The Top 1% Podcast

Join host Sam Gordon for an extraordinary episode of the Top 1% Podcast that goes deep into raw, personal stories of resilience, survival, and transformation. In this compilation edition, you’ll hear ultra-high-performing guests open up about the real-life struggles, traumas, and pivotal moments that shaped their drive and success. From escaping war-torn countries and surviving refugee camps to co...

The Top 1% Podcast, hosted by Sam Gordon, dives deep into the journeys and mindsets of ultra high-performing individuals from diverse backgrounds, revealing the raw challenges, setbacks, and fears they've faced—and, more importantly, how they've overcome them. In this inspiring compilation episode, guests like Jack Delosa share honest accounts of experiencing both meteoric success and destabilisin...

In this episode of the Top 1% Podcast, Sam Gordon dives deep with a compilation of high performers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and business leaders to uncover the essential character traits and life lessons that separate the best from the rest. Through candid, often vulnerable stories about overcoming adversity, embracing persistence through pain, and developing resilience, guests share how their ea...

Four of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs sit down together for the first time ever in this explosive year-end roundtable. Sammy Gordon (AFR Fast 100 four years running, Young Entrepreneur of the Year), Jack Delosa (five-time AFR Young Rich Lister, founder of The Entourage), Geoff Jowett (serial entrepreneur behind Vision Personal Training and Body Trim), and Josh Morrissey (Co-Founder of...

From a Thai refugee camp to building a $1.3 billion mortgage empire - Hung Chuy's story is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in a refugee camp after his family fled Cambodia's killing fields, Hung arrived in Australia with nothing and faced childhood trauma that could have destroyed him. Instead, it fuelleld his rise. Today, he runs Strategic Brokers, one of Australia's fastest-growing brokerag...

Mark Rolton is one of Australia's most resilient property developers – 460+ projects completed, 2,000+ dwellings owned, and a brutal journey most wouldn't survive. Embezzled and bankrupted at 22 with $431,000 in debt (equivalent to $4M today), he went from washing windows to pioneering the property options model that changed Australian real estate. Then came the divorce battle that nearly took $90...

In this episode, Christian reveals the untold costs and rewards of building a multi-million dollar mortgage brokerage empire. From getting fired and begging for his job back to targeting 10 billion in annual settlements, he shares the raw truth about what it takes to reach the top 1%. Whether you're building a business, climbing the corporate ladder, or just starting your journey, Christian's insi...

This week’s guest is reshaping the future of property finance – Christian Stevens, founder of Flint Group. Five-time Best Residential Broker in Australia, three-time Australian Broker of the Year, and most recently named Banking & Financial Services CEO of the Year – he just dropped a bombshell: “We’re building a national boutique brokerage aiming to settle $10B a year.” Everyone laughed – until h...

From sleeping in bunk beds to building Australia's most luxurious real estate empire, Marty Fox reveals the brutal truths behind scaling to 50 offices across 5 countries. In this raw conversation, the White Fox founder and Block judge shares the mindset shifts, relationship dynamics, and strategic decisions that transformed him from a struggling agent to industry titan. 00:00 - Introduction to Mar...

Kevin Buchanan and Daniel Biddle went from 23 and 26-year-olds with zero followers to building Australia's largest real estate podcast. In this raw conversation, the Both Sides hosts reveal the brutal realities behind podcast success that most won't tell you. 00:00 - Introduction to Both Sides journey 01:23 - Welcome to the show 03:09 - How you felt interviewing big names at 23 & 26 08:25 - Why st...

Bruce Buffer shares the brutal realities behind becoming the most recognisable voice in combat sports. The legendary UFC announcer opens up about his transformation from a struggling entrepreneur into the "Voice of the Octagon" through relentless persistence and unwavering passion. Bruce reveals the devastating moment he overheard his parents couldn't pay rent after lending him $75, why meeting Mu...

From getting expelled from school and living in his car to building a $400M fitness empire, Tobi Pierce shares the brutal realities behind entrepreneurial success. Discover how a "terrible student" from tiny Kangaroo Villa transformed failure into fortune through relentless persistence and contrarian thinking. Tobi reveals the devastating moment a deal collapsed 36 hours before a $50M payout, why...

In this episode, Matt Hall, Australia's real-life "Top Gun" and Red Bull Air Racing World Champion, shares his extraordinary journey from a farm kid told he'd "never make it" to breaking Air Force records and becoming world champion at 47. What makes Matt's story so compelling is how being told he wasn't good enough became the fuel that drove him to achieve the impossible - literally dodging missi...

In this episode, Mike Mortlock, Creative Director of MCG and the man behind "Geared for Growth" podcast, shares his incredible journey from a $7K startup to building one of Australia's biggest quantity surveying companies that made the AFR Fast 100 list. What makes Mike's story so compelling is how competitors literally tried to destroy his business early on - one even paid for advertising space w...

In this episode, Bryce and Ren from Equity Mates share their incredible 8-year journey from recording on a balcony with one microphone to building Australia's #1 finance podcast reaching 600,000 people monthly. We dive deep into how they went from just 1,000 downloads in their first year to half a million monthly listeners across all platforms. The guys open up about the pivotal $100K investment d...

Josh Morrissey has achieved over $2 billion in sales and built ACT's largest independent real estate agency from scratch. In this episode, he shares the raw story behind his success - from growing up in commission housing to meeting his estranged father at McDonald's at 18, which became the catalyst for everything that followed. Josh opens up about the pivotal moment when his business was down to...

Jack Delosa built a $50M company by 27, lost it all to government regulation changes, accumulated $5M in survival debt - then came back stronger than ever. In this raw conversation, Australia's most followed business coach shares the brutal reality of scaling, the psychology of success, and why he'll never sell The Entourage despite multiple exit opportunities. Jack reveals his exact strategy for...

Join multiple-time fitness and bikini world champion Hattie Boydle as she shares her remarkable 18-year journey in competitive bodybuilding. Discover how this former gymnast transformed a hobby into world-class achievements, becoming the first Australian to win the WBFF Fitness Model World Championship. Hattie reveals the spiritual side of bodybuilding, why she calls it "meditation in motion," and...

Frank Greeff shares his remarkable journey from working as a chef to building and selling a business for $180 million. Discover how this former runner-up for CEO of the Year navigated the intense year-long exit process, the emotional pressure of keeping the sale secret from 350+ employees, and the surprising "anticlimactic" feeling when the deal finally closed. Learn why talent acquisition is his...

From barefoot beginnings to NRL Grand Final glory, Corey Thompson shares his remarkable 10-year professional rugby league journey. Discover how a late-blooming athlete with wires in both ankles and a metal plate in his hand conquered the NRL and Super League across 180 professional caps. Corey reveals the brutal reality of post-retirement at just 33 — losing identity, purpose, and fighting through...

From overcoming fear to building 8-figure empires, this special episode breaks down the key lessons from our first 10 interviews with world-class performers. Discover how an Olympic BMX champion conquered crippling fear, how a refugee built a $3B real estate empire, and why one entrepreneur went from $40M success to rock bottom. Learn the common traits of the top 1%: resilience through adversity,...

From nearly walking away from BMX after a concussion to becoming Olympic Gold Medallist and 2x World Champion — Saya Sakakibara’s story is one of fear, failure, and unstoppable resilience. In this episode, Saya gets raw and real about the mental battle behind elite performance. She opens up about her brother’s life-changing crash, her own terrifying head injury at the Tokyo Games, and how she almo...

In this episode, I sit down with Jimmy Ibrahim—long-time mate, property investor, and returning guest - for one of our most unfiltered conversations yet: 10 brutal truths that will change your life if you let them. Together, we break down the lessons we wish someone told us in our 20s - truths that still apply whether you’re 25 or 55. From compounding to career, risk-taking to resilience, this is...

In this episode, I sit down with Avi Khan, CEO of the AKG Group and one of Australia's most dynamic real estate entrepreneurs. Avi shares his remarkable journey from Fiji to becoming a powerhouse in the Australian real estate market, building a thriving business with five offices and over 200 employees across multiple ventures. Avi doesn't hold back on the challenges of scaling his real estate emp...

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Hull, founder and CEO of Fitstop, one of the fastest-growing fitness franchises in Australia. Pete’s journey is anything but conventional — starting out as a motocross racer, he pivoted into the fitness industry, built a thriving gym model, and scaled it to 160+ locations across four countries, with his eyes now set on the US market. But it hasn’t been smooth...