Clever Women Co.

In this episode of The Founder Tapes, I sit down with Fiona Sanford, CEO of The Flourish Journey, an Australian charity dedicated to enhancing the well-being of teenage girls. With a background as an award-winning gymnast and a passion for mental health, Fiona shares her journey from sports to social impact, and how she's helping young women build resilience, self-awareness, and confidence.In this episode, we discuss:Fiona's transition from competitive gymnastics to mental health advocacyThe mission and impact of The Flourish Journey's programs across AustraliaChallenges faced in scaling a purpose-driven organisationThe importance of rites of passage in teenage developmentInsights on fostering self-esteem and combating societal pressures among young girlsFiona's dedication has led to the transformation of over 25,000 lives, earning her recognition as a finalist in the 2024 Women's Agenda Leadership Awards. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! –The Flourish Journey website: https://www.theflourishjourney.org/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Founder Tapes, I sit down with Lyn Nguyen, the powerhouse behind Auvie Consultants, a boutique agency revolutionising e-commerce operations for seven and eight-figure brands. Lyn shares her journey from leading operations at MiHIGH to founding Auvie Consultants in early 2023, driven by her passion for streamlining e-commerce logistics and systems.Recognised as one of Inside Retail's Top 50 People in E-Commerce for 2025, Lyn delves into the often-overlooked realm of backend operations, emphasising the importance of efficient systems over flashy marketing tactics. She discusses how her hands-on, tailored approach helps brands scale sustainably, saving clients hundreds of thousands through optimised supply chains. Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! –Find Auvie Consultants: https://www.auvieconsultants.com/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit with Jonathan Wenig, lead partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler (ABL), to discuss his career, insights into the legal and business world, and the principles that drive his work. We also dive into All Things Equal – a social enterprise café Jonathan founded that provides meaningful employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities. The initiative aims to create an inclusive workforce by offering paid jobs in hospitality, helping individuals with autism develop skills, confidence, and independence. We cover:Jonathan's journey to becoming a lead partner at ABLThe role of law in shaping businesses and societyInsights on leadership, decision-making, and problem-solvingThe mission and impact of All Things EqualHow businesses can integrate purpose with profitabilityJonathan's book recommendations are:Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World – by David Epstein Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know – by Adam Grant Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism – by Barry M Prizant, Tom Fields-Meyer –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! –Find ABL here: https://www.abl.com.au/ Find All Things Equal https://www.allthingsequal.com.au/ Follow All Things Equal on Instagram and Facebook –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Kitay, founder of FUNDAY Natural Sweets, to talk about his journey in creating a better-for-you candy brand that's taking the Australian supermarket shelf by storm. From his own unhealthy relationship with sugar to taking on sugar-free lollie giants with FUNDAY, Daniel shares how he turned a passion for health and fun into a thriving business.We dive head-first into ingredients, serving sizes, and all the stuff we're all dying to know about how a lollie can suddenly become a gut-friendly sweet. He opens up about the challenges of product development, from perfecting the taste and texture to ensuring the ingredients align with FUNDAY's mission of being both delicious and better for you.Beyond the product itself, Daniel talks about how he ensures he's always a step ahead with new product ideas for FUNDAY; scaling a brand in a competitive industry; the realities of manufacturing and distribution, and how he's managed to get FUNDAY stocked in major retailers. He also shares insights on what to do when you make a business mistake, building a brand that stands out, and of course - what's next for the brand. This is Daniel Kitay for The Founder Tapes podcast with Gal Krohn.–Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! –Find FUNDAY Natural Sweets on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook Shop FUNDAY Natural Sweets at your favourite supermarkets or online: https://www.fundaysweets.com/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I'm joined by Australian media personality and entrepreneur, Davey Rooney. With over 400,000 followers across his personal and brand social media channels, Davey has made a name for himself as a trusted voice in skincare and content creation. As the founder of Boring Without You, Davey is redefining what it means to engage with skincare, blending authenticity, education, and creativity to connect with a growing audience. Beyond the viral content and product success, he brings a thoughtful approach to branding, community building, and staying genuine in a fast-paced digital world.But here's what I love about Davey: beyond the snappy content, he's got serious hustle, big ideas, and a refreshingly down-to-earth take on what it means to stand out in a crowded industry.This is Davey Rooney for The Founder Tapes podcast with Gal Krohn.–Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Davey Rooney and his skincare brand on Instagram as @skincaredavey and @boringwithoutyou_ Find Davey and his brand on TikTok as @skincaredavey and @boringwithoutyouskincare Find Boring Without You products on: https://www.boringwithoutyou.com/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm joined by Danielle Snell, an entrepreneurial lawyer and law firm founder who is doing things differently in the legal world.Danielle isn't your typical lawyer. With 15 years of experience in top and mid-tier private practice, she took a bold leap to create her own dynamic law firm, Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell, while pregnant. Her firm specialises in e-litigation and is redefining the traditional law firm model with transparency and technology at its core.Danielle's expertise spans high-stakes commercial litigation, defamation, and insurance disputes. She's a fierce advocate for women's rights, often representing women in sexual harassment cases brought to the Australian Human Rights Commission and Federal Court.But her story goes beyond legal victories. Danielle is a multi-faceted powerhouse - a mother, wife, friend, and entrepreneur - proving you can have it all while challenging norms. She's worked on high-profile cases, advising directors, public figures, and professionals, and has a passion for empowering clients through meaningful, forward-thinking legal services.Some themes in this conversation include:Danielle's journey from private practice to launching her own entrepreneurial law firmHow she's disrupting traditional legal services through innovation and e-litigationThe challenges and triumphs of building a business while balancing motherhoodHer dedication to women's rights and creating change in the legal professionThis episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to break barriers, lead authentically or understand the power of resilience in entrepreneurship.This is Danielle Snell with Gal Krohn, for The Founder Tapes podcast. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Danielle Snell and Elit Lawyers on LinkedInElite Lawyers by Mcgill & Snell: https://elitlaw.com.au/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm chatting with Tobi Skovron, best known for founding the co-working space empire that is Creative Cubes – offering flexible, serviced working spaces. The idea for Creative Cubes came to him when he was working in LA and running another venture in the pet space called The Pet Loo. There, he moved into a co-working space in Santa Monica in 2008 and just loved being surrounded by like-minded, go-getter, successful people. With Creative Cubes, Tobi really prioritises member experience and the brand's identity whilst also keeping a firm focus on its national expansion. He works hand in hand with landlords, asset owners & large institutions, future proofing their assets by tapping into a new wave of user demand with his company's products and services. In his time Tobi has earned dozens of awards for businesses he's built from ideas into thriving brands & category leaders with the best or nothing mindset. In fact, the company recently made its way onto The Australian's Top 100 Innovators list. Tobi is also a proud Jew, and says the essence of Creative Cubes is its Jewish “mishpochah” – “its family values in a commercial environment.” In essence, he says: “we exist to enable success.” –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Tobi Skovron on LinkedIn Follow Creative Cubes on Instagram Find Creative Cubes on LinkedInBook your perfect office space at https://creativecubes.co/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Dean Cherny, Founder & CEO at Storeplay.Dean is a Retail Behavioural Expert, helping retailers boost sales and productivity by enhancing sensory retail experiences with Music, Signage, Scenting, Queue Management and Retail Media Network. You know the virtual queue you stood in for the AO? Or the playlist you heard at an RM Williams store? That's Storeplay. Dean launched the company in 2012 in what he then named Marketing Melodies. It was the world's first app-based music subscription service for businesses. The company transformed retail spaces with the power of perfectly curated playlists.But why stop at music? Marketing Melodies evolved into Storeplay, which evolved into a comprehensive sensory experience. They added scent and visuals to their repertoire, creating immersive environments that do more than just please the ear. They wanted every customer to leave with a memorable experience, turning casual shoppers into brand advocates.From crafting cassettes to pioneering digital solutions, Storeplay's story is one of relentless creativity and belief in the transformative power of the right sensory atmosphere. It's about changing how businesses think about their spaces and making every shopper feel like a VIP.–Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Dean Cherny on LinkedIn Find Storeplay on LinkedIn and Instagram Visit Storeplay at https://storeplay.com.au/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's founder tape, I'm chatting with Dr. Lincoln Harris, founder and CEO of RipeGlobal. RipeGlobal is the world's first cloud-based dental simulation platform, born out of Lincoln's realisation that dental graduates enter the field with only around 7% of the practical skills they need. Lincoln, a practicing dentist with over 25 years of experience, saw a gap in the industry that required an innovative solution. In 2020, as global lockdowns stalled traditional dental training, he launched RipeGlobal, investing $5M over four years into R&D to create and refine a hands-on, cloud-based learning model that bypasses geographic and financial barriers.Despite challenges in creating a new market category - overcoming scepticism, navigating complex product development, and securing buy-in from traditional educators - RipeGlobal now has over 450 dentists trained across 35 countries, and now expanding rapidly, particularly into the US market.This is Dr. Lincoln Harris with Gal Krohn, for The Founder Tapes podcast. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Lincoln Harris on LinkedIn and Instagram Find RipeGlobal on Instagram Visit RipeGlobal at https://www.ripeglobal.com/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's show (recorded at my guest's own home in Jerusalem) I'm chatting with Israel (aka “Yisrael”) Kroizer, the Co-Founder and CTO of SolarGik - a company he founded in 2021 with a team of long-time solar energy veterans, including his son. It is hard to overstate the importance of Yisrael Kroizer in the world of solar energy. In 1980, and at the age of only 27, he was appointed Chief Engineer of the Israeli company Luz, which built the world's first solar power plant in California and proved that it was technically and economically possible. At the age of 34, he was CEO of the company, which employed 500 people in Israel. In 1991 Luz went bankrupt, according to Kroizer, "because the solar energy market disappeared." Indeed, at that time oil prices in the world dropped and solar energy production became unprofitable. "I fired 400 people from Luz in Israel, but they all remained my friends and they were all ready to come back when we started over with BrightSource.” After Luz, when solar technology turned from a means of producing relatively cheap electricity to a way to save the world, he led one of the main technologies that competed for its production - the solar towers. He did this through Brightsource Industries Israel - a company he founded and served as President of from 2006 to 2021. Today, the SolarGik company he founded with his son is engaged in the development and refinement of photovoltaic technology - which tracks sunlight and converts it directly into electricity. This episode is brought to you from Jerusalem - one of my favourite cities! Thank you for listening. Some other key topics discussed in this episode: Living in Jerusalem as a businessperson What solar technology is and isn't Firing 400 people as the CEO of a bankrupt company Why Israel is often dubbed the “Startup Nation” How to put family before career –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Yisrael Kroizer on LinkedIn –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Zwier is the founder of Bonny, an eCommerce brand making comfortable, luxurious, yet affordable doonas. Before he founded Bonny, David was the global brand manager at Moose Toys, which was a 5-year masterclass in branding. In his time there, David got to work on massive projects involving licensing deals with Disney and Marvel and making Shopkins a $1b brand in its own right. He got incredible opportunities like flying to LA to shoot TV commercials, pitching to Walmart executives, attending toy fares in Hong Kong, and so much more. He then went out on his own, founding Bonny. After searching for a product idea, he found a niche but broad gap in the market. Niche as in no one was doing it, and broad as in it's a product for everyone. He realised that there are so many doona types and brands out there, but no one is known as the #1 donna brand. Bonny makes doonas for summer, winter, and the months in-between. Part 1 of this interview (in previous episode) will be a branding masterclass, with a focus on the lessons and insights David accumulated while working at Moose Toys. Part 2 (this episode) will focus on the eCommerce side of things, and how to build a successful online business from nothing.David is a very logical thinker, and this 2-part interview is absolutely packed with insight, advice, and wisdom. Let's get into it. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Bonny on Instagram: @chillwithbonny and TikTok: @chillwithbonnyFind Bonny's doonas: https://bonny.com.au/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Zwier is the founder of Bonny, an eCommerce brand making comfortable, luxurious, yet affordable doonas. Before he founded Bonny, David was the global brand manager at Moose Toys, which was a 5-year masterclass in branding. In his time there, David got to work on massive projects involving licensing deals with Disney and Marvel and making Shopkins a $1b brand in its own right. He got incredible opportunities like flying to LA to shoot TV commercials, pitching to Walmart executives, attending toy fares in Hong Kong, and so much more. He then went out on his own, founding Bonny. After searching for a product idea, he found a niche but broad gap in the market. Niche as in no one was doing it, and broad as in it's a product for everyone. He realised that there are so many doona types and brands out there, but no one is known as the #1 donna brand. Bonny makes doonas for summer, winter, and the months in-between. Part 1 of this interview (which is this episode) will be a branding masterclass, with a focus on the lessons and insights David accumulated while working at Moose Toys. Part 2 will focus on the eCommerce side of things, and how to build a successful business from nothing. David is a very logical thinker, and this 2-part interview is absolutely packed with insight, advice, and wisdom. Let's get into it. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Bonny on Instagram: @chillwithbonny and TikTok: @chillwithbonnyFind Bonny's doonas: https://bonny.com.au/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natassia Grace (otherwise known as Tass) is one of those founders that gets it DONE. She is the founder and CEO of Conserving Beauty - a skincare brand creating waterless skincare and dissolvable makeup wipes saving water, carbon and waste in the process. Natassia got Conserving Beauty into Mecca before even launching; she has used her superb networking skills to get entrepreneur and model Elle McPherson on her board of directors; she's featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list; she has sat on incredible panels like Vogue Codes; she was chosen as the first Business of Beauty Awards Winner, and so much more. She has a decade of experience working in product development, supply chain, and ethical sourcing within the beauty & wellness industry. Having built her career on supply chain transparency, she made it her mission to unite the best of science, technology, and impact to launch skincare product solutions anchored in world-first innovation.And Conserving Beauty is absolutely known for being at the forefront of innovation due to Tass's waterless formulation approach and dissolving skincare technologies. By creating the world's first dissolvable cleansing wipes, sheet masks and zit treatments, she has found a solution to replace plastic single-use products - and customers are obsessed. This episode is a treat, to say the least. Thank you for listening! –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Natassia Grace on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok Find Conserving Beauty on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Website–Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm chatting with Richard James - a private investigator, surveillance specialist, and founder of his company RIVICA Investigations & Covert Solutions. Richard works with anyone from anxious business owners who are concerned they could be the target of damaging bogus claims from employees, to worried spouses suspecting their partner's infidelity. In fact, Richard said that one of the recurring queries he encounters involves accessing messages, emails, and social media chats on a partner's phone. Richard started off in the South Wales police force, working his way up to becoming Detective Sergeant. He has also been a Surveillance Manager within various states across Australia, and spent 5 years being contracted to the Qatar Ministry of Interior to provide specialist training to Qatar Police. Today, Richard is an expert private investigator and founder of RIVICA. Established in 2014, RIVICA aims to provide a complete range of investigative solutions. His team of experts works across Australia and even trains police and military teams in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. From investigations, to training, to products, they tailor their response to fully address each client's requirement. –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are rolling out now. –Find Richard James on LinkedIn Find RIVICA: https://rivica.com.au/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show I'm chatting with Paul Bassat - an Australian businessman who is as passionate about entrepreneurship today as he was 30 years ago. Paul co-founded the online job search marketplace SEEK in 1997 with his brother Andrew Bassat and friend Matt Rockman. The brothers were co-CEOs until Paul resigned in 2011. What started off as not even knowing what the internet was, Paul together with the other two raised a small amount of initial capital and took on the newspaper companies one listing at a time. Against all the odds, SEEK managed to completely transform the landscape of employment advertising from print-dominated to onlineSEEK became one of Australia's most successful online businesses, becoming an ASX top 100 listed company with a market capitalisation of $8 billion. It has expanded to China, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand and various markets through South East Asia.Life post SEEK saw Paul co-founding his second company Square Peg Capital in 2012. Square Peg is a global private equity investment fund, and in particular, an active investor in early stage and growth stage technology companies. The VC firm is on a mission to empower exceptional founders, and to date has done exactly that - from being an early investor in Canva to backing companies like Airwallex, Fiverr and Stripe. Paul has always remained passionate about backing the next generation of founders, and is in awe of anyone who starts a business or goes out on their own. In this episode, we chat about:Who is Paul Bassat? What kind of businessman Paul is Paul's studies and career before SEEK The way the idea for SEEK came about, and how he co-built the platformFinding the right investors for SEEK in the early days The biggest problems Paul faced when building the company What indicated the idea was starting to workHow long it took to get SEEK to profitability Expanding to other geographies, and when the right time to do it wasTaking SEEK public with an IPO in 2005, and what it meant to become a public companyHow SEEK was almost stolen from Paul and his co-foundersWhy Paul left SEEK in 2011 Co-founding Square Peg How Square Peg picks who to invest in and who it might reject The most important things about startups Investing in AI companies The startup success of Israel The most existential problem entrepreneurs face –Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! Full video episodes are coming soon. –Find Paul Bassat on LinkedIn and X Find Square Peg Capital: https://www.squarepeg.vc/ –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Storytelling is critical, especially when you want to succeed in business. Not only does it humanise you, but it allows for people to connect with your brand in ways slogans, marketing and logos can't. Think about it: what is more interesting, a company's ‘About Us' page or the founder's personal journey to founding it? In this episode, Joel Hines will help you craft your best communication and storytelling skills yet. Joel is a facilitator, TEDx speaker, author, trainer and storyteller. Throughout a career spanning over 25 years working in mental health, IT, training, educational leadership and group facilitation, there has been a common theme of guiding others to explore the shared experience of being human. In that time, he was also the school principal at a school based on Buddhist philosophies, and talks about how that manifested in the day-to-day of managing the school - both for teachers and for students. Exemplifying integrity and authenticity, Joel motivates and enables leaders to cultivate engagement, foster collaboration and empower others. His natural gift for storytelling, combined with his calm and approachable demeanour, fuels his passion for enriching workplace connections and fostering the growth of facilitation skills and confidence.–Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedInSubscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube! –Find Joel Hines on LinkedIn Find Being Human on LinkedIn or visit https://www.beinghuman.net.au/ Find Joel's book here: Holding Space: Strategies To Cultivate Connection and Enable Potential Watch Joel's TEDx speech here: https://youtu.be/-QpGJNtuYZo?si=rHYdEqgxD3Izg5l5 –Music License Number - QK7rZS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alon Loeffler is a Postdoctoral Scientist at Cortical Labs in Melbourne. Cortical Labs are a biological computing startup putting live neurons into chips to revolutionise computing.  This in part means the ability to teach real human brain cells to do things, outside the person's body. The company works with real neurons, studying their electrical activity and even teaching them to play Pong (you read that right!).  Entering the field of neuroscience came after a significant turning point in Alon's life at the age of 16. He developed an autoimmune disease called Transverse Myelitis, which left him paralysed in his hands and legs. Despite the challenges of dealing with recovery and rehabilitation as a teenager, it shifted his priorities from parties to taking care of his health and understanding why this happened. His first project in this field led him to pursue a PhD in nanotechnology at the University of Sydney. He worked on neuromorphic materials that mimic the behaviour of real neurons. This application can be used to process dynamic, noisy and real-time data that AI can't deal with currently.  Alon's work at the company involves data science, algorithm development and software development - a role he describes as his dream job: “It's fascinating work with huge potential, like testing neurological diseases and possibly replacing animal testing.”   In this episode, we chat about:  What is a synthetic biological intelligence postdoctoral scientist?  What are neurons? Neurodegenerative diseases Electrophysiological reward and punishment  What is Cortical Labs? What is synthetic biological intelligence?  Why are humans so much smarter than AI with less data points? The function of neurons Consciousness Neuromorphics Autoimmune diseases – Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn Subscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube!  – Find Alon Loeffler on LinkedIn  Find Cortical Labs on LinkedIn or visit their website – Music License Number - QK7rZS

Claire Walczak is an accredited family law specialist and a partner in Lander & Rogers' Melbourne family and relationship law office. Having practised exclusively in family law since her admission to practice, she takes pride in providing specialist legal advice to her clients and empowering them with the financial independence and emotional security to plan for the next chapter of their lives. In recent years, she has expanded her practice to work with family offices and high net worth individuals, drafting financial agreements for the protection of inter-generational wealth. This advice often involves working alongside her clients' network of trusted financial advisors and is particularly important for families seeking to successfully preserve, grow and transfer their legacy across future generations.  In addition to attaining her specialist accreditation in family law, Claire is currently studying a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Melbourne Business School. She has been recognised by the legal profession in several industry awards, including as a finalist for "Senior Associate of the Year - BigLaw" at the Women In Law Awards (2021), the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 "Wellness Advocate" award (2019) and the Law Institute of Victoria 15th Victorian Legal Awards "Wellbeing Award" (2019).  In this episode, we chat about:  - How to navigate work-life balance - What is family law - Divorce cases  - How the courts approach the division of property  - Complex financial situations - Special interest cases - What women can do to build their financial literacy and freedom - Financial agreements / prenups  - What happens to an engagement ring in a separation - De facto relationships  - When a couple doesn't want to get married - What if a client is obviously lying to their lawyer  - When there is a death between the partners - Relocation matters - AI in family law - Why become a family lawyer - Factors that contributed to Claire's success in making Partner - What criteria do law firms look for when selecting a Partner - Why do an MBA - Advice for junior lawyers  – Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn Subscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube!  – Find Claire Walczak on LinkedIn, and more about Claire here. – Find Lander & Rogers: Website: https://www.landers.com.au/  Instagram: @landerrogers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lander-rogers/  – Music License Number - QK7rZS

Gabriella is the CEO and Founding Director of GRP Speech Pathology and a certified practising Speech Pathologist.  She's committed to assisting people on their journey of restoring their ability to communicate, capacity to eat and swallow safely and ultimately to enhance their quality of life through the highest quality and most evidence-based approaches. Gaby comes with a wealth of experience both locally in Australia and at internationally acclaimed teaching hospitals throughout the UK. This includes working as a speech pathologist at Monash, Austin and St Vincent's health's neurological department as well as time spent working in the UK at the Royal Free and Wellington hospitals and St Bart's Health. She established the Melbourne based mobile speech pathology practice in 2017 in order to provide a functional approach to therapy which facilitates the implementation of intervention within the comfort of client's own homes. Gaby believes in therapy that makes a tangible difference to each client's communication function and overall quality of life. In this episode, we chat about: - What are Allied Health professionals? - What is speech pathology - Examples of people who might engage a speech pathologist - Why is there more demand for speech pathologists in Australia  - Stephen Hawking and how he communicated through his glasses  - Family resistance to care  - Why GRP is a mobile service  - How many people are on the NDIS  - How to improve your work-life balance  - How to manage 35 employees day-to-day – Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn Subscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube!  – Find GRP Speech Pathology:  Website: https://www.grpspeechpathology.com.au/  Instagram: @grp.speechpathology LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellaptasznik/  – Music License Number - QK7rZS

Richard Zinn is a Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon with a special expertise in breast reconstruction as well as augmentation. Richard is well trained both locally and internationally, and is highly experienced with 2 postgraduate fellowships in breast surgery, microsurgery and general plastic surgery. He maintains involvement in both public and private centres, and is actively involved in training junior surgeons at the Northern Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.  In this episode, we chat about: - What plastic surgery is, and the procedures involved  - Biggest misconceptions about plastic surgery  - Cosmetic vs reconstructive plastic surgery explained  - The effects of Ozempic on liposuction demand  - Most common and in-demand procedures for different age groups  - Cosmetic tourism  - Fat grafting for breast implants / breast reconstruction & augmentation  - Plastic surgery post pandemic  - Richard Zinn Plastic Surgery practice & business  - Why Richard became a plastic surgeon + study & career path  - How to find a balance between a busy career and your life  – Follow The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn Subscribe to The Founder Tapes on YouTube!  – Find Richard Zinn Plastic Surgery:  Website: https://richardzinnplasticsurgery.com.au/  Instagram: @richardzinnplasticsurgery LinkedIn: /in/richard-zinn-85994280/  – Music License Number - QK7rZS

In this episode I'm chatting with Deanna Depetro. She is the co-owner and creative director of Mossman - a women's fashion brand she's been a part of for more than 12 years now. What makes this journey a little different is that Deanna didn't found Mossman, she actually bought the business back in 2016 with a work colleague (and now business partner) Ben De Rango.  I chat to Deanna about how she entered the fashion space and her 20 years of experience in the industry so far. We chat about why she chose to buy a brand rather than start her own, and what surprised her about being a business owner. She talks about what it looks like running a clothing brand in such a competitive space; the best business decisions she's ever made; and how to grow as a fashion brand in Australia and in the U.S.   Deanna also touches on making it as a fashion brand through covid; how she maintains a strong and positive team; how she puts herself out there as the brand's designer and her strategy when it comes to personal branding.   – Find The Founder Tapes on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn  – Find Deanna Depetro:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannadepetro/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deannadepetro  LinkedIn: in/deanna-depetro – Find Mossman: Mossman: Website and LinkedIn – Thank you for listening!  Music License Number - QK7rZS

David Berlinski is a clinical psychologist with an aim: to help people connect with their emotions to develop a deeper understanding of themselves. He is also the co-founder of Toolbox Education - which runs preventative mental health workshops for schools, and the co-founder of Toolbox Clinic, a psychology practice specialising in child, teen, young adult and adult mental health. In this episode, we chat about: - Why become a psychologist + career path  - Books that have shaped his thinking the most  - The process of supervision in psychology  - Transference and countertransference  - What happens in the room in therapy  - Attachment theory explained in depth  - The child and the caregiver  - Anger and our lack of understanding of it  - Depression and anxiety explored  - Toolbox Education and Toolbox Clinic  This episode contains topics like suicide, self harm, and suicide ideation, which may be triggering for some listeners. Please keep this in mind before listening.  – Find The Founder Tapes on Instagram and TikTok  – Find David Berlinski:  Website: davidberlinskipsychology.com LinkedIn: in/david-berlinski – Find Toolbox: Toolbox Education: website and LinkedIn Toolbox Clinic: website and LinkedIn  Toolbox Instagram and TikTok  – You are not alone. Lifeline is here to listen.  Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14​ Visit https://www.lifeline.org.au/  – If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit their website for online chat and video call services.  – Music License Number - QK7rZS

Sarah Hamilton joins The Founder Tapes to discuss how she founded, built, and advised multiple successful beauty brands in Australia - namely Bellabox, Sand & Sky, Mermade Hair and now the scalp care brand STRAAND.  Bellabox, a beauty subscription box inspired by Birchbox in the U.S., was Sarah's first venture - and one she co-founded with her twin sister Emily. Following Bellabox's success, the two of them really embraced the eCommerce opportunities that were becoming apparent in the 2010s, founding their other brands like the popular Sand & Sky - which took social media by storm. This is a time when Facebook and Instagram were in this sweet spot of engagement, YouTubers were becoming celebrities, influencers would feature products for free and organic reach was at its prime.  In this episode, Sarah will talk about whether there is a certain formula she adopted to grow each of her successful beauty brands; what it really takes to get your product in customers' hands; and whether or not she personally believes it's worth starting an online business in 2024.  We'll also chat about her strategy when pitching and asking investors for money; what she learnt from doing it 10s of times; and the exact things she would focus on when pitching today.  It's a jam-packed one, so let's get into the show!  — Find Sarah Hamilton on LinkedIn Find STRAAND on Instagram & LinkedIn  — Find video snippets from this episode on Instagram and TikTok  Thank you for listening

On today's show I'm chatting with Mattie Gouman, co-founder of bather brand Two Swim and fashion TikTok's IT girl.  In a short amount of time Mattie has gotten over 100,000 followers on TikTok and over 50,000 on Instagram. And look, it's not all about the numbers, but with the way Mattie executes on content, and with the loyal audience she has built - I think there's a lot to learn from her. She's a great example of doing social media and business management right - especially for a young audience.  Her content is mainly about fashion, but I feel that you can really apply the tips and approaches that she uses to any sort of industry, content or marketing that you're trying to do.  In this conversation, we chat about: - Her “happy accident” called TikTok - How she has seized the opportunities that have come with going viral and being noticed  - Working with brands and building relationships  - The judgement and criticism that comes with the title “influencer”  - What Mattie would do if social media was gone tomorrow  - Starting and building her swimwear brand Two Swim  - The dark side of the fashion industry and the biggest problems it is facing  - And of course, girl stuff: nails, outfits, and everything in between  — Find Mattie Gouman on Instagram and TikTok - or search @mattiegouman  Find Two Swim bathers: https://www.twoswim.com.au/  — Find video snippets from this episode on Instagram and TikTok - or search @galkrohn — Thank you for listening to The Founder Tapes podcast

Meet Bobby: A sustainable, low-sugar soft drink alternative. Today I'm chatting to its founder, Kristian Johannsen. He operates in what is called the “functional beverage” industry (aka drinks with health benefits), tipped to be worth over $1b by 2027.  The soft drink alternative gives consumers the familiar feeling of having a Coke, Fanta or Solo, without the guilt of it being a bad-for-you drink. Kristian saw a trend in the US for “better for you” soft drinks that are low in sugar and filled with prebiotics and wanted to bring it over to Australia.  Simultaneously, there was the kombucha “boom,” and it was clear Australians were going to be interested in a healthier drink alternative. Something he heavily focused on was the flavour - he wanted the drink he created to taste great, not “healthy.”  We chat a lot about what it's like operating a business in the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) space. He shares his experience and key learnings when it comes to asking investors for money, as well as his exit goal of one day being bought out (“by Coca Cola, hopefully”).  And he's definitely on track to making Bobby an Australian FMCG success story. Before even having enough cash to build the stock for his first order, Kristian already made a deal to get Bobby stocked in 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Then, less than a year after launching his business, he also landed a deal with Coles. Today, sales are booming month after month, and interest is growing at a fast pace. You'll learn a lot from the insights Kristian shares, so let's get into the show.  Find Bobby on Instagram and TikTok Shop Bobby: www.drinkbobby.com  —----- Find video snippets from this episode on Instagram and TikTok  Thank you for listening

Welcome to episode one of The Founder Tapes! In this episode, I sit with Lauren Kennedy and Brooke Marks - co-founders and co-CEOs of High End - “the future of luxury resale.” In a nutshell, High End is an app for buying and selling second-hand luxury items like your Gucci wallet, Zimmermann Dress or Camilla And Marc blazer. It started off as a Facebook page which saw over 100,000 members join, 10 years later becoming an AI-driven app that heavily focuses on customer trust through technology, authentication and curation. For those wanting to buy second-hand instead of brand new luxury items, this is a trustworthy solution, and one that lets customers get a curated, unique wardrobe with their favourite pieces.  Their aim is to make luxury fashion accessible to everyone, and the app is fast becoming Australia's premier destination for luxury resale. Lauren and Brooke mention that if you look at the data, it's clear young people are really starting to adopt the mentality of second-hand over brand new when it comes to their shopping habits. One day, they say, it will be resale over retail.  Other than chatting about the process of authenticating luxury clothing so that you and I can get a real Chanel handbag and not a fake (it's harder to spot than you think!), we chat about what it's like starting a company; what it's like asking investors for money when you've never done that before; what it's like working together as co-founders with different sets of skills, and so much more.  Find High End on Instagram and TikTok Download the High End app on on iOS and Google Play Find High End on their online marketplace —----- Find video snippets from this episode on Instagram and TikTok  Thank you for listening

On this show, Gal Krohn sits with founders, CEOs, and big thinkers to pick their brilliant minds and find the factors that led to their excellence. No particular title, person, topic or industry is championed; it's about getting invaluable and ever-lasting insights from those you want to hear from - on tape. You might learn your biggest life lesson from an entrepreneur and your biggest business lesson from a philosopher. Subscribe to the show and listen closely - you never know what part of someone's story might change the course of yours. 

On today's show we chat to Kristina Karlsson, founder and former creative director of global Swedish design and stationery brand kikki.K - and recent founder of Dream Life.  At just 22 Kristina moved from her home in Sweden to Australia - a new country half a world away from family and friends. She had little money and no idea what to do with her life. But amidst uncertainty, inspiration struck in the humble setting of her home office. Dissatisfied with the mundane stationery options available, “Kikki” - her childhood nickname - wanted something more exciting. She borrowed a few thousand dollars to produce sample stationery, then tested it on friends. It was a bootstrapped venture, with a local manufacturer creating her products, which she drove around Melbourne delivering to retailers. Six years later, and when she couldn't get finance to expand the venture, she convinced her partner to sell his house, and the funds went into the first kikki.K store in 2001.  Kikki.K would go on to become an Australian retail powerhouse, making them millions of dollars. At its peak, kikki.K had 120 retail stores and a presence in over 150 countries.  Kristina ran and operated kikki.K for over 20 years, but the chaos of 2020 meant the company went into administration two times in two years. After this tumultuous time, Kristina parted ways with kikki.K in what she describes as the saddest and most heart-breaking day of her life.   To Kristina, though, this was everything but the end of the journey.  – Kristina is currently re-reading Robin Sharma's The Wealth Money Can't Buy: The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life. Join Kristina's bookclub Grow Club.  Shop all things Dream Life: https://www.thedreamlifestore.com/  – New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)   Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Tammy Green, the founder and director of Prene - an accessories label responsible for Australia's best-selling bag.  It was 2015 and Tammy was only 20 years old when she dropped out of a course in business entrepreneurship at RMIT to launch her business. Working out of a bedroom in her family home in Melbourne, she bootstrapped and started with one product - the Brighton tote bag.  At the time, she saw designers such as Alexander Wang developing garments using neoprene - the same synthetic rubber that wetsuits are made from.  With this invincible material in mind, and in a fashion industry where expensive leather designer bags ruled the handbag world, Tammy saw a gap in the Australian market for a bag that was machine-washable and lightweight while still being stylish and affordable. The Brighton bag was able to be used in so many ways: a nappy bag, a gym bag, a work bag, and a travel bag. The use case was endless and the product flew off the shelf.  Along the way, she's produced sell-out collections in collaboration with the AO, Brown Brothers wine, swimwear entrepreneur Chloe Fisher, Melbourne fashion maven Bec Judd, and others. From side hustle to 8 figures, Prene bags are now stocked in more than 400 stores around Australia and the world, and the brand now offers close to 100 products.  But as a young female entrepreneur, she initially struggled to gather a team, and many experienced professionals older than her didn't like reporting to a young female boss.  “Even dealing with retailers and big companies and stakeholders, I would answer the phone and speak to them as the founder of a very successful business, and they would immediately say, ‘Could you put your boss on?' I always had to prove myself.”  – Tammy is currently reading You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Joe Dispenza. She also enjoys some fun podcast listens like Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy and Lauryn Evarts & Michael Bosstick's The Skinny Confidential. She just started watching The Gentlemen on Netflix, and adores the American sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm by Larry David.    – Find Tammy on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.  Shop all things Prene at https://www.prenebags.com/  – New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)   Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

Hello, it's just Gal here today! And I'm chatting to Sara Bell - the founder and CEO of RIISE, and a climate change advocate who believes we can no longer rely on incremental change and need to use every creative fibre of our beings to transition faster to a cleaner lifestyle. Sara is passionate about changing the narrative about solving climate change so people get excited about building a low-carbon future. She has spent four years legally challenging fossil fuel subsidies in the European Court as CEO of a groundbreaking energy tech company in London. She won, marking a massive career high. Sadly the win was temporary as the UK government and EU Commission unlawfully reintroduced the scheme.  In this episode, you will see how profitability, sustainability, power and consumerism all collide, but can also be used as such a force. You will learn a lot about climate change just like I did, and not only that, but Sara will also chat us through what is it really that we want as individuals?  What is it that is going to make us care more, and take more action? What is it that's going to make it not so scary to think of climate change? What's going to make it approachable and relatable? Because at the end of the day, Sara says, humans crave newness.  But newness is the opposite of slowing down our buying habits. So what is the solution?  Let's get into it.  – Sara is currently reading The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano Da Empoli - an Italian and French political essayist and novelist. She is also watching Ginny & Georgia - an American comedy-drama television series created by Sarah Lampert.  Read about the fossil fuel court case Sara led as the former CEO of Tempus Energy:  Capacity Market: Sara Bell on what happens next UK Parliament: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/4384/html/ – Find Sara Bell on LinkedIn. Shop sustainably at riise.world, and find them on TikTok and Instagram. – New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)   Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Nikki Eylon, a cybersecurity expert who teaches us why Australia is a specific target when it comes to cybersecurity attacks, how to not get hacked, and what to do if your personal data has ever been compromised.  Starting out her journey as a teenager by waking up at 4am for swimming lessons would frame so much of how Nikki approaches business. She is a goal-setter and innovator, and reiterates the importance of storytelling when it comes to conveying information and explaining a problem.  Nikki coached elite sportsmen for the olympics, worked in high-end fashion design, and is now in the world of technology, cybersecurity and start-ups.  With over 20 years of managerial experience, Nikki joined the BSW Group, a group of technology companies, to extend it into Oceania. She is also working at a startup called ParKam, a smart parking app where drivers are guaranteed to always find an available parking spot. She's enthusiastic about innovation and finding new solutions, and to her, penetrating and emerging into new markets is one of the biggest challenges facing an entrepreneur.  She is a classic multitasker and as an immigrant, learned to keep reinventing herself as well as continuously apply her versatile knowledge in every situation. She is a strong advocate for mentoring young women to speak up and believe in themselves, in particular focusing on how we can get more women and girls into startups and the tech space.  We are certain of two things: you will learn so much in this episode, and you will run to change all your passwords when you finish listening.  Now let's get into it.  – Find Nikki Eylon on LinkedIn.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

Before we dive into today's show, just a trigger warning - this episode contains some themes of sexual abuse in aged care settings so please keep this in mind before listening.  On today's show we chat to Grace Brown, a robotics engineer and founder of Andromeda - an AI startup on a mission to revolutionise human-robot interactions. Grace, who is only 23, has been spending the last 18 months building Abi. Abi is a human-like, 120cm-tall robot, who is being built to provide social and mental support to vulnerable individuals, starting with the  elderly and disability demographics.   Abi can give hugs on demand, make eye contact, and build actual relationships with people. She's already being used as a companion in aged-care settings, and is helping people maintain their independence, learn, as well as socialise. While aged care is the initial target, Grace says Abi has incredible potential to provide an alternative way to connect, especially for young people.  Early on in the journey, she said, quote: "We've got parents of teenagers with disabilities who are saying that even with just the prototype, they are taken aback by the impact it has for that non-verbal social connection.”  If all goes to plan, in the next 20 years, Abi will be a fixture in 5% of households - as common as the trusty robot vacuum cleaner.  Listen in as we pass the mic over to Grace, who can tell us a LOT more about this, and learn about what a humanoid robot companion is, could be, and will be.  – Grace is currently reading:   Build - The Smile that Wins: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell.  Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz.  In this episode, we chat about wanting to learn to read books faster, and reference this blog post by Tim Ferris as a way to get started: Scientific Speed Reading: How to Read 300% Faster in 20 Minutes – Find Adromeda on Instagram, LinkedIn, and find Grace on YouTube  Learn more about Andromeda and Abi the robot: https://dromeda.com.au/  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

“When You've Met One Person With Autism, You've Met One Person With Autism.” On today's show we chat to Jenna Cohen - co-founder of the not-for-profit disability organisation Flying Fox, and recent founder and director of Honeycomb Access and Design - a firm specialising in advice to the construction industry to ensure that the built environment is accessible for all.  Jenna's Access Consulting expertise is informed by her background in architecture and an extensive knowledge of the disability sector. Jenna consults on the design of events, schools, public transport, hospitals, retail, and commercial developments, including working on the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre Melbourne. One of her proudest achievements is co-founding Flying Fox, which in short facilitates social sleep-away programs that have connected over 1500 young people with and without a disability.  Join us as we delve into topics surrounding the disability sector as well as everything you'd want to learn about building inclusive spaces for all.  – Jenna is currently reading The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Sophie Walker and Jodi Wilson. She's a big Seinfeld fan and just started watching Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.    – Find Jenna on her LinkedIn here: Jenna Cohen  Find Flying Fox on Instagram and at  flyingfox.org.au Find Honeycomb on Instagram, LinkedIn and on honeycombaccess.com.au  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

This week's episode is your (dollar) sign to start caring about your money!   We go into the money lessons we were surrounded with growing up, our thoughts about the importance of financial literacy, when and how we started investing (we're talking step-by-step), and why getting started is simpler than you're taught to think.   To us, women learning about money, and more importantly not being afraid to face their investing journeys, is a bazillion steps forward in the right direction. Because “mom, I don't need a rich man, I AM a rich man.”  (This is not financial advice).  –  This week, we're shouting out our first female-founded business on the pod - check out the most buttery-soft and comfy activewear from All Fenix at https://allfenix.com/.  Their core value is that being active should be a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate. Plus, you'll WANT to put these sets on, we promise!  All Fenix are also on Instagram and TikTok.  –  Some resources to get started investing: The Barefoot Investor book by Scott Pape One Up On Wall Street book by Peter Lynch  Get Started Investing podcast by Equity Mates The Australia Financial Review to stay on top of the news  CommSec by Commonwealth Bank to get started investing  –  New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship. Of course, you will also hear from the incredible guests we have on the show.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)   Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Michelle Battersby, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Sunroom – a creator app for women and non-binary creators to make money, share content freely, and connect intimately with their communities. At the age of 22, and after getting her start as a Human Resources Manager, Michelle started seeking out something more purpose-led.  In 2016, and after just one conversation with Bumble's founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, Michelle quit her then-job at PWC and started the daunting task of launching Bumble into Australia. The app reached incredible success, securing over 3 million downloads in Australia, and Michelle went on to become the Director of Marketing for the APAC region.  A few years later in November of 2019, Michelle took on the role of Chief Marketing Officer at the fast-growing health and wellness app Keep It Cleaner, where she led the team to implement a brand relaunch in the middle of 2020, which included a complete rebuild of the KIC app.  Michelle's career has been at the forefront of technology, marketing and consumer-led brands and we feel grateful to pick her brain and then share it with YOU. – Michelle is reading The Iron Flame which is an escape for her. She is watching Ted Lasso again back from season 1 as a feel-good show. Michelle has started re-listening to The Quicky by Mamamia to keep up with the news cycle in Australia whilst living in the U.S. – Find Michelle on Instagram here: @michellebattersby and Tiktok here: @michellebattersby You can also find Sunroom on Instagram here: @sunroom.so and Tiktok here: @sunroom.so or on the app store! – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

Hi Clever Cookies! We're back for another episode, and this week we want you to tune into the show by considering the following anecdote:  A 27-year-old woman has been with her company for a year, while her 28-year-old male coworker has been there for two years. Despite having similar previous experience, the male coworker, who started at an entry-level position, was promoted to the same level as her and is earning almost $20,000 more annually. Feeling undervalued and contemplating leaving, she plans to ask for a raise, considering her manager's encouragement for a promotion. She acknowledges the potential gender pay gap but is uncertain about framing it as discrimination.” So, how does she go about this, and is it about gender at all?  –  New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship. Of course, you will also hear from the incredible guests we have on the show.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)   Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Cara Davies, co-founder and former CEO of Steppen, the world's #1 Health & Fitness App For Gen Z's.  At 21, Cara was frustrated with the state of digital fitness for people her age. To solve this problem, she, alongside her two co-founders, started an app called Steppen. A year later and at just 22 years old, Cara was a university dropout in a pursuit to change the fitness landscape for the Gen Z audience.  Financially backed by one of Australia's most famous billionaires, Cara and her co-founders managed to scale Steppen to over 400,000 downloads. In just two years, the company was acquired by Alta Global Group, as part of their plans to better serve the global martial arts sector.  Cara undoubtedly has a plethora of experience through starting, building and growing a start-up for someone her age, and we can't wait to delve into the highs and lows that she has experienced thus far. – Cara is currently reading Red, White and Royal Blue (which was actually made into a movie on Amazon Prime recently). She also loves her weekly listen to the Shameless Podcast, and has recently started listening to Acquired - a podcast about different businesses' history and deep dives into how they were founded and why they were successful. – Find Cara on her LinkedIn here: Cara Davies  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show, we begin by chatting about Kiki: a startup with an all-male founding team, which has announced a pivot away from its invite-only subletting platform model to focus on launching a “girls only” club in New York City called Girls Who NYC. The subletting platform, previously called EasyRent, failed to take off in three markets: New Zealand, Australia, and New York City. Despite this, the male founders were able to raise close to $10 million, valuing them at $42 million in 2023.  Now, with the company set to ditch their subletting idea and instead launch its “girls only” club, many are questioning: Why is a male-founded company dipping their toes into the women's club space, and why are men able to get millions in funding for a business that has pivoted ideas and markets four times? Would women get this funding if the roles were reversed?  Tune in as we discuss this, and stay on as we chat about the differences for men vs women when it comes to the daunting task of having to raise money to start companies - especially the questions they're asked when pitching.  –  New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship. Of course, you will also hear from the incredible guests we have on the show.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Erin Deering - ex-co-founder of multi-million dollar swimwear brand Triangl, and recent author of her first book, Hanging By A Thread. The idea for Triangl was simple: The year was 2012 and Erin struggled to find an affordable bikini she liked, so alongside her partner at the time, Craig Ellis, she decided to manufacture them. The idea to do this together, by the way, was decided upon on just their second date - and a day after Erin's 27th birthday. By 2015, the company was selling more than 1000 bikinis a day and Topshop's Philip Green wanted to invest. From the outside, you'd think she had it all: a life in Monaco, flying first class, and their own super yacht. But this was far from reality and Erin was very much struggling. In 2016, Erin left not only her business, Triangl, but also her partner. Today, Erin lives with her four kids and husband Zac Keane in Melbourne. She is a businesswoman and entrepreneur through and through and has honestly been through it all. We're talking pretty much every high and low in business and life that you can imagine. So join us as we unpack the highs and lows Erin experienced with Triangl, the fashion business she is launching a little later in 2024 and all things Hanging By A Thread - her very first book! – Erin has a number of books lined up - the one she wants to read the most is Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. She also has Surrounded By Idiots and Small Giants on her list. She is also an avid listener of the Diary Of A CEO Podcast (I mean, who isn't?!) – Find Erin on Instagram here: @erinkdeering and TikTok here: @erindeering You can also find Erin's book, Hanging By A Thread for a vulnerable deep dive into Erin's success and the challenges she faced in trying to take care of her mental health while in pursuit of her dreams. – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

The Clever Women Co. podcast is back for another episode! Tune in as we (Gal & Em) reflect on the year that was and share all the things that we will be taking with us into 2024.  We're talking all the things that have deeply improved our lives for the better. We'd also love to hear your thoughts on what YOU will be bringing with you into 2024 and what has most improved your life! New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship. Of course, you will also hear from the incredible guests we have on the show.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  Happy listening we love all of you clever cookies!  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating or review - we will love you for it

The Clever Women Co. podcast is back, baby! Welcome to the very first episode of 2024 - we have so much to update you on! Tune in as we (Gal & Em) reflect on the year that was and deep-dive on what's to come for this podcast.  We chat about what worked, what didn't work, what we're keeping and of course - the new content types we're introducing.  New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship. Of course, you will also hear from the incredible guests we have on the show.  Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.  Ps. at the end of this episode - we pose a question to you, our listeners - so stay tuned because we'd love to hear what you think. Please see the Q&A box below to vote in your opinion, or send us a DM to let us know any and all of your thoughts. Now, let's dive into the first ep of what will be a MASSIVE year for the pod! Happy listening we love all of you clever cookies!  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Bree Johnson, co-founder of frank body - a now global skincare brand famous for its coffee body scrubs and cheeky personality.     In 2013, and together with four co-founders, Bree started the business with $5,000 and ingredients you could find in your kitchen. Ten years on and frank body is now a company worth $100M and is deeply ingrained into the households of many across Australia and the world. Bree, who is actually a copywriter by trade, knows her way around a word or two, and is also the co-founder of Willow & Blake, a branding agency that was born in 2010.  She is also a former acting editor and is responsible for creating over $1b worth of brands you know and love.  Bree is creative at heart and a businesswoman with over 14 years experience. She brings a unique perspective to the beauty industry and believes brands have a bigger purpose than just selling product. Her personal life motto is risk it for the biscuit. – Bree is currently reading Erin Deering's Hanging By A Thread, and recommends everyone read Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People.  – Find Bree on her LinkedIn here: Bree Johnson  Find Frank Body on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn.  Find Willow & Blake on Instagram and LinkedIn.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Zoe Rubino, the woman behind two of Gertrude Street's most iconic Melbourne venues - Rocco's Bologna Discoteca and Poodle Bar and Bistro (just quietly, if you haven't yet tried the meatball sub from Rocco's, you are, in our opinion, seriously missing out!).  Zoe fell in love with restaurants while working in them in her first year of uni, and knew then that she eventually wanted to curate a space of her own.  Alongside the running of these businesses, Zoe somehow also found the time to create a minimalist, water conscious, plastic negative skincare brand called Darl.  Zoe is a mother, style icon, business mogul and all-round boss, and we can't wait for you to listen to what is an incredibly insightful discussion.  – Zoe is currently reading a novel by Isobel Beech called Sunbathing.  – Find Rocco's Bologna Discoteca on Instagram and dine there at 15 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065  Find Poodle Bar & Bistro on Instagram and dine there at 81-83 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Sophie Marcoux, a former brand and product developer as well as founder of her own fragrance brand ‘Ficifolia.' Ficifolia is a luxe fragrance line inspired by the scents of Melbourne.  Sophie's professional experience spans the beauty, fashion, and FMCG industries, and she has a heap of value to share with us when it comes to creative brand strategy and visual communications.  We'll get to hear directly from someone in their early 20s who took the leap from full-time work to freelancing and managing their own business - so stay tuned for some tips if this is something you've been considering for yourself too.   – Sophie is currently reading Artists Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron and is partaking in the morning pages exercises as outlined in the book. – Find Ficifolia Fragrances on Instagram, TikTok and at ficifolia.com Find Sophie on Instagram as @sophmarcoux and on LinkedIn as Sophie Marcoux.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Erika Geraerts - a three time business founder and beauty industry powerhouse.  Erika co-founded the Melbourne-based content agency Willow & Blake in 2010, co-directing the company for five years. In 2013, she co-founded frank body, with a coffee scrub that revolutionised shower routines all over the world.  Three years later, Erika left both Willow & Blake as well as frank body - and since then, she's been the director of her very own beauty company called Fluff - a refillable, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics brand - which carries the message that it's okay to feel more with makeup, so long as you don't feel less without it.  Fluff operates as a drop model - where you can only shop for the products periodically - or every time there is a ‘drop' - making them unavailable for purchase outside of these intervals. You see drop models a lot with fashion brands, so tune in to hear Erika discussing how this works with beauty products.  Erika has seen a lot in the world of business, and more than a decade in the world of beauty in particular. She's built and exited businesses, dealt with raising money to start new ones, toyed around with supply chains and business models, and in all of this - has written extensively about the overlap of business and personal life.   – Erika is currently reading Good to Great by James Collins and is dipping her toes into the Beckham docu-series on Netflix.  She's also listening to The Rich Roll Podcast and specifically recommends the episode titled: Pixar Co-Founder Ed Catmull On The Art & Science Of Creativity, How To Do Your Best Work, Bring Out The Best In Others & Lead  – Find Erika on LinkedIn as Erika Geraerts and on Instagram as @erikageraerts  Find Fluff here: https://www.itsallfluff.com/ where DROP #6 is now officially LIVE!  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Alyce Greer - director and head writer of copywriting supergroup - Bossy Copy. Alyce has been a writer for as long as she can remember, and a paid writer for over a decade. In 2016, she barged her way into copywriting, bringing her witty, conversational and, at times, smartass writing style with her.  She went on to create Bossy Copy when she didn't even truly know what copywriting was! Bossy is not your average copywriting agency - they use strategy, psychology and creativity to develop unique voices and personalities that humanise brands.  With many job titles, Alyce now splits her time between crafting brand voices, writing creative copy, hosting The Bossy Type podcast, teaching Bossy Copy College. She also has strong feelings about exclamation marks! But let's hear all about this and more from Alyce's perspective.  – At the moment Alyce is reading a book called You Are A Badass At Making Money by Jen Sincero and another scary book about a lady getting stuck in a room…lucky for us she didn't state the name! Alyce also loves listening to people's stories on The Imperfects. – Find Alyce on Instagram @bossycopy.coach and if you're wanting to learn a little bit more about Bossy Copy, you can also visit her website, bossycreative.com.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Rachelle Unreich - journalist, writer and recent author of her very own, first book titled A Brilliant Life. In her now over 37-year career, Rachelle has written for almost every publication you can think of. She's had regular columns in The Sydney Morning Herald, Harper's Bazaar, The Herald Sun, and Elle magazine - to name just a few.  Her work also saw her move over to the U.S. for 7 years, covering some of the biggest stories of some of the biggest names.  For part of her journalistic career, she worked as a celebrity profile writer for the likes of Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Harrison Ford and Jennifer Aniston (and again, just to name a few).  More recently, Rachelle has turned her focus to writing more personal pieces, such as her latest book: A Brilliant Life. It tells the powerful true story of her late mother - a Holocaust survivor - told in Rachelle's words. Rachelle wanted to find out more about how Mira survived four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, as she always thought there was a sort of mystery to her survival.  Rachelle's work spans international borders as well as many generations, and we feel incredibly privileged to be able to chat to her and share her story with you all.  – At the moment Rachelle is reading a book called ‘The Lover's Dictionary' by David Levithan. Her guilty pleasure is anything reality tv! We're talking the likes of Southern Charm and Vanderpump Rules. – Find Rachelle on Instagram @rachelleunr and if you're wanting to learn a little bit more about her, you can also visit her website, rachelleunreich.com  And don't forget to read Rachelle's very first book, A Brilliant Life - exploring the powerful true story of her mother, a Holocaust survivor, told through Rachelle's words.  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Taiba Ash - founder and director of FinerRings - a super popular jewellery brand you have most likely come across, which she has been operating for 10 years.  Taiba was working full time about to take the risky move of quitting her job to become a nurse. She quickly realised that her millennial-style lack of value for money would ensure her savings would quickly dwindle. So, she devised a plan: start a small business to get her through her 3 year course.  The small business? FinerRings - which is not at all small. With FinerRings, Taiba aimed to provide quality, affordable jewellery that is designed in Melbourne. Taiba never expected FinerRings to get to where it is today. From her early days of selling out of her extremely popular stall at South Melbourne market, to launching an online store and later opening the doors of her first store on Chapel Street in South Yarra in November of 2018. The brand now has four locations in Melbourne, one in Sydney, and even hosts classes teaching others how to make jewellery themselves.  In all of this, Taiba also founded Romper & Co. - a baby boutique  of carefully curated collections of quality pieces for newborns and young munchkins - following the same principle of being of great quality, yet affordable.   Taiba runs her business with her strong Jewish values in mind which she'll tell you all about - so let's dive in!  – When Taiba switches off from business stuff, she's reading Colleen Hoover novels books, and just started watching Love Is Blind in some spare time.  – Find Finer Rings on Instagram @finerrings and shop their waterproof, tarnish free jewellery at finerrings.com  Find Romper & Co. on Instagram @romperandco and shop for quality baby & toddler pieces at affordable prices at romperand.co  – Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Tammy Kanat - a Melbourne-based fibre artist and weaver, who's tapestry work, which she posts on her Instagram to over 150k followers, is quite literally mind blowing.  Having professionally begun her career in the arts as a jewellery designer - an industry she worked in for 12 years - it was actually when she was renovating her home back in 2010 that Tammy wanted a woven tapestry, but couldn't find the right one - so, she made it herself.  Starting with that very first piece, Tammy completely repurposed her artistic talents and understanding into textiles. Within 6 years she gained international recognition, with celebrities regularly inquiring about her pieces - and has since produced commissions for both local and international clients.  – Often when Tammy is weaving she will listen to chanting and meditation music such as Deva and Miten, however she is also a big fan of rap music, namely Russ. Tammy has also been reading Rick Ruben's book, The Creative Act: A Way Of Being and The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World by Jennifer Higgie. – Find Tammy on Instagram and online at tammykanat.com   In February 2024, Tammy will be exhibiting her work at The Melbourne Art Fair with Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert –  Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Zara Seidler - co-founder of Australia's leading social-first news outlet The Daily Aus.  The Daily Aus produces digestible content for young people by young people, and does so by using colourful Instagram tiles - which we're sure have been shared in your group chat, likely multiple times.    Zara and her co-founder Sam Koslowski actually started The Daily Aus in 2017 by posting news tiles on Instagram so that their friends and family could better understand the news - a side hustle that quickly became a fully realised newsroom.  They have now expanded their audience to many young Australians through social media feeds (we're talking half a million followers on Instagram), as well as podcasts and daily newsletters.  Their aim? To introduce quality journalism to young audiences to build a healthy and consistent media consumption habit.  – Zara recommends dipping into some fiction reading, and is currently reading a book by Colleen Hoover. She's listening to But Are You Happy - a Mamamia podcast hosted by Clare Stephens.  – Find Zara Seidler on Instagram and connect with Zara on LinkedIn.  Follow The Daily Aus on Instagram at @thedailyaus, and subscribe to the TDA newsletter to be on top of news that matters.  –  Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it

On today's show we chat to Talia Datt, founder of social media marketing agency The Social CliQ, which first built its roots out of her home office in Melbourne back in 2018. Talia started off by door knocking, which eventually led to her earliest clients. She has now significantly expanded the online reach and revenue of over 300 brands worldwide, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups.  Recognising that consumers were flocking to TikTok during the pandemic, Talia launched sister company The Content CLiQ back in 2021 - a user-generated content service provider connecting brands with over 3000 creators worldwide.  Talia has also been internationally recognised for her achievements in the marketing category, being named as a Forbes 30 Under 30 for Asia in 2022. – Talia recommends listening to The Diary of a CEO podcast by Steven Bartlett, and reading his new book The 33 Laws of Business and Life.  Talia is also anxiously awaiting the release of Erin Deering's new book (which has since been released), titled Hanging by a Thread.  – Find Talia Datt on Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn.  Follow The Social CliQ and The Content CliQ on Instagram. –  Wanting more? Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco  Ps. you can ask us a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com  – And please don't forget to support us!  If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it