Catching Up With CUB

Daniel catches up with Sophia Lafkas, Managing Director of The Perfect Recruit, a business specialising in recruitment for transport, logistics, landscaping, and construction roles across Australia. Starting in her family's transport company at just 14, Sophia worked her way from the ground up, before launching her own successful recruitment agency 4 years ago. Daniel and Sophia discuss the lesson...

Daniel catches up with Julian Khursigara, CEO of Search Party Property, a leading investment advisory firm helping individuals build wealth through strategic property investments. With over 20 years of experience, Julian has guided investors in navigating the property market to achieve their financial goals. Daniel and Julian discuss how to apply strategy to property purchases, the key to building...

Daniel catches up with Simone Bartley, CEO and Founder of THE BR&ND CO., a consultancy dedicated to integrating business and brand strategies to unlock their full potential. With over 30 years of experience leading global agencies like SAATCHI & SAATCHI, building companies, and advising top brands, Simone helps businesses amplify their impact through strategic brand positioning. Daniel and Simone...

Daniel catches up with Rick Merten, Managing Director of InsideOut Group, a strategy-led B2B marketing consultancy with a unique approach - embedding fractional marketers inside businesses to drive growth from within. Originally founded in 2001 as an early digital start-up called Permission, InsideOut Group has evolved into a powerhouse for businesses looking to scale effectively. Daniel and Rick...

Daniel catches up with Chris Cowley, Managing Director of CKJ Building Services, a family-owned construction company specialising in government and commercial projects across Sydney. From growing up in a small town of just 300 people to leading a major building organisation, Chris has built some of the country's largest private schools and heritage projects. Daniel and Chris discuss the pros and c...

Daniel catches up with Sylvia Arotin, award-winning educator and founder of My Montessori Education Centre and Guide & Grow, one of the world's largest Montessori at-home support platforms. After a life-changing car accident shifted her career path, Sylvia turned her passion for education into a thriving global business, supporting over half a million families. Daniel and Sylvia discuss the dos an...

Daniel catches up with Melissa Hosgood, Managing Director of Labassa Capital, a specialist real estate investment manager. Labassa Capital builds long-term structured wealth through tailored financial solutions, taking a conservative approach while aiming to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns. Daniel and Melissa delve into her expertise on wealth preservation and the Australian property market...

Daniel catches up with Lachlan Rowston, Co-founder of LOCKEROOM, a premium gym designed for high-performing professionals. Opening his first gym at just 21, he and his business partner have since launched three more locations while also co-hosting Australia's No. 1 fitness podcast, The Mind Muscle Project. Daniel and Lachlan discuss the journey of growing LOCKEROOM into a national success story an...

Daniel catches up with Amy Castano, Co-founder of Acero, one of Australia's leading fitness and wellness brands. With her love for health & well-being, Amy turned Acero into a fitness powerhouse, shaking up the industry. Daniel and Amy discuss why taking the leap and launching a business - even before it's perfect - is essential, the pros and cons of her having a large social media following when...

Daniel catches up with Jessy Marshall, Founder of Hive HQ, a boutique Sydney-based PR and events agency helping beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands stand out. Hive HQ works with some of Australia's most talked about brands including tbh Skincare, Naked Sundays, Bangn Body, and more. Daniel and Jessy discuss leadership as a young entrepreneur and how to build and maintain a strong team. They expl...

Daniel catches up with Blake Micola, Founder of GMS Media Group, a digital agency specialising in ads, creative, and web optimisation to drive growth. Since 2016, GMS has managed over $217 million in ad spend and earned Tier A premium agency partnerships with META, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, and more. Daniel and Blake discuss what's currently trending in the digital marketing world, how the industr...

Daniel kicks off the first episode of 2025 with his brother Thomas Hakim, Founder of WISECAST, a Sydney-based podcast and content studio known for previously working with global names like John Travolta, Chris Williamson, and Nedd Brockman. Daniel and Tom dive into the power of podcasting as a marketing channel and the importance of creating authentic content that genuinely connects with audiences...

Daniel catches up with Brittany Wheeler, founder of One Wardrobe. Brittany shares her journey of turning a side hustle into a success and opens up about the challenges she faced during the early stages of her business.

Daniel catches up with Candice Feng, the founder and CEO of skincare brand Ms Morning. Immigrating to Australia without speaking English, Candice defied cultural expectations and broke societal norms to pursue her entrepreneurial vision. In this episode, Daniel and Candice explore her inspiring journey—from arriving in Australia alone to taking an entrepreneurial leap with her partner. They also d...

Daniel catches up with Adam Bouris, Co-founder of  Who Is Elijah , Australia's fastest-growing fragrance brand, created with his wife, Raquel. From humble beginnings in a Sydney garage to being sold in over 700 stores globally, the brand recently hit over $1 million in Black Friday sales. Daniel and Adam discuss Who Is Elijah's meteoric rise and what it takes to thrive in a competitive e-commerce...

Daniel catches up with the world-renowned artist George Raftopoulos, whose work has been exhibited both in Australia and internationally, including in New York, Hong Kong, and Paris. George's artworks have achieved remarkable acclaim, fetching up to tens of thousands of dollars at auction. On this episode, Daniel and George dive into the world of art and the importance of being completely vulnerab...

Daniel catches up with Andrew Brooke, a mindset and leadership expert & one of Australia's leading business consultants. Before launching his own business, Andrew climbed the corporate ladder, ultimately serving as Executive Director at a nine-figure fintech company. He now brings his wealth of experience to his own entrepreneurial ventures. Daniel and Andrew discuss how your internal dialogue and...

Daniel catches up with Mel Gholami, Founder and CEO of Planix Projects, a multi-award-winning project management company known for its success in the government and non-profit sectors. From migrating to Australia at 16 in search of freedom and opportunity, Mel transformed adversity into ambition, building one of the country's most respected project management firms. Daniel and Mel speak about Mel'...

Daniel catches up with Daniel Breese, Director of AS White Global, a company helping Aussie businesses build international teams, with over 1500 staff members under management across the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Daniel and Dan discuss international staffing and the effects of COVID on the industry. They speak about flexible working arrangements and how business owners can get...

  Daniel catches up with Dominic Legg, Founder & CEO of Motion by Design. Originally starting the animation studio 6 years ago with a focus on marketing content, Dom and his team now specialise in creating videos for change management and staff education, servicing large transnational corporations and government organisations. Daniel & Dom discuss how Motion by Design helps organisations drive cha...

Daniel catches up with George Psyhogios, Founder & CEO of ProGekt Group, a commercial cleaning business that has generated over $50 million in revenue and employs 150 staff members. In addition to his success with ProGekt, George has recently founded Power Potential, a ground-breaking holistic wellness centre that combines traditional Mediterranean and Nordic practices with innovative techniques t...

Daniel catches up with Leanne Elich, CEO of Leanne Elich Consulting, a company that helps businesses ethically influence customer behavior by understanding the brain and human behavior. Leanne is a decorated Sales Psychology Strategist, Neuroscientist, Leadership Advisor, Author, and Speaker. In 2023, she was named one of the Top 20 Women in Business, and in 2024, she was honored as a Master Neuro...

Daniel catches up with Mark Connelly, Co-Founder of Populares, a communications company that leverages decades of experience in building change-making and political strategies to help governments and big corporations better understand their target audiences. Mark played a key role in shaping the strategy for several successful Teal campaigns in the 2022 Australian federal election and has been inf...

Daniel catches up with Jasmine Chilcott, Founder & CEO of FixBIOME, a leading gut health education and supplement company making a difference in the lives of thousands suffering from gut health issues. In this episode, Jasmine shares her inspiring journey from years of battling bloating and IBS while working as a professional model, to uncovering the root causes of her health issues—insights that...

Daniel Catches up with George Hadjia, the founder & CIO at Bristlemoon Capital. At only 33 years old George has already managed to rise up the corporate ladder before venturing off to start his own hedge fund, managing the investment capital of high net worth individuals in Australia.   Daniel and George dive into the psychology of investing, discussing the key do's and don'ts of making critical i...