Published by The Australian Financial Review
How I Made It is back with new hosts Lauren Sams & Yolanda Redrup. Join us to learn how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.
Listen on Apple PodcastsGrace Brown had always enjoyed maths, science and music. Teamed with a “wild imagination”, her interest in patterns meant she was obsessed with all things magic. When she took on an engineering design subject in high school, everything became clear. “I wanted to spend the rest of my life working as an engineer because you could just imagine something and create it that didn't previously exist,” says the now- 26-year-old. Brown has since turned her fascination into a thriving robot helper start-up, Andromeda. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how this engineer-turned-entrepreneur built a $100 million company. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage . Further reading: AI leads Australian start-up $5b funding boom Funding for tech start-ups surged by $1 billion last year, with more than 60 per cent going to AI companies, but VCs say the market is not in bubble territory. A 25-year-old Melburnian now has a $100m robot helper start-up Female founders are still struggling to receive funding, but Grace Brown’s robotics start-up just banked a $23 million series A funding round. Alex Vynokur bet the house on ETFs. He won The aspiring entrepreneur knew the odds were stacked against his start-up. But Betashares is now Australia’s second-largest exchange-traded fund provider at $75 billion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The former lawyer walked away from a top-tier legal career to risk his house on an ETF venture. It’s now the country’s second-largest exchange-traded funds provider. "I was just totally convinced that you know I should just do it," says the Betashares founder. On the first episode of the new season of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the chief executive to found out how he turned his start-up into an industry giant. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage . Further reading: Luck, timing or hard work: What it takes to become a top entrepreneur What makes a business venture successful? Australia’s top business leaders reveal how they built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way. Four leaders who came to Australia with nothing, and made it to the top Australia may be imperfect, but for these bosses it was the land of opportunity. Record wave of ETFs flood the ASX, with more to come Firms are rushing to launch new funds on the ASX as retail investors demand access to the country’s top fund managers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How I Made It is back with host Lauren Sams. Don’t miss season six as we uncover how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Growing up, Janine Allis never thought about starting her own business. “I didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was,” she says. But after spotting a gap in the market, there was no stopping the founder of a now-global smoothie company that’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. On the final episode of season five of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how the Boost Juice owner became one of Australia’s top business leaders. This episode was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Since she was a little girl, Flavia Tata Nardini was obsessed with space. The Italian-born rocket scientist began her career at the European Space Agency but moved to Adelaide in her 20s, where she found herself confronted with a lack of industry. Left with no other choice, she started her own business. On this week's episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how the CEO of Fleet Space Technologies reignited Australia’s space industry – and built an $800 million company. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vikas Rambal came to Australia from India on a prospective business trip in 2000. But the project he was looking into was not what it seemed. It was a moment on his five-day trip that would prove to be pivotal. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how a scam and a chance encounter set about the Perdaman Group founder’s dream to build the country’s largest fertiliser plant. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chris Lucas grew up in the world of hospitality, often spending time in his dad’s pub in Geelong. But it wasn’t until his mid-30s that one of the country’s top restaurateurs entered the industry himself. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how working at IBM as a sales and marketing executive inspired Lucas to become one of the biggest figures in the hospitality industry. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Leading Australia’s largest airline is by all accounts a dream job. But in 2012, Bruce Buchanan – who was on track to become chief executive of Qantas – walked away from the national carrier. He now runs one of the world’s hottest tech companies: $7.2 billion e-commerce marketing tech firm Rokt. This week on How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup pulls back the curtain to find out how this former aviation executive built a company that became a giant of the tech world. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trinny Woodall first became a household name as one half of the dynamic duo, Trinny and Susannah. Together the pair built a career issuing fashion advice to women on their long-running BBC series, What Not to Wear . But at the age of 53 Woodall decided it was time to step out on her own, launching eponymous beauty brand Trinny London. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, fashion editor Lauren Sams finds out how the former television host became a beauty disruptor standing at the helm of a multimillion-dollar company. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Growing up on a sheep farm, Matt Jensen has long had an appreciation for natural fibres. But it was during a stint in London working as a banker that the budding entrepreneur spotted a gap in the menswear market. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, fashion editor Lauren Sams finds out how the failure of one business led to the success of another – menswear giant MJ Bale. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When the co-founder and former chief executive of The Big Group was 21, he had just $500 in his pocket. Not afraid of risk, Bruce Keebaugh and his wife, Chyka Keebaugh, used it to champion the competitive world of catering and events. This week on How I Made it, The Australian Financial Review’s Lauren Sams finds out how this hospitality guru came to dominate an industry. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the start of high school, Rod Drury was captivated by computing. It was a fascination that would go on to create one of the largest ASX-listed tech companies, accounting software giant Xero. In this week’s episode of How I Made It, The Australian Financial Review Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how a passion in high school became a $28 billion company. This podcast was sponsored by Telstra . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jose Bryce Smith came to Australia on holiday. Seven years later, she founded what would become one of the country’s biggest haircare brands. With products stocked in more than 30,000 salons across 21 countries, Original & Mineral (O&M) is a dominant force in the hair industry. In this week’s episode of the new season of How I Made It, The Australian Financial Review fashion editor Lauren Sams pulls back the curtain to find out how Bryce Smith built O&M from the ground up. This podcast was sponsored by Aussie Broadband . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How I Made It is back with new hosts Lauren Sams & Yolanda Redrup. Join us to learn how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sam Kroonenburg built a company from his bedroom, with him and his brother Ryan both making about $500 million. But Sam, 40, is doing what he can to avoid the trappings of wealth. Further reading: Aussie who sold cloud start-up for $2b jumps on AI for ads Young Rich Lister says more founders should take cash off the table See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After deciding working at Legal Aid wasn’t the career for him, Kerry Harmanis applied to an art school. He was rejected and turned to prospecting in WA. It was a journey that led to the $3.1 billion sale of Jubilee Mines right as nickel prices peaked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Paul Blackburne built a property company that in 2016 land him on the Financial Review Rich List with an estimated $536 million fortune. He’s also seen other people make lots of money and says there’s a success trap entrepreneurs need to be mindful of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Richard White wanted to be a rock and roll star. He ended up developing software for companies in the logistics industry. In 1994 he founded Wise Tech Global and is now the 11th wealthiest person in Australia. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How a back of the napkin plan put fitness star Steph Claire Smith on the Young Rich List. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark Woodland was expanding his education start-up before realising he’d overlooked a critical component for its success. He had to fix it, even if it meant a bunch of staff walked out the door. To ask a question, email howimadeit@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Commonwealth Private To find out more about Commonwealth Private click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.