Trailblazers with Tim Gilbert

In the latest episode of Trailblazers Podcast, Tim Gilbert sits down with Tony Karp, CEO of Australia’s largest - and only B2B and B2C eGift card company, Prezzee. A leading force when it comes to retail in Australia, having worked alongside major retailers like Woolworths, Metcash, Stockland, ScentreGroup and Specialty Fashion Group, Tony’s story starts in South Africa, where both his grandfather and father were retailers, which may explain how Tony’s career has come full circle. For Tony, Prezzee was ultimately meant to be a part time role, offered to him by Australian entrepreneur and Prezzee Co-Founder Shaun Bonétt. “At the time he said - and I remember these words so succinctly - it will be a part time gig, you can do it three times a week and you can still get to play golf,” says Tony. Fast forward to 2021, Prezzee now has offices in Australia, NZ, US and the UK, employs 96 people globally, and is set to distribute close to eight million digital gift cards this year. 

Tim Gilbert sits down with former CEO of Primo Group, and Chairman and co-owner of A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers, Paul Lederer to discuss his extraordinary career, and how hard work pays off. Paul created a world class business with Primo. Anywhere you went in the world and you mentioned the name ‘Primo’ - everyone knew what it was. The success story of Primo started with 38 people, growing into an enterprise of 4,500 and exporting to 70 different countries, with Paul ultimately selling the business for $1.5 billion. “Never lose faith. In business, in life, in football, you will lose and you better get used to it. You're not going to win them all, but it's how you handle the loss, what you learn, how do you make it better the next time. Have faith and ambition in yourself that you can do it better the next time.”

Tim Gilbert sits down with former Hawthorn player and three-time premiership winner, Josh Gibson to discuss his new business venture REVL, which launched right before the nation went into lockdown, and how the business managed to not just survive - but thrive through all the COVID curveballs. When launching REVL, Gibson and his business partner were always looking at things to stay at the forefront, to fool proof the business and ensure it could survive any scenario, but COVID had other plans. Gibson had to find a way to adapt, and quickly while still championing a group fitness business model. Gibson is adamant that the qualities he learnt in football such as resilience, being challenged and put in front of compromising situations have no doubt helped him in the business world. 

Tim Gilbert sits down with freight forwarding entrepreneur and Verus Global CEO Jackson Meyer, discussing how he managed to start a global company with 15 offices around the world generating $74 million in just two years - all while being under the age of 25.  The road to success however, was a bumpy ride. Meyer is the first to admit that he was “naive and didn’t even understand the process of credit,” but as daunting as it was to start a new business at the ripe age of 22, he knew working in freight was his calling. Since its inception, Verus has weathered many storms including COVID-19, Hong Kong protests, and Brexit - events that caused ports to shut down globally and present a new set of challenges to the freight industry. 

Tim sits down with Ken Sutcliffe to discuss his impressive media career spanning 50 years, his childhood growing up in Mudgee, his retirement in 2016, and how he overcame being a shy kid to become an iconic TV personality. With a glittering career and noteworthy career, Ken discusses how much he really got to enjoy his success, and how he worked hard for everything he got. From modest beginnings in the central western New South Wales town of Mudgee, Ken talks about his rejections early on in radio, and how it led him to appreciating as a barber, which is where he learned to converse with people from all walks of life. Sutcliffe honed his skills in regional radio and television before joining the Nine Network in 1979. Ken Sutcliffe presented the sports report on the evening news, was the long-time host of 'The Wide World of Sport' and acted as the network's anchorman at many of the world's biggest sporting events, including the summer and winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon and the US Masters. He retired in 2016 as a household name and a legendary sports presenter. 

Tim Gilbert speaks with the inspiring Perry Cross, who made it his mission to carry on from Superman actor Christopher Reeve’s mission to find a cure for paralysis. Suffering the same injury as Reeve, Cross shares his incredible story travelling overseas to meet Reeve, and ultimately advising Reeve on how to fly (At that time quadriplegics couldn’t fly due to the logistics). Cross discusses how he overcame many unexpected obstacles in his life, which led him to founding the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation.After surviving a devastating accident whilst playing rugby union, his core goal in life became  to inspire others to achieve. Becoming a C2 quadriplegic in 1994, just one year prior to Christopher Reeve sustaining the same injury, has allowed him to become one of the world’s most lauded motivational speakers and one of very few who rely on a life support machine to function.  He has been heralded as an exception role model for overcoming the odds to succeed and overcome what appeared to be insurmountable odds. Established in 2010, the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation has one clear vision - to find a cure for paralysis.  

"Make sure that you are persistent, make sure that you work hard, but also have a back up"Discussing his journey from apprentice to famous chef and restaurateur, Luke Mangan sits down with Tim Gilbert and opens up about the restaurant industry during Covid and his calculated  approach to surviving this extremely challenging time for the industry. Mangan chats about all his different projects and endeavours, from restaurants, to TV, to cruise ships and airplanes, and how all of these were greatly affected by the pandemic.  Luke Mangan is a leading Australian restaurateur and chef. His influence on the food and wine industry can be found on the carriages of the Eastern Oriental Express, at sea, on P&O Cruise ships and most recently, on TV as a Coles Supermarkets ambassador. For 13 years, Luke owned and operated restaurants in Japan, Singapore and Indonesia under the Salt brand. He sold his remaining share in the business in 2018 to focus on his Australian restaurants and new ‘Luke’s’ ventures, including Luke’s Kitchen, Luke’s Steakhouse and Luke’s Burger Bar to name a few. He has written five best-selling cookbooks and an autobiography ‘The Making of a Chef’, has his line of gourmet products and makes regular TV appearances.

“You can’t do it for the money. If you don’t love it, you won’t last."As one of Australia’s most successful and popular comics, Vince Sorrenti is full of experience and laughter. Vince chats with Tim Gilbert about his childhood and his fast rise to success in the 80s. Vince talks about the comedy scene in 80s Australia, and both Tim and Vince take a look back on the year of COVID and the obstacles and hardships that came along with the pandemic. Vince discusses his love for performing, as well as the ways in which he became the best comic he could be. Vince Sorrenti was part of new wave of stand up comics that changed the face of comedy in Australia in the 1980s. He has appeared at countless events and entertained everyone from Hollywood Celebrities, national leaders, sporting legends and captains of industry. For the past 2 decades, Vince has been the entertainer of choice at the nation’s leading corporate, benefit, sporting, political, conference, and social events. 

“I was so driven and swimming was everything that I wanted to do.”From Olympian to Businessman, Michael Klim discusses the drive to succeed that has seen him make great sacrifices to win Olympic gold and how that now translates into his brand Milk & Co and as dad to his three kids. Sharing his memories from the Sydney Olympics 2000, Michael retells his inside view of a time that all Australians imagine as an electric part of our history, including a gruelling competing schedule and the elation of winning. He also discusses how a transition into skincare felt like a natural progression for him and the steep learning curve he had to make in terms of launching and managing a product line.Michael Klim was one of the undisputed stars of the Sydney Olympic Games with two gold and two silver. He was instrumental in Australia’s thrilling 4x100m relay victory, unleashing a world record lead off swim to win his first gold on the first night. Klim later helped smash the world record in the 4x200m relay to win his second gold. Klim returned to compete  in the subsequent 2004 Athens Games, the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2012 Michael officially retired from swimming to focus his energy on his skincare company Milk & Co and spending more time with his family.

“That’s always been my attitude - just go out there and live it.”Deborah Hutton graced the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine at the age of 16 before going on to become a top international model. In the years since, Deborah has become one of the most recognisable and best-known personalities in Australia with an extensive television career hosting programs and working as an editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly for over 10 years. Deborah is also a savvy businesswoman with both a homewares product line  “Living with Deborah Hutton” and her own brand of Optical eyewear. Renowned for her passion for good food and entertaining Deborah has published two cookbooks ‘My Love Affair with Food’ and “Entertaining Made Easy with Deborah Hutton”.Between a nomadic childhood moving around, a modelling career, being the face of Meyer and having a successful television career, Deborah discusses her unique path that led her to where she is today. Addressing her challenges with skin cancer, Deborah talks about the eye-opening experience and how she felt empowered to share the ugly side of skin cancer with the world.