The Message Pod

James MacGregor is one of a trio of co-founders who developed Biteable, an online video-making software, out of Hobart in 2014. In the four years since, Biteable has amassed a staggering 4 million users looking to make eye-catching animated videos without blowing the budget as they would've had to previously.

James has been an integral part of a few other startups and businesses - he's a software engineer by trade but is also well versed in both product design and marketing. We chat about how Biteable's vision has evolved with the company, how the software is being used, what he sees for the future, how he's refined his Venture capital pitch and more.

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Jed Altschwager is a 33-year-old bloke with a wife, young child and another one on the way. He's the kind of guy who injects positive energy into the room when he walks in. Jed's also an amputee. In 2015, he lost his left leg in an accident at work, and so began the long journey to both mental and physical recovery.

Jed speaks of realising, on that hospital bed, that he had a choice: to either fall into drinking, depression and self-pity, or to pick himself up, attack his rehab and be a positive inspiration for himself and those close to him. Three years on, Jed's incredible mindset and determination has him healthier than ever and training to hopefully represent Australia in rowing at the Paralympics in 2020. It comes as no surprise that he's now asked to speak at schools and sporting clubs about mental resilience.

You can follow Jed's journey on Instagram - @newbootoldjeans

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Christine Manfield is a self-taught yet celebrated chef who originally began her career as a teacher. The talented home cook later decided to switch lanes and went on to head up three award-winning restaurants in London and Sydney from 1993.

As she confesses to Nicole, however, there's been no 'game plan' involved despite her going from strength to strength in the culinary world. Christine's released a successful spice collection, hosted plenty of gastronomic tours and continues to impart her knowledge on the next generation by mentoring young chefs and industry colleagues. She recently launched an updated version of one of her eight book titles, Tasting India: Heirloom Family Recipes. It's the book that she calls her 'love letter to India', the culinary and cultural destination that she's been frequenting for over two decades.

Find out more at https://christinemanfield.com/
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Graham Cornes is a household name in Adelaide and the other AFL-obsessed parts of Australia. But despite going on to be a prominent media figure after his decorated playing and coaching careers, not many people know what he's had to deal with on a personal level over the trip. He grew up in a broken family that had next to nothing, lost touch with his mother for 30 years and spent two years in the army in his early 20s, serving a short stint in Vietnam just as his football career was getting started. He's had to come through his fair share of mental battles as a result, and he credits the Glenelg Football Club with helping him stay on the right track upon return. He's been married three times, has seen his two sons become football legends in their own right and is now raising teenage girls while he continues to stay involved in the media with FIVEaa's Conversations with Cornesy. As you'll hear, he wasn't totally sold on the idea of being on the other side of the interview, but he has a story and mindset that deserves to be explored.

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Gillian Armstrong is a feature film and documentary director who's been at the forefront of the industry for over three decades. She became a director at age 27 and the first woman to direct an Australian feature film in almost half a century when she made her debut with My Brilliant Career in 1979. Gillian's since been showered with awards, beckoned by Hollywood and an advocate for women's rights within the male-dominated sphere of film. She caught up with Nicole to chat about the exhibition that shares the name of one of her most poignant pieces - Starstruck, as well as the state of Australian film and the strong female protagonists that she's been known for.

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South Aussies Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson first burst onto the scene in 2008 with their debut app, Pocket Weather, and were well ahead of the game when they launched Pocket Casts in 2010. Pocket Casts sought to address the convoluted process of listening to podcasts on your phone, well before Apple or Android had developed their own listening apps. Now, it's been acquired by four major US players in the industry (think NPR and This American Life), but Shifty jelly – Russell and Phil's development company – are finding a way to keep things local, while also ensuring the listeners and producers of podcasts interests' are prioritised. His message is about marketing, 'talkability' and not being afraid of hard work.

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Chris Pitman served 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy and was deployed to Iraq on multiple occasions before his medical discharge. He left with serious knee and hip issues, but they were nothing compared to what he has dealt with mentally. As he tried to return to the 'real world', he sank into depression and alcoholism which led to him becoming severely overweight. This week, however, he makes an enormous step in his recovery by representing Australia in the Invictus Games.

How's he done it? What's he learnt? Did he receive adequate support? It's all on the agenda in this confronting but inspirational interview as Chris prepares to compete.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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Two of Australia's most highly-regarded filmmakers are in the Pod to discuss their newest and most unique collaboration to date. The Waiting Room, launched as part of the Adelaide Film Festival, is a 3D Virtual-Reality piece that explores confronting and thought-provoking ideas. Rolf de Heer and Molly Reynolds have a rare synergy that goes well beyond the screen. Nicole probes them about how the daring concept came about, what they're hoping the audience comes away with, the technological hurdles that had to be overcome and the future of film. Stay up-to-date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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Cameron Adams is one of three founding members of Canva, an online graphic design software that makes creating stunning visuals accessible for everyday people. He's actually the technical brains behind it all – though he won't admit that – having spent three years as a User Interface Designer at Google.

Canva is only six years old, but it's worth over $1bn, is used by 10 million people and employs over 350 staff! It's also renowned as the greatest place to work in the country, thanks to its strong focus on culture and team-building - think chef-made breakfast and lunch, flexible hours, being able to bring your pets, a rock-climbing wall and free gym, yoga and meditation. Its no coincidence that the company has enjoyed so much success. You can check it all out here: https://bit.ly/2xD710m

Cameron's in the Pod to speak about that culture, how they've had to change and adapt as they expand at a rapid rate and how much further they've got to go.

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Andre Eikmeier failed at every professional venture he attempted - including acting on Aussie TV drama A Country Practice - before he followed his passion for good wine into business with his brother-in-law Justin in 2011.

Vinomofo, an online wine delivery and discount service, was first run out of a garage in Adelaide, but grew to have over 100 employees, 500,000 customers, a presence in New Zealand and Singapore and HQ in Melbourne. Andre's just recently relinquished his role as co-CEO to start building on another one of his passions - helping brands resonate with the public - with his new venture Cult Tribal.

He tells us about the lessons he's learnt, how he plans to build an uncompromising culture, how to create trust, the motivation of fear and what he would do if he was looking to join the startup community today. He also answers questions like - why do good people make a company and how do you find them? What does he mean by doing the right thing? When do you need external investors and when can you 'bootstrap' it? So it's full of pearls of wisdom for any business minds.

His message is about coupling self belief with self awareness and trusting your intuition. Stay up to date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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