In this episode of the Mentor, Mark Bouris sits down with Matteo Franceschetti and Alex Zatarain, the co-founders of Eight Sleep, to discuss their journey in revolutionising sleep technology.

They delve into their personal backgrounds, previous careers, and how they joined forces to launch Eight Sleep.From the early challenges of building their first prototype and navigating manufacturing in China, to creating a product that tracks sleep stages and regulates temperature, Alex and Matteo highlight the crucial role sleep plays in health and longevity. They also talk about the importance of customer feedback, their plans for continued innovation in the sleep fitness industry, and how they now work with some of the world’s top entrepreneurs, scientists and athletes.

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Con and Kerrie Dedes, a dynamic husband-and-wife team, have built their celebrated brands around core values of excellent food, outstanding service, and unforgettable experiences. The Dedes Waterfront Group, which operates seven iconic venues across Sydney’s waterfronts, is renowned for catering to everything from casual outings to high-end fine dining. With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Con Dedes draws deep inspiration from his Greek heritage.

In this episode, we dive into Con's upbringing, his passion for hospitality passed down from his father, how he met Kerrie, and the pivotal moments that shaped their journey. We also explore the challenges of the hospitality industry, how the couple successfully run their business together, what makes a venue truly great, and what’s next for them.

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Frida Deguise is an Australian comedian, chef, and businesswoman, known for breaking barriers as a Muslim woman in stand-up comedy and creating the family-owned LA Donuts. With her bold comedic style, Frida tackles cultural identity and societal stereotypes, bringing a fresh and unique voice to Australia's comedy scene. Alongside her success in comedy, she continues to thrive as an entrepreneur and has gone viral on social media while doing it.

We talked about her childhood, how she inherited her strong work ethic from her parents, her deep passion for food and cooking, her journey to becoming a chef, and the challenges of working in a tough industry. We also delved into her transition to comedy, the creation of LA Donuts, and the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial journey.

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Paul Nicolaou serves as the Executive Director of Business Sydney, a key voice for Sydney's business community. Business Sydney works tirelessly to advocate for policies that drive economic growth and enhance Sydney's reputation as a global, competitive, and liveable city. With nearly two centuries of history, the organisation plays a vital role in shaping Sydney’s future.

We explored his career journey leading up to his current position, his previous work in politics, and his unwavering dedication to public service. He shared insights on his executive responsibilities, his advocacy for small businesses, and the critical challenges of the housing crisis and homelessness. We also discussed the importance of appointing a dedicated minister for small business at both federal and state levels to promote business growth and economic stability, along with strategies to maintain Sydney's standing as one of the world’s leading cities.

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Ariana Hendry is the co-founder and Managing director of Beysis, a successful Australian beauty brand known for its customisable and eco-conscious products. Beysis offers a range of beauty essentials, from nail polish to reusable bottles and coffee cups, all designed to be personalised, stylish, and environmentally friendly.

We discussed the challenges of getting a quality education today and how her entrepreneurial spirit led her out of the corporate world. We also explored the unique experiences women face in business, why she founded Beysis, how Oprah’s endorsement elevated the brand, what’s next for Beysis, her battle with breast cancer and so much more.

Check out Beysis' range of brilliant products here: beysis.com

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Mark Woodland is a retired soldier and health tech entrepreneur that fixed the childcare booking system and recently sold the app Xplor for $100 million.

After selling his company and making a fortune, Mark Woodland took just two weeks of retirement before diving headfirst into his next venture. He's now leveraging technology to transform Australia's healthcare landscape with his latest innovation, Kismet.

In our conversation, we spoke about his military career, how a gap in the childcare booking system drew him into the tech world, the urgent need to reform Australia's online healthcare system, his vision for Kismet's future, and much more.

Check out Kismet's website here: https://www.kismet.healthcare/

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Kellie Hush is a prominent figure in the Australian fashion industry, with over 20 years of expertise. Best known for her six-year leadership as editor-in-chief of Harper’s BAZAAR Australia, she now leads brand and global strategy at The Volte, an Australian fashion rental platform that connects borrowers and lenders, making designer pieces accessible at a fraction of their retail cost.

In our discussion, we dove in the fashion world, the TikTok trend that's causing companies to go bankrupt, how The Volte is tackling this issue, and much more.

Check out The Volte's website here: https://thevolte.com/

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Luke Bevans is the Managing Director and Founder of Impressed Recordings, a pioneering Australian music label that has made a significant impact on the vinyl revival movement. With a rich background in the music industry, including senior roles at Universal Music Australia and Apple Music, Bevans has leveraged his experience to create a unique platform that connects artists directly with their superfans through exclusive, limited-edition vinyl releases.

We delved into his deep passion for music, his journey through the music industry, ways to improve how artists are treated, the unique experience of vinyl listening, the intricacies of the vinyl manufacturing process, Impressed Recordings' innovative approach, and much more.

Check out Impressed Recordings website here: https://impressedrecordings.com/

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Deanne Stewart is a prominent figure in the Australian financial services industry, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Aware Super.

Aware Super is Australia’s third-largest superannuation fund, managing $180 billion and serving 1.2 million Australians. As the CEO of one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, Deanne brought invaluable insights into managing time and responsibilities.

We explored the profound impact superannuation funds have had on our parent's lives and how Australia's model is regarded as the best. Our conversation went beyond the mechanics of her role; we delved into her journey in the finance world, strategies for navigating and preventing burnout in high-stress environments, the art of making a real difference in the financial services sector, and the critical importance of networking and relationships. We also tackled the immense responsibility that comes with managing billions of dollars and how she maximises her productivity. And if that wasn’t enough, Deanne gave us a wild story about her experience meeting the King of England.

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It's been an eventful couple of years for journalist and content creator Max Sherry. Despite leading the charge in Australian sports media engagement last year for Sports Bible, he ultimately would face redundancy as the company went into a new direction. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, Max joined forces with two former colleagues to launch their own media publishing company, Common Entertainment, which is dedicated to highlighting the extraordinary in everyday life.

In our conversation, we delved into the challenges of today's media landscape, Max's journey from the UK as a teenager, his passion for journalism, his experiences at Fox Sports and Lad Bible, the need to be agile in a cutthroat industry, the negative aspects of social media, and how Common Entertainment aims to stand out in the social media game, plus much more. Enjoy!

Check out Common Entertainment's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/common.entertainment/

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