The Real Biz Life Chronicles

Send us Fan MailThree decades in recruitment. Hundreds of deals. One conversation you won't forget.Glenn Beauchamp has spent nearly 30 years placing people in Perth's tech industry. In this episode, he reveals the nonverbal tells most people miss, the one travel question he asks every candidate that has nothing to do with holidays, and where hiring goes wrong before it even starts.If you've ever hired on good vibes and regretted it, Glenn breaks down the three things every business owner needs to get right, from role clarity to the counterfactual most people skip to the onboarding window that makes or breaks a new hire.He also opens up about imposter syndrome, why being nice has cost him, and what changed when he stopped trying to run his business alone.Mentioned in This Episode(11:09) Spotting talent before the rest of the market sees it (12:25) What you can read in someone's eyes if you know how to look (14:44) What really drives people, and why it isn't money (15:33) Why Perth's tech market is unlike anywhere else in the world (22:04) What we're losing in the AI and tech-driven world (30:53) The travel question Glenn asks every candidate and what it really reveals (59:23) Who takes care of the person who takes care of everyone Connect with GlennBeacham Group | LinkedIn | Email About Glenn Beauchamp Glenn is the Director of Beacham Group, a specialist technology recruitment and executive search firm based in Perth. Nearly 30 years into the industry, Glenn has become the trusted go-to for leaders of growing firms who need the right tech people in the right roles. Originally from Zimbabwe via the UK, he moved to Australia in 1987 and has built his career on a simple ambition, connecting genuine people who want to make a difference with the right employers to help make it happen.This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailKaren Weaver was the girl who couldn't read out loud in class. Today she's authored over 40 books and built a million dollar publishing empire. In this episode, Karen opens up about navigating PTSD, nearly losing everything when her daughter got sick, and what it actually looks like to live inside a single life principle for an entire year. We talk about why so many people retreat right before the breakthrough, why every business owner should consider writing a signature book, and the seven master gifts that shaped how Karen leads, creates, and shows up in the world.This is one of those conversations that rings in your ears long after you’ve stopped listening. Mentioned in This Episode:(2:37) Where the love of story began (4:34) Emigrating to Australia 35 weeks pregnant (9:07) The girl who couldn't read out loud in class (11:46) Building a million dollar press and nearly losing it all (18:36) Using alignment as a compass (25:14) Why Karen doesn't do fear (31:06) Seven years living in seven master gifts (32:50) The year of forgiveness (44:28) Building a publishing empire from the ground up (51:36) Love or fear. That's the only choice (1:01:40) Why every business owner should write a signature bookConnect with Karen: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Moms Rising film | Most Resilient Business Owner Acceptance Speech | Hear Us Roar Acceptance Speech This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel — https://cuppacartel.com/To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Visit The Real Biz Life Chronicles and sign up our newsletters.📣If you’re ready to generate more leads and grow with confidence, book a free brand discovery call with Design Studio Perth here.About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the way you've been seeing the world was never actually yours to begin with?I sat down with Laki Mafi for a conversation that went places I wasn't expecting. We talked about survival mode, about masks, about what it really means to hold space for someone. And there was a moment where Laki shared something that stopped me cold. He said that when you're not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off a knife.Laki is a former military operator with multiple deployments to the Middle East. He moved to Perth with no plan and no safety net, and worked his way through the civil construction industry from operator to co-owner of AU Profiling. But the work Laki is most proud of happens off the tools. He coaches men, helping them regulate under pressure, break patterns of avoidance, and show up with clarity at work and at home.We went deep into childhood wounding, the masks men wear, why growth can intimidate the people closest to you, and what it really takes to hold space for someone without trying to fix them. Laki also shared his vision for the Disruption of Man Retreat, launching in Perth this August for men ready to break old patterns.About Laki MafiLaki Mafi is a former military operator, business owner, and performance coach. After multiple deployments to the Middle East, Laki transitioned out of the army and migrated to Perth, working his way through the civil construction industry from operator to co-owner of AU Profiling. Alongside running a construction company, Laki coaches men, helping them regulate under pressure, break patterns of avoidance, and lead with clarity. His work blends real-world leadership experience with breathwork, NLP, and hypnotherapy.Find Laki on Instagram: @laki_mafi  Find Laki on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laki-mafiThis episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.The Real Biz Life Chronicles finally has a home of its own!Visit therealbizlifechronicles.com and sign up our newsletters.About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I sat down with Vee Gunasegaran, co-founder and self-proclaimed Don of Cuppa Cartel, Perth’s premium workplace hospitality company. A former cabin crew member, Vee left Emirates and moved to Perth, stepping straight into what looked like a similar lifestyle. We talked about what it really looks like when a business falls apart, what it costs emotionally, and what it takes to rebuild when you have no safety net and every reason to stop.Vee and his wife Heidi moved to Perth from Dubai with a plan. They were setting up a medicinal cannabis company. They had the apartment in Applecross, the car, the lifestyle. And then it all unravelled. They lost their investment, their cash flow, and the future they had mapped out. Vee couldn't work while waiting for his partner visa. And that is where this story really begins.This one is a full, honest conversation about what it really takes to build something from the ground up with the person you love.About Vee GunasegaranVee is the co-founder and "The Don" of Cuppa Cartel. Alongside his wife and business partner Heidi, he has built a personalised coffee and valet services provider for corporate offices across Perth. Originally from Penang, Malaysia, Vee previously worked in avionics before joining Emirates, where his years as a cabin crew member and in performance management became the foundation for delivering a business class experience in every corporate space Cuppa Cartel serves.Connect with Vee: [email protected] | LinkedIn | Website This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery/About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if everything you have been told about purpose is wrong?I sat down with Vanessa Vershaw, founder and managing director of Vanessa Vershaw Group, and what unfolded was one of the most honest conversations I have had on this show. Vanessa is an award-winning workplace psychologist, strategic advisor and high performance coach with over 20 years inside Fortune 100 companies, ASX-listed boardrooms and founder-led businesses across the world. She is also the author of three books, including Unreasonable Ambition and The Sisterhood Paradox.In this episode we explore what purpose actually is, and why most people never do the work to uncover it. We talk about ambition done consciously versus ambition that quietly destroys. About resilience forged through real experience. And Vanessa shares a story about her great grandmother and a man at a bus stop that I will carry with me for a long time.This one will meet you wherever you are.About Vanessa Vershaw: Vanessa Vershaw is the founder and managing director of Vanessa Vershaw Group, a global practice blending psychology, neuroscience and human performance. She is an award-winning workplace psychologist, strategic advisor and high performance coach with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 100 companies, ASX-listed boardrooms, government bodies and founder-led businesses worldwide. She is the author of three books and the creator of what she calls bold conscious evolution.Connect with Vanessa: Website: vanessavershaw.com Instagram: instagram.com/vanessavershawLinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vershawThis episode is proudly brought to you by Cuppa Cartel.To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Ready to build a brand that actually reflects who you are? Our Season 3 Brand Discovery offer is open now. Head to designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery or email [email protected] About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhy Cheap Branded Pens Cost You More Than You ThinkMost businesses treat branded merchandise as an afterthought. Matthew Cody has spent nearly 30 years making the case that this is exactly where brands get remembered, or forgotten.Matthew is the owner of Cody Group, a premium branded merchandise company serving businesses across Australia. He grew up in his family's business, Olympia Publishing, founded in 1987, spent his teenage years in the warehouse, and in 2016 made the decision to purchase it himself. A moment he calls both the bravest and the craziest thing he's ever done.In this conversation, Matthew shares why cheap products send a message your business doesn't intend, what it actually takes to create merchandise people keep and use, and how a single quality item can hold your brand in front of someone for years. We also talk about the real cost of building a business, the loneliness of going it alone, and the health shift that changed his clarity in ways he never expected.About Matthew CodyMatthew Cody is the owner of Cody Group, and his journey into business began at Olympia Publishing, the family business founded in 1987, where he learned how products were made, how clients were served, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.In 2016, he made the defining decision to purchase the business himself and reimagined it completely, growing it into Cody Group, a leading force in premium branded merchandise for businesses across Australia. His philosophy is simple: when a product is thoughtful, useful and beautifully made, it becomes more than merchandise. It becomes part of someone's daily life, and that's when a brand is truly remembered.Connect with Matthew Cody:Cody Group — codygroup.com.au Matthew Cody on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/matthew-cody-aus This episode is proudly brought to you by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Thinking about your own brand? Book a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailHamish Tedeschi has spent more than 20 years making bets on himself that most people only think about. He is the CEO and founder of Mechanical Rock, a Perth-based tech company that solves hard business problems with software, and a shareholder and advisor across multiple businesses.In this episode we get into the year that nearly broke him, what employee ownership really looks like in practice, why he believes secret job hunting is a form of deceit, and the quiet personal version of success he is still working toward every day.Hamish is refreshingly honest about his own limitations. He talks about imposter syndrome, the struggle to delegate, and what success actually costs. The relationships. The time with your kids. The version of yourself that existed before the business got big.Mentioned In This Episode:15:52) The real problem underneath every tech problem (20:39) The dream of employee ownership and why it is harder than it sounds (26:18) The moment he genuinely thought it was over (34:43) What 20 years and two countries forced him to unlearn (39:06) What success actually costs that nobody talks about (44:33) The unpopular opinion on secret job hunting Connect with Hamish:[email protected] | www.mechanicalrock.io | https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishtedeschi/  This episode is proudly brought to you by Cuppa Cartel.To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Ready to get clear on your brand? The Season 3 offer from Design Studio Perth is still available at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery or reach us at [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the person who changed your business was the one who refused to let you stay comfortable?I met Paul in November 2021. I was not in a great place. He saw something in me I could not see in myself, and he has shown up every day since.Running a business is genuinely difficult. But that life you imagined when you backed yourself, the freedom, the fulfillment, living and working on your own terms, it is possible.This episode is for every business owner who has quietly wondered if they are cut out for this. You are. And you do not have to do it alone.In This Episode(16:49) The real process behind seeing potential in people before they see it themselves (24:59) The biggest lie the business world keeps selling and what actually works (31:51) How he grew a business to over 100 contractors in nine months (40:33) What Paul does when it all feels like too much (44:55) What gives him self worth when everything else is stripped away (54:06) Why he seeks suffering over happiness and what stoicism means in practice (1:04:44) The one thing he wants every business owner to take from this conversationConnect: paulclaessen.com.au | LinkedIn Business Page | Personal LinkedIn PageSponsored by Cuppa CartelTo celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Questions? [email protected]  Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the decisions you trust most are shaped long before logic ever enters the room?I sat down with Dr Darren Keegan, a strategist, decision scientist and AI-native consultant whose work lives at the intersection of intuition, judgement and human behaviour. Darren has spent years designing immersive business simulations for global organisations, helping leaders see how decisions actually unfold, not how we like to imagine they do.This conversation challenged many of the assumptions we make about rational leadership. We explored why intuition is always present, why data can quietly mislead us, and how bias, experience and emotion shape judgement long before a decision is executed.If you’ve ever ignored a gut feeling, over-relied on data, or wondered why “logical” decisions don’t always deliver logical outcomes, this episode is for you.Mentioned In This Episode(12:22) Why intuition is unavoidable in decision-making(14:59) How lived experience shapes judgement before logic kicks in(20:15) When intuition becomes invalid and leads us astray(24:01) Thinking fast vs thinking slow and why we default to shortcuts(27:34) What leadership education gets wrong about silos and systems(37:36) Using AI as a reflective thinking partner(40:37) The difference between judgement and decision(46:20) What simulations reveal about power and organisational culture(50:17) Confirmation bias and how leaders misuse data(1:04:53) The pre-mortem tool for making better decisionsAbout Darren KeeganDarren Keegan is a decision scientist and strategic consultant whose work explores how humans and machines shape judgement. He has designed business simulations and executive education experiences for global organisations and now works at the forefront of AI-native consulting, helping leaders navigate complexity with greater awareness and clarity.Connect with Darren: Website | LinkedInSponsor — Cuppa CartelFueling real conversations, one cuppa at a time.Season 2 Gift: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryQuestion for guest: Email [email protected] About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does leadership look like when it’s stripped of titles, ego, and performative confidence?In this episode, I sit down with Kate Molinari, founder of Striide, to talk about the kind of leadership that people don’t just tolerate but actively choose to follow.Kate has led teams inside some of Australia’s biggest media organisations, including Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment Co. But it wasn’t corporate success alone that shaped her leadership philosophy. Motherhood, IVF, tough feedback early in her career, and stepping away from a role she loved all forced her to rethink what real leadership actually demands.We talk about confidence without control, empathy without losing authority, and why the hardest conversations are often the most important ones. Kate shares practical frameworks for feedback, leadership clarity, and building teams that actually trust one another, not just comply.If you’re building a team, leading people, or questioning the kind of leader you want to become, this episode will land.Mentioned in This Episode:(09:56) How Striide was built organically from lived leadership experience(13:36) What actually makes a great leader in today’s workplace(14:38) The feedback moment that reshaped Kate’s leadership forever(19:30) Why listening is one of the most powerful leadership skills(20:33) How to prepare for difficult conversations with clarity and care(25:31) Leadership habits we need to stop pretending are working(27:00) The essential traits of leaders people trust and follow(40:25) Navigating leadership, ambition, and motherhood through IVFAbout Kate MolinariKate Molinari is the founder of Striide, a leadership development business focused on confidence, connection, and impact. With over 15 years’ experience leading high-performing teams, Kate now works with leaders, organisations, and schools to build practical, human leadership capability that actually works in the real world.Connect: LinkedIn | WebsiteOfficial Sponsor — https://cuppacartel.com/FREE Brand Discovery: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if finding your voice isn’t about confidence at all, but about starting before you feel ready?In this episode, I sit down with Laura McRae, founder of Podcast Support Services and host of Podcasting for Business Owners. Laura is thoughtful, grounded, and refreshingly honest about what it really takes to show up when you’re naturally introverted, behind the scenes, and unsure you belong in the spotlight. Podcasting became her bridge. Not a stage for performance, but a place to practise being heard.We talk about finding your voice before confidence shows up, why podcasting is one of the most accessible platforms for business owners, and how imperfect action often creates the clarity we’re waiting for. If you’ve been sitting on an idea, a message, or a podcast you keep postponing, this conversation is where you get started. In This Episode:(06:05) Finding your voice as an introvert(08:01) Why audio is the safest place to start if visibility feels daunting(10:09) Podcasting as the backbone of your content strategy(11:05) Why most podcasts stop after 10 episodes(14:58) Perfectionism, scripting, and speaking off the cuff(18:30) The unexpected power of podcast connections(25:24) Defining your audience, goals, and podcast mission(37:44) Why even confident speakers feel nervous starting a podcast(44:55) The simplest way to finally get startedAbout Laura McRaeLaura McRae is a podcast consultant and manager who helps business owners launch and grow podcasts that support real business goals without the tech stress. Through Podcast Support Services, she combines marketing expertise with practical podcasting support to help clients stay consistent, confident, and heard.Connect with Laura:Website: podcastsupportservices.com.au Instagram: @podcast.support.services LinkedIn: Laura McRaeMy Dad Wrote a Porno: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pTV7WTxWRQI5bVeMsWzQf?si=27da01b550f1495e  Laura Mcrae’s Newsletter: https://podcastsupportservices.com.au/thelonggame/ ☕Official Sponsor — https://cuppacartel.com/🎁 FREE Brand Discovery: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does growth really ask of you once the excitement wears off?This final episode in our exclusive series is an honest, unfiltered conversation about the cost of building a business beyond the numbers. Not the strategies that look good on paper, but the personal shifts, identity changes, and uncomfortable decisions that quietly sit behind sustainable growth.I’m joined by Paul Claessen, Sophie Stott, and Marcus Procopio as we unpack what most business conversations avoid. Letting go of control. Redefining success. Reinventing before the market forces your hand. And the reality that visibility, whether you like it or not, creates opportunity.This episode isn’t polished advice. It’s lived experience.If you’re navigating growth, questioning your next move, or feeling the weight of leadership more than the reward, this conversation will meet you where you are.🕜 Mentioned In This Episode:(04:10) Letting go of founder identity to allow the business to grow(17:35) Defining success on your own terms, not borrowed expectations(21:08) Hiring, trust, and why responsibility always comes back to the owner(24:02) Control vs delegation and why founders never fully let go(38:35) Industry disruption through technology, market shifts, and AI(46:12) Perception of value vs actual value in business(1:01:06) Fear, identity, and resistance to being seen(1:16:39) Discipline, execution, and consistency as success driversAbout the GuestsPaul Claessen is the founder of Paul Claessen Consulting, known for his straight-talking, first-principles approach to business advisory and leadership.Connect: paulclaessen.com.au | LinkedInSophie Stott is Managing Director of Quickmail, leading the business through industry disruption with grit, innovation, and clarity.Connect: quickmail.com.au | LinkedInMarcus Procopio is Director of Procopio Legal, bringing logic, humanity, and clear thinking to complex legal and business challenges.Connect: procopiolaw.com.au | LinkedIn☕Official Sponsor — https://cuppacartel.com/About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when business gets stripped of ego, perfection, and the need to always look like you’ve got it together?I sat down with Michael Watts, business advisor, systems thinker, stand-up comedian, and deeply present father, for a conversation that went far beyond strategy. This episode is about what really happens behind the scenes of business ownership and what it takes to keep going when things fall apart.Michael didn’t build his business from a place of certainty. He built it from disruption. Job loss. Mental health struggles. A marriage breakdown. Then a conscious decision to start again, deliberately and differently.We talk about why humour is one of the most underrated leadership tools, how rejection on stage builds resilience in business, and why “good enough” is often the smartest move you can make. We also unpack sustainability, people-first businesses, pipeline anxiety, and the reality of blending parenthood with leadership.Michael’s perspective on fulfilment, uncertainty, and learning to show up honestly, even when things feel unsettled, provided me with a sense of comfort, and I think it will for you too. If you’re navigating growth, pressure, identity, or the quieter moments where business feels heavier than usual, this conversation will meet you where you are.Mentioned In This Episode:(00:04) Why humour changes how people learn and connect(09:15) Handling rejection in comedy and business(22:43) When life collapses and business becomes the reset(30:49) Parenting, presence, and work–life blend(46:55) Why business alone will never fulfil you(54:18) The power of rest and “do-nothing” daysAbout Michael WattsMichael is the founder of ToBe Advisory, helping business owners build better businesses for people, planet, and profit through strategy, systems, and sustainability. He’s also a stand-up comedian who believes laughter makes the world lighter.Connect: tobeadvisory.com | LinkedIn☕Official Sponsor — https://cuppacartel.com/Fueling real conversations, one cuppa at a time.🎁 Season 2 Free Gift: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the thing that limits you isn’t your circumstance but the story you’ve been telling yourself about what’s possible?Hein Wagner was born blind. Yet he’s run the Antarctica Marathon, sailed the Cape to Rio, broken the World Blind Land Speed Record twice, and built a global career teaching people how to turn obstacles into opportunities. He calls himself “a blind man with vision,” and after speaking with him, I understand why.In this episode, we explore what fear really is, how we respond to the unknown, and why the greatest barriers in business and life often have nothing to do with resources or talent and everything to do with belief.The way Hein speaks about navigating the world without sight yet with absolute clarity made me rethink how I approach my own challenges. I’m pretty sure it will have the same effect on you. If you’ve ever felt stuck, afraid, or convinced your limitations are fixed, this is the conversation you need to hear.Mentioned In This Episode:(07:04) Choosing beauty without ever seeing it(16:03) What sighted people misunderstand about blindness(18:56) Changing the narrative around disability and career opportunity(20:36) How accidentally speaking at a school launched a global career(24:51) Echolocation, creativity and “seeing” the world through sound(33:32) Defining a personal brand without relying on visuals(46:11) Why Hein built the Hein Wagner Academy(1:16:22) The emotional power of “Dinner in the Dark”(1:20:43) How removing sight removes judgementAbout Hein WagnerHein Wagner is an international keynote speaker, adventurer, blind ultra-athlete and global ambassador for disability inclusion. Known for breaking barriers, from the Antarctica Marathon to the World Blind Land Speed Record, Hein now dedicates his work to helping people and organisations turn obstacles into opportunities. He is also the founder of the Hein Wagner Academy, providing accredited training and pathways to employment for visually impaired students.Connect: heinwagner.com | Hein Wagner☕Sponsor — https://cuppacartel.com/🎁 Season 2 Gift: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the pursuit of becoming a better man intersects with food, faith, and genuine service?Jayson Smith stepped into my studio and didn’t hold back. He’s Perth’s most trusted Personal House Chef, but what struck me most wasn’t his culinary skill. It was the depth. The honesty. The inner work he’s done that reshaped his life, his marriage, his fatherhood, and his business.Jayson has cooked all over the world, from cruise ships to island resorts, but today his mission is far more intimate. He helps families slow down, reconnect, and feel cared for… one meal at a time. And behind that service is a story of breakdown, rebuilding, and the moment he heard a voice say, “You’re not done yet.”This episode is about the heart behind the hustle. Masculinity with integrity. Purpose you can feel. And why the food we choose is a direct reflection of how seriously we take ourselves. If you’re craving clarity, connection, or even just a better way to feed yourself in the chaos of business and family life, this one’s for you.Mentioned In This Episode(13:45) Earning trust when you work inside people’s homes(17:14) Healing, faith, and the “you’re not done yet” moment(26:17) Life on cruise ships, island resorts, and what hospitality teaches you(33:52) How a childhood memory shaped his relationship with food(37:36) Nutrition, respect, and why the food you eat reflects how you see yourself(43:27) The biggest mistake people make in their kitchen(47:27) How Jayson is using tech to transform his business(54:08) The simple carbonara he swears by(1:00:47) Fatherhood, ego, and becoming a better manAbout Jayson SmithJayson is the founder of The Personal House Chef, a bespoke in-home meal prep and private chef service trusted by busy families, professionals, and elite athletes across Perth. With over 20 years of international culinary experience, he brings restaurant-level quality into everyday homes, serving not just food, but relief, structure, and care.Connect: personalchefperth.com.au | LinkedInOfficial Sponsor: https://cuppacartel.com/Season 2 Gift: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the way you’ve been looking after your teeth is the very thing holding your smile back?I sat down with Dr Nerma Tulic, one of Perth’s most trusted cosmetic dentists and the founder of Beam Theory, to unpack the habits, misconceptions and quick-fix trends that keep so many people stuck. What she shared made me rethink my entire dental routine.Nerma has spent more than a decade transforming smiles and restoring confidence. Warm, composed and deeply committed to patient care, she’s the kind of dentist who remembers you’re a human being first. And when patients kept asking how she kept her own teeth so white, she created a science-led solution instead of offering shortcuts, Beam Theory was born from that intention.In this episode, we explore enamel health, whitening myths, the emotional side of dentistry and why preventative care should always come before aesthetics. These are the conversations that rarely happen in the chair, but matter more than we think. If you’re building confidence, refining your routines or simply want a healthier, brighter smile, this one’s for you.🕜Mentioned In This Episode:05:40 - The truth about fast-fix whitening08:05 - The science behind Beam Theory12:20 - Enamel health vs cosmetic whiteness17:14 - Daily rituals that genuinely protect your teeth20:49 - Balancing motherhood, dentistry and building a brand27:30 - Botox, bruxism and functional dentistry👩‍⚕️About Dr Nerma Tulic:Dr Nerma Tulic is a cosmetic dentist at Wellington Village Dental, known for her warm, people-first approach and her precision in smile transformation. She is the founder of Beam Theory, a next-generation teeth-whitening system designed to strengthen enamel first and whiten second. 🔗Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok☕Official Sponsor: www.cuppacartel.com🎁Season 2 Gift: https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when life strips you back to nothing and asks who you really are beneath the titles, the roles, the expectations?Most people break. Alpesh did not. He rebuilt time after time.Alpesh Shah has lived a life that does not fit neatly into a bio. Law. Dentistry. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. Loss. Reinvention. He has navigated business collapse, divorce, financial rock bottom, and the slow, confronting work of redefining who he is without the armour.In this conversation, Alpesh opens up about the moments that cracked him open, the ones that rebuilt him, and the people who showed up when he had 30 dollars to his name. It is raw, unfiltered, and feels like a deep, meaningful conversation.What Alpesh shared about worth, and the moment he realised he had spent years living in default rather than with intention, was hard-hitting. If you are rebuilding, redefining, or simply seeking clarity in the chaos, start here. In This Episode(08:21) Letting go of control and allowing things to unfold(13:19) The identity shift from “doing” to “becoming”(16:34) Defining your why and why it takes decades for some of us(20:35) Chasing money vs chasing meaning(26:46) Snapping back to yourself and redefining your circle(29:45) Health, wealth, happiness, the simple formula(37:09) Self-doubt, worth, and unlearning the stories that keep you stuck(45:30) Living unshackled and unapologetically as yourself(59:22) Masculine and feminine energy in leadership and relationships(1:12:59) How Alpesh helps business owners shift from self-employed to business ownerAbout Alpesh ShahAlpesh Shah is a Project Consultant, Operations Lead, and the founder of ALPiQ. With a background spanning law, dentistry, healthcare, operations, and business transformation, he brings a uniquely human-centred, emotionally intelligent approach to business performance and leadership.Connect: LinkedInFree Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryOfficial Sponsor: Cuppa CartelQuestions For Our Next Guest:  Email [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the business you built starts shaping your life in ways you never intended?For many business owners, staying the course feels like the only option. We push, we endure, and we convince ourselves we are trapped because stepping away feels unthinkable. Ben De Jonge knows that feeling intimately.After 15 years of building and leading The Cut, a respected Shopify agency, Ben realised the life he was in no longer matched the life he wanted. The pressure, the cognitive load, the side hustles and the 2am scaries were adding up. What struck me most was how he described the moment things shifted. The trap he felt was not a trap at all. It was a perspective he had outgrown.When he stepped back, reset his path and allowed himself to choose differently, an entirely new chapter opened.This episode explores what it means to reset your career, redefine your identity and step into a version of work and life that feels aligned again. Ben’s honesty about the courage it takes to walk away, and the belief that there is always something waiting on the other side when you allow yourself to look, stayed with me long after we stopped recording.If you are questioning your path, feeling boxed in or wondering whether you can shift from entrepreneur to employee, this episode is for you.In This Episode(05:38) The early days of The Cut and building through uncertainty(17:29) The mindset shift from founder to employee(39:35) Emotional intelligence, care and showing up differently(47:23) Boundaries, oversharing and protecting your personal narrative(59:31) The moment a slow-burn failure became a full career resetAbout Ben De JongeBen is a brand and growth strategist with extensive experience across advertising, digital and stakeholder engagement. After co-founding and running The Cut for 15 years, he now leads brand and growth at Dapth, helping organisations align digital strategy with meaningful impact.Connect: LinkedInFree Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoverySponsored by Cuppa CartelAsk Our Next Guest a Question: [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailMost business owners carry far more than they ever admit. The fear, the decisions, the responsibility, the spirals, and the stress stack quietly in the background while the rest of the world sees only the polished version.Melissa Jolly has built a 240-client insurance brokerage from the ground up with no business partners, no safety net, and no one in the trenches with her except her business consultant, her running group, and her family. She handles high-pressure claims, growing teams, complex risks and nonstop deadlines while managing the emotional battles that come with leading alone.In this episode, we talk about the parts of business ownership people rarely share: the loneliness, the mental strain, the curveballs, the near-quits, the spirals, and the choices that separate giving up from moving forward.When Mel spoke about catching her spirals early or the quiet realisation that she was endlessly critical of herself, I felt that. I think you will too.If you have ever felt like you are carrying the weight of your business alone, this conversation will remind you of the ways the subconscious tries to self-sabotage success and how to stop it in its tracks. In This Episode(12:09) The mindset traps no one prepares you for(21:52) Running an insurance business in an industry that never sleeps.(34:29) Where she feels safest when life gets heavy(45:17) What marathon training taught her about leadership(56:38) The mental battle behind big races and business(1:03:41) How business has fundamentally changed who she isAbout Melissa JollyMelissa is the founder of Pinnacle Insurance, a fast-growing brokerage known for clarity, care, and industry-leading service. With 17 years of experience spanning Australia and London’s Lloyd’s market, she specialises in simplifying complex risk for business owners and guiding them through both the everyday and the unexpected.Connect: Website | LinkedInFuelled by Cuppa CartelFree Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryQuestions for Next Guest? Email [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to start again when everything familiar disappears overnight?And how do you rebuild your identity, your confidence, and your voice, while learning to speak a new language and build a brand from scratch?I sat down with Elena Istomina, marketer, creator, Miss Universe Australia WA finalist, meditation devotee, and the woman behind a 55K-strong online community, to unpack the courage, clarity, and mindset behind her reinvention.Elena escaped the war in Ukraine, arrived in Australia with two suitcases and a dream, and rebuilt her life piece by piece.Her journey is about mindfulness, identity, presence, and soul that fuels unforgettable marketing.Her story about losing everything, finding a way through fear, and learning to speak again (in more ways than one) reminded me how often we underestimate our own resilience. If you're rebuilding, showing up online or trying to find your voice,listen to this. In This Episode:(05:51) Starting again with nothing and finding work(07:58) Letting go of old identities(11:34) The day the war began(17:13) Fear, bravery and choosing action(20:43) 100 hours of silent meditation(29:15) Ego, presence and living awake(35:23) Miss Universe WA, and the friendships lost(43:45) Growing an online audience with soul(53:52) The truth about visibility and confidenceAbout Elena IstominaElena is a marketer, creator and mindset-led entrepreneur with a global background across branding, content, meditation and women’s mentorship. She is the founder of SheSellsDigitals in Perth and Ludi in Ukraine.Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn | WebsiteSend Us Your QuestionsIf you’d like us to ask a question to our next guest, email: [email protected] 2 Gift: Free Brand Discovery Claim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryProudly fuelled by Cuppa Cartel.  About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it really take to buy your time back?In this episode, I sit down with Seva Mozhaev, co-founder of Bright Tsar Studios, creative director, content strategist, and one of Australia’s most engaging voices in social media education. Once a high school maths teacher, Sev walked away from a government job and built a business that helps founders, brands, and thought leaders create scroll-stopping content and podcasts that people want to pay attention to.Sev’s story is one of relentless reinvention. He shares how injury setbacks led him from professional sport to personal training, photography, and ultimately, to creating a global digital footprint of over 1.6 million followers, without sacrificing his family or freedom.There’s so much more to Sev than the viral content and quick-witted delivery. His insights into escapism, accountability, and authentic relationships are refreshingly raw and deeply relevant in a world that glorifies hustle but forgets balance.Mentioned In This Episode:(04:34) From Russian immigrant to AFL dreamer(12:43) When injury becomes the universe’s redirection(55:22) The rise of AI and the evolution of search(1:00:12) Overcoming the fear of being on camera(1:08:19) The selfish-to-selfless formula behind Sev’s ‘why’About Seva MozhaevSeva is a Creative Director and co-founder of Bright Tsar Studios, a Perth-based production company helping businesses and thought leaders create high-quality podcasts and video content. A former schoolteacher turned online creator with over 1.6 million followers, he teaches brands how to leverage content strategy, AI, and storytelling to stay visible in an evolving digital world.Connect: www.brighttsar.com @brighttsarstudios | @sevspics | LinkedInSeason 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryBrought to you by: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the one thing holding you back in business was the way you use your voice?Trang Nova left a ten-year relationship, bought a one-way ticket, and walked straight into the unknown. From a withdrawn introvert to an international speaking coach, Trang’s story is a reminder that your voice is your most powerful tool in negotiating what you want in this life. In this episode, we talk about identity, communication, and what it really takes to be perceived as successful. Trang shares how imposter syndrome is simply a sign you’re growing, why body language speaks louder than words, and the subtle shifts that turn nerves into influence.When Trang spoke about success as the realisation that we’ve already made it, it was a mindset shift I didn’t realise I needed to hear, and you do, too. If you’ve ever doubted yourself, downplayed your worth, or softened your message, listen to this episode. Because Trang said it best, “reality is negotiable. And when you stress test the boundaries of what society deems as possible or not possible, you'll find that you can really break down these limits. And so much of that comes down to your voice and how you negotiate your way through life.” and there’s more. In This Episode:(04:58) The snail that changed everything(13:01) Finding confidence as an introvert(26:06) Reframing imposter syndrome(35:32) The $1B lesson in communication(43:34) How to sound confident and speak with authorityAbout Trang NovaTrang Nova is an International Speaker and Speaking Coach for founders who want to speak with confident authority and be recognised as visible leaders in business and on stage.Connect: trangnova.com | Instagram | LinkedInSeason 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryProudly brewed by Cuppa CartelHave a question for our next guest? Email at [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you walk away from fame to find peace, only to be called back into the spotlight on your own terms?Barbara McNaught’s story is one of reinvention. Born in Poland and fluent in five languages, she was talent-spotted at just sixteen and went on to star in over 25 international films alongside actors like Jack Thompson and Malcolm McDowell. But when life in post-apartheid South Africa became unsafe, she left everything behind to start again in Perth.Barbara thought she was choosing a quiet life, yet destiny had other plans. Today, she’s the creator and host of Hello Darlink! TV and High Heel Talk, using storytelling to celebrate resilience, purpose, and the power of human connection.In this episode, we talk about courage, identity, starting over, and what it means to live with intention. What Barbara shares about rebuilding her life reminds us that strength doesn’t always roar, sometimes it simply whispers, “Keep going.”If you’re navigating change or chasing a second act, this one’s for you.In This Episode:(08:00) The rise to international fame(20:00) Walking away & starting again(39:00) The story behind Hello Darlink!(47:00) Healing through storytellingAbout Barbara McNaughtBarbara is an international actress, producer & TV host known for Hello Darlink! and her global advocacy for storytelling as a force for good.Connect: hellodarlinktv.com | Instagram | YouTubeSeason 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery Claim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery Official Sponsor: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if time isn’t as linear as we’ve been taught, and the life you’re dreaming of already exists on another timeline?This week, I sit down with mindset coach and sound healer Anna Hastie to unpack the buzz around quantum leaping, the idea that you can collapse the space between where you are now and where you want to be. Anna brings a grounded, human take on what happens when your energy, beliefs, and actions finally align.From losing her car in a way that defied logic to finding herself “split between timelines,” Anna shares how these moments reshaped her understanding of business, identity, and success. Together, we explore the bridge between energy and strategy, the role of intuition in entrepreneurship, and how to stay aligned when everything around you starts to shift.This episode is the kind of truth you can’t unhear.If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between vision and reality, or what it really means to create from alignment, this conversation will have you nodding your head throughout. Mentioned In This Episode:(05:21) What quantum leaping really is (and isn’t)(08:50) When life feels “split” between timelines(15:49) Reprogramming doubt and rewiring belief(29:01) Why integration matters more than arrival(47:48) Redefining success through family, flow, and freedomAbout Anna HastieAnna is a mindset coach, sound healer, and visibility mentor helping women integrate energy and action in business and life.Connect: annahastie.com | Alchemy Mindset PodcastOfficial SponsorFuelled by Cuppa Cartel brewing conversations that awaken clarity, one cup at a time.Season 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery Claim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does running 68 kilometres through snow at night teach you about business, risk, and resilience?For Mathew Breuillac, it’s everything. A former chemical engineer turned cybersecurity leader, Mathew has spent his career at the edge of danger, from nuclear sites in France to ethical hacking in Perth. Today, as the Managing Director of Cyber Node, he helps organisations stay one step ahead of the invisible risks that threaten modern business.In this conversation, we explore the psychology of endurance in marathons, in entrepreneurship, and in managing risk when the stakes are high. We talk about why most leaders still underestimate cybersecurity, how trust is the missing layer in protection, and what happens when you push beyond limits, physical or professional. If you’re a business owner who’s navigating uncertainty, leading with grit, or wondering if you’ve got more in you, listen carefully. Mentioned in This Episode:(05:46) Running 68km in sub-zero temperatures, what it taught him about limits(33:30) The courage it takes to pivot careers and start from zero(35:26) Why local trust matters more than global reach in business growth(37:47) Obsession, exposure, and control. Lessons from building Cyber Node(42:21) Balancing business and family life in the modern world(54:15) How to protect your business from the most common cyber threats(57:04) The growing role of AI in cybersecurity and digital deceptionAbout Mathew BreuillacMathew Breuillac is the Managing Director of Cyber Node, an Australian cybersecurity firm specialising in high-quality manual penetration testing for clients across fintech, medtech, industrial, and IoT sectors. A former chemical engineer and risk specialist, he now combines industrial discipline with digital defence, helping businesses identify vulnerabilities before hackers do.Connect: LinkedIn | WebsiteSponsor: Cuppa CartelFree Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your business partner is also the love of your life?From late-night strategy sessions to early-morning client calls, Zac Fogarty and Ruby Omrevjic have built 1Recruit, a human-first recruitment agency, on equal parts courage, trust, and a shared obsession with growth.They didn’t start with safety nets. They started with a bold plan to bet on themselves. Six months without income, a kitchen-table office, and two people who refused to give up.Today, their agency is known for cutting through the corporate BS, bringing honesty and heart back into hiring, and redefining what partnership looks like in business and in life.We talk about the blurred lines between ambition and burnout, learning to fight fair, why working from home nearly broke them, and how assuming failure became the key to their success.If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a business with your person, or whether love and leadership can coexist, this one’s for you.In This Episode:07:55 How a night out changed everything12:03 From engagement to expansion14:47 Trust, boundaries, and learning not to take work home18:13 Communication rules: when to email your fiancé23:01 The truth about A-players and C-players in recruitment34:48 The scariest leap — quitting stable jobs with no plan B45:58 Why they fire clients (and what that says about leadership)About Ruby and ZacRuby Omrevjic and Zac Fogarty are the co-founders of 1Recruit, a recruitment agency that does things differently, combining strategy and instinct to help businesses find the right people faster, and helping candidates find roles that actually fit real life.Connect: www.1recruit.com.au | 1Recruit | Zac Fogarty | Ruby OmrevjicSponsor: Cuppa CartelFree Brand DiscoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a man decides to lead with control and conscious sensitivity?Tristan Scifo is a financial adviser, life coach, and the founder of Purpose Advisory. But beyond the numbers and strategy, he’s a husband and father learning what it truly means to show up with strength, softness, and self-awareness.Tristan and I dive into the depths of the past to better understand the creation of toxic masculinity, what healthy masculine leadership looks like, the role of emotional awareness in business, and how faith and intuition can coexist alongside structure and systems. He shares the raw truth about marriage, fatherhood, and rediscovering purpose when life feels heavy, as well as what it takes to lead with presence rather than pressure.This conversation is not business as usual. It’s business with spirit, purpose and a sense of understanding. Listen to what leadership looks like when it’s done with love. In This Episode:(05:00) When family challenges become the greatest teacher(14:00) The shift that changed everything in his marriage(17:45) How ChatGPT became an unexpected coach(21:00) The “magic” of masculine leadership done well(31:00) Why business is the best training ground for emotional awareness(47:00) The spiritual path of entrepreneurship(50:00) Intuition vs structure About Tristan ScifoTristan is the founder of Purpose Advisory, where he guides purpose-driven entrepreneurs, families, and leaders toward financial and personal alignment. Known for his depth, empathy, and clarity, Tristan helps people rediscover their purpose through strategy, self-awareness, and conscious leadership.Connect: purposeadvisory.com.au | LinkedInBrewed by our sponsor: Cuppa Cartel fuelling great conversations, one cup at a time.Season 2 Gift: Free Brand DiscoveryClaim yours at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryYour Turn:Do you have a question you’d like us to ask our next guest? Email About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the life you’ve built looks successful on paper, but your body tells a different story?Nick Eggleton had the career many dream of, big agency roles in London, global clients, and a life that ticked every “success” box. However, what Nick had done was trade his health for success. He was 118 kilos, exhausted, and living on autopilot until he realised that something needed to change. In this conversation, we explore what happens when ambition meets awareness. Nick opens up about losing 40 kilos, reprogramming his habits, and how he now applies his decades of marketing experience to help people market themselves better, through nutrition, mindset, and truth.We discuss the hidden costs of convenience, the psychology of health, and the brutal honesty required to rebuild your identity in midlife. This conversation is all about what it really takes to change, not just your body, but your beliefs. In This Episode:(05:00) How marketing fuels our health crisis(08:00) Losing 40kg and rebuilding identity(16:00) Dopamine, discipline, and delayed gratification(30:00) Letting go of the illusion of youth(52:00) Why “Mother Nature doesn’t make mistakes”(1:07:00) Branding, marketing, and the power of meaningAbout Nick EggletonNick is the founder of Electric Agency and GeneLife, a health and wellness business blending marketing psychology with metabolic science. He’s a certified health coach, a lifelong communicator, and proof that discipline truly is freedom.Connect: Instagram | www.electric-agency.com.au | www.genelife.com.auOfficial Sponsor: Cuppa CartelSeason 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery Claim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryHave a question you’d love us to ask a future guest?Send it to [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your body starts lagging behind your ambition?Odhran McCorry built The Elite Executive to help high-performing professionals reclaim the health they’ve quietly traded for their careers. A sports scientist turned performance coach, who delivers metrics. From sleep tracking to stress data, his work proves that you can’t outperform poor health, no matter how sharp your business strategy is.In this episode, we share moments of feeling depleted in the name of achievement. How Odhran’s personal quest for a perfect physique nearly broke him, but made him realise the power of true discipline, self-awareness, and focus. If you’ve been running on caffeine and willpower, this episode will resonate with you.In This Episode:(06:17) When discipline crosses into burnout(18:45) Why “I’m fine” is the biggest lie in business (26:20) The guilt of investing in your own wellbeing(40:59) Decision fatigue and the discipline of simplicityAbout Odhran McCorryOdhran is the founder of Workforce Wellness Coaching (formerly The Elite Executive), helping professionals enhance health and performance through data-driven coaching.Connect: Website | LinkedInSeason 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery If you’re a business owner ready to grow with distinction, claim your free brand discovery at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery.Special thanks to our official convo-empowering cartel Cuppa CartelFuelling great conversations, one cuppa at a time.Special Thanks to Odhran for supplying us with the following: Why Most Execs Are Malnourished & Don’t Even Know ItAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if financial success doesn’t bring the happiness you expected? Our guest shares with us how to rebuild your career around that which sparks both creativity and profitability. Ian Sloan didn’t plan to be an entrepreneur. From Safeway supermarkets in the UK to co-founding Tango IT Consulting in Perth, his path has been about curiosity, creativity, and quiet leadership. Today, he helps businesses de-risk tech investments while building a company rooted in values, independence, and guidance. We talk about knowing when to walk away, why side ventures fuel creativity, and how to balance family, legacy, and leadership without losing yourself.If you’ve felt stuck, stretched thin, or ready to reset, hit the play button to hear it all for yourself. In This Episode:(06:12) IT mistakes that start with growth(12:19) Walking away to start Tango(19:16) Side ventures & creativity(27:17) Learning to say no(31:43) Ian on AI & critical thinking(53:34) Admitting unhappiness in businessAbout Ian SloanCo-founder of Tango IT Consulting, Ian helps organisations make smarter tech choices. Known for his calm presence and creative thinking, he’s built a career spanning the UK and Australia.Connect: Website | LinkedIn | BlueskySeason 2 Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoverySponsor: Cuppa CartelWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected] Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhen she entered the mining site, to stake his claim, Hayden tagged Susan with his name and the rest is history.And in this episode we talk about their history in its authentic truth. From building a relationship underground and working 12 hour shifts, to figuring out how to use their partnership and capabilities to build a life, business and family.Since  then, Susan and Hayden Leeson, have founded Leeson Electrical and Silky Pear Energy.From the outside, it looks like success. From the inside, it’s long nights, high-fives to celebrat their wins, and constantly choosing to back each other.In this episode, we talk about running two companies while raising kids, the loneliness of leadership, and the unglamorous truth of trade business life.If you’ve ever wondered how couples survive the chaos of building a business together, this conversation is equal parts guidance and hope.In This Episode:(04:05) Why mining life wasn’t compatible with family(10:20) Imposter syndrome and the small wins that made it real(17:00) When the town lost power and they helped save it(35:40) The raw truth of “mum guilt” while running a business(48:08) Why honesty and reliability matter more than profit(59:10) Advice for couples thinking of going into business togetherAbout Susan & Hayden LeesonFounders of Leeson Electrical Contracting and Silky Pear Energy, serving WA’s Goldfields with trusted electrical and solar solutions.Connect: Leeson Electrical | LinkedIn | Instagram | FacebookSilky Pear Energy | LinkedIn | Instagram | FacebookPodcast Sponsor: Cuppa CartelFree Brand Discovery: About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to walk away from a profitable business, move interstate with no plan, no network, and a baby on the way, and still build something bigger?Sean Smith has lived that story. Twice. From high school dropout to founder of Go To Apps, a digital agency serving clients nationwide, his journey spans mining, construction, sales, fitness, and tech. Every pivot was driven not by money, but by curiosity, growth, and happiness.In this episode we unpack Sean’s guiding principles that so many business owners could benefit from. Better Every Day, Enough Cake (celebrating others doesn’t take from you), and Open Arena (leadership that makes space for honesty). We discuss risk, happiness, and why winning is no longer about beating others, but about becoming better than we were yesterday.In This Episode:(06:33) From construction to software(14:11) Why there’s always “enough cake”(21:16) Happiness redefined: better every day(39:02) Belonging & boundaries in leadership(53:45) What Gen Z gets right about workConnect with Sean: gotoapps.com.au | LinkedInFuelled by Cuppa CartelFree Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build a business in one of the toughest industries while holding onto trust, integrity, and a sense of humour?Jimmy McGregor and Sam Chami came together at Westref Enviro with a vision to do things differently. One grew up collecting rubbish at five years old. The other once thought he had left the waste industry behind for good. Together they created a partnership grounded in fairness, honesty, and respect, the kind of foundation that makes the hard days possible and the big wins even more meaningful.In this episode, we explore what makes a partnership work. From navigating difficult conversations to protecting mental health, from family support to business strategy, Jimmy and Sam open up about what it takes to grow something bigger than yourself without losing who you are.If you have ever wondered how to choose the right business or how to strengthen the one you already have, this conversation will provide you with a valuable perspective worth hearing.About Jimmy & Sam:Jimmy McGregor is the founder and Managing Director of Westref Enviro. With a background in the laboratory and chemical manufacturing industries, he saw the urgent need for ethical, transparent, and sustainable solutions to hazardous waste. Known for his calm leadership and relentless curiosity, Jimmy is passionate about building culture as much as business.Sam Chami is the Co-Founder and General Manager of Westref Enviro. With over 18 years of experience in the environmental and industrial sectors, he brings deep expertise in waste management, site remediation, and emergency response. Sam is recognised for his hands-on leadership style, focus on safety, and commitment to building teams that thrive.Connect: westrefenviro.com | Jimmy on LinkedIn | Sam on LinkedInSeason 2 Free Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryOfficial Podcast Sponsor: Fuelled by Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if the future of flying looked more like booking an Uber than boarding a plane?Korum Ellis believes we’re standing at the edge of an aviation revolution, one that replaces noise, leaded fuel, and sardine-tin flights with clean, quiet, and accessible electric aircraft.Korum didn’t set out to be a pioneer in aviation. After decades in retail and service, he sold his business and could have coasted. Instead, he risked everything, his time, energy, and capital, to launch FlyOnE, Australia’s first electric aviation company. Today, he’s leading an industry that barely exists yet, building the supply chains, fleets, and training programs that could change how the world moves.In this conversation, we go far beyond planes. We talk about risk, resilience, self-doubt, and the kind of leadership it takes to pursue something most people call impossible.If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to bet on the future and hold steady when no one else can see it, this episode is for you.In This Episode:(07:20) The rise of the “low altitude economy”(17:43) Why pilot training in Western Australia could shape global aviation(27:45) The naive courage every entrepreneur needs to start something hard(34:41) The hidden battles of innovation no one claps for(38:59) Why loving the process matters more than chasing the IPO dream(53:16) The grounding force of family and finding purpose beyond businessAbout Korum EllisKorum is the founder of FlyOnE, pioneering sustainable electric aviation in Australia. He’s also the host of the podcast Just Wing It, where business and life are discussed thousands of feet in the air.Connect: flyone.com.au | LinkedInMentioned in This Episode: Just Wing It podcast — recorded mid-airSeason 2 Gift: Free Brand Discovery designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryPodcast Sponsor: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to step into a company built by a giant, and not just carry the legacy, but redefine it?Darren Linton started on site at 15, not as the son of a managing director but as a kid with grit and determination. Today, he’s the Managing Director of Hanssen, WA’s largest apartment builder, with 6,500+ apartments delivered, 600 staff from 60 nationalities, and a flawless completion record.But Darren’s story isn’t just about buildings. It’s about mentorship, a bold program that employs ex-prisoners, and a leadership style grounded in calmness, vision, and honesty. In this conversation, he shares the loneliness of leadership, the pressure of carrying his stepdad Jerry Hansen’s legacy, and the courage to keep learning. His advice to “trust but verify” is a reminder every leader needs.If you’ve wondered how to balance tradition and change, or lead with both grit and grace, this episode is for you.In This Episode:(07:00) The mentors who shaped Darren’s leadership(14:30) Why second chances matter(20:00) The challenge of stepping up as MD(23:00) “The job is the boss”—removing ego from the work(33:00) Darren’s proudest project and team morale(38:00) The brutal truth about leadershipAbout Darren LintonDarren Linton is the Managing Director of Hanssen, with over 22 years of experience across construction, from labouring and tiling to logistics, site management, and executive leadership. Known for being grounded, driven, and visionary, Darren is passionate about training the next generation of leaders and building cultures where people thrive.Connect with DarrenLinkedIn: Darren LintonWatch Darren Linton's Boxing MatchPodcast SponsorCoffee for The Real Biz Life Chronicles is proudly brewed by Cuppa Cartel, fuelling real conversations, one cuppa at a time.Season 2 Gift Free Brand DiscoveryClaim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhen was the last time you experienced true silence? No traffic. No neighbours. No background noise. Just stillness.Peace and quiet are human needs. They give us space to reflect, rest, and restore the energy to show up fully in life and work. Without them, stress builds, fatigue deepens, and even safety can be compromised.Nigel Reid understands this well. His journey from construction to founding Quash Soundproofing was never just about acoustics; it was about creating spaces where people could thrive. He’s seen how noise robs families of calm and how, on mining sites, the lack of rest can put lives at risk.This conversation is about more than soundproofing. It’s about wellbeing, leadership, and the environments we create. Nigel shares what he’s learned from trusting his gut, building a team with care, and why silence itself can be the most powerful tool for clarity.This episode is for you if you’ve ever felt desperate for peace and questioned why rest feels out of reach. In This Episode:04:31 - From fighter pilot dreams to building quiet spaces07:01 - The surprising birth of Quash Soundproofing14:22 - Simple fixes that bring calm into everyday spaces20:01 - Unseen cost of noise in mining camps33:05 - Leadership, presence, and tough conversations41:25 - Finding peace through silence and movementAbout Nigel ReidNigel Reid is the Director of Quash Soundproofing, a Perth-based company creating quiet, human-centred environments where people can thrive. With roots in construction and a decade of acoustic expertise, Nigel is known for his care-driven leadership and commitment to wellbeing. Outside of work, he’s most at peace fishing, playing padel, or travelling.Connect: quash.com.au | LinkedInHarvard Business Review - Management Article, “ Whose Got The Monkey”Free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoverySponsor: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat’s the hardest truth about managing people? Do gender labels help or hinder in business? And how do our beliefs about money shape the way we live and lead?In this exclusive episode of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, I sat down with three bold voices who know the trenches of business all too well. Paul Claessen, Sophie Stott, and Marcus Procopio. Together, we went deep into the conversations that don’t make the highlight reels, but define what it means to build and sustain a business.Paul has built and turned around companies under pressure, Sophie has reshaped her family business into a seven-figure distribution engine, and Marcus brings over 20 years of legal and advisory expertise to high-stakes business decisions. Each of them spoke with honesty, humour, and hard-won wisdom about the realities we often avoid.We explored leadership without losing yourself, the tension between merit and identity, and the personal relationships we all have with money. Some answers were raw, some uncomfortable, but every insight was real.In This Episode:(06:30) The fine line between leadership and management(13:30) Why business owners lose themselves in the noise(26:20) Staying true to your ambitions without burning out(51:40) Gender in business, labels, quotas, and the reality behind them(1:19:20) Money as scorecard, belief system, or proxy for time(1:42:20) Rapid-fire on power, sacrifice, and stillnessAbout the PanelPaul Claessen — Founder of Paul Claessen Consulting, coach, strategist, and truth-teller for ambitious business owners.Sophie Stott — Managing Director of Quickmail, reshaping legacy into innovation.Marcus Procopio — Founder of Procopio Legal, trusted advisor in business and law.Season 2 Gift Free Brand Discovery designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryPodcast SponsorProudly fuelled by About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat do you do when your life feels like it’s breaking apart, and you realise the only way forward is to choose yourself?Donna Martin spent 15 years nursing hundreds of people in their final days. What she learned at the bedside is what most of us avoid until it’s too late: money doesn’t matter, accolades don’t matter, what we leave behind is love.But holding space for others while neglecting herself led to burnout, trauma, and breakdowns. She walked away from nursing, left Ireland with her husband and three young boys, and built The Good Life Approach in Perth. In this conversation, Donna shares what death taught her about life, why women lose themselves in giving, and how healing comes not from fixing the outside but from choosing the inside.If you’ve ever felt lost, questioned your worth, or wondered if there’s more to life than “holding it all together,” then this is that type of episode that will have you paying 100% of your attention every minute. In This Episode:(04:45) What people really want at the end of life(12:17) Burnout, breakdowns, and the cost of caring(22:48) Trauma, resilience, and saying “no more”(31:45) Redefining success and stepping into greatness(43:45) For women who’ve forgotten themselvesAbout Donna MartinDonna Martin is a Women’s Empowerment Coach, Speaker, and Founder of The Good Life Approach. She helps women reconnect with who they are, shift their identity, and live life by design, not default.Connect: thegoodlifeapproach.com | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTubePodcast SponsorThis episode is fuelled by Cuppa Cartel.Season 2 GiftClaim your free Brand Discovery: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you’ve ticked all the “right” boxes only to realise you never wanted the life they lead to?Mark Birkinshaw qualified as a Chartered Accountant, walked away from it, and threw himself into the wild early days of the IBM PC boom. From there, he crossed borders, industries, and comfort zones, ending up in Perth as the co-founder of Tango, a business built on grit, honesty, and a deep respect for doing things properly (while wearing a bold suit).In this episode, we talk about walking away from the safe path, building a brand that stands for something, and why “ask an expert” might be the most profitable business mantra you ever adopt.For me, Mark’s blend of sharp strategy and no-nonsense straight talk is exactly what makes conversations like this so refreshing. What he shared about partnerships, both the business and ballroom kind, stayed with me.If you’ve ever questioned the rules, wondered if you’re in the wrong game, or been tempted to just “wing it”, this one’s for you.In This Episode(07:19) How Tango was born over Maccas lunches and pub chats(14:40) Why their first logo was a total flop (and the lesson it taught)(23:38) Acting as “Google Translate” between business and tech(28:48) The truth about business partnerships and why they work (or don’t)(33:12) The real cost and reward of hitting reset on your life(42:22) On being unapologetically direct and why it works(51:39) The unexpected origin of Mark’s colourful suits(1:10:06) The smarter way to grow a business without burning outAbout Mark BirkinshawMark is the co-founder of Tango, Western Australia’s go-to independent technology advisory for medium-sized businesses and local and state government. With decades of experience across IT leadership, consulting, and strategy, he’s known for his candid approach, deep client loyalty, and passion for brand integrity.Connect: Website | LinkedInOfficial Sponsor — Cuppa CartelFueling real conversations, one cuppa at a time. cuppacartel.comFree Brand Discovery ClaSeason 2 GiftClaim yours:About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to build a brand that outlasts trends, tech shifts, and “quick fixes”?Lino Giangiordano has spent over 40 years shaping the visual identities of brands across Australia and Asia. Formally trained and globally experienced, he’s the designer you’ve probably never seen in the spotlight, but his work has spoken volumes for decades. From working with major international brands to acting as a long-term brand custodian for clients, Lino’s approach is grounded in precision, honesty, and craft.In this episode, we unpack the unspoken truths of branding, why a logo is only the beginning, how consistency builds trust, and why behaving like a big business (before you are one) changes everything. We also dive into the lessons creatives can borrow from business owners, and vice versa.For me, what stood out most was Lino’s belief that relevance and honesty are what make a brand unforgettable. It’s not about chasing every trend; it’s about showing up, staying true, and putting your best work forward every single time.If you’re ready to see your brand as an investment, not a cost, this conversation will change the way you think about your business identity.In This Episode:(04:49) From fine art to graphic design(16:11) The truth about what branding is (and isn’t)(21:15) Why brand style guides matter more than you think(25:26) How business owners lose momentum in branding(29:53) The two traits that make a brand truly unforgettableAbout Lino GiangiordanoLino Giangiordano is a design partner at Pink Elephant Branding and Design with a career spanning four decades. He has worked in leading studios and agencies across Australia and Asia, creating brand identities for global companies and acting as a long-term brand custodian for his clients. Known for his understated approach, precision, and integrity, Lino brings a lifetime of branding wisdom to every project.Connect: LinkedInEmail: [email protected] Official Podcast Sponsor: Cuppa CartelSeason 2 Gift Free Brand DiscoveryClaim yours:About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailFor 99 episodes, I’ve been the one asking the questions. But for this milestone 100th episode, the mic is turned on me.I asked my business advisor, Paul Claessen, to take over as host. Paul has a way of cutting straight to the heart of things, and in this conversation, he doesn’t hold back.We talk about what business really costs, the risks that bleed into your whole life, the friendships that don’t survive, and the nights you lie awake wondering if it’s worth it. Paul takes me back to my early years in South Africa, the side hustle that started when I was 12, and the winding journey that took me from airline cabins to running Design Studio Perth.For the first time, I share openly about the personal cost of chasing my mission, the moments I nearly walked away from it all, and why I have made it my life’s mission to show the finger to mediocrity by helping people and businesses be recognised for the impact they have. We talk about the damage of the wrong team members, the challenge of focus, the strength I draw from my faith, and why I now believe health is the most underrated business strategy of all.This is the rawest and most unfiltered conversation I’ve ever had on the podcast. It’s not about theory or tactics. It’s about truth, the kind of truth that might just change the way you see your own business and your own life.In this episode you’ll hear:[15:06] The role of faith and routine in staying centred when giving up feels easier than carrying on.[39:21] The hidden cost of the wrong team members and why protecting culture is non-negotiable.[42:12] Why starting a business means risking it all and learning to make peace with loss and reinvention.[47:42] The moments I nearly gave it all up, the overwhelm that came with it, and the reasons I stayed.[57:38] How health became my most underestimated business strategy and why leading by example matters more than words.If you’ve ever wondered who I am when the mic is off, this episode will give you the answer.Season 2 Gift: Free Brand DiscoveryClaim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryOfficial Sponsor: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you build a billion-dollar business but say you’ve failed more than you’ve succeeded?Jim Penman never set out to be a mogul. He just needed to fund his PhD in history. That $24 mowing gig became Jim’s Group, now Australia’s largest franchise brand, with 5,500+ franchisees across 50+ divisions.Behind the beard and the brand is a story of fierce values, faith, and an unconventional mind. Jim still answers franchisee calls, invests 90% of his income into epigenetics research, and refuses to compromise on caring for people.In this episode, we talk about principled leadership, why most of his ventures failed, the power of servant leadership, and why protecting people matters more than the value of the business.If you’re building something bigger than yourself or are tired of playing by someone else’s rules, this one’s for you.In This Episode:(04:46) The rise of Jim’s Mowing(08:56) Why failure is part of the process(20:13) Research, people, and purpose(27:06) Jesus’ leadership model in business(36:04) Supporting 5,500+ franchiseesAbout Jim PenmanFounder of Jim’s Group, Jim has grown a $24 side hustle into a billion-dollar empire while staying deeply hands-on. He is a passionate researcher, author, father of ten, and a leader driven by mission.Connect: jimpenman.com.au | [email protected] | jimsmowing.netSeason 2 Gift Free Brand DiscoveryBook your session: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryOfficial Sponsor: cuppacartel.comAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your biggest business milestone almost doesn’t happen at all?Dave Meney was meant to be celebrating 30 years of Yenem Engineering. Instead, he was navigating redundancies, restructuring, and the raw reality of nearly closing his doors.Founder of Yenem Engineering and creator of AltConnect, Dave’s quiet tenacity has shaped some of WA’s most complex mining structures, and mentored the next generation along the way.In this episode, we talk about resilience, ownership, and the brutal honesty needed to lead through a downturn. It’s not a highlight reel, but it’s the kind of conversation that shows what business is truly made of.Mentioned in This Episode:(03:54) From cabinetmaking to engineering(06:00) The Yenem name and its mispronunciations(07:07) Cycling, mindset and mental health(24:32) When the business nearly folded, and what saved it(32:58) Dave’s biggest advice: Know your numbers(43:34) AltConnect: The radical R&D project(53:12) What really matters after 30 yearsAbout Dave MeneyDave Meney is the Founder and Managing Director of Yenem Engineering Services, a structural engineering firm trusted by WA’s mining and heavy industries for over 30 years. Known for pairing technical precision with a people-first approach, he’s built a business that delivers under pressure and nurtures a lasting culture.Nicknamed the “Lean, Mean Structural Machine” early in his career, Dave’s greatest pride lies in the engineers he’s mentored. He also leads AltConnect, a bold R&D initiative using friction-based connections to cut construction time in half and rethink how we build.A lifelong learner and passionate cyclist, Dave brings the same discipline to climbing mountains as he does to leading through crisis.Connect: yenem.com.au | LinkedInFree Brand Discovery — Season 2 Giftdesignstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryPodcast Sponsor: Cuppa CartelAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailHe moved his young family across the world with nothing but a suitcase and a gut instinct that life could be different.Darren Bowles didn’t set out to build a business. He started as an apprentice in a cereal factory. Today, he leads billion-dollar projects in autonomous mining and carries that responsibility with a calm most people never see.This conversation isn’t about status, titles or scale. It’s about what leadership really looks like behind the scenes. When the deadlines pile up, the sacrifices hit home, and you're the one people are counting on.Darren talks about the power of empathy in technical environments, the mental cost of hard work, and why remembering people’s birthdays might be the most important thing a leader can do.He doesn't speak in slogans. He shares his story to help others. And it shows.If you're trying to lead, build, or simply stay grounded under pressure, this episode is for you.In This Episode:(03:38) From Cornflakes to Control Systems. Darren’s engineering roots(06:23) Being a “natural born worrier” and using it as a leadership strength(09:38) Why he left the UK for Perth and never looked back(13:23) The truth about hard work (and the toll it can take)(16:38) What most people get wrong about project management(22:11) The “wish list” vs “will-do” method for managing overwhelm(23:01) How GTE Group began, a story of three mates, Dome café, and a plan(31:01) Navigating high-pressure moments and asking for help(34:20) Why he still encourages young engineers to talk to him(42:04) Darren’s mentorship offer(51:00) What he’d say in a TED Talk: resilience, reality, and the work-life “juggle”About Darren BowlesDarren is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and Project Manager with extensive experience in mining, automation, and control systems. He is a co-founder of GTE Group, where he leads with quiet strength and a deep commitment to people and progress.Connect: LinkedIn | GTE GroupSeason 2 Gift Free Brand DiscoveryClaim your free session: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailA Somatic Master Coach, nervous system specialist, and feminine embodiment mentor, Rebecca Antonucci built her business from rock bottom during the pandemic, sold everything she owned, packed a suitcase, a laptop, and a podcast mic, and started again.Today, she helps women do the same: regulate their nervous systems, reclaim their voice, and lead from deep, embodied power.In this episode, we talk about sex, love, money, and the invisible weight of shame that keeps so many business owners stuck in survival mode.There were moments that made me pause. What Rebecca shared about trauma living in the body and why logic alone can’t heal it, really left an impact on me. I think it might have the same effect on you too.If you're ready to feel more, lead braver, and finally give yourself permission to want what you want, listen closely to this episode. Mentioned in this episode:(00:00) Why sex, love, and money were all equally hard to heal(04:15) The power of embodiment and why somatic work changes everything(07:29) How most people chase external success to fill an internal gap(12:40) The trauma behind unpaid invoices, overserving, and staying small(20:37) Why Rebecca went public about herpes, and how it changed her life(26:29) What you risk by not posting about your business(29:20) Why logic doesn’t override trauma (and what actually works)(34:55) The truth about safe relationships that still aren’t right(40:50) The real reason your sex life is flat and how to talk about itConnect With Rebecca: Sex, Love & Money Podcast (Spotify | Apple)Connect with Rebecca: Instagram | YouTubeSeason 2 Gift: Free Brand Discovery Claim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does financial freedom really look like, and why do so few ever get there?Andreas Kettemann didn’t just move to a new country. He built a life and a business from the ground up, no network, no shortcuts. Today, he runs 3D Wealth, a financial advisory firm that quietly helps professionals make smarter financial decisions.This episode isn’t about stock tips or the next big trend. It’s about what happens when you stop chasing the hype and start playing the long game.We talk about money and mindset, wealth and worth, and the unseen risks business owners take when they tie their identity to income. Andreas shares what most finance ‘gurus’ won’t,  including the biggest myth about getting rich, and the real reason couples argue about money.If you’ve ever felt behind financially or wondered whether it's too late to start, this one’s for you.In This Episode:(04:57) The true story behind launching 3D Wealth(10:18) The three parts of life and why you can only master two(16:31) Advice for business owners chasing freedom(38:06) The worst reason to make an investmentMentioned in This Episode:Royal Flying Doctor Service (36:50)About Andreas KettemannAndreas Kettemann is a Chartered Accountant and the founder of 3D Wealth, a boutique financial advisory firm based in Perth. With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Andreas specialises in helping professionals, medical specialists, and business owners build sustainable wealth through long-term strategy.Known for his calm, considered approach, Andreas combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of the emotional side of money. He holds qualifications in accounting, financial planning, and mortgage broking, and is a member of CAANZ and the Association of Financial Advisers.Andreas’ work centres around a simple truth: your personal, professional, and financial lives are deeply connected, and when one thrives, so can the others.Connect: 3dwealth.com.au | LinkedInSeason 2 Gift: Free Brand Discovery Claim yours - designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailParatene Waikari was 29 when he was told he had stage 3 bowel cancer. His wife, Mary, was one week from giving birth. That moment changed everything, their plans, their priorities, and ultimately, their path.What started as a side hustle to keep Para’s mind occupied during chemotherapy treatments and surgeries became SCAFFKiT: a scaffolding tools and accessories company that now spans six countries and seven figures.But this episode isn’t about business tools. It’s about the unseen scaffolding that holds a life together, the love, the sacrifice, the quiet resilience no one sees.We discuss grief, ambition, identity, mental health, and what it takes to build a 7-figure business as a husband-and-wife duo. This one’s real, raw, and deeply impactful.Mentioned in This Episode(04:07) The cancer diagnosis that changed everything(07:27) Starting a business while fighting for your life(14:02) Why support means showing up with doughnuts(20:40) When you build a dream that isn’t yours and stay(30:20) The suicide that changed Para’s life mission(36:39) Spoke to a Bloke: The walk that’s saving lives(46:26) The discipline of staying in your lane(54:19) Personal brands, values, and the courage to be seen(1:01:08) The injury that became a turning point(1:07:22) The advice they’d give their younger selvesConnect with Para & Mary WaikariSpoke to a Bloke Website: https://www.spoketoabloke.org/ Website: www.scaffkit.com.auParatene Waikari: Paratene Waikari | https://www.paratenewaikari.com.au/Mary Waikari: Mary Waikari | https://www.marywaikari.com.au/ Free Brand Discovery — Season 2 GiftClaim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if stepping away from your career was the most strategic move you could make?Bill Scanlan left a secure job, packed a bike and a belief, and moved to France to chase his dream of becoming a pro triathlete. No French. No plan. Just purpose.Three years later, after turning pro, winning races like the Mont Ventoux triathlon, and building a life around performance, Bill returned to the corporate world with a new perspective.Today, he’s a Partner at Ernst & Young, leading EY’s WA Government and Infrastructure Advisory teams. He works across sectors helping shape major investment and policy decisions, while still training like an elite athlete.In this episode, we talk about performance, purpose and leadership, the kind that doesn’t chase the spotlight, but quietly builds futures.Bill’s story reminded me that high performance isn’t about the medal. It’s about showing up on the hard days, and trusting the long game.If you're navigating change, questioning your next move or wondering how to lead with more intention, this one's for you.In This Episode:(04:27) Leaving a job to chase a dream(08:23) The post-race emptiness no one talks about(24:50) Leading without compromising values(42:59) What leadership really demands(58:44) The system he’d redesign in AustraliaAbout Bill ScanlanBill is a Partner at EY with over 20 years' experience in infrastructure, strategy and economics. He’s a former pro triathlete known for his grounded leadership and systems thinking.Connect: LinkedInFree Brand DiscoveryClaim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat does it mean to truly exit your business? And what happens when you do?Michael Kerr doesn’t just talk about exit planning. He walks with owners through one of the most emotional transitions of their lives. After 23 years at Kerr Capital, Michael has mentored over 700 business owners and built one of the most trusted advisory firms for small business exits in Australia.But this episode is about far more than transactions. We talked burnout, regret, trust, and what the business owner journey actually looks like behind the scenes, beneath the confidence, and beyond the hype.I loved how Michael speaks to the very human side of selling a business, especially when it's so wrapped up in your identity. He shares why many owners regret selling, what a truly ‘good exit’ means, and why it’s so critical to start asking better questions. Questions like, “what do I really want next?”Whether you’re thinking about your next chapter or just feeling the weight of it all, this one’s for you.In This Episode:(3:30) What Kerr Capital really does and what Michael has learned after 23 years(9:43) The tension between staying the course and trying something new(12:05) The role of community in supporting local business legaciesAbout Michael KerrMichael is the founder of Kerr Capital and host of the Owner2Owner podcast. Known for his deep empathy and clear advice, he’s helped hundreds of business owners exit with purpose and peace of mind.Connect: kerrcapital.com.au | Michael Kerr on LinkedInFree Brand DiscoveryClaim yours: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailFrom parliament to Perth’s airwaves, Matt Birney’s story is anything but linear.In this episode, I sit down with the former WA Opposition Leader turned serial entrepreneur and founder of Bulls N’ Bears, a media empire connecting ASX-listed companies with major news outlets. We dive into the power of reinvention, taking bold action, and why curiosity is one of the most underrated business skills.From launching WA’s biggest auto parts store out of a BP backroom, to becoming the first Liberal to win Kalgoorlie in over 100 years, Matt shares how persistence, resourcefulness and fun have defined his career.He doesn’t believe in faking it, or waiting for permission, and this conversation is full of real lessons for business owners navigating risk, visibility, and their next big pivot.Specifically, Matt shares:[07:05] How $150k worth of consignment stock built WA’s largest auto parts superstore[16:04] Why getting rejected (twice) became the best thing that ever happened to him[18:14] The pub conversation that accidentally launched a political career[26:31] His favourite quote from Theodore Roosevelt and how it shaped his outlook[37:46] The truth about AI, branding, and being future-fit in business[48:53] The painful lesson from the business he got wrong, and what he missed[1:00:56] What smoking brisket and building community have in commonConnect with Matt Birney:Matt Birney on LinkedInBulls N’ Bears WA on LinkedInCelebrating Season 2 with a Free Brand Discovery!Claim yours at: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at [email protected]