The Mentor with Mark Bouris

Internationally recognised producer Michael Cassel is the Founder and Director of Michael Cassel Group, who produce some of the world’s best musical and theatrical productions. Before Covid19 put everything on hold, they were producing three of the biggest shows on stage: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne, a global tour of The Lion King musical, and the blockbuster musical Hamilton, which was in pre-production in Sydney. Because of the sheer scale of the productions, they’d need to run at theatre capacity in order for their shows to be financially viable, so they’re waiting for the time when gatherings of 1,500 people are allowed.But Michael is optimistic and confident that staying focused on the future, being flexible and ready to adapt, and uniting as an industry will ensure that stage shows are back up and running in the near future. I ask Michael about the importance of human connection and community in a digital age, and how he’s working to ensure buoyant business on returning to stage shows, so that when a new normal returns they’ll have great new shows ready to put on.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peta Shulman is the Founder and Director of GoodnessMe Box, Australia’s largest health-food subscription box. Every month they deliver a box straight to your door that’s filled with healthy goodies to take the guesswork out of making better food choices. Peta's own autoimmune disorder helped her discover the power of whole-foods, and she wanted other people to experience the same benefits of eating clean, nourishing foods.Over the past 5 years, GoodnessMe have worked with over 800 brands and have expanded into a kids box and a beauty box, their online shop, and pre-Covid they were hosting large-scale events. When Covid hit, brands couldn’t run events and there was no in-store sampling, so GoodnessMe decided to focus on building digital presence for the brands they worked with and help consumers find healthy products.They’ve also expanded to offer corporate opportunities – to improve morale and health of employees working from home. I ask Peta about the importance of communicating the GoodnessMe story and how their marketing strategy is all about building brand recognition so that their customers become their biggest advocates.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brandon Martignago is the owner and director of Dulcie’s Kings Cross – a bohemian 1920’s and 30’s era cocktail bar that sells only 100% Aussie spirits. Brandon was always inspired by the magic of theatre and wanted to create an immersive venue experience that really engaged patrons – so in 2018 he started Dulcie’s, right in the middle of the Sydney Lockout Laws.In March of this year, like all hospitality businesses, the regulations that came into effect around Covid19 forced Dulcie's to shut their doors. So they pivoted quickly and started offering “Dulcie’s to your Door” - take away bespoke cocktails that were handmade and hand delivered. Each purchase came with instructions to recreate the experience of visiting the bar for the customer at home. I ask Brandon how Dulcie's was able to pivot their offering during the lockdown period, the importance of theatre to their business and why they focus on using 100% Aussie produce.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Connelly is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Me3D, a Wollongong-based maker of 3D printers and software. Since 2014 they've worked with schools to use 3D printing to teach kids as young as six how to imagine, design and create 3D models. In early 2020, Matt and his team were working around the clock to fulfil orders that were flying out the door – until Covid19 hit and business ground to a halt. So Me3D adapted to use the skills and technology they had available to design and produce face shields for medical use, and in a matter of days they had an initial production of 1,000 units delivered to hospitals. I ask Matt how the business has been able to successfully pivot into creating medical equipment and why they’re developing new software technology.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In mid 2019, brother and sister duo Julie and Eduard Otter walked away from successful corporate careers to start their own premium whiskey and vodka distillery Otter Craft Distilling (OCD), using only sustainable and traceable ingredients. Eduard is the distiller and creator of everything inside the bottle and Julie is the creator of everything outside the bottle –  so they’ve got the family business down to an art.OCD had only been around for 8 months when Covid struck and business came to a standstill, until they quickly pivoted to produce something in high demand: World Health Organisation approved hand sanitiser. I ask Julie and Eduard how their business redirected from making premium spirits to manufacturing hand sanitiser, and how they’re planning to re-pivot back into spirits and expand the business to get scale.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few industries have been harder hit by COVID19 than live music and events, and my guest this week, Jeremy Fleming, has been on the frontline of this. Jeremy and his wife Tabitha are the owners of StageKings who have been building custom-made stages for music festivals and sporting events since 2015. But when COVID19 forced the end of large public gatherings earlier this year, StageKings lost 95 per cent of their business within 48 hours.Rather than sit around and wait for the events to come back, they immediately thought of new ways to use their skills and produce something in high demand: work-from-home  furniture. Their rebranded furniture business 'IsoKing' has sold more than 10,000 units in just three months. I ask Jeremy how StageKings went from creating stages for the Commonwealth Games to desks for inner-city apartments and how they use social media to tap into exactly what consumers are looking for.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's not a single business in the world that Covid19 hasn’t effected in some way, so for the next few episodes I'll be speaking to business owners who have had to pivot their business, rethink the way they operate and find innovative ways to keep their businesses going in some of the most challenging times we’ve ever seen. So to kick it off, I speak to Paul Dewhurst, Operations Manager at Three Blue Ducks, who have restaurants in Bronte, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Roseberry and now Melbourne too.They were forced to shut the doors to all their venues in March with almost no warning. But they pivoted quickly and a week later, the business branched into the fresh food and takeaway market, supplying gourmet produce boxes to Byron Bay locals and a paired-back take-away menu to Sydneysiders. I ask Paul about how they made the quick decision to pivot what Three Blue Ducks offered, why they won't compromise their company values for an easy buck, and how Covid-19 has shown the importance of community and connection.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I'm talking to the owner and ‘Chief Smuggler' of swimwear brand Budgy Smuggler, Adam Linforth, who's business was founded at a backyard BBQ in true Aussie fashion. Budgy Smuggler definitely know a thing or two about doing things differently, because while other brands were focusing on people with perfect physiques, Budgy made it their mission to focus on ordinary people of all shapes and sizes. They're even a favourite with Aussie athletes. I ask Adam how Budgy Smuggler have creatively used social media to gain brand recognition, and how the business has pivoted to use their famous prints to create new products.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest this week is changing the game for the PR and Marketing industry. Lara Vandenberg founded her business Publicist while working in New York, where she saw an industry that needed a big shake-up. The traditional way of hiring talented PR professionals through word of mouth and recruiters was becoming outdated and ineffective. So at just 28 years old, Lara took on a challenge to automate the industry and founded Publicist, an online marketplace connecting brands with the most experienced freelancers in PR and marketing. I ask Lara how Publicist is transforming the traditional PR model to provide flexible and scalable support for brands, while rewarding talent entering the freelance market in a time of layoffs. Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After working as a beauty editor for some of Australia's top magazines for over 15 years, Carla Oates was shocked by the synthetic substances used in so many commercial beauty products. When her daughter developed allergies and eczema, Carla put her family on a gut-healing plan that included probiotic-rich whole foods and quickly noticed a huge difference in her daughter’s skin and wellbeing. So after researching the benefits of gut bacteria, Carla started her business ‘The Beauty Chef’ to create plant-based supplements for gut health and glowing skin. I ask Carla how she is striving to change the beauty industry to be more transparent and why she’s on a mission to educate people on healthier and more holistic skincare solutions.Join the Facebook Group.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.