On Meaningful Work: Recent Episodes
Disruptive Business Network
Why do we work? Besides the obvious (rent, bills, food etc) what do we expect from work? The expectation from work for most people has shifted from just utility to meaning and purpose. The aim of this podcast is to explore the journeys of those among us who have fought their demons and have found true meaning in the work they do.
What happens when meaningful work becomes so central to your identity that it begins to ask too much of you?
In this episode, I speak with Sita Sargeant about building She Shapes History, the power of recovering stories that have been pushed to the margins, and the difference between treating work as a job, a career or a calling. We also explore the loneliness of leadership, the tension between purpose and overwork, and why a meaningful life must ultimately be larger than our work.
Sita Sargeant is a social entrepreneur, author, and one of Australia's leading voices in women's history. In 2021, she founded She Shapes History, a feminist experiences company on a mission to make women's history accessible, engaging, and relevant. They currently operate in four cities: Canberra, Sydney, Wollongong, and Melbourne, with plans to be in eight cities by the end of 2027.
In 2025, she published a book by the same name sharing the stories of over 250 women who helped shape 31 towns and cities across Australia. In 2026, she was named the ACT Young Australian of the Year. She was named the 2026 ACT Young Australian of the Year. She is a 2025 Snow Foundation Entrepreneur Fellow and AMP Foundation Tomorrow Maker, recognised through both the IGNITE (2025) and SPARK (2024) programs.
Production note: this episode uses backup audio due to a technical issue with the main recording. You may hear a little background noise in parts, but the conversation is clear — and very much worth sharing.
Suji Sanjeevan is a fragrance innovator, entrepreneur and co founder of Light and Glo and BrandScent, where science, psychology and storytelling collide to create brands people genuinely remember. With a clinical background and an instinct for consumer behaviour, she has built businesses that challenge the traditional idea of fragrance, transforming scent from a product into a strategic brand tool.
What began at a dining table evolved into national retail, global conversations and partnerships spanning retail, sport, hospitality and corporate. From boardrooms to stadiums, Suji’s work sits at the intersection of emotion, memory and experience, proving that the most powerful brands are not always the loudest, they are the ones people feel.
Alongside entrepreneurship, Suji serves as Chair of the Victorian Small Business Ministerial Council, advocating for founders and the realities of modern business. She is passionate about helping early stage businesses think bigger, refine faster and build brands with real cut through.
Cam grew up in a family boarding kennel, but only late in his career did he connect that upbringing to a vocation. After years in sales and a decade in banking, Cam felt misaligned with corporate hierarchy and box-ticking. Near 40, he listed what he truly liked and dogs kept winning. He enrolled in a training accreditation, joined a mentor circle, worked in a high-volume shelter, and launched Act Of Dog with a simple site and Google ads. Now he specialises in fear, anxiety and aggression, teaching that trust and self-regulation must come before obedience. He shares the pivotal moments—London resilience, key mentors, a supportive partner—and the practical model he uses with both dogs and people: create safety, then teach.
Today, he balances running his business with working at the RSPCA, helping post-adoption dogs and private clients with behaviour intervention. Campbell’s journey from finance to canine behavior showcases his dedication to improving the lives of dogs and their guardians.
Bryony Cole, the world's foremost authority on sextech, explores how technology influences our most intimate moments.
Known for her top-rated podcast Future of Sex, she advises governments, tech giants, and entertainment leaders on emerging sextech trends.
Cole also founded Sextech School, a pioneering pre-accelerator program, now in its 15th cohort, guiding hundreds of entrepreneurs and innovators in the sexual wellness and technology space.
Her innovative research and international hackathons have garnered recognition from events like SXSW, WebSummit and Founders Forum.
Featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Wired, and seen on Netflix, Bryony's work empowers women and redefines the future of sexuality.
Today, Future of Sex is a central media and resources hub for the sextech industry.
Her vision is to create a world where technology enhances human connection, and she actively works towards this by shaping policy, fostering innovation, and advocating for sexual well-being.
Contact:
Interviews: bryony@futureofsex.com
Instagram: @bryonycole, @futureofsex, @sextechschool
Ruhee is the founder of Allied Collective, Australia’s leading facilitation and wellbeing practice, specialising in leadership development, psychosocial hazard prevention, and workplace culture transformation. With 13+ years of experience supporting over 45 organisations, she has helped businesses improve employee retention, leadership capability, and wellbeing outcomes through targeted, evidence-based training. Her background in psychology, business management, and Yoga philosophy informs a measured, results-driven approach to organisational change. As a Regional Advisory Council member at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, she advises on workplace equity, anti-racism, and economic inclusion. She also mentors women entrepreneurs in wellbeing and leadership. A recognised expert in her field, Ruhee delivers practical, high-impact training and strategy that enables organisations to build stronger, more resilient teams.
Collective Closets is not just part of the Australian fashion landscape—it is actively reshaping it. Founded in Melbourne with a deep commitment to slow fashion, the label bridges continents and cultures through thoughtfully crafted clothing that carries meaning in every thread.
Established in 2016 by sisters Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako, Collective Closets has grown from an intimate family story into a brand that authentically connects the creative spirit of Africa with Australia’s contemporary fashion identity. Their philosophy is clear and consistent: to create enduring pieces that make women feel seen, understood, and beautiful. Every garment is crafted with intention, designed for women who value both artistry and purpose.
The label emerged from a vision to offer something truly distinctive in Australian fashion—a brand that celebrates the vibrant textiles of Africa while speaking directly to the modern Australian woman. Collective Closets' journey began with the iconic Maasai Shuka, whose bold patterns and rich cultural significance became the cornerstone of their design philosophy.
As African-Australian designers, Fatuma and Laurinda bring an authentic perspective to the cultural conversation. Their collections go beyond beautiful clothing—they open dialogue, challenge perceptions, and highlight the sophistication of African textiles reimagined through contemporary design. Through each piece, Collective Closets invites wearers to be part of a new chapter in Australia’s fashion narrative—one that celebrates diversity, heritage, and conscious creativity.
Dr. Jason Fox is a wizard-philosopher and bestselling author masquerading as a leadership futurist. He works with questing teams seeking new and meaningful progress—beyond the default.
I had such a great time hosting Dr. Jason Fox aka ‘the wizard philosopher’ on the podcast. In this conversation, he shares how his unconventional path, from studying motivation and behaviour change to exploring ecological systems and even navigating World of Warcraft informs his work guiding leaders and organisations toward more authentic, purpose-driven strategies. He critiques the narrow, metrics-obsessed approach of many corporate environments, arguing that real progress emerges when people embrace ambiguity, develop deeper curiosity, and remain open to creative possibilities. Whether referencing the importance of liberal arts thinking in an AI-driven era or highlighting how people can find meaning even in mundane roles, Jason emphasises that true meaning can’t be forced or fabricated; instead, it arises from thoughtful engagement with complexity, empathy, and collective exploration
This episode is a bit different.Rather than the usual interview format, we’re trying something new. These "ONE IDEA" episodes feature recordings of essays I’ve written and published on Disruptive Business Network. Covering topics from authenticity to game theory to how technology is shaping our lives, these essays all center on one fundamental theme: our search for meaning, especially in the work we do.
I hope you enjoy it.
In this first essay: AuthenticityWe often think of authenticity as simply “being true to ourselves.” But is that really what it means?
This essay explores a fascinating story of Johnny Cash’s rebirth, guided by the legendary producer Rick Rubin. Rubin didn’t just focus on the “authentic” man behind the music..he amplified the mythical Man in Black, reigniting Cash’s career in the process.
The key insight? Authenticity isn’t about clinging to who you are today; it’s about becoming who you need to be to create impact. In a world that overemphasizes hyper-individualism, this essay challenges that notion, encouraging us to think beyond the ‘I’ and focus on the ‘we.’
Drawing from the wisdom of Aristotle, Nietzsche, and beyond, I explore how true authenticity requires discipline, courage, and connection to others.
So how can we redefine authenticity in our own lives? Let’s dive in.
David Swan is one of Australia's leading technology reporters and editors. He is the Technology Editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and was previously Technology Editor for The Australian newspaper.
In 2024 he was awarded Australia's best technology journalist at The Lizzies, Australia's national IT Journalism awards. Previous roles include chief technology reporter at independent IT news website iTWire, and at News Corp publication Technology Spectator.
In my latest episode of the Finding Meaning in Work podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Garry Williams, a cornerstone of Melbourne’s tech community. Garry's story is one of resilience, connection, and a deep commitment to building meaningful spaces for people to gather.
Some key themes of the conversation:
- Community & Connection: Garry has been pivotal in creating spaces that bring people together, not just for networking but for genuine connection. His work in the tech sector, especially with events like FuckUp Nights and his involvement with Inspire9, highlights his passion for fostering meaningful interactions.
- Burnout & Self-Care: Like a few of us, Garry has faced burnout from saying “yes” too often. His journey in setting boundaries and prioritising self-care is something I think we can all relate to, especially those of us who juggle many roles in our professional and personal lives.
- Finding Meaning: For Garry, the meaning in his work comes from curating experiences and connecting people. Whether it’s through tech events or helping companies grow, his joy lies in bringing people together and creating spaces where innovation and culture intersect.
- Looking Forward: Garry's next venture, Group Group, is focused on niche communities—combining his passion for technology, music, and subcultures. It’s exciting to hear about his plans to build something new and impactful in Melbourne’s west.
Check out the full episode and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.disruptivebusinessnetwork.com/podcast
About Garry Williams
Garry (Gaz) Williams - CHIEF CHIEF, GROUP GROUP
Gaz runs GROUP GROUP - a specialist advisory+execution brand centred on the overlap of brand-building and capital growth stages for tech focused companies.
Gaz was first employee at Tractor Ventures leading brand-building & marketing for the company that became the fastest growing fintech in Aus. Previously, he was Creative producer of Innovation at University of Melbourne, and worked on some very strange things at Science Gallery Melbourne.
As well as running partnerships at General Assembly or coworking at Inspire9, Gaz has an extreme allergy to vanilla content, and places particular importance on niche creation, experimentation, curation, and the importance of place in his culture meets tech weirdo overlap
In this podcast episode, Landon Brown discusses his career journey from starting in executive search as a teenager to working for tech giants like Google and Airbnb, and eventually founding his own HR consultancy, Partner in Kind. The conversation explores key themes such as finding meaning in work, the challenges of pursuing passion versus purpose, and the importance of social impact. Landon emphasises the role of privilege, his commitment to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, and the need to rethink hiring practices to give more opportunities to diverse candidates. He also encourages listeners to pursue meaningful work, whether within organisations or through entrepreneurship, by taking bold, confident steps to shape their careers.
Landon Brown is the Founder and CEO of Partner in Kind, a Talent and HR consultancy that places people and social impact at the heart of everything they do by donating 20% of all fees to charities and not-for-profits. Originally from and now based in Melbourne, but previously living in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London, Landon brings 15 years experience scaling over 50 different pre-IPO companies across 29 countries, while also previously working internally at Airbnb and Google
In this episode of "Finding Meaning in Work," I spoke with Michael Cullen, who shared his journey from nursing to leading Future Energy Skills, an organisation that provides licensing assessments and training for the energy sector, particularly electricians. He discussed how his nursing background shaped his empathetic leadership style, emphasising the importance of treating each person as an individual. Michael highlighted the cultural shift at his organisation towards a more supportive and holistic approach to licensing assessments. He also reflected on the evolving industry, particularly the move towards renewable energy and the increasing number of women in trades, and shared his thoughts on meaningful work, which for him means making a positive impact and fostering a culture of growth and happiness
About Michael (in his own words)
I have been the Executive Officer of Future Energy Skills for three years, following an operational background of approximately eight years. I am a licensed electrician and electrical inspector, and I spent several years as a registered electrical contractor, running a small business.
My passion is people—both the staff who work with me and the larger team that serves our Energy Industry. I firmly believe that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Respect and treat everyone for who they are.
I began my adult working life as a nurse, which taught me to appreciate that we all have unique life journeys. We need to be seen, heard, assisted when needed, and respected for what we bring. Our workplaces are made up of individuals who each contribute an important piece to the table, extending to the wider industry and forming the very fabric of our society
In this episode of 'Finding Meaning in Work', we sit down with Daniel Ajak, a defence lawyer and co-founder of the African Australian Legal Network. Born in a refugee camp in Kenya, his family having escaped from Sudan, he is now a lawyer working in Melbourne. His practise is devoted to helping African and other marginalised communities in Melbourne. Daniel shares his incredible journey from adversity to advocacy. Join us as he reflects on the challenges he's faced, the lessons learned, and his commitment to serving his community.
Welcome to another episode of the 'On Meaningful Work' podcast.
In this episode I speak with Tom Campbell, AFL football star and the co-founder of Footy for Climate.
About Tom
Tom Campbell is an AFL player with St Kilda Football Club, and has played 12 seasons with the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and St Kilda Football Clubs.
Over the past decade, Tom has been an ambassador for a number of charities including Stand Up Events (tackling homophobia and gender discrimination in sport) and The Les Twentyman Foundation (supporting at-risk youth) and he co-founded Footy for Climate.
Tom is passionate about protecting the future of the planet and footy, and through Footy for Climate he supports AFL M&W players to use their public platform to advocate for greater climate action and give back to the grassroots of the game
Hello all and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast
We have a very special episode with the founder of the ethical fashion label etiko: Nick Savaidis
We have a wide ranging conversation touching on Nick's childhood in Melbourne in 50's, the Greek immigrant experience, the fledgling garment industry that sprang up in the suburbs, setting up social enterprises in remote communities, the reasons for ethical fashion and the trials of being an entrepreneur. We cover alot!
About Nick:
Nick Savaidis is the founder of Etiko which was recently voted Australia’s Best All-Round Sustainable Retailer in the inaugural National Online Retailers Sustainability Awards.
After working in the education field Nick was involved in establishing and managing a number of social enterprises on remote indigenous communities in the Northern Territory in the early 1990’s.
In the early 2000’s he introduced No Sweat the world’s first ethically focussed on to the Australian market place before launching his own Etiko brand in 2006. A street fashion brand for conscious and conscientious consumers Etiko is not only Fairtrade certified, it’s also a B Corp and a registered social enterprise (via Social Traders). In 2016 Etiko became the first fashion brand to ever win an Australian Human Rights Award for its efforts in addressing the exploitation of workers and farmers in fashion supply chains.
Anna is a social strategist, storyteller and adventurer, starting her career in Social Work before moving into human rights law. Anna's nomadic lifestyle over the decade has allowed her to travel to nearly every nook and cranny in Australia, listening deeply to the stories of communities and working in partnership to translate these to government & business in creative ways. Anna’s lived experience of managing lifelong chronic health issues has influenced her drive to challenge the current business as usual paradigm. Anna works across Australia weaving her depth of experience, her personal story and her deep love of storytelling and nature to guide businesses into relational ways of being.
Dr. Leyla Acaroglu is an internationally-known sustainability provocateur, sociologist, and award-winning designer, focused on systems thinking, sustainability sciences and creative change-making. She was named Champion of the Earth by the United Nations, Change-Maker by Linkedin and is a mainstage TED speaker who leads presentations with leaders around the world on activating positive change for a sustainable, circular and regenerative future. He TED talk on Paper beats Plastic? has more than 1.4M views. As a serial social entrepreneur, she founded The UnSchool, an experimental knowledge lab for adults, developed the Disruptive Design Method and is CEO of creative agency, Disrupt Design.
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast
We have an incredible guest this week in Simon Griffiths, the CEO and Cofounder of Who Gives a Crap.
Who Gives A Crap is an Aussie B Corp that sells good looking, forest friendly toilet paper, paper towels and tissues direct-to-consumer. Who Gives A Crap donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets for those in need. As much as Simon loves toilet paper, he helped start the business for its impact, with the company on a mission to improve access to hygiene, clean water and basic sanitation in developing countries. Since founding the company back in 2013, Who Gives A Crap has donated more than $10 million.
We cover a lot in this episode, from Simon’s childhood in Perth, his first jobs, his motivations for getting into social entrepreneurship and how the legendary Who Gives A Crap came to be. It is an incredible journey and I hope you enjoy this episode.
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast. In this episode I speak with Tony Corrales. Tony has an incredible story - he is originally from England and originally a punk musician , yes he headlined a punk rock band that toured the world. Since then and since moving to Australia Tony has spent the last 10 years working between online and offline marketing for not for profit organisations, along with consulting work in digital strategy and operations.
In 2020 he launched the ethical fashion label Noskin along with the Producing with Purpose podcast, which is now evolving into PWP Studios where he and his team provide consulting services and coming soon, online education to make your good business a great business.
Please note: The thing I fear the most while recording a podcast to not happen..happened. The SD card got full and it stopped recording midway though. Tony was gracious enough to backtrack and re-record..but there maybe some continuity issues. So my apologies for that.
Hello All and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast.
This one is a little bit different. Firstly its a live recording. Secondly the format is a little different. Rather than my usual formula of tracing a person's journey and trying to distil how they came to find meaning and purpose in the work they do, this interview traces a literal journey. Dr. Chevez wanted to think about the future of work and the likely environments that will support our working lives without any distraction..so he walked from Melbourne to Sydney. It took him 42 days. The book he wrote is a distillation of his ideas and insights from that walk. This interview is a discussion about Dr. Chevez'z book and the ideas he captured about the future of work and how we can find meaning and purpose in the work that we do
About Dr. Chevez:
As an architect and academic, Dr Agustin Chevez has dedicated his career to understanding the notion of work and uncovering environments that best support our working lives. Agustin’s interest in the relationship between people, space and technology saw him pursue a PhD on the evolution of workplace architecture as a consequence of technology development. His work has been presented at various international forums and publications. Agustin is a workplace consultant, an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre For Design Innovation, Swinburne University, and an Honorary Fellow at the school of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne.
Hello all and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast. In this episode I am thrilled to be speaking with Matthew Boyd. Matt is the cofounder of Vollie and now the founder of Natureboss. In this episode we dig into Matt's various adventures from growing up in England, immigrating to Australia and establishing himself in Advertising here in Melbourne. A volunteer stint at the Royal Children's Hospital changed Matt's perception of work and inspired him to found Vollie. We dig deep into his entrepreneurial journey and the grit required to get Vollie off the ground. I loved this conversation, I learned a lot from Matt and I hope you do too
About Matt
Matthew is the CEO of NatureBoss, an online marketplace which connects corporate teams with environmental groups that can facilitate meaningful experiences in nature. NatureBoss is on a mission to evolve the way businesses connect with the environment.
Prior to NatureBoss, Matt Co-Founded Vollie, an online marketplace that is unlocking a new style of skills-based remote volunteering. In 5 years of operation, Vollie has seen 5,000+ social impact projects completed to date, through 300,000+ skilled volunteering hours, generating over $5.7 million of savings to the current 1,200+ non-profits using the service. Prior to Vollie, Matt has 10 years experience in a Marketing, Operations and Business development, and have been responsible for running projects that have contributed close to $10 million for NFP organisations.
Hello Everyone and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful work podcast. In this episode I speak with Dr. Armida Fernandez. Dr. Fernandez started her career working with Mumbai’s urban poor in one of the biggest public hospitals there. Within that labyrinthine system Dr. Fernandez was able to implement real change in how medicine and care were to be administered with a real focus on women and newborn health. When she noticed that the problem of women/newborn health was too multifaceted to be solved within the confines of a public hospital she founded SNEHA a not-for-profit that focused on the health of women and children in Dharavi (Mumbai’s biggest slum) - SNEHA has now grown to 490+ staff working across various communities. Throughout her career Dr Ferandez has worked in extremely challenging circumstances, but she has tackled problems with an entrepreneurial zeal. She has demonstrated enormous confidence in her vision and has backed that up with an ability to articulate that vision and bring people along. It was a pleasure speaking with her
About Dr. Fernandez
Dr. Armida Fernandez is the retired dean of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai where she was Head of the Dept of Neonatology. She is also retired as the Medical Director of the Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai. She is the founding trustee at SNEHA, an NGO working on health, nutrition and violence in Mumbai's urban slums. She is also the founder of the Romilla palliative care centre. . Her key areas of expertise and interest are promotion of breastfeeding and the care of new born babies especially among the urban poor of Mumbai. She started the first Human Milk Bank in Asia and has developed many low cost techniques for survival of new born babies. She was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2004 and is the past president of the National Neonatology Forum.
Hello all and welcome come to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast.
This is a special episode as I get to chat with my friend for about 25 years Dr. Hayden Richards. We chat about Hayden’s childhood on the Gold Coast in Australia, dealing with being a deep introvert as a young person, the decision to become a doctor, the meaning of success and his road to entrepreneurship. I had a blast with this one!!
About Dr. Hayden Richards
Hayden is an emergency physician and co-founder of Critical Conversations, a company focused on taking the lessons learned from difficult conversations in the emergency room and bringing them to the broader community. His main focus is on the development and delivery of experiential workshops where participants are supported to build their skills in challenging communication, and emotional intelligence. He has worked with hundreds of professionals in this capacity, both in healthcare and a variety of other industries. He also has a Youtube channel called Comms Lab, where he packages his learnings into delicious, bite-sized video treats. He works on the premise that the process of acquiring these skills can be fun and intrinsically rewarding, AND the most valuable investment anyone could make. As someone who struggled with communication when he was younger, he sees himself as living proof of that.
His website: haydenrichards.com.au
Welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast. In this episode we chat with social entrepreneur and founder of I=change Jeremy Meltzer.
I=change is a retail tech platform that makes it easier for businesses to donate to charity. i=Change has partnered with global brands, who give back from every sale and uniquely empower their customers to choose where it goes. The company has positively impacted the lives of over 90,000 people in 14 countries.
About Jeremy
Jeremy is a social entrepreneur and inspiring voice for women’s rights globally. He created i=Change to help accelerate the impact of extraordinary development projects, focused on empowering women and girls.
As a young man, Jeremy was moved to action while living in Cuba. He was shocked at how violence against women seemed accepted and was even considered 'normal' across Latin America. This left him with a burning question... Why is such abuse so common in some communities while abhorrent in others?
Over the last ten years in an attempt to understand this issue, Jeremy's met with NGO's and communities in many countries around the world.
Jeremy believes the solution lies in engaging men, challenging the dominant versions of masculinity, modeling respectful relationships to children, and funding best-practice NGOs.
Jeremy is passionate about the enormous potential, that often won't be realised, in women and girls around the world. What would they build if they could? How could i=Change be part of the solution?
Hello all and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast.
In this episode, I chat with Trent and Joseph, the co-founder of the VR/Mixed reality company Phoria. We chat about how Trent and Joseph along with their other cofounders grew their high school friendship into a successful partnership. We talk about how being exposed to the natural world set the foundation for the business they want to build and the projects they want to tackle (eg their REWILD project with Netflix). We discuss the potential of V.R for being a true for good in the world, and of course, this being a VR company, we touched on what our future in the Metaverse might look like. Hope you Enjoy!
About Trent
Trent has an insatiable appetite for technology and immersive experiences. As Co-founder and CEO at PHORIA, his mission is to create software and content that can transport you places. He believes that through the power of immersive media, we now have the tools to experience the world at our fingertips. He has been deeply immersed in the worlds of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality for the last three years
About Joseph
Joseph Purdam is an award-winning XR Producer / Director using our ever evolving mediums of storytelling to share the narrative of our planet and its inhabitants. Joseph's aim is to expand our understanding and empathy through immersive content and experiences, enabling a deeper connection to our planet, its wildlife and our people. The overarching goal, to show us all as we are, one.
Thank you for listening. If you are enjoying the podcast please support us by sharing it with a friend and leaving a review on apple podcasts/soptify or youtube. Thanks!
Hello all and welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast. We are back after a bit of a hiatus (thank you lockdown 6.0). Hope you all are keeping well and safe
In this episode, I chat with Gordon Young, professional ethicist and principal at Ethilogical Consulting. He also serves as a specialist educator of ethics at Victoria Police. We chat about Gordon's upbringing in Melbourne and those formative experiences that eventually led to a career in ethics. We chat about how his earlier jobs with a slightly dodgy businessman and in politics led him to pick a Masters in professional ethics that changed the course of his professional life. And of course, we talk about ethics and how he applies those frameworks in his current day job
About Gordon
Gordon Young is the Principal of Ethilogical Consulting, offering training, governance, and strategic investigation and redevelopment to organisations of all sizes and sectors. He is the author of Power and the Professional, published by McFarland Books, and serves as an Associate of The Ethics Centre. He is also the Senior Specialist Educator in Ethics at Victoria Police. He is based in Melbourne, Australia.
Thank you for listening. If you are enjoying the podcast please support us by sharing it with a friend and leaving a review on apple podcasts. Thanks!
Hi all and Welcome to another episode of the ‘On Meaningful Work’ podcast
In this episode, I chat with Kunal Kalro, serial entrepreneur and currently the founder of EugeneLabs. We chat about his upbringing in Dubai, what drove his early choices in education and about his primary career path. We chat about the lure of entrepreneurship, what people get wrong about entrepreneurship and what he had learnt from his failures. We conclude by exploring how a personal tragedy led to an inquiry into the real lack of diversity in the genetic data used for most medical research and how that has led to the founding of his latest venture
About Kunal
Kunal is an experienced entrepreneur & product designer that loves to build products that take something confusing (like genetics) and makes it easy to approach and understand. He has lived and worked in Australia, US, Latin America, Middle East & India, speaks 4 languages and is a bit obsessed with Burning Man.
He cofounded Eugene because unequal health outcomes for people generally due to the lack of diversity in genetic data, is something that he could no longer stand by.
Welcome to another episode of the On Meaningful Work Podcast. In this episode, we are thrilled to chat with Dr Elise Bialylew, the founder of Mindful in May
Elise Bialylew is the author of the bestselling book, The Happiness Plan, and founder of Mindful in May, the world’s largest online global mindfulness fundraising campaign.
A doctor trained in psychiatry, turned social entrepreneur and mindfulness expert, she’s passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to develop inner tools for greater wellbeing and flourishing, and offers workshops and training at The Mind Life Project.
Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, New York Times and on Australian Television. She was recently recognised by the Australian Financial Review as a 2019 AFR Women of Influence
This episode of the On Meaningful Work podcast features Luke Mitchell, Co-Founder of Yuki Threads, a premium snowboarding/skiing clothing brand
Luke Mitchell or ‘Mitch’ as he is known is the founder and owner of Yuki Threads. A country kid that somehow stumbled his way into the ‘fashion’ industry. A mechanic by trade and a snowbum by heart, what started as an excuse to keep snowboarding has turned into much more. Absorbing the experiences and lessons presented along the way Luke has evolved the vision for Yuki Threads to be much bigger than the products it makes and hopes that this vision can be shared and inspire the community
We talk about Luke’s upbringing in Melbourne. His first job as a mechanic but finding his tribe among the snowboarders and skiers on the mountains. We delve into the origin story of Yuki Threads and and then as the business progressed, how his aims shifted to the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’. How sustainability, fair-trade and making sure the business is fuelled by an ethical supply chain came to the fore.
Luke has an incredible story to share. Thanks for listening
This episode of the podcast features Kizzi. Kizzi is the owner of Kenneth Geofferys, a barbershop in Collingwood Melbourne. I first got to know Kizzi, in the barber's chair chatting with her while she trimmed my beard. After listening to her story, I felt I need to have her on the podcast..so here we are.
Her story exemplifies making the best of the hand that you were dealt with. For Kizzi, barbering wasn't a calling, but she made it one. Coming from a troubled background, being kicked out of school, not making it in various other jobs, it looked like a lost cause for a brief second. Until a mentor (and her own grit) helped her focus and build a career as a barber. Cut to today and she is the owner and proprietor of a thriving business.
I learned a lot from Kizzi and I really enjoyed speaking with her. And I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Thank you for listening
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Welcome to the first episode of 2021!
And I am really excited about this one as it features my good friend Mykel Dixon. Someone whose rise I had the privilege of witnessing first hand.
Mykel describes himself as a musician by trade, a gypsy by nature and a fierce non-conformist. He is an award-winning speaker, learning designer and now author of 'Everyday Creative'
He works with senior leaders and teams of fortune 500 and ASX 200 companies to unlock breakthrough creativity. Some of his clients include Google, Youtube, Schneider Electric, CBA, Telstra..amongst many others
In this conversation, we dive deep into Mykel's story, his numerous adventures and inspirations that led him on his current trajectory. Hope you enjoy!
This episode of the podcast features Emily Hazell, the founder and owner of Serotonin Eatery, Exercise + Education. She is also an Interior Architect and Graphic Designer. She opened her Happiness Centre with a vision of changing minds and lives with mental health education and awareness. She hopes for Serotonin to become a leading facility in happiness and health education. She has a passion for living and promoting a plant-based lifestyle through her Happiness Centre.
In this episode, we cover Emily's story from her childhood, her early career, the setbacks that forced her to reexamine her priorities..that eventually lead to the founding of Seratonin. I had an amazing time speaking with Emily and I hope you enjoy this episode.
For more information on past and future episodes of the podcast as well as other events please visit disruptivebusinessnetwork.com
This episode of the podcast features CJ, the co-creator of s p a c e, a conference-festival hybrid in Byron Bay (the 2020 version will be virtual) that has launched businesses, best-selling books and collaborations that changing communities for the better.
S p a c e has been described as a conference, an un-conference, an event, a gathering of disruptive thinkers to challenge world views. However it may be described, it has been life-changing to those who attended. This episode traces CJ's story from his childhood in Rotorua NZ, his hospitality career in NZ and London, his stint as a purser on a cruise ship, his foray into high-end luxury events and onto his creation of s p a c e.
I had a blast speaking with CJ and I hope you enjoy this episode.
About CJ Holden
An experientialist at heart, CJ is passionate about building engaged communities through immersive experiences. His vision is to build a collective of Australia’s most un-like-minds all making a global impact. CJ has created experiences in London, Miami, Marrakesh, Cape Town, and Iceland and has established himself as a true disruptor in the events industry
Hope you enjoy
With Thanks,
Rahul rahul@disruptivebusinessnetwork.com
This episode of the podcast features Uppma Virdi, the founder of Chaiwalli, a business that not only sells tea blends but also aims to "educate people on the genuine beauty of Indian teas and spices"
Chaiwalli is the Hindi word for Tea Lady. And that is what Uppma embodies. She left a promising legal career to answer her calling to share her family tea blends with the world. And so starting from blending tea in her parent's basement while working full time as a lawyer she now has customers the world over and several award-winning and well-renowned masala chai and spice blends. I hope you enjoy this story of Uppma's journey
In this episode, we speak with Demetrio Zema who is the founder and director of Law Squared. Law Squared has been named 'Australia's most innovative law firm' and with good reason. Demetrio has flipped the script on how the law should be practised putting purpose, clients and outcomes as the focus of what they do. The need for a new way of doing law having sprung from his disenchantment with the way traditional law is practised. In this episode, we speak about that journey. We speak about the profession of being a lawyer, what needs to change and how Demetrio is going about instigating that change
Hope you enjoy!
In this episode, we speak with Louka Parry. A learner, a teacher, an innovator. We discuss his journey from growing up in suburban Adelaide to becoming a teacher, principal at age 27 and from that going on to becoming a real innovator in education. He now spends his time helping educators around the world create environments where students can have the best foundation for learning.
Manoj is a meditation teacher and the founder of A_SPACE. This is a live recording that (back when we could have live events in November 2019). In this episode, we chat about Manoj’s upbringing having migrated from far north Queensland as a 7 yr old with his Sri Lankan parents..and how that shaped his world view. We chat about his successful career in marketing in one of the big 4 banks, dealing with some health problems, discovering meditation and the eventual founding of A_SPACE. Manoj brings a lot of wisdom to this conversation. Hope you enjoy
This episode features the extraordinary story of Amy Crawford, the founder of Holistic Ingredient. She has had a remarkable journey that began with an idyllic childhood in Tasmania. Through many adventures (that we cover) she established herself in the recruitment industry. However, it took a couple nasty health episodes for Amy to develop a passion in health and wellness and the founding of Holistic Ingredient. Through Holistic Ingredient, Amy now empowers other women to make a positive change in their lives. Hope you enjoy
This episode features Nick Byrne, entrepreneur and founder of TypeHuman. We cover Nick’s journey from his childhood in Adelaide, his early career as a humanitarian engineer with Engineers Without Borders, his foray as a successful consultant and finally the founding of Typehuman: a company that aims to empower communities through blockchain and web 3.0
This episode we speak with Penny Locaso, a speaker, consultant and founder of BKindred We cover a lot of ground starting with her childhood growing up on a farm and the work ethic that that instilled early on, to starting her career at Shell at 22, swiftly climbing the corporate ladder until her realisation that her ‘bliss’ was in making positive change in peoples lives. We cover how she had to redefine what success meant to her, overcoming her fearlessness through ‘micro-bravery’ and step into a career she was meant for.
Chris is a dear friend and currently the founder and managing director of SMART studios. In this conversation, we cover Chris’ labyrinth yet inspiring career journey. From starting as a theology student to being a social worker, starting a business in the building industry, failing at that and then finding a solid foundation as a technology product manager..by first teaching himself how to code. There a few lessons we all can draw from Chris’ journey. Lessons such as overcoming shame and learning how to get help when you need it, the distinction between meaning and happiness and finding peace at the bottom. Hope you enjoy