Inner Chief Podcast

“The businesses that generally fail are where the founder says they have a backup plan, like a job. My mentality was if it failed, I would start another business. So I may as well make this one work.” In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, we speak to footwear brand trailblazer, Vince Lebon, the CEO and Founder of Rollie Nation, on streamlining systems, scaling a business and operating rhythm.

“It’s not about saying “no” or trying to dodge work; you’re actually trying to be better for the company you work for. You’re putting them first.” In today’s minisode, I want to save you some time. You know the score, you’ve accepted a meeting invite and you turn up to the meeting and there’s no agenda, no plan, no defined outcome, and you probably weren’t even needed or the meeting could have been replaced by an email. Or it’s a project that you don’t have capacity for based on your current agreed workload.

“It's not enough to have a good-sounding idea. Is that idea executable in a way that is sustainable or do you have dependencies on things that are just outside your control?” In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, we speak to Skins Co-Founder and current CEO of eo Lab, Dean Hawkins, on the power of a brand, creatively telling the story of the business, and turning alchemy into the extraordinary.

“You've got to smell the roses. If there's ever any doubt, you only really have to look back and see the results and achievements. It just puts you in a completely different frame of mind.” In this Best of Series episode, we hear from Brad Gordon, CEO of Laneway Resources, on how to create a vision and game that inspires your team and attracts the best talent. chiefmaker.com/245 REGISTER FOR OUR SEPTEMBER MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/miniMBA We interviewed Brad in early 2018 when he had just left his role as CEO of Acacia Mining, a position he had held since 2013. Prior to that he was the CEO of Entrepid Mines Limited, Emperor Mines Limited and was Managing Director of Placer Dome, New Guinea. Brad has been in his current position as CEO of Laneway Resources since March 2021, and also sits on the Board of Firefinch Limited. In this episode, you’re going to hear Brad talk about: The magic and tranquility of working in a team 2000 metres underground; Why having vastly different career experience, including

“Things will always go wrong; my engineering background taught me to remain calm, avoid blame and just work through the problem.” In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, we speak to telecommunications industry disruptor, Alex West, CEO of Swoop, on being the calm in the chaos, trust and vulnerability, and building a high performing culture through metrics.

“I don't want you to just take the path less travelled; I want you to stop and pause and actually use a little bit of deep thinking and a bit of science to then take the path best, most congruent for you, and that will make all the difference.” In today’s minisode, we look at a question that I have been inundated with in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that is a career crossroads. People are getting to this point as they’ve realised what’s truly important in life or they’ve had new opportunities come out of the blue.

“We started every board meeting talking about what impact we made in the last month, before we even got to the CEO report or financials.” In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from tech industry pioneer Tristan Sternson, CEO of ARQ Group, on being answerable to investors, systemising values and culture, and building equality through technology. chiefmaker.com/242 REGISTER FOR OUR SEPT MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Tristan is an Australian tech industry pioneer and CEO of multi-award-winning company, ARQ Group. ARQ is one of Australia’s leading providers of digital and tech services, with a client base spanning Government and more than half of Australia’s top 20 ASX-listed companies. A serial entrepreneur and growth expert, Tristan boasts a decades-long career in IT, including advisory, experience and design, engineering and managed services. Since being appointed CEO of ARQ in December 2019, Tristan led one of Australia’s greatest turnaround stories, resulting in ARQ’s $290 millio

“As an industry, we are stopping women from working in all levels of society by our six-day working week. And that's not okay.” In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from construction industry game-changer, Alison Mirams, CEO of Roberts Co, on transforming an industry and leaving a legacy by putting workers and their families at the heart of your business. chiefmaker.com/240 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Alison has more than twenty years’ experience in the construction sector. In 2017, after successfully operating in executive roles at both Brookfield Multiplex and Lendlease, Alison became the CEO of boutique tier one construction firm, Roberts Co. Alison also sits on the Boards of TAFE NSW and AeroPM, and has an engineering degree from the University of Technology Sydney. In this episode we talk about: Leading from the front and changing an entire industry through promotion of a 5-day working week; How this change impacts families, but also addresses huge g

“I can’t tell you the number of Mini-MBA graduates who have taken action on low performers or toxic high performers and it has made a fundamental difference to everyone’s lives.”   In today’s minisode, we cover some of the main reasons why graduates of the Chief Maker Mini-MBA program decide to join a cohort and the main benefits they get from it. chiefmaker.com/239 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba One of the most common reasons why people take up the Chief Maker Mini-MBA is one that I hear repeatedly before we kick off the sessions, and that is, “How do I work at level? How do I work in a leadership capacity, on strategy, and with the executive team and really add value to the organisation?” So, today we’re going to talk about: Stopping to look up at the broader market trends and other external factors; How to do an organisational analysis and deal with the wrong people on the bus; and Building your strategic playbook so that you can deliver on your track record.   Stay epic,

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from Daniel Penny, Co-Founder and MD of Mustard Creative Agency, on going beyond the brief, working with agencies, and understanding your influence. chiefmaker.com/238 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Daniel co-founded Mustard Creative Agency in 2001 with his business partner. The agency has worked with well-known brands like Target, Hertz, Hisense, Coles and The Good Guys. Daniel is also the founder of LearnSpring, an online learning digital platform. In this episode we talk about: Starting a marketing and creative agency from scratch and how word-of-mouth recommendations have fuelled the business since launching; Why responding to a brief beyond what is requested is the best outcome for a client; Leading an organisation of humans and understanding your influence; and His core principles in driving employee and client engagement. Connecting with Daniel Penny You can connect with Daniel via LinkedIn Books and resources Al

In this Best of Series episode, we hear from Angela Buglass, former CEO of Trilogy International, on creating your own destiny, cross-functional experience, and being at the pinnacle of a listed company. chiefmaker.com/237 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/miniMBA We interviewed Angela in early 2018 when she was the CEO of Trilogy International, the parent company for popular consumer brands across such categories as skincare and luxury home fragrance products. She is currently the MD of Hello in New Zealand, a women’s health brand, while also serving as the Chair of Cosmetics New Zealand and sitting on the board of The Beauty Collective. After just over 3 years at Trilogy, Angela went on to become CEO of Antipodes Water. Her experience also includes roles with leading FMCG players Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, and these roles have taken her all around the world. In this episode, you’re going to hear Angela talk about: How gaining a variety of experience at smaller organ

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I chat to Jay Bonaretti, Founder & CEO of Amino Z, on ownership over victimhood, being in competition with yourself, and distributed leadership. chiefmaker.com/236 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Jay is the Founder and CEO of Amino Z, an Australian manufacturer and retailer of nutritional products and supplements. He founded the business in 2006 as a one-man organisation and continues to be at the helm of a now large workforce, servicing hundreds of thousands of customers. Jay is incredibly vulnerable about his childhood battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, a situation that led him to depression and isolation, but ultimately to recovery. He is also the author of “How to Transform the Average Joe in 12 Weeks”. In this episode we talk about: Being bed-ridden for 9 months to winning Australia’s BodyBlitz Challenge a few years later; Why your physical capability is based on your mental capability, regardless of age; Surrounding yours

“The research says it takes one and a half years for us to really be fully valuable to a mid- to large-sized organisation. But there are ways to cut that period down.” In today’s minisode, we have a question from one of our listeners, Louise, who asks about returning to work and how to get back into the swing of things after a long break. chiefmaker.com/235 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba We’re going to talk about: Understanding how your life has changed since you were last at work; Why the success markers are different in your life and how to be kinder to yourself; and How to craft 30, 60, 90 day plans and weave in continuous learning. Stay epic, Greg

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from Dean Salakas, CEO of The Party People, on seeing change as an opportunity, coping with growth, and evolving as a leader. chiefmaker.com/234 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Dean is the Chief Party Dude of The Party People, a business he and his brother bought from their mother in 2007. Before taking on the ownership, Dean and his brother worked in the business in various positions, from driver to retail assistant to website manager. Dean is now an accomplished speaker, a Board member of both eTail Australia and Online Retail Summit. He has also pitched The Party People to the investment TV show, Shark Tank. In this episode we talk about: The full background to him and his brother buying The Party People from his mother; Being the first Google and Bing customers, and leading the business to triple digit growth, and all the challenges that brought; How he developed a culture that change is an opportunity; and How the bus

In this Best of Series episode, we hear from Greg Steele, Global President of Arcadis Mobility, on the importance of broad experience, bringing people with you and dealing with difficult issues. chiefmaker.com/233 REGISTER FOR OUR JULY MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/miniMBA We interviewed Greg in late 2017 when he was the CEO of the Asia Pacific business of Arcadis, one of the world's largest professional service consultancy firms with over 28,000 people in 70 countries. Greg has nearly 40 years' experience as an engineer and manager, having been involved at a leadership level for some of Australia's largest and most complex infrastructure projects. He is also the Chair of Engineering Aid Australia, a not for profit organisation which strives to inspire indigenous Australians to become engineers. He has also been a Board Member of Roads Australia, and an MD of Hyder Consulting. Greg has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Queensland and also a PostGrad Diploma in Management from Deakin Unive

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from Brigit Esselmont, Founder & CEO of Biddy Tarot on executive intuition, busting the myths of tarot, and from zero to 7 figures. chiefmaker.com/232 REGISTER FOR OUR SEPTEMBER MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Brigit is the Founder & CEO of Biddy Tarot the world’s leading online learning community for people who read Tarot. She is the best-selling author of Everyday Tarot and is on a mission to bring Tarot out of the closet and into the mainstream. Brigit has been featured in Huffington Post, The Oprah Magazine, and appeared on numerous podcasts including Being Boss and Truth Telling, and has appeared on stage in front of live audiences across the US and Australia. Before diving full-time into Biddy Tarot, Brigit was a management consultant and human resource strategist at organisations such as Telstra and ANZ. In this episode we talk about: Busting the myths around tarot, and what it actually is; Executive intuition and how elite chief

“People overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10.” In today’s minisode, we have a question from one of our listeners, Ben, who asks how he can really nail a year and achieve all or most of his goals. chiefmaker.com/231 LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR OUR APRIL MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba We’re going to talk about: The visioning process and timing of check-ins; Managing time and energy to fit in with your busy life; The value of structured thinking time. Stay epic, Greg

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, you’ll hear from Izzy Silva, MD, APAC at Wolters Kluwer, on using EQ to good effect, making the vision visible, and data-led decision-making. chiefmaker.com/230 LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR OUR APRIL MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/minimba Izzy was born in Sri Lanka, moved to New Zealand when he was 9 but has called Australia home for the last 25 years. He is currently the MD in the APAC region of Wolters Kluwer, a global information services and solutions provider focusing on health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Since graduating from Monash University with a Bachelor of Information Management & Systems, Izzy’s career has seen him take on roles at well-known organisations such as HP, Deloitte Australia, Telstra and Equifax. His first CEO role came at GetCreditScore, a start-up based in Sydney. He has been at Wolters Kluwer APAC for nearly 4 years, having been promoted to MD from Chief Commercial Officer in late 2018. In thi

“Life’s too short for instant coffee and cheap shoes.” In this Best of Series episode, we hear from former CEO of Water Corporation, Sue Murphy, on leading transformation, and how to be honest, fun and make a difference in your work. chiefmaker.com/229 REGISTER FOR OUR APRIL MINI-MBA INTAKE: chiefmaker.com/miniMBA We interviewed Sue back in November 2017, when she was the CEO of Water Corporation in Perth, having led the organisation since 2008. Sue finished up there in 2018, having joined Water Corp as the GM of Planning & Infrastructure in 2004. Preceding this was a 25 year stint at Clough Engineering, where she started as a scholarship recipient after completing an Engineering degree from the University of Western Australia, where she was one of only two women out of 300 students. Sue is now an accomplished Director. She has sat on the board of The Fremantle Dockers and the Water Services Association of Australia, and currently is a Director of the West Australian Treasury Corporation and MMA Offshore