Troubleshooters Podcast

Sometimes the best business stories start with a simple "why not?"
That's exactly what happened when Luke Petherbridge, a Sydney-raised finance guy, got asked if he'd consider moving to Cleveland, Ohio. Fast-forward a few years, and he's now running Link - one of America's largest logistics operations with 1,100 staff, 3,500 buildings, and a staggering statistic: roughly 5% of US GDP flows through their facilities. In this month’s ...

Nicole Stanners, founder of Muze Women, a cycling apparel brand for women, discussed her journey from a marketing executive to entrepreneur. Identifying a gap in the market for well-fitting cycling apparel, she conducted extensive research, prototyping, and fit testing. Despite initial setbacks, such as a factory misinterpreting grading, she launched Muze in 2023. Focusing on comfort, practical design, and sustainability, she boots...

Richard Turner, an award-winning entrepreneur, discusses his 40-year journey in business on the Troubleshooters podcast. Turner, who has been South Australian Entrepreneur of the Year twice and Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010, emphasises the importance of risk-taking, mentorship, and planning in entrepreneurship. He highlights his successes with companies like Holbrook Meats, Regency Food Services, and Zen Energy, which...

In the wrap-up of Season Two of the Troubleshooters podcast, host Michael McGrath highlights key insights from various episodes. Kelly Jamison of Edible Blooms discusses the importance of learning from mistakes and the benefits of limited capital. Matt Stillone of Protein Supplies Australia emphasizes the value of resilience, resourcefulness, and relationships in business. Tom Waterhouse shares his journey from bookmaking to online...

In this episode, Frank Li, a China market specialist, shares his journey from arriving in Australia unable to speak English at age 10 to becoming the Dux of his Catholic school by year 12! He discusses his career path, including his MBA from AGSM and his transition to China in 2004. Frank founded 31Jiu, a beverage distribution company, and later secured distribution rights for Bundaberg ginger beer in China, which became a huge suc...

In this episode, Tim Hutchinson, co-founder and CEO, shares his journey from studying zoology to leading SkillsGPT, a pioneering generative AI business. Tim discusses how SkillsGPT is helping organisations adopt AI strategically, enabling them to adapt to change and gain a competitive advantage.
Tim provides examples of AI’s current and potential impact on work, emphasising the need for a 'lifelong learning' approach for all employ...

Nick Armstrong, an entrepreneur since university, launched his latest venture, Chirp, which uses AI to enhance sales pipeline conversion. Nick discussed his journey, starting with GreenTriCity in 2005, which was acquired by AGL. He then founded Co Zero, Australia's fastest-growing company in 2011, before pivoting to Identity, a neobank addressing anti-money laundering challenges. Identity listed on the ASX in 2018, but Nick moved o...

Sheree Sullivan, an entrepreneur since age 19, discussed her journey from cheese making to hospitality and electro-enhanced beer. She highlighted her parents' entrepreneurial influence and the challenges of starting a business. Sheree transitioned from a goat dairy to a cheese factory, eventually selling 90% to a Japanese trade buyer. She then scaled Grunthal Brew, a hospitality venue, and introduced eBEER, a low-carb, high-flavour...

Brendan Green has been running his company for 18 years, and along with these two directors has built GCG into one of the leading independent health, safety, and hygiene companies in Australia and they are not done yet. This growing business is reinventing the way the industry delivers its services through tech enabled innovation. GCG is a great example of what happens when talented people get together and play the long game.

The p...

Episode Description:
Mark Holloway is a working class guy from Birmingham in England, who is not just football crazy, but is himself a very decent centre-forward. His life changes direction when Sydney Croatia spots him and bring him to Australia to play semi-professional football. At that point, this cryogenics engineer switches to sales and becomes a very effective troubleshooter, nicknamed Mr. EBIT, for his consistent ability to...

Episode Description:
Mat Stillone started his first business Protein Supplies in his garage! So successful was it, that it eventually took over the whole house. This bold startup initiative, in the ‘better for you food’ sector, followed a period of deep reflection by Mat, who had suffered from anxiety in his late teens and early 20s. Mat felt he needed to express himself and do more of what mattered to him. Since then, he has start...