Finance Hour on J-Air

How do you know if your business is running at its best? What changes do you apply if you find out it’s anything but efficient? That’s what Business Optimiser Brett Schwarz wants us to learn in today’s episode. Brett has extensive experience enabling businesses to operate at their best, creating value and growing sustainable profits at the same time.

We discuss Brett’s journey; from  life as a student, an accountant, and the moment he realised he could help businesses grow. He compares startups today and startups from years back and explains the changes that enabled them to become prolific in recent years. He also discusses some of the critical aspects of working in someone else’s business and his tips for making a positive impact when you are the new face in a business.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my opinion on Chris Bowen’s politically motivated comments on the Royal Commission’s final report.

“There are funds out there. You just got to have the right product and the right service.”- Brett Schwarz

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Brett's academic background and why he chose to become an accountant.
• His early career and the companies he worked with.
• His opinion on FinTech companies and how they get their funding.
• The joys of being a public company and some of its drawbacks.
• The startup community today compared to a decade ago.
• What it's like starting and running your own startup.
• The impact you should leave in any company you work with.
• The lessons and skills he learned in his professional career.
• Changes and technologies they applied to make business more efficient.

Resource Mentioned

• Ramler
• BlueChiip
• Surfaces by Hynes

Connect with Brett Schwarz:

• Business Optimization - Transforming Business
• LinkedIn
• Phone: 0419 367590

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favourite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What has driven the major increase in share market volatility over the last few month. My guest today is Jon Reilly, the Chief Investment Officer at Implemented Portfolios. Implemented Portfolios is a company that helps financial advisers provide portfolio management solutions to their clients. Jon discusses various international events that can impact the share market volatility, such as the government shutdown in the U.S. the trade wars in China, and the upcoming Australian election. He also explains how these events can have a significant impact on your financial investments.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I react to the statistics we see on the 2019 Australian Open and how these numbers can be misleading.

“Try to understand what the current potential catalyst for volatility are and whether they impact how you make decisions about what’s in your portfolio.”- Jon Reilly

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• How big of a deal is the US government shutdown.
• How the US government shutdown is impacting paycheck-dependent Americans.
• How the economic conditions impact investment markets, share market, and the world.
• Is there more volatility now than there is in the past?
• Deciding whether to put your money in the bank or invest in shares.
• How Jon measures the attractiveness of various share markets.
• How much Apple lost in share price falls in less than six months.
• The big things that people should be watching for.
• The fluctuation of economic growth in the US that makes President Trump more erratic.

Resource Mentioned

• US Government Shutdown

Connect with Jon Reilly:

• Implemented Portfolios
• LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favourite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research shows that being in control of your finances is a critical part of your overall wellbeing. In particular, while debt can be used to help move your life forward, it’s also one of the greatest barriers to having financial freedom. How do you achieve financial freedom in a consumerist world? This is what today’s guest, Irit Harris, wants us to learn. Irit is the Founder of F-Empowered, a platform that empowers women to achieve their financial goals. In this episode, Irit discusses the idea of financial fitness. She shares her passion for finance and how she became interested in promoting financial literacy following the birth of her daughter. She explains why women find it difficult to be financially free and shares some of the tools and programs her platforms offers to members as well as a few great tips for startup founders to become financially fit.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my stance on the idea of executives and politicians leaving their posts to spend more time with their families.

“Financial fitness is the person's ability to make confident money decisions resulting in financial security for now and the future.” - Irit Harris

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Irit Harris' academic background and how she ended up in the financial industry.
• Why credit cards are costing Australians their financial freedom.
• How she defines financial fitness and financial empowerment.
• Irit’s financial literacy projects and goals for the future.
• The tools and programs F-Empowered offer her members.
• Her experience with being her own boss, its benefits and its drawbacks.
• How she makes the best decisions for her start-up.

Irit Harris’s Top 3 Tips for startup founders:

1. Get over your sunk-cost bias and listen to your data and what customers tell you.
2. Seek mentors who can support you.
3. Have the courage to make a difference.

Irit Harris’s Top 3 Tips to be financially fit:

1. Be the driver of your money.
2. Unintentionally save intentionally.
3. Be prepared for the unexpected and inevitable.

Resources mentioned:

• Raiz
• FirstStep
• Acorns
• The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape

Connect with Irit Harris:

• F-Empowered
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FH058 - Taming the data beast

We collectively send and receive an enormous amount of data every second, and with the way things are going, it doesn’t look like we’ll be stopping anytime soon. While the sheer size does seem intimidating, businesses would do best to know exactly what their data tells them and how they should move forward. For that, they need the help of an expert like Mitch Tomazic, the Business Solutions Director for Unify Services. He describes his job, the services his company offers, and some of the solutions they have discovered for specific businesses. He explains how data has evolved over the years and its effect on today’s marketing practices. Mitch also discusses the systems they supply, the challenges they face, and the future of data services and analytics.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my opinions on Lawyer X, how police should deal with drug dealers, and why we shouldn’t harshly judge the police.

“Ultimately, in most businesses, you want to know the right ratio of staff to customers at any particular time.” - Mitch Tomazic

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• What Mitch does and how their company interprets and analyzes data.
• The types of data that are the most complex for businesses.
• Examples of how they interpret data sets and their use.
• Why retail is a great place to find efficiencies and improvements in business.
• Knowing what's wrong when your marketing is not converting.
• The three different systems they supply, depending on what their clients require.
• How do telecommunication companies analyze customer data?
• Why there is no value in report creation.
• Their team, their individual functions, and their responsibilities.
• The future of internet connectivity and how it will affect data services.

Mitch Tomazic’s Top 3 Tips for businesses to make better use of the data:

1. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
2. Don't lose focus of why you're actually doing this.
3. You can start for free, right now.

Connect with Mitch Tomazic:

• Unify Services
• LinkedIn
• Phone: 1300 864 397

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer! 

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Episode 57 - Starting a movement with Steve Crawford

Financial advice in some form should be accessible to everyone. Whilst we often associate financial advice with investments and managing cashflow, changing behavior around money management and measuring progress towards lifestyle goals, does not receive as much attention as it should.

My gest today is Steve Crawford, Advice Leader of The Advice Movement. He sheds light on the importance of financial literacy in today’s constantly shifting economic climate. He discusses his role as the founder of The Advice Movement which is driving change in the way financial advice is provided to the Gen X and Gen Y population. He also shares some of the problems he sees in the financial industry, describes how he and his team seek to solve them and explains how a financial adviser can benefit you regardless of financial status.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my opinion on Julia Banks defecting from the Liberal Party and why I think it’s not right.

“The fear of making the wrong decision sort of keeps everybody thinking they need to stay inside the system and dependent on it. We’re really just trying to break that right from the outset.” - Steve Crawford

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• What drove Steve to start the Advice Movement?
• His thoughts on what the financial industry is today and who it serves.
• Why the industry is set up to keep everybody confused.
• The percentage of licenses in the country owned by four banks.
• Problems in the financial industry today and the solutions he proposes.
• How the industry changed over the past ten years.
• His thoughts on industry disruptors and how you can prepare for it.
• What the Advice Movements looks like right now and where it is headed.

Connect with Steve Crawford

• The Advice Movement
• Experience Wealth
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• #LTMA19 event

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 56 - How low can house prices go

Has the price of your house fallen by 10%, 15% or even 20%? Who do you believe? The newspaper, your local real estate agent or trusted financial planner?

To help shed light on the subject, we have podcast favorite Tim Farrelly. Tim is the owner of Farrelly’s Investment Strategy, a company that provides consulting services to wealth managers. He joins me today to discuss the topic of house prices and just how low they can actually go. Tim shares reliable sources of financial and property data, discusses bank implications on price corrections, and shares his insights on house pricing trends in Australia.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my opinion on whether it’s proper for banks to look at your expenses line by line before approving your loan application.

"If everything the government did was sensible, we'd all be better off.” - Tim Farelly

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Tim's views on the recent economic conditions in Australia.
• Interest rates and the implications for borrowers.
• The big driver of bank profit growth in the past few years.
• His expectations regarding loan growth in the short-term.
• A reliable on-line source for property prices.
• How the real estate industry makes the law of supply and demand complicated.
• Possible short and long-term scenarios on the effects of interest rate fluctuations.
• Is there more uncertainty today than there was in the past?
• His concerns regarding the growth of the Chinese economy.

Resources Mentioned:

• CoreLogic

Connect with Tim Farrelly:

• LinkedIn
• Farrelly’s Investment Strategy

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In modern times, we’ve come a long way when it comes to gender equality. Yet there still persist, stubborn problems - particularly in the workforce. Gabi Crafti is a barrister specialising in regulatory matters and commercial law and the founder of the Jewish Professional Women’s Network. She joins me to share her thoughts on the various subjects concerning women and the professional world. She discusses pressing matters concerning gender inequality and underrepresentation in the workplace. She describes issues women still experience in the work force, specifically the gender pay gap and sexual harassment. Gabi also suggests ways for men to get involved in fighting for gender equality, even if they’re not feminists themselves.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I describe why big businesses who don’t pay small businesses right away are hurting not just the latter, but the economy too.

"You cannot talk about feminism without bringing men into the conversation.” - Gabi Crafti

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• Gabi's professional career and the inspiration behind the Jewish Professionals Women's Network.
• Distinctions between female representation on boards and in professions.
• Why women are treated differently when they take a break from work.
• The representation problems the Liberal Party has and what they can do to solve them.
• Her thoughts on the gender pay gap issue and the #MeToo movement.
• Why women find it difficult to complain about sexual harassment in the workplace.
• How she encourages people to come forward regarding sexual harassment.
• The role men should play in the #MeToo movement.
• Projects their group are currently working on.

Gabi Crafti’s Top 3 Tips For Women Managing Their Career:

1. Run your own race.
2. Find a sponsor.
3. Be brave.

Resources Mentioned:

• Lean In book by Sheryl Sandberg
• Male Champions of Change

Connect with Gabi Crafti:

• Jewish Professional Women’s Network Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Gabi’s LinkedIn
• Vicbar Profile

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 54 - The battle for the State of Victoria

If you thought the U.S. Elections were hot, then you haven’t experienced the heat of a Victorian State Election which is to be held on the 24th of November. In recognition, I decided to bring on two of the most prominent candidates in this year’s election -  David Southwick is the current state member in the Victorian parliament for the city of Caulfield represents the Liberal Party, and Philip Dalidakis is the state member for Southern Metropolitan Region. They discuss their platforms and projects regarding small businesses and the industries they see as most important for Victoria. They also explain some of the changes they want to implement to further Victoria’s economy and share the steps they will take to make it happen. And, of course, there’s also a bit of good old fashioned political mudslinging between the candidates

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my thoughts on Australian Gambling Tycoon James Packer and the problems he faced with too much debt.

"One of the things our government needs to do is to stop making it harder for businesses." - David Southwick

“Businesses need to be able to compete with each other. That's the fundamental tenet of our private sector.” - Philip Dalidakis

 This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• David's and Philip’s proposals to help small businesses.
• The industries that offer the biggest opportunities for growth.
• How the Liberal party plans to solve the problem of urban congestion.
• The enormous opportunities for usage of the Caulfield racecourse.
• Reforms and policies David's party want to implement when elected.
• Philip's thoughts on energy costs and coal plants.
• How vulnerable is the budget to a drop in property price and transactions?
• What the electorate can look forward to regarding trading in Victoria.
• How Philip actively promotes the digital economy in Victoria.

Resources Mentioned

• Victoria Electoral Commission

Connect with David Southwick:

• David Southwick official website

Connect with Philip Dalidakis:

• Philip Dalidakis official website

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 53 - Where we work

Working from home is said to be the most comfortable way to earn money, but the co-working space industry has been slowly and steadily growing at the same time. What’s up with this trend? This is the question my guest Michael Benson will answer in today’s episode. Michael is the CEO at Worskpace365, a business that provides co-working space services. He discusses the current co-working space trend and why work-from-home people are now renting office space. He explains the many benefits of working in an office space, the perks of the rooms they offer, and the factors that drive the demand for this type of business. He also describes the challenges of being in a competitive industry.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share my bad experience with my bank lender and the unnecessary interest rate hike they issued.

And stay tuned to the end of the episode for my Propellerhead of the Week segment to learn how the LastPass extension can virtually remove any need to remember any password for any website you browse without sacrificing security.

“It just makes perfect sense to be in a flexible work environment.’” - Michael Benson

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• The company motto and how it translates to what they do as a company.
• What their offices look like and what they offer clients - beyond just desks.
• How they meet the specific needs of each client.
• The number of people each office can house.
• Factors driving the current demand for co-working spaces.
• How the costs stack up between clients renting and getting their own space.
• The number of people needed to manage this kind of business.
• The challenges of running a co-working space business.
• Virtual office spaces and whether they're still relevant.

Michael Benson’s Top 3 Tips When Considering Shared Office Spaces:

1. Choose a space with a wide meeting room.
2. Good air conditioning.
3. Pleasant staff and great reception.

Connect with Michael Benson:

• Workspace365
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 52.  Start-Up Nation

When it comes to business, Australia and Israel share a tightly-knit relationship. What makes Australia such a good place for Israeli companies to expand to? That’s what my guest for today will answer. Harry Kingsley is a partner at Holding Redlich, a law firm that deals with legal matters in the areas of administrative, construction & infrastructure, and competition & consumer laws among many others. Harry discusses in detail on just what makes Australia such a prime country to expand to and why Israeli companies are quite fond of it. He shares his insights on the kind of startup companies that come here and briefly describes the ones that succeed and the ones that fail. He also explains how compliance and regulations play a role in the expansion of Israeli companies.

Don’t miss this week’s segment of Reuben’s Rant where I share why I believe using the excuse “I want to go home” by AFL players that ask for a trade is soft and unprofessional.

“Every now and again, you see a company and you think ‘Wow, I've never seen anything like this before.’” - Harry Kingsley

This week on The Finance Hour Podcast:

• What his role is now and how he got to where he is today.
• The kind of companies that come to Australia and why.
• Israeli companies that have thrived in Australia.
• Similarities and differences between Australia and Israel from a business perspective.
• The changes Israeli companies need to make to become successful in Australia.
• Backdoor listed companies and how they affect the Australian market.
• His insights on what makes Australian businesses tick.

Resources Mentioned:

• Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce
• Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer

Connect with Harry Kingsley:

• Holding Redlich
• Harry Kingsley on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Finance Hour Podcast with Reuben Zelwer!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Finance Hour Podcast with your host, Reuben Zelwer! If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to iTunes to leave us a rate and review. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues. To learn more about Adapt Wealth Management and to connect with Reuben, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.