Before We Get Started - Simon Gould- Founder Sydney Digital Marketing

What separates the businesses that will win with AI from the ones that'll just burn time and money on it?

In this episode of Before We Get Started, host Simon Gould sits down with Dan Stevens, Partner Development Manager at HubSpot, for an honest conversation about what's really happening in the SME tech stack right now, and what most "AI experts" are getting wrong.

Dan has a front-row seat to how Australian businesses are adopting CRM, sales, marketing and AI tools, and he doesn't sugarcoat it: bad data plus AI equals more bad, faster.

Before you bolt agents and automations onto your business, you have to get the fundamentals right.

In this episode, Simon and Dan cover:

Why CRM deployments fail, and why it's almost never the technology

The shift from CRM as a "database" to an AI-native customer platform

Why context is king when it comes to AI, and how to actually build it

The rise of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and what it means for your brand visibility

HubSpot's new AI capabilities: the AEO grader and agent, smart deal progression, prospecting agents, customer agents, and the Breeze assistant

What "AI agents" actually are (hint: they're not chatbots)

A practical 90-day plan for SMEs starting their AI journey without creating chaos

What CRM will look like in 2029, and what will separate the winners from the dabblers

Whether you're considering a CRM, already running HubSpot, or just trying to figure out where AI fits into your business, this conversation will save you time, money and a lot of false starts.

About the guest:

Dan Stevens is a Partner Development Manager at HubSpot, working with partners across the Australian market. Find him on LinkedIn (search "Dan Stevens HubSpot"). He's the one with the Viking beard.

About the host:

Simon Gould is the Founder of Sydney Digital Marketing Agency (SDM), a HubSpot Gold Partner helping service-based businesses generate more leads, increase revenue and get AI-ready.

🎧 Subscribe to Before We Get Started for more conversations with the people shaping marketing, sales, and tech for growing businesses.

What if a single shift in perspective could free up 80% of the mental energy you didn't even know you were losing?

In this episode of "Before We Get Started," Simon Gould sits down with Matty Green for their 3rd and most personal conversation yet — diving deep into the psychological pillar of Matty's four-pillar framework.

This time, the roles are reversed: Matty coaches Simon live, unpacking real stories and real breakthroughs from their six months working together.

Matty is a registered psychologist and executive coach with over 30 years of experience transforming leaders at the highest levels of business. His unique approach blends psychology, somatic practices, neuroscience, and quantum-based leadership into something truly transformative.

What You'll Discover:

Why your first 7 years built the "window panes" you still see the world through today — and how to clean them.

The story of how one workplace resentment consumed 80% of Simon's emotional bandwidth for months — and how a single conversation made it vanish.

Why we have 60–70,000 thoughts a day and 95% are identical to yesterday's

The difference between "wounded" and "wise" — and how catching yourself with kindness bridges the gap.

How changing two words in your self-talk ("have to" → "choose to") rewires your subconscious response.

The marble jar: why cold showers might be costing you more than they're worth

Real Transformation: Simon shares how a perspective shift — described as "taking a needle to a balloon" — instantly dissolved months of frustration, resentment, and silent storytelling that was affecting his health, his business, his team culture, and his family.

The Takeaway: Just find one thing. Don't write a list of lofty resolutions. Find one small practice that resonates, do it consistently, and watch the mirror start smiling back.

Perfect for: Anyone stuck in their own story, running the same mental loop on repeat, and ready to step into the front seat of the consciousness car.

Warning: Once you feel that first deep diaphragmatic breath, you can't unfeel it.

Connect with Matthew Greene on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-greene-06145a/

Connect with Simon Gould https://www.linkedin.com/in/speaktosimon/

#Leadership #Psychology #ExecutiveCoaching #Consciousness #Transformation #MindsetShift #IntentionalLiving

Are you tired of surface-level advice and generic self-improvement hacks? In this episode of "Before We Get Started," host Simon Gould welcomes back renowned psychologist Matty Green for a deep dive into the art of authentic connection and the rarely discussed truths about high performance.

With over 30 years spent navigating the worlds of executive search and psychological mastery, Matty strips away the usual interview clichés and reveals the secrets behind genuine conversations. showing you how the best leaders transcend transactional interactions to co-create magic in business, life, and relationships.

**Why listen?**

- Discover how to transform the way you approach interviews, networking, and leadership - unlocking powerful results by shifting from selling yourself to building real human rapport.

- Hear Matty’s personal stories and breakthrough moments from working with global CEOs, revealing the habits and mindsets that set elite performers apart.

- Get actionable tips you won’t hear anywhere else—from overcoming the imposter syndrome to building trust in high-stakes environments.

Tune in for thought-provoking insights, practical strategies, and candid laughs—and walk away better equipped for your next big leap, whether it’s a meeting, interview, or the next bold pivot in your career. This episode is your invitation to step out of the box, and into real conversations that spark genuine growth.

In this episode we compress 27 years of executive search, coaching and psychology into a frame to help you to take a meaningful step to become intentional about both your career and your life.

Connect With Matthew Greene On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-greene-06145a/

Connect With Simon Gould https://www.linkedin.com/in/speaktosimon/

From Reactive to Intentional: Transforming Leadership from the Front Seat of Consciousness

What if you're trapped in the "back seat of your consciousness car" - reacting to life instead of creating it?

Join me with Matty Greene, a registered psychologist and executive coach who's transformed C-suite leaders for 25+ years. Matty strips away complexity to make profound transformation beautifully accessible through his unique approach combining psychology, somatic practices, neuroscience, and quantum-based leadership.

**What You'll Discover:**

• The consciousness car analogy that changes how you show up everywhere

• Why your first 7 years create the "window panes" you still look through today

• How one breath technique can shift your energy in seconds (real-time demo)

• The science behind quantum energy and why your frequency changes reality

• Why successful executives can have everything but feel completely disconnected

**Real Transformation:** We share breakthrough moments including the executive who hadn't spoken to his son for 6 years until 3 weeks of working with Matty, plus personal stories of synchronicities and unexpected life shifts.

Matty brings 30 + years of commercial experience (M&A, private equity, global executive search) so he truly understands leadership pressures.

**Perfect for:** Leaders ready to stop being passengers in their own lives.

**Warning:** These insights can't be "unknown" once you feel them.

*Connect with Matthew Greene on LinkedIn*

#Leadership #Consciousness #ExecutiveCoaching #Transformation

In this episode of Before We Get Started, I sit down with UK-born sales and recruitment veteran Steve Tolan (of Pinpoint Talent & Stolen & Co).

Over a lively conversation, we explore:

• Mindset Mastery: How early lessons selling fish with his dad taught Steve resilience, humility and the importance of human connection—skills no university can replicate.

• Cultural Differences in Sales: Contrasting the cut-throat, transactional UK market with Australia’s relationship-driven approach and why tenure and authenticity matter in a small ecosystem.

• Personal Branding & LinkedIn: Steve’s “20 videos in January” experiment that drove 100K views, and the six pillars of modern sales success: personal brand, LinkedIn mastery, AI literacy, video, in-person networking, and the smart cold call.

• AI in Recruitment & Sales: Why AI won’t replace people who leverage it—only those who ignore it—and how to map your process, identify pain points, and harness automation to free up time for high-value human interaction.

• Work-Life Balance & the Future of Work: The rise of hybrid models, the value of flexibility, and the constant tension between entrepreneurial drive and making time for family.

Throughout, Steve’s energy, wit and real-world stories (like wearing a sharp pinstripe suit in Sydney!) underscore one clear message: be authentically you, lean into discomfort, and use every tool—digital or human—to amplify your impact.

In this episode of the “Before We Get Started” podcast, host Simon Gould sits down with Tom Gregory, seasoned martech pro and current commercial leader at Lifesight.io

Tom brings over 15 years of experience across performance marketing, creative agencies, and advanced attribution tech.

Fresh from attending key marketing conferences in the US and UK, Tom unpacks the evolving challenges of digital measurement, the limitations of platform-based reporting, and why brand building isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s essential for long-term growth.

We explore the rise of unified marketing measurement, the role of first-party data, and how AI is reshaping everything from media targeting to synthetic persona testing. Whether you’re a CMO, agency owner, or data-curious marketer, this episode offers clarity and frameworks to help you make better, more confident marketing decisions.

Stuck in B2B sales? Time to innovate and see how ABM can transform your pipeline. In this episode, we speak with Saarika Chotai, Founder of The Untapped Space—a strategic GTM and Account-Based Marketing (ABM) consultancy helping B2B companies win high-value deals. Saarika shares how her agency designs experience-led sales campaigns that break through the noise and land meetings with hard-to-reach decision-makers. Forget mass outreach. The Untapped Space is known for crafting bold, human-first campaigns backed by precision targeting and a clear go-to-market plan. Saarika unpacks how her ABM approach drives pipeline growth across enterprise, SaaS, and service-based industries—turning cold leads into warm conversations and stagnant funnels into real momentum. With a proven track record leading GTM and ABM strategies for global agencies across the UK, USA, and APAC, Saarika brings deep insight into what it takes to win in complex, competitive markets. She’s also the host of She Sells, a global podcast spotlighting women redefining sales and marketing leadership, featuring guests from Adobe, Mastercard, Visa, and more.

In this episode of "Before We Get Started," host Simon Gould sits down with Darren Clarke, serial entrepreneur and founder of DazLab. With over 25 years of experience in digital innovation, Darren shares his journey founding five businesses since 1998, including Webling (which was acquired by JWT/WPP) and his current ventures DazLab and Handle. The conversation explores the challenges of entrepreneurship, pivoting when necessary, understanding your strengths, building effective partnerships, and navigating the digital landscape. Darren also discusses his approach to product development, the importance of market validation before building, and raising the next generation of entrepreneurs as his 12-year-old son launches his own fashion brand.

This week I sit down with Steve Zammit, Managing Director of Interparcel, for an insightful conversation about building a successful e-commerce logistics company from the ground up.

From starting in a UPS call center to leading an eight-figure business serving thousands of online retailers across 250 countries, Steve shares his entrepreneurial journey with remarkable candor.

Learn how Interparcel revolutionized shipping solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, making enterprise-level logistics accessible to everyone.

Steve opens up about the challenges of scaling a business, the importance of maintaining company culture, and how he's built a team that's stayed together for over a decade.

The conversation takes an exciting turn as Steve reveals his unexpected passion for supercars and shares stories from his adventures in the prestigious Gumball 3000 rally, including a particularly memorable drive through the Mojave Desert.

Whether you're an e-commerce business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply interested in the intersection of technology and logistics, this episode offers valuable insights into building a customer-centric business in today's fast-paced digital environment.

learn more about Interparcel at

https://au.interparcel.com/

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In this episode of Before We Get Started, host Simon Gould welcomes Rob Marston from Live Commerce Australia for a dynamic discussion that traverses personal and professional realms. Rob shares his journey from humble beginnings as a butcher’s son to a successful career in technology and marketing, highlighting key milestones, including his early work with Monster and Google.

The conversation delves into the pressing issue of men’s mental health, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability and connection in a society where men often feel pressured to maintain a façade of strength. Rob discusses his involvement in various men’s groups, including W Now, which provides a safe space for men to share their experiences and challenges without judgment.

They also explore the transformative potential of live commerce, particularly in light of its explosive growth in markets like China. Rob outlines how this interactive shopping experience engages consumers in new ways, leveraging social proof and FOMO (fear of missing out) to drive sales. The episode culminates in a call to action for listeners to embrace authenticity and connection, whether through mental health initiatives or by engaging with new commerce trends.