Maker & Creator

After his newspaper decided to stop his bar review column (and therefore stop funding his perpetual cocktail habit), journalist Dan Kaufman started one of Australia's first bar blogs. BarZine was built out of spite over a decade ago inline with the small bar scene awakening in Sydney. Dan has just finished his first novel, 'Drowning in the Shallows', a comedy about a heartbroken journo who has to write about Sydney’s bar...

Ever seen a beautiful colour and thought you'd love to paint your wall that shade? But then you take a picture on your phone and when you try to match it at the paint shop it's near impossible? Two Melbourne based engineering students set out to solve this problem and created an app called Palette https://palette.com/. Looking to disrupt the traditional paint industry further they started a direct-to-consumer paint brand ...

We welcome back to the show Grace Rouvray from 600 Bottles of Wine (S1E19). This time she's brought with her Katie Lees who she's recently teamed up with to produce an hour-long, live comedy show called Hour of Power. On this episode, we chat about cliched single, white, female comedy topics. How they're tackling typical eye-rolling topics (think hens parties and first dates) in a fresh way. We also delve into the creative process ...

Mark Hawaa is a classic car & motorcycle enthusiast. He’s also the founder of The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride - an annual event where motorcycle enthusiasts wear their finest attire and take to the streets of their city to raise money for worthwhile charities and to have a good time.

The event attracts 125,000 participants globally across 700 cities. To date they’ve raised over USD$35m for prostate cancer researc...

Many would know Daimon Downey as the former lead singer of the Aria award-winning band Sneaky Sound System. These days he is an acclaimed artist who specialises painting, sculpture and ceramics. On this episode, we hear about how a chance encounter at a party led to over a decade of musical success. How the transition from music to art came with great vulnerability but also tremendous reward. We also chat about the f...

We're back for season three.

Ever thought about doing stand-up comedy? For some, that suggestion is absolutely terrifying. What if no one laughs? What if I forget the punch line? What if I'm just not funny? Marie El Daghl shares how she took the leap from public relations and media training to putting herself well and truly out of her comfort zone to become a stand-up comedian. Listen to this episode and you must just be inspired t...

Andea Barrett epitomises the notion of creativity and is the ultimate maker and creator. She’s a costume designer, diamond setting and jewellery maker and she’s also an award winning burlesque performer who goes by the name of Diesel Darling. On this episode we talk about the adoption of different personas that creatives often take on when working in their chosen field. We speak about mental health and performance as an...

The digitisation of processes is leading to a changing landscape for both employers and employees. Tom Sigelski spent 17 years working at Red Bull in various marketing roles all centred around developing culture. He now runs a business called The Human Sherpa where he consults to businesses on strategy, people development and culture creation externally and within their own business. As more and more jobs become automated in the wo...

Ben Mathews is a director, screenwriter, actor and acting coach. Charlotte Chimes is a successful Australian actress and small business entrepreneur. They recently performed  together in a play called We Are the Himalayas produced by Brave New World Theatre Company in Sydney where they played an on-screen couple.  They are also off-screen partners. On this episode we talk about what it’s like having two really, real...

James Sinclair (@spreadcheesefabrications) is a fabricator specialising in custom motorcycle modifications. On Maker & Creator we talk to a lot of people who create in the digital world but on this episode we talk about the resurgence back to traditional craft roles and making physical products. We also delve into James' creative process including the use of micro-dosing magic mushrooms to help solve creative problems. 

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 Kady O Connell, also known Kady Creative, runs a successful design agency, has written her very own cookbook and is a networking queen. On this episode Alex Adams and I talk about what it takes to start a business in the design industry, what inspired her to become a graphic designer in the first place and how she manages a team remotely. She also shares her tips on how maintain your worth as a creative and man...

Damien Cassar (@damiencassardirector) is an award winning Australian director, writer and creative who picked up a camera at the age of six and has been making films ever since. On this episode we talk about finding his identity through film making, the vulnerability that comes with any creative outlet, especially comedians, and ways to manage stress and anxiety. We also make some bold predictions about the future of film and how p...

On this episode of Maker & Creator we chat to journalist turned agency exec Lindsay Bennett on the state of journalism in Australia today, how it's changed and where it's heading. We learn about what it's like doing a cadetship along with some defining moments in Lindsay's career including a few epic fails. Interestingly Lindsay didn't consider herself a "creative" working as a journalist and at times had to switch on the ...

Some of the biggest and most successful campaigns in the world have had the simplest slogans. Got Milk? Share a Coke, VW’s Think Small are just a few examples. In this episode we meet Georgia Norton, the graphic designer who turned her quirky passion for something quite simple into a successful business. Georgia Draws A House is the name of that business and as you'll hear this started as a side hustle which exploded overnigh...

If you grew up in Australia in the 80s-00s you'll no doubt remember waking up early and watching the best music clips count down on ABC's Rage. Learning all the dance moves in time with the video clip and belting out the lyrics to your favourite bands was something that happened in lounge rooms all across the country. On this episode we chat to Ben Harrison, a creative who recently had his first music video on Rage. Take a trip dow...

This week something very different.  A cross-over special with Jye's first podcast: Better in Bed which he hosts with sex coach Sara Tang - a podcast on sex and sexuality in Hong Kong.  This episode is one of Jye's favourite's featuring fellow aussie Elena Gabrielle. 

Love it or hate it, we all have to play the dating game to stand a chance of finding love or even getting laid.  Sara and Jye discuss the tri...