In this episode of Vistage LIVE , futurist Dr Ben Hamer —recently named the #1 thought leader on the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific—joins Stephanie Christopher for a powerful conversation on what leaders must pay attention to now to stay future-ready. Ben explores curiosity as the defining capability of high-performing leaders and organisations, explaining why it outperforms any single technical skill in a world marked by volatility and rapid transformation. He breaks down what futurists act...
Nov 26, 2025•31 min
In this energising episode of Vistage LIVE , Stephanie Christopher sits down with keynote speaker, coach and creator of Brain Blinkers , Anthony Bonnici , to explore how our own thinking often limits our potential. Drawing on more than 20 years of global speaking and leadership coaching, Anthony reveals the three key mental barriers that hold people back and how leaders can identify and remove them. From tackling limiting beliefs to breaking patterns of self-sabotage, Anthony introduces his prac...
Oct 28, 2025•28 min
In this episode of Vistage LIVE , host Stephanie Christopher sits down with John Broons —family business expert, author of Creating a Thriving Family Business: Progress, Not Perfection , and long-time Vistage Chair. John shares four decades of experience advising family enterprises across Australia and globally, unpacking the unique challenges of intergenerational wealth transfer, governance, and communication . From the baby boomer transition to the subtle influence of partners at the dinner ta...
Sep 15, 2025•18 min
In this episode of Vistage LIVE , host Stephanie Christopher is joined by Dr Chris Stephenson — a transformational leader with over 25 years of global executive experience and a doctorate in strategic decision-making. Chris has led company turnarounds across 12 countries and now mentors CEOs, helping them navigate complexity, make smarter choices, and unlock transformational growth. Chris unpacks why so many boards and leadership teams fall into the trap of suboptimal decisions, how politics ins...
Aug 21, 2025•24 min
In this episode of Vistage LIVE , host Stephanie Christopher is joined by Ron Gauci—new Vistage Chair, seasoned CEO, and transformation expert whose leadership career spans Telstra, IBM, Microsoft, Melbourne Storm, Federation Square and more. Ron shares hard-won insights from leading organisations through adversity, uncovering potential, and achieving sustainable turnarounds—not just in crisis, but in complacency. Key Highlights: Three-Phase Turnaround Approach: Ron’s model of 30 days observatio...
Jul 14, 2025•36 min
What does it take to build a profitable business without compromising your values? In this episode of Vistage LIVE , Stephanie sits down with Vanessa Cullen — founder of Forward Thinking Design and a true pioneer of sustainable, values-led leadership. With over 20 years’ experience across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors, Vanessa shares how she’s turned ethics into enterprise, designing both spaces and strategies that create meaningful impact. We explore what it really means to be a soc...
Jun 17, 2025•28 min
In this episode of Vistage LIVE , Vistage Australia and New Zealand MD Stephanie Christopher interviews Rob Ristagno, President, International at Vistage. Rob shares his insights on the evolving landscape of leadership and the challenges CEOs face in a rapidly changing business environment. He emphasises the importance of adaptability, strategic decision-making, and leveraging community-based learning for growth and resilience. Rob also discusses how Vistage is supporting CEOs with resources tha...
May 29, 2025•23 min
In this insightful episode of Vistage Live , Stephanie Christopher sits down with Ari Galper, the world’s leading authority on trust-based selling and the founder of "Unlock the Sales Game." Ari shares his journey from high-tech sales to pioneering a sales philosophy that flips traditional methods on their head. He introduces the revolutionary concept of trust-based selling, where the key to closing deals is not about pitching your product but creating a genuine human connection rooted in trust....
May 22, 2025•37 min
In this dynamic episode of Vistage LIVE , Stephanie Christopher speaks with Emma Doyle — a former elite tennis player turned corporate high-performance coach. Emma shares how her early coaching experiences on the tennis court shaped her leadership philosophy, ultimately driving her to work with CEOs and business leaders across the world. Drawing parallels between sport and leadership, Emma unpacks what it takes to lead with energy, curiosity, and empathy under pressure. She explains why “leader ...
Apr 23, 2025•37 min
In this engaging episode of Vistage LIVE, host Stephanie Christopher sits down with Tony Chamberlain—Vistage Chair, seasoned executive, and former Undercover Boss—to explore the power of leadership forged through real-world experience. Tony reflects on his early ambitions to run businesses, his transformative leadership at Staging Connections, and his evolution from hands-on CEO to thoughtful mentor and peer group facilitator. With candid insights, Tony reveals the lessons he's learned from turn...
Apr 14, 2025•34 min
Mark Bregman, a distinguished global business leader with a rich background in technology strategy and entrepreneurship, delivers profound insights into leadership, innovation and strategic thinking. Drawing from his extensive experience across Fortune 500 companies and startups, Bregman explores the nuanced art of leading organisations, emphasising the critical balance between operational excellence and strategic vision. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Leaders must challenge their own thinking – Rec...
Mar 28, 2025•31 min
In this episode of Vistage LIVE , Stephanie Christopher speaks with Mark Puncher, a leading expert in employer branding and talent marketing, about how business leaders can navigate today’s rapidly changing workforce landscape. With economic pressures mounting and employee expectations shifting, Mark explores the risks of employer-employee disconnection and the crucial role of leadership in fostering engagement, performance, and loyalty. Key themes include: The Talent Landscape Shift – The job m...
Jan 30, 2025•35 min
In this insightful episode of Vistage Live, host Stephanie Christopher sits down with Michael Donoghue, founder of AdvisorAI, to demystify the critical journey of AI adoption for businesses. Drawing from his 16 years of expertise in fintech, digital payments, and AI innovation, Donoghue provides a pragmatic roadmap for organisations navigating artificial intelligence. The conversation cuts through the hype and confusion, offering clear guidance on how businesses can strategically approach AI int...
Nov 28, 2024•27 min
Before you dive into strategic planning, have you clarified your strategic direction? In this episode of Vistage Live , Jon Lindsay, a leadership expert with over 30 years of business experience and Vistage Chair, shares the crucial first step that often gets overlooked: defining where you want to go and why and unpacks how leaders can bring clarity to their organisation's purpose and priorities, setting the foundation for meaningful strategic plans. Now is the perfect time to do the preparation...
Nov 27, 2024•26 min
Listen to this insightful conversation with Tim Trumper, author of "AI Game On," as he shares practical wisdom on how businesses of all sizes can effectively embrace AI. As both an entrepreneur and chairman of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate (NRMA), Tim brings a unique dual perspective on AI adoption that bridges the gap between entrepreneurial innovation and corporate governance. Key highlights: Hear Tim's simple but powerful framework of "Mindset, Skillset, Toolset" for approaching AI adop...
Nov 24, 2024•33 min
In this episode our guest Ashton Bishop challenges typical marketing myths, jargon, and the emphasis on vanity metrics that often obscure true profitability and growth and demystifies the distinctions between B2B and B2C marketing. A must listen for CEOs and business leaders this frank and insightful conversation provides actionable insights to help leaders optimise their marketing effectiveness and equips business leaders with the knowledge to assess their current marketing efforts more critica...
Nov 12, 2024•29 min
In this episode of Vistage Live, Maja Paleka joins host Stephanie Christopher to discuss the evolving relationship between individuals and work, particularly in the post COVID world. They explore the shift in how people view work, the rise of anti-work sentiments, and the importance of balancing care and accountability in leadership. Maja explains that many people experienced a paradigm shift during the pandemic, leading to a re-evaluation of the centrality of work in their lives. This shift has...
Oct 15, 2024•29 min
In this epidsode Ron Schwartz, founder of Brass Tax and expert in organisational transformation shares valuable insights on aligning your organisation by asking five key questions, and the importance of roles, goals, and decision rights. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, Ron's advice on creating effective management systems and aligning talent is a must-listen! Tune in to learn how to turn challenges into growth opportunities. Two top areas of focus for mid-sized business: ...
Aug 05, 2024•28 min
In this episode Stephanie Christopher talks to Jane Lewis, Principal at the Outlook Consulting Group, about the challenges of change in professional services firms. Jane discusses the importance of tapping into the emotional and purpose-driven drivers of employees in order to navigate change successfully. She also emphasises the need for leaders to understand the difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges, and to approach adaptive change with a focus on discovery and understan...
Jun 27, 2024•22 min
In this episode Raj Narayan, founder and CEO of Emajin Golf, delves into the concept of combining business with a shared passion, in this case, golf. This innovative approach to strategic networking provides a fresh perspective on building authentic and meaningful business connections. Gain valuable tips on how to build strategic relationships, including the importance of authenticity, the right timing for making an ask, and creating high-value connections. Raj's RICH referral recipe (Right peop...
May 23, 2024•31 min
Simon Hunter, writer, director, and producer with over 30 years of experience in the film industry discusses the intersection of storytelling and leadership in business. Simon explains how the Hero's Journey, a narrative structure found in mythology and films, can be applied to personal and professional development. He emphasises the importance of authenticity and self-awareness in leadership and encourages individuals to reflect on their own stories and motivations. He also highlights the power...
Apr 23, 2024•27 min
Warren Hogan brings an Insightful Economic Analysis and makes the complex simple. As a prominent figure in the Australian business community, his insights directly impact businesses of all sizes, providing practical implications for navigating economic challenges and opportunities. He delves into the implications of government policies, offers credible forecasting and provides a long-term perspective on demographic and technological shifts. Whether you're a business owner, investor, or simply in...
Mar 20, 2024•27 min
Join Stephanie Christopher and special guest Ashton Bishop in a deep dive into the world of marketing budgets and strategies. In this episode, we uncover the critical balance between short-term performance marketing and long-term brand building. Hear why allocating 60% of your marketing budget to brand and 40% to short-term efforts is crucial for sustainable growth. From the importance of differentiation versus distinctiveness to the role of market segmentation in targeting the right audience, t...
Feb 29, 2024•37 min
In this episode, Ingrid Maynard and Stephanie Christopher discuss the challenges in sales, from overcoming stereotypes to addressing the talent shortage. Ingrid delves into the skills deficit within sales teams, the significance of observable behaviours and the untapped potential of sales functions as incubators for broader organisational strategies. Business leaders will gain insights into the motivations of salespeople and practical strategies for transforming sales mindsets and fostering a po...
Dec 11, 2023•27 min
Sophie Pank is an authentic marketing professional with a knack for simplifying the complexities of marketing. This episode focuses on two key areas for business leaders wanting to ramp up their marketing efforts. It may be just the right time to review marketing strategies and ensure you have alignment and collaboration across your business. Two top takeaways are: The critical need for alignment between sales and marketing teams. Sophie emphasises the importance of shared goals, open communicat...
Nov 16, 2023•32 min
Debbie Haski Leventhal is an accomplished Professor of Business Management and the MBA Director at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She is well-published with over 60 academic articles, five books, and a TED Talk, dedicated to creating impact and enabling others to find meaning and purpose. In this fascinating podcast, Debbie Haski Leventhal's talks about her childhood and upbringing in the Kabbalah Centre, a cult-like environment, highlighting the challenges, control mechanisms and th...
Oct 24, 2023•36 min
The podcast features a conversation with David Jenyns, who became a systems devotee after systemising his own business successfully in 2016. He founded systemHUB and SYSTEMology with a mission to free business owners from the daily operations of their businesses. The discussion covers various aspects of systemising a business, the importance of repeatability, the impact on scalability, and how to get started with creating and implementing systems and processes. David emphasises the value of fall...
Oct 24, 2023•31 min
In this episode Trudy MacDonald and Stephanie Christopher tackle this rich and relevant topic, uncovering the evolving landscape of work and leadership challenges - a must listen podcast for all business leaders. Over the past few years, there has been a shift from "The Great Resignation" to "The Great Renegotiation" and ultimately "The Great Exhaustion." Leaders are facing burnout in an environment where they are under more pressure than ever before. Trudy highlights four key reasons contributi...
Sep 26, 2023•37 min
Melo Calarco, the author of Beating Burnout, Finding Balance. He's a mindfulness and high performance expert, a keynote speaker and corporate programs facilitator. Melo teaches others how to stay energized, perform at their best, and conquer burnout. Melo's lessons draw on his three decades of professional experience and on his life of cycling and trekking more than 30,000 kilometers across five continents, of course. His work has been described as truly transformational. In this podcast you'll ...
Aug 28, 2023•28 min
In 2017 DJ and Harriet McCready embarked on transforming a dilapidated historic building in the NSW Blue Mountains of NSW into the first brewpub in the Blue Mountains. Harriet tells a great entrepreneurial story. Hear the ups and downs of building a business from scratch, with incredible strokes of luck and about the people that helped them along with way. Their controversial business plan, resilience and belief in their vision and purpose helped them stand out from an already crowded marketplac...
Jul 18, 2023•28 min
