My guest this week has a career spanning over 30 years in the Australian food industry - dozens of awards, TV shows like MasterChef and My Restaurant Rules and best-selling cookbooks to his name, and owns some of Australia’s most celebrated restaurants and bars. Yep, it’s safe to say that Matt Moran is an Aussie food icon. Like all hospitality venues, Matt’s restaurants were hit hard by the restrictions around Covid19. So Matt quickly adapted to sell home-delivered boxes of fruit and veg, taking customers through the preparation and cooking process of his recipes via livestream, and capitalising on people’s time at home in the kitchen. I ask Matt how growing up on a farm taught him the discipline he needed to start his own business and what hard work and success mean to him.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One thing that’s become clearer than ever this year is that brand authenticity and consistency as well as being able to adapt and evolve are essential in business. Someone who knows a lot about creating authenticity through brave design and innovation for the future is Ian Cartabiano, President of Toyota Europe Design Development, who is responsible for the progressive direction of Lexus vehicle design. When it comes to pushing boundaries in design to create highly technical and futuristic cars, Lexus are ahead of the curve. I ask Ian how the Lexus brand consistently appeals to their customers through design and craftsmanship, the importance of evolving into the future through innovation and how to apply these principles to any business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Hakim is the founder and CEO of CUB, Australia’s fastest growing community of established entrepreneurs and business leaders focused on a common goal – to help each other succeed by sharing their knowledge and experience. Daniel launched his business in 2015 when he was just 23, after being kicked out of two universities and deciding he wanted to make a difference in the world of business and networking. CUB venues offer a range of networking services to help members make their ambitions a reality, through access to an incredible group of business minds. This year has seen CUB’s business model get better, their team get stronger and the brand’s digital presence elevate despite the challenges 2020 has presented. I ask Daniel about the importance of networking in the business world and how this year has made CUB’s offering more relevant than ever.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is a great example of how to take a problem and create a purposeful business that drives positive change for everyday people. Lisa Hollinshead is the founder and CEO of One Another Community, a platform that connects skilled professionals who have pro bono capacity with those who need help in their local community, both in response to COVID-19 and as a longer-term solution to address the global loneliness epidemic. Lisa came up with the idea for the business in March this year when she was stranded in Spain, and wanted to create a social kindness platform for members of local communities to request and offer assistance. I ask Lisa how founding her business in 2020 ensured an agile and reactive start-up, and why One Another's mission to amplify the ripple effect of kindness and empower anyone to make a difference, is more important than ever.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aussie twin brothers Chris and Cameron Grant are pioneering the concept of ‘wilderness on demand’ and inviting stressed out office workers to get out of the city and experience the bush, through their accommodation start-up Unyoked. They build and design tiny, solar-powered and mostly phone-signal-free cabins in previously inaccessible locations no more than two hours from major cities around Australia. Their philosophy is that disconnecting from modern stresses and going back to simplicity is the perfect way to recharge for people stuck in the 9-5 cycle. And Matthew McConaughey clearly agrees, because he jumped on board to design a cabin with Unyoked just last year. 2020 proved to be a challenging year for their business – first with the bushfires and floods, and then of course through Covid19, when their Victorian cabins have been completely non-operational. I ask Chris and Cam how this year has made their offering more relevant than ever, and how they’re working with a captive travel market who at the moment can’t go overseas and are looking to explore their own backyard. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Internationally recognised producer Michael Cassel is the Founder and Director of Michael Cassel Group, who produce some of the world’s best musical and theatrical productions. Before Covid19 put everything on hold, they were producing three of the biggest shows on stage: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne, a global tour of The Lion King musical, and the blockbuster musical Hamilton, which was in pre-production in Sydney. Because of the sheer scale of the productions, they’d need to run at theatre capacity in order for their shows to be financially viable, so they’re waiting for the time when gatherings of 1,500 people are allowed.But Michael is optimistic and confident that staying focused on the future, being flexible and ready to adapt, and uniting as an industry will ensure that stage shows are back up and running in the near future. I ask Michael about the importance of human connection and community in a digital age, and how he’s working to ensure buoyant business on returning to stage shows, so that when a new normal returns they’ll have great new shows ready to put on.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peta Shulman is the Founder and Director of GoodnessMe Box, Australia’s largest health-food subscription box. Every month they deliver a box straight to your door that’s filled with healthy goodies to take the guesswork out of making better food choices. Peta's own autoimmune disorder helped her discover the power of whole-foods, and she wanted other people to experience the same benefits of eating clean, nourishing foods.Over the past 5 years, GoodnessMe have worked with over 800 brands and have expanded into a kids box and a beauty box, their online shop, and pre-Covid they were hosting large-scale events. When Covid hit, brands couldn’t run events and there was no in-store sampling, so GoodnessMe decided to focus on building digital presence for the brands they worked with and help consumers find healthy products.They’ve also expanded to offer corporate opportunities – to improve morale and health of employees working from home. I ask Peta about the importance of communicating the GoodnessMe story and how their marketing strategy is all about building brand recognition so that their customers become their biggest advocates.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brandon Martignago is the owner and director of Dulcie’s Kings Cross – a bohemian 1920’s and 30’s era cocktail bar that sells only 100% Aussie spirits. Brandon was always inspired by the magic of theatre and wanted to create an immersive venue experience that really engaged patrons – so in 2018 he started Dulcie’s, right in the middle of the Sydney Lockout Laws.In March of this year, like all hospitality businesses, the regulations that came into effect around Covid19 forced Dulcie's to shut their doors. So they pivoted quickly and started offering “Dulcie’s to your Door” - take away bespoke cocktails that were handmade and hand delivered. Each purchase came with instructions to recreate the experience of visiting the bar for the customer at home. I ask Brandon how Dulcie's was able to pivot their offering during the lockdown period, the importance of theatre to their business and why they focus on using 100% Aussie produce.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Connelly is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Me3D, a Wollongong-based maker of 3D printers and software. Since 2014 they've worked with schools to use 3D printing to teach kids as young as six how to imagine, design and create 3D models. In early 2020, Matt and his team were working around the clock to fulfil orders that were flying out the door – until Covid19 hit and business ground to a halt. So Me3D adapted to use the skills and technology they had available to design and produce face shields for medical use, and in a matter of days they had an initial production of 1,000 units delivered to hospitals. I ask Matt how the business has been able to successfully pivot into creating medical equipment and why they’re developing new software technology.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In mid 2019, brother and sister duo Julie and Eduard Otter walked away from successful corporate careers to start their own premium whiskey and vodka distillery Otter Craft Distilling (OCD), using only sustainable and traceable ingredients. Eduard is the distiller and creator of everything inside the bottle and Julie is the creator of everything outside the bottle –  so they’ve got the family business down to an art.OCD had only been around for 8 months when Covid struck and business came to a standstill, until they quickly pivoted to produce something in high demand: World Health Organisation approved hand sanitiser. I ask Julie and Eduard how their business redirected from making premium spirits to manufacturing hand sanitiser, and how they’re planning to re-pivot back into spirits and expand the business to get scale.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few industries have been harder hit by COVID19 than live music and events, and my guest this week, Jeremy Fleming, has been on the frontline of this. Jeremy and his wife Tabitha are the owners of StageKings who have been building custom-made stages for music festivals and sporting events since 2015. But when COVID19 forced the end of large public gatherings earlier this year, StageKings lost 95 per cent of their business within 48 hours.Rather than sit around and wait for the events to come back, they immediately thought of new ways to use their skills and produce something in high demand: work-from-home  furniture. Their rebranded furniture business 'IsoKing' has sold more than 10,000 units in just three months. I ask Jeremy how StageKings went from creating stages for the Commonwealth Games to desks for inner-city apartments and how they use social media to tap into exactly what consumers are looking for.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's not a single business in the world that Covid19 hasn’t effected in some way, so for the next few episodes I'll be speaking to business owners who have had to pivot their business, rethink the way they operate and find innovative ways to keep their businesses going in some of the most challenging times we’ve ever seen. So to kick it off, I speak to Paul Dewhurst, Operations Manager at Three Blue Ducks, who have restaurants in Bronte, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Roseberry and now Melbourne too.They were forced to shut the doors to all their venues in March with almost no warning. But they pivoted quickly and a week later, the business branched into the fresh food and takeaway market, supplying gourmet produce boxes to Byron Bay locals and a paired-back take-away menu to Sydneysiders. I ask Paul about how they made the quick decision to pivot what Three Blue Ducks offered, why they won't compromise their company values for an easy buck, and how Covid-19 has shown the importance of community and connection.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm talking to the owner and ‘Chief Smuggler' of swimwear brand Budgy Smuggler, Adam Linforth, who's business was founded at a backyard BBQ in true Aussie fashion. Budgy Smuggler definitely know a thing or two about doing things differently, because while other brands were focusing on people with perfect physiques, Budgy made it their mission to focus on ordinary people of all shapes and sizes. They're even a favourite with Aussie athletes. I ask Adam how Budgy Smuggler have creatively used social media to gain brand recognition, and how the business has pivoted to use their famous prints to create new products.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is changing the game for the PR and Marketing industry. Lara Vandenberg founded her business Publicist while working in New York, where she saw an industry that needed a big shake-up. The traditional way of hiring talented PR professionals through word of mouth and recruiters was becoming outdated and ineffective. So at just 28 years old, Lara took on a challenge to automate the industry and founded Publicist, an online marketplace connecting brands with the most experienced freelancers in PR and marketing. I ask Lara how Publicist is transforming the traditional PR model to provide flexible and scalable support for brands, while rewarding talent entering the freelance market in a time of layoffs. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After working as a beauty editor for some of Australia's top magazines for over 15 years, Carla Oates was shocked by the synthetic substances used in so many commercial beauty products. When her daughter developed allergies and eczema, Carla put her family on a gut-healing plan that included probiotic-rich whole foods and quickly noticed a huge difference in her daughter’s skin and wellbeing. So after researching the benefits of gut bacteria, Carla started her business ‘The Beauty Chef’ to create plant-based supplements for gut health and glowing skin. I ask Carla how she is striving to change the beauty industry to be more transparent and why she’s on a mission to educate people on healthier and more holistic skincare solutions.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If recent events have shown us anything, it’s that Australian small businesses are resilient and have a fighting spirit in challenging times. Having the right online setup for your business shouldn't be daunting, it should be simple and accessible so that anyone can feel confident to set it up themselves.My guest Suzanne Mitchell is the Marketing Director for GoDaddy Australia and knows a lot about building online success for everyday entrepreneurs. I ask Suzanne about the essential tools and services all businesses need to build an online presence, attract customers and manage their work, and how small businesses have had to adapt and pivot during Covid19 to not only remain operational but transform and thrive.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 25 years working in retail, Julie Mathers decided to take her experience, combine it with her passion for the environment and animal welfare, and create a business committed to making a meaningful impact on the world. So in 2014 Julie launched her online store Flora and Fauna, specialising in ethical, eco-friendly and vegan products.When the business launched there were 30 brands and 500 products; now their range has over 300 brands and 8000 products, sourcing the best ethical and low-waste skincare, food, fashion, and lifestyle products. I talk to Julie about the ethic of hard work, the concept of thinking like a proprietor and how Flora & Fauna has managed to grow so quickly while maintaining its eco ethos.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Husband and wife duo Tara and Danny Solberg worked as designers collecting inspiration on their travels around the world, and always dreamed of bringing the unique things they saw home to Australia. So they turned their passion into a business and created Few and Far, a furniture and homewares business on the South Coast of NSW.Few and Far source and import one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and décor and Tara and Danny have created a compelling shopping experience that captivates all the senses. I ask them how their design backgrounds and passion for travel helped shape their entrepreneurial mindset, and why moving online was the natural choice for the growth and success of the business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guests this week are Shaun Greenblo and Elliot Midalia from Boody, a sustainable clothing brand that creates everyday essentials from eco-friendly organic bamboo. Shaun and Elliot have been best friends since they were kids and their dads started the business together in 2012, when they saw an opportunity to sell an unconventional product for the health-conscious and environmentally minded customer. Shaun and Elliot came into the business with their growth mindset and love of technology and Boody is now a family business run by two fathers and two sons, sold in 1000 retailers in Australia, online and in 17 countries globally. I ask Shaun and Elliot about how their hunger to change the world for the better inspired them to create a sustainable product, and how Boody uses fabrics and craft to bypass trends and fast-fashion.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like many who work in the fitness industry Kirsten King didn't start there; she initially worked in marketing for a decade before founding Fluidform Pilates in 2012, which gave her the perfect understanding to develop the brand and business. In early 2019 Kirsten launched Fluidform at Home, an online subscription-based Pilates program which boasts subscribers from all over the world. I talk to Kirsten about how Fluidform was perfectly positioned to deal with the increase in online subscriptions when the business experienced huge growth during a time when most people were at home, and how combining highly personalised programming with in-depth technical knowledge has played such a huge role in the success of the Fluidform brand.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Pritchett grew up obsessed with video, always carrying a camcorder around to film his friends doing skateboard tricks. He founded his first production company in 2006, working on big budget video projects, when he was challenged by one of his clients to create a scalable and affordable video offering. So he created Shootsta, a customised video kit and training platform; teaching clients to capture their own video and then use Shootsta’s editing team to turn this content around within 24 hours. I ask Mike about how Shootsta is disrupting the video industry by simplifying the production process, the benefits of having clients film their own content and how his service has helped users improve their business' communication both internally and externally.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julio Ribeiro is the co-founder and CEO of Inventia Life Science, the med-tech company behind the 3D bioprinter technology that creates realistic replicas of tumours to test cancer treatments. Julio grew up in Brazil where he studied biology and genetics, and in the 90’s he migrated to Australia to do his PhD in medicine. After working for a scientific tech supply company, he saw a gap in the market and knew that the science field had the potential to make life a lot better, so he started his company, Inventia Life Science.They developed the bioprinting platform ‘Rastrum’ to print 3D cell models in high quantity with a gel that mimics human tissue, enabling medical researchers to do higher quality experiments into cancer treatment, and potentially also the coronavirus. I ask Julio how he sees biology, computer science and engineering coming together in the next few years and where the highly disruptive sector of 3D printing has the potential to go.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Masood Naqshbandi is an entrepreneurial scientist and Co-founder of Abyss Solutions, a robotics company that provides automated underwater inspections for dams, reservoirs, bridges, ship hulls and oil and gas platforms. They combine remotely operated underwater vehicles and drones with data analytics to allow their clients to reduce inspection costs of places that are typically very difficult to inspect.Now the vision for Abyss solutions is to become a conglomerate of multiple service sectors including tech, intelligence and automation. I ask Masood about his transition from the academic world to the business world and how the future of innovative science technology and automation can hugely benefit us.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the final instalment of Women in Tech month I speak to Carolyn Mee, the founder of Sound Scouts, a health tech company focused on the delivery of accessible, fun and affordable hearing screening. Developed in collaboration with the National Acoustic Laboratories, Sound Scouts flagship product is an easy to use mobile game app that uses scientific principles to detect a range of hearing problems in kids. I ask Carolyn how using intuition and creativity can leapfrog your product and create opportunities outside of the usual remit, and how remote access is providing hugely beneficial to Sound Scouts.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week as part of 'Women in Tech' month I sit down with the co-founders of Beam Australia, Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart. Beam is a HR tech company and online marketplace for part-time professionals including high profile businesswomen, athletes and carers looking for the flexibility of part-time employment.Since 2016, Beam has contributed over $17 million in new salaries to the Australian economy through new jobs that couldn’t have been created without part-time work. I ask Stephanie and Victoria about how they see businesses embracing new workplace flexibility to work more efficiently and economically - it's a revolution against archaic work-place structures to reimagine the way work is done.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week as part of ‘Women in Tech’ month, I sit down with Olga Oleinikova, co-founder and CEO of Persollo, the world’s first social media instant-checkout platform. Olga grew up in Ukraine and worked as a consumer researcher and behavioural scientist before migrating to Australia in 2012.While undertaking her PhD, she founded Persollo, with the aim of helping SME’s sell without big investment. With its AI-powered analytics and instant-checkout technology, Persollo has helped over 750 businesses across 16 countries increase their sales conversion by 300%. I ask Olga how her life has been about seizing unexpected opportunities and how her she used the outcome of her studies to build her own business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off ‘Women in Tech’ month - where I talk to some of the most powerful and innovative female entrepreneurs and leaders in the tech space – this week I sit down with Georgia Vidler, the Director of Product at Canva. Canva is an easy to use graphic design platform and it’s Australia’s fastest-growing tech start-up, with over 25 million monthly users worldwide. Georgia is leading the charge for the newly developed ‘Canva for Education’ platform, and with over 1 billion students across the world learning remotely, this is more important than ever. I ask Georgia about the importance of genuine relationships in business, what exactly a good pitch deck is and how the digital wave is changing the way we all operate.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Quentin Nolan was 22 years old, all he wanted was to get down to the snow to snowboard; so he started driving coaches to the ski fields from Sydney. After seeing a gap in the market in the ski tourism industry, he came up with his own business - Liquid Snow Tours, tailoring ski and snowboard holidays to resorts around Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.In 2008, Quentin took his first group of 45 people over to the Japanese village of Hakuba, fell in love with Japan and decided to focus his business on the ski fields there. Today, Liquid Snow takes around 10,000 tourists a year over to Japan and is on track to turn over $14 million dollars in revenue. I ask Quentin how his experiences as a child helped shape his entrepreneurial and adventurous mindset and why Japan was the natural choice for the growth of his company.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the final instalment of #fightermonth, I’m talking to light-middleweight boxer Tim Tszyu, who made his professional debut in 2016 and held the Australian title in 2019. At 25 years old, Tim holds a powerful record of 15-0 and as the son of former world champion Kostya Tszyu, it goes without saying that he grew up with boxing in his blood. I ask Tim about what his brand stands for, and how he manages chaos in the boxing ring and keeps a calm head when he’s in the fight; just like we’re all experiencing in our business environments at the moment.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week as part of #fightermonth, I’m talking to George Kambosos, the professional lightweight boxer currently ranked number 3 in the world, who’s swift rise towards world level has been phenomenal. George started out boxing as a kid in high school as a way to build his confidence in the face of bullying. His aptitude and passion for the sport quickly led to him having hundreds of fights and multiple national and international tournaments.Earlier this year George started his business ‘Ferocious Promotion,’ signing and managing young fighters with the goal to negotiate a bigger percentage for the fighter. I ask George how he put together the strategy to get to fighting the biggest names in the boxing world today, and why having a thorough understanding of what fighters go through is so important to the success of his business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week as part of #fightermonth, I speak to two of Australia’s greatest boxing exports; three-time world champion and one of the best fight trainers to come out of this country, Jeff Fenech; and undefeated junior featherweight champion Brock Jarvis. A twist of fate brought Jeff and Brock together; as a teen, before he even stepped foot in a boxing gym, Jeff got into a few street brawls. The police officer who came to the scene happened to be Brock’s uncle, Pat Jarvis, who took it upon himself to get Jeff off the streets and convinced him to go to the Police Youth Club. Here Jeff met trainer Johnny Lewis and went on to become an Australian boxing legend.Fast-forward past the world titles, in 2014 a retired Jeff got a knock on the door from Brock Jarvis’s dad, with Brock in tow. Jeff wasn’t looking to coach but once he saw Brock train, he knew he had something special. Five years on, Brock is undefeated, with 17consecutive wins, 15 by knock-out. I want to ask Jeff what he saw in Brock that made him take a chance on him and why he paid forward what he’d learnt from some of the great legends of boxing; and ask Brock how the way he trains as a fighter influences his business life, and how he builds and retains his revenue through sponsorships.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off #fightermonth - a whole month of learning about the business of fighting with some of the biggest names in Aussie combat sports - this week I’m talking to UFC Featherweight World Champion, Alex Volkanovski. In 2011, Alex started MMA training to keep fit while playing rugby, when he got a phone call from MMA fighter Shane Coleman who wanted to train him. Alex knew he had to grab the opportunity with both hands and he started the next day.Fast-forward nine years and Alex became the first Australian-born fighter to win the UFC title, beating Max Holloway to claim the featherweight belt in December 2019. I ask Alex about the business of fighting, what drove him, what specific skills got him to where he is today and how he plans for a fight when things go wrong – just like we’re all experiencing in our business environments at the moment.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no hiding from the fact that we're facing difficult times. As business owners, I know there's a lot of confusion and complexity around what your next steps should be in the face of the COVID19 Pandemic and all the government restrictions and measures in place around the country. So I've sat down for a special podcast to make sense of all the noise surrounding the various stimulus measures.I've been talking to the government regularly, to help clarify the various measures to give you the information in a no-nonsense, straight forward way. I discuss getting access to working capital, cash payments on PAYG withholding, superannuation release, increasing the instant asset write off and business investment incentives and supporting the flow of credit.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest Chris Marr, is a former Australian Army officer who spent 20 years in service, including 10 years as a leader and commander in the special forces; during which time he led Australian soldiers on complex missions all over the world, with the consequences for failure very high. Having worked on the front line all his life, Chris was motivated to contribute to something bigger than himself; so along with his two best mates, he created Sonder - the app making the world a safer place by matching emergency service providers to those who need help, making people feel safer across the world.Whether you're being followed walking to your car at night, dealing with an aggressive customer and worried for your safety or having mental health issues, Sonder are there, 24/7 to give support. I ask Chris why purpose was such a strong motivator for the business and how Sonder is a disruptor with a conscience.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest, Nick Georgalis, grew up in Canberra, which at the time was seen as ‘the sleepy Bush Capital of Australia.’ With a background as an engineer and project manager, Nick wanted to reshape the way people thought about Canberra and revolutionise property investment in Australia. So, in 2007 Nick founded Geocon, Canberra’s first fully integrated property enterprise with capabilities across development, construction, hospitality management, investment, sales and conveyancing.In 2007 the business had just 5 employees and 5 million in turnover; now there are 800 employees and over 1 billion a year turnover. I ask Nick how starting the business was an organic and intuitive move, and how important the Geocon brand, culture and personality is in Canberra in terms of attracting the right people to deliver the right outcomes.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guy Saxelby was a successful charted accountant prior to founding his business Earlytrade, when a trip to New York and a chance blizzard there, changed the course of his career. As an accountant, Guy saw first-hand the strain that late payments could put on small businesses - if they’re not paid on time, they can’t hire, they can’t invest, and they can’t buy the things they need to grow their businesses. So, he came up with an idea to connect suppliers with corporate clients and allow them to offer discounts for early invoice payment.Guy’s mission is to fight for little businesses to get the same benefits that big businesses have always had, and now, over 36 thousand businesses use the Early Trade marketplace for cash flow and working capital. I ask Guy how he managed to build the largest early payment marketplace in the Asia pacific region, and how he can turn chaos, whether in the market place or in his own mind, into something hugely beneficial. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Steven Marks landed a job as a hedge fund manager at a top Wall Street hedge fund at just 23 years old, he thought he had it made. But by 30, he was burnt out and ready for a fresh start, so he booked a one-way ticket to Australia with a dream of starting his own business. 17 years on, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Guzman y Gomez, the Mexican casual-dining chain that had its origins here in Australia.Since starting the business back in 2006 in Sydney, it’s expanded across Australia, Singapore and Japan, with plans for expansion into the US this year.I ask Steven how he transformed Guzman y Gomez from a loss-making fast food chain to a $300 million empire, how he managed to keep the drive to open new restaurants when he was losing money, and why good company culture and team rapport is so important to the success of the business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chairman of Raiz Invest Australia, Tony Fay, has worked in financial markets since the 80’s, where he held senior positions for several leading investment banks and stock broking firms. Through having his own kids, he saw first-hand how difficult it was for them to save and invest, so Tony jumped at the opportunity to make a difference by starting a business that provides the millennial customer a platform to invest and save, with very small amounts of money – we’re talking as little as $5. Raiz can round up transactions from your bank account and invest the 'spare change' for you; so if you buy a coffee for $3.50, Raiz can round up the transaction to $4 and put the extra 50 cents straight into your Raiz investment account, so that even those on modest incomes can start investing.When the business launched in 2016, they had 3-million dollars of funds under management – now that’s grown to 480-million dollars. I ask Tony how watching his own kids struggle to save and invest their own money drove him to launch the business, why creating their easy to use app has changed the game for young investors and how he’s trying to level the playing field with the big banks.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Model turned “Skintrepreneur” Ryan Channing was living in Paris and pursuing a career in law, when a chance trip to Japan changed the course of his life. While there, Ryan was introduced to activated charcoal skincare products and was inspired to start his own activated charcoal skincare business, The BLAQ Group. Within just a few months, the business was inundated with so many orders that Ryan moved back to Australia to work on the project full-time.Since then, he’s created two more brands under the BLAQ group; Generation Clay and Flight Mode. I ask Ryan how he bullet-proofs his business through various systems and processes, and how seeding his product to influencers around the world and communicating directly with his target market, has made BLAQ the success that it is.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blair James grew up understanding the power and value that Aussie brands have abroad, when at the age of six, his dad moved the family over to the UK to set up shop selling Aussie products. Three years later his dad’s business went under, but Blair’s love of brands and passion for innovation was born. Since then Blair’s made huge waves in the billion-dollar beauty industry with his globally successful self-tanning business, Bondi Sands.Today it’s the number one self-tanning brand in Australia and NZ, with over 60% of the market share as a self-tanning brand. I ask Blair about how watching his dad’s business go under shaped him, why it’s so important to have a strong sense of brand messaging, and what it is about Aussie products that the global market gravitates to.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changing the game for digital marketing in Australia, Sabri Suby launched his digital marketing agency, King Kong, at the age of 27. He’s now on track to turn over 18 million dollars this year. The secret? Sabri promises his clients results, which means if his staff don’t hit their client KPIs, they don’t get paid. I ask Sabri about why he introduced this unique performance guarantee structure, what you should be looking for when building a digital marketing strategy for your own business, and how Sabri’s entrepreneurial journey all started as a kid growing up in Byron Bay, grinding peanuts for some extra cash.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Lawyer turned funtrepreneur” Sarah Davidson was busy climbing the corporate ladder when she started a side hustle with her now husband Nic – a tea business called Matcha Maiden. Within just a few months, they were inundated with so many orders that Sarah quit her office job to work on the project full-time. But over the last few years, Sarah’s personal brand has also become a focus, with her Instagram page Spoonful of Sarah attracting 70k+ followers. She’s also got a podcast of her own, called Seize the Yay. I ask Sarah about how growing up as a professional ballerina taught her the discipline she needed to start her own business and how she’s developed her ability to pivot time and time again throughout her career.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After seeing his sister struggle to buy a home, former Olympian swimmer Grant Brits launched Superestate, the first and only retail super fund in the country to invest in residential property. The concept allows young Australians to get a foot in the property market, while also putting a roof over their future. I ask Grant about how he brought his unique idea to life and how the many hours slogging it out in the pool, have influenced his drive and work ethic in his business today.**** TAKE OUR 2022 SURVEY  Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Tulloch started Farmer Jo with his wife Sally in the kitchen of their home. Then, a chance encounter lead to the couple supplying Qantas first and business class with their product - and their overnight success. Now, the brand is stocked in 4500 supermarkets, health food stores and cafes across the country. I ask Scott about how his background in the food industry meant he was in a unique position to spot upmarket foods taking off a decade ago and how he jumped on the rising tide. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week is proof that you don't need a university degree to succeed in business. A few years ago, inspired by his son's allergy to traditional bandages, James Dutton launched Nutricare, producing the world’s first 100% compostable, organic wound care solution. Now, they're stocked in 35 countries right around the world. I ask James how he went from leaving school at 16 to becoming to CEO of his own company and how working at JB Hi-Fi taught him everything he needed to know about how to get his product on the shelves.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What digital tools and connectivity do you need for your business to not just survive - but thrive? It may not be something you spend a lot of time thinking about but I know from speaking with thousands of small businesses that having the right technology is an absolute game changer - and now recent research is backing that up too. In this episode, I'm joined by Paul Tyler, Chief Customer Officer for Business at NBN. I want to ask Paul about the impact technology can have on the success of your business and why if you’re not investing in it, you could get left behind. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off the plane from Silicon Valley, one of the world's most influential women in tech is in the studio this week. Sarah Friar is the CEO of neighbourhood app, Nextdoor, which launched in Australia just a year ago. We chat about how Sarah's interest in engineering came about as a kid growing up in Northern Ireland and how this innovative digital platform is working to bring back a sense of belonging and connection in the real world, all through technology. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Model and ambassador for David Jones, Jessica Gomes, was told she would never make it in Australia. But as well as modelling, she's now graced Hollywood screens and in 2017, inspired by her jetsetter lifestyle, launched luxury travel skincare brand, Equal Beauty. I ask Jessica about growing up in Perth, the business of modelling and about how learning to network and hustle as a model has set her up for success.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.