Catching Up With CUB: Recent Episodes
Daniel Hakim
A Podcast by Daniel Hakim, CEO of the Club of United Business (CUB).
Daniel catches up with the best in Australian business, to provide you with the knowledge and entertainment you need to kick ass in today's business world.
Catching Up with CUB is more than a business podcast.
In this episode, Daniel sits down with Australia's Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson, for an exclusive conversation on the Federal Budget, Australia's economic future and what he believes needs to change to restore opportunity for ambitious Australians.
From the Federal Government's proposed tax changes and housing affordability to productivity, migration and small business, Tim shares why he believes the latest budget could make it harder for Australians to get ahead, and outlines the Opposition's approach to supporting investment, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Daniel and Tim also discuss the role entrepreneurs play in growing the economy, why some business owners are considering expanding overseas, and provide an inside perspective on the ideas, challenges and policy debates shaping Australia's economic future.
Whether you're building a business, buying your first home or simply interested in where Australia is heading, this episode provides a unique perspective on some of the biggest economic and policy decisions shaping the country's future.
Daniel catches up with Ashlea Roach, Founder and Managing Director of People Co., to discuss what it really takes to build a high-performing team and why people and culture are one of the biggest drivers of business growth.
After spending her career helping startups, scaleups and SMEs navigate the challenges of hiring, leadership and workplace culture, Ashlea founded People Co. to give growing businesses practical, commercially focused people advice that goes far beyond traditional HR. Today, she works with founders to build stronger leaders, more accountable teams and cultures that scale alongside the business.
Daniel and Ashlea discuss hiring, performance management, difficult conversations, leadership development, retaining great employees, building culture as your business grows and the practical strategies every founder can use to build a stronger team.
Daniel catches up with Justin Khoury, co-founder of Unbound Minds, to discuss why the best businesses are built from the inside out and what founders can learn from putting their people first.
After helping launch DoorDash Australia, Justin and his wife Monica founded Unbound Minds with a different approach to healthcare. By building the business around practitioners rather than patients, they've grown to more than 32 practitioners across two Sydney clinics and are now helping organisations create healthier workplaces through their newest venture, Unbound Work.
Daniel and Justin discuss founder mental health, leadership, hiring, workplace culture, Australia's changing psychosocial safety laws, the challenges facing the NDIS and the lessons every business owner can apply to build stronger, more resilient teams.
Daniel catches up with Julian Fayad, founder and CEO of LoanOptions.ai, to discuss the Federal Government's proposed tax changes and why he believes they could have lasting consequences for Australian entrepreneurs, investors and future business owners.
After nearly a decade in the finance industry, Julian built LoanOptions.ai into an eight-figure business with almost 40 staff and over 3,000 partners. More recently, he became the face of the viral "Albo 47%" campaign, sparking a national conversation around capital gains tax, entrepreneurship and Australia's economic future. Daniel and Julian discuss the proposed budget changes, housing affordability, taxation, entrepreneurship, business growth, Australia's productivity problem and what they believe needs to change to restore opportunity for the next generation.
Daniel catches up with Jon Tyson, co-founder of Dominion Property, to explore an innovative property model helping investors build wealth while addressing Australia's housing shortage.
From co-living developments and positive cash flow to property development and long-term investing, John shares how his team has created hundreds of homes through a strategy that's challenging traditional approaches to property ownership. Daniel and John discuss housing affordability, investor opportunities, development risk and the future of property investing.
Daniel is catching up with Alex Roberts, founder and director of multiple businesses across digital marketing, technology, and professional services, including Agency Stack, Admosis, and TeleMediDexy.
Alex shares what he's learned from building and scaling multiple companies over the past 15 years, leading global teams, and raising three children while growing a portfolio of businesses. Daniel and Alex break down systems, leadership, company culture, AI, business partnerships, and the mindset required to build companies that stand the test of time.
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-697fd00c-0624-8323-9f2c-43247d24b874-0" data-turn-id-container= "request-697fd00c-0624-8323-9f2c-43247d24b874-0" data-testid= "conversation-turn-94" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Daniel is catching up with Ryan Nelson, founder of Refilled - the Australian hardware startup disrupting the global beverage industry with smart drink dispensers that eliminate single-use plastic waste.
Ryan shares the brutal reality of building a hardware company from scratch: bootstrapping a prototype with duct tape and zip ties, landing Google before the product even existed, and scaling into companies like Netflix, Uber, Atlassian, and JP Morgan. Daniel and Ryan break down enterprise sales, raising capital, startup culture, and why hardware might be the next great opportunity founders are overlooking.
Daniel is catching up with Jason Varone, CEO of Private Fleet Group - one of Australia's leading car buying agencies, purchasing over 200 cars a month by getting dealers to compete for every deal.
Jason breaks down how the car industry really works: why most Australians overpay, how dealers make money, and the simple strategies you can use to get a better price. From timing your purchase to creating real competition, this is a no-BS guide to buying your next car properly.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel is catching up with Calvin Chilchik, former Head of CUB Sydney, as he leaves to fulfil a lifelong dream: co-founding a business in the US and taking his family business into its next phase of growth.
Calvin shares how seven years inside CUB built the confidence, network, and sales skillset to make the leap - from overcoming imposter syndrome to thinking like a founder. They break down the real lessons behind sales, leadership, and building relationships that actually drive opportunity, and how surrounding yourself with the right people can completely change your trajectory.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Get free access to Ari Galper's Selling With Trust app, built around his trust-based approach to improving conversion and removing the need to chase leads.
Access it here: www.AriGalper.com/Free
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel is catching up with Andrew Herrmann from managed IT services provider Efex, long-time CUB member and high-performing sales leader known for his relentless drive and no-nonsense approach to winning business.
Andrew breaks down the realities of modern sales - how the hustle changes as life evolves, why relationships still beat shortcuts, and how fatherhood has reshaped the way he approaches success, discipline, and time.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' exclusive CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
In this International Women's Day special, Daniel is catching up with Sophia Lafkas, Founder of The Perfect Recruit, and Carolina Montanez, Co-Founder of Plane 2 Sea - two leaders building nationwide transport and logistics businesses in traditionally male-dominated industries.
They share the reality behind women in business: the motherhood juggle, resilience through failure, evolving family dynamics, and why strong partnerships - at home and at work - drive long-term success.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel is catching up with Annabel Hay, Founder and CEO of CLUTCH Glue — the globally patented fashion adhesive that went viral, delivered the "best Shark Tank pitch ever," and closed one of Australia's largest pre-seed raises for an FMCG brand.
Annabel shares how an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction became an international retail brand, why listening to hate comments accelerated growth, and how fast decisions and bold marketing fuelled her rapid scale.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Nathan Soti from Ethos360 is offering Catching Up with CUB listeners a pay-only-when-successful recruitment model with no upfront risk. 📧 Email info@ethos360.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to access it.
Daniel is catching up with Brett Goodyer, Founder of Business Valuations Online and one of Australia's leading SME valuation experts. Brett has valued thousands of businesses, helping owners understand what their business is really worth - and how to increase it.
Daniel and Brett break down how valuations actually work, the biggest mistakes that destroy value, and the simple levers that increase profit and reduce risk. If you plan to sell one day - or buy - this episode is essential listening.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Nathan Soti from Ethos360 is offering Catching Up with CUB listeners a pay-only-when-successful recruitment model with no upfront risk. 📧 Email info@ethos360.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to access it.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel is catching up with Anaita Sarkar, Co-Founder & CEO of Hero Packaging and author of the bestselling 'How to Sell Anything Online'. Anaita has built one of Australia's most recognisable e-commerce packaging businesses while growing a powerful personal brand that reaches hundreds of thousands of founders.
Daniel and Anaita talk about scaling with intent, using personal brand as a growth engine, leading through pressure, and why profit, systems, and joy matter more than growth at all costs.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Nathan Soti from Ethos360 is offering Catching Up with CUB listeners a pay-only-when-successful recruitment model with no upfront risk. 📧 Email info@ethos360.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to access it.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel is catching up with Cynthia Payne, Founder and Managing Director of Anchor Impact Group. Cynthia shares her journey from nurse to CEO at 33, leading a major aged care business for 16 years before building a multi-brand advisory group focused on governance, strategy, and CEO excellence.
Daniel and Cynthia talk about taking risk as a founder, leading through complexity, and why great leadership is ultimately about people, clarity, and building organisations that last.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Nathan Soti from Ethos360 is offering Catching Up with CUB listeners a pay-only-when-successful recruitment model with no upfront risk. 📧 Email info@ethos360.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to access it.
Your Free CUB Subscription
Subscribe free to CUB for monthly invites to Australia's best business events, full access to Mark Bouris' private CUB interview, and practical lessons from leading Aussie entrepreneurs at cub.club/subscribe.
Daniel catches up with Roy Kazamias, Founder and Managing Director of CRL Express, the transport and logistics company he scaled from one truck into a national business generating over $50 million in revenue in just six years.
Daniel and Roy unpack what it really takes to scale fast in an asset-heavy industry, why service and execution are everything, and the leadership lessons behind building a high-performance team and sustainable growth.
Daniel catches up with David Aherne, Founder and CEO of Across the Ocean Shipping. Over the past two decades, David has built the global freight and logistics company into a multi-country business turning over tens of millions, with teams across Australia and the US.
Daniel and David unpack the realities of scaling internationally, how to build trust and long-term relationships in complex industries, and the leadership lessons that apply to any business navigating growth, disruption, and constant change.
Daniel catches up with Jesse Lockhart-Krause, Founder of Lockhart-Krause Architects, the commercial architecture practice behind major community projects including the Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. With experience spanning international firms and large-scale public developments, Jesse specialises in architecture that balances business outcomes with meaningful community impact.
Daniel and Jesse explore why great architecture is really about people, how selling vision and clarity is essential to getting complex projects approved, and what business owners can learn about leadership, negotiation, and building outcomes that serve both the community and the bottom line.
Daniel catches up with Mia Vicary, Founder and Managing Director of Media In Action, the integrated marketing and PR agency redefining how brands grow. A former journalist turned founder, Mia built her business on the belief that PR, digital, paid media, and social only work when they work together - earning her the 2025 CUB Young Member of the Year Award.
Daniel and Mia dive into why PR alone is no longer enough, how brands can turn credibility into conversion, and the realities of leading a boutique agency through rapid change, people challenges, and growth without compromising standards or values.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering a FREE IT audit to our listeners:
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote "CUB Community" to redeem.
Daniel catches up with Chris Hekeik, Founder and Chief Storyteller of Modemedia, the branding agency creating emotion driven, unforgettable customer experiences for over 25 years. From launching in a garage to becoming a national creative force, Chris has mastered how to make brands truly move people.
Daniel and Chris unpack how to stand out in a crowded market, why branding is a performing art, and the simple playbook every business can use to cut through: have a plan, look the part, know your audience, and communicate with clarity.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering a FREE IT audit to our listeners:
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote "CUB Community" to redeem.
Daniel catches up with Nima Kermani, Founder of Kermani Capital, a property and finance group helping Australians build scalable wealth through lending, buyer's advocacy, and smart structuring. By 27, Nima had built a 9-property portfolio of his own and helped clients secure more than $500 million in deals.
Daniel and Nima unpack how to grow a portfolio fast, the mindset and discipline behind early investing, and why a vertically integrated approach gives everyday Australians a clearer, smarter path to long-term wealth.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering a FREE IT audit to our listeners:
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote "CUB Community" to redeem.
Daniel catches up with Gael Donnay, Founder and Managing Director of StepInsight - the global software and AI development company behind CUB and Boa's technology. With teams across Sydney, Brussels, and Austin, Gael focuses on cutting through the hype to build systems that solve real business problems.
Daniel and Gael explore how AI is reshaping development, the practical ways automation can cut costs and remove bottlenecks, and what it takes to build high-performing tech teams while scaling internationally.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Gael is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Receive a complimentary 1-hour AI Consultation with one of StepInsight's experts and uncover real AI opportunities, review your biggest operational challenges, and discuss practical solutions you can implement straight away.
Email gael@stepinsight.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your free consultation today.
Daniel catches up with Lachlan Vidler, Founder & Director of Atlas Property Group - one of Australia's leading investment-only buyer's agencies helping Australians grow their wealth through property. A former academic turned property strategist, Lachlan is also the resident expert on Channel 9's Budget Battlers and author of the best-selling book A Military Guide to Property Investing.
Daniel and Lachlan explore the reality of Australia's housing crisis, what's driving property prices up, and how everyday Australians - and especially business owners - can still build long-term wealth through smart, strategic investing.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
CUB member Gael Donnay, Founder of StepInsight, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Receive a complimentary 1-hour AI Consultation with one of StepInsight's experts and uncover real AI opportunities, review your biggest operational challenges, and discuss practical solutions you can implement straight away.
Email gael@stepinsight.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your free consultation today.
Daniel catches up with Noha Abadeer, Founder and CEO of CB Skinteq - the global skincare brand built from resilience, reinvention, and relentless belief. From losing everything in a failed franchise to rebuilding from her living room during lockdown, Noha transformed her lowest moment into a thriving international business now stocked across Australia, New York, and soon Paris.
Daniel and Noha explore the power of starting over, how to find purpose in failure, and the lessons behind turning hardship into a brand loved worldwide.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
CUB member Gael Donnay, Founder of StepInsight, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Receive a complimentary 1-hour AI Consultation with one of StepInsight's experts and uncover real AI opportunities, review your biggest operational challenges, and discuss practical solutions you can implement straight away.
Email gael@stepinsight.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your free consultation today.
Daniel catches up with Patrick Williams, Managing Director of Rixon Capital, a private credit and lending firm helping Australian SMEs access capital without giving away equity. From his early career in M&A at Macquarie to raising over $160 million in funds, Patrick shares how he built a business bridging the gap between investors and high-quality companies that banks overlook.
Daniel and Patrick explore smarter ways to fund growth, the rise of private credit, and why strong negotiation skills, confidence, and clarity are key when borrowing to scale your business.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
CUB member Gael Donnay, Founder of StepInsight, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Receive a complimentary 1-hour AI Consultation with one of StepInsight's experts and uncover real AI opportunities, review your biggest operational challenges, and discuss practical solutions you can implement straight away.
Email gael@stepinsight.com.au with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your free consultation today.
Daniel catches up with Bryce Sandro, Founder and CEO of Paragon, one of Australia's fastest-growing gaming studios with teams across Sydney, Melbourne, Canada, and Europe. From freelancing out of his parents' spare room in Townsville to working on global titles like Call of Duty and Borderlands 3, Bryce shares how he built a multimillion-dollar gaming business from scratch.
Daniel and Bryce dive into what it really takes to build a global gaming studio - from billion-dollar titles and AI-built worlds to the lessons behind scaling creative teams, winning global clients, and turning a gamer's dream into serious business.
Daniel catches up with Raj Arora, CEO and Partner of Best Gift Group - Australia's market leader in multi-vendor gifting across hospitality and wellness. From joining the company to eventually leading it through digital transformation and global expansion, Raj's story is one of grit, growth, and self-belief.
Daniel and Raj explore the mindset behind scaling someone else's business as your own, how presence and positivity fuel performance, and what it takes to lead expansion from Australia to New Zealand, Dubai, and beyond.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-time CUB member David Aherne, Managing Director of Across the Ocean Shipping, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: receive free customs clearances on your first 10 import shipments, valued at over $1,500.
Email cub@atoshipping.com with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your offer and start saving today.
Daniel catches up with Rita Agoulian, Founder and CEO of LickYourPhone Media, the social media agency that turned a viral Instagram food page into a multi-million-dollar business. From quitting her finance job to leading a 25-person team, Rita shares how she transformed her passion for food into one of Australia's most recognised digital marketing brands.
Daniel and Rita dive into building a niche agency, converting followers into customers, and why strong systems, strategy, and relentless focus are the real ingredients behind sustainable growth.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-time CUB member David Aherne, Managing Director of Across the Ocean Shipping, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: receive free customs clearances on your first 10 import shipments, valued at over $1,500.
Email cub@atoshipping.com with the subject line "CUB Community" to claim your offer and start saving today.
Daniel catches up with Alex Kleizinger, CEO of Illicium, a sales systems expert helping hundreds of businesses build scalable, high-performing sales teams. From growing up in the former USSR to leading one of Australia’s leading sales consultancies, Alex shares how structure, not luck, drives consistent growth.
Daniel and Alex unpack what makes a truly effective sales system, how to scale your sales team without chaos, and why the best founders build processes before hiring people.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-time CUB member David Aherne, Managing Director of Across the Ocean Shipping, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: receive free customs clearances on your first 10 import shipments, valued at over $1,500.
Email cub@atoshipping.com with the subject line “CUB Community” to claim your offer and start saving today.
Daniel catches up with Marissa Kos, Founder of MxM.ai and one of Australia's leading voices in AI. From lessons learned in the social media boom to AI as today’s biggest wealth opportunity, Marissa explains why business owners must adopt early - and how to do it responsibly.
Daniel and Marissa discuss how founders can systematise AI into their business, why trust and transparency matter, and how AI can free teams from burnout while levelling the playing field against big corporates.
Daniel catches up with Ari Galper, the world’s leading authority on trust-based selling, Founder of Unlock The Game and AriAI. From leaving a traditional sales career to pioneering a new way of selling, Ari has helped thousands of businesses shorten sales cycles and win clients without the endless chase.
Daniel and Ari explore the core principles of trust-based selling, why authentic relationships beat outdated tactics, and how shifting focus from the pitch to the problem can transform results. They also touch on Ari’s work in AI sales coaching and the personal lessons that have shaped his approach.
Daniel catches up with Steve Grace, Founder of The Nudge Group, Curious Media, and The Pillars - ventures spanning recruitment, media, and Australia’s newest ultra-premium members club. Known for scaling and selling companies, Steve has built a career on spotting opportunities others miss.
Daniel and Steve discuss the future of podcasting, the challenges of building a members club, and the lessons of starting and selling businesses, along with insights on burnout, co-founders, and why pioneering new ideas is both the hardest and most rewarding path.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Ari Galper, Founder of AriAI - the world’s only trust-based proprietary AI sales growth advisor - is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Experience a free live demo of AriAI at www.AriGalper.ai and be sure to ask for a special CUB discount.
Daniel catches up with Jess Whatman, Founder of AgentSync - the virtual assistant agency that’s grown into a multi-million-dollar business in just three years. By helping business owners delegate smarter, Jess shows how VAs can free up time and unlock growth.
Daniel and Jess discuss the right way to manage offshore teams, the pitfalls of poor delegation, and how embedding VAs into company culture can scale a business fast. They also touch on AI’s impact and why the future of virtual assistants is stronger than ever.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Ari Galper, Founder of AriAI - the world’s only trust-based proprietary AI sales growth advisor - is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Experience a free live demo of AriAI at www.AriGalper.ai and be sure to ask for a special CUB discount.
Daniel catches up with Jaryd Terkelsen, Co-Founder of Beforeyouspeak Coffee - Australia’s number one functional coffee brand, stocked in over 3,000 retailers and the official coffee partner of the Alpine Formula 1 team. What began as a simple idea to make coffee healthier has grown into a performance-driven brand recognised worldwide.
Daniel and Jaryd explore how focusing on a niche audience sparked rapid growth, why tying products to daily habits creates staying power, and the importance of discipline and focus in scaling a business without losing momentum.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Ari Galper, Founder of AriAI - the world’s only trust-based proprietary AI sales growth advisor - is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Experience a free live demo of AriAI at www.AriGalper.ai and be sure to ask for a special CUB discount.
Daniel catches up with Sidney Cachuela, Managing Director of POP Business, a forward-thinking accounting firm helping startups, high-growth CEOs, and family offices stay ahead of the curve. What began in 2018 as a tech start-up has grown into a national advisory, known for anticipating challenges before they arise and guiding clients through every stage of growth.
Daniel and Sid dive into the art of adapting when business models change, how to build a resilient team culture, and why forward-thinking finance is the secret weapon for founders navigating today’s uncertain economy. They also explore what it takes to stand out in a crowded industry and how POP is reshaping what business owners expect from their accountants.
Daniel catches up with Chris Christofi, Founder and CEO of Reventon, the property and finance experts who’ve helped over 10,000 Australians enter the market. From starting with $348,000 in debt to leading a company with over $1 billion under management, Chris’s journey is one of grit, resilience, and relentless drive.
Daniel and Chris explore the keys to smart investing, how to avoid overleveraging, and Chris’s record-breaking philanthropy with the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, along with the mindset that’s turned his toughest challenges into growth and impact.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Sidney Cachuela, MD of accounting firm POP Business, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get exclusive access to POP's $6,500 Profit & Structuring strategy session for just $4,500 or get it free with a 1 year accounting package.
📧 Email team@popaus.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to learn more.
Daniel catches up with Sally Obermeder, Co-Founder of SWIISH - the wellness brand empowering women to live their best, healthiest lives. From her early career in TV to building a multi-million-dollar business alongside her sister, Sally’s journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless drive.
Daniel and Sally explore the realities of scaling a brand in the wellness space, turning personal challenges into fuel for success, and creating products that customers truly love. A must-listen for founders ready to combine passion, purpose, and business growth.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Sidney Cachuela, MD of accounting firm POP Business, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get exclusive access to POP's $6,500 Profit & Structuring strategy session for just $4,500 or get it free with a 1 year accounting package.
📧 Email team@popaus.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to learn more.
Daniel catches up with Peter Khoury, Executive Chairman of White Picket Fence Holdings, and entrepreneur on a mission to help everyday Australians get into the property market. After going bankrupt and rebuilding from scratch, Peter now manages a $1.3 billion debt facility to power a model he believes could help solve Australia’s housing crisis.
Daniel and Peter get into the state of housing, break down how Peter's deposit-free model works, and explore the resilience it takes to build something truly impactful after hitting rock bottom.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
Long-standing CUB Member Sidney Cachuela, MD of sccounting firm POP Business, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get exclusive access to POP's $6,500 Profit & Structuring strategy session for just $4,500 or get it free with a 1 year accounting package.
📧 Email team@popaus.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to learn more.
Daniel catches up with Jeremy Cabral, Co-Founder & COO of Finder - one of Australia’s most recognised tech companies, trusted by millions to compare and save across everything from loans to life insurance. From launching a blog in his bedroom to building a business that spans 80+ countries, Jeremy’s journey is nothing short of remarkable.
Daniel and Jeremy dive into the art of building category-defining companies, the lessons behind Finder’s global scale, and how to lead through seasons of challenge and reinvention.
Daniel catches up with Bez Black, Founder of Bez Agency - one of Australia’s most in-demand creative studios for premium, fast-turnaround content. From launching the agency with just a laptop and a camera to producing campaigns for Lamborghini, LEGO, and National Geographic, Bez has built a powerhouse brand known for impact and execution.
Daniel and Bez dive into how to win big clients without a big team, what it takes to create content that actually converts, and why relentless momentum beats perfection every time.
Daniel catches up with Raquel Bouris, Founder and Creative Director of Who Is Elijah - Australia’s cult fragrance label. From standing outside stores with samples to landing in David Jones and Selfridges, Raquel’s guerrilla marketing and personal presence as the face of the brand have built a global success story with attitude and edge.
Daniel and Raquel unpack how to create a brand that truly cuts through, the bold moves that put Who Is Elijah on the map, and the lessons learned balancing rapid growth with personal confidence.
Exclusive offer fo our listeners: Bez Black, Founder of Bez Agency and trusted content partner to brands such as Ferrari, LEGO & National Geographic, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Get 15% off his agency’s premium content services. Email info@bez.media and mention 'CUB Community' to claim offer.
Daniel catches up with Marco Formaggio, Owner of Sweat2Scale and a master of scaling professional services businesses. After growing and selling his own 100-person tech consultancy to a global giant, Marco now helps founders structure their teams and systems for sustainable growth.
Daniel and Marco break down the difference between growth and true scale, how to reverse-engineer your business from a successful exit, and the systems that actually drive results.
Exclusive offer fo our listeners: Bez Black, Founder of Bez Agency and trusted content partner to brands such as Ferrari, LEGO & National Geographic, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Get 15% off his agency’s premium content services. Email info@bez.media and mention 'CUB Community' to claim offer.
Daniel catches up with Jono Castano, Co-Founder of ACERO and one of Australia’s most recognised names in health and wellness. From training clients off Gumtree to working with some of the country’s biggest names, Jono has built a personal brand and community reshaping the fitness industry.
Daniel and Jono dive into building a brand with purpose, how to create a community that amplifies your message, and what it really takes to stand out and succeed in the crowded health space.
Exclusive offer fo our listeners: Bez Black, Founder of Bez Agency and trusted content partner to brands such as Ferrari, LEGO & National Geographic, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners: Get 15% off his agency’s premium content services. Email info@bez.media and mention 'CUB Community' to claim offer.
Daniel catches up with George Hanna, Managing Director of HDIT, the award-winning technology solutions provider supporting over 1,600 users across Australia and beyond. With over 15 years in business, a growing global team, and multiple industry awards under their belt, HDIT helps businesses scale through smarter systems, strategy, and tech.
Daniel and George explore how AI is transforming the way we use Microsoft tools, the journey of growing a high-performing global team, and the business management systems every company should consider.
As discussed in the episode: Reach out to Mark Di Noia to learn more about how you can implement EOS in your business.
Daniel catches up with Dr Lillian Nejad, clinical psychologist, author, and Co-Founder of Contain Your Brain - a digital health company making proven mental health strategies more accessible. With over 25 years’ experience, Lillian has helped thousands manage anxiety, build resilience, and improve wellbeing through her programs, books, and tools.
In this episode, they explore how core beliefs shape our worldview, what it really means to build resilience, and how to live with anxiety - not just fight it. A practical, grounded conversation for anyone navigating life’s stressors, at work or at home.
Exclusive Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get 20% off a professional Cybersecurity Audit with HD IT, lead by trusted CUB Member George Hanna.
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to redeem. 🔍 PLUS – visit https://hdit.com.au/test-your-domain-now/ to instantly check if your emails or domain have been compromised.
Daniel catches up with Tristan Fahey, Founder of Longjump and former brand strategist to global icons like Cadbury and Mercedes-Benz. Now focused on health and wellness, Tristan helps people and businesses unlock growth through better living.
They discuss the most effective diet strategies for optimal health, the toxins and foods to cut for better wellbeing, and how businesses can create healthier cultures by supporting the wellness of their teams.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get 20% off a professional Cybersecurity Audit with HD IT, lead by trusted CUB Member George Hanna.
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to redeem. 🔍 PLUS – visit https://hdit.com.au/test-your-domain-now/ to instantly check if your emails or domain have been compromised.
Daniel catches up with Patricia Droguett, Co-Founder and COO of Software at Scale - the award-winning consultancy helping major corporations scale through technology. With a team of 100+ top-tier engineers and recent recognition as Deloitte’s fastest-growing young tech company, Patricia previously led the team that built NetBank, Australia’s first online banking system.
Daniel and Patricia unpack how to build and lead high-performing teams, the mindset required to scale past 100 staff, and how the strategies & systems used to grow a business can also strengthen your family life at home.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
George Hanna, founder of HD IT and trusted IT partner to countless CUB Members, is offering an exclusive deal to our listeners:
Get 20% off a professional Cybersecurity Audit with HD IT, lead by trusted CUB Member George Hanna.
📧 Email solutions@hdit.com.au and quote “CUB Community” to redeem. 🔍 PLUS – https://hdit.com.au/test-your-domain-now/ to instantly check if your emails or domain have been compromised.
Daniel catches up with Matt Joy, Founder Evolution Architect and CEO of Invigour. A long-standing CUB member and expert in deal readiness, Matt has helped over 30 CUB members unlock millions in strategic value by preparing their businesses for capital raises, scale-up, and successful exits.
Daniel and Matt unpack what it really means to become “deal ready” - from aligning your leadership team and spotting silent red flags, to understanding what investors look for beyond the numbers. A must-listen for founders ready to scale with purpose and exit with confidence.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
Matt is offering you exclusive access to his Deal Readiness Assessment™ - usually $995, now available at no cost to help benchmark your business and plan for growth.
🔗 Access your free Deal Readiness Assessment™ here: www.invigour.com.au/dealready/
We are celebrating 250 episodes of Catching up with CUB! To mark this huge milestone and five incredible years of the podcast, Daniel catches up with two very special guests - Matilda and Don Robertson, Founders of STAX., the Australian activewear brand that’s gone from a spare room in Perth to an active wear empire worn by stars like Jennifer Lopez and Lizzo.
Matilda and Don share how success has transformed their lives, reveal powerful leadership lessons, discuss building strong mentor relationships, and explain why clear communication across teams, clients, and leadership is the secret to scaling big.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
Matt Joy, a seasoned business strategist and expert in investment readiness, is offering you exclusive access to his Deal Readiness Assessment™ - usually $995, now available at no cost to help benchmark your business and plan for growth.
🔗 Access your free Deal Readiness Assessment™ here: www.invigour.com.au/dealready/
Daniel catches up with Paul Miller, Founding Partner of Deutsch Miller, a premium boutique law firm specialising in corporate and M&A law. With over 25 years of experience - including as a partner at a leading London law firm - Paul has built a reputation as one of Australia’s top legal minds in business transactions.
Daniel and Paul dive into the art of networking, what’s really happening in today’s M&A and capital markets, and the mindset and techniques behind successful negotiation. With practical insights from 25+ years in corporate law, Paul offers advice every business owner should hear.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
Matt Joy, a seasoned business strategist and expert in investment readiness, is offering you exclusive access to his Deal Readiness Assessment™ - usually $995, now available at no cost to help benchmark your business and plan for growth.
🔗 Access your free Deal Readiness Assessment™ here: www.invigour.com.au/dealready/
Daniel catches up with Will Kepreotes, Co-Founder of Buttr, the creative agency fuelling the growth of some of Australia’s most exciting consumer brands. With a unique model that blends strategy, culture, and content, Buttr is rethinking how modern brands scale.
Daniel and Will dive into the new age of creative-led marketing, how to generate leads without feeling ‘salesy’, and what it really takes to stand out in a saturated digital world. This episode is a must-listen for any business owner ready to market smarter and bolder.
Exclusive Partnership Offer for our Listeners
Matt Joy, a seasoned business strategist and expert in investment readiness, is offering you exclusive access to his Deal Readiness Assessment™ - usually $995, now available at no cost to help benchmark your business and plan for growth.
🔗 Access your free Deal Readiness Assessment™ here: www.invigour.com.au/dealready/
Daniel catches up with Anthony Mullane, Co-Founder and Country Head of CUB. With almost a decade of experience building CUB into Australia's fastest growing members club for business owners alongside Daniel, Anthony is an expert in sales, leadership, and driving growth.
Daniel and Anthony discuss why sales must remain a core focus for any business, how to use sales data to convert more clients, and dive into the lessons learned from nearly ten years of building a thriving national network.
Daniel catches up with Karunn Shahani, Managing Director at Thornton + King, an award-winning law firm specialising in property law, wills and estates, and family law. With a career spanning corporate, criminal, and private law, Karunn co-founded Thornton + King to deliver practical, jargon-free legal advice with a human touch.
Daniel and Karunn dive into the often-overlooked world of wills and estate planning - especially for business owners. They explore key tips for setting up a will, common mistakes to avoid, and why having a proper estate plan in place is one of the most important things you can do to protect your legacy.
Daniel catches up with Sophia Lafkas, Managing Director of The Perfect Recruit, a business specialising in recruitment for transport, logistics, landscaping, and construction roles across Australia. Starting in her family’s transport company at just 14, Sophia worked her way from the ground up, before launching her own successful recruitment agency 4 years ago.
Daniel and Sophia discuss the lessons learned from growing up in a family business, navigating male-dominated industries, and how she balances the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship.
Daniel catches up with Julian Khursigara, CEO of Search Party Property, a leading investment advisory firm helping individuals build wealth through strategic property investments. With over 20 years of experience, Julian has guided investors in navigating the property market to achieve their financial goals.
Daniel and Julian discuss how to apply strategy to property purchases, the key to building trust with potential clients, and how to identify emerging markets for smart investments.
Daniel catches up with Simone Bartley, CEO and Founder of THE BR&ND CO., a consultancy dedicated to integrating business and brand strategies to unlock their full potential. With over 30 years of experience leading global agencies like SAATCHI & SAATCHI, building companies, and advising top brands, Simone helps businesses amplify their impact through strategic brand positioning.
Daniel and Simone discuss how to transform your brand into a high-interest brand, why sharing brand beliefs - not just values - matters, and the hidden risks of being the face of your brand.
Daniel catches up with Rick Merten, Managing Director of InsideOut Group, a strategy-led B2B marketing consultancy with a unique approach - embedding fractional marketers inside businesses to drive growth from within. Originally founded in 2001 as an early digital start-up called Permission, InsideOut Group has evolved into a powerhouse for businesses looking to scale effectively.
Daniel and Rick discuss how to position your business in the minds of customers, the power of scaling through niching, and how to embed your values within your team - even in a remote work environment.
Daniel catches up with Chris Cowley, Managing Director of CKJ Building Services, a family-owned construction company specialising in government and commercial projects across Sydney. From growing up in a small town of just 300 people to leading a major building organisation, Chris has built some of the country’s largest private schools and heritage projects.
Daniel and Chris discuss the pros and cons of private schooling, why learning lessons can be one of the most expensive things you do, and the challenges facing the construction industry today. Chris shares how traditional values have shaped his life and career, leading to an incredible journey of success and resilience.
Daniel catches up with Sylvia Arotin, award-winning educator and founder of My Montessori Education Centre and Guide & Grow, one of the world’s largest Montessori at-home support platforms. After a life-changing car accident shifted her career path, Sylvia turned her passion for education into a thriving global business, supporting over half a million families.
Daniel and Sylvia discuss the dos and don’ts of raising children, insights into early childhood education, and her journey of overcoming adversity through resilience.
Daniel catches up with Melissa Hosgood, Managing Director of Labassa Capital, a specialist real estate investment manager. Labassa Capital builds long-term structured wealth through tailored financial solutions, taking a conservative approach while aiming to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns.
Daniel and Melissa delve into her expertise on wealth preservation and the Australian property market, as well as her journey from growing up in China to founding a successful real estate investment firm in Australia.
Daniel catches up with Lachlan Rowston, Co-founder of LOCKEROOM, a premium gym designed for high-performing professionals. Opening his first gym at just 21, he and his business partner have since launched three more locations while also co-hosting Australia’s No. 1 fitness podcast, The Mind Muscle Project.
Daniel and Lachlan discuss the journey of growing LOCKEROOM into a national success story and his experience training elite professionals. They speak about the key principles of health and fitness, fat loss and muscle gain, and how to optimise performance through supplements.
Daniel catches up with Amy Castano, Co-founder of Acero, one of Australia’s leading fitness and wellness brands. With her love for health & well-being, Amy turned Acero into a fitness powerhouse, shaking up the industry.
Daniel and Amy discuss why taking the leap and launching a business - even before it’s perfect - is essential, the pros and cons of her having a large social media following when launching a brand, and the importance of rest and recovery for both physical and mental health.
Daniel catches up with Jessy Marshall, Founder of Hive HQ, a boutique Sydney-based PR and events agency helping beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands stand out. Hive HQ works with some of Australia's most talked about brands including tbh Skincare, Naked Sundays, Bangn Body, and more.
Daniel and Jessy discuss leadership as a young entrepreneur and how to build and maintain a strong team. They explore how to craft compelling brand stories that capture media attention, the evolving role of influencer marketing in PR, and more.
Daniel catches up with Blake Micola, Founder of GMS Media Group, a digital agency specialising in ads, creative, and web optimisation to drive growth. Since 2016, GMS has managed over $217 million in ad spend and earned Tier A premium agency partnerships with META, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, and more.
Daniel and Blake discuss what’s currently trending in the digital marketing world, how the industry has evolved, and the importance of having a strong sales process to back up effective marketing strategies.
Daniel kicks off the first episode of 2025 with his brother Thomas Hakim, Founder of WISECAST, a Sydney-based podcast and content studio known for previously working with global names like John Travolta, Chris Williamson, and Nedd Brockman.
Daniel and Tom dive into the power of podcasting as a marketing channel and the importance of creating authentic content that genuinely connects with audiences. They explore the evolving content landscape, how brands can build trust through storytelling, and much more.
Daniel catches up with Brittany Wheeler, founder of One Wardrobe. Brittany shares her journey of turning a side hustle into a success and opens up about the challenges she faced during the early stages of her business.
Daniel catches up with Candice Feng, the founder and CEO of skincare brand Ms Morning. Immigrating to Australia without speaking English, Candice defied cultural expectations and broke societal norms to pursue her entrepreneurial vision.
In this episode, Daniel and Candice explore her inspiring journey—from arriving in Australia alone to taking an entrepreneurial leap with her partner. They also delve into how Ms Morning is challenging industry norms and reshaping the way we think about skincare products and morning routines.
Daniel catches up with Adam Bouris, Co-founder of Who Is Elijah, Australia’s fastest-growing fragrance brand, created with his wife, Raquel. From humble beginnings in a Sydney garage to being sold in over 700 stores globally, the brand recently hit over $1 million in Black Friday sales.
Daniel and Adam discuss Who Is Elijah’s meteoric rise and what it takes to thrive in a competitive e-commerce market. They speak about how to operate a business successfully as a couple and much more.
Daniel catches up with the world-renowned artist George Raftopoulos, whose work has been exhibited both in Australia and internationally, including in New York, Hong Kong, and Paris. George’s artworks have achieved remarkable acclaim, fetching up to tens of thousands of dollars at auction.
On this episode, Daniel and George dive into the world of art and the importance of being completely vulnerable as an artist. They uncover striking parallels between the art and business worlds, and the lessons we as business owners can draw from artists themselves.
Daniel catches up with Navid Haddadan Guia, Founder and CEO of CDA CoLiving. CDA provides value-driven furnished accommodation, subletting over 1200 rooms across Sydney and growing from a two-person team to over 50 staff in just three years.
On this episode, Daniel and Navid discuss his entrepreneurial journey, which began 8 years ago with his wife. They explore weathering the storm of tough economies as a business owner, standing out in a saturated market, and the critical role of systems and operations in scaling successfully.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Brooke, a mindset and leadership expert & one of Australia’s leading business consultants. Before launching his own business, Andrew climbed the corporate ladder, ultimately serving as Executive Director at a nine-figure fintech company. He now brings his wealth of experience to his own entrepreneurial ventures.
Daniel and Andrew discuss how your internal dialogue and self-belief dictate what you accomplish in life and the decisions involved in rebranding a business for growth or future sale. They dive into the current state of the economy in Australia, how to navigate it and build resilience as a leader.
Daniel catches up with Mel Gholami, Founder and CEO of Planix Projects, a multi-award-winning project management company known for its success in the government and non-profit sectors. From migrating to Australia at 16 in search of freedom and opportunity, Mel transformed adversity into ambition, building one of the country’s most respected project management firms.
Daniel and Mel speak about Mel's journey as an immigrant and the values that have driven her remarkable career. She shares unique insights on integrating work and life, creating a meaningful company culture, and harnessing your unique qualities to stand out as a leader.
Daniel catches up with Daniel Breese, Director of AS White Global, a company helping Aussie businesses build international teams, with over 1500 staff members under management across the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Daniel and Dan discuss international staffing and the effects of COVID on the industry. They speak about flexible working arrangements and how business owners can get their teams back into the office, as well as how to successfully balance family & career.
Daniel catches up with Dominic Legg, Founder & CEO of Motion by Design. Originally starting the animation studio 6 years ago with a focus on marketing content, Dom and his team now specialise in creating videos for change management and staff education, servicing large transnational corporations and government organisations.
Daniel & Dom discuss how Motion by Design helps organisations drive change through mixed media, the entrepreneurial mindset for success, and the importance of building and uplifting a strong team for achieving business goals.
Daniel catches up with George Psyhogios, Founder & CEO of ProGekt Group, a commercial cleaning business that has generated over $50 million in revenue and employs 150 staff members. In addition to his success with ProGekt, George has recently founded Power Potential, a ground-breaking holistic wellness centre that combines traditional Mediterranean and Nordic practices with innovative techniques to support individual health and recovery.
Daniel and George dive into his remarkable journey from immigrant cleaner to owner of a leading cleaning corporation in the country. They discuss the challenges of scaling a business, the key lessons George has learned along the way, and the transformative power of entrepreneurship—demonstrating how it can shape lives and unlock new potential.
Daniel catches up with Leanne Elich, CEO of Leanne Elich Consulting, a company that helps businesses ethically influence customer behavior by understanding the brain and human behavior. Leanne is a decorated Sales Psychology Strategist, Neuroscientist, Leadership Advisor, Author, and Speaker. In 2023, she was named one of the Top 20 Women in Business, and in 2024, she was honored as a Master Neuroplastician by the Institute of Organizational Neuroscience.
Together, Daniel and Leanne discuss how our brains can be influenced without us noticing, and Leanne shares insights from her exciting life and career.
Daniel catches up with Mark Connelly, Co-Founder of Populares, a communications company that leverages decades of experience in building change-making and political strategies to help governments and big corporations better understand their target audiences. Mark played a key role in shaping the strategy for several successful Teal campaigns in the 2022 Australian federal election and has been influential in the Australian climate movement.
Daniel and Mark talk about how to identify and engage audiences based on their values and worldviews. They also dive into the upcoming US election, exploring the strategies both parties are using as the election approaches in just over two months, and more.
Daniel catches up with Jasmine Chilcott, Founder & CEO of FixBIOME, a leading gut health education and supplement company making a difference in the lives of thousands suffering from gut health issues.
In this episode, Jasmine shares her inspiring journey from years of battling bloating and IBS while working as a professional model, to uncovering the root causes of her health issues—insights that ultimately paved the way for her to become a successful entrepreneur. Together, they dive deep into the science of gut health, discussing the impact of allergies, diet, and the critical role the gut plays in overall well-being.
Daniel Catches up with George Hadjia, the founder & CIO at Bristlemoon Capital. At only 33 years old George has already managed to rise up the corporate ladder before venturing off to start his own hedge fund, managing the investment capital of high net worth individuals in Australia.
Daniel and George dive into the psychology of investing, discussing the key do’s and don’ts of making critical investment decisions. They also touch on the importance of holding cash as a business owner, debate the merits of stocks versus other assets, and share insights on what it's like to live as an Australian in New York City.
Daniel Catches up with Sue Blatchford, the Founder of PayPerClick Digital Marketing Agency. Sue has run her agency for over 22 years, making her one of the nations leading experts in PPC advertising, winning multiple awards in the process.
Daniel and Sue explore the evolution of digital marketing over the past two decades and discuss strategies business owners can use to gain a competitive edge. Sue also shares her insights on defining success and how to build a business that works for you, rather than the other way around.
Daniel catches up with Volodymyr Katanskyi, the Founder of Worklair and StartupCraft. Worklair is a tool for managing remote work, and StartupCraft is a leading agency specialising in custom software solutions with a focus on blockchain. Volodymyr’s journey is incredibly inspiring; after being forced to flee his home country of Ukraine due to the war, he demonstrates the remarkable resilience and power of entrepreneurship.
Daniel and Volodymyr speak about his incredible journey to Australia from Ukraine and his experience of the war. They discuss the attributes that make great entrepreneurs, the future of offices and remote work, as well the importance of making mistakes and failing forward as an entrepreneur.
Daniel catches up with Corbin Barry, Founder of Sage Space & Principal Dentist at Annandale Dental. Corbin is a remarkable entrepreneur who since identifying holes in the dental industry has been determined to improve it, turning a typically uncomfortable and tedious routine into a more positive and premium experience.
Daniel and Corbin discuss how they each set out to revolutionise their respective industries. They delve into the importance of cultivating positive and genuine relationships with clients, tailoring services to ensure long-term loyalty, and Corbin's efforts to improve dental hygiene culture and education across Australia.
Daniel catches up with Hitesh Dhawan, Founder & CEO of digital solutions company, Neuronimbus. Founded by Hitesh over 20 years ago, Neuronimbus has grown into a team of over 200 technology experts who develop products for major global businesses such as Revlon & Bose.
On this episode, Daniel and Hitesh delve into the problem-solving challenges of being a business owner. They explore topics like AI, building an MVP, and strategies for successfully stepping away from daily operations to scale the business effectively.
Daniel catches up with Lisa Jones, Founder and CEO of SHE-com. Lisa, an extremely passionate ecommerce expert, has created three multi-million-dollar brands and established a supportive community for female e-com founders through SHE-com. She is also a Smart 50 Community Hero Award winner, a published author, and a respected keynote speaker.
In this episode, Daniel and Lisa discuss all things ecommerce, including some of the secrets to her remarkable success. They also explore the importance of community and the role of business owners within it.
Daniel catches up with Natasha Etschmann, Founder of Tash Invests and author of 'How To Not Work Forever'. Growing her @tashinvests social media community to over 120k, Tash is dedicated to educating young people on how to invest and make the most out of their money.
Daniel and Natasha talk all things investing, debunking myths and clarifying why it’s more approachable than many believe. They explore the topic of housing prices in Australia, with a more positive spin on the whole concept than we’re all used to hearing, and discuss how anyone can achieve success with the opportunities available in this country.
Daniel catches up for the second time with Tim Cullen, CEO of Tradie Spec, Australia’s largest trade vehicle supplier and rent-to-own service ensuring all tradies have access to reliable, affordable and well-fitted vehicles to suit all their business needs.
Daniel and Tim delve into the significance of specialisation and finding your niche. They also explore effective team management strategies, the current state of the economy, and the importance of maintaining humility as success grows, emphasising the value of staying true to the core principles that initially led to your success.
Daniel catches up with Tony Kofkin, Director of Kofkin Bond & Co. With over 50 years of industry experience, they are one of Australia's leading financial planning organisations for individuals, families, businesses, not-for-profits and charitable foundations, and highly regarded in private wealth management and corporate advisory.
Daniel and Tony discuss ways business owners can save money on their taxes, they explore the current state of the Australian economy and what to expect in the months to come. Tony further shares valuable insights on personal wealth preservation, trust funds & inheritance.
Daniel catches up with Dain Walker, Founder of Rivyl & author of ‘The 90 Day Brand Plan’. Dain is a globally recognised expert in branding, who has worked with some of the world's largest brands and has amassed over 700k followers on social channels through educating others in the space.
Daniel and Dain discuss the significance of effective branding for both you AND your business, unpacking Dain's unique philosophy on social media and strategies for creating influential content. They also touch on Dain’s challenging upbringing and how it has shaped the person he is today.
Daniel catches up with Sasha Shevelev, the Co-Founder and CEO of Webcoda, a website development agency established over 20 years ago, now boasting an impressive client list, including Sony, UNSW, and the Federal Government.
Daniel and Sasha dive into the surprising journeys that lead people to entrepreneurship. They uncover the challenges of career advancement within teams, from pay raise requests to demands for extra perks. Sasha, drawing on two decades of experience, further shares essential insights on the power of transparency about a company's performance.
Daniel catches up with Carolina Montanez, Co-Founder of Plane 2 Sea International, a freight forwarding company established by her and three former coworkers after their previous employer closed down. Operating for 13 succcessful years, Plane 2 Sea was recently awarded the 2022 Australian Women's Small Business Award for Transport & Logistics.
Daniel and Carolina explore the keys to maintaining a successful business partnership with your friends. They delve into the importance of adopting a company-first mindset to foster honesty and teamwork, and discuss why being transparent and maintaining robust client communication are superpowers in the business world.
Daniel catches up with Alexandra (Lexie) Murray, Founder of Be Seen Socials. Be Seen is a one-stop social media agency with a Gen Z approach, focusing on the management of social presence, influencer communications, and content creation. Lexie started her now booming business during Covid at the age of only 21, off the back of her international influencer career.
Daniel and Lexie discuss the importance of TikTok and keeping up with the constantly evolving world of social media. They also explore what makes being a business owner so difficult and the toll it can take, as well as Lexie’s recent inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and how she manifested it into reality.
Daniel catches up with Robert Krastich, Founder of Sharper Facility Services - A cleaning company that services over 180 premises across the Eastern Seaboard. Born to hard working immigrant parents from Croatia, Robert’s self-made entrepreneurial journey is one of hard work, self-belief and determination.
In this episode Daniel and Robert discuss how to find your personal strategic advantage in business, the cruciality of credibility and how to land that significant first client. They also explore how to maintain a work-life balance as well as the importance of being there for your family whilst following your dreams.
Daniel catches up with Quan Payne, Founder & Creative Director of Studio Payne. Starting the creative agency in 2019, Quan has worked with celebrities such as LeBron James & Kendall Jenner and created campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands including Google, Nike & Clavin Klein.
On this episode, Daniel and Quan delve into his impressive resume and explore the lessons we can learn from industry greats about branding and marketing. They also discuss strategies for creating an appealing brand and ensuring that your brand image aligns with your company's future vision.
Daniel catches up with Dan Copsey, CEO of Agency Stack, a whitelabel digital marketing agency that he and his best friend have scaled to over 100 staff globally. Together they also run multiple NGO’s that work to provide aid to all corners of the globe including a free healthcare centre in Pakistan as well as a pub in Victoria as a passion project.
Daniel & Dan discuss managing failure and how to know when it’s time to move. They also explore the keys to being a successful manager and how the greatest gift of running a successful business, is having the ability to give back and make a positive difference in the world.
Daniel catches up with Serene Lim, Founder of Cup 49, a TikTok viral brand offering DIY Bubble Tea Kits that Serene started in a bid to reduce single use waste in the industry. Serene is a master of short form content marketing and has since gone on to create another multi-million dollar retail company Gellae, all in less than 4 years.
On this episode, Daniel and Serene speak about the keys to success on TikTok and short form marketing and how to create an effective content marketing system. They also discuss how Serene turned her customers into superfans, building a strong community by including them in product research and more.
Daniel catches up with Mark Van Rijmenam, CEO of The Digital Speaker & Futurwise. Mark is an accomplished author and speaker in the emerging technologies space and has worked as an advisor to multiple Fortune 500 companies around the world.
Daniel and Mark talk all things AI, how corporations are adopting the technology and ways for SMEs to leverage these changes. They also predict what the world is going to look like in 10 years, and how misinformation and a lack of trust in journalism is impacting our world today.
Daniel catches up with Richard Theodorakis, CEO of Pride Security Group. Starting as a one man band less than 4 years ago, Rick has since grown the security firm to over 100 staff across the country, generating more than $10 Million in revenue annually.
On this episode, Daniel and Richard discuss the recent attacks at Bondi Junction, exploring appropriate responses for security firms and their personnel in such crises. They dive into Richard’s entrepreneurial path and discuss the commitment, work ethic, and mindset essential for business success.
Daniel catches up with Dr Josh Wall, Co-Founder & Medical Director of Contour Clinics. Starting as a one-man band just 5 years ago, Josh’s team has now grown to over 100 employees who collectively treat 6000 patients every month, turning over $40Million+ annually.
Daniel and Josh discuss the concepts of beauty, vanity and confidence as well as the lessons Josh has learned over the past 5 years of rapid growth. They explore different methods and strategies to manage a team of over 100 staff and why it is important to own your destiny, regardless of whether you’re winning or losing.
For the 200th Episode of Catching Up With CUB, Daniel catches up with his friend, mentor and Australian business icon, Mark Bouris. Mark is one of the most renowned businessmen in Australia, most remembered for founding Wizard Home Loans in 1996 before exiting the business and selling it for $500 Million in 2004. Today he is the chairman of Yellow Brick Road and host of The Mentor podcast.
On this episode, Daniel & Mark discuss Mark’s daily habits and tactics for managing stress and time as the founder and CEO/Chairman of multiple businesses. They explore the common traits shared amongst successful entrepreneurs and talk about their podcasts and how they have both evolved over 600 episodes between them.
After 4 years, it is with great pride to share our 200th episode with all of you. Thank you for listening and supporting us over the last few years!
Daniel catches up with Kent Joseph, CEO of Equity Transport Group. Entering limousine company Hughes (now part of ETG) at just 24, the outstanding impact he made on the 120 year old business quickly propelled him to the CEO position. Since then. Kent has diversified the company group's offerings, expanding its scope beyond transportation services.
On this episode Daniel and Kent discuss sales strategies, the importance of simplifying your business and creating a culture centred around saying 'yes'. They also explored how to identify a poor culture fit within your business and what to do when this problem arises.
Daniel catches up with Taryn Williams, Founder of WINK models, The Right Fit & #Gifted. Taryn is an award winning founder & CEO, and over the course of 20+ years has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most prolific entrepreneurs at the intersection of talent, media and technology.
On this episode Daniel and Taryn discuss the struggles of being a non-technical founder, being a true innovator of your industry, and how to identify the big problem that you are trying to solve when starting your business.
Daniel Catches up with Sean Cortis, Founding Partner of HACH Private Capital. Following his 30-year corporate career, which concluded with his retirement as CEO, Sean ventured into entrepreneurship by establishing the Australian division of a US family office. This move positioned him as an influential figure in the private equity sector, delivering keynotes globally.
Daniel and Sean delve into the critical aspects of securing funding and the strategies founders should employ to effectively manage their investors. They also discuss the importance of assembling and utilising an advisory board and how focusing on key development milestones can help lead you to your final destination as a business owner.
Daniel catches up with former The Apprentice contestant Sabrina Maddock, Founder of Avanti Search. In just two years at the helm of her recruitment agency, the Miss World runner-up turned entrepreneur has claimed the title of Top Recruitment CEO, secured a spot among the Top 20 Australian Women Making Moves in 2022, and more.
Daniel and Sabrina discuss her journey from employee to entrepreneur and the ups and downs of making that transition. They dive deep into what companies can be doing to attract the best talent and discuss how business can be a tool to building your dream lifestyle.
Daniel catches up with Stephen Pastor, Founder and CEO of Kings of Neon. Listed the #2 Smart Company Fastest Growing SME in 2023, Stephen's business is shaking up the old and established industry of signage on a global scale, working with companies such as McDonalds, Netflix & Mercedes.
On this episode Daniel and Stephen discuss Kings of Neon’s meteoric rise to the top of the industry and how to stand out in a saturated market. They also explore the concept of business being a tool for self fulfilment and belonging and the importance of understanding the dream experience of your customer.
Daniel catches up with Nolan Keenan, Founder of Aveline Investments. Working in leadership positions at some of the world’s largest corporations such as Salesforce & NAB for 25 years, Nolan decided to turn his side hustle & passion of property development into a full time gig at age 50. With multiple national projects already under his belt, Aveline Property Development now focuses on the coastal regions of NSW.
Daniel and Nolan discuss how to overcome fear when starting a business, the secrets every business owner should know to make their company scalable as well as other tips and tricks for entrepreneurs to reduce stress and improve efficiency.
Daniel catches up with Bruce Morrison, Founder & CEO of Motor Active. Serving the automotive aftermarket for over 33 years and turning over $40 Million + annually, Bruce shares the journey of starting the B2B2C business with no capital to transforming it into the national powerhouse it is today.
Daniel and Bruce discuss how to leverage grass roots marketing and the importance of building relationships with key figures of influence within your target market. They also explored key recruitment tactics and ways to build a strong, resilient team & the mindset required to ensure your business can withstand tough times when they come your way.
Daniel catches up with Lawrence Micalizzi, Founder of SolBox. Being recognised for his outstanding sales skills in his early 20s, Lawrence took the decision to put his expertise towards his own business. Now, his SaaS company SolBox is growing 80-100% a year, helping businesses with last-mile delivery automation, GPS fleet management and driver apps, ultimately saving them tens of thousands a year.
Daniel and Lawrence speak about the importance of listening to the market when starting your business and the joy of solving problems for others through business (in particular, software). They discuss the qualities that help business owners make it through challenging times and the importance of having a strong & like-minded team by your side.
Daniel catches up with Sheilah Hogan, Founder of BX Collective. Starting her first business in NYC at the age of 30 & scaling it to 150 staff across the US & UK, Sheilah exited the company after 10 years to move to Australia with her family. With her wealth of business experience in both America and Australia, Sheilah now supports founders and leaders of entrepreneurial organisations to strengthen and scale their businesses, implementing the EOS Model.
Daniel and Sheilah discuss her extensive entrepreneurial journey, that's been enabling her to live the life she always envisioned for herself & unpack what makes a good vs. a bad business leader. They explore the concept of looking inward when it comes to innovation within your business, the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and what life is like as a 'solopreneur’ vs. having a team.
Daniel catches up with Courtney Joyce, Co-Founder of Virtual Spotter. After realising a life in the mines wasn’t enough for him, Courtney decided to take a leap by starting his own cleaning company, scaling it to 50 staff in just 3 years. Now, Courtney & his brother own four F45 gyms and provide admin support to health businesses through Virtual Spotter, employing 100+ staff.
Leaving his secure mining job while juggling life as a father of four, Courtney shares his experience of taking the first step into entrepreneurship. Daniel and Courtney further discuss the importance of self-belief and how to enter a crowded market through niche identification.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Robertson, CEO of FIX-A-TAP. Founded in 1972 by Andrew's father Ken, FIX-A-TAP is one of Australia’s leading manufacturers & suppliers of top quality plumbing parts and accessories nation-wide.
Celebrating over 50 years in business, Andrew, alongside his father, has experienced a vast array of challenges that business owners encounter regularly. In this episode, Daniel and Andrew explore the qualities of effective leadership and strategies for dealing with new competitors and potential threats. They touch on the cyclical nature of the economy, the importance of keeping a 'fighting fund' and how better days are always just around the corner.
Daniel catches up with Avi Efrat, Founder of Fantastic Framing. After retiring from the Israeli special forces as a Lieutenant, Avi migrated to Australia to begin a new life. Starting with selling artwork door-to-door, Avi's business is now 10 stores and 60 staff strong, with an incredible 5,000 5-star reviews on Google.
On this episode Daniel and Avi discuss the problem-solving nature of business ownership and how to manage and coach your sales team to help them create a successful life, both professionally and personally. They speak about how building an eco-system for his clients truly accelerated his business and share Avi's secret to collecting an astonishing 5,000 5-star reviews.
Catching up with CUB host Daniel is back and catches up with Calvin Chilchik, Head of CUB Sydney and more recently, the guest host of Catching Up With CUB.
On this episode, Daniel and Calvin talk about the reasons behind Daniel's recent break from the podcast and work in general, exploring the cyclical nature of life and business. The conversation extends to the significance of company culture, strategies for nurturing a thriving one and good leadership, including being able to depend on your team in times of adversity and discussions on maintaining boundaries in employer-employee relationships. They also explore successful practices that have propelled CUB's growth and touch upon the future trajectories of both CUB and Daniel's latest venture, Boa.
Our guest host Calvin catches up with John Chan, owner and MD of global design agency Berge Farrell for APAC. With over two decades of deep design expertise across 15 industry verticals, John has worked for some of the worlds largest corporations, including Coca-Cola, SABMiller, AB-Inbev, Nestle, BUPA, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Kraft.
The discussion delves into John's journey of growing up in South Africa, immigrating to Australia and the challenges of starting from scratch in a new country. Calvin and John also explore the notable disparities between the two nations, expressing gratitude for the fortunate experience of living in Australia before diving into John's expertise on FMCGs, branding, marketing, and more.
Our guest host Calvin catches up with Michael Buford, Managing Director of general engineering company Urban Pulse, and Co-Founder of a holdings and management company with holdings in the hospitality industry, fitness, construction and more. Mike's latest project is the planning of smart cities, creating a blue print for community inspired living.
Calvin and Mike talk about how Mike started his first business at 22, after entering the workforce at only 16, and discuss how doubters and critics can be a big motivator in business. They delve into the rise and purpose of smart cities & farms, speaking about blockchain, social credit systems, and the impact of AI on society.
Our guest host Calvin catches up with Martin Dineen, Founder and Managing Director of MJD Recruitment. MJD are Australia’s largest office support recruitment specialists servicing clients and candidates with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
On this episode, Calvin and Martin delve into Martin's entrepreneurial voyage and his transformative journey to sobriety at the age of 35, and discuss the unwavering commitment needed to build a successful business irrespective of personal and professional challenges. They speak about the significance of leveraging personal strengths, the Founder's willingness to cede control for overall business improvement., and the crucial aspects of sales and relationship building.
Our guest host Calvin catches up with Dr. Patrick Aouad, Founder and CEO of CU Health, Australia’s first virtual healthcare practice & leading wellbeing solution provider for businesses. When Patrick finished his neurology training, he was the youngest Neurologist in the country, but besides practicing medicine “Dr. Pat” is also a family man and a serial entrepreneur, founding businesses in medical education and general practices.
Calvin and Patrick discuss navigating the medical industry as a doctor and business owner during and post-COVID, technological advancements within the industry, Patrick’s philosophy on leadership, and the advantages of a investing in the health of your team.
Our guest host Calvin catches up with Michelle Young, Founder of POP UP Cosmetics. After identifying a substantial gap between American and Australian cosmetic prices, Michelle founded The Cosmetic Department & POP UP Cosmetics in a bid to make brand products more affordable for Australians.
Calvin and Michelle talk about the story & business model of POP UP, and the adversities she encountered with global conglomerate in the early stages of her business. They discuss the importance of relationship building when dealing with wholesalers and buying products, logistics around running big teams of employees, and how to identify a suitable retail site.
Calvin catches up with Sam Roby, Co-Founder of Pure Capital Finance. Since starting his business at just 21 years old, Sam and his team have helped over 4000 clients with their financing needs, purely off referrals and repeat customer work.
Calvin and Sam delve into Sam's remarkable path as a young business owner and assess the current financial landscape in light of recent global developments. They explore the significance of setting a positive example as a business leader and fostering authentic relationships, Sam's unwavering ambition and how to stay motivated, and the intricacies of financing assets and equipment.
Daniel catches up with Aaron Smith, Founder of KX Pilates. KX is the Australian leader in Reformer Pilates, with more than 100 studios in Australia and globally. Having faced challenging battles with mental health in his teens, Aaron discovered his passion for fitness, nutrition, and embracing life to its fullest during his early twenties. His journey led him to explore the globe, delve into the scientific intricacies of dynamic pilates and eventually building his franchise empire.
Daniel and Aaron speak about Aaron's story leading up to the birth of KX Pilates and discuss the power of travelling and seeing the world to discover yourself. They explore the challenges of scaling and how to grow a franchise business successfully, Aaron's decision to step down as CEO and how to identify when it is time to take that step back in a bid to progress as a leader.
Daniel catches up with Kady O Connell, Founder of Kady Creative. After realising working as an employee would never give her the freedom she desired, Kady quit her job and travelled the world, freelancing for 6 months before returning to Australia. Here, Kady Creative was born, a business dedicated to helping online brands thrive and grow.
Daniel and Kady discuss the key to creating a thriving brand, why every business owner should invest in their personal brand and how to foster an emotional connection with your customers. They further touch on the importance of using your time efficiently as a business owner, juggling business and parenthood, and how to provide value to your audience to generate consistent, quality leads.
Daniel catches up with Mona Zia, Founding Director of Avant Tech. After moving to Australia in 2003, and an outstanding 17-year career in communications and payments, Mona started her tech development business in 2020. Since then, Mona’s business has gone from strength to strength, growing her team of expert IT creators in Melbourne and Pakistan.
Daniel and Mona discuss the profound courage it takes to start a business in Australia and touched on Mona’s determination to create a bridge between Australia and her homeland, Pakistan, through business. They further discussed how to seperate your personal brand from that of your business and why no marketing strategy beats the power of word of mouth.
Daniel catches up with Yasser Zaki, founder of Tender Loving Care Disability Services and recipient of the APAC CEO of The Year Award in 2023. Yasser's transformation from corporate professional to dedicated support worker stemmed from a simple act of kindness – assisting an elderly traveller with their luggage, leading to a meaningful connection. 6 years later, Yasser's businesses support people who have disabilities globally.
On today’s episode, Daniel and Yasser discuss his inspiring journey to becoming an entrepreneur, the importance of purpose and doing good in the world. They further explore the essence of "Impact Investment," strategies to distinguish your business in a competitive market, and insights on smart and sustainable business expansion.
Daniel catches up with Gemma Manning, Founder & CEO of Manning & Co, Gemstar and YoungGems. Gemma is a serial entrepreneur and dedicated international business leader with over 20 years of experience in strategic marketing communications.
On this episode, Daniel and Gemma discuss her entrepreneurial journey following the birth of her first child, her experience spending a week with Richard Branson, how to break out of the corporate world and more.
Daniel catches up with Mikey Taylor, Founder of Lionize and GoodSpace Gum. Successfully running the premium advertising agency Lionize for two decades, Mikey now reveals how a small side-project evolved into an exciting new venture. GoodSpace Gum represents an innovative mission aimed at globally reducing stress and anxiety.
Daniel and Mikey speak about the difference between being stressed and anxious, the nature of the health and pharmaceuticals industry and discuss what we can all do to help maintain a healthy mindset, particularly, as a business owner. Plus, Mikey shares some advertising wisdom about the balance of demand creation and demand activation in your marketing.
Daniel Catches up with Pauline Nguyen, Co-owner of Red Lantern, the most awarded Vietnamese restaurant in the world. Working in her family business from the age of 7, it was always clear to Pauline that entrepreneurship was her destiny. Today, Pauline is a two-time award winning author, international speaker and recognised as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Female Entrepreneurs in Australia.
Daniel and Pauline speak about Pauline’s inspirational journey and her spiritual approach to entrepreneurship, which she passionately shares all over the world as a keynote speaker and coach. They discuss the ups and downs of the hospitality industry, her new business venture Tiger Purr Chai and the grit required to succeed in business and in life.
Daniel catches up with Stella Gianotto, Founder of Brand for Brands. With over 25 years in the industry, Stella stands as one of the nation's most seasoned brand marketers. Her portfolio boasts an impressive 1000 global brands, and her efforts have earned her numerous awards throughout her journey.
On this episode, Daniel and Stella discuss the essence of a strong and enduring brand, along with strategies to forge a lasting legacy, the highs and lows of collaborating within a family business and the significance of embracing artificial intelligence in the upcoming years.
Daniel catches up with Colin Evans, Managing Director of The Asset Finance Shop. Colin's career began with diverse experiences as a sawman in an abattoir and a truck driver before moving to Sydney and founding the Asset Finance Shop in 2016. Colin’s company specialises in assisting Australian businesses in obtaining funding for various capital equipment, including trucks, trailers, heavy machinery, and passenger vehicles.
Daniel and Colin delve into Colin's remarkable journey, starting from making cold calls from his bedroom to now managing a team of over 20 staff based in Bondi Junction. They discuss the importance of communication & discipline when managing your team, and the impact of being a business leader on employees and others.
Daniel catches up with Joseph Daoud, Founder of It’s Simple Finance. Starting his entrepreneurial career as a personal trainer, Joseph founded It’s Simple in 2019 to cut through the red tape of personal finance and make wealth attainable for all Australians during their lifetime.
Daniel and Joseph discuss the importance of authenticity, they explore Joseph's inspirational path from being a struggling student, over his achievements in bodybuilding, to becoming a successful entrepreneur and touch on how the school system is failing many entrepreneurs in the context of nature vs. nurture.
Daniel catches up with Raj Narayan, the Founder and CEO of Emajin Golf. After arriving in Australia to pursue her studies, Raj entered her 15 year banking career, including her role as COO at Westpac Private Bank. However, her true passion had always been Golf, leading her to earn the esteemed title of Women's Captain at the NSW Golf Club. After recognising an opportunity to systemise the correlation between golf and business, Emajin Golf was born.
In this episode, Raj and Daniel delve into the significance of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals and the dos and don'ts of networking. They further discuss Raj's shift from corporate to entrepreneurship, the process of transforming one's passion into a viable business and the profound concept of Karma.
To stay up to date with 'Catching up with CUB' and receive exclusive content on each episode, subscribe here.
Follow CUB on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Daniel catches up with Bradley Gimbert, Founder of Indigenous Wealth. Despite facing great adversities as an Aborigial man growing up in Western Sydney, including adoption, incarceration, and living in housing commission, Bradley has defied the odds. Building a multi-million dollar property portfolio himself, he now empowers his community to achieve financial independence, aiming to bridge the wealth gap between Aboriginal people and the rest of Australia.
In their conversation, Daniel explores Bradley's childhood, the motivation behind his ongoing efforts to break the cycle and uplift his community, and the transformative impact of his encounters with the law on his life and character.
To stay up to date with 'Catching up with CUB' and receive exclusive content on each episode, subscribe here.
Follow CUB on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Daniel catches up with Roy El Hachem, Co-Founder of Piccolo Me.
Piccolo Me is an “easy-going, delicious and fun” cafe franchise, with a focus on continuously creating innovative food and beverage options for their customers. Since founding the business in 2012 with his brother Charlie, Roy has grown Piccolo Me to over 35 locations, being featured in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Grazia and Daily Mail.
On this episode, Daniel and Roy delve into the fascinating world of hospitality and building a brand that turns customers into fans. They discuss Roy’s early immersion in the industry, the transition of Piccolo Me from a humble espresso bar to a thriving franchise, the ups and downs of working in a family business and more.
To stay up to date with 'Catching up with CUB' and receive exclusive content on each episode, subscribe here.
Follow CUB on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Daniel catches up with Robbie Carter, Owner and Director of Elec Comm Group. Ready to take a leap from his employment as a sparky, Robbie started his business with a van, two jobs, and borrowed resources. After seeking business coaching, he transformed his company, now managing 15 full-time staff and overseeing a daily workforce of 40. His recent achievement includes completing a major project of 90 LED upgrades for the Department of Education in NSW.
Daniel and Robbie discuss how finding a small niche in your industry can accelerate your career, the challenges of dealing with imposter syndrome and Robbie's recipe for a 100% staff retention culture.
CEO and Founder of ENJO Australia, Barb de Corti, also known as the ‘Queen of Clean’ built a 100-million dollar turnover per year empire and has sold over a billion dollars in sustainable products to Australian homes.
As ENJO approaches its 30 year milestone, Daniel sits down with Barb to learn more about her journey to becoming an entrepreneur, what the secret is to excelling in business for almost 30 years, the importance of having a strong mentor and more!
To stay up to date with 'Catching up with CUB' and receive exclusive content on each episode, you can subscribe here.
Follow CUB on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Daniel catches up with Stella Concha, CEO of REO Group and Director of HiveQ.
From her early days in medicine to creating an award-winning recruitment company, Stella found her alignment in human capital, and now works with Australia’s top 100 ASX executives to help them become the best leaders, and to come together to learn and lead the change for tomorrow.
With her love of helping people self-actualise and reach self-mastery, Stella discusses the many challenges, lessons, and turning points she’s faced in her life that took her from being a doctor to a leading entrepreneur, author, and advisor.
Daniel catches up with Dan Thomas, Artistic Director at Space on Earth & Creative Director at Vaulter. With a love for improvisational performance, and a background in multimedia and digital arts, Dan went from designing album covers for artists such as 50 Cent to giving businesses the chance to have a positive impact, employing the creative principles of art, while also running workshops to help creatives establish themselves and push further in the discipline.
With his extensive experience in the creative industry, Dan talks about the power of collaboration with your team and clients, and shares some of the key learnings from improv that are relevant for any business leader.
Daniel catches up with Marianne Marchesi, Founder and Managing Principal of Legalite. Being unsatisfied with the business practices in law, Marianne went against the grain by starting Legalite, giving clients efficient, cost-friendly, and forward-thinking legal services, while building a culture that goes contrary to the industry. As a result, Marianne has created an award-winning law firm, going from 6 clients to now well over 500.
As her journey has taken her from employee to business owner, to a leader and a mother, Marianne has had her fair share of highs and lows, and from them, she brings her insights and lessons about building what’s different and doing the best for your people, to make something truly special.
Daniel catches up with Nathan Richman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Elastic Studios. Nathan and his team operate the independent creative production agency in Sydney and Melbourne since 2016, working with brands such as KIA, Heineken and H&M to create unique campaigns, videos, websites, internal communications and more.
With his experience in media production, from videos to marketing campaigns, Nathan discusses the many creative challenges businesses face when it comes to branding and selling, sharing his insights for what they can do to overcome them and diving into the importance of your brand's authenticity.
Daniel catches up with Rasti Vaibhav, Founder of Get RARE Properties. As a first generation immigrant to Australia, Rasti came with debts, had no job, and needed to support his family, but turned it all around by starting as an analyst at Westpac and worked his way to become a Portfolio Manager at AMP Capital, responsible for billion-dollar asset classes. Now, Rasti runs his own buyers agency that helps investors build long-term wealth and retire early.
With his wealth of experience in investing and finance, and his love of learning and people, Rasti brings his knowledge and insights to discuss the best practices of investing, the critical importance of educating yourself, being surrounded by the best people, and why having a clear purpose will get you through anything.
Daniel catches up with Zoe Marshall, Founder of The Deep Podcast. After years of working in the media and with her fascination for the taboo, Zoe hosts one of the leading subscription podcasts in the world. Talking about sex, trauma, or the uncanny experiences people have gone through, she brings to light the stories and topics that happen every day, but no one dares to talk about.
Having a passion for people and a curiosity for the esoteric, Zoe shares her unique perspective about what goes unheard and unseen, highlighting the need for compassion and joy, the value of gratitude and service, and why in the end self-belief is the key to success.
Daniel catches up with Dario Valenza, Founder of Carbonix. Building some of Australia's leading commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Dario and his team specialise in long-range aerial surveillance, capturing precise infrastructural and environmental data to provide the insights governments and corporations need to make better decisions and operate efficiently.
With his early love for tinkering and technology since age 12, Dario has not stopped building. From racing yachts to cutting-edge drone technology, his depth of experience and exposure in the industry has taught him valuable lessons in both business and R&D innovation, which he shares in this conversation.
Daniel catches up with Julian Fayad, Founder and CEO of LoanOptions.ai. Building one of Australia's first loan marketplaces, Julian uses Ai-assisted loan matching to give customers across the country the best options available, supported with accurate pre-approval and lender rate predictions across over 45 banks and lenders.
With his extensive background as a finance broker, and his success in rebuilding multiple broken finance departments, Julian discusses everything he's learned, from building exceptional teams, the value of transparency, and why speed in execution is your best advantage.
Daniel catches up with Angela Smith, Co-Founder of Lifestyle Tradie Group. With their knowledge in turning collapsing companies into profitable success stories, Angela and her Husband have built Australia's #1 Trade Business Education Company, giving the trade industry the knowledge they need to gain the financial freedom they deserve.
Selling their successful plumbing business Dr.DRiP after 21 years, Angela shares all the important insights she's learned, distilling why business owners need to have the right operations, be part of a supportive community, never let their ego get in the way, and above all, know where they're going.
Daniel catches up with Deena Tearney, Founder of Pacific Point. With locations from Honolulu to Sydney, to Singapor and Denver, Deena has built an international Salesforce Consulting Partnership whose unique reach and skillset merges the personal touch with technology, providing businesses with sustainable systems for strategic growth.
From a Senior Consultant at IBM, to founding an intercontinantal CRM consulting business, Deena shares her life story and discusses the lessons she's learned, including, how to overcome a saturated market, finding and growing hidden talent in untapped demographics, and how to lead across continents.
Daniel catches up with Louisa Nicola, CEO of Neuro Athletics. A former world champion triathlete and with her background in math and neurophysiology, Louisa combines science with business to work with NBA players, Wall Street executives and other high performers to optimise their physical, mental, and emotional health. "Perform better, think faster, and achieve results".
From starting her professional career as a school teacher to finding her passion in neuroscience, Louisa shares how she succeeded by taking a leap moving to New York, what areas you should focus on to improve your own brain performance, and how meeting Gary Vee let her to start global top 10 podcast 'The Neuro Experience'.
Daniel catches up with Peter Gatt, Founder of Hava. From his early days as founder of Vibrato, later acquired by Servian, Peter has continuously built some of the world's innovative cloud-based data and security services, providing businesses with the best digital infrastructure available.
Developing a passion for coding at age 7, and his incredible background in IT, Peter shares his knowledge and insights when it comes to servicing the customer, the art of innovating and automating processes, and how to effectively retain your team in today's competitive market.
Daniel catches up with Paul Hart, Executive Director of Canary Capital. Running one of the leading investment advisories in Melbourne, Paul has raised over $100 million since 2017, helping many Australian companies scale to the global stage.
From his early days as a business analyst to now, Paul shares his secrets about the best type of companies to invest in, how to invest during economic cycles, and what you need to consider to make your business to be investable.
Daniel catches up with Joanne Camilleri, Co-Owner of Gifts to Give. After being a Licensee Partner with Telstra owning multiple stores, Joanne and her Business Partner went on to founding companies like Solutions Builder and Work Tank. A profound serial entrepreneur Joanne continues to look for new opportunities that can be done better.
With her love for business, Joanne brings her passion and enthusiasm to share what she's learnt about building exceptional partnerships, the art of finding opportunities, and how to build loyalty with your team so they stay with you for more than a decade.
Daniel catches up with Jason Robinson, Director of Future Advisory. By combining digital technology with his people-first philosophy, Jason brings a modern and innovative approach to accounting, helping his clients setup their finances in the best position for the future.
With his knack for financial management, and his experience in building quality teams, Jason shares his insights in how you can adapt to market changes and leverage technology, why your brand is your best tool for attracting talent, and opens up about the lessons life taught him, the good and the bad.
Daniel catches up with Steven Khalil, CEO of STEVEN KHALIL. As Australia's leading red carpet and bridal fashion designer, Steven designs some of the most unique handmade dresses in the country, tailoring his couture to the personalised needs and experiences of his clients.
Having more than 3 decades of experience in the industry, combined with his flare and love for fashion, Steven shares his wealth of knowledge about how to be consistent but evolving, how to make your company reach longevity, and the power of putting your soul into your work.
Daniel catches up with Troy Abolakian, Co-Managing Director of HYECORP Property Group. With their multigenerational business, Troy and his family have become one of Sydney's leading property developers, using a fully integrated approach to serve customers at every stage of the process from design, construction, all the way to building management.
With his own extensive knowledge in the construction industry, ranging from project manager to director, Troy discusses how small businesses can scale using the right systems, why great companies are only built with great culture, and what it takes to be an effective leader of any team.
Daniel catches up with Evelyn Jackson, CEO of Corporate Crayon. With a passion for team building and people, Evelyn helps Australian business owners better understand their talent, enhancing their engagement with the company and allowing them to become more connected and capable.
From her world leading expertise in corporate HR to now being a successful entrepreneur, Evelyn distills what she's learned about unifying your people to build a culture and team that can accomplish anything and the importance to market not just to your customers but also your staff.
Daniel catches up with Joonas Karppinen, Founder of sport and racing tipping service Edge Alerter. With the highest profit on turnover in the industry, Joonas serves his members with the latest and most informative tips, giving them an edge in their bets.
With his extensive background in financial markets and professional betting, Joonas passes on his life lessons, highlighting the value of experimenting and growing organically with your business in the early stages, and why you need to be aware of the dangers of cognitive bias.
Daniel catches up with Stuart Cook, Co-CEO of Flave & Founding Partner of TWIYO. From his early days as 23yo CEO of Zambrero and growing the chain to over 100 restaurants, Stuart has expanded multiple SMEs into national and global leaders, earning himself the 'Australian Young CEO of The Year' title.
With his knack for operations and passion for business growth, Stuart discusses what it takes for every founder to make a company grow, such as knowing the best techniques of sales, finding the right partners for business and for life, and how to discover opportunities.
Daniel catches up with Julie Parmax, Founder of 3 Marks of Existence. 3 Marks is a high-end interior design and styling practice for residential and commercial facilities, and as Principle Designer, Julie's guiding philosophy is to design well, live well, and dream well.
In this episode, Julie shares her personal journey and the lessons she learned in business and in life, including what separates the true experts in their field, why understanding the customer’s experience is critical, and how to maintain your mental wellbeing as a high performer.
Daniel catches up with Nick Hedges, Director of ResolveHR. Bringing together his passion for people and expertise in Human Resources, Nick provides organisations with the guidance and solutions they need to build thriving team environments.
With his wide-ranging experience in HR, Nick discusses what makes a team exceptional, which includes building engagement from the start, knowing what values create a high-performing team, and how to develop relationships that allows your team to become their best selves.
Daniel catches up with David Keir, Founder of Dash and Principle at Entrepreneur Purpose. From his vast knowledge in financial advisory to world leading companies, and after successfully scaling Domino's presence in China, David now supports and mentors values-driven entrepreneurs to help them scale their own success.
In this episode, David shares his entrepreneurial endeavors and the many lessons his learned along the way, including why trust is crucial for every leader, how taking a step back can save you in troubled times, what core systems every company can use to scale, and much more.
Daniel catches up with Kellie Rigney, Founder and Creative Director of Zjoosh. With 14 stores in Australia, and over 100 team members, Kellie operates a high-end lifestyle brand, providing luxurious fashion and homeware to women on the go.
From being a corporate lawyer, to now operating a successful retail business, Kellie shares what she's learned in her career, including how to grow your company the right way, the importance of listening to your people, being prepared for difficult times, adapting to the market, creating an extraordinary culture, and more.
Daniel catches up with Alexander Baumjohann, renowned Professional Football Player who's played for some of the best teams in Germany, Brazil, and Australia. Now, his mission is to ignite the passion of football in Australia, to strengthen the football community and bring prosperity to the nation.
With his remarkable achievements as an athlete, and now in business, Alex shares his lessons about how obsession brings greatness, what the best form of leadership is for A-players, improving from failure, and how travel enhances your perspective and appreciation of life.
Over the past few months, Daniel has been dropping hints that an exciting announcement was on the way, and in this week's episode it has finally arrived.
Introducing Boa, asocial media platform exclusively for business owners and entrepreneurs that ensures no entrepreneur has to be on the journey alone. In this episode Daniel delves into the reason he started Boa, some of the lessons he learnt along the way and how to get involved as a founding user.
Daniel catches up with Renee Francis, Founder and Director of The Bubble Co. With teams across Australia and New Zealand, The Bubble Co. is a full-service digital agency that specialises in Web3 marketing and provides clients with all their digital marketing needs to effectively reach their audience.
From her experience in the corporate world to now running her own successful company, Renee discusses what makes an effective leader, how to build a unique business model from your values, and shares her knowledge on Web3's relevance for businesses.
Daniel catches up with Tim Cullen, CEO of TradieSpec. With almost 300 vehicles on the streets, TradieSpec is Australia's largest trade vehicle supplier and rent-to-own service, ensuring all tradies have access to a reliable, affordable, and well-fitted vehicle to suit all their business needs.
After starting his business at just 26, Tim's company has grown at an exceptional pace, and he shares his lessons on how every business leader needs to deeply understand their market, their team, their company, and especially themselves, to achieve the best results.
Daniel catches up with Maria Bellissimo-Magrin, Founder of Belgrin, who combines her love of design and business experience to help companies use their brand and marketing to build the best creative visual-identities in their industry.
In this episode, Maria discusses what she's done to overcome her biggest challenges, how understanding the value she's offering lead to her success and talks about the strategies every company should use to future-proof their brand.
Daniel catches up with Maria Bellissimo-Magrin, Founder of Belgrin, who combines her love of design and business experience to help companies use their brand and marketing to build the best creative visual-identities in their industry.
In this episode, Maria discusses what she's done to overcome her biggest challenges, how understanding the value she's offering lead to her success and talks about the strategies every company should use to future-proof their brand.
Daniel catches up with Rick Williams, Owner of Platform 24. With over a decade of experience, Platform 24 is a Sydney IT solutions provider, specialising in end-to-end cyber security and support, ensuring that businesses have the best procedures and tools to be protected in this new digital environment.
Combining his unique background in teaching and IT, Rick discusses how business owners can overcome the challenges of cyber security, how to find balance and build trust with new and existing team members, and why creating a stand-out brand has led to his continued success in a competitive industry.
Daniel catches up with Rick Williams, Owner of Platform 24. With over a decade of experience, Platform 24 is a Sydney IT solutions provider, specialising in end-to-end cyber security and support, ensuring that businesses have the best procedures and tools to be protected in this new digital environment.
Combining his unique background in teaching and IT, Rick discusses how business owners can overcome the challenges of cyber security, how to find balance and build trust with new and existing team members, and why creating a stand-out brand has led to his continued success in a competitive industry.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Baxter, Founder of 24hr Business Plan. As former CEO of two of the country’s biggest communications agencies, Publicis and Ogilvy, Andrew was involved in iconic projects such as AAMI’s ‘Rhonda & Ketut’ & Coca Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign.
With his extensive career background, Andrew shares the principles every business needs to create a world leading brand, how to service customers at every step of their journey, and what components are essential for an effective business plan.
Daniel catches up with Brady Yoshia, Founder of Brady Marcs Buyers Advisory. With offices in Sydney & Canberra, the buyers agency is serving new and experienced homeowners with a dedicated, professional, and unified team who are committed to helping them find their dream home or investment property.
With years of business and real estate experience, Brady shares her entrepreneurial journey, from team building to overcoming her worst business challenges, special insights into Australia's current real estate market, and how her success has impacted her as a mother.
Daniel catches up with Ryan Jones, Managing Director of Ryan Jones Building Co, whose mission is to serve families and build them the highest-quality boutique homes to enjoy for generations.
Daniel and Ryan discuss insights on starting a business with no experience, how to find existing processes to gain an edge in your industry, and how to build trust with your clients and your team.
Daniel catches up with Robbie Allison, Managing Director of QualityVend and Director at Blackroo Industries, where he gives a second chance Indigenous youth, provides financial support to disadvantaged communities, and supply’s Australia with the best vending machines in the country.
Robbie and Daniel discuss the importance of every team member having a known progression plan and clear vision of the company’s future as well as how profitable companies can also have a strong social purpose.
Daniel catches up with Mona Chiha, Co-Founder of Capital & Centric Funding. Building a smart solution that analyses behavioural spend and other factors to create borrowers’ profiles, CCF is a credit provider that aims to streamline and automate the lending process for small to medium loans in Australia.
Daniel and Mona talk about the significance of community to a successful life, both personal and professional, and discuss the commonalities between motherhood and leadership that we can all learn from.
Daniel catches up with Mona Chiha, Co-Founder of Capital & Centric Funding. Building a smart solution that analyses behavioural spend and other factors to create borrowers’ profiles, CCF is a credit provider that aims to streamline and automate the lending process for small to medium loans in Australia.
Daniel and Mona talk about the significance of community to a successful life, both personal and professional, and discuss the commonalities between motherhood and leadership that we can all learn from.
Daniel catches up with Scott Baker, Founder & CEO of Baker Group. After choosing a trade over school and joining the family business soon after, Scott decided to go out on his own at 25. Only 4 years later, Scott has now expanded the company nationally, servicing hospitality and catering groups such as Sofitel & Merivale across NSW, QLD, VIC & SA.
Daniel and Scott speak about the challenges of starting a business at a young age, the importance of confidence in your service & strategy and discuss how great team culture is the key to successful business growth.
Daniel catches up with Scott Baker, Founder & CEO of Baker Group. After choosing a trade over school and joining the family business soon after, Scott decided to go out on his own at 25. Only 4 years later, Scott has now expanded the company nationally, servicing hospitality and catering groups such as Sofitel & Merivale across NSW, QLD, VIC & SA.
Daniel and Scott speak about the challenges of starting a business at a young age, the importance of confidence in your service & strategy and discuss how great team culture is the key to successful business growth.
Daniel catches up with Kevin Lerdwichagul, CEO of Glitch Productions. Starting the business from their parents’ garage, Kevin and his brother grew the animation studio’s Youtube channel to 7million subscribers, 100 Million monthly viewers and a team of 30 in just 5 years.
Daniel and Kevin discuss how to create superfans for you and your business through relevant content, why Youtube is the best platform to do so and review everything you need to know to build a successful Youtube channel.
Daniel catches up with Kevin Lerdwichagul, CEO of Glitch Productions. Starting the business from their parents’ garage, Kevin and his brother grew the animation studio’s Youtube channel to 7million subscribers, 100 Million monthly viewers and a team of 30 in just 5 years.
Daniel and Kevin discuss how to create superfans for you and your business through relevant content, why Youtube is the best platform to do so and review everything you need to know to build a successful Youtube channel.
Daniel catches up with Gael Donnay, Managing Director of Stepinsight. Feeling inspired by Australia’s entrepreneurial culture after immigrating from Belgium, Gael left the corporate world to start software development company Stepinsight. Working with all business stages and sizes, Gael and his team create cutting-edge software solutions and help companies navigate through their digital transformation.
Daniel and Gael look at the software development process for building an App, things to know & mistakes to avoid, and the pros and cons of onshore vs offshore services.
Daniel catches up with Gael Donnay, Managing Director of Stepinsight. Feeling inspired by Australia’s entrepreneurial culture after immigrating from Belgium, Gael left the corporate world to start software development company Stepinsight. Working with all business stages and sizes, Gael and his team create cutting-edge software solutions and help companies navigate through their digital transformation.
Daniel and Gael look at the software development process for building an App, things to know & mistakes to avoid, and the pros and cons of onshore vs offshore services.
Daniel catches up with Amelia Johnson from Flightcharter.com.au. Running a successful events business over the past years, Amelia recently reconnected with her passion for the aviation industry, now helping clients find the right aircrafts and offers for their private flight needs at Flightcharter.com.au.
Daniel and Amelia talk all things flying private and tell Amelia’s stories of getting her own pilot license - the good, the bad and the unexpected.
Daniel catches up with Rich Harvey, Founder & CEO of Propertybuyer.com.au. Economist, property investor and buyers advocate, Rich is also the former President of the Real Estate Buyers Agent Association of Australia and received many awards for his work in the industry.
Daniel and Rich take a close look at today’s property market, why the next three months are a great time to purchase and discuss why Rich believes Australia isn’t heading into a recession.
Daniel catches up with Rich Harvey, Founder & CEO of Propertybuyer.com.au. Economist, property investor and buyers advocate, Rich is also the former President of the Real Estate Buyers Agent Association of Australia and received many awards for his work in the industry.
Daniel and Rich take a close look at today’s property market, why the next three months are a great time to purchase and discuss why Rich believes Australia isn’t heading into a recession.
Daniel catches up with Saurabh Thaper, Owner of Turbo and Viddi. Always an entrepreneur at heart, Saurabh quit his corporate career a few years ago to take a chance in business. Now he successfully runs recruitment software companies Turbo and Viddi, with the goal to improve the hiring process for businesses by making it more efficient and cost effective.
Daniel and Saurabh discuss the current recruitment environment, tools to identify the right talent and talk about one of the most overlooked issues within every business’ hiring efforts.
Daniel catches up with Mikeila Scheckenbach, Founder of Bandit Design Group. Starting the branding agency at only 24, Mikeila now runs a national team of six, working with industry disrupting brands across the globe.
Daniel and Mikeila speak about the effects of introducing a 4-day work week on culture and performance, creating a flexible work environment for your staff and review the steps to define a killer brand identity.
Daniel catches up with Nicholas Robert Alderdice, Founder of Learning Vault. With an offering of flexible licences and tailored courses, Nicholas and his team aim to revolutionise teaching frameworks and the education industry as a whole to shape the next generation of skilled professionals & leaders.
Daniel and Nicholas address issues within the current education system, how they can be solved and discuss how to identify training needs within your team to increase performance & outcomes.
Daniel catches up with serial entrepreneur Dave Malcolm. After co-founding Marley Spoon and scaling the business to over 350 staff, Dave exited the business in 2020 moving on to new ventures. Using his extensive knowledge in marketing and business growth, he recently took on the role of CMO for blockchain ecosystem Myria.
Daniel and Dave discuss key tools for business scaling such as performance marketing, talk all things Web3 and why Dave is all in when it comes to Crypto.
Daniel catches up with Katya Vakulenko, Founder of Soup Agency. Starting the company three years ago on her own, Katya and her team now provide a range of digital marketing services to clients globally.
Earlier this year, Katya took her entire team on a two week 'working holiday' to Bali, making headlines in publications all around the world.
Daniel and Katya talk about creating a team culture that empowers staff & attracts new talent and discuss the importance of strong relationships and community for business owners.
In this podcast special, Daniel takes you behind the scenes of the Club of United Business. Discover the latest CUB updates and lessons Daniel learned along the way.
In this episode: Daniel shares the story that led to Mark Bouris’ recent acquisition of equity in CUB, the club’s national expansion plans, PR updates and what business owners can learn from the media - PLUS Daniel reveals his secret plans to democratise networking for any business owner through his new digital platform.
Daniel catches up with Peter Heery, Founder of Cascade Studios. After 18 years of growing his Digital Agency Inzen to great success, Peter is now on a mission to shake up the computer gaming industry with his new venture Cascade Studios, fulfilling a life-long dream of his.
Daniel and Peter discuss the huge potential that lies in the gaming industry, speak about his plan to revolutionise the market with his RPG title 'Primescape' and dive back into Peter's digital expertise reviewing IT essentials for any business owner.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Baxter, Founder of 24hr Business Plan. As former CEO of two of the country's biggest communications agencies, Publicis and Ogilvy, Andrew was involved in iconic projects such as AAMI's 'Rhonda & Ketut' & Coca Cola's 'Share a Coke' campaign.
Daniel and Andrew speak about his extensive career in the marketing industry, the BTS of some of Australia's most famous ad campaigns and the lessons he took from his experience into starting his newest venture, 24hr Business Plan.
Daniel catches up with Karen Beattie, Founder of The Growth Faculty. Karen launched the education business holding large scale events featuring high-calibre speakers such as Simon Sinek & the Obamas. But when Covid hit, she turned her greatest challenge yet into an opportunity, now providing exclusive access to virtual live masterclasses with the world’s greatest business leaders.
Daniel and Karen speak about greatest lessons from leaders such as Hilary Clinton & Jim Collins, discuss challenges of entrepreneurship and the often underrated impact business owners have on society.
To receive $50 off your The Growth Faculty Leadership Pass use promo code 'CUB' by 30th June.
Daniel catches up with Michael Cratt, Managing Director of Av-Comm Space & Defence. Building & sustaining satellite ground stations for government and defence clients since 1981, Av-Comm’s mission is to ensure the efficacy of Australia’s long-term space capability by reinforcing its position within the local and international market.
Daniel and Michael speak about challenges of taking on the family business, the importance of support through the people around you and look at the crucial role the space industry plays for Australia's future.
Daniel catches up with Joey Crútch & Sam Dunleavy, Co-Founders of The Yacht Life Australia. Based in Sydney, The Yacht Life is the leading agency for luxury yacht travel and charter events in Australia & the South Pacific. Previously working on the world's most prestigious yachts, Joey & Sam are now putting their passion for boating into their business, creating bespoke experiences for their clients.
Joey & Sam share memories of working with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio & Prince and talk about how they turned years of experience, skills and love for the boating industry into a market leading business.
In this special episode, Daniel catches up with the CEO Club Ukraine, hosting an intimate conversation between the club's President Serhiy Haydaychuk and a group of CEO Club members.
On the 24th February the lives of the Ukrainian people changed forever. In this conversation you will hear first-hand how Ukraine's business owners are fighting to keep their people safe and businesses alive. Demonstrating the important role we are able to play as business owners in our own communities.
We hope to bring more awareness to the extent of the crisis Ukrainians are currently facing and how you are able to help.
More info & donations here:
https://www.sobornaukraine.org/
Our Guests:
Serhiy Haydaychuk, CEO Club Ukraine
Nina Dombrowska, Henkel Ukraine
Igor Plokhov, Lucky Strike & BudHouseGroup
Alexander Pitenko, UVK & TOTALCHEQ
Yuriy Kryvosheya, UKST Toronto-Kyiv & Holding
Arzy Khayredinova, Soborna Ukraine
Daniel catches up with Rick Florence, CEO of Coldbuster Floor Heating. Founding and selling various businesses throughout his career, Rick decided to buy into an industry with high growth potential. After years of looking for the right opportunity, Rick purchased Coldbuster, Australia's leading supplier of electric floor heating.
Daniel and Rick discuss finding opportunity in niche markets, how to deal with customer misperceptions through market education and speak about the power of strong relationships with industry partners.
Daniel catches up with Lucy Bingle, CEO of LucyBingle.com. As Australia's leading LinkedIn Agency, Lucy and her team are experts in managing LinkedIn strategies, working with clients such as Tourism Australia, Westpac & BPAY.
Daniel and Lucy talk about how Lucy was able to turn experiencing great adversity into building a successful business and discuss the keys to a powerful Linkedin strategy such as amplifying your team through personal branding, relevant content & engagement.
Daniel catches up with Michael Porter, Sales & Marketing Director of Australian Therapeutic Supplies. With globally recognised brands such as Four Seasons Condoms and Skin Control on its portfolio, Australian Therapeutic Supplies is a family owned business founded in the 80s and is now one of the largest Australian owned businesses in its industry.
Daniel and Michael discuss the pros and cons of working in a family business, how to find industry innovations, key lessons in working with major retailers and the power of being yourself.
Daniel catches up with Matthew Holloway, CEO of Holloway Group. Family owned over three generations, the Holloway Group is an end-to-end manufacturing business & innovation facilitator, including industry leading proprietary brands such as GEOHEX, Ausdrain and A+Plastic.
Daniel and Matt talk about the journey of scaling the Holloway Group to global success by focusing on the business' margin over revenue and inspiring an innovation driven culture.
Daniel catches up with Lauren Ryder, CEO of Leading Edge Global. Working with brands such as Westfield, Lauren and her team specialise in helping businesses identify the gaps between where they are, where they want to be and the steps needed to get there.
Daniel and Lauren discuss methods used by big business to successfully scale and operate, including clear roles and responsibilities, organisational charts, scalable operations and how to create an inclusive culture.
Daniel catches up with Alex Harding, Founder of Dataphoria. Dataphoria assists businesses with database development & quality lead generation, enabling them to create impactful campaigns built on a foundation of data.
Daniel and Alex discuss the different kinds of data to utilise for lead generation and speak about how to create a positive impact on customers through digital & traditional marketing.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Cassin, Founder & CEO of Acquisiti. Established in 2004, Acquisiti is a premium business brokerage, assisting SMEs with exit-preparation and transactional services to maximise their sale outcome.
Daniel and Andrew discuss why it's crucial for business owners to prepare for a potential sale of their company and how to do so successfully with the right valuation & other key factors.
Daniel catches up with Michelle Hext, Founder of The High Ticket Coaching Institute. Growing up in great adversity, Michelle’s career saw her from owning multiple Taekwondo schools and entering the MA Hall of Fame to becoming one of Australia’s leading high ticket offer strategists.
Daniel and Michelle speak about the inspiring journey of following her passion for martial arts that evolved into a coaching career, launching close to 400 high ticket online offers from $27k to $50k.
Daniel catches up with Greg Norman, Director of Forecast Australia. Forecast is a data analytics company that captures your business’ data to calculate future outcomes and help you achieve greater commercial value.
Daniel and Greg discuss how to use data to identify customer satisfaction and to make smarter decisions to achieve the best possible outcomes for your business.
Daniel catches up with Christopher Melotti, Founder of Melotti Media and multi award-winning Marketer. With a strong passion for message marketing and copywriting, Chris helps brands become relevant to their customers and stand out in a saturated market.
Daniel and Chris discuss how to articulate your business' relevant value to customers, how to write the perfect job ad in a time when talent is super competitive, and Chris' 7 content marketing tips to best showcase your brand online.
Daniel catches up with Nick Urry, Founder of Dexterous Group. With the mission to improve their client’s finance function, Dexterous acts as an internal finance department utilising innovation, technology and a highly scalable model to deliver strong results for their client’s businesses.
Daniel and Nick discuss how to build scalable and more engaged finance teams, how to manage on- and offshore staff and speak about industry innovations such as using robotics to improve processes.
Daniel catches up with Amreeta Abbott, Founder & CEO of Annature. Shortly after selling fintech company NowInfinity in 2020 for $25Million, Amreeta started new venture Annature - an e-sign business, recently partnering with Aussie Powerhouse Qantas.
Daniel and Amreeta speak about her journey from selling Tupperware to building multimillion dollar businesses and discuss how to secure major partnerships with the power to elevate your business.
Daniel catches up with Theo Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of Shore Financial. Modernising a traditional industry, Shore Financial is Australia's No.1 independent mortgage brokerage, six years running.
Daniel and Theo discuss key factors to consider when starting a property portfolio, the possible rise of interest rates in Australia and speak about the importance of humility in business.
Daniel catches up with Gavin Rubinstein, Founder of The Rubinstein Group and star of Amazon hit TV series ‘Luxe Listings’. Working his way up the ranks in real estate, at only 32 Gavin is now set to make TRG the no.1 address for luxury properties in Australia.
Daniel and Gavin speak about his journey from cold-caller to top agent, his transition into business ownership and discuss the mindset that allowed him to become Australia’s most renowned real estate personality.
Daniel catches up with Jane Lu, Founder and CEO of Showpo. Starting out of her parents' garage in 2010, Jane grew Showpo to become one of Australia's most successful online fashion retailers. Daniel and Jane reflect on her incredible journey, discover the most valuable lessons learned & discuss how to elevate your brand and customer loyalty.
Daniel catches up with Dan Machen of Lionize. Bringing years of experience from the advertising industry in London, the behavioural science expert now heads the strategy at Lionize, giving the agency a significant point of difference in the market.
Daniel and Dan deep dive into the topic of behavioural science, discovering why people make decisions and determine how businesses can use this knowledge to align their beliefs to its customers.
Daniel catches up with CUB member Peter Scrine of Crescent Capital Partners, one of Australia’s leading private equity firms managing over $3 Billion in funds. Crescent specialises in providing high level strategic and operational support to their portfolio of businesses.
Daniel and Peter discuss the origins of private equity as an asset class, how to analyse a business and formulate a great strategy and management tips any business owner can use to operate their growing business.
Daniel catches up with Alita Harvey-Rodriguez, Managing Director at MI Academy. With a focus on retailers, 'Marketing Innovations' Academy provides award-winning training and consultancy around strategic alignment, helping businesses drive organisational change and customer experience.
Daniel and Alita speak about how to enhance strategic creativity within your team, maximise capabilities and discuss how to make the most out of customer feedback.
Daniel catches up with Chris Cox, Managing Director of Lead Lists. Founded by Chris and his Business Partner James in 2018, Lead Lists provides end-to-end digital marketing services including marketable data base solutions.
Daniel and Chris dive into the sentiment of the current business environment and discuss why traditional marketing solutions such as cold calling are still relevant.
Daniel catches up with David Aherne, Managing Director at Across The Ocean Shipping. David founded the Freight Forwarding company shortly after migrating to Australia in 2007, now operating offices Nationwide, in Europe and the US.
Daniel and David speak about his keys to a successful business, the challenges of running an internationally operating company and the importance of building a strong professional network.
Daniel catches up with Julia Strangio-McRae, Co-Founder of Mirrored Horizons. Specialising in aligning people and teams within a business, Mirrored Horizons is an HR consultancy using psychology, operations and strategy development to increase staff performance.
Daniel and Julia talk about the ever evolving culture within a company, the impact business owners have on it and how to empower your staff, increasing their productivity and satisfaction.
Daniel catches up with Graham Shannon, Managing Director of National Sign Build. Starting his first signage business out of a passion at only 23, Graham now runs one of Australia’s industry leading signage manufacturers, working on nation-wide projects for clients such as Westpac, Footlocker and ANZ.
Daniel and Graham speak about turning passion into a business, Graham’s experience of loosing his company to a bad partnership and how to come back stronger using the lessons learned through adversity.
Daniel catches up with Shane Duffy, CEO at Employment Innovations. Providing HR and payroll services to SMEs all across Australia, EI is the mother company behind industry leading innovations such as Employment Hero, Simployable, HR Connect and EI Legal.
Daniel and Shane speak about current & future employment trends, the keys to high employee satisfaction and review how to scale a traditional business through technology.
Daniel catches up with Greg Weiss, Founder of Soulidify. As one of Australia’s most prolific employment & career advisors, Greg & his team assist business owners finding their operational half to help take their business to the next level.
Daniel and Greg discuss the importance for entrepreneurs to find an ‘operational soulmate’ that complements their skillset and review crucial steps of onboarding new staff to increase employee retention.
Daniel catches up with Michael Dowsett from Team CUB. Playing professional Rugby all around the World for almost 10 years, Michael was looking for a new career path when he reconnected with CUB CEO & old friend Daniel and became part of a new team - Team CUB.
Daniel & Michael speak about the winning mindset that got Michael to the top in professional sports, despite many odds, facing life altering adversity and discuss the principles that make a top athlete, which translate seamlessly into business.
Daniel catches up with Candice Meisels, Founder of Candice PR. After heading the PR at Disney, managing multiple European countries from their Headquarters in London, Candice moved to Australia and started her own PR business, catering specifically to small businesses and SMEs.
Daniel and Candice speak about what PR actually entails, ways to get your brand out there without spending money on ads and share some invaluable PR tricks and tools every entrepreneur should add to their arsenal.
Daniel catches up with Daniel Breese, Director at AS White Global. With 7 offices across 4 countries, employing 1200 staff, ASW offers premium offshore solutions that can take your business to the next level.
Daniel & Dan speak about the most important know-how around offshoring, discussing how to grow, manage & integrate an offshore team to become an invaluable asset to your business.
Daniel catches up with Charles Canning-Smith, Partner at Ballpark Ventures. Investing in early stage technology startups, the UK born venture capital firm recently saw its biggest success with the unicorn exit of fashion marketplace Depop, selling for 1.6 billion USD.
Daniel and Charles discuss the key factors to look for when investing including characteristics of the right team behind a business, 'change waves' in the market and lastly a promising product.
Daniel catches up with George Dib, Founder & CEO of Amfin. With a strong focus on customer experience, the fin-tech business founded only four years ago experienced rapid growth over the past 12 months, now employing over 30 staff with a second office opening soon.
Daniel and George talk about customer experience as the core of a strong company, maintaining a family like culture in your team and discuss how building a business based on your passion is a fundamental part to your success.
Daniel catches up with Gareth Krost, Director at Krost Business Furniture. Founded in the 1930s, the family business was passed on through generations. Being Australian manufactured and by adapting to market changes over time, today Krost is one of Australia’s leading commercial furniture providers.
Daniel and Gareth talk about the challenges and advantages of running a family business, discuss how to stay relevant over the years and the importance of constantly evolving company operations and systems.
Daniel catches up with Hussein Sheeth, Managing Director of Sheeth. Founding the boutique construction firm with his brother in 2017, Hussein and his team are setting an example in the construction industry by delivering outstanding service built around strong values across NSW, ACT, VIC & QLD.
Daniel and Hussein speak about how to deliver services that stand out from the competition, how strong values will ensure client & team retention and discuss valuable tools that enable you to achieve your company's goals and vision.
Daniel catches up with Kirsten Carriol, CEO of Lanolips. After 10 years of running a successful beauty PR agency, Kirsten decided to start her own skin care company with Lanolips, building a global beauty empire which products can now be found in all major cosmetic retailers around the world.
Daniel and Kirsten discuss creating a product trusted by generations, the gravity of persistence and speak about how Kirsten turned her memories of humble farm beginnings into an international beauty mega-brand.
Daniel catches up with Simon Cohen, CEO of Cohen Handler and the highest grossing buyer’s agent in the country. Starring in Amazon hit TV-series ‘Luxe Listings’, Simon puts Sydney's property market on the world map in a new era of real estate in Australia.
Daniel and Simon talk about the experience of filming ‘Luxe Listings’ and the impact the show has on Sydney’s property market. They discuss the future of Australian Real Estate, building a strong team and review the key qualities of ideal investment properties.
Daniel catches up with Carla Efstratiou, Owner of Stylehub and Gone Tomorrow Vintage. Starting her first business at only 22, Carla now runs two thriving fashion retailers, with a couple of stores in Sydney and booming online shops.
Daniel and Carla speak about finding your brand’s point of difference, the courage to take risks and discuss why you shouldn’t wait for your business ideas to be ‘perfect’ in order to start.
In this special episode, Daniel catches up with Adrian Hondros, CEO of Porter Davis, speaking about Adrian's first hand experience in New York on September 11th, 2001.
On the event’s 20th anniversary, Daniel and Adrian review the day that was going to change the course of a nation and discuss the learnings we can all take from it, such as leadership and communication in times of crisis, focusing on things we can control and how adversity should never stop you from what you want to do in life.
Daniel catches up with Fred Schebesta, Co-Founder of award-winning fintech company Finder. By growing the comparison website & money app 'Finder' to global success and launching several businesses along the way, Fred made the AFR Young Rich List in 2019 with a net worth of about $250 million.
Daniel & Fred speak about the current rise & future of Crypto currency and discuss the principles by which he lives to reach his ultimate potential & that helped him build a global empire worth half a billion dollars.
Daniel catches up with Mikey Taylor, CEO of Lionize. The high-end Advertising Agency utilises behavioural studies & relevant data to elevate brand, design and media strategies, taking major clients such as The Iconic & Pet Circle to the next level.
Daniel and Mikey speak about today's relevant advertising mediums, how to best balance traditional with new marketing channels and discuss what it means to market your product or service to an attitude rather than an audience.
Daniel catches up with Tas Costi, Co-Founder & CEO of Costi Cohen. Together with Luxe Listings’ Simon Cohen, Tas Founded Australia’s first dedicated commercial buyers agency to provide end to end services for commercial property buyers.
Daniel and Tas discuss the current commercial property market, trends & factors to consider when buying and speak about management of productivity for leaders and employees in times like these.
Daniel catches up with Arielle Peters, Creative Director at Two Giraffes Creative. After starting her media production career in the US with shows such as People's Choice Awards & The Voice, Arielle moved to Sydney where she Founded video production company Two Giraffes, creating outstanding video content for clients such as UNSW, Lenovo and Westpac.
Daniel & Arielle speak about the inspiring journey that led Arielle to where she is today and discuss the reasons every business needs great video content.
Daniel catches up with Chris King, Founder & CEO of Splend. Founded in 2015, Splend is the market leader in providing vehicles and support services to on-demand drivers who work on platforms such as Uber. Within a few years of launching the company in Sydney, Chris successfully expanded internationally, now operating across Australia & the UK.
Daniel and Chris discuss the lessons learned from Splend’s international expansion, ups and downs of fast growth and the challenges and benefits that came with a disruptive 2020.
*Recorded prior to Lockdown
Daniel catches up with Calvin Chilchik, who has recently been announced Business Partner at CUB. Speaking about Calvin's future as the Head of CUB's Sydney CBD HQ, the two share details about the incredible new Clubhouse and its ‘royal’ location.
Daniel and Calvin review their search for the perfect new home for Australia's Entrepreneurs and discuss the process for Founders of finding and growing the right business partner for their business.
Daniel catches up with CUB Co-Founder Anthony Mullane, talking all things new at CUB and discussing the challenges and learnings of this latest lockdown.
Daniel and Anthony share how team CUB is keeping its finger on the pulse of the community and talk about CUB's new app, new Sydney CBD Clubhouse and latest branding upgrade.
Daniel catches up with CUB Members Michelle & Yasmin Horner. Shortly after founding Talent Agency ‘Ignite Elite Artists’ 10 years ago, Michelle decided to make the business a family affair, with daughter Yasmin heading the sub-division ‘Storm Actors’ and both her other children leading parts of the international business as well.
Daniel, Michelle & Yasmin speak about running & building a family business, the hardship the film industry faced during COVID and how you sometimes simply have to ‘just give it a GO’.
Daniel catches up with Matthew Miller, COO of Brace168. After extensive careers in the cyber security industry, Matt and his business partner founded Brace168 in 2017 with the goal to provide customers the best cyber security services & outcome.
Daniel and Matt speak about the undeniable relevance of cyber security for businesses of any size as well as Matt’s incredible story of overcoming two major adversities and the lessons they taught him as a businessman, a husband, father and leader.
Daniel catches up with Leigh Rust, Director of Safetyline Jalousie and multi-award-winning Entrepreneur. Starting in a garage, Leigh and his brother have since grown Safetyline Jalousie to a 2,000m2 factory in Sydney, providing louvre windows to residential, commercial and government projects nationwide.
Daniel & Leigh speak about the importance of balancing family and business, constant personal development and discuss Leigh's key learnings from scaling a business to an industry leading company.
Daniel catches up with the team - Tara Sassine & Patrick Hogan, the youngest members of our CUB family. Coming from hospitality and childcare backgrounds, Patrick and Tara both decided to strike a new path at the age of 21, finding opportunity to grow professionally and personally with CUB.
Daniel, Tara & Patrick discuss what attracts young talent to a business, the importance of a good work environment from day one and review the things that motivate employees to work hard and improve every day.
Daniel catches up with Riley Stewart, CEO of More Gym Members. At only 24 Riley has won multiple awards with his marketing agency MGM, owns five Gyms across Australia, founded service software ‘eMGM’ and launched his own supplement company with ‘FUTUR3 LABS’.
Daniel and Riley share hacks on writing the perfect ad copy by relating to your audience and discuss the learnings and opportunities that came out of what was a challenging 2020.
Daniel catches up with Stephen Younane, CEO of Retail Prodigy Group. After heading multiple retail corporations, Steve decided to start RPG, becoming Australia's master franchise partner of brands such as Nike, Samsung & TOMS. RPG now owns 56 stores, employing over 700 staff across AU & NZ.
Daniel and Steve discuss what it takes to uphold a strong culture throughout a large corporation and review Steve's key learnings from partnering with strong brands like Nike.
Daniel catches up with Samuel Wood, CEO of Azura Runway & Azura Consulting. Azura connects retailers, designers & customers worldwide, partnering with 42 fashion marketplaces in 17 countries and has an estimate customer base of 100M.
Daniel and Sam review the fascinating journey that led Sam from selling cars, to exporting coal and baby formula, all the way to running one of Australia’s greatest fashion marketplaces and the opportunity in creating additional revenue streams through existing resources.
Daniel catches up with Amal Wakim & Jade Spooner, Co-Founders of Equalution. Creating a game-changing platform for weight-loss, Amal & Jade built a tech-business that turned into a multimillion-dollar empire within only five years - securing them a spot on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Daniel, Amal & Jade speak about their experiences and the challenges that come with building a tech-company and review how they turned their passion into a market leader in the Australian weight-loss industry.
Daniel catches up with Allan Dall, CEO of The Glue. Going from a degree in the science of plants to running a successful IT-business, Allan and his team create and execute technology strategies and risk management for businesses across Australia and Asia-Pacific.
Daniel and Allan speak about the gaps in the technology service industry, pros and cons of running a business transparently and discuss different management styles.
Daniel catches up with Nicole Billett, Managing Director & CEO of Teddington Legal. After a 20 year career in strategy, sales and marketing, Nicole now runs TT Legal together with her husband Mark Gardiner since 2012.
Daniel and Nicole speak about running a business as a married couple, finding points of difference for yourself and your business and discuss authenticity in business.
Daniel catches up with Matt Browne, Managing Partner of Black Nova Group. Matt is a founder of one of 10 Australian start ups to ever experience Y combinator, Silicon Valley's top venture capital fund. After returning to Australia, Matt decided to deliver Aussie start ups a similar experience through his own venture capital fund, Black Nova Group.
Daniel and Matt discuss effective defence strategies required to position your business as a category leader and review key factors to win over investors.
Daniel catches up with Karen Finch & Bianca Dowdell-Munro, the Owners of Legally Yours. Both coming from extensive entrepreneurial backgrounds, Karen & Bianca are now on a mission to innovate the legal industry, bringing fix-cost billing to the Australian Market.
Daniel, Karen & Bianca discuss the long overdue modernisation of law practice, their experiences in traditionally male-dominated industries and they talk about balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood.
Daniel catches up with Chris Christofi, Founder & CEO of Reventon. At 25, starting the business with $300k in debt, Chris since grew his finance company to a multi-award-winning firm with over $1b in sales and currently $700m under management, all while establishing a significant property portfolio.
Daniel and Chris discuss the traits of a winning mindset and how a relentless approach will lead your company to success by setting your business up even for the difficult times.
Daniel catches up with Nathan Taddeo, Chief Lending Officer at Finspo. After 5 years of running his multi-award-winning finance company Credo, Nathan decided to take his years of experience to fintech-business Finspo, joining their mission to help everyday Australians save money by building better banking habits.
Daniel and Nathan discuss the challenges and perks of joining the family business and they discuss what is often the enemy of industries but also opportunity for modern businesses - bad stigmas.
Daniel catches up with Andy Watson, Partner at Accounting Powerhouse Smith Feutrill. Buying into the business in 2015 at only 26, Andy now looks after some of Victoria’s key Real Estate Agents, Property Developers, and Financial Services Businesses.
Daniel and Andy discuss the financial hacks of the top 1%, use of trust funds and the importance of evaluating your accountant’s work.
Daniel catches up with Godwin Hili, Founder & Creative Director of Godwin Charli. After he reimagined the approach to made-to-measure, Godwin Charli has been at the forefront of men’s and women’s tailoring in Australia, worn by celebrities around the country since 2007.
Daniel and Godwin speak about his rise as an industry icon, the adversity that can come with rapid business growth and Godwin shares how defining his values saved him and his business.
Daniel catches up with Chris Round, Intellectual Property Lawyer and Partner at K&L Gates. Being a part of one of the largest global law firms for over 20 years, Chris has been responsible for copyright, trademark and design litigation of high-profile clients such as the AFL. His work has received international recognition through multiple accolades.
Daniel and Chris review all you need to know about registering your company’s trademark, what to consider when choosing your brand-name and discuss important facts about trademark laws when scaling internationally.
Daniel catches up with Dr Lillian Nejad, Director of Omnipsych & Skills for Life. In addition to providing cutting edge clinical psychological services at her own clinic, Lillian is dedicated to teaching others crucial life skills that help with dealing with anxiety, insomnia, pressure and much more through her books and online courses.
Daniel and Lillian discuss how to best handle the stress every business owner is dealing with, they speak about the importance of managing our anxiety and how there is so much more to happiness than we might think.
Daniel catches up with Nick Reilly, Managing Director of Inovayt. With offices around the country, Inovayt offers a diverse range of financial services not just for the wealthy, focusing on the needs of everyday Australians.
Daniel and Nick speak about the art of delegating within your business in order to grow with stability, they look at the pros and cons of generating multiple revenue streams and discuss how to build successful referral-partnerships.
Daniel catches up with Paul Walton, Co-Founder of Flare Creative. With clients such as Ferrari and Pernod Ricard, Flare Creative delivers innovative concepts that challenge the status quo of customer experiences - re-imagining events virtually and in person.
Daniel and Paul talk about finding opportunity in expanding your company's offering, creating lucrative side-hustles you’re passionate about and look into the steps of creating a brand experience that will leave your customer with goose bumps.
Daniel catches up with George Guse, Managing Director of Arc Renewable Group.
George started his first successful internationally operated business at only 19. Now at 30, his experience and knowledge in the renewable energy sector make him one of Australia’s leaders in the rapidly growing industry.
Daniel and George discuss how the evolution of renewable energy is impacted by capitalism & constantly changing policies, the future of the industry and answer an important question: “What is it we can guarantee our customer?"
Daniel catches up with Andrew McKenna, CEO of SelectPay.
After successfully running multiple recruitment agencies over the past decade, Andrew identified a gap in the market for cash flow efficiency. This year he officially launched SelectPay, a buy now, pay later solution for businesses.
Daniel and Andrew speak about the significance & contents of a 24-months cash flow plan, what to consider when hiring a recruitment agency as well as when and why it's time for a business to scale.
SPECIAL EPISODE!
To celebrate 50 episodes, our host & CUB Founder Daniel Hakim switches seats, and speaks with team members Alice & Anthony about the history, present and future of CUB, revealing more about the man who made it all possible.
Daniel, Alice and Anthony talk about the value of community and culture and discuss how adversity and challenges have the ability to lead you towards your goals.
Daniel catches up with Brian Lim, CEO of Wise Networking. Combining his extensive knowledge on communication & outer space, Brian created the world’s first on demand telecommunication network deployable by air - a solution for the loss of infrastructure during natural disasters.
Daniel and Brian talk about current developments in the space industry, the impact of geopolitics on the market and discuss why now is the time to start a 'space business' due to a distinctive decrease in cost of resources.
Daniel catches up with Susan Werkner & Peter Applebaum, Co-Founders of The Agency Accelerators. After extensive careers in Digital Marketing & co-hosting the show ‘Marketing Matters’ on Sky News, they are now providing a proven “business development in a box” program to B2B businesses.
Daniel, Susan & Peter run through their 4 step program for agencies, service businesses and consultants, including key ways to gain corporate clients, rapid growth through LinkedIn and winning new clients without pitching.
Daniel catches up with Adrian Bo, one of the founding Partners at McGrath Estate Agents. Being one of Australia’s thought-leaders in the industry, Adrian now shares the experiences and lessons learnt over 31 years in the game through coaching and business advisory.
Daniel and Adrian speak about the 4 pillars to being successful in the Real Estate industry, they address the reputation of the industry as a whole and discuss how Adrian overcame great adversity by following the philosophy of Stoicism.
Daniel catches up with Belinda Agnew, Founder of Foccus Group & Foccus Media. Starting her Recruitment Agency Foccus Group just 3 years ago, Belinda now expanded her services with Foccus Media, a Digital Agency that focuses on brand awareness and content creation.
Daniel and Belinda talk about the importance of personal branding and authenticity in business and discuss the future of female entrepreneurship in Australia.
Daniel catches up with Monika Lama & Marcello Pinto. Marcello, CEO of Exponential Investments & Monika, owner of Lama Family Lawyers, met at CUB only last year. Now the two are running a new and innovative law firm together - Pinto Lama Lawyers & Advisers - which they are now expanding internationally.
Daniel, Monika & Marcello speak about their experiences at CUB, the power of relationships built with likeminded people & share some valuable knowledge in their areas of expertise, Family Law & Investment.
Daniel catches up with Tim Griffiths, Co-Founder & CSO of Xref - an ASX listed pre-employment reference checking platform with clients such as Westpac, NSW Gov & Buckingham Palace. Tim himself is an MBA‑qualified technologist with over 23 years’ global experience advising companies, including Virgin and SkyTV.
Daniel and Tim speak about his experience with start-ups & big corporations, the benefits of listing your company and discuss failing in business & the courage to start over again.
Daniel catches up with Lachlan Rowston & Raphael Freedman, the Co-Founders of Creature Fitness and LOCKEROOM. Besides innovating the Australian gym industry, the two also run the country's #1 fitness podcast 'The MindMuscleProject', educating listeners on health, nutrition and exercise.
Daniel, Lachlan & Raph discuss the present & future of the fitness industry, how 'The MindMuscleProject' became one of the leading fitness podcasts in the world and speak about ways to improve your overall health and performance.
Daniel catches up with Emma Blomfield, Founder of Emma Blomfield & Décor Library. A specialist in residential interior decorating & design, Emma works on projects from multi res unit blocks through to family homes. At only 33 Emma is a two-time bestselling author and holds the title of being the first member to ever join CUB.
Daniel and Emma speak about the benefits of publishing a book as an entrepreneur, the intricacy of home styling and review Emma's 5 years of Membership at the CUB.
Daniel catches up with Mitchell Ross, CEO of Muru Office Supplies. Operating throughout Australia, MOS is a majority Aboriginal owned, purpose driven & community focused workplace supplies provider that services companies such as CommBank, Qantas & KPMG.
Daniel & Mitchell discuss business purpose and authenticity, seeking clients that align with your vision and how patience & maintenance of relationships always pays off.
SPECIAL EPISODE! Daniel catches up with Team CUB - Alice Wilson & Laura Ropers. Both moved to Sydney for a fresh start, finding a family and promising career with CUB. As the Engagement Manager and Brand Manager, Alice & Laura’s work is mainly behind the scenes, but their impact on the business has been invaluable.
Daniel, Alice and Laura speak about team values, encouragement of individual ownership and how regularly reviewing & adjusting your team member’s roles can improve the overall company performance.
Daniel catches up with Michael Laps, Co-Founder & Director of Yoghurt Digital. Starting his business at only 25 and running for 6 short years, Michael has landed clients such as ANZ Bank, the NRL and Jurlique. He now further spends time sharing his incredible expertise speaking to students at UNSW & Macquarie University as well as CEO groups.
Daniel and Michael discuss the fine balance of ego as an Entrepreneur, how to set your business apart from the competition and how to really understand what your client wants.
Daniel catches up with Charles Liu, Founder and CEO of Cubic Promote. Starting with a single plastic pen 16 years ago, Charles since built one of Australia’s leading promotional merchandise businesses, offering a range of over 9,000 different styles of items, across over 100 categories.
Daniel and Charles talk about finding great opportunitie around us, staying hungry by always keeping an 'underdog mindset' and discuss the relevance of team culture.
Daniel catches up with Jonathan Hopkirk, Global Medical Director of Laser Clinics Australia/NZ/UK. With over 65% market share in Australia, Laser Clinics is the largest aesthetic medicine chain of its kind globally with about 180 clinics across the three networks.
Daniel and Jonathan speak about the evolution of the cosmetic treatment industry, about reaching your full potential with courage & dedication and discuss the importance of empathy and compassion when leading a business.
Daniel catches up with Miles Wharton, Co-Owner and Director of The Bespoke Corner Tailors. Starting as a door step tailoring service, The Bespoke Corner since opened shops in Sydney & Melbourne and has partnered with brands such as Rolls-Royce and Christian Louboutin.
Daniel and Miles discuss how to stand out with personalised customer service, how to win high-end brands for partnerships and run through the process of creating the perfect custom suit.
Daniel catches up with Nick Motteram, Co-Founder & Managing Director of OnMarket, Australia's largest investment and capital raising platform. With more than 50k investors signed up to the platform, OnMarket was able to raise $110 million over the past 4 years.
Daniel and Nick review the different ways to raise capital, things to consider when seeking investment and discuss how to value your business in today’s market.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Black, Non-Executive Director of Gateway Bank. Born and raised in a small country town and without any traditional education, Andrew worked his way from a local auctioneer all the way to becoming the head of St. George’s Private Bank.
Daniel & Andrew speak about the importance of upholding a good relationship with your clients, the art behind acquiring & merging companies & team culture and discuss what to consider when setting up a board for your business.
Daniel catches with David Gibson & Nathan Lennon, Co-Founders of Hawke’s Brewing Co. Previously working as Creative Directors for an Advertising company in NY, David & Nathan decided to quit their stellar careers to approach an unlikely new business back in Australia. Taking a big risk, the two started their own beer company in 2017, with Bob Hawke as their business partner and inspiration.
Daniel, David & Nathan reflect on the values and achievements of one of Australia’s greatest Prime Ministers and how Bob inspired them to start a beer brewing company in his name, becoming one of the best selling craft beers in the country.
Daniel catches up with Giovanni Pacialeo, Co-Founder & Executive Producer of Benchmark Media & Entertainment. Previously working on Hollywood Blockbusters such as Superman and Matrix, Giovanni decided to bring Hollywood home by starting Benchmark, a media and advertisement production company.
Daniel & Giovanni talk about all things film industry, sharing Giovanni’s favourite BTS stories and discuss the power of collaboration when building brand awareness.
SPECIAL EPISODE! Daniel catches up with the CUB team - Anthony Mullane & Calvin Chilchik. Coming from very different career paths, both are now dedicating their skills helping Daniel build Australia’s greatest network of accomplished entrepreneurs and leaders.
Daniel, Anthony & Calvin talk about the importance of the right business network, their experiences and lessons learned with CUB and discuss how to build a strong team & community.
Daniel catches up with Adriana Giometti, CMO of Holman Webb - a national commercial and insurance law firm. Starting as a telemarketer, Adriana since worked as a tax lawyer, actress and book publisher before becoming CMO of the 200 employee strong law firm, specialising in client relations.
Daniel and Adriana talk about the importance of understanding your clients, how neuromarketing is revolutionising market research and discuss the future of technology in law.
Daniel catches up with Blake Allen, Founder & Managing Director of BRC Roofing and Cladding Australia. Growing up with great adversity, Blake decided to turn his life around and built a multi-million dollar business.
Daniel and Blake speak about the power of having the right mindset, the importance of looking after our mental health and how dedication, hard work and the right attitude can help us overcome any challenging situation.
Daniel catches up with Darren Woolley, Founder & Global CEO of Trinity P3. With offices in the USA, Europe and Asia, Trinity P3 is a Marketing Management Consulting Company that helps businesses all around the world improve their marketing output. With a background in analytical science & creative directing, Darren has created an industry leading service over the past 20 years.
Daniel & Darren discuss how to innovate and pivot your business with a customer centric approach, reflecting on market transitions and the opportunity that lies in economical changes.
Daniel catches up with Andrew Herrmann, Co-Owner & Sales Director of EFEX - one of Australia’s fastest growing technology companies! In 6 short years, Andrew & his Business Partner have opened 18 offices all over Australia, offering an all-in-one IT Management Service.
Daniel and Andrew talk about the importance of focusing on your client’s needs in the sales process, the power of sales through referral and discuss the lessons every business owner should take from the athlete-mindset.
Daniel catches up with Alexandra King, Co-Founder & Director of ask Marketing. Born in a hotel room in Sicily, ask Marketing is a Virtual Marketing Management business - an innovative and cost effective alternative to in-house marketing management.
During her 10 years of working in the Marketing industry, Ali previously looked after brands such as Reebok, Beats by Dr Dre & Microsoft.
Daniel and Ali talk about innovation in the industry, the basics of creating a marketing strategy for your business and discuss the importance of customer retention. Plus: Ali reveals her top 3 marketing technologies that are a must for every business!
Daniel catches up with Adrian Hondros, CEO of Porter Davis. Prior to Porter Davis, Adrian was the head of Nab and Commonwealth private bank, which provided him with exceptional leadership experience and knowledge, making him a mentor to many fellow entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Daniel and Adrian speak about essential leadership skills, the importance & characteristics of effective communication as a leader and how to thrive rather than surrender during a crisis.
Daniel catches up with Blake Micola, Founder & CEO of Growth Marketing Systems. Since its beginnings in 2016, GMS has helped over 200 businesses globally grow their revenue with advanced online advertising. Being nominated for multiple industry awards, Blake has further delivered keynotes in Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and London.
Daniel and Blake talk about best ways to market your business, the importance of determining your niche and how Blake found his newest passion project in a completely different industry with Bondi Rosé.
Daniel catches up with Dr Nikki Goldstein, Australia’s most sought after Sexologist. Being awarded as Australia’s best Sex Educator twice, Nikki educates about sexuality, sexual health and relationships through regular TV appearances, magazines and international mediums like FHM, GQ & jasmin.com.
Daniel & Nikki speak about the sex industry as a whole, the lack of education regarding all things sexuality & relationships and discuss the influence of COVID-19 on couples & today’s hook-up culture.
Daniel catches up with Stephen Abolakian, Managing Director of Sydney based Hyecorp Property Group.
Entering the family business in 2006, Stephen has since been growing the company with his two younger brothers, building up a Billion Dollar pipeline, whilst running all components of the successful Development business in-house.
Daniel and Stephen talk about the challenges & opportunities within the development industry and discuss pros & cons of Hyecorp’s all-inclusive business model.
SPECIAL EPISODE! Daniel catches up with Business Titan Mark Bouris, Executive Chairman of Yellow Brick Road and Owner of the Mentored Platform.
Being a mentor not just to Daniel but all Australian Entrepreneurs, Mark shares his advice on brand building, his very first business experience and lessons he learned from working alongside Kerry Packer during his Wizard Home Loans days.
Daniel catches up with Mark Di Noia, Business Coach and Professional EOS Implementer™. Over 20 years Mark successfully grew, operated and sold multiple million dollar businesses - now sharing his extensive expertise with fellow entrepreneurs, helping them make their vision a reality.
Daniel and Mark speak about the challenges of entrepreneurship and how to focus on what really matters to take your business to the next level.
Daniel catches up with Matt Moseley & Peter Liston, Co-Founders of Trust the Process and the Veteran Community Business Chamber.
After their 12 year careers in the Australian Army, Matt & Pete decided to follow their entrepreneurial spirit. The two veterans since created two 7 figure turnover businesses together, utilising lessons they learned in the military.
Daniel, Matt & Pete talk about their time in the army, sharing implementable strategies and processes from the military for business owners in all industries.
Daniel catches up with Zane McIntyre, Co-Founder & CEO of Commission Factory. Zane started building the global affiliate marketing network 9 years ago with his two Co-Founders, now servicing over 40.000 affiliates and 600 online-retailers all over the world.
Daniel and Zane speak about the fundaments to being a great leader & successfully growing your business whilst maintaining record-like staff retention.
Daniel catches up with Jeff Fenech, Australian Boxing Legend and Paul Fitzgerald, the Founder of Barking Dog Marketing.
Jeff, three-time world champion, teamed up with Paul, an extensively experienced marketing strategist, in order to tell Jeff’s incredible life story and share the lessons he learned during his stellar boxing career.
Daniel, Jeff & Paul talk about Fenech’s early boxing days, the lessons he was taught on his way to becoming an international boxing icon and the similarities between boxing and business.
Daniel catches up with Paul Miller, Founding Partner of Deutsch Miller, a Boutique legal firm that specialises in corporate and commercial law and litigation.
As one of the leading M&A Lawyers in Australia, Paul is trusted by many members in the CUB community, including Daniel himself to assist during capital raises, sales and many key moments in the business life cycle.
Daniel & Paul discuss employee incentives, different shareholder options for businesses and speak about the current and future market of M&A in Australia.
Daniel catches up with Fred Schebesta, the Co-Founder of Finder and an Australian icon of Entrepreneurship. With offices all over the world, Finder has always been a self-funded company and is now the most visited personal finance comparison website in Australia.
Daniel and Fred speak about the early days of Finder.com, the innovation within the business since and how every business should constantly reinvent itself over time.
Daniel catches up with Paul Hotz, a legend in the Australian garment industry, former manager of international boxing champions and now mentor to some of Australia’s business elite. A real fighter in every aspect of life, Paul successfully manoeuvred his business through two major financial crises and survived a plane crash that made history, on board Flight 811.
Daniel and Paul talk about his unbelievable life story - From coming to Australia with only $700, to building a business that turned over $100million a year, Paul is sharing the lessons life taught him on the way.
Daniel catches up with Ari Galper, CEO of Unlock The Game and the world’s most sought After trust base selling expert. Becoming a best-selling author with his book ‘Unlock The Sales Game’, Ari has been featured in magazines like Forbes, CEO Magazine and the Australian Financial Review.
Daniel and Ari speak about the importance of trust in the sales process and how rethinking your sales approach can help you increase your conversion rate to an absolute maximum.
Matt Purcell - Storytelling expert.
Daniel catches up with Matt Purcell, Story telling expert and Director of Mentored Media.
Matt and Daniel speak about the importance of being real with your audience, telling your company’s story and how to produce relevant content that gains attention and clients.
Giles Donovan - How i survived a 75% loss in revenue during the Tech Wreck.
Daniel Catches up with Giles Donovan, the Co-Founder of NetRegistry.com.au, Australia's first big domain and web hosting company.
Being Australia’s largest retail domain and web hosting business, Giles sold NetRegistry in 2014 for $50.4m, before buying and turning ‘Quad Bike King’ into Australia's largest quad bike tourism venture.
Giles tells his story of how NetRegistry survived the Tech wreck crisis after losing 75% of revenue in 2 months, sharing lessons relevant to all business owners today.
Daniel catches up with Nick Fordham – Owner of The Fordham Company, Co-Owner of The Man Shake and Executive Producer of the international TV hit ‘Outback Wrangler’.
In this episode, Daniel and Nick discuss the ins and outs of the media industry, creating valuable content and the story of how the Outback Wrangler became a huge international sensation.
Daniel catches up with Steve Grace, Recruitment expert and CEO of the Nudge Group.
Steve has been in recruitment for over 20 years and has successfully started and sold two large recruitment agencies. Steve is now innovating the industry with his third agency 'the Nudge Group'.
In this episode, Daniel and Steve discuss the perfect recruitment process and exchange insights into current recruitment trends.
Daniel catches up with Dr Aileen Alegado, clinical psychologist and the Director of Mindset Psychology. With a degree in neuroscience, first class Honours and doctorate in psychology Aileen completed a thesis in Neuropsychology, being one of only 75 people in the world to have a scholarship from the international neuropsychological society.
Daniel and Aileen chat about the psychology of leadership, the attraction of power, how to reduce stress and increase productivity at the home office.
Daniel catches up with Lior Stein, Co- MD of Rimon Advisory, one of Australia's leading R&D grant specialists. Lior and the team at Rimon have raised over $200 million in Government grants for innovative Australian companies.
Daniel and Lior discuss everything from religion to story telling and give you everything you need to know about how you can benefit from Government R&D grants.
Daniel catches up with Alexi Neocleous, CEO of content agency Fubbi.co & internationally renowned marketing genius. Not only did Alexi work with big names such as Rene Rivkin or Rich Dad Poor Dad - even Warren Buffett couldn't resist replying to one of Alexi's marketing letters.
Listen in to hear Alexi & Daniel exchange knowledge about the art of email marketing automation & the skill of catching any clients attention by standing out.
Daniel catches up with Alison Egan, Founder and Director of Sparkling White Smile. Starting her business when she was only 19 years old, Alison and her team have whitened over 200,000 smiles since with franchises all over the country.
Daniel catches up with Simon Cohen, Founder & CEO of Cohen Handler - Australia's premier property buyers agency which has purchased over $4 billion worth of real estate in the past ten years.
Daniel and Simon talk about company culture, the current property market & the unexpected opportunities it withholds during this crisis.
Daniel catches up with Wes Lambert, CEO of RCA Australia - an industry body that represents over 45,000 hospitality businesses employing over 450,0000 Australians.
Daniel and Wes discuss all things hospitality from the true importance of your favourite restaurant to the current global situation.