The Mentor With Mark Bouris

Ivana Alfonso has worked many jobs since emigrating from Croatia at a young age. Coming out of the pandemic in 2020, Ivana's husband, a keen angler, found himself selling brag mats and making a considerable profit. Ivana and her husband saw potential, and a way to entertain themselves when self-isolation was the norm. They combined their respective knowledge and skills to create The Bragmat Bloke, a thriving company that offers customers customizable brag mat that reflect the best of design, craftsmanship and reflect a shared love of the outdoors. But with the Australian economy tightening, Ivana is feeling the strain like so many small business owners fighting against a wealth of challenges.My team and I have been paying attention, and one thing is clear - you want to hear from businesses beyond Sydney, not just the success stories, but especially those facing real challenges.That’s why we’re launching The Small Business Callout under The Mentor channel-giving business owners across the country a voice. In b