The Mentor With Mark Bouris

Who is Jimmy Brings? David Berger is the co-founder of the alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings. David and his business partner, Nathan Besser, first became small business partners through a B2B company, Suppertime. This eventually evolved into what we now know as Jimmy Brings. Mark and David Berger discuss the beauty of letting an idea evolve on its own, making the most out of marketing opportunities and how being flexible is likely more important than your business idea.  Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone can make a coffee or a good meal. What separates customer service from hospitality is the genuine desire to serve and provide.True hospitality runs through Ameer El-issa’s veins and his family businesses; Bar Biscotti, Shisha, Knafeh Bakery and The Bearded Bakers.You’ll hear how important it is to create a genuine experience around your business, attracting and connecting big companies to your own and why making seemingly small adjustments to your business can create a huge impact. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Daniel is the founder of sportswear gear LSKD – functional sportswear with a street aesthetic.It's a company that's experienced a few rebrands since Jason founded the company in his teens, then called Loose Kid, and has gone on to grow with the founder. Jason Daniel is brutally honest with himself and shares how a mad motocross kid from Logan, Queensland managed to create cool lifestyle clothing for Hollywood stars and everyday customers who want to chase the vibe.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Customers are savvier than ever before, which means it's much harder to win their trust. Gimmie is a start-up company based in Queensland that wants to disrupt the consumer goods rental industry by simply offering a fair product.Co-founders Scott Roworth and Nadine Tuckey are democratising life's bigger purchases for those who often feel financially excluded. Mark and Gimmie talk about anticipating a change in business, how important it is to keep up with what your customer wants and why change needs to be part of your business mindset. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erica Berchtold is the unsuspecting CEO for The Iconic.   The eldest of four children, the daughter to a German migrant father and a mother who was a nurse.After finishing up as the Managing Director at Rebel Sport, spending most of her career in the bricks and mortar world, Erica scored the CEO role at Australia’s number one online retailer – The Iconic.Erica moved into a disruptive online industry while disrupting her career.   The overwhelming mantra Erica carries throughout her career is, 'Why can’t I?'Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Mike Smith decided to take an eighteen-month sabbatical to the middle of nowhere, he didn't expect to find plastic ...and lots of it. Smith is the founder of Zero Co, sustainable, reusable home-cleaning and personal-care products.Not only do you feel good buying one of Zero Co's products, but it's managed to make laundry detergent look really sexy with its fun, cool design.  I want to know why so many people have decided to back such a young startup, Mike's Smith's story behind his company, and how Zero Co plans to change the plastic industry.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data is always talking. You just need to learn how to listen. Dharpan Randhawa is the CEO of Talisman, a sports marketing agency, and a former SVP at McLaren Racing. To put it simply, he's a marketing matchmaker.Working alongside big names including Formula 1, Heineken and tennis player Andy Murray, Dharpan Randhawa delivers marketing results by utilising and applying data to his clients. As business owners, data is one of our most valuable resources. Mark Bouris and Dharpan discuss how your small business can learn from big businesses and take things to the next level using data.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miss Amara is an e-commerce rug business achieving online business cult status. Co-founders Alex and Aaron Weller have built a strong customer-centric business strategy with a beautiful online presence and virtual reality styling services.Miss Amara proves it doesn't matter what product you're selling online, as long as you keep the customer front of mind.What makes a rug business so successful online? We discuss product data, production fulfilment, and what what happens when your business faces a crisis? Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Persuading parents to do a course that will save a kids life is an easy sell. But how does it work as a business? Theo Mallos is an Intensive Care Paramedic and the co-founder of pediatric first-aid business Rescueblue. After attending a heartbreaking job while working as a paramedic, Theo and his wife decided to apply his knowledge as a health care professional on a larger scale – first aid courses for first-time parents. I want to know how Rescueblue recruits new people into the business, the challenges of licensing agreements and the responsibility of a hectic schedule. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Sydney Lockout laws were lifted seven years after they were imposed in 2014, what remained was a nightlife in decay. This decision cost $16.1 billion annually, as reported by finance analysts at Deloitte.Many small businesses have struggled to stay alive as high-rise buildings replace what was once a bustling hotspot for night goers.Michael Rodrigues is determined to help inject life back into the economy as the newly appointed NSW 24hr Economy Commissioner. I want to know why he is the right person for the job, his strategy, and how he plans to execute it.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naomi Simson is the co-founder of Australia's largest experiences marketplace, Big Red Group and RedBalloon. During the end of the dot-com era, while working in freelance marketing, Naomi found it difficult to attract clients who were willing to pay for her service. She realised a gap in the market for a digital marketplace for experiences. The idea for RedBalloon was born. Over 2200 small businesses in Australia and New Zealand use RedBalloon, now part of Simson's parent company Big Red Group. I want to hear from Naomi how she brought BRG to scale, how it benefits Australian small businesses and what makes it the third-largest experiences marketplace?Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Fox co-founded an online shoe business, Shoes Of Prey, which gave customers the ability to customise their very own shoes. The company raised 35 million dollars in funding, made its way into the U.S, and hired over 200 employees. It appeared to be on its way to become another Aussie success story. But in 2019, Shoes Of Prey went into liquidation. Michael is now the co-founder of a meat alternative mushroom company, Fable Food.Found in over 1000 grocery stores across Australia, backed by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, Fable is on an ambitious mission to shake up the meat industry.I want to know what happened when Michael had to tell his investors the bad news? How did he convince them to fund his latest business, Fable Food? Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irene Deutsch is the managing director and co-owner of Australia's oldest jewellry house, Fairfax & Roberts. After spending 25-years in banking and sales at Macquarie, Goldman Sachs, and ANZ, Irene was ready for a change of scenery, landing her at the 160-year-old jeweller at the start of 2020. Fairfax & Roberts first opened their doors back in 1858 and continue to hand-craft their signature pieces at their Sydney showroom. It's a business that serves and survives on love and emotion.I ask Irene about her experience and skills she's gained working with high investment clients and how she's transferred her understanding of customer emotions and motivations to her role at Fairfax & Roberts.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar McMahon is one of the Co-Founders of Sydney brewery Young Henrys, whose mission is to create a beer company that’s in touch with the people drinking the beer, showcasing Australian hops and malts without all the bells and whistles. The business was started in 2012 by founders who shared a love of beer and music, and the view that the Australian beer scene should be more innovative and adventurous.With their combined experience in brewing and hospitality, they started Young Henry’s in a warehouse in Sydney’s Newtown, with 8 employees producing a few dozen kegs each week. They now have more than 60 staff and distribute 1500 kegs of beer a week to over 2000 bars, pubs and bottle shops around Australia, and they’re on track to sell 9 million litres of beer this financial year. I ask Oscar about the rise of the local Newtown Brewery to becoming one of the largest Independent Breweries in Australia and their role in supporting live music.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & 

Jonathan Moody is the Founder and CEO of Physio Inq, a physiotherapy business that takes people through simple changes that have profound effects on athletic performance and pain relief. Physio Inq started as a bricks and mortar clinic in 2006 in Western Sydney, and the business now has 14 clinics and 300 staff across Australia, with a new arm of mobile and in-home care for disability & aged care. In the last year, Physio Inq’s commitment to their clients went into overdrive, and the business looked at telehealth offerings and how they could use technology not just as an alternative, but as potentially a superior option to face-to-face treatments. I ask Jonathan how the business has leveraged technology in its offering and why the relationship between the different sciences is so important to his business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morgan Coleman was working in a corporate career when a chance encounter at the vet with his dog got him thinking about how he could make the process more efficient and painless than traditional vet visits. He saw the opportunity to disrupt the pet care industry with a service that was more convenient for pet owners and less stressful for their pets, so he started his business Vets on Call; a mobile app that delivers high-quality veterinary care right to your door.The business grew rapidly throughout 2020 with people looking elsewhere for services, and their average monthly revenue grew by 600% from July 2020 to January 2021. I ask Morgan about the discipline required to start a business in a field you know nothing about and how he continually pushes for improvement across customer usage and innovation.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Satha is the Founder of Local Supply - a sustainable, zero-waste eyewear label that is revolutionising the production of glasses. Local Supply uses a plant-based resin to produce their frames, resulting in 50% less carbon emissions than traditional eyewear. In 2020, Local Supply saw online sales surge by over 50% and are set to keep growing.Covid gave the business a chance to completely pause all manufacturing and switch processes and materials to make everything more sustainable, with all of their packaging to be made from recycled or biodegradable materials by the end of 2021. I ask Sean how he’s grown the business, the importance of social media to the brand and how he continually pushes for improvement across sustainability, design and innovation.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joanne Howarth went from being a waste offender in a previous business, to a sustainability crusader after seeing the effect polystyrene was having in her own business. Joanne is the founder of Planet Protector Packaging, who produce sustainable recyclable and biodegradable insulated packaging made from sheep wool waste. They’re on a mission to eliminate polystyrene and become the market leader in sustainable thermal packaging.Since launching in 2016, Planet Protector Packaging has removed 6.5 million polystyrene boxes from supply chains and stopped it from ending up in our oceans. In 2020, the business grew by 50% with increased revenue to farmers and 3500 tonnes of waste wool diverted away from landfill, commercialised, and given a new life. I ask Jo how she’s grown the business so rapidly and the importance of sustainability to her business proposition.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/list

My guest today went from a career as a stressed-out corporate lawyer to a hugely successful self-made entrepreneur in a matter of years. Alyce Tran co-founded The Daily Edited (TDE) in 2011 as a fashion and lifestyle blog that quickly evolved into a personalised accessories line. Now The Daily Edited is the go-to destination for luxe lifestyle accessories that are affordable, specialising in monogram-able leather goods.TDE employs more than 150 staff and is available online and in stores across Australia, Singapore and the USA. 2020 was the first time the business didn’t experience growth, so Alyce pivoted the product range to focus on gifts for friends and family sent directly to their door. I ask Alyce how she’s grown the The Daily Edited so rapidly, the importance of social media to her brand and how Covid affected her product range.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf

My guests today were studying at uni when they came up with the idea for their business, which is now Australia’s fastest growing quick service restaurant. Nathan Dalah and Nic Pestalozzi are two of the three founders of Fishbowl, the Japanese inspired salad bar on a mission to change the culture of fast food with their healthy salad bowls. They launched their first store in 2016 in the middle of winter, and by spring they were selling over 500 bowls a day.Now Fishbowl has expanded to 28 locations with 300 employees and they’re now expanding their hospitality venture with a new venue called Fish Shop - a fine-dining experience with a chef driven menu of sustainable seafood. I ask Nic and Nathan how they’ve scaled the Fishbowl empire so rapidly and why good company culture is so important to the success of the business.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.