The Mentor with Mark Bouris

This week as part of #fightermonth, I’m talking to George Kambosos, the professional lightweight boxer currently ranked number 3 in the world, who’s swift rise towards world level has been phenomenal. George started out boxing as a kid in high school as a way to build his confidence in the face of bullying. His aptitude and passion for the sport quickly led to him having hundreds of fights and mul...

This week as part of #fightermonth, I speak to two of Australia’s greatest boxing exports; three-time world champion and one of the best fight trainers to come out of this country, Jeff Fenech; and undefeated junior featherweight champion Brock Jarvis. A twist of fate brought Jeff and Brock together; as a teen, before he even stepped foot in a boxing gym, Jeff got into a few street brawls. The pol...

To kick off #fightermonth - a whole month of learning about the business of fighting with some of the biggest names in Aussie combat sports - this week I’m talking to UFC Featherweight World Champion, Alex Volkanovski. In 2011, Alex started MMA training to keep fit while playing rugby, when he got a phone call from MMA fighter Shane Coleman who wanted to train him. Alex knew he had to grab the opp...

There's no hiding from the fact that we're facing difficult times. As business owners, I know there's a lot of confusion and complexity around what your next steps should be in the face of the COVID19 Pandemic and all the government restrictions and measures in place around the country. So I've sat down for a special podcast to make sense of all the noise surrounding the various stimulus measures....

This week’s guest Chris Marr, is a former Australian Army officer who spent 20 years in service, including 10 years as a leader and commander in the special forces; during which time he led Australian soldiers on complex missions all over the world, with the consequences for failure very high. Having worked on the front line all his life, Chris was motivated to contribute to something bigger than...

This week’s guest, Nick Georgalis, grew up in Canberra, which at the time was seen as ‘the sleepy Bush Capital of Australia.’ With a background as an engineer and project manager, Nick wanted to reshape the way people thought about Canberra and revolutionise property investment in Australia. So, in 2007 Nick founded Geocon, Canberra’s first fully integrated property enterprise with capabilities ac...

Guy Saxelby was a successful charted accountant prior to founding his business Earlytrade, when a trip to New York and a chance blizzard there, changed the course of his career. As an accountant, Guy saw first-hand the strain that late payments could put on small businesses - if they’re not paid on time, they can’t hire, they can’t invest, and they can’t buy the things they need to grow their busi...

When Steven Marks landed a job as a hedge fund manager at a top Wall Street hedge fund at just 23 years old, he thought he had it made. But by 30, he was burnt out and ready for a fresh start, so he booked a one-way ticket to Australia with a dream of starting his own business. 17 years on, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Guzman y Gomez, the Mexican casual-dining chain that had its origins here in...

Chairman of Raiz Invest Australia, Tony Fay, has worked in financial markets since the 80’s, where he held senior positions for several leading investment banks and stock broking firms. Through having his own kids, he saw first-hand how difficult it was for them to save and invest, so Tony jumped at the opportunity to make a difference by starting a business that provides the millennial customer a...

Model turned “Skintrepreneur” Ryan Channing was living in Paris and pursuing a career in law, when a chance trip to Japan changed the course of his life. While there, Ryan was introduced to activated charcoal skincare products and was inspired to start his own activated charcoal skincare business, The BLAQ Group. Within just a few months, the business was inundated with so many orders that Ryan mo...

Blair James grew up understanding the power and value that Aussie brands have abroad, when at the age of six, his dad moved the family over to the UK to set up shop selling Aussie products. Three years later his dad’s business went under, but Blair’s love of brands and passion for innovation was born. Since then Blair’s made huge waves in the billion-dollar beauty industry with his globally succes...

Changing the game for digital marketing in Australia, Sabri Suby launched his digital marketing agency, King Kong, at the age of 27. He’s now on track to turn over 18 million dollars this year. The secret? Sabri promises his clients results, which means if his staff don’t hit their client KPIs, they don’t get paid. I ask Sabri about why he introduced this unique performance guarantee structure, wh...

“Lawyer turned funtrepreneur” Sarah Davidson was busy climbing the corporate ladder when she started a side hustle with her now husband Nic – a tea business called Matcha Maiden. Within just a few months, they were inundated with so many orders that Sarah quit her office job to work on the project full-time. But over the last few years, Sarah’s personal brand has also become a focus, with her Inst...

After seeing his sister struggle to buy a home, former Olympian swimmer Grant Brits launched Superestate, the first and only retail super fund in the country to invest in residential property. The concept allows young Australians to get a foot in the property market, while also putting a roof over their future. I ask Grant about how he brought his unique idea to life and how the many hours sloggin...

Scott Tulloch started Farmer Jo with his wife Sally in the kitchen of their home. Then, a chance encounter lead to the couple supplying Qantas first and business class with their product - and their overnight success. Now, the brand is stocked in 4500 supermarkets, health food stores and cafes across the country. I ask Scott about how his background in the food industry meant he was in a unique po...

Our guest this week is proof that you don't need a university degree to succeed in business. A few years ago, inspired by his son's allergy to traditional bandages, James Dutton launched Nutricare, producing the world’s first 100% compostable, organic wound care solution. Now, they're stocked in 35 countries right around the world. I ask James how he went from leaving school at 16 to becoming to C...

What digital tools and connectivity do you need for your business to not just survive - but thrive? It may not be something you spend a lot of time thinking about but I know from speaking with thousands of small businesses that having the right technology is an absolute game changer - and now recent research is backing that up too. In this episode, I'm joined by Paul Tyler, Chief Customer Officer...

Fresh off the plane from Silicon Valley, one of the world's most influential women in tech is in the studio this week. Sarah Friar is the CEO of neighbourhood app, Nextdoor, which launched in Australia just a year ago. We chat about how Sarah's interest in engineering came about as a kid growing up in Northern Ireland and how this innovative digital platform is working to bring back a sense of bel...

Model and ambassador for David Jones, Jessica Gomes, was told she would never make it in Australia. But as well as modelling, she's now graced Hollywood screens and in 2017, inspired by her jetsetter lifestyle, launched luxury travel skincare brand, Equal Beauty. I ask Jessica about growing up in Perth, the business of modelling and about how learning to network and hustle as a model has set her u...

In the lead up to Veterans Health Week, I'm speaking with one of our country's most inspiring heroes, Garth Callender. In 2004, Garth was on a routine patrol in Baghdad, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device attack, making him the first serious Australian causality of the war in Iraq. Since then, he's founded a consultancy firm called Trebuchet Pivot, applying the same methodo...

After graduating from uni and entering the corporate world, high school mates Robin McGowan and James Wakefield struggled to find suits and shirts that not only fit well but didn't break the bank. So in 2011, they launched InStitchu, selling made-to-measure menswear at an affordable price. I talk to Robin and James about how they made their idea a reality without any experience in the fashion indu...

From a swimming lesson with an Olympian, to hitting the court with a Grand Slam Champion, FAN+ gives everyday people access to “money can buy” experiences with their favourite sporting heroes. I ask co-founders Rod Harys and Aaron Warburton about how their business started as an idea over a few beers but became a reality when they were accepted into the Qantas AVRO Accelerator Program...

Best friends Lauren Emerson and Genevieve Hewson are the co-founders of Sydney-based textile house, Walter G. Together, they work with artisans in India to produce hand printed fabrics and home décor products like cushions, napkins and quilts. In this interview, we talk about how they moved to India to live with a family of traditional hand printers to learn the traditional techniques that...

This week, I'm chatting with Simon Maree and Tim McGann from Hustle Boxing, a new premium boxing studio in Sydney's Potts Point. A while ago, these guys sat across from me to pitch their business idea and they did it so well, I ended up investing in it. I want to talk to Simon and Tim about the best way to pitch when raising capital for a new venture, why they decided Sydney needed another fitness...

"Failure is not an option." Roxy Jacenko started her business empire at just 24 with Sydney-based PR agency, Sweaty Betty. Since then, she's added four more successful businesses to her name, along with a stack of books, an online e-learning course and now a reality TV show, “I am… Roxy!" In this long overdue catch up, I talk to Roxy about the secret behind building not one but five s...