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THRIVING BUSINESS
Business Insights to Help You Grow Your Business with Ease
We’re two seasoned business owners — Sam Morris and Kate De Jong — sharing our nearly thirty-year combined experience of starting and growing service-based businesses from the ground up. We so many small businesses struggling or falling prey to expensive promises of quick fixes or silver bullets. Both of us know what it REALLY takes to start and grow a business, we've done it many times over and we've got the blisters to prove it! We’ve joined forces to share our knowledge and experience so you can find the easiest path to success, doing it your way, and most importantly — staying true to yourself.
61 Episodes
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In this episode, Kate and Sam welcome special guest Joanne Ross Wells, founder of JRW Bridal, an established custom couture bridal brand in Perth, WA. Joanne shares her journey as a global citizen from growing up in Rhodesia, spending time in London and the USA, being born in New Zealand and immigrating to Australia eight years ago. Jo then built her successful business from the ground up. Joanne opens up about the significant curveballs life has thrown her way in recent years, including majo...
In this episode, Sam and Kate Morris dive deep into the fast-evolving world of AI agents, intelligent digital assistants that don’t just generate ideas, but take action on your behalf. From their earliest experiences experimenting with ChatGPT and Claude.ai to their recent exploration of agentic platforms like Sintra AI, Kate and Sam unpack how you can integrate AI into day-to-day business operations. They discuss the hype, the practical challenges, and the genuine benefits for entrepreneurs ...
In this episode, Sam and Kate explore the five different types of small businesses—a framework Kate has been developing after nearly a decade of personal experience with different types of business owners. If you've ever felt like traditional business advice doesn't quite fit what you're building… you're not alone. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why traditional business models (like those from The E-Myth by Michael Gerber) don’t work for everyone.The five types of small businesses—and why know...
In this episode, Kate sits down with leadership expert and global Executive Coach Kim Lancer, founder of Tall Poppies Leadership, who is on a mission to help one million leaders lead confidently and "stand tall." Growing up in Australia, Kim experienced firsthand how the country's notorious "Tall Poppy Syndrome" encourages high achievers to downplay their success. After spending most of her career overseas in the UK and USA—where this cultural phenomenon is less prominent—Kim returned to Aust...
What happens when you combine crocodile encounters, buffalo hunting, and a submerged 4WD on a broken bridge in the middle of an outback river - with business ambition? You get Angus Dicker's incredible journey. Sam and I had so much fun in this episode! Angus Dicker is not your typical business owner. He’s managed to carve a life for himself in which he gets to do work he loves, in places where most people don’t go. From early beginnings in the military to becoming a Masters of Business gradu...
In this episode, Sam and Kate delve into the sensitive and often tricky topic of business partnership failures. Globally, around 70% of business partnerships end up dissolving. In a candid and honest conversation, Kate and Sam explore the challenges that arise in business collaborations, acknowledging that while “failure” is possibly an unfair term (because often our biggest learnings come through these experiences), many partnerships naturally come to an end or evolve over time. Sam an...
Are you tired of losing sleep over your financial future? In this empowering episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, hosts Kate and Sam are joined by seasoned financial strategist Gayle McKew, who reveals how to transform financial stress into strategic confidence. Gayle shares her journey from a career in banking to becoming an independent financial planner. Her journey shows us how taking control of your financial decisions, even when they're difficult—can lead to both ethical alignment a...
Welcome to another episode of Thriving Business podcast, real stories and innovative insights to help you grow a business that truly thrives. Today, Kate and Sam share an open, thoughtful, and at times surprising conversation about the rapid evolution of AI — how they’re using it today, how it’s impacting their decision-making, and where it’s all heading next. They also take a deep and personal dive into the field of Human Design and how it's helping them both rethink how they structure their...
This week, Kate was honoured to sit down with Dee Skillicorn, founder of Digi-Secure, “your trusted guide in the ever-evolving world of digital assets”. Dee is on a mission to demystify cryptocurrency, making it simple, accessible and safe for everyone. Dee and her husband have built their wealth through cryptocurrency and love helping others to do the same. With over 30 years of hands-on experience in business, finance, system analysis, and implementation, Dee has honed a sharp eye for what ...
It’s refreshing to hear the raw and honest truth about what it really takes to build a successful business. In this episode of The Thriving Business Podcast, host Kate De Jong sits down with serial entrepreneur and systems wizard Eddie Zhang, founder of Zhamatix, to unpack his rollercoaster journey from a disillusioned corporate worker to a five-times business founder. From selling viral charcoal masks to launching a lean consultancy that “supercharges productivity” for small businesses and S...
In this episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, host Kate Dong interviews Mitchell Levy, a global credibility expert, executive coach, and TEDx speaker from Silicon Valley, USA. About Mitchell Levy Global credibility expert and executive coachTwo-time TEDx speakerAuthor of 65+ booksPublisher of 750+ books through four different publishing companiesHas started 20+ companiesFormer board member of a NASDAQ firm38 years in Silicon Valley, 36 years married, father to a 26-year-old son Mitchell...
In our latest episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, Kate was honoured to sit down with James Bryden, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) expert and creator of the ‘Wisdumb’ Model. In our humble opinion, ‘Wisdumb’ is the greatest gift you can give yourself, your business and the people in your life — and in this episode we discuss how you can cultivate it. After a career as a footballer, eventually becoming Head Coach of an Indonesian soccer team and reaching ‘celebrity status’ in South East Asia,...
Did you know that almost half of all small businesses in Australia have experienced a cyber attack of some kind in the last year, and the average cost of those attacks is $40,000 AUD? In this episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, hosts Kate De Jong and Sam Morris welcome Peter Treneman from GroupSupport IT to discuss the critical role of IT and cybersecurity in small business. Together they explore the necessity of consistent data backups, the value of building a relationship with I...
This week, Kate sat down with Louise Matson, founder of the iconic shoe brand ‘Louise M Shoes’ to discuss her journey from a seasoned flight attendant to creating a successful and exquisite line of shoes tailored specifically for airline crew and corporate women, combining both comfort and style. Louise shares her experiences in the shoe industry, the art and science behind authentic shoe making and the challenges of an online retail business. The conversation delved into the impact of COVID-...
In episode 47 of the Thriving Business podcast, Sam and I discuss the unique business planning processes we’ve implemented for 2025. After nearly a decade of experimenting with different business planning methods and approaches, we’ve both come up with our own approaches: both a little different, but powerful. Our hope is that our insights inspires you to think differently this year also, with the intention to grow and expand more than ever before. Highlights: Navigating Major Life Changes: K...
In this episode, hosts Sam and Kate were honoured to interview Matthew Wyatt, founder of Tech Torque and an expert in helping software and technology companies scale through strategy, sales, and marketing. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, including starting 10 successful businesses, running 4 national companies and two international organisations, Matt shares his incredible journey from selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door at age 17 to creating and scaling several multi-milli...
In this latest episode, Kate was honoured to sit down with Elizabeth (Elle) Hack, founder of The Canine Care Hub and author of the bestselling book “Fetch More Clients: Effectively Market and Grow Your Canine Business in 6 Weeks”. Elle was a client of Kate’s back in 2020, just before the COVID lockdown, when Elle was first starting her business. Elle has since gone on to grow a thriving business dedicated to helping dog grooming and dog care businesses to establish a loyal customer base. Her ...
In this episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, Sam and Kate dive into the world of marketing through the lens of the recent US election. While politics is at the forefront of many conversations, this episode discusses how successful political campaigns mirror successful marketing campaigns. What You'll Learn: The power of consistency: Kate and Sam break down the impact of consistent messaging in both politics and business. They explore how Trump’s repetitive messages, despite being ...
In our most recent episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, we were honoured to sit down with innovation and commercialisation expert Daniel O'Connor. Daniel is on the UN Task Force for Innovation and Competitiveness and has been helping inventors and R&D teams to commercialise their ideas for more than 40 years, so he knows a thing or two about funding start-up ventures! Together we broke down some of the myths and misconceptions that set many start-up founders on the wrong track. We ex...
Episode Overview: In this episode, Kate and Sam dive into a discussion of how they’re using AI in business as a tool for organisation, strategy, and even as a coaching assistant. They discuss some of the most recent AI developments that are impacting businesses in previously unimaginable ways. They discuss the continuing implications of AI-generated content, how it can be embraced positively, and the importance of discernment in the digital age. Key Takeaways: 1. Using AI to Help with Overwh...
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