For Love & Money

What if your next holiday could transform your understanding of history and culture?

In this first episode of a two-part special, take a journey with us into Central Australia, where I had the incredible opportunity to experience the sacred sites of the Western Arrernte people with Intrepid Travel. Guided by the knowledgeable Benji Kenny, founder of 100% Finke Cultural Adventure Tours, my fellow travellers and I discovered the spiritual connection between the land and its traditional owners.

Listen as I share my reflections on this life-changing experience and interview Annette Sharp, Intrepid's Global Social Impact Manager. Annette discusses her extensive background in multicultural communications, community building in tourism, and human rights advocacy, offering a deeper look into how Intrepid's travel ethos promotes authentic cultural immersion and supports local communities.

We also explore the profound impact of cultural tourism and the significant role it plays in community recovery and reconciliation. From a transformative trip to Morocco to a unique cultural immersion in the Northern Territory, this episode highlights Intrepid's commitment to meaningful partnerships with First Nations communities. Hear from Stefan Hellmuth, Product Category Manager for Australia, about the genesis of a new cultural tour with Benji, emphasising the importance of experiencing culture firsthand. Our interview with Stefan took place at camp, so don't be surprised to hear noises in the background of people talking, laughing and connecting.

This episode promises to inspire and encourage a deeper appreciation of Australia's rich history and its traditional custodians, leaving you with a sense of awe and a desire to champion reconciliation efforts.

We hope it also inspires you to learn more about Intrepid and their efforts to create positive impact through the joy of travel.

In Part 2, we will hear from Benji and my fellow Intrepid travellers.

Learn more about Intrepid 

Learn about Intrepid's Cultural Immersion Tour here

Connect with Annette Sharp on Linkedin

Abigail Thomas is a purpose driven sustainability and digital leader with a vision to create positive environmental and social change through innovative solutions. She has more than twenty years’ experience in digital strategy, transformation, sustainability, innovation and product development, having led teams at SBS, Commonwealth Bank, Deloitte, ABC and in the UK Government. She was Vice Chair of the Australian Design Centre and President of not-for-profit One Step Walks which connected local communities with refugee communities. She is intrigued by the ways digital tools and approaches can be used to solve global environmental and social challenges. Abigail is currently Head of Sustainability and Product Strategy at SBS, combining her passion for both sustainability and digital products.

In this episode, Abi shares the story of SBS’s sustainability journey, including her personal story driven by her own passion and commitment to climate action.

She highlights how her experience in change management helped shape her approach to driving sustainable change by building allies—an approach based on recognising that sustainability is everyone’s job; and using data to make a case.

Abi invites us to think about the role of emotion in engaging people within an organisation, sharing a story about how a risk she took in changing how she opened a presentation to the leadership team, paid off. The song and video she references in this story – Paul Kelly’s “Sleep Australia Sleep” can be found here.

She shares stories and examples of actions taken by individuals and departments within SBS, from the TV Show department to Legal, Finance and the Audio and Languages Team. We discuss the impact of action on team morale and how it engages people’s discretionary efforts.

She shares some of the key milestones that SBS have achieved over the last 18 months, as well as their ambition to be a leader in the industry—adopting a collaboration over competition mindset, to help the industry to accelerate their transition to sustainability.

Read about SBS’s sustainability here

Connect with Abi:

On Linkedin

Today's guest, Penelope Goodsall, is a passionate and purpose driven business leader with over fifteen years of global expertise in brand strategy and communications.

As Australian Vintage’s Sustainability Manager, Penelope is responsible for leading the global ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy, setting the roadmap to deliver net zero absolute reduction across all scopes by 2040, delivering positive environmental and social impact, and ensuring purposeful growth and transparent reporting. Incorporating sustainable business practices across the organisation to mitigate risks and enhance stakeholder value, she is committed to using business as a force for good.  This dedication saw Australian Vintage become B Corp certified in February 2024, ensuring long term commitment to transparency, accountability, and purpose-driven business.

Australian Vintage is the company behind wine labels like Tempus Two, Nepenthe, McGuigan Wines, Barossa Valley Wine Company, The Shy Pig, Not Guilty and many more.

In our interview, Penelope shares Australian Vintage's groundbreaking shift towards sustainability, guided by a forward-thinking CEO and board in 2022. We explore the influences behind this strategic move and she walks us through the company's full-scale involvement in the wine production value chain, their innovative low and no alcohol products, and their B Corp certification.

We also explore the significant commercial benefits of being purpose-driven, from increased employee engagement to attracting like-minded investors.

Tune in to be inspired by Australian Vintage’s dedication to making wine that is truly good and their leadership in the sustainability space.

Connect with Penelope and Australian Vintage

Penelope on Linkedin

Australian Vintage website

Today's guest has roots in the coffee industry going back 20 years and has pioneered many businesses including coffee education, coffee farming and processing, cafe’s and roasting. Saxon Wright is the founder and owner of Pablo & Rusty’s Coffee Roasters, a B Corp certified roasting company based in Sydney, Australia.

He is also the co-founder and CEO of Huskee, also a B Corp certified company focused on eliminating single-use products from the coffee and broader hospitality industries. Huskee has developed a reusable cup that utilises waste from the farming of coffee, however more importantly has created a swap system so consumers can exchange the cup for a freshly cleaned one, removing the need for single-use disposables. 

Saxon is the recipient of the NSW Green Globe award, Australian Good Design Award and multiple sustainability and business awards. He also serves on the board of Greensquare, a tech platform connecting coffee roasters and traders. He is deeply committed to seeing business solve issues linked to our broader environmental crisis.

This interview covers Saxon’s background – the key experiences that led him to where he is today. He shares his inspiring approach to people development which, when applied to Pablo & Rusty’s, enabled him to create the head space for other opportunities, ultimately leading to building Huskee.

You’ll notice how much the theme of curiosity, design and innovation threads its way through our interview, all driven by Saxon’s commitment to using business to solve environmental issues and creating systems change. 

Discover how Saxon's companies are making a difference, from supporting farmers to reducing single-use plastics. Saxon also provides practical steps consumers can take to minimise their environmental footprint. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in sustainable business practices and making a positive impact on the world.

Super inspiring!

Connect with Saxon

Saxon on Linkedin

Pablo & Rusty's website

Huskee website

Welcome to the For Love and Money podcast, the show where business and social purpose meet to inspire a movement for positive change. 

In this episode, Carolyn introduces Lisa Erhart, author of Advanced Grant Writing for Female Founders. Lisa is a passionate funding specialist with over two decades of experience helping women entrepreneurs secure the funding they need to grow their businesses. With a remarkable personal journey in the funding sector, Lisa has secured millions in grants and assessed over $50 million in applications.

Lisa shares her insights on why more women need to apply for available funding and how they can improve the quality of their applications. She emphasises the importance of balancing love and profit in business, encouraging female founders to aim for financial sustainability and generational wealth.

Throughout the episode, Lisa and Carolyn discuss the power of partnerships, the necessity of data in building a compelling case for funding, and the transformative impact of securing grants. Lisa's stories of successful funding journeys, like those of Melanie Greblo and also the Maternity Consumer Network, serve as inspiration for female business owners to pursue funding opportunities confidently.

If you are a female business owner looking to grow your business and secure funding, this episode is a must-listen. Lisa's practical advice and passion for empowering women will leave you inspired and ready to take action.

Connect with Lisa

Buy Lisa's book "Advanced Grant Writing For Female Founders"

Lisa on Linkedin

Funding4growth website

Josh Kirkman, CEO of Surfers for Climate is our guest today.

Surfers for Climate is an Australian charity dedicated to turning the tide on climate change.

Since it was founded in October 2019, it has inspired the collective power of surfers through initiatives like the successful Fight for the Bight campaign in South Australia and more recently the Draw a line in the Sand campaign that successfully contributed the NSW Parliament unanimously passing amendments to legislation that will ban all offshore oil and gas in NSW waters for good.

Surfers for Climate continues to grow, with thousands of people from the surfing community across Australia coming together to take off on the party wave of climate action and become part of the solution to the climate crisis. 

Josh became CEO of the organisation in 2021. He has a history in climate communications in the Nordic Cleantech Investment space as well as a sporting history in competitive bodyboarding, earning multiple Australian Championship titles as well as being a highly-ranked competitor on the global stage.

He is passionate about affecting change in the diverse and growing surf community, focussed on leading this community towards greater political agency for people and planet.

You’re going to love this episode, from learning about Josh’s personal journey to understanding the many different and inclusive ways that Surfers for Climate are educating and supporting the surfing community to take meaningful climate action. And also representing the community to advocate for changes like the recent NSW legislation banning all offshore oil and gas drilling.

As Josh says – the reality is surfers could decide every election.

Interview Highlights:

• Josh's environmental awakening and career journey

Connect with Josh and Surfers for Climate:

Josh on Linkedin

Surfers for Climate website

Win-win-win…at scale.

That is the message behind Episode 63 of the For Love & Money podcast, featuring Geoff Wilson AO, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Wilson Asset Management and Founder of Future Generation and Caroline Gurney, Chief Executive Officer of Future Generation.

Geoff has over 42 years’ direct experience in investment markets having held a variety of senior investment roles in Australia, the UK and the US. He founded Wilson Asset Management in 1997 and created Australia’s first listed philanthropic wealth creation vehicles, Future Generation Investment Company Limited and Future Generation Global Investment Company Limited

Caroline has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector focused on marketing, corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility. She has held senior roles at UBS and Citibank and has worked in London, across Asia-Pacific and Australia during her career. She is a member of Ascham School Council and the Centennial Park and Moore Park Foundation, an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF), a director of Our Watch, an organisation focused on preventing violence against women and children and set up and was a director of the UBS Australia Foundation. Caroline has also previously served as a director of Future Generation Australia and as a Council Member of Chief Executive Women, and is currently an active member.

The Future Generation companies are Australia’s first listed investment companies to deliver investment and social returns. Shareholders pay zero management performance fees for access to leading pro bono Australian and global fund managers. This allows the Future Generation companies to donate 1% of assets each year to Australian not-for-profits.

Future Generation Australia (ASX: FGX) provides investors with diversified exposure to Australian equities while supporting children and youth at risk. Future Generation Global (ASX: FGG) provides investors with diversified international equities exposure while supporting not-for-profits promoting wellbeing and preventing mental ill-health in young Australians.

Geoff and Caroline share the story of the creation of Future Generation and how the model behind it works, delivering value for all stakeholders. They highlight the eye-watering scale of the impact that this model and organisation has created – $75.8 million donated so far, with a 2030 goal to increase their philanthropy to $130 million

The win-win-win?

❤️ Shareholders win, with exposure to leading fund managers without paying management or performance fees.

❤️ Social impact partners win, with a stream of annual investments.

❤️ Fund managers win, with a unique opportunity to make a positive difference to Australia’s future generations.

CONNECT WITH FUTURE GENERATION

Future Generation's Website

Caroline Gurney's LinkedIn

Future Generation Founder and Director, Geoff Wilson AO’s X/Twitter

Future Generation's Linkedin page

Tim Stubbs, founding Director of WolfPeak, a strategy and environment consultancy, joins us on this episode of "For Love & Money." Tim would much rather be surfing than working, but with bills to pay, he and co-founder Steve Fermio set up WolfPeak to grow a profitable company doing work they believe in. WolfPeak is committed to doing good.

With his training as an environmental engineer and being a people person, Tim naturally focuses on the intersection of environment, engineering, and people, exploring how these elements can come together to improve our world.

The theme of today’s episode is “Starting Point.” Tim challenges the traditional approach of prioritising business and economic growth, which often forces environmental and human considerations to fit around these priorities. Instead, he invites us to consider an alternate perspective: understanding the constraints of human beings and the environment as the natural starting points and then asking how business can fit into that. How would our behaviours and actions change if these were our starting points?

This conversation with Tim was thought-provoking, drawing on his diverse knowledge sources. My hope is that this interview might open new perspectives for you as it did for me.

In our discussion, Tim shares his views on the traditional business approach that prioritises economic growth at the expense of environmental and human needs. He argues for a perspective shift, suggesting we start by understanding the constraints of humans and the environment, and then figure out how business can fit within these limits.

He discusses the valuable lessons from Aboriginal culture, where contribution is valued over material wealth, and highlights how understanding interconnection is crucial for grasping the implications of our actions. Tim shares a personal project idea for his children’s school, illustrating the long history of Aboriginal occupation in Australia compared to European settlement, underscoring the depth of knowledge we could gain from Australia's First Nations people.

Tim talks about the risks of greenwashing and purpose-washing by businesses, advocating for thorough understanding of business impacts to build credibility and foster innovation. We discuss the growth of impact-driven startups as examples of how businesses can drive societal improvement.

Introducing WolfPeak, Tim describes their work with government and corporate clients, and their involvement in Aboriginal projects, such as the Eden Land Council’s Bundian Way walking track. He shares an inspiring story about an ancient hunting ritual involving collaboration with Killer Whales, emphasising the value of cultural learnings.

Throughout the interview, Tim reflects on cultural evolution, drawing insights from his Aboriginal friend Les and David Sloan Wilson’s book "This View of Life." He encourages an open mindset to let opportunities find you, rather than actively seeking your starting point.

Tim concludes by sharing a story about walking through the Argyll Cut with a group of natural resource scientists, highlighting the fascinating history that can be read in the rockface. He hopes listeners take the time to reflect and perhaps adjust their perspective a little.

Connect with Tim

Wolf Peak website

Tim Stubbs Linkedin profile

Paloma Rose Garcia is the owner of Paloma hair salon in Paddington.

I first heard about Paloma over a year ago, after reading a Guardian article on the workshops that she runs. In collaboration with climate experts, she trains hairdressers on how to have conversations about the facts on climate change, helping clients who want information on what meaningful climate action they can take.

Paloma has become known as Australian hairdressing’s climate influencer, using her voice and connection as a hairdresser; her power, to educate clients for change and supporting other hairdressers with the knowledge to do the same. “A Brush With Climate” is what the program is known as.

I think you’re going to love this episode (apart from the audio quality – I’m so sorry – rookie error I forgot my microphone). But please bear with it because this episode deserves to be heard all the way through.

If you don’t fall in love with Paloma at the end of this interview, I think I might have to check your heart for signs of life. She recognises her power and the power of her business to create important meaningful change. And she uses it, doing it in such a beautiful way.

During our interview Paloma elaborates on how her journey from awareness to action unfolded. She shares how they train hairdressers to find easy ways to introduce climate to the conversation. She identifies with clarity exactly who their target audience is for these conversations and she highlights the impact of this initiative on the business as well as her personal growth.

You'll hear how Paloma transformed her business into a platform for high quality hair makeovers AND heightened environmental consciousness and social change work.

Paloma speaks with strength and pride about the power that hairdressers have and the trust and confidence instilled in them by their clients. She treats that trust with respect, ensuring that the conversations her hairdressers have about climate action are only undertaken with clients who are interested in engaging.  Her passion for social issues beyond climate, bubble up during our conversation. Her orientation for action over talk makes her a natural leader.

Discussing the essence of businesses thriving with heart-driven choices, we discover the magnetic effect of such management on like-minded customers. Our conversation highlights how this approach builds robust patron loyalty and fosters an ever-expanding client base.

Delving deeper, we discuss the role businesses play in customers' lives outside the expected commercial transaction. Brands become an important part of clients' lives by playing a role on social issues that they care about. We also highlight the instrumental role businesses play in community events, promoting healthy discourse and societal changes.

She shares her hottest tip for taking climate action: understanding ethical banking and/or superannuation but being gentle on yourself and doing what you can do at this moment.

Join The Movement

Climate Checklist (Link At Bottom Of Page)

marketforces.org

Connect With Paloma

Paloma Website

On Instagram

Danielle Owen-Whitford founded start up Pioneera in 2018 to improve our mental health by tackling the crippling issue of workplace burnout and improving “positive” productivity. 

Pioneera's purpose is to unleash everyone's potential to be happier, healthier and more productive at work.

In this episode we explore the transformational role of artificial intelligence (AI) in preventing workplace burnout. Danielle narrates her inspiring journey, explaining how her personal experience with burnout led to the creation of Pioneera, a platform using AI to foster positive mental health and safe workplace atmospheres.

Their world-first solution uses artificial intelligence informed by evidence-based psychology, to identify signs of burnout and provide tech-assisted early intervention. Ahead of it’s time, Pioneera's award-winning solution is now the only product in the market that can provide real-time mental health data to meet new safety regulations and ESG reporting requirements and is gaining strong interest across both large and small Australian businesses. Pioneera's app won the social impact category of the 2022 Australian Good design awards and was recognised as a World Changing idea by Fast Company in 2021. 

Productivity in the modern workplace and the delicate balance between efficiency and wellness are explored in-depth in this interview, providing listeners with valuable insights on these critical issues.

Our conversation highlights the disturbing prevalence of 'toxic productivity' and the need for systemic changes in the way productivity is measured. We explore the corrosive effects of a relentless drive for efficiency on both work quality and employee mental health. Danielle provides a fresh perspective on combating workplace stress, focusing on the value of 'positive productivity' -- a productivity paradigm that prioritises mental clarity and wellness over sheer output.

Our discussion further examines the innovative role of Pioneera in promoting systemic change. By using data and AI, Pioneera not only detects signs of burnout but also encourages organisations to change outdated productivity measures and create healthier workplaces. Discover more about Indie, the groundbreaking app designed to provide real-time, data-driven feedback to individuals and teams. Tune into this insightful conversation to understand the necessity of reassessing productivity measures and embrace systemic change for the mental well-being of employees and society as a whole.

The conversation also sheds light on trust-building, risk-management, and fostering productive workplaces through technology. Gain valuable knowledge about organisational dynamics management, especially during challenging times. This episode is a must-listen for employers, leaders, and individuals interested in enhancing workplace safety and productivity. The inspiring journey of Pioneera, from a personal hardship story to a game-changer in workplace environments, leaves listeners with an impactful realisation about the immeasurable potential of AI in transforming workplace cultures.

GET A FREE HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR ORGANISATION

Danielle is offering a free health check to assess where your organisation is and where you want it to be. To claim your free health check, email Danielle with Free Health Check in the subject line.

Connect with Danielle

On Linkedin

Pioneera website