Curveball

Olivia Humphrey was having lunch in a Napa vineyard when a billionaire stepped in to help turn her genius start-up into a fully-fledged global streaming platform.  

A former Village Roadshow employee, Olivia came up with the idea to streamline the way universities could secure rights for films and documentaries for students. 

As streaming took off and Kanopy became a digital platform much like Netflix or Stan, Olivia took her Perth-based company to the US where she quickly stitched up libraries too. 

The billionaire backer gave her the confidence to scale Kanopy beyond her wildest dreams.  

But it’s what happened next that so few business owners discuss openly. Especially very successful founders. The sale. How exactly does that work? Who are the winners, what are the risks, and what should you look out for? 

Listen to both episodes to hear Olivia’s rise to start-up superstar. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get hot tips from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced and edited by Grace Pashley and Liam Riordan, with sound design by Krissy Miltiadou. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meggie Palmer was one of Australia’s best TV journalists, when she learned she wasn’t being paid the same as her male colleagues.

She had a choice. Put up with it or speak up and risk it all. This enormous career gamble almost crushed her. Until she realised it could also be the making of her. 

Disillusioned with the power of traditional media, and galvanised by this first-hand experience with gender discrimination, Meggie turned to tech to send her message.

The founder of PepTalkHer reveals how she turned her personal fight for equality into a community, and then into a successful business. She also teaches you how to negotiate for yourself, and explains why a good negotiation should be treated like a marriage. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com 

This was episode was produced and edited by Liam Riordan with sound design by Justin Rouillon.

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan.

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine a life where the simple act of sitting sends your body into spasms of pain. 

Entrepreneur Simon Griffiths likes to optimise for success. But pushing far beyond his limits has come at a cost. And it’s a warning for so many leaders. 

The Who Gives a Crap CEO opens up for the first time about the lengths he went to cope with chronic pain and full physical collapse, including checking into a yoga hospital in India. 

His life would change with the realisation that gaining control of his mind was the first step to a fully functioning body. 

And somewhere in the middle of that mettle-testing crisis, Simon’s purpose was forged. 

He took a sharp left turn from what seemed like a predestined corporate career, into building profit-for-purpose companies. 

But he would still face plenty of trials of body, mind and endurance on the road to making toilet paper company Who Gives a Crap an outrageous success. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced by Rachel Fountain and Grace Pashley, with sound design by Justin Rouillon. 

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A funny thing happened during a Curveball production meeting recently. Our junior producer Liam mentioned that his Mum thinks he needs a mentor. Liam explained that he had some in Rachel and Kellie, who work together to oversee the team that brings you Curveball. 

But Kellie wasn’t sure she was a mentor to Liam. Sure, he’s given feedback. Sometimes even a pep talk. But is that the same as mentoring? 

Mentors, coaches, champions. They are all people you might cultivate in your career. But what’s the difference between them, when do you need them, and how can you get one if you do!? 

We decided to let you eavesdrop on our chat about mentors and champions and which leaders on Curveball swear by them. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? Sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter - it’s like having your own personal executive coach but you don’t have to pay for it! 

Find out more about the show by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giving in is not the same as giving up. Sometimes, despite your best intentions, things don’t just work out and it’s better to give in to the signs. 

So many leaders on Curveball have, at some point, found themselves in a tricky situation. And yes,  sometimes they’ve pulled through. 

But what about those times you just can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat? How do you know when it’s time to call time on your business or your dream? 

Running any company involves the fine art of juggling when to push beyond the limits, and when to call it quits. Top leaders share their stories of knowing when to fold them... just like As Kenny Rogers sang! 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? Sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter - it contains more wisdom than the old dude from the Karate Kid! 

Find out more about the show by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Broderick has been fighting for equality since she was in utero. 

Growing up with a twin sister helped instil a burning sense of fairness in young Liz. She’d go on to become a trailblazing lawyer, Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, and Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner. 

Elizabeth Broderick is a leader who’s spent her whole career negotiating in hostile environments.  

She’s been across the table from the Trump administration on reproductive rights, battled for paid parental leave, fought against sexual harassment and discrimination, and been instrumental in changing attitudes to family violence. 

And through all that time negotiating in halls of power with important people, Liz Broderick has never lost her passion for justice, nor the unique understanding of the people for whom she fights. 

Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and how they keep going in the face of adversity. 

Keep up with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? For more life lessons from top leaders, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced and edited by Grace Pashley with sound design by Kristina Miltiadou. 

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Sometimes there’s a monstrous demonic fire front that’s bearing down on your little town, and your little team... and the only thing that you can do to stay alive, is to quietly and quickly make an orderly exit via stage left.” 

 Wow. Let us set the scene for you here. Marine Hautemont and Rob Malicki sent Curveball that message as they clinked champagne glasses in a trailer park in remote northern Australia and toasted their decision to close the doors on their business. 

The business, AIM International, had gone from a $6 million turnover, to zero, virtually overnight. 

It might seem an odd thing to raise a glass to, but the pair are genuine. As they tell Curveball, winding up the business they loved gave them, and their two kids, the road-tripping freedom they would never otherwise have known. 

But once you’ve shut up shop, packed the kids in an RV and hit the road... what next for a couple of entrepreneurs? 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how the deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced and edited by Liam Riordan, with sound design by Kristina Miltiadou. 

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justin Dry lost his house not once, but twice, before he learned to trust his gut. 

With each loss, the robust Vinomofo founder has picked himself up off the cellar floor and come at it again from a new angle. 

Dry has aged wisely. He’s grown from the classic idea-machine entrepreneur, through record funding rounds and tough decisions, to responding to crises with exactly the right kind of genius to pull his premium wine delivery business through. 

Now that VinoMofo’s matured through “the difficult teenage years”, Dry’s full of ideas for the future. His new role as Chief Entrepreneur is perfectly paired with his enterprising spirit. 

So what’s next for the irreverent wine boss? And what can he teach you about come-backs after setbacks? 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and how to deal with those things that come out of nowhere. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more life lessons from delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced by Rachel Fountain and edited by Liam Riordan.  

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dwayne Good is no stranger to fighting for survival.  

Kicked out of home as a teen, and then struggling after the death of his mum, Dwayne drifted until he found himself on an idyllic holiday in Thailand. But it was 2004 and a killer tsunami was about to up-end his life in more ways than one. 

“The best way to summarize it is confusing. What the hell am I going to do? What have I just seen? What does it all mean? That goes through your head. I did suffer from post-traumatic stress,” he reveals. 

Dwayne Good is Executive Director and Founder of InTravel Group, a 100-percent Indigenous-owned business. He shares his story of working his way up the corporate ladder, to establishing his own company, and the journey of a joint venture with a corporate partner. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Leaders reveal their darkest moments and share tips on how they deal with those things you just can’t see coming. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

Want more from your leadership journey? To get more wisdom and life lessons from top leaders delivered to you directly, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter!  

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced and edited by Grace Pashley, with sound design by Kristina Miltiadou.  

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American lawyer Peggy O’Neal might lead a team of Tigers, but it’s rare to hear her roar. Although you might have heard an enthusiastic “whoop!” or three when her team won those Australian Football League grand finals!  

That unflappable pragmatism is something the president of Richmond Football Club learned growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, USA.  

Peggy has seen off leadership coups, helped break a 37-year-premiership drought for her beloved Richmond Tigers, and given her all to help pull her football team back from the brink of financial ruin to a fiscally healthy club. 

All the while, she’s been helping to build a community around her from the ground up.   

Peggy O’Neal is the quieter kind of leader whose process-driven results (ahem, three premiership flags in four years) leave a legacy as strong as those community foundations. 

You could put that down to her upbringing, or you could put it down to Peggy herself – a whip-smart, humble ‘doer’ - the opposite of the outspoken, opinionated football president archetype you usually see dominating the media. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. It’s the show where leaders are honest about their darkest moments and share tips on how to thrive in challenging times.  

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.  

And if you need more, more, MORE leadership inspiration in your life, don’t dilly-dally, sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter! We cherry pick the choicest lessons for you and deliver them right into your inbox. 

Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com   

This was episode was produced by Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.