Anneke has capitalized the global phenomenon of people viewing their fur babies or pets as humans and part of the family. Prior to running Rufus & Coco, Anneke ran a high-flying corporate ...
Jan 23, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 38
At first glance, the story of Emma Veiga-Malta may appear pretty ordinary. A mother who has launched a successful creative business from her artistic studio, while raising a family and supporting her husband’s career is not so special these days. Emma is the founder of Bespoke Backdrops, a design company changing the world of video backdrops one brushstroke at a time. However, to gloss over her story is to miss the pearls of wisdom for us all. Emma has lived a real-life tale of riches to rags (a...
Jan 16, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Getting fit and staying fit is high on the agenda for many people the world over. However, often sickness, work and family responsibilities get in the way of our regular exercise program. My guest today is Lizzy Williamson, a former dancer turned social media sensation and author of her first book called ‘Two Minute Moves’ which smashes the myth we don’t have time to get fit. She has a backstory that will motivate and inspire you too. In this episode, Lizzy explains: How her serious bouts of pos...
Jan 09, 2018•26 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Journalism is a subject that means more to me than almost anything else. I started my career as a print journalist 20 years ago, but I actually held a passion for the daily news world even as a young child. Today’s guest is Julie Posetti is an award-winning Australian journalist and academic. She is the author of a major UNESCO study, Protecting Journalism Sources in the Digital Age , published in affiliation with WAN-IFRA. She has worked at Fairfax Media and is former editor, presenter and repo...
Jan 02, 2018•48 min•Season 1Ep. 35
We are learning more about the links between ‘gut health’ and chronic conditions, such as acne, irritable bowel and even cognitive function. Rebecca Coomes is an author, presenter, and coach who, spent most of her life feeling sick, has found the way to healing her gut. Today she helps others do the same. Rebecca is the author of the world’s first SIBO cookbooks and is the host of the SIBO Cooking Show . She has a fortnightly podcast called The Healthy Gut, which discusses all aspects of gut hea...
Dec 26, 2017•38 min•Season 1Ep. 34
If you had to choose the best social media platform for doing business, it would surely be LinkedIn. This interview is with Alex Pirouz, CEO of Linkfluencer.com which Forbes magazine called Australia’s leading LinkedIn training company. The business has educated over 18,000 people in 30 countries across 55 industries. He founded the business in early 2014 with the aim to change and transform social selling on LinkedIn, to help companies generate more leads, close more deals and stay relevant wit...
Dec 19, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 33
This amazing woman could be forgiven for rejecting the very notion of optimism. At 12 years old, Stacey Copas had a devastating swimming pool accident that left her a quadriplegic, forever dependent on a wheelchair. Though this unquestionably has changed the course of her life, Stacey has used her life experience and personal philosophies to become one of Australia’s leading keynote speaker and facilitator on resilience and turning adversity into an asset. Her first book “How to Be Resilient” wa...
Dec 12, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Networking has mixed connotations for many of us – images of a frenzied business card swap fest in a room filled with new faces is hardly enticing for most people. However, networking can be fun, meaningful and life changing. Just ask my guest today Fiona Craig, a former lawyer, and recruitment consultant turned business coach and the founder of Smart Women Connect – indeed an Australian networking for female business folks. I am keen to get her secrets on how to work the room with confidence as...
Dec 05, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Diem Fuggersberger is the CEO and Co-founder of Berger Ingredients and the Creator of the Coco & Lucas’ Kitchen brand, providing readymade kids meals that caters for kids with allergies. Her self-made success story from refugee without any possessions to a business powerhouse is pure inspiration – showcasing what Australia can do so well as a truly multi-cultural nation. Diem is here to unravel The Politics of Kids Food and much more. In this podcast you will hear: What role did home cooking...
Nov 28, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Today I am on conversation with Danielle Robertson, founder and CEO of DRC – Care Solutions which she launched in 2015 to fill in the gaps in the care sector and meet the numerous calls for assistance in navigating the services offered in the aged, disability and home care. Many families and people involved in the long-term care of ageing loved ones know too well that the pressure to make such big, emotional and costly decisions can prove to be a minefield. Danielle is here to discuss The Politi...
Nov 21, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Who else wants to find their inner genius? My guest today in Episode #26 can help us. Yu Dan Shi works assisting professionals and entrepreneurs to find clarity in their life, so they can focus on what really matters. Her approach has come from her own experience of being a successful business executive juggling the demands of raising a young family, and really not feeling that despite the way that it looked, she had it all. Yu Dan has tapped into an approach we can all benefit from as we explor...
Nov 14, 2017•24 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Dr. Michael Kimmel is a well-known authority on gender, men, and masculinities, even being named by The Guardian UK as “the world’s most prominent male feminist”. I saw him speak at TEDX Sydney in 2016 and was enthralled by his common touch, his wisdom and often heartbreaking yet relevant insights, backed by his impressive academic kudos. Among his many books are Manhood in America, Angry White Me and a best seller Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men . Today, we are sharing the mic...
Nov 07, 2017•39 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In episode #26 we are getting to know Jacqui Ma who is a UK-based trend forecaster and designer specialising in the world of accessories. She spent eight years as Director of Accessories at the world’s leading fashion trend forecasting company WGSN, before Jacqui started her own consultancy called Trendfields. Consulting to brands as diverse as Amazon Fashion to advertising agency BMB, Jacqui’s works closely with brands to combine future consumer insights with tangible recommendations and final ...
Oct 31, 2017•29 min
Get ready to laugh, cringe and be challenged in this podcast unravelling The Politics of Humour. I am chatting to Marty Wilson, a former Australian Comic of the Year whose multifaceted career has stretched him to become a TED Speaker, best-selling author, awarded copywriter, media commentator and popular business speaker and in-demand MC. His core message is on using humour to build resilience with his programs instantly relatable for different audiences. Listen and learn from Marty on: What key...
Oct 24, 2017•31 min
They say that people fear public speaking more than almost anything, including dying. For episode #24, we hear from Lucy Perry, who among her many charms is a professional speaker who gets paid to take the stage at business events all over the globe. Lucy is an award-winning leader, consultant, and author who has become known for her bright pink hair and ability to shock and inspire in equal doses. She uses her talents for writing and speaking about leadership, communication, changing the world ...
Oct 17, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Our obsession with real estate is almost like a national sport in Australia. Would you like to have a secret weapon? In Episode #23 I am delving into this very idea with Lauren Goudy, a Licenced Real Estate Agent who started her career a decade ago as a selling agent in Melbourne, the house auction capital of the world. Moving to Sydney in 2011 Lauren worked in sales initially before finally finding her true calling as a Real Estate Buyers Agent. Today, Lauren educates and empowers her broad ran...
Oct 10, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 23
The world of small business has long been described as the “engine room of the Australian economy.” My guest today Dale Beaumont knows all about creating small business success stories. Dale Beaumont is an award-winning technology entrepreneur, international speaker and author of 16 best-selling books. Dale started his first business at age 19 and has been building companies ever since. With a passion to give back, Dale’s goal is to help more than one million entrepreneurs around the world with ...
Oct 03, 2017•23 min•Season 1Ep. 22
For many of us the idea that one day we will have our own family is seen as a rite of passage. We also assume that in 2017 the wonders of technology, modern medicine and our own knowledge about health and wellbeing means women can fall pregnant and have babies later in life, in our 30s and even 40s. While we know that this is not 100% true the world of IVF and other fertility treatments have become a booming industry. I am speaking with Tasha Jennings about The Politics of Fertility. Tasha leads...
Sep 26, 2017•28 min
Serial ‘tech-preneur’ Carrie Kwan has spent a decade in the world of creating online businesses. Her first start up was a pioneering lifestyle site called Daily Addict that began nine years ago, and in August 2016 she launched her second online business called Mums & Co. Her latest venture aims to inspire women to realise success by creating what she hopes will be Australia’s most connected and empowered community of mums running a business. Carrie is a mum of two kids herself, and knows fro...
Sep 19, 2017•21 min•Season 1Ep. 20
We are breaking from tradition today and shaking up the show format up with two guests in the one episode. As business partners, Tracey Hall and Jerry Penny started off delivering education workshops around Melbourne and today, they run Excelling in Direct Sales, a predominantly online business in direct sales that is changing the way both customers and businesses transact. Fittingly, we are discussing ‘The Politics of Direct Sales’. In this episode, you will learn: The biggest myths around dire...
Sep 12, 2017•27 min
Steve Hui aka The Points Whisperer is a former corporate accountant who, after experiencing business class travel for the first time eight years ago, was totally hooked! In 2012, he founded iFLYflat after he recognised a gap in the market, and today is heralded among the start-up world as an innovator and authority on frequent flyer and credit card reward points. Today, IFLYFLAT also helps companies large and small with strategies to collect more points just by using the right cards to pay bills...
Sep 05, 2017•23 min
For episode #17 I am in conversation with Dr. Kathryn Choules, a qualified instructor of mindfulness whose business Mind and Movement offers mindfulness training, workshops, programs and retreats to the individuals and organisations alike. Kathryn had a prior career as a lawyer, so she is no stranger to high-pressure workplaces. She also has worked in international development, then as an academic and researcher in universities and in the community sector. A dedicated meditator for over 20 years...
Aug 29, 2017•22 min
Belinda Neil is former police detective, homicide investigator and hostage negotiator who now is a strong advocate of raising awareness about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) , which has personally affected her life. After her own journey, including being medically retired from the NSW Police in 2005, she went onto write a book Under Siege and today is the Director of PTSD Australia New Zealand, who operate Fearless ( Fearless.org.au ), a registered not for profit established to assist thos...
Aug 22, 2017•23 min
Kate Toon discusses The Politics of SEO or Search Engine Optimisation, a word most business people need to understand if they want to get found online! Kate is an exceptionally talented copywriter and successful ‘solo-preneur’ who has learnt the fine art of internet speak. She helps businesses and brands get ranked on page 1 in the magical digital landscape. Her website Kate Toon Copywriter showcases her personality and professional offerings including copy and script writing, workshops and in e...
Aug 15, 2017•25 min
For Episode #14 we have Peter Mastroianni discussing The Politics of Rentvesting – which is a modern term where you are renting a place in an area you want to live and investing where you can afford. In Australia, where capital cities medium house prices have continued to rise up to 20 percent a year, it is an effective way the increasingly prohibitive real estate market. However, what are the pitfalls and pluses in a nation obsessed by home ownership? Peter has a business called Rentvesting, wh...
Aug 08, 2017•29 min
Anna Kellerman is Chief Mama and founder of Mama Creatives, a women’s community group that is based in Sydney but with a global vision. Four years after it started, Mama Creatives runs monthly masterclasses and special events designed specifically for women, many of whom are writers, designers, singers or creative entrepreneurs, as well as parents. Anna is passionate about the arts, kids, sharing and connecting and is an art educator and registered art therapist. Over the past 10 years, she has ...
Aug 01, 2017•28 min
CEO of Women’s Community Shelters (WCS) Annabelle Daniel originally trained as a lawyer with 20 years of expertise in family law and discrimination, before finding her true career calling in the family support arena. Annabelle has 20 years of experience in the private, Federal government and community sectors. Her overall goal is to achieve real community-based change for the thousands of women who need to access shelters and one day be out of a job! Annabelle joins me to discuss The Politics of...
Jul 25, 2017•27 min
Welcome to Episode #11 to canvass The Politics of Fear, one of our biggest emotional drivers. Our guest today is Jen Brown, a Trail Running, and Triathlon Coach. Sparta Chicks, a coaching business that supports women who participate in endurance sports and outdoor adventures to tap into their inner strength and chase their dreams with confidence. A former Corporate Lawyer, Jen helps other women achieve their personal best in their sporting goals and is an author and speaker. In her spare time, J...
Jul 18, 2017•30 min
