Handpicked with Naomi Simson

When you're creating an entirely new category, you can't just sell—you have to educate. Kate Abrahams, founder of TrafficAI (a platform that predicts reputational risk events using workforce behavioral data), sits down with Naomi Simson to discuss the exhausting gap between building groundbreaking technology and getting customers to understand why they need it. Drawing on her experience laun...

What's slowing your business down could become your biggest competitive advantage. James Yang, founder of Kaizen Solutions (a productivity suite for remote teams), asks Naomi Simson the hard questions every Australian startup founder faces: why do our businesses fizzle while American companies scale globally? How do you shift from selling to individuals to landing corporate clients? When do you st...

Strategy is easy. Execution is where most businesses fail. In this episode, Naomi Simson sits down with Mat Wilk, founder of Ballast Point Construction and creator of the Inner West Tech & Startup community, to tackle the challenges every entrepreneur faces: how to move from planning to doing, how to build partnerships that actually work, and whether being a polymath helps or hurts your busine...

Every successful business starts with a problem worth solving. In this episode of Handpicked, Naomi Simson sits down with Mark Woodland, founder of Kismet, who's tackling one of Australia's biggest challenges: the administrative burden crushing families caring for aging parents. After successfully building and selling Explore, Mark is now automating healthcare admin for the "sandwich generation"&m...

Time is your most precious resource—so why are you spending it on admin at 11pm? Naomi Simson and Slavic Teplitsky from Deel reveal exactly how to get your time back. From consolidating 16 time-sucking vendors into one streamlined platform to giving employees instant access to their earned wages (saving everyone's time), this episode is a masterclass in reclaiming hours you didn't know you h...

Every founder says yes too often—and it's killing their business growth. Naomi Simson sits down with serial entrepreneur Sheree Andersen (founder of Elephant and Trove corporate gifting platforms) to reveal the pivotal moment in RedBalloon maturing and learning what to say no to.  Discover why business success comes from what you refuse, not what you accept. Learn business focus strateg...

Six kids under six. C-suite roles at Australia's biggest retail brands. A law degree completed just to prove her brothers wrong. Amy Louise doesn't do things halfway. From shop floor to boardrooms. Amy's built her career scaling iconic Australian retailers while raising six children in what can only be described as controlled chaos. But here's what she wants to know: Is burnout really a badge of h...

Liam Forde ran a big business in London. His confession? "I turned into an asshole." So he spent the next 26 years teaching people not to be like him—creating transformation experiences for leaders across 40 countries. Now he's relocated to Australia for his grandkids—and he's starting completely fresh. No networks. No contacts. No idea where to begin in the Australian market. His ques...

January 2020. New CEO. Six-month-old baby. Seven weeks later? COVID hits. That's how Cara McLeod stepped into the CEO role at Mahlab—and somehow that chaos became the launchpad for international growth. But here's the problem: Mahlab does bespoke strategy work. Everything is custom. Every project needs people. More growth = more headcount. The classic service business trap. So how do you sca...

What do you do when you've built a successful business in a niche that most people don't even know exists? Oliver Lonergan went from selling lollies in primary school to running Professional Picture Hanging—a 12-person operation spanning Australia's east coast and London, with major contracts including Crown Sydney and luxury hotels. At just years out of school, he's facing the classic scale...

Join Naomi Simson as she mentors Jash Fullinfaw from The Print Bar through the critical challenges of website re-platforming, scaling print-on-demand operations, and maintaining customer experience during rapid growth. From SEO migration strategies to revenue model prioritisation, this episode delivers actionable insights for any e-commerce business navigating technology transformation while prese...

Join Naomi Simson in conversation with Adriana Brusi, Managing Director of CrowdsNow, as they dive deep into the real challenges of startup life. From the three critical mistakes that derail new businesses to why authentic relationships trump expensive marketing campaigns, this episode reveals the uncomfortable truths about building a business that lasts. Discover why your customers should be your...

Drowning in property management systems, booking engines, and CRM platforms? Alicia Szerszyn from Paradise Resort gets answers on balancing high-tech with high-touch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When tourism gets tough, do you pivot or persist? Mark Garey from Orange Trikes faces three critical decisions about SEO, pricing strategy and premium product marketing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay Yip's 40-year tourism journey leads to one big question: as AI transforms travel booking, is it better to go everywhere or focus on fewer, better partners? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From tea towels to TV dreams: Live painter Sarah Rowan asks how sole traders can scale without losing their magic. Her energy is infectious and her questions apply to every creative entrepreneur. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Crohn's diagnosis to gut health empire: Rudi van der Vlies asks how to build authority, tackle taboo topics, and grow D2C brands in the AI era. Game-changing insights inside. If this is for you -  https://www.brand-hub.au/pages/tumme also use the code NAOMI10 to get a discount   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 91% of companies have recognition programmes but only 31% rate them as effective, something's clearly broken. In this episode, co-CEOs Belinda and Amie from Cos share how they're revitalising their "tired" recognition programme without falling into the favouritism trap. Why Strategy Execution Unravels and What to do About It See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OnDeck's Justin Brady asks the tough questions about sales incentives and customer relationships. Discover why memorable beats monetary and the three pillars that drive results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, I'm Naomi Simson — and we’re back with a brand new season of Handpicked , my podcast where real business owners bring me their real questions. Season five is here (can you believe it?), and wow — the entrepreneurs have really brought the big ones this time. We’re talking about everything from how to motivate today’s sales teams  to how to build a culture o...

What is your brand promise?    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this short extra I look stratergy made simple    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venkatesh has been in business for almost a decade and he is really wanting to scale. I ask him to consider the constraints of the business and what is holding him back. He wants to know if being boutique is good and how to appeal to larger customers - as a twist at the end I ask him to dream about what his business will look like in five years time. Do you dream about what is possible? Don't forg...

In this short extra I explore the importance of owning a space.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have a busines idea then this is the episode for you. Chris has a design patent and now he wants to take his project further. I challenge him on some of his thinking, ask him about success and lead him towards next steps. Don't forget to rate, review and refer Handpicked.  Thanks to our season sponsor - BIZCOVER , see the link https://www.bizcover.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...