The High Ground

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Cameron Stallard built Grayza with zero outside funding. Here's why he still turns down deals that don't fit.Cameron is the co-founder of Grayza, the Brisbane hospitality tech company behind order-at-table, order-ahead and kiosk ordering for venues across Australia. He's also the operational mind behind AM Social, PM Social and AMPED Entertainment. He and Chloe cover:Why restaurants and investors said phone ordering would never workRefusing middleware and holding out for direct integrationsTurning down a 14-venue group to protect the product's reputationThe 300-venue client that cost a competitor more than it paidWalking away from partners who can't match your pacePulling a 4:40am all-nighter before the first venue went liveIf this episode was useful, leave The High Ground a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other business owners find the show.Connect with Cameron:Grayza: https://grayza.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronstallard/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cambowjsChapters:00:00 Intro01:27 Starting Grayza when nobody backed it06:50 100 pitch decks and venues saying no10:33 Refusing middleware: direct integrations only12:31 Saying no to money26:27 AI and the risk of vibe-coded software35:20 How AM Social, PM Social and AMPED started45:36 Are entrepreneurs made or born?46:27 The 4:40am menu rebuild before go-live1:00:07 Running a festival and Grayza at once1:18:53 The client that costs more than it pays1:20:48 Cameron's advice for foundersRevenue Maturity Assessment: see where your business's revenue engine is leaking value, free: https://www.boderia.io/revenue-system-maturity-assessment

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Steve Baxter has backed more than 100 Australian startups, and he says most businesses don't lose to their competitors. They blow themselves up from the inside.Steve was one of the original sharks on Shark Tank Australia and co-founded PIPE Networks, which sold for $370 million. He and Chloe cover:Why businesses rarely die from competitionHow great service drove 90% of new customers through referralsThe "never make a customer repeat themselves" ruleWhy your gut is the wrong tool for business decisionsWhat Steve looks for in the people he backsHow to pitch when an investor's job is to say noIf this episode was useful, leave The High Ground a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other business owners find the show.Connect with Steve:Beaten Zone: https://www.beatenzone.vc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-baxter-021448/Chapters:00:00 Meet Steve Baxter00:49 From the army to his first internet business04:40 Why business risk never really changes12:34 What makes a business last15:00 Timing, luck and the Maxwell MRI story23:54 How he won his first customers30:01 The decisions that took him from small to large34:32 What Steve looks for when backing a business39:50 What wins Steve over in a pitch44:16 Life as a shark on Shark Tank51:17 Tax, housing and founders leaving Australia1:02:17 Steve's #1 adviceRevenue Maturity Assessment: see where your business's revenue engine is leaking value, free: https://www.boderia.io/revenue-system-maturity-assessment

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!If you had to hire yourself into your own business, would you? Blake Thompson on the ego and discipline gaps that quietly cap a founder's growth.Blake is the CEO and co-founder of Xrecruiter, which helps recruiters launch and run their own agencies, from solo operators to teams turning over $20 million a year. He and Chloe cover:The "would you hire yourself?" test every founder should takeWhy ego is the biggest destroyer of businessesThe 20-year veteran who refused advice and closed without a single dealHow to prepare for the downturn while business is going wellWhether you're building an asset or a high-paying jobWhy luck is really just volumeConnect with Blake:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startarecruitmentagency/Xrecruiter: https://xrecruiter.ioChapters:00:00 Meet Blake Thompson00:38 The question that started his business09:26 Should everyone become a founder?17:50 What nobody warns you about20:47 How you handle pressure decides your success22:29 The 20-year veteran who never did a deal27:54 Building an asset vs a high-paying job30:28 Would you hire yourself?34:15 Ego, overthinking and the tax bill shock36:40 How Xrecruiter started45:56 Why luck is just volume 49:29 Blake's #1 adviceRevenue Maturity Assessment: see where your business's revenue engine is leaking value, free: https://www.boderia.io/revenue-system-maturity-assessment

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Most ad accounts could cut 20-30% of their budget and still get the same result. Jason Le shows where that money is quietly leaking.Jason is the founder and managing director of JRNY Digital and has managed more than $40 million in ad spend across 200 businesses. He and Chloe cover:How a business doubled to $10M, then cut the channel responsibleThe "fact or opinion?" test for marketing decisionsWhy most small businesses don't need more leadsThe rule of one for testing ad creativeWhen to cut an ad using your break-even costWhether billboards and radio are worth itHow to brief an agency so you get the right leadsConnect with Jason:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-le1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason_le1996/JRNY Digital: https://jrnydigital.com.au/Chapters:00:00 Meet Jason Le00:35 Where ad spend quietly leaks02:30 The attribution mistake07:14 Why you might not need more leads09:27 The rule of one for ad creative12:23 When to cut an ad16:15 What works in B2B ads22:54 Jason's story33:22 Billboards and radio42:42 Marketing and sales working apart48:43 Why agencies fail1:04:39 Jason's #1 adviceRevenue Maturity Assessment: see where your business's revenue engine is leaking value, free: https://www.boderia.io/revenue-system-maturity-assessment

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!A wrong senior hire can cost a founder-led business 3–5x that person's salary. Daniel Moussa explains how to get it right the first time.Daniel is the founder of Third Way Advisory, an executive search firm working exclusively with founder-led businesses across Australia and Asia. He and Chloe cover:Why a founder-led CEO role is a different job to a corporate CEOThe "pre-season" hiring process Dan borrows from elite sportHow to headhunt senior talent who aren't actively lookingWhy senior hires take six months, and how to start earlyHow founders stop being the bottleneck in their own businessOptions when you can't yet afford a full-time executiveConnect With Dan:Third Way Advisory: https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdwayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/Chapters:00:00 Meet Daniel Moussa00:29 Founder-led CEO vs corporate CEO03:05 The real cost of a wrong hire04:41 The "pre-season" hiring process07:50 Fake CVs and volume recruiting12:28 Stop being the bottleneck15:49 Headhunting people who aren't looking25:48 Why senior hires take 6 months31:13 Interims and fractional executives35:12 Dan's founder story41:21 Dan's #1 advice: no plan BRevenue Maturity Assessment: see where your business's revenue engine is leaking value, free: https://www.boderia.io/revenue-system-maturity-assessment