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Published by Dan Moussa - Thirdway Advisory
Every founder has two stories, the one on the stage and the one over a whiskey. The Founder's Fire are the second ones. I sit down with founders to talk about the things we all go through, but no one talks about. The pressure, the doubt, the times they nearly gave up and how they turned it all around. If you're building something and want to hear what it actually takes, this is for you. Make sure you hit follow because I can guarantee you've never heard these stories before.
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He lost more than $1 million at 36, walked away from the business, and later realised he hadn't properly dealt with any of it. Dan Copsey has built businesses across transport, marketing, recruitment, technology and investment. Today he co-runs TMSPC alongside his childhood best mate Alex, with interests spanning multiple companies, international teams and not-for-profit work. But the part of his story that shaped him most came before all of that. In this episode Dan is open about losing seven figures, the burnout that followed, why driving a forklift for three months became one of the best decisions he ever made, and the moment COVID brought his new business within 4% of shutting down. Along the way he talks about cash flow, co-founders, bad advice, resilience, giving back and why he's no longer trying to prove anyone else wrong. He's just trying to prove himself right. 0:00 Losing more than $1 million at 36 1:12 The portfolio of businesses he runs today 5:15 Building a company with his childhood best mate 9:15 From landscaping and civil infrastructure into business 12:00 The acquisition that eventually cost them more than $1 million 15:20 Why he didn't realise he was burnt out 17:00 The best thing he did next: drive a forklift 20:50 "I obviously wasn't coping. I just didn't know it." 24:30 Starting again in a completely different industry 29:00 Cash flow, payroll and the anxiety founders carry 33:30 The COVID moment that nearly ended everything 34:45 They would shut at 48%. They hit 44%. 36:00 The business education you can't buy 43:45 Why founders almost never celebrate the wins 47:00 Why some business partnerships work and others don't 50:05 "I'm not trying to prove anyone else wrong" 51:30 Why he believes life is always on time 53:00 From payroll to fighting a house fire in the same day 55:00 Why giving back matters 56:45 The advice he gives every founder about advisors Connect with Daniel at https://dancopsey.com/ See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
Success looked incredible from the outside. Declan Kluver was building one of Australia's fastest-growing recruitment businesses. His company was growing rapidly, the media attention was building, and the future looked limitless. Behind the scenes, however, years of relentless pressure, chronic stress and undiagnosed bipolar disorder were taking a devastating toll. What followed changed his life forever. In one of the most honest conversations we've ever recorded on Founders Fire , Declan shares the reality of founder burnout, the warning signs he missed, losing the business that defined his identity, surviving a suicide attempt, and why he's now dedicating his life to helping other founders protect the one asset that matters more than any business: their health. In This Episode: 00:00 Why no business is worth sacrificing your health 02:40 The first businesses and the entrepreneurial spark 10:20 Building a recruitment agency from scratch 18:40 Creating Extra Recruiter and chasing a $100M vision 24:50 When success became overwhelming 26:30 Understanding bipolar disorder and manic episodes 31:20 Losing the company that became his identity 33:10 The warning signs before his suicide attempt 36:50 Learning to rebuild after surviving life-changing injuries 42:20 Why founder health needs to come before business success 47:50 The advice every founder needs to hear **Content Warning** This episode contains discussions of mental health, bipolar disorder and suicide. Please take care while listening. If this conversation raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available. Australia • If you're in immediate danger or someone is at immediate risk, call 000 . • Speak with your GP or a qualified mental health professional. • Beyond Blue : 1300 22 4636 • Suicide Call Back Service : 1300 659 467 • Black Dog Institute • Head to Health A government service that helps connect people with the most appropriate mental health support.
Every founder dreams of building a successful business and one day selling it. Ian Goodwin did exactly that. After founding Cludo, scaling it rapidly and navigating an acquisition during the uncertainty of COVID, Ian achieved what many founders spend their careers chasing. But what followed wasn't the finish line he expected. The pressure of earn-out targets, leading a team through constant change, and carrying the weight of everyone else's certainty eventually led to complete burnout. In this episode, Ian shares the reality behind selling a business, why acquisitions are far more emotionally complex than most founders realise, how COVID nearly derailed everything, and the moment he genuinely questioned whether he could keep going. It's an honest conversation about leadership, resilience, burnout and why success often comes with costs nobody prepares you for. You'll hear: 0:00 Why selling a business isn't the finish line most founders imagine 6:40 Growing up, competitive cycling and the first signs of entrepreneurship 15:55 Building Cludo and choosing co-founders with the exit already in mind 20:10 Winning the client that changed everything 24:20 Navigating acquisition conversations during COVID 29:10 Planning for the worst-case scenario as the world shut down3 5:15 Leading a business while privately fearing it could all collapse 42:20 What due diligence is really like from a founder's perspective 49:00 Why some employees weren't happy the business was sold 54:20 The hidden pressure of earn-out targets58:30 The burnout that almost made Ian walk away from everything 1:06:10 Why selling the business changed how he thought about work 1:10:50 The biggest lesson every founder should learn before starting a business See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
At 21, Peter Wolff was declared bankrupt after unknowingly signing a personal guarantee for his family's business. Years later, he walked away from Veneziano, the coffee company he co-founded, after a partnership that had turned toxic. Then, just eleven weeks after opening a new café in Brisbane, COVID hit. He’s had chefs walk out, he’s broken down in the kitchen, and spent the next nine months cooking every service himself. Today, Peter is the founder of Wolf Coffee Roasters, one of Australia's most respected specialty coffee businesses. Alongside his wife Penny, he's built a business that has trained nearly 15,000 coffee professionals around the world and helped shape Australia's modern coffee industry. In this episode Peter is refreshingly honest about bankruptcy, business partnerships, conflict, burnout and the fear of losing everything twice. He talks about why trust is the most valuable thing a founder can build, the role Penny has played in every chapter of the business, and why sometimes the only way through is one plate, one customer and one day at a time. You'll hear: 0:00 Four decades in coffee and the business Peter built 6:23 How Wolf Coffee Roasters started from scratch 15:03 Why he walked away from the company he co-founded 19:18 When a business partnership became toxic 22:01 What leaving a business really feels like 29:04 Building multiple businesses at the same time 36:55 The family bankruptcy that changed everything 41:00 The $68,000 debt he never knew he'd signed for 45:15 Opening a new café just weeks before COVID 50:10 The week every chef walked out52:29 Breaking down in the kitchen 54:07 Nine months cooking every service himself 57:08 The one lesson every founder should build their business around Connect with Peter: linkedin.com/in/peter-wolff-40475aba See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
From the outside the business looked like it was booming ... but really he was $620,000 in debt and no one knew. Jordan Gauder built Gen Physio from a one-man in-home physio service on the Gold Coast into a national allied health company, growing around 170% a year for three years to more than $10 million in revenue. He had a strong team and a model that was ahead of its market. But the climb came with a reckoning. We talk about the bills he never knew he wasn't paying, the team that he needed around him, the $620,000 debt and why growing faster than his own skills nearly cost him everything he'd built. If you're scaling fast and it feels like it might be getting away from you, listen to this one. Follow so you don't miss the next. You'll Hear: 0:00 A one-man physio service that became a national business 8:05 Telling his dad he was quitting a stable job to go it alone 17:21 How raw talent scaled the business, and why it became a trap 22:09 Too busy to cope: the fear of turning clients away 34:39 The NDIS rollout that poured rocket fuel on the business 36:38 Ordering a $200k Range Rover with money that wasn't his 38:41 The one bill he didn't know he'd never been paying 48:51 Growing 170% a year, until the year it stopped 64:25 The hard calls: cutting roles he'd hired for growth that never came 69:12 Finding a $620,000 tax debt 72:02 Why the worst point became the best thing that happened This episode touches on burnout, bereavement and pressure at home. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Jordan over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-gauder-2b50016a/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
Every founder gets tested. Most don't get tested by the first client they ever land. David Ahearne runs Across the Ocean, a freight forwarding and customs business that moves shipments between factories and warehouses all over the world, from China, the UAE and the US into Australia, and exports Australian minerals across Southeast Asia. Eighteen years in, it's a serious operation with a team, a strong industry reputation, and the kind of blue-chip commercial accounts most forwarders spend careers chasing. He built all of it starting from nothing: no job, no contacts, and $500 he had to borrow for a website. And the road there is a run of people coming at him from all sides. A first client who rang up threatening to sue him before they'd ever met, a call that somehow became the relationship that got the whole thing off the ground. A business partner whose $5,000 buy-in cost $120,000 to undo. A software venture where his partners sabotaged his website and abused his staff while a rival on the other side of the world spread lies about him through the industry. In this episode he's honest about the loneliness of it, the times his back was fully against the wall, and why he kept choosing to come out swinging. If you're building something and feel like you're getting hit from every direction, this is the one. Follow so you don't miss the next. You’ll hear: 0:00 $500 he didn't have, borrowed for a website 16:13 One apartment, no cash, and a Google ad that started it all 19:23 His first ever client rang to threaten a lawsuit 22:42 How the man who threatened to sue him made the business 25:29 Turning up to close the deal in a $500 car that barely ran 31:17 The handshake that cost him $120,000 to undo 37:27 The one lesson he paid six figures to learn 43:21 A side venture that looked like the big one 51:15 Pitching to 250 rivals with his own reputation on the line52:31 When his own partners started sabotaging him 59:10 Attacked on two fronts at once, by people he'd helped 1:00:28 Fight or die: the moment he decided to swing back 1:08:00 The two things he'd tell any founder starting out --------- Connect with David - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-aherne-608b7153/ See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode
Don landed in Australia with $1,500 ... cleaning public toilets at 3:30am before uni and stacking shelves at night, sending money home for his brother's medical bills. He built that into Clean Kings, a national cleaning company with 650 staff, and four more businesses under his venture studio Six Silo. But 2020 took almost all of it at once COVID wiped out 70% of his revenue overnight, his fashion label was sinking, his marriage was falling apart across a closed border, and he lost his dog. In this episode he's open about the times that followed, the pressure to just quit and get a job, the trip to Peru that reset his sense of purpose, and the one thing every founder does that outsiders never see. He also explains the Pablo Escobar insight that let him scale Clean Kings. If you're building something and everything's hitting at once, this episode changes everything. You'll hear: 0:00 Five companies, and the grind nobody sees behind them 4:04 $1,500, public toilets at 3:30am, and money sent home 7:47 The moment he understood why his dad left to work in Saudi 9:19 How a personality test at Bunnings sparked Clean Kings 13:04 The Pablo Escobar model he used to scale the business 15:28 2020: 70% of revenue gone overnight 21:53 His marriage unravelling across a closed border 27:50 The separation, the depression, and the man in the mirror 30:03 Peru, and the reset that gave him his purpose 43:00 Why he'd break the whole thing and rebuild it if he had to 53:44 Change, confidence, clarity: the three Cs he lives by This episode discusses depression and personal loss. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Don - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donhettofficial/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
His dad told him to make his own brother redundant. He did it. They didn't speak for 18 months. Julian Grasso didn't inherit a business or get handed a stake. He walked out of a corporate 30-year plan, pitched his own parents to start something together, and turned one truck into a 35-truck waste and environmental services company, tripling it in the first year. But going into business with the people who raised you comes with a cost the family photos never show. In this episode he's open about running the company as his parents' boss, buying them out, the intervention where he had to ask them "am I your son or your business partner," and the brother he had to let go. He also shares the stuff that actually built the business: why he backs himself into industries he knows nothing about, and why everyone plans for failure but no one plans for success. If you're building something with family, or thinking about it, this is the one. 0:00 He pitched his own parents to start a business4:40 One truck to 35: how the business actually grew7:24 Why he chose his parents over a mate as co-founders10:26 The skill every founder needs: having the hard conversation13:33 Being your parents' business partner and their son at once16:04 Lockdown, a newborn, and moving back in with mum and dad20:39 Everyone plans for the business failing. No one plans for it succeeding22:11 The food truck, the pressure, and his brother getting caught in it25:19 Buying his own parents out of the company31:45 The midlife crisis at 25 that sent him to a psychologist40:53 The intervention: "am I your son or your business partner?"48:01 Where his brother and his parents stand now Connect with Julian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-grasso-2a102354/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
Andy Hadden built Lost Shore, Europe's largest inland surf resort, on a disused quarry outside Edinburgh. It was voted the world's best surf park. What almost nobody knows is what those years actually took. Andy had the idea in 2012 and didn't open until 2024. It took 18 months to raise the first £40,000. Along the way there were leaflets handed out with his face on them, mates back home all saying he'd lost the plot, missed holidays, a marriage that didn't survive it, and a phone call from the bank four weeks before construction that nearly ended the whole thing. Chris Bain and Andy Hadden are two school friends who've somehow spent a decade in the trenches together without it breaking either the project or the friendship. In this one they get honest about what it cost, what they hid from the people at home, and why the skill they've built is one you only get to use when everything's going wrong.Follow so you don't miss the next. 0:00 The surf park in Scotland everyone said was madness 9:21 "We'd have been crackers to start if we'd known" 14:02 The mates who laughed, and the leaflet with his face on it 19:23 Why their families only ever got 80% of the story 21:29 What fourteen years of this cost his marriage 25:40 The call from the bank, mid Hokey Cokey at his daughter's birthday 27:41 "I've ruined this for everyone." The one time he broke 30:42 Stress or anxiety? Why he's had 24 hours of one in 15 years 32:05 How they know the other one is cracking before he says a word 39:29 "You owe me £3.6 million" 51:44 £35k a year each, while the new arrivals wanted £200k 59:22 The bottle of single malt they still haven't opened Connect with Andy over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-hadden-94989a67/ And Chris at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bainchris/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode
They woke up one morning to a bank balance of zero and a transaction they didn't understand. The tax man had emptied the account.They still had to make payroll that week. Adam Hall started AH Fencing eight years ago with his best mate Matt, no business knowledge, and a plan that lasted about a month. They didn't know what a profit and loss was. They didn't know the tax office could take your money. They nearly went under more than once, paid their staff on personal credit cards, and cut their own salaries to $50k while everyone they employed earned more. Today the business turns over $30 million and Adam teaches other trades businesses the things that nearly killed his own. In this episode he's open about the shame, the loneliness, the phone call from his mum, and the year they gave their team more than ever and made everyone miserable. If you're building something and pretending you know what you're doing, this is the one. Follow so you don't miss the next. CHAPTERS 0:00 The $0 bank balance behind a $30 million business4:11 Two mates, no business knowledge, and no idea what a P&L was6:44 Waking up to an empty account and one word: garnish8:00 They were losing work because they were too cheap10:25 Paying the team on personal credit cards, and telling them the truth13:55 Too proud to quit, so they went down with the ship19:12 Back on their feet, then two builders went under owing them $100,00022:22 $50k salaries, no super, and the lowest paid people in their own company25:18 His mum rang in tears: "why didn't you tell me?"35:15 The year they gave more than ever. The team had never been unhappier49:04 What people get wrong about him56:14 The one number most founders refuse to look at This episode touches on isolation and the mental toll of building. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Adam - https://www.instagram.com/the_adamhall/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
You've seen the cars. The offices. The 500 staff. The half a million people watching him online. You haven't seen the four years that made all of it possible and the moment he lost everything. Before the property empire, Emil Juresic was a boy in a war zone, walking five kilometres through sniper fire to carry water back to his family. Four years with no power, no clean water, barely any food, waking up each morning not knowing if that was the day. He arrived in Australia at 15 with an accent, no English, and one decision already made: no one would ever be the boss of his life again. He rarely lets people all the way into those years. In this episode, he does, and you start to understand where the pain tolerance, the hunger and the refusal to ever give up actually come from. Emil shares the mistakes he's made that nearly cost him everything and the things he'll never stop doing no matter how big his company gets. CHAPTERS 0:00 "You're marrying a zombie." His warning to anyone who loves a founder 2:43 Two kinds of business owner, and why one of them is born broken 5:43 The chainsaw test: could you put your fingers on the table? 8:18 The three choices when business puts you on your knees 11:24 Carrying water through sniper fire at eleven years old 14:21 "The best times of my life." Why he won't call the war trauma 23:10 He employs 500 people and still moved 15 tonnes of sand himself 25:10 The Braveheart rule he leads every business by 30:02 Getting wiped out at 30, the graduation he never wanted 44:27 Half a million followers calling him an idiot. His answer 52:36 How an entrepreneur really sleeps, and why he loves it This episode touches on war, trauma and the mental toll of building. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Emil - https://www.instagram.com/emil_juresic/?hl=en --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode
He owed more than a million dollars and was too ashamed to tell almost anyone. Today he runs a multi-million-dollar business.Tim Duggal built OzMobiles from a second bedroom in St Kilda, buying and selling second-hand phones out the front of his apartment building, into a multi-million-dollar phone trade-in business. But a few years ago he borrowed a million dollars, felt rich, and watched it nearly take everything. A bank manager told him he was in a death spiral. In this episode he's open about the debt, the isolation, the shame he had to drop to survive, and the chance meeting at a 70th birthday party that turned it around. Along the way he makes the case that the relationship you have with yourself is the one that decides how the business goes. 0:00 The bedroom hustle that became a multi-million-dollar business 3:41 The slightly dodgy phone trade he ran from his apartment stairs 6:14 A doctor dad, a lawyer brother, and him selling second-hand phones 20:00 "I borrowed a million dollars and felt rich" 22:16 Waking up owing $20,000 before getting out of bed 29:48 "You're in a death spiral." What his bank manager told him 32:12 Why he refused to take the easy way out 35:01 The 70th birthday party meeting that changed everything 41:46 The leadership skill he learned at rock bottom: actually listening 55:03 The one relationship that decides all the others This episode discusses debt, isolation and mental health. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au . Connect with Tim over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-duggal-a596b039/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
She left school three months early, worked nightclubs, trained as an electrician, and once went two years without an oven. Now she co-runs a traffic control business turning over $30 million a year. Sacha Cornford has lived more lives than most founders, and built one of Queensland's fastest-growing businesses through the middle of it. In this episode she shares about the broke single-mum years, a late ADHD diagnosis, the breakdown she had while buying the company she now runs, and the business partnership that makes it all work. Along the way she talks about why a business is a vehicle and not a legacy, why the best deals leave everyone slightly unhappy, and why you should pick a business partner the way you pick a spouse. 0:00 The school dropout now running a $30M business 4:00 She walked out of school early with a near-perfect score 9:04 "Your business is not your legacy" 16:20 Two years with no oven, choosing petrol over groceries 25:32 The ADHD diagnosis that came after she'd blown up her life 38:09 "I was manic." The breakdown in the middle of buying the business 42:09 The owners walked a month before Christmas. She bought it anyway. 48:08 What healing from a breakdown actually takes 57:39 How she and her partner break a deadlock 58:21 Why the best deals leave everyone slightly unhappy 1:03:14 The one thing she'd tell a founder in the trenches This episode touches on mental health, breakdown and burnout. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Sacha over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sacha-cornford-77098821/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
He survived cancer in his twenties. Years later he lost his marriage and his business in the same stretch, and it nearly cost him his life. NOTE:This episode discusses mental health and suicide. If anything here lands close to home, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Reach Out at au.reachout.com Scott Horton is one of the best-known names in Brisbane recruitment, co-founder of u&u and now Troocoo. But the story behind two successful firms runs through an alcoholic childhood in Birmingham, a cancer diagnosis at 29, and a collapse so fast it put him in hospital. In this episode he's remarkably open about hitting rock bottom and the slow climb back, what resilience actually costs, why he leads people first, and what he'd say to any founder sitting in the hard early days wondering if it's worth it. This is the conversation founders rarely have out loud. If you're carrying more than you let on, it's worth your time. 0:00 Why he believes resilience is a founder's only real skill 0:59 Growing up on eggshells with an alcoholic father 10:21 Cancer at 29, just after losing his dad to it 19:41 The CEO who showed him exactly how not to lead 23:15 The lesson that built two firms: look after your people 34:21 Losing his marriage and his business in the same year 41:24 How fast everything unravelled 44:49 Rock bottom, and the climb back 49:23 Why he walked away from a thriving business to start again 55:58 What he'd tell a founder ready to quit Find Scott over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthorton2010/ and https://www.troocoo.com/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
He started Di Bella Coffee with $5,000. He sold it for $47 million. This is what that actually cost him. Phil Di Bella built one of Australia's biggest coffee companies, then nearly lost himself doing it. 167kg. Blood pressure of 177. Nightmares for six months. In this first episode of The Founder's Fire he talks about the parts founders never say out loud, and the funeral that made him rethink what success was even for. If you're building something, watch this before you burn yourself down building it. 0:00 The two stories every founder has4:44 Why he calls his pain "premium unleaded"12:25 "Be careful who you tell to f*** off"17:21 He started with $5,000 and one piece of advice21:15 The award win that broke him37:23 What 167kg and 177 blood pressure actually felt like48:17 The question he won't answer about his marriage51:15 The funeral that changed everything53:43 Why he walked away from the company with his name on it1:02:40 How do you refuel after you've already "made it" Discover The Coffee Commune - https://www.coffeecommune.com.au/ Connect with Phil on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-di-bella-1556936b/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
Niamh Whiley quit her job with $2,000 in the bank, a brand new mortgage and no clients. Under two years later she runs Aligned Allied Health with a team of 12, helping hundreds of people. But the person who treats founders for a living turned out to be the worst at taking her own advice. In this episode she's honest about the burnout, the self-doubt, the friends she lost, and the money mistakes nobody warns you about. If you're building something and pretending you're fine, watch this one. 0:00 The therapist founders call when they're breaking 2:50 She lied to the bank and quit with $2,000 9:21 "I work in mental health and I struggled with it more than anyone" 16:51 "Who am I to charge people when I couldn't fix myself?" 21:15 The friends she lost building this 26:19 The $19,700 mistake she never clawed back 28:11 Why year two nearly finished her 39:38 The warning signs founders miss until it's too late 44:20 You built it on fear. What faith would do instead 51:21 What she'd tell herself with $2,000 and no clients Connect with Niamh - https://au.linkedin.com/in/niamh-whiley-457a111aa --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
He signed the deal every startup dreams of: 5,000 jobs a week. Then COVID wiped it out overnight. Rudy Crous arrived in Australia as a teenager with a backpack and not much else. He became an organisational psychologist, spent years studying how people behave under pressure, then co-founded Compono, an HR tech company backed by Shark Tank's Andrew Banks. When his big deal collapsed in 2020 he rebuilt the business into the technology that now powers driver licensing across most of the country. In this episode he's blunt about the restructures, the loneliness, the two pieces of advice he gives every founder (including the one about your partner nobody wants to hear), and the one thing he does that stops him quitting before lunch. 0:00 The founder behind licensing tech in 5 of 6 states 1:26 He landed in Australia with a backpack and nothing else 14:18 The deal that should have made them, then COVID hit 15:45 The pivot that turned a dead deal into national infrastructure 20:08 "I've wanted to quit before lunch. You just never do." 23:05 Why he'd pick the scrappy hire over the Harvard one every time 25:01 Laying off people he cares about, and how he carries it 36:15 Why every one of his staff sees the burn rate 37:45 The fundraising rule that keeps founders alive 39:53 "Never tell your partner everything." 51:09 His one rule for every founder: keep making decisions Connect with Rudy https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudycrous/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.
Every founder has two stories, the one on the stage and the one over a whiskey. The Founder's Fire is the second one. We sit down with founders to talk about the things we all go through, but no one talks about. The pressure, the doubt, the times they nearly gave up and how they turned it all around. If you're building something and want to hear what it actually takes, this is for you. Make sure you hit follow because I can't guarantee you've never heard these stories before. See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Connect on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/
Ranking source
Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 18, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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