The Mentor with Mark Bouris

​​Nick Cogger is the CEO and co-founder of Better Beer, one of Australia’s fastest-growing beer brands. With a background spanning venues, alcohol, and drinks innovation, Nick’s journey has been anything but overnight.

In this episode, Nick breaks down how a chance Instagram scroll led him to The Inspired Unemployed, why influencer marketing only works when ambition matches audience, and how a “reverse pitch&rdquo...

At 28, Ari Kaklamanis has already reshaped how Australians consume real estate. He founded Million Dollar Listing Sydney (MDLS) at 17, building the country’s first social-media-driven real estate platform. What began as a small Instagram page is now Sydney’s most-viewed property portal, pulling in more than 21 million views a month.

In this episode, Ar...

In this episode, Candy Berger, CEO of Lox in a Box, talks through the journey from the early vision to the challenges that shaped the business. She explains how she navigated setbacks, built resilience and scaled what started as a small takeaway bagel shop in Bondi into three thriving locations in Coogee, Bondi and Marrickville, along with a retail line, baked goods and a fast-growing brand.

Michael Christidis is a 31 year old Melbourne entrepreneur and the Co Founder and Managing Director of Untitled Group, one of Australia’s leading independent live music and events companies. He started young, running uni events and selling tickets before co founding Untitled Group in 2014, now home to festivals like Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music and Arts, Wildlands and Ability Fest.

Every small business owner wants to know the same thing — how do I execute?
How do I take the idea in my head and turn it into something that actually works?

In this conversation with David Kenney, we break down the real fundamentals of execution — not the theory, but the stuff that actually moves the needle.

Chris Lucas is one of Australia’s most successful and influential restaurateurs — the visionary behind some of the country’s most culturally defining venues, including Chin Chin, Grill Americano (Melbourne & Sydney), Society, Maison Bâtard, Yakimono, Kisumé and Baby Pizza.

In this conversation, we discuss his newest venture, Gri...

Best friends Di Edwards and Nicola Dale turned their backyard chats into Over the Back Fence — a growing movement built on connection, courage and purpose. From honest conversations about life to empowering women in business, they’ve created a platform that uplifts and inspires through every episode.

Through th...

Mark Humphries is a journalist, author, and commentator known for his deep dives into some of Australia’s most fascinating corporate and cultural stories. In this episode, Mark sits down with him to discuss his new podcast series Skase: Fall of a Tycoon, exploring the rise and fall of Christopher Skase and the empire he built with ambition, charm, and a willingness to bend the rules.

They talk about Skase’s journey from...

Luke Altschwager is the Managing Director at Palm Valley, and he’s partnered with Mick Fanning to build the Gold Coast’s first wave pool.

In this episode, Mark sits down with Luke to unpack the massive transformation of Parkwood Village — a project that fuses sport, business, and entertainment into one of the most ambitious developments in Queen...

In this episode, Holly Fowler, founder of Wable, joins us to share how she’s building the world’s first dating app designed specifically for the neurodivergent community.

Inspired after watching Lo...

In this episode, The Block 2025 contestants Britt and Taz sit down to share their full story — the stuff you didn’t see on TV.

They kick things off by talking about their background as police officers and how their unique bond helped them take on the high-pressure world of reality renovation. Then, they break down t...

Paul Scully is a 51-year-old lifelong Wollongong local and the current NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, serving as the Member for Wollongong since 2016.

In this episode, we dive into his family heritage and education, the political background and dynamics that shaped his career, and his perspective on raising the standard of living and government resp...

Dominique Gill is the Founder and Managing Director of Urban Core, a multi award-winning construction company generating $80 million in annual revenue, with offices in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. A pioneer in diversity and inclusion, Dominique leads one of Australia’s few female-led building firms, with women making up 50% of the Urban Core workforce.

The housing crisis is hitting everyone, especially first home buyers. Empower Money is changing the game by helping Aussies buy a home with zero deposit. Founder Peter Khoury shares his journey from startup struggles to building an innovative funding model that’s making home ownership possible for more people than ever before.

Jenny O’Brien is the founder of Beyond Wellness, a bespoke retreat and concierge service in the Barossa. This episode was part of our podcast trip down in South Australia. Jenny shares her journey from community work to creating Beyond Wellness, the challenges she overcame, and how burnout led her to focus on health and healing. She also talks about the impact of her retreats, the role of na...

Sammy Robinson is one of Australia’s most famous influencers, an entrepreneur, and the founder of fashion label One Mile.

In this episode, she opens up about her journey from creating content as a teenager to building a successful fashion brand. We dive into her early days on YouTube, the evolution of social media, an...

This week I sit down with Paul Grosmann, CEO of R.M.Williams, to talk about one of Australia’s most iconic and enduring brands. We go back to 1932 and the story of founder Reginald Murray Williams, and how a bloke with no formal training built a business that became a global name. Paul shares what makes the boots and jackets so special, why Aussies are so loyal to the brand, and how it has s...

Charles Hinckfuss, founder and creative director of MCM House, joins us to share the story of building one of Australia’s most distinctive furniture brands. In this chat, we get into the hustle behind MCM House — where the ideas come from, how you stay ahead of trends, the grind of running logistics and retail, and what it takes to keep a brand “cool” in a tough market. Char...

Join me as I sit down with Steve Chapman and Taylor Chapman, the husband-and-wife team shaking up Australia’s hydration game with Hyro. We talk about how they turned personal experiences and a passion for wellness into a bold new product, the science behind electrolytes, and what it really takes to launch a startup, raise capital, and build a loyal community. They open up about the highs, th...