Sweat Capital

In episode #153 of Sweat Capital, we sit down with Grace Toombs, Founder of Hey June, to unpack why she walked away from a hard-won place in medical school to rebuild women's healthcare in Australia.

After ten years of chronic pain being dismissed by doctors, Grace was finally diagnosed with stage three endometriosis while studying medicine.

During that surgery, her gynaecologist performed a cervical screening test and it returned high-grade pre-cancerous cells. She'd only caught it because of her proximity to the healthcare system, and she couldn't stop asking: what happens to the women who don't have that access?

That frustration became Hey June, a Medicare-backed platform turning the most shame-filled experience in women's healthcare, STI testing and cervical screening, into care women actually want to use, now reaching thousands of women in every state and territory in Australia.

We dive into the early days of cold-calling and door-knocking pathology labs as a med school dropout with no piece of paper, landing $120k through the Startmate Accelerator when June had been in market for barely six weeks, the Forbes 30 Under 30 cover that suddenly got her emails answered, and why she's turned down VC after VC while holding out for mission-aligned, patient capital.

We also explore the state of women's health in Australia, why women weren't included in Australian clinical trials until 2010, the toxic wellness culture flooding social feeds with advice that isn't evidence-based, why diagnostics (including a new saliva test for endometriosis) are racing ahead of continuity of care, and what it will take to reach women in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

For founders, clinicians, or anyone who's ever been told "there's nothing wrong with you", this episode is a lesson in turning rage into your unfair advantage.

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This episode was recorded on 13 July 2026.

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In this episode of Sweat Capital, we sit down with Oliver Allis, Chief Brand Officer at Yo-Chi, to unpack how a frozen yoghurt brand became one of the most talked-about businesses in the country.

Oliver was 23, fresh off a year of travelling when his family made a bet on the future of frozen yoghurt.

At the time it was four stores, the frozen yoghurt craze was flickering out, and COVID was about to shut Victoria down.

Six years on, Yo-Chi has expanded to 74 venues, including internationally. This growth has led Oliver to describe his own as a transition to being the brand's guardian.

For anyone building a brand, thinking about how businesses stay relevant, or wondering whether saying yes to the uncertain thing at 23 is worth it, this is a rare look at how taste, conviction and a genuine obsession with the details can turn a plateauing business into a movement.

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This episode was recorded on 9 July 2026.

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***

Shoutout to Strategic Advisor to the show, Richard Weinberg, for hosting us in his Boardroom!

This week, we sit down with Tahlia Kennedy, Head of Content at Kinso, for a masterclass on building an online audience from scratch.

Tahlia's path here was far from linear.

She rushed into a degree, walked away from it, and started an ice bath business off Facebook Marketplace that cost her thousands.

But instead of chasing another product, she made a different bet: go and learn the game of business by working directly under founders. A year on, and she's built the content engine behind Australia's most viral startup.

We unpack:

• The daily system behind her content: morning ideation, batch filming, and batch editing
• The difference between building a personal brand and a business brand
• Her content funnel: entertaining skits up top, storytelling in the middle, product demos at the bottom, all feeding one flywheel

• Why you don't actually need a niche anymore, and how to grow fast by studying the outliers
• Build In Public, the done-for-you founder brand business she's building with her partner Charlie
• The one piece of advice she'd give her 18-year-old self

For anyone trying to grow an audience, market a business without a marketing budget, or just work out why their videos keep flopping, this one's for you.

***

This episode was recorded on 30 June 2026 at The Daily Aus' awesome studio here in Sydney.

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In this week's episode, we are joined by Nick Palumbo (Founder - Gelato Messina) to discuss his journey over more than 20 years of operating Australia's most recognised gelatisserie.

In the discussion, we unpack:

Why keeping it simple has served Nick and his business partners well?

Messinanomics - the secret behind Gelato/ice cream and its rough nexus to the macroeconomy, some of the patterns and trends discussed may surprise you...

The one thing that Nick could not live without

His advice for other young entrepreneurs and business owners of all kinds

A rare insight into the brainchild of Messina's approach to succeeding in a notoriously challenging industry.

***

This episode was recorded on 25 June 2026.

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We're just about halfway through 2026 with 26 episodes in the bag, so we wanted to look back at some of our favourite moments from the show so far this year.

In Part 2, we revisit four conversations that stuck with us – from the art of ethical hacking and protecting Australia's largest companies from cyber threats, to lessons from Australia's highest ranked wealth adviser, to how to nail your next job interview or pitch.

In this episode:

00:00–09:05 Assadi Youssef (IBM) on the art of ethical hacking and protecting Australia's biggest companies from cyber threats [⁠⁠Episode #139⁠⁠]

09:05–22:03 Jonathan Pease (Winning The Room) on how to nail your next job interview or pitch [⁠⁠Episode #145⁠⁠]

22:03–33:36 Dr. Stephanie Allen (Kearney) on going from solving bus timetables to advising global healthcare giants [⁠⁠Episode #137⁠⁠]

33:36–52:24 Charlie Viola (Viola Private Wealth) on going from a bank teller to Australia's highest ranked wealth adviser [⁠⁠Episode #141⁠⁠]

***

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We're just about halfway through 2026 with 26 episodes in the bag, so we wanted to look back at some of our favourite moments from the show so far this year.

In Part 1, we revisit six conversations that stuck with us – from how AI is revolutionising fundamental investing, to why you should view your career as a portfolio and not a ladder, to launching satellites into space after hitting rock bottom.

In this episode:

00:00–15:09 Armina Rosenberg (Minotaur Capital) on how AI is rewriting the rules of stock picking [Episode #130]

15:09–18:13 Alexander Currie (Baker Botts) on what happens when your boss asks you to move to Moscow "just for 3 months" and it turns into 5-and-a-half years [Episode #134]

18:13–24:16 Anthony Brown (NobleOak) on why your career is a portfolio, not a ladder [Episode #125]

24:16–27:48 Graham Kerr (South32) on cramming in as many experiences as you can before you turn 30 [Episode #132]

27:48–38:02 Flavia Tata Nardini (Fleet Space Technologies) on going from rock bottom to launching satellites into space [Episode #128]

38:02–48:09 Brian Hartzer (Quantium Health), former Westpac CEO, on the importance of backing the right horse [Episode #144]

Part 2 drops next week.

***

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In this episode of Sweat Capital, we sit down with Oliver Merrick, the 22-year old founder of Mez Corp, to unpack what it actually takes to build a business at the coalface of AI.

Ollie's path is anything but conventional. The son of winemakers, he made his first $5 at 14 doing Instagram shoutouts from boarding school, cycled through drop shipping, print on demand and theme pages, and eventually quit a startup job he loved to bet on himself.

Eight months after starting his current Instagram account, he booked a one-way ticket to France to join a hacker house with a Dutch founder he'd never met, and has since worked out of the UK, Dubai, DC, New York and Sydney.

We unpack his framework for making businesses "dangerous with AI", why he believes the Elon Musk first-principles playbook (stop, audit, delete, simplify, then automate) matters more than chasing shiny agents, what it's like inside a global hacker house alongside founders running 400K-follower accounts and 8-figure consumer apps, and why distribution, curiosity and ruthless honesty about what you actually want are the most compounding skills of our generation.

A genuinely inspiring conversation for anyone trying to figure out how to build, post and live with intent in the AI era.

***

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This episode was recorded on 13 May 2026.

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In this episode of Sweat Capital, we sit down with James Halse, founder of Senjin Capital and former portfolio manager at Platinum Asset Management, to unpack one of the most overlooked opportunity sets in global investing: Japanese small-cap activism.

James shares the journey from starting his career in tax at Deloitte, to spending years inside one of Australia’s most respected global equities firms, before eventually launching Senjin Capital with a dedicated focus on undercapitalised and undermanaged Japanese companies.

We explore why Japan has historically been misunderstood by global investors, what has changed in recent years, and why James believes Japanese small-cap activism is the best opportunity he has seen in nearly two decades of investing.

We also discuss the difference between cheap stocks and true value, how engagement and activism work in Japan, and why the market structure creates opportunities that are difficult to find elsewhere.

A conversation about global equities, deep-value investing, activism, and what it takes to leave an established platform to build a specialist investment firm from scratch.

***

This episode was recorded on 4 May 2026.

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In this episode of Sweat Capital, we sit down with Jonathan Pease, creative strategist, entrepreneur and founder of Winning The Room, to unpack the psychology of communication, influence and presenting ideas in high pressure environments.

Jonathan shares lessons from his career across advertising, media, television and business, including his early years at BBDO in New York working on global brands, building and selling creative businesses, and later coaching senior executives, founders and public figures on how to communicate with impact.

We discuss why the best idea (alone) often does not win, how great presenters think differently, and what separates technically competent people from those you genuinely want to listen to.

Jonathan also explains why storytelling, structure and delivery are becoming even more important in a digitally-driven world where content is abundant but attention is scarce.

A very practical conversation about persuasion, creativity, confidence and the communication skills that compound over a lifetime.

***

This episode was recorded on 8 May 2026.

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In this episode of Sweat Capital, we sit down with former Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer to unpack one of the most fascinating careers in global finance - from studying history at Princeton to leading one of Australia’s biggest and most scrutinised institutions.

Brian reflects on the realities of running a Big Four bank: balancing regulators, shareholders, customers and employees while operating under constant public scrutiny.

We discuss the transition from consulting into banking leadership, what people underestimate about being a bank CEO, and the lessons he carried from ANZ and ultimately Westpac.

We also explore Brian’s next chapter after banking - including his roles in fintech and as CEO of Quantium Health - where he’s now focused on the intersection of AI, data science and healthcare. 

A wide-ranging conversation about leadership, pressure, institutions, reinvention and building a career across multiple eras of business.

You can also check out Brian's book: The Leadership Star: A Practical Guide to Building Engagement

***

This episode was recorded on 5 May 2026.

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We'll see you in the next one,

Keep playing the long game.