#59 - Jonny Malosi - "I Started with a Broom Handle"

Jon is the co-founder of Malosi Lures - built from a broom handle, a craft knife, and a piece of weird wire he found in the garage. That's not a metaphor. That's literally where it started. I n this episode we cover the full Malosi origin story — from whittling prototypes in COVID lockdown to becoming Australia's largest grassroots tackle brand with 100K+ followers, a full product range from budget to limited edition signature series lures, and a community model that most brands can't figure out. J onny's background is in commercial directing and creative direction - he's directed million-dollar TV commercials, run large production crews, and worked on major IPs. He walked away from all of it to make fishing lures with his brother. We go deep on what that transition actually looked like, how their community-first ambassador model works (and why the ROI beats paid ads), why they've never chased pure investor money, the pivot from handmade to composite production, and a genuinely good conversation about AI, authenticity, and where the creative industry is heading. IN THIS EPISODE: - Why topwater? The "pokies" analogy and the visual connection to your lure - Jonny's background: graphic design, art direction, directing million-dollar TV commercials - How the lure business started: broom handle, craft knife, COVID lockdown, Samoa - The first cast that changed everything — brother Nick's first cast on a handmade lure - Bumping into Brigsy at a trade show and why Morning Tide changed Australian fishing - The community model: 50–100 grassroots anglers, no contracts, just froth - Why their ambassador roster is small, personal, and genuinely organic - ROI of gifting lures to young anglers vs. ad spend - The pivot from fully handmade to composite production and why they removed "handmade" from their marketing - The investment story: why they avoided pure capital and what they needed instead - AI in the creative business — where it helps, where the line is, and why they'll never fake a fish - Big budget production is dying — what that means for the industry - Building an in-house content team and letting go as a creative director - Persistence: the shower floor years and the 90/8/2 rule of entrepreneurship - The full Malosi lure range — from $60 Staples Series to limited edition signature lures   VIDEO | PHOTO | FILM | MARKETING | WEB DESIGN | SOCIAL You’re end-to-end Digital Solution   Work with us… www.flowstateproductions.com.au   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wadekelly_/ https://www.instagram.com/flowstate_productions/   THE FLOW STATE COLLECTIVE PODCAST from FLOW STATE PRODUCTIONS Pty. Ltd.