How I Made It

Growing up, Janine Allis never thought about starting her own business. “I didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was,” she says. But after spotting a gap in the market, there was no stopping the founder of a now-global smoothie company that’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. On the final episode of season five of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds ou...

Since she was a little girl, Flavia Tata Nardini was obsessed with space. The Italian-born rocket scientist began her career at the European Space Agency but moved to Adelaide in her 20s, where she found herself confronted with a lack of industry. Left with no other choice, she started her own business. On this week's episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how the CEO...

Vikas Rambal came to Australia from India on a prospective business trip in 2000. But the project he was looking into was not what it seemed. It was a moment on his five-day trip that would prove to be pivotal. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how a scam and a chance encounter set about the Perdaman Group founder’s dream to build the co...

Chris Lucas grew up in the world of hospitality, often spending time in his dad’s pub in Geelong. But it wasn’t until his mid-30s that one of the country’s top restaurateurs entered the industry himself. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how working at IBM as a sales and marketing executive inspired Lucas to become one of the biggest figure...

Leading Australia’s largest airline is by all accounts a dream job.  But in 2012, Bruce Buchanan – who was on track to become chief executive of Qantas – walked away from the national carrier. He now runs one of the world’s hottest tech companies: $7.2 billion e-commerce marketing tech firm Rokt. This week on How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup pulls back th...

Trinny Woodall first became a household name as one half of the dynamic duo, Trinny and Susannah. Together the pair built a career issuing fashion advice to women on their long-running BBC series, What Not to Wear . But at the age of 53 Woodall decided it was time to step out on her own, launching eponymous beauty brand Trinny London. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, fashion editor L...

Growing up on a sheep farm, Matt Jensen has long had an appreciation for natural fibres. But it was during a stint in London working as a banker that the budding entrepreneur spotted a gap in the menswear market. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, fashion editor Lauren Sams finds out how the failure of one business led to the success of another – menswear giant MJ Bale. This podc...

When the co-founder and former chief executive of The Big Group was 21, he had just $500 in his pocket. Not afraid of risk, Bruce Keebaugh and his wife, Chyka Keebaugh, used it to champion the competitive world of catering and events. This week on How I Made it, The Australian Financial Review’s Lauren Sams finds out how this hospitality guru came to dominate an industry. This podcast was sp...

From the start of high school, Rod Drury was captivated by computing.  It was a fascination that would go on to create one of the largest ASX-listed tech companies, accounting software giant Xero. In this week’s episode of How I Made It, The Australian Financial Review Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how a passion in high school became a $28 billion company. This podcast was s...

Jose Bryce Smith came to Australia on holiday. Seven years later, she founded what would become one of the country’s biggest haircare brands. With products stocked in more than 30,000 salons across 21 countries, Original & Mineral (O&M) is a dominant force in the hair industry. In this week’s episode of the new season of How I Made It, The Australian Financial Review fashion ed...

How I Made It is back with new hosts Lauren Sams & Yolanda Redrup. Join us to learn how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Kroonenburg built a company from his bedroom, with him and his brother Ryan both making about $500 million. But Sam, 40, is doing what he can to avoid the trappings of wealth. Further reading: Aussie who sold cloud start-up for $2b jumps on AI for ads Young Rich Lister says more founders should take cash off the table See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After deciding working at Legal Aid wasn’t the career for him, Kerry Harmanis applied to an art school. He was rejected and turned to prospecting in WA. It was a journey that led to the $3.1 billion sale of Jubilee Mines right as nickel prices peaked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Blackburne built a property company that in 2016 land him on the Financial Review Rich List with an estimated $536 million fortune. He’s also seen other people make lots of money and says there’s a success trap entrepreneurs need to be mindful of.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard White wanted to be a rock and roll star. He ended up developing software for companies in the logistics industry. In 1994 he founded Wise Tech Global and is now the 11th wealthiest person in Australia. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com   This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click  here See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

How a back of the napkin plan put fitness star Steph Claire Smith on the Young Rich List. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com   This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click  here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Woodland was expanding his education start-up before realising he’d overlooked a critical component for its success. He had to fix it, even if it meant a bunch of staff walked out the door. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com   This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click  here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serial entrepreneur Nick Bell sits down with Julie-anne Sprague to chat about his latest business venture, which aims to help people live longer. He also details his recent trip to Mexico, where he spent $700,000 on injections to alter his genes. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com   This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click  here S...

In this week's episode, Precision Group founder Shaun Bonétt chats to Julie-anne Sprague about becoming one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs. A journey that went from home schooling to buying his first shopping centre at just 24 years of age. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com   This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private cli...

How I Made It is back for a 4th season and this time we're giving you can chance to ask a Rich Lister a question yourself.  Are you building a company and want to scale up, do you want advice on funding your growth or have you just got an idea and you want to know what to do next, well here is your opportunity. Send a question to howimadeit@afr.com and we’ll get a Rich Lister to help you.  Episode...

His parents moved to Australia with just $90 to their name, raising their young family in a housing commission flat in Melbourne. It was there Ruslan Kogan honed his selling skills, making a buck selling golf balls and washing cars. He’s now worth about $300 million after creating online retailer Kogan.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The How I Made it team is on a summer break but have curated a special summer series featuring some of our favourite episodes.  In this third episode, Simon Beard joined Julie-anne Sprague in 2022 to chat how he and his wife Tah-nee started Culture Kings as a market stall on the Gold Coast. They’d go on to cut a deal that valued their retailer at $600 million. In this episode, Simon shares his rou...

The How I Made it team is on a summer break but we’ve curated a special summer series featuring some of our favourite episodes.  Our second episode in this summer series features Tammy Hembrow who joined the Julie-anne Sprague in August 2022 where she shares her story of being told her life was ruined when she unexpectedly fell pregnant at 19. She’d go on to develop a fitness app and clothing bran...

Happy New Year! The How I Made it team is on summer break but for your listening enjoyment they have compiled a collection of some of their favourite episodes from our rich catalogue of interviews with the nation’s Rich Listers. The first episode in this summer series features Jack Cowin, the Canadian door-to-door salesman who left of Australia and opened fast food chains KFC and Hungry Jack’s. He...

Sam Kennard always had ambition to work and grow the family company. But he never expected his dad to give him total control when he was just 24 years of age.  This podcast is sponsored by Superloop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.