Curveball

Curveball

Deadset Studios

The human experience is all about adapting. Whether it’s a CEO trying to ride out an international travel crisis, a surfer struggling against a monster wave while his floatation vest fails, or a media star whose whole life changes in an instant, rarely do you get to glimpse what’s really going on during a someone's darkest hour. In these revealing, personal conversations with a range of successful people, Curveball host Kellie Riordan gets the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times.  Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagram. Find...

Test your instincts — Richard Harris on embracing risk to rescue teens trapped in a Thai cave

Test your instincts — Richard Harris on embracing risk to rescue teens trapped in a Thai cave

“Giving anaesthetic in a muddy cave kilometres underground and under water? I never thought that was a good idea.”    Experienced cave diver and doctor Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris is no stranger to extreme dives in pitch-black, cramped conditions. But when a call came for him to assist retrieving 12 teens and their coach from treacherous conditions inside a cave in Thailand during monsoonal rains? Well, he thought the boys had no hope of being pulled out alive.    This incredible recovery mission

Nov 20, 2023 • 57:53

Hoodie economics — How Indigenous systems-thinking could unlock your business potential, with Jack Manning Bancroft

Hoodie economics — How Indigenous systems-thinking could unlock your business potential, with Jack Manning Bancroft

Jack Manning Bancroft was 17 when he walked into Australia’s most prestigious college at Sydney University. Think sandstone buildings, young men wearing suits and gowns to the dining hall each evening.   Jack, a talented athlete and student and a Bundjalung man, had been awarded a scholarship to St Paul’s College.  The level of privilege he was surrounded by made him angry, but it wasn’t long before he channeled that into establishing the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), an awa

Oct 9, 2023 • 37:04

Alan Rusbridger on spies, spooks, and the Assange saga

Alan Rusbridger on spies, spooks, and the Assange saga

“We bought computers that had never been connected to the internet. Phones were taken out of the room and I unplugged everything, including televisions and fridges. At one point the cabinet secretary pointed out through my window to a block of flats across the water and said, ‘You realise the Chinese will be in there and they’ll have a laser on that tumbler of water, and they’ll have turned it into a microphone. They can listen to what we’re saying now’. So the curtains came down immediately. At

Sep 28, 2023 • 1:00:01

Twists and tumble-turns – Bronte Campbell’s road to Olympic glory has been anything but a straight line

Twists and tumble-turns – Bronte Campbell’s road to Olympic glory has been anything but a straight line

“I love that moment on the blocks. It’s the most high pressure moment. You can feel your heart beating. Your palms are all sweaty. Often when I’m going down onto the block and they say ‘take your marks’ my hands and legs are shaking. It’s a place of great failure and great success. They’re both possible in that very same moment”.  Bronte Campbell could be the second best 100-metre sprint swimmer on the entire planet, and still not be the fastest in her family. That’s the reality of growing up al

Aug 28, 2023 • 1:02:38

Ratbag millionaire — Graeme Wood’s adventures with Wotif, tree huggers, and pirates

Ratbag millionaire — Graeme Wood’s adventures with Wotif, tree huggers, and pirates

Graeme Wood knew his planet was in danger even as a little kid. No one had to tell him: he could tell by how rapidly his fishing hauls on Moreton Bay were diminishing each year. But what was a bored kid in Brisbane going to do about it?   Come 2014, entrepreneur Graeme Wood sells Wotif, his internet travel booking platform, and for the first time he has the potential to enact enormous change. So why does this devoted conservationist then go out and buy one of the world’s largest wood chipping mi

Jul 31, 2023 • 39:26

Lips are sealed - Poppy King reveals she's back to conquer Australia

Lips are sealed - Poppy King reveals she's back to conquer Australia

“It's nothing short of an Australian small business fairy tale that's about to unfurl.”  Poppy King was barely out of high school when she launched her first company in 1991, quickly gaining a cult-like following for her dreamy 1940s Hollywood-inspired matte lipsticks.  By 1995 she was Young Australian of the Year, but not long later the company fell apart amid investor disputes.   The young entrepreneur moved to New York to work for the famed Lauder cosmetics brand. “My office was on the 39th f

Jul 3, 2023 • 55:51

Breaking tradition — Shivani Gopal’s ride from arranged marriage to mentoring mogul

Breaking tradition — Shivani Gopal’s ride from arranged marriage to mentoring mogul

“When my friends were all going out and still doing Contiki tours, I was navigating a divorce.”  Growing up in a traditional Fijian-Indian family, Shivani Gopal was given the message that women should be nice, they should serve others, that a woman’s value came from kindness and doing the right thing by others.  So when Shivani fell in love as a teenager and her family arranged for her to be married, she tried to be the perfect wife who gave up her hopes and desires for others. “I really did try

May 29, 2023 • 50:33

Boy-like wonder — Trent Dalton sees the humanity where there's none

Boy-like wonder — Trent Dalton sees the humanity where there's none

Best-selling author and journalist Trent Dalton appreciates things most people wouldn’t give a second glance.  Growing up, Trent had no choice but to see the best in people, because if there wasn’t some light in those he loved, the world would be too dark a place to bear.  When he sat down to transform that story into his best-selling debut novel Boy Swallows Universe, little did he know his experience would be adapted for the stage and then for Netflix.  But it was the unexpected death of a tre

May 1, 2023 • 56:04

Advertising oracle — Dee Madigan makes the message matter

Advertising oracle — Dee Madigan makes the message matter

The thin timber floorboards and sticky carpet were a thin shield from the noise at the pub downstairs. But a 17-year-old Dee Madigan was trying to drown it all out as she studied for her final high school exams.  The room above a bar hardly qualified as optimum living quarters but moving back to the city on her own to get a good education was Dee’s best shot at getting into university. After years of ups and downs in her parents’ businesses, things had taken a turn for the worse, and Dee was det

Apr 3, 2023 • 46:16

What if everything changed in an instant? Curveball returns

What if everything changed in an instant? Curveball returns

One day you can be striding into work in a suit worth thousands of dollars, and the next you can be at home in your pyjamas struggling to connect your laptop to the wifi in time for a job interview well below your pay grade.   Tragedy, failure, loss – they’re all part of life’s ups and downs. Life happens to all of us, no matter how much success you’ve achieved, how fancy your job title is, or how much money you earn.  But when the dust settles, it's these moments that make you. What you do when

Mar 28, 2023 • 4:15

Keen to make your own podcast?

Keen to make your own podcast?

Ever wondered how much you could grow your business, if only you could amplify your message?  Now that 40% of Australians regularly listen to podcasts, it’s a great way to communicate to your clients and customers.  Let Deadset Studios help you make a show! We’re a full-service production company and our team’s made many of the country’s most popular podcasts like:  Australia’s most downloaded podcast Conversations Winner of New York Festivals bronze award Journo Webby award-winning Ladies we ne

Mar 22, 2023 • 1:23

Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history

Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history

“She helped me completely dismantle a media personality I constructed and wasn’t happy with. It was a media personality I constructed to be a television presenter. To be sort of charming, maybe trying to be funny, trying to be a smartass here and there. But it was a struggle because it wasn’t who I really am.” Richard Fidler’s had more careers than most. He’s best-known as a host of the ABC’s most popular radio show and podcast Conversations.  But he came to radio via a career as a TV presenter,

Dec 5, 2022 • 1:07:34

Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history

Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history

“She helped me completely dismantle a media personality I constructed and wasn’t happy with. It was a media personality I constructed to be a television presenter. To be sort of charming, maybe trying to be funny, trying to be a smartass here and there. But it was a struggle because it wasn’t who I really am.” Richard Fidler’s had more careers than most. He’s best-known as a host of the ABC’s most popular radio show and podcast Conversations.  But he came to radio via a career as a TV presenter,

Dec 5, 2022 • 1:04:50

New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business

New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business

Legacy can be a bit of a loaded term when it comes to family businesses. If you’re taking over at the helm, how do you honour the legacy of those who came before you? Do you keep things as they were, or should you shake things up? Buckaroo Belts owner Tanya Van Der Water asked herself exactly these questions when her father fell ill in 2013. Unexpectedly, she was thrust into the CEO role in his place.  Once upon a time, she wasn’t even interested in joining his leather-working company, let alone

Nov 28, 2022 • 41:55

New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business

New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business

Legacy can be a bit of a loaded term when it comes to family businesses. If you’re taking over at the helm, how do you honour the legacy of those who came before you? Do you keep things as they were, or should you shake things up? Buckaroo Belts owner Tanya Van Der Water asked herself exactly these questions when her father fell ill in 2013. Unexpectedly, she was thrust into the CEO role in his place.  Once upon a time, she wasn’t even interested in joining his leather-working company, let alone

Nov 28, 2022 • 43:39

Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit

Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit

There’s sweat flying everywhere at the Alice Springs YMCA as a young instructor cheers the class through their workout. Michelle Bridges is learning how to bring the heat, honing her craft as the motivator-in-chief for people looking to turn their lives around.  Michelle had been teaching fitness classes and entering bodybuilding competitions while she was living in the desert with her then boyfriend. She was building a small yet loyal following - but she was a big fish in a small pond, the city

Nov 21, 2022 • 42:58

Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit

Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit

There’s sweat flying everywhere at the Alice Springs YMCA as a young instructor cheers the class through their workout. Michelle Bridges is learning how to bring the heat, honing her craft as the motivator-in-chief for people looking to turn their lives around.  Michelle had been teaching fitness classes and entering bodybuilding competitions while she was living in the desert with her then boyfriend. She was building a small yet loyal following - but she was a big fish in a small pond, the city

Nov 21, 2022 • 44:43

Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport

Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport

The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football codes. Brandon’s talent for side-stepping the truth about football continued into adulthood. Rather than speaking openly about his fears and doubts as

Nov 14, 2022 • 39:31

Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport

Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport

The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football codes. Brandon’s talent for side-stepping the truth about football continued into adulthood. Rather than speaking openly about his fears and doubts as

Nov 14, 2022 • 41:16

What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable?

What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable?

We get it! It’s scary being your real self out there. Being vulnerable. Laying it all on the line when you’re feeling uncertain, not quite sure if you’ve got it right. We’ve noticed so many Curveball guests have had a moment where they could choose to be the all-knowing tough guy/gal, but instead decide to let their guard down. It might be emotionally risky, but how can you make vulnerability work for you in relationships, on a project, or even in the workplace? Oh, and Kellie and Curveball prod

Nov 7, 2022 • 20:27

What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable?

What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable?

We get it! It’s scary being your real self out there. Being vulnerable. Laying it all on the line when you’re feeling uncertain, not quite sure if you’ve got it right. We’ve noticed so many Curveball guests have had a moment where they could choose to be the all-knowing tough guy/gal, but instead decide to let their guard down. It might be emotionally risky, but how can you make vulnerability work for you in relationships, on a project, or even in the workplace? Oh, and Kellie and Curveball prod

Nov 7, 2022 • 22:11

Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership

Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership

Once upon a time, a young Kirstin Ferguson wanted to be Australia’s first female Prime Minister. And she figured the free university education and rigorous leadership training of the military would make a good first step.  But – surprise! - the Royal Australian Air Force Academy of the 1990s wasn’t the most welcoming environment for an ambitious young woman. Kirstin had to adjust her behaviour in ways that would affect everything she did for the next few decades.  After a stint in a law firm, an

Oct 31, 2022 • 45:04

Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership

Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership

Once upon a time, a young Kirstin Ferguson wanted to be Australia’s first female Prime Minister. And she figured the free university education and rigorous leadership training of the military would make a good first step.  But – surprise! - the Royal Australian Air Force Academy of the 1990s wasn’t the most welcoming environment for an ambitious young woman. Kirstin had to adjust her behaviour in ways that would affect everything she did for the next few decades.  After a stint in a law firm, an

Oct 31, 2022 • 43:19

Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2

Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2

Think back to the toughest challenges you've ever faced - the longest grind, the lowest low... What would you do if, almost as soon as it ended, you were told you had to do it all again? For Kath Koschel, former New South Wales cricketer, this question isn’t hypothetical. She’d already faced loss of her fiancé and was overwhelmed with grief. And after months of rehab following a debilitating back injury, she wanted to get back on the pitch, but couldn’t. She still wasn’t able to lift her toes, w

Oct 24, 2022 • 52:52

Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2

Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2

Think back to the toughest challenges you've ever faced - the longest grind, the lowest low... What would you do if, almost as soon as it ended, you were told you had to do it all again? For Kath Koschel, former New South Wales cricketer, this question isn’t hypothetical. She’d already faced loss of her fiancé and was overwhelmed with grief. And after months of rehab following a debilitating back injury, she wanted to get back on the pitch, but couldn’t. She still wasn’t able to lift her toes, w

Oct 24, 2022 • 54:37

Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1

Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1

As Kath Koschel steps behind the crease, she grips her bat just a little tighter than usual: she’s pushing through an annoying but minor back injury.  The next thing she sees is the sky. She’s laying flat on her back. She can’t feel her legs. Turns out that back injury wasn’t so innocuous, and Kath’s on her way to the hospital.  She doesn’t know it yet, but it’s not going to be her last operation, and it’s certainly not going to be the last curveball she faces. How does Kath, an athlete and cric

Oct 24, 2022 • 47:04

Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1

Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1

As Kath Koschel steps behind the crease, she grips her bat just a little tighter than usual: she’s pushing through an annoying but minor back injury.  The next thing she sees is the sky. She’s laying flat on her back. She can’t feel her legs. Turns out that back injury wasn’t so innocuous, and Kath’s on her way to the hospital.  She doesn’t know it yet, but it’s not going to be her last operation, and it’s certainly not going to be the last curveball she faces. How does Kath, an athlete and cric

Oct 24, 2022 • 45:19

Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business

Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business

“We’re building it for the people comfortable doing mobile banking, who are living on the edge of the future,” says fin-tech entrepreneur Dom Pym.“All the things we do with Up are different than other banks. Because when you’re carrying your phone in your pocket, doing everything with your finger on your phone, or with your face or your voice, that user experience becomes so much more important than a web browser with a mouse and a keyboard. It just changed the whole game.”  Some people spend th

Oct 17, 2022 • 54:40

Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business

Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business

“We’re building it for the people comfortable doing mobile banking, who are living on the edge of the future,” says fin-tech entrepreneur Dom Pym.“All the things we do with Up are different than other banks. Because when you’re carrying your phone in your pocket, doing everything with your finger on your phone, or with your face or your voice, that user experience becomes so much more important than a web browser with a mouse and a keyboard. It just changed the whole game.”  Some people spend th

Oct 17, 2022 • 52:55

Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life

Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life

Athlete Jana Pittman has spent her life clearing obstacles that arise out of nowhere. Chasing down Olympics gold on the 400-metre hurdles track since she was a teenager, she’s overcome injury after injury, hounded by the media along the way. All for that spot on the top podium to evade her. That kind of determination isn’t uncommon among professional athletes in the heat of competition. But where does that energy go when the race is over?  For Jana, it went into pursuing her childhood dream of b

Oct 10, 2022 • 49:39

Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life

Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life

Athlete Jana Pittman has spent her life clearing obstacles that arise out of nowhere. Chasing down Olympics gold on the 400-metre hurdles track since she was a teenager, she’s overcome injury after injury, hounded by the media along the way. All for that spot on the top podium to evade her. That kind of determination isn’t uncommon among professional athletes in the heat of competition. But where does that energy go when the race is over?  For Jana, it went into pursuing her childhood dream of b

Oct 10, 2022 • 51:23

We’re back after some Curveballs close to home

We’re back after some Curveballs close to home

Were we tempting fate hosting a show called Curveball? Because it feels a little like the universe wants us to have more first-hand experience of adversity. As 2022 began, host Kellie Riordan was champing at the bit to bring you some amazing new guests with stories of resilience.  Then the Australian floods in February ruined the Curveball studio (and most of Kellie’s house!). So Kellie and her family had to pack up their lives and move out. We’d just got a temporary “studio” set up at Kellie’s

Oct 2, 2022 • 7:28

We’re back after some Curveballs close to home

We’re back after some Curveballs close to home

Were we tempting fate hosting a show called Curveball? Because it feels a little like the universe wants us to have more first-hand experience of adversity. As 2022 began, host Kellie Riordan was champing at the bit to bring you some amazing new guests with stories of resilience.  Then the Australian floods in February ruined the Curveball studio (and most of Kellie’s house!). So Kellie and her family had to pack up their lives and move out. We’d just got a temporary “studio” set up at Kellie’s

Oct 2, 2022 • 8:13

New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2

New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2

Gaven Morris has put his doubts aside and stepped into a leadership role at the ABC, but his trials are far from over.  While he’s trying to un-learn everything he was taught as a journalist in order to become a more open-minded, proactive leader, life starts to unravel around him.  Family illnesses and a workplace tragedy that kills several of his colleagues shatter the foundations of Gaven’s work life.  And looming large at all times is the rapidly changing media landscape. How do you define t

Nov 22, 2021 • 35:08

New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2

New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2

Gaven Morris has put his doubts aside and stepped into a leadership role at the ABC, but his trials are far from over.  While he’s trying to un-learn everything he was taught as a journalist in order to become a more open-minded, proactive leader, life starts to unravel around him.  Family illnesses and a workplace tragedy that kills several of his colleagues shatter the foundations of Gaven’s work life.  And looming large at all times is the rapidly changing media landscape. How do you define t

Nov 22, 2021 • 33:38

And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1

And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1

Gaven Morris is the man behind most of the news you consume on a daily basis. As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Director of News, Gaven’s led many of the country’s top reporters and best-loved programs.  But now he’s stepping away from this leadership role, and reflecting on his time in one of the most rapidly changing industries.  Journalism isn’t the most logical path to leadership. When he was deciding whether or not to take a leadership role at the ABC, Gaven realised he was in a

Nov 22, 2021 • 29:47

And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1

And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1

Gaven Morris is the man behind most of the news you consume on a daily basis. As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Director of News, Gaven’s led many of the country’s top reporters and best-loved programs.  But now he’s stepping away from this leadership role, and reflecting on his time in one of the most rapidly changing industries.  Journalism isn’t the most logical path to leadership. When he was deciding whether or not to take a leadership role at the ABC, Gaven realised he was in a

Nov 22, 2021 • 31:17

Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono

Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono

The crowd is spilling out of a Bob Geldof event, but one wily ex-reporter has tapped into her performing arts know-how to get backstage. Armed with nothing but a business card and a tiny handwritten message, she’s trying to get her name to rockstar Bono and his new venture, PRODUCT (RED).  It might sound ludicrous. And it kind of was. Greta Thomas was a marketing professional in Sydney, Australia. She had no connection to U2’s frontman Bono and she didn’t know anyone working on his PRODUCT (RED)

Nov 15, 2021 • 49:30

Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono

Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono

The crowd is spilling out of a Bob Geldof event, but one wily ex-reporter has tapped into her performing arts know-how to get backstage. Armed with nothing but a business card and a tiny handwritten message, she’s trying to get her name to rockstar Bono and his new venture, PRODUCT (RED).  It might sound ludicrous. And it kind of was. Greta Thomas was a marketing professional in Sydney, Australia. She had no connection to U2’s frontman Bono and she didn’t know anyone working on his PRODUCT (RED)

Nov 15, 2021 • 48:01

Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why

Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why

When the ‘why’ is missing, often so is our motivation. Something I’ve noticed about people who bounce back from adversity, is they tend to have a strong sense of purpose – and if they don’t have one when that curveball hits, it sure prompts them to find it! Take Who Give a Crap founder Simon Griffiths – when his body gave out and exhaustion hit, his passion to make others’ lives better literally helped him get out of bed. Or Meggie Palmer – she lived through an unfair situation in her own work l

Nov 1, 2021 • 13:44

Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why

Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why

When the ‘why’ is missing, often so is our motivation. Something I’ve noticed about people who bounce back from adversity, is they tend to have a strong sense of purpose – and if they don’t have one when that curveball hits, it sure prompts them to find it! Take Who Give a Crap founder Simon Griffiths – when his body gave out and exhaustion hit, his passion to make others’ lives better literally helped him get out of bed. Or Meggie Palmer – she lived through an unfair situation in her own work l

Nov 1, 2021 • 15:13

From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor

From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor

“Education can change your life in a generation.” When RMIT University announced its newest Chancellor would be Richmond Football Club President Peggy O’Neal, those words from her mother might just have been on Peggy’s mind. From the tiny coal-mining town she grew up in, Peggy became the first member of her family to graduate university. Then the first woman hired by an establishment law firm. And then the first female president of the Richmond Tigers AFL club. Now Peggy will take her formidable

Oct 25, 2021 • 11:27

From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor

From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor

“Education can change your life in a generation.” When RMIT University announced its newest Chancellor would be Richmond Football Club President Peggy O’Neal, those words from her mother might just have been on Peggy’s mind. From the tiny coal-mining town she grew up in, Peggy became the first member of her family to graduate university. Then the first woman hired by an establishment law firm. And then the first female president of the Richmond Tigers AFL club. Now Peggy will take her formidable

Oct 25, 2021 • 12:56

Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire

Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire

“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but he's had to pick himself up a few times already. As a music promoter, Declan once felt the full thrust of losing all his money when he booked what se

Oct 18, 2021 • 37:27

Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire

Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire

“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but he's had to pick himself up a few times already. As a music promoter, Declan once felt the full thrust of losing all his money when he booked what se

Oct 18, 2021 • 38:57

Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund

Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund

When Kate Vale was appointed Google Australia’s first employee, she didn’t have an office or a mobile phone. She found herself answering her home landline to do business! From humble beginnings she used her HR background to quickly build a team, and grew Google Australia to record revenues and eventually to IPO. Ever the digital pioneer since her days managing a dot com company before the crash, Kate Vale then headed up Spotify in Australia. Eventually she moved to California, the epicentre of s

Oct 11, 2021 • 37:39

Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund

Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund

When Kate Vale was appointed Google Australia’s first employee, she didn’t have an office or a mobile phone. She found herself answering her home landline to do business! From humble beginnings she used her HR background to quickly build a team, and grew Google Australia to record revenues and eventually to IPO. Ever the digital pioneer since her days managing a dot com company before the crash, Kate Vale then headed up Spotify in Australia. Eventually she moved to California, the epicentre of s

Oct 11, 2021 • 36:09

BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains

BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains

Remember when Michael Fox first joined us on Curveball? He’d clawed his way back from a bruising collapse of his first start-up Shoes of Prey to build a new company.  Fable Foods creates a meat-alternative from shiitake mushrooms and Michael and his co-founders had convinced celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to be part of their journey.  But Covid had hit and Michael wasn’t sure his newly-established food manufacturing plant would survive the pandemic.   Michael Fox is the ultimate optimist and s

Oct 4, 2021 • 23:11

BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains

BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains

Remember when Michael Fox first joined us on Curveball? He’d clawed his way back from a bruising collapse of his first start-up Shoes of Prey to build a new company.  Fable Foods creates a meat-alternative from shiitake mushrooms and Michael and his co-founders had convinced celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to be part of their journey.  But Covid had hit and Michael wasn’t sure his newly-established food manufacturing plant would survive the pandemic.   Michael Fox is the ultimate optimist and s

Oct 4, 2021 • 24:40

Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2

Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2

Olivia Humphrey has taken her company Kanopy from her spare bedroom in Perth to San Francisco... and turned down some pretty enticing investment offers along the way.  She stuck to her guns, keeping her values front of mind at all times, and it paid off. I mean – it really paid off! Kanopy has sold for an eye-watering price. In part two of this revealing interview, Olivia Humphrey walks us through the sale of Kanopy to a private equity firm. It’s the little-told part of many business stories. It

Sep 28, 2021 • 23:09

Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2

Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2

Olivia Humphrey has taken her company Kanopy from her spare bedroom in Perth to San Francisco... and turned down some pretty enticing investment offers along the way.  She stuck to her guns, keeping her values front of mind at all times, and it paid off. I mean – it really paid off! Kanopy has sold for an eye-watering price. In part two of this revealing interview, Olivia Humphrey walks us through the sale of Kanopy to a private equity firm. It’s the little-told part of many business stories. It

Sep 28, 2021 • 24:39

The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1

The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1

Olivia Humphrey was having lunch in a Napa vineyard when a billionaire stepped in to help turn her genius start-up into a fully-fledged global streaming platform.  A former Village Roadshow employee, Olivia came up with the idea to streamline the way universities could secure rights for films and documentaries for students. As streaming took off and Kanopy became a digital platform much like Netflix or Stan, Olivia took her Perth-based company to the US where she quickly stitched up libraries to

Sep 28, 2021 • 30:41

The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1

The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1

Olivia Humphrey was having lunch in a Napa vineyard when a billionaire stepped in to help turn her genius start-up into a fully-fledged global streaming platform.  A former Village Roadshow employee, Olivia came up with the idea to streamline the way universities could secure rights for films and documentaries for students. As streaming took off and Kanopy became a digital platform much like Netflix or Stan, Olivia took her Perth-based company to the US where she quickly stitched up libraries to

Sep 28, 2021 • 32:10

Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap

Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap

Meggie Palmer was one of Australia’s best TV journalists, when she learned she wasn’t being paid the same as her male colleagues.She had a choice. Put up with it or speak up and risk it all. This enormous career gamble almost crushed her. Until she realised it could also be the making of her. Disillusioned with the power of traditional media, and galvanised by this first-hand experience with gender discrimination, Meggie turned to tech to send her message.The founder of PepTalkHer reveals how sh

Sep 20, 2021 • 47:33

Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap

Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap

Meggie Palmer was one of Australia’s best TV journalists, when she learned she wasn’t being paid the same as her male colleagues.She had a choice. Put up with it or speak up and risk it all. This enormous career gamble almost crushed her. Until she realised it could also be the making of her. Disillusioned with the power of traditional media, and galvanised by this first-hand experience with gender discrimination, Meggie turned to tech to send her message.The founder of PepTalkHer reveals how sh

Sep 20, 2021 • 49:03

Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit

Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit

Imagine a life where the simple act of sitting sends your body into spasms of pain. Entrepreneur Simon Griffiths likes to optimise for success. But pushing far beyond his limits has come at a cost. And it’s a warning for so many leaders. The Who Gives a Crap CEO opens up for the first time about the lengths he went to cope with chronic pain and full physical collapse, including checking into a yoga hospital in India. His life would change with the realisation that gaining control of his mind was

Sep 13, 2021 • 50:59

Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit

Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit

Imagine a life where the simple act of sitting sends your body into spasms of pain. Entrepreneur Simon Griffiths likes to optimise for success. But pushing far beyond his limits has come at a cost. And it’s a warning for so many leaders. The Who Gives a Crap CEO opens up for the first time about the lengths he went to cope with chronic pain and full physical collapse, including checking into a yoga hospital in India. His life would change with the realisation that gaining control of his mind was

Sep 13, 2021 • 52:29

The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway

The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway

A funny thing happened during a Curveball production meeting recently. Our junior producer Liam mentioned that his Mum thinks he needs a mentor. Liam explained that he had some in Rachel and Kellie, who work together to oversee the team that brings you Curveball. But Kellie wasn’t sure she was a mentor to Liam. Sure, he’s given feedback. Sometimes even a pep talk. But is that the same as mentoring? Mentors, coaches, champions. They are all people you might cultivate in your career. But what’s th

Sep 6, 2021 • 18:34

The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway

The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway

A funny thing happened during a Curveball production meeting recently. Our junior producer Liam mentioned that his Mum thinks he needs a mentor. Liam explained that he had some in Rachel and Kellie, who work together to oversee the team that brings you Curveball. But Kellie wasn’t sure she was a mentor to Liam. Sure, he’s given feedback. Sometimes even a pep talk. But is that the same as mentoring? Mentors, coaches, champions. They are all people you might cultivate in your career. But what’s th

Sep 6, 2021 • 20:04

Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream

Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream

Giving in is not the same as giving up. Sometimes, despite your best intentions, things don’t just work out and it’s better to give in to the signs. So many leaders on Curveball have, at some point, found themselves in a tricky situation. And yes,  sometimes they’ve pulled through. But what about those times you just can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat? How do you know when it’s time to call time on your business or your dream? Running any company involves the fine art of juggling when to push beyo

Aug 30, 2021 • 11:17

Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream

Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream

Giving in is not the same as giving up. Sometimes, despite your best intentions, things don’t just work out and it’s better to give in to the signs. So many leaders on Curveball have, at some point, found themselves in a tricky situation. And yes,  sometimes they’ve pulled through. But what about those times you just can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat? How do you know when it’s time to call time on your business or your dream? Running any company involves the fine art of juggling when to push beyo

Aug 30, 2021 • 12:46

Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power

Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power

Elizabeth Broderick has been fighting for equality since she was in utero. Growing up with a twin sister helped instil a burning sense of fairness in young Liz. She’d go on to become a trailblazing lawyer, Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, and Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Elizabeth Broderick is a leader who’s spent her whole career negotiating in hostile environments.  She’s been across the table from the Trump administration on reproductive rights, battle

Aug 23, 2021 • 58:51

Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power

Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power

Elizabeth Broderick has been fighting for equality since she was in utero. Growing up with a twin sister helped instil a burning sense of fairness in young Liz. She’d go on to become a trailblazing lawyer, Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, and Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Elizabeth Broderick is a leader who’s spent her whole career negotiating in hostile environments.  She’s been across the table from the Trump administration on reproductive rights, battle

Aug 23, 2021 • 1:00:20

Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road

Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road

“Sometimes there’s a monstrous demonic fire front that’s bearing down on your little town, and your little team... and the only thing that you can do to stay alive, is to quietly and quickly make an orderly exit via stage left.”  Wow. Let us set the scene for you here. Marine Hautemont and Rob Malicki sent Curveball that message as they clinked champagne glasses in a trailer park in remote northern Australia and toasted their decision to close the doors on their business. The business, AIM Inter

Aug 16, 2021 • 47:16

Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road

Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road

“Sometimes there’s a monstrous demonic fire front that’s bearing down on your little town, and your little team... and the only thing that you can do to stay alive, is to quietly and quickly make an orderly exit via stage left.”  Wow. Let us set the scene for you here. Marine Hautemont and Rob Malicki sent Curveball that message as they clinked champagne glasses in a trailer park in remote northern Australia and toasted their decision to close the doors on their business. The business, AIM Inter

Aug 16, 2021 • 45:47

Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied

Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied

Justin Dry lost his house not once, but twice, before he learned to trust his gut. With each loss, the robust Vinomofo founder has picked himself up off the cellar floor and come at it again from a new angle. Dry has aged wisely. He’s grown from the classic idea-machine entrepreneur, through record funding rounds and tough decisions, to responding to crises with exactly the right kind of genius to pull his premium wine delivery business through. Now that VinoMofo’s matured through “the difficult

Aug 9, 2021 • 58:13

Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied

Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied

Justin Dry lost his house not once, but twice, before he learned to trust his gut. With each loss, the robust Vinomofo founder has picked himself up off the cellar floor and come at it again from a new angle. Dry has aged wisely. He’s grown from the classic idea-machine entrepreneur, through record funding rounds and tough decisions, to responding to crises with exactly the right kind of genius to pull his premium wine delivery business through. Now that VinoMofo’s matured through “the difficult

Aug 9, 2021 • 56:44

Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire

Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire

Dwayne Good is no stranger to fighting for survival.  Kicked out of home as a teen, and then struggling after the death of his mum, Dwayne drifted until he found himself on an idyllic holiday in Thailand. But it was 2004 and a killer tsunami was about to up-end his life in more ways than one. “The best way to summarize it is confusing. What the hell am I going to do? What have I just seen? What does it all mean? That goes through your head. I did suffer from post-traumatic stress,” he reveals. D

Aug 2, 2021 • 37:30

Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire

Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire

Dwayne Good is no stranger to fighting for survival.  Kicked out of home as a teen, and then struggling after the death of his mum, Dwayne drifted until he found himself on an idyllic holiday in Thailand. But it was 2004 and a killer tsunami was about to up-end his life in more ways than one. “The best way to summarize it is confusing. What the hell am I going to do? What have I just seen? What does it all mean? That goes through your head. I did suffer from post-traumatic stress,” he reveals. D

Aug 2, 2021 • 39:00

Kicking goals — Peggy O’Neal stares down the competition

Kicking goals — Peggy O’Neal stares down the competition

American lawyer Peggy O’Neal might lead a team of Tigers, but it’s rare to hear her roar. Although you might have heard an enthusiastic “whoop!” or three when her team won those Australian Football League grand finals!  That unflappable pragmatism is something the president of Richmond Football Club learned growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, USA.  Peggy has seen off leadership coups, helped break a 37-year-premiership drought for her beloved Richmond Tigers, and given her

Jul 26, 2021 • 59:01

Kicking goals — Peggy O’Neal stares down the competition

Kicking goals — Peggy O’Neal stares down the competition

American lawyer Peggy O’Neal might lead a team of Tigers, but it’s rare to hear her roar. Although you might have heard an enthusiastic “whoop!” or three when her team won those Australian Football League grand finals!  That unflappable pragmatism is something the president of Richmond Football Club learned growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, USA.  Peggy has seen off leadership coups, helped break a 37-year-premiership drought for her beloved Richmond Tigers, and given her

Jul 26, 2021 • 1:00:30

A new season of thrills and spills from top leaders

A new season of thrills and spills from top leaders

Staring down a board coup when they’re baying for your scalp. Taking back control when you’ve sold a stake in your company. Trusting your vision when you’ve lost it all before.  Curveball is back and the stakes have never been higher. Join host Kellie Riordan as she navigates her own start-up journey and learns from other leaders about how they thrive when the chips are down. Richmond Tigers president Peggy O’Neal. Vinomofo founder Justin Dry. Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commi

Jul 18, 2021 • 3:46

A new season of thrills and spills from top leaders

A new season of thrills and spills from top leaders

Staring down a board coup when they’re baying for your scalp. Taking back control when you’ve sold a stake in your company. Trusting your vision when you’ve lost it all before.  Curveball is back and the stakes have never been higher. Join host Kellie Riordan as she navigates her own start-up journey and learns from other leaders about how they thrive when the chips are down. Richmond Tigers president Peggy O’Neal. Vinomofo founder Justin Dry. Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commi

Jul 18, 2021 • 4:16

INTRODUCING — How I Work, a podcast where leaders talk about how they structure their day

INTRODUCING — How I Work, a podcast where leaders talk about how they structure their day

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day and yet somehow titans of industry seem to cram more in and squeeze more out. How do they do it? How to entrepreneurs and leaders streamline their processes for maximum productivity? If you love Curveball, chances are you’ll enjoy How I Work, hosted by organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber. Each episode provides you with the trusted tips and hacks you need to get more out of your day, from mastering your overflowing inbox to managing your energy to

Mar 29, 2021 • 16:23

INTRODUCING — How I Work, a podcast where leaders talk about how they structure their day

INTRODUCING — How I Work, a podcast where leaders talk about how they structure their day

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day and yet somehow titans of industry seem to cram more in and squeeze more out. How do they do it? How to entrepreneurs and leaders streamline their processes for maximum productivity? If you love Curveball, chances are you’ll enjoy How I Work, hosted by organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber. Each episode provides you with the trusted tips and hacks you need to get more out of your day, from mastering your overflowing inbox to managing your energy to

Mar 29, 2021 • 16:24

Tough calls — How good leaders make the right decisions when everyone’s a critic

Tough calls — How good leaders make the right decisions when everyone’s a critic

There’s no 101 at business school on making the right call when you’re under fire.   But once you’ve assessed all the information and consulted the right people, you need to make the call. And even though it might not be a popular decision, if it’s the right one for your organisation, you need to see it through. Whether it’s making a decision to keep people safe in the face of media outrage, disciplining unruly employees who are also your friends, or being transparent with your team even though

Mar 22, 2021 • 13:34

Tough calls — How good leaders make the right decisions when everyone’s a critic

Tough calls — How good leaders make the right decisions when everyone’s a critic

There’s no 101 at business school on making the right call when you’re under fire.   But once you’ve assessed all the information and consulted the right people, you need to make the call. And even though it might not be a popular decision, if it’s the right one for your organisation, you need to see it through. Whether it’s making a decision to keep people safe in the face of media outrage, disciplining unruly employees who are also your friends, or being transparent with your team even though

Mar 22, 2021 • 12:04

Forged in fire — how great leaders use personal adversity to become even stronger

Forged in fire — how great leaders use personal adversity to become even stronger

Losing a parent, watching your kid suffer, or battling a serious illness yourself – the personal adversity many of the country’s top leaders have been through will surprise you. Just because you’re dodging curveballs in your work life, doesn’t mean you’re immune to crises in your personal life. But you know what? The Kate Morrises, Andrew Starks and Briony Scotts of the world dig deep and strategise their way through personal adversity the same way they would in their careers. And not only have

Mar 15, 2021 • 12:06

Forged in fire — how great leaders use personal adversity to become even stronger

Forged in fire — how great leaders use personal adversity to become even stronger

Losing a parent, watching your kid suffer, or battling a serious illness yourself – the personal adversity many of the country’s top leaders have been through will surprise you. Just because you’re dodging curveballs in your work life, doesn’t mean you’re immune to crises in your personal life. But you know what? The Kate Morrises, Andrew Starks and Briony Scotts of the world dig deep and strategise their way through personal adversity the same way they would in their careers. And not only have

Mar 15, 2021 • 10:37

Crazy brave — How to channel your inner warrior

Crazy brave — How to channel your inner warrior

Working 9 to 5 might be Dolly Parton’s way to make a living, but these days work schedules look riskier and less structured for most. Whether it’s starting a new company, fast-tracking your business, or taking the plunge into the unknown, we’ve been learning about bravery on Curveball.  How do you move from that moment of fear and take a courageous step towards the unknown? Be brave! Go on, we dare you! +++ Curveball is the show where leaders are honest about their darkest moments. We take you i

Mar 8, 2021 • 10:26

Crazy brave — How to channel your inner warrior

Crazy brave — How to channel your inner warrior

Working 9 to 5 might be Dolly Parton’s way to make a living, but these days work schedules look riskier and less structured for most. Whether it’s starting a new company, fast-tracking your business, or taking the plunge into the unknown, we’ve been learning about bravery on Curveball.  How do you move from that moment of fear and take a courageous step towards the unknown? Be brave! Go on, we dare you! +++ Curveball is the show where leaders are honest about their darkest moments. We take you i

Mar 8, 2021 • 8:57

Think again — Adam Grant wants to change your mind about leadership

Think again — Adam Grant wants to change your mind about leadership

Leaders were once paid the big bucks to come up with a long-term vision, a strategy that could carry a company for years. Now? The most successful leaders are those who can question assumptions, challenge the status quo, and completely reinvent a strategy on the run. World leading organisational psychologist Adam Grant once trained as a magician. He wants you to be equipped to pull a rabbit out of hat when you need to!  As a top TED speaker, best-selling author, and leading researcher working wi

Mar 1, 2021 • 55:38

Think again — Adam Grant wants to change your mind about leadership

Think again — Adam Grant wants to change your mind about leadership

Leaders were once paid the big bucks to come up with a long-term vision, a strategy that could carry a company for years. Now? The most successful leaders are those who can question assumptions, challenge the status quo, and completely reinvent a strategy on the run. World leading organisational psychologist Adam Grant once trained as a magician. He wants you to be equipped to pull a rabbit out of hat when you need to!  As a top TED speaker, best-selling author, and leading researcher working wi

Mar 1, 2021 • 57:07

Dropping in — Andrew Stark rescues a world surf tour in record time

Dropping in — Andrew Stark rescues a world surf tour in record time

Borders shut? Planes unable to land? Quarantine bubbles needed in record-time? Duuuuude! No worries! The very future of the world surf pro is on Andrew Stark’s shoulders. He needs to pull off a record number of events and land a charter plane full of international surfers in Australia, so it’s going to take every ounce of his leadership capability to pull this off. Can he do it? If you’ve listened to the first episode with World Surf League boss Andrew Stark, you’ll know he’s not the kind of lea

Feb 23, 2021 • 17:02

Dropping in — Andrew Stark rescues a world surf tour in record time

Dropping in — Andrew Stark rescues a world surf tour in record time

Borders shut? Planes unable to land? Quarantine bubbles needed in record-time? Duuuuude! No worries! The very future of the world surf pro is on Andrew Stark’s shoulders. He needs to pull off a record number of events and land a charter plane full of international surfers in Australia, so it’s going to take every ounce of his leadership capability to pull this off. Can he do it? If you’ve listened to the first episode with World Surf League boss Andrew Stark, you’ll know he’s not the kind of lea

Feb 23, 2021 • 16:33

Turning the tide — How Andrew Stark transformed a crushing wave into the ride of his life

Turning the tide — How Andrew Stark transformed a crushing wave into the ride of his life

With his wetsuit zippers blown open, his flotation vest filling fast with water, and his diaphragm heaving, Andrew Stark thought his time was up.  But a monster wave on one of Hawaii’s most feared breaks was no match for Stark, a leader who thrives when faced with a threatening swell. Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Sunset, or convincing the world that surfing is professional sport, Stark rides every wave all the way to the shore. A tragic family event when Stark w

Feb 23, 2021 • 1:03:28

Turning the tide — How Andrew Stark transformed a crushing wave into the ride of his life

Turning the tide — How Andrew Stark transformed a crushing wave into the ride of his life

With his wetsuit zippers blown open, his flotation vest filling fast with water, and his diaphragm heaving, Andrew Stark thought his time was up.  But a monster wave on one of Hawaii’s most feared breaks was no match for Stark, a leader who thrives when faced with a threatening swell. Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Sunset, or convincing the world that surfing is professional sport, Stark rides every wave all the way to the shore. A tragic family event when Stark w

Feb 23, 2021 • 1:04:57

Staging a comeback — Jeremy Fleming’s show-stopping pivot from sets to desks

Staging a comeback — Jeremy Fleming’s show-stopping pivot from sets to desks

When Covid restrictions meant an immediate intermission for anyone working in live entertainment, Jeremy Fleming made a phone call no 40-something likes to make. He called his parents to say the shutdown spelt the end for his business and he’d be moving his family of four in with his parents. Staging company Stagekings lost millions in revenue overnight, when client after client called to cancel events.  But ever the innovator, CEO Jeremy Fleming was determined the show must go on.  With a wareh

Feb 15, 2021 • 44:01

Staging a comeback — Jeremy Fleming’s show-stopping pivot from sets to desks

Staging a comeback — Jeremy Fleming’s show-stopping pivot from sets to desks

When Covid restrictions meant an immediate intermission for anyone working in live entertainment, Jeremy Fleming made a phone call no 40-something likes to make. He called his parents to say the shutdown spelt the end for his business and he’d be moving his family of four in with his parents. Staging company Stagekings lost millions in revenue overnight, when client after client called to cancel events.  But ever the innovator, CEO Jeremy Fleming was determined the show must go on.  With a wareh

Feb 15, 2021 • 42:31

You beauty — Kate Morris on taking her online cosmetic company from her garage to stock market float

You beauty — Kate Morris on taking her online cosmetic company from her garage to stock market float

There’s a scene in Sex and the City where Sarah Jessica Parker gets to ring the famed opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange. Naturally, she’s wearing Jimmy Choos and a Chanel lipstick. Kate Morris dreamt that one day her company Adore Beauty would float on the stock exchange. She got there, but ringing the bell over Zoom from her lounge room? Well that wasn’t quite what she’d imagined. For years Morris slogged it out packing cosmetics in her garage. But with profits plateauing, Morris was

Feb 8, 2021 • 45:26

You beauty — Kate Morris on taking her online cosmetic company from her garage to stock market float

You beauty — Kate Morris on taking her online cosmetic company from her garage to stock market float

There’s a scene in Sex and the City where Sarah Jessica Parker gets to ring the famed opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange. Naturally, she’s wearing Jimmy Choos and a Chanel lipstick. Kate Morris dreamt that one day her company Adore Beauty would float on the stock exchange. She got there, but ringing the bell over Zoom from her lounge room? Well that wasn’t quite what she’d imagined. For years Morris slogged it out packing cosmetics in her garage. But with profits plateauing, Morris was

Feb 8, 2021 • 46:55

Testing times — Justin Langer on truth, tough love and making cricket great again

Testing times — Justin Langer on truth, tough love and making cricket great again

When Mother Cricket calls, Justin Langer answers. With Australian cricket in crisis, imploding amid the ‘sandpaper scandal’, Langer was offered a leadership role many considered a poisoned chalice, but the lure of rebuilding the sport he loved was too strong. His tough-love leadership style doesn’t always win him friends, but the former batsman is determined to see his vision through. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the pressure of a leadership role under this much scrutiny... and the next

Feb 1, 2021 • 1:13:24

Testing times — Justin Langer on truth, tough love and making cricket great again

Testing times — Justin Langer on truth, tough love and making cricket great again

When Mother Cricket calls, Justin Langer answers. With Australian cricket in crisis, imploding amid the ‘sandpaper scandal’, Langer was offered a leadership role many considered a poisoned chalice, but the lure of rebuilding the sport he loved was too strong. His tough-love leadership style doesn’t always win him friends, but the former batsman is determined to see his vision through. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the pressure of a leadership role under this much scrutiny... and the next

Feb 1, 2021 • 1:14:53

Lead your team like a MOFO

Lead your team like a MOFO

Have you had days when you’ve wanted to shut yourself off on a deserted island, where you could happily work and eat coconuts and speak to no one? Hell yes! Good. It’s not just me then! But truly great leaders understand that without a solid team, without developing and investing in your people, it’s going to get pretty tough to achieve anything. (Also, there’d be no office cakes... and that would be VERY sad!) Managing people is one of the hardest parts of being a leader. But you know what the

Jan 25, 2021 • 10:52

Lead your team like a MOFO

Lead your team like a MOFO

Have you had days when you’ve wanted to shut yourself off on a deserted island, where you could happily work and eat coconuts and speak to no one? Hell yes! Good. It’s not just me then! But truly great leaders understand that without a solid team, without developing and investing in your people, it’s going to get pretty tough to achieve anything. (Also, there’d be no office cakes... and that would be VERY sad!) Managing people is one of the hardest parts of being a leader. But you know what the

Jan 25, 2021 • 8:23

I get knocked down, but I get up again!

I get knocked down, but I get up again!

“FAIL AND FAIL FAST” – it's the catch-cry currently echoing from Silicon Valley to entrepreneurial kids trying to make a buck with their latest dance routines on TikTok.But as the great philosophers Chumbawamba sang, if you get knocked down, you can get back up again. How do you fail, but more importantly, recover?Curveball’s the podcast where leaders tell you how they’ve dealt with huge challenges and crises – and you’d better believe these people have pretty impressive failure resumes!But ther

Jan 18, 2021 • 6:41

I get knocked down, but I get up again!

I get knocked down, but I get up again!

“FAIL AND FAIL FAST” – it's the catch-cry currently echoing from Silicon Valley to entrepreneurial kids trying to make a buck with their latest dance routines on TikTok.But as the great philosophers Chumbawamba sang, if you get knocked down, you can get back up again. How do you fail, but more importantly, recover?Curveball’s the podcast where leaders tell you how they’ve dealt with huge challenges and crises – and you’d better believe these people have pretty impressive failure resumes!But ther

Jan 18, 2021 • 8:10

Mind games, set and match

Mind games, set and match

As a new year dawns, are you feeling ready to tackle the year head on? Want a little fresh perspective to help you get ahead? If there’s one thing that sets the greatest leaders above the pack, it’s the mindset they carry through challenging times. Curveball’s the podcast where you learn how to thrive when you’ve been thrown a curly one. But how exactly do you cultivate a positive mindset? How do you create that voice inside that tells you “keep going, you can do it!”?  The masterful leaders – t

Jan 12, 2021 • 12:48

Mind games, set and match

Mind games, set and match

As a new year dawns, are you feeling ready to tackle the year head on? Want a little fresh perspective to help you get ahead? If there’s one thing that sets the greatest leaders above the pack, it’s the mindset they carry through challenging times. Curveball’s the podcast where you learn how to thrive when you’ve been thrown a curly one. But how exactly do you cultivate a positive mindset? How do you create that voice inside that tells you “keep going, you can do it!”?  The masterful leaders – t

Jan 12, 2021 • 13:48

If you didn’t pivot did you even 2020?

If you didn’t pivot did you even 2020?

Pivot. Adapt. Resilience. There's a reason we've heard those words so often in 2020.Curveball is the podcast that gives you an inside look into how top leaders cope with unexpected challenges. And as we settle up the books on a year that’s brought so much risk and uncertainty, those lessons on how to deal with change have never been more welcome! In this special festive season Curveball bonus episode, Smart Company Editor Eloise Keating tells you why her publication pivoted (there it is again) a

Dec 21, 2020 • 17:14

If you didn’t pivot did you even 2020?

If you didn’t pivot did you even 2020?

Pivot. Adapt. Resilience. There's a reason we've heard those words so often in 2020.Curveball is the podcast that gives you an inside look into how top leaders cope with unexpected challenges. And as we settle up the books on a year that’s brought so much risk and uncertainty, those lessons on how to deal with change have never been more welcome! In this special festive season Curveball bonus episode, Smart Company Editor Eloise Keating tells you why her publication pivoted (there it is again) a

Dec 21, 2020 • 15:45

Start-up rollercoaster — Michael Fox on winning and then failing with women’s shoes, and re-emerging with a vegetarian VC success story

Start-up rollercoaster — Michael Fox on winning and then failing with women’s shoes, and re-emerging with a vegetarian VC success story

Start-up life sounds glamorous. The thrill of chasing an idea that could land you some coin, securing serious dollars from venture capitalists, and that's before you get to the office ping-pong tables and free candy.But behind the scenes, it's both thrilling and gut-wrenchingly scary. Entrepreneur Michael Fox took his first digital fashion start-up Shoes of Prey from humble beginnings in a lounge room to international acclaim. But when the company started tanking and it was burning through cash

Dec 14, 2020 • 46:21

Start-up rollercoaster — Michael Fox on winning and then failing with women’s shoes, and re-emerging with a vegetarian VC success story

Start-up rollercoaster — Michael Fox on winning and then failing with women’s shoes, and re-emerging with a vegetarian VC success story

Start-up life sounds glamorous. The thrill of chasing an idea that could land you some coin, securing serious dollars from venture capitalists, and that's before you get to the office ping-pong tables and free candy.But behind the scenes, it's both thrilling and gut-wrenchingly scary. Entrepreneur Michael Fox took his first digital fashion start-up Shoes of Prey from humble beginnings in a lounge room to international acclaim. But when the company started tanking and it was burning through cash

Dec 14, 2020 • 47:51

School of hard knocks – Dr Briony Scott on shutting down schools and firing up online classrooms

School of hard knocks – Dr Briony Scott on shutting down schools and firing up online classrooms

When COVID-19 first hit Australia, many of us managed to hold it together quite well… until we were asked to sit down and explain year seven algebra.   Dr Briony Scott, Principal of Wenona School in Sydney, knows all about the trials and tribulations of solving an unknown value.   While Dr Scott was overseeing the closure of her school and helping her students, teachers and parents manage the move to online learning, she was also disseminating rapidly changing public health advice - and all unde

Dec 7, 2020 • 43:50

School of hard knocks – Dr Briony Scott on shutting down schools and firing up online classrooms

School of hard knocks – Dr Briony Scott on shutting down schools and firing up online classrooms

When COVID-19 first hit Australia, many of us managed to hold it together quite well… until we were asked to sit down and explain year seven algebra.   Dr Briony Scott, Principal of Wenona School in Sydney, knows all about the trials and tribulations of solving an unknown value.   While Dr Scott was overseeing the closure of her school and helping her students, teachers and parents manage the move to online learning, she was also disseminating rapidly changing public health advice - and all unde

Dec 7, 2020 • 45:19

That’s Entertainment — Comedy boss Kevin Whyte on going broke, bouncing back, and shifting the laughs from stages to zoom screens

That’s Entertainment — Comedy boss Kevin Whyte on going broke, bouncing back, and shifting the laughs from stages to zoom screens

Just weeks out from Australia’s biggest live comedy event of the year, the entertainment industry fell victim to the greatest showstopper of the century: a global pandemic.  Australia’s biggest comedy agent, Token Group and Guesswork Television boss Kevin Whyte tells you what it was like shifting comedy from stages to zoom screens in record time. But this isn’t the first time Kevin’s put it all on the line. His own Mum had to sign his first venue agreement, because Kevin was barely out of high s

Nov 30, 2020 • 1:04:37

That’s Entertainment — Comedy boss Kevin Whyte on going broke, bouncing back, and shifting the laughs from stages to zoom screens

That’s Entertainment — Comedy boss Kevin Whyte on going broke, bouncing back, and shifting the laughs from stages to zoom screens

Just weeks out from Australia’s biggest live comedy event of the year, the entertainment industry fell victim to the greatest showstopper of the century: a global pandemic.  Australia’s biggest comedy agent, Token Group and Guesswork Television boss Kevin Whyte tells you what it was like shifting comedy from stages to zoom screens in record time. But this isn’t the first time Kevin’s put it all on the line. His own Mum had to sign his first venue agreement, because Kevin was barely out of high s

Nov 30, 2020 • 1:03:08

Cereal-ising success — setbacks, comebacks and taking risks with Carman’s muesli mogul Carolyn Creswell

Cereal-ising success — setbacks, comebacks and taking risks with Carman’s muesli mogul Carolyn Creswell

Watching panicked consumers clear the supermarket shelves ignited an idea for Carolyn Creswell.  If toilet paper was flying off the shelves in aisle eight, would muesli bars in aisle three be the next must-have item? The Carman’s founder made the decision to increase her stock holdings in the face of huge uncertainty. Will the risky decision pay dividends for the muesli mogul this time? Carolyn shares how she’s been batting away curveballs her whole life, including a major health scare and now r

Nov 23, 2020 • 39:51

Cereal-ising success — setbacks, comebacks and taking risks with Carman’s muesli mogul Carolyn Creswell

Cereal-ising success — setbacks, comebacks and taking risks with Carman’s muesli mogul Carolyn Creswell

Watching panicked consumers clear the supermarket shelves ignited an idea for Carolyn Creswell.  If toilet paper was flying off the shelves in aisle eight, would muesli bars in aisle three be the next must-have item? The Carman’s founder made the decision to increase her stock holdings in the face of huge uncertainty. Will the risky decision pay dividends for the muesli mogul this time? Carolyn shares how she’s been batting away curveballs her whole life, including a major health scare and now r

Nov 23, 2020 • 38:21

Hard landing — Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah mans the evacuation slide

Hard landing — Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah mans the evacuation slide

How exactly does a CEO negotiate their exit from a company? Is it like getting a divorce... where it might be publicly amicable for the sake of the kids but really everyone’s secretly shirty with each other? Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah joins host Kellie Riordan in her make-shift home studio to discuss how he handled the final curveball thrown at him as he was replaced by a former Qantas executive. In this exclusive BONUS episode recorded during his departure, we talk about the rou

Nov 16, 2020 • 23:41

Hard landing — Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah mans the evacuation slide

Hard landing — Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah mans the evacuation slide

How exactly does a CEO negotiate their exit from a company? Is it like getting a divorce... where it might be publicly amicable for the sake of the kids but really everyone’s secretly shirty with each other? Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah joins host Kellie Riordan in her make-shift home studio to discuss how he handled the final curveball thrown at him as he was replaced by a former Qantas executive. In this exclusive BONUS episode recorded during his departure, we talk about the rou

Nov 16, 2020 • 25:11

Turbulent times — the moment Paul Scurrah knew his company was grounded

Turbulent times — the moment Paul Scurrah knew his company was grounded

Fasten your seatbelt and switch your phone to airplane mode, because host Kellie Riordan is taking you for a ride into Virgin Australia’s headquarters during the worst crisis in aviation history. CEO Paul Scurrah springs into action as COVID-19 hits, the international borders slam shut, and then days later, domestic flights are grounded too. The airline loses access to $6 billion in revenue almost overnight, prompting crisis meetings, staff redundancies and meetings with administrators. But just

Nov 16, 2020 • 46:49

Turbulent times — the moment Paul Scurrah knew his company was grounded

Turbulent times — the moment Paul Scurrah knew his company was grounded

Fasten your seatbelt and switch your phone to airplane mode, because host Kellie Riordan is taking you for a ride into Virgin Australia’s headquarters during the worst crisis in aviation history. CEO Paul Scurrah springs into action as COVID-19 hits, the international borders slam shut, and then days later, domestic flights are grounded too. The airline loses access to $6 billion in revenue almost overnight, prompting crisis meetings, staff redundancies and meetings with administrators. But just

Nov 16, 2020 • 48:18

Freaked out and phoning a friend

Freaked out and phoning a friend

We’ve all been thrown curveballs this year. But how do you pull yourself through the fear? How do you cope with things you didn’t see coming? Host Kellie Riordan goes in search of our boldest and bravest leaders to ask them how they've tackled the toughest moments of their careers — and lives. And she's not just asking for a friend... Kellie has been dealt a few curveballs this year too.Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagra

Nov 2, 2020 • 7:15

Freaked out and phoning a friend

Freaked out and phoning a friend

We’ve all been thrown curveballs this year. But how do you pull yourself through the fear? How do you cope with things you didn’t see coming? Host Kellie Riordan goes in search of our boldest and bravest leaders to ask them how they've tackled the toughest moments of their careers — and lives. And she's not just asking for a friend... Kellie has been dealt a few curveballs this year too.Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagra

Nov 2, 2020 • 7:15

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