What an epic episode this was! When you think lawyer, entrepreneur is not something that springs to mind. This podcast episode changes that! Jahan is a Sydney based solicitor, university lecturer, entrepreneur and TedX speaker who describes himself as the ‘Little guy lawyer’.

Jahan and I chew the constitution on why he chose to deliver a Tedx talk on saying sorry, something he does daily in his career as a serious criminal lawyer. Jahan is a passionate advocate for human rights, stemming from his Persian background alongside a diligent work ethic. Jahan and I discuss the correlation between a child’s emotional blueprint and criminality. How important empathy and resilience is when looking after his clients, as humans and when building a business.

Jahan, as a partner at the Legal firm Executive Legal heads up not only the serious crime department but also the mental health side. Jahan and I discuss the importance of having a mentor or role model and how just one person can make a difference and he aims to be that one person, the little guy lawyer!

Join our Facebook Group  to chat to Jahan or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire.

Did someone say Donuts & Coffee? I’m super excited to have Frank Micali from Frank & Co join me today as we discuss everything from delivering great coffee and cannoli to creating an award winning franchise, Franky & Co.  

Franks journey was part passion, a lot of hard work and a little divine intervention. Franks love of people, coffee and donuts had seen him run a successful franchise n the past, which he sold and became an employee of one of the top NRL teams here in Sydney, Penrith Panthers. Franks and my paths, unbeknown to ourselves crossed here as I delivered Fitness & Business training and Frank was in sponsorship management back in 2014.

In 2016, Frank received a phone call that would bring Franky & Co to life, a small cake shop was in need of life and would Frank and his wife Tina be interested in reviving it! They did, the journey of Franky & Co began in Sydney’s West in November 2016 and is the fastest growing coffee franchise in Sydney currently, with 17 franchises sold and many more ready to explode onto the market.

Frank & I chew the cannoli on the importance of being customer centric, the legalities of franchising, how he is available to his franchisees 24/7 and how important family support is when building an empire. To top this off Frank decided to ensure his products were of the best quality by opening a donut factory here in Sydney, maintaining quality control and price to his franchisees whom he thinks of as family.

I loved hosting this podcast as much as I love Franky & Co donuts, so many lessons to share and an all round great guy!  

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Frank or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire.

YOLO! Today I extremely humbled to have one of my all time heros join me on Episode 19 of Switch Your Sitch!

Neil Perry who needs no introduction to those who have experienced culinary delights, not only in Australia but also aboard our iconic airline fleet, Qantas!

Neil’s name is synonoumous with fine food, customer centric experiences and who paved the road for Australia’s hospitality standards in the late 1980’s/ early 1990’s till today.

After flunking my HSC, I took on a hospitality traineeship at Mezza Luna, a chefs hatted restaurant in Sydney’s Pots point (now know as The Butler)in the 90’s. Neil Perry and his restaurant group Rockpool were leading the way in delivering the ultimate dining experience here in Sydney! I went on to complete an Economics Degree as Neil took over Australia and the world with his culinary delights.

Neil and I chew the Wagyu on his journey, how he initially entered the hospitality arena, how the industry has evolved, why the alliance with Qantas,  what his last meal would be and how he has had to pivot his latest restaurants (Margaret)  opening as we went it to lockdown on its opening day!

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Neil or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire

YOLO! Today I am excited to Switch The Sitch with 20 year old Rachel Wood, who kicked off a grazing table business right before the pandemic took hold!

Rachel represents the next wave of entrepreneurs, who not only run their business but due to their ability to use technology effectively, also create their own websites and run their own socials.

Though there have been many different technical platforms since I launched my first business in 2003, the fundamentals of business remain the same. Rachel and I agree that there are a few  imperative  ingredients to  businesses success, including the  power of hard work, being customer centric and ensuring you identify your niche as you can’t be everything to everyone!

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Rachel or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Today I am excited to Switch The Sitch with a former work colleague, Sophie Scott. Sophie and I worked together as lecturers at the Fitness Institute of Australia for a number of years, me in the exercise/business stream and Sophie  the Nutritional.

As I have embarked on building a business that helps others start or execute their own business, Sophie is now a senior Trainer & Assessor in nutrition for Endeavour College of Natural Health. Sophie is also a highly experienced course writer and created the ground-breaking Nutrition Coach course and 12 nutrition short courses for FIAFitnation. 

Sophie and I discuss making the switch from Environmental Science to Nutrition, how a dog attack pushed her  into the fitness industry and why after 14 years of being a vegetarian she switched to being a meat reducer instead (and why 20% of Aussies do the same)

Sophie and I also touch on some controversial topics in the “health Industry” currently, including the fact that 37% of women don’t know if the influencers they follow are qualified, why she doesn’t believe in counting calories and 3 things everyone can do to improve their health today.

This is definitely a podcast you want to tune in to should you be thinking about launching into the health industry, including tips on getting started and current trends in the health industry.

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Sophie or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Episode 16

Bec Healy: The Switch from Plastics

Today I am excited to Switch The Sitch with Bec Healy, founder of Boxhead plastics. Boxhead Plastic’s primary ecological objective is landfill diversion with a focus on bulk waste items: in particular, polypropylene car bumper bars

Bec and I discuss the transition from being “securely” employed in Government Administration for 16 years to enrolling in a TAFE Course in Polymer technology that would ultimately change the course of career and life.

In the midst of launching her first business, winning Student of the year in innovative manufacturing,  Bec added a new addition to her family to give time management a real nudge.

Bec being a  passionate environmentalist, has pioneered an innovative process that repurposes this bulk plastic waste item and remanufactures it into clever, useful, and relevant products.

Earlier this year, Bec and her team launched Naiteev. The Naiteev Golf Tee is nothing short of revolutionary, made from Recycled Plastic Car Bumper Bars and Waste Plastic sourced form the Sydney basin made here in Sydney.

This is definitely a podcast you want to tune in to should you be thinking about launching or growing a product with sustainability and environmental protection as its core value.

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Bec or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Tim Moylan: The Media Switch

Today I am humbled to Switch The Sitch with Tim Moylan, cofounder of Shootsa. Shootsa began their journey here in Australia and are now the worlds fastest growing video tech platform.

Tim and I discuss the journey of founding a business to becoming a global tech company. Tim shares some of their experiences when cracking global markets, why Singapore was best choice for centralising their business operations, how finding a great business partner is integral to success and some of the pivots they have had to make through a global pandemic.

This is definitely a podcast you want to tune in to should you be thinking about a global growth strategy or a start up in the tech space!

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Tim or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Nikolas Roach: The CBD Oil Switch

Today I am extremely excited Switch The Sitch  with a former student of mine who is making headlines in the US with the use of CBD Oil as a recovery agent for athletes.

Nik came from a background of managing bars,  restaurants and nightclubs whilst undertaking formal education, completing a Bachelor of Business in 2016. To move away from the hospitality industry Nik completed his personal training qualifications as it aligned with his love of sport, Rugby Union and creating a space that would help others move better and more functionally and become a healthier version of themselves. Nik moved to the USA to pursue an MBA and expand markets from a business perspective.

Nik and his brother Hugh Roach were exposed to the benefits of CBD Oil when Hugh (a professional Rugby Player) had taken it when recovering from an injury related operation. Not only did he realise its potency but so did his rehabilitation staff.

After much research into the benefits of CBD, Nik and Hugh created a business structure and launched “Pure Athletic CBD”. Pure Athletic CBD Oil is targeted as an anti-inflammatory and rehabilitation product for those that train at elite levels (well any level really). We once had magnesium and now we have CBD Oil!

Nick and I discuss the benefits of CBD Oil, how it differs to those products that have THC in it, how popular the products are in the USA and why Australia lags in the uptake and deregulation of CBD products.

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Nik or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Zara Kay: The Religous Switch

Today I am extremely excited to Switch the Sitch with Human Rights Activist Zara Kay.

Zara founded Faithless Hijabi, an international non-profit organisation that seeks to support the rights of Muslim-raised women, especially those who are in the process of leaving or have left Islam.

She is a fierce advocate for women’s rights and left the Muslim faith as the value system conflicted with that of her own. Zara was detained in Tanzania in 2020 because of her social media posts, though they couldn’t legally detain her they tried to delay her travel by misplacing her Australian passport.

Zara founded Faithless Hijabi in 2018, with a mission to "Educate through stories," and "to empower an underrepresented group of women."

Zara and I discuss her passion to empower other women through education, her passion to recognise honor based abuse and her work with home affairs body in Australia to get more information on how we currently have support for these issues here on home soil. 

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Zara or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!

Today I am extremely honoured to Switch the Sitch with retired special forces Major, Heston Russell.

I first met Heston whilst hosting a regular segment on Bondi Radio, he and his partner had brought the Barry’s Bootcamp franchise to Australia. Two years later I am honoured to have him co-host my podcast as he made the switch to help returned veterans assimilate back into society by starting the Voice of a Veteran Movement.

Heston founded the Voice Of A Veteran movement in September 2020, as a platform for Veterans to speak out and be heard, and to take action to fix the system that should be projecting our patriotic heroes to greatness after service.

He is a fierce advocate for Veterans and doing what is right. Which has led to the launch of the new charity organisation Veteran Support Force in July 2021 - to lead the way in proactive support for our community and engagement with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

Having experienced those affected by veteran suicide personally this movement is close to my heart and addresses the need for change in society through passionate endeavours.

Join our Facebook Group to chat to Heston or other likeminded community members who are Switching their Sitch,  starting a small business or growing an Empire!