The Mentor with Mark Bouris

My guests today were studying at uni when they came up with the idea for their business, which is now Australia’s fastest growing quick service restaurant. Nathan Dalah and Nic Pestalozzi are two of the three founders of Fishbowl, the Japanese inspired salad bar on a mission to change the culture of fast food with their healthy salad bowls. They launched their first store in 2016 in the middle of winter, and by spring they were selling over 500 bowls a day.Now Fishbowl has expanded to 28 locations with 300 employees and they’re now expanding their hospitality venture with a new venue called Fish Shop - a fine-dining experience with a chef driven menu of sustainable seafood. I ask Nic and Nathan how they’ve scaled the Fishbowl empire so rapidly and why good company culture is so important to the success of the 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.

Hiam Sakakini is the Founder and CEO of The Culture Equation, a boutique management consultancy that specialised in creating high performing culture within organisations. Hiam grew up, studied and worked among vastly different cultures around the world, before working in the leadership team at Google for 10 years and seeing firsthand the importance of culture and good leadership in the workplace.2020 saw businesses trying to navigate the uncertainty of Covid, so Hiam’s team created a bespoke program to supercharge businesses by developing high performing cultures able to lead through any crisis. I ask Hiam how the last year has shown the importance of good leadership and motivating teams in uncertain times, why company culture is so important and what distinguishes good from great management.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.

Anthony Welsh has seen first-hand just how much the transportation landscape has changed over the last year. He is the Director of Popcar, a car-sharing service that operates across NSW, Victoria and the ACT. Anthony started PopCar in 2016 after seeing where trends in commuting were, to allow people to rent a communal car by the hour and only pay for the time used.Over the last year the business experienced a surge in bookings, with people looking for safe alternatives to avoid public transport. I ask Anthony why community support for the business has boomed and how he sees the future of PopCar evolving as Australians think differently about the value of sustainability and the sharing economy. 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 left his successful career in advertising to set up his business after realising his passion for the ethics and origin of food. Cameron Romeril is the Founder and CEO of Soda Press Co, who create organic soda, cocktail and mixer syrups that aren't made with artificial ingredients and full of sugar. Soda Press Co. has now spread beyond Australia to 19 countries and all their products are end-to-end plastic free, organic and manufactured right here in Australia. I ask Cameron where his passion for provenance and health based products came from, and how important sustainability is to the success of his Soda Press Co.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.

After working as a model and producer since the age of 15, Taryn Williams was frustrated by the inefficiencies in the industry, with late payment common practice and jobs few and far between. So at the age of 21, she founded WINK Models with the company policy to pay all models within seven days, and include diversity in the representation. The business was completely bootstrapped and WINK now has over 650 talent nationally.Taryn quickly realised how important technology was to directly connect creative talent with brands and agencies. So she created her second business – The Right Fit, a marketplace of over 9000 influencers, models, actors and photographers all in one place, to make booking a creative campaign easy and cost effective. I ask Taryn how both WINK and The Right Fit aim to revolutionise the creative industry, how this year has affected her businesses with an accelerated shift towards digital, and how they deliver value and convenience to both their creative talent and clients.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.

If this year has shown us anything, it’s that mobility, flexibility and understanding your customer are essential to any successful business. Customer loyalty is hard to win and you can’t get it by just offering a great product – you must create amazing experiences around your brand as well. So today I’m speaking to a guest who knows a lot about investing in customer care, establishing loyalty in your customer base and leveraging technology to redefine mobility, and that is Scott Thompson, CEO of Lexus Australia. I ask Scott how the Lexus brand thinks differently when it comes to creating consumer satisfaction in an ever-changing environment, how they're ahead of the curve in creating luxury experiences for their customers, and how you can apply these principles to your own 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.

One industry that has boomed this year is horticulture, with people spending more time working on their garden, reaping the benefits of sustainable living and the ‘do it yourself’ ethos. Simon Holloway is the Marketing and Sales Director of Vegepod, a self-watering, portable garden bed company helping people grow their own food at home. Following their win on Shark Tank in 2016, Vegepod’s success has spread beyond Australia to 19 countries.Early on in the business, Simon lived out of the back of his van, driving across the country to introduce the product to garden centres. Fast-forward to operating during the pandemic and they’ve had their best year on record, with a 500% increase in sales. I ask Simon how Vegepod dealt with the challenge of not being able to keep up with that demand and why easy edible gardening has proven to be a favourite at-home activity.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.

Don Robertson and Matilda Murray are the co-owners of STAX, a fashion-forward, premium activewear brand for all shapes and sizes. This year STAX had a surge of new business as people started to work - and work out - from home, and demand for comfortable clothing boomed. So much so that during lockdown, STAX released a collection of activewear that earned them $150,000 in just seven minutes.They had the right product for the right time and 2020 has been STAX best year to date, with 2000% growth. I ask Don and Matilda how they’ve created such a strong brand following, how their business has leveraged the visual impact of social media and what it's really like to be a couple running a business together.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.

Today's guest is proof that a great product, the ability to adapt and evolve, and a strong community around you can really make a business thrive, even in challenging times. Ed West is the owner of Poho Flowers, a Sydney florist that offers a premium retail experience as well as an online store, and creates contemporary floral arrangements for weddings, offices and hotels.In March this year, when all event and corporate work evaporated, Ed focused on ramping up their online retail and reaching new customers who were looking for ways to brighten up their homes. I ask Ed how his business has leveraged the visual impact of social media to create brand recognition and why community support for the business has boomed with people looking for new ways to work together and support each other.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.

Simon Griffiths is the co-founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap, a toilet paper subscription startup that builds toilets in the developing world. Simon launched the business in 2012 with a crowdfunding campaign where he live-streamed himself sitting on a toilet for 50 hours, which attracted global media attention and generated 2.5 million social media hits. Since launching, Who Gives A Crap has tripled in size year-on-year, largely relying on word-of-mouth to fuel its growth.This year they had an incredible 1000% spike in sales due to Covid-induced panic buying and have donated nearly $6 million to charities that provide access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries. I ask Simon how in many ways 2020 has been the perfect storm for Who Gives a Crap, in terms of the demand for the product, the fact that they’re a direct to consumer business and that the company was set up to allow the team to work remotely, and how he has democratised philanthropy through 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.