The Business Of

Lights... Camera... Spreadsheets? Emile Sherman and his production company See-Saw Films have produced some of the most beloved films and TV shows of the last few decades, including The King’s Speech, Lion, Heartstopper and Slow Horses. It’s a job he loves, but it’s not all glitz and glamour. In fact, it's similar to running a business in almost any other field...  Whether you're trying to spot the next big thing or learn when to say “no” to the big money, running a production company is far more business than “show.” Emile explains how he and his business partner Ian Canning transformed See-Saw from a scrappy startup into a global production house, how their early bid for independence informed the way they work today, and why the risky decision is often the smartest one.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.  This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Claire Annesley.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  You can listen to Emile's podcast Principle of Charity here. He also has The Sandbox: A See-Saw Podcast On Creativity which you can find here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Dreaming is such an important thing. You have to have space to imagine what something could be.’  Carving out the time and space to imagine and ideate is crucial for all business leaders. The development and growth of their companies depend on it.   And for contemporary artist Ramesh Nithiyendran, finding time to ‘daydream’ is only possible with the strong infrastructure he’s built around himself and his practice.  Across the first decade of his professional career, Ramesh built a successful art practice by treating it like a startup - reinvesting profits, building infrastructure, and thinking carefully about his brand. He peels back the curtain of the creative industries, talking everything from seeking funding and finding an accountant, to what it means to build a sustainable creative business while maintaining your artistic vision.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Claire Annesley.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At seven years old, Hayley Saddington experienced an incident that became the catalyst for her whole career.  Decades later, Hayley founded two companies – HALO Medical Devices and PeakMedical – but she’s not your typical tech entrepreneur. For one thing, she doesn’t come from a tech background.  Both companies have tested her patience, her drive and her sleep schedule, but her deeply personal purpose has kept her going. And as a mentor to budding entrepreneurs, Hayley wants to help others determine their purpose and find that same drive to succeed in business.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the early 2000s, and Roby Sharon-Zipser just wants his internet connection to cover his whole house. He’s on his hands and knees, trying to thread a cable through a hole in the floor, caked in white dust when he realises... I need some help!  In that moment, the idea for hipages was born. And over 20 years later, it’s transformed from a Yellow Pages-style home improvement directory to an app-based marketplace, connecting tradies and homeowners right across the country.  Roby explains how playing the long game has positioned it as one of the go-to names in its field.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re finalists in the 3rd Annual Signal Awards! Help us win the Listener’s Choice Award by voting for The Business Of here. Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to data.   In a digitised world, it is possible to collect reams of data on customers, but at what cost? Many companies don’t even realise they’re suffering an extreme case of ‘bad data hygiene’ which in the face of a cyber incident, could be critical.   Laura Newton, a regulatory lawyer and cyber incident response lead at Herbert Smith Freehills, explains best practices for managing customer data, how to prepare for a cyber incident, and what to do if an incident breaks out.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How productive can you be if your working environment is bad for your mental health?  Psychosocial hazards at work are often less visible than physical risks but can have a significant impact on employees' mental health and wellbeing and typically arise from the way work is structured, the organisational culture, and relationships within the workplace How can workplaces be better designed to better care for employee well-being and efficiency? Carlo Caponecchia, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UNSW Science and an expert in psychosocial safety at work, breaks down the key elements every organisation should focus on for a safer, more productive environment.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tell the truth and tell it fast, especially when faced with a crisis that has the potential to put people – and an organisation’s reputation – at risk.    Most businesses have some sort of crisis management plan to enact when threatened with turmoil, but what happens when the best laid plans fail?   Sue Cato, one of Australia’s leading crisis experts, has been at the coal face of many of those incidents, guiding an array of companies through their most vulnerable moments.    Sue explains the common mistakes leaders get wrong in a crisis, why your CEO isn’t always the best leader in tough times, and why telling the truth – and telling it early – is always the best move.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you describe yourself as a right-brained or left-brained thinker?  We’ve been conditioned to believe you’re either one or the other. And while we all know a math genius who couldn’t hold a paintbrush if they tried and some creative geniuses who’d be lost in the simplest of spreadsheets, we can all develop both our creative and logical abilities. And in business, having a balance of both is key to great leadership.  Alexandra Smart knew this when she co-founded the fashion label Ginger & Smart. Without innovative designs and forward-thinking product development, the brand might not have stood. And, without the business savvy to actually make money, none of those designs would have graced a catwalk or a shopfront.   Alexandra shares how this balance of creative and commercial thinking shaped their business strategy and go-to-market plans, and how in her current role as an executive coach she teaches other leaders to get this crucial balance right.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s attention economy, it’s all about getting and keeping eyeballs on your product or service. How do you capture attention in an increasingly crowded market? And once you have it, how do you convert a casual fan into a die-hard fan?  Darren Werner is the Head of Marketing at Kayo Sports, an Australian streaming service that airs live and on-demand programming. He explains how to capture viewer attention by adapting your product to changing consumer habits and leveraging the media platforms fans already love.   He’ll also tell you what he learned about promoting the same product across vastly different markets while working with the NBA.  +++  The Business Of is a podcast from the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Supporting audio for this episode was sourced from Fox Sports, 11Alive, Netflix and WWE. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business is an incredibly powerful force – how do you use it for good?  How do you balance ambitious social impact targets with the realities of day-to-day operations?  For Adam McCurdie, co-founder of social enterprise ticketing platform Humanitix, creating social impact was the priority from day one. How was he going to change the world? By starting a software company with a difference: one where he and his co-founder have no exit plan, and the profits go to charities around the world.   But that’s not the only way to do well and do good. For Tristan Harris, the co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets, social impact evolved from a successful business model. After building a devoted consumer base that wanted more ethically produced products, Tristan realised he could make decisions that were good for the planet – and he could do this much faster than bigger competitors. And for Frances Atkins, the CEO of Givvable, long-term, ‘big picture thinking’ shaped the start up’s purpose.  If you want to dive deeper into the business of profit and purpose, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Adam McCurdie, Tristan Harris and Frances Atkins.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our BusinessThink newsletter and receive business insights and groundbreaking research and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What will you need to know – or know how to do – to succeed in business over the next ten years?   A decade ago, the answer would have been to up-skill in tech. According to Lee Hickin, the AI Technology and Policy Lead for Microsoft in Australia, the advances we've seen in the last decade mean that “technology is not this thing that happens as a segment of a business, it’s actually how a business runs today.”  And mitigating the risks and impact of climate change is the new frontier. Penny Joseph, the Head of Climate Resilience at electricity distributor Ausgrid, believes more companies will create roles like hers, and explains the unique mix of skills roles like hers require.   Behyad Jafari, the CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, has already seen entire industries updating the priorities of their skills base – he sees a future built on a ‘purple collar workforce,’ and explains what that looks like in the car manufacturing industry.  If you want to dive deeper into the skills of the future, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Lee Hickin, Penny Joseph and Behyad Jafari.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence becomes more powerful by the day – which means the dangers that come with it are growing too. If you’re using AI tools in your business, you need to know how to use them safely and responsibly.  So where do you start? Dr Catriona Wallace, a world-leading AI expert and Adjunct Professor at AGSM, shares a framework for using AI ethically, and explains why that responsibility falls on the shoulders of leaders and not just tech teams.  Stela Solar, Director of the CSIRO’s National Artificial Intelligence Centre, thinks leaders using AI ‘the right way’ are already experiencing a competitive advantage. That includes Dimitry Tran, who owns three healthcare businesses powered by AI.  In this episode of The Business Of you’ll learn about how to use AI to get ahead without compromising on safety. If you want to dive deeper into using AI for business, listen to previous episodes of The Business Of featuring Dr Catriona Wallace, Stela Solar and Dimitry Tran.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our BusinessThink newsletter and receive business insights and groundbreaking research and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, you want to start a business.    And no matter how big your ambitions are, chances are you’re going to start small as one of the 99.8% of businesses in Australia that operate as small-to-medium enterprises – or SMEs.      Associate Professor Kristle Romero Cortés teaches people how to make confident financial decisions for themselves and their organisations every day at the University of New South Wales School of Banking and Finance. She’s going to help you unpack key concepts as you’re starting with your SME finances.   Once you’ve mastered the basics, Interim Dean at the University of New South Wales Business School Professor Frederik Anseel explains how to straddle the line between capable and over-confident in managing the finances of your growing business.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katrina McPhee is in the superannuation industry for the long haul now, but that wasn’t always the case.   She’s currently the Chief of Staff at Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, but when she first entered the industry, she wasn’t interested in sticking around in a field not exactly known for its desire to shake things up.  But that all changed after a Royal Commission investigated misconduct in the banking, superannuation and finance sectors, and sparked a renewed focus on members and their needs.   Kat describes this industry-wide transformation to host Dr Juliet Bourke, and details how Aware Super is combatting the ‘gender retirement gap’ not only for their own members, but also through their advocacy work as one of Australia’s most powerful financial forces.   Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, explains how businesses can harness their moments of reckoning for positive transformation.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech start-ups have been the darlings of business media in recent years, and for good reason: new technology is exciting and flashy, and tech entrepreneurs tend to share pithy catchphrases about grinding, hustling, or “moving fast and breaking things.”   But what happens when a start-up needs to slow down?   In the case of the investment app Pearler, speed was never the ultimate goal. Co-founder Hayden Smith thinks veering away from that traditional startup mentality has been key to building relationships with Pearler customers who now trust the company to manage approximately $1 billion of their money.  Hayden explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how he’s adapted his leadership style to the longer-term finance industry, and how his personal experience has informed the product development at Pearler.  Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, shares a more nuanced way to understand failure when building a new business, and offers some practical strategies for managing – and more importantly, learning from – failure.  +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In their first few years of operation, Humanitix didn’t spend a cent on traditional marketing. Despite this, they managed to build up a client list that includes Google, TED, Red Bull, Canva and Facebook, and gave millions to charity in the process. How did they do it?  Adam McCurdie is the co-founder and CEO of Humanitix, the new contender disrupting the fiercely competitive ticketing industry for all the right reasons. After making a pact with his close friend and co-founder, Adam left the corporate world in search of more meaningful work – and that relentless pursuit of purpose is the driving force behind Humanitix’s unconventional marketing.   Adam explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke why traditional advertising hasn’t been an option for most of Humanitix’s history, and how the company's clients have done the talking for them.   Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School explains why the purpose-driven marketing of Humanitix works for some companies but isn’t necessarily the right approach for everyone.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you market your business when consumers pay not to see your ads? How do you make your name stand out when the internet is overrun with marketing? And how do you build trust and make your name sticks when everything’s moving so fast?   Dee Madigan is an advertising expert, a founding panelist on ABC’s The Gruen Transfer and the creative director and owner of ad agency Campaign Edge. Dee breaks down one of branding’s most powerful tools – sponsorship.   She explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how sponsorships work in today’s digital marketing landscape, why they’re so effective when done right, and warns about the most common pitfalls and mistakes in sponsorship branding.   Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, goes even deeper, explaining how the right sponsorship deal can lend a sense of humanity and personality to an otherwise ‘faceless’ organisation.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes a great marketer? Maybe a good eye for product design, a deep understanding of market dynamics, excellent communication skills and the ability to give customers what they want. But what about a fierce devotion to ethics?   Wendy Mak is the Chief Marketing Officer at Link Group, a global financial services company driven by digital and data technology. Wendy’s excited about the potential productivity gains promised by brand-new technology like generative AI, but she’s not all-in - yet.   As a marketer, everything Wendy does needs to build trust with consumers and clients, and right now, artificial intelligence tools are threatening to do the opposite. She explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how she’s leveraging these powerful new technologies without succumbing to their most dangerous pitfalls.   Professor Frederik Anseel, Interim Dean at UNSW Business School, will then discuss how to develop an ethical framework that’s right for your organisation, including how to get everyone on the same page when deciding what ‘doing the right thing’ looks like in practice.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“In future, I expect that everybody will have climate resilience and climate mitigation as part of their roles.”  Penny Joseph is the Head of Climate Resilience at major Australian electricity provider Ausgrid, but when she began her career, this type of role didn’t exist.   As the climate heats up and more industries are feeling the effects of changing weather, Penny explains to The Business Of host Dr Juliet Bourke that roles like hers will become the norm.  How are the leaders of tomorrow learning the necessary skills to thrive in a climate-changed world - like keeping a team motivated to achieve long-term goals as we transition to a more resilient future? Professor Frederik Anseel shares his insights on “the progress principle” with structure to keep your team focused on the goal.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.  The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might have come across the term black swan events – commonly used in the insurance space – they’re considered rare occurrences that are almost impossible to predict.  As our climate and weather patterns continue to change at pace, the unexpected is really all we can expect now. How do businesses like insurers plan for risk and implement resilience strategies in the face of uncertainty?   Leading with clarity during these high-pressure events takes a systematic approach, and for James Fitzpatrick, the Chief Technical Officer at Allianz Australia, this is his bread and butter.     James’ industry has plenty to share with leaders in other fields when it comes to planning for "unknown unknowns,” and he explains to host Dr Juliet Bourke how insurers have mapped and modelled the future in the past, how those methods are changing as climate events become increasingly unpredictable, and how the core principles behind those methods can work in other sectors.   Professor Frederik Anseel, Senior Deputy Dean of UNSW Business School, drops in to explain why practice doesn’t always make perfect when it comes to managing risk.   +++  The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios.   The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here.  Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn.   We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.