PEERS

How did your childhood define you, peers? For today’s guest it was a battle with meningitis as a one-year-old that impacted the way he moved through the world.  Although his sight and hearing was impacted, the Founder of Litmus Collective and National Geographic Photographer, Matthew Cicanese didn’t let it slow him down.  In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Matthew shares...

While most entrepreneurial advice is to ignore the critics, sometimes… we should pay attention. We’re not saying listen to people constantly slating your ideas but, today’s guest found that sometimes receiving criticism can disrupt your own business BS.  Because if everyone is positive, how do you grow? In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, we sit down with fintech disruptor and...

While we’ve been busy interviewing guests for the Peers2Peers podcast, our Founder and CEO Michelle Akhidenor felt it was time to get on the other side of the mic and share her story.  In this solo episode, created for Michelle’s keynote speech at the 2021 #ColourFULL conference , The Peers Project Founder shares why she began  Australia’s leading podcast agency, how her biracial identit...

One way to make the world a better place is to be who you needed when you were younger. This was definitely the case for Fabrice Guerrier, the Founder of writing collective, Syllble.  In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Fabrice shares how he created a business after identifying a gap in the market, how he’s disrupting the publishing industry and why we need to be listening to...

As the daughter of immigrants, Jenn spent her childhood in a strict routine. While her parents just wanted the best for her, Jenn knew she was destined to pave a new kind of way for her family. Going against the grain, Jenn left her corporate role as a product designer to launch a brand that would go on to make a difference to children around the world.  In this Peers2Peers episode, powered b...

We get it, peers. As entrepreneurs we want to make it all happen (and quickly) but sometimes you realise you can’t do everything yourself. Asking for help can be the necessary tool to reach farther than ever before.  In today’s Peers2Peers episode, powered by Shopify, Lydia Liebman shares how outsourcing some of her work (and having to pay someone’s wages) forced her jazz-focused PR agency to...

Like most immigrants, Ahmed Elsamadisi felt he needed to assimilate. After moving from Egypt to the United States, the entrepreneur even decided to take acting classes to develop an American accent. As he got older, however, he realised the power in being unique. After overcoming many obstacles, Ahmed gained a degree in Robotics from Cornell University and is now the Founder of analysis software c...

How are you defining your goals, peers? Are you constantly aiming for five years down the track? Maybe your goals are simply ticking the day-to-day tasks off your list? Over the course of his career, Nigerian-American professional soccer player, Amobi Okugo has learnt how to find the balance between setting both “stretch” goals  and “easily achievable” goals.  In this episode of Peers2Pe...

When was the last time you rested, peers? Not just scrolling-Instagram-rested but properly rested? After studying for years to become a lawyer, working in corporate, and then launching her own business, Anita Siek was left feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. But, by discovering the power of proper rest, the Founder & Director of Wordfetti became her best self.  In this high-energy episode...

When did you realise you were an entrepreneur? For Lissele Pratt it was when she created a jewellery business at the age of 16. After selling her jewellery at London’s infamous Camden Market, today Lissele is a Forbes 30 Under 30 listee and the Co-Founder of fintech company, Capitalixe. In this Peers2Peers episode, powered by Shopify, Lissele shares her tools for achieving big dreams, the power of...

We’ve probably all said it before: I’ll be happy when I get that promotion, the new house, the dream client, the pay rise. As ambitious people, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind and chase of striving for success. But what if we let joy in right now?  Allison Lee is the CEO & Founder of tech company, Hemster, a platform that’s working with brands to tailor clothing to you (not the ot...

How does your workplace treat you? Do you feel valued? Supported? Or do you feel like a cog in a machine?  Reggie James is the CEO and Founder of consultancy group, Beaker & Flint, and began to grow frustrated over how some companies treat employees like a number; so he did something about it.  In today’s episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopify, Reggie shares why he has decided to...

Believe it or not, back in 2014, Instagram was almost an entirely different platform than what it is today. Before the selfies and #sponcon, it was originally a photo sharing app to connect with friends and family. Today’s guest, however, was one of the first pioneers of the influencer marketing that’s come to define Instagram in recent years.  In this episode of Peers2Peers, powered by Shopi...

In her early twenties, Priscilla Hajiantoni was working a corporate job and was on her way to owning a property with her partner.  But, like many entrepreneurs before her, Priscilla felt called to something bigger than the dream of the ‘white picket fence’. After years of researching, trialling (and working to fund it), Priscilla launched the beauty brand, Bangn Body.  The skincare line...

From being a TAFE drop-out to traveling across the world, Hayley Worley has had a unique path to entrepreneurial success.  It was after an unpleasant experience in a department store, that the former fashion designer saw a sheet-sized gap in the market. Now, Hayley is the Founder of The Sheet Society, a Melbourne-based brand that is making sleeping fun again.  In this episode of Peers2Pe...

For some people, going into the family business is a no-brainer.  And for today’s guest, Kaushal Shah, it was through this common path that he discovered a problem worth solving.  Inspired by his parents' paper packaging business of 55 years, Kaushal knew he could create a better model.  Now, Kaushal is the Founder and CEO of envoPAP, a sustainable company that is creating environme...

Like many of us, Angel Chen assumed that her philanthropic work would come after she’d spent years in her cushy corporate job. Once she’d made the money. Once she had the time. Once she’d done enough. But what would happen if she didn’t wait? Thinking about what she wanted out of life, Angel and her partner built DrawHistory, a branding agency with a big difference. Through their work, the team ha...

The pandemic has taken every single one of us on our own individual, and collective, roller coaster rides. But can you imagine starting a job heading up marketing in the Asia Pacific region for a company that spearheads the democratisation of e-commerce? Well that was what Robin Marchant was faced with in January of 2020 when he joined Shopify. In this episode, Robin shares everything he learned,...

As the child of Chinese immigrants, Amy Yu knew that her path was to study hard, get an education and step into a stable job. But after her studies took her from Western Australia all the way over to the big smoke of Melbourne, Amy knew she had to make a bold move.  Now, Amy is the Co-Founder and CTO of Ventora Medical, a venture-backed company that is developing a device to monitor the airwa...

Have you ever known that something wasn’t for you? Whether it was a new job or a new course, you just knew deep down that you weren’t meant to be there? That’s how today’s guest, Amna Akhtar, the Founder of non-profit organisation, GirlDreamer felt when she dropped out of university after just one week.  Feeling pressured by her immigrant parents to take a more traditional path, Amna followed...

As entrepreneurs, working with a mission is ingrained. The inherent nature of working for a better future keeps us committed when the going gets tough. In every Peers2Peers episode, we ask our clever guests: What’s the value in pursuing what you’re most passionate about?  The answers can reveal so much about a person, their mission and of course, their passions. In this special episode, we we...

We’re three quarters through 2021, peers. While you may be wondering if you’ve “done enough” for your business this year, our Founder and CEO, Michelle Akhidenor wants you to know that it’s okay to take your foot off the gas for a hot minute.  In this honest and vulnerable solo episode, Michelle opens up about her mental health after launching a new podcast, the benefits to herself and her bu...

Rejection, loneliness, anxiety; emotions us humans tend not to like. But sometimes, they can be the catalyst to change the course of our lives.  Ella Greenwood was just 13 years old when she began to suffer from mental health issues. At the same time as her career as an actress was beginning, Ella knew she wanted to share stories and add value to the world through film.  In today’s Peers...

Colombo-based entrepreneur and Founder of Surge Global, Bhanuka Harischandra always felt like the black sheep in his family.  With academic pressures plaguing his future, a teenaged Bhanuka turned to video games.    After uploading video game content to streaming platforms like YouTube, Bhanuka began to see his path changing in front of him as he realised he could monetise his passi...

When today’s guest moved from Bangladesh to America, she never imagined that she’d one day be receiving an award from President Barack Obama himself.  After arriving in the US to gain an education, Shomy Hasan Chowdury started volunteering. Soon, 40 hours turned into 460 and the entrepreneur discovered her passion for giving back.  Now the Co-Founder of global youth-led organisation Awar...