Francis Barram is a thought leader in Energy Management, a leading Sustainability Adviser, and the Founder and Director of Ensight, a multi-award winning energy management company.

He’s a published author of a book, “How to Profit From Climate Change: A Breakthrough Approach to Increase Business Profits With Energy Efficiency Despite the Carbon Tax”.

He’s also founder and director energy management software platform – Enspara, and renewable energy company – Barren Energy.

Francis and his team want to change the world for good. By 2035 they plan to save 1 gigatonne of greenhouse emissions per year, every year! That’s equivalent to approximately 1.74 million Airbus A380’s.

In this episode we discuss; how Francis turned his business from a consulting business to a technology business. His highlights from the past 12 months. How they are helping 200 KFC stores across South Africa reduce wastage. His backstory in Energy Management and how he helped stop a power station from being built on a Queensland Heritage Listed site. How his company is planning to save 1 gigatonne of greenhouse emissions per year by 2035. And how mining companies can reduce their greenhouse emissions without affecting production or profits.

Connect with Francis on LinkedIn.

Francis’  Bio:

Francis is an energy management thought leader and business entrepreneur. He is a leading sustainability advisor and published author of “How to Profit from Climate Change”. He has developed the Enspara energy management enterprise software platform. These programs offered and delivered to some of the world’s largest energy users delivers world leading energy management design solutions. Francis is committed to reducing global energy use by 10% by 2035 through the energy management software and hardware solution as part of his contribution to global energy transformation. His key initiative is to halt carbon induced climate change. His work delivers energy transformation in the education, quick food services and retail sectors and also in mines, processing plants and energy intensive industries. Delivering 50% energy cost reductions for zero capital investment. Francis has won several Australian and South African energy efficiency design awards.

Episode Contents:

David King is a Director and Senior Lawyer of Schofield King Lawyers, a personal injury firm with offices across New South Wales.

In 2018, David completed Marathon Des Sables, a 240km multi-staged ultra marathon through the Sahara Desert.

The themes of this episode revolve around mental toughness, setting personal challenges and continual improvement.

We discuss our favourite brands, how he co-founded a law firm at the young age of 27, learning to surf, and his love of mixed martial arts, books and music.

David’s Bio:

David King is a Director and Co-Founder of Schofield King Lawyers, a personal injury and compensation law firm. Schofield King Lawyers specialise in total and permanent disability (TPD) claims, workers’ compensation claims, motor vehicle claims, and negligence claims.

Outside of work, David loves spending time with his family and playing guitar.

Episode Contents:

Laura Wellington is a Welsh Designer based in Leeds in the UK. She’s a Place Maker, Creative Thinker, Product and Interior Designer, Positive Disruptor and the Co-Founder of Duke Studios, Duke Makes and Sheaf Street. 

Laura is also the curator for In Good Company Leeds, a street art initiative seeking to shape Leed’s future as a destination city.

In this episode we discuss how their recent campaign ‘Posters for the People’ snowballed from street posters, to a beer range, to a collaboration with one of The Rolling Stones. 

Laura also shares how her and her partner James Abbott-Donnelly Co-founded the UK’s “Best Co-Working Space” – Duke Studios, how she switches between roles across her 8 different businesses, and discusses having one of her products listed as one of the most iconic Habitat designs in the last 50 yrs.

Follow Laura on Instagram 

Laura’s Bio:

Laura Wellington is a Welsh designer, Based in Leeds UK. She has a passion for materials, process and the fine details.

Laura arrived in Leeds in 2005 and since graduating from her degree in 2008 she has gained international press and transatlantic clients. In 2011 Laura featured on the BBC TV Program “Britain’s Next Big Thing” which charted her taking HULA to the High Street. In 2014 HULA was listed as one of the most iconic Habitat designs in the last 50 yrs. 

Laura has most definitely made Leeds her home and as well as making and creating in her studio, Laura has Co-Founded Duke Studios alongside her partner James Abbott-Donnelly.

Episode Contents:

Simon Harradence is an Investment Adviser and Director of Investment Management firm, Lugarno Partners.

Before founding Lugarno Partners in 2015, Simon worked for two of the world’s biggest investment banks. He’s written a book on value investing, titled “Protecting What Hard Work Built”, and runs an investment fund.

In this episode we discuss why he admires purpose-driven brands that choose to stand for something. How the market has reacted to COVID-19. Simon’s investment philosophy, and how to choose the right adviser.

Follow Simon on Twitter or read his articles on Medium.

Simon’s Bio:

Simon is an Adviser and the Founding-Director of Lugarno Partners an investment management firm providing highly-personalised investment advice and strategy for high income earners and wealthy families. 

Prior to founding Lugarno Partners in July 2015, Simon worked at two of the world’s largest investment banks. 

Lugarno Partners is the cross-section between Simon’s determination to always do what is right for his clients; his strong view that wealth management belongs in the hands of adviser-owned wealth management firms; and his passion for entrepreneurship.

Simon is determined to ensure that everything Lugarno Partners does has its clients and its key stakeholders at its core. He believes that wealth management involves highly personal advice that requires an ability to source research and investments in an unconstrained manner across the entire market. Large firms (the wire houses) are consistently placing advisers in a difficult position where the interests of the firm and the clients are in conflict. 

Mentoring is one of Simon’s core values, having done so through the Smith Family Learning for Life Program. Simon believes mentoring is the key to breaking down the poverty trap that many Australians are born into. One of Simon’s life goals with Lugarno Partners is to provide education, exposure and advice to deserving finance undergraduates to improve their chances of successful employment post graduation.

Episode Contents:

Disclaimer: The information contained in this episode is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser.

Peter Brennan is an award-winning designer with over 20 years experience, across three continents. He’s a keynote speaker and the Founder & Creative Director of Electric And Analog – a brand, content and design studio based in Sydney, Australia. 

In this episode Peter shares what it’s like to go through a business break-up, putting in measures to survive and thrive through a pandemic, the confidence to ask for help from people you admire, getting through burnout and discovering your purpose.   

Connect with Peter on LinkedIn.

Peter’s profile: 

Peter Brennan is a multi award-winning designer, entrepreneur and creative agency owner who has worked with brands such as Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Byron Bay Tea Company, the NRL and AMP to name a few. He has an interesting story to tell: born in England, he grew up in South Africa, and has lived in Australia for the last 8 years.  He owns and runs Electric And Analog – a brand, content and design studio based in Sydney.  He created Viewpop – a 3D photo app – that made the Top 10 startups at Web Summit in Dublin 2 years in a row, and was a week away from selling it to one of China’s largest multinationals before Donald Trump got in the way.  He once got hijacked and had a gun stuck in his mouth and the trigger pulled.  He flew to Tokyo and pitched to the founder of Softbank who wore slippers and a dressing gown.  An ex-CIA agent once invested in his startup. 

Peter watched his own dad go from being a millionaire to an abusive alcoholic who went bankrupt, and was under so much financial pressure that he eventually took his own life. As a kid, Peter’s refuge from the family anarchy was drawing with crayons.  He took art at school and progressed to study graphic design and ultimately work in advertising. He became obsessed with how good design & creative thinking can make businesses and the lives of those who run them infinitely better.  After a career in and around the creative industry, he started his own design studio – Electric And Analog – in 2016.  Combining design, innovation and technology to make companies better is why he gets out of bed in the morning.  His vision is to help business owners craft a clear and powerful brand that tells their story and connects with their audience so that they have the time and focus to manage and grow the business of their dreams.

Episode Contents:

Bonus section: The importance of product first, marketing second, brand third. 

Drawing on the many parallels between Electric And Analog and DSR Branding, we discussed: 

Frankie Ratford is the founder of The Design Kids (TDK), an organisation that bridges the gap between studying and working in graphic design. It’s a global community of 275,000 designers, running 495 events a year. 

Frankie also coaches design studios around the world, on their market positioning.

In this episode we discuss Frankie’s recent venture: Designer’s Bootcamp, a program that takes groups of 20 designers to exotic locations, to workshop their career goals over 8 days. Frankie shares how she’s been forced to pivot this program to work during a pandemic. 

We discuss Frankie’s journey to 73 cities across the globe, growing The Design Kids, what inspires her, and how she has designed her life around the things that excite her. 

Follow Frankie on Instagram.

Frankie’s profile: 

Combining her love of design, business and travel, Frankie is one of the world’s leading experts within the Graphic Design industry on how to position your studio or business, get more clients and how you look online. She single handedly visited over 2000 of the world top design studios across 33 countries and got a detailed overview of how the business was run from the Founders themselves. No one else has such a global advantage. Frankie’s set up three thriving businesses of her own and regularly gives guest lectures, workshops, private coaching and group bootcamps in all corners of the globe. 

Episode Contents:

Craig Black is a Scottish-born Independent Graphic Designer, Lettering Artist & Typographer.

Having spent the first few years of his career in leading design agencies in London, Craig now runs his own design studio in his hometown of Gourock, near Glasgow in Scotland.

His work has been celebrated and published internationally by leading design magazines and exhibited at conferences across the globe. In this episode Craig talks about creative collaborations, starting your own studio, goal setting, using personal design projects as a marketing tool, landing dream projects, and speaking at major design conferences from Brisbane to Barcelona.

Connect with Craig Black on LinkedIn. 

Craig’s profile: 

Craig Black is known for his bespoke and innovative typographic illustrations, visual identities, packaging, murals, installations and everything in between. His strengths lie in his ability to cross disciplines without the restriction of a fixed personal style. This versatility has offered him the opportunity to work on a varied mix of collaborations with local and international clients of all business backgrounds.

Typography and lettering are just the starting point of Craig’s work. He can handle any type of brief and works just as well on projects with specific constraints or complete creative freedom. He believes in creating engaging, modern and precise visuals whilst maintaining originality in all of his work.

His work has been celebrated and published internationally by Computer Arts, Creative Review and IdN Magazine — in addition to regular features by online media. His work has also been exhibited across the globe from London and Barcelona to Australia and Dubai. He is also known across the public speaking circuit for sharing his inspiring story at conferences and creative events around the world.

He is also the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Creative Inverclyde — a social enterprise aimed at utilising the creative sector to be the nucleus for positive social change across Inverclyde and Scotland.

Episode Contents:

Dr Chris Rowell is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Sauder School of Business, and the Head of Education and Professional Development at Cyberium Group. Chris has been researching and working in the blockchain field since 2017. In this episode Chris explains in simple terms what Blockchain technology is, and provides some examples of current use-cases.

He clears up some common myths and misconceptions around Blockchain and Bitcoin. And discusses how Walmart is using a Blockchain to keep track of every bag of spinach and head of lettuce sold through their network.

About Chris:

Dr Chris Rowell is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, and the Head of Education and Professional Development at Cyberium Group, a Vancouver-based technology and innovation consultant. He has a Doctorate of Science (DSc) in Technology, majoring in Strategy and Venturing, from Aalto University in Finland. His research, teaching, and consulting work centre around digital disruption and transformation, and strategizing in volatile and ambiguous environments.

At UBC, Chris coordinates the Blockchain@UBC Summer Institute; a two-week program held annually that brings together industry and academic experts to discuss current issues around blockchain technology and its applications. Chris has also designed and delivered a UBC Sauder Executive Education course on the strategic management of blockchain technology, and routinely runs workshops on blockchain from a business perspective for undergraduate, graduate, executive, and professional audiences.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

Episode contents:

Megan Fry is a Clinical Psychologist, Advanced Individual Schema Therapist and the Founder of MFRY Psychologist. In this episode Megan explains what schema therapy is, and discusses the potential schemas high achievers in the business world may suffer. We discuss potential long-term effects of social distancing and isolation during COVID-19 and how we could use this time for greater connections

About Megan:

Megan Fry is a clinical psychologist with over 14 years experience, she’s an advanced individual schema therapist and the founder and Director of MFRY Psychologist, a practice in Brisbane’s north. Megan served in the Army as a military psychologist, working with soldiers from all corps, including Special Forces. Over the years she has combined her two passions. Working with Veterans and Schema Therapy. Megan has written papers on schema therapy and teaches other clinicians via workshops, and webinars.

Megan is currently completing a PhD at Griffith University to validate how a novel group schema therapy program can assist ex-serving military personnel adjust into the community after discharge.

Read more about Megan

About this episode:

In this episode, Megan explains to me what Schema therapy is and the potential schemas that high achievers in the business world may suffer. We discuss the current COVID-19 crisis, how we can turn home quarantine into an opportunity for greater connection. Plus how to cope with high levels of uncertainty. I ask Megan how we can avoid overworking or burnout or while working from home, and how to prepare for better sleep.

We dive into Megan’s business and learn about how she started and the growth she’s achieved in such a short time.

Megan shares the significance of elephants and why there are photos of them in her waiting room, plus an elephant in her logo.