The Mentor with Mark Bouris

When the Sydney Lockout laws were lifted seven years after they were imposed in 2014, what remained was a nightlife in decay. This decision cost $16.1 billion annually, as reported by finance analysts at Deloitte.Many small businesses have struggled to stay alive as high-rise buildings replace what was once a bustling hotspot for night goers.Michael Rodrigues is determined to help inject life back into the economy as the newly appointed NSW 24hr Economy Commissioner. I want to know why he is the right person for the job, his strategy, and how he plans to execute it.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naomi Simson is the co-founder of Australia's largest experiences marketplace, Big Red Group and RedBalloon. During the end of the dot-com era, while working in freelance marketing, Naomi found it difficult to attract clients who were willing to pay for her service. She realised a gap in the market for a digital marketplace for experiences. The idea for RedBalloon was born. Over 2200 small businesses in Australia and New Zealand use RedBalloon, now part of Simson's parent company Big Red Group. I want to hear from Naomi how she brought BRG to scale, how it benefits Australian small businesses and what makes it the third-largest experiences marketplace?Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Fox co-founded an online shoe business, Shoes Of Prey, which gave customers the ability to customise their very own shoes. The company raised 35 million dollars in funding, made its way into the U.S, and hired over 200 employees. It appeared to be on its way to become another Aussie success story. But in 2019, Shoes Of Prey went into liquidation. Michael is now the co-founder of a meat alternative mushroom company, Fable Food.Found in over 1000 grocery stores across Australia, backed by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, Fable is on an ambitious mission to shake up the meat industry.I want to know what happened when Michael had to tell his investors the bad news? How did he convince them to fund his latest business, Fable Food? Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irene Deutsch is the managing director and co-owner of Australia's oldest jewellry house, Fairfax & Roberts. After spending 25-years in banking and sales at Macquarie, Goldman Sachs, and ANZ, Irene was ready for a change of scenery, landing her at the 160-year-old jeweller at the start of 2020. Fairfax & Roberts first opened their doors back in 1858 and continue to hand-craft their signature pieces at their Sydney showroom. It's a business that serves and survives on love and emotion.I ask Irene about her experience and skills she's gained working with high investment clients and how she's transferred her understanding of customer emotions and motivations to her role at Fairfax & Roberts.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar McMahon is one of the Co-Founders of Sydney brewery Young Henrys, whose mission is to create a beer company that’s in touch with the people drinking the beer, showcasing Australian hops and malts without all the bells and whistles. The business was started in 2012 by founders who shared a love of beer and music, and the view that the Australian beer scene should be more innovative and adventurous.With their combined experience in brewing and hospitality, they started Young Henry’s in a warehouse in Sydney’s Newtown, with 8 employees producing a few dozen kegs each week. They now have more than 60 staff and distribute 1500 kegs of beer a week to over 2000 bars, pubs and bottle shops around Australia, and they’re on track to sell 9 million litres of beer this financial year. I ask Oscar about the rise of the local Newtown Brewery to becoming one of the largest Independent Breweries in Australia and their role in supporting live music.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Moody is the Founder and CEO of Physio Inq, a physiotherapy business that takes people through simple changes that have profound effects on athletic performance and pain relief. Physio Inq started as a bricks and mortar clinic in 2006 in Western Sydney, and the business now has 14 clinics and 300 staff across Australia, with a new arm of mobile and in-home care for disability & aged care. In the last year, Physio Inq’s commitment to their clients went into overdrive, and the business looked at telehealth offerings and how they could use technology not just as an alternative, but as potentially a superior option to face-to-face treatments. I ask Jonathan how the business has leveraged technology in its offering and why the relationship between the different sciences is so important to his business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morgan Coleman was working in a corporate career when a chance encounter at the vet with his dog got him thinking about how he could make the process more efficient and painless than traditional vet visits. He saw the opportunity to disrupt the pet care industry with a service that was more convenient for pet owners and less stressful for their pets, so he started his business Vets on Call; a mobile app that delivers high-quality veterinary care right to your door.The business grew rapidly throughout 2020 with people looking elsewhere for services, and their average monthly revenue grew by 600% from July 2020 to January 2021. I ask Morgan about the discipline required to start a business in a field you know nothing about and how he continually pushes for improvement across customer usage and innovation.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Satha is the Founder of Local Supply - a sustainable, zero-waste eyewear label that is revolutionising the production of glasses. Local Supply uses a plant-based resin to produce their frames, resulting in 50% less carbon emissions than traditional eyewear. In 2020, Local Supply saw online sales surge by over 50% and are set to keep growing.Covid gave the business a chance to completely pause all manufacturing and switch processes and materials to make everything more sustainable, with all of their packaging to be made from recycled or biodegradable materials by the end of 2021. I ask Sean how he’s grown the business, the importance of social media to the brand and how he continually pushes for improvement across sustainability, design and innovation.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joanne Howarth went from being a waste offender in a previous business, to a sustainability crusader after seeing the effect polystyrene was having in her own business. Joanne is the founder of Planet Protector Packaging, who produce sustainable recyclable and biodegradable insulated packaging made from sheep wool waste. They’re on a mission to eliminate polystyrene and become the market leader in sustainable thermal packaging.Since launching in 2016, Planet Protector Packaging has removed 6.5 million polystyrene boxes from supply chains and stopped it from ending up in our oceans. In 2020, the business grew by 50% with increased revenue to farmers and 3500 tonnes of waste wool diverted away from landfill, commercialised, and given a new life. I ask Jo how she’s grown the business so rapidly and the importance of sustainability to her business proposition.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today went from a career as a stressed-out corporate lawyer to a hugely successful self-made entrepreneur in a matter of years. Alyce Tran co-founded The Daily Edited (TDE) in 2011 as a fashion and lifestyle blog that quickly evolved into a personalised accessories line. Now The Daily Edited is the go-to destination for luxe lifestyle accessories that are affordable, specialising in monogram-able leather goods.TDE employs more than 150 staff and is available online and in stores across Australia, Singapore and the USA. 2020 was the first time the business didn’t experience growth, so Alyce pivoted the product range to focus on gifts for friends and family sent directly to their door. I ask Alyce how she’s grown the The Daily Edited so rapidly, the importance of social media to her brand and how Covid affected her product range.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.