Q&A with S&A

Megan Dickinson from The Live Life Whole Project sits down with Shane and Andrea to talk about the work she and her business partner, Sarah Roughhead, are doing to improve health and wellness education for young women across Australia. Drawing on her own health journey and the experiences she witnessed throughout her career as a physiotherapist, Megan (Meg) shares the story behind The Live Life Wh...

The Changing World of Recruitment with Tarryn Hogan In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Andrea and Shane sit down with Tarryn Hogan, Director & Principal Consultant at Rae Recruitment, to discuss the realities of recruitment from both sides of the hiring process. Tarryn shares her journey from falling into recruitment to building her own business specialising in professional services, and...

Family Business & Healthcare Law with Julian Whitehead In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Andrea and Shane sit down with one of the newest additions to the Aintree Group Legal team, Julian Whitehead, to explore the journey that led him from a family-run law practice to becoming a Director at Aintree Group Legal. Julian shares the unique experience of spending more than a decade working a...

Building Better Leaders Through Authenticity with Tracey Waring What does it take to build a successful career, lead with authenticity, and know when it's time to reinvent yourself? In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Andrea and Shane sit down with Tracey Waring, former EY Partner, leadership mentor, and keynote speaker. After a 32-year career at one of the world's largest professional servic...

Building a Family for Australia's Most Vulnerable Youth with Susan Barton (OAM) Susan Barton (OAM) is the founder of Lighthouse Foundation and one of Australia's most respected advocates for children and young people experiencing homelessness. In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Q&A with S&A, Andrea and Shane sit down with Susan to discuss the remarkable journey that led her to e...

The Future of IT & Business Technology with Matt Sutherland Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, but how can business owners keep up without getting left behind? In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Andrea and Shane sit down with Matt Sutherland, Founder and Managing Director of QAMBA, to unpack what today's rapidly changing technology landscape means for small and medium-sized bu...

ENCORE: Redefining Success to Prevent Burnout with Mel Kettle This week we’re revisiting our episode with leadership and communication strategist, best-selling author and business consultant Mel Kettle. Mel opens up about her experience with burnout and how it led her to support others in redefining success in a way that protects their wellbeing. Mel shares practical strategies to help leaders bui...

Creating Connections That Matter with Chelsea Scarlett This week on Q&A with S&A, the tables are turned as Aintree Group's Marketing & Communications Manager, Chelsea Scarlett, steps out from behind the camera and into the guest chair. Having spent nearly a decade helping shape Aintree Group's brand, communications, events, podcasts, websites, social media presence, and client engageme...

In this episode, we get to know Richard Lyons, who recently joined the team after completing his Bachelor's degrees in Accounting and Law, a journey he began in the early 2000s before taking a long hiatus working in hospitality. They explore what it means to have a lifelong thirst for knowledge, the instinct to constantly ask “why?”, and how platforms like audiobooks and YouTube have become powerf...

The Business of Leadership with Brent Szalay & Josh Vanderloo In this episode of Q&A with S&A , Andrea sits down with Brent Szalay and Josh Vanderloo from Leaders In Business, to unpack the evolving world of business advisory, leadership and what accountants can learn from elite sport. From a chance friendship formed through their kids’ sporting teams to building a fast-growing advisor...

The Little Things That Make a Big Difference with Jane Stewart In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Shane and Andrea sit down with Jane Stewart, co-founder of It’s the Little Things Community, a Melbourne-based organisation dedicated to providing home-style meals and acts of kindness to vulnerable people across the community. Jane shares the inspiration behind starting the organisation, the po...

Choosing Peace While Building a Busy Life with Alex Baldock Pilates and yoga instructor, business owner, client manager and all-round time-management extraordinaire Alex Baldock joins S&A for a conversation about building a busy life that still prioritises peace. Alex shares her journey from Adelaide to Milan, to the UK, and eventually to Melbourne, reflecting on how travel and expat life shap...

In this episode of Q&A with S&A, Shane and Andrea sit down with Melbourne-based HR specialist Nick Gearen to explore what really goes on behind the scenes in the world of human resources. Nick shares his journey into HR, unpacking the realities of the profession and how it differs from common perceptions. From managing workplace challenges to building strong team cultures, he offers practi...

TV vs Reality: Keeping Lawyers in Line for a Living with Katie McRae In this episode of Q&A with S&A , Shane and Andrea sit down with Aintree Group Legal’s Business Manager, Katie McRae, to unpack what life in law really looks like. Inspired by Suits to pursue a career in law, Katie shares how the reality of the industry compares to what we see on screen, and why she chose to go straight i...

In this episode, Shane and Andrea sit down with former Collingwood Football Club captain and Eclat CEO, Nick Maxwell, to explore his transition from professional football into the business world. Nick shares what led him to pivot into a new chapter of his career, why he finds the lives of business owners so interesting, and the importance of building connections and community. They dive into the d...

Fresh off 876 shows touring Australia with Beauty & The Beast , performer Amy Hopwood joins Q&A with S&A to share what life is really like behind the curtain. From juggling competitive dance training throughout school to booking Disney’s Frozen before even graduating with her Performing Arts qualification, Amy opens up about breaking into the industry during COVID, surviving 8–9 show w...

Shane and Andrea chat with Aintree Group–sponsored athlete Kaylen Bassett for an inspiring and insightful conversation about family, resilience, and elite performance in canoe slalom. Kaylen shares his unconventional journey into the sport, the strong family foundations that underpin his career, and the mental skills required to compete at the highest level. The conversation centres on a career-de...

When the right solution doesn’t exist, sometimes the only option is to create it yourself! In this episode, Andrea chats with Melissa Voss , Co-Founder of FuseWork , to discuss how identifying gaps and developing the right tools to fill them can transform not only your own business but an entire industry. They explore what it means to take initiative when no one else will, how problem-solving can...

In this episode, Shane and Andrea sit down with mother–daughter powerhouse Jane Willox and Maddie Devereux, the team behind Kitchen Queens Catering. The pair share how their shared passion for food grew into a thriving business, and how working together as family has strengthened both their bond and their brand. From the joy of cooking to the fulfilment of feeding others, Jane and Maddie talk abou...

In this episode of Q&A with S&A , Andrea sits down with Mary-Anne Brasacchio and Geena Di Stefano, founders of the Social Soirée Collective, to talk about the importance of connection, especially for mothers who are rediscovering their identity later in life. Born out of the lull in the events space following the COVID pandemic, the Social Soirée Collective was created to give women a plac...

In this episode, Andrea chats to Val Coin from Via Technology about all about the joys, challenges and benefits of transformation, systems and processes and being a husband-and-wife business team. They talk about how all businesses can learn from hospitality when it comes to the importance of system and process, and how technology should be the last thing on the list when you want to successfully...

In this episode of Plant Grow Reap, Andrea and Shane catch up with event photographer Melissa Hobbs to explore her creative journey - how discovering a love of photography in adulthood led to building an in-demand business trusted to capture life’s most meaningful moments. Mel shares what it’s like to photograph the energy, emotion, and connection that define an event. She also chats about travel,...

In this episode, Shaun de Vries, founder of Open Pantry Consulting, shares the remarkable story of his diverse career in hospitality — from early success buying his first bakery at just 21, to hard lessons learned through rebuilding his life and business after a life-changing car accident and navigating insolvency. He reflects on the power of strong business relationships, the importance of being...

In this episode of Q&A with S&A , Shane and Andrea sit down with Wayne Schmidt - global traveller, digital nomad, business mentor, and industry leader with over 35 years of experience in accounting, sales, and technology. Wayne shares his remarkable journey from programming on mainframes and pioneering fixed-fee models, to launching software giants like Xero, and now mentoring firms while...

In this episode of Q&A with S&A , Andrea and Shane chat with Gus McLennan , Co-Founder and CEO of Propella.ai , about how AI is reshaping professional services businesses. Over the past year, Aintree Group has partnered with Propella.ai to develop AI-driven internal process databases, boosting accuracy, security, and data management. The conversation looks at common myths and legitimate co...