The Growth & Banter Podcast

In this episode of Growth & Banter, we sit down with Natalie Anne, founder of Natalie Anne Haircare, to explore the journey from working behind the salon chair to building one of Australia's most recognised haircare brands. What began as a passion for helping women feel confident has evolved into a global brand, trusted by both professional stylists and everyday consumers. Natalie shares the lesso...

🎙️ From $60k Savings to $250M Property Empire | Scott O'Neill on Wealth, Rentvesting & Commercial Property In this episode of the Growth & Banter Podcast , Scott O'Neill joins Blake Micola to unpack the mindset, strategy, and decisions that helped him build a $250M net worth before turning 40. Scott shares his journey from working construction sites as a civil engineer to founding Rethink Property...

In this episode of Growth & Banter, Blake Micola sits down with sales powerhouse Adam McCaughey to unpack one of the most unconventional journeys in business. From getting expelled at 15… to working in world-class kitchens like Rockpool… to living on a superyacht… and eventually closing $20M+ in sales. Adam's story is anything but typical. But this episode isn't just about the journey,  it's a dee...

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Seymour, a former professional rugby union player turned entrepreneur, to unpack the journey from elite sport to building Rise, a fast-growing performance supplement brand. This episode covers the mindset required to transition from professional athlete to business owner, the realities of launching a product-based brand, and why discipline, recovery, systems,...

In this episode, I had a chance to sit down with Jeremy Cabral, co-founder of Finder.com, to unpack what it really takes to scale from scrappy experiments to a global machine. Jeremy shares the inside story of Finder's journey, from generating a few thousand dollars in revenue to building and supporting a 600-person team operating across multiple countries. He breaks down how Finder built a scalab...

Brother–sister founders. A category most people never question. And an industry dominated by global giants who can outspend you in their sleep. Annabelle and Tom from Femme Organic, the Melbourne duo who turned a lockdown frustration into a 100% organic, plastic-free period care brand and pushed it onto shelves in 400+ stores. They unpack the stuff founders actually deal with: Building a "David vs...

Miss Universe Australia 2022 turned entrepreneur. In this episode, we sit down with Monique Riley, founder of Mrs Matcha, to explore how she transformed a chance opportunity into a global platform and built a business that's redefining how Australians enjoy matcha. Monique takes us behind the scenes of her ten-month journey to winning Miss Universe Australia, her unexpected leap into entrepreneurs...

In this episode, we are joined by professional surfer and world record holder Blakey Johnston to unpack how the ocean became his anchor for mental health resilience. In this raw and empowering conversation, Blakey shares the mental frameworks that helped him conquer both the sea and himself. You'll learn how discipline, community, and presence build mental health resilience that outlasts any chall...

From building an iPhone app that hit #1 in five countries at just 19, to scaling Jack Nimble into Australia's Production Company of the Year, this is the story of a founder who's made every second count. In this episode, we unpack the journey of creating and selling one of Australia's top content studios, producing viral campaigns for Netflix, Spotify and eBay, scaling a 35-person team, and naviga...

How do two lads from Western Sydney flip the streetwear game on its head and build a cult brand without selling out? In this brutally honest convo, Jake and TK from Geedup Co. take us deep behind the curtains of Australia's biggest streetwear label. No hype, no fluff—just the raw truth of what it takes to build community-led fashion that actually moves culture. From bootstrapping with bootlegs to...

In this episode, I sat down with Leo, Jayden, and Taki—co-founders of Pool Party, one of Australia's fastest-growing creative production agencies. What started as a humble passion project has grown into a multi-faceted brand spanning video, photo, events, and music. The boys share the wild ride, from grassroots beginnings running a local run club, to scaling a full-service creative agency trusted...

Resilience in sports isn't just about what happens in the ring. It's about the moments outside of it, the personal battles, the doubts, and the decisions that shape an athlete's path. Welcome to The Growth and Banter Podcast. In this episode, I had a chance to sit down with Olympic medalist and professional boxer Harry Garside. Harry's story is as raw as it is inspiring. After winning gold at the...

Episode #23: Sam Gordon – How to Build a 130+ Property Portfolio In this episode, I sit down with Sam Gordon, founder of Australian Property Scout and one of Australia's most accomplished property investors and educators.  With over 130 properties under his belt before the age of 34 and a rapidly growing education platform, School of Property, Sam is reshaping what's possible in the property game....

In this episode, we're joined by Eddie Nelson from Bred, and she's going to teach us how to harness the power of breathwork and the connection between the mind, body, and soul through breath.  Eddie is a breathwork and Pilates practitioner committed to helping others reconnect with themselves in a fast-paced, often overwhelming world. Her own journey with breathwork began as a path to healing, and...

In this third sit-down, I'm joined again by my good friend Daniel Hakim, founder and CEO of Club of United Business (CUB), Australia's largest network for business owners and entrepreneurs. I've personally been a member since 2016, and I can wholeheartedly say that I credit a lot of my own entrepreneurial journey and success with GMS Media Group (and other ventures in the works) due to the network...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dain Walker, founder and brand strategist behind Rivyl, one of Australia's fastest-growing branding agencies. From working out of his bedroom to leading a team creating brand identities for global clients, Dain has built a reputation as a bold thinker with a unique eye for strategy, storytelling, and social influence. Dain's journey started with a deep curiosity abou...

In this episode, I'm joined by Theo Chambers, co-founder and CEO of Shore Financial, Australia's No.1 independent brokerage.  Under his leadership, Shore has grown from writing $5 million to over $300 million in home loans each month, picking up major awards along the way, including Champion Brokerage of the Year seven years in a row. Theo's story started at just 19, door-knocking to sell Foxtel....

From 0 to over 3 million followers in over 2 years. Discover the story behind Tor Minell and her famous food recipe brand Recipes by Victoria. What started out as a hobby, turned into a viral sensation amassing over 1.4M on Instagram, 1.6M on TikTok and 100,000 Substack subscribers with 1 video alone generating over 175M views! All in under 2 years. Want to find out how she turned this passion int...

In this episode, we are joined by Richard Bell, a prominent Australian entrepreneur known for his leadership in the early childhood education sector and his ventures in business investment. He currently serves as the CEO of Little Zak's Academy, a leading early childhood education and care provider in Australia. Under his leadership, the academy has expanded to employ over 1,800 staff members and...

From a Spare Room to an International Activewear Empire!  In this episode, we're joined by Don & Matilda Robertson, the power couple behind STAX - Australia's No.1 all-inclusive activewear brand  What started in a spare room in Perth has now grown into a global empire - proving that passion, persistence, and hard work pay off. Now with over 160 staff and 10+ retail locations. STAX has even been wo...

Episode 15 with Jane Lu aka "The Lazy CEO" Founder & Owner of ShowPo and Shark on Shark Tank Australia What started with a laptop and two shelves of clothing in her parent's garage in Sydney in 2010 is now a $100M+ global fashion empire, offering thousands of trend-driven styles to 120+ countries. In March 2023, Jane's expertise and entrepreneurial spirit earned her a spot on Shark Tank on Network...

Allan Dib, a serial entrepreneur, innovative marketer, technology expert, author of The Lean Marketing Plan and The 1-Page Marketing Plan, and #1 Best Seller on Amazon, has a proven track record of building, scaling, and exiting successful businesses across diverse industries. Notably, his last venture in the highly competitive telecommunications sector grew from a startup to being named one of Au...

Episode 13 features Alexander Phillips, partner at PPD and recognised as the top sales agent in Australia for an impressive 9 consecutive years from 2016 to 2024. With over 200 sales each year and having sold $1 billion of property in 2023 within his core team, Alex maintains the same high level of service and dedication, whether a property sells in one day or takes three months. Since 2016, his l...

Episode 12 is now LIVE, featuring Kelly Phoenix Rose, an Integrated Therapist and Spiritual Advocate for cancer, women's health, and chronic illness. With a focus on detoxification, purification, sacred feminine energy training, and healing trauma and illness, Kelly offers her wisdom through private sessions, programs, and podcasts. This episode is perfect for anyone seeking valuable insights from...

Taryn Williams is a multi-award-winning founder & CEO, and over the course of 20+ years has earned a reputation as one of Australia's most prolific entrepreneurs at the intersection of talent, media, and technology. Her latest project is #Gifted, a Shopify plug-in enabling brands to manage their influencer contra gifting at scale, which is already being used by some of Australia's biggest brands i...