When Ben Young first pitched his idea for reusable coffee cups, his business strategy colleagues dismissed it.

“The smartest guys in the room said it was silly; I was being an idiot because why would you have a reusable cup when [you] can just put the old one in the bin, not think about it anymore, and get on with [your] day,” recalls Young.

But after seeing first hand the effects single-use plastics have on the environment while working at Cleanaway Waste Management, he knew he was on to something – and he kick-started Frank Green.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the founder to find out how he harnessed an environmental movement to build one of the country’s most well-known brands.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

Nicole Eckels’ multimillion-dollar idea was right under her nose

The Glasshouse Fragrances CEO has grown her company into a $100 million global powerhouse, with products stocked in more than 10 countries.

Bill Beament led a 1¢ company. Now it’s Australia’s biggest gold miner

The West Australian who transformed Northern Star took home $60 million last year. Now, the Develop Global CEO is zeroing in on critical minerals.

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When Nicole Eckels moved to Sydney in 2005, one of the first things she did was go to David Jones to shop for her new apartment.

On the lookout for a fragrant candle to scent her home, what she found was a gap in the market.

Now the founder and CEO of Glasshouse Fragrances, Nicole has grown her company into a global powerhouse, with products stocked in more than 10 countries including the US.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how this New York-born entrepreneur turned a little-known start-up into a multimillion-dollar business.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

Bill Beament led a 1¢ company. Now it’s Australia’s biggest gold miner

The West Australian who transformed Northern Star took home $60 million last year. Now, the Develop Global CEO is zeroing in on critical minerals.

I had $200’: Inside Aussie Bruna Papandrea’s meteoric Hollywood rise

When the aspiring film producer moved to New York she was in her early 20s and had hardly anything to her name.

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Bill Beament put himself on the map by transforming a fledgling explorer, Northern Star, into one of the world's biggest gold miners.

After turning the 1¢ company into a multibillion-dollar giant, the West Australian decided to take a punt on a new solo venture.

Now the founder and chief executive of mining exploration company Develop Global, the king of Kalgoorlie is turning his attention to critical minerals.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams delves into the mining titan's playbook as he takes on copper, zinc and lithium.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

‘I had $200’: Inside Aussie Bruna Papandrea’s meteoric Hollywood rise

When the aspiring film producer moved to New York she was in her early 20s and had hardly anything to her name.

‘I owe you nothing’: Two unlikely partners and a $20b housing empire

Craig Carracher knew student accommodation could be vastly improved – and a serious moneymaker. 

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When Bruna Papandrea arrived in New York, she had $200.

An avid storyteller, the South Australian began reading scripts for her friend, actor Anthony LaPaglia. But it was when she was offered a job working for legendary filmmakers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella that her career transformed.

“I was 29, and I get chills telling the story because that is just a moment that you can't fathom how much it's going to change your life,” the film producer says.

In this week’s episode, host Lauren Sams finds out how Papandrea became one of Hollywood’s most powerful storytellers, producing huge hits from Big Little Lies and Gone Girl to The Undoing.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

‘I owe you nothing’: Two unlikely partners and a $20b housing empire

Craig Carracher knew student accommodation could be vastly improved – and a serious moneymaker. 

How this 26-year-old built a $100m robotics company

Andromeda founder Grace Brown reveals how her hi-tech companion, Abi, has disrupted an industry.

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When Craig Carracher first met his business partner, Stephen Gaitanos, he was somewhat reluctant to team up.

“He was only a young fellow. He's 15 years younger than me, and he put his hand up and said, ‘I'd like to come across as your junior,'" Carracher recalls. “And I said, ‘Look, I'm not going to pay you for five years. I'm not sure I like you... I owe you nothing.'" 

But Gaitanos was all in. 

Twelve years since starting their joint venture, Scape – now part of the broader housing enterprise, The Living Company – the duo has dominated the student accommodation sector.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how this co-founder spotted a gap in the housing market to build a $20 billion empire.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

Alex Vynokur bet the house on ETFs. He won

The aspiring entrepreneur knew the odds were stacked against his start-up, Betashares. 

How this 26-year-old built a $100m robotics company

Andromeda founder Grace Brown reveals how her hi-tech companion, Abi, has disrupted an industry.

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Grace Brown had always enjoyed maths, science and music. Teamed with a “wild imagination”, her interest in patterns meant she was obsessed with all things magic.

When she took on an engineering design subject in high school, everything became clear.

“I wanted to spend the rest of my life working as an engineer because you could just imagine something and create it that didn't previously exist,” says the now- 26-year-old.

Brown has since turned her fascination into a thriving robot helper start-up, Andromeda.

On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how this engineer-turned-entrepreneur built a $100 million company.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

AI leads Australian start-up $5b funding boom

Funding for tech start-ups surged by $1 billion last year, with more than 60 per cent going to AI companies, but VCs say the market is not in bubble territory.

A 25-year-old Melburnian now has a $100m robot helper start-up

Female founders are still struggling to receive funding, but Grace Brown’s robotics start-up just banked a $23 million series A funding round.

Alex Vynokur bet the house on ETFs. He won

The aspiring entrepreneur knew the odds were stacked against his start-up. But Betashares is now Australia’s second-largest exchange-traded fund provider at $75 billion.

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The former lawyer walked away from a top-tier legal career to risk his house on an ETF venture. It’s now the country’s second-largest exchange-traded funds provider.

"I was just totally convinced that you know I should just do it," says the Betashares founder.

On the first episode of the new season of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the chief executive to found out how he turned his start-up into an industry giant.

This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage.

Further reading:

Luck, timing or hard work: What it takes to become a top entrepreneur

What makes a business venture successful? Australia’s top business leaders reveal how they built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.

Four leaders who came to Australia with nothing, and made it to the top

Australia may be imperfect, but for these bosses it was the land of opportunity.

Record wave of ETFs flood the ASX, with more to come

Firms are rushing to launch new funds on the ASX as retail investors demand access to the country’s top fund managers.

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How I Made It is back with host Lauren Sams. 

Don’t miss season six as we uncover how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.

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Growing up, Janine Allis never thought about starting her own business. “I didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was,” she says.

But after spotting a gap in the market, there was no stopping the founder of a now-global smoothie company that’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

On the final episode of season five of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how the Boost Juice owner became one of Australia’s top business leaders.

This episode was sponsored by Telstra.

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Since she was a little girl, Flavia Tata Nardini was obsessed with space.

The Italian-born rocket scientist began her career at the European Space Agency but moved to Adelaide in her 20s, where she found herself confronted with a lack of industry.

Left with no other choice, she started her own business.

On this week's episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how the CEO of Fleet Space Technologies reignited Australia’s space industry – and built an $800 million company.

This podcast was sponsored by Telstra.

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