True Business Stories: Recent Episodes
Mark and Bill
Maree has had a long career within the recruitment industry both overseas and in Australia. She formed her own company based in Geelong some years ago and is is now well recognised for providing people solutions to companies across Victoria.
This is a great story. Two school friends that went separate ways and ended up working together. When the opportunity arose to buy the business they worked in they took the leap. They now work as co- Directors and are continually looking to grow and improve the business. They have expanded from Toshiba Print and Copy to now providing IT support and service.
Michael Kenneady has a work ethic derived from working on his parents farm and being involved at an early age in working with disadvantaged people. His passion is infectious and as General Manager for Lazarus Community Centre he is keen to make a difference to his guests lives.
Glen has a passion for education and continuous learning. He is now the Chair for U3A Australia - or more formally known as the University of the 3rd Age. U3A focusses on the 50 to 100 year olds and provides a wide variety of courses through a membership model.
Adam left school not really sure what to do and began a role at BBQ Galore and found he had a passion and a gift for selling. This led to management roles and an offer to learn about real estate. He now is the Principal for Ray White Highton.
Brett has established himself as one of the leading business leaders in Geelong and beyond. A career starting in logistics has now led Brett to running Geelong Port a vital part of the economy in Geelong and Victoria.
Ryan ran his own electrical business for a number of years and then seeking a bit of a change, together with his wife Nicole, bought King Parrot Cottages and Event Centre. This is located in Penny Royal in the wonderful Otways in South Western Victoria.
Stephanie is an Australian social entrepreneur and the founder of Seven Women, a social enterprise based in Nepal that provided skills training and employment for women with disabilities. Stephanie was inspired to start her charity while visiting Nepal some years ago.
Stephanie is passionate about social change and now runs tours to bring others into understanding the need for meaningful impact and change.
She now runs Celtic Way a tour company that tours Ireland, Scotland and Wales. She also runs tours to Nepal.
Jesse began his employment journey as an electrician and then took a plunge into freight and his first contract was for Australia Post out in Mildura. He has now expanded by purchasing Colac Dairies and is looking for more opportunities. Jesse is also an advocate for Ai as this makes his business more efficient.
Len has a great story from being an accomplished athlete (as a runner) to his journey in forming LBA Construction group. A building group delivering high quality homes in Melbourne. An honest, humorous and stimulating story on being good at what you do (and the power of a good Mother!)
Shae has been born and bred in Colac in South West Victoria. Her passion for dance and supporting children led her to form a dance studio that has over 60 classes a week. She has also created The Courageous Kids Club to build positive self belief in children. A great story.
Joe emigrated to Colac some years ago, following his wife to the community they love and work in. Joe owns Treasure Hunters a thriving retail business that is worlds away from the small village he grew up in in Zimbabwe. Joe has a passion for people and products and is an inspiration to all that meet him.
Lynda has had a fascinating career dealing with intercultural approaches to work and community engagement. Lynda says 'For 30 years, my goal has been for the Australian government, all states, territories and 537 local governments to move beyond multicultural thinking to operate interculturally to benefit every person who lives in Australia' A great story.
Bill and Mark chat about the year gone and the great businesses they have met.
We will be back in 2026.
Mark started his life as a teacher and through hard work and 'sliding door moments' has been an AFL Player, AFL Coach and now the CEO of Geelong United Basketball. Mark has a clear vision and passion for sport and the need to ensure it is inclusive.
Nick has had a drive to create businesses filling a gap in the market. He moved from selling Heat Pump Hot Water services to importing and installing lifts in peoples home after identifying a trend of people aging but wanting to stay in their own homes. A great story of innovation and adaptability.
Leighton has had a strong career in developing innovation across a number of roles. He then decided to pursue his love of sport and running completing a Ph.D in Sport Science and runs his own business coaching triathlon runners.
Scott loves being in education and as the College Principal at Northern Bay College he wants all his students to be successful. A great career across various schools, a passion for teaching and a great role model.
Kerri loves working in the digital space helping customers optimise their SEO. Kerri has a clear focus on what she wants to achieve and this is evident through her various roles and businesses. Another example of 'being brave'
Keith Fagg is well known across Geelong and Victoria for his family hardware and timber business that has operated for over 170 years. Keith now devotes his time to mediation work and is also a philanthropist and a casual marathon runner.
Claire started her career as a para legal and on joining Telstra found a passion for cyber security. Claire has worked in Hong Kong as well as Australia and now runs her own cyber security consulting company The Security Collective.
Claire also has her own pod casts with a focus on cyber security.
Nadine started off in WA and commended work after study as a Speech Pathologist. Nadine moved to Victoria and with her husband started Baie Wines by planting lots of Vines. Today Baie Wines is recognised for a great arrange of wines and a strong social conscience.
Mia Shaw is the Mayor of Wyndham. Starting with a degree from Deakin University and a journalism focus has led to a number of communication roles. Mia now runs her own leadership mentoring business 'Govern with impact' and has a passion for all things to do with Wyndham.
Thomas as the Chief Executive Officer of Symphony3, leads a team of experts in delivering innovative and transformative solutions for businesses across various sectors. The focus on providing Local Government the tools to help drive efficiency and better outcomes is a key driver.
Eddy has always enjoyed working with engines and this led to a career working on diesel engines and machinery all over the world. Eddy returned to Geelong some years ago and is now working in the Elphinstone Group across Australia. He is also a Councillor for the City of Greater Geelong.
Justin started his education in wanting to be a lawyer but then decided to change and undertake a degree in business and and commerce. He then took on a role at Cabinets by Computer and is now the General Manager.
Andrew started his career in innovative design with Parker Pens and Sian through the creative industries including the Opera. They met in the UK and through working in a number of companies consulting on design, critical thinking and leadership have forged a two businesses that have taken them around the world and now back to Geelong.
Lachie started working with a couple of the big accounting firms that led to his interest in business valuations. He then started his own business helping business owners understand the key drivers for having a business ready for sale.
Alison started with working in journalism but has always had a passion for Devonport and wanting to see her home town thrive. Alison has spent some years on Devonport Council and is now Mayor. The recent Memorandum between Geelong and Devonport shows the importance of the Spirit of Tasmania to both cities and the opportunities.
Alex has had a career with Telstra and Microsoft and his learnings from these companies helped him start his own business helping companies with Ai.
A great story of following your passion and being brave!
Andrew has property in his blood growing up in one of Geelong's famous families. He spent some years working in New York working on a number of creative projects. On returning to Victoria he has started a company called Euca - Eco-Cabins’ - with a primary goal of cabins & small homes for regional tourism, Airbnbs, backyard dwellings and small footprint living. Small homes for a wide range of uses.
Karen Foster started her life as a journalist but decided this was not her calling. The journey from journalist to Mayor is an interesting one. Karen now operates a business and leadership development consultancy in Port Fairy and is Mayor of Moyne Shire.
We interviewed Aamir on his journey some time ago. We now speak to him about his passion and love for ai and how it can help businesses and individuals. A fascinating story.
Maree started her life wanting to be a teacher. This led to a career working and mentoring leaders and organisations across a wide variety of industries.
Samantha has had a wide and varied career developing her skills and expertise across a wide range of industries. This has now led to working in the fabric industry developing some exciting and new products.
David started his schooling learning about metal working and this led to a career in steel manufacturing, selling and importing. He now heads the Australian Steel Association and also the Advanced fibre Cluster working to improve the opportunities for members and to grow their businesses,
Aaron has taken his love of golf through playing professionally, running a golf course to now operating his own golfing coaching and analysis business.
https://www.geelonggolfstudio.com.au/coaching
A different business story.
Shaun has had an interesting life journey from South Africa to Queensland and now Geelong. He has a passion for looking after and providing the water we need for our daily lives in an increasingly tough environment. A great conversation.
James is a serial entrepreneur and he discusses his journey from political lobbyist to running and developing businesses from scratch. He has learnt a lot along the way and this frank and open chat shows you how he continues to learn and grow.
Claire loves risk and has spent most of her career helping businesses identify risk and how to use that risk analysis to make better business decisions.
Robert Bruce has had an international career in building and creating better businesses and improving processes through the LEAN way.
A great story about how the right advice and skills can create better businesses.
Amanda wanted to be a journalist and then ended up working in the fabric and rag trade. A chat with her brother in law led to the establishment of her business selling cut flowers Smellies https://smellies.com.au/ - 30 years ago and still trading strongly.
A group met to chat about the recent global issues especially the Trump tariffs. What should we do and what might change in Australia.
Harvey has had a long career as a CEO across a wide range of company's. One of his earliest roles was with Jarvis Walker - the well known and loved fishing gear company.
His journey as a CEO has now led to him being a coach with https://www.vistage.com.au/ an organisation that runs peer advisory groups to help CEO's grow and learn.
Tony had a great career spanning 19 years in education at Christian College in Geelong. Deciding he needed a change, a chat and a phone call led to a job offer and now he is CEO at Scaada https://scaada.com.au/
Tony loves his change as the company has the same values and ethics he follows in his life. A great story.
Sarah and Cass love design and making a difference in the world. A meeting at The Gordon TAFE while both were studying eventually led to them teaming up to create their business Storyfolk.
A business founded on great values and one that keeps winning awards.
Craig started his career in banking and then moved into telecommunications. A change in the Telstra business model led Craig to start his own ICT company supporting medium to large businesses called Kenstra.
Craig is also the Chair for the Committee for Wyndham supporting businesses across western Melbourne.
Stretch Kontelj has had a fascinating career in law and business. Combined with a passion for community and politics. Stretch is now the Mayor of the City of Geelong.
Lauren is the CEO of Pets Country Club a family business that has been operating in Lara, outside Geelong for over 30 years. Lauren has had a career in sporting events but has come back to run the family business. A great story.
Marie-Claire (MC to friends) had a passion and still does for acting. The Q Train evolved from a family plan to create a dining experience. The business has grown over the years to win awards for tourism and recently the Geelong Business Excellence Awards for Inclusivity and Accessibility.
Bill and Mark chat about all the people they have met and some of the key take outs that they have gleaned from some amazing people.
Donna started her career in fashion and worked for some major clothing companies and developed and sold her own label of kids clothes. Spotting a beautiful old warehouse Donna and her partner Beav decided to open a restaurant.
They now have three - The Arborist, Meet me at Marys, Beav's Bar
Michelle had a long career working in audit, mergers with one of the 'big 4'. A desire for a change led to the purchase of some acres on The Bellarine and the development of a sustainable cooking and growing demonstration business.
Shannon has had plumbing in his blood from an early age, helping with the family business while at school. Now he and his brother run the Kennedys Group with over 100 employees. A great story about a respected family business and the strength from having a good succession plan.
Shannon talks about his early childhood trauma and hurdles that in the long run has led him to developing his business helping people deal with stress and trauma. Shannon has a wonderful story to tell.
John started his journey thinking about becoming a dentist. He then changed tack and went onto becoming a successful lawyer with a focus on the franchise industry. The family business that was started by his father then beckoned and John now heads up SafeMate Anti Slip Solutions. https://safemateantislip.com/
Another great story.
Libby started off as a hairdresser but a 'tipping point' in her life was visiting Japan and taking a pottery class that inspired her to change direction. After lots of lessons and discovery of different styles Libby has now moved to an incredible studio based at the FyansPaper Mill complex.
Shannan Gove with partners Bennett Merriman and Chris Grant took their idea to create their own staffing company (Event Workforce) to help connect motivated university students with work experience opportunities throughout Australia.
As Event Workforce grew, the founders realized that they needed to ditch the spreadsheets in order to support their growing database of volunteers and casual staff. The team then built an online platform that provided a technical end to end solution to volunteer and workforce management now known as Rosterfy.
Tom is not only a financial expert but also a true advocate for his clients' success. Renowned for his innovative thinking and creative problem-solving, he goes above and beyond to drive business growth and prosperity.
Our latest pod cast with Scott Andersen , a director and partner at Worrells https://worrells.net.au an insolvency practice and liquidation specialist firm. The conversation discusses the growing number of insolvencies in Australia, particularly in the regions, and the impact on businesses, especially small-to-medium enterprises. Scott provides insights into the reasons for the uptick, such as the economic downturn, rising interest rates, and increased ATO collection activities. He offers advice to struggling business owners and directors, encouraging them to seek professional assistance early on to avoid dire consequences
Christine started off being an accountant in the USA and through a number of moves and changes is now running a virtual CFO service form Tasmania. A great story.
Jeremy Crawford - CEO of the Geelong Chamber of Commerce asked if he could interview us on the 100th Episode. So the tables were turned and we had to answer some great questions.
Amelia has had a journey through the corporate advertising agency world and then decided to start her own business to focus brand building. Her partner Bryan had a similar journey and their paths crossed and they now have a family together. Bryan has now joined Amelia in Made Mate.
Angus grew up on the family farm and thought his life would take him elsewhere. The changes in the direction of the farm to becoming a goat dairy and the development of being the producers of what is arguably the best goats cheese drew him back. A fantastic story of sustainability and adaption.
Steve has a long career in systems engineering but a sea change led to the purchase of an olive grove. This led to a desire to help produce quality olive oil from the many growers around Barwon South West in Victoria. He now operates Geelong Region Olives with over 20,000 olive trees producing great oil. A fantastic story.
Robert started his hospitality journey manning the chicken rotisserie at Coles while at school. He has had a fantastic journey across the globe and now runs a consulting company helping deliver hospitality businesses. He has been involved with the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and the Celtic Club.
Chris started life as a carpenter in the UK and had a number of roles in his journey to Australia. Geelong Access Hire starting as a side venture with 2 scissor lift platforms. This is now a full time business with over 100 scissor lifts and now has forklifts.
Pam started out as a primary teacher but the closure of the school she was at set her on the way to becoming a highly regarded photographer for weddings and commercial events.
We interviewed Peter some 2 years ago and wanted to know more about the racing scene in Geelong and the events that make the Geelong Racing Club such a contributor to the community. Peter is also standing as a Councillor for the Geelong Council elections in November 2024.
Emilie started life in Western Australia and wanted to be a teacher. She is now using her long held passion for sustainability in working at Geelong Sustainability. Emilie also donates her time being treasurer at Cloverdale Community Centre and is looking to run for Council in the City of Greater Geelong.
Caleb always had an interest in cameras and film. He is now living his passion creating video for businesses to help their branding and marketing. As Caleb puts it - story telling with pictures.
Michael has a great story to tell from a start in a retail role through to working in sports administration. He is now the CEO for the Committee for Geelong.
Jeremy has had an interesting career starting in hospitality, hotel management and a role at a major health insurer. This wide and business focussed career gives him a great perspective in his current role supporting businesses across Geelong.
Cameron started his career working as a Roofer. An injury led him to focus on safety at work sites and the eventual launching of his own business.
Walker Safety Services has over 250 clients across Australia that Cameron and his team help with in creating safe work places.
Bill and Mark chat about their experience in franchising and what to be aware of. Franchising is a huge part of business in Australia and a great way to have your own business - but you need to do your homework.
Sonia has had an very interesting career staring as a lawyer with a passion for giving back. This led to a first role on a NFP Board and then to a successful career on other boards including the TAC, Qantm, Vitrafy and TAL.
Giulia has had a great career from being a journalist at the ABC, Chief of Staff for the Melbourne Lord Mayor and a role at the ACTU. Giulia is now the leader of the G21 Regional Alliance.
David has always been involved in agriculture through a long and varied career. A great story and one that shows the changing face of agriculture in Australia.
Tim has had a love of numbers from an early age and this led to a passion for working across a number of financial institutions. He now leads the team at Bendigo Bank working with businesses across Western Victoria.
There has been a lot happening in the world over the last month. We chat about the impacts on business and some suggestions on what a business needs to think about now.
Alan started life in Ireland and with a desire to be a plumber leading to a constant education that sees him now running an innovative energy solutions company.
James has had a long career in agriculture running both chicken and duck processing businesses. He now runs his own consultancy and is working as an advisor to WrkPod - his sons business in the Philippines.
Nat has a great story on how he has become the driving force for development change in Geelong as the Director of Urbis Geelong. Nat is passionate about what he does and where he lives.
Jennifer is the CEO of the Geelong Manufacturing Council. Jennifer has had wide experience across Australia and Asia and is passionate about the potential for new and innovative manufacturing businesses.
Carmel is the founder and Director of the Proven Group, https://theprovengroup.com.au/ that like so many businesses started at the kitchen table. Carmen has grown from writing resumes to providing a full spread of HR services across Victoria and wider. A great story.
Nadja has a great story starting with growing up in East Germany and taking a Gap Year to see Australia and stayed. A career through news paper media has led her across the country to Geelong and she is now the Editor of Geelong Advertiser. A really interesting story.
https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/
Michael wanted to be an architect but ended up starting a computer science degree and ended up joining Gartland as a commercial property trainee agent. The rest is history. Michael has taken Gartland https://www.gartland.com.au/ forward including launching a digital marketing agency https://www.affiliatestudios.com.au/
Lisa Sweeney as the CEO of Business in Heels is all about championing women in business and life. Lisa started her career with a degree in agriculture but then moved into retail in store operations and then buying women's fashion.
Lisa has taken https://businessinheels.com/ to new heights with a passion that is evident in this pod cast.
Fi started her career as a nurse, this plus being involved in health boards, led to her quest to better understand governance and to the founding of Govern With https://governwith.com/
Fi is not only an incredibly smart and articulate person but her passion for good governance and her governance tools are a must for any board.
True Business Stories has chatted with over 70 business owners and leaders over the last year or so. We have loved learning about so many businesses. In this the wrap for the year we highlight the key learnings that we have gained and are relevant to businesses.
Bill Winter is the founder and other half of True Business Stories. He has a wealth of experience in running his own businesses and being a non - executive director. Bill is on a path of continual learning and loves working with family businesses to help them meet their goals.
Aaron Finch runs DirectBor, that was started by his Grand father with a small boring machine. He now deals with major drilling contracts as the leader in boring. DirectBor was the winner of the Business of the Year for the Geelong Business Excellence Awards in 2023.
A great story, sitting under our noses, here in Geelong.
Jarod has always had a passion about design and building and this path has now taken him to being the Director for the Plan Group delivering on exciting projects across Geelong and Ballarat.
Mathew has gone from playing brass instruments with the Salvation Army to being an Associate Director for KPMG in their new office in Geelong. Matthew has a passion for Geelong and is the driver behind the Economic Blueprint for Geelong.
Rachel Patterson was appointed General Manager of Geelong Broadcasters in January 2023, after a long career in radio. Geelong Broadcaster keep us informed and entertained via Bay 93.9FM and K Rock. Rachel would be one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Enjoy listening.
Kody Thompson has a fascinating story. Raised in Country Victoria and starting out as a youth Pastor, Kody has used his passion and values to create an outstanding business in the Philippines. Enjoy listening to his journey.
As one half of the True Business Stories podcast team, Bill Winter wanted to do a more thorough interview. Mark grew up in India and has had a long retail career and now enjoys helping other businesses.
Xavier grew up on the family farm and then headed off over seas to travel and work in many different industries. He came back to farming and his desire to ensure his practices are sustainable has led to his free range chicken business. A story of determination and passion.
Gail has had a great journey working across roles in many well known brands in business and aviation. Gail now runs the Geelong Community Foundation and brilliant concept that through sound investment of donations and bequeaths can make grants to help the community.
Tim found him self in his early twenties thrust into running the family business due to the poor health of his Father. Tim has a great story of making every opportunity to learn and recognising he needs to reach out to others to help him self grow.
Lyndal has had a fascinating journey as a teacher across a wide range of roles in schools and business and across the world. Her quest to make learning accessible for all has led to her own business making engaging, inclusive and accessible learning design outcomes for businesses, not-for-profit and government organisations.
Robert started life wanting to be an architect and his journey has presented many opportunities. He started his own business after being told by his family 'why don't you - rather than work for someone else'. Another interesting journey.
Allison (Ally) has a long retail career including General Manager roles at Target and The Reject Shop. Ally operates her own consulting business working with organisations providing operational support across finance, supply chain & logistics, merchandise & planning amongst other skills. Ally is also a Non Executive Director for the Geelong Bank and Chairs the AICD Geelong Regional Committee.
John is one of the great people working around Geelong. He has played for the Geelong Cats, coached school football teams and worked in banking and business development. He now runs his own business helping other businesses with strategy and with not-for-profit organisations in philanthropic support strategising.
He is also the producer for Propped by the Bar.
Trisha took a long path from Ireland to Australia with a career spanning a number of countries in finance and banking. Moving to Australia and becoming involved with the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce (a great organisation that provides support and networking opportunities for Irish immigrants) finally led to Apollo Bay and starting GoodLife Real Estate.
Milo has a story of immigration from the former Yugoslavia to Australia and created a business from his love of video. Milo creates great video content for businesses.
Jodi has an extensive career in human resources and identified a gap in helping businesses outsource their HR needs and support. After working with many different companies she took the plunge and opened her own business that has been growing since 2013. A story of passion and determination.
Having been to Davidsons Restaurant at The Gordon we met and interviewed the Apprentice Chef that fed us so well. Pippa has won awards in her short journey and has a great future ahead of her. Leonie is the Commercial Food and Hospitality Manager forThe Culinary Collective that encompasses the food scene at The Gordon.
Chris is an inspiration with her work in the disability sector providing respite care and holiday accommodation. Chris is passionate about inclusivity and the need for businesses to be accessible to all.
Kate Ware has a passion for marketing and helping businesses with her team of marketing and brand professionals. MadeGreat is a one stop digital marketing agency.
Jo Plummer had an extensive career working across corporate Australia and now as a Non- Executive Director looks to champion young and aspiring directors in performing at their optimum. This is done through her business Out of the Box Executive.
Tracy has worked in tourism her whole life. Tracy's passion for sharing her knowledge and love of the Greater Geelong and The Bellarine as a tourism destination shines through in out chat.
June O'Brien has a rich and diverse cultural melting pot ancestry. New Guinean, Danish, Chinese and Melanesian - and a passion for food and wine. June has a story of a journey to create a tourism business with a difference. Giving her clients a memorable experience.
Emily is passionate about property and has worked hard from owing her own Ray White Agency to now being the Australia wide Property Management CEO for Ray White. Emily wants to see more women in leadership roles in property and this desire comes through strong in our chat. A great story.
Wayne has a grown up in the Western Districts of Victoria and after many years as a Paramedic has now gone back to farming, growing garlic. The family business is vertically integrated, linking the worlds of horticulture and food processing to create a proudly 100% Australian quality product
Andrew has gone from playing AFL with Collingwood and the Sydney Swans to working around the world as a consultant His passion for helping others now sees him as the CEO of the Geelong Food Relief Centre. An fascinating story.
Jess Anderson has worked hard all her life from leaving home at a young age to moving from Queensland to Lara. Jess is a Virgin Cabin Manager and runs her own business employing nine staff creating magic through Crew Faced Makeup Artistry.
Diana is a very determined and focussed person that knew at 12 years old that she wanted to be a lawyer. Diana loves sport and her career has combined the love of law and sport This journey and how she went about it is all explained, as a help to others, in her book 'The Playbook'.
Cameron is the General Manager of Mr Browns and Browns Corporate Uniforms a long standing family business in Geelong West A business that started in 1956.
Damien is the Managing Director of Landserv a private, family owned business that has at its core purpose is to provide progressive, balanced contaminated land and environmental engineering solutions to shape our communities and enhance the environments we work in.
Russell Malishev owns Malishev Homes, one of the most awarded home builders in Australia, having won more than 110 national, state and regional awards. His father started building back in the 60's. Russell shows why education is so important as he developed and grew the business.
Aamir has a great story of perseverance. Arriving in Geelong from India to do an MBA at Deakin University and his first job as a cleaner at Avalon Airport. Aamir now runs an E business solutions company spanning three countries.
Erin and Luke have a passion for the creative industries, in particular film. They are on a journey to put Geelong on the map for film making. They are also successful film makers and actors with their film Paper Champions on Netflix.
Chris has a story of wanting to be an architect but ended up founding his own IT company serving the needs of businesses. A great story and some interesting thoughts for businesses needing IT support.
Juliana started life in Brazil and moved from a deportment school to a high school in the USA with a passion to learn and grow. Juliana has a great story on her journey to Australia and her new home in Geelong.
Zara has worked in hospitality since she was 13. After trying a couple of different roles she is now back following her passion. Zara has a passion for customer service and being the best - this is evident in our chat.
Dominique started wanting to be a chef and had evolved into a trainer in the food industry, then a serious accident changed her direction in life. A great story of determination and taking risks.
Vanessa has a career in organisational change and leadership. Her passion has always been about knowledge and the role libraries can play. A interesting and insightful conversation.
Megan has a story of seizing opportunity and the importance of having good mentors in her journey to developing the Geelong Property Hub.
John started as an apprentice chippy and then while playing ice hockey starting making team uniforms. This led to a career in apparel till John went back to to roots and stated building on The Bellarine.
Gareth started his working life at an early age on his parents farm and went through a number of careers to now be the owner of his own business. Gareth is also passionate about his community and is the Chair of Lazarus House.
Jana has a passion for education and business and this comes through strongly in this interview. The free TAFE courses at The Gordon can help a business ensure their staff are well trained across a wide range of businesses from hospitality to building.
How and should you get on a Board. What to be aware of and the need for good due diligence.
Nick grew up wanting to be an architect and is now one of the Principals at LBW Advisory one of the premier accounting firms based in Geelong. A fascinating journey.
Keith had his own travel company called Conference Associates. They were specialists in incentive travel programs.
Keith has led large company groups to conventions and company events all over the world. He is one of the most travelled people we have met.
Past clients have included Barry Plant, Mobil, ARL, Metcash.
Gillian loved horses and wanted to be a jockey but now owns and operates The Pier Geelong, a great function and mixed hospitality location.
Who would have thought a family business making soft drinks has transitioned into a business teaching children to swim, and providing adults with fitness programs. A fascinating story about following your passion.
Deb Nash has gone from being a school teacher to being part of the duo running one of the best catering and hospitality businesses Victoria.
Dan moved from the UK with his family to try a new life and has used his financial and people skills to become one of the owners of The Salary Packaging People.
Bill Winter and Mark Edmonds started this podcast to bring true business stories and hopefully some learnings to help other businesses. In this episode we discuss what are the key things we have learnt that makes a good business.
Amy Fisher has followed her passion to be a lawyer from the age of nine to now running her own legal practise.
Peter Murrihy started his working life at the Commonwealth Bank and now is the current Mayor for the City of Geelong. Peter has a real passion for Geelong.
Sarah went from a desire to working in marketing to now running a recruitment and HR company with her father. Another interesting family business.
Tony went from a family business as a real estate agent to now being one of the in demand speakers, mentors and motivators for mental health - with a focus on men.
Tania and Brad have built their business from cleaning cars in their garage to now providing ceramic coating and protective film treatment for vehicles, and Brad has also raced at Bathurst!
How a little pasta machine grew into a thriving business. Hear from Steve Robinson from Otway Pasta about his journey.
Hear from Scott Andersen from Worrells. An interesting journey where he ended up working in the field of Business Insolvency.
Geoff Hutchinson has had a remarkable career riding, as he describes it, a roller coaster of experiences.
Michelle has had a varied career from thinking about being a vet to operating a medical centre, all embraced by taking a risk.
Mark and Bill chat about what issues are concerning small business and some ideas on how to deal with them.
How Fergal went from playing football (soccer) in Ireland to a partnership operating Symphony 3 an IT Company.
John was forced into a change of careers at the age of 47. Here how he started and grew this great caravan business.
We started this to bring stories from business to entertain and educate. We have been asked who we are? So here is the first pod cast about the people behind True Business Stories.
Mandy emigrated from South Africa and from working in a bank she now runs the Eye Gallery, a boutique optometrist practice, with two locations in Geelong.
A great story of following her calling and passion.
Matthew has an interesting story on how he followed his passion to get into graphic design and print management.
Matthew is also the host for the Geelong Small Business Network Facebook site with over 6k members.
Nathan George started as a gamer at 16 and from this has developed a well respected business in digital marketing called Pixeld.
How do you stand out from the crowd - known as competitive advantage. Bill and Mark talk about those that have succeeded.
Bill Winter and Mark Edmonds have many years of owing and operating businesses. They have found that a great way to learn is to listen to stories from other business leaders. We want to share these true business stories.