IDEAS, STORIES, CONVERSATIONS, INSPIRATION

Handpicked
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You ask the questions of me in an upcoming episode of Handpicked

If you own, operate or want to start a business here is your chance to ask me any question. In this short sharp podcast series ‘Handpicked’ you ask any question about your business. You might have a burning question about where to from here, your team, or how to find more customers. No matter what stage of business you are at, whether you are ready to start, want to grow or even perhaps save your business – get your questions ready. Nothing is off limits. You will be contacted by the producers and notified of the logistical details should your application be succeesful. This is your chance to be ‘mentored’ in a bit of a different way.

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Business Owners ask me the questions on how to maximise their business success.

Each Monday a new episode will go live with me being asked the hard questions from business owners are startups. Make sure you follow me on any of your favourite podcast networks. And mid week we will also publish some ‘extra’ content to further explore the questions raised in the episode. In the notes section of the podcast I will provide additional resources, links and content to guide listeners to more information. Five star rated on Apple

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Recent Episodes

Series Four

Broad Web Digital

Inspiring the team to growth

Venkatesh has been in business for almost a decade and he is really wanting to scale. I ask him to consider the constraints of the business and what is holding him back. He wants to know if being boutique is good and how to appeal to larger customers – as a twist at the end I ask him to dream about what his business will look like in five years time. Do you dream about what is possible?

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Inventor

Protecting the idea – whilst gathering support

If you have a busines idea then this is the episode for you. Chris has a design patent and now he wants to take his project further. I challenge him on some of his thinking, ask him about success and lead him towards next steps.

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Home Builder

How to go from zero to hero

In this episode a give a reality check to this pre-revenue founder. I think it is important to ask challenging questions, to hold up the mirror but also to offer some alternatives. There are althernative sources of money, as I always say debt is cheaper than equity. I talk about customer funded business models, joint marketing and proof of concept.

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PX Partners

Building Authority

Great conversation on where and how tocreate authority How to look at your business model to create more consistent revenue and also how to align your social contribution to your purpose statement. I even create a purpose statement on the fly. Bill has big aspirations and with these simple inexpensive activities he and his partners are well on their way to achieve their business aspirations.

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Merry-go-round toy

From chaos to calm.

This is much more than a lifestyle business. Bethany has a clear sense of purpose, is getting great traction and now she is set to fly, however she needs to make it work for her. We talk about her playing to her strengths, how she finds team members and also whether franchising is an option.

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Eco Farms

Am I growing too fast?

Growing a team as a startup can be difficult – where do you find talent? I offer some suggestions on how to attract like minded people. We discuss how to find funds for captial infrustructure. Andrew shares some of his successes and I ask him about his super power and where he needs to spend his most valuable resource – his time..

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Filardo Ercon Arch.

Beyond the personal brand.

Building brands in service businesses can be a challenge – but when you get it right then you will be speaking with the right people at the right time – and it can become very cost effective. Maria’s questions are great and will help any business owner looking to build sales as well as inspire the team around you.

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Negotiation Partner

How to get people to trial.

Matt has one of the most compelling customer promises that I have heard. We have a great conversation about growth, finding more customers, competing against faceless online portals and building an entry level product. This is an inspiring episode that will help any business owner think through growth opportunities.

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Conquest Coffee Co.

How to stand out!

Anthony has a great looking coffee brand primarily pitched to millenials, and he wants to know how to stand out in the competitive digital landscape. I talk through alternatives to paid media and I make suggestions on how to build a tribe around the brand. I help Anthony work through the idea of what a partnership might look like and where he could find one – and how to grow it. 

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Divino

Winning with Wine

In this episode our energetic founder is on to a great idea, but Joanne needs the insight to understand what are the most effective marketing channels for her. I give lots of ‘silver bullets’ of great ideas for her to try. I talk about building owned media channels, and building real relationships with customers.

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Series Three

Box of Memories

The one essential for any founder

So I have finally been ‘stumped’ for words. Twice Marty has reinvented the concept of the photo booth for events. He asks me a number of questions about the economic environment, the start up eco system and also marketing. But then come two questions that are not easy to answer. 1. Would I start RedBalloon now? 2. What is one thing that is an absolute must have for a start up? Hear what I have to say.

Release date 20 Dec 2021

The Doing Co.

What makes a business owners successful?

Tamsin sees that Entrepreneurs can play a big role in leadership throughout our economy, she wants to know about success and whether it is dependent of ‘personal development’. Sitting still is never an option for business owners but how do you know where to spend your energy?

Release Date 21 Dec 2021

Herox

Remember the basics of supply and demand

Moving to Melbourne Australia, from Romania to start a property development business in January 2020 might not have been the ideal time for Dan to kick of his business. However with a little traction he is keen to understand about the approach to market, market dynamics, and getting the most from the team around him.
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Blossom App

My Start up is ready to blossom – now what?

Gaby has seen a business opportunity to create an app which helps millenials earning an income from savings. She has launched Blossomapp and she asks me questions about where to get more customers, who she should hire first, and how she should position the business. This start up is ready to blossom
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Start Up Business

We know culture is essential but how?

As a successful entrepreneur who sold her thriving enterprise Leigh wants to give school aged students the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship. She has seen significant growth in rural areas and has students throughout Australia. She is asking questions about creating team, recognising great work and how to create a winning culture. When the team is anywhere and everywhere.
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Total Tennis

Tennis ignites a passion for business

Tim is a relatively new entrepreneur with a passion for tennis and fitness. He is looking to diversify and grow beyond his current business model. Having built his website he wonders about formal education versus the ‘school of hard knocks’. His passion is infectious.
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Peeplcoach

What makes a great entrepreneur?

I’ve known Christine for many years, and this is not her first business. Driven by purpose and wanting to shift leadership capabilities for her clients. She asks me questions on funding, equity and investment – how do you know what is right for you? She is thinking through the ‘ideal’ strengths of an entrepreneur, who is pushing you to greatness and also what stops people growing their businesses.
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Zookai

Funding growth without giving up equity?

Ahmed has been in business for a decade and it turns over $20m, in that time he has raised close to $30m in venture capital but knew there must be a better way to access growth capital. He tells me that one of his inspirations to starting Zookai was meeting me when he was at university. We cover a breadth of subjects about priorities, networks, bootstrapping and growth funding.
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Our Trace

Do best friends make good business partners?

Cat is driven by a deep sense of purpose to help businesses trace their carbon footprint. She has significant early traction and a team of seven. She asks me about having a co-founder and she wants to understand how to keep a wonderful friendship as well as having a brilliant partnership.

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Medistays

How to build from 1600% growth?

Craig and Sarah have worked in oncology for many years and saw how hard it often is for patients to find accommodation near their medical practitioners. With 1600% growth, Medistays sees a big opportunity. Sarah talks about Remarkable accelerator program and asks me questions about ESG frameworks, growth, and creating a great workplace. An inspiring story of Australian determination.

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Series Two

Qpay

Do you have a growth mindset?

Shark Tank Season 4 the last investment of the series and co-founder Moe Sattie joins me with questions about design, technology and customer experience. Moe asks me the question ‘do you need a tech founder?’I reflect on what I would have done differently and what get’s in the way of mega growth. I talk about the growth mindset and challenge Moe to look out five years and work backwards.
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Gold Coast Beauty

How do I put up my prices?

With a successful and growing business on the Gold Coast Melissa is challenged by increasing costs and how she can look at changing her prices. She asks me about value pricing, loyalty bonuses, and value adding for clients. We talk about price sensitivity and understanding the role that her business plays in her clients lives. This is a thoughtful and insightful conversation with lessons for any businessperson.

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Adina Watches

40,000 watches and counting

This second-generation family manufacturer based in Brisbane produces 40,000 watches a year. Grant has worked for 26 years in the business and is seeking to understand growth opportunities. He knows customer buying habits are changing and whilst he has an online store, 350 retailers and corporate clients that Adina Watches supplies. This is a wonderful 50-year-old success story with a big vision for growth.
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Shop My Nation

The future of ‘bricks & mortar’ retail

Melody has some great questions about building her two-sided marketplace between local stores and customers. People and businesses do want to buy from local and regional businesses, but they do not want a shoddy customer experience. I talk about the new role that ‘bricks and mortar’ retail plays. We touch on vivid stories and how to get people talking about you as well as Australia as a nation of innovators and inventors.
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HLS Healthcare

Self-talk, self-doubt, and self-belief

Nick is driven by a sense of purpose, he and his team know that because of the work they do they are changing the lives of many people with mobility issues. He wants to know what will take his business to the next level. He ponders about the ‘imposter syndrome’ and self-talk and asks what I do to manage negative thoughts. We also have a robust conversation about being challenged to greatness.
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Louise M Shoes

When is the right time to launch?

Louise has designed a fabulous shoe for women on their feet – a lot. In this episode Louise asks me to put ‘marketing consulting’ hat on for her business. She challenges me on the single-minded value proposition for her clients and asked me to develop a tag line on the fly. She knows to grow she will need to recruit someone, and she asked about bonus structures and compensation. This interview is full of passion and connection it shows the deeply personal side to making a dream a reality.
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Plan.D

50 ways to be successful

Sam and Lucy want businesspeople to plan differently (Plan.D). They are encouraging people to think outside the box. I love their product, the research, design, and creativity of this planning tool is world class. But they have questions. How and when should they make it their full-time job. Is it better to have one project or be working on many things? This wonderfully warm and energetic conversation full of enthusiasm and passion for business owners being successful. Change your behaviour change your world.
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DonnaForbes.com

How much should you tell you team about business performance?

There are big questions in this episode Donna wants to know how she should be marketing her socially driven enterprise. I give a succinct overview of building brand equity and making sure that promotional activities are happening at every stage of the customer journey. A tricky question at the end on the ‘right customer’ and I talk about what can be controlled and what cannot. This episode shows the dedication, persistence and drive needed to make a difference in the world.
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Vegepod

Do I need to be an expert?

Vegepod has flourished in recent times as people are spending more time at home – and gardening is increasingly popular. The founders have come a long way since I met them in season two of Shark Tank. He wants to know how to stay on top of ever-changing algorithms of digital channels. With a new product on the way we explore product and channel strategies. There are plenty of laughs, leads and learnings in this episode

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Finder.com.au

So you want to be an author?

Co Founder of Finder.com.au the globally successful comparison website has a new book – Go Live, how to launch… anything. Fred wants to know about my life as an author, how did I write, who did I write for and most importantly why did I write a book. He asks about promotion after the launch and I share with him that a book is not dissimilar to launching any product. I talk through what I did that worked, what I did that didn’t work and what I would have done differently. This is a great episode that is relevant to anyone who is going to launch a product – or perhaps is thinking about becoming an author.

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Series One

Financial Mindfulness

How to get more customers

Andrew Fleming is passionate about people’s financial health. He understands the connection between mental health and financial security. He has built and app and has ready for market, but Andrew is seeking some insight in the best way to build the brand and find customers.

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Celle Skin

What ever happened to – follow up from Shark Tank.

I met Vanessa from Celle Skin on the first episode of series one of Shark Tank Australia – her journey is exciting and this episode we have a discussion on personal strategy for growth. What does a founder need to do to have a successful business? When do you stop doing everything yourself and get ‘experts’ to help? Scaling a business using outsourcing, not just employees can deliver material scale. How does an entrepreneur get out of their own way to stop doing everything and get others to bring different skills? 

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Youngster.co

Growth Hacks

Tony Rothacker has created a wonderful marketplace connecting youngsters to elders to support their technology journey. Tony is deeply curious about my journey. He asks Would you value purpose in business higher than profitability? Single founder or a founding team? What is the best leverage strategy? Technology? Social media? Partnership with others? Community?

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Nurturing your NDIS

How to grow when you cannot travel?

Jacquie Tewes is keen to grow her new business Nurturing your NDIS, but she is not able to ‘network’ and meet potential customers. How to establish networks, collaboration and joint market? Building trust nationally when you can’t travel? How to find great people to work with?. Jacquie is excited by the opportunity her business presents but is seeking guidance on who, how and when to scale.

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StudioHawk.com

Age is no barrier when starting a business?

Harry Sanders is the Director and Founder of StudioHawk the Award-winning Specialist SEO Agency. Harry has some excellent questions which include, do you hire for passion or experience? Is there a reason not to back someone in business? And how does Australia shape up for entrepreneurs in comparison to other countries?

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Sasha – Start up

When is the right time to launch?

Sasha is keen to get started with her new business, but she seems to be stuck. “When is the best time to launch?” she asks. I give her a lot of insight into what customers are looking for, where they might be found and I also coach her on ‘there is no perfect’. This episode speaks to those in business about staying relevant to customers, and those who one day dream of starting one and need the next steps to do so.

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Zambesi.com

How do you create calm when life is chaotic?

Rebekah Campbell is a serial entrepreneur, author and commentator who thinks she has too much on her plate. She asks me the question about how do I find the time to do all the things I need to do?  And where does personal brand fit into the marketing mix? Should you use your own name to build trust for your brand? This is a wonderful conversation and Rebekah also asks me about my experience of being a published author.

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SWIISH.com

How much should you tell you team about business performance?

Sally Obermeder asks the challenging questions on behalf of business owners and entrepreneurs. How much should you tell your team about the finances of the business? These questions are about leadership, transparency, building culture and influence. Growth is top of mind for Sally join in now to hear what insights I have for her and SWIISH.com 

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Year 13

Whats the best way to build your business brand?

Saxon Phipps Co-Founder Year 13 reflects on its growth but asks “What’s the best way to start a business?”, “How do you weed out the ‘sharks’ and find advisors and investors who will help you build the brand?” How do you keep the brand building central to the business culture?”  We have a considered and insightful chat keeping it real and to the point.

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Merino Country

How do you know when is best to exit your business?

In this first episode of Handpicked, I chat with Kerrie from Merino Country. Passionate about Australian manufacturing, yet facing growth challenges as finding skilled team members is increasingly difficult.  This is a wonderful Australian business story with plenty of laughs, whilst asking the tough business questions.

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