Catching Up With CUB

Catching up with CUB host Daniel is back and catches up with Calvin Chilchik, Head of CUB Sydney and more recently, the guest host of Catching Up With CUB.

On this episode, Daniel and Calvin talk about the reasons behind Daniel's recent break from the podcast and work in general, exploring the cyclical nature of life and business. The conversation extends to the significance of company culture, strategies for nurturing a thriving one and good leadership, including being able to depend on your team in times of adversity and discussions on maintaining boundaries in employer-employee relationships. They also explore successful practices that have propelled CUB's growth and touch upon the future trajectories of both CUB and Daniel's latest venture, Boa.

Our guest host Calvin catches up with John Chan, owner and MD of global design agency Berge Farrell for APAC. With over two decades of deep design expertise across 15 industry verticals, John has worked for some of the worlds largest corporations, including Coca-Cola, SABMiller, AB-Inbev, Nestle, BUPA, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Kraft.

The discussion delves into John's journey of growing up in South Africa, immigrating to Australia and the challenges of starting from scratch in a new country. Calvin and John also explore the notable disparities between the two nations, expressing gratitude for the fortunate experience of living in Australia before diving into John's expertise on FMCGs, branding, marketing, and more.

Our guest host Calvin catches up with Michael Buford, Managing Director of general engineering company Urban Pulse, and Co-Founder of a holdings and management company with holdings in the hospitality industry, fitness, construction and more. Mike's latest project is the planning of smart cities, creating a blue print for community inspired living.

Calvin and Mike talk about how Mike started his first business at 22, after entering the workforce at only 16, and discuss how doubters and critics can be a big motivator in business. They delve into the rise and purpose of smart cities & farms, speaking about blockchain, social credit systems, and the impact of AI on society.

Our guest host Calvin catches up with Martin Dineen, Founder and Managing Director of MJD Recruitment. MJD are Australia's largest office support recruitment specialists servicing clients and candidates with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

On this episode, Calvin and Martin delve into Martin's entrepreneurial voyage and his transformative journey to sobriety at the age of 35, and discuss the unwavering commitment needed to build a successful business irrespective of personal and professional challenges. They speak about the significance of leveraging personal strengths, the Founder's willingness to cede control for overall business improvement., and the crucial aspects of sales and relationship building.

Our guest host Calvin catches up with Dr. Patrick Aouad, Founder and CEO of CU Health, Australia's first virtual healthcare practice & leading wellbeing solution provider for businesses. When Patrick finished his neurology training, he was the youngest Neurologist in the country, but besides practicing medicine "Dr. Pat" is also a family man and a serial entrepreneur, founding businesses in medical education and general practices.

Calvin and Patrick discuss navigating the medical industry as a doctor and business owner during and post-COVID, technological advancements within the industry, Patrick's philosophy on leadership, and the advantages of a investing in the health of your team.

Our guest host Calvin catches up with Michelle Young, Founder of POP UP Cosmetics. After identifying a substantial gap between American and Australian cosmetic prices, Michelle founded The Cosmetic Department & POP UP Cosmetics in a bid to make brand products more affordable for Australians.

Calvin and Michelle talk about the story & business model of POP UP, and the adversities she encountered with global conglomerate in the early stages of her business. They discuss the importance of relationship building when dealing with wholesalers and buying products, logistics around running big teams of employees, and how to identify a suitable retail site.

Calvin catches up with Sam Roby, Co-Founder of Pure Capital Finance. Since starting his business at just 21 years old, Sam and his team have helped over 4000 clients with their financing needs, purely off referrals and repeat customer work.

Calvin and Sam delve into Sam's remarkable path as a young business owner and assess the current financial landscape in light of recent global developments. They explore the significance of setting a positive example as a business leader and fostering authentic relationships, Sam's unwavering ambition and how to stay motivated, and the intricacies of financing assets and equipment.

Daniel catches up with Aaron Smith, Founder of KX Pilates. KX is the Australian leader in Reformer Pilates, with more than 100 studios in Australia and globally. Having faced challenging battles with mental health in his teens, Aaron discovered his passion for fitness, nutrition, and embracing life to its fullest during his early twenties. His journey led him to explore the globe, delve into the scientific intricacies of dynamic pilates and eventually building his franchise empire.

Daniel and Aaron speak about Aaron's story leading up to the birth of KX Pilates and discuss the power of travelling and seeing the world to discover yourself. They explore the challenges of scaling and how to grow a franchise business successfully, Aaron's decision to step down as CEO and how to identify when it is time to take that step back in a bid to progress as a leader.

Daniel catches up with Kady O Connell, Founder of Kady Creative. After realising working as an employee would never give her the freedom she desired, Kady quit her job and travelled the world, freelancing for 6 months before returning to Australia. Here, Kady Creative was born, a business dedicated to helping online brands thrive and grow.

Daniel and Kady discuss the key to creating a thriving brand, why every business owner should invest in their personal brand and how to foster an emotional connection with your customers. They further touch on the importance of using your time efficiently as a business owner, juggling business and parenthood, and how to provide value to your audience to generate consistent, quality leads.

Daniel catches up with Mona Zia, Founding Director of Avant Tech. After moving to Australia in 2003, and an outstanding 17-year career in communications and payments, Mona started her tech development business in 2020. Since then, Mona's business has gone from strength to strength, growing her team of expert IT creators in Melbourne and Pakistan.

Daniel and Mona discuss the profound courage it takes to start a business in Australia and touched on Mona's determination to create a bridge between Australia and her homeland, Pakistan, through business. They further discussed how to seperate your personal brand from that of your business and why no marketing strategy beats the power of word of mouth.