Influence Unlocked

Journalist Sam Squiers has always been passionate about women’s sport – however, the media outlets she has worked for have not always shared her enthusiasm. So in 2014, Sam decided to build her own. Sportette launched as a news platform to highlight the incredible stories of women in sport, but as it grew and those same media outlets started mining it for ideas, Sportette morphed into a think tank and consultancy for sporting organisations wanting to improve their approach to gender equality. After over a decade working with some of Australia’s leading media including Channel Nine, Fairfax, Channel 7, Sky News and Southern Cross Austereo, Sam’s expertise in women’s sport is now highly sought after by organisations such as the NRL, Golf Australia and the Queensland Rugby League. She also hosts the podcast On Her Game, is the author of a picture book, Princesses Wear Sneakers, and the proud mum of two little girls who love pink as much as they love being active. Please enjoy the latest episode as I chat with Sam about equality in sport (and the media), sharing difficult stories about motherhood and her weirdest fear. Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Piccolo Podcasts http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to 2021! In the spirit of it being summer in Australia and cricket dominating the sporting headlines, I am delighted to be bringing you my chat with former Australian test cricketer, Ed Cowan. I’ve always been fascinated by how elite athletes manage the transition out of sport and into new careers, and my guest for this episode has a lot to say on that topic. Ed Cowan is a former Australian test cricketer who made his debut for New South Wales in 2005 before going onto be selected for the Australian national team that played in India in the 2011 Boxing Day test. During his almost sixteen-year, first class cricket career, Ed played 18 Tests for Australia, scored 10,097 runs and wrote a book called, In the Firing Line, Diary of a Season. But Ed knew all along that sport is not a lifelong career. Along the way, he started a business with a teammate as a kind of “real life MBA” – Tripod Coffee, offering Nespresso-compatible coffee pods that are environmentally friendly. When Ed made the decision to retire from the game in 2018, having a business certainly helped, but he says it was still a challenging time. He didn’t want cricket to be the defining moment of his life, which led him to ask the question of himself, ‘what’s my next act?’ The experience also gave him an insight into the vast number of athletes who struggle mentally and emotionally with that transition and has fuelled a desire to do more in this space to help others While Ed called time on his professional playing career in March 2018 he is still involved in the game as a commentator for ABC Grandstand and as a Board Director at Cricket NSW. He is also a member of the team at private investment firm, TDM Growth Partners and host of the podcast, Scaling Up! Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Honesty in sport and purity of competition are what drive my guest for this episode, and he practices what he preaches. Jaimie Fuller is the former executive chairman of global sportswear brand, SKINS, making waves last year when he released a heartfelt mea culpa announcing the Switzerland-based company’s bankruptcy. Through Jaimie’s leadership, SKINS became a prominent defender of ethics in sport, speaking out – and loudly – about doping in cycling and making headlines for withdrawing sponsorship from the Melbourne Storm rugby team following the team’s salary cap scandal. Jaimie has continued to be a frank and vocal advocate for fundamental change in sports governance since leaving SKINS, spearheading several change initiatives including #NewFIFANow, which aims to call FIFA to account for its record of corruption and rebuild the organisation anew. He is a regular media commentator and has spoken at public forums across the world on how brands can influence positive change in sport. I hope you’ll join us for this frank – and fairly sweary! – discussion. Read Jaimie’s farewell to SKINS here. Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She’s dressed Australian TV celebrities and even Meghan Markle, but my guest for this episode just wants every woman to feel confident and beautiful. Mother of five and Mrs Australia Globe titleholder Karen Gee launched her luxury fashion brand in 2013. Unlike many entrepreneurs who have a big vision from day one, Karen’s down to earth approach saw her taking things step by step until that moment in 2018 when the Duchess of Sussex made Karen Gee a household name (and crashed the brand’s website!). A country girl from Rockhampton who learned the value of hard work in her parents’ businesses, Karen was what she calls a ‘home executive’ for many years, supporting her husband and children on their paths to success. But she also wanted to build something for herself, and with no fashion training launched the label with just herself and a pattern maker initially working on the designs. The name Karen Gee is now synonymous with elegant bodycon dresses, and her designs have been worn by the likes of Shelley Craft, Samantha Armitage, Peta Credlin, Sonia Kruger and Erin Molan. Join us as we chat about the importance of a strong family life, not setting goals and how launching her business helped Karen build her own confidence. To see the gorgeous dress Karen wore to our chat, check out Influence Unlocked on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Karen Gee is HIRING! She needs a superstar to run the Chifley Plaza store. https://www.instagram.com/p/CIAarP-Ds5J/ Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I asked my guest for this episode what his word of the day was, he said ‘sensational’ – and you could feel the positive energy flowing through the room! Ben Lucas started his career in the NRL playing for the Cronulla Sharks before moving into the fitness industry. He ran three of Australia’s most successful personal training studios, but sold them in 2012 to start a new venture with yoga trainer Kate Kendall – Flow Athletic. More of a community than just a gym, Flow Athletic offers a unique combination of strength, cardio and yoga, and won the Telstra Start-Up of the Year in 2015. Ben is dedicated to his business and works long hours, but he is also very mindful of being present as a father to his two young children. Tune in to hear us talk about Flow’s 24-hour online pivot at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, why he has no patience for people who want to pick his brain, and how he achieved his goal of running forty marathons before his fortieth birthday. Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Jacobs is not your typical entrepreneur – in fact, the word makes him uncomfortable. A philosophical astrophysics boffin who once thought business was ‘gross’, Adam discovered the creative possibilities of commerce as a direct knife salesperson during university and switched degrees. At the age of 29, Adam gave up an international career and a prestigious MBA to launch The Iconic, then a new concept for online retail in Australia which has since risen to extraordinary success. Adam was just about to launch his new venture, Hatch, when the pandemic hit. Designed to match young people with project-based work to help them find meaningful careers, Hatch temporarily pivoted to helping big companies redeploy stood-workers into roles where they could capitalise on transferable skills. Adam received the CEO Magazine’s Young Executive of the Year Award in 2014 and was runner up for Managing Director of the Year, but philosophically for him it’s all about giving more than you get. He has a refreshingly different take on business and success and how to bring out the best in your team – including offering them six-month sabbaticals after two years of service. Adam was fascinating to talk to – I hope you enjoy the episode! Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The early days of Phoebes Garland’s career were like something out of The Devil Wears Prada. A fashion industry stalwart with over 25 years’ experience, Phoebes started out working in fashion advertising and publishing before launching two highly successful and respected businesses with her husband, Rob – wholesale fashion agency and consultancy Garland & Garland, and lifestyle jewellery business G&G Collective. Rob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014, leading Phoebes to become an ambassador for the Shake It Up Foundation. She is also an ambassador for Adopt Change, another cause that’s close to her heart – she was adopted from an orphanage in war-torn Vietnam at 10 days old. Tune in to hear us talk about her adoption story, how she built resilience as an only child, and why her family resembles a Jerry Springer episode. Phoebes’ Five in Five shout-out: Jane Cay, founder of Birdsnest. “There is something in that company that has the most beautiful ethos and integrity and kindness in the way that they deal with everybody that I just find inspirational.” Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Wood shot to fame in 2015 as the Australian Bachelor, where he famously met his now-wife Snezana. Now, though, he is best known for his phenomenally successful online health and fitness program, 28 by Sam Wood. Sam got his start in the fitness industry as a skinny kid working at his uni gym before landing a spot at the biggest fitness studio in Melbourne, where he picked the brains of his successful clientele to learn the secrets of small business. He then launched the first gym franchise for children, Gecko Sports, as well as his own fitness studio the Woodshed, now Australia’s largest personal training studio. But he’s also a devoted family man, having learned the work-life balance lesson from his business-owner dad, and while the Woodshed has been closed due to COVID-19 he’s been relishing spending more time at home with his three kids. Tune in as we chat about losing his mum at a young age, lessons learned from a good-but-not-great business, and what it’s like to be a working dad that does it all. Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest for this episode is someone I’ve looked up to for many years. Raelene Castle is one of Australia’s leading sports executives, having spent the past decade and a bit as CEO of three major organisations – Netball New Zealand, NRL team the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and most recently Rugby Australia. Prior to that she climbed the corporate ladder at major NZ companies, and in 2015 she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and sport. Relentlessly committed to living according to her values regardless of the personal cost, Raelene has weathered her fair share of controversy, a recent example being the sacking of Israel Folau in 2019, while she was CEO of Rugby Australia. Being a successful woman in a male-dominated field has made Raelene an inspiration to many young women, but she has also refused to make gender an issue throughout her career. She brings a clarity and vision to everything she does and is not easily distracted by naysayers and trolls. Tune in to hear us talk about everything from business leadership and hair loss to her little-known achievements in lawn bowls! Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents and teachers around the world have had to grapple with remote learning this year. But imagine if your students didn’t have access to the internet or a computer at home. That’s the challenge Annabelle Chauncy had to meet – and fast – earlier this year for over 1,000 students at schools in Uganda built by her charity, the School for Life Foundation. A six-month study break teaching English in Kenya and Uganda inspired Annabelle to use the knowledge gained from her law degree to make a social impact. She launched School for Life at the age of 21, before she had even finished her degree. Ten years later, the Foundation has a team of 120 staff across two continents, raised more than $10 million in five years, and built three schools in rural Uganda. On top of that, Annabelle has racked up a long list of business awards, and in 2015 became one of the youngest Australians to add OAM to her name. She is the very definition of inspiration and testament to how one person can make a huge difference. Listen in to hear us talk about the power of listening, learning from mistakes and how youthful naivety can generate big results. Annabelle’s Five in Five shout-out: medical researcher Professor Nadia Badawi. Follow the Influence Unlocked podcast on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/influenceunlockedpodcast/ Follow Samatha Dybac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthadybac/Check out the Influence Unlocked podcast videos on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/3fq8dJ5 Producer: Andrew Menczel http://www.piccolopodcasts.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.