The Mentor With Mark Bouris

This week I'm joined by Phil Livingston, the founder of Redback Technologies, a solar power company specialising in panels and batteries for homes and businesses. We talk about the rapidly changing renewable energy market, how to stay ahead of the curve with Tesla on your tail, and the benefits of using the sun to power your life. Make sure you tune in! Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Mentor with Mark Bouris, I'm joined by Lauren Silvers and Lisa Maree, the founders of Glamazon. It's a mobile beauty services marketplace, connecting consumers with stylists in their area who come to their home, office or hotel room - with payments all managed within the app. They've grown hugely over the past two years and now have 30,000 customers around Australia, and raised $1.2m for future growth plans. We talk about starting out, finding their customer base, and how they're finding strategic partnerships to continue to expand. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary TV producer Marion Farrelly joins Mark on The Mentor this week, to talk about pitching, messaging and her life producing ratings juggernauts like Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice, Dancing With The Stars and Q&A. We discuss her new training business, Black & Farrelly, which works with corporate clients to help them nail their elevator pitch and overall brand messaging to get people's attention and keep it, and in turn bring customer loyalty and profits.  Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Mentor with Mark Bouris, my guest is Kate Gibbs, the owner and principal of Stratosphere Performing Arts, a dancing studio in Sydneys north-west. We figure out what Kate's really in the business of doing - and how her story is similar to many small businesses owners in Australia. We look at fee structures, keeping professional distance from clients, and how systems and processes can make a huge difference.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we talk about one of the hottest topics around - cryptocurrency. Kain Warwick is the founder of a new Australian cryptocurrency called Havven, which is currently selling tokens and holding its official ICO in March. In the episode, Kain explains in simple terms what cryptocurrency and blockchain are and how the system works. We also talk about how he's creating a 'stable coin' that's less volatile in the market compared to other cryptocurrencies, and how he stays ahead of the curve. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mark is joined by Lindsay Lyon, the owner and CEO of Shark Shield - the only scientifically proven and independently tested electronic shark repellent. We talk about technology innovation, patents, business growth and going public - and the impacts their technology might have over the next decade. He's a fascinating guy with a great business, so make sure you tune in. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week my guest is Cam Northway, founder of drinks agency Sweet&Chilli. From humble beginnings designing cocktail menus for bars in 2006, they now have offices in Australia, USA and UK and hundreds of staff. Cam's business specialises in consultancy for bar and restaurant design, bar staff training, and events design and management- capitalising on the enormous nightlife culture worldwide. We talk about pitching your services to big beverage conglomerates, how to keep high-quality staff, and what's next for the drinks industry. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is a bit different for The Mentor, talking with the founder of not-for-profit organisation Seven Women, Stephanie Woollard. Mark and Steph talk about the challenges that face every entrepreneur in running a business - growing sustainably, managing burnout, overcoming obstacles, and finding funding - and how it's important for all charities to think like corporate businesses in running well. It's a great conversation with takeaways for anyone running - or thinking about - running a business or not-for-profit. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first podcast for 2018, Mark talks with Mario and Alex from Spriggy, a digital pocket-money tool for children. With Spriggy, parents put money onto a card for their kids who can save and spend money and set financial goals - while parents can track and monitor everything from the app. We talk about teaching financial literacy, the Spriggy business model, and how to influence behaviour with digital tools.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark is joined by a special guest: celebrity chef, restauranteur and fellow PodcastOne host, Gary Mehigan. They talk about Gary's rise from working as an apprentice chef to working in Michelin-hatted restaurants, and then the journey of owning and running restaurants and cafes. Gary opens up about how hard it is to build a brand, working as a media personality, and figuring out the numbers game while running a kitchen.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark speaks to Madelienne Anderson and Rebecca Fox, the founders of a markets business in Sydney's eastern suburbs - Cambridge Markets. They're being counter-intuitive to everyone obsessed with online retail (Amazon, anyone?) and building a thriving physical marketplace for thousands of customers, with local business vendors selling premium quality goods. We talk about shopping habits, building communities and how to scale a business thats dependent on the weather.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark takes a look at digital and creative agencies - with one man who has both worked for them and started his own. Kiel Van Daal is the co-founder of Digilante, an agency with a streamlined, agile approach to delivering rebrands and digital creative. They talk about the traditional agency model, the continuous challenge of innovation, and how Kiel works hard to avoid turning into the type of agency he's trying to avoid as Digilante grows. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark has a very special guest this week - the Australian Treasurer, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP. He and Mark talk about the government's Small Business Digital Taskforce that Mark will be chairing, looking at all the digital tools available to small business owners to improve their productivity, efficiency and work/life balance. More importantly though, the taskforce will be examining all the barriers keeping small businesses away from using these digital tools. Mark also has an open chat with the Treasurer on what got him into politics, why he values small businesses and the importance of community service a rare insight into one of this country's key decision makers.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Mark talks partnerships and cross promotion - in the interests of collaboration for business. His guest is Jess Ruhfus, the founder of Collabosaurus, which is a match-making platform for big brands and small businesses. The site connects businesses with similar goals and audiences, taking lots of time and hard work out of the partnership process. They speak about how she built the tech, about growing and evolving your business idea, and how it is always a hard slog to build something that works. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things get a bit fiery this week - talking about the challenges facing the restaurant industry with all its rules and regulations. Our guest is Antonio Ruggerino, owner and chef at Verde Restaurant + Bar in Sydney. Antonio tells Mark how council and government make running a restaurant hard business, as well as the challenges of finding staff who excel in hospitality. They talk about innovation, nightlife habits, food delivery services and more. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark talks to Ben Wong and Charbel Zeaiter, the founders of digital education company Academy Xi. They specialise in courses in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, user experience design and growth marketing and recently closed a $2.25 million investment round. These two are really committed to teaching critical digital skills to a new wave of the workforce. We discuss raising capital, figuring out your brand position and how to remain agile in the fast-moving tech innovation space. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark speaks to Denan Kemp - a former NRL player who has launched a beer company, designed to be the perfect companion for watching the footy at the pub or on the couch. He is also the host of his own sports interview show on Facebook, called 'The Locker Room'. We discuss the challenges of starting a business with your partner, how to grow a business while minimising risk, and how important brand identity is when starting a beer business. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark speaks with a man in the business of coaching. Marcus West has been a presentation coach for 20 years and recently started an online platform to help salespeople with their training process. Users can rehearse their pitches and presentations, get feedback from a coach or their manager, and share with other users in their workplace. It's a great conversation about the theatre and art of selling and how to create the perfect pitch. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All pet owners have experienced the problem where it's hard to get out-of-hours medical advice from a vet for peace of mind. This weeks guest is solving that problem. VetChat connects people with vets for video consultations and text chats to help give on-call medical advice. We talk about the business model, getting vets on board and the future plans. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark talks to Alex Houseman, the founder of Over The Moo, a dairy-free ice cream company born out of necessity - Alex is lactose intolerant. Over The Moo is now in Woolworths, IGA and Foodworks around Australia and looking to expand internationally. Mark and Alex talk about business models, creating exotic flavours and when is the right time to look for investors. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube.Want to grow your business and stay ahead of the pack? Access Mark Bouris' Masterclasses.Got a question or comment for Mark? Send an email. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.