StartUp Creative - Your go-to source for straight-up business advice

In conversation with Brooke, Sharesies

On today's episode I caught up with Brooke who is one of the 6 founders of Sharesies, an online platform and app that’s aim is make investing easy and accessible to someone who haas $5 or $5 million dollars to spend. I first saw Brooke talk at Purpose Conference in October 2023 and was instantly inspired by and intrigued about the company’s mission. Not only have they broken new ground in the investing world but they’re a purpose driven business looking to support and empower all people with...

How to Create an Online Course

On today's episode I share the behind the scenes of creating my new online course 'Start Your Side Hustle' my first online course 2017. If you've been thinking about a way to set up passive income for your business to help you scale and automate your current offerings, I'll teach you how to get started and share exactly how I set mine up. I'll cover: how to come up with your course idea  setting up your course  a formula for creating your online course  marketing and sales of your cou...

Creating Cut Through Content with Lucy Lumen

On today's episode we share a recent IG live chat I had with content creation pro Lucy Lumen who makes content and builds communities on Substack, Instagram and YouTube. I quiz Lucy on how she keeps up, her tips for creating across different platforms and for different audiences, we share our planning and content creation schedules or lack of and how we approach social media of late. Lucy started her YouTube channel as a creative side project when she first had her child and has managed to b...

In conversation with co-founder Will Morgan, Fellr

In conversation with FlexMami

On today's episode I caught up with the business boss herself, FlexMami. We recently had the pleasure of Flex speaking at our Make Your Mark: How to market yourself online event in collaboration with Squarespace. Flex shared her incredible insights, wisdom and opinions about what it really takes to build an online following, how she prefers to diversify her skillsets across multiple platforms, what role her website plays in her business as well as her approach to social media. Flex gives som...

In conversation with podcaster & author Alexis Fernandez, DYFM

On today's episode I spoke to Alexis Fernadez, author and podcast host of DYFM.    Alexis is a neuroscientist, mindset coach, best-selling author and host of Do You F*****g Mind? - a podcast that mixes neuroscience, psychology and tough love altogether. Alexis started the podcast halfway through her masters degree in neuroscience as a way to be able to share what she was learning and as a way to connect with an audience who wanted to work on themselves. We recently met on the Make Your ...

What's comparison got to do with it?

On today's episode I dive into a popular topic for many creative entrepreneurs; comparison. I share a personal experience I had with comparing myself to others' success and the tools I use to help me avoid a negative downward spiral of self-doubt. I share some insights into how we can use comparison as a positive on our business journey to help us realign our goals and dreams and start working towards them as well as tips for catching the negative side of comparison so as to not sabotage our...

In conversation with author Amy Lovat

On today's podcast I caught up with a long time client, friend and fellow author Amy Lovat. You may recognise her from Secret Book Club, a business she started with her partner years ago. Amy shares her incredible journey to accomplishing a 30 year dream of becoming a published author. She shares very generously about how she took 11 years to write her first novel, the mindset and support she leant on to  keep her going when she wanted to give up. We dive into the inspiration behind her debu...

In conversation with Daniel Flynn, THANKYOU

Today’s guest is Daniel Flynn, co founder of Thankyou, a business I was fortunate enough to come across many years ago when they first started out as Thankyou Water. Since then Daniel and his team have built a globally recognised social enterprise on a mission to end extreme poverty. In this episode Daniel shares the journey they’ve taken to reimagine their business model many times over. From expanding into products, taking on the big supermarkets to get stocked, harnessing the power of soc...

How to Start a Side Hustle With Kaylene Langford

In today's episode I share the story about how I landed my first book deal that led to me writing 'How to Start a Side Hustle' in 2020 and advice for people looking to pitch to publishers for those looking to get their own publishing deal.    I also go through each chapter of the book and share my author notes, bonus tips to help you get started and how to use the book to get started on your idea.    Tune in for a guided tour of the process I took to write the book and tips on exactly...

In conversation with Claire, ACID.FLWRS

On today’s episode I caught up with the genius creative mind behind one of my favourite businesses ACID.FLWRS, Claire Muller. Claire shares her startup story that took her on a journey from Perth to London and eventually her home today Sydney Australia. She shares the lessons learnt from changing career paths, working for an innovative startup with small budgets with working for leading startup Airtasker. Her insight into finding which path to follow, facing a life changing moment that put l...

In conversation with Evi O

This week I had the absolute pleasure of talking to the award winning designer and founder of her own studio Evi O. A well known expert in the design space who delivered a keynote presentation at Semi Permanent Sydney in 2023 as well as Creative Mornings Sydney and The Design Conference in Queensland. Evi's studio specialises in publications, brands and creative collaborations that have won her multiple awards. Evi shares an abundance of information and insights into the behind the scenes of...

How to start a successful podcast for your business

On today's episode I caught up with Lyndal Harris from Podcast VA who truly is an expert in her field. With many years of experience in starting and scaling podcasts, the StartUp Creative show included, Lyndal holds a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to launch a successful podcast.    In this episode I ask Lyndal some of the FAQ's I get about when and how to start a podcast as well as her practical tips and advice on the technical side of things. If you've been looking to start a pod...

In conversation with James Parr

It was an absolute joy to have James Parr, disability advocate, model and athlete on the show. James shares his incredible life story with such openness, honesty and lightheartedness that it was hard to keep then conversation to an hour. In the episode you’ll learn how James became an amputee at age 21, went from a social worker to runway model in the space of a few years and an insight into how he keeps positive and keeps creating the life of his dreams despite the multiple challenges he h...

In conversation with Hannah, Rainbow History Class

Hannah is the Author of her first book, Rainbow History Class- your entry into LGBTQ+ history, sharing queer and trans stories from Ancient civilisations all the way up to the internet. In this inspiring conversation Hannah and I discuss who gets to record and tell history and how diversity in gender and sexual orientation can often be excluded from the narrative. Hannah also offers tips and insights into building her social media audience and making viral videos with millions of views as w...

In conversation with Angus, Co-Founder of Ārepa

On today’s episode I had the pleasure of meeting Angus the co-founder of the world's first brain drink. Ārepa is a neuroscientist-backed brand based in NZ and improving brain health around the world. Angus shares insights into where this incredible business idea came from and the steps he took to bring the idea to life. An incredible start-up story that didn’t follow the conventional path but that has attracted some of the worlds leading athletes and creative minds as customers and fans. I ...

How To Navigate Uncertainty With Dr Marion Piper

On today's episode I caught up with Dr Marion Piper, Creativity Coach and all around legend. We discussed the role that creativity and art plays in times of uncertainty and how we as creative entrepreneurs can find ways to continually expand and grow our businesses when times are tough.  Marion is an expert in the field of identifying big and small traumas in our lives and stories and offers us insights and tools as to how we can transmute the hardest challenges in our lives into art.  W...

In conversation with Montaigne

In this episode I caught up with an Australian singer/songwriter and icon, white literally - Montaigne was Australia’s Eurovision contestant in 2021 and has a long list of accomplishments including a recent collaboration with David Byrne from the Talking Heads. They share their story of stumbling into the music industry, how they stay inspired to create art and tips for those looking to get started. An incredibly humble, talented and inspiring artist who is staying in their own lane whilst m...

Hot content creation tips with Bianca Beers

From my IG live with content creator and artist Bianca Beers, where we discussed how to become a content creator as a career, the best motivation to get started on your content and practical tips to make it work for your business. Bianca shares incredible but relatable tips and stories on how she got started, gets clients and advice for getting yourself back in the content creation game.  Check out Biancas work here https://www.instagram.com/biancabeers/

How to overcome fear

On today’s episode I discuss lessons learnt from Rich Diviney’s book The Attributes, in particular the topic of fear. I often gets asked by coaching clients and our community about ‘how to overcome fear?’ I see it a lot in people who have an idea that they want to make a reality but who find that fear stops them from taking action. Diviney’s book shares research and insights into what exactly fear is and how moving towards it, is one of the best ways to overcome it.  In this episode I share ...

How to know if my idea will work

I've had a few coaching clients of late reach a point of needing help to finally give their side hustles their all in order to help them finally leave a job that isn't serving them anymore. I often get asked about when and how to make the leap from a full time or part time job so as to give their business idea or side hustle a solid crack. It's a tough one to give a blanket answer to but in this episode I share how I felt and what I did when I transitioned from my '9-5' to StartUp Creative a...

4 Myths About Goal Setting That Could Be Holding You Back

On today's episode I attempt to bust some of the common myths and stories that keep us from effective goal setting. Based on a research paper 'Role of Goal Orientation, Ability, Need for Achievement, and Locus of Control in the Self-Efficacy and Goal-Setting Process' I cover what are the key factors to setting goals that one goes on to accomplish.  I share practical tips on how to better position yourself for success, ignite your motivation and sustain your efforts towards your goals in ...

In conversation with the founders of Foile

On today's episode we chat with Su and Alex, the co-founders of a conscious beauty brand that we all love - Foile.  The pair chat about their startup story and how they got into business together and their tips for starting a business as co-founders. We also discuss the importance in taking your time in the research and development stage when starting a product based business. The couple also shared the real side of running a startup from having to find solutions to their packaging when th...

Feeling Lost in Your Business? 3 Helpful Hacks

On today’s episode I share 3 hacks for helping you to navigate through times of feel stuck, lost or unclear about your business vision and direction. Inspired by a lot of practices and strategies that I’ve been implementing of late about how to reignite my passion and inspiration for my business after some time off.  A practical guide with 3 clear steps to take now and revisit when the feeling arises. It’s not always going to be easy and the ebbs and flows of business can be hard to manage...

In Conversation with Author Issy Beech

Scaling from Freelancer to Business

On today’s episode I caught up with the bubble personality, photographer and business coaching client of mine Sian Fay. Over the last 6 months or so Sian and I have been working together to redesign her personal brand and help her to scale her business in order to attract more of her ideal customers and dream work.  On completion of our time together Sian shared the many wins and successes she’s had in her business since working together and we reflected on the journey she’d been on to mak...

5 Foundations for Business Success

On today’s podcast I share insights from recent materials I’ve been reading and enjoying to creativity inspire my writing, teaching and business coaching.  Pulling on a variety of books, podcasts and lessons from the wisdom of First Nations people, the laws and lesson of nature and new commentary on time and our finite amount of it.  Books & resources I mentioned on the episode: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman  Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta  The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter ...

How to diversify your business for long term success

On today’s episode I discuss the rising fear of challenging economic times for small businesses, creative entrepreneurs and startup founders. As we learnt throughout the pandemic, there will be many unpredictable circumstances outside of our control that will inevitable challenge us as business owners and freelancers. Whilst we can not always predict or control outside events we can find hope that they are a natural part of life, business and growth and happening around the globe. As a bu...

How To Overcome Self Sabotage

In conversation with Gabe, Ora Health

Today's guest is the founder of Ora Health, an Australian based supplements company, Gabriel Perera. Coming from a background in the health industry, Gabe took a gamble on himself knowing that he had always wanted to have a crack at starting his own company and by the age of 40 knew that it was now or never. Gabe shares his inspiring and honest account of what it took to launch a product company in the middle of a pandemic, how he stands out in the supplement marketplace, his tips for heal...

What to do when you're feeling stuck

On today’s episode I share my recent experience of feeling stuck and not sure what to focus on in my business when I lacked inspiration and motivation.  I share some insights into how to ride the highs and lows of business and what simple actions you can take to help you regain your momentum and get inspired to take action on your goals again.  If you’d like to check out the Halfway Reset that I mentioned on the episode to go through the full process that I taught in our recent webinar you...

In conversation with Jai Long

Podcast regular Jai Long returns to the show to update us on how he managed to keep his business not alone online but thriving through the pandemic & gives insights into how he knows when to pivot and what plans he puts in place. Jai is a successful business coach, photographer and all around entrepreneur who isn't afraid to say it how it is, take big risks, share his lessons and take others on the journey with him.  In the episode we chat about money mindset and how to overcome fear of taki...

In conversation with Gonzo Vino

On today's episode we meet the owner of Gonzo Vino and wine company repairing the reputation of cast wine that sells delicious blends in 3L casts with incredible designs and a fun brand voice and message. Marcus was working in hospitality as a Sommelier (one of the highest achievements in the world of wine experts) and decided that he couldn't do it forever and wanted more. Since then he has been on the journey to start his own brand with an OG entrepreneurial spirit has pulled in favours, m...

In conversation with Radical Yes

Today’s guest we showcase the incredible talent that is Kerryn the face behind the inspiring, Melbourne cult brand Radical Yes. We discuss creating a fashion brand that is conscious and doesn’t play into the fast fashion world, how to fund your fashion startup without investment and creative ways you can do it yourself. Kerryn shares her down to earth tips and lessons on starting small and growing a loyal following that will come on the ride with you. Lots of incredible and actionable advice...

Presenting with Confidence with Rachel, The Happiness Concierge

On today’s episode we caught up with author, speaker and coach Rachel Service from the Happiness Concierge to get her expert advice on presenting, pitching and creating content with confidence. A natural and vibrant speaker herself Rachel has presented a TED talk and runs courses and workshops on presenting, leadership, pitching and so much more. It was an absolute joy to have Rachel on the podcast after meeting her at the very beginning of our careers over seven years ago. 

In conversation with Struthless

On today’s episode I chat all things creativity in the most fun and creative way with the fun, energetic and passionate creative that is Struthless aka Campbell. An online content creator who runs a studio, makes  Youtube videos, runs a podcast and illustrates. A legend in the game with honest, to the point and raw advice on how to make an idea stick, the power of creating outside of the box and a living, creating example of someone who has truly turned their passion into a viable business. ...

2022 Marketing tips & hacks with Nat from Compass

Nat and her partner have built a thriving marketing company that backs sustainable brands and businesses, Compass Studio. BCorp certified themselves Nat share why it was important for her to build their business with this in mind and how their brand values are reflected across everything they do. She shares some simple yet effective insights into the world of marketing we are all navigating and where and how a brand should go about developing a marketing strategy that works for them and will...

On letting go of productivity guilt with Madeleine Dore

Recent author and curator of creative spaces and events, Madeleine More just released her first book with the a title that speaks to us all ‘I Didn’t Do The Thing Today: On letting go of productivity guilt.’ A topic that almost every creative entrepreneur and business owner I know struggles with, Madeleine share insights on how to overcome the inner critic that stifles our creativity when we think we haven’t done enough. Madeleine shares her insights into writing the book, getting a publishi...

In conversation with Prue, Rocc Naturals

In today’s episode, I chat with the founder of Australia’s new favourite toothpaste brand, RoccNaturals. Whist on materiality leave and surviving a global pandemic with her newborn baby Prue saw a need for a natural and sustainable toothpaste product that would be good for humans and the planet. In the short space of two years, Prue took the idea and not only made it a reality but has managed to scale to the business, off the back of her own funding to an Australian-wide major stockist. Ro...

How to Overcome Comparison with Amie McNee

In today’s episode, I catch up with a fellow creative, author, and good friend of mine Amie McNee @inspiredtowrite for a raw and honest conversation about the comparison. We discuss where and how it shows up in our own lives and businesses and share some tips for overcoming it when it rears its ugly head. Comparison can lead to self-doubt, inaction, and shying away from going after our dreams and goals and can often cause people to quit before they’ve even started. When we are able to catch ...

On Making Time For Your Creative Side Hustle with Author Ngaio Parr

In today’s episode, I chat for the first time ever to the very talented and inspiring creative, author, and designer Ngaio Parr who also happens to be the designer of my book - How to Start a SideHustle. Ngaio has an incredible design career but after experiencing a number of sudden deaths in her life she was compelled to create a resource that she would have wanted to help her through the process. In this episode, we dive into the ‘Grief Companion’ Ngaio’s card deck and guide to experienc...

Riding the Highs and Lows of Business

In today’s episode, I address one of the most common struggles I see in my business coaching clients and that I have personally had to overcome on a regular basis in my own business - how do you ride the highs and lows of running your own business? Starting and running a business is hard work, full of uncertainty, and can change at any moment. Somedays we’re on top of the world and things seem to be going exactly as we planned and others are filled with fear, setbacks, and overwhelm. Natur...

How to Improve the Quality of Your Performance in Your Business

When life and business present us struggles, challenges, or setbacks there are two ways in which you can approach it, either with confidence and a level of self-belief that you have what it takes to solve the problem, endure the hardship and master the skills required to move through it or to feel a sense of failure, shame, and rejection. Research shows that those who have high self-efficacy ( an individuals belief in their capacity to execute the behaviours necessary to produce a specific...

How to Tackle the New World of Social Media with Wordfetti

In today’s episode, I chat with Anita, the founder of Wordfetti for her tips and tricks on how to best tackle the ever-changing environment of social media. Instagram was once a place to connect, share and market your business direct to your audience world. As the platform continues to prioritise different styles of content, pivot the way in which they determine who sees your content and when and make unpredictable upgrades and even consequences, it’s important to be able to manage your mind...

On Self-Belief and Creative with Delta Venus

I’ve been following Paige aka Delta Venus for a few years now and have been in absolute awe of how beautifully and consciously her artwork and witten pieces have developed into a complete embodiment of self. Starting out in the design industry, Paige decided to follow her ‘strange pull’ that was leading her in a direction that she was taught was most likely not going to get her any success. Shifting from a regular and scheduled routine to being led intuitively, Paige believes that you can c...

Top 5 Business Lessons from 2021

As 2021 begins to wind down, I take some time to reflect and share with you my top lessons learnt from the year that’s been. Both in my business at StartUp Creative HQ but also with my Business Coaching clients from around the globe covering so many different industries and business models. We’ve all had to learn new ways of doing business, surviving the unknown and digging deep to persevere through some of the darkness and hardest conditions we’ve all been faced with. If there’s one good ...

Top 5 Business Lessons from 2021

As 2021 begins to wind down, I take some time to reflect and share with you my top lessons learnt from the year that’s been. Both in my business at StartUp Creative HQ but also with my Business Coaching clients from around the globe covering so many different industries and business models. We’ve all had to learn new ways of doing business, surviving the unknown and digging deep to persevere through some of the darkness and hardest conditions we’ve all been faced with. If there’s one good ...

The Power of Brand Values: How to find and use them in your business

Today I’m going to talk about Brand Values, a topic that my clients know I cover A LOT in our coaching sessions. Brand Values are so important, they are the core foundations of your business that help to guide your decision-making and outline what you stand for as a brand. As the end of the year is fast approaching, I wanted to give you guys a crash course on how to audit your brand values in your business for 2022 and learn about why they’re important, along with 3 simple steps to develop...

How to Create High Converting Copy for Your Business

We’ve all been there, staring at our phone trying to come up with the perfect caption on social media, or reading and re-reading that one paragraph that just doesn’t feel quite right. We all want punchy copy and words with a strong message that resonates with our target audience, which is why I’m so happy to introduce you to the wonderful Ash Chow. She’s a launch strategist and conversion copywriter for online entrepreneurs who want to sell their digital products on repeat. I can attest t...

Post Pandemic Business: How to Plan for a New Year

Looking back on 2020/21 there have been many changes to the way that we do business, some by choice others as a result of ongoing restrictions. The world will not go back to 'normal' so it is vital that we recall what we have learnt throughout the ever-changing business environment and begin to implement new ways to safeguard, protect and preserve your business for the new landscape unfolding before us. In this episode, I suggest some ways in which we can reflect on the lessons learnt an...