#275: $2 Billion Lender Explains Why Successful People Feel Empty - James Ostroburski OAM episode artwork

EPISODE · May 6, 2026 · 1H 20M

#275: $2 Billion Lender Explains Why Successful People Feel Empty - James Ostroburski OAM

from Move Your Mind with Nick Bracks

Why can success still leave you feeling empty?In this episode, I speak with James Ostroburski OAM, a banking executive, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mental health advocate.James built and led a lending business that deployed over $2 billion, while privately navigating depression, burnout, ADHD, and the pressure of always needing to achieve more.We talk about ambition, identity, childhood pressure, mental health, and what happens when everything looks successful from the outside but something feels wrong underneath.This episode will change how you think about success, pressure, and the cost of ignoring your mental health.James Ostroburski is the founder of Tyalla Capital and former CEO of Kooyong Group (now Avant Finance), where he led over $2 billion in lending, and continues to be involved in philanthropy and mental health advocacy.Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction(00:31) Success, Yet Empty(01:55) Two Speed Childhood(03:39) Ballet Pressure Cooker(09:03) Stoicism And Balance(10:21) Why Finance Chose Him(14:35) ADHD Finally Named(17:16) Investec To Culture Shock(24:10) Grief And Breakdown(26:06) Treatment And TMS(30:47) Quitting And Finding Purpose(32:28) Philanthropy Roots(34:42) Betty Amsden Mentorship(38:57) Starting Kooyong(40:08) Scaling Kooyong Fast(40:35) Insurance Deal Then COVID(43:15) Lockdown Growth Playbook(44:30) Philanthropy And Boards(47:41) Mentorship And Asking(50:43) Writing To Leaders(55:50) Shareholder Power Shift(59:59) Grandfather Loss And Crash(01:10:20) Exit Terms And Aftermath(01:11:39) Rebuilding Health And Business(01:18:01) Trust Lessons And WrapConnect with Nick:Instagram: https://instagram.com/nickbracksWebsite: http://nickbracks.comEmail: [email protected] with James:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jostroburski/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why can success still leave you feeling empty?In this episode, I speak with James Ostroburski OAM, a banking executive, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mental health advocate.James built and led a lending business that deployed over $2 billion, while privately navigating depression, burnout, ADHD, and the pressure of always needing to achieve more.We talk about ambition, identity, childhood pressure, mental health, and what happens when everything looks successful from the outside but something feels wrong underneath.This episode will change how you think about success, pressure, and the cost of ignoring your mental health.James Ostroburski is the founder of Tyalla Capital and former CEO of Kooyong Group (now Avant Finance), where he led over $2 billion in lending, and continues to be involved in philanthropy and mental health advocacy.Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction(00:31) Success, Yet Empty(01:55) Two Speed Childhood(03:39) Ballet Pressure Cooker(09:03) Stoicism And Balance(10:21) Why Finance Chose Him(14:35) ADHD Finally Named(17:16) Investec To Culture Shock(24:10) Grief And Breakdown(26:06) Treatment And TMS(30:47) Quitting And Finding Purpose(32:28) Philanthropy Roots(34:42) Betty Amsden Mentorship(38:57) Starting Kooyong(40:08) Scaling Kooyong Fast(40:35) Insurance Deal Then COVID(43:15) Lockdown Growth Playbook(44:30) Philanthropy And Boards(47:41) Mentorship And Asking(50:43) Writing To Leaders(55:50) Shareholder Power Shift(59:59) Grandfather Loss And Crash(01:10:20) Exit Terms And Aftermath(01:11:39) Rebuilding Health And Business(01:18:01) Trust Lessons And WrapConnect with Nick:Instagram: https://instagram.com/nickbracksWebsite: http://nickbracks.comEmail: [email protected] with James:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jostroburski/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

#275: $2 Billion Lender Explains Why Successful People Feel Empty - James Ostroburski OAM

0:00 1:20:05

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Move Your Mind with Nick Bracks?

This episode is 1 hour and 20 minutes long.

When was this Move Your Mind with Nick Bracks episode published?

This episode was published on May 6, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Why can success still leave you feeling empty?In this episode, I speak with James Ostroburski OAM, a banking executive, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mental health advocate.James built and led a lending business that deployed over $2 billion,...

Can I download this Move Your Mind with Nick Bracks episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!