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On Origin to Ambition, successful entrepreneurs and business owners share the untold stories and practical strategies that fueled their growth from a simple idea to a thriving enterprise. Founders, start-up leaders, and bootstrapped innovators join honest conversations about their journey with host Sean Dunne (Founder of Dominium Capital). From securing their first customers and navigating cash flow to the challenges of scaling a team and planning a profitable exit, Origin to Ambition provides the real-world lessons and actionable advice to help you master your own entrepreneurial journey.
15 Episodes
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Welcome to Origin to Ambition Bytes, where we revisit our archives to bring you a concentrated dose of wisdom from our most impactful conversations. This week, we're diving back into our fascinating chat with author and elite coach, Cody Royle. What if you could design your personal brand with the same precision as a tech product for 5 million daily users? And what if the secret to chasing massive goals was admitting you have a "screw loose"? In this concentrated dose of wisdom, Cody explains...
Welcome to Origin to Ambition Bytes, where we revisit the archives to bring you a concentrated dose of wisdom from our most impactful conversations. This week, we're diving back into our chat with the incredible Andy Gowers. If you've ever felt like you have a great business but no real way to track your progress, this episode is your playbook. Andy tackles one of the biggest weak spots in small business: the lack of measurability. Drawing powerful parallels from his career in elite sport, he...
What if the most important question for your business's success was the one you couldn't answer? That was the reality for Peter Mercuri, a seasoned chartered accountant, when he was asked a simple question: "Why do you do what you do?" It took him two weeks to find the answer, and that process of discovery changed everything. In this deeply honest and reflective conversation, Sean Dunne sits down with Peter to explore his 15-year journey as a founder. Peter shares the raw challenges of the ea...
What happens when you write a book so honest that your readers demand you turn it into a business? That's the unique entrepreneurial journey of Cody Royle. After the gut-wrenching experience of his AFL draft dream ending, Cody "fell into" coaching and began a meandering 18-year search for his next great passion. In this fascinating conversation, Sean Dunne sits down with Cody to explore how years spent "inadvertently" acquiring skills in corporate HR, sales, and even IT product design gave hi...
What does it take for a single mother, after years out of the industry, to build a 7-figure hairdressing salon from the ground up in a "disgusting and dirty" old milk bar? The answer is a simple, powerful, and non-negotiable mindset: failure is not an option. In this inspiring episode, Sean Dunne sits down with Felicity Mace, the creative force behind Salon Mace. Felicity shares her incredible journey from a country town art student to learning the ropes in the glitz and glamour of Sydney's m...
Paul Veldman never intended to be an entrepreneur. A 20-year veteran of the Victoria Police, his life was on a clear path until a devastating knee injury took him out of action. Bored and going stir-crazy, he made a seemingly small decision to help out at his local karate club. That decision sparked an "accidental" journey that would lead to the creation of the Kando Martial Arts empire, now spanning seven locations and thousands of students. In this powerful conversation, Sean Dunne sits dow...
What if your business's "exit plan" was simply the freedom to beg for a job if it all went wrong? That was the refreshingly honest and low-risk mentality that launched T.M. Collins Law, one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. In this episode, Sean Dunne sits down with co-founder & partner at TM Collins Law, John Mapleston to unpack a story of explosive growth built on a simple premise: fixing the two things everyone hates about lawyers. By committing to being affordable...
Imagine launching your dream business, pouring your heart and soul into it, only to be hit by a "full-blown tsunami" just four months later. That was the reality for Maggie McPherson, a 4'11" powerhouse in the martial arts world, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut her brand-new dojo down. In this deeply inspiring conversation, Sean Dunne sits down with Maggie to explore a journey that began not with a business plan, but by simply tagging along with her brother to a martial arts class to stop him...
What if the most valuable business advice you could receive wasn't a list of things to do, but a clear guide on what to avoid? This is the powerful philosophy of Colin Wilson, a founder whose journey was forged over 22 years of cold-calling the streets of Melbourne. In this episode, Sean Dunne sits down with Colin for an incredible deep-dive into the grit, resilience, and strategic thinking required to build a business that lasts. Colin shares the ingenious "paper box" system he used to colle...
What happens when the thing you do for fun becomes the only thing you want to do? For Philip Lai, founder of the Australian Combat Sports Academy, it was a signal he couldn't ignore. In this powerful episode of Origin to Ambition, Sean sits down with Philip to uncover a journey that began with a single, brutal Muay Thai session and led to quitting a stable advertising career with absolutely no plan. Philip shares the raw, unfiltered story of trading corporate life for a three-month trip to Th...
What does a former AFL star and the President of the Hawthorn Football Club know about entrepreneurship? As it turns out, everything that matters. In this episode, Sean is joined by Andy Gowers for a masterclass in high-performance thinking. Andy shares the game-changing advice he received from Michael Gerber: if you can't sell your business, you don't own a business—you own a job. This single idea reshaped his entire approach to building and exiting his successful wealth management firm. And...
What does officiating a high-stakes football match in front of 100,000 fans have in common with building a successful business from the ground up? As it turns out, almost everything. In this episode of Origin to Ambition, Sean Dunne sits down with Simon Micallef, a former international FIFA referee and the founder of business consultancy Finfocus. Simon shares his remarkable journey from a structured career in banking to the disciplined, high-pressure world of elite sports, and finally to the...
Ever faced a frustrating problem in your field and thought, "There has to be a better way"? That's exactly where Suzi Wright found herself. As a dance studio owner, she was tired of the high cost and limited options for costumes in Australia. Her solution? A trip to Bangkok that uncovered an "Aladdin's cave" of vibrant, affordable costumes and sparked a brilliant business idea. In this high-energy episode, Sean is joined by the unstoppable Suzi Wright, founder of Dance Station Costumes. Suzi ...
Ever wondered what it truly takes to leave the security of a corporate job and build a purpose-driven business from the ground up? In the very first episode of Origin to Ambition, host Sean Dunne sits down with seasoned entrepreneur Chris Rossidis. Chris shares the incredible story of his journey from a lab scientist to the co-founder of Emerge Health, a pharmaceutical company he successfully built and sold to an international partner. Chris opens up about the pivotal moments that led him to ...
Tired of the polished success stories that leave out the most important details? So are we. Welcome to Origin to Ambition, the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the entrepreneurial journey. Host Sean Dunne sits down with everyday business founders—the ones who started with a simple idea and turned it into a thriving enterprise—to uncover the unfiltered truths behind their success. This isn't just another business podcast. It's a collection of real-world blueprints, cautionary tales, and ...
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