Build It. They'll Come.

You could say Les Schirato had a key advantage in his early business journey… he married the boss’s daughter! The western Sydney born and bred son of Italian and Maltese migrants, Les started work at Vittoria Coffee before he’d even left school, loved it, and was asked back into the business while waiting for his HSC results. Les did indeed marry Luisa Cantarella, but he’d already earned his business stripes in the eyes of her father Orazio Cantarella, who’d started Vittoria in 1947 with his brother, importing Italian foods like cheese, pasta and mineral water. Les also had a successful stint outside the family business, having climbed executive ranks at Fiat. But since those early days, once Les and Luisa Schirato gained control of Vittoria,  with other family members and more recently their son and daughter, they’ve built Vittoria into one of the largest and most successful family owned and run food and coffee groups in Australia. Along the way they turned Australia into a nation of coffee snobs and espresso lovers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney-based Tamar Krebs started as a Registered Nurse, but her decades of experience as a senior manager operating Retirement Villages, Nursing Homes and Dementia Units,  led this visionary thinker to believe we needed to deliver much better care for our aged and demented loved ones; that the existing model of 100 people living under the one roof, in an institution, is not giving people who need assistance the best outcomes. Tamar decided the entire sector needed upending – to go from the merely task-focused Transactional,  to Transformational care  that allows older and demented people to live in a small household, a home of roughly 6- 10 residents,  with a staff to client ratio of 1 “homemaker” to 3 or 4 residents, and where everyone is involved in running the household, just as had happened in disability care.   But back in 2011 this maverick was not well-received. Tamar knocked on 62 potential investors’ doors, mostly pitching to nay-sayers who dismissed her idea of people with dementia living in a small assisted household on a regular suburban street. But she persevered and won over a couple of high net worth individuals, who understood her vision, and backed her with seed money to buy her first house. How she started with $5000 in her pocket just 13 years ago  and grew her empire to now 22 homes all over Sydney, with 350 employees is an inspiring startup story, with lots of bumps and self-doubt along the way. Take a listen to Tamar Krebs, a true thinker out of the box.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adelaide-born and raised Sophie Lovejoy jumped from being a well-paid TV producer into the precarious, fickle world of fashion, when she started out creating and then manufacturing cute boxer shorts to sell in her mum’s homewares store in Norwood, Adelaide. Fast forward a few years and Sophie took the plunge to move herself and her business to Los Angeles. Along the way she had transformed her brand Sant and Abel, into a luxury sleepwear and leisurewear fashion range that caught the eye of celebrities like the Kardashians and TV host Jimmy Fallon, who gave her brand the tick of approval by wearing her PJs, thereby helping catapult Sant and Abel to brand awareness and sales stardom in the biggest, juiciest clothing market in the world, the USA. Hope you enjoy Sophie Lovejoy’s inspiring entrepreneurial story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney-raised and educated Benjamin Plummer transformed himself from a business adviser and analyst into a startup entrepreneur and a guru in Artificial Intelligence. Ben’s San Francisco-based company Invisible Technologies is quietly powering the AI revolution in the epicentre of AI development, the west coast of the United States. Now, Ben did not start Invisible Technologies, but as CEO he built it big and it is transforming how companies are built and run, by helping them utilise cutting-edge AI technology coupled with the very best human know-how. In a nutshell,  Ben and his team have been training the AI used by  the world’s leading generative AI providers such as Chat GPT, Google and Microsoft. He also helped build a commercial spin off company alongside the inventor of IBM’s Watson. Along the way Ben worked closely with US billionaire and hedge fund investing guru Ray Dalio at Bridgewater Associates. In this episode, Ben shares invaluable insights, experiences and lessons learned about his journey, and the rapidly-changing landscape of AI. Enjoy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New episodes coming soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you revolutionise medicine, helping develop an entire new field of medical science in this country? Well, back when he was a young doctor Professor Gab Kovacs did just that. By starting small and taking 1 step at a time he helped change the practice of reproductive medicine, by pioneering IVF in this country – “test tube” babies they used to be called - as an option for infertile couples to have children in the late 1970’s. Professor Kovacs worked with the greats, lead by Dr Carl Wood and Alan Trounson, those doctors and scientists who researched, tested, achieved breakthroughs and broke down barriers, to change the way infertility was treated and managed. This team was so successful, after years of hard work they built a thriving business that has enabled thousands of Australian women, and many more around the world, to have babies when their bodies’ biological doors seemed closed forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Woodland, a serial entrepreneur known for his innovative work in healthtech and childcare, discusses his journey with Kismet, a platform revolutionizing NDIS services. He shares how Kismet, started in 2022, quickly raised $32 million, enhancing compliance and reducing fraud in healthcare. Woodland highlights the evolution of digital check-ins and the emotional rollercoaster of securing venture capital. He also reflects on lessons learned while transitioning from military service to entrepreneurship, showcasing his unique insights into both sectors.

Babak Moini came to Australia with his family as an 8 year old, from Iran. He studied hard, went to university and became an actuary, earned good money. So far a fairly typical immigrant story. But Babak’s journey diverged considerably when he discovered retailing, of all things – his first foray was a small souvenir shop in Cairns -  and he fell in love with the world of business, buying and selling. He dumped his actuarial career and with a co-founder friend, they ended up building a non-invasive beauty treatment empire, in Laser Clinics Australia, with some 80-plus clinics.  What a wild ride it has been. Hope you enjoy Babak Moini.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After coming to Australia with just $600 in her pocket and a dream to see the world, young Mandy Foley fell into waitressing. What she found was a haphazard industry for workers, with little structure or professionalism. So over the past almost 4 decades Mandy set about changing that, building up her Stedmans Hospitality Services business, which she a couple of friends started from scratch in the mid-1980s. Stedmans agency essentially offers outsourced hospitality staff for events, parties, caterers and boardrooms, thereby she says, taking the worry out of hiring casual staff. For the workers she offers them structure, training, professionalism, and a family-type environment. Though she’s lived through many ups and downs, which she happily shares in our interview, Mandy has not only survived, she’s thrived, and gives back a hell of a lot, to charities and the community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Mathew Keeley, CEO of GROW Inc, revolutionizing Super funds' admin with blockchain. Learn how GROW Inc's platform transforms legacy systems, impressing Vanguard with real-time info for fund customers. Discover how a farm boy turned entrepreneur persuaded a $10 trillion wealth manager to invest in GROW Inc. Tune in to hear Mathew Keeley's extraordinary journey with GROW Inc.